Cheltenham Standard 18th December 2014 by Cotswold Style Ltd

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www.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk 18 DECEMBER 2014 ISSUE 22 Your discerning local weekly newspaper

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THE BIG COUNTDOWN: 1 WEEK ‘TIL CHRISTMAS!

STEAM TRAIN TO SANTA FOR SPECIAL CHILDREN railway’s steam locomotive department ran its ‘Making a Difference Santa Special’ from Cheltenham Racecourse to the ‘North Pole’ at Winchcombe Station, for youngsters and their families who are supported by the Acorns Children’s Hospice and Winston’s Wish. TURN TO PAGE TWO >

PHOTO: JACJK BOSKETT

THE locally volunteer-run Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) has embarked on its busiest time of the year when thousands of families take the train to visit Father Christmas. However last Friday 12th Dec was really special for some youngsters and their families. Some volunteers from the

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

Cheltenham WeatherWatch THURSDAY 18th Dec Min 7ºC Max 12ºC FRIDAY 19th Dec Min 5ºC Max 8ºC SATURDAY 20th Dec Min 6ºC Max 8ºC SUNDAY 21st Dec Min 7ºC Max 11ºC MONDAY 22nd Dec Min 6ºC Max 10ºC TUESDAY 23rd Dec Min 6ºC Max 9ºC WEDNESDAY 24th Dec Min 5ºC Max 9ºC

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Train commuters could face London fare hike TRAIN fare rises in the New Year could mean commuters from Cheltenham to London will have to dig even deeper to travel and pay more than £9,700 for their tickets. The rise for regulated fares, which includes season tickets, will be up to 2.5 percent, it was announced last week. An annual ticket to travel from Cheltenham Spa to London cost £9,468 in January 2014. Next month, that could go up to £9,704 if the rises come into force. But the Rail Delivery Group, which announced the rises, said it would be the lowest increase in five years. Fares for travel from January 2nd 2015 are now available to check and buy. The industry figure covers all fares, not just season tickets and other regulated fares, which will rise by 2.5 percent as confirmed in this year’s Autumn Statement. Michael Roberts, director general of the Rail Delivery Group which represents rail

operators and Network Rail, said: “Money from fares goes towards running and maintaining the railway. This benefits not just passengers and businesses but communities across the country, by improving journeys, creating employment and helping to boost the economy. “Over the next five years, Network Rail is spending on average £27m a day on a better railway, alongside commitments made by train companies to improve services. That will mean more seats, better stations and improved journeys. “For every pound spent on fares, 97p goes on track, train, staff and other costs while 3p goes in profits earned by train companies for running services on Europe’s fastest growing railway. “The industry is continuing to work together to get more for every pound we invest to enable government to make fare decisions which work best for passengers.” But Mick Cash, general secretary of the

Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has announced the biggest re-organisation of policing in the county in 40 years MARTIN Surl said the force would look smaller in the future with changes being brought in ahead of expected budget cuts. A single neighbourhood command is to replace six existing policing areas. PCSOs will start to be deployed beyond their own neighbourhood policing area if they are the nearest resource. Mr Surl, who unveiled the changes, said: “I have to say that when I took office some aspects of the constabulary were not in a great shape in Gloucestershire. “Now, the organisation is far more stable than it was. Even though the financial picture is tricky, we know

where we are and our books balance. “I’m not worried about it unduly. So I think we have managed to consolidate some of the gains we’ve made and can look forward to the future”. Chief Constable Suzette Davenport said: “We need to improve public satisfaction and confidence in our force and ensure we can deliver the quality service we aspire to provide. “A new way of working is a crucial means for us to deliver this aspiration.” The first changes, which were announced following a two-year review of the force’s operating methods, are expected to take place early in the New Year’’.

RMT transport union, calls the rise a “rip off ”, and it was out stripping average pay increases. He said: “The scandal of Britain's great rail fares rip off continues with today's hike far out stripping average pay increases and it will once again hit those at the sharp end of the austerity clampdown the hardest. “After two decades of privatisation the British people pay some of the highest fares in Europe to travel on clapped out, understaffed and overcrowded services while the private train companies are laughing all the way to the bank. “The fares announcement just fuels that scandal. “We should cut fares and not staff, public ownership would allow us to do just that.”

Special steam train trip for youngsters CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

The steam locomotive was provided free by its owners; the railway’s coal supplier provided two tons of free coal and volunteers on the railway also made this a really special occasion. Chris Blake, a volunteer commented, “Christmas is a special time for most families and we have for many years operated ‘Santa Specials’ for them – it’s the busiest time of the year for our railway. “But for some, Christmas can be difficult. Those with children who are very seriously ill or youngsters who have lost loved ones for example. We wanted to give them and their families something that will make them smile.” Treena Barnes, volunteer’s manager for Acorns in the Three Counties, said: “We’re so grateful to everyone at GWSR. The Santa Special steam train trip was a magical highlight and a real treat for our children and families this Christmas.”

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

£8 million, have your say on how it’s spent! 5 week consultation now open LOCAL residents can have their say on how they’d spend £8million as Cheltenham Borough Council’s draft budget goes live for consultation. The sale of North Place and Portland Street car parks has given the council a sum of £8million to reinvest in the borough and residents have the unique opportunity to say how they’d like the council to spend the money. Residents can visit www.cheltenham. gov.uk/budget to see the questionnaire and

have a go at selecting their top three priorities for capital investment. The interim budget proposals were agreed at cabinet two nights ago and they are now open for public consultation until 26 January 2015. Consultation leaflets and questionnaires will be available in reception at the Municipal Offices and other council premises and will also be available to complete online on the council website. Residents can also email moneymatters

@cheltenham.gov.uk with their thoughts. The council is also holding an open public forum where residents can come and give their views on the budget, in person. This will be held on Thursday 15 January at 7.00pm in the Municipal Offices and is open for any Cheltenham resident who wants to attend. Please contact 01242 774951 or use the above email address to register for the event. Key features of the budget also include: • No increase in the borough council’s share of council tax (which is £187.12 a year for a

Band D property) for the fifth year running. • No increase in car park charges for the fifth year running. • £686,000 of efficiency savings to contain increased costs and the government’s latest cut in revenue support grant of £835k for 2015/16. • Many of the savings arise from sharing services with other councils, streamlining senior management and creating the Cheltenham Trust to run leisure and culture services. • No cuts in front-line services.

Stay switched on this Christmas keep your ‘five gold rings’ out of sight POLICE are reminding the public to stay switched on and keep your five gold rings and any other valuables out of the sight of criminals. The advice comes as part of the Force’s Operation Switch, which aims to tackle theft and burglary between when the clocks go back and the Christmas period. Senior Harm Reduction Advisor David McFarlane said “The only person we want to see visiting people throughout the festive period is Father Christmas, and the best way to keep it that way is to make you and your home as unappealing to a would-be burglar. Follow some simple steps:

Council staff sing for charity ON Monday earlier this week councillors and staff from Cheltenham Borough Council once more took to the streets singing carols. Last year over 30 members of staff and councillors took part and, after its success, they returned again this year to sing some well-loved traditional Christmas carols as well as a few modern classics. In a special tribute to the Christmas Truce of 1914 the

choir performed Silent Night in both English and German. There were collections while the carollers sang, with the proceeds going towards the mayor’s charities - the Aston Project, a police-run charity supporting local young people; and the Butterfly Garden, supporting people of all ages with disablement of any kind. This year the carollers raised £110 for the Mayors charities.

• Don’t leave your Christmas presents on display at home. • Don’t leave shopping on view in your car. • When you’re away from your home keep your eye on shopping bags at all times and watch out for loose items that could be easily stolen. • Be a good neighbour and keep an eye on other people’s homes, especially when they are away. “As part of Operation Switch we would like to

reiterate that the public can report criminal activity anonymously via Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.” For more information on how to protect yourself from being a victim of crime logon to www.glosdoyouknow.com. If you suspect someone might be carrying out illegal activity you can also give information anonymously by contacting the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

13 people charged with drink driving in first two weeks of Christmas campaign... WE NAME THEM! 13 PEOPLE were charged with drink driving offences in the first two weeks of the Christmas drink drive crackdown. Almost every day in the countdown to Christmas, one family in the UK will face the devastation of a death of a loved one in a drink related road collision. That’s 23 lives lost this December in avoidable and preventable crashes. On top of this enormous human tragedy are the countless thousands whose lives are changed in one way or another because of the consequences of being convicted for drinking and driving. Roads Policing Inspector Kevin Roseblade said: “It's hard to comprehend how people still haven't got the message about drink driving. “The dangers and possible implications for the driver and other road users have been clear for a long time - so there really is no excuse for doing it. “The Tri-force roads policing team will carry on stopping people and breath-testing wherever necessary and I'm grateful too for the checks being carried out by the Special Constabulary. “We will be keeping up the pressure and conducting regular roadside checks, as well as breath testing anyone involved in a road

traffic collision, throughout the festive season. “Our key message this year is very simple – eat, think and be merry.” Details of the 13 charged with drink driving offences between Monday 1 December and Sunday 13 December: • Paul Bradshaw, 59 and of Rowan Close, Carterton in Oxfordshire was arrested on the A429 on 1 December. He will appear before magistrates in Cheltenham on 7 January. • Derek Clayton Gifford, 31 and of Rookery Road in Innsworth was arrested on the A40 on 4 December. He will appear before magistrates in Cheltenham on 6 January. • Robert Gordon Harris, 47 and of Lipson Road, Cheltenham was arrested near his home address on 5 December. He will appear before magistrates in Cheltenham on 22 January. • Andrew Bell, 42 and of Priory Lane, Bishop’s Cleeve was arrested in Charlton Kings on 5 December. He will appear before magistrates in Stroud on 5 January. • Grace Leanne Welby, 22 and of Pittville Lawn, Cheltenham was arrested in Pill Grove Way on 6 December. She will appear before magistrates in Cheltenham on 16 January.

• Kieran Ward, 22 and of Upper Park Street in Cheltenham was arrested in Tredworth High Street on 6 December. He appearing before magistrates in Stroud yesterday (17 December). • Ryan Andrew Malone, 30 and of Kempley in Dymock was arrested in St Oswald's Road in Gloucester on 7 December. He will appear before magistrates in Cheltenham on 6 January. • Christopher James Andrews, 22 and of Pike Hill in Elkstone, Cheltenham was arrested on an unclassified road in Woodmancote on 7 December. He will appear before magistrates in Cheltenham on 7 January. • Mikaele Raivalita Matana, 26 and of Chepstow was arrested on Beachley Road on 9 December. He will appear before magistrates in Cheltenham on 6 January. • Dean Lawrence Barry, 31 and of School Lane in Whitminster was arrested on the B4008 in Hardwicke on 12 December. He will appear before magistrates in Stroud on 12 January. • Tomasz Damiecki, 48 and of no known address was arrested on the A40 Golden

Valley bypass on 13 December. He will appear before magistrates in Cheltenham on 12 January. • Jack Daniel Allen, 23 and of Kingshill Road, Dursley was arrested in Garden Suburb in Dursley on 13 December. He will appear before magistrates in Stroud on 5 January. • David John Pinson, 65 and of London Road, Chalford was arrested on London Road on 14 December. He will appear before magistrates in Stroud on 19 January.

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

Christmas crackdown on counterfeit items GLOUCESTERSHIRE County Council trading standards officers have seized a number of counterfeit items as part of a Christmas purge. Officers seized products with a street value of £4,000 from a stall at a local car boot sale including fake Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana perfume, Superdry and Adidas clothing, football shirts and Nike trainers. They have also taken counterfeit battery

powered Pedi Pro pedicure appliances from an internet business based in Cirencester, are investigating an eBay user selling counterfeit clothing and 3,000 cosmetic products have been suspended from sales until safety testing has been carried out. Counterfeit perfumes are untested and have unknown ingredients which could cause health problems and there have been several claims about the cosmetics

AgonyAunt Kimberley Wall SOMEONE asked me if I could write a column based on how to survive the Festive period as a blended family. Alongside Relate Gloucestershire and Swindon’s Christmas survival tips that I published in last week’s column that are relevant to most families; blended families also have their own set of challenges when navigating their way through a harmonious Christmas. However these can be highly unique to each blended family’s situation and will be affected by the age of your children, whether one or both partners have children from previous relationships, whether there is still conflict present between separated parents and the child contact arrangements which include whether children still have contact with both their biological parents. While I am unable to provide any universal ‘tips’ I can offer insight which I have gained from my own situation in which both myself and my partner have two children each from previous relationships and we are pregnant with our first child together. As you can imagine, suddenly becoming co-parents of four children can get quite manic at times especially with other parents needs to consider in our plans. Firstly, as a couple we have worked out each other’s strengths and utilised them across both individual family units which means we both get to focus on the things we personally enjoy about Christmas and our partner gets let off from doing certain things they dread! For example, we have worked out that while Christmas present buying just causes my partner a headache – it is one of my favourite festive past times! I even use an excel sheet to record what we have bought each of the 4 children so far and what else is on each child’s wish list. Not only do we then keep an eye on what we are spending on each child, how many presents they have each or

how our overall budget is looking (!) but I love every minute of searching for the perfect gift or finding a bargain. In return, my partner makes the Christmas dinner when all it would do is change me into the Christmas Grinch! Most importantly though (and surprisingly to me) my partner tackles this task like Mick (Gavin’s Dad) from Gavin and Stacey and truly enjoys feeding the brood with his festive dishes. All the other tasks are divided (or shared if we both dislike them!) between us in the same format school captains take turns in choosing players for their team. Our other second priority is ensuring that everyone feels as part of the Christmas plans as each other. We have so far both attended three school plays (and have a choir performance approaching) and are visiting Father Christmas all together on Saturday. Each child played their unique part in decorating the tree and while the youngest two made extra tree baubles (do we really need to put that on our tree?! Yes actually, we do!); the eldest proudly use their advanced spelling skills in writing the Christmas cards. We’ve also bought a couple of games for Christmas day – Charades for Kids and a type of Junior Pictionary in order to suit the different skill sets of everyone. Will it be completely harmonious? Probably not (especially when my partner gets frustrated with the kids not recognising his drawing of Rudolph) but I do believe everyone will feel as valued as one another and sometimes that’s all you can aim for! Alternatively Relate Gloucestershire and Swindon provide family counselling (charges apply) for the difficult times. Please call them on 01242 523215 to arrange an appointment.

which are being investigated. The fake pedicure appliances, as well as being potentially unsafe, were being sold on the internet for a higher price than the genuine item, making it difficult for people to judge whether they are genuine. Eddie Coventry, head of Gloucestershire trading standards, said: “There is always a concern where we find fake electrical or battery powered items as they are not likely to have been tested against appropriate safety standards. “Despite this, such items will typically be marked with the CE mark in an attempt to make them look genuine. Consumers can have no confidence that these fake products

are safe. “Likewise all cosmetic and beauty treatments must conform to prescribed standards and must not in any way mislead users about the results which can be achieved.” Trading Standards Institute (TSI) chief executive Leon Livermore, said: “Trading standards officers are on the frontline of consumer protection, working hard to remove from the market place the poorly made concoctions of criminals out to make a quick buck at the expense of honest traders and the safety of shoppers.” If anyone has concerns about products they have bought they should notify trading standards via the citizens advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

Space technology comes to the Winfield ORIGINALLY designed and launched by NASA to aid Astronauts with anti-gravity and fitness training, the Alter G AntiGravity Treadmill has recently hit the UK market and is being used for rehabilitation and training. The Physiotherapy Department at The Winfield Hospital, Gloucester is now offering the use of this high-tech machine to not only its existing patients but also for the general public. The Alter G treadmill uses an Inflatable bubble to enable users to walk and run in an anti-gravity environment. The effects of training in this environment is a reduced impact on the lower body, meaning a reduced risk of long term injury in addition to reducing the time to running post injury, hence a quicker healing process for those who can’t wait to get back to their training schedule. Senior Physiotherapist Sarah Williams describes the experience as “like walking on clouds”. By aligning pressure from the joints the pain is removed from the exercise. Nurses can assess weight bearing to ensure that it is equal. Runners can achieve optimum fitness by offloading their joints and reducing the

Hotel team don Christmas jumpers for charity

impact, this also means injury can be avoided during training; using percentages of body weight to build up the resistance to gradually increase the body weight until ready to train outdoors again. More details: The Alter G Machine is £20 per session and there are packages available. For enquiries please contact The Winfield Hospital, Tewkesbury Road, Gloucester on 01452 306009.

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FESTIVE fever swept the nation last Friday for Save the Children’s National Christmas Jumper Day. The entire team at The Montpellier Chapter also wrapped up in festive knitwear in a bid to raise over £500 for the cause. Hotel Manager Racheal Bird said: “We were so excited to be embracing National Christmas Jumper Day and raising money for this great charity. Ebola is at the forefront of everyone’s mind this Christmas and Save the Children’s efforts in West Africa responding to the outbreak is something that as a hotel we are

passionate about supporting. Friday was certainly be a sight for sore eyes with our team’s Christmas Jumpers out in force. Every staff member got involved – even our kitchen team wore festive aprons instead of jumpers!” Making the world ‘better with a sweater’, National Christmas Jumper day is now into its third year and has to date raised over £1.6 million. Save the Children is the world’s leading independent children’s charity working in 120 countries to help save the lives of children and fight for their rights.

CHALKTALK Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Cheltenham gets vocal...

FORGET AUSTERITY FORGET austerity. This week, Cheltenham’s borough councillors voted to award themselves a ‘pay and perks’ increase which will see them get a pay rise, plus an extra £100 a year on top of their basic allowance. All this comes in addition to their existing entitlement to free iPads. Apparently, the £100 will go towards ‘home broadband, PC use and printing costs’. Now, I don’t want to bash councillors unnecessarily. Most are hardworking and dedicated people. But at a time when public services are being asked to do more with less, I’m afraid this decision was completely misjudged. It was unnecessary too. On the issue of the ICT perk, councillors have computers and broadband in their homes anyway. They’re a modern necessity. Gifting councillors £100 is more of a Christmas present than it is compensation for a genuine expense. Taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidising that. Nor should they be forking out for iPads. I served as councillor for eight years. I can say with confidence that you don’t need them to do your job. As for the pay rise, the Council justifies it by pointing to the fact that pay has been frozen since 2010. True. But it

rather misses the point – there are far, far too many councillors for a town of our size. Think of it: there are 40 in Cheltenham, receiving a collective total of around £300,000 a year. And yet the amount of money they control is a modest £15m. As we all know, Shire Hall manages the lion’s share of local spending. Meanwhile, unitary councils elsewhere in England use 40-odd councillors to manage budgets of over £250m. So, instead of prioritising a pay rise, the Council should be looking to drive down costs. There are other ways they can save money too. The stubborn insistence on holidng borough elections every two years instead of every four wastes around £300,000 over a four-year term. That money could be far better spent on hardpressed local services, such as youth clubs, or cutting parking charges for local residents. There are endless options. Soon we will be downing tools for Christmas. It’s a break that gives us all space to reflect. When the Council reconvenes in the New Year, I hope they will think again. In the meantime, I wish you all a safe, peaceful and happy Christmas.

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

Sandford Park Ale House hosting charity ‘sing-a-long’ START the Christmas break with a swing and help raise money for a valued local charity. The Sandford Park Alehouse, High Street, Cheltenham, is the venue for a night of music, fun, fundraising and great beer. The sing-a-long will take place on Monday, December 22nd, starting at 7:30pm in aid of the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice. Grenville Hillman will be on the ‘Joanna’ leading everyone in a medley of favourite songs, from traditional pub songs to modern classics. He will also play your favourite song, in return for a small donation to the charity. There will also be a raffle with some great prizes, including a 10 Litre (about 18

pints) Polypin of a Cotswold Lion Beer, a Prescott Brewery Gift pack, bottles of rare vintage Thomas Hardy’s Ale, barley wine and many other festive prizes. Veronica Emary, Chair of Cheltenham CAMRA, said; “Cheltenham CAMRA is a new branch, as this is our first Christmas, we would like to give something back to our local community. Two of our members who sadly died over the past few years were treated with amazing care and consideration at Sue Ryder's Leckhampton Court Hospice. We are proud to give them our support and hope as many people as possible will come along and join in the fun for this very worthy cause. Everyone is welcome and every penny raised will go directly to the charity.”

THE SIMMONDS FILE Christina Simmonds – Ukip Cheltenham Parliamentary candidate for 2015 WALKING in the Promenade this week it was delightful to see the excitement and bustle of people getting ready for Christmas. Children in particular had that special air of anticipation about what Father Christmas would bring, some of them virtually dancing around their parents like joyous puppies, full of energy and shining eyes. Adults too seemed to catch the spirit of “holiday” with lots of smiling and good nature on display. Cheltenham that day was a world away from the artificiality at the heart of our ruling elite. For most of us the pantomime season comes once a year, however our rulers engage in the “Oh yes I can!” “Oh no you can’t!” exchanges regularly, as they did over the Autumn Statement; play acting which does nothing to address the dire financial situation which faces the country. £1.5 trillion of government debt costing £50 billion a year in interest payments, the same amount it costs us to

run the armed services. We will still be facing a crisis in the NHS, in Cheltenham we need a fully functioning A&E. There will still be threats to build over the Green Belt around us – there is already an area of outstanding natural beauty beset by developers in Charlton Kings. A harsh winter will expose us to power cuts because of our lack of energy security, potentially particularly damaging to our local small businesses at a time when we need to be helping them to create more jobs to improve the prosperity and opportunities for Cheltenham people. There will be time to examine the harsh facts, which their fiscal mismanagement will mean for all of us, next year. For now, let us in Cheltenham enjoy the fun and goodwill, the lights and the laughter and the magic of Sleeping Beauty. I wish everyone happiness at Christmas (whatever your politics!) Christina Simmonds www.ukipcheltenham.org.uk chairman@ukipcheltenham.org.uk

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

All Saints Academy gets into the Christmas spirit

A fresh recycling trial triggered at Tesco and household recycling centres THIS month people can participate in a trial to separate and recycle the trigger tops and flip caps from their home care plastic bottles, at specific large Tesco stores and household recycling centres across Gloucestershire. Trigger tops are made from a different type of plastic to the main bottle, and often contain a metal spring that needs specialist recycling. Steve Read, Managing Director, of

Gloucestershire Joint Waste Team, said: “For just a few months, we are asking residents to separate the trigger tops and flip caps from all their plastic bottles. People’s normal recycling collection will stay the same but this is an extra way to support recycling in the county.” Joe Chapman, Corporate Affairs Manager – Tesco South West, said: “We are delighted to be helping people to participate in this recycling

trial and proud to be supporting the community of Gloucestershire.” “As well as being able to recycle trigger tops and flip caps, members can also recycle additional air and home care packaging, such as plastic air fresheners and flexible home cleaning wipes packs. It’s a great way of involving the community and can help raise money for schools, charities and non-profits, while helping the environment too.” To find out more about this recycling trial and for information on recycling arrangements across the county visit www.recycleforgloucestershire.co.uk.

ON December 17th students & staff at All Saints’ Academy along with Youth for Christ delivered forty one fantastic hampers to the YMCA which they had been creating for several weeks. Students and staff created hampers in tutor groups, asking them to donate something from their cupboards whether it be food, scarves, books etc. The scheme started in 2011 with All Saints’ Academy delivering brilliant hampers to YMCA and the Food Bank in Cheltenham. It is always a popular project with students really getting into the Christmas spirit of giving. Lidia Bojczuk, Housing Support Worker at the YMCA said: “Today has been absolutely fantastic, the effort that students have put into these hampers is just really moving and it just makes Christmas here a lot more special for the residents that are here over the festive period. Every single resident will get a hamper for Christmas now.”

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

Help I have a Vegetarian coming for Christmas Dinner!

Guide Dogs wish Martin Horwood MP a Cracking Christmas

With an estimated four million vegetarians and vegans in the UK it is a huge growing trend and us non meat eaters all just want to enjoy our Christmas like anyone else - minus the bird. Now you can get anything and everything vegan friendly - we enjoy meat free meats, fish free fish, dairy free ice-creams, chocolate, marshmallows - well you name it and there will be a plant based version….. So how to have a veggie Christmas… Well firstly on both accounts it is all about the communication - and in plenty of time. Do not leave it until you are sitting at the table to announce “I am a vegan” or “So what do you eat?” • Hosts - pick up the phone and talk to your veggie guests - they will be thrilled to hear that you care enough to call them. Find out what they do and don't eat and if they offer to bring something then take them up on the idea and perhaps suggest to bring enough so everyone can try their meat free delights. Be warned - the food is usually quite fantastic. • Check out your local health food stores and talk to the managers - see what they suggest for your guests. There are many super products available. See you local health food store for vegan ranges. Some bring out seasonal specials that everyone

MARTIN Horwood MP met with staff, volunteers and puppies from the charity Guide Dogs yesterday to receive a custom-made Christmas cracker, thanking them for their support this year. The charity set up a makeshift grotto in Parliament to hand out messages of thanks to MPs that have supported the charity in 2014. The custom cracker included a message on Guide Dogs’ campaign for a national law on pavement parking.

will enjoy veggie or not. Firm favourites like sausage rolls and even meat and dairy free “bacon and cheese” bites will really impress your non meat eating guests. Research online and search for good vegan recipes - have a practice if you have time and remember to keep the meat foods separate from the vegan foods. Non meat eaters will appreciate their potatoes not cooked in animal fat and do not use the same utensils too. Quick Veggie Christmas Tips… If you have a veggie guest coming for Christmas dinner make sure that the vegetables and roast potatoes are cooked separately from the meat. Gravy can easily be made without animal products. Check ingredients of mince pies and Christmas puddings - and ask! Simply ask your guest what they do or don't eat, where they buy products from - and even if they could bring something to share. Maybe ask everyone to bring something veggie friendly to share so they don't feel like the odd one out. There are lots of tasty meat free roasts so the veggie Christmas dinner could look just like to traditional roast - Many people just love the stuffing (not from inside a bird!) potatoes and veg - so it could be a simple as leaving off the turkey. The free guide is available to everyone via www.veggiechristmas.com

The MP for Cheltenham is currently sponsoring a Bill that attempts to change the law to give local councils more power to tackle the problem of parking on pavements, which is a hazard for people with sight loss and can force them on to the road. Martin commented: “It was wonderful to meet Peanut who is a very cute guide dog puppy in training and to receive my thank you cracker from Guide Dogs. “Pavement parking is a real problem in Cheltenham. As well as for people with sight loss, it is a potentially dangerous obstacle for wheelchair and mobility scooter users as well as people with pushchairs.” Guide Dogs Campaigns Manager James White said: “We are very grateful for all of the support that Members of Parliament give to Guide Dogs. “As well as saying thank you to Martin for his help this year, we used this opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of parking on pavements and to call for support for his Bill that looks to change the law.”

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

BUSINESS Editor’sDESK

magine going shopping, say twice a week, at your local shop all year long and then this same shop at Christmas and New Years’ Eve wants to charge you just for coming in? It’s a rotten concept, one that some bars and pubs in this town during Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve adopt. It’s a cynical attempt to extract even more money out of customers. This disgusting practice is masked by a portion of them saying that it’s to control numbers and for security. No it isn’t, it’s just an excuse to get more money out of customers under the guise of putting on something ‘special’. The bar trade at this time of year in Cheltenham does very well indeed. The bars are crammed and the prices in some places are of London proportions. So why add more expense on to the customer? Well it’s because they can and it’s appalling. How on earth can you expect someone who drinks in your bar all year round, with no entrance fee applied, and then because it’s a ‘special night’ charge them entrance? It’s immoral! Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for being charged the price of a drink and then having the first drink free to allow the Landlord to whittle out the regulars from the nonregulars, but in some cases they are charging £10.00 just to get in. That can’t be right. Last year every pub group reported a rise in sales. The London Pride brewer said like-for-like sales at managed pubs and hotels, which make up over half of group revenue, were up 7.7 percent in the 43 weeks to Jan. 25, its fiscal third quarter, and by 7.2 percent in the last 10 weeks. So you see they are making strong healthy profits, so why penalise the customer even more by charging in some establishments to get in on Christmas and New Years Eve? How would the landlords feel if some shops in town starting charging to come in to do some Christmas Eve shopping or New Year’s Eve shopping? They would be appalled, very vocal and may even boycott those shops. Some bars in this dear old town commit even more heinous crimes. They have the gall to actually shut the doors early at 8pm. Now we’re into even murkier waters. Surely it is wrong that regulars (who have supported the pub all year long) are denied the use of the pub, on the very night that they want a knees-up with friends? To me that smacks of complete selfishness on the part of the landlord and sends a hugely negative message to the regulars. I’ve never heard of a pub shutting its doors to its regulars on New Year’s Eve. It’s wrong, it’s selfish and it’s uncaring. Some of the pubs and bars in Cheltenham need to take a long, hard look at themselves and the way they treat their long-standing customers over Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It’s hardly the Christmas spirit is it?

Got a comment? Please contact us at editor@cheltenhamstandard.co.uk Cheltenham Standard is published weekly by Cheltenham Standard 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, heltenham Standard 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

Dentist buys her own practice with help from NatWest SARAH Farrier, who has worked in the town for nearly eight years, has become principal dentist at Arden House Dental on London Road, Charlton Kings. Former owner Ian Hazlem is staying on at the practice to work alongside Sarah, who becomes the third dentist at the practice. The private practice offers a full array of dental treatments including specialisms such as implants and same-day crowns veneers. Sarah’s expertise will bring additional services including adult orthodontic work and “tooth-friendly smile makeovers” which she describes as “making the most of natural teeth without heavy compromises on tooth structure.” Sarah’s husband, consultant oral

and maxillofacial surgeon Jerry Farrier, will also be carrying out some work at the practice, offering his expertise in oral surgery as well as non-surgical aesthetic facial procedures such as Botox and fillers. Sarah said: “The practice delivers patient care at a very high standard and we have an excellent team of highly trained staff. At the core we are a family practice which welcomes all. We are enthusiastic and we love what we do. “Ian wanted to sell the practice as part of his retirement plan, but he wasn’t ready to give up yet. He is very passionate about the business and about dentistry and he searched for someone with similar ethics and skill-set to himself to make sure the business was sold to the right person

and would continue to evolve and grow in a way he would wish. “I am very excited about the future and all that we can bring to Arden House for our patients.” Sarah worked with NatWest relationship director Steve Moore, who specialises in the healthcare sector, to secure borrowing to buy the practice and its premises. She said: “Steve is very good – he is approachable, friendly and easy to talk to.” Steve said: “NatWest was delighted to help support Sarah in her purchase of Arden House, which meant she could fulfil her ambition of running her own dental practice. I look forward to continuing to work with her as the business develops.”

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

BUSINESS A year of success

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGIE PHAIR

MORE than 90 Circle2Success members enjoyed their annual lunch at Manor by the Lake. A splendid lunch was hosted by C2S Directors Suzanne Hall-Gibbins and Angela Edwards who gave members an update on the years activities and organised a raffle and auction for Milestone School which raised over a thousand pounds towards the schools fundraising activities and the pupils Christmas party.

French chain to take over Montpellier Brasserie site FRENCH bistro chain C么te has confirmed it will open a new restaurant in Cheltenham in early 2015. The chain, which does not have an outlet in Gloucestershire as yet, is due to take over the former site of the Montpellier Brasserie in Montpellier Terrace. The Brasserie shut unexpectedly in May this year, with its owners setting up a new cafe in the Courtyard area of Montpellier. It has been speculated for some time that C么te would be taking over the site, which used to house an art gallery upstairs.

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 11 DECEMBER 2014

Residents urged to be green this Christmas CHELTENHAM Borough Council is urging residents to recycle as much as possible through their kerbside schemes and bring banks this Christmas. • Real Christmas trees: All residents can have their trees collected this year. Trees should be put out at the kerbside on the same day as their refuse is due for collection in the two weeks beginning 5 and 12 January. The refuse and recycling collection schedule will change slightly over the Christmas period so your collection day may be different to usual. Christmas trees up to five feet or one and a half metres tall can be left out whole with decorations removed. Trees larger than this need to be cut down before being put out for collection. The council also accepts Christmas trees at its Swindon Road recycling centre at any time. • Christmas cards can be put into the kerbside recycling boxes, recycled at the cardboard banks at bring sites around the town or at the Swindon Road recycling centre. Unfortunately, wrapping paper cannot be accepted for recycling as it is often dyed or laminated, or contains non-paper additives such as gold and silver coloured shapes, glitter and plastics which cannot be recycled. • Food leftovers are quite common during the Christmas period. We all like to indulge but if

you can’t quite finish all the food on your plate remember to pop it in your food waste caddy, as well as all the vegetables peelings and any other cooked or uncooked food. Carrier bags can now also be used to line food waste caddies. Scott Williams, the Joint Waste Teams strategic client officer, said: “At Christmas there is more to recycle than any other time of the year, so it’s really important that people try to recycle as much of their waste as possible. We would like to urge residents to use their kerbside boxes, and to take any other materials such as bulky cardboard and mixed plastics to one of the bring bank sites located around the town or alternatively, the Swindon Road recycling centre. In addition, please don’t forget to use your food caddies this Christmas. If you have more food waste than normal, you can put both your small and large caddies out together for collection. “We realise that the amount of non-recyclable waste produced also increases at this busy time of year and we will be allowing a ‘side waste amnesty’ for every household’s first full collection only after Christmas Day. This will allow residents to leave out additional non-recyclable waste in bin liners next to their green wheeled bin which will be collected. Please ensure that every-

thing is placed at the kerb by 7am on the re-scheduled day of collection.” Councillor Chris Coleman, cabinet member for clean and green environment, added: ‘’Residents in Cheltenham did a great job of recycling last Christmas so I hope we can do even better this year. With a bit of thought, it is possible to limit the impact of the Christmas celebrations on the environment and still have a great time.” Just to remind residents that the refuse and recycling collection schedule will change slightly over the Christmas period. There will be no collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, therefore some residents will find their collections being made on Saturdays to allow the crews to catch up. Collections will return to normal from Monday 12 January. The revised schedule can also be found on the council’s website www.cheltenham.gov.uk/recycling. The Swindon Road recycling centre will also open for most of the holiday period, again please visit the website for all the opening times.

Liquidation Closing Down Sale 50% Off Everything in Store

On Instructions From: Begbies Traynor Re: Foundation Retails (Cheltenham) Ltd – In Liquidation

Friday 19th December 2014, 10am-4pm Saturday 20th December 2014, 10am-4pm Entire contents of various Womens Clothing To Include: Hartford, Twinset, Antik Batick, Levis, DL1961, Rabens Saloner, Vilagallo Womans Coats Jumpers, Tops, Trousers General Accessories

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

HEALTH&LIFESTYLE IT’S P-A-R-T-Y season! Most females (and a few males I’m sure) are starting their crash diet/exercise/detox regime around about now. Why? There appears to be something in our psyche whereby we believe that if we go on an intensive health kick we justify our Christmas food and alcohol binge, most of which will be starting at the office Christmas party and continuing for every social occasion until New Year. But that’s OK because it will be followed by a dry January right? Wrong! Bingeing in any form is one of the worst possible punishments for a body trying to function within normal limits. Food bingeing is defined as consuming large amounts within a short period of time even when not hungry the alcohol binge is the consumption of more than double the lower risk guidelines for alcohol in one session as defined by the NHS and National Office of Statistics is drinking. Binge drinking can affect your physical and mental health. Not only are accidents and falls common but in extreme cases people have died from alcohol overdose when they have suffocated by choking on their own vomit or had a cardiac arrest. Alcohol also affects mood and memory leading to long term mental health problems. Also under the influence of booze we lose our inhibitions. So whilst at the time it may seem perfectly normal to get ‘text happy’ (to someone that when sober you simply wouldn’t consider contacting), or jump in to bed with a random individual (just because it seems like a good idea drunk), the following day can leave you rather red faced. Binge eating can be sporadic with periods when a person severely cuts down on their food intake which can make the ‘binges’ worse. Binge eating can affect the sugar levels within the body thus causing effects such as cravings, headaches, sweating and tremors. Weight gain is the main complication of binge eating, as the body is unable to produce enough insulin for the food overload to stop sugar levels surging and consequently turning to fat. Many people with the disorder are already overweight and if you are carrying too much weight you are vulnerable to other health problems that are associated with obesity such as: • High cholesterol – high levels of cholesterol in your blood increases your risk of heart disease and stroke

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

BATTLE OF THE BINGE

• High blood pressure (hypertension) – this also increases your risk of cardiovascular conditions such as stroke or heart disease • Diabetes – a chronic (long-term) condition caused by too much glucose (sugar) in the blood • Asthma – where the lung airways become inflamed • Osteoarthritis – a condition that causes pain and swelling in the joints • Chronic back pain • Heart disease – where the heart’s blood supply is blocked by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries (the main blood vessels of the heart)

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People who binge eat often display a particular pattern of behaviour known as the binge eating cycle. The binge eating cycle isn’t easy to break. An initial binge leads to a blood sugar surge that causes the pancreas to release Insulin (the hormone responsible for breaking down carbohydrate and fat on the body). Once the Insulin has kicked in and the blood sugar levels in the blood fall the brain receives the false message from the body that more food is needed to maintain the high blood sugar levels. As a result a craving develops and we find ourselves stuffing our faces even though we aren’t hungry. Once binge complete,

insulin kicks in and so the cycle continues. There’s no single trigger for binge eating. Like most eating disorders, it is seen as a way of coping with feelings of unhappiness, everyday stress and low selfesteem. However, you don’t have to be a chronic binger to suffer health complications and let’s not forget that more often than not, and alcohol binge can lead to a food binge. This Christmas try and minimise your binges whether food or alcohol (or both), by remembering that both carry significant risks to your health that could be irreversible… not to mention majorly embarrassing!

10 Albion Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 2LP

01242 210555

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All our stores are open Monday to Friday 9-6 & Saturday 10-3

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

70-72 High Street Cheltenham

135-137 Bath Road Cheltenham

We are looking for children (under 10) to make decorations to bring in and hang on our Christmas Tree in both our Cheltenham stores.

Get Cooking for Xmas... CHRISTMAS GRANOLA Why not mix and bake this delicious granola with the children for a quick and healthy breakfast on Christmas morning. Ingredients 300g oat flakes 2 little handfuls pumpkin seeds 150g unsweetened desiccated coconut 2 little handfuls sunflower seeds 150ml vegetable oil 2 little handfuls dried cranberries and/or raisins 1 tsp cinnamon 1tsp vanilla extract 8 tbsp carob syrup (sometimes called Carob molasses) or date syrup

How to enter: Just bring the decorations with your name, age and contact details written on the back into your nearest store and we will hang them there and then. A winner will be picked from each store and will receive an extra Christmas present from us and The Cheltenham Standard. Any questions, call Graham on 01242 285 648

GOOD LUCK!

Spend, spend, spend? YOU might think that councillors having a devolved budget to spend on things in the area they represent would be a good idea. I must admit that until recently I was a big fan of this sort of initiative. As a county councillor I have a few pots of money to invest in the division I represent but in reality this can be a curse as well as a blessing. A particular poisoned chalice is the County Councillor’s ‘Highways Local’ budget. This year and last each County Councillor had £20k to spend on roads, pavements or other similar highways projects in their division, the year before it was £10k. This all sounds jolly good but spending the money on the projects I have chosen has been less than straightforward. Also £20k doesn’t go very far when the demand for resurfacing or road safety projects is so great. For the past three financial years one project has been near or top of the list of things I would like the

Method • Pre-heat the oven to 130°C. • Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl except for the cranberries and raisins. Add a dash of water to help mix. • Spread the mixture out on a baking tray. • Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. • Leave to cool before stirring

through the cranberries and/or raisins. This granola tastes great on it’s own or as a snack layered with yoghurt, honey and fruit. It also makes a wonderful gift spooned into glass canisters or cellophane bags tied with a pretty ribbon. To join Fiona at her Cookery Doodle Doo children’s classes please visit www.cookerydoodledoo.com or phone 07475883019 for details.

Soapbox By COUNCILLOR KLARA SUDBURY money spent on. Following years of requests from residents worried about traffic speed on Old Bath Road between Pilley Bridge and Charlton Park Gate, I have asked for part of my Highways Local budget to be spent on implementing a scheme to slow traffic down and make it safer for pedestrians to cross. I can’t properly convey my frustration in a family newspaper about the obfuscation from highways on this; I don’t even have plans to look at or to show local residents, whose views are crucial in taking this forward. And it becomes a political football as I am regularly blasted by opposition councillors for not spending my money on this scheme, one which I am as desperate as many local residents to see brought forward. Another scheme I have asked to invest in is a one-way system for streets to the east of the Bath Road shopping area. Again this is something many residents nearby have asked for over the years. As with many ‘solutions’ to problems there is concern about possible unintended consequences, hence the plan is for an experimental oneway system which can be reviewed at regular intervals and changes made if any problems do occur.

The plans which have been consulted on also give an opportunity to improve signage, to stop lorry’s turning off Bath Road into these narrow streets on the way to the Mead Road industrial area. These plans are so close to being implemented I can almost smell the new one-way signs being made. But the relevant officers seem too busy or unable to let me know when the scheme will at last be implemented. Hopefully there will be a post-Christmas miracle and this long awaited scheme will actually happen. I also have some non-highways funding available to spend on things that will help residents in my division get fit and active. In total I have £40k to spend on such projects. So far this has not exactly been a poison chalice but despite advertising it through local newsletters and social media I have only had one serious bid from Friends of Pilley Bridge Nature Reserve for part of the money. This successful bid will part fund improvements to the reserve; including building a series of paths, bridges and boardwalks to gain access to wetlands and

ponds in the nature reserve all year long. This should be a real benefit to the community and I was really pleased to be able to support the good work this group are doing in this small way. I still have a lot of this funding left but no firm suggestions on how I can spend it. If you belong to a community or voluntary group that can deliver something that would help residents get active please feel free to get in touch with me to find out more. The only firm criteria I have is that the money must benefit residents that live in the area I represent. All councillors have the same amount of money so if you can think of something you would like in a different area, perhaps look at the County Council website to find out how to contact your councillor.

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

CULTURE SATURDAY 20th December looks set to be the busiest shopping day of the year so far. If you are heading into Cheltenham to buy last minute gifts for loved ones, then why not finish your day off with a visit to one of the following gigs that are taking place around the town. AC/DC tribute band Riff Raff play at Subtone from 9.00pm. They promise, 'No costumes, no gimmicks and no look-alikes.' The real AC/DC have just announced a show at Wembley Stadium next summer, so instead of paying nearly £100 for a ticket to that, get yourself to Subtone in Cheltenham and enjoy the next best thing. Tickets are only a fiver so rest assured that it won't break the bank. Alternatively, some of the noisiest and most abrasive local bands will be appearing at The Frog & Fiddle from midafternoon on Saturday. Max Raptor from Burton On Trent headline Winterfest 2014, a twostage, 20 band indoor festival that kicks off at 2.00pm. What better way to punctuate your Christmas shopping trip than a visit to The Frog & Fiddle for some late-afternoon punk rock? If covers are your thing, then The Timbres play at St Paul's Tavern on Saturday night. The Cheltenham based piano and vocal duo give the covers treatment to everything from

Riff Raff

THE LIVE LINE-UPS Radiohead to Erasure. There's rarely a quiet night at St Paul's most lively pub, and this one promises to be no different. Elsewhere, the Galloping Cows also have it covered at the Cotswold Inn. Using big beats to recreate unique versions of

dance tunes, they produce a full band sound using just a single electric guitar. Galloping Cows really have to be seen to be believed. Finally, Pete Joseph showcases his soul, funk and Latin sounds at Monty's Cocktail Bar, and Chip Shop boy Tommy

Lewis plays at The Bayshill in St George's Place. If none of the above take your fancy, then you're probably better off staying indoors and listening to Cliff Richard's Mistletoe & Wine on repeat. Whatever you decide, Saturday

20th December promises to be a great night for live music in Cheltenham. View all previous issues of Behind The Scene Gloucestershire at: http://behindthescenegloucest ershiregigguide.wordpress.com/

Book The Frozen Shroud By Martin Edwards REVIEW By EVE SEYMOUR TWO women have been murdered in Ravenbank, a bleak and remote community in the Lake District. The first victim, Gertrude Smith, a young housemaid who worked at Ravenbank Hall prior to the First World War; the second, and very much more twentyfirst century, sexually predatory Shenagh Moss. With a century between the two, one might assume unfortunate coincidence except that both women were killed on Halloween; both had their faces destroyed and the pulped remains hidden by a frozen shroud; in each, the murders were deemed an ‘open and shut’ case. When a third woman Terri Poynton is found dead, Daniel Kind, a historian with a particular interest in the history of murder, decides to examine the old cases.

As everyone knows, when you mine the past, you dig up a lot of dirt. Fortunately, Daniel Kind is not alone in his endeavour to reveal the truth, but is joined by DCI Hannah Scarlett who heads the Cold Case Review team and was also Terri’s close friend. A triple murder mystery, this is a deeply atmospheric novel with an expertly interwoven cast of colourful characters whose relationships with one another are exposed, sliced and diced. As Daniel Kind says, ‘Crimes of violence, most of all murder, harm everyone they touch.’ The sense of claustrophobia that creeps into small, rural communities is used to dramatic effect and I could almost feel the clawing, chilly embrace of the fog so common to the area. Kind’s interest in the history of crime and murder is only rivalled by the author’s encyclopaedic knowledge

of crime fiction. A lawyer by trade, Edwards pays attention to detail and captures the mechanics and ‘behind the scenes’ politics that underpin police bureaucracy with an observant eye. The big question running throughout, and one that keeps the reader flipping those pages: what exactly drives someone to kill? Surprises, the lifeblood of great crime fiction, keep the reader engrossed and guessing right to the end. With so many plausible red herrings, I confess I found it impossible to call. Part of the Lake District Series, ‘The Frozen Shroud’ is published by Allison and Busby. Eve Seymour is a freelance writing coach 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

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

QUIRKY NEWS

SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT...

A selection of the strangest stories from around the globe

BURNING THE BACON A US company is marketing protective armour for people who like to cook bacon while they are naked. J&D Food's Naked Bacon Cooking Armour consists of a hard plastic shell covered with foam then enclosed in vinyl. Co-founder Justin Esch told Huffington Post: “It truly is the gold standard of genital grease burn protection.”

And he said he hopes the groin protector will also inspire those who do their sizzling with clothes on to take them off. “We're just opening the door,” he said. “With any luck you step through it because happiness is waiting on the other side.” The Naked Bacon Cooking Armour is available from the company’s website for $14.99 (£9.60) plus postage and packing.

Pepper spray prankster A WOMAN pranked her boyfriend by putting pepper spray on his toilet roll and then filming his agonised reaction. The clip has been viewed by about 3.5 million people in just a few days with many users saying she had taken things too far. But the woman said she had been the victim of numorous cruel pranks from her boyfriend and this was "payback time". She giggled as she sprayed the strongest pepper spray she could find all over her boyfriend's toilet roll and set up cameras to catch

his reaction when he finally went to the toilet. He walked out moaning, limping and clutching his sore behind. Before long, he was rolling around in apparent agony. His girlfriend, claiming she didn't realise it would hurt so much, rushed to fetch his some ice to cool the pain - without telling him that too had been pepper sprayed. Pepper spray effects can include burning of the skin, lasting from 45 to 60 minutes, and it can even cause blisters.

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

h boy weren’t my 25th birthday celebrations just extraordinary last weekend? I have too many to thank for treating me like the local celebrity I’ve rightly become, so it’s simply easier for me to offer my ‘better-than-royal’ blessing to the lot of you. The well wishes, the presents, the free drinks – it was a right knees up. Before my liver has barely had time to rebuild its withered tissue, it’s the final week before Christmas and of course I’m drinking hard. I love this time of year. Everybody who’s anybody throws a Christmas party. And when you put that on top of the normal roster of socials (birthdays, launches, Monday ‘student night’, Friday nights) then you can see my calendar is bursting. But I’m not stating this to purely show off, no, no, no. I just needed to stress that like many other Cheltonians I’m a gentleman that regularly visits our town’s bars and clubs and puts

cash behind the tills to drown myself in shots. I’m a necessary component to these establishments 365 days a year. What isn’t necessary are these office/work cronies filling up the bar areas with their insufferable racket. They’re part-time drinkers the lot of them. They don’t have a clue how to queue for a drink or perhaps more importantly when to get out the frickin’ way when my assistant fetches an order on my behalf. Last Saturday I waited about five minutes longer than usual for Jennifer to return from the bar with drinks for friends and myself because some drunk letch had one too many and squeezed her arse. I would love to see our bars block Christmas work dos and exclusively entertain our kind but I can’t help but feel this might be one step too far and perhaps I’m acting unreasonably? So I’ll let

this one slide and begrudgingly enjoy the festivities with everyone in Cheltenham. Off the Christmas topic, let’s talk about the Cheltenham IMAX. So it’s been open for a few weeks now and I’ve only just managed to check it out this week. How bitterly disappointed I was readers… I have one of those black unlimited cards. So I rock up presuming Cineworld might just ask for an extra £1 in payment, (like they do with regular unlimited members for 3D showings) but oh no! They screw me for £6 on top of my membership (£16.40 per month). Considering a

non-Cineworld member would have to be prepared to pay the full ticket price of £15.70 for a showing I’m expecting a monumental cinema experience out of this IMAX. The screen does benefit from luxurious red leather seating. The smell of new car really does surround the room. The screen also benefits with a capacity much smaller than its other big screens. I say benefits, because there’s nothing worse than a packed out room with hordes of chavs spewing periodically during the film. So the chances of this happening certainly are slimmer. However, there is no noticeable difference in picture quality. I mean seriously!! I experienced nothing new, nothing that wowed me. Even for the same ticket price as its normal screens I wouldn’t have even seen the

impact. So what if the screen’s curved around the edges and there’s some fancy blue lighting effect around the inside walls during the trailers? The 3D visuals during the film looked no different to a standard 3D screen (perhaps there isn’t meant to be a difference here?) Either way the whole experience left me perplexed as to whether I had missed the point. Am I alone or is anyone else massively underwhelmed? To me, it seems like a 3D screen – with curves. Oh and red leather seats. Certainly not worth the extra money. I’d recommend you avoid like the plague and stick to the classy Screening Rooms. But if you can’t quite afford that lifestyle, you might as well slum it with the plebs in the normal Cineworld screens. The IMAX was littered with fakers anyway.

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

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

CoffeeBreak

TRACTOR TOILS ITS WAY TO SOUTH POLE

Your Weekly HOROSCOPES ARIES (March 20 – April 18): There’s no denying that you’re surrounded by a like-minded group. They’re just as smart as you and twice as stubborn.

kilometres, we are at a red and white striped pole with a reflective ball on top, surrounded by flags. “This is South 90 - as far South as anybody can go. It’s unbelievable at the South Pole there is a red Massey Ferguson tractor! “ They travelled in constant daylight, driving for 23 hours or more at a time and only breaking for maintenance or driver changeover. Facing hostile Antarctic conditions including crevasse fields, punishing solid ice-waves and solar storms, the team coped with altitude sickness and temperatures of -56C. After a day’s rest at the South Pole, the Antarctica2 team set out on their return journey to Novo Runway on the Antarctic coast.

A DUTCH actress and adventurer has reached the South Pole after 17 days driving across Antarctica on a tractor. Manon Ossevoort, 38, aka Tractor Girl, drove across the frozen continent on a Massey Ferguson MF 5610 tractor. Overcome with emotion at reaching her goal, Manon hugged the tractor when she arrived and celebrated with her team. “Wow! I’ve made it!” she said. “To have dreams is beautiful but to see them realised is the most extraordinary feeling. I’m inspired.” Her Antarctica2 expedition was the final chapter in a journey that previously saw her drive a tractor 38,000 km from her home in Holland across Europe and Africa to Cape Town. Reporting live from the ice, the team confirmed: “After 17 days and 2,500

TAURUS (April 19 – May 19): You’re pleased to see that a long shot isn’t as reckless as all that. You’ve still a ways to go, but you’re making progress. GEMINI (May 20 – June 20): Mercury in meticulous Capricorn is perfect for catching up on humdrum paperwork. It won’t be boring. Something intriguing lies hidden in the clutter. CANCER (June 21 – July 21): Critics come out of the woodwork. Invite them to nitpick all they like. They’ll soon see you have things under control. LEO (July 22 – Aug 21): Hopefully you weren’t looking forward to an uneventful holiday season. There will be more

Bright green Bulgarian cat THE unusual sight of a bright green cat has been turning heads on the streets of a Bulgarian seaside resort. Locals at Varna, on the Black Sea, thought the cat was the victim of vandals who had spraypainted its fur green. They even launched a campaign and set up a Facebook page called

StandOKU!

‘Punishment to the perpetrator of this criminal act!’ To try to catch those responsible. But it turned out that there was a more innocent explanation for the cat’s curious appearance. It was discovered the feline had been sleeping on an abandoned heap of synthetic green paint in a garage.

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 four letter word.

I S R W T O A N L

13 14

3 9 2 5 2 1 8 3 5 2 6 9

TARGET

8 9

20 21

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: 20 words good; 35 very good; 40+ excellent.

VIRGO (Aug 22 – Sept 21): Mercury enters Capricorn. This helps you formulate strategies with more lasting effect than quick-fix measures. LIBRA (Sept 22 – Oct 22): Choosing not to intervene may make you unpopular, but opinions will change again when it becomes clear that there’s nothing constructive to do.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 – Jan 18): Be careful with information that comes to light in the next few days. It’s too premature to put stock in it. Certain shoes have yet to drop.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21): It goes against your nature to reward undeserving types, but it’s worth it to keep the peace. You can always use it as moral leverage later.

AQUARIUS (Jan 19 – Feb 17): You hate to play dumb, but certain people need the ego strokes. Let them think that they’re the ones coming up with all the bright ideas.

SAGITTARIUS

PISCES (Feb 18 – March 19): You hoped steering clear of a controversy would preserve neutrality. Unfortunately it has the opposite effect. People really need to hear from you now.

(Nov 22 – Dec 20): Follow

others’ lead. You can’t accomplish what you want without them. Compromise doesn’t undermine your position; it fortifies it.

GIFT

FELL

TAGS

LOVE

CRYPTIC Crossword

Difficulty rating: Moderate

5 9 6 4 8 7 8 2 5 2 5 7 5 9 7 6 4

than just a few last minute fiascos to keep things lively.

22 23 24 Last week’s solutions (11th December 2014): Across: 1 Hard and fast; 9 Mum; 10 Forestall; 11 Tasks; 13 Epistle; 14 Hoards; 16 Indian; 18 Needles; 19 Might; 20 Enactment; 21 Ado; 22 Reading-lamp. Down: 2 Aim; 3 Doffs; 4 Nerves; 5 Fashion; 6 Startling; 7 Empty-handed; 8 Alternation; 12 Space race; 15 Dilated; 17 Astern; 19 Motel; 21 Arm.

ACROSS 4. He needs no stamp (7) 8. Registers terrible loners (6) 9. Teacher about to define a land measure (7) 10. Dish an old woman gives to American soldiers (6) 11. A quarrel's heard to stimulate ... (6) 12. ... strong inclination to write plainsong (8) 18. Nurses go out with doctors (8) 20. Commendation for being awfully direct (6) 21. Carriage seen in Portugal and Austria (6) 22. They don't get worn out (7) 23. Live with desire to have a place (6) 24. It's stupidity to refuse to accept there's a sit-in (7)

DOWN 1. Quietly rewrite the phrase, maybe (7) 2. Robber putting gear in the ring (7) 3. Break his leg with a toboggan (6) 5. Telephonist giving a poor rate of exchange (8) 6. Indelible design for a military display (6) 7. Stop Sartre somehow (6) 13. A sailor's land is not concrete (8) 14. Got upset or had go at selfish driver (7) 15. Pacify with a cooked sausage (7) 16. The Plymouth football team's pattern (6) 17. Ladies' changing conceptions of perfection (6) 19. Looked daggers at Gerald, possibly (6)

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

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

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

PROPERTY&HOME

PROPERTY ADVICE

The scent of success

AGAINST a background of glitzy decorations, beautifully wrapped presents and festive fare, Christmas is as much a sensory experience as it is a sumptuous feast, and enhancing your space with the right fragrance is like the fairy on top of the tree. Creating an atmospheric setting not only makes friends and family feel welcome, but placing scented candles in the main living areas, to complement your decorative scheme, can transform a home and set the stage for some nostalgic memories. “On Christmas Day, I always like to burn many scents together and create a unique scent for the day. Burning Feu de Bois and Ambre, both from the woody

family, creates a scent of an open log fire and warm toasty marshmallows,” says Amanda Morgan at Diptyque. “I also like Pomander (orange and cinnamon), creating a warm scent like minced pies and festive treats.” And that's the joy of a perfumed glow, you can give guests a hint of things to come. And while decorating a mantelpiece or side table can look grand and impressive, with clusters of votives arranged among pine cones, red berries and cinnamon sticks, the idea is a simple one, and the secret is to focus on key areas where you will entertain. “Take time to think about how

you want your home to feel this Christmas, before you choose a colour scheme,” advises Debbie Wild, London lifestyle director at Jo Malone. “Red, green and white are Christmas classics, while you could go for something more unexpected with silvers and purples, for instance. The countryside is full of green foliage this time of year, from beautifully scented pine to holly, ivy and rosemary sprigs, to birch, beech and berry branches. By all means, go to town with fragrance-free candles in a beautiful candelabra to create the right ambience and halo of light, otherwise a trio of unscented pillar candles placed in the centre of the table will work just as well.

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18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

PROPERTY&HOME

PROPERTY ADVICE

Cavity wall insulation - the top tips!

MILLIONS of homes in the UK have cavity walls, exterior walls with a gap in the middle that can be filled with insulation. As a general rule, houses built after 1920 do have cavity walls and those built before don’t. However, you need to look at the brickwork - if the bricks are all long (whole) ones, then the walls have a cavity in the middle, but if the bricks are both long and short, there’s no cavity because the short ones go through the wall. Installing cavity wall insulation isn’t a DIY job - it

must be done by a registered installer. They’ll make small holes in the external walls, blow insulation material into them and then fill the holes. The installer will need to access all the external walls and if any of the walls adjoin a neighbour’s, they should fit a barrier to contain the insulation. According to the Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk), cavity wall insulation in England, Scotland and Wales costs around £720 for a detached house,

£475 for a semi and £370 for a midterraced house, with an annual saving of around £250, £145 and £95 respectively. However, not all cavity walls are suitable ask a reputable installer for advice. Insulating solid walls isn’t as straightforward as cavity walls. You can, for example, fit insulated plasterboard inside an exterior wall, or create a new, stud wall along an exterior wall and fill that with insulation. This makes the room slightly smaller and you usually have to remove and

then refit or replace the skirting boards, door frames, coving etc., so it’s a lot of work and disruption. External solid wall insulation is less disruptive because the work is done outside. Insulation is fixed to the exterior walls and covered with special cladding or render (any existing render may have to be removed first). This type of insulation has a number of benefits, including improving soundproofing and weatherproofing, as well as making the inside warmer.

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

CALL THE EXPERTS

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To advertise your vacancy call the sales team on 01242 257019 from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). The latest research comes as the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement

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revealed that the British economy is set to expand by +3% this year, significantly higher than the 2.4% previously forecast and three times more than the Eurozone. Beneath this headline figure, the latest data from APSCo revealed that growth in the professional staffing market continued to climb across all of the trade association’s core sector groups. Permanent vacancies across Finance & Accounting, IT, Engineering, and Media & Marketing are all up year-on-year. This is in keeping with the C h a n c e l l o r ’ s announcement that a million new jobs have been created over the past year – significantly higher than the 265,000 estimated by the Office for Budget Responsibility. APSCo’s data revealed that Engineering and IT are outperforming all other sectors. Growth in

the IT sector can be credited to a booming ‘app economy’, which has created an ongoing demand for developers and programmers, as well as the continuing threat cyber-attackers pose to businesses. This, in turn, resulted in huge numbers of roles being created to protect organisations from increasingly advanced hacking attempts. In the Engineering sector much of the jobs growth has been around the ongoing investment in infrastructure projects, this is something which according to George Osborne’s Autumn Statement, shows no signs of abating. The Government has, for example, revealed plans for the biggest road building programme for a generation and HS2 (High Speed Rail Link), which will add to the existing high demand for engineers.

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

MOTORING

best wheels, best deals... MOTORING NEWS

SUPERB SURPRISE FOR 2015? HERE is the first glimpse of next year’s Skoda Superb, the firm’s new flagship that aims to sell more than 100,000 units per year. A handful of journalists from all over the world were granted access to part of the Superb’s preproduction testing programme in a remote part of Portugal, where Skoda revealed the first details of the new car and allowed an exclusive peek at the finished styling - although no photos were allowed. Behind the camouflage it has much stronger lines than before, with heavily pronounced bonnet folds and side skirts. Its proportions are just about perfect and it hides its size impeccably, thanks in part to a C-pillar that extends further back towards the rear of the tailgate. While the overall length is littlechanged, the new car is significantly wider - 47mm at the front and 54mm at the rear - with an 80mm longer wheelbase. On top-spec models, up to 19-inch wheels that are 30mm wider help

FORD FOCUS LX 1.6 AUTO £3,699

CHEVROLET SPARK LS 1.2 £4,999

VAUXHALL ASTRA DESIGN 1.8 CITROEN C3 VTR 16V 1.4 SILVER £3,499 £4,699

Town Cars G L O U C E S T E R

KIA RIO 3 5DR 1.4 BLACK £8,999

to fully fill the wheel arches for bolder stance. Professor Doctor Winfried Vahland, Skoda CEO, spoke as the car’s covers were removed: “To put it in football terms, we are entering the Champions League.” The company claims it has double the rear legroom of the new Ford Mondeo, and the largest boot in its class at 625 litres. More than 1,700 litres are opened up by folding the rear seats down - a onehanded task. New technology is set to be a defining factor for the 2015 Superb, with luxuries like tri-zone climate control, genuinely effective drive mode options and even the facility to mount a tablet device in the rear of the car to allow direct control of the navigation and audio systems. Over the course of its five- to seven-year expected lifespan Skoda wants the car to sell more than both the last two versions put together; a target of more than 700,000 units. It will go on sale in the UK in the summer with the first deliveries in September.

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CALLING SPORTY-THRILL-SEEKERS. THE MINI COOPER S COUPÉ.

MINI Select example for a stock MINI Cooper S Coupé with optional CHILI Pack, Chrome line interior, front seat heating, Piano Black interior trim, Polar Beige colour line, air conditioning and MINI tlc** (5 years/50,000 miles service pack).

The MINI you’ve been looking for and the offer you’ve been waiting for.

Term of agreement

48 months

47 monthly payments

£289.44

On the road cash price*

£22,588.13

Customer deposit

£1,500.00

Dealer contribution

£1,500.00

Total deposit

£3,000.00

Amount of credit

£19,588.13

Optional to purchase fee^ Optional final payment^

£1.00 £7,563.42

Total amount payable

£24,167.10

Rate of interest

2.9% fixed Representative 2.9% APR

Call by for details and for information on all our thrilling stock MINI offers if registered by 31.12.14. PS: If you already own a MINI or a BMW, we can offer you £800 customer loyalty if you finance your new car through MINI Select (T&Cs apply and are available at Cotswold Cheltenham).

COTSWOLD CHELTENHAM Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham GL51 9SG 01242 587029 www.cotswoldcheltenhammini.co.uk

Sales Open Hours Monday to Friday 8am - 7pm. Saturday 9am - 6pm. Sunday 10am - 4pm.

CHILI Pack includes Black 17" Conical Spoke alloy wheels, Black headlights, extended storage, rain sensor with auto headlight activation, Xenon headlights, automatic Air Conditioning, on-board computer, extended interior light package and front LED foglights.

Festive Sales Open Hours Christmas Eve 8am - 1pm. Christmas Day - Closed. Boxing Day - Closed. New Year’s Eve 8am - 4.30pm. New Year’s Day - Closed.

Official Fuel Economy Figures for the MINI Coupé Range: Urban 29.4-55.4 mpg (9.6-5.1 l/100km). Extra Urban 47.9-72.4 mpg (5.9-3.9 l/100km). Combined 38.7-65.7 mpg (7.3-4.3 l/100km). CO2 Emissions 169-114 g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions. Finance example for a MINI Select agreement for a MINI Cooper S Coupé with with optional CHILI Pack, Chrome line interior, front seat heating, Black Piano interior trim, Polar Beige colour line and MINI tlc (5 years/50,000 miles service pack) with a contract mileage of 32,000 miles and excess mileage charge of 4.50p per mile. Applies to selected stock vehicles ordered between 17-31 December 2014 and registered by 31 December 2014, (subject to availability). Retail customers only. *On the road cash price includes 3 year MINI Dealer Warranty, MINI Emergency Service, 12 months’ road fund licence, vehicle first registration fee, delivery, number plates and VAT. ^Optional final payment and option to purchase fee not payable if you opt to return the vehicle at the end of the agreement (vehicle condition, excess mileage and other charges may b payable). Finance available subject to credit acceptance to UK residents aged 18 or over. Guarantees and indemnities may be required. Terms and conditions apply. Offer may be varied, withdrawn or extended at any time. ‘MINI Select’ is a form of hire-purchase agreement provided by MINI Financial Services, a trading name of BMW Financial Services (GB) Limited, Bartley Way, Hook, Hampshire RG27 9UF. We commonly introduce customers to MINI Financial Services, for which we may receive payment if you enter into an agreement with them. This introduction does not amount to independent financial advice. MINIstry of Finance is not connected to or endorsed by any government department. **MINI tlc provides scheduled service cover for 5 years or 50,000 miles (whichever comes first) at MINI Service Authorised Workshops; maintenance items (e.g. tyres, brake pads and 2nd brake fluid change) not covered; not transferable to another vehicle.

BUY YOUR NEXT CAR AT RACECOURSE CARS!

SPORTS AND PRESTIGE 2008 08 ALFA ROMEO BRERA 2.4 JTDM QTRONIC Auto 3dr, Met Grey, Full Red Sports Leather, Climate Control, Heates Seats, Panoramic Glass SunRoof, Cruise Control, Auto Lights/wipers, 18” Alloys, 63,000 milles, S/H .....£10,995 2006 56 BMW 118d SE, 5dr Silver, Climate Control CD, Aux

Port, Rear PDC, Auto Lights/wipers, Alloys, 2 Owners, S/H .... .........................................................................................£6,695 2007 57 MINI COOPER S 1.6 3dr (CHILLI PACK) Met Black, Half Leather Sports Trim, Air Con, CD, 17” Alloys, Xenon Headlamps, S/H ..............................................................£5,495

2010 10 RENAULT CLIO 1.2 16V I-Music 3dr Met blue, sports cloth trim, air con, CD, alloys. Just 25,000 miles, S/H . . . . . . . .£5,695

2009 09 AUDI A4 2.7 TDI S-LINE AUTO AVANT, 5dr Met Grey, Half Leather Sports Trim, Climate Control, E/Seats, Dab Radio/CD, Sat nav, auto Lights/Wipers, Cruise Control, 18” Alloys, S/H ............................£12,995

2006 56 MINI COOPER S 1.6 CHILLI PACK (NEW SHAPE) 3dr Electric Blue Met, Full Leather upholstery, Satnav, Air Conditioning, Panoramic Sunroof, JCW side skirts, CD, Alloys, 1 Owner, FMSH........................£7,495

2007 07 FIAT GRAND PUNTO 1.9 TDi ELEGANZA M-JET 5DR Red, Full Leather, AirCon, CD, Alloys, 2 Owners, S/H................................£3,995

2005 05 AUDI A6 1.9 TDI FINAL EDITION Auto ESTATE 5dr Met Grey, Climate Control, Full Leather, Satnav, Cruise Control, FDC, CD, Alloys, FSH......................................................£4,495 2004 04 AUDI A3 1.6 SPECIAL EDITION 3dr Met Blue, Climate Control, CD, Alloys, 2 Owners, FSH ..................£3,995 2004 54 AUDI A6 1.9 TDI SE Auto AVANT 5dr, Met Blue, Full Leather Upholstery, Climate Control, CD, Roof Rails, Alloys..... .........................................................................................£3,995 2003 03 MERCEDES C 220 CDi COUPE Auto 2dr, Silver, Aircon, CD, Alloys, Just 67,000 miles, FSH ....................£3,295 2003 53 TOYOTA CELICA 1.8 VVTI SPORT PREMIUM 3dr, Met Silver, Full Black Sport Leather Aircon, CD, Rear Spoiler, 17” Alloys, 77,000 Miles, S/H ..........................................£2,995 2005 55 RENAULT MEGANE 1.9 DCi 130 PRIVILLEGE CONVERTIBLE 6 SPEED, 2dr Met Grey, Half Leather Sports Trim, Climate Control, Power Roof, CD, Alloys ...............£2,995

2010 10 AUDI A4 2.0 TFSi S-Line Special Condition Avant 5dr, White, Half Leather Sports Trim, Climate Control, CD, Air Bags, 19” Alloys, 1 owner, FSH.........£11,995

2011 11 VAUXHALL CORSA 1.4 SE AUTO, 5dr, Met Grey, Half Leather Trim, AurCon, CD, M/Function Steering Wheel, Parking Sensors, Alloys, 1 Owner, Just 90,000 Miles, FSH ........£7,495

2006 56 SKODA ROOMSTER 3 1.9 TDi 105 ESTATE Met Blue, AirCon, CD, Alloys, Huge Load Space ..................£4,495

2011 11 FIAT PUNTO 1.2 EVO 8V MY LIFE 3dr, white, sports trim, aircon, cd, alloys, S/H........ ........................................£5,495

4X4s 2007 56 HONDA CRV 2.0i VTEC EXECUTIVE 5dr, Met blue, full black leather upholstery, aircon, CD, alloys, roof rails, just 41,000 miles, FSH ...........................................................£7,495 2004 54 BMW X5 3.0D SPORT 5dr Met Grey, Full Black Leather, SAT NAV E/Seats, Climate Control, Privacy Glass, PDC, Side Steps, 19’ Alloys, S/M....................................£6,995 2002 02 TOYOTA RAV - 4 2.0 VX VVTi 5dr, 4X4 Met Green, Full Leather Trim, Aircon, CD, Alloys, Just 75,000 Miles ..........£3,195 2001 51 VAUXHALL FRONTERA 2.2 16V LTD LWB 5dr Titanium Met, Sports Trim, Aircon, CD, Alloys, Just 71,000 Miles, S/H.........................................................................£1,995

CARS & ESTATES 2008 08 FORD MONDEO 1.8 TDCi 125 GHIA 5dr, Met Black, Climate, Control, Cruise, Control, Parking Sensors, CD, Alloys, Just 59,000 Miles, FSH....................................................£6,795 2008 58 TOYOTA YARIS 1.3 TR 5dr HDi, Red, Aircon, CD, Alloys, 2 Owners, Just 24,000 Miles, FTSH ....................£5,795 2008 08 SUZUKI SWIFT 1.5 GLS VVTS 3dr Met Grey, Aircon, CD, Alloys, S/M, Just 55,000 Miles .................................£4,895 2008 08 VAUXHALL CORSA 1.4 CLUB 5dr Met Blue, Aircon, CD, Aux Port, 57,000 Miles, S/H......................................£4,495

2007 57 VAUXHALL ASTRA 1.6 SXi 5dr Black, Sports Trim, Aircon, CD, Alloys ............................................................£4,495 2007 56 PEUGEOT 207 1.6 SPORT 5dr, Met Blue, Aircon, CD, Parking Sensors, Alloys, Just 44,000 Miles, FSH ...........£4,495 2007 07 FORD FOCUS 1.6 ZETEC CLIMATE 5dr Met black, climate control, CD, sports trim, alloys, 2 owners, 64,000 miles, FSH ..................................................................................£3,999 2010 60 SUZUKI ALTO 1.0 SZ3 5dr White, aircon, CD, RCL, 47,000 miles, SH..............................................................£3,995 2004 54 MINI COOPER 1.6 3dr Black eyed purple, white roof, sports trim, aircon, CD, alloys, S/H .................................£3,995 2008 08 CITROEN C1 1.0 RHYTHM 5dr, Black, PAS, E/Windows, CD, Just 38,000 Miles, S/H .........................£3,995 2007 57 SUZUKI SWIFT 1.3 GL, 3dr White, Cloth Trim, Aircon, CD, Lowered suspension, privacy glass, 17” Alloys ......£3,895 2005 55 FORD FOCUS 2.0 TITANIUM 3dr Black, Half Leather Sports Trim, Aircon CD, Alloys, S/H................................£3,795 2006 06 SEAT IBIZA 1.4 16V SPORT 3dr, Met Blue, Sports Trim, Aircon, CD, Alloys, S/H...........................................£3,795 2006 55 VAUXHALL ASTRA 1.6 TWINPORT CLUB 5dr Met Grey, Aircon, CD, Alloys, Just 66,000 Miles S/M ............£3,695 2007 07 VAUXHALL MERIVA 1.6 ENERGY, 5dr Met Blue, Aircon, CD, privacy glass, 67,000 miles, 2 owners, FSH........... .........................................................................................£3,495 2005 55 RENAULT CLIO 1.4 16V DYNAMIQUE 3dr Met Blue, Sports Trim, Aircon, Panoramic Roof, CD, Alloys, Just 54,000 Miles .................................................................................£3,495 2006 56 FORD FIESTA 1.4 GHIA 5dr, Met Silver, Full Black Leather, Air Con, CD, Alloys, S/H ....................................£3,495 2003 03 MINI COOPER 1.6 (CHILLI PACK) 3dr, Silver/Black Roof, Half Leather Sportts Trim, Air Con, CD, Harman Kardon, S/H, 172 Alloys ................................................................£3,495 2004 04 VOLVO V50 2.4 SE Auto ESTATE 5dr, met black, full cream leather upholstery, aircon, CD, roof rails, alloys, 77,000 miles, S/H.........................................................................£3,495 2004 04 VAUXHALL ASTRA 1.6 DESIGN 5dr Met Grey, Half Leather Trim, Aircon, CD, Alloys, Just 72,000 Miles .......£3,295 2005 55 FORD FIESTA 1.25 Style Climate 3dr, Silver, Aircon, CD, PAS, Airbags .............................................................£3,195 2004 04 VOLKSWAGEN POLO 1.9 TWIST 3dr, Met Blue, Aircon, CD, Alloys, Just 82,000 miles, S/H .....................£2,995 2006 06 VAUXHALL CORSA 1.4 SXi 5dr Met Grey, Sports Trim, Aircon, CD, Alloys, 2 Owners .................................£2,995 2003 53 MINI ONE 1.6 3dr, Black, CD, Alloys, S/H ......£2,995 2004 04 TOYOTA YARIS 1.4 D-4D T-SPIRIT 5dr, silver, aircon, CD, alloys, S/H.................................................................£2,895 2006 56 CITROEN C2 1.4 SX 3dr Met Blue, Aircon, CD, 2 Owners.............................................................................£2,795 2004 04 FIAT DOBLO 1.9 JTD DYNAMIC MPV 5dr, Met Blue, Air Con, CD, Alloys, Sliding Side Doors, S/H .................£2,695 2004 54 CITROEN XSARA PICASSO 1.6 DESIRE 2 5dr, Met Blue, Air Con, CD, Removable Seating, 2 Owners, S/H ...£2,495 2007 57 CHEVROLET MATIZ 1.0 SE 5dr Met silver, aircon, CD, RCL, 52,000 miles, S/H ............................................£2,395 2004 54 VAUXHALL CORSA 1.2 TWINPORT ENERGY, 3dr, Silver, Air Con, CD, PAS, Alloys, Just 67,000 miles, S/H ...£2,295 2004 04 FIAT PANDA 1.2 DYNAMIC 5dr (PACMAN), Blue, Blue/Grey Trim, CD, PAS, Airbags, 71,000 Miles, S/H....£2,195 2003 03 FORD FOCUS 1.4 CL 5dr, Met Silver, CD, Airbags, E/Windows, Just 86,000 Miles ........................................£1,995

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

MOTORING MOTORING REVIEW

HOT HATCH RE-VAMP FOR HONDA JAPANESE car maker Honda has announced that it’s finally opening the order books for its eagerly awaited new hot hatch. Launching next year, the firm’s Civic Type-R has been developed and engineered for European drivers. The car will be built at Honda’s state-of-the-art plant in Swindon. Prospective buyers will need a £3,000 deposit to secure their order. The all-new hot hatch is being touted as the most extreme and high-performing Type-R in the 22-year history of the performance sub brand, signalling the start of a new performance era for the company. This follows news that, due to

Viva la Viva THE Viva is dead, but long live the Viva, says Vauxhall as it unveils a brand new affordable small car - albeit without prices. The Luton-based company is resurrecting the Viva name, last seen on cars made between 1963 and 1979, for a new supermini based around 'durability' and 'practicality'. It sits between the city car and supermini segments in size, at around 2cm longer than the Hyundai i10 and 18cm longer than a Volkswagen Up. However, its real selling point is likely to be price. Vauxhall has developed it to fend off the likes of the ultra-affordable Dacia

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MOTORING NEWS

Sandero, as well as strong opposition from Kia and Hyundai – although since the Viva project was signed off, the Koreans have crept a little upmarket. Vauxhall has chosen not to reveal prices at this time, much to the frustration of driving schools everywhere. The Viva will be available with a new three-cylinder petrol engine producing 74bhp, as well as wheels ranging from 14-16 inches and full smartphone connectivity for both Android and Apple devices. “Short, crisp and full of character, Vauxhall's new entrylevel model is a 'proper' small car

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exceptional demand, Honda has closed the pre-order bank for the much-awaited NSX supercar. Over 100 customers have placed orders since the vehicle was first displayed at the North American Auto Show, the Geneva Motor Show and the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

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extremely attractive price point, Viva joins new Corsa and Adam in a compelling small car portfolio, giving Vauxhall an unrivalled position in the small car market.”

and will hold great appeal in this rapidly growing sector,” said Tim Tozer, Vauxhall's chairman and managing director. “On sale next year at an

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

SPORT CrossFit Cheltenham are second fittest in Europe FITNESS

CROSSFIT Cheltenham have had some incredible achievements over the last 12 months and they finished the year on a high after being ranked as Europe’s second fittest CrossFit gym last weekend. The huge competition was open to all CrossFit gyms across Europe, with the top 30 going through to the live event held at Bath University. The competition is called Strength in Depth, aiming to test an array of athletes at each gym. The teams were made up of 12 people altogether, seven males and five

females, and had to include two members that were over 40 years old. It was a tough competition that focused on both teamwork and individual performances, and included many different strengths and skill sets such as bench press, triple jump, lifting atlas stones, rowing and pull ups to name a few. The team were doing incredibly well and finished the first day in first place. All was going well until Sunday afternoon

Happy second birthday to thriving box at CrossFit Cheltenham! CROSSFIT Cheltenham have an amazing community with a variety of people of different ages and abilities going to train there every day. The gym was opened two years ago in December 2012 by Steve Bunn. Steve is an ex-rugby player who was bored of the usual gym routine so tried the new fitness craze of CrossFit and has never looked back. He did CrossFit workouts on his own for a year in a normal gym environment and as he saw the incredible gains he made with his fitness, he decided that it was something that he had to pass on to others by opening a CrossFit gym in Cheltenham. CrossFit had been big in America for around 10 years, but was still very new and mostly unheard of in the UK. Steve started to hold CrossFit classes in a local gym until the classes got big enough for him to find an area that focused solely on CrossFit without other gym-goers looking on. CrossFit Cheltenham moved to the lower end of the High Street in March 2013 and stayed there until July 27, 2013, when the big move to the spacious gym at Cheltenham Trade Park took place. At the time, the gym had around 80 members so the move was welcome as more and more people were starting to enquire about the latest gym to open in Cheltenham. CrossFit works around group classes and it is encouraged to chat to people, make friends and socialise. The gym now has 150 members, with most of

when one workout didn’t go in their favour, and they fell down to second place. They did everything they could to try to reclaim first place but couldn’t quite claw enough points back to win the top spot. Although they are disappointed that they came so close to the top position and winning £5,000 between them, they are still so proud that they came in second above so many other exceptional CrossFit teams.

those people knowing each other as they go at least twice a week, and many go every day. The gym also has regular socials for members, which include things like bowling, meals at local Restaurants, physical endurance tasks such as Tough Mudder and even sleepovers at the gym. As well as the social side, CrossFit Cheltenham had had some amazing sporting achievements too. Although the gym is a friendly and all inclusive place to train, they are also a competitive bunch, and now have some of the best CrossFit athletes in Europe training and coaching there. After being open for nine months, CrossFit Cheltenham won Tribal Clash, which was a two day battle out of 100 CrossFit teams from across Europe. This set the precedent, as ever since the gym has been unstoppable at competitions. Will Kane and David Shorunke were ranked ninth and 10th best CrossFitters in Europe after qualifying for the European Regionals in Copenhagen in March 2014. They have also just ranked first and second in the massive AMAROK competition in Poland, among many other achievements from them and a handful of other athletes at the gym. As well as having individual stars, the gym have just competed at the Strength in Depth competition this weekend and just missed out on first place, but were ranked as the second best CrossFit gym in Europe. CrossFit Cheltenham have had an incredible journey so far over the last two years and hopefully they will be celebrating many more achievements in the years to come.

They are hungry to win the title of the best CrossFit gym in Europe next year. CrossFit Cheltenham currently offer free taster sessions and then your first month free during December and January, so go along to try a class and see what it is all about. The gym caters for all abilities and ages and has a great community. To book a free taster class, please call Steve on 07811332381. CrossFit Cheltenham can be found at Unit 39, Cheltenham Trade Park, Central Way, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 8LX. www.crossfitcheltenham.co.uk

COME AND TRY

CROSSFIT AND GET IN THE BEST SHAPE OF YOUR LIFE ‘I was worried that as a forty-something mother of three with no athletic background, I would not be welcome at a CrossFit box, and might find the whole thing beyond my abilities. Instead I've found an accepting and supportive community at CrossFit Cheltenham, where all abilities are encouraged to compete -- not against each other, but against ourselves, to be the best we each can be. In the seven months I've been CrossFitting, I've lost over 2 stone and not only can I now keep up with my kids – they need to run to catch me!’

Call 07811 332 381 to book your FREE TASTER session! CrossFit Cheltenham Unit 39 Cheltenham Trade Park Central Way, Cheltenham GL51 8LX

www.crossfitcheltenham.co.uk

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

SPORT

Local Rugby

Last-gasp try settles derby clash in Chosen’s favour

North start and finish in style to see off Southam RUGBY UNION

RUGBY UNION

Cheltenham Chosen Hill FP

26 30

CHELTENHAM’s hopes of bouncing back with a home win against fifth placed local rivals Chosen Hill were dashed by a 75th minute try from replacement Josh Bayley. Fielding one of their strongest sides of the season, Cheltenham started this local tussle in fine style with wing Richard Morris breaking free of the defence for a try wide out with Zac Atallah converting from the touchline for a seventh minute lead. Chosen had a chance to draw level with their first notable attack, but the final pass to wing Grant Panting was dropped with the try line at his mercy. However in the 18th minute Chosen’s prolific points scorer Andy King kicked an easy penalty chance to reduce the arrears to 7-3. Chosen moved within a single point after 25 minutes when Cheltenham were penalised by referee Tim Beddow and King slotted with ease the penalty. Chosen extended their lead to 13-7 after Marc Riddel scored a try after good build up play with King adding the extras. The half ended with Cheltenham coming back but were denied by stout defending from the visitors. Cheltenham restarted the second half well with youngster Dominic Scott beating the cover defence for a unconverted try. With 47 minutes played Cheltenham retook the lead with Atallah scoring and converting his own try for a narrow 19-13 lead. Just as Cheltenham were getting on top the game swung back in Chosen’s favour

with Panting scoring his second unconverted try. Worse was to come for the large Cheltenham crowd as Chosen replacement Oladale Aydale burst through for a try with King adding the conversion for a 2519 lead after an hour. Cheltenham then regained some momentum and a excellent flowing move ended with a vintage try from 46-year-old prop Shaun Gilder with Atallah adding the extras for a narrow one point home lead with 14 minutes to play. With the game swinging from end to end it was only a matter of time before Chosen scored what was to be the vital score with replacement Bayley side stepping his way over for a unconverted try. Cheltenham to their up most credit laid siege to the Chosen line but again the visitors withstood the countless attack. And with four minutes to play King had a chance to seal the victory but again sliced his penalty chance as Chosen held on. Cheltenham can take a lot of positives from this performance as they continue to move away from the lower reaches of the league table. Cheltenham: H Compton, S Haskayne, S Gilder, R Athey, J Hillier (c), T Acheson, J Haskayne, T Lait, O Young, Z Atallah, C Scott, S Brookes, R Beeney, R Morris, D Scott. Replacements: J Milne, R Griffiths, B Lochart. Chosen Hill: C Clifford, J Wilce, J Mullis, N Stroud, D Drobin, R Panting, J Wylie, R Collier, P Syde, R Rennabach, M Riddel, R Creed, G Panting, S Kavanagh. Replacements: O Aydale, J Bayley, M Bates. Referee Tim Beddow. Star Men: James Hillier (Cheltenham) and Andy King (Chosen Hill).

Cheltenham North Southam

46 19

THIS was a game of three thirds, with North emphatically and comprehensively winning the first and last, scoring five tries in one and three in the other, but, rather disappointingly, conceding the initiative to their opponents in the middle period. Their first try was possibly the fastest ever recorded at Stoke Road, Rich Hance crossing the line less than 30 seconds after kickoff. The conversion was missed but that didn’t matter as the home side created wave after wave of attacking moves. Their big runners, Paul Scott, Dan Hewitt and Hance were punching holes in the defence and half backs Jack Holder and Ali Jones were distributing the ball with aplomb, with forwards and backs combining with runners coming from deep. The scrum was dominant and here much credit must go to unsung heroes Capper and Hodgey, the two old men of the side, whose domain encompasses the front row and the breakdown, two of the most important areas of the modern game. Rarely are their heads seen above the parapet yet they lay the foundations of attacking play. It was following the destruction of a Southam scrummage that Paul Scott picked up and broke three tackles to cross for the

second try, then Danny Thomas powered through the centre for the third. Paul Scott scored again and then Scott Laird got in on the act for the fifth try in less than 30 minutes. But then the momentum was lost as first Dan Hewitt (knee) then Chris Bayliss (wrist) were forced to retire. The Southam winger collected a wayward kick and made ground into Norths half. Some last ditch tackling and a dropped pass prevented a score but from a quickly taken penalty they crossed the line and were back in the game. For the first time North were on the back foot and, when the visitors scored again, the score had gone from 27-0 to 27-12 in less than 10 minutes. Half-time came at an opportune moment. The second half started well, but execution was not as accurate as it should have been, with forward passes and knock-ons disrupting the flow. Then it was Southam’s turn to apply pressure and they scored their third try. With the score of 27-19 the result was, for the first time in the game, beginning to look in the balance. But then North wrestled back the initiative and started turning the screw: Paul Scott capped a fine game with his hat-trick try, then Dave Johns added another and, following a fine break from Rich Hance, Ali Jones crossed for what was to be the final score. North finished as they had started, in complete control.

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Panthers maintain title charge with dominant display NETBALL

HUCCLECOTE’S winning ways continued when they set an awesome pace against Exeter taking the first quarter 19-4. Emme Hale was on fire netting 11 out of 12 and Jane Taylor netting 10 from 12 attempts. Meanwhile, the defence trio of Santacroce, captain Powell-Davis and Izzy Robinson restricted Exeter to just five attempts in 15 minutes. A more relaxed second quarter allowed Exeter to engage in the game and with their defence end switching, saw Hucclecote’s attempts slightly reduced to 12 in this period. Lucy Martin worked hard to bring the

ball through but it was Elisha New who stepped up to the mark and produced her best display of netball since joining the club. Her speed, agility, and drives to the circle edge were unstoppable and this continued when one switch of Beth Atkins on to wing defence enabled Hucclecote to continue their dominance with a 40-18 goal line at three-quarter time. With the whole squad gaining court time and with Alice Bradley at goal shooter demonstrating confidence, netting seven out of 10 in the final quarter, Hucclecote continued to pressurise. Eve Saunders also came on to wing defence for this period and took a great in-

tercept, and with the squad on a high, and Hucclecote’s shooting on song, they ran away convincing winners with a 27 goal margin taking the score to 54-27. Taylor’s performance saw her net 29 from 31 attempts (94 per cent) and Hale’s goal shooter attempts for half a game saw her achieve 14 from 17 (82 per cent). This results leave Panthers clear at the top of South West Division One and they now look forward to a few weeks off before their campaign to take the title continues. Hucclecote Panthers: E Hale, J Taylor, L Martin, E New, I Robinson, E PowellDavis, C Santacroce, E Saunders, B Atkins, A Bradley.

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

SPORT

Local Football

Cleeve hit for six as long wait for first win goes on Sholing Bishop’s Cleeve

Cleeve keeper Steve Benbow

6 3

BISHOP’S Cleeve’s search for a first Southern League Division One South and West win of the season goes on after another heavy defeat, this time at the hands of Sholing. Mitres boss Steve Cleal was without six players and recalled Rob Why, Danny Sherry, Mike Sholly, Sam Mason, Sol Wheatley and Joe Tustain to his line-up. Cleeve had a dream start when Jack Watts cut inside after a through ball from Sholly and as the Sholing defence retreated he unleashed a drive from fully 25 yards which flew into the net in the second minute. After 19 minutes following a corner, Adam Millard hauled down Dan Miller and the referee pointed to spot. Steve Benbow did save Barry Mason’s spot kick to his right excellently, but as the Cleeve defenders watched, the skipper popped home the rebound. Just two minutes later Cleeve were behind again. Indecision following the goalkeeper’s

Cheltenham Football League, sponsored by Bristol Street Motors Ford Cheltenham

PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK This week we feature Matt Lawrence who plays for Regency Town in Division Six. Name: Matt Lawrence Club: Regency Town. Nickname: Rick. Position: Left-back. Clubs: New Marske United. Least memorable match: 4-1 up in the cup quarter-final versus Andoversford last season, only for the game to be postponed in the 70th minute due to an opposing player not leaving the field of play due to injury. Toughest opposition: Tewkesbury Town, gave us an embarrassing 9-0 drubbing last season. Best player at the club: Dale Chapman. Favourite player: Juninho: I had the pleasure of witnessing his brilliance week-in week-out at Middlesbrough.

YOUTH FOOTBALL

Leckhampton Spitfires 0 Southside Lions 13 PHOTO: ALAN FRANKLIN

SOUTHERN LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Stunning Southside move top of the table

long clearance allowed the Sholing midfielder to break into the box and he squared for Nick Watts to score Sholing’s second of the game. Cleeve stayed in the game, with Watts, Tustain and Wheatley creating decent chances without troubling the goalkeeper. They did level when Watts was tripped on the 36th minute inside the area and the referee awarded a spot kick. Tusatin stepped

SOUTHSIDE Lions went to the top of the table with a devastating performance against last years cup semi-finalists Spitfires. Hat-tricks from George Cuzner, Adian Jameson and Callum Morrissey and goals from Guy Hitchins, Matty Hunt, Tommy Peck and Scooter Edwards sealed a convincing win at The Burrows.

George Cuzner (left), who scored a hat-trick for Southside Lions

up and neatly dispatched the penalty to draw Cleeve level before half-time. Cleeve’s hopes of claiming anything from the game soon began to disappear after some defensive mistakes proved costly. After 50 minutes Dan Mason had time to control a crossfield ball in the area, turn and shoot to score and four minutes later he ran through again and as the defenders folded he dispatched his shot into the far left corner to make it 4-2. Sholing scored again on 61 minutes when another defensive lapse resulted in a second goal for Nick Watts.

The errors continued and Sholing were allowed too much time and space in the 75th minute and Barry Mason squared for substitute Sam Wilson. Cleeve persisted and Tustain was unlucky to not get another goal, but he did have a hand in Cleeve’s third and Watts’ second in the 79th minute. Cleeve picked up their first league win of the season on Tuesday night, beating Clevedon Town 5-3 at Kayte Lane, with goals from Joe Tustain, Mike Sholly, Harlie Price (2) and Jack Watts.

Sklenar notches 30th goal of the campaign as super Service stretch lead at the summit COUNTY LEAGUE FOOTBALL

CHELTENHAM Civil Service are going to be hard to catch if they maintain the form shown so far this season in the Gloucestershire County League. The newly-promoted side made sure of three more points with a superb performance in the first 45 minutes against Thornbury Town at Tewkesbury Road, eventually winning 4-2 to move Jack Sklenar nine points clear at the top. Nobody seems to be able to prevent leading goalscorer Jack Sklenar from finding the back of their net. Another superb hattrick took his tally to an impressive 30 for the season just before the halfway stage. Sklenar opened the scoring on six minutes after Thornbury failed to clear and he hammered the ball past Alex Lippiatt. The home side may well have been 2-0 up on 14 minutes when

Paul Hayes was clear on goal but hit his shot straight to Lippiatt. At the other end home keeper Tim Griffiths had to push Luke Franklin’s shot away for a corner on 23 minutes. Two minutes later Cheltenham were awarded a penalty and Sklenar hit his shot hard to the right of Lippiatt who went the right way and got his finger tips to the ball but it was too powerful. Thornbury pulled a goal back on 30 minutes with a powerful drive from Franklin that was only parried away by Griffiths and Graig Lancastle drove in the rebound. The home side went 3-1 up on 35 minutes from a break down the left by Sklenar and his low cross to the far post was met by Stuart Midwinter. Sklenar completed his treble in the 43rd minute when the Thornbury defence were opened up and he ran clear to fire past Lippiatt. The second half went flat for the home side and the visitors enjoyed much

more of the possession. They should have pulled a goal back on 53 minutes but Craig Lancastle fired wide of the target from 14 yards. Thornbury’s second was a very good move down the right flank to the edge of the box where the ball was squared back where Toby Bennett was waiting to hit a superb drive past Griffiths. There were a couple of close encounters for the visitors but the home defence held firm. Bishops Cleeve Reserves enjoyed a cracking 4-0 home victory over an out of sorts Ellwood side. This game also produced a hat-trick from Cleeve’s Ashley Hill who found the back of the net three times in the first 28 minutes. His opening goal on 15 minutes came from a cross to the far post from Giles Elliott. His second on 20 minutes was a superb chip from the edge of the box and he turned his third in from close range after the ball ran loose in the box. With the visitors offering very little the home side got a fourth on 75 minutes when Elliot squeezed the ball home from a narrow angle. Civil Service travel to Hanham Athletic on Saturday, while Cleeve Reserves visit Chipping Sodbury Town.

18 DECEMBER 2014 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

SPORT

Local Football

Mansfield Town 1

Cheltenham Town 1

Kotwica’s wonder goal earns Robins deserved point

PHOTO: THOUSAND WORD MEDIA

ACK Kotwica’s superb late strike rescued a point for Cheltenham Town at Mansfield Town. The Gloucester-born teenager joined the action in the 72nd minute, with Paul Buckle’s men trailing 1-0. And the winger arrowed a perfectly placed shot into the top right corner with three minutes left to make it two draws from two League Two games for the new boss ahead of Saturday’s home match against Portsmouth. The Robins created the first opening in the sixth minute when Craig Braham-Barrett’s long throw reached Byron Harrison, who turned sharply before directing a shot wide. Buckle made one change to the team for his first away match in charge, with Joe Hanks replacing Jason Taylor in the centre of midfield. Cheltenham’s defence were forced to work hard early on, with Jack Deaman having his work cut out to contain winger Junior Brown, but Trevor Carson’s goal was well protected.

Terry Gornell forced Dimitar Evtimov into a low stop at his near post in the 24th minute before crashing a second effort into the side netting. Carson had to dive low to his right to fall on a shot by Chris Clements in the 27th minute, but Cheltenham finished the half strongly. Kane Ferdinand was denied by Evtimov’s block before his follow-up attempt was cleared off the line by Luke Waterfall in the 44th minute and neither Byron Harrison not Raffaele De Vita could follow-up. In the first minute of time added on, Evtimov parried a powerful strike from Ferdinand behind for a corner as it remained goalless at the break. A burst into the box resulted in a shot from Junior Brown which was deflected over the bar by a lunging Deaman early in the second period. The resulting corner was headed over the bar by Vadaine Oliver, but the on-loan Crewe Alexandra man beat Carson with a perfectly

placed shot out of nothing from 30 yards to put the Stags in front after 55 minutes. Buckle responded with a double substitution, sending on Omari Sterling-James and Andy Haworth in place of Matt Richards and De Vita in the 65th minute. Kotwica was also introduced from the bench, replacing Byron Harrison, but Cheltenham struggled to find a breakthrough. But in the 87th minute Kotwica’s screamer gave Evtimov no chance whatsoever as Cheltenham returned home with a deserved share of the spoils. Mansfield Town: Evtimov; Sutton, Waterfall, Tafazolli, Freeman (Beevers 46); Lambe (R Taylor 80), Heslop, Clements, Brown; Bell (Bingham 88); Oliver. Subs not used: Rhead, McGuire, Palmer, Bishop. Cheltenham Town: Carson; Deaman, Brown, M Taylor, Braham-Barrett; Ferdinand, Hanks, Richards (Sterling-James 65), De Vita (Haworth 65); Harrison (Kotwica 72), Gornell. Subs not used: Gould, Black, Williams, Dale. Referee: Chris Sarginson. Attendance: 3,324 (155 away).

Patriots upset Panthers in Senior Cup thriller LOCAL FOOTBALL

Churchdown Panthers Cheltenham Patriots

Young, pressed and got the levelling goal on 23 minutes. Both teams settled for being on level terms at halftime. It was Panthers who got their noses in front again in the second half when Sam Jones placed a good shot past the impressive Belcher, after good build up play from Dave Keylock. However, Matt Young continued to cause Panthers problems, and defensive errors

Matt Young (in blue) scoring for Cheltenham Patriots

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CHURCHDOWN Panthers, riding high in Division One, played host to Cheltenham Patriots from Division Two in the Senior Charity Cup. It was a determined second division side that came out on top in a compelling and entertaining game. Danny Alderman gave Panthers the good start with a confident finish in the 10th minute, but Patriots and a determined Matt

Three wins for The New One HORSE RACING CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

a-half-length winner. Sam Twiston-Davies said: “He’s excellent. Coming into the race, we had to win it to become a Champion Hurdle contender. He wasn’t flashy, but when he comes to the track he does what he needs to.” The winner’s stablemate Mad Moose also lined up for the Grade Two event on what was his first outing in over a year after being banned for refusing to race on numerous occasions, but the veteran once again dug his

heels in at the start and took no part. The winning trainer said of The New One: “He’s just been unlucky in the past (when suffering interference in last year’s Champion Hurdle). He’s brilliant. “We’re not making any decisions (on running at Christmas), it’s tight but we will see. You can’t rule anything in or out in this world. Just because he’s British, it doesn’t mean he’s not very good. “He was unlucky in the Champion Hurdle last year and apart from meeting the last wrong at Kempton he would probably have won there, too. I don’t think he would have had to have improved too much, but it all went very well.”

allowed him to level at 2-2. That unsettled Panthers and a minute later Patriots took the lead for the first time. Mike West came off the bench for Panthers, and had an important impact. His driving shot deflected to level at 3-3 in the 60th minute. But, once again poor defending from a Panthers team, that up until now had an impressive defensive record, opened them up from positive attacking play and netted in the 80th minute. Patriots sealed their impressive victory with another strike late on and they will play Cheltenham Civil Service Reserves in the quarter-finals.

Twiston-Davies admits Mad Moose’s career is almost certainly over, but hopes he can enjoy life outside of racing in the future. He said: “I’m afraid I’m sure the BHA won’t let him run again. It will be a red card. He’s been brilliant, but he’s intelligent. He’s very kind and gentle and a lovely horse.” Nicky Henderson said of Vaniteux: “That told us exactly what we thought. He’ll be better on better ground, but we sadly found out what we expected - that the other horse was just too good. “He’s still got his whole life in front of him. We decided to down the hurdling route, rather than chasing, this season, so we’ll have to think what to do next.”

Burrows brothers fire Barometrics to home victory NORTHERN SENIOR FOOTBALL

FC Barometrics Stonehouse Town

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FC BAROMETRICS extended their unbeaten run to six games after a second win of the season against a battling Stonehouse Town side in Northern Senior League Division One. Former Cheltenham Saracens player Nick Hill returned to the Baros’ defence and put in a man of the match performance to help them keep their sixth clean sheet of the season. Baros were slow to start and found it difficult to break down a resilient defence, with both sides finding it hard to create any clear opportunities. The only real attempt at goal in a competitive first half was when Kurtis Burrows evaded a challenge in the box only to see his shot parried to safety on 33 minutes. The second half saw a reaction from the home team, as Baros looked to take a hold of the game. A good forward run from Rob Reid saw him exchange passes with Andrew Varnam, but Reid’s lob went agonisingly over the bar. On 60 minutes Baros’ dominance was eventually rewarded. An inswinging Ben Maguire corner was headed onto the post by Varnam and Sonnie Burrows reacted quickest to the loose ball and made no mistake converting from close range. More chances followed and Varnam should have doubled the lead when he met a cross from the right only to see his header saved, when it looked easier to score. Player-boss Mike Rhodes replaced Danny Gittings on 73 minutes and the next chance was to fall to him. After a goalmouth scramble the ball fell to Rhodes, whose shot was somehow blocked on the line and scrambled away for another corner. Calum Debonis and Liam Scott replaced Sonnie Burrows and Reid with the hosts looking to see the game out. As the game entered injury time Baros were awarded a penalty when Kurtis Burrows was brought down by a mistimed challenge and Burrows picked himself up to fire home from the spot to make it 2-0 with the last kick of the game.

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 18 DECEMBER 2014

PHOTO: THOUSAND WORD MEDIA

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Buckle so happy to see Robins young guns make big impact FOOTBALL

AUL Buckle said he celebrated Zack Kotwica’s spectacular equaliser at Mansfield Town more than any of the goals he scored during his own playing days. The Robins boss had seen his side fall behind to Vadaine Oliver’s 30 yard strike 10 minutes into the second half. But 18-year-old substitute Kotwica smashed in his first goal for the club with three minutes left to send the 155 travelling fans home happy. “I flew off the bench when the goal went in, I was in midair,” Buckle said. “I celebrated that one more than when I scored a goal myself. “With all the teams I have managed, it’s been about bringing

young players through and we need to do that here at Cheltenham because the budget isn’t as big as most of the other clubs in this division.” Buckle unleashed Kotwica, Omari Sterling-James and Andy Haworth after Cheltenham conceded at Field Mill and he emphasised the need for his flair players to show him they can also do their defensive duties if they are to force their way into the starting XI. “Players like Zack and Andy need to learn the other side of it,” he said. “I always felt we’d get back into the game and I had a ‘plan B’. “The boys going on shows the importance of the whole squad and I want everyone to be able to come on and play. Saturday should give everyone belief.” Buckle said his first job had to be tightening up a defence which had

shipped 13 goals in four League Two matches before he arrived. “That’s the third game I’ve had where we’ve been 0-0 at half-time, which for me represents huge success in terms of the goals we had been letting in prior to me coming in,” he said. “We showed two ways of playing on Saturday and I want to move towards the second way, but I had to look at the defensive side first. “We have to build on this now and we are going to train and train and train and I don’t want players turning up at 9.57am, I want them coming in early and working hard day-in day-out.” Buckle said the decision to leave midfielder Jason Taylor out of the match day squad was purely tactical, with Joe Hanks preferred in the centre of the pitch. He also thanked the travelling

Robins fans, who backed their team throughout on a freezing afternoon. “I am so pleased for the fans because I looked over at them and even when we were 1-0 down they were backing us, so I thank every one of them that travelled,” he said. “We showed our appreciation and went over to them because we know the money they are spending to watch us. They were excellent.” Attacking midfielder Omari Sterling-James has signed an extension to his contract that will keep him at Whaddon Road until the end of the 2015/16 season. Cheltenham play Portsmouth at Whaddon Road on Saturday (3pm), with right-back Lee Vaughan available again after a three-match suspension.

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The New One maintains perfect record HORSE RACING

THE New One made it three wins in as many starts this term as he stamped his authority on the International Hurdle at Cheltenham. Sent off the 4-7 favourite for trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, The New One was settled in second by the handler’s son Sam as Zamdy Man opened up a sizeable early lead before being reeled back in at around the halfway point. The New One travelled well but Vaniteux was matching his every stride, with the pair settling down to battle it out at the top of the hill, the market leader finding plenty for his jockey’s encouragement up the hill to come home a four-andTURN TO PAGE 31>

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