The Local
ANSWER
JANUARY 2018
200,000 DELIVERED MONTHLY IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE
for local people
GLOUCESTER CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TLA PHOTOGRAPHY 2018 WINNERS
The The Lo Local c al
AN ANSWER SWER G loucester – 446,000 6,000 ccopies opies Gloucester G loucestershire SSouth outh – 441,000 1,000 ccopies opies Gloucestershire Gloucestershire N orth – 220,000 0,000 ccopies opies Gloucestershire North Forest ooff D ean – 222,000 2,000 ccopies opies Forest Dean Cheltenham – 43,000 43,000 ccopies opies Cheltenham Cotswolds – 228,000 8,000 ccopies opies Cotswolds
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 R Roger oger JJackson ackson
January’ss winning cover photo: Lorna Buchanan of South Cerney
W Welcome elcome ttoo JJanuary anuary ...... ... and welcome to 2018! A brand new year full of possibilities and opportunities. No doubt you may have thought about making a New Year’s resolution or two – why not have a read of this month’s editorials for some inspiration? Whether it ’s getting fitter and healthier, looking after yourself by getting more sleep, trying something new in the garden, sorting out your interiors, or even making a resolution for wildlife, our writers have got you covered! If you need some assistance with achieving your New Year’s resolution(s), our brilliant advertisers may be able to help – resolution dependent! Check out their services throughout the magazine. Be sure to take a look at the winning TLA Photography 2018 images inside. Lorna’s is looking fantastic on this month’s cover and we’re really pleased with the winning entries for the rest of the year. There is an exciting twist, though – see inside for details!
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 rrob@thelocalanswer.co.uk ob@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
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IInside nside tthis his m month onth .... .. elicious Dish D Delicious Dish TLA Photography Photography 2 018 TLA 2018 Sudoku Sudoku Looking Good, Good, Feeling Feeling G reat Looking Great Holidays & TTravel ravel Holidays Medical H ealth Medical Health Word SSearch earch Word Quick Crossword Crossword Quick Education Education What’s O n What’s On Leader’s Life Life Leader’s TLA Sport Sport TLA H omes & G ardens Homes Gardens IIn n tthe he Garden Garden W ildlife M atters Wildlife Matters IInterior nterior D esign Design Gadgets & G izmos Gadgets Gizmos Money M atters Money Matters Index , Competitions, Competitions, SSolutions olutions Index,
5 7 8 9 1 1 11 15 15 16 16 20 20 21 21 22 22 25 25 26 -27 26-27 28 28 33 33 35 35 41 41 43 43 49 49 50 50
Competition o np age 7 Competition on page Page 3
D Delicious elicious Dish Dish with w ith Helen Helen Kingscott Kingscott
SSpinach pinach ssoup oup aand nd homemade bread bread rrolls olls homemade FFor or tthe he SSoup o up IIngredients: ngredients: 20g butter; 2 medium onions, sliced; 1 clove of garlic, sliced; 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes; 1.25 litres chicken stock; 300g baby spinach; nutmeg; the juice of ½ a lemon; 4 tbsp single cream. M Method: ethod: 1 Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat and add the onions. Cook gently for 7-8 minutes or u n t i l s o f t ( b u t n o t b row n ) . A d d t h e g a r l i c a n d p o t a to cubes and cook , stirring, for an extra 2 minutes. 2 Add the stock , increase the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Add the spinach leaves, increase the heat again and simmer for a further 10 minutes. 3 Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Purée t h e s o u p i n b a tc h e s i n a b l e n d e r o r w i t h a h a n d - h e l d blender until smooth. Season with freshly grated nutmeg. 4 Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the soup back to the simmer and then stir in the cream
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Start Start tthe he year year ooff ff with with a healthy healthy soup soup – it’s with it’s ppacked acked w ith vvitamins itamins aand nd iiron ron aand nd tastes tastes ggreat! reat! You You could could also also have have a ggoo aatt making m aking your your oown wn rolls. rolls. They’re They’re ssoo eeasy asy to to make m ake aand nd a ffun un rrecipe ecipe ffor or tthe he kkids ids ttoo ttry. ry. What will W hat sshapes hapes w ill tthey hey come come up up with? with?
For For tthe he B Bread read R Rolls olls Ingredients: Ingredients: 500g strong white bread flour; 7g sachet fast action dried yeast; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp sugar; 310ml lukewarm water; 1 tbsp poppy/sesame seeds (optional). Method: Method: 1 Mix all the dry ingredients together and make a well in the middle. 2 Pour in half the water and stir using a fork , gradually bringing in the flour from around the sides of the bowl. 3 Add the rest of the water and continue stirring to form a dough. Add a little extra water if it is very dry. 4 Flour a work surface and your hands lightly. 5 Turn the dough out and start kneading it by pushing it away and folding it back . If the dough is too sticky add a little extra flour but not too much or it will make the bread dry. Keep kneading for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. 6 Put the dough in a large bowl and cover with clingfilm. Leave to rise, preferably somewhere warm but not hot, until the dough has doubled in size. Depending on the surroundings this could be 30 minutes to 2 hours. 7 Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C/gas 6). 8 Knock the dough back . Knead again for about a minute. 9 When shaping the dough, make any shape you want but ensure all rolls are even sizes so they will be ready at the same time. 0 Put the rolls on a baking tray and leave to rise until the 10 oven has heated up. 11 1 Brush the top of the rolls with a little milk or beaten egg and sprinkle seeds on top if you wish. 12 2 Bake the rolls in the oven. Depending on the size they could take any time from 7-15 minutes. When they are ready they will sound hollow if you tap them underneath. 13 3 Put the rolls on a wire rack to cool.
Dog Dog w walker alker Dog Dog & p puppy uppy ttrainer rainer P Pet et ssitter itter D Dog og d day ay ccare are Fully insured, DBS checked, Canine First Aid trained and qualified in dog walking, pet home sitting, dog/puppy training and dog psychology.
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O Opening pening h hours: ours: M Monday-Thursday o n d a y - Th u r s d a y 1 11am-3pm 1am-3pm & 5 5pm-Midnight p m - M i d n i g h t • FFriday r i d ay & SSaturday a t u r d ay 1 11am-1am 1 a m - 1 a m • Sunday S u n d ay 11am-5pm 11am-5pm 99aa SSouthgate o u t h g a t e SStreet, treet, G Gloucester loucester G GL1 L 1 1TG 1 T G (Above (Above Costa Costa Coffee) Coffee) Reservations Reservations 001452 1452 332993 332993 www.theoldbell-tigerseye.co.uk w w w. t h e o l d b e l l - t i g e r s eye . c o . u k
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Your Y our 2018 2018 Cover Cover P Photos hotos Congratulations tto o the the winners winners o ur TLA TLA Photography Photography Congratulations off o our 2018 ccompetition! ompetition! We We h ad some some really really w onderful 2018 had wonderful he yyear ear aand nd it it w as g reat tto o entries across across all all m onths o entries months off tthe was great photographers taking taking part part as as see ssome ome b udding yyoung oung photographers see budding nly b eo ne winner winner per per month month here ccould ould o well. SSadly, adly, tthere well. only be one ome ccracking racking p hotos ffor or next next but we we think think we’ve we’ve g ot ssome but got photos ou llook ook fforward orward tto o seeing seeing year’s covers covers and and we we hope hope yyou year’s tthem hem e ach m onth! each month! where D ecember’s ccover over you may may b ew ondering where N ow, you Now, be wondering December’s intry iimages mages ssubmitted, ubmitted, is. While While we we had had some some lovely lovely w is. wintry should h ave a festive festive front front we really really believe believe this this iissue ssue should we have so w e’re re-opening re-opening tthe he ccompetition ompetition for for the the ccover, over, so we’re December 2018 2018 issue! issue! December You have have until until W ednesday 3 1st JJanuary anuary to to e nter O NE You Wednesday 31st enter ONE CChristmassy hristmassy image image for for tthe he December December ccover over – sso o make make sure yyou ou h ave your your ccameras ameras ready ready over over tthe oliday he h sure have holiday period and and g et snapping! snapping! We We want want tinsel, tinsel, llights, i g h t s, period get decorations, Christmas Christmas ttrees, rees, CChristmas hristmas dinners dinners and and decorations, anything else else festive festive that that would would llook ook g reat o n our our ffront ront anything great on cover! cover! The ccompetition ompetition is is o pen tto o everyone everyone – e ven if if you you The open even submitted tthree hree images images previously, e will will accept accept one one previously, w submitted we more entry entry per per person. person. All All o ther rules rules and and specifications specifications more other still aapply pply ((see see b elow). Good Good luck! luck! still below).
January January – LLorna orna BBuchanan uchanan
FFebruary ebruary – DDerek erek LLightstone ightstone
March March – DDaphne aphne D Davis avis
AApril pril – AAnnette nnette CCanning anning
M May ay – KKerry erry PPalmer almer
June June – Nicky Nicky Legg Legg
JJuly uly – SStephen tephen CClarke larke
August August – David David Hoare Hoare
SSeptember eptember – SSamantha amantha BBelcher elcher
October October – KKaren aren BBailey ailey
NNovember ovember – LLetitia etitia NNewbegin ewbegin
D December ecember – YYou? ou?
D December ecember 2018 2018 Cover Cover H How ow tto oe enter: nter: Send your image along with your name, address and telephone number stating ‘TLA Photography December’ to photography@thelocalanswer..co.uk. No postal entries. Any photos sent in the post may not be returned. Closing date: Wednesday 31st January 2018. Entries received after midnight on this date will not be accepted.
IImage mage CCriteria: riteria: • The image subject must be local to Gloucestershire and relevant to the whole county • Must have a specific focal point • Must have a colour contrast in order for us to select a colour theme for the month (the colour used on the front cover and various pages throughout the magazine)
IImage mage SSpecifications: pecifications: • High quality resolution – 300dpi (dots per inch) – and a minimum of 20cm wide when cropped. • We can only accept file sizes up to a maximum of 10mb and JPEGs are preferred. If you are successful we may ask if you have a larger version to send us, so please keep your original files.
CCompetition ompetition R Rules: ules: For full competition rules please visit our website: http://thelocalanswer.co.uk/competitions.aspx
Sudoku Fill the grids so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.
Fab Feet Sally Sally C Chaplin haplin MCFHP MCFHP MAFHP MAFHP
F Foot o ot H Health ealth P Practitioner ractitioner Ground Floor Clinic:
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la s t Blast Abb B 5.45-6.30pm A 5.45-6.30pm ogaFlow YogaFlow 7.30pm Y .30 – 7.30pm 66.30
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01452 0 1452 8 864796 64796 www.brockworthsports.co.uk w ww w.brockworthsports.co.uk
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L Looking ooking Good, Good, Feeling Feeling Great Great with w ith M Matt att W Wagstaff agstaff
G Goal oal setting setting ffor or 2 2018 018 Consistency is probably the number o n e a t t r i b u te to g e t r i g h t i n o r d e r to become healthier, fitter and stronger. G e t t i n g i n t o a g o o d ro u t i n e a n d following an effective program is vital in achieving your goals. However, before you eagerly dive down that route, your aims and objectives need to be addressed! There are a number of points you need to get right in order to s e t yo u r s e l f a n e f fe c t i ve a n d representative end goal – consider the SMART points below.
Specific Specific Of course your goal should be individual to you, so try to make it less b ro a d s u c h a s ‘ l o s e we i g h t ’ a n d identify a precise figure that you can aim for and relate back to. This allows yo u t o a s s e ss i m p r o ve m e n t , s u c h a s how far you have managed to increase your cycling distance or how much weight you’ve added to your bench press or deadlift.
Measurable Measurable Having a goal that is measureable and assessable is key, so that progress can be tracked often using regular small goals. Trialling different measures is worthwhile. For example, taking photographs so that you can see a difference in body shape, or measuring weight or body fat percentage readings in order to put a number on paper, are all ways of measuring your success and have a varying degree of use depending on your overall goal. J u s t re m e m b e r t h a t w h e n yo u u s e a m a c h i n e to g a u g e yo u r g o a l , consistency is key – use the same s c a l e s , s t a n d o n t h e s a m e h a rd
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flooring, and take photos or days a week are interventions that you measurements at the same time of are unlikely to keep up with long-term. the day and in the same or similar Begin with smaller adaptions to cater clothing. f o r yo u r c u r r e n t f i t n e ss a n d motivation. Healthy habits A Attainable ttainable t a k e t i m e to b u i l d a n d A ny g o a l s et m u st b e should be lifelong rather realistic and within than a short-term fix . reach – choosing a goal that is too hard can lead Time-bound Time-bound to demotivation and an An appropriate goal will increase in the likelihood always have a time of you giving up. Setting constraint in order to regular smaller goals in guide the process order to reach a bigger towards completing the end goal is beneficial. For objective. Noting down a example, a weekly disrealistic time frame, tance increase on a run including the shorter-term when training for a 10km, goals within this process, or a biweekly weight loss goal if you’re will help provide guidance to a suitable aiming to lose a stone are both good duration. short-term approaches that will keep A n y f i t n e ss p r o f e s s i o n a l c a n h e l p you on track . w i t h S M A RT g o a l s fo l l ow i n g a consultation and assessment. Applying Relevant Relevant The goal itself and your onward the SMART principles is a great start , approach must be appropriate. however dedication, consistency and Following short term fad diets or drive will get you to your end goal. initially beginning with training six
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N New ew YYear’s ear ’s Resolutions Resolutions with with a travel travel twist twist H oliday inspiration inspiration from Holiday from Norad Norad Travel’s Travel’s award-winning award-winning expert, expert, Joe Joe Teixeira Teixeira
N ew Ye a r i s n i g h a n d a s y o u i n d u l g e i n retrospection and consider your resolutions for 2018, here are five you might actually stick to! 1 1. Learn . Learn a new new skill skill – Create an experience to remember. Enjoy sailing lessons on the Turquoise Coast or increase your recipe repertoire with a Thai cooking class in Phuket. Learn to S a l s a i n A rg e n t i n a o r try yoga in a Balinese retreat. 2 2.. Update Update your your bucket bucket list list – Is there somewhere you’ve always wanted to go but never got around to? Make 2018 the year you start ticking off your list, whether it ’s a luxury Caribbean escape or vibrant city just waiting to be explored. 3. Celebrate Celebrate in in style style – Have you got a special date 3. coming up this year like an anniversary or a big birthday ? Make the occasion extra special with a sight to take your breath away, like the Northern lights in Finland or get friends and family together in a fairytale castle, luxury villa or on a yacht.
Let N orad TTravel’s ravel’s Let Norad Joe TTeixeira eixeira and and Joe his team team ccraft raft his your perfect perfect your getaway getaway ALL T YPES ALL TYPES O FH OLIDAYS OF HOLIDAYS P op in in or or telephone telephone Pop ffor or aan n appointment appointment
4. Get Get fit 4. fit – forget the gym, take getting fit to the next level. Walk in Austria’s Alpine peaks or cross-country ski in Iceland. Take a cycle ride through Vietnam or surf Hawaiian-style. 5.. M Meet new friends friends – Small escorted group tours 5 eet new with expert itineraries ensure you experience the very best of the destination in great company. What ’s more, there’s always excellent solo traveller savings, so nothing is standing in your way of the adventure of a lifetime.
IINDEPENDENT NDEPENDENT AND AND INFLUENTIAL INFLUENTIAL FOR F OR OVER OVER 35 35 YEARS YEARS
Norad Travel is completely independent and fully bonded with ABTA and ATOL. This means we will always recommend holidays based on your specific requirements, aided of course by our in-depth knowledge and experience. If y o u ’ d l i k e h e l p booking your dream holiday, please pop in or call our team on 01452 260188.
WHER ERE WIL ILL YO YOU G
O IN IN 20 2018 18?
01452 01452 260188 260188
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3 Westgate Westgate Retail Retail Park, Park, Westgate House, House, Westgate The The Island, Island, Gloucester Gloucester GL1 GL1 2RU 2RU glos@noradtravelgroup.com glos@noradtravelgroup.com
Holidays H olidays & T Travel ravel w with ith A Al lH Hidden idden
Explore Explore e exquisite xquisite EEvora vora Christmas and New Year are behind us and, hopefully, the credit card bill will soon be paid. So it ’s time to think about 2018’s sunshineseeking to-do list . Portugal is a favourite destination with predictably good weather that ’s easy to reach from Gloucestershire. Once on the Iberian Peninsula, Pretty UNESCO World Heritage Evora, with its hot weather, millennia of history, myriad monuments and vibrant food scene, makes a great destination. Whether you visit Evora on its own, or go two-centre with Lisbon, Portugal’s second most liveable city is packed with possibilities for an enjoyable weekend or longer. minute’s walk from the city ’s magnificent Roman temple. Evora TThe he jewel jewel iin n has excellent accommodation at all A Alentejo’s lentejo’s ccrown rown price points, but it ’s popular, so We stayed at Pousada Convento early booking is recommended – Evora, a beautifully converted particularly during high season. monastery in the heart of wellDepending on how long you stay, preserved old Evora – and a you may choose to hire a car and explore the surrounding A l e n te j o re g i o n . A l e n te j o i s known as ‘Portugal’s bread basket ’ and is the source of many of Portugal’s best-loved cheeses, wines, meats, fruits and vegetables. We spent a long weekend in Evora, bracketed by time in Lisbon. O n t h i s b a s i s, a n d eve n without a car, Evora offered plenty of things to do within easy walking distance of our Pousada.
H History istory ffans ans w will ill a adore dore EEvora vora The city exudes history and character. From the Roman temple and old town’s r o m a n t i c l a n e s, t o p o i g n a n t C a p e l a d o s O ss o s ( C h a p e l o f B o n es ) a n d t h e m i g h t y The Local Answer
cathedral with its city and countryside views, sight-seeing opportunities abound. Later, for welld e s e r ve d r e l a x a t i o n , d r i n ks a n d alfresco snacks (try tapas-like petiscos), the cafes of stylish Praca do Giraldo are a favourite central gathering place for Evorans and visitors alike.
An A n iimpressive mpressive café café and and rrestaurant estaurant scene scene When serious hunger pangs call for food, Evora’s impressive café and restaurant scene is great for trying traditional specialities. Try borrego assado no forno (mouth-watering oven-baked lamb) or carne de porco com ameijoas (pork and cockles) – e q u a l l y d e l i c i o u s d e s p i te s o u n d i n g rather odd in Portugal’s arid heart . From fine dining at Restaurante Fialho, to Mementos on Rua Cinco de Outubro and many more excellent restaurants, the city confidently satisfies all budgets and tastes. If you crave warm weather, al fresco dining, a history overload and a different perspective on Portugal, Evora is definitely a rewarding choice.
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CCharnwood harnwood H House ouse NURSING HOME
Charnwood House Nursing Home specialises in caring for elderly people, younger people with a physical disability and people with dementia. Warm and friendly atmosphere. Highest standards of nursing care provided.
Owned and managed by Wotton Rise Nursing Home Ltd ● Residents always treated with dignity and respect ● Registered nurses on duty 24 hours a day providing personal and nursing care ● Freshly prepared home cooked food from a menu of residents’ choice ● Activity programme to include regular external entertainers ● Attractive patio and garden for residents ● Close to shops ● Wheelchair access throughout the home ●
Contact Diana or Marina Martinez for more details
Tel: 01452 523478 01452 451249 email: wottonrisenursinghome@hotmail.co.uk 49 Barnwood Road, Gloucester GL2 0SD
M Medical edical H Health ealth w with ith H Holly olly Hannigan Hannigan
H How ow iimportant mportant iiss ssleep? leep? We spend a third of our lives asleep and that is because it is essential to our physical and mental health. In my practice I put a lot of emphasis on the importance of sleep, and work with p e o p l e s u f fe r i n g w i t h s l e e p d e f i c i e n c i e s, m a n y o f w h i c h d o n o t even realise or know of the damage it could be doing. Some of the key effects of sleep deficiency are: • Increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. • Increased risk of obesity, as sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of t h e h o r m o n e s t h a t m a k e yo u f e e l hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin). When you don’t get enough sleep, your l ev e l o f g h r e l i n g o e s u p a n d yo u r level of leptin goes down. This makes you feel hungrier than when you’re well-rested. • S l e e p a l s o a f f e c t s h ow yo u r b o d y reacts to insulin, the hormone that controls your blood glucose (sugar) l e ve l . S l e e p d e f i c i e n c y re s u l t s i n a higher than normal blood sugar level, which may increase your risk of diabetes. • Greater risk from infections. • Studies also show it alters activity in some parts of the brain. If you’re
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sleep deficient, you may have trouble making decisions, solving problems, controlling your emotions and behaviour, and coping with change. • L a c k o f s l e e p c a n b e l i n k e d to depression, suicide and risk-taking behavior. • Children and teens who are sleep deficient may have problems getting a l o n g w i t h o t h e r s . T h ey m a y f e e l angry and impulsive, have mood swings, feel sad or depressed, or lack motivation. They also may have problems paying attention, and they may get lower grades and feel stressed.
• After several nights of losing sleep – even a loss of just 1-2 hours per night – your ability to function suffers, as if you haven’t slept at all for a day or two.
R REM EM ssleep leep iiss ccrucial rucial ffor or o our ur m mental ental w wellbeing ellbeing It’s also worth remembering what an amazing job sleep does when we a re g e t t i n g t h e r i g h t a m o u n t a n d enough of each individual stage. Recent studies have shown that sleep improves learning by helping you pay a t te n t i o n , m a k e d e c i s i o n s a n d s t a y focussed for longer. Rapid-EyeMovement (REM) sleep is crucial for our mental wellbeing, yet is capped at around 20% of our night’s sleep. P h y s i c a l l y we k n ow t h a t s l e e p i s involved in the healing and repairing of your heart and blood vessels, whilst also supporting healthy growth a n d d ev e l o p m e n t . D e e p s l e e p triggers the body to release the h o r m o n e t h a t p ro m o te s n o r m a l g row t h i n c h i l d re n a n d te e n s . T h i s h o r m o n e a l s o b o o s t s m u s c l e m a ss and helps repair cells and tissues w h i c h i s v i t a l fo r e ve r y o n e . S o i t i s clear that sleep is very important! For more information on sleep and h o w i m p o r t a n t i t i s, v i s i t www.hhhypnotherapy.co.uk
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Education Education w with ith G Gemma emma D Drew rew
What What ttoo ddoo oonn yyour our ggap ap yyear ear After applying to university to study English Literature with Creative Writing at Oxford Brookes, I realised I just wasn’t ready. I wasn’t sure about the course, the university and whether uni was for me at all. I d e c i d e d I n e e d e d to t a k e s o m e time out , which has been an a m a z i n g d e c i s i o n a n d o n e I wo u l d definitely recommend to others. A gap year is what you make it . It ’s completely up to you how you spend your time – here’s how I’ve been spending mine:
W Work ork a and nd w work ork e experience xperience H av i n g a j o b a n d g a i n i n g wo r k experience relating to what I’d like to do were the most important things I wanted to achieve. My work experience placements have given me an understanding of the working world and I’ve learnt a lot from them. They’ve made me feel sure about the degree I want to do, as well as the career path I’d like to follow. Most importantly, I got a job at The Lo c a l A n s we r a f t e r p re v i o u s l y working in retail, which has so far proved an extremely valuable experience! Not only has it been great to earn money, but the range of jobs I’ve had have helped me gain confidence. If you’re still unsure about the degree you want to pursue, try to secure a few work placements in different industries or sectors, as this may help you to figure out what you enjoy and excel at , thus making it easier to choose your degree.
V Volunteering olunteering Volunteering is something I’ve hoped to do for a while, and now I’ve got the time to do it . So far, I’ve vo l u n te e re d w i t h Le c k h a m p to n Beavers and I am going to be involved in fundraising for Marie The Local Answer
C u r i e a n d C h e l te n h a m A n i m a l Shelter. I’ve been really enjoying it; it’s so rewarding to give back to my community and it has made me a more well-rounded person. Paid placements can be hard to come by, so why not volunteer your time and energy instead? You may not be able to volunteer in the exact i n d u s t r y i n w h i c h yo u h o p e to f i n d paid work , but you may learn new skills, improve your confidence and find a new passion.
Hobbies H obbies I’ve had a good amount of time to d e d i c a te t o t h i n g s I l ov e d o i n g , a s well as a chance to get to know what they actually are. There’s still so much more I want to do, I just hope I have time for it all! I’d be really happy if by the end of the year I’ve managed to make some progress with learning to play the guitar because that ’s something I haven’t been able to commit to yet. Work and education are very timeconsuming so if you’ve been meaning to learn a new hobby or improve on existing ones, do it while you have time!
Having H aving a b break reak I’ve loved not having to think about studying. I’ve been able to have a break , during which I can spend quality time with my family and friends. It ’s important to get some ‘headspace’ every now and then, and it ’s especially important not to f e e l g u i l t y a b o u t i t . I f y o u n e e d to h a ve t h r e e d u v e t d a y s b e t w e e n work placements to recoup some energy, do it and enjoy it! Travelling, for many, is a big perk of a gap year. There are loads of opportunities available, ranging from volunteering and adventure holidays to simply getting a chance to sightsee. They also vary in length; you could spend all year travelling or just a couple of weeks. So far, my gap year has given me great experiences and opened me up to new perspectives. I’ve become m o re i n d e p e n d e n t , b u t u l t i m a te l y I know that when I go, I’ll feel ready. I’ll be sure about the course I want to do, and I’ll be more confident after s p e n d i n g t i m e fo c u s i n g o n w h a t I want to get out of life. So, what ’s your plan?
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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 iinformation nformation uupdates pdates pprior rior ttoo pplanning lanning yyour our vvisit. isit. 2277 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. St Ann Way, Gloucester GL1 5SH. 01452 338933. www.gloucesterquayschristmas.co.uk 1 DECEMBER DECEMBER – 24 24 JJANUARY ANUARY INTO THE WILD – 23 MAGPIES 23Magpies creates animals with quirky personalities and is a self-professed space fanatic; using mixed media and often merging the two subjects, she explores how fascinating the animals which many of us take for granted truly are. Block colours, geometric shapes, lines and dots – through her evolving style every creation is unique and every creature is an individual. Free entry. Main Gallery, Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, GL1 1NS. 01452 503050. 6 JANUARY JANUARY CEILIDH: HEKETY Hekety play music inspired by the English tradition, some ancient, some modern, all expertly crafted and arranged to please dancer’ss feet and listener’s ears alike. 8pm. Prices at www.subscriptionrooms.org.uk. 01453 760900. Stroud Sub Rooms, George Street, Stroud, GL5 1AE. 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 SECRETS OF SILK WOOD GUIDED WALK Take in the stunning seasonal sights of the ancient Silk Wood. Our volunteers will guide you around the ancient woodland and reveal some of the hidden gems of the arboretum. Please wear suitable clothing and footwear for outdoor walking. Dogs on leads are welcome. 11am. Free after admission. Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury GL8 8QS. 0300 067 4890. 1100 JANUARY JANUARY THE TR RA ANSPORTS The incredible tale of a family destroyed by poverty and crime, but resurrected by exile to the new colony in Australia. With fresh script and musical arrangement, this famous show re-emerges within a modern context of mass migration. 7.30pm. £22. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk 1111 JANUARY JANUARY YO OUNG MARX 1850, and Europe’s most feared terrorist is hiding in Dean Street, Soho. The 32 year old revolutionary is a frothing combination of intellectual brilliance and child-like emotional illiteracy. His writing blocked, his marriage dying, his friend Engels in despair at his wasted genius, his only hope is a job on the railway. 7pm. £16.50 (£14.50, students £12.50). The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham GL51 6EP. 01242 258002.
13 13 JANUARY JANUARY STROUD WASSAIL REVELS It’s the third annual Stroud Wassail Revels. It’s a variety show. Expect drama, ceilidh dancing, music, storytelling and comedy. But also expect the unexpected. 7pm. For prices visit www.subscriptionrooms.org.uk. 01453 760900. Stroud Sub Rooms, George Street, Stroud, GL5 1AE. BRUNCH & BOUNCE A fun and relaxed morning coffee, house style, and open to all – with a bouncy castle and crafts for the children! Join us in the Cathedral Chapter House for good coffee, pastries and the weekend papers. Come and spend time with friends and meet new ones. 9.30 -11.30am. Gloucester Cathedral, 12 College Green, Gloucester GL1 2LX. 01452 528095. 113-14 3-14 JANUARY JANUARY WILD WINTER – WONDERFUL WILDFOWL WEEKEND
In our third Wild Winter weekend we’re showing appreciation for our wonderful wildfowl, celebrating everything duck and goose. Join our wardens on a Bird Watch Morning wildfowl special and enjoy our wildfowl talks with experts. WWT Slimbridge, Bowditch, GL2 7BT. 01453 891900.
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1144 JANUARY JANUARY WHITNEY – QUEEN OF THE NIGHT A stunning celebration of the music and life of one of the greatest singers of our time. A sensational line-up of musicians and artistes, together with a powerhouse and breath-taking performance in the spirit of Whitney. 7.30pm. £25. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk 1155 JANUARY JANUARY TEA DANCE Put on your dancing shoes and enjoy a fun and social afternoon of dancing, live music and, or course, tea and biscuits in the beautiful surroundings of the Main Hall. 2.30pm. £5. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk 1166 & 2233 JANUARY JANUARY ROH LIVE – RIGOLETTO Rigoletto, court jester to the libertine Duke of Mantua, is cursed by the father of one of the Duke’s victims for his irreverent laughter. When the Duke seduces Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda, it seems the curse is taking effect… For details visit venues.gloucester.gov.uk/freetime/guildha llThe Cinema, Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, GL1 1NS. 01452 503050. 1188 JANUARY JANUARY CARDUCCI QUARTET Recognised as one of today’s most successful string quartets. Performing over 90 concerts worldwide each year, the quartet also run an annual festival in Highnam, Gloucester. 7.30pm. From £20. Pittville Pump Room, East Approach Drive, Cheltenham GL52 3JE. 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk BEETLES IN FASHION The Wilson holds some stunning examples of dress reflecting Cheltenham’s history as a fashionable spa. We’ll be revealing conservation secrets and the story behind this early 19th dress embroidered with iridescent beetlewings. Price includes a glass of wine or soft drink and nibbles. Booking is essential. Talk: 6- 6.45pm.
Refreshments: 6.45-7.45pm. From £10. The Wilson, Clarence Street, Cheltenham GL50 3JT. 01242 237431. 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. With a large cast of singers and dancers, lavish costumes, colourful scenery and lots of audience participation, this pantomime is not to be missed! £10 -£15. For details and tickets call Showcase on 01242 224144 or visit promenadeproductions.co.uk 1199 JANUARY JANUARY ’ALLO ’ALLO “Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once… ‘Allo ‘Allo” Pop along to this ‘umble cafe for a night to remember as Rene juggles The Gestapo, The Resistance, his secret affairs and his Wife, Edith. A hilarious comedy dinner show not to be missed! £38pp – includes 3 course meal and disco. Bowden Hall Hotel, Bondend Lane, Upton St Leonards, Gloucester GL4 8ED. 0844 815 9077. 19 & 2266 JANUARY JANUARY 19 OWL EVENINGS
We start with a guided tour by torchlight, followed by a hog roast (vegetarian option available) and mulled wine or hot apple juice with cinnamon. This is followed by a flying demonstration of small owls. Finally, we end the evening with owls free flying in their natural element. Limited places. Wear warm sensible clothes and bring a torch. 7pm. Ages 13+ £28, ages 8-12 £20.
International Centre for Birds of Prey, Boulsdon House, Newent GL18 1JJ. 01531 820286. 20 20 JANUARY JANUARY CIRCUS OF HORRORS The phenomenon returns with its latest brand-new incarnation – ‘Voodoo’. The spectacular features an amazing amalgamation of bizarre and fantastic circus acts all woven into a sensational shock/horror story and the darkest of magic – taking the show to a whole new level. Over 16s only. 7.30pm. From £18. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk STROUD VEGAN FAIR Stroud’s first Vegan Fair promises to be a massive plant based celebration! It will showcase everything from tofish and chips, pies, cheese, cakes, sweets and ice cream as well as clothing, body products, arts, crafts and lifestyle brands. Talks, demonstrations and cookery live-streaming running throughout the day, as well as fun activities for children. 10am. £3 (under 12s free). 01453 760900. Stroud Sub Rooms, George Street, Stroud, GL5 1AE. www.subscriptionrooms.org.uk VIVA NEIL DIAMOND Bob Drury’s one-man show includes all of the favourites such as ‘Cracklin’ Rosie’, ‘Love on the Rocks’, ‘Forever in Blue Jeans’ and of course ‘Sweet Caroline’, plus Neil Diamond’ss UK hit ‘Pretty Amazing Grace’. 7pm. £16. Guildhall Theatre, Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, GL1 1NS. 01452 503050. 21 21 JANUARY JANUARY WINTER WEDDING FAYRE Enjoy a glass of mulled wine and canapes as you take a look at what we can offer for the perfect wedding day. A wide range of suppliers including wedding dresses, photographers, stationary, cakes, DJ and much more. Free entry – please contact Alice to book your place. Bowden Hall Hotel, Bondend Lane, Upton St Leonards, Gloucester GL4 8ED. 0844 815 9077.
LINE DANCING CLASS
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for beginners - a great way to exercise and have fun Thursday evenings 8pm-9pm Cost: £3.50
Hucclecote Pineholt Pineholt Village Village Hall, Hall, Off Off Bird Bird d Road, Road, Hucclecote GL3 G L3 3SN. 3SN. Call Call Mel Mel on on 07534 07534 330100 330100 The Local Answer
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C Can an yyou ou spare spare a ffew ew hhours ours a month month to to support support ppeople eople w with ith llearning earning ddisabilities? isabilities? Full Full training training & expenses expenses ppaid aid For more information call 01452 01452 617346 617346 admin@buildingcirclesglos.org.uk www.buildingcirclesglos.org.uk Page 23
2244 JANUARY JANUARY LIFTING THE BLUES: AYNSLEY LISTER In aid of Lifting The Blues. Aynsley will be showcasing his new album ‘Home’ which has received some incredible reviews, including a seal of approval from Joe Bonamassa. He will be supported by The Black Feathers, made up of Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler. 7.30pm. £20. The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham GL51 6EP. 01242 258002. 2255 JANUARY JANUARY FOLLIES New York , 1971. There’s a party on the stage of the Weismann Theatre. Tomorrow the iconic building will be demolished. Thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls gather to have a few drinks, sing a few songs and lie about themselves. 7pm. £16.50 (£14.50, students £12.50). The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham GL51 6EP. 01242 258002. 26 26 JANUARY JANUARY THE STYLISTICS With instantly recognisable hits such as ‘Betcha’ by Golly Wow, ‘Funky Weekend’, ‘Sing Baby Sing’ plus many more, The Stylistics are one of the most iconic groups in Soul history. 7.30pm. £31.50. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk
26-28 26-28 JANUARY JANUARY GLOUCESTER CAJUN & ZYDECO FESTIVAL Headlined on Saturday by the soulful vocals of Jeffery Broussard, of the legendary band Zydeco Force. A mixture of live music, dancing and dance workshops, all topped off by authentic Cajun & Creole cuisine. Bringing the spirit of Louisiana to Gloucester. For more information visit venues.gloucester.gov.uk/freetime/guildhall Guildhall Theatre, Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, GL1 1NS. 01452 503050. 27 27 JANUARY JANUARY JAZZ IN THE LADY CHAPEL – BEN HOLDER JAZZ TRIO An evening of live jazz in the intimate atmosphere of our Lady Chapel. We welcome jazz violinist Ben Holder back with his amazingly talented trio. He is joined by guitarist Jez Cook and bassist Paul Jefferies. 7.30pm. £16. Gloucester Cathedral, 12 College Green, GL1 2LX. 01452 528095. 2299 JANUARY JANUARY – 3 FFEBRUARY EBRUARY FLASHDANCE The inspiring story of 18 year old Alex, a welder by day and ‘flashdancer’ by night, who dreams of going to the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy and becoming a professional dancer. For times and prices visit everymantheatre.org.uk. The Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ. 01242 572573.
30 JANUARY JANUARY 30 THE ART OF PAPER SCULPTURE Learn how to sculpt and manipulate paper to create a beautiful bouquet of hyacinths. 10.30am-1pm. £10. Nature in Art, Wallsworth Hall, Sandhurst, Gloucester GL2 9PA . 01452 733947. 31 JANUARY JANUARY 31 GLOUCESTERSHIRE RAPTOR MONITORING GROUP (GRMG) PRESENTS AN EVENING WITH HELEN MACDONALD
Helen MacDonald is the author of “H is for Hawk” – a blow-by-blow account of how a falconer exerts her will over a Goshawk , as well as giving a remarkably raw and intimate insight into how Helen coped with the death of her father. GRMG invites you to meet Helen and hear her talk about her books and other work. 7.30pm. £15. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, GL50 1QA . 0844 576 2210. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk
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Leader’s L eader’s L Life ife w with ith Councillor Councillor Paul Paul JJames ames
A year year o off o openings penings and and anniversaries anniversaries 2015, with the Rugby World Cup and the Tall Ships Festival, was badged as ‘Our Big Year ’. I described 2017 as “the year it all starts to come together”. So what will 2018 be? It will be a year of anniversaries and a year of openings. We celebrate the 1100th anniversary of the death of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians and daughter of Alfred the Great, and her burial at St Oswald’s Priory (which she founded). We also mark the 375th anniversary of the Siege of Gloucester in the Civil War – arguably the city ’s finest hour. It’s also 175 years since the publication of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, which has a local connection because Jemmy Wood, known as the Gloucester Miser, is said to have been the inspiration for the character Ebeneezer Scrooge. It’s also the 100th anniversary of the creation of the RAF, since women got the vote, the first woman MP was elected and probably a lot more besides. We will see the long-awaited opening of our new bus station and the completion of phase one of Bakers Quay (the Premier Inn hotel, Beefeater restaurant and Costa Coffee drive thru, plus the Provender apartment building). The University of Gloucestershire’s Business School at Oxstalls is due to open in September and the associated student accommodation at Blackfriars will be ready for occupation at the same time. The new Next home and fashion store at the Peel Centre should be open towards the end of the year too and I’m very hopeful that the former BHS store in Eastgate Street will be occupied, giving the city centre something to cheer about.
The The landscape landscape o off tthe he ccity ity w will ill h have ave changed changed d dramatically ramatically The housing development on the former Kwik Save site, wrapping around Northgate Street , Black Dog Way and Worcester Street, should be completed and our heritage projects – Project Pilgrim at the Cathedral, Llanthony Priory and Discover DeCrypt – will all see major progress. When these projects are all completed, the landscape of the city will have changed dramatically, but there is still a lot to do. I hope 2018 will see us move the next generation of regeneration projects forward, particularly Kings Quarter (including Kings Square) and the former Fleece Hotel site. There will be a planning application for Kings Quarter by the summer, with work starting on demolition by the end of the year. The Council is going out to the market shortly to find a developer partner to regenerate The Fleece site following completion of de-risking works. As well as founding St Oswalds Priory, Aethelflaed was responsible for the street layout of the city centre and much of it remains today. I hope she would approve of what we are doing to regenerate the city 1100 years on. @ @cllrpauljames cllrpauljames
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e e:: paul.james@gloucester.gov.uk paul.james@gloucester.gov.uk
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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
W Why hy iit’s t’s SSofia, ofia, sso og good ood ffor or K Kristof ristof Readers of a certain age will remember the romantic comedy ‘There’s Something About Mary ’, which was a huge box office hit back in the late 1990s. When it was released in July 1998, Kristof Willerton was only four, but while there was Something About Mary for her gaggle of suitors played by Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller among others, for Kristof there is certainly Something About Sofia. That ’s because he has not long returned from the Bulgarian capital where he helped Great Britain win team gold in the World Tumbling Championships. And that success came four years after he became the first Briton ever to win individual gold in the World Tumbling Championships in, you guessed it, Sofia. It ’s fair to say that Willerton is probably the best tumbler that this country has ever produced. The 24-year-old one-time Sir
LLiving iving tthe he d dream ream Gloucester full-back Tom Hudson is living the dream. The 23-year-old h a s p l a y e d a k ey role as Gloucester h ave e s t a b l i s h e d t h e m s e l ve s i n t h e upper reaches of the Premiership in recent weeks and while that is clearly his priority he has Tom Hudson plenty else going on in his rugby life as well. You see, he is also coach of Cheltenham Tigers’ women’s team and he is absolutely loving every minute of it . When he’s not thinking about Gloucester and his own game, he’s consumed by the women’s team that have come on in leaps and bounds in recent times.
Ah hands-on ands-on d dad ad When Neil Galling’s son Connor first s t a r te d p l ay i n g r u g by s e ve n o r e i g h t years ago, he never imagined the
Kristof Willerton
Thomas Rich’ss School pupil is a many times British champion, as well as a serial medal winner at the European Championships. If he’d been born in Russia or China where the sport is big with a capital ‘B’ he’d be a household name. As it is, he’s certainly a big name among British fans of tumbling and, if he has his way, he’s still got several years left in a sport that he first became aware of a year before Cameron Diaz was exciting Ben Stiller and the like while playing the j o u r n ey it wo u l d take them on. Connor is still very much p a r t of t h e junior set-up at Old Richians – he’s captain Neil Galling with son Connor of the under15s – but dad has gone from being just t h a t , a p a r e n t , to b e i n g o n e o f t h e team’s coaches and also acting as the club’s webmaster. “I used to be a parent and I sort of got roped in,” he laughed.
Fighting Fighting m machine achine If you’ve been educated at Cheltenham College there’s every chance that postuniversity you’ll land yourself a job in one of the top professions – a doctor, a d e n t i s t , a s to c k b ro k e r … o r p e r h a p s even a job in the media! T h e o d d o n e o r t wo m ay we l l become a professional sportsman – Gloucester rugby wing Ollie Thorley being a good recent example. Lawrence Tracey, who trains at
title role of Mary in the aforementioned film. So what makes him so good? “I had quite good spatial awareness,” he explained. “I knew where I was when I was in the air. My parents joked that it was because they threw me around when I was younger! “You have to be quite brave and I suppose you’ve got to be a bit crazy. You’ve got to be willing to throw yourself up into the air and I was, I had no fear.” So how would he describe tumbling? “They call it the 100 metres sprint of gymnastics,” laughed Kristof, “because it’s over in eight seconds. “You go down a long tumbling strip which is about 25 metres long. Speed and power are the main focus and you need to be fearless because you’ve got to jump big tricks.” Full story online. Trojan Freefighters in Gloucester, is another. Tracey is a m i xe d m a r t i a l artist. And he has d e s i g n s o n s te p p i n g u p to t h e next level – the U l t i m a te F i g h t i n g Lawrence Tracey Championship (UFC) – which is a world dominated by the likes of fighting machine Conor McGregor.
A rreal eal tteam eam p player layer Elliot Prince runs for fun, he absolutely loves it. But in a sport that can be quite individual, the 32-year-old Cheltenham Harriers athlete is very much a team player. Prince is also a teacher at Upton St L e o n a rd s P r i m a r y S c h o o l a n d i s committed to ensuring that the pupils in his charge are given as much chance to s a m p l e t h e d e l i g h t s o f a s m a n y sports as possible, including football, swimming and tag rugby. For full versions of all these stories and more, visit www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
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Rugby R ugby iiss m much uch more m ore tthan han Megan’s Megan’s p pet et llove ove The South Africans always have a springbok with them when they run out onto the pitch, the Australians a wallaby and the British Lions, unsurprisingly, carry a lion. For Megan Goddard, there’s always a dog close by. And it ’s not just any d og. “It ’s my pet pug Gwen,” laughed Megan, who plays her club rugby for Gloucester-Hartpury. “She comes to all m y g a m e s . My m u m a n d d a d b r i n g her and she comes dressed in a Gloucester-Hartpury shirt!” M u m a n d d a d a re E m m a a n d Richard and they are the 23-year-old’s biggest supporters. Rugby takes up much of Megan’s time, of course, and she has to juggle those commitments with a full-time job at Bournside School where she is a PE technician. It ’s worth all the effort , however, because she’s a very good player as well as being a very good place-kicker. In addition to playing a starring role for Gloucester-Hartpury in the Tyrells Premier League, she’s also played for England and was in the first ever women’s Barbarians team that played against Munster in the autumn. She’s certainly racked up the achievements since she started playing the game at the age of 11. “I was always sporty,” she said. “I’d play all sport but the first time I ever picked up a rugby ball was at a county trial. I was told just to join in but once t h e y s a w m e p l a y t h ey s a i d t h e y couldn’t not select me because I had so much natural talent.” Those county selectors were good judges of course, but what was it that ex-Chosen Hill School pupil Megan liked so much about rugby? “I just liked running with the ball and k i c k i n g i t , ” s h e s a i d . “ I u s e d t o p l ay quite a lot of football but this was a bit d i f f e r e n t , I e n j oy e d k i c k i n g t h e b a l l over the sticks.”
Megan Goddard with her pet pug Gwen dressed in a Gloucester-Hartpury shirt and right playing for England (picture: RFU Collection via Getty Images)
And although she’d hardly played any rugby, she knew where she wanted to be on the pitch. “I was never a forward, no way,” she l a u g h e d . “ I s t a r te d o n t h e w i n g a n d then moved inwards to 10 or 12.” So which position does she prefer? “Fly-half,” she said. “You get your hands on the ball more and can make more decisions. You can run a game from 10. I think my distribution is the strongest part of the game although I have the kicking option.
It It didn’t didn’t h happen appen o overnight vernight “I’m not a crash ball player although I can take it into contact if needs be.” And it ’s that sort of ability that attracted the attention of England’s selectors, although it didn’t happen overnight. “I didn’t play much rugby during my time at school,” she said. “I started off at Hucclecote, then they folded and I went to play for Gloucester Reds. “After that I played for Cardiff Quins before joining Worcester Ladies when I was 18. That was a good move for me because I went straight into their first team. It helped me that there we r e s o m a n y g o o d p l a y e r s a t t h e club.” Megan had already won representative honours – she was selected for
England Under-20s at the age of 16 – and it was while a student at Hartpury College that she earned the first of her five England caps at the age of just 18. “ I p l aye d i n t h e N a t i o n s Cu p i n Colorado in Canada,” she said. “Then I played in the Six Nations so that was really good.” Just when things are going so well, however, sport has an unhappy knack of kicking someone in the teeth and u n fo r t u n a te l y f o r M e g a n , a s e r i o u s k n e e i n j u r y b r o u g h t h e r c a re e r t o a shuddering and lengthy halt. “I did my ACL in 2015,” explained Megan, “and I was out of rugby for a season. I needed a knee reconstruction and then further surgery. Fortunately my parents were very supportive, they saw how low I was.” That injury was bad enough of course but the timing couldn’t have been worse, as it was the period when the top players in the women’s game were going professional. Sadly for Megan she was in no position to press her claims for a fulltime contract, and despite being one of the more high-profile players in the game – her selection for the Baa-Baas i s t e s t i m o n y t o t h a t – s h e re m a i n s strictly amateur. Full story online.
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IIn nT The he Garden Garden with w ith JJulia ulia Smith Smith
TTry ry ssomething omething n new ew iin n tthe he g arden tthis his year year garden Happy New Year to you all! Make this year one where you try s o m e t h i n g n ew i n t h e g a r d e n ; growing a vegetable or two, or p l a n t i n g h e r b s l i k e t hy m e o r rosemary for example. J a n u a r y i s t h e r i g h t t i m e to g i ve wisteria its winter pruning. Cut back the whippy stems that have grown last year to two or three buds. This will create flowering ‘spurs’ to bloom in the summer. Do take care if you have to use ladders – make sure the bottom is secure on a flat surface and don’t lean over to make it unstable. If you have a vast wisteria that has gone beserk after being ignored for many years, it m ay p ay t o c a l l i n a s p e c i a l i s t g a rd e n e r w h o c a n g e t i t b a c k i n to some semblance of order and e n a b l e yo u to c a r r y o n w i t h i t yourself in future years.
putting them on the compost heap to reduce pests and diseases. If you cover the soil with black plastic this will warm the soil up ready for sowing seeds later and keep weeds Warm W arm tthe he ssoil oil u up p rready eady down. ffor or ssowing owing sseeds eeds Choose a mild day and you could Tidy up the vegetable plot by clean algae and moss from your clearing away the finished crops and patio, either using a pressure washer o r a st i f f b r u s h a n d paving cleaner. R e m e m b e r to r e cycle your Christmas t r e e i f y o u h av e a real one. Garden centres will quite o f te n t a k e t h e m , o r t h e l o c a l re c yc l i n g centre or if you have a g a rd e n re f u s e wheelie bin you can lop off the branches and stuff it in there. Either way you can be sure that most of the needles will still
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Ready R eady tto om move ove in in autumn autumn Remove the leaves from the bottom two-thirds and cut remaining leaves in half. Remove a sliver of bark from the base and dip t h e c u t t i n g i n h o r m o n e ro o t i n g powder to aid rooting. You can push them into open ground or use pots which you can put in a cold frame. They will be ready to move to a final l o c a t i o n i n a u t u m n o r p o t o n i n to containers.
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RRedwood edw wood Tree Tree CCare are Specialist Work on All Kinds of Trees • Planting • Topping • Pruning • Deadwooding • Removal (Roots too!) • Fruit Tree Management • Stump Treatment • Health Assessmen 25% HEDGES HEDGES PRUNED PRUNED AND AND T TRIMMED RIMMED 25% D DISCOUNT I S COUNT O ONE-OFF NE-OFF G GARDEN ARDEN T TIDY IDY S SERVICE ERVICE iinn JJanuary anuary L LICENSED ICENSED W WASTE ASTE CARRIER CARRIER 22018 018
Call Dave for a FREE QUOTATION FREEPHONE 0800 696 5445 Mobile 07733 124 800
Woodlands W oodlands Landscapes Landscapes All types of gardening work undertaken or a FREE FREE PPATIOS ATIOS•FENCING FENCING•TURFING TURFING FFor n oo bligation no obligation PRUNING PRUNING•TOPPING TOPPING•FELLING FELLING qquote uote call: call: HEDGE HEDGE CUTTING CUTTING 001452 1452 GARDEN GARDEN CLEARANCES CLEARANCES 899771 899771 A family run business – we won’t be beaten on price! leewoodlands@hotmail.com
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07919 07919 837765 837765
w www.markclifford-landscapes.co.uk ww.markclifford-landscapes.co.uk
Rob Cockburn
Tree & Hedge Services
• Take down, reductions, dead wooding, crown lifting, crown thinning, bracing FIREWOOD • Stump grinding • Tree and hedge planting • Hedge laying, trimming A LOAD and reductions
£60
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m: 07787 578845 t: 01452 700388 e: rob.cockburn16@gmail.com
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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
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Wildlife W ildlife M Matters atters with with Caroline Caroline Shelley Shelley
Make Make a rresolution esolution ffor or w wildlife ildlife J a n u a r y – t i m e to p u t t h e C h r i s t m a s decorations away for another 12 m o n t h s a n d l o o k to t h e s t a r t o f a brand new year. This is the time when traditionally we make resolutions, so why not shake things up this year and make one for wildlife? Here are six suggestions of resolutions you could make that would benefit our wildlife, but may just benefit you too.
1. 1. Visit Visit a woodland woodland There is growing research to show the great benefits that being outside and surrounded by nature can bring to our wellbeing. Woodlands are in decline but fortunately, thanks to groups such as The Woodland Trust , there are areas being preserved that we can all enjoy. By going to spend time in t h e s e wo o d l a n d s yo u g i v e y o u r support to these precious habitats.
2 2.. Plant Plant ssome ome b bee ee ffriendly riendly fflowers lowers
3. 3. EEnjoy njoy w wildlife ildlife iin n yyour our llocal ocal p patch atch N e ve r u n d e re s t i m a te what might be living near you. Even in urban areas w i l d l i fe i s a ro u n d i f y o u t a k e t h e t i m e to l o o k . Perhaps you could enjoy a regular walk in your area a n d k e e p y o u r eye s p e e l e d f o r w h a t yo u c a n spot . As stated earlier, being outside has great b e n ef i t s fo r mental wellbeing, plus the walk is good exercise.
4 4.. B Build uild a b bug ug h house ouse Perhaps not as attractive or obvious as some of the bigger wildlife, but insects are essential as they form a key part of the food chain. Building a bug house is easy to do and fun for c h i l d re n . B u i l d u p a s t r u c t u re w i t h planks of wood or pallets and fill gaps with sticks, leaves, stones, etc. Basically you are aiming to provide a place where insects can crawl into and take shelter. Even something as s i m p l e a s a f l ow e r p o t o n i t s s i d e s t u f fe d w i t h m a te r i a l p rov i d e s somewhere for an insect to crawl into.
B e e s a n d o t h e r p o l l i n a to r s a r e i n decline so with the arrival of spring and summer, planting a few pollinator friendly flowers is a really beneficial thing to do. Plus you will get to enjoy the colour and scent in your garden – it ’s win-win! To attract bees, try cosmos, cornflower, alliums, geum or 5. IInspire nspire tthe he n next ext hollyhock to name a few, and to 5. generation attract butterflies plant a buddleia. Do generation check labels at garden centres as bee Children are very responsive to the friendly plants are usually labelled. natural environment but in modern s o c i et y t h ey a re s p e n d i n g l e s s a n d l e ss time outside. Grab the warm clothes and w e l l i n g to n s a n d g e t them out there. Try pudd le jumping in wetter weather; head out to hunt for signs of s p r i n g ; d o a s c ave n g e r h u n t o r g et t h e m birdwatching with a pair The Local Answer
of binoculars. If you really want to commit , The Wildlife Trust run ‘30 Days Wild’ in the summer, which encourages families to do something wild everyday in June. They provide lots of great ideas and a chart to fill in, and there is also an app.
6. 6. G Get et iinvolved nvolved Thanks to technology there are now so many ways you can help wildlife by partaking in national surveys. The s u r vey s u s e p u b l i c i n p u t t o a ss e ss h ow s p e c i e s a re d o i n g a c ro ss t h e country, meaning the impact on our n a t i ve s p e c i e s o f t h i n g s s u c h a s c l i m a te c h a n g e c a n b e m o n i to re d . There are many throughout the year including The Great British Bee Count in June, The Big Butterfly Count in August and the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this month. It runs from the 27th-29th January and you can register at www.rspb.org.uk . These are just a few ideas of how your New Year resolutions could help to make positive changes for wildlife. You could just do one or go for all six, b u t n eve r u n d e re s t i m a t e t h e difference you can make. 2018 will n o d o u b t b r i n g m o re c h a l l e n g e s fo r our natural environment so let ’s do what we can to help it.
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QUALITY Q UALITY KITCHEN K ITCHEN FACELIFTS F ACELIFTS
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Curtains Curtains & fabrics fabrics ◆ Tracks Tracks & ppoles oles ◆ Interior Interior shutters shutters ◆ Perfect Perfect fit fit blinds blinds ◆ Bay window Bay w indow treatments treatments ◆ Lighting Lighting ◆ Wallpaper Wallpaper ◆ Mirrors Mirrors
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SALE EN NDS 31st JA ANUARY 2018 Eastern Eastern A Avenue, venue, G Gloucester loucester G GL4 L4 3 3BU BU ((Next Next tto oT The he W Weavers eavers S Shop, hop, o opposite pposite S SMYTHS) MYTHS)
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ELITE LOFT FT LADDERS Safe and easy access
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Your local worktop & kitchen specialists I
Granite I Composite Granite Composite I Quartzstone Quartzstone Wood Wood I C Corian orian I Worktop Worktop Refits Refits
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07891 194005
01452 526040 07972 777876
michellepowell81@hotmail.com
mark@eliteloftladders.co.uk www.eliteloftladders.co.uk
Cheltenham based Quartz C heltenham b ased Q uartz & Granite Display Granite Factory Factory with with D isplay Area Area Tel: T el: 0 01242 1242 523398 523398 01452 01452 2 290458 90458 | 0 07970 7970 1 190965 90965
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BellBlinds Bella’s a’s IInterio nterrs ioors rs Blinds & Shutttteers W Where here q quality uality and and customer customer ssatisfaction atisfaction ccount ount ALL A LL T TYPES YPES OF OF B BLINDS LINDS MADE MADE TO TO M MEASURE EASURE •R ROLLER OLLER • VERTICAL VERTICA AL • P PLEATED LEATED • SHUTTERS SHUTTERS •V VENETIAN ENETIAN • W WOODSLAT OODSL AT • C CANOPIES ANOPIES • ROMAN ROMAN •P PINOLEUM INOLEUM • A AWNINGS WNINGS • C CURTAINS URTAINS
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mike@bellasinteriors.co.uk www.bellasinteriors.co.uk Unit 1, Lansdown Ind Est, Cheltenham GL51 8PL
01242 238030
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Three N Three New ew YYear’s ear’s rresolutions esolutions ffor or yyour our h ome home The decorations are down, the house i s fe e l i n g b a r e a n d we h av e a l l vowed to those New Year ’s re s o l u t i o n s a b o u t b e i n g m o r e healthy, exercising more and generally getting into better shape. The New Year’s resolutions shouldn’t just apply to us humans, they should apply to the home too. Here are my to p t h r e e h o m e i m p ro ve m e n t resolutions for the new year and how you can achieve them.
SStreamline treamline y your our sstuff tuff One of the best and least expensive ways to feel better about your home is to clear it of clutter. All those lovely Christmas gifts need new homes and some of the older items could find a home somewhere else. We all acquire a mountain of stuff; cabinets and drawers get jam-packed and it becomes hard to find the things you use and enjoy the most.
Make it your New Year’s resolution to clear anything that you don’t use, wear or love and donate it to charity or sell on one of the numerous buy/ s e l l s i te s . H i d e u s e f u l ( b u t n o t beautiful) items such as DVDs and r e m o t e s, s t o re t h o s e k i c k e d - o f f shoes in simple woven baskets and g r o u p s i m i l a r i te m s t o g e t h e r o n sleek trays for a stylish, clutter free look .
Shrink Shrink y your our b bills ills (and (and y your our ccarbon arbon footprint footprint ttoo) oo) W h e n p e o p l e t h i n k of g o i n g g re e n , t h ey o f te n think it takes a heavy i n ve s t m e n t l i k e s o l a r p a n e l s o r a h y b r i d c a r to make all the difference, but this isn’t the case. There are so many smart and small ways to reduce o u r e n e rg y b i l l s i n 2 0 1 8 and the best place to start i s by c u t t i n g yo u r e n e r g y usage in your home: • Remember to switch off the lights when you leave a room The Local Answer
• I n s t a l l e n e rg y s av i n g b u l b s a n d low-flow showerheads • Fill your dishwasher or washing machine before you press start • Turn off your electric devices when not in use, instead of standby • Give composting a try – your plants a n d g a r d e n w i l l t h a n k yo u i n t h e spring These little things really can make a huge difference to your bills and your carbon footprint.
Try n Try not ot tto ob buy uy – u unless nless y you ou have h ave a sspecific pecific n need eed o orr place p lace ffor or iitt You can declutter everything but we still have a tendency to bring more s t u f f i n to o u r h o m e s . S t a r t a n ew habit this year of spending more mindfully. Depending on your current s h o p p i n g h a b i t s, t h i s c a n b e challenging to get used to, but it is worth the effort. E ve r y t i m e yo u f i n d y o u r s e l f i n a store considering a purchase, ask yourself whether you really need the item in particular if it’s a decor item a n d n o t p u re l y f u n c t i o n a l . B r i n g i t home only if you love it and know exactly where you will put it.
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REASONS R EASONS TO TO B BUY UY F FROM ROM US: US:
• We We buy buy d direct irect from fro om the the manufacturers manufacturers to to save save our our customers money c ustomers money on commission, commission, so so we we can can • Our Our salesman salesman do do not not work work on ensure our getting the the right right product pro oduct at e nsure o ur customers customers are are getting at price tthe he right right p rice expert • Honest Honest and and e xpert advice advice you you won’t won’t find find elsewhere elsewhere seven • Open Open s even days days a week week Mon Mon – Fri Fri 9am-5pm 9am-5pm Sat Sat 10am10am11am-3pm 4pm 4 pm Sun Sun 11am-3pm • Free Free m easuring and and estimating estimating service service with with no no measuring o bligation obligation • The The largest largest selection selection of of flooring flooring in in Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Independent and and local local • Independent
Carpets Vinyls Laminates Rugs Engineered wood Luxury vinyl tiles Artificial Grass
WHERE W HERE K KNOWLEDGE NOWLEDG DGE AND AND S SERVICE ERVICE M MEET EET P PRICE RICE A AND ND Q QUALITY UALITY JANUA RY SALE U P 50% OF TO F ALL FLOORI NG
Q QUEDGELEY UEDGELEY C CARPETS ARPETS S 0 01452 1452 883113 883113 www.quedgeleycarpets.co.uk w ww.quedgeleycarpets.co.uk
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Quedgeley Carpets house over 60 rolls of carpett and 40 rolls of vinyl at any one time. Our huge showroom has a vast amount of samples for you to take and view in your own home. As well as carpets and vinyls, we have the largest laminate and real wood flooring showroom in the South West of Gloucestershire.
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Gadgets G adgets & G Gizmos izmos with with Laura Laura N Nicklin icklin
KKeeping eeping ttrack rack o off 2 2018 018 Happy New Year! Let’s try to ignore the scary realisation that it’s getting closer to 2020 than 2010, and see what ’s in store tech-wise for the start of spring. Whether you’ve decided it ’s time for a ‘New Year, New You’ and want to stick to those resolutions you made (for once), or if you just want to treat yourself, there’s some great gizmos to ponder over. To get you revved up for the new year ahead, have a look at some of the latest gadgets that can help you shape up for 2018.
definitely a recomm e n d e d g a d g et ; i t offers an easy-access to keeping track of y o u r f i t n e ss, we i g h t and sleep, all within a small wristband. Priced at £ 1 0 9 . 9 9, the tracking wristband will help you get the routine you want .
If you want to feel like you’re in a spy movie – and who doesn’t? – then get the Ethan Hunt fe e l w i t h t h e p e r fe c t spy-gadget accessory, T h e i n ve n t i o n o f t h e S u n g l a ss e s Action Fitbit has revolutionised Camera. Its deceptive the way we exercise; it’s appearance of a certainly a millennial n o r m a l p a i r of way to help improve sporty sunglasses is f i t n e ss, e s p e c i a l l y a s i t only to distract looks more like a sleek f ro m t h e h i d d e n accessory than an camera lens built exercising tool. This i n ! W h e n yo u s m a r t w r i st b a n d h a s really want to more to it than it seems; c a p t u re t h e m o m just tap on the small screen e n t a n d e n s u re y o u t o s e e a s u m m a r y o f yo u r can also get great workout , whether you’re ohn LLewis ewis photo quality, the £29.99 leaving the house at the crack JJohn of dawn for a morning jog, hitting sunglasses are for you. the gym for a hardcore workout, or A s we l l a s t a k i n g p h o t o s, i t a l s o simply wanting to keep up-to-date records videos, and the lens is small with how many steps you’ve taken enough that it doesn’t take away in the day. from the ‘cool secret-super-agent ’ The Fitbit also keeps you updated look you might be going for. It ’s with your heart rate, distance and also a great gizmo for sports how many calories you’ve burned, activities, letting you take as well as calls, texts and calendar snapshots of some of your greatest alerts. And with a battery life of up adrenaline rushes, and with its SD to 5 days, it’ll be even easier for you card, these sunglasses can hold up to stay on the go! If you’re in need of to 32GB of memory. If you want to some motivation, the Fitbit is wear these whilst quad biking, just
Fitbit Fitbit CCharge harge 2 H Heart eart R Rate ate and and FFitness itness TTracking racking Wristband Wristband
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Menkind M enkind
Sunglasses Sunglasses Action Action Camera Camera
k n o w yo u g e t u p to a n h o u r o f recording time!
Longridge Longridge Golf Golf A Auto uto Putt P u tt Returner Returner OK , so if you’re not so much of an outdoorsy type, then there’s still this handy little contraption to keep you entertained. The Longridge Golf Auto Putt Returner basically does what it says on the tin – every time a ball is holed, the putt returner spits it back o u t , k e e p i n g t h e g a m e f l ow i n g . A nifty contraption at just £12.99. So, whether you want a to have a quick game in the office, or at home, practice with this battery-operated device to get you in swinging shape.
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JJohn ohn LLewis ewis Page 43
FFully ully IInsured nsured FFully ully Q Qualified ualified C CRB RB C Checked hecked
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Matt Matt G Grimshaw rimshaw Carpentry Carpentry L Ltd td ocal C arpenter/ Your Y our llocal Carpenter/ K itchen F itting S pecialist Kitchen Fitting Specialist
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0 01242 1242 6604423/07792 04423/07792 0 088822 88822
01242 323923 07912 662516
info@pbtinstallations.co.uk www.pbtinstallations.co.uk
Over 18 years’ carpentry experience
Kitchens K itchens & B Bathrooms athrooms ●
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Supply & fit all makes and models; we can even custom build to customer ’s own specification and available space. Our service also includes plumbing, electrical, decorating, plastering, tiling etc., if required. No hassle for the customer – we arrange it all.
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All types of works underttaken. Custom built wardrobes, loft conversions, door hanging, decking, pergolas, patios.
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ON KITCHEN FITTING WHEN QUOTING TL A
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144 Finlay Road Gloucester GL4 6TF Tel: (Gloucester) 01452 307413 Tel: (Cheltenham) 01242 649642 Mob: 07970 547277 Email: info@grpelectricalltd.co.uk www.grpelectricalltd.co.uk
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Gas boiler Gas b oiler service service only £39.50+VAT o nly £ 39.50+VAT
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Money M Matters atters BM B MS SERVICES ERVICES Money W Window, indow, Door Door & Conservatory Conservatory Repairs Repairs
A sspecialist pecialist rrepair epair sservice ervice ffor or w windows, indows, d doors o o rs a and nd conservatories conservatories w with ith o over ver 4 40 0 yyears’ ears’ e experience. xperience. Misted glass Handles Misted g lass • Locks Locks • Hinges Hinges • Handles Seals Conservatory Roof Cleaning leaning Seals • C onservatory R oof C For For ffree ree quotes quotes a and nd a rreliable, eliable, ffriendly riendly sservice: ervice: Am member ember o off Call: 07963 217998 21 7 9 9 8 Call: 07963 E mail: b arrieminett@mail.com Email: barrieminett@mail.com W Web: eb: w www.bm-services-glos.co.uk ww.bm-services-glos.co.uk V VERY ERY C COMPETITIVE OMPETITIVE PRICES PRICES
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O OVEN VENE& RANGE RANGFAENCLEANING CS •LMICROWAVES EANING O OVENS VENS • EXTRACTOR XTRACTOR FANS MICROWAVES H HOBS OBS • AGAS AGAS • RAYBURNS RAYBURNS
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0 01452 1452 4 404600•07958 04600 • 07958 3 383366 83366 w www.ovenandrangecleaning.co.uk ww.ovenandrangecleaning.co.uk info@ovenandrangecleaning.co.uk info@ovenandrangecleaning.co.uk
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DIRTY D IRTY C COOKER OOKER OR OR O OVEN? VEN? Tel: 01242 227067
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2 2018 018 P Predictions redictions Money Matters is not in the habit of making too many resolutions for a New Year, but I thought I would share with you a few predictions for the financial outlook in 2018. Maybe you’ll agree; maybe you won’t. You may even want to have a go at the exercise yourself. We have to start with the UK’s departure from the European Union. The Government appears to have made some progress in persuading EU negotiators to discuss trade arrangements, but it looks like a long haul to me. There has to be a risk that no deal on trade will be struck u n t i l t h e E U i s h a p p y w i t h ev e r y t h i n g e l s e a n d t h a t therefore we will still be talking about this issue this time next year. “Surely not”, you cry! I wish I had your faith. The stock market will, of course, be reactive to the EU trade talks, but the longer those take to conclude, the more jittery the market will become. Could it survive a hit of, say, 20% of share values? Clearly it can, but what will the impact be on savings, pensions and businesses if it did fall that far? Less speculative potentially is the subject of interest rates. We saw our first rise in base rates for a decade in November and it’s not rocket science to work out that they are only going one way in 2018. I think base rate will double to 1% in the next twelve months. We’ve also had the announcement of more bank closures recently and this is another trend that seems certain to continue in the year ahead. More and more of our financial transactions are being done online and I score no marks for predicting that this too will continue apace, but it clearly will! These are bits of fun, of course, rather than advice on which you should rely. I haven’t strayed far from the regular topics. Maybe I should predict that we will see the first £250 million football transfer or that I will win the National Lottery. Fat chance of the latter methinks. Enough of my ramblings. Let me wish all readers a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
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IIndex ndex o of fA Advertisers dvertisers FOOD FOOD & D DRINK RINK Cafe Rene Tiger’s Eye
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BUILDING B UILDING SSERVICES ERVICES 28 BE Rudman 28 C&G Paving Care Construction 30 Davey’s Building Maintenance 30 30 Dykes Builders 40 Elite Loft Ladders 30 Ellis Property Solutions 31 G Kelly Plastering 29 Glos Build Home Care Roofing & Building 28 30 JHD Roofing & Building 30 Marshalls Driveways 2 Resindrives.co.uk CCARPENTRY ARPENTRY Matt Grimshaw 44 Rhodes Carpentry 44 CCLEANING LEANING SSERVICES ERVICES Oven & Range Cleaning 49 Oven Busters 49 Tidy Homes 49 EELECTRICAL LECTRICAL SSERVICES ERVICES GRP Electrical 44 PBT Installations 44 Steve Holland Electrical 44 APPLIANCES FFURNISHING URNISHING & A PPLIANCES Bella’ss Interiors 40 Dream Doors 38 Gloucester Carpet Outlet 36-37 Interior Needs 39 Quedgeley Carpets 42 Sapphire Carpets 40
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COMPETITION COMPETITION R RULES ULES The TLA Photography 2018 winner for the January 2018 cover is Lorna Buchanan of South Cerney.
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BOOKING BOOKING DEADLINE DEADLINE FOR FOR N NEXT EXT ISSUE ISSUE – W Wednesday ednesday 1 10th 0th JJanuary anuary 2 2018 018 Page 50
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