Question by ItsJust Me: Starting a business in Atlanta and need a corporate address. Can anyone recommend a good virtual office firm?
Just looking for corporate address and perhaps call forwarding. A referral is much better than a blind internet search. Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by Sharon
Quotes may vary from center to center – you would probably want to speak to someone with Office Provider contacts all over the Atlanta area. I would suggest going to http://us.officebroker.com/

They will be able to help you find what you’re looking for – good luck!

Add your own answer in the comments!

Secondly, she emailed me out of the blue yesterday about football- one of the fun things we found in common and always had a lot of fun with. Her team- the Denver Broncos- had acquired Peyton Manning. So she was SO excited she decided to email me. My team- the Oakland Raiders- are bitter rivals of the Broncos. Of course, I playfully responded, ‘they still suck’, but she responded right away with…”I KNEW you would share my enthusiasm ” and I left it right there.

I have to admit at least we are communicating on somewhat personal level now, but my intentions were to give her ‘space’ and not reaching out to her unless it involved our son. One of the things she said that she needed when we broke- “she needed time.” I am just a bit confused right now on what her intentions are. Can anyone give me some advice? Thanks!

Confused in NYC

Best answer:

Answer by You
It sounds like she did not want to break up but saw no other way to mend things. She wants to still be in your life and have a possibility of getting back together with you but not at the moment. Sometimes we need to take a break and step back to evaluate our lives. Figure out what is most important and remembering what it is we love most. She probably thinks that by stepping out of the relationship it would give you both time to miss each other, and remember all the good, so when you got back together you would appreciate each other more.

Give your answer to this question below!

OptionsHouse Virtual Trading Platform


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OptionsHouse, LLC is an online stock and option broker delivering a fast, streamlined trading experience on its professional-grade trading platform, accessible at www.optionshouse.com/. A licensed FINRA broker-dealer, OptionsHouse was founded in 2005 and is a subsidiary of proprietary option-trading firm, PEAK6 Investments, L.P.

Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. In addition, electronic trading poses unique risk to investors. System response and access times may vary due to market conditions, system performance and other factors. OptionsHouse provides neither investment nor tax advice. Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options | Risk Statements and Disclosures | Privacy Policy, copies of which can also be obtained by contacting our Customer Service Department at customerservice@optionshouse.com. © 2006-9 OptionsHouse, LLC All rights reserved. Member of FINRA, SIPC.

Continental Airlines virtual assistance – fast, accurate, polite


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The Remote Entrepreneur
“the Remote Entrepreneur” Is A 4 Week Online Course That Teaches: 1) How To Build And Grow A Web Application That Generates Revenue Online, 2) How To Make Passive Income Through Affiliate Marketing, 3) How To Do All Of This While Working Remotely.
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Bodyweight Exercise Revolution: Equipment-free Is Hot In 2010
Several Products – Great Reviews And Great Conversion. www.bodyweightcoach.com/affiliates
Bodyweight Exercise Revolution: Equipment-free Is Hot In 2010

Social VIrtual Worlds Logos – End 2008


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More here personalizemedia.com – One slide of 80 from a presentation I gave at the Online Social Networking and Business Collaboration Conference on Nov 25 2008 in Sydney, Australia – this was primarily to show Second Life and Google Lively (RIP) are not the only non-games in town

Randy Farmer discusses reputation at the March 2009 Online Community Business Forum – Sonoma, CA


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Randy Farmer, pioneer of online community and virtual worlds, talking about the topics in his in-progress book on online reputation systems. Dos and Don’t's take away: "Leader boards are bad".

Sunlight Chambers


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Designed as Dublin offices for Lord Lever (of Lever Brothers), by the Liverpool architect Edward Ould who also designed Port Sunlight. Built in a romantic Italianate style with its wide overhanging eaves, tiled roof, and arcaded upper floors, the building boasts one of the most unusual architectural features in Dublin – two multicoloured terracotta friezes depicting the history of hygiene. Until recently these friezes were quite dirty but a restoration last year restored the building to its multicoloured brilliance.

Work In Progress at The Point Village


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The Point Village (Irish: Sráidbhaile an Phointe) is a planned new ‘city quarter’ in the North Wall area of Dublin, Ireland.
As part of the development, the following are planned to be built: a 120 m skyscraper (called the ‘Watchtower’) with around 150 apartments, 500 m² of office space and a rooftop bar, a 23,000 m² shopping centre, a 250-room 4-star Choice Hotels hotel [1], 13,000 m² of offices, a 3-story underground car park with capacity for 1,000 vehicles, a 12-screen cinema, expansion of the ‘Point Depot’ into a 15,000-seater arena with one of the biggest stages in Europe and the ‘U2 Experience’ museum (similar to the Beatles Museum in Liverpool).
Transport links to "the Village" are also planned. The terminus of the extension of the Luas light rail system will be located in the middle of the development (the extension will be 1.5 km long and will have 4 stops, connecting to the existing Red line of the system). This Luas link will connect the Point Village to other transport options – including the DART, suburban rail, Busáras, mainline rail, and the future Dublin Metro. The Dublin Port Tunnel is also located nearby.
The ‘Point Village’ is expected to complete by 2009 at a cost of €800,000,000 and may employ around 2,000 people.

Work In Progress at The Point Village


Image by infomatique
The Point Village (Irish: Sráidbhaile an Phointe) is a planned new ‘city quarter’ in the North Wall area of Dublin, Ireland.
As part of the development, the following are planned to be built: a 120 m skyscraper (called the ‘Watchtower’) with around 150 apartments, 500 m² of office space and a rooftop bar, a 23,000 m² shopping centre, a 250-room 4-star Choice Hotels hotel [1], 13,000 m² of offices, a 3-story underground car park with capacity for 1,000 vehicles, a 12-screen cinema, expansion of the ‘Point Depot’ into a 15,000-seater arena with one of the biggest stages in Europe and the ‘U2 Experience’ museum (similar to the Beatles Museum in Liverpool).
Transport links to "the Village" are also planned. The terminus of the extension of the Luas light rail system will be located in the middle of the development (the extension will be 1.5 km long and will have 4 stops, connecting to the existing Red line of the system). This Luas link will connect the Point Village to other transport options – including the DART, suburban rail, Busáras, mainline rail, and the future Dublin Metro. The Dublin Port Tunnel is also located nearby.
The ‘Point Village’ is expected to complete by 2009 at a cost of €800,000,000 and may employ around 2,000 people.

Today’s Blog Post: virtualassistant-live.com Checkout more posts on the VA live Blog virtualassistant-live.com The VA Business – FREE eBook no opt-in required http For everything you need to create and develop a successful virtual assistant business www.thevaapprentice.com For support in your virtual business please visit http
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Learn expert tips for using virtual office & phone number tools in the world of global business communications in this free video.

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Rate and comment on this office video tour of Kirkstall Road, Leeds from officebroker.com www.officebroker.com This impressive business property has been fully refurbished and is in a convenient location within the city limits of vibrant Leeds. Security conscious, cctv monitored onsite carparking is plentiful with many additional public transport connections nearby inc Leeds Bradford International Airport and Leeds Train Station which is just a short walk away (well-under 1 mls from the office space). Your corporate visitors are greeted by the beautifully designed contemporary reception. The reception inc flat screen televisions as well as comfortable, designer style chairs which helps create a fantastic first impression. This popular Leeds office space location offers a directory of fully serviced office suites in a wide directory of sizes and layouts. Each office inc plenty of storage space / stores as well high quality, professional chairs and desks and IT infrastructure. Large, open-plan office space is also available on conventional lease terms. The business centre also provides a great directory of exceptionally high quality meeting suites that can be rented by Tenants as and when required inc the Green Room which is ideal for brain storming. The impressive Boardroom has been finished to a very high standard and projects an excellent business image making it ideal for meeting with corporate visitors. As an additional benefit, this superb office property in Leeds …

Office space video tour of George Street, Edinburgh from officebroker.com — please rate and comment! www.officebroker.com In a Convenient location in the financial and professional heart of Edinburgh, this stunning period Business Centre offers a great directory of office spaces on conveniently flexible rental terms. Many local stores, cafes and restaurants are on the doorstep and the property is within easy walking distance of numerous bus routes along with Waverley Train Station, making these offices in Edinburgh ideal for any business. The recently refurbished entrance hallway welcomes your corporate visitors to the property and the business centre itself inc a dedicated, fully managed reception area complete with comfortable chairs / sofas, an impressive, contemporary design and friendly, experienced receptionist staff that will greet your guests and manage your business calls in a professional manner. Office space is provided fully furnished with high quality telephone systems and cat 5 cabling pre-installed for added convenience with many office suites also offering fantastic views towards Edinburgh Castle and Fife. With its mixture of flexibility and bright, uniquely characterful office spaces, this Grade A listed Georgian property provides the chance to create a workspace perfectly suited to your business’s needs. Flexible meeting room space can be rented by tenants as and when required, with each suite always immaculately prepared prior to your meeting inc …
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A great, tall building providing serviced office space in Sheffield, right in the centre of the city.
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I’m a stay at home mom who just started up, I currently have a zero advertising budget so what can I do to get my name out there?

Best answer:

Answer by silvaconsultants
Craigslist allows you to post most listings for free and works well for many services.

You may also wish to look at employment ads in Craigslist and your local papers to find people advertising for part-time administrative assistants. You can call these people and tell them what you do and perhaps they would consider using your services rather than hiring an actual employee.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Glass Building


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The Alcoa Business Services Center building on the North Side in Pittsburgh, PA

Business Center Area – Riviera Maya


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Business Center Area at Hotel Grand Velas in Riviera Maya near Quintana Roo, Mexico. rivieramaya.grandvelas.com

James Findlay Harrison


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11th OH. Infantry
Linn County Republic, Friday, Feb.22, 1907
Died: Feb. 14, 1907

COL. JAMES F. HARRISON,
BORN MARCH 9, 1825—DIED
FEB. 14, 1907
A Valiant Soldier a Faithful Father
and an Honored Citizen
Laid to Rest.

Col. James F. Harrison, formerly County Surveyor, and an old time citizen of Mound City, Linn County, Kansas born March 9th, 1825 in Cincinnati, Ohio, was the son of William Henry Harrison, a native of Vincennes, Indiana. His father, born Sept. 26, 1802, was the son of General William Henry Harrison, the paternal grandfather of our subject being the hero of Tippecanoe, and later President of the United States. The father, educated in Transylvania University, in Kentucky, was admitted to the Bar in Ohio in 1823. The mother, Jane Findlay Irwin, was the daughter of Archibald Irwin a prosperous farmer near Mercersburgh, Pennsylvania. On the Harrison side the family dates back to Thomas Harrison, a Major General of the Parliamentary army, and once Colonel of the Old Ironsides Regiment of Cromwell. He was one of the Judges who tried King Charles, and was the one who, by orders of Cromwell dissolved the long Parliament and arrested the Speaker. He was hung, drawn and quartered May 10th, 1660. His son, Benjamin Harrison, who emigrated to America on account of political differences with his father located in the Old Dominion, and became Clerk of the Council of Virginia. He died in the year of 1649, and left a son Benjamin; that latter was born September, 20th, 1645 in Southwork, Parish, Surrey county, Virginia, and died January 1713. His son Benjamin, born in Berkley, Virginia, and later Attorney General and Treasurer of the state, was also Speaker of the House of Burgesses, and died April 10th, 1710, aged thirty seven years.
Benjamin Harrison, also born in Berkley, and a son of the last named Sheriff of Charles City county, and in 1728 a member of the house of Burgesses died in 1774. His son Benjamin, likewise of Berkley, was a member of the House of Burgesses from1750 to 1775, and was a member of the first Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was three times Governor of Virginia and carried the popular vote of his state. His third son, William Henry Harrison, born in Berkeley, Feb. 9, 1775, afterwards became the famous General and later President of the United States. He served as Aide de Camp under Anthony Wayne and was Secretary of the North-west Territory. He was a delegate to Congress from that territory, and a brave soldier he fought at the battle of Tippecanoe Nov. 7, 1811. He was engaged at Ft. Meigs—and participated in the battle of the Thames Oct. 6, 1812. He was United States Senator from Ohio, and was Minister to Columbia. President of the United States, he expired while in office April 4, 1841.
His second son, William Henry Harrison became the father of our subject. Upon the maternal side, the family dates back to Archibald Irwin, who settled in Pennsylvania before the Revolutionary war. He was a cadet of the House of Irwin, of Bonshaw, Scotland. His son Archibald married Mary Ramsay, whose father was a younger member of the Dalhousie family of Scotland. Their daughter was Jane Findlay Irwin the mother of Col. James F. Harrison.
The parents after their marriage settled in Cincinnati, Ohio where the father practiced law, and later died in his fathers house at North Bend. The father and mother were blessed with two children, James F. and William Henry. The later, born May 5th, 1828 died in Mexico in April 1849.
Our subject who was educated in Cincinnati College, entered West Point Military Academy in 1841 and graduated in 1845. General Fitz John Porter was in the same class. Colonel Harrison later resigned from the Academy, but when the war broke out with Mexico, volunteered in the First Ohio Infantry. He was Adjutant of the same when only twenty one years of age, and served with distinction under Colonel Alexander M. Mitchell. Our subject remained with his regiment, actually engaged all through the war, he was under the command of General Taylor until discharged in June 1847, and participated in numerous hot skirmishes with the Mexican Cavalry.
Our subject became an inmate of the White House at Washington D. C., during the incumbency of President W. H. Harrison and was at his bedside when that veteran soldier and statesman entered into rest, mourned by all loyal citizens as a national loss. This was prior to his going to West Point. After his return from the Mexican war, Colonel Harrison entered into the study of law, and later admitted to the Bar of Indiana, practiced there for a few years. He resided in Dayton, Ohio from 1854 until 1864, and enlisted in the three months service in the Civil war being Colonel of the 11th Ohio Infantry. During the Chickamauga Campaign he was Aide de Camp and Chief of Staff to General W. H. Lytle, and was covered by the life blood of the General when he was killed in September 1863. The friendship between our subject and the General was very strong; their fathers also had been friends, tried and true, as has likewise been their grandfathers. For a short time Colonel Harrison served on the staff of General P. H. Sheridan, but after the sad demise of General Lytle, resigned from the army.
During the last call of President Lincoln, our subject re-enlisted as a private in the First Ohio Cavalry, and was transferred as Lieutenant to the One hundred and eighty-fifth Ohio Infantry. Later, as captain of the One hundred and eighty-seventh Ohio he went to Georgia and remained until the close of the war. During the Squirrel Hunter Campaign in Ohio, our subject was the recipient of the following order September 12, 1862: “Colonel Harrison, First Regiment State Militia, has been placed in charge of the defense of the Ohio River west of Cincinnati to the Indiana line. He will be obeyed and respected accordingly. By the order of Major General Lew Wallace and Major M. McDowell, A. D. C.
Our subject served through the campaign and was discharged by order of David Tod, Governor of Ohio. Col. Harrison raised a company in Dayton, Ohio in a half hour and was placed in command of a regiment. The same day he was given charge of a brigade, being then engaged two weeks in the service of the government. In 1866 Colonel Harrison settled in Linn county, where for many years he was county surveyor and one of the most popular men of his locality.
In the year 1848 James F. Harrison and Miss Caroline M. Alston of South Carolina were united in marriage. This estimable lady died in the spring of 1863, and the three children of the union are now deceased. Our subject again wedded in December, 1864 to Miss Alice Kennedy, a native of Mississippi and a daughter of John Kennedy formerly of Belfast, Ireland, but originally a Scotch merchant, removing to Belfast in mature life. Unto this second union were born six children, five of whom are now living: John Rudolph, James Findley, Jr., and Archie Irvin. Col. Harrison was a member of the Episcopal church, fraternally associated with Montgomery Post No. 38, G. A. R. of Mound City which had charge of the burial services at Mound City where he was laid to rest; he was likewise a member of the Veterans Association of the Mexican War.
Politically, our subject was a Douglas Democrat and had been a slave holder, but the first shot fired at Sumpter changed him, and killed his democracy for all time to come. The relationship between Col. Harrison and Ex-President Benj. Harrison was that of cousins, theirs being relationship on both the fathers and mothers side. The descendent of honored ancestry and himself personally faithful to all his obligations as a man and citizen, Colonel Harrison won a high place in the regard of a wide acquaintance and throughout Linn county, was esteemed as a man of fine attainments, superior ability and sterling integrity of character.
He passed away peacefully at 10 a. m., February 14 surrounded by his entire family, the funeral service taking place at his residence at 3 o’clock Saturday afternoon, interred under the auspices of the G. A. R., and laid to rest in the Mound City cemetery, the Rev. E. N. Gause preaching the funeral sermon.
The pall-bearers were: Major E. M. Adams, Captain O. E. Morse, S. Dillon Moore, J. H. Maden, H. H. Woy and J. J. Hawkins; all being members of Montgomery Post No. 38, G. A. R. Pleasanton and LaCygne G. A. R. Posts were there and a large number of friends and relatives.
______

CARD OF THANKS.
We desire to extend our sincere thanks to our many friends and Montgomery Post No. 38, G. A. R. for their sympathy and kindness through the illness and death of our beloved husband and father James Findley Harrison.

MRS. ALICE HARRISON AND FAMILY.

The Black & White Cafe St Paul’s… and its troubled history


Image by brizzle born and bred
This article reviews the troubled history of The Black & White Cafe in the district St Paul’s Bristol England.

See View 2010

2003 – The owner of the Black and White Cafe says it is; a family business selling Caribbean food. The police claim it is the focal-point for drug dealers in St Paul’s and that it has been raided more times; than any other premises in Britain.

Now the city council is trying to force the sale of the building and turn a dilapidated terrace into affordable homes.

Steven Wilks’ family has owned the Black and White Cafe for more than 30 years. Its reputation has spread far and wide — but not for the quality of the traditional Jamaican food, such as. curried goat, served there.

The rundown building in the middle of a row of derelict houses is in an area notorious for drug dealers. Police have made hundreds of arrests either inside or just outside the cafe over the last two decades.

An incomplete log of incidents, operations, raids, complaints and arrests formed part of the evidence presented to a public inquiry in 2003 which will determine whether Bristol City Council can compulsorily purchase the Black and White Cafe.

The inquiry will decide whether compulsory purchase order proceedings should be allowed to go ahead on the terrace in Grosvenor Road in which the cafe stands.

The council and Knightstone Housing Association want to redevelop the terrace into seven three-bed low-cost family homes. Planning inspector Robert Sexton will draw up a report and submit it to the Secretary of State, who will announce a decision later in the year.

The log shows 54 dates on which police went into the cafe to carry out searches and make arrests for offences ranging from drug dealing to assault and robbery – There were another 164 on which police made arrests or were called to incidents outside the cafe.

One was the murder of Gary Mignott on May 1,1999, which still remains unsolved. The cafe first hit the headlines in 1980 when rioting broke out after police raided the premises and seized alcohol. During the riots a bank and a post office were attacked and a row of shops and a warehouse in Brighton Street were set alight.

Twelve police cars and several fire engines were damaged or set ablaze and more than 50 people were injured.

Since then, there have been many incidents linked to the Grosvenor Road area, none more terrifying then when members of the Aggi Crew stormed in to the Black and White Cafe, armed with guns and demanded a ‘tax’ from a rival gang of Jamaican drug dealers.

Avon and Somerset police learned about the potential bloodbath and took the unprecedented step of putting armed officers on 24-hour patrol in St Paul’s and Easton.

Most of the Aggi Crew are now back in prison and last summer police turned their attention to the remaining Jamaican dealers.

There were 41 arrests in three days of raids and since then those convicted of dealing have been receiving sentences of about five years.

Mr Wilks, who also owns a house in Redland and a restaurant in Whiteladies Road, Clifton, told the inquiry that drug dealing was rife and it would only move somewhere else if the cafe closed.

He said: "We want the chance to be in the rejuvenation programme of St Paul’s.

"I don’t want to sell my business for £500,000 or £600,000. For 30 years we have provided black food for the black community. If you want to relocate me, you will have to relocate me in Clifton but I don’t want to lose my roots."

He said the city council and Knightstone had tried to paint the most negative image they could of the cafe to get it closed. "I’ve seen this document showing all the incidents that happened in the cafe," he said.

"If somebody gets stabbed in Ashley Road, then the newspapers will say they got shot outside the Black and White Cafe. Anything that happens always get re-directed so that it happened outside the cafe but the taxman is still taking his money"

He said: "I don’t sell drugs. I’ve got a business in Whiteladies Road and if you were to ask if there were drug activities up there in Clifton, ‘I don’t think so’ because they would never allow it. The cafe has been subject to negative press since day one but closing the cafe is not going to change the drug situation in St Paul’s. St Paul’s is rife with drugs.

"Crack cocaine has mashed up the community and we have all felt that, myself included."

2003 article

Hidden behind deeply tinted windows, the Black and White Cafe in the St Paul’s district of Bristol has a tiny formica counter where you can buy traditional Caribbean fare such as ackee, saltfish, curried goat and jerk chicken. But no one comes here for the food.

In a society where open dealing is no longer out of the ordinary, the Black and White Cafe stands out from the crowd as the biggest and most blatant hard drug den in Britain.

This run-down building in the middle of a row of derelict houses has been raided more times than any other premises in the country, according to Avon and Somerset police. Last weekend alone saw three separate raids which resulted in 17 arrests and the recovery of thousands of pounds worth of crack cocaine. The scene of countless shootings, stabbings and armed robberies – many of which have never been reported – the cafe is also at the epicentre of increasingly violent gang activity.

Closed down and boarded up by the city council last year, the cafe re-opened two weeks ago and ever since has been at the heart of a battle between Bristol’s indigenous drug gangs and an influx of Jamaican dealers who are attempting to take over the trade. Bristol is the latest in a long line of cities to be hit by an explosion of Yardie activity as drug gangs move their activities outside London in search of new markets.

A report presented to Cleveland police last month noted that in 2001, just one Jamaican dealer was arrested in Middlesborough for selling Class A drugs. Last year the figure was 32. Jamaican dealers have also been arrested in North and South Wales, Hull and Aberdeen but nowhere have the problems been more apparent than in Bristol. Last month officers attached to Operation Atrium, a major initiative against the city’s crack trade, arrested 56 people, 36 of whom were Jamaican nationals.

Last year the same team uncovered a bogus college in the St Paul’s area – scene in the 1980s of race riots sparked by drugs raids – which had provided long-term visas to more than 300 Jamaicans. Of those ‘students’, 45 have since been charged with drug offences, 11 with weapons charges, one with rape and another with attempted murder. A further 121 are being detained on immigration offences while 148 remain on the run.

In many cities the arrival of large numbers of Jamaicans has resulted in violent confrontations and many detectives believe it is only a matter of time before one area erupts into all out warfare. Police in Cleveland are bracing themselves for a rise in gun crime as a result of the Yardie invasion and similar fears have been expressed in Scotland and Wales. These same clashes are at the heart of the problem in Bristol and at the centre of it all is the Black and White Cafe.

During the Nineties, the city’s drug trade was in the hands of a local gang known as the Aggi crew, an acronym formed from the surnames of the founding members, but in 1998 six of the Aggi crew were jailed after being caught dealing drugs worth more than £1 million. They had been arrested in raids involving more than 300 police officers who uncovered an arsenal of firearms including shotguns, handguns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Last month several key members of the Aggi crew were released on probation and emerged from prison to discover that in their absence the city’s drug trade had been taken over by a Jamaican gang known as the Hype crew. Arming themselves, the Aggi crew stormed into the Black and White Cafe and demanded the Jamaicans pay ‘tax’ to them if they wanted to continue dealing in the city. Then, as a final mark of disrespect, they robbed every person in the cafe at gun point.

As they handed over their money and possessions, the Jamaicans told the Aggi crew that they would not be paying them a single penny and that the only way to resolve the argument would be with guns.

It didn’t take long for Avon and Somerset police to learn about the potential bloodbath. They responded by taking the unprecedented step of placing armed officers on 24-hour foot patrol in the most volatile areas – the streets around the Black and White Cafe and Stapleton Road in the neighbouring district of Easton. They also launched a series of raids on the homes of the Aggi crew who, as a result, have now been returned to prison.

The move has significantly reduced the threat of gang warfare but has left the drug trade solely in the hands of the Jamaicans. Often dismissed as ‘disorganised’ rather than organised crime, Jamaican dealers in Bristol have actually brought a new level of cunning to the drug business. Instead of holding wraps of crack in their mouths, the dealers on Stapleton Road placed the drugs in old Coke cans which would then be left in the gutter. After handing over their money, customers would then be directed to the nearest can. The scam made it almost impossible for police to link batches of drugs to specific dealers and gave some degree of protection from prosecution.

To prevent their merchandise being swept away, the dealers also launched a massive campaign of intimidation against the council’s utility workers. Refuse collections halted altogether in many areas as did road and pavement repairs (dealers were also hiding drugs in the cracks in the pavement). The dealers then turned their attention to the workers attempting to install CCTV systems. Within weeks Stapleton Road had become known as the ‘street of fear’ with dealers, prostitutes and muggers operating with virtual impunity. In a seven-month period, 915 crimes were recorded along a 150-metre stretch.

Although Avon and Somerset police have poured massive resources into dealing with the problem and made great progress, they admit that they are far from finding a solution. ‘We have made more than 800 arrests in the past 18 months but on the streets the problem remains as bad as ever,’ Detective Chief Inspector Neil Smart, head of Operation Atrium, told The Observer. ‘There is a lot of gun crime that we do not get to hear about and we suspect there have been drive-by shootings at the Black and White Cafe that have never been reported. The place is known around the world. Two of my officers were on assignment in Jamaica and they overheard two locals talking about the Black and White being the place to go to get drugs in Bristol.’

When The Observer visited the cafe last week it was business as usual. The air was thick with the cloying smell of cannabis and the sounds of hard reggae. A dozen people were milling about close to the pinball machine while the main room was dominated by two snooker tables, both of which were in constant use. According to local detectives the players are often the main dealers. Drugs are taped to the base of the snooker tables allowing easy access but again frustrating police efforts to link drugs to particular dealers.

An attempt to prosecute the cafe’s owner, Stephen Wilks, for allowing drugs to be sold on the premises ended in failure. Last week the city council pushed through a compulsory purchase order on the cafe which will now be demolished, though it will be at least a year before the bulldozers move in. Wilks was not available for comment.

DCI Smart believes the way forward is to introduce what he describes as ‘joined-up thinking’, ensuring his officers work alongside the probation service, Customs and the Immigration department to find ways of dealing with each new threat.

While the demise of the Black and White Cafe is unlikely to produce tears among the police force, locals are less sure. Christine Boulton, 50, works with the homeless in Bristol and has lived close to the cafe for 31 years. ‘The cafe does have a negative effect on the community but then again, if you are looking for the local bad lads, sooner or later they will always end up there. If you shut it down, all you are going to do is move the problem. If it’s not the Black and White, it will just become somewhere else.’

TWO DECADES OF TROUBLE

Some of the incidents at Black and White café recorded by police over 23 years many go un-reported:

In the 1950s and ’60s immigrants from the West Indies were encouraged to come to Bristol to live and work, and many settled around the areas of St Paul’s and Montpelier. Nightlife there took off in the Seventies, with blues clubs and all-night shebeens soon popping up (St Paul’s festival is still an annual summer event, mellow and relaxed, like a smaller, less frenetic Notting Hill carnival). In 1980, following a police raid on the popular Black and White Café, the St Paul’s riots erupted, the first of the decade’s civil disturbances.

1980: Bristol riots after police raid Black and White café.

1984: Three officers attacked by customers after going into café to arrest a man.

1986, February: Two-day riot outside café after car chase.

September: Raid at café followed by three nights of rioting.

1992, February: Person seen to leave café and conduct a drugs deal, arrested and drugs seized.

August: Two suspected drug dealers stopped by police after leaving café and drugs found.

November: Drugs seized from pool table inside café.

1995, 8 February: Known offenders seen leaving café. Found with CS gas and drugs.

1996, 3 January: Two brothers shot in a disturbance outside the café. One later died.

1997, 25 July: Police raid, £20,000 worth of drugs seized, two arrests.

13 October: People arrested for supplying drugs inside café.

1999, 1 May: Murder of Gary Mignott outside café.

6 May-summer: 32 arrests for drug dealing.

21 June: Report of hostage at café.

2000, 31 May-10 August: Numerous arrests and drug seizures at the cafe.

14 December: Sock containing drugs found inside café.

2001: Immigration arrest.

2002: 1 January: Stabbing outside café. Man seen outside café pointing a gun at a woman.

12 February: 29 arrests for drugs and immigration offences.

14-15 May: Three people convicted of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs.

22 October: Drugs seized from hole in wall inside café.

27 November: Assault on officer inside café.

2003, 13 January: Aggi Crew gang stage hold-up inside café.

23 January: Café searched by consent, drugs seized from a hole inside toilet unit and also from inside an electronic bar game.

23 April: Report of 50 people fighting outside the café.

2 May, Drug dealing reported outside cafe.

13 May: Report of dealer working day & night inside cafe, also report of people with guns inside cafe.

Allen Nixon


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William Cutler wrote this about this gentleman but National Parks Service Soldiers and Sailors System says that he was not in the unit:
ALLAN NIXON, farmer, P. O. Eskridge, is a native of Lanarkshire, Scotland, and was apprenticed in the grocery business in the city of Glasgow, with Mr. Thomson, of Argyle station, with whom he remained until 1859, when he came to New York, and secured an excellent situation in a wholesale house; but in 1863, the fever of war excitement was too much for him, and he enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment. He remained with his regiment, and participated in all its battles until the close of the war, and upon being mustered out found the close air of a store uncongenial after a soldier’s life, so in 1868, he drifted to Kansas, and located first on Rock Creek, but has since bought 850 acres in the adjoining township. His wheat yield is not above average; his corn this and last three years averaging sixty bushels. he devotes his time principally to raising, buying and shipping cattle and hogs to Eastern markets. At present he has 315 head of cattle with about 400 hogs, 23 horses. Mr. Nixon is a bachelor; a staunch Republican, but never cared for any office, and was one of the charter members of Eskridge Post, G. A. R.; he is also a member of the Masonic order.

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