Gerry Brooke answers your questions about Red Maid's School, Long Ashton station, Flat Holm and the slave trade.

Is Red Maid's the oldest girl's school in the country?

Kay Anderson, Longwell Green.

Red Maid's, founded in 1634, is strictly speaking the oldest SURVIVING girls' school in the country.

Now situated in Westbury on Trym, it began life in central Bristol as a charitable hospital, providing accommodation and teaching for the orphaned daughters of Bristol's burgesses and freemen.

The school's founder, John Whitson, was wealthy merchant and MP for Bristol.

Did Long Ashton once have its own rail station?

Fran Hunt, Southville.

Yes, it did. It opened in 1926, when the line was run by the Great Western Railway, and closed in 1941.

Can you settle an argument by telling me how long there has been a lighthouse on Flat Holm?

Rob Little, Easton.

The first proper lighthouse was erected by a Bristol man, Nicholas Crispe, in 1738 but was subsequently rebuilt after storm damage.

It was in private ownership - the last signal station to be so - until bought by Trinity House in 1822.

The lighthouse, which is 98 feet tall, was automated in 1988 and has been solar powered since 1997.

I've seen the name "manillas" mentioned in various stories about the slave trade. Do you know what they are?

Len Francis, Bedminster.

Made of either bronze or copper - so called "Red Gold" - manillas were used as a form of currency by the tribes of the West African coast.

Although most were horse shoe shaped - that is, open ended - the name is said to derive from the Spanish for a bracelet.

In the 16th century European traders started using them to buy African slaves.

Different tribes had different names for each type of manilla with the highest status ones, for the kings mostly, being made of gold.

A typical "triangular" voyage would carry pans, pots and kettles plus manillas to West Africa, then slaves to America and the West Indies and then cotton back to Britain.

In 1948 the British finally replaced manillas with ordinary currency.