Four years on from booting out bailiffs, is Bristol’s ‘ethical’ council tax debt collection working?

Bristol City Council's 2018 vow to stop using bailiffs to collect unpaid council tax, after a Cable campaign, appears to be giving vulnerable people breathing space. But Covid and the cost of living crisis have seen debt levels spike.

‘We want to give people their space back’: clock ticks on crowdfunder to save Barton Hill’s last pub

Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign, the Rhubarb Tavern could be saved from redevelopment after three years closed. In a changing city, and with pints becoming a luxury for many, what will be needed to make it a success?

‘We need people to step up now’: the Bristolians working to save cricket from climate change

Cricket's past is tangled with colonialism, a key root of climate change. Now, it's the pitch sport most at risk from global heating – but a group based in Bristol are working to highlight the threats and protect its future.

From city of sanctuary to ‘city of opportunity’ – how Bristol can better integrate refugees

Asylum seekers and refugees should be thought of as ‘citizens-in-waiting’, people with rights, skills and potential, a new report argues. Instead, many people at the sharp end of the system feel shut out of contributing to society.

Trams, or an underground? As Bristol weighs its public transport options, can it learn from across the Channel?

Bristol is notorious for its congestion and poor public transport, and has been hit by a worsening bus crisis. As it looks to a new mass transit system to solve its problems, cities such as Rennes and Bordeaux can offer valuable lessons.

‘The sector won’t survive much longer’: can Bristol’s indie cinemas regain their pre-Covid highs?

Independent cinema in Bristol has been severely impacted by the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. Does it have what it takes to keep going?

The Bristol police chief embroiled in corruption who died with a razor in his hand

John Henderson Watson had a long and distinguished police career and was Bristol’s chief constable for 14 years – before his career ended in scandal and his disappearance.

When words fail: Meet the Bristol group nurturing male musicians’ mental health

The Seed Sessions project combines counselling and music mentoring to help young men express themselves. We heard from its founder, one of the participants and a counsellor working with the group about the power of music as a therapeutic tool.

Urban growers are quietly laying the ground for a food revolution. Can it become a reality?

Growing fruit and veg close to home is better for our health – and could help keep us fed when climate change disrupts supply chains. Could doing more of it provide a secure, affordable, and sustainable way of meeting Bristol's needs?

‘Now I’ve opened up, there is no one to help’: how the burden of sexual crime lies on survivors’ shoulders

A quarter of women and one in 18 men have experienced sexual assault as an adult. Therapy is crucial for survivors – but accessing it can be a further struggle at the worst possible time.

Rising demand and falling donations causing shortages at Bristol food banks

The cost of living crisis means more people need food banks – but fewer are donating. The Cable spoke to organisations across the city trying to help the growing number of households who can't afford to eat.

‘My anxiety levels are off the scale’: Tempers fray as student houses multiply on estate

As residents and students clash on High Kingsdown estate, Bristol City Council is being urged to enforce its own targets and lower the number of HMOs in the area.