Glos North

The Local

ANSWER

DECEMBER 2017

200,000 DELIVERED MONTHLY IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

for local people

GLOUCESTERSHIRE NORTH MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

The The Lo Local c al

AN ANSWER SWER G loucestershire N orth – 220,000 0,000 ccopies opies Gloucestershire North G loucestershire SSouth outh – 441,000 1,000 ccopies opies Gloucestershire G loucester – 446,000 6,000 ccopies opies Gloucester CCheltenham heltenham – 443,000 3,000 ccopies opies CCotswolds otswolds – 228,000 8,000 ccopies opies FForest orest ooff D ean – 222,000 2,000 ccopies opies Dean

Managing Director M anaging D irector D Dave ave K Kingscott ingscott ddave@thelocalanswer.co.uk ave@thelocalanswer.co.uk

EEditorial ditorial & M Marketing arketing LLois ois K Kingscott ingscott editorial@thelocalanswer.co.uk editorial@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Helen H elen K Kingscott ingscott G Gemma emma D Drew rew entertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk entertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk

SSport port

W Welcome elcome ttoo D December ecember ......

The countdown has begun and Santa will be here before we know it! We’ve got some great features this month to help get you ready for Christmas including Julia Smith’s ideas for dressing your house with garden gifts, Jade Wilce’s interior Christmas decoration trends and Laura Nicklin’s recommendations for the best gadgets to gift your loved ones this year!

As always, we’ve got a great selection of events for the festive period to help you with your last-minute Christmas shopping, as well as plenty of entertainment for the whole family including pantomimes, Christmas markets and the ever-popular Winter Wonderland at The Bird and Deer Park .

However you decide to celebrate, The Local Answer team would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a safe and happy New Year! See you in 2018!

R Roger oger JJackson ackson sport@thelocalanswer.co.uk sport@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Production Production Kevin evin V Vaughan-Spruce aughan-Spruce K services@thelocalanswer.co.uk services@thelocalanswer.co.uk

H Helen elen R Robinson obinson pproduction@thelocalanswer.co.uk roduction@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Distribution D istribution JJulia ulia B Ball all – 001242 1242 5541075 41075 distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk

R Robert obert K Kingscott ingscott rob@thelocalanswer.co.uk rob@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Accounts Accounts K Kerry erry TThorne horne aaccounts@thelocalanswer.co.uk ccounts@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Unit Unit I,I, CChurchill hurchill IIndustrial ndustrial EEstate, state, Churchill Churchill Road, Road, GL53 LLeckhampton, eckhampton, Cheltenham, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Gloucestershire G L53 7EG 7EG

T Telephone elephone 0 01242 1242 5 510500 10500 thelocalanswer thelocalanswer

IInside nside tthis his m month onth .... ..

Delicious Dish D elicious Dish Parenting Guardianship Parenting & G uardianship Quick rossword Quick CCrossword Medical Health ealth Medical H Wildlife Matters atters Wildlife M Distributors Required equired Distributors R Motoring Motoring What’s On n What’s O Sudoku Sudoku TLA Sport TLA Sport Homes Gardens ardens Homes & G In In the the Garden Garden Interior Design esign Interior D Gadgets Gizmos izmos Gadgets & G Save the Planet Planet Save the Word earch Word SSearch Money Matters atters Money M Index, Index , Competitions, Competitions, SSolutions olutions

5 7 8 11 1 1 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 19 19 22-23 22-23 24 24 27 27 29 29 33 33 35 35 38 38 41 41 42 42

@thelocalanswer @thelocalanswer

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

Page 3

Page 4

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

The Local Answer

D Delicious elicious D Dish ish with w ith Helen Helen Kingscott Kingscott

M Mincemeat incemeat O Oat at CCookies ookies TThis his recipe recipe m makes akes 10 10 cookies, cookies, but but you you could could make make double double or or ttriple riple tthe he q quantity uantity aand nd w wrap rap tthem hem u up p aass a CChristmas hristmas g gift. ift.

Ingredients: Ingredients: 100g soft butter; 50g plain flour; 100g porridge oats; 2-3 tbsp mincemeat; 1 tbsp demerara sugar; ½ tsp mixed ground spice.

Method: Method: 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan 170°C/gas 5).

2 Using an electric hand whisk , beat the butter, sugar and flour until combined, then stir in the oats and mincemeat.

3 Bring the dough together with your hands; take walnut sized pieces and roll into balls.

4 Arrange the balls, spaced apart, on oiled baking trays. Press the top of each ball very slightly to flatten it . Mix the demerara sugar with the mixed ground spice and sprinkle on top of the cookies.

5 Bake for 18 minutes or until golden. Cool on the trays for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely..

6 Store in an airtight tin.

Burley Burley FFields ields Lakes Lakes Farm Farm Shop Shop Leckhampton Leckhampton Lane Lane • Cheltenham Cheltenham • GL51 GL51 4XT 4XT • 01242 01242 861333 861333 / 07914 07914 940557 940557

GGET ET READY READY FOR FOR CCHRISTMAS HRISTMAS

FFANTASTIC ANTASTIC PPRICES RICES O ON N EVERYTHING EVERYTHING W WEE SELL SELL – ALL ALL YEAR YEAR ROUND! ROUND! O Open pen Thursday/Friday Thursday/Friday 10am-5.30pm 10am-5.30pm & Saturday Saturday 10am-4.30pm 10am-4.30pm w www.burleyfields.co.uk ww.burleyfields.co.uk

PPLACE LACE YYOUR OUR ORDER ORDER NOW! N FFREE REE PPack ack ooff Sausagemeat Sausagemeat with w ith orders orders over over £50 £50 on o n presentation presentation of of this this advert advert

All All meat meat and and poultry poultry sold sold is is from from stock stock b born orn and/or and/or reared reared on on site! site

E

U SH

G IN RD

N TO

RO AD IN GT ON

E AN

RD

L ON PT AM

FREE RANGE TURKEYS White & Bronze / Crowns & Boneless Breasts

Geese, Ducks & Chickens, Venison, Lamb, Goat, Pork, Sirloin, Fillet, Ribs of Beef, Gammon & Cooked Hams, Sausages, B

C CHOCOLATE HOCOLATE – THE BUY REASON OUR PORK LOCAL IS THE SWEETEST! SH U

NA PP ER S

LANE FARM

AD RO CH UR CH

KID

H CK LE

N LA

OAD TON R HAMP LECK

CRIP

PETS

LAN

E

BURLEY BURLEY FIELDS FIELDS LAKE LAKE

AD RO

The Local Answer

OPEN OPEN D DAILY AILY 10am 10am till till late late for fo r

CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS TTREES REES C Call all S Steve teve on on 07831 07831 734683 734683

FRESH CUT NORWAY SPRUCE FROM JUST £10

FFANTASTIC ANTASTIC VALUE! VALUE! N Non-needle on-needle drop drop

NORDMAN N ORDMAN FFIR IR

A ALL LL SIZES SIZES AVAILABLE AVAILABLE

FFROM ROM ONLY ONLY £25! £25!

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 5

Parenting P arenting & G Guardianship uardianship with w ith R Roberta oberta Smart Smart

TThe he jjoy oy o off sstorytelling torytelling Merry Yule to you all! It is that kids, the very act of sitting in a circle wondrous time of year when we to listen to each other is deeply gather together around the fire, drink bonding. mugs of steaming cocoa and tell Family Family Night Night stories all night... isn’t it?

We all know how valuable bedtime R Revisiting evisiting TTradition radition stories are to our little ones, but why The tradition of telling stories goes stop when they get older? Why not back as far as we can imagine, and introduce Story Night into your family was once the way all families taught routine, maybe on a Sunday for an their children, passing down myths hour before bed, or as a way of and legends, folklore and knowledge celebrating the week that’s passed on in the form that was then passed a Friday night. from generation to generation in an When it comes to visiting the oral tradition. Over time, details were grandparents, bring story time into added or left out, changing the focus, the mix and urge elders to share the result , and indeed the lesson in stories of ‘the olden days’ and be the story, as times changed and willing to take the long way around – messages developed. answering questions and going off at These days as we rely more and tangents as you go. Prepare some more on watching TV or movies, or delicious snacks, grab your blanket even separating into our own spaces and a pillow and settle in for an on hand held digital devices, I want evening spent learning about each to urge you to use this festive season other or sharing your favourite poet to bring the family back together and or author. For the natural performer share the joy of storytelling. Whether there is always the fun of ‘doing the you choose your favourite books, or voices’ and ‘acting out the actions’, tell stories of your childhood to your which kids can’t get enough of.

The Local Answer

U Unique nique P Perspective erspective We all have a tale to tell and a unique perspective to share. You do not need to be educated or privileged to have a story to share and if you happen to have led a life of adventure, travelling o r m e e t i n g i n te re s t i n g p e o p l e t h r o u g h yo u r w o r k , t h e n a n a d u l t e ve n i n g o f s t o r y t e l l i n g a r o u n d t h e dinner table can be time well spent.

Who doesn’t enjoy orating over a fine wine and a good stilton?

Story time can be a great way to share the Christmas Celebration too, from reading Christmas tales, to singing Carols together, gifting books or, better still, journals and pens to encourage the writing of new stories.

Encouraging little ones to make up and tell their own stories is such fun; l e t t h e m u s e p i c t u re b o o ks a s prompts or maybe a favourite toy to speak through. You will gain so much from the experience of this age old r i t u a l a n d , w h o k n ow s, i t m a y j u s t m a k e t h i s C h r i s t m a s, t h e b e s t Christmas ever!

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 7

Quick Crossword 2

1

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

ACROSS DOWN 1 Arctic (region) 1 Benefactor 7 Exonerated 2 Line of rotation 8 Leg bone 3 Gifted 10 Improve efficiency of 4 Weaving machines 12 Proximity 5 Evasion 14 Ewe’s young 6 Verb modifier 16 Dock 9 Make amends 11 Medical support 17 Clearly expressed worker 20 Trees retaining foliage 13 Gender 23 Rescued 15 Tribal groups 24 More slender 16 Nauseated 25 Giant monsters 18 Barters 19 Spy, secret ...

21 Optic organs 22 Performed in opera

W h y n ot u s e t his s pa ce t o a dve rt is e yo u r bu s i n e ss ?

22

23

24

For details please call

25

The Local

© Lovatts Puzzles

Don’t look until you’ve finished! Solutions on ‘Index of Advertisers’ page.

01242

ANSWER 510500

OPEN EVERY DAY FOR OPEN EVERY DAY FOR SHOWROOM SHOWROOM VIEWINGS VIEWINGS We We can can supply supply a

LIC LICEN ENSE SED AL ALL YE YEAR AR RO ROUN UND • OP OPEN EN 36 365 DA DAYS YS

A YE YEAR AR

LUXURY RY LODGE for

£29,500

UNBELIEVABLE – BUT TRUE!

PPlease lease come come and and see see our our Show Show HHomes omes ttoday! oday!

Page 8

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

The Local Answer

M Medical edical H Health ealth w with ith H Holly olly Hannigan Hannigan

Hangover H angover SSOS OS It’s a well known fact that the festive period is a time for over indulgence of both food and alcohol. Many people turn up to work bleary eyed, nauseous, in pain, with vague recollections of the previous night at the work Christmas party. We all know that binge drinking is not healthy – our bodies making this clear in the form of a hangover.

The biological facts are that after drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, your body is suffering from a Vitamin B deficiency and dehydration. You may also recognise the nausea, s e n s i t i v i t y to s o u n d a n d l i g h t , a n d a headache, which all stem from your body producing a load of stimulants to counteract the amount of depressants you put into your body in the form of alcohol.

Now do not be fooled – I myself love to indulge in a cheeky vino, especially over the festive period. So here are a few helpful hangover hacks, many of which I have tried and tested.

Eat Eat a g good ood m meal eal

and alcohol stays longer in the stomach, so isn’t released into the bloodstream as quickly.. This also applies the morning after,, but try eating low sugar carbs such as toast or crackers to help settle the stomach. Eggs are full of great amino acids, or a smoothie packed with fresh fruit and vegetables should sort you out.

yo u t h e g o o d b u z z . A n y fo r m o f exercise will do, just remember to get t h e b l o o d p u m p i n g , b u t n ot p u s h yourself too hard.

W Water ater

Ibuprofen Ibuprofen

No you don’t have to stick to it all n i g h t l o n g ( a l t h o u g h t h at w i l l a l s o eradicate the hangover ever being a problem). Simply alternate each alcoholic beverage with a glass of water and then make sure you drink a large glass of water before bed.

Coconut water is great as it contains five electrolytes per serving, great for re-balancing your body.

LLight ight aand nd fflat lat S t i c k to p a l e d r i n k s w i t h o u t t h e bubbles for less of a hangover.

EExercise xercise

The one everyone hates, but it works Lining your stomach with food before by getting your body to metabolise drinking will help, as the mix of food faster and the endorphin rush will give The Local Answer

Put a glass of water and Ibuprofen tablets (Paracetamol and Aspirin should be avoided as they can irritate the liver even more) next to your bed.

S e t yo u r a l a r m o n e h o u r b e fo r e yo u need to get up, take the tablets then go back to sleep, so that you give yourself a head start upon waking.

Avoid Avoid ttoo oo m much uch ccaffeine affeine As much as you may crave your morning fix, caffeine is a diuretic and will increase your dehydration, so balance any you have with water.

So know your limits, stay safe, but most importantly drink and be merry over the festive period.

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 11

Wildlife W ildlife M Matters atters with with Caroline Caroline Shelley Shelley

Plants ssurrounded Plants urrounded by by myth myth aand nd ttradition radition Beautiful. According to the legend Balder, who was the son of the G o d d e ss Fr i g g , h a d a premonition of his own death. Horrified by this F r i g g we n t t o a l l t h e animals and the plants of the world and made t h e m p ro m i s e t h ey wo u l d n o t h a r m h i m .

She failed to secure an o at h f ro m the mistletoe however, as she could not imagine how it could possibly harm her beloved son.

The God Loki was jealous of Balder and fo u n d o u t a b o u t t h e mistletoe. He fashioned an arrow from the plant and used it to secure Balder’s demise. One version of the story tells how, overcome with grief, Frigg planted the mistletoe high up TThe he ttale ale o off B Balder alder tthe he in a tree so it could harm no-one B Bright right a and nd B Beautiful eautiful again. Another version tells how the Mistletoe has been considered an Gods resurrected Balder, and Frigg important plant for thousands of was so delighted she declared the years. One tale in Norse mythology mistletoe a symbol of love. tells the tale of Balder Glossy G lossy g green reen lleaves eaves and and the Bright and

December is upon us. The year s e e m s t o h a ve f l ow n by a n d h e r e we are on the countdown to the 25th – although my children started that in January! December is a month steeped in tradition and w i l d l i fe p l ay s i t s p a r t , e s p e c i a l l y some of our plants.

O n e o f t h e p l a n t s sy n o n y m o u s with Christmas has to be mistletoe, which we use to decorate our homes and, according to tradition, kiss underneath. Mistletoe is an interesting plant as it is a parasite which means it cannot survive independently. Instead, it attaches to a host tree or shrub and penetrates its branches so that it can absorb water and nutrients from that plant.

Most mistletoe seeds are spread by birds that eat the berries. The seeds get stuck to the bird’s beak and are then wiped off on a new tree or can be excreted in droppings.

bright b right rred ed b berries erries

Another key plant at Christmas is of course holly. With its glossy green leaves and bright red berries it is the perfect colour combination for Christmas, but its associations with Christmas, as with mistletoe, stem way back into history. The use of holly as decoration dates back as far as Roman times when a feast was held at this time of year to honour their god of Saturn. Holly was used to decorate temples, along with other evergreens.

The Local Answer

T h e D r u i d s b e l i e ve d h o l l y to b e sacred due to the fact it remained green all through winter whilst other plants died away. Today holly is considered symbolic of Jesus Christ, a s t h e t h o r n s r e p r e s e n t t h e c ro w n that Jesus was made to wear on the cross and the berries the red of his blood.

Ak key ey p part art o off o our ur modern ffestivities modern estivities S o b o t h m i s t l e t o e a n d h o l l y a re p l a n t s s u r r o u n d e d by m y t h a n d tradition that go back thousands of years. These are just a few tales a m o n g s t m a n y t h a t s u r ro u n d t h e two plants and that have led them to becoming a key part of our modern festivities. So if you pucker up under the mistletoe this year or deck the halls with boughs of holly, g i ve a t h o u g h t to t h e l o n g a n d complex history that has brought t h e s e p l a n t s i n to y o u r h o m e t h i s Christmas.

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 13

D Distributors istributors Required Required To join our waiting list for Gloucestershire North Each round is made up of 150 -400 copies per month. The rate of pay is 6 pence/copy. Depending on property types, our current team of people average between 100 -150 copies/hour (equivalent to £6-£9/hour).

The he L Loc oca al l Magazines are delivered to T AN A NS SW W ER E R fforor local Distributors’ homes loca l people pe o p le towards the end of each month and we expect deliveries to be completed within four days between the hours of 7am and 9pm.

You must be 13+ years old, flexible, reliable and sufficiently physically fit to GGLOUC LOUCEESTERS STERSH HIRE I RE N NORTH ORTH perform the duties.

DECEMBER DECEEMBER 2 2017 017

200,000 200,000

D DELIVERED ELIVERED M MONTHLY ONTHLY IIN NG GLOUCESTERSHIRE LOUCESTERSHIRE

M MERRY ERRY C CHRISTMAS HRISTMAS A AND ND A H HAPPY APPY N NEW EW

SServicing ervicing FFrom rom £ £95.00 95.00 M MOT OT £ £39.95 39.95 C Cambelts ambelts FFrom rom £ £249.00 249.00 A Air ir C Conditioning onditioning rregas egas £ £45.00 45.00 FFree ree Courtesy Courtesy Cars Cars – Collection Collection & Delivery Delivery

www.v-hubservices.co.uk www.v-hubservices.co.uk

0 01684 1684 2 214444 14444 Sales: Sales: Mon-Fri: Mon-Fri: 9am-6pm 9am-6pm SSat: at: 9am-4pm 9am-4pm SSun: un: Appointment Appointment only only

Service: Service: Mon-Fri: Mon-Fri: 8.30am-5.30pm 8.30am-5.30pm Sat: Sat: 8.30am-12.30pm 8.30am-12.30pm Sun: Sun: C CLOSED LOSED

Y YEAR EA AR T TO OA ALL! LL!

For details email Julia – distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Page 14

G Gloucestershire’s loucestershire’s VW VW AUDI AUDI Group Group Specialist Specialist

U UNIT NIT 8 8A: A: B Beta eta C Close, lose, D Delta elta D Drive, rive, TTewkesbury, ewkesbury, G Glos. los. G GL20 L20 8 8SR SR

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

LLike ike us us on on Facebook Facebook

The Local Answer

Motoring Motoring with w ith Luke Luke Edwards Edwa wards

TThe he n night ight before before CChristmas hristmas C h r i st m a s i s u p o n u s a n d , a l t h o u g h t h e m e d i a i s f u l l of d a i l y a d v e r t i s e m e n t s re m i n d i n g m e t h a t it ’s the season of goodwill, I still haven’t bought all of the presents! It has got me thinking about Father C h r i st m a s a n d w h at m i g h t b e suitable transport if Dasher, Prancer, Comet , Blitzen and all the other re i n d e e r s u d d e n l y we n t o n s t r i k e !

Santa would have plenty of choice in the Isuzu D-Max range.

The Isuzu advertisements have the strapline “It Just Works”, which sum up the D-Max . I tested the Utility 4x4 Double Cab – perfect if you wish to use the D-Max as a family vehicle.

The other cab configurations are S i n g l e C a b 4 x 2 a n d 4 x 4 ( st a r t i n g from £16,499) or Extended Cab. The D-Max model range begins with the Utility base model, but includes the Eiger, Yukon, Utah, Blade and a halo model in the AT35 (more about that later).

P Practical ractical ffor or b business usiness a and nd p pleasure leasure O n t h e D - M a x U t i l i t y yo u g e t a n a m p l e s t a n d a rd p a c k a g e w i t h projector headlights, LED daytime running lights, full size spare wheel and Bluetooth connectivity. The interior is comfortable with plenty of storage, charging points, handles to

The Local Answer

grip onto and even a concealed cup h o l d e r t h at p o p s o u t o n t h e passenger side. It’s practical and the surfaces are easy to clean.

The load bed is a good size (L4.87ft , W5.02ft , D1.52ft) and p e r f e c t i f yo u h a ve h o r s e s, g o m o u n t a i n b i k i n g o r m o to r b i k e scrambling, or do anything where you need space to transport . It ’s practical for business and pleasure.

T h e b e d i s l i n e d w i t h to u g h p l a s t i c and easy to wash out with a hose.

The Euro 6 emissions turbo-diesel engine puts out 162bhp, 360Nm torque, has 3.5 tonnes towing s t r e n g t h ( o ve r 1 . 1 t o n n e p a y l o a d ) and combined fuel consumption of 40.4mpg. The test model was running Dunlop AT20 GrandTrek R16 245/70 tyres. The drive is s m o ot h w i t h a wide turning circle, and the gear change on t h e m a n u a l b ox feels industrial. If y o u a re u s e d t o Land R o ve r D e fe n d e r s or

other similar off roaders, this will suit you really well.

T h e D o u b l e C a b v e r s i o n I te s t e d was £21,242.75 due to some options – Tow Bar Attachment £187.50, Towing Electrics £226.25 and Obsidian Grey Mica Paint at £430. Other colours are Splash White, Titanium Silver Metallic and Tundra Green Mica.

A real real w workhorse orkhorse A l t h o u g h t h e I s u z u D - M ax U t i l i t y comes with a 125,000 mile/5 year warranty, you can be confident that the build quality is excellent and it has been designed as a real workhorse.

However,, if Santa was after something really serious for his more extreme deliveries, he could opt for the Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35.

Arctic Trucks are a specialist modification company based at Reyk javik in Iceland. They have produced vehicles which have taken BBC Top Gear presenters to the magnetic North Pole and are used as transport for scientists working in the Antarctic. The AT35 is a beast with Fox performance series suspension and huge 315/70 R17 Nokian Rotiiva tyres which cope with any terrain. The Arctic Truck AT35 starts from £37,995.

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 15

What’s W hat’s O On n TThe he LLocal ocal A Answer nswer EEvent vent Listings Listings are are ccompiled ompiled and and presented preesented in in good good faith faith with with the the kind kind support support of of many many contributors. contributors.

Wee re W recommend ecommend yyou ou uuse se tthe he ccontact ontact ddetails etails pprovided rovided to to check check event event information information uupdates pdates pprior rior ttoo pplanning lanning yyour our vvisit. isit.

2244 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER – 7 JJANUARY ANUARY DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CCA AT Join Dick and his cat as he travels from Gloucester to London to make his fortune and runs into the usual cast of Everyman favourites (including the return of Tweedy) along the way. For times and prices visit everymantheatre.org.uk. The Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ. 01242 572573.

2255 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER – 22 22 D DECEMBER ECEMBER CHRISTMAS AT COTSWOLD FARM PARK It’s the most magical time of the year and here at the Farm Park , we really like to get into the spirit of the season! Enrol yourself in Elf Academy, visit Father Christmas in his grotto and say hello to the animals of the nativity story. For more details visit www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk 01451 850307. Cotswold Farm Park , Guiting Power, GL54 5UG. 25 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER – 23 23 D ECEMBER 25 DECEMBER WINTER WONDERLAND AT PRINKNASH BIRD & DEER PARK

Come and see our resident reindeer, Rudolf,, Prancer and Comet, and look out over the stunning valley of magical Christmas lighting from the new Visitor

Centre balconies. Christmas gifts for children from Santa. Advance bookings only. Adults £11.50, children £13. From 11am (park closes 6pm). For full details visit www.thebirdpark.com. The Bird and Deer Park , Prinknash, Cranham, Gloucester, GL4 8EX. 01452 812727 27 27 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER – 2 JJANUARY ANUARY GLOUCESTER QUAYS ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS MARKET & WINTER ICE RINK This year’s Enchanted market will feature decorated stalls, a traditional Ferris Wheel, real ale tavern and roast chestnuts carts, with street entertainers, family activities, live choirs and brass bands – all in a waterside location. St Ann Way, Gloucester GL1 5SH. 01452 338933. www.gloucesterquayschristmas.co.uk 29 DECEMBER 29 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER – 8 D ECEMBER A CHRISTMAS CAROL A magical and enchanting re-telling of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, ‘A Christmas Carol’. This charming, family-friendly production promises to fill you up to the brim with Christmas spirit. For full details please visit www.berkeley-castle.com.

01453 810303. The Great Hall, Berkeley Castle, Berkeley GL13 9BQ. 3300 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER – 23 23 D DECEMBER ECEMBER THE TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN A selection of fairy tales from the world’s best-known storyteller. This hour-long show is suitable for 3-7 year olds and their families. Simple, gentle storytelling with professional actor/musicians. For details visit everymantheatre.org.uk. The Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ. 01242 572573.

TTHROUGHOUT HROUGHOUT DECEMBER DECEMBER TAURUS CRAFTS: CHRISTMAS MARKETS Over the first three weekends in December, the onsite makers and creative businesses will be joined by over 30 independent traders and a lot of locallygrown fresh cut Christmas Trees to create the area’s largest choice of gifts not available on the high street. Come along and support our local talent and the visiting traders at our market, you are sure to find all you need to celebrate Christmas in style. For more details visit www.tauruscrafts.co.uk. Taurus Crafts, Lydney, GL15 6BU. CHRISTMAS WITH SANTA AND LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

Decorate and write your letter to Santa, then dress up as Little Red Riding Hood or the Woodcutter and go off into our magical woods to find him. He’s visiting Grandma in her little house. Look out for the cheeky elves on the way and don’t forgot to tell Santa how good you have been! Booking is advised. For more details visit www.puzzlewood.net. Puzzlewood, Perrygrove Road, Coleford, GL16 8QB.

Our Readers – Your Audience A Advertise dvertise yyour our e event vent tto o6 60,000+ 0,000+ p people eople iin n tthe he T Tewkesbury ewkesbury B Borough! orough! £20+VAT

£30+VA AT T

£40+VAT

fo or c.40 words

fo or c.65 words

fo or c.90 words

A NSW AN S W ER ER

D DECEMBER ECEMBER 2 2017 017

200,000 200,000

D DELIVERED ELIVERED MONTHLY MONTHLY IN GLOUCESTERSHI IN GLO OUCESTERSHIR REE

ffor o r local loca l people pe o p le

Plus Plus £25 £25++VAT VAT 3cm tto o iinclude nclude a 3 cm iimage mage w ith your your text text with

To list your event in our What s On section, email editorial@thelocalanswer.co.uk Page 16

T Th he L Lo oc ca al

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

GLOU G LOUCCESTE ESTER RSHI SHIR REE N NORT ORTH MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND CHRISTMA AND A HAPPY HAPPY NEW NEW

YEAR TO YEAR TO ALL! ALL!

The Local Answer

1 DECEMBER DECEMBER THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS Get in the Christmas spirit (literally...) with a tempting selection of brandy and festive liqueurs, all washed down with lashings of mulled wine and nibbles. The perfect excuse to start the Christmas celebrations early! Over 18s only. £20. 7.45pm. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. www.rosestheatre.org.

1 DECEMBER DECEMBER – 5 JJANUARY ANUARY THE BIG BATSFORD ELF HUNT

Santa’s helpers have gone missing and they are all hiding in the Arboretum; find them to win a prize! Most suitable for children aged 8 and under, however children of all ages are welcome to take part! No need to book , just turn up and enjoy! £2.50 per child, plus Arboretum entry fee (children must be accompanied by an adult). 01386 701441 Batsford Arboretum, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9QB.

The Local Answer

2 DECEMBER DECEMBER CHARLTON KINGS CHOR RA AL SOCIETY 7.30pm. Venue: Pittville Pump Room Cheltenham, Glos GL52 5JE. The First Nowell (A Nativity Play by R Vaughan Williams). Buxtehude Das neugeborne Kindelein. Corelli Christmas Concerto.

Soloists Helen Wright, Melvin Brown, readers from St. Edward’s school and the Regency Sinfonia. Conductor John Wright.

Tickets: 0844 576 2210 (£15, concessions £10) or Cheltenham Town Hall Box Office.

THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS 2017 A festive treat of seasonal music and readings from school and adult choirs.

7.30pm. £14. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk 6-12 6-12 DECEMBER DECEMBER THE GARDENS GALLERY Opposite the bandstand at the top of Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham. An exciting exhibition of works by two Cheltenham artists: watercolours by Ryk Heuff and collages by David Pugh. Free admission – 10am–5pm daily.

6-23 6-23 DECEMBER DECEMBER A GLOUCESTERSHIRE MIDWINTER A lighthearted revue dealing with all things wintry, past and present, in Gloucestershire. From Holst’s ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ to the story of ‘Oxbode Lane’.

To advertise call 01242 510500

Featuring song, drama and poetic humour.

For details visit everymantheatre.org.uk.

The Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ. 01242 572573.

8 DECEMBER DECEMBER LIVE MUSIC AT THE TITHE BARN Jazz, RnB and acoustic blues, featuring Cheltenham born Sadie Roach and respected Blues musician, Michael Roach.

Tickets from Vinyl Vault, Cambray Place, Cheltenham or at The Tithe Barn. £12 in advance or £15 on door.

BOLSHOI LIVE: THE NUTCRACKER

Soon joined by her other toys that have come to life, Marie and her prince embark on a dreamy unforgettable adventure. A holiday tradition for the whole family, The Nutcracker sweeps the Bolshoi stage for two hours of magic and enchantment. £15. 7pm. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. rosestheatre.org

Page 17

8-24 8-24 DECEMBER DECEMBER SANTA SPECIALS AT DEAN FOREST RAILWAY Father Christmas comes to your seat with an age related present for every child - no queues for a Grotto here! On board entertainment and something for the adults too! £13. For more information visit www.deanforestrailway.co.uk. Dean Forest Railway, Forest Road, Lydney GL15 4ET. 88-30 -30 DECEMBER DECEMBER SPECTACLE OF LIGHT

Explore the new illuminated trail around Sudeley Castle’s grounds, marvelling at the majestic trees and romantic ruins all lit under the stars. Enjoy wonderful music as you discover each new secret of this magical environment. A wonderful outdoor event for all ages. For more details visit sudeleycastle.co.uk. 01242 602308.

Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, GL54 5JD. 9 DECEMBER DECEMBER FOUR-LEGGED FESTIVE FUN Celebrate with your four-legged friend as the Cotswolds Dogs & Cats Home present an enchanted candlelit Christmas Concert.

Hosted by the Charity’s Patron Lisa Maxwell and her friends from stage and screen.

7pm. St Mary’s Church, Painswick. £7.50 (children £4.50). Tickets: www.cdch.org.uk THE BOHEMIANS The internationally renowned Queen Tribute band take you on a high energy roller coaster ride of a concert, featuring the back catalogue of one of the world’s most popular and iconic rock acts of all time. 01453 760900. Stroud Subscription Rooms, George Street, GL5 1AE. For details visit www.subscriptionrooms.org.uk 99-10 -10 DECEMBER DECEMBER TEWKESBURY TOWN BAND Come in out of the cold and enjoy a great family Christmas concert with a selection of new and classic festive tunes and a few sing-a-long items too. Our ever popular Town Band is busy throughout the year with concerts, parades and festivals in the town and beyond. Finish off the year with some festive fun. For times and prices visit www.rosestheatre.org. 01684 295074. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. SANTA’SS GROTTO AT BATSFORD Bring the children to meet Santa and his Elf in his magical grotto at Batsford! Come and visit them from 2.30 -4.30pm on Saturday 9th Dec and 2-4.30pm on Sunday 10th Dec. 01386 701441 Batsford Arboretum, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9QB.

Page 18

ECEMBER 16 D 10 & 16 9, DECEMBER 9, 10 NARNIA AFTERNOON TEA Step into this extraordinary world through the doors of an oak wardrobe and find yourself in an enchanted Kingdom, with snow underfoot, glistening fir trees and magical creatures. Be greeted by Mr Tumnus before capturing a moment with the Ice Queen. 12 noon. £19.50. Tickets available through Hype Agency – 0117 971 0320 or info@hypeagency.co.uk.

Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, GL50 1QA . www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk ECEMBER 6-23 D -10 & 116-23 DECEMBER 99-10 CHRISTMAS GROTTO AT LABELS

Supported by Ross on Wye Rotary Club, our grotto will be surrounded by a winter wonderland, which will be found by following footprints and our special signage from the welcome desk. On the way you will find competitions and interesting facts! £5 per child to include a gift. 01989 769000. Labels Shopping Centre, Ross Park , Ross-on-Wye, HR9 7QJ. DECEMBER -21 DECEMBER 99-21 AR SPECIAL SANTA RAILCCA Travel from Toddington station by an early 1960s diesel rail car with Santa and his young elves. Complementary mince pies, hot and cold drinks, biscuits and fruit, and a goody bag for children. £14. For more details visit gwsr.com. The Railway Station, Toddington GL54 5DT. 01242 621405.

DECEMBER 1100 DECEMBER GLOUCESTERSHIRE MUSIC CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Gloucestershire Music present’s their annual Christmas concert featuring three community and youth music groups. A festival programme to be performed by the Colwell Arts Orchestra, Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra and Gloucestershire County Youth Choir. 6pm. £12. Pittville Pump Room, East Approach Drive, Cheltenham GL52 3JE. 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

WE THREE KINGS OF ROCK AND ROLL

A welcome return for the two-hour uplifting Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas Show three tributes to Rock ‘n’ Roll Icons Billy Fury, Buddy Holly and Elvis. All your Christmas favorites from ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ to ‘White Christmas’ all done in true Rock ‘n’ Roll Style! For times and prices visit www.subscriptionrooms.org.uk. 01453 760900. Stroud Subscription Rooms, George Street, GL5 1AE. 11 11 DECEMBER DECEMBER STEELEYE SPAN Folk rock pioneers Steeleye Span are touring with a new live show, with Maddy Prior – the voice of the band – leading a line-up featuring faces old and new. Their 2017 performance will see them perform new gems alongside classics that have made them one of the most successful British Folk Rock bands ever. £24. 7.30pm.

The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. www.rosestheatre.org.

13 DECEMBER DECEMBER 13 NASH ENSEMBLE 2017

Acclaimed for its adventurous programming and virtuoso performances, the Ensemble has won many accolades including two Royal Philharmonic Society awards “for the breadth of its taste and its immaculate performance of a wide range of music.”

7.30pm. From £20 (under 26 £5). Pittville Pump Room, East Approach Drive, Cheltenham GL52 3JE. 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk ADULT CRAFT WORKSHOP PATCHWORK CHRISTMAS DECORATION A fun morning of festive stitching making a 3D patchwork decoration. You will need to bring a sewing kit, a selection of Christmas fabric and thread to match. We will provide full tuition, reusable pattern, unlimited hot drinks and mince pies. 10am.

Members £20, non-members £25. Museum of Gloucester, Brunswick Road, GL1 1HP.

The Local Answer

Sudoku Fill the grids so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

S Shipton hipton G Golf olf C Course ourse Shipton Golf Course, Nr Frogmill, Shipton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 4HT

HOLE HvO PA P AYay & PLAY PLAY COURSE COURSE IN IN THE THE O Open p““A eAn9e every eLrEyPAY d day H HEART Euntil RT OF F THE T E COTSWOLDS” COTSWOLDS” ffrom rom 7 7am am uAnRT tiO l dusk d uH sk

N NO ON NEED EED T TO OB BOOK OOK – O Open pen ev every very day day from from 7am 7am until until dusk dusk

www.shiptongolf.co.uk

Follow Follow us us on on Twitter: Twitter :

‘Shiptongolf’ ‘Shiptongolf ’

shiptongolf@tiscali.co.uk

Tel: 01242 890237

✉

☎

Don’t look until you’ve finished!

Solutions on ‘Index of Advertisers’ page.

THE SOLUTION FOR YOUR NEW BATHROOM ...

Your local family business

The Local Answer

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 19

1144 DECEMBER DECEMBER SLEEPING BEAUTY A classic fairytale set to Tchaikovsky’ss magnificent score, stunning choreography and beautiful costumes combine to portray the struggle between good and evil with Vienna Festival Ballet. 01453 760900.

Stroud Subscription Rooms, George Street, GL5 1AE. www.subscriptionrooms.org.uk 1166 DECEMBER DECEMBER LIVE EWE SCANNING For the first time in the Farm Park’s long history, we’ll be scanning some of our pregnant ewes live in front of visitors in the IAE Animal Barn to find out how many lambs they’re carrying. Make sure you’re here for a front row seat! 01451 850307.

Cotswold Farm Park , Guiting Power, GL54 5UG. www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk 116-22 6-22 DECEMBER DECEMBER SANTA’SS COMING TO SLIMBRIDGE Join us for breakfast or afternoon tea with the elves and visit Santa in his magical grotto. Throughout the day there’ll be lots of other fun activities too. Ice your own gingerbread man, build an elf den, toast marshmallows, get creative making arts and crafts – and don’t forget to send a letter to the North Pole at our post office!

01453 891223. WWT Slimbridge, Bowditch, GL2 7BT. www.wwt.org.uk 17 17 DECEMBER DECEMBER CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT The Church is beautifully decorated for this special event which combines the message of Christmas with carols old and new. Seasonal refreshments follow. There are no charges and booking is unnecessary but early arrival is advisable. 6.30pm.

Cambray Baptist Church, Cambray Place, Cheltenham, GL50 1JS. www.cambray.org Registered Charity number: 1156858 A CHRISTMAS CONCERT Berkeley Castle are delighted that the choir have agreed to return for this incredibly popular event. A great way to get you in the mood for Christmas! For full details please visit www.berkeleycastle.com. 01453 810303. The Great Hall, Berkeley Castle, Berkeley GL13 9BQ. 1199 DECEMBER DECEMBER THAT’LL BE THE DAY

Topped with lashings of Christmas spirit, get ready to party! The UK’ss most popular Rock ‘n’ Roll variety show celebrates the

Page 20

festive season with all your favourite Christmas classics from the 50s, 60s and 70s, plus plenty of hilarious comedy!

7.30pm. From £25.50. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk CARA DILLON CHRISTMAS CONCERTT A magical and memorable festive experience. Having recorded her highly anticipated Christmas album ‘Upon A Winter’s Night’, Cara and her band will be performing classic Carols, Celtic Hymns and other Christmas songs to celebrate and share in the Christmas Spirit. A tradition in the making. 7.30pm. £23.

Pittville Pump Room, East Approach Drive, Cheltenham GL52 3JE. 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk CHRISTMAS CR RA AFT

Ages 3-10 years and adults. Create festive decorations and extra-special gifts in these themed drop-in craft workshops for a range of ages and skills. Build that Christmas cheer by getting out the glitter!

Drop in and get crafty – no need to prebook. The Wilson, Clarence Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3JT. 0844 576 2210.

GUILDHALL COMMUNITTYY CHOIR An evening of carols, festive music and words with one of the three choirs led by Monika Murrel. Preceded by festive snacks, mince pies and mulled wine. Part of the proceeds to help the homeless.

7pm. £8 (in advance). Nature in Art, Sandhurst Lane, Twigworth, GL2 9PA .

01452 731422. www.natureinart.org.uk 2200 DECEMBER DECEMBER BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Follow the fantastical journey of Belle – a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’ss enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

exterior and realise the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within. 3pm (film starts at 4pm). £6 (family of 4 £20 – to include a treat from Santa). The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham GL51 6EP. 01242 258002.

20 -21 DECEMBER DECEMBER 20-21 ROCK UP & BOUNCE Indoor inflatable play day sessions at Pates Grammar School. With various time slots available and ages 4-13 welcome. Book your place today and call 07774 416639 or email dale@cheltenhambouncycastles.co.uk to receive your code.

20-22 20 -22 DECEMBER DECEMBER GRANDMA CLAUS – WAITING FOR SANTA It’s been years since Santa has visited his Grandma. It’s Christmas Eve and all she really wants this year is to see him... With a plan up her sleeve, a bit of help from her silly friend Twinkle Toes and a touch of magic, you never know what might happen around Grandma’s house! 01453 891223. WWT Slimbridge, Bowditch, GL2 7BT. www.wwt.org.uk 21 DECEMBER DECEMBER 21 ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA A one-off Christmas evening performance which is set to be a magical experience.

The confirmed festive programme will include Vaughan William’s ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’, Handels’s ‘Messiah’ Excerpts, Anderson’ss ‘A Christmas Festival’ and ‘Sleigh Ride’ with an encore of ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’. 7.30pm. From £17. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk 22 22 DECEMBER DECEMBER THE SNOWMAN AND CCA ARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS

Give the whole family a magical Christmas treat as The Snowman is shown on the big screen while the Mozart Symphony Orchestra provides a live soundtrack. SaintSaëns’ Carnival of the Animals will be performed with lots of extras and fun surprises including terrible Christmas jokes from the conductor’s podium and wonderful cartoon animations projected onto a screen above the orchestra.

1.30pm. From £11. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk

The Local Answer

22 22 DECEMBER DECEMBER FATHER CHRISTMAS & PETER AND THE WOLF

23 23 DECEMBER DECEMBER HANDEL – MESSIAH

Prokofiev’s chilling tale of one small boy’s bravery against a wild wolf has thrilled generations of children and is the ideal way to introduce young people to orchestral music. 4.30pm. From £11.

Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk 22-24 22-24 DECEMBER DECEMBER ROBIN HOOD PANTOMIME Robin Hood sees the wicked Sheriff ruling over the people and collecting taxes to pay for his own evil plans to take the English crown. We need a hero – but will Robin Hood win the heart of Maid Marian, rescue the babes, and win the day? For details visit www.subscriptionrooms.org.uk.

01453 760900. Stroud Subscription Rooms, George Street, GL5 1AE.

The Cheltenham Bach Choir and Regency Sinfonia present this Christmas favourite at 7:30pm in the Cheltenham Town Hall. For details see www.cheltbachchoir.com.

Tickets £10 -20 from the Town Hall box office, website, or call 0844 576 2210.

26 26 DECEMBER DECEMBER BOXING DAY AT BATSFORD Burn off your Christmas dinner with a magical walk around the Arboretum on Boxing Day with family or friends, with a free glass of warming mulled wine (while stocks last!). We’re open from 10am-3pm.

01386 701441. Batsford Arboretum, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9QB. 3-4 3-4 JANUARY JANUARY DRACULA (OR A PAIN IN THE NECK) A new adaptation of Bram Stoker’ss famous Gothic fantasy... with a twist! A play you can really sink your teeth into! For times

The Local Answer

To advertise call 01242 510500

and prices visit everymantheatre.org.uk.

The Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ. 01242 572573.

6 & 2266 JANUARY JANUARY MUSIC AT STOW JAZZ Brubecks Play Brubeck. Saturday 6 Jan, 7:30pm, £20. BLUES Paul Jones & Dave Kelly, Friday 26 Jan, 7:30pm, £25, St Edward’s Church, Stow-on-the-Wold, GL54 1AB. Free parking in Stow square after 6pm. Tickets: www.WeGotTickets.com More info at www.musicatstow.co.uk 7 JANUARY JANUARY CHELTENHAM BRIDE AND GROOM SHOW Everything you’ll need to know to prepare your special day, all under one roof at the Cheltenham Town Hall. 2 bridal fashion shows and over 70 exhibitors. 11am. Free admission. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk 18-21 18-21 JANUARY JANUARY ALADDIN Continue the magic of the festive season with a visit to Aladdin – a ‘rags to riches’ tale, packed with adventure and original twists and turns along the way. A large cast of singers and dancers, lavish costumes, colourful scenery and lots of audience participation! £10 -£15. For details and tickets call Showcase on 01242 224144 or visit promenadeproductions.co.uk

Page 21

S Sport port with w ith R Roger oger JJackson acks son

WANT W ANT TTO O SSHARE HARE Y YOUR OUR SSPORTING PORTING SSTORY TORY O ON NO OUR UR W WEBSITE? EBSITE? Please Please e email mail ffull ull d details etails tto o ssport@thelocalanswer.co.uk port@thelocalanswer.co.uk

CCheltenham heltenham CColts olts w were ere ttops ops ffor or 4 40 0y years ears They were the team that kept on giving. They gave to the senior teams at Cheltenham Rugby Club, they gave to Gloucester and they even gave to England.

The team in question are Cheltenham Colts, the upwardly m o b i l e a r m o f C h e l te n h a m R FC fo r the best part of four decades at the back end of the 20th century.

They went toe to toe with the biggest and best clubs in the land – Leicester, Northampton, Bath and the like – never taking a backward step and giving many a team more than just a bloody nose.

It ’s not surprising that the Colts enjoyed such success when you consider some of the names that came through their ranks - Phil Blakeway, John Fidler, Bernard Capaldi, Stuart Russell and Pat Lavery to name just a few.

The remarkable story of the rise and rise – and eventual demise – of Cheltenham Colts began in 1960.

The The unsung unsung h heroes eroes A few years ago a caricature of footballing great Lionel Messi emerged with two batteries strapped to his back .

T h e b a t te r i e s w e re c a l l e d X av i a n d Iniesta.

The inference was that Messi wouldn’t have been half the player were it not for the two Spanish m a e s t r o s p l ay i n g j u s t b e h i n d h i m i n Barcelona’s midfield.

Debatable at best, perhaps. Messi has proved many, many times that he can create chances and conjure up goals o u t of n ot h i n g , a l t h o u g h a s a consummate team man he will always say that he needs the support of others in order to weave his footballing magic.

Closer to home, it ’s a much more clearcut story for football leagues across the county. While players play, the wannabe Messi’s and Ronaldo’s are only able to strut their stuff because of the unsung heroes who work tirelessly night and day to make sure that there is a league for them to play in week in and week out.

The Cheltenham Colts team in 1960/61

They were founded by rugby-mad Welshman Norman Rees and Pat Todd in the days when the average price for a house in the UK was about £2,500 and you could get a pint of beer for 8p.

Club historian John Woodward – Cheltenham Tigers’ answer to David Starkey – played for and later managed the Colts and was one of the pivotal figures in what was a

ground-breaking set-up back in the day.

He told The Local Answer: “The very first match for the Colts was held at the old Athletic Ground in Albion Street , the home of Cheltenham Rugby Club, in September 1960. It was against Gloucester and the visitors won 16 - 0.

Full story online.

“Yes, a lot of hard work does go on behind the scenes,” said Nigel Newport-Black , who is chairman of the Cheltenham Youth Football League.

other clubs and saw him score more than 1,000 goals in his adult career.

Ab born orn g goalscorer oalscorer

Dale Lemon has come a long way in his short rugby career.

The Cinderford forward only took up the sport when he w e n t to C l e e v e School at the age of 11, but 10 years on the second row is Dale Lemon one of the key components in Cinderford’s push to return to National One. He is in his third full season with the club and in director of rugby Paul Morris h e h a s fo u n d s o m e o n e w h o i s a s passionate about the game as he is.

Talk to the articulate Lemon – he’s a s t u d e n t a t t h e U n i ve r s i t y o f Gloucestershire – and you quickly realise that it’s his burning passion for rugby that is driving him onwards and upwards in the game.

For full versions of all these stories and more, visit www.thelocalanswer.co.uk

Pete Turnbull has a turn of phrase as neat as the turn of feet he had on f o o t b a l l p i t c h e s a l l ov e r C h e l t e n h a m and beyond back in the day.

The articulate 52-year-old was a prolific goalscorer in years gone by and was good enough to make a handful of appearances for Cheltenham Town at the start of the 1990s, when the club w e r e p l a y i n g o n e l e ve l b e l o w t h e Football League.

The highlight was when he went on as s u b s t i t u te at Whaddon Road against Gateshead, scoring one and making one in a dramatic 3-2 win.

That was one goal of many, of course, for a forward who played for S m i t h s, C h e l te n h a m A young Pete Turnbull and Endsleigh among

Lemon Lemon and and sshine! hine!

AAbove bove iiss a sselection election ffrom rom llocal ocal ssporting porting sstories tories aavailable vailable online... online ...

Marc Marc pplays lays ffootball ootball in in fast fast Lane!

Lane!

Lo o k u p t h e d e f i n i t i o n o f t h e wo rd ‘addict ’ and one of several explanations given is “an enthusiastic d ev o t e e o f a s p e c i f i e d t h i n g o r activity”.

That’s a definition that could be used to describe Marc Lane’s involvement in all things Tewkesbury Town Football Club.

The 36 -year-old still plays for Tewkesbury’s reserves in Division Two of the Cheltenham League but that is just a fraction of the time he devotes to the club.

He also manages the team, plays for the club’s Sunday team and occasionally turns out for the vets’ team – who play all their matches at All Saints Academy in Cheltenham – as well.

Throw in his coaching role with Tewkesbury Town Colts Under-16s – his son Ellis plays for them – and you c a n s e e t h a t L a n e s e n i o r i s a p re t t y busy chap most weekends.

“Yes,” he laughed, “Some weekends I can be managing the under-16s on S a t u r d ay m o r n i n g , t h e n p l ay i n g a n d managing the reserves on a Saturday afternoon before playing for the men’s team on a Sunday morning and then an occasional runout for the vets’ team in the afternoon.”

And that’s not all. As well as training a couple of times a week , he is also big on the administrative side at the club.

“I got involved on the committee and started doing secretarial duties,” he recalled. “Then I took on the role of treasurer and two years ago I took over as chairman and I combine all three now in a coordinating role.”

N o w o n d e r h e i s s i n g l e ! S o h ow much time does he devote to football each week?

“I reckon I spend 10 hours a week

on admin,” he s aid, “and what with playing, training and coaching I’m involved with the club seven days a week .”

Born in Oxford, Lane spent the first 10 years of his life l i v i n g i n C h i p p i n g N o r to n b e fo re m ov i n g to Tewkesbury in the early 1990s.

H e p l a ye d s o m e fo o t b a l l at Tewkesbury School but it wasn’t until he joined the now defunct Northway at t h e a g e of 1 6 t h at h e started playing regularly.

H e p l a ye d fo r t h e i r reserves for five years b e fo re g i v i n g u p t h e s p o r t for three years after Ellis was born.

“I went back to Northway R e s e r v e s b u t a f te r t h e y folded I made the short trip to join Tewkesbury Town,” he said. “Oli Kavanagh, who was a friend of mine, had just started a reserve team so I played for them in D i v i s i o n F i ve o f t h e C h e l t e n h a m League.”

It was to prove one of the best things he ever did. The defender who c a n p l a y a n y w h e re a c ro ss t h e b a c k line has made his presence felt for every team he has played and is now looking forward to playing in the same team as his son next year.

“He turns 16 in January,” said his proud dad, “so he’ll be old enough to play adult football. He’s already trained this summer with the men and I’m really looking forward to playing in the same team as him.

“I’ve been coaching his team since the under-11s and the aim is to take them into senior football.

Tewkesbury Town’s first-team squad last season

Marc Lane

“We’ve got two under-16 teams which means that some 20 lads could be moving into adult football next season. It could be that we form a development team to compete in the Cheltenham League next season.”

T h a t wo u l d b e g o o d n e w s fo r t h e league’s officers, of course, as they look to increase the number of teams following the decision this season to cut the number of divisions from five to four.

I t wo u l d a l s o r e f l e c t ve r y we l l , o f course, on not just Lane, but all those who have worked so hard to develop a b r i d g e b e t we e n yo u t h a n d a d u l t football in Tewkesbury.

L a n e i s k e e n to p a y t r i b u t e t o t h e help he has received from John Smith who co-runs an under-16 team with him, while Andy Pepperell and Sam Byde have run the other under-16 side.

Goalkeeper Pepperell and midfielder Byde are part of the Tewkesbury Town first team that have enjoyed some g o o d re s u l t s i n D i v i s i o n O n e o f t h e Cheltenham League this season and there is plenty of ambition around the club’s flagship team.

“We want promotion to the Northern Senior League,” said Lane.

FFor or ffull ull aarticles rticles & m more ore sstories: tories: w www.thelocalanswer.co.uk ww.thelocalanswer.co.uk

CPA G PAVING P A AV VING

Homes & Gardens

&

www.homecareroofingandbuilding.co.uk

Cs T& pply a

ALL WORK FULLY ffor or o over ver 60s 60s GUARANTEED FULLY INSURED 47 Worcester Street, Gloucester GL1 4SR

fo

20% 20% OFF OFF

FULLY INSURED

r 99le ca £7r singdrive

SSUPERB UPERB O FFER OFFER

WITH ALL WORKS

LANDSCAPING L ANDSCAPING DRIVEWAYS D RIVEWAYS PATIOS P ATIOS

FOR ALL YOUR PROPERTY NEEDS Our range of services include: • New roofs & repairs • Lead work • Tiles • Slates • Felt & battening • Repointing • Ridge tiles & chimney repairs • Flat roofs • EPDM rubber • Roof coatings • Dry verge systems • Gutter repairs & cleaning • External painting • Moss removal & fungicidal treatments • uPVC fascias & soffits

5 YEAR YEAR

GUARANTEE G UARANTEE

Block Paving • Tarmac • Gravel • Drainage • Kerbs • Steps Paths • Turfing • Fencing • Decking • Resin Bound Driveways

FFREE REE QUOTATIONS QUOTATIONS Call or email 01242 801706 • 01452 341699 candgpavinguk@gmail.com

For a F REE Q UOTATION p all: FREEPHONE FREEPHONE For FREE QUOTATION please lease c call:

8424 or 0800 474 0800 474 8424 or 0 01242 1242 809264 809264 (Please dial area code when calling)

GUARANTEED GUARANTEED TO TO BEAT BEAT ANY ANY GGENUINE ENUINE QUOTE QUOTE

www.cg-paving.co.uk w w ving.co.uk w ww ww w..cg-paav

’ Don't miss miss out out Don't on on our our bbig ig sale with with up up to to sale

20% 20% off off

Page 24

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

The Local Answer

M M O OR E B U ILD I N G SE RV V I CES G G G G G G G

FFree ree estimates estimates

G

Reg en c y & p er i o d ren ova t i on Ren d er in g & p l a ster in g B a t hro om & k i tc h en in stall a t i on Fl o or & wall t ilin g Br i c k /bl o c k wor k & p oint in g E xten s i on s & al tera ra t i on s Inter i or & exter i or d ecora t i on

Fuully lly iinsured nsured

G

RReferences eferences available a vaailable

TTel. e l. 0 01242 1242 5520 20 1189 89 Mob. M ob. 07748 0774 8 515 51 5 735 7 35

•

Home Home Refurbishment Refurbishment Loft Loft Conversions Conversions • Extensions Extensions • Kitchens Kitchens and and Bathrooms Bathrooms •

robindaviesrenovations@gmail.com robindaviesrenovations@gmail.com

www.rndrenovationscheltenham.co.uk www.rndrenovationscheltenham.co.uk For a quote quote call call Robin: Robin: 0 07885 7885 801589 801589 For

www.spapave.com w ww.spapave.com BEFORE B EFORE

SPA-PAVE has over 25 years’ experience completing all aspects of driveways in Cheltenham.

Our flexibility and know-how can help you with a variety of jobs including: multi-tone and two-tone brick paving, clay paving, paving sets, patio slabs, bricked patio paving, retaining walls and piers, pathways, planters, recessed manholes, drainage and driveways.

A AFTER FTER

We cover all areas within 25 miles of Cheltenham Spa. Give us a call now for a free estimate. We are happy to help domestic and commercial customers.

0 07949 7949 7 766099 66099 ~ s spapave@outlook.com papave@outlook.com ~ 01242 01242 8 801990 01990 The Local Answer

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 25

GRASS

SCAPE

SPECIALISTS IN

&

15% 15% OFF O FF all a ll w work ork booked booked in in Dec Dec 2017 2017

BLOCK PAVING • TARMAC •GRAVEL • ARTIFICIAL GRASS

Rectory Rectory Fields, Fields, R Rudford, udford, G Gloucestershire loucestershire G GL2 L2 8 8DT DT

Tel: T el: 01452 01452 6 668005/01453 68005/01453 2 297010/01285 97010/01285 2 238089 38 0 89 www.marshallsdriveways.co.uk www.marshallsdriveways.co.uk C Company ompany rregistration: egistration: 0 090645563 90645563

Reliable and Professional Handyman Services

For F or Y Your our R Reassurance eassurance & P Peace eace of of Mind Mind

10% 10% O FF OFF

✆ sales@grassscape.co.uk www.GrassScape.co.uk Manor Farm • Stoke Road • Cheltenham • GL52 7RY

R R S

Trust and rely on our professionally trained ex-foorces personnel for: Guttering • Plumbing • Tiling Garden Maintenance • Decorating when when yyou ou m mention ention T he L ocal Answer Answer The Local Fencing • Decking • Electrics

Please contact Lee on 07763 374173 or leerobinson@handyheroforhire.com www.handyheroforhire.com

Son Ltd Ltd RR Richards ichards & Son FAMILY FAMILY BUSINESS BUSINESS

ASCIA BOARD TS S ROOFING & F ROOFING FASCIA BOARD SPECIALISTS SPECIALIST Serving Gloucestershire and beyond ◆ New New Roofs Roofs ◆ N New ew B Builds uilds ◆ S Slate, late, C Chimney himney a and nd T Tile ile R Repair epair ◆ New New Valleys Valleys ◆ F Felt elt and and Battening Battening ◆ L Lead ead Work Work ◆ L Leak eak R Repairs epairs ◆F Fibreglass ibreglass Roofing Roofing ◆ F Felt elt R Roofing oofing

5 YYears’ ears’ Guarantee Guarantee 115 Ye

Fascias Soffits and Guttering Carports F ascias & S offits a nd G uttering – C arports Replacement R eplacement Fascias Fascias in in a range range of of colours colours FREE W RITTEN QUOTATIONS NO OBLIGATION OBLIGATION FREE WRITTEN QUOTATIONS - NO LOCAL R EFERENCES S UPPLIED LOCAL REFERENCES SUPPLIED

IInsurance nsurance B Backed acked G Guarantee uarantee

01432 870957 / 01242 300028 / 07437 016736 Page 26

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

The Local Answer

IIn nT The he Garden Garden with w ith JJulia ulia Smith Smith

Dress Dress yyour our h house ouse w ith g arden g with garden gifts ifts Poinsettias are on sale everywhere t h i s m o n t h . T h ey o r i g i n a te f r o m Mexico and like warm, dry, draughtfree conditions. They are better b o u g h t f ro m s o m e w h e re i n d o o r s like a garden centre, as standing on a cold market stall outside will do them no good at all. They are very difficult to bring through to next Christmas and need strange conditions such as being kept in the dark for a time and brought into the light for another spell. I believe life i s t o o s h o r t , s o I wo u l d s a y e n j oy them now and send them to the big compost heap in the sky in the new year!

Hang Hang h home-made ome-made w wreaths reaths iin np prominent rominent p places laces It is all too easy to forget the garden at this busy time of year, but it can be dressed up for the festive season by putting outdoor fairy l i g h t s i n t re e s, w h i c h c a n b e s e e n from the house, and hanging homeThe Local Answer

made wreaths in prominent places.

Don’t forget the birds either by tying up a tasty fat ball or seed feeder.

A Add dd h height eight tto o fflowering lowering d displays isplays Dress the house with stems from the garden – use the bare twisted branches of corkscrew hazel or willow for a vase. Use the red or yellow stems of Cornus ( d o g w o o d ) o r S a l i x ( w i l l ow ) , which can be used inside or a l te r n a t i ve l y p u s h e d i n to p o t s outside, to add height to flowering d i s p l ay s . T h e R H S d o t h i s i n t h e i r gardens and it looks very effective.

The long rope like stems of clematis can be used to fashion a front door wreath, and you can use florists w i re t o a d d a n y s p r i g s o f h o l l y o r other things like dried Hydrangea heads, cones, etc. Add a tartan bow and there you have it!

Now, Christmas trees.

I h a v e t o s ay t h a t n ot h i n g c a n t a k e t h e place of a real tree in my o p i n i o n . S o m e of the more expensive ‘ d ro p re s i s t a n t ’ t re e s, such as the Korean fir, don’t have the real Christmassy smell! The Fraser fir tree (Abies Fraser) has the right smell and doesn’t shed its needles, but you do have to pay a premium compared to the old traditional Norway spruce. Whatever tree you buy, if it has a cut end it wil l need

watering every day. Saw off the bottom few inches when you get it home as you would with cut flowers and put the base in a container of water.

H a p py C h r i s t m a s gardening to you all!

To advertise call 01242 510500

and

good

Page 27

Matt Matt G Grimshaw rimshaw Carpentry Carpentry Ltd Ltd Your Y our llocal ocal C Carpenter/ arpenter/ K Kitchen itchen F Fitting itting S Specialist pecialist

All aspects of carpentry undertaken G G

Kitchens G Doors G Timber Flo Stairs G Roofiing G Bespoke Joine G Decking G Fencing

0 01242 1242 6604423/07792 04423/07792 088822 088822 mattgrimshawcarpentry@live.co.uk mattgrimshawcarpentry@live.co.uk www.mattgrimshawcarpentry.co.uk w ww.mattgrimshawcarpentry.co.uk

Promote your business in 20,000 magazines Call now!

The Local

01242

ANSWER 510500

Page 28

10% DISCOUNT ON KITCHEN FITTING WHEN QUOTING TL A

OOKER YOUR Y OUR ELECTRIC ELECTRIC C COOKER OR OVEN OVEN N OT W ORKING? OR NOT WORKING? EST E ST 2 2004 004 l cal TTel: el: 07955 07955 295360 295360

For more information please visit the website @

www.fix-my-oven.co.uk w ww.fix-my-oven.co.uk

DIRTY D IRTY C COOKER OOKER OR OR OVEN? OVEN? Tel: 01242 227067

www.ovenbusters-cheltenham.co.uk www.ovenbusters-cheltenham.co.uk

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

The Local Answer

Interior Interior Design Design w with ith JJade ade W Wilce ilce

Christmas Christmas ddecorating ecorating ttrends rends you should should embrace embrace tthis his yyear ear you Whilst decorating in traditional red, green, silver and gold will always be a firm favourite at Christmas, every year sees new and emerging festive trends that influence how we get our homes ready for the season.

and metallic elements, it can make nature sing! You will also spot in a lot of shops this year the Nisse.

These are tiny barn elves with long hair and pointed hats and they make up lots of festive folklore stories in Scandi countries. It seems we have t a k e n t h e s e l i t t l e e l v e s i n to o u r festivities too.

Ad different ifferent ttree ree This is the one you will be seeing a lot of! This year sees us stepping away from the traditional tree and being a bit quirky yet considered with our Christmas trees. People are sticking with the festive tradition of a tree but using it in ways that work for the home and space you have – the tree is still the centrepiece, but there comes more creativity with it.

For those that are short on space, use a Christmas tree wall hanging t a p e s t r y a n d s o r t y o u r p re ss i e s underneath in crates decorated with holly, ivy and baubles, or if you want to still have a tree, treat yourself to a pre-lit wall hanging half tree and pile

Ak kitsch itsch CChristmas hristmas

the presents underneath. A favourite way has to be grouping bottle brush trees together in multi colours, full of glitter, in unusual places like side t a b l e s, s i d e b o a rd s o r a s a centrepiece on your Christmas dining table.

A SScandinavian candinavian CChristmas hristmas The British have really embraced our Scandinavian cousins and their traditions – just think how hygge has become part of our vocabulary.

Traditionally, Scandinavian countries celebrate on Christmas Eve and I’m n o t s u r e we w i l l b e a d o p t i n g t h a t , but we are using a lot more wood, texture and natural elements to our Christmas décor schemes now.

Collect pine cones and bring them i n to t h e h o m e o r t a k e yo u r gardening gloves with you on a cold, crisp walk and snip off some ivy or snowberries and add style in vases.

Adding natural elements to a Christmas scheme makes it feel very Scandinavian! Paired with clean white, our love of traditional colours The Local Answer

Tinsel is back in a big way this year.

For some, I appreciate that it never went away, but over the top tree decoration is back! Not keen on t i n s e l ? H ow a b o u t a c a c t u s , pineapple, unicorn, llama or a velvet re i n d e e r w i t h g l i t t e r y a n t l e r s ? T h i s year, bright and multi-coloured ornaments alongside pom-pom garlands, glittery baubles and tinsel t r e e s a re b r i n g i n g t h e k i t s c h Christmas décor scheme together!

Whatever your Christmas décor style, it really doesn’t matter! Just make sure you have a great time decorating your homes and enjoying the festivities with family and loved ones. See you all in the New Year!

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 29

S SIX IX D DOORS OORS ONLY ONLY £415 £415 p professionally rofessionally s supplied upplied & ffitted itted IIn ncclludes Handlle es Hiin nges & VAT!

K Keep eep uupp ttoo ddate ate media! oonn ssocial ocial m edia!

HOOSE ANY rimed trade quality 4 or 6 anel doors, with a choice of rass or chrome handles vailable in 2 different designs.

A wide range of handles lus internal, external and professionally painted doors also available.

FREE HOUSE SURVEY y! dayy! toda ccaalllll to

Please contact Justin on:

@thelocalanswer @thelocalanswer

N Not ot jjust ust a carpet carpet c cleaning leaning company... company...

Weekly W eekly clean clean • Ovens Ovens • Windows Windows • Patios Patios Floor End F loor restoration restoration • E nd of of tenancy tenancy cleans cleans

www.door-suppliers.co.uk

AN ANSWER SWER

10% off carpet cleaning when

DOUBLE UP

t: 01242 500283 m: 07974 309348

The T h e Local Local

C Cotswold otswold Carpet Carpet C Cleaning leaning

you quote ‘TLA’

0 01242 1242 8 830882 30882 / 0 07527 7527 677380 677380

1 123carpets@gmail.com 23carpets@gmail.com w www.carpetcleaning-cheltenham.co.uk ww.carpetcleaning-cheltenham.co.uk

BO B OOK NOW!

for Independent Independent FFood A FANTASTIC FANTASTIC D DEAL EAL for ood C al l 0 01242 1242 5 510500 10500 ttoday! oday!

Drink &D rink CCompanies ompanies* – Call GLOUCESTERSHIRE GLOUCESTERSHIRE N NORTH ORTH – 20,000 20,000 M MAGAZINES AGAZINES EEVERY VERY M MONTH! ONTH! 3 month month ccommitment ommitment EEIGHTH IGHTH PAGE PAGE

6 month month ccommitment ommitment 12 12 month month ccommitment ommitment EIGHTH EIGHTH PAGE PAGE

EEIGHTH IGHTH P PAGE AGE

ONLY £55+VAT/month

ONLY £50+VAT/month

ONLY £45+VAT/month

Usual Price £90+VAT/month

Usual Price £80+VAT/month

Usual Price £75+VAT/month

Q QUARTER UARTER P PAGE AGE

QUARTER QUARTER P PAGE AGE

Q QUARTER UARTER P PAGE AGE

ONLY £90+VAT/month

ONLY £80+VAT/month

ONLY £75+VAT/month

Usual Price £150+VAT/month

Usual Price £140+VAT/month

Usual Price £120+VAT/month

HALF HALF PAGE PAGE

HALF HALF PAGE PAGE

H HALF ALF P PAGE AGE

ONLY £150+VAT/month

ONLY £140+VAT/month

ONLY £120+VAT/month

Usual Price £225+VAT/month

Usual Price £210+VAT/month

Usual Price £180+VAT/month

FULL FULL P PAGE AGE

FFULL ULL PAGE PAGE

FULL FULL P PAGE AGE

ONLY £225+VAT/month

ONLY £210+VAT/month

ONLY £180+VAT/month

Usual Price £375+VAT/month

Usual Price £350+VAT/month

Usual Price £300+VAT/month

*Terms and conditions: Offer available on bookings secured by 8th December 2017 by qualifying independent food and drink companies based in Gloucestershire. Minimum three month booking. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount structure. Payment of first insertion via debit/credit card at point of booking, subsequent payments via Direct Debit – customer bank account details to be provided at point of booking. Artwork will be created free of charge from text, images and instructions supplied.

Page 30

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

The Local Answer

QUALITY Q UALITY KITCHEN K ITCHEN FACELIFTS F ACELIFTS

F For or a b beautiful eautiful new new k kitchen itchen ... ... jjust ust change c hange the the d doors oors

N NEEW SSH HO OW WR RO OOM OM OP OPEN ENIN ING JA JANU NUAR ARY 20 2018 18!*

Before

heen acce wh repplla hy re Why accee? reffa can re ou ca you

Installed by local skilled tradesmen G Save £1000s with a makeover G Trusted reputation G

~ Established 1999 ~

Call for a Free Estimate:

01452 0 1452 3 348 48 5 524 24

ww w ww.dreamdoors.co.uk

**18 18 H High igh S Street, treet, Stonehouse, Stonehouse, G Gloucestershire loucestershire GL10 GL10 2NA 2NA

Transforming T ransforming K Kitchens itchens a across cross G Gloucestershire loucestershiree

Gadgets G adgets & G Gizmos izmos with with Laura Laura N Nicklin icklin

SSanta’s anta’s ssack ack of of gadgets gadgets As another year comes to an end and the Christmas decorations start appearing in the shops, you’ll be in need of some inventive gift ideas (this means no more socks). This December, try out some of the latest g a d g e t s t h a t wo u l d f i t p e r f e c t l y under your Christmas tree and also add some flare to your home.

P Popcorn opcorn M Maker aker As the TV schedules become filled up with Christmas movies from ‘What A Wonderful Life’ to ‘Love, Actually ’, what better way to enjoy being a couch potato than with some homemade popcorn? ’Tis the season to stay indoors and get comfy, so you might as well treat yourself. Warm yourself up with the perfect movie snack thanks to this £29.99 850 -watt hot air blower. With no oil needed, it’s not only good comfort food, but also guilt-free.

A Attache ttache R Record ecord Player Player Whether or not you love or hate C h r i s t m a s s o n g s , by m i d November they’ll be blasting out of all the radio stations, so you might as well get used to them.

However, if you’d rather enjoy s o m e t h i n g t h a t s h o w s yo u r appreciation for vinyl and creates t h a t fe e l i n g o f n o s t a l g i a i n your home, the Attache Record Player fits the bill.

N ot only is it aesthetically-pleasing, but at £89.99 this record p l a ye r i s t h e p e r f e c t combination of classic vinyl and modern technology. It’s even got a splash of red to give it that festive feeling!

The portable turntable comes with a s n a z z y v i n t a g e - s t y l e wo o d e n b r i e fc a s e to m a k e yo u l o o k m o re dapper as you carry it about. Inside is the perfectly protected vinyl player, complete with built-in twin speakers.

With its stylish exterior and super-cool interior, this product won’t bore you like a broken record, but will let yo u e n j o y t h e f e s t i v i t i e s w h i l e yo u s i p o n s o m e mulled wine.

A handy gadget to have at home, this drinks dispenser is leak-proof, free-standing and revolving, making it ideal for your own personal bar. If you want to be the host with the most, then this gizmo will give that little extra style when it comes to dishing out the drinks to your merry party.

FFour our B Bottle ottle B Bar ar Optic Optic D Drinks rinks D Dispenser ispenser As an added bonus, its cute retro style will make a nice kitchen addition whilst also having that oldfashioned classic cinema vibe.

Depending on whether you want to give it away as a Christmas present or keep it as a present for yourself (no one needs to know), the handy little gadget is an affordable gift that does what it says on the tin. It also comes with a removable dish.

The Local Answer

Comfort food? Check . Music?

Check . Now all that ’s needed is a helping hand to d i s h o u t t h e d r i n ks t o y o u r guests come Christmas Day – and if you’re the one d o i n g t h e h o s t i n g , yo u ’ l l probably be the one most in need of a drink . At £29.99, the Four Bottle Bar Optic Drinks Dispenser – try saying that five times fast – will help get things really merry.

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 33

Save S ave t the he P Planet lanet with w ith L Lily ily C Curle urle

Our O ur plastic plastic p planet lanet A s m u c h a s we m ay n o t l i k e i t , plastic takes a central role in all of o u r l i ve s . U s e d i n fo o d p a c k a g i n g , b a g s, to y s a n d ev e n c l o t h e s, t h e material is at the forefront of manmade materials. However, it also has a dark side: it’s incredibly difficult to decompose and takes up large amounts of room in landfill sites, and its creation does harm to the environment by releasing CO2.

What’s W hat’s tthe he iissue? ssue?

W h e n i n l a n d f i l l , t h e r e a re m a n y m i c r o o rg a n i s m s t h a t c a n s p e e d u p the breakdown of plastic, however this process releases harmful methane into the air that contributes to the greenhouse gas effect. This is a l s o t h e c a s e w h e n p l a s t i c s a re incinerated to prevent them taking u p ro o m i n l a n d f i l l . N e ve r t h e l e s s, p l a s t i c s a r e ev e n m o r e h a r m f u l when not disposed of correctly, such as being dumped into the ocean f r o m c a r g o s h i p s t o p re ve n t i t remaining on land.

The effects of this upon wildlife can be devastating, as animals such as sea turtles frequently mistake plastic b a g s fo r j e l l y f i s h , i n g e s t i n g t h e m , clogging their throats and ultimately killing them. This is also the case for

The Local Answer

animals that do not permanently live in the sea: seabirds were found to have an average of thirty pieces of p l a s t i c i n t h e i r s to m a c h s , w h i c h cause ulcers and infections.

B e c a u s e p l a s t i c p ro d u c t s d o n o t decompose quickly, they can release harmful chemicals into the land and sea around them. It is estimated that it would take a plastic cup fifty years to decompose, and a plastic drink bottle around 400 years. Some researchers believe that by 2050 there may be more plastic than fish in the oceans for these reasons.

H How ow ccan an I h help? elp?

The simplest way to lower the amount of plastic created and disposed of is to recycle as much as you can. This means that more does not have to be created, as it can be m e l t e d a n d t h e n r e f o r m e d i n to a d i f f e re n t p r o d u c t w i t h a d i f fe r e n t use.

Making little swaps in your daily l i fe can also h av e huge environmental benefits: buy a metal water bottle and reuse it (or at least re c yc l e a l l t h e p l a s t i c o n e s yo u d o use), avoid using plastic straws, including at restaurants, and use canvas bags instead of plastic ones when going to the supermarket, as b a g s f o r l i fe a re j u s t a s b a d a s t h e conventional plastic ones. Reuse tupperware, such as plastic takeaway boxes, instead of throwing them away, and try to buy food in cardboard boxes instead of plastic ones. Altogether, you’ll save money and you’ll help the environment.

No doubt you’ll be buying presents fo r l o ve d o n e s t h i s C h r i s t m a s, s o please do your best to recycle as much packaging and waste as possible, and avoid gimmick gifts that will only end up in landfill.

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 35

Management buy-out at Clearway Doors & Windows

A t h r i v i n g l o c a l d o o r a n d w i n d ow company has been purchased by its existing senior management team.

E s t a b l i s h e d i n 1 9 8 3 , C h e l te n h a m based Clearway Doors and Windows Ltd has been manufacturing and installing windows and doors for over 30 years, growing from a small, twoman business to its present size.

It was previously owned by Jerry Webb, who remains as non-executive chairman with the newly formed East M a n o r G r o u p L td . T h i s h o l d i n g company has also taken control of CDW Systems Ltd, a supplier of high specification door and framing systems, and Designex Cabinets Ltd w h i c h b u i l d s s t r o n g , s e c u re d i s p l a y cabinets with a wide range of applications.

TTurnover urnover iin ne excess xcess off £ o £10 10 m million illion Clearway ’s MD Jeremy Phillips said: “This is an exciting phase in the history of all three companies. The existing management structure has been in place for several years now, so it ’s business as usual, but with more a d d e d s t a b i l i t y fo r our st af f and customers.

“Last year our joint group turnover was in excess of £10 million, and we continue to explore areas and opportunities to increase the scope of our businesses.

The new owners (from left): Martin Rowe, Angela Phillips, Allan Little, Mike Davis, Richard Smith and Jeremy Phillips.

“At Clearway we are already looking at developing new products and systems for domestic customers, while increasing our presence in the local area.”

Clearway Doors & Windows has both a factory and showrooms at Manor Business Park on the Trading E s t a te in K i n g s d i tc h C h e l te n h a m . S a l e s o f i t s a l u m i n i u m products, in particular, has seen a huge upsurge in the past few years.

Dual D ual colours colours “ D e m a n d f r o m a rc h i t e c t s a n d c u s to m e r s w h o a p p re c i a te t h e s l i m m e r p r o f i l e s h a s n eve r b e e n higher,” said Jeremy. “Frame sections c a n b e t a i l o re d t o s p e c i f i c d e s i g n s , and there is a vast range of colours available through powder coating – as well as a choice of gloss, satin or matt finishes. Dual colours are possible too: the exterior can be different to the interior, s o m et h i n g w h i c h i s p a r t i cu l a r l y p o p u l a r with clients living in period properties.”

Clearway has undertaken a variety of projects over the years; s c h o o l s, hospitals, factories and s p o r t s c l u b s h a ve a l l a p p re c i a te d the service and high levels

of customer care received – as well as individual clients whose needs vary from a single item or refurbishment right up to a complete new build.

““With With o our ur customers customers all a ll tthe he w way” ay” “From start to finish, we are involved at every stage of an order,” Jeremy added. “We have our own admin staff, buyers, estimators, commercial and d o m est i c s u r ve yo r s , manufacturing staff and fitters – so we’re with our customers all the way.”

Why not visit Clearway ’s Open Weekend and see the products for yourself? It will be held Friday 19th – 21st January 2018 at 3 Manor Park Business Centre, MacKenzie Way, Cheltenham GL51 9TX .

For more information, visit www.clearwaydoorsandwindows.co.uk or call 01242 513322.

WORD WORD SEARCH SEARCH H G W D C J E U S Q E S P M O W R P B G X I A Q

O Z N C U E T Z H K E Y C G T D Y E G T B V D E

T G Z I L J I O O G X U S A X M T T A U O K N A

C J G D Z H H V V G X D L E R A F L B W O B Y O

H G D Q E E W P E X B B E Z N F S N N Y T W A G

O U X L F B E K L W D F D R W Y D N H B S J I M

C C N S D P A R I M L G E H S K E Y V B U J K K

O O T F R O S T F G J B G N I I K S D S X Q I G

L T U A H S U Q I X I K O L S Y Q A X T Q H C R

A M B D E E O O C H T D W S E E K O K Q B Z A Z

T J Y J Z V M H P Z Z B R F G V S M T O Z Q H B

E A Z A P O I T X Z K K U R F D X D V X U C X E

Winter W inter BOOTS CHILLY COAT COLD CUDDLE FIREPLACE FREEZING FROST GLOVES

HAT HIBERNATE HOT CHOCOLATE ICE SKATING JACKET JUMPER PENGUIN POLAR BEAR SCARF

SHOVEL SKIING SLED SNOW TOBOGGAN WHITE WINTER

I C O C Q L U F W N J I N T T X K J T J A F L D

R C C C L G W W S A I F W C E H O Q K P W H A T

A Q E Y F S O I V E U F L B C K X Z J O V J E U

E S O S X P L C N B N K P J Q Y C W D F T E L Y

B N J C K S W Q O T Q J E X B P P A O R Z N S H

R G A C H A P G D S E E H M N B T Z J F A B A Z

A J B C S E T S K Q D R O X N A G G O B O T H S

L Z P C N R Y I J G X L H B C C G C B I N W N U

O O F G S W L X N H X O D N C V X F Q K H O R N

P O U J S I V L C G M N J O B J S M A Q W W U C

T I F I R E P L A C E H L R Y T J G C R X J Y O

N Y X G I H N N J U S D L F U H Y J U M P E R G

Waa nt to W t o hear h e a r mo m o re fro f ro m fr ca l Answe A n swer er ?

T he h e L ocal

Sign Sign up up ffor or oour ur monthly monthly EE-newsletter!

-newsletter!

SSend end yyour our nname ame aand nd eemail mail aaddress ddress ttoo llois@thelocalanswer.co.uk ois@thelocalanswer.co.uk aand nd we’ll we’ll aadd dd yyou ou to to oour ur mailing mailing llist! ist!

Don’t Don’t llook ook u until ntil yyou’ve ou’ve finished! finished! SSolutions olutions oonn ‘‘Index Index ooff AAdvertisers’ dvertisers’ ppage. age.

Page 38

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

The Local Answer

The Local Answer

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 39

Abbey Group, Units 23/24, Neptune Business Centre, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, GL51 9FB

www.abbeybusinessequipment.com

The Abbey Business Lounge at Gloucester Rugby’s Kingsholm Stadium sponsored by Gloucestershire’s leading business solutions provider

Page 40

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

The Local Answer

Female male Plumber umber Kerry rry Baker Baker

sional plumber Fully insured No job too small

q

Mobile:

0 07880 7880 258158 258158

11st st Choice Choice

AAerial erial & Satellites & Satellites

Digita Digital al A Aerial erial IInstallations nstallations U pgrades Upgrades a nd R epairs and Repairs

110% 0% o off ff with w ith tthis his advert advert Hawkes Mark M ark H awkes

TTel: el: 01684 01684 325024 325024

kerry@thefemaleplumber.co.uk

w www.draindoctorglos.co.uk ww.drain doctorglos.co.uk

All drains an d blockages G All emergency plumbing work G Pre-fixe d prices G Saniflo blockages & installations G High pressure jetting/drain repairs/relining G CCTV sur veys/homebuyers’ sur veys G Local Author ity insurance & wate r co mpany appro ve d G

2 24 4 h hours o urs a d day ay 7 d days ays a w week eek 3 65 d ays a y ear 365 days year

CALL US ON

01242 649415/01684 869415 FREEPHONE 0800 068 1216

O OUR UR R READERS EADERS YOUR Y OUR AUDIENCE AUDIENCE Reach 60,000+ people in the Tewkesbury Borough!

TR REV EV VO ONLY £60 +VAT T OR O R

for this size RO OGE GERS advertisement R (right) including our P PAI AIN NT TER ER & FREE F REE A ARTWORK RTWORK D DE EC CO OR RA AT TO OR S SERVICE ERVICE INTERIOR / EXTERIOR

ONLY £45 +VAT/month when you book for 12 months!

FREE ESTIMATES PAPER HANGING COVING & TILING SPECIAL RAT TES FOR OAPs

016 0 168 84 42 222 222 222 22 077 0 777 77 75 555 556 666 66

For helpful, friendly advice call 01242 510500 or email info@thelocalanswer.co.uk The Local Answer

Money Money M Matters atters with with Roger Roger D Downes ownes o of fA Andorran ndorr ran

IInterest nterest R Rates ates Well we can’t say we weren’t warned, can we? The Bank of England raised base rate from its all time low of 0.25% to 0.5% in November – the first rise since July 2007 – in a move that had been widely predicted for many months.

It set Money Matters thinking back to July 2007 and what was happening in the world the last time we saw such an event.

Quite a lot was going on actually. Smoking was banned in public places in England for the first time. Apple had just launched its iPhone – yes that was only ten years ago a n d I wo n d e r h ow m a n y t r i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s h a ve b e e n banked by Apple since, and how much tax they paid on those dollars of course. Venus Williams and Roger Federer both appeared in their respective Wimbledon finals as they did this year – OK , so some things never change!

Enough of reminiscing. What does the change in base rate mean for the man in the street and those of us trying to run a business? Easy I hear you say – more expensive to borrow but better return on our savings. You would think so, wouldn’t you? But that relies on our banks playing fair by everyone and that’s where the problems start.

P Passing assing o on n tthe he ffull ull ccost ost o off tthe he rrise ise tto o aanyone nyone tthat hat w was as b borrowing orrowing money money Within 24 hours of the Bank of England’s announcement, every single bank in the country had announced that it was passing on the full cost of the rise to anyone that was borrowing money. Immediately (actually some of them o n l y i m p l e m e n te d i t w i t h e f fe c t f r o m t h e s t a r t o f December) our mortgages and bank overdrafts became more expensive. It shouldn’t hurt too much unless this rise is the first of many and this becomes a trend, in which case borrowing will become more expensive to the extent that many younger borrowers will never have seen rates at the levels they could become.

The immediate issue, however, is for savers. As quick as t h e b a n k s w e r e t o c h a r g e u s m o r e f o r o u r b o r ro w i n g s , they have been noticeably slow in passing the benefit on to savers. In fact at the time of writing this article, none o f t h e m h a d . W h a t e ve r “ b u s i n e ss c a s e ” t h e y m a y p u t forward for not doing so, their behaviour is outrageous, yet not surprising. Those of us who can remember back to the events of July 2007 will know that they did the same thing then.

For those of you who are borrowing – keep an eye on what happens over the next few months of Bank of England meetings, which take place on the first Thursday of every month, and keep your borrowing agreements under regular review. For those of you with savings, live in hope that one day the banks will see fit to play fair.

To all of you, a very Merry Christmas!

To advertise call 01242 510500

Page 41

IIndex ndex o of fA Advertisers dvertisers WHAT’S WHAT’S O ON N CCLUBS LUBS & SSPORTS PORTS Sherdons Golf Centre 44 Shipton Golf Course 19 EEVENTS VENTS & A ATTRACTIONS TTRACTIONS Cheltenham Activity Camps 21 Promenade Productions 19

HEALTH HEALTH & B BEAUTY EAUTY Crystal Tips Holistic

19

P PROPERTY ROPERTY & S STORAGE TORAGE Bovis Homes Norton Park Park Home Life Richmond Villages

12 8 4 10

R RETAIL ETAIL Burley Field Lakes Farm Shop 5 Universal Uniform 4

H HOMES OMES & GARDENS GARDENS BATHROOMS BATHROOMS Severn Vale Bathrooms 19 & 43

B BUILDING UILDING SSERVICES ERVICES C&G Paving 24 Grass Scape 26 Home Care Roofing & Building 24 Marshalls Driveways 26 M Moore Building Services 25 R. Richards & Sons 26 Resindrives.co.uk 2 RND Renovations 25 S.J. Lewis & Sons 25 Spa-Pave 25 CCARPENTRY ARPENTRY 28 Matt Grimshaw CCLEANING LEANING SSERVICES ERVICES Cotswold Carpet Cleaning 30 28 Oven Busters FFURNISHING URNISHING & A APPLIANCES PPLIANCES Dream Doors 32 Gloucester Carpet Outlet 31 Just Doors & Handles 30 Rapport Interiors 28

GARDEN G ARDEN SERVICES SERVICES Cheltenham Town Landscaping 24 Grass Scape 26 H HANDYMAN ANDYMAN SSERVICES ERVICES 26 Handy Hero for Hire 28 Handylink LUMBING HEATING H EATING & PPLUMBING 41 Drain Doctor 40 Inceil 41 KB Female Plumber AERIAL TTVV & A ERIAL 41 1st Choice Aerials WINDOWS DOORS W INDOWS & D OORS Albany Windows 34 Clearway Doors & Windows 36-37 39 Cloudy 2 Clear

EDUCATION EDUCATION & TTRAINING RAINING Dean Close Services CCOMPUTER OMPUTER SSERVICES ERVICES Abbey Group LEGAL LEGAL & FINANCE FINANCE Thomson Bancks Solicitors M MOTOR OTOR SSERVICES ERVICES Carsmetix V Hub SKIP HIRE HIRE & RECYCLING RECYCLING SKIP Stevens Recycling

40 9 14 14 42

Th The e Lo Local c al

AN ANSWER SWER To To advertise advertise call: call:

PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL SSERVICES ERVICES CCARE ARE SSERVICES ERVICES Barnwood Trust Lifelink

17

01242 0 1242 510500 5 10500

6 4

P PUZZLE UZZLE SSOLUTIONS OLUTIONS P O

L

I

T

B

I S

R O N

A

R

X

A

E

T

P

O

A

R N

R A

U

M

A

E

V

A S Y

K

L

B

S O

L

O

R

E

A M

E

S

S

Y

A L

E E

X

L

L

R G R

E

E

Y

I

N N

C

T

I

E S

E

N S

R

D V

N

E R

A M B N

I

A

D

I

H G W D C J E U S Q E S P M O W R P B G X I A Q

A E

D L

C P

V O

S

E

Q U E

A A

A

C

I

E S A

T R A

V

E

O G R

E

D E

N

S

CCOMPETITION OMPETITION WINNERS WINNERS Thank you to all who took part in our November 2017 competition and congratulations to the winner! Burley Fields Fireworks – Linda Coxshall of Tewkesbury.

O Z N C U E T Z H K E Y C G T D Y E G T B V D E

T G Z I L J I O O G X U S A X M T T A U O K N A

C J G D Z H H V V G X D L E R A F L B W O B Y O

H G D Q E E W P E X B B E Z N F S N N Y T W A G

O U X L F B E K L W D F D R W Y D N H B S J I M

C C N S D P A R I M L G E H S K E Y V B U J K K

O O T F R O S T F G J B G N I I K S D S X Q I G

L T U A H S U Q I X I K O L S Y Q A X T Q H C R

A M B D E E O O C H T D W S E E K O K Q B Z A Z

T J Y J Z V M H P Z Z B R F G V S M T O Z Q H B

E A Z A P O I T X Z K K U R F D X D V X U C X E

I C O C Q L U F W N J I N T T X K J T J A F L D

R C C C L G W W S A I F W C E H O Q K P W H A T

A Q E Y F S O I V E U F L B C K X Z J O V J E U

E S O S X P L C N B N K P J Q Y C W D F T E L Y

B N J C K S W Q O T Q J E X B P P A O R Z N S H

R G A C H A P G D S E E H M N B T Z J F A B A Z

A J B C S E T S K Q D R O X N A G G O B O T H S

L Z P C N R Y I J G X L H B C C G C B I N W N U

O O F G S W L X N H X O D N C V X F Q K H O R N

P O U J S I V L C G M N J O B J S M A Q W W U C

T I F I R E P L A C E H L R Y T J G C R X J Y O

N Y X G I H N N J U S D L F U H Y J U M P E R G

CCOMPETITION OMPETITION R RULES ULES 1 Prizes are as stated and no cash or prize alternative will be offered. 2 Employees of The Local Answer and their families or households are not eligible to enter. 3 The first correct entry drawn at random after the closing date will win the prize as stated. 4 The winner will be notified by telephone after the closing date has passed. 5 The Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 6 Entrants must be over 18 years, unless stated.

7 Proof of posting is not regarded as proof of receipt of entry. 8 The Local Answer accepts no responsibility for the provision of the prize, which remains at all times the full responsibility of the prize donor(s). 9 By entering any competition you agree to have your name published in the next issue of The Local Answer should you be drawn as a winner of the prize. 10 By entering any competition you agree to have your details passed to a third party.

BOOKING BOOKING D DEADLINE EADLINE FOR FOR NEXT NEXT ISSUE ISSUE – F Friday riday 8 8th th D December ecember 2 2017 017

STEVE

ATTENTION A TTENTION! Let us lighten your load!

Domestic and Industrial Skips Ham Villa Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL52 6NB

01242 522647/529397 stevensrecycling584@gmail.com

Page 42

www.TheLocalAnswer.co.uk

The Local Answer