Cheltenham Standard 13th November 2014

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www.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk 13 NOVEMBER 2014 ISSUE 17 Your discerning local weekly newspaper

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Residents appalled at planning decision R

ESIDENTS in Charlton Kings are angry that a controversial planning application to turn the Hand Car Wash site on the Cirencester Road into another convenience store has been passed by Councillors on the Boroughs Planning Committee at the second attempt. Neighbours and campaigners in Charlton Kings are apparently appalled about the reversed decision of the Committee. Local campaigner Russell Grimshaw (45) a local Company Director and a neighbour to the site said: “It is inconceivable that eight workers at the popular car wash business will now lose their jobs because of this application being passed.

Furthermore the Council’s own Retail Consultants said that the NISA across the road from the site could also close as a result. That’s another

business and five more jobs going to be lost and for what?” Local resident and campaigner Steve Harvey (55) a retired Government Senior Policy Advisor agreed with Mr Grimshaw commenting, “Many of the issues that would affect our amenities have simply not been addressed.

There is no protection from transient and intermittent car doors slamming or radios blaring.

Council Officers not only know this and conceded that there could be no enforcement to protect neighbours and their amenity. The Planning Inspector in 1994 imposed noise conditions on the site to ‘protect the amenity of adjacent homes’ and yet the hours of operation of this unwanted convenience store will be more than TURN TO PAGE TWO >

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

Cheltenham WeatherWatch THURSDAY 13th Nov Min 10ºC Max 12ºC FRIDAY 14th Nov Min 9ºC Max 12ºC SATURDAY 15th Nov Min 6ºC Max 11ºC SUNDAY 16th Nov Min 8ºC Max 11ºC MONDAY 17th Nov Min 8ºC Max 10ºC TUESDAY 18th Nov Min 8ºC Max 10ºC WEDNESDAY 19th Nov Min 8ºC Max 10ºC

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Eric Pickles steps into housing battle ERIC Pickles MP’s visit last week marked a key intervention in the great Cheltenham housing controversy. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government was in town at the invitation of prospective Conservative MP, Alex Chalk, and was in a typically bullish mood. Eric Pickles has re-ignited debate on where local authorities in Gloucestershire will be permitted to develop new housing sites after assuring voters the county’s Green Belt was not up for negotiation.

In relation to the Joint Core Strategy which is the Council’s plan to build thousands of new homes around Cheltenham, Mr Pickles stressed the importance of protecting the green belt, Eric Pickles MP stating: “Even if you can’t meet and Alex Chalk your housing numbers it’s not a reason to build on the green belt.” Given his question as to where the 30,000 new role as the Cabinet Minister with ultimate homes earmarked for the county are acturesponsibility for planning and building, ally going to be located within the Local the comments are particularly significant. Plan. The Government’s approach could Mr Chalk added that Mr Pickles’s remarks not be clearer stating, ‘’green belt should “should not fall on deaf ears.” His declara- not be sacrificed purely to meet housing tion that Green Belt land should not be need.” The intervention has been seized on used to meet the housing shortfall may by opponents of development, who have endear him to many ‘Not in My Back Yard’ criticized the Council for failing to take into campaigners but could be seen as simple account recent guidance on safeguarding electioneering. However it does raise the the green belt. It remains to be seen how

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Man banned from Cheltenham High Street

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A MAN has been banned from entering the High Street and Montpellier Street in Cheltenham for three years after receiving an anti-social behaviour order on conviction.

Police made the successful application when Hamid Reza Baygi, 56 and of Montpellier Terrace, Cheltenham, was convicted and sentenced to 18 weeks in prison at the end of September for assault by beating, a racially aggravated public order offence and assaulting a police officer. The offences relate to an incident in which Baygi assaulted a man near Tesco Express on the Lower High Street on the afternoon of Thursday July 31. When police arrived he verbally abused an officer, using racist language, and then kicked a PC in the shin. Officers say that Baygi, who

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is now also banned from being in possession of any opened alcohol in a public place in Cheltenham and acting in a manner likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person in the town, has been a constant nuisance. PC Mark Love said: “The defendant is well known to most police officers who work in Cheltenham town centre due to his many incidents involving alcohol and his highly volatile behaviour whilst drunk. He is very loud, aggressive and will use threatening and vulgar words to members of the public and police. “We are issuing his photo so that if you need to report any breach of the order you can call police straight away. “Any breach of the order could mean Mr Baygi is fined or sent to prison again.”

planners will now respond to Mr Pickles’ intervention. Mr Pickles and Mr Chalk also visited a number of local independent retailers including Grafx, the Cheltenham Model Centre and Sue’s Crafts. The Secretary of State heard from traders, who raised issues ranging from the cost of business rates to Cheltenham Borough Council’s parking policy and the need for greater access to bank lending for small businesses.

Also on the agenda was the cost of local government, and Alex Chalk’s campaign to cut the cost of government in Cheltenham by £100,000, by having elections every four years. This measure was proposed by local Conservatives in 2013 but defeated by Liberal Democrats on the borough council.

Mr Pickles expressed his support for robust measures to cut out waste, adding that councils should not come to central government with their “begging bowls”.

Residents unite against Tesco plan CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

double the current car wash operating hours.” Locals are concerned about the domino effect on nearby shops if the NISA closes, particularly the Co-op in Church Piece, together with the Smith and Mann which is the only remaining Post Office in Charlton Kings.

Steve Harvey finally added, “The potential loss of both the Co-op and the Post Office would be devastating for our village. They say it won’t be a Tesco on the car wash site, yet some of the supporting paperwork is from Tesco, what’s the truth?’’

Steve Harvey and Mike Proctor

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13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

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Dom James from Morrisons Up Hatherley with Natasha James, fundraising assistant at Leckhampton Court Hospice (no relation!), taking part in the latest Morrisons fundraiser for Sue Ryder, called Raise Your Smile.

Morrisons raise whopping £1M for Sue Ryder FAMILIES coping with life-limiting conditions in Gloucestershire will have a new place to go for much-needed support and advice in 2015 after Morrisons customers and colleagues raised an amazing £1M for Sue Ryder in just nine months. The charity is using some of the money raised through its partnership with Morrisons to fund a new online community. This is a first for Sue Ryder and will allow people with end of life care needs across Gloucestershire to ask for advice, share their experiences with others and access a wide range of information, ensuring they never feel completely alone. Some of the £1m raised so far is also being spent on growing and developing community services at the Sue Ryder, Leckhampton Court Hospice, with plans in place for the expansion of the Hospice at Home service, the introduction of a community practice educator and a neurological community nurse specialist.

These services are due to launch in 2015 and will benefit people in the community around Leckhampton Court when they need it the most. Elise Hoadley, director at Sue Ryder, Leckhampton Court Hospice, said: “We’re overwhelmed by the incredible sum of money that Morrisons customers and colleagues have raised for Sue Ryder in such a short space of time and we’re delighted to be able to use some of these funds to expand our community services. “The services we are developing here at Leckhampton Court will ensure that our patients receive more choice and

control over their care, while our online community will mean that people will have quick and easy access to information and support.’’ She went on to add, “The money raised through our Morrisons partnership will make a lasting difference to thousands of families at the most difficult time of their lives and I’d like to thank colleagues and customers across Gloucestershire for their support so far.”

Martyn Jones, Group Corporate Services Director at Morrisons, said: “Raising over £1m in just nine months is a fantastic achievement and we’re overwhelmed by how our colleagues and customers have got behind our partnership with Sue Ryder so far.” The new online community, family support teams and community services that we are funding through our partnership with Sue Ryder will ensure that families with loved ones at the end of their lives receive support when they need it the most. “We are incredibly proud to be involved in a partnership that will make such a lasting difference to thousands of families across the UK.” For more information about Sue Ryder’s partnership with Morrisons, call their dedicated partnership hotline on 0800 949 6000 or email morrisons@sueryder.org. Alternatively, show your support today by texting ‘SMILE’ to 70123 to donate £3. You’ll be helping people at the end of their lives, and supporting their families.

For more information about Sue Ryder visit www.sueryder.org.

Don’t be caught out buying stolen goods GLOUCESTERSHIRE Police are offering advice to the public on how not to get caught out buying goods that may have been stolen.

The advice comes as part of the Force’s Operation Switch, which aims to tackle theft and burglary throughout autumn and into winter.

Harm Reduction Advisor for Gloucestershire Constabulary Kim Mowday said: “To some people it can be very appealing to buy something like a laptop or tablet for a drastically reduced price, but if it appears to be too good to be true then it probably is. “By buying stolen products you’re taking a massive risk.

Firstly there is no guarantee that the item you’re buying is going to work and secondly, and more importantly, there could be consequences for you if you are caught buying

stolen goods. The Gloucestershire Police Neighbourhood Engagement Vehicle will be out at various locations throughout November with PCSOs on hand to provide help and advice and will be visiting repeat victims of burglary to ensure that they don’t fall foul of this. The locations are; St Pauls, Arle Road and Coronation Square areas of Cheltenham.

Gloucestershire Police are also teaming up with Gloucestershire Crimestopppers to encourage people to be on the lookout for criminal activity in their area.

If you suspect someone might be trying to sell you stolen goods you can also give information anonymously by contacting the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Tweeting to take off in the town SOCIAL media project @Chelt52 is looking for Cheltenham’s most quirky, fun and interesting tweeters to take part in the second year of the project. Every week for 52 weeks, a Cheltenham Tweeter takes over the @Chelt52 Twitter account and shows the world what ‘their Cheltenham’ is about. Each Monday a new person takes charge of the account and shows a different side to the town. The first year of the project wrapped up in October and founders Liam McKinnon and Sophie Fryer are now encouraging the social media-savvy people and organisations of Cheltenham to apply for the second year at www.cheltenham52.co.uk

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

CHALK Local pub forced to reconsider TALK

By Todd Haslewood

CONSERVATIVE PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE FOR CHELTENHAM GETS VOCAL...

T

HE ‘Boots Corner Scheme’. What image does that conjure up to you? A pretty fountain outside Starbucks perhaps? A couple of new trees where the battered bike racks are? Or maybe it means very little at all. Perhaps you are one of the thousands of Cheltonians who have received little information about the scheme, and have only the sketchiest understanding of what is being proposed. I fell into that camp. And whilst I don’t pretend to be an expert now, several hours of studying the plans mean I am starting to get the measure of them. Now, I don’t pretend to be an expert but, after studying the new plans over the past fortnight since they were released, I am starting to get the measure of them. And one thing is clear: this really is very radical stuff. It’s about far more than just prettifying the area outside Boots itself. Instead, it represents nothing less than a revolution in how Cheltonians and visitors get around our town. And now it is back out for consultation.

Let me start with the most fundamental change – the severing of the key urban artery from the Prom up to North Place. This route currently carries traffic from the south of town right up and out towards Evesham and beyond. The proposed scheme would effectively mean applying a tourniquet at Boots Corner. The flow of traffic heading north would be forced to find different routes. And like a network of new capillaries, the flow would percolate into the surrounding residential streets.

And there’s the rub. Because it seems clear that the knock-on effect would extend far beyond the centre of town. Residents from St Luke’s to St Paul’s would be affected, as would those living on or near Hewlett Road, Hales Road and Gloucester Road, to name but a few. Residents have also mentioned to me their concerns about the impact on local schools, two of which are in line for hundreds of additional vehicle movements at peak times. And then there is the issue of pollution. Those living in Fairview Road, Swindon Road, London Road and the lower High Street already have to contend with levels of nitrogen dioxide which breach EU limits. Many are concerned that with further traffic pushed away from the centre, this will just get worse. A fundamental issue here is that the available information is so impenetrable and difficult to digest. If you’ve gone on-line to check it out you’ll know what I mean.

Unless you’re a traffic expert it’s largely gobbledegook.

To make sense of it requires hours of study. Those that have crunched the numbers so say that the model only shows where 37% of the traffic will go. What is the ordinary person expected to make of that? I believe there is a duty on planners to present complex proposals like these in a way that everyone can understand. It’s hardly beyond the wit of man. With a bit of thought, these concepts can be put into layman’s terms, so that busy residents with lives to lead can be helped to give a fair and informed response. After all, this is something that will affect our lives. At the moment, I’m afraid this is simply not happening. Despite all this, I hope residents will engage in the process. It’s too important not to. For more information and to take part in the consultation please visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ CTPTRO. The closing date is 22 November.

LANDLORDS Jason Clarke and Donna Jones have been left outraged as their pub The House in the Tree at Boddington has come under scrutiny from Tewkesbury Borough Council.

They were left shocked as their 132-year-old pub has been given a 28 day notice to remove their play area and pets’ corner and to make a start cleaning the area around it. The issuing of this order came after a complaint was received about the site which was then investigated by the council, apparently uncovering a breach of planning control.

The planning enforcement officer for Tewkesbury Borough Council, Catherine Crowley, had been misquoted locally and denies that the other features like picnic benches, patio area with barbecue oven and two caravans would have to be moved.

The couple had renovated the pub and surrounding area completely to change it into a modern, family-friendly environment which was incredibly popular with the locals.

The play area itself had been prominent at the pub for a number of decades, whilst the pets’ corner was a relatively new feature, only being on the site for the last two years.

These added features had been an integral part of the pub, helping it rank 18th out of 327 restaurants in Cheltenham on TripAdvisor. A number of locals, customers and supporters are now fighting against the council in a bid to keep these key characteristics and preserve the pub as a whole unit. Mr Clarke, 49, had try to gain the help of the Tewkesbury MP Laurence Robertson to push the case further.

Wanted man arrested FOLLOWING a police appeal for information to help trace Shane Troy Joyce, wanted in connection with the supply of class A drugs, police have now arrested him.

Joyce, 23 and of no fixed abode, was arrested by police at an address in Cheltenham on the 6th November. The arrest followed information received from a member of the public. He was charged in June with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin at a flat in Windyridge Gardens in Cheltenham but failed to appear at Gloucester Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on September 26.

He has appeared at Gloucester Crown Court and will remain in police custody.

Police are grateful for the support of the public in making this arrest.

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Sixth Formers ‘speed date’ for apprenticeships LAST month All Saints’ Academy in Cheltenham held its first Apprenticeship Awareness “speed dating” event. Students in Sixth Form were invited to explore the broad opportunities around apprenticeships - gain insights into different careers and broaden their aspirations. Students gathered information by going through questions they might want to ask the employers as they rotated around the room to different tables every 4 – 5 minutes. Employers with current and future apprenticeships on offer were from Prestbury Marketing, Accenture, QAA, Carillion, Serco, Superdry, Arc Energy Resources Ltd and Barclays Bank.

All offered advice about courses relating to the different types of apprenticeships. Training providers, Prospect Training, JTL Training, and HIT Training & Gloucestershire College were also involved. The event was organised by Mrs Parr & Mrs Taylor, Careers advisors at All Saints’ Academy. They said, “Students have said that they found the event really helpful, many students will consider applying for apprenticeships after meeting the employers face to face.”

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13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

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Gloucestershire Schools’ Annual Lecture returns

Gloucestershire College Open Evening dates announced FOLLOWING a summer celebrating the success of its students across A Level, vocational and work-based learning programmes, Gloucestershire College is opening its doors to prospective students and their parents at the Gloucester, Royal Forest of Dean and Cheltenham campuses this November.

On Monday 10, Wednesday 12 and Monday 17 November respectively, from 5.30pm, each of the College’s main campuses will showcase over 20 vocational and academic areas alongside their fantastic facilities, which include hair and beauty salons, restaurants, recording studios and even a gym and theatre.

The November Open Evenings aim to help students make the right choice for next September by giving them a chance to speak with the College’s experienced lecturers and dedicated Advice and Guidance Team about their options.

Gloucester Campus, Monday 10 November, 5.30pm to 8.00pm Royal Forest of Dean Campus, Wednesday 12 November, 5.30pm to 7.30pm Cheltenham Campus, Monday 17 November, 5.30pm to 8.00pm From A Levels, NVQs, BTECs and apprenticeships to career-focused HNCs, HNDs and Foundation Degrees, potential students can find out about the full range of courses, as well as take part in have-ago activities, tour the campuses and much more. Matt Burgess, Principal of Gloucestershire College, said: “For those in Year 11, it’s time to start thinking about where they would like to study next September, and we look forward to welcoming potential students and their parents to our Open Evenings this month. During their visit, they will be able to talk to our experts and explore all of their post-16 options, which include a career-focused

vocational subject, A Levels or an apprenticeship. Visitors will also be able to find out more about the full range of support and opportunities available to GC students.

“All campuses continue to achieve excellent results both academically and pastorally. We were thrilled to celebrate not only a 97.9% pass rate across all A Level programmes, but a 100% A Level pass rate at the Royal Forest of Dean Campus for the third year running in 2014.”

Those interested in attending a November Open Evening can pre-register online to skip the queues on the night. Simply visit www.gloscol.ac.uk/openevenings.

HUNDREDS of pupils will enjoy a free science and maths extravaganza this month.

Two brilliant science presenters will get the school audiences excited about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The year eight and nine pupils will learn more about the benefits of studying these subjects at GCSE. Patrick Brooke, member of Court at the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire, said: “The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire is committed to developing this county’s future achievements. The annual Schools’ Lectures are one of the county’s most exciting cultural fixtures and we’re delighted to see our original concept come to fruition in such a marvellous way, helping young people access science outside of the classroom’’. Ali Mawle, Director of Education at The Times Cheltenham Science Festival, said: “Some people can find ‘science’ daunting, but the Festival gets people engaged with science in new and exciting ways. These annual free lectures for local schools are a fantastic opportunity for us to bring the magic of The Times Cheltenham Science Festival direct to students who might not otherwise get to discover science in such exhilarating and innovative ways.” This year’s speakers are Dr. Suze Kundu and former FameLab finalist Karl Byrne.

Suze will uncover some of the amazing science materials that you can find in your own home, while Karl will explore the science of light and colour. Covering biology, chemistry and physics, Karl’s talk will examine everything from why we see different colours to the search for extra-terrestrial life. Produced by The Times Cheltenham Science Festival in partnership with the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire, the free Annual Lecture has amazed over 2,500 local Key Stage 3 pupils with two hours of entertaining, inspiring and mind-expanding science since it started in 2010.

This year’s talks take place on Monday, November 17 between 10.30am-12.30pm at the Bacon Theatre, Cheltenham.

Tickets for the Gloucestershire Schools’ Christmas Lecture are free, and available to Key Stage 3 pupils at schools throughout Gloucestershire. School enquiries should be made through the Cheltenham Festivals Education team at education@cheltenhamfestivals.com.

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

THE SIMMONDS FILE Cheltenham College Remembers Christina Simmonds – Ukip Cheltenham Parliamentary candidate for 2015 WHEN is a reduction in a rebate not a reduction?

Answer – when it involves the EU. The Conservatives and their coalition partners the Liberal Democrats have announced with great fanfare that we only have to pay half the original demand, and that over an extended period. It’s much heralded reduction is no such thing. It’s merely the first payment because the rebate, which was negotiated by Margaret Thatcher, is going to be brought forward and set against the total sum, rebate money which we would have received anyway. Next year we will also get our full rebate but into 2016 the rebate will be reduced by £850 million pounds. The Austrian Finance Minister Hans Joerg Schelling told reporters, “the amount can’t be questioned,” It’s being said that politicians are “men favoured by God with an extraordinary genius for swathing the bitter facts of life within bandages of soft illusion.” Well David Cameron has excelled himself over this issue. He made great play of the fact that

the demand is for a huge sum of money, and so it is. What he doesn’t seem so bothered by is that the demand for 1.7 billion pounds is actually less than 1% of the annual cost of our EU membership.

That colossal figure is £185 billion pounds, or about 11.5% of Gross Domestic Product. The real facts are that however you play it, we are £850 million pounds worse off. Doesn’t sound much until you think of the sea of beautiful red poppies around the tower of London, each one representing a person who gave their blood to secure our liberty from a dominating European power. Then think of each poppy as representing £100,000 pounds. That’s how much we are handing over in the next twelve months, twice as much by 2016. It is a sober thought - each poppy representing a sacrifice of the economic lifeblood of this country. So don’t be fooled by the gigantic spin, each person in this country has had their pocket picked to the tune of £26 just to secure David Cameron’s and Nick Clegg’s places at the European top table.

It’s not fair, it’s not right and it’s not common sense.

By Todd Haslewood IN a week where we remember the fallen soldiers of the First World War, Cheltenham College has put on a series of Remembrance Services in honour of those who served in our countries armed forces.

On Sunday 9th November, an hour’s service was led by Reverend David Jennings at the College Chapel, with members of the public, current students, ex-students and staff at the College all in attendance. Alongside this service was their World War One Memorial Exhibition, which also marked the 100-year anniversary since the start of the First World War. The exhibition was mainly to pay homage to the 675 students who served and unfortunately lost their lives in the war. Books, memorabilia and other items were on show for the people who were attending the service to look at and take in, as the day was all about remembering those who fought on the front lines, instead of studying in the classroom.

Since the College was opened in 1841, a staggering 4,000 students from Cheltenham College have served their country in the armed forces, and they are always remembered on these occasions. Sebastian Bullock, Chair of the First World War Com-

mittee at Cheltenham College said: “The Remembrance service provides an opportunity for the College community to commemorate all those from the United Kingdom and Commonwealth who made the ultimate sacrifice whilst serving their country. Another service was held on Tuesday 11th for Remembrance Day itself, with the public holding a two-minute silence at 11am and then gathering to remember those who lives were lost during battle.

Remembrance and celebration at All Saints Academy ON TUESDAY 11th November students and staff at All Saints Academy gathered for a Remembrance assembly. The Academy Chaplains led the service where they reflected on the importance of the day. Prayers were said, poems were read and the school reflected on those that gave their lives for us 100 years ago. House Captains laid wreathes by their wooden cross as an act of remembrance.

The Combined Cadet Force students came in their full dress for the event and also paid their respects. Poppy Slack and Megan Roberts were also promoted after the assembly. Poppy was promoted to Corporal and Megan was promoted to Lance Corporal. Both students were very happy and honored to be recognised for their achievements.

Open Letter to Cheltenham Standard Dear Sir I write to inform you and your readers about why I am standing as an Independent candidate for Cheltenham at the General Election in May 2015.

Apart from a growing conviction over the last few years that this is something I simply have to do, I am standing to offer a positive alternative to the Westminster consensus which, in my opinion, offers little choice at

all and has the wrong priorities.

It seems to be long forgotten that the role of Government is to serve the people. That means all of us. As a result of austerity, many in our country are languishing in a river of despair and, when our Government isn’t being complicit in throwing them in, it is at best standing on the bank not lending a hand to haul them out. I believe that the role of Government is to both pull them out

and to go upstream and tackle what was throwing them in the river in the first place.

That’s what happens when we care about all of the people all of the time.

For too long our political leaders have believed that by making big business and the City the priority, the rest of us will benefit through the creation of jobs and the sharing of wealth. Well that is now discredited and, I think, a dereliction of duty. Inequality is getting greater, the majority of new jobs are neither full-time nor well paid, and the benefits of technically emerging from the reces-

sion are not being shared by everyone. It is time that the poorest 99% became the first thought, not an afterthought.

This is the backdrop for what I will be campaigning on in the election. The time has come for us to break the Westminster consensus, and that is why I’m asking the people of Cheltenham to put their Independent voice at the heart of Westminster.

Yours faithfully Richard Lupson-Darnell

13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

Free tv licence for 12,300 over 75’s in the town MORE than 12,300 over 75s in Cheltenham are enjoying the benefits of a free TV Licence according to figures published this week by TV Licensing. TV Licensing is reminding anyone aged 75 or over they are eligible for a free TV Licence for their main address, as part of a monthlong awareness campaign launched this week which charity Age UK is supporting by helping TV Licensing to get the message to everyone aged 75 and over.

Over four million people across the UK are already enjoying the benefits of the concession, which applies to anyone 75 or over, regardless of income, or anyone

living with someone aged 75 or over. Although the concession is free, it must be applied for in order for the address to be correctly licensed. A free over 75 TV Licence only covers the main home address.

Anyone aged over 75 will need to buy a separate TV Licence for any other properties.

It’s quick and easy to apply. You’ll just need your National Insurance number to hand, or another proof of age if you don’t have one. If you’re applying on behalf of someone else, make sure you have their details ready. To apply, call the dedicated over 75 team on 0300 790 6154 or visit tvlicensing.co.uk/over75info.

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See behind the scenes at Police HQ GLOUCESTERSHIRE Constabulary are inviting members of the public to take a peek behind the scenes of the Force Control Room during the month of November. The Force Control Room, at the Constabulary’s HQ, is the central hub that deals with non-emergency 101 and emergency 999 calls. People will be able to see the latest state-of-the-art equipment used by operators to deal with each, individual call. They can watch as the hi-tech system works - from the initial phone call, made by the member of the public, to how it is prioritised and sent on to an officer/department for appropriate action.

The visit will also give them an insight into the continual improvements Gloucestershire Police are making to ensure its service continues to help the people of Gloucestershire.

Officers will be on hand to answer any ques-

tions during the two hour visit. Due to the sensitivity of some of the information handled in the Control Room, the Constabulary can only host small groups and each person will have to be vetted beforehand.

The dates/times are : 14th November 2014, 10am - 12pm 18th November 2014, 6pm - 8pm 19th November 2014, 10am - 12pm 25th November 2014, 10am - 12pm 27th November 2014, 6pm - 8pm If anyone would like to visit they need to contact Inspector Simon Goodenough, via email Simon.Goodenough@gloucestershire.police.uk or call 01452 754113.

AgonyAunt Kimberley Wall so conflict is contained and doesn’t affect your whole relationship.

5) Decide together what constitutes cheating: This may seem obvious but people do have different boundaries and it’s important to know your partner’s before accidently crossing them. For example, how do you both feel about pornography?

6) Talk finances and housework: Two huge areas that cause arguments in relationships. Wouldn’t it be better to divide the household tasks and make money decisions before they cause problems? How will money be split? What household tasks do you both dislike so how can they be shared?

7) Agree to a regular relationship MOT: Whether this would be updating your plans on an annual basis or deciding to book a Relate counselling session every so often. It may help identify areas of your relationship which benefit from a bit more TLC before an issue spirals.

As usual if you would prefer me to talk about a specific problem then you can send me your worries to relate@glossservices@hotmail.co.uk and I will respond to as many letters as possible. Alternatively you can book an appointment to speak face to face with a counsellor (charges apply) at Relate Gloucestershire and Swindon on 01242 523215 either way we would never share your personal information with the newspaper.

WEEKLY

www.shaneduffsoccer.co.uk

www.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk 2 OCTOBER 2014 ISSUE 11 Your discerning local weekly newspaper

YOUR WEEKEND TV GUIDE

PROPERTY & HOME

COMPLETE SCHEDULE INSIDE!

A SNAPSHOT OF THE VERY BEST HOUSES ON THE MARKET

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Temporary reprieve for Suffolk Road misery S

EVERN Trent Water took the decision to reopen Suffolk Road last Friday 26th September. This was after difficulties with ground conditions stopped the company from putting new sewers in place. The work, which will prevent sewer flooding in the area starts again next year once investigations are complete and a new design is in place. Severn Trent Water in a statement to The Standard said, ‘’We carried out investigations before starting work in Suffolk Road. We knew that we would be working with sand when putting the new sewers in place.

We dug holes at various points on Suffolk Road to establish the characteristics of the sand we would be working in and whether the sand would be suitable to hold our sewers, using our preferred method of

installation. We did an assessment based on our findings and put a plan in place to install the sewers based on what we knew. Unfortunately once we started the work, the characteristics of the sand in some places varied and just isn’t able to hold our new sewers.

This is why we now have to reassess how we will complete the work successfully’’.

Wayne Ellis from Severn Trent Water further explained, “Our contract partners, NMC Nomenca, did do extensive investigations before starting work to replace the sewers in Suffolk Road, but unfortunately they didn’t show how poor the ground conditions were. A lot of the ground is sand which just doesn’t hold the pipes we’re putting in. So we need to go away, review our options and redesign a solution that will mean

Continued on Page 2

PHOTO: JAMES TANDY

WHEN it comes to marriage there doesn’t seem to be a magical answer which explains why certain relationships survive the ups and downs of modern life while others fail. However, how in sync a couple’s expectations of the future are might be an indicator of relationship longevity.

Here are a few tips on investing in your relationship before saying I do...

1) Create an ‘ideal’ future time-line: It might be easier to draw an imaginary time line: if you both want children when do you both ideally see this happening? Where would you both like to be in your careers in two, five and ten years time?

You can obviously change this as your relationship grows.

2) Book a one off couple counselling session at Relate as an impartial place to discuss both your expectations and visions of the future. Counselling is there to help a relationship grow as well as being there for a crisis.

3) Keep the magic alive: In modern day life it can be difficult to ensure you spend quality time together but it is important to continue to learn new things about each other. Why not discuss committing to a regular date night?

4) Handling conflict: Disagreements will inevitably happen so what will you decide to do if one of you isn’t happy?

Will you allocate a time period to discuss a problem and stick to it (e.g.

7-8pm)? If the issue is not resolved book in another time slot the next day

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8

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

BUSINESS Editor’sDESK

T

HIS is a rich town.

There’s no getting away from that. Ok, it’s not London rich, but it’s still wellto-do and doesn’t suffer from the problems that inner cities have. Our crime rates are fairly low and the levels of drug abuse are within limits I’m told.

So why is it in this day and age (in what’s supposed to be a civilised society) do we still have people sleeping rough and begging on the streets in this charming spa town? Last year apparently falling numbers of people sleeping rough on the town’s streets had been merrily welcomed by charities tackling the problem.

Those figures issued in 2013 stated that there were 27 people registered homeless by Cheltenham Borough Council. Surely that’s 27 too many… even then? It’s all very well saying that you’re doing something about the problem, but in real terms what exactly is being done? The blokes are the same, the door wells they’re slouched on are the same and they’re sitting on the same rags with the same look of hopelessness about them. Appalling and wrong! I walk past these men taking time to watch how other pedestrians react to them. Or in many cases, don’t. It’s as if they are invisible.

It’s like a noxious vapour that you can’t see, but you know is there. You don’t want to see it, you don’t want to have to deal with it and you don’t want to have to feel guilty and confront your inner self about it. A total of 42 people were living on the streets in Cheltenham between 2011 and 2012; a 12-month period when numbers had almost doubled. See where I’m going with this? It’s still appalling that the good old borough council can’t eradicate this problem completely. These poor people aren’t an eye sore or an affront on the senses. They’re not a bag of trash that needs tidying up or swept under some council made carpet. They are a product of galloping complacency. It beggars belief (no bad taste pun intended) that within five metres of Beards, Jigsaw and Cavendish House there are two poor chaps on their ‘uppers’ and sleeping on the street. We all know who they are.

As Christmas approaches surely a solution in the short to medium-term can be found for these poor unfortunates? I just hope our MP is on the case and if not, why not? Also a word to the wise for our Parliamentary hopefuls - perhaps they should start banging the political drum about this. It’s not right, it’s not fair and we need to do more for them.

Shame on us and the town.

Got a comment?

Please contact us at editor@cheltenhamstandard.co.uk Cheltenham Standard is published weekly by Paul.Bates Publishing Ltd is registered at Suite 104, Eagle Tower, Montpellier Drive, Cheltenham, GL50 1TA. Reproduction of any material, in whole or in part, is strictly forbidden without the prior written consent of the publishers. All material is sent at the owner’s risk and whilst every care is taken, Paul.Bates Publishing Ltd will not accept liability for loss or damage. Dates, information and prices quoted are believed to be correct at time of going to press but are subject to change and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. Neither the editor nor publisher accepts responsibility for any material submitted, whether photographic or otherwise. All rights reserved.ISSN no. 2055-2092. Terms and conditions at www.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk

Cheltenham MP pushes for fairer deal for local pubs MARTIN Horwood MP has added his support to a “market rent only” cross party amendment to the Small Business Bill that would deliver a fairer deal for local pubs owned by big pub companies, including many in the town. The Small Business Bill already includes plans for a Pubs Code and an Adjudicator to support pubs and their tenants but does not include the essential market rent only option which is needed to stop large pub companies forcing up beer prices charged to pub tenants. Mr Horwood called for the Pub Code with a ‘free of tie’ option to be made law in his own private member’s bill in 2011. The amendment to the new bill will allow pub tenants tied to the large pub companies to opt for a rental only deal, allowing them to buy beer on the open market at prices up to 70% below current costs. MPs will vote on this amendment on Tuesday 18th

Martin Horwood MP

November. The campaign to allow pub tenants to sign up for a rental only deal has been backed by 212 MPs from all parties. The amendment is also backed by the national Fair Deal for Your Local campaign which consists of ten leading national organisations, including CAMRA

(the Campaign for Real Ale), the Federation of Small Businesses and the Forum for Private Business and licensee organisations. Martin Horwood MP said: “I am very pleased to add my name to this important new clause which is another step towards giving the tenants of large pub companies a fair deal and helping to keep pubs open.” He went to add, “The market rent only option is reasonable and gradual and simply provides an option for tenants to choose at appropriate times whether to carry on with a tied agreement or to have a rental only agreement. This option will stop the abuse of the beer tie and will lead to companies offering fair tied agreements, with genuinely lower rents for higher beer prices.’’ He finally commented, “This will help to complete the campaign begun in my private member’s bill and I’m delighted to support it.”

Zurich to make changes to pension and benefits arrangements

Gary Shaughnessy

LEADING insurer Zurich has announced proposals to change the pension arrangements provided to all its UK employees, including stopping the building up of future benefits in the final salary section of the scheme. The proposed changes are aiming to help safeguard Zurich’s long-term future as a successful business and major employer in the UK. The proposals – which would make Zurich one of the last composite insurers to close its final salary (or defined benefit, DB) pension to future accruals – reflect the fact that people are living for longer, and the low interest rate environment. Around half of the insurer’s UK employees are currently in the defined contribution (DC) section of the pension scheme.

The majority of those would be better off under the proposed new arrangements, which are subject to consultation and would include employer contributions of 12% for everyone regardless of age, seniority or length of service. For those in the final salary section, benefits already accrued would maintain the link to final pensionable salary when members eventually leave or retire.

Zurich is also considering changes to the death in service benefits and ill health cover it provides to employees. The company has proposed a range of options for consultation.

Gary Shaughnessy, CEO of Zurich’s UK Life business said the company had not taken the decision to propose these changes lightly. “We are of course sensitive to the impact of these proposed changes on our people, but we have done our best to make our proposals as equitable as possible to all,” he said. “If these changes go ahead, our pensions offering to employees will be in the top 25% in the market.

“We simply cannot ignore the impact on the long-term sustainability of our UK business of the cost of funding an open defined benefit pension scheme. “This is about

looking ahead, recognising that the current arrangements are not sustainable, and acting now.’’ Around 7,200 Zurich UK employees would be affected by these proposals. Of those, 45% are in the final salary section, with the rest being in the defined contribution.

13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

9

BUSINESS £10K digital boost for Winston’s Wish CHILDREN’S bereavement charity Winston’s Wish will benefit from £10,000 worth of free online support following an appeal from South West digital marketing agency toinfinity. toinfinity picked Winston’s Wish as its annual charity following an appeal for charitable organisations to come forward to apply for the fund to support their causes and advance the charities’ online exposure.

The Winston’s Wish team, based in Cheltenham, applied for the fund to boost online marketing, to increase awareness of the charity’s therapeutic services and to improve the process for charitable donations. The digital expertise from the consultants at toinfinity will focus on search engine optimisation, ensuring that potential donors and volunteers are able to find the Winston’s Wish’s website more easily and on improving the user navigation. toinfinity will also work with the charity to further develop its presence on digital channels. The additional exposure and increased donations will enable the charity to support more children and young people, helping them to rebuild their lives positively after

Ubico delivers savings for the second year running UBICO Ltd, the local authority owned environmental services company is celebrating another successful year of trading, following the release of the 2013/14 audited accounts. The company, owned jointly by Cotswold District and Cheltenham Borough councils has saved the council tax payers another £734,000, without any cuts to the delivery of services.

Since it began trading in 2012 Ubico has delivered savings of £2.5 million and the company is on target to achieve the forecast saving of £5 million in the first five years of trading.

Cllr John Rawson, cabinet member for finance for Cheltenham Borough Council, says: “Ubico has been one of our most successful ventures in sharing services with other councils to cut costs. The company deserves congratulations not just for its financial performance but for the huge contribution it makes to keeping Cheltenham clean and green.” Cllr Lynden Stowe, Leader of Cotswold District Council says: “The Council achieved a budget underspend of nearly £500,000 for the 2013/14

financial year and I have acknowledged in public that the performance of Ubico Ltd played a key part in making this possible.

Rob Bell and his staff continue to exceed expectations, and I would like to thank them all for their exemplary work ethic and ‘can do’ attitude. “We are always looking to see how Ubico can help us make even more savings. As an example, the Council was facing pressure to increase its funding for car park gritting and we transferred this service to Ubico because we knew they could do it more cost-effectively.

This has enabled us to maintain the gritting service without going over budget, saving council tax payers £60,000 per annum. There are other cost-saving ideas in the pipeline and we have every confidence that Ubico will rise to the challenge.”

Rob Bell, Managing Director Ubico Ltd added: “Everyone at Ubico has worked so hard to deliver this success and thanks to them we have again exceeded our financial targets. This provides us with an excellent platform to expand the business and deliver further efficiencies.”

the death of their mum, dad, brother or sister. toinfinity’s managing director, Al Keck, will work directly with the Winston’s Wish team to create an online digital strategy and offer advice on search engine marketing (SEO and PPC), email and website usability.

Al Keck said: “We were really keen to find a charity that could benefit from our digital expertise and support one that wanted to expand its presence online by giving something which has real longevity and tangible value. Rebuilding a life after losing a parent or sibling is tough and we are looking forward to working with such a great cause and helping them make a difference to these young lives.”

Fiona Talwar-Lomberg, Chief Executive of Winston’s Wish commented: “We are delighted to have been chosen as toinfinity’s charity partner. We rely almost entirely on voluntary donations to fund the important work that we do – the online support from Al and his team will be crucial in developing this area further and in raising awareness of our services. We very much look forward to working together.”

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

TRUSTEES Week helps celebrate the great work that voluntary trustees in Cheltenham do unpaid for the benefit of the community. They play a vital role, volunteering their time and working together to make important decisions about the organisation’s work. People often become trustees to ‘give something back’, but there is a two-way benefit; charities benefit from the range of skills and experience that their trustees bring, but trustees can learn and develop new skills that may open up new opportunities for them, as well as meeting people who share their passion.

The week also gives the chance to highlight

Could you be a trustee? Trustees Week 2014 runs until 16 November opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference. Helen Down, team leader, participation and engagement, from Cheltenham Borough Council says: “I would urge anyone looking for a fulfilling role for their spare time to have a look and see how they can get involved locally. “Most people have skills, knowledge or experience which they can bring to a charity, and volunteering as a trustee – or in general – can help you learn new skills, meet new people and explore new

career changes. It really is a worthwhile thing to take on and something we’re keen to raise awareness of the benefit of locally as many charities need more trustees.” Angela Gilbert, from Gloucestershire Association of Voluntary and Community Action, continues: “We are lucky to have so many volunteer trustees locally, who give up their time to support the work of the many local voluntary and community groups. It would be impossible to manage without them and it is great that we are able to celebrate them and their

Council cautions for licensing breaches CHELTENHAM Borough Council has issued two cautions to premises in Cheltenham for breaches in licensing regulations. In the first of these, the proprietor of Roosters on the High Street was formally cautioned for trading beyond his licensed hours following complaints received by the council. The council’s investigation revealed that the proprietor traded past his permitted terminal hour on most days of the week staying open until as late as 5am. In the second case, an employee of Lily Gins on Regent Street was formally cautioned following an incident whereby they poured alcohol directly into the mouth of another person. The incident,

which is prohibited by the premises licence’s mandatory licence conditions, was reported to the council.

Councillor Andrew McKinlay, Cabinet Member Development and Safety, said: “Cheltenham has a safe and well managed night time economy compared to other towns. “There has been a lot of hard work over the years by the council, the licensed trade and other partners to ensure the town is a safe and enjoyable night out.”The council will not compromise on this and will deal with licensing breaches in the appropriate manner given the individual circumstances.”

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huge contribution to the local community through Trustees Week.” For information and support about a trustee role, contact Gloucestershire Association for Voluntary and Community Action at www.gavca.org.uk.

To find out more about the role of a trustee, the trusteeship pages of the Charity Commission website provide information about what you need to consider.

To find out about opportunities to become a local trustee and other volunteer roles, visit: www.volunteerglos.org.uk.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Gym to Juice THE Cheltenham Gym on the High Street has now branched out from not only providing a top-end personal training facility at their high-tech gym to now offering the very best in healthy drinks. It’s a mecca for the body!

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Their mission in life is to make alternative eating healthy, tasty and exciting using Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes.

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13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

11

TheVIBE A snapshot of student life in Cheltenham

LAZY STUDENTS? OR MORIBUND UNI’S? I STILL remember the sheer excitement of going to college on my first day and finding out that I might have an hour off, or even low and behold half a day. Finally I was in charge of my destiny, no longer shackled down by lunchtime and break at school. But then I came to university and my hours in education were slashed again, now I always had a day off, and when I was in it was only for two to three hours. After talking to students at the University of Gloucestershire and other universities, I’ve come to discover I’m not the only one. It excited me at first I suppose, but then I was just a bit confused, we all pay an arm and a leg to get the degree we want, but the fact of the matter is we’re hardly ever here!

The worst part of it is, it makes us

students lazier, yes that’s right lazier.

We get so much time off, we get stuck in our gregarious sleeping patterns where we don’t wake up till past noon, and then when we have our one ‘9.15’ of the week, many just can’t be bothered, or the idea of getting up at such a godforsaken hour is just too painful. If we miss lectures we should be called up on it, we should see our lecturers enough that they know us, our names, our characteristics, and many do. Many lecturers will give you all the time in the world, but a vast majority don’t want this to be in a meeting you’ve organised, it should be through lectures that are scheduled.

It’s a pretty depressing fact, but unfortunately it’s true. Our hours away from ‘in class time’ are meant to

be for independent study.

INDEPENDENT STUDY. You move away from home for the first time, your now eighteen, so you can go out, have fun and your mum won’t pull you out of bed in the morning. Most students free time is definitely not used for educational means, hence the all-nighters when deadlines loom.

I know what many of you are thinking we are supposed to be adults now, we should take matters into our own hands, take control of our own learning, and you’re probably right.

But for 8k plus a year, we want to be pushed, I want to have full weeks at university, I want to moan that I’ve been in class for six hours that day. We chose to take a degree, but we didn’t choose to only be in two days a week.

A Level asSixs thrFoatrme pGC

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12

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

HEALTH&LIFESTYLE IT’S time for bed….that blissful end to the day. A beautiful tranquillity prevails as you start your journey to the land of zod next to your loved one. Fast asleep and you’re woken by the noise of a wilder beast … no hang on maybe you’re under attack? Alas no, it’s the person you love, male or female busting out their vocals in their sleep. Snoring has been responsible for a number of relationship break ups with approximately 45% of the nation being a ‘snorer’ – not only is snoring irritating but it’s estimated that 75% of snorers also suffer with sleep apnea, meaning that breathing throughout sleep is disrupted – this in itself is suggestive to heart disease. Snoring is caused by the vibrations of soft tissue in the head and neck as a person breathes in and out in their sleep, and as our airways relax and narrow whilst we sleep additional pressure builds up within our airways. There are several suggestions to reduce snoring.

Change your sleep position: lying on your back accentuates the noise of tongue on soft palate – so turn on to your side. Need to lose that flab? – yes thin people snore too, however snoring is connected to fat around the neck. Don’t drink. That’s

Not so blue Most of us despair a little about the extra darkness this time of year brings, whether that's due to having less time outdoors, the dreaded winter blues or seasonal affective disorder - no matter how much you love

HealthMatters Your essential guide to staying healthy and enjoying the best life has to offer

By NATALIE NEALE

SNORING BORING alcohol I mean - it reduces the muscle tone at the back of the throat and according to statistics people who don’t normally snore will do after alcohol. Stress - as with tiredness can have the same effect as alcohol. Make sure your nasal passages are clear as congestion is a contributor to snoring and finally it’s believed that if you’re dehydrated the secretions in the nose and soft palet become sticky thus creating more snoring. Although mildly humorous for those of us who don’t suffer,

for those that do it’s no joke. Sleep can suffer for both the snorer and loved one resulting in chronic fatigue and concentration issues, not to mention relationship problems. When snoring starts to affect your life to this extent it’s a good idea to visit your GP. Although there is no cure for snoring, (and it’s thought that undergoing surgery is only a temporary fix for a couple of years at most) there are products on the market to help with excessive snoring. A mouth guard

Christmas, snuggling up in winter woollens or those gorgeous, crisp autumn days. While it's hard not to associate the diminishing daylight with a sense of gloom, it's worth remembering that darkness also plays a crucial part in keeping us healthy. Just as sunlight is vital for vitamin D production and beyond, we couldn't do without darkness

either. Here are some reasons why...

It regulates our body clock- As social creatures, we've come to rely on a framework for the day, regulating when we eat, work, rest and play. And it also helps out immune function. As we know, poor sleep doesn't just make us feel groggy and less able to concentrate, it impacts

that’s worn at night (albeit a passion killer) is very effective on reducing the vibrations that causing snoring. These range in price from £50-80. For further information about snoring visit The British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association at www.britishsnoring.co.uk

our health both in the short and long-term.

So as the nights draw in be thankful in some way for the winter darkness. It doesn’t have to mean the winter blues!

The Botox breast lift – does it work?

BOTOX has been effectively used to diminish deep dynamic wrinkles but more recently a role for Botox in lifting the breast has been proposed with varying results. Selective paralysis of the pectoralis minor muscle (the smaller and deeper of the chest muscles) may allow a lift of up to 2cm of the breast and nipple has been described.

While this may seem a simple and easy option, unfortunately the effects of Botox are short lived, lasting 4-6 months. The results are more unpredictable as the muscle involved is deep. An ultrasound scan is used to locate the right place. If you have smallish breasts with a bit of droop and want a temporary fix it may avoid a bigger operation.

In combination with fillers or fat transfer to increase the volume of the breast it may work even better. Those with medium sized breasts wanting a lift are probably better served with traditional breast lift surgery. If you would like to discuss any aspect of cosmetic surgery in confidence, you can book a complimentary 10 minute discussion with Mr Chapman on Saturday 29th November between 9am and 11am.

Places are limited and on a first come first served basis.

To book call 01242 246552.

Thomas Chapman

13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

13

HEALTH&LIFESTYLE FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT! I’VE talked a lot about confidence, as it’s something I’ve struggled with, and it seems I’m not the only one. I’m always amazed when women I meet admit that they’re anxious, under-confident and lack self-esteem, as it always seems to be the most outgoing, assertive and self-assured who feel that way. I sometimes think they shouldn’t have admitted it as I would never have been able to tell. So while I sat a-pondering why non-confident girls do come across as confident, yet are warm and easy to talk to, and why the most common fear amongst successful sixfigure earning women is that they will get ‘found out’ for ‘faking it’, a rather interesting explanation popped into my inbox. It declared that a recent survey by Feminesse has found that two thirds of women have faked confidence to help themselves feel better in ’big’ situations – giving presentations, first dates, job interviews and the like. Feminesse were so taken with their findings that they’ve launched the Great British Fake Off competition, inviting women to blog about a time they've faked it to make it to win a spa day for two at a Champneys resort. Now that kind of pampering can only be a boost to the confidence – once you’ve got over the self-consciousness of donning a bathing suit in the spa that is...Anyway I want to go to Champneys, so here’s an excerpt from my entry: Having practiced my Women’s Business Club Dragon’s Den presentation to two very close friends, I was on the verge of a panic attack, practically vomiting with nerves, and very close to sacking the whole thing

ThePulse

By JO BETTERIDGE

jo@cheltenhamstandard.co.uk

Surging through the veins of Cheltenham Life

Musings of a Cheltenham Wannabe off. ‘Public’ speaking, or indeed speaking in front of anyone I don’t know has always terrified me to the extent that I didn’t do the presentation part of my Communications Studies ‘A’ Level and got graded a C instead of the predicted A. (Sorry Ma and Pa, I don’t expect you knew that? Ah well, it didn’t stop me getting a newspaper column 23 years later though did it?!). The said friends helped me out by telling me to think of the audience naked (that really did NOT help), gave me pointers on how to rewrite the presentation (well, scribbled most of it out to be honest), and told me I’d be fine if I’m not being judged on my presentation skills. Fast forward to the next day, the day of the presentation, which I had blocked out to rewrite my speech in a less emotional, more business-like fashion, as advised by my more business-minded friends. I also had an ‘office warming’ to go to with my Women’s Business Club colleagues.

When we stopped to buy coffee for the ‘road trip’, I kinda realised it was unlikely the office in question was in the ‘Nam’ as I had presumed. Slightly alarmed, I asked where we were headed.

‘Wales’ was the response. You won’t be surprised to learn that my rejoinder cannot be printed. I was persuaded to do my original presentation for them.

Now you’d think I’d be even more nervous in front of four Directors I have a professional affiliation with. But I still

have no idea who the girl was who belted out that presentation like a bouncy, overenthusiastic kids’ TV presenter, but it was a classic case of faking it. And, judging by the reaction of my small audience, I most definitely made it. Some time ago, I edited a fantastic book by Tim Stockil called ‘start with an Earthquake: How to make presentations that wow your audience’. One of Tim’s tips was to present enthusiastically as if reading a child a bedtime story. And Caitlin Moran’s advice, as I’ve mentioned before, is to pretend you’re someone who knows what they’re doing. So I when it came to presenting to the Dragon’s Den, I did my own little combo of those techniques, and pretended I was my girl crush Mila Kunis theatrically reading an exciting story on

Jackanory. I wasn’t paralysed with nerves as I thought I’d be… Blimey, faking it only went and worked! I got through to the final, and was even complimented on my passion and confidence. So I get to do it all over again on Friday at the Maximise conference. In front of close to a hundred people. But I’m not overcome by nerves now, I’m actually looking forward to it. So perhaps I actually have mastered faking it ‘til I make it. So does that actually make me more or less of a Wannabe…?

P.S. Is bashing this column out lastminute on my trusty laptop in the back of a car on the way to a meeting in Swindon faking it too?

Check out @Feminesse for The Great British Fake Off competition entry details. Closing date 22nd November.

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

QUIRKY NEWS

Something a bit different...

Nudes on coffins spark outrage

SKY’S THE LIMIT AN AUSTRALIAN pilot has been charged by police after parking a plane outside a pub while he went inside for a beer.

The 37-year-old had just bought the wingless Beechcraft two-seater and was on his way home when he decided to stop for a drink.

He taxied the light aircraft down the main street in Newman, Western Australia, and then parked it outside the Newman Hotel, leaving the engine running.

Police said he passed a breathalyser test, but was charged with endangering the life, health and safety of residents because the propeller was still spinning.

Local residents were amused to see the sight of a plane parked outside the well-known local hostelrie. “On the way back through town... here's a plane parked outside the Purple Pub,” Beau Woolcock told ABC radio. “Even more special was seeing one of the local coppers poking his

head in the door of the plane looking like he was asking for a licence.” A bar tender at the Newman Hotel said the man was a “local character” who entertained pub patrons by “playing dumb” when questioned by police. But Newman police sergeant Mark McKenzie said: “Kids were coming home from school. It could have been very ugly. “People think it was a bit of a laugh but it was very dangerous and we're not very happy with it.”

A POLISH coffin company has again angered the Catholic Church by using naked models to promote its caskets. Lindner has just released its 2015 calendar, entitled Male-Female Relations, featuring a dozen raunchy black and white images.

Its creators say it is intended to show the strength, energy and elegance of women, and of course to sell coffins at the same time. November’s photo for example shows a naked brunette straddling a coffin, the lid of which is half open with a man's hands clutching the lid and the side of the coffin.

March has a naked woman tied to the top of a coffin with a ribbon being held by a man's hand. The calendar is the latest in a series of similar campaigns by the company which have been criticised as “inappropriate” by the Catholic Church in Poland. A church spokesman has said that human death should be treated with solemnity and not mixed up with sex. But company owner Zbigniew Lindner said: “We wanted to show that a coffin shouldn't be a sacred object - its furniture, it's the last bed you'll ever sleep in. It isn't a religious symbol. It’s a product. So much work goes into our coffins that are only seen for a few moments at the funeral.”

“My son had the idea of creating the company's calendar so that we could show something half-serious, colourful and beautiful; the beauty of Polish girls and the beauty of our coffins.”

VENTING SPLEEN… Local man about town, Tom Thurlow lets loose

I

’m no food critic. And I don’t intend on using this space to appraise any of the food outlets that grace our town. Big holla holla to my boys at Nando’s though.

However, I’m prepared to make an exception when an establishment rains down a truly dreadful experience on me. Let me tell you a story… It’s Saturday evening and I’m enjoying an evening round my friend Alex’s house near the lower end of town.

He rents, but I won’t hold that against him right now. There’s five of us sat in his living room and two of us (myself and my friend Thalia) decide we’re peckish and fancy a takeaway. After perusing the options available to us we opt for a restaurant that goes by the name of ‘China Cook’. We weren’t to know that this decision was to become our biggest, gravest error.

Thalia and I love Chinese food and we’re loving every moment of this ordering process, getting extremely excited about our choices of a

sweet & sour chicken, boiled rice, a mixed starter and even a quarter duck with pancakes to satisfy our hunger. Yum right? Our order even arrives within half an hour, perfect.

We decide to eat the sweet and sour with rice first. The food is living up to our expectation and neither of us leave a crumb. Note to China Cook: It all goes downhill from now you chancers.

Importantly we move on to the duck. This is a crucial element of the takeaway; it’s the most expensive sequence and also what I deem the tastiest. Immediate disappointment ran down my face when I noticed it had been preshredded for us. I do appreciate that they might not be alone in this practice but already my confidence is shaken. Quarter duck, my ass.

The duck was soggy, minced into the tiniest pieces that I can only assume the chef used the finest side of a cheese grater, and shockingly, it was cold! I try

to hide my disappointment from Thalia and pretend I’m content (I’m such a good friend that I don’t want to kill our mood). However that went out the window when the girl returns her plate of pancakes to the kitchen stating all the issues listed above.

The final blow was the mixed starter we had left till last. We opened up the ‘burger box’ to find it was filled with food not even suitable for a dog. The prawn toast was soggy, drowned in a puddle of vegetable oil and had no crunch whatsoever. The ribs were dry, no sauce and had the appearance that they had been sat on the side for hours. Don’t even get me started on the chicken satay. I’ve seen more chicken in one of those supermarket snack packs. Incensed from our experience, Thalia eggs me on to ring China Cook and

share our disappointment with the owner and of course I happily oblige. I ring them and for the first five minutes my tone is calm. I’m open minded that the folks at China Cook might offer up some kind of oriental apology for their errors and deliver some sort of complimentary dish to cheer us up.

The conversation leads nowhere.

It was as exhausting as it was embarrassing to listen to her broken English, but the message was loud and clear; her food was fine and she would not apologise.

Her customer service skills were disastrous. I can hand on heart say I’m rarely made speechless. If you want a laugh, go order a takeaway from China Cook and try putting in a complaint. You won’t have experienced anything like it. To be told what you are saying is incorrect even after repeating your feedback to her in dumbed down English time and time again is actually quite surreal. The lady describes her cooking like a 10-year-old describes their painting of

‘Sunflowers’ (it isn’t crap at all, promise!) She’s deluded and won’t hear otherwise from you. She even had the gall to say nobody had ever complained before. I challenged her that after consuming the muck we had sampled I was very sure hundreds have complained; but she maintained her stance. I can verify in this column that after browsing various review websites it was very easy to find plenty of disgruntled comments left for China Cook.

There are three things I love in this world. One of them is money, another is my mum, the last? It’s you, my readers. I don’t want any of you to suffer the disappointment I endured on Saturday and I implore you to stay well clear of China Cook. I love you all too much and I just hope for Cheltenham’s benefit this Chinese takeaway disappears soon. Bankruptcy, a failed health inspection, I don’t care, it needs to go.

Get more of Tom’s insights by following him on Twitter @thurlow

The views, opinions and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these articles are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of The Cheltenham Standard

13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

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Tigger goes bonking

CoffeeBreak

A COMPLAINT has been made to the police after a man dressed as ‘Tigger’ was spotted having sex in a public toilet.

The Disney tiger was caught by a threeyear-old child and her mother after they accessed the baby changing facilities of the loos in Dawlish, Devon.

The grandmother of the toddler reported the incident on the Dawlish Neighbourhood Police Facebook page. She said: “There was a couple in the baby changing room having full blown sex. “They slammed the door in my granddaughter’s face and caught her hand in the door resulting in bruising to her fingers.

“This is a disgusting act and in a baby changing room. They were about 30ish, the man had a Tigger outfit on and the woman was undressed. “It’s not very nice for a threeyear-old child.”

Your Weekly HOROSCOPES ARIES (March 20 – April 18): Just because a step up the ladder looks good on paper doesn’t mean it will be fulfilling. It’s food for thought that’s worth chewing over.

TAURUS (April 19 – May 19): Events in a far corner will soon have a dramatic impact on your life. Bird dog developments as they unfold.

GEMINI (May 20 – June 20): You receive a lucrative return on an investment or sale. It’s good, but beware volatile times ahead. Move your money to a safe harbor until the coast clears in early Jan.

Grave sentiment of football fans ONE of the biggest football clubs in Brazil is set to open a cemetery for fans who want to be buried close to their favourite players.

Supporters of Corinthians will be able to choose from up to 70,000 plots which will cost between $1,870 and $3,240.

The "Corinthians Forever" cemetery, situated near Sao Paulo, will also serve as

the final resting place of some of the team's illustrious players. Ricardo Polito, chief executive of the company in charge of the project, says the cemetery will have function rooms, landscaped gardens, a restaurant, a lake and a nature reserve.

Corinthians have the second largest fan base in Brazil with an estimated 25 million fans across the country.

CANCER (June 21 – July 21): You finally get to the bottom of a loved one’s mysterious behavior. You may not like what you hear, but at least it explains things.

LEO (July 22 – Aug 21): This is the time to redouble efforts. Rivals consider you out of the running

Word Ladder Convert the word at the top of the ladder into the word at the bottom of it, using only the four steps in between. Every word must be a valid five-letter word.

StandOKU!

1

2

3

4

5

Difficulty rating: Moderate

7 6 9 4 7 8 6 4 2 5 3 9 4 1 5 7 6 3 2 1 3 4 6 7 1 5 8 9 1

TARGET

P I D A N B L M R

3

7 8

9

10 11

8 9 4

Make as many words of four letters or more as you can.

Each word must contain the center letter and each letter must only be used once.

Target: 25 words good; 35 very good; 45+ excellent.

6

12

13

14 15 16 17

18

19 20

21

22

Last week’s solutions (6th November 2014): Across: 7 Dyed-in-the-wool; 8 Sheep-dip; 9 Ruby; 10 Switch; 12 Resist; 14 Oyster; 16 Nicely; 18 Fair; 20 Entirety; 22 Staff of office.

Down: 1 By the way; 2 Advert; 3 Enid; 4 Chaperon; 5 Swords; 6 Boob; 11 Horsebox; 13 Solstice; 15 Thrift; 17 Carafe; 19 Alto; 21 Tool.

and will be surprised by this last minute push.

VIRGO (Aug 22 – Sept 21): Ownership is a big theme for you now. You need to own your actions, your wants and desires, and more importantly – your turf.

LIBRA (Sept 22 – Oct 22): You have to give to get when you’re a Libra. The fact that you’re being asked to give so much now ensures that you’ll be gaining a lot by year’s end.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21): You will discover how much more rewarding and fulfilling life can be now that you’re back on track to being the real you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 20): That barrier you face is selfimposed. Push yourself like you’ve never pushed before and you’ll see a breakdown turn into a breakthrough.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 – Jan 18): The extraordinary conjunction of Mars and Pluto in your zodiac sign bodes dramatic developments over the next few weeks. Harness these transformative energies and you’ll go far.

AQUARIUS (Jan 19 – Feb 17): A studied look at the big picture shows that much of what you initiated months ago has come to pass. Keep on doing what you’re doing.

PISCES (Feb 18 – March 19): Commit to bringing your dreams to life and your aspirations to fruition and you will harvest a bumper crop by year’s end.

BLACK

BABES

STALE

WOODS

CRYPTIC Crossword ACROSS 6. Irreverent little demon collects debts (7) 7. Intense nervous excitement always shown by fathead (5) 9. They would take ace as a threat! (3) 10. Cute hound wrongly left alone (9) 12. Obviously not the best group to teach (6,5) 15. So repairs are needed legally? (5,3,3) 17. Soothing one ill-met badly (9) 19 and 20 Down. Andrew in trouble – official (6) 21. Repugnant misrepresentation in article (5) 22. Aloofness shown by spare player? (7)

DOWN 1. Drive in, some claim, pellmell (5) 2. Blend 1009 (3) 3. Hurry round one wreck (4) 4. He finds nuclear explosion like famous labours (9) 5. Gear for backward runner?

(7) 8. Looped round dog (6) 11. He doesn’t turn up – a defect in animals (9) 13. Get on a bit maybe (6) 14. Break up 100 with a rolling sound (7) 16. Cut up, showing concern about five (5) 18. He has one corrected by a learner (4) 20. See 19 Across.

16

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

TELEVISION Your one-stop guide to the best tv over the four-day ‘weekend’

13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

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18

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

CULTURE PYJAMA PARTY AT THE EVERYMAN THE Everyman Theatre is holding a Pyjama Party in aid of the charity’s Sleepover campaign to build their new family overnight accommodation extension at their Kite’s Corner site in Gloucester. To support the charity and for one night only on Saturday 29th November, the theatre is encouraging everyone attending the evening performance of the Panto, Sleeping Beauty at 7pm, to come along in their pyjamas and onesies (grown-ups too!) and bring their favourite teddy bear along with them.

There will be a chance to win a Meet and Greet with Sleeping Beauty after the performance, plus there may even be a surprise visit by the Trust’s mascot Jimmy Jams, the bear.

The James Hopkins Trust provides free nursing respite care for severely disabled, life limited and life threatened young children living in Gloucestershire. The causes of the disabilities are numerous, but include renal failure, cardiac and metabolic problems, respiratory conditions, leukaemia, cancer, cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, cerebral

palsy & neurological conditions. They are the only registered charity in Gloucestershire to provide this level of care in either the family home or at Kites Corner, the multi-sensory respite centre and gardens. There will be a retiring collection after the performance for those who wish to make a donation.

Sarah James, Head of Fundraising at the James Hopkins Trust said: “We are

Cheltenham Choral Society presents

Franz Joseph Haydn

The Creation :5F#9"5?(G9""9<(H9&$I( )$"5#?(J918()56F,*"%(( ( K9%%?(K#*9"(J1#%$I( L"M8*%<(75"+$#-9"-$(E#+<$%-#9( 75"'1+-5#(N9"(G*MM*"%5"(

!" $%&'()*+#,'-./'0#,1%.(2/(#!".(("## ,'(1"(2'%34#5678#9:6# !%"-.;%<#=>"' ?@A(3B(.#=8CD## %"#E498F3# !"#$%$#&$'()*+,$-%(./0(1"'$#(/2%(3#$$( 4#56( GH1+@2#I@-.H+"#J2K@.3%L@2#,(2".(0# 789#$"+$(:-#$$-;(7<$8-$"<96=( ()$8(>5?(@/A0ABA2C02/(DEF(2M O$M(7<9#*-I(>5?(APCCQR((

delighted to have been chosen as the Everyman Theatre’s charity. It is an excellent opportunity to increase our profile in the county whilst raising funds.”

She added: “ We have had so much fun pairing up with The Everyman Theatre.

Christmas and pantomime season are all about the children, as is The James Hopkins Trust. It is fantastic to be able to be part of the magic”.

Geoffrey Rowe, Chief Executive at the Everyman said: “Each year the Theatre chooses a charity to support throughout the Panto season and we’re delighted this year to be working with The James

Hopkins Trust, which has helped thousands of local children and their families. It’s a lovely link too with our panto Sleeping Beauty and their Sleepover campaign. We’re hoping that lots of people will want to come along on the 29th November in aid of the charity in their pyjamas and join in the fun.”

Sleeping Beauty stars Tweedy the Clown from Giffords Circus and runs at the Everyman Theatre from 28th November 2014 until Sunday 11th January 2015. To book tickets, call 01242 572573.

The Pyjama Performance (Saturday 29th November, 7pm) is being supported by SoGlos – The guide to enjoying life in Gloucestershire. There will be a retiring collection at the end of the show for those wishing to make a donation to the charity.

BookReview

By EVE SEYMOUR

FATAL HARBOUR

By BRENDAN DUBOIS I’VE read and loved this writer’s work for some time. His previous novels are high concept thrillers (think big premise drawn on vast canvas) and I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Having not read any books in his Lewis Cole series, I was intrigued to catch up and find out more about them.

Lewis Cole is an unemployed magazine columnist, or so he says, but, as a former Department of Defence analyst with a scary past, there’s clearly a lot more to him. When his best friend, Detective Diane Woods, is attacked and left in a coma during a demonstration against a nuclear power plant, Lewis sets out on a quest to find her attacker and exact his own brand of rough justice. But nothing is simple or straightforward and the personal cost to him is immense.

Lewis Cole is quite different from the typical all-action, guns blazing hero. For a start, he’s older. Wise and experienced, he knows how to find things out. Unlike some main protagonists, who exist on nothing more than coffee for the duration of an entire novel, he understands the value of working on a full stomach! Loyal to his bones, Cole is a guy who takes friendship very seriously indeed. For singleton Lewis, the attack on Diane is as personal as it gets. Nothing will stop him and tenacity is his middle name.

Having been around the block a few times, he has strong opinions born out of world-weariness and depressing knowledge of how the world works, yet his neat line in humour saves him from unmitigated cynicism. Sage insights abound, and Cole, despite his thirst to avenge or correct injustice, depending upon your point of view, is a character about whom the reader can’t help but care.

In common with DuBois’s earlier novels, surprises keep on coming right to the very last page, and not least because of the shadowy hand of federal government pulling strings behind the scenes. For me, ‘Fatal Harbour’ represents DuBois unplugged. The narrative is simple, pared down, highly satisfying and from a gifted storyteller.

Eve Seymour is a freelance editorial consultant and the author of seven crime fiction novels. Beautiful Losers will be published by US publisher Midnight Ink early 2016. To see more details of her work visit www.evseymour.co.uk Eve Seymour is a freelance editorial consultant and the author of seven crime fiction novels. Beautiful Losers will be published by US publisher Midnight Ink early 2016. To see more details of her work visit www.evseymour.co.uk

13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

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CULTURE Excellence in Musical Theatre

John Power

THE LIVE LINE UPS INDIE music legend John Power plays at the Frog & Fiddle in Cheltenham on Saturday 15th November. He first hit the big-time as bass player with the Liverpool band The La’s in the late 80’s, co-writing their biggest hit ‘There She Goes’. After the band split in 1991, Power went on to front Cast, a platinum selling group who were at the forefront of Britpop. Seven top ten hits followed (including ‘Sandstorm’ and ‘Walk Away’) before the band eventually broke up in 2001. Although both bands have reunited for brief spells in the intervening years, neither have replicated their early commercial success. Power now takes his acoustic guitar to venues across the country and plays tracks from his three solo albums, as well as some old favourites. Local promoters The Cheltenham Underground, who have also recently had Mark Morriss of The Bluetones play at some of their shows, are putting on the gig. It is on the verge of selling out so you are advised to either buy tickets in advance or turn up early on the night and hope that there are still some tickets available. Local support comes from acoustic artists Joe Summers and Joe Richardson.

Whilst we are on the subject of blasts from the past, also experiencing something of a resurgence in the past few years are vinyl records. Almost 800,000 sales of vinyl have been recorded in the UK already this year which is a near 400% increase on the low of 2007. DJ Phil G will be at The Vine in Cheltenham on Sunday November

16th manning the decks and spinning his (and your) favourite records.

Between 3pm and 7pm, under the banner of Vine-L, you have the opportunity to bring your treasured pieces of vinyl to be played to everyone in the pub - so no Cliff Richard or Jive Bunny! If you haven’t got around to rebuying the collection that you took to a charity shop in the late 90’s, you can dig through DJ Phil G’s box of goodies and pick out one of his slabs of vinyl to play instead. The event has proved a successful Sunday afternoon hangover cure for several years, so much so that on the 23rd of this month Phil will be taking his collection to The Somerset Arms in Cheltenham from 5pm when once again you have the chance to play your records at an unneighbourly volume without having to annoy the people next door. You can view Phil’s collection at www.discogs.com/user/ dancematrix/collection and request tunes by emailing philyuser@gmail.com to make sure they are brought along on the day. And if all of this talk of vinyl is transporting you back to a time when your whole music collection didn’t fit onto an Ipod, then Cheltenham has a superb selection of independent record shops where you can search out records old and new. Badlands, Rise and Vinyl Vault are all situated in the town centre, whilst The Record Shop is open at weekends on Shurdington Road.

For more local music news visit Behind The Scene Gloucestershire www.facebook.com/behindthesceneglos

‘EXCELLENCE in musical theatre in and around Cheltenham’ is how the Cotswold Savoyards, local amateur operatic society, has been described and with good reason. Since 1962 the society has been staging the complete works of Gilbert and Sullivan to great acclaim - their 50th show in June ‘The Mikado’ thrilling big audiences at the Everyman Theatre. As interest in the G & S Savoyards in rehearsal lesser known works has dwindled ‘Strike Up The Band’ a musical comedy over the years, the Savoyards’ repertoire about, believe it or not, the US declaring has widened to include shows by other war on Switzerland for protesting against composers such as ‘Sweeney Todd’, a tax on imported cheese! Nearly every ‘Candide’, ‘Into the Woods’ ‘Hot Mikado’ line produces a laugh out loud response, and ‘Titanic the Musical’. Not wishing to and the musical score is magnificent disappoint G & S lovers, they will continue including ‘The Man I Love’ and the wellto perform their more popular shows too. known title number. The audience will The society also puts on concerts at the undoubtedly leave the theatre with big request of local charities, groups and smiles and be humming along to the churches with entertaining and varied tunes for some time afterwards. programmes. This year’s included semi‘Strike Up The Band’ is on at the staged performances of ‘Trial by Jury’ Playhouse Theatre, Cheltenham Fri 21 – which were very well received. In Sat 22 Nov, and Wed 26 – Sat 29 Nov. November, the Savoyards present their Box Office: 01242 522852. first show by the Gershwin brothers:

A feast of festival music to fight Ebola CHELTENHAM’S elegant Town Hall is the venue for a crowd-pleasing extravaganza of festive music on Saturday 6 December at 7.30pm. An established annual event and a major date in Gloucestershire’s musical diary, ‘The Joy of Christmas’ sees choirs from five schools – St Edward’s Senior and Preparatory Schools, Richard Pate, Charlton Kings Junior School and Holy Apostles School – join forces with the University of Gloucestershire & Community Choir and one of the county’s leading chamber choirs, Jubilate. Accompanying them is the English Concertante Orchestra. The entire ensemble will be in the capable conducting hands of the University of Gloucestershire’s Director of Music, Ian Higginson. Presented by BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s Vernon Harwood, the concert will include carols from different nations, some sung in their native languages such as; Arvo Pärt’s sparkly Bogoróditse Djévo and the German Stille Nacht, plus plenty of old favourites such as O Come All Ye Faithful and Hark The Herald Angels Sing for audience participation. A number of Ian Higginson’s own works will be performed, including the jaunty Behold Now The Babe composed in 2008. "Christmas is a joyous time of year for many people and this concert provides a fantastic outreach opportunity for Jubilate to work with talented young

performers and bring a feast of Christmas music to Cheltenham”, says Ian Higginson.

With the Town Hall’s marble pillars festooned, lights twinkling and BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s Vernon Harwood taking to the stage for some charismatic Christmas anecdotes and readings, ‘The Joy of Christmas’ is an absolute must for your festive calendar. The concert is proudly cosponsored by St Edward's School, Cheltenham, St Edward's Preparatory School, Cheltenham and UK Parking Control Ltd and will raise money to support overseas aid agency CAFOD in their efforts to fight the Ebola crisis. Amanda Naylor, Director of Marketing for St Edward’s School said: “St Edward's School is delighted to sponsor The Joy of Christmas 2014. Music is at the core of our Schools and we provide a huge range of opportunities for pupils of all musical abilities, ranging from informal concerts to singing in a choir in Gloucestershire Cathedral. Music Scholarships are available for entry into Years 7, 9 and 12.”

Tickets for The Joy of Christmas are priced at £12 (adults), £10 (senior citizens), £8 (under 21s) and are available on the door or in advance from the Town Hall Box Office on 0844 576 2210, or online at http://www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk/ event/the-joy-of-christmas-52953

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

PROPERTY&HOME

PROPERTY ADVICE

Tapping into a trend

BATH and basin taps are essential to any bathroom, but their beauty doesn’t stop at function; they can also be a design statement in their own right. There are lots of things to consider when buying bathroom taps, but the style is paramount. The different elements of your bathroom should go together, so if you have a period-style room, you need classic taps to suit that period, and if you’ve gone down the contemporary route, you need sleek, modern taps. Try the taps with the bathroom suite to check they’re the right style and size - it’s especially important that the basin tap is in proportion to the basin. Most bathroom taps are chrome these days, but other finishes are available. That said, it’s not all about looks, and you’ll obviously need to consider ease of use when buying your taps too, especially for the youngest and oldest members of the

family, who may have difficulty operating some designs. “You’ll use these taps every day, so think about how you’ll interact with them,” says Simon Browning, industrial design director at Mira Showers.

“Make sure the control feels precise and the taps are easy to use.” You don’t need to spend a fortune to get good taps, but it can be a false economy to buy really cheap ones because a tap has working parts and those parts can fail if they’re poor quality. If you soon end up having to get the taps repaired or replaced, you’ll wish you’d spent more on a product designed to last. “The quality of the materials and finishing of a tap is very important when it comes to good water flow, ease of cleaning and maintenance, and long-term value,” says Browning. “You can judge the quality of a tap by the warranty that comes with it, as well as aesthetic values: look for perfect

symmetry and flat lines on the edges of the tap.” Mixer taps, which only have one spout, are a popular choice and mix hot and cold water in different ways (ask a plumber if in doubt about which sort you need), but some people prefer separate hot and cold taps (often called pillar taps). If your bath has two tap holes, you’re not confined to having separate taps - many bath mixers are designed for two holes. However, not all baths come pre-drilled with tap holes – to avoid drilling them, use wall-mounted taps or floorstanding taps (popular for freestanding baths).There’s nothing worse than a tap that’s more a dribble than a deluge, so do consider your home’s water system before you buy. “This tends to be more important if you have a low-pressure water system - if the tap isn’t suitable and the water flow is poor, it will take a long time to fill a bath,” says Browning.

David Evans Director in

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A CHARMING FAMILY HOME BEAUTIFULLY TUCKED AWAY SET WITHIN SUBSTANTIAL GARDENS

Sited in the heart of Charlton Kings yet beautifully tucked away, this former show home occupies a prominent position within a substantial plot. The impressive accommodation comprises Reception Hall Sitting Room Dining Room Study/Snug Kitchen/Breakfast Room Stunning Master suite with dressing area and En Suite Four further Bedrooms Family Bathroom Pretty Landscaped gardens Off Road Parking Double Garage.

2 Langton Gate forms part of a pair of high calibre detached homes built two years ago.

This charming home offers wonderful synergy between contemporary living and the practical requirements of a family home. Arranged over three floors the accommodation comprises A stunning kitchen/Breakfast room with Bi – Folding doors to the garden Sitting Room Study Master Suite with En- Suite Guest Suite with En-Suite Three Further Bedrooms Family Bathroom Large and spacious Gardens to ont and rear Double Garage Off Road Parking.

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AN ATTRACTIVE AND SUBSTANTIAL HOME SITED IN ONE OF CHELTENHAMS FINEST RESIDENTIAL AREA.

This charming home is sited on the glorious Prestbury Road and is complemented by a two bedrooms self-contained apartment. With a wealth of period features, the spacious accommodation is set over three floors Dining Room Drawing Room Kitchen/Breakfast Room Three Bedrooms Three Bath/Shower Rooms Self Contained Two Bedroom apartment Walled courtyard garden Off Road Parking.

Situated on the edge of this charming backwater, John Moore Close enjoys an idyllic setting, combining the unique balance of town living yet close to parks and open spaces. He spacious accommodation is set over three floors comprising: Reception Hall Drawing Room Dining Room Kitchen/Breakfast Room Master Bedroom with En-Suite and dressing room Guest Suite with En-Suite Two further Bedrooms Family Bathroom Study/Bedroom Five Lovely Gardens Double Garage.

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Located on Priory Street minutes from the town centre is this one bedroom split level apartment to let in Cheltenham.Comprising a good sized lounge, modern fully fitted kitchen, double bedroom, useful dining/study area, and a modern white shower room with double walk in shower. The property also has its own private parking space and communal gardens.

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A spacious and recently refreshed apartment to let in Cheltenham situated within walking distance to town centre.

The property comprises spacious light lounge fitted with sash windows, modern kitchen/breakfast room,two double bedrooms,modern bathroom with shower over bath.

Property also benefits to parking at the rear.

To Let £675 pcm

To Let £725 pcm

Cypress Gardens, Gloucester

Ashlea Meadow, Bishops Cleeve

A mid terrace house to let in Gloucester presented to a high standard throughout. sitting room with stairs to first floor, kitchen with fitted oven, hob and extractor and breakfast bar, downstairs cloakroom, master double bedroom with en suite shower room, second bedroom and bathroom. Benefits from double glazing, rear garden and parking.

Two bedroom house to let in Cheltenham in the very sought after location.

Property comprises kitchen to front of property,spacious lounge with patio doors leading to rear garden. Upstairs property comprises two double bedrooms and bathroom with shower over bath. Property also benefits from gas central heating , Double glazing and off road parking for two cars

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28

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

RECRUITMENT Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 6HR Tel: 01242 524756

To advertise your vacancy call the sales team on 01242 257019

Small businesses seek candidates www.lakesidechelt.co.uk

Midday Supervisor Vacancy

Grade C (Points 7-11) £12,915 - £14,880 pa pro rata Permanent Part Time 6.66 hours a week Closing Date 24 Nov 14 Headteacher: Mr H Hutchison

SMALL business owners spend more than 100 hours a year on average looking for suitable candidates, training new members of staff and developing and supporting their existing staff, according to a study by online lender Everline and the Centre for Economic and Business Research.

This figure represents time that could be spent further developing the business if suitably skilled staff were readily available, and equates to £3,160 of their time in economic terms (Gross Value Added).

The number rises to £7,540 for 18-34 year olds and falls to £1,860 for respondents aged 55 and over, indicating that younger entrepreneurs

We are seeking to appoint an enthusias(c person to join our team of Midday Supervisors. This role involves supervising children as they eat cooked or pack lunches, clearing up and supervising the playground.

You will work 6.66 hours a week Monday to Friday Term (me only.

Uniform clothing is provided.

For further details or to visit the School please contact School Office on 01242 524756 or email: admin@lakeside.gloucs.sch.uk Please apply in wri(ng to the Head Teacher

This school is commi)ed to safeguarding and promo(ng the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff, and volunteers, to share the same commitment.

This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service Disclosure check.

EROSION OF OUR GREENBELT WHEN Eric Pickles recently visited Cheltenham he spelled out that new housing and the Greenbelt don’t mix.

Campaigners hoping to protect the green fields around our town hoped this gave added weight to their arguments that housing need should not trump Greenbelt designation. However, the Council officers drafting the Joint Core Strategy (JCS), a plan that will see huge swathes of countryside around Cheltenham built on, say Mr Pickles’ comments change nothing.

We ‘need’ 30,000 odd homes to be built in Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury, they say. Although this ‘objectively assessed’ number varies depending on who is calculating it. Mr Pickles’ words are as clear as mud until you consider that councils are allowed to redefine the boundaries of the Greenbelt in their area to meet local housing need. Once removed from the Greenbelt, beautiful green fields, farmed for generations and much valued by those living nearby become an undeveloped building site. And undeveloped building sites and housing do not mix. At least to Mr Pickles and his chums who see house building as the

recognise that in order to focus on business development themselves, they need to spend more time creating a skilled workforce. The small business employment index (based on changes in headcount and the number of vacancies in a company) is at its highest since 2004 and just under a quarter (24 percent) of small businesses surveyed had available vacancies this week. The small business employment index also finds that small firms are planning to increase their hiring over the next quarter and into 2015, therefore highlighting the need for the skills shortage to be addressed to meet the rise in vacancies. Russell Gould, managing director at Everline says that the study illustrates that small business owners are often spending too much time searching for suitable candidates when they could be focusing on growing their business.

“We are in the midst of a transformational story where SMEs learn to take advantage of the digital age, and more needs to be done to ensure that our workforce has the necessary skills to excel in this changing environment,’’ added Gould.

JCS we would have even less say in any development planned to take place right across the road from our

By COUNCILLOR KLARA SUDBURY boundary. And Leckhampton fields? This is panacea for our continued economic woes. allocated for any particular certain to be a key purpose. Most of it is In the face of huge cuts in grant funding within Cheltenham issue in the run-up from central government, local councils to the general are being incentivised to encourage new Borough Council boundary and has been under threat election, as it was development because of the money given Leckhampton fields in the last. In the to them for each new home built, the New from developers for years. run up to the 2010 One of the fields, known as Homes Bonus (NHB). However the NHB Land West of Farm Lane used to be in general election residents living in The is not much of an actual bonus. With core funding being slashed, it has become a Cheltenham until 1974 when it transferred Lanes area had visits from would be to Tewkesbury Borough Council. ministers who said how terrible the necessity for councils to meet their Labour government supported South revenue spending commitments. But the Tewkesbury Councillors took it upon West Regional Spatial Strategy (SW RSS) themselves to allocate it for nearly 400 NHB isn’t given in perpetuity; it is only and how when in government it would be given each year for six years, after that houses in their local plan a few years ago gone. And so it has, in name only. What and that allocation has been brought into time the big black hole at the centre of the JCS which earmarks the wider area of we have inherited in the JCS is not much most council’s budgets is still there.All different to what the universally loathed across the country, in order to protect the the Leckhampton fields for over 1,100 front line services their residents expect, houses.It is a real problem for Cheltenham SW RSS was trying to foist upon us.

Trying to resist the development of our local councils are beckoning house Borough Council that in most parts of our Greenbelt and green fields has been like town we are developed right up to our builders with fluttering eyelids to come trying to grab a running stream of water; a administrative boundary. There is not and build their brave new housing estates seemingly impossible task. By trotting out enough land within Cheltenham’s on our languishing and unloved fields. boundary to meet all of the housing need tokenistic sound bites, Eric Pickles is Except in most places, including here in either revealing his total lack of knowledge Cheltenham the fields in question are not which experts calculate we need to provide. The only way we can find land to of what his government is deliberately languishing, nor are they unloved. trying to achieve or by the detail omitted And where does that leave beautiful accommodate this growth is in adjoining land in Tewkesbury Borough which means in his sound bites, treating all of us with Leckhampton? Fields under threat in that any interest in the future of the fields sunny part of Cheltenham are not a re-jig of the Greenbelt boundary. around this town with contempt.

Greenbelt but Whiteland, land not Irritatingly without the now much hated

Soapbox

Come and visit our showroom OAK DINNING AND LIVING ROOM FURNITURE 36 PRICES TO THE RANGE Oak Dinning Table ............£375 Wine Cabinet .....................£179 Bookcase ...........................£139 Coffee table .......................£149 Nest of table ......................£119 TV Unit ................................£219 Sideboard...........................£239 All Fully Assembled Not Flatpack

HAMPTON BEDROOM FURNITURE 24 OPTIONS FOR ANY SIZE BEDROOM Beds from...........................£305 Bedside Cabinet ................ £99 Wardrobes..........................£384 Dressing Tables ................£179 Chest of Drawers .............. £219 & Many More

LUXURY MEMORY FOAM Beds From...........................£299 Mattress From ....................£110 Delivery or take away today

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32

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

MOTORING

best wheels, best deals...

MOTORING NEWS

Motorway fuel prices still high SUPERMARKET petrol prices may have fallen this week but drivers feel they are being ripped off by motorway services fuel tariffs, according to a new RAC survey.

Research from the motoring organisation showed that petrol and diesel prices at motorway service stations can be as much as 10p higher than those elsewhere. Of 1,463 motorists polled, 74% reckoned motorway prices were “very expensive” with 26% refusing to buy fuel at motorway stops. As many as 63% said prices should be capped so fuel was no more expensive on motorways than at non-motorway forecourts. More than a quarter (27%) would be happy with fuel being capped at just a few pence over the non-motorway price, and only 10% believed

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nothing needed to be done. Also, 44% said they only bought fuel at motorway services when they had no other choice. Almost 20% admitted to putting in “just enough fuel to get by” at motorway services and finding a cheaper alternative later. In addition, 76% said service stations should display the price of their fuel before drivers pulled off the motorway so they knew what they would have to fork out. RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “It's no wonder that motorists feel held to ransom with prices on the motorways inflated to such an extent. We can see no reason why motorway fuel should be so much more expensive. In fact, arguably it is much easier from a delivery point of view than it is getting fuel to urban filling stations.”

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13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

33

ADVERTISEMNET FEATURE

Autovillage is now the UK’s fastest-growing SsangYong dealer with top value and choice IT has been a year since Autovillage gained the SsangYong franchise at its 4x4 centre in Cheltenham. And what a year it has been for the dealership, which has long been recognised for the quality of its products and customer care.

Operating two dealerships and one of the area’s most successful independently owned car retailers, Autovillage has found huge success with SsangYong, the oldest and fourth largest vehicle manufacturer in South Korea. In fact, sales of new and approved used models have been so strong that Autovillage has become SsangYong’s fastest growing UK main dealership.

The brand first arrived in the UK in 1994 but its origins can be traced back 60 years to 1954. Today its future is assured thanks to a 73 per cent stake from one of India’s largest automotive producers.

SsangYong – the name means double dragon – has always specialised in producing 4x4s, and today that also includes SUVs (sports utility vehicles) and MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles).

Its proposition is to offer customers

real value, both in terms of price, but also in the size of car and equipment levels. Every SsangYong is reliable, mechanically strong and superbly built. What’s more, all SsangYong cars sold in the UK come with a market leading fiveyear limitless mileage warranty.

Introducing The SsangYong 60th Anniversary Special Editions SsangYong presented a fully refreshed range for 2014, and with registrations up by some 154 per cent on last year, it’s now one of the UK’s fastest-growing marques. To celebrate 60 years of vehicle manufacturing, SsangYong has introduced two special limited editions, one based on its popular Korando crossover and the other on the Rexton W 4x4.

Taking the already comprehensively equipped Rexton EX specification, the special 60th anniversary edition adds front parking sensors, an electric sunroof, heated seats front and rear, a poweradjustable passenger seat, DAB sat nav and is finished in highly attractive Pearl White Lily metallic paint. It’s available with either six-

speed manual or five-speed Mercedes-Benz T-Tronic automatic transmission, and has a retail price of £25,995 or £27,495 respectively.

As for the 60th-anniversary edition Korando based on the fourwheel-drive Korando ELX4, this special edition adds 18-inch diamond-cut wheels, an electric sunroof, rear spoiler and chrome detailing. It’s finished in Pearl White Lily metallic paint. Available in either manual or automatic, it’s priced at only £21,245 and £22,745 respectively.

New Korando Available from £14,995, the stylish Korando is already noted for its great-value,

high level of equipment, interior space and twotonne towing capability.

The Korando SE won The Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Award 2014 for vehicles under £16,000. New Korando has also recently been given a comprehensive makeover inside and out.

Great advances in reducing NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) also provide enhanced driving refinement.

Styling wise, externally, the front received an all-new treatment that includes a slimmed down black mesh radiator grille, contemporary projection headlights and LED daytime running lights, while the interior was given a significant redesign that included a completely redesigned dashboard.

Unique To Autovillage – Three Years’ Free Servicing On All SsangYong Models* In a deal unique to Autovillage, all new SsangYong models are currently being offered with three years’ free

servicing* (or three services, whichever comes sooner) when registered by September 30, 2014.

This includes the Rexton W SX, EX and EX automatic models as well as the CSX commercial.

Autovillage – The UK’s Fastest Growing SsangYong Main Dealer Autovillage’s managing director, Paul Boyce, comments: “The appeal of SsangYong’s products and their value-for money proposition is bringing people into our Cheltenham showroom in droves.

Demand for both new and used models has been astounding, so why not check out the SsangYong range for yourself, especially those 60th-anniversary models, right here at Autovillage SsangYong in Cheltenham. The range also includes the Korando Sports double cab pick-up and the cavernous seven-seat Turismo MPV people carrier with prices starting from only £17,995.”

Autovillage SsangYong, Tewkesbury Road, Swindon Village, Cheltenham GL51 9SG. 01242 243243 www.autovillage.uk.com

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2005 05 reg. Petrol, Manual, Hatchback, RELIABLE CONDITION RELIABLE 95,000 miles. GREY. 2005 55 reg. Petrol, Manual, Hatchback. 2006 06 reg. Petrol, Manual, Hatchback, 2005 55 reg. Petrol, 92,000, Manual, BLACK. BLUE. Estate. SILVER.

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SEAT IBIZA 1.2 REFERENCE VERY RELIABLE

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2005 05 reg. Petrol, Manual, Hatchback. 2005 55 reg. 5.dr. Petrol, Manual, Hatchback. SILVER. BLACK.

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VAUXHALL AGILA 1.2i 16V DESIGN VERY ACCESSIBLE

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JD POWER SURVEY 2014/15 Best manufacturer Jaguar

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Contact us today to book your test drive.

REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE† ††On the Road Price Finance Deposit Allowance Customer Deposit Total Amount of Credit Purchase Fee (Included in final payment) 48 Monthly Payments Final Payment Total Amount Payable Duration of Agreement (Months)

HOW ALIVE ARE YOU? †Representative 4.9% APR available on new Jaguar XF Saloon and Sportbrake models only (excluding all 163PS models apart from Luxury), registered between 1st October 2014 and 31st December 2014 at participating dealers only. With Jaguar Privilege you have the option to return the vehicle and not pay the Final Payment.

If the vehicle is in good condition and has not exceeded the allowed mileage you will have nothing further to pay. If the vehicle has exceeded the allowed mileage a charge for excess mileage will apply - in this example 14p per mile for any excess mileage up to 4,999 miles and 28p per mile for any excess mileage exceeding 5,000 miles. Representative example is based on an annual mileage of 10,000 miles. ††The Representative Example is based on an XF Luxury 163PS. Finance is subject to status and only available to applicants aged 18 and over resident in Mainland UK and N.Ireland. This finance offer is available from Black Horse Limited trading as Jaguar Financial Services, St William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff CF10 5BH. *This free servicing promotion applies to eligible Jaguar XF Saloon and Sportbrake cars registered between 1st October 2014 and 31st December 2014 at participating Jaguar dealers. Not available in conjunction with Jaguar Contract Hire or Personal Contract Hire. Services must take place at participating Jaguar Authorised Repairers. The ‘free servicing certificate’ should be presented to the dealership at time of booking the vehicle in for a service in order to qualify. The promotion is only available at the point of registration of the vehicle in the customer’s name. Free servicing covers scheduled servicing and associated parts and labour for three years from the date of invoice up to a maximum of three services (3 years or 48,000 miles whichever is sooner). Excludes wear and tear items such as shock absorbers, exhaust systems, tyres, windscreens, windows, engines, transmissions, electronics, cost of fitting or repairing accessories and any form of accident damage and non-routine servicing work, parts or labour. The service package is not a warranty package.

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H.A.FOX CHELTENHAM RUTHERFORD WAY, CHELTENHAM, GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL51 9TU 01242 851 655 HAFOX.CHELTENHAM.JAGUAR.CO.UK Official fuel economy figures for the Jaguar XF range in mpg (l/100km): Urban from 16.7 (16.9) to 48.7 (5.8). Extra Urban from 32.8 (8.6) to 64.2 (4.4). Combined from 24.4 (11.6) to 57.7 (4.9).

CO2 emissions from 270 to 129 (g/km). Official EU Test Figures.

For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ.

CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

THE OPEN SUNDAY

FAMILY FUN DAY SUNDAY 16th NOVEMBER 2014

FAMILY FUN.

A range of family activities including visits from Peppa Pig and Mummy Pig, who will both be making personal appearances at intervals throughout the day.* CHILDREN UNDER 18 RECEIVE FREE ENTRY AND FREE ENTERTAINMENT.*

BOOK ONLINE NOW WWW.CHELTENHAM.CO.UK *Club and Tattersalls ticket holders only

Peppa Pig © Astley Baker Davies Ltd/Entertainment One UK Ltd 2003

13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

37

SPORT Panthers power to resounding victory in Cornwall Cornwall Saints Hucclecote Panthers

21 71

NETBALL

PHOTOS: ANDREW TAYLOR

HUCCLECOTE Panthers stormed to a huge victory against Cornwall Saints making a big impression in the first quarter of the game.

Although an away fixture, their thorough preparation served them well and they hit Saints hard.

Elisha New and Lucy Martin at Centre and Wing Attack respectively demonstrated great speed from centre pass to goal, and with slick interaction between Emme Hale and Jane Taylor in the shooting circle, Saints could do little to stop them.

Taylor was on song netting 12 out of 12 in the first quarter and combined with Ella Powell-Davis stalking and hunting down the ball, their lead of 22-6 left Saints reeling.

The only change for the second quarter saw Taylor and Hale switch roles, and once again they fired the shots through the net with Hale achieving nine from 10 efforts during this phase of play.

Ellie Spark at Wing Defence combined well with the back unit and the pressure was felt as Saints struggled to get out their centre passes and press to goal.

Another dynamic quarter saw Hucclecote’s tally extended to 42 goals to Saints 11 at the half way stage.

Fresh legs saw Beth Adkins on at Wing Attack, Caitlin Santacroce at Goalkeeper and Eve Saunders to Wing Defence.

The changes took a little while to settle before Hucclecote got back into their stride, seeing the score rise to 53-14 at three-quarter time.

Panthers pounced again in the final quarter, with Ellie Spark at Centre, Issy Robinson at Wing Defence and Powell-Davis turning a high number of interceptions.

It was an awesome performance and great start to their South West Regional Division One campaign, showing huge promise for the season ahead.

Saints nominated Hale as player of the match after she netted 80 per cent during her three quarters on court.

Coach Gilly Salter described Hale’s performance as one of the best she had seen from her, as well as from Captain Powell-Davis, who took the highest number of interceptions recorded so far this season with 14.

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Hucclecote Panthers: E Hale, J Taylor, L Martin, B Adkins, E New, E Spark, E Powell-Davis, E Saunders, C Santacroce, I Robinson.

HEALTH&FITNESS CHELTENHAM-based personal trainer and aspiring fitness model Leah Collins shares her exercise and nutrition tips every week in the Cheltenham Standard Exercise of the week: Number six: Triceps kick-back PHOTOS: ALAN FRANKLIN

COME AND TRY ONE OF OUR FREE TASTER SESSIONS!

This movement will target the back of your arms, often a troublesome area, particularly for women. Kneel over a bench or firm surface with your arm supporting your body.

Grasp the dumbbell and position your upper arm parallel to the floor. Extend your arm until it is straight.

Return and repeat 8-12 times. Continue with opposite arm and complete three sets on each side.

Johns Spirit aiming to create piece of history in Paddy Power Gold Cup HORSE RACING

Johns Spirit

THIS year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup (2.30pm) looks set to be a fascinating renewal with 24 horses going forward for the £160,000 highlight of day two of The Open, Paddy Power Gold Cup Day, at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Johns Spirit (Jonjo O’Neill, 9/1 with Paddy Power) is bidding to become the sixth dual winner of the extended two and a half-mile handicap chase, and the first since Cyfor Malta in 2002, having beaten Colour Squadron (Philip Hobbs, 12/1) 12 months ago.

Present View (Jamie Snowden) is Paddy Power’s 7/1 joint-favourite following a highly progressive first season over fences that culminated with victory at The Festival in the Listed Rewards4Racing Handicap Chase.

Uxizandre (Alan King, 9/1) and Oscar Whisky (Nicky Henderson, 7/1 jointfavourite) could re-oppose after fighting out the finish to the Grade One Pinsent Masons Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April, while Buywise (Evan Williams, 8/1) captured the Grade Two Silver Trophy Chase at Cheltenham’s April Meeting.

Indian Castle (14/1) is set to make his debut for Ian Williams after joining the Alvechurch handler from Donald McCain. The six-yearold beat Grade One scorer Annacotty when taking the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham in January and was seventh at The Festival in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase despite blundering badly at the final fence.

Williams said: "Indian Castle is an intended runner in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. He has settled in well and has been a pleasure to work with.

"He has some previous form around Cheltenham and it is a tough ask on his first race of the season, but he is in good shape and we are very happy with him."

Other leading contenders include Attaglance (Malcolm Jefferson, 12/1), Rajdhani Express (Nicky Henderson, 14/1), and Champion Court (Martin Keighley, 16/1), who were fourth, fifth and seventh in last year’s race, and Easter Meteor (David Pipe, 12/1).

The maximum number of horses allowed to run in the Paddy Power Gold Cup is 20.

38

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

SPORT RACING: THE OPEN

and scored on his latest appearance in a Listed Cross Country Chase at Craon, France on September 7.

Any Currency, trained locally at Condicote by Martin Keighley, went down by a short-head to Balthazar King at The Festival in March and the 11-year-old was also narrowly denied in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The International in December, when beaten half a length by Sire Collonges (Paul Nicholls). He also finished third behind Balthazar King at The Open in 2013.

Keighley said: “Any Currency will run in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase.

He worked really nicely on Friday morning, runs well fresh and obviously loves the Cross Country course at Cheltenham.

“Unfortunately, we are coming up against Balthazar King again and we will be worse off at the weights because it is not a handicap, although our horse ran a cracker behind him in this race last year (third).

“We will definitely be focusing him at the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The Festival this season and, hopefully, Any Currency will run at The Open and The International meeting in December.

“We put cheekpieces and the hood on him last year, which seemed to do the job, and he returns to Cheltenham in good nick.”

Other contenders for Friday’s Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase include Uncle Junior (Willie Mullins IRE), who captured this race in 2011 and 2012, Festival winner Chicago Grey (Gordon Elliott IRE) and the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup victor Carruthers (Mark Bradstock) plus the Enda Bolger-trained pair of Keep On Track and Love Rory.

LAST weekend’s heavy rain saw a number of games in the Cheltenham League, sponsored by Bristol Street Motors Cheltenham Ford, postponed however the games that did survive had plenty of impact at the top and bottom of the divisions.

Regency Town continued their faultless start in Division Six, beating Charlton Rovers III 30 in a game played on All Saints all weather pitch; a result which was extra special for Town’s manager Gary Copestake who is a former Rovers player.

The win was helped in no small measure by a tireless display in midfield by man of the match John Holmes.

Town took the lead just before the break when Shane Flaherty converted from the spot after Oliver Pullen was pulled down in the box.

Flaherty’s fortune continued in the second half when he tapped in a loose ball which had parried by Wayne Taylor in the Rovers goal.

The home team's third and final goal came from Jem Taylor, a well executed drive from the Regency Town’s John Holmes

edge of the box.

This was Town’s eighth straight victory of the season, their third in the league.

They sit level at the top with three other teams who have also won their opening three games. The position must change this weekend when Town meet one of the three, Fintan Reserves.

There was only one game in Division One last weekend as RSG hosted Whaddon United. After a big win against FC Lakeside in their previous match, the visitors saw their 100 percent record disappear as they were beaten 2-1.

The win moved RSG up to third in the table and they have an opportunity to prove their worth this weekend when they host fourth placed Churchdown Panthers.

Whaddon will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they face Bishops Cleeve III who are struggling at the foot of the table.

First met second in Division Two as Cheltenham Civil Service Reserves hosted Whaddon United Reserves. United remain in top spot after a 1-1 draw which saw Service reduced to nine players following the dismissal of Richard Morse and Dan Wills.

Service have a game in hand on the leaders, which they play this weekend, and will overtake them if they beat Prestbury Rovers. Third placed Cheltenham Patriots will also go ahead of United if they beat Tewkesbury Town by more than six goals.

One of the results of the weekend saw Dowty Dynamos beat Welland 5-1 in Division Three, taking their opponents 100 percent record and PHOTO: ALAN FRANKLIN

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

Cheltenham League round-up

PHOTO: ALAN FRANKLIN

The Open all set for big first day

Local Football

Cheltenham Football League, sponsored by Bristol Street Motors Ford Cheltenham

PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK The player featured this week is Harvey Powell of FC Barometrics.

Aged just 16, Powell made the move to adult football this season and has played for both the third and reserve teams. He is a hard-working, tough tackling centre-half who loves going forward for corners.

Powell joins his father Simon, a veteran of local league football, who also plays for the club. The family affair is completed by his younger brother, Finlay, who is in the Baros’ junior team.

Nickname: Spud head or Tom Cleverley Position: Centre-back Previous clubs: St Mark's and Cheltenham Saracens Most memorable game: St Mark’s versus Fintan as we won 2-0 and I scored both Worst game: Losing 18-0 against Swindon Village Bowman!

Toughest opponents: Cheltenham Civil Service this season as we were completely outplayed Best club player: Ash Murray Team supported: Manchester United Favourite player: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Kofi Corbett and Kieran Mitchinson

moving top in the progress.

Having started slowly Dowty’s have won their last three games and manager Paul Harmer will no doubt be impressed with the run of form.

Just three points separate the top seven in the division and with no game for Dowty’s this weekend, they could surrender their top spot to any one of six teams.

There were just three games in Division Four this weekend but they had a big impact at both the top and bottom of the table.

Cheltenham Civil Service III 2-0 victory over Smiths Athletic saw them move to the top of the table. Service take a rest this weekend so second placed Northway, who boast a 100 percent record, can overtake them if they get at least a point against Apperley.

At the bottom, three teams started the weekend without a point but two ended it with three points.

Winchcombe Town Reserves beat Tewkesbury Town Reserves 4-1. The result leaves Tewkesbury as the only team with no points following Leckhampton Reserves emphatic 7-1 win over Star Reserves.

Cheltenham Athletic maintained top spot in Division Five following their 5-4 victory of Andoversford Reserves. The loss, coupled with Bredon Reserves 9-0 drubbing of Pittville United Reserves, saw Andoversford lose third place to Bredon.

Andoversford will have an opportunity to regain third when they face Bredon this weekend and with the leaders playing second placed Staunton and Corse Reserves it promises to be an interesting week at the top of the table.

13 NOVEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

39

SPORT De Vita delight after ‘unbelievable’ win over old club FOOTBALL

PHOTO: THOUSAND WORD MEDIA

division, so we have to avoid that on Saturday.”

De Vita is lodging in Cheltenham with skipper Matt Taylor and passing on some of his culinary skills.

He knows that a few more performances like he delivered against Swindon will enhance his chances of earning an extended contract.

“My fitness is getting there and I think the key thing is that the team does well because

if we are losing games it’s not good for me or anyone else,” he said.

“We need to start putting results together and it’s never easy when you have 10 or 12 games to prove yourself, but we’ll see how it goes and if it is right for everyone, I would be happy to stay on and help the team.

“It’s been great to be able to stay with Matt, who is a great guy and cooking is the only thing I can teach him about because he’s good at everything else!”

Leaders Service are stunned by Cleeve Reserves FOOTBALL

Cheltenham Civil Service 3 Bishop’s Cleeve Reserves 4

By Matt Evans

BOTTOM club Bishop’s Cleeve Reserves grabbed a shock 4-3 County League victory over top of the table and previously unbeaten Cheltenham Civil Service in Rich Gill's first game in charge.

Both sides set-up in a 3-5-2 formation but in contrasting styles, Cleeve looking to play early balls to powerful forward James Pickup who then looked to bring others into play, while Civil Service were more measured and patient in their approach.

Cleeve took the lead midway through the first half as a free kick from the lefthand side was only partially cleared by

Service, the ball dropping to Jon Lee who rifled home from the edge of the box.

Service levelled almost immediately, a jinking run from the influential Josh Goodhall ended with him being upended 20 yards from goal by Ash Hill.

From the resulting free kick, Jack Sklenar found the bottom corner, although Cleeve goalkeeper Sonny Martin could have done better.

The leaders had the better of the play for the remainder of the first half, with Stuart Mitchinson and TJ Bick missing good chances for the hosts.

They did eventually take the lead, thanks to a superb goal from Goodhall five minutes after the break.

Cleeve headed clear a cross to him 25 yards out, and he struck the ball first time, on the volley into the top right corner past a motionless Martin.

Cleeve had a great chance to level when

Brendan Attwood was played through on goal.

He unselfishly squared the ball to Giles Elliott, whose goal-bound shot was somehow turned around the post by Tim Griffiths.

From the resulting corner Cleeve did find a way past Griffiths, the ball spinning into the path of Hill after a goal-mouth scramble and the centre half fired home from a tight angle.

It was then the turn of Martin to produce some heroics, as he parried Sklenar's shot for a corner after the forward had turned his marker inside out.

Service dominated possession but it was Cleeve who scored the first of three goals in an action-packed final 15 minutes.

Right-back Ben Robinson's deep cross found substitute Ross Skeet completely unmarked at the back post and he

De Vita, 27, was used in an attacking central midfield role against Swindon and he is hoping for another chance to shine there at the Lamex Stadum.

“The manager (Mark Yates) and Shaun North (coach) gave me enough information to get on the pitch and do what was expected of me,” he said.

“If I am given the chance to do that again I will know what they want me to do and I’ll be comfortable to do a job there.”

headed home with ease.

It was another sub who levelled for Civil Service, Paul Holmes volleying past Martin from close range after Cleeve failed to Cleeve Reserves’ deal with a cross James Pickup into the box.

Cheltenham Civil Service threw bodies forward as they searched for their 12th win of the season, but this is ultimately what cost them.

The ball was given away on the halfway line, leaving the Civil Service defence horribly exposed.

Pickup's through ball was perfectly weighted for strike partner Elliott, who atoned for his earlier miss with a cool finish under the advancing Griffiths to grab a stunning win for the Cleeve’s second string.

PHOTO: ALAN FRANKLIN

RAFFAELE De Vita said it was “unbelievable” to experience that winning feeling for the first time in a Cheltenham Town shirt against former club Swindon Town.

The skilful Italian is bidding to earn himself a longer deal at Whaddon Road, having initially signed a three-month deal which runs to Boxing Day. Given a warm reception from the travelling fans, he was one of the main protagonists in the superb 5-0 FA Cup first round triumph against 10-man Swindon, who he helped win the League Two title in 2011/12.

De Vita was involved in the second goal, also hitting the angle of post and bar and sending a volley just over the bar after halftime.

“It was unbelievable from my point of view and I don’t think anyone expected it,” De Vita said.

“We were worried about being in Swindon’s position after the game, but it went perfectly for us.

“The sending off helped, but after that we were brilliant and it’s easily the best game I’ve been involved in since being at Cheltenham.”

The Robins visit Stevenage in League Two on Saturday and Rome-born De Vita said it was important they did not allow their standards to drop after such an impressive display in the Cup. “Stevenage will be more physical and a hard test, so we have to be ready for it,” he said.

“I have been involved in games before when you are not expected to win and then you get carried away and think it’ll be easy when you play against a team in your own

Raffaele De Vita

40

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 13 NOVEMBER 2014

SPORT Cheltenham Town 5

Swindon Town 0 Robins striker Byron Harrison completes his hat-trick against Swindon Town to make it 5-0

FA CUP SPECIAL

Hat-trick hero Harrison fires Robins into second round FOOTBALL

M

ARK Yates hailed hattrick hero Byron Harrison after Cheltenham Town’s remarkable 5-0 FA Cup first round victory over League One Swindon Town.

Terry Gornell and Matt Richards were also on target to set up a second round home tie with Conference club Dover Athletic in emphatic style.

Stunned Swindon were reduced to 10 men in the first half after their captain Nathan Thompson brought down Gornell and Cheltenham made them pay with one of the finest cup results in their history.

Last season’s player of the year Harrison has been the subject of criticism from supporters this term, but Yates says that when he shows

belief he can be close to unplayable for defenders.

“Swindon have a young team and I thought Byron would fancy it against their back three,” Yates said.

“He has had his critics all season, but we all know there is a player there because of what we see him do on a daily basis in training and a lot of what he does in matches also goes unnoticed.

“He imposed himself and his presence and size caused Swindon problems all game.

“Sometimes he doesn’t believe in himself enough, but when he plays like that he is a threat to anyone.”

Harrison opened the scoring in the 10th minute after a long kick from goalkeeper Trevor Carson was not dealt with by Swindon.

Gornell added number two after Harrison’s nod down from a Raf-

faele De Vita cross and Harrison tapped in the third after a surging run from Craig Braham-Barrett.

It was all a far cry from last season’s miserable 1-0 defeat at non-league Tamworth in the opening round and Richards’ volley to make it 4-0 was the pick of Cheltenham’s goals.

Harrison completed his hat-trick after another defensive blunder, as more than 1,500 travelling Swindon fans were sent home in a state of disbelief.

Even Yates admitted he was worried about being on the receiving end of a heavy defeat having seen Swindon turn on the style in their matches leading up to the tie.

“I probably feared that we might be on the end of a scoreline like that, after I saw them at Chesterfield (30 win),” Yates said.

Where better to learn?

Visit our website for future camps and further details

PHOTO: THOUSAND WORD MEDIA

www.shaneduffsoccer.co.uk

“We scored goals at the right time, which helped us and probably flattered us, but it was a good convincing win and we're glad to be through to the next round.”

Robins chairman Paul Baker was pleased to be drawn at home in round two and said the game would bring back some fond memories.

“It's a really great draw, but rest assured it will be a tough match against a team who beat Morecambe in the last round,” Baker said.

“Nevertheless, we have to be delighted to be at home against opponents from a lower league.

“For me and I am sure many other Cheltenham fans, I am sure it brings back fond memories of our FA Trophy semi-final success in 1998 which of course resulted in a Wembley appearance.”

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Balthazar King set to shine on day one RACING: THE OPEN

CROSS country specialist and Crabbie’s Grand National runner-up Balthazar King features among 15 entries for the £25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, one of the highlights of Countryside Day on the first day of The Open at Cheltenham on Friday.

The Philip Hobbs-trained 10-year-old has won seven times at the Home of Jump Racing, including three successes over the unique Cross Country course, headlined by a pair of victories in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The Festival in 2012 and 2014.

He followed up his success at The Festival this year with a superb second to Pineau De Re in the Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree in April TURN TO PAGE 30 >

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