Queen Square is one of Bristol's great architectural set-pieces, and one of the most impressive…read moresquares in the UK. Planned in 1699 and completed in 1727, it is named after Queen Anne. Over the years many of the individual houses have been rebuilt, but it contains a wealth of 18th and early 19th century buildings in excellent condition, many of which are listed. Many of these belonged to wealthy merchants, but also included the first American Embassy following the Revolution in 1776. In 1831, the Square was the scene of riots following the failure of the Second Reform Act: hundreds rioted, and many buildings were burned and looted. After several days, order was restored by troops who killed and wounded hundreds of the protesters. Until recently, the square was bisected by a main road, but this has now been diverted and the Square restored to its rightful form, with lawns and trees. At its centre is a statue of William III by the famous sculptor, Rysbrack, erected in 1736.

As far as green spaces go, Bristols got some humdingers. And Queen Square is possibly the most…read more'happening' of all the green areas Bristol has to offer; playing host to lots of big events throughout the year. On a normal day you find a perfectly flat grassy space with nice graveled walk ways from one corner to the other. It's a really nice place to sit in the sun for pic-nic or just chill out on your lunch break. But what makes Queen Square so great is the event and festivals that are put on during the summer. You'll find: Eat, Drink, Bristol Fashion, Harbour festival, Thai Festival and Bristol Refugee Week to name just a few. It's a great central spot and I've got so many memories of watching live bands, eating great food and generally having fun here.

As a beneficiary of an estate, I feel compelled to share my experience with WDS Associates Legal…read moreServices Ltd. Since the death of my aunt in 2019, we have been waiting for over four years for the estate to be administered. The UK probate court had issued a grant of probate in April 2020, but to this day, I have not received a final account or distribution of the remaining estate. Your company's address is listed in both the Gazette and the Grant of Probate documentation in connection with the estate of Maria Baumgartner-Watson (Ref: 2019/285/BAUMGARTNER-WATSON/70109). In 2023, WDS informed me of an alleged fraud committed by a former employee. However, such an incident has no bearing on the obligation to distribute the estate to the rightful beneficiaries. The way WDS handled this situation has been and is still extremely disappointing and frustrating for me. Public financial records show that WDS continues to operate with a bank balance of nearly £200,000 and net assets of approximately £270,000. In order to assert my rights, we were forced to hire both a German and a UK-based law firm - a significant effort and additional cost for our family living in Germany. The incomplete and lengthy estate account has also led to serious issues with the German tax authorities, which require a complete inheritance statement. I wish my aunt had chosen a regulated law firm. As things are now, this is certainly not what she would have wanted. With this review, I hope to help others make a conscious and informed decision when selecting a service provider for estate administration.

My wife and I used WDS Will Writing & storage services several years ago and paid our annual…read morestorage subscription until we telephoned and cancelled the service in early 2020, we were advised to follow this up in writing, which we did. We were not informed of a cancellation fee at this point. We heard nothing from them for a couple of years and then mysteriously we received a handwritten invoice in 2023 which we put down to an admin error so ignored it, We then received another a few months later which now had a 'default' charge added. So I emailed Mike Diamond and stated that there must have been a mistake as we had cancelled years before. We then entered into a frustrating exchange of emails where WDS took on a very threatening and bullying tone. This was quite shocking for a professional legal firm. I asked them to supply the original copy invoices they claimed had been sent to us. They were unable or unwilling to do this. They then started Court proceedings pointing out how bad this would be for us. I am not one to be bullied by anyone. However, I was willing to go to mediation, during this I asked again to be supplied with the original invoices, they then sent over 'new' handwritten invoices which were NOT copies of the invoices they claimed to have sent, presumably because they never existed- they were dated on headed paper which had a later date printed on it!!. To prevent the embuggerance of having to attend court I offered a Goodwill gesture and also paid the cancellation fee (the one we were not informed about and was detailed as 'default' charge) However, Charlie Diamond, who had now taken over dealing with this refused, at which point I said "we will see you in court". To cut a long story short I attended the Court hearing and Charlie Diamond (WDS Representative) appeared through a video link. The case was reviewed and the Judge dismissed WDS claim and found in our favour, he asked if would like to claim any costs, however, in the interests of further goodwill I said no. What I requested was for Charlie Diamond to confirm that the Account was now closed and that having paid the cancellation fees they would send us the original copies of the Wills that we paid for. She agreed. You may think that was the end of it, given the Judgement and the agreement. However, the Wills never materialised, so I emailed Charlie Diamond asking their whereabouts. I received this reply: Dear Mr Henderson, As per the Judges decision, I did confirm the agreement between you and WDS have now been closed and the contract is no longer legally binding. As for your storage facility as the account was in arrears and payment has not been received for such arrears everything is forfeited and destroyed. Therefore, this now concludes all matters, and no further contact is needed. So watch this space as I have given them 28 days to provide our original wills or we will again be meeting in Court, where WDS will have to explain why they did not abide by the assurances made to us in front of the Judge. I have also emailed the Court to inform them of WDS's action and email. If you are unfortunate enough to have dealings with WDS Associates then don't let this company or their unprofessional representatives bully you into anything, their administration and record keeping are so poor that why anyone would trust them to look after their legal documents is a mystery. If they threaten Court Action, don't be cowed, there is a strong possibility that they have no basis and are simply trying to frighten you into paying something you don't owe. As for the goodwill I have continually shown them, by not requesting expenses for a lost day at work and paying a cancellation fee that was not originally requested! Well, this is over and when we meet again in court I will not be so conciliatory. The sooner this area of Legal Services is regulated the better, that way firms like this will no longer be able to trade or behave like this or risk being 'struck off'.

- I don't study law and am not in need of a lawyer (just yet) but came across this place by chance…read more I needed a photocopier and was told to go to The Law Shop by the post office. The lady at the counter didn't mind that I was only there to take advantage of their photocopier. She happily went upstairs and copied 5 sheets for me. Whilst I was waiting, I had a nosey round the shop and thought it was great. Their motto is 'Help yourself or we'll help you'. There was a 'help-yourself' section where you could pick up leaflets and peruse the law books in their own free library. The 'we'll help you' aspect of the shop was great too. You could get free legal advice from the team at the Law shop or change your name. There may be a time when I need to use these things and I'm sure The Law Shop will be a great starting point.

I used the "Law Shop" service offered by these solicitors which is basically a face-to-face session…read moreoffering legal advice, paid by the minute. They assited me to do my own conveyancing on a property purchase and saved me about £400 or £500 compared to the normal cost of Solicitor's conveyancing. It's a great service if you are prepared to put the effort in yourself. Make sure you have all paperwork together before you see them and bank on needing a second short visit to tie up any loose ends. The service was so good I propmised I would give them a write up, so here it is!

This firm is employing solicitors and paralegals who seem utterly reluctant to reply to…read morecorrespondence and inquiries. I am am not a client of theirs for which I am extremely thankful, but are involved with them as a litigant in person pursuing a resolution to a pending case. If they are currently without instructions, then professional courtesy would dictate that I would at least be notified of this. However, there is nothing but silence. A complaint is in the process of being made against this outfit. Irmgard. 2. 6. 2021

My partner and I have employed Giles Woodward at B+K for conveyancing in the past and have been…read morepleased with his thoroughness and efficiency in what has been sometimes quite complicated and frustrating details. Time has been charged for accurately and full details have been sent of all the costs. Recently I have contacted Sharlie Sollars at B+K on another issue regarding evicting tenants. She listened carefully, translating my thoughts into something accurate and wrote a very comprehensive and thorough report of our meeting. In it she suggested options in a clear and not-too-technical way. I learnt a lot and took appropriate action.

I used the "Law Shop" service offered by these solicitors which is basically a face-to-face session…read moreoffering legal advice, paid by the minute. They assited me to do my own conveyancing on a property purchase and saved me about £400 or £500 compared to the normal cost of Solicitor's conveyancing. It's a great service if you are prepared to put the effort in yourself. Make sure you have all paperwork together before you see them and bank on needing a second short visit to tie up any loose ends. The service was so good I propmised I would give them a write up, so here it is!

we used HG and Jessica Lippiatt for selling a house and buying one. She was efficient, detailed…read morewithout dragging her feet and good to work with