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COTSWOLDS TLA CHARITY GIVEAW WA AY A Y IS BACK! MORE DETTA AILS INSIDE ...
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ANSWER Cotswolds – 30,000 copies Cheltenham – 43,000 copies North Gloucestershire – 20,000 copies Stroud District – 41,000 copies Gloucester – 46,000 copies
Managing Director Dave Kingscott dave@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Editorial & Marketing Lois Kingscott editorial@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Helen Kingscott
Sport Roger Jackson sport@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Entertainment Tom Hadfield To entertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Customer Services Kevin Vaughan-Spruce services@thelocalanswer.co.uk
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Aprril’s winning coover photo: Jaade Pollock of Bisshop’s Cleeve
Weelcome l to April A ... Our TLA Charity Giveaway is back! Yo You have the opportunity to nominate a Gloucestershirebased d charity or not-for-profit organissation to win an a incredible £2,000! Full details of the comp petition can be found inside. We’v ve also included more details about the fundraising campaigns we’re supportting over the ne ext 12 months for our Charity of the Ye Year, r, Coballt. Read more inside about the w wonderful work they do and how you can donate. donate Eastter is fast approaching and you’re probably lookin ng for things to do to entertain your kids during the school holidays. Our What’s On sectio on is jam-packed with spring and Easter events for the whole family including The Bird & Deer Park’s ‘Te Tea With Alice’ event.
Inside this month ... TLA Charity Giveaway Delicious Dish Distributors Required Holidays & Travel Motoring TLA 10th Anniversary Charity Save the Planet What’s On TLA Entertainment Homes & Gardens In the Garden Quick Crossword Wildlife Matters Interior Design Gadgets & Gizmos Word Search Sudoku Money Matters TLA Sport Index, Competitions, Solutions
4 5 6 7 9 11 14 15 18-19 20 21 22 23 25 29 30 31 31 32-33 34
Competition on page 4 Page 3
W I N £2,000 FOR YOUR LOCAL CHARITY OR CLUB
courtesy of The Local Answer and our generous Advertisers Our ‘TLA Charity’ competition is back and bigger than June 20119 Jun ever! In our 10th Anniversary Y Ye ear, we’ll be running Yoouur Clu lub or Charit harity several competitions, giving Gloucestershire-based £ 2,00 00 charities and not-for-profit organisations the chance to Two Thousan ousand Pound ounds win £2,000 each time. The first winner will be announced in our July 2019 issue, along with details of T h e L o c a l An s w e r the next draw. A D VER T I SER S This month, our four brilliant sponsors are Café René, Gloucester Carpet Outlet, Albany Windows and Sherbornes Solicitors Ltd. You can read more about them on our website – thelocalanswer.co.ukk//news/local-information.aspx
It’’ss easy to enter our draw ...
The Local
For your chance to choose which organisation benefits from this prize, send their name (and registered charity number if applicable) along with your name, address (including postcode) and telephone number to ‘TLA Charit y’, The Local Answer, Unit H, Churchill Industrial Estate, Churchill Road, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, GL L53 7EG. Alternatively, enter via email by sending the same information to competitions@thelocalanswer.co.uk stating ‘TLA Charity’ in the subject line. Closing date: Friday 31st May 2019. In addition to our usual competition rules, by entering you agree to have your name and photograph featured in our magazines and online should you win. Only one entr y per household accepted. The winner will be chosen via a random number generator, but the more times an organisation’s name is submitted, the higher the chance it has of being drawn. The Local Answer reser ves the right to discard any entries it believes do not meet the specified criteria. Good luck!
ANSWER
GLOUCESTER
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Delicious Dish with Helen Kingscott
Salmon and asparagus oven bake If you are entertaining this Easterr,, try this really easy, quick and tasty oven bake – with asparagus at its best and salmon hopefully on offerr,, this is a lovely recipe using seasonal vegetables. Ingredients: 600/800g baby potatoes 3tbsp olive oil 1 large red onion, chopped into wedges g 1 box (approximately 270g) Vittoria cherry vine tomatoes (these are so sweet when roasted, but you could use others if you prefer) A couple of fresh rosemary sprigs 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar 4 salmon fillets 1 bundle of fresh asparagus Salt and pepper to season. Method: 1 Preheat your oven to 200°C, (180°C fan/gas mark 6). 2 Scrub the potatoes then pop in your oven proof dish with
the olive oil and stir to o evenly coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then cookk for 15-20 minutes until they y are starting to brown. 3 Add your onion wedges,, tomatoes still on the vine,, rosemary and balsamicc vinegar. Give it all a little mix x around then pop back in the e oven for 10 minutes. 4 Season your salmon then n add this to the dish with the e asparagus and cook for a further 12 minutes or until the salmon is cooked d through. 5 Serve, enjoy and lookk forward to the washing up – you’ve only used one dish so it’ll be nice and easy!
Tips: • Check out your local supermarket or fishmonger – they often have deals on whole salmon around Easter time, and they will fillet it for you so you can freeze the rest. • Try growing your own herbs at home, either in your garden or on your windowsill if you’re limited on space. Y Yo ou can use as much or as little as you like, and it just seems to taste better freshly cut. • Look for thin asparagus spears, otherwise they may not cook through enough. If you can only find larger spears, cut them in half.
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Quenington • South Cerney Stow-on-the-Wold • Stratton 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 100150 copies/hour (equivalent to £6-£9/hour). Magazines are delivered to The Local Distributors’ homes towards the A NS W E R end of each month and we expect deliveries to be completed within four days between the hours of 7am and 9pm. YYoou must be 13+ years old, flexible, reliable and sufficiently physically fit to COTSWOLDS perform the duties. GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S BIGGEST LOCAL MAGAZINE APRIL 2019
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3 DA AY YS – 25th SEPTEMBER 2019
Enjoy an exclusive trip behind the legendarryy Flying Scotsman, on the heritage Nene V Vaalley Railway this Septemberr.. T Trraavvel behind this magnificent, 1923-built locomotive taking you back to the the golden age of steam. Also visit the city of Cambridge brimming full of culture and historyy.. Includes: • Return coach traavvel from Gloucester, r, Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester & T Teewkesburryy • 2 nights at a selected 3 or 4-star hotel with dinner & breakffaast • Exclusive trraain journey behind the Flying Scotsman • En-route visit to Cambridge Single supplement £60pp To book call: 03332 341875 To and quote TLLA A–T Th he Local Answer or visit justgoholidaayys.com/TLA
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Holidays & Travel with Al Hidden
Brilliant Barrcelona It’s hard It’ h d to t believe b li it’ over 30 it’s years since Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé first recorded their duo, ‘Barcelona’. Though decades fly by, Antoni Gaudí’s city – like the song – continues to enchant. Will you stay beachside in stylish La Barceloneta, off pulsating Las Ramblas, in the historic Barri Gòtic, or in Eixample with its excellent shops and restaurants? Whether you choose five-star Hotel W, a chic Airbnb, or Best Western Dante on Caller de Mallorca where I stayed last time, you’re well-placed to explore this city of Gaudí’s Catalan Modernism, amazing food and ‘Barça’ – just don’t mention their arch-rivals Real Madrid or A.C. Milan!
Packed with treasures For a weekend or a week, Barcelona is packed d with treasures. With thirty million visitors a year, r, the city y can be busy, but savvy travellers know that March, May and
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autumn promise good weather and smaller crowdss while meeting the barceloné és. The city is very walkkable, so comfortable shoes and a money-saving Barcelo ona Pass are your keys to exploring – from Port Vell to the Sagrada S Familia, and Plaçça de Catalunya to kaleid doscopic Mercado de La Boqu ueria off Las Ramblas. Don’’t miss Hansel and Gretel-inspired Parc Güell’s stunning g vistas either, or its signatu ure (but smaller than expected)) mosaic ‘el drac’. Of course you’ll visit Barcelona’s h headline sights: FC Barccelona’s Camp Nou s stadium; buildings such as a Casa Milà/La Pedrera; Frank Gehry’s golden fish; and skyscraping Mirador de Colom Make time Colom. e for the less well-known ge ems too: Museo Nacional de e Arte de Catalunya; picnic--friendly Jardins de Rubió i Lluch where Gaudí die ed after being hit by a tram in 1926; or fourteenth--century Monastir de Pe edralbes along Metro line ‘T Tres’. TO ADVERTISE CALL
Delicious Cata alan cuisine In between discovering contrasting ‘barrios’ (neiighbourhoods) be sure to sample Barcelona’s delicious cuisine. Tapas is king, so follow discerning locals to gems like Bar Ramon or Los Torreros. As well as diverse Iberian and international cuisine, savvy gourmets choose Catalan noodle-based fideuà (over ‘standard’ Valencian paella), bunyols de bacallà (cod fritters) and botifarra sausages with romesco sauce – with a glass of Priorat or a Moreneta Blonde craft beer. There’s enough in Barcelona to occupy the most energetic city explorer for days. But for different perspectives, remember it’s also a great base for excursions to other Catalonian attractions such as Santa Maria de Montserrat.
Visit Barcelona soon Mercury and Caballé will delight forever, and so will Barcelona. But don’t wait; if you’ve never been, make sure to visit soon. It’s brilliant – or as the locals would say, «genial». PAGE
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Motoring with Toby Aiken
A big tick for pe erformance and aesthetics ti The Jaguar XE is a good looking car. Let’s get that straight right from the off. I have serious envy about this car and giving it back was only made easier by the fact that it was being swapped for a Jaguar E-Pace… but more about that in a future review. This is Jaguar’s smaller offering – a low slung sports saloon. It’s sleeker than the XF, slightly smaller but perfectly formed with great lines, and while I usually prefer any colour other than white, this test car looked great from every angle, even in that colour.
Extra bodykit and a few style elements Being the R-Sport model, there’s some extra bodykit and a few style elements around the grill and tread plates. There’s still plenty of space in the back, and headroom is not a problem like it can be in some sports saloons. The boot is still big – not as cavernous as the XF, but the rear end is so much better looking that it’s perfectly forgivable! That’s not to say it’s a small boot. The shape is slightly awkward, but you’d fit a few suitcases in it without too much trouble and the footwell space in the back provides some extra stowage if needed. But ultimately ultimately, y, given this is a Jaguar, Jaguarr, the real test is whether it looks good and whether it moves well. This one comes out well in both tests. The performance isn’t blisteringly fast, but it moves well and is very well balanced, so cornering is a joy. In dynamic mode with the drivetrain in sport, it pulls well and puts a THE LOCAL ANSWER
smile on your face. I’d possibly drop half a mark off for the automatic gearbox, w which is generally good, but on a few rare occasions I don’t think the change was as smooth ass I would have wanted. Given the e choice, I’d opt for the manual option anyway Regardless off this, anyway. this it get’s a big tick for performance.
Amazing from all angles a As for aesthetics, this is an amazing looking car from f all angles outside, and wh hen you get in, it gets even bettter. The contours on the driver’s door sweep in front of you an nd all the way round to the othe er door. There’s some lovely chrome touches around too, an nd some great gloss black effect panels. The quality of a few w areas seems a little lower th han you might hope for, r, but giiven the comfortable seats, greatt driving position, and fantasticc touchscreen interface for the e satnav and stereo, it’s not re eally an issue. And speaking ab bout that stereo, it’s amazing. Gran nted, the unit in my test car wass a £530
upgrade, but if you’re spending around £40k on a saloon, I’d be tempted to go for this.
A big price tag Let’s just take a moment to reflect on that. The price tag for this car was almost £45,000 – and that’s a lot. If I were to pit it against i t a rival i l from f a German G manufacturer, r, it’d probably be the Audi A5 Quattro, which is a similar style of car, r, with a similar power output and spec. Both come with four wheel drive and if you pick the S-Line, you’re looking at a similar amount of kit and comparable spec. Cards on the table, I love the Audi A5. There’s something about it that has always appealed. But given the choice between the two, what would I choose? Both are great looking cars, with good performance and family-friendly functionality built in, despite being an executive-targeted car. In reality, y, there’s no contest. I’d make the same choice time and time again. It’s the Jag. Just maybe not in white. And with a manual gearbox.
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Making life better
We are more than just the trust that cares for your mental health needs! We want to improve the lives of those suffffering from mental health conditions and dementia. YOU can be part of the discoverry y!
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Contact our team to see how you can be involved. Our studies are not just for patients. We are interested in understanding how carers, health care professionals and ffa amily members are affffected when someone is suffffering a Mental Health difffficulty or been diagnosed with Dementia. All our projects are run according to strict guidelines and patient care is at the heart of what we do. So please, contact us to see how you can make a difffe erence, because 2gether we can be part of the discovery.
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10th ANNIVERSARY
CHARITY OF THE YEAR
As parrtt of our 10th Anniversary celebrations, we chose to supporrtt Cobalt – a local, Gloucestershire-based charity – by raising vital funds and increasing awareness of their work and current projects. The money we raise will go towards the two campaigns below.
Supporting T Te eenage and Y Yo oung Adults with Cancer Cobalt parrtt funds TY YA A Nurse Megan Wilsher at a cost of £27 7,,000 per annum. The impact of a cancer diagnosis on young people and families is immense. Young cancer patients have unique biological, physiological and social needs during treatment which are distinct from other cancer patients. For teenagers and young adults, traditionally little care has been put into place that delivers according to their specific needs, with patients often either being treated alongside children of a younger age, or with adults. The Cobalt TY YA A Cancer Nurse ensures that the needs of young adult cancer patients are established at a time when they are most vulnerable. Megan’s post is funded through donations to Cobalt and provides an invaluable service. “My role ensures these patients are supported throughout their cancer journey and beyond, helping them to move forward with their life, as they would have without the intrusion of cancer.” Megan W Wiilsherr,, Cobalt TY YA A Nurs rse “I am grate efful to Megan and to Cobalt for funding the job she does. She has been such a great support.” Samantha (Patientt))
Dementia Futures Fund Cobalt need to raise £150,000+ each year to support this imporrttant work. One of Cobalt’s objectives is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of dementia. They use state-of-the-art imaging equipment to diagnose dementia and are working to increase patient participation in research trials studying new treatments. Dementia currently affects 850,0 0 0 people in the UK and it is only through research that the causes can be determined, effecti ve treatments developed and care improved for patients, both existing and in the future. Cobalt are raising funds to support two Dementia Research Nurses who work with doctors and patients to recruit patients onto national trials. They also support many of these trials with the state-of-the-art imaging equipment for patients. Cobalt work with local hospitals and medical professionals to improve the care and facilities for patients with dementia.
One of our fundraising activities is in June when Lois and her boyfriend Jack will be running the Cheltenham Challenge 10k. If you’d like to sponsor them and help us raise money for Cobalt, please visit the link below. You can also find the link on any of our Social Media pages.
Imagine if every household that received a copy of The Local Answer donated £1 – we’’d d raise enough money to support both of Cobalt’s campaigns for a whole year! https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TheLocalAnswer10thBirthdayY Ye ear
WE NEED
VOLUNTEERS • Can you spare just a few hours a m on t h t o support and offffer friendship t o p eo pl e w i t h l e ar n i n g disabilities?
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• Full support, training and flexibility are given, allowing you to commit the hours you choose • We cover the whole of Gloucestershire and help with your expenses Registered charity number 1178538
01452 617346
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Save the Planet with Grant Mitchell of Severn Trent
Keeping our drains and sewe ers running freely Do we all know what we should and shouldn’t be putting down our sinks, drains and toilets? It’s really important that members of the public are aware of what should and shouldn’t enter the water system, in order to reduce sewer blockages, stop our rivers and streams from being polluted and to help the environment.
Your community
Your local drains and sewers that deal with your waste after you’ve flushed your toilet, or emptied your sink, periodically suffer problems in the form of blockages. This is as a result of the wrong things being poured down the sink or flushed down the toilet. So, to prevent the problem from getting worse, there are a few things you can do.
Your help – spread the word Please can you make a special effort to remember to only ever flush pee, poo and toilet paper down the loo, and always
scrape pots, pans and plates into the bin before washing up? If you already do this, that’s great, thank you. Wet wipes, nappies, kitchen roll, face wipes, cotton buds and sanitary items should never go down the toilet. They should instead be put into a bin. And fats, oils and grease (FOG) should never b poured be d down d the h sink. i k When they cool down, they solidify and stick to the water w pipes. If people put the wrong things down their pipes, sewers get blocked, cau using raw sewage to flood into homes, gardens, roa ads and watercourses. Not only y is this really unpleasant, it can severely pollute rivers and stream ms.
The facts
Did you know that Seve ern Trent are called to resolve e 45,000 sewer blockages each year y and 70% of them are cau used by people putting the wron ng things down the sink or toilet?? And what’s more, this costs a whopping £10m to sort out. Yo You can see from the images in this article what happens when wet wipes and FOG collect in our pipes.
Fine to flush
Did you know that most wipes are not designed to be flushed down d the toilet? As they arre moist toilet tissue, only wipes with the ‘Fine to Flush’ logo on the packet can safely be flushed… but still only one or two t at a time please. Try to keep p an eye PAGE
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out for the logo and think twice before flushing any wip pes.
Collect your fat, oil o and grease Why not try using one of Severn Trent Trent’ss Gunkpo ots or an old container to trap any fat you might produce when n you’re cooking. Wait for the fat to cool, then pour it into the po ot, scrape it into the bin – and then reuse it. If you nee ed more information n about this, please visit the Severn Trent website for some useful tipss on how to prote ect our wonderful water network: www.stwate er.co.uk/ about-us/environ nment/ bag-it-and-bin-it/
Thank you
Finally, thank you for y your help in making sure we kkeep our drains and sewers running freely. THE LOCAL ANSWER
What s On The Local Answer Event Listings are compiled and pre esented in good faith with the kind support of many contributors. We recommend you use the contact details provided to check event information updates prior to planning your visit. 20 MARCH – 20 APRIL JOSEP SUBIRACHS AT AT CHAPEL ARTS A collection of the Spanish sculptor and painter Josep Subirachs’ works, including bronzes, drawings, paintings and prints. Coffee Shop available. Wednesday – Saturday, 10am-4pm. www.thechapelarts.com UNTIL 28 APRIL LAMBING AT AT COTSWOLD FA FARM PARK
With the first bleats of new arrivaals and the anticipation of many more in the air, lambing is our favourite time of year! y Come and share it with us; settlee down in the Animal Barn and keep your eyes peeled. Join us for daily talks, acccess to our lambing shed, bottle feedinng our lambs and goat kids, Farm Safari rides, Adventure Barn and Dolly’s Den soft play and much more! Full details at www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk. Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Pow wer, Ch lt h Cheltenham, GL54 5FL. 5FL 1-6 APRIL HAIR THE MUSICAL It’s 1967 and HAIR’s hippie “tribe” youngsters in the East Village of New York are yearning to change the world, questioning authority and the American flag. Wild, colourful, sexually
liberated and free, they are unitted in protest and song, under the shaadow of the Vietnam war. Full details at www.everymantheatre.org.uk The T Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ. 01242 572573. 1-30 APRIL COTSWILD EXPLORERS The Cotswold Wildlife Park’s neew ‘CotsWild Explorer’ activity trail launches in April for children aged 611 years old. The Egg themed trrail pack (available from the gift shop) comes with a pop badge, lanyard and a pencil for £2.50 per pack (pluss normal entrance price) with 10% % going to Penguin conservation. www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.u ld ildlif k ukk 4 APRIL HORRIBLE HISTORIES: BRAND NEW BARMY BRITA TAIN We all want to meet people from history. The trouble is everyonee is dead! Prepare yourselves for Horrible H Histories live on stage with a brrand new West End show! Would yoou be shaken or stirred by Richard III? Mount a mutiny against King Heenry VIII! See Mary Tudor knock the spots off Mary Queen of Scots! The history h of Britain with the nasty bits left in! 1.30pm and 6.30pm. £14 (£12). Thee Bacon Theatre Hatherley Road, Theatre, Road Cheltenham, GL51 6EP. P. www.bacontheatre.co.uk 5 APRIL WHOLE LOTTA TA LED’S 2019 TOUR FEAT ATURING LED ZEPPELIN II 2019 sees the 50th anniversary of the release of one of the greatest aalbums of all time – Led Zeppelin II. Whhole
Lotta Led will perform a series of Led Zeppelin II to celebrate this incredible album. 7.30pm. £20. The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6EP P.. www.bacontheatre.co.uk 6 APRIL COFFEE MORNING A ATT ALDERMAN KNIGHT SCHOOL A special coffee morning to raise money and awareness for World Autism Awareness Week, a Post 16 Belgium Trip and Friends of Alderman Knight School. Refreshments, a raffle and a car wash to help raise funds. 10am-12pm. Alderman Knight School, Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury, GL20 8JJ. www.aldermanknight.gloucs.sch.uk 6-22 APRIL THE BIG BA ATTSFORD BUNNY HUNT! The Easter Bunny’s helpers have escaped and they’re hopping around the Arboretum – find them to win a prize! £2.50 per child (plus Arboretum entrance fee) and all children must be accompanied by an adult. No booking required – just turn up and enjoy! 9am5pm. Batsford Arboretum, Moreton-inMarsh, GL56 9QB. www.batsarb.co.uk EGGSPLORE EASTER Do you know what happened on the very first Easter Day? Come and explore this amazing building to find the answer. £1 per copy from the gift shop. If bought with the Discovery Trail (£4.50), ‘Eggsplore Easter’ will be free. When you have completed the trail visit the gift shop and claim a tiny egg! (subject to availability) Gloucester Cathedral, 12 College Green, GL1 2LX. www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk
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To list your event in our What’s On section, email production@thelocalanswer.co.uk To Online event listings coming soon! T To o keep updated send your name and business name (if applicable) to lois@thelocalanswer.co.uk stating ‘Online Event Listings’. THE LOCAL ANSWER
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6-22 APRIL EASTER TRAIL Come to Over Farm to take part in our children’s Easter trail, which will take you on a short walk around the farm in search of the Easter bunny’s giant eggs. There’s a small prize in store, if you can crack the trail. Look out for our friendly animals along the way and don’t forget your wellies! £5 per child. No need to book. 9am-5pm. Full details at www.overfarm.co.uk. Over Farm, Over, Gloucester, GL2 8DB. 6-28 APRIL EASTER EGG TRAIL Get into the spring spirit by chasing down all of the naughty pheasant chicks hiding in the Castle rooms. Can you spot them all? Hunt for all of the Giant Easter Eggs that have appeared in the gardens for a chocolatey reward! Included with admission. For more details please visit sudeleycastle.co.uk. Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, GL54 5JD. EASTER EGGSTRAV VAGANZA A VA ATT COTSWOLD FFA ARM PARK We’ll be skipping and jumping into the spirit of spring with an egg hunt around the Park with a prize for every child. There will also be craft activities and a puppet show to entertain the little ones, and the usual Farm Park fun – stroking bunnies and holding chicks, bottle feeding the lambs and the chance to feed those greedy goats! For full details visit www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power, Cheltenham, GL54 5FL. SPRING FAMILLY Y TRAIL Follow the trail to find out the secrets behind the Snowshill garden – it’s a magical place at this time of the year. Come and explore and find out more about Charles Wade’s special garden. 11am-5.30pm. Snowshill Manor and Garden, near Broadway, WR12 7JU. 6-23 APRIL VICTORIAN EASTER FESTIVAL A ATT THE HOLST BIRTHPLACE MUSEUM A variety of events including Bake Back in Time Easterr,, Children’s Craft Drop-In, Victorian Spring Clean and Victorian Posies. For full details including dates, times, prices and activities, visit holstmuseum.org.uk Holst Birthplace Museum, 4 Clarence Road, Cheltenham, GL52 2AY AY. Y. 12 APRIL STTA ALKING AND HARASSMENT POLICE EVENT An opportunity to talk to the police about stalking and harassment. The police engagement vehicle will also be parked and able to discuss any other policing concerns you have. Waitrose, Stroud. Friday 122tth April 2019. 10am-3pm.
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THE KAST OFF KINKS Three former members of band ‘The Kinks’, back together playing grreat music and re-living the good tim mes. This great line-up features Mick Avory, Ian Gibbons and John Dalton alongside Dave Clarke. Expect an evening of iconic hits including ‘You Really Got Me’, ‘Sunny Afternooon’, ‘All Day and All of the Night’ and more. 7.30pm. £22.50 (£20). The Baconn Theatre, Hatherleyy Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6EP. P. www.bacontheatre.co.uk 12-14 APRIL THE COTSWOLDS DECORAT ATIVEE, ANTIQUES & ART FA FAIR A wide variety of pieces for colleectors, home furnishers, interior designeers and anyone looking for unusual decoorative accessories. 11am-5pm. Admission £5. Enquiries: 01278 784912. Complim mentary tickets: www.cooperevents.com 13 APRIL LONGLEVENS CHURCH AUCTIO ON Viewing starts at 10am and sellinng at 12 noon. No buyers/sellers premium m. Bargains galore! Refreshments available. il bl Holy H l Tr Trinity i it Church Ch h Ha Hall, ll Longlevens, Gloucester GL2 0AJ. Further details from Janet or Ericc Chitty on 01452 500229. JIVE TA TALKIN PERFORM THE BEE GEES The timeless repertoire of the Bee B Gees is brought to life in this stunning stage production. This charismatic ensemble boasts stars from TV and London’s West End and is fronted by real-life family members Darrenn, Gary and Jack Simmons making for an a unrivalled vocal harmony blendd. 7.30pm. £20 (£18). The Bacon Thheatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GLL51 6EP. P. www bacontheatre co uk www.bacontheatre.co.uk 14 APRIL OPEN GARDEN & RARE PLANTT FAIR Join us in this beautiful spring gaarden by the River Coln, browse the sppecialist nurseries for interesting and unuusual plants, explore the garden and eenjoy light refreshments in the pool sidde Café in support of Cobalt. 11am-4pm. Entry £5 per adult, under 16s free. Quenington, Cirencester GL7 5BN. OPERA ANYWHERE – HMS PIN NAFORE This is a tale of mismatched lovve across different social classes. Josephine is the captain’s daugghter and has fallen for lowly sailor Ralph. Ralph R Yet her father has other ideas – he has promised her to Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Will love prevail? Climb aboard to find out and enjoy a feast of fun along the way. 2pm. £20 (£17, under 18s £10). The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6EP. P. www.bacontheatre.co.uk
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15 APRIL AMAZING BUBBLE MAN
Louis Pearl has been thrilling audience worldwide for over 300 years with the art, magic, science and fun of bubbles. From rocket bubbles to flying saucer bubbles, the Amazing B Bubble Man conjures shrieks of laughtter and gasps of amazement from all agges. 2pm. £12.50 (£10.50). The Bacon TTheatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GLL51 6EP. P. www.bacontheatre.co.uk 15-19 APRIL ALDSWORTH TO BURFORD Art@Aldsworth group of artistss are holding an exhibition of original paintings and glasswork. At Waarwick Hall, Burford. 15th April: 12-4.30pm. 16th-18th April: 10am-4.30pm. 19th April: 10am-4pm. Come and meet the artists. 16 APRIL – 12 MAY AY INTO THE BLUE The colour blue is generally associated with the sky and the oceans, but is oddly rare in nature. It has different meanings in different cultures and was the first man-made colour pigment in 2,200 B.C. This selection of work celebrates blue in a varied mix of both 2D and 3D items. £5.25 adults, £4.75 conc, £15 family. Full details at natureinart.org.uk Nature in Art, Main A38 Tw Twigworth, Gloucester, GL2 9PA PA. 18-20 APRIL PAT ATESIAN PLAY AYERS Alan Ayckbourn’s Confusions Local, dedicated actors bring you a short series of plays about our everyday lives: funny, reflective, poignant and incisive. Come and join us at two local venues for a memorable matinee or evening. 18th & 19th April, 3pm, Sober Parrot, St James Square. 19th April, 7.30pm & 20th April, 3pm, Bethesda Church, Great Norwood Street. Tickets £10, £8. To book call 07946 418552 from 1st April. April 19-22 APRIL CADBURY EASTER EGG HUNT Join us this Easter for the Cadbuury Easter Egg Hunt. Get close to naature while you follow the clues on sitte to claim your prize. There is a small charge for the trail. All ages welcome. £2.50. £ 10.30am-4.30pm. Chedworth Rom man Villa, Yanworth, GL54 3LJ.
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19-22 APRIL EASTER WEEKEND AT BERKELEY CASTLE Easter would not be the same without the thrilling Dragon extravaganza. Visitors of all ages will have the opportunity to experience fantastic dragon puppetry, get face-to-face with a baby dragon, and take part in the colourful Chinese Dragon Parade. Join the Easter hunt and don’t forget to collect your free treat. Full details at www.berkeley-castle.com 20 APRIL THE GREAT EASTER EGG TRAIL Come and join the fun! Explore the park, hunt for clues, meet the Easter Bunny and win a chocolate prize! Quiz sheets £2.50 from Sandford Park Café. A joint event for Cobalt and Maggie’s. 1-4pm. Sandford Park, Cheltenham. 20-21 APRIL MAD HATTER’S TEA PARTY The Bird & Deer Park is well known for its Easter Mad Hatter’s Tea Party but this year it is going to be huge fun and totally different. So are you ‘Team Alice’ or ‘Team Mad Hatter’? A tough choice but no matter which team you join up with, the two professional dance theatre artists will ensure your children get into character and are transported to another world! 10am and 12.30pm.
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Full details at thebirdpark.com. 01452 812727. The Bird and Deer Park, Prinknash, Cranham, GL4 8EX. 26-28 APRIL TETBURY WALKING FESTIVAL 9 walks over three days starting from The Goods Shed Arts Centre GL8 8EY. No charge for the walks. Free parking at The Goods Shed. Information at www.tetburywalkers.co.uk. Email: tetburydfootgp@gmail.com 27 APRIL RENEGADE FESTIVAL 2019 Our annual showcase of all things Gloucester music, ReneGade Festival returns for 2019 with a jam-packed, jump-up lineup! Join us from the afternoon for open-air music, an outdoor bar and BBQ, and good vibes until the early hours. 2pm til late. Free entry. For more details visit www.caferene.co.uk. Café René, 31 Southgate Street, Gloucester GL1 1TP. WORLD PENGUIN DAY Join us for a day of Penguin related activities and competitions, all located by the Penguin pool, in aid of the ‘Sphenisco’ charity, dedicated to the conservation of Humboldt Penguins. Penguin talk and feed at 11am and 3pm. Help feed the Penguins at 1pm for £1 donation (subject to availability). www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk
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4 MAY COBALT PLANT SALE Greenway Nurseries are providing wonderful plants for the Cobalt Plant Sale. Come along and buy bedding plants, perennials or shrubs and enjoy coffee and homemade cake in our Linton House pop up café. 10am-1pm. Cobalt, Linton House, Thirlestaine Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7AS. For more information call 01242 535922. 6-29 MAY THE MAY RACING CARNIVAL AT WARWICK RACECOURSE Four days of action-packed racing with events including Kids Carnival Day, Ladies Night, Proudly Warwick and Celebration Race Night. For full details of the carnival, please visit www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/warwick 25 MAY – 2 JUNE THE WILDLIFE ART SOCIETY EXHIBITION An opportunity to see and purchase beautiful works of art and to meet artists who are dedicated to promoting conservation of all species. Daily 10am-5pm and final Sunday 10am-3.30pm. Entry is FREE with good parking. Set in the beautiful grounds of Nature in Art Gallery and Museum, Main A38 Twigworth, Gloucester GL2 9PA. SatNav Postcode: GL2 9PG.
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Entertainment
If you have a story to share, please email full details to TToom. with Tom Hadfield ‒ entertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Cirencestter singer’s first steps into o pop Whether you love it or hate it, pop music is one of the biggest and most listened to genres ge enres in the world. From Gaga to Grande, pop regularly rules the charts and over the years has dominated radio stations and streaming services alike. For many emerging artists it can be a tough nut to crack, but it’s a challenge Cirencester singer Noella Usborne is looking forward to. “I’ve been singing ever since I can remember,” said the 19year-old. “I started learning how to play guitar and piano when I was seven or eight and I’ve been practising since.” Noella lives in Chalford but considers herself a Cirencester girl having spent lots of time in the town, including two years studying Performing Arts at Cirencester College.
Noella Usbornee
She released her de ebut single ‘Unrequited’ at the beginning of March, an ‘alt-pop anti-love song’ that she wrote herself. h “I’ve been song writing since I was about 14,” continued Noella, “I think like every artist you can get writer’s block but you’ve just got to push through, and like anything it gets g easier and better the more you y do it.” Noella recorded, produced and
Film Review – Joe Kennett Captain Marvel With ‘Av Avengers: Endgame’ just around the corner, r, Marvel have come at us with a final blockbuster, r, leading straight into the finale of the current series of films. Brie Larsen enters the Marvel cinematic universe higher, further, faster than ever in the franchise’s first female-led superhero movie. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have created a new generation in Marvel – the pace is fast, the story is solid and the jokes are witty. It can be hard to keep up with at first, but it will not disappoint. The film has the elements of a retro alien invasion movie with all the excitement thatt fans of the franchise expect. Th his origin story gives a new w lease of life to modernday feminism. Captain Marvel is an unstoppable force, and she’’s going to be the perfect addition to the universe. Full review online.
wrote the single alo ongside Sam Judd, one half of Stroud-based S electronic music duo KOMODO. KOMODO The pair met while attending Thomas Keble Com mprehensive school, and Noella explains e how working with Sam m has been such a massive help p. She continued: “It’s been fantastic, he’s a mucch more able producer than I am m. I’m much more of an instrum mentalist and a vocalist and he’s good for translating my gobb bledygook! “I can say someth hing like ‘can we put another boo op there’ and he can do it. “I’m going to keep on writing and get more experienced with producing and may ybe even do some self-producing. “I want to do some s more collaborations and d hopefully release an EP soon. I really want to work on myself as a an artist.” Full story online.
Book Review – Aloÿse of Daylesford Book Club The e Red Address Book
by Soofia Lundberg How w many of us still use address books? This novel revolves arou und a “red-leather address book, its bent corn ners revealing the yello owed paper within.” It belongs b to 96-year-old Doris who lives alone in her Stockholm apartment. She was given the address book by her father and from that mom ment she kept a note of all the peo ople she met thro oughout her life. This is a debut novel inspired by the author’s great aunt who had a similar address book. Through the book Lundberg encourages us to talk to older people to listen to their stories and learn from their experiences. The author portrays old age as it is. Many of us will know a Doris, but the outstanding themes of the book are memories, sorrow and most importantly love. Full review online.
Above is a selection from local entertainment stories available online ...
Art • Events • Experiences • Film • Lifestyle Literature • Music • Reviews • Theatre • TV
Photographer prom moting body positivity Sophie Mayanne has had a whirlwind couple of months, as the photographer behind a major body positivity ad campaign. The ‘Mothercare Body Proud Mums’ campaign features unaltered pictures of mothers and their new-borns, aiming to normalise what a postpartum body looks like. For Cirencester-based Sophie, the campaign is the biggest she has worked on yet. Sophie Mayanne with one of her photographs “I photographed 10 mums at says, but only o after studying Art different stages with their and Design at Cirencester babies, to show the reality that College did she begin to focus once you ha ave a baby everyon taking pictures. p thing chan nges and that’s She wa as approached by normal,” she e explained. Mothercare e following her work Originally from Wales, Sophie on a perssonal project called moved to Cirrencester when she ‘Behind The T Scars’, which was five yearrs old, and currently photograp phs and celebrates lives in Siddington. everyday people p with scars. Her intere ests have always “Tw Two ye ears ago I did an been artisticc and creative she
editorial for a magazine where I photog graphed 10 people with scars ” ccontinued Sophie. scars, “I felt th hat I’d only just brushed the surfa ace so I continued the project and have now photographed around 450 people.” It was also two years ago when So ophie made a pledge to never airrbrush or retouch any of her phottographs, a brave move in an ind dustry that often aims to hide imp perfections. “On Be ehind The Scars I never retouche ed anything anyway,” she explained. “Then a model who I ph hotographed four years ago wass telling me about her struggless with anorexia.” Sophie e’s pledge came at a time wh hen more and more people in the fashion industry were beg ginning to take a stand against u unrealistic portrayals of women in media. Full story y online.
Society ready forr first concertt of year The Cirencesster Choral Society is one of the t oldest choral groups in th he county, having started in 1863 as singing lessons for lo ocals. Now over 150 years on and still going sttrong, the Society performs two o or three concerts a year at Cirencester C Parish Church. “We have around 100 singers,” explain ned Andrew Crane, the Chairman n of the Society. “I’ve been involved for 25 years and Ch y hairman for seven, but we hav ve members who have been singing s for longer than that.” Anne Ricka ard, who handles publicity for the Society thanks partly to herr background as a former copy y editor, has only been with th he choir for a fraction of time co ompared to Andrew.
Esterhazy Paalace where Haydn wrote mass in time of war mass
But she says the welcoming nature of the group made her feel at home instantly. “I was a bit apprehensive when I first came along five years ago,” she said. “I hadn’t done any singing since school apart from joining a village
choir, b choir but when I retired I wanted to join a group that performe ed major choral works. “Everyone was really friendly and I’ve e been coming ever since. It’s amazing, even if you’ve b been feeling tired all day you com me to rehearsal and feel completely different, it gives you a liftt.” The So ociety is preparing for their nex xt concert which will be on Saturrday 27th April, and will feature a Haydn mass and pieces by y Mozart, Salieri and J C Bach. “We generally perform works from the 17th century right up to the present day,” continued Andrew, “and like to include some pieces most of us have never sung before as well as choral favourites.” Full story online.
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In the Garden with Julia Smith
Spring garden n growth Who knows Wh k what h t April A il has h i in store weatherwise? We have had snow in April, hot, dry spells and constant rain, so anything is possible! This is a good time to plant ornamental grasses in freedraining sandy soil, but if your soil doesn’t sound like this you can add plenty of grit to clay soils to improve the drainage. Alternatively, create a raised bed with bricks or sleepers to aid drainage.
Cascading hummocks of vivid foliage Some grasses look great in pots like the Japanese Hakonachloa macra ‘Alboaurea’, which is an eye-catching small ornamental grass, forming cascading hummocks of vividly striped bright yellow and green foliage. The narrow leaves keep their colour throughout the season – although it loses its leaves in winter – and often when the plant is grow wn in full sun it develops a reddissh tinge. I prefer it grown in shade s to keep the yellowy-green colour. Now for ponds, it is a good time to reinstall any pum mps and filters that have been removed r
Picture: The Bressingham Gaardens
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over winter. Thin out oxygenating plants that are ‘taking over’. Divide and repot any marginal plants tha at have become pot bound and a top dress with grit. Don’t add any fertiliser to pond plantss, as this will make algae growth worse.
Encourage the grass to grow nice and green Begin feeding the law wn in April when growth starts again. Use a propriettary spring/summer lawn fe ertiliser in two applications. It should be high in nitrogen to encourag ge the grass to grow nice and green. g If you need to apply a weedkiller on the grasss, do it two or three weekks later when everything is growing strongly. Don’tt mow for two or Don three days after apply ying, and if you have mown don’t apply weedkiller for tw wo or three days. Also remem mber not to compost the clipping gs, which have been treated d with weedkiller. Personally,, I don’t mind seeing a lawn containing daisies and other flow wers, and
life is easier if you learn to love them!
Now is the time to grow sunflowers If you fancy growing sunflowers with your kids, now is a good time to sow w them. Plant them in a 9cm pot and provide a little bottom heat just to get them t to germinate. Ke eep them inside on a wiindowsill or greenhou use and tie up to a cane as they grow. They T can be put outside e as soon as the chance of frost has gone and d either planted in nto the garden or repotted into a 15cm pott. April iss also a good time to plant evergreens, both hedging and d specimen shrubs. P Plant into well-prepared soil w which has had organic matter and a handful of general purpose fertiliser added. Keep w watered, especially in dry spellls as we move into warmer weather.
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Wildliffe e Matters with Maxine Raggatt
The humble honey bee You may be b surprised i d to t learn l that there are over 250 species of bee in the UK alone. Bumblebees, for example, have 24 different species. This month’s focus is the honey bee. They can usually be seen between March and October, flitting between flowers and collecting precious nectar. They live in beehives in hollow trees or rock cavities.
Queen bee
A single hive can have 20,00060,000 honey bees with only one queen. The queen bee is the biggest in the colony, measuring about 2cm. Her job Drones is to lay eggs; she can produce Male honey bees are e called up to 2,000 eggs per day. drones and they have no stinger The worker bee so cannot cause harm m. They w weeks Worker bees are female. Their often live for only a few a then role is to produce honeycomb to mate with the queen and by secreting wax from their they will die. Just a few hundred abdomens. They must also go drones are produced in a colony p to the thoussands of out and forage, g , keep p the nest compared clean, feed the larv vae and worker bees. At summer’s end, es are the protect the nest from prredators. the few surviving drone first to be kicked outt of the colony so they cannot consume c the winter stores.
How is honey mad de?
Worker bees will fly within five miles of their hive to o collect pollen and nectar. Th hey will consume what they ne eed first for nourishment and then continue to gather morre, which will be stored in theirr second stomach. When the bee e returns to the hive, a young wo orker bee will suck the nectar ou ut of the foraging bee’s second sstomach. The nectar will then be chewed for about 30 minutes to add enzymes, which will form a syrup. This syrup will then be deposited into a hon neycomb THE LOCAL ANSWER
segment. By flappin ng their wings, the water in th he syrup will evaporate to reach the right consistency. The honey y is then ready to be capped. This is when the worrker bees produce wax from m their abdomens to spread over o the honeycomb segment to store the honey while it awaits awa aits later consumption during the winter months.
Help save the honey bee
There are a few simple things you can do to help bees thrive. You can start by mowing the grass less often and not using pesticides. Planting a beautiful wildflower garden is also hugely beneficial, as such a diverse range of flowers are produced, all with various benefits. Herbs, flowers, trees, shrubs, fruit and vegetables are all beneficial to many species of bee, which is imperative for their survival. Bees also need water. If you don't have a birdbath, you can place a small tub of water among the flowers or out on a table to help the hard at work species.
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Interior Design with Gill Greenwell
Spring refresh It’s Spring at last; the snowdrops have gone, the daffodils are out and the tulips are blooming in all their glorious colours. After the dull and cold winter months, the sun starts to stream in through our windows – a perfect time to think about refreshing and updating our homes. Here are some ideas to help you get started.
Colours that say ‘now’ The simplest and most costeffective way of redecorating is to use paint. There is so much choice of paint colours available now – and you don’t have to stick to grey. The current trend is for warmer, r, softer tints – think blush pink or soft coral. There’s even talk of beige coming back – you heard it here first! If you fancy trying one of the new stronger hues like teal or forest green you can always use it on a feature wall. Farrow and Ball is still the goto place for inspiration, or you can have your fa avourite
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colours made up forr you at your local DIY store.
A trend for prints A quick and easy way to brighten up yourr interiors is with new w cushions and throws. Swap wool and faux fur for cotton and linen fabrics in one of the gorgeous new floral orr botanical prints (greatt f outdoor for td f furniture it too). to ) Add a throw in a soft colour for those cooler evenings.. You could also recove Yo er a tired old chair with a brig ght new fabric which always works. w If you are replacing g your curtains, try something g lighter in a paler shade – think soft voile or textured line en, and partner with shutters or o blinds for extra privacy. Yo ou’ll be amazed how much ligh hter and brighter g your room loo y oks.
The new naturals Natural materials are a great spring/summer option for rugs and furniture, and are ccurrently
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very much h on trend d – good d for f the environment too. Try swapping heavy wool rugs for seagrass or coir. If you are considering upgrading your furniture, think bamboo and rattan for a more relaxed feel. I was in Australia at the beginning of the year and I noticed lots of beautiful low woven rattan chairs, often styled with neutral or tropical print fabrics and big green plants. I felt I just wanted to sink into them with my favourite cocktail.
An extra stylish touch It’s always good to add that special personal touch to your home. I particularly love coloured glass and textured ceramics. Look out for unusual colours or shapes for glasses and vases to add a dash of style to your scheme. Smaller interiors shops are a good hunting grou ground und for these. I found a beauttiful pale aqua ribbed vase in a local Nordic interiors shop and I fill it with masses of pink tulips. It lifts my spirits every y time I walk into my sitting ro oom. Now all you need to t do is pick up your paintbrush and have fun restyling you ur home. PAGE
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Gadgets & Gizmos with Laura Nicklin
The sky’s the limit! IIs it a bird? bi d? Is I it a plane? l ? Is I it a drone causing chaos at Gatwick Airport? Well, whilst it’s hopefully not the latter, there are still some fun flightthemed gizmos you can enjoy. From the realms of outer space, to the fantastical flying beasts of myth, these winged gadgets can help you to find your inner Buzz Lightyear and go to infinity and beyond!
Toothless & Lightfury g y Soft Toys From the much-loved ‘How to Train Yo Your Dragon’ franchise, come the adorable Toothless and Lightfury, in much smaller, more plush form, compared to their movie counterparts. These ‘Squeeze & Growl’ dragons make for adorable fire-breathing beasts; just squeeze their tummies to unleash a fierce growl. For kids wanting to te test est their dragon-training skillss, these 10-inch-tall dragons make m for the perfect pal. With h AG13 batteries included, and d priced at just £19.99 each, let your kids take to the skies.
Argos
Spider Drone This gadget is sure to get g your spidey senses tinglin ng, as it looks and sounds like something straight out o of a Marvel movie. Well perhaps p that’s because this drone d is based on one of Tony y Stark’s many tech wonders from Spider-Man: Homecoming; it even includes a voice sample from Karen, Karen the AI from Peter Parker’s spider suit. This drone is great for beginners, as it includ des auto and manual flight modes, as well as autom matic launch and land ding features, and adjusta able flight sensitivity. It also has Sky Viper firmw ware, meaning you can enha ance its agility. At £49.99 9, it doesn’t matter if you’re a kid or an adult, y you can still feel like an Av Aven nger with this super tech.
our larger universe. Th his 85cm diameter system is designed to give an up-close presentation of the eight plan nets; just hang from the ceiling, and let the gadget rotate. The solar system, which w is remote-controlled, can also multi-task as a nig ght-light, with its glowing sun orb! At £25 99 this is a fun, stylish £25.99, and educational gift idea to get kids more intereste ed in the solar system.
Remote-Controlled Solar System
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Money Matters with Roger Downes of Andorran
Hello Making g Ta Tax Digital (MT TD) Whilst the majority of the coun ntry has been concentrating on Britain’s exit from the EU, HMRC has been quietly preparing us for the arrival of Making Ta Tax Digital (MTD D) for VA VAT. Well it’s here and time to say Hello MT TD. With a small number of ex xceptions, all b i businesses which hi h are VA VAT registered i t d and d whose h turnover is greater than the registration threshold of £85,000 will have to submit their returns digitally. This means direct from your accounting systems to HMRC’s computers, without going through the Government Gateway or any other portal. We have been working with clients for months now to prepare them for the arrival of MTD. If you run a business and are not aware of what is needed, you need to ‘get your skates on’.
Identify which HMRC-approved software you are going to use
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THE SOLUTION FOR YOUR NEW BATHROOM ... Your local family business
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The first job is to identify which software you are going to use. There are several cloud accounting systems that are available and most will do the job adequately for a ‘basic’ business. Our experience, however, r, is that the providers have brought a simple product to market, but that as soon as you need something a little more sophisticated, they come up short. Work out what you need your accounting system to do for you, examine the options, talk to your advisers and take the plunge! It is possible to keep your records on spreadsheets and add bridging software that will submit your returns digita digitally. ally. But don don’tt assume you can simply use whattever software you want; to be acceptable to HM MRC, they have to approve it in advance. Change is coming very quickly and, if you’re affected, you need to be taking acction now.
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Chris Den nt upbeat ahe ead of new season Chris Dent has been on ne of the main men at Gloucesterrshire for a good number of years yea ars now even though he only celebrated his 28th birthday at the start of this year. He first played for the club at the back end of the 2009 season and these days he is very much Gloucestershire’s number one opening batsman, and is also preparing for his second season as captain of both the county championship and 50-over teams. He is now one of the most experienced players in the squad, having played close on 240 games for the club in all competitions. And that experience was one of the key factors in earning him the captaincy last season in what is essentially a pretty young squad. Head coach Richard Dawson has promoted a good number of youngsters
Chris Dent
over the past couple of o seasons, peferring to give a you ung player a chance instead of bringing in a journeyman cricketter from outside to fill a hole. It’s meant regula ar opportunities for the likess of Miles Hammond, Jack Brace ey, George Hankins, Ben Charlesw worth and George Drissell in 2018, chances that they certainly too ok.
One of the main men Steve Aldridge first played for Moreton-in-Marsh Bowling Club in the mid-1980s. Fast forward 30plus years and Aldridge is still playing bowls for Moreton-in-Marsh. But that doesn’t Stevee Aldridge quite tell the whole story, though, beccause he stopped playing in 1985 because of work and didn’t rejoin the club until four years ag go, since when he has taken over o the captaincy.
The Bobby Dazzler Bobby George is big and brash and darts fans the world over love him for it. His appeal stretches beyond his chosen sport, of course, because he is something of a TV
Throw in all-rou under Ryan Higgins, the 24-ye ear-old who joined from Middlesex at the end of the 2017 sea ason, and it’s not difficult to see the t direction Gloucestershire are heading. “Ye Yes, we’re a young side, but we’re also a good side.” Dent said. “I think we proved that at the end of the last season s when we had some good results.” Indeed they did because they ended the campaign with three wins and two draws in the longer format of the e game. It saw them finish h fifth in the 10-strong Division T Tw wo of the county championsh hip and Dent added: “We want to start the new season the wa ay we ended the last one.” The 2019 campaign gets under way on Thursday 11th April with a championship ga ame against Derbyshire in Bristo ol. Full story online. Gloucestershire for the Cheltenham Masters, an ever-popular e event that this yearr takes place at the Centaur at Cheltenham Racecourse on Frida ay 5th April.
Full speed ahe ead
Bobby George in his heyday h
star in his own rightt, and has been a big favourite on o the BBC show The Real Marigo old Hotel in recent times However, it’s for his darts that the 73-year-old y rem mains best known and he remains in big demand even though by his own admission his days as one of the leading players have long since gone. These days he’s wanted for his larger than life personality as much as for his darts and as such he will soon be heading to
Chris Rogers had ju ust returned from a two-week skkiing holiday in Canada when he spoke s to The Local Answer. That’s pretty much h downhill all the way, of course e, but since returning to his day job it’s been very much uphill all a the way, although not in a ba ad sense. You see, Rogers is general manager and club secretary of Prescott Speed Hill Climb, the home of the well-established Bugatti Owners’ Club, and this year the club are celebrating their 90th anniversa ary. For fu Fo full vers rsions of alll th these stori ries and more please visitt our website: www. w.thelocalanswer.r.co.uk
Above is a selection from local entertainment stories available online ...
London calling for Sam Timms Sam Timms was looking forward to forward to her her next next training training run run ahead of this year’s London Marathon when The Local Answer called. And it wasn’t just any old location either because she was doing g the training g run in Tokyo, close on 6,000 miles away from her home in Oakridge Lynch. And that’s not all because the previous week she was running in Sao Paulo as part of her preparations for the big race on Sunday 28th April and in the past has trained in Central Park and San Francisco in the US, India and Argentina to name just a few places. Sam Timms is prreparing for her first marathon You see, Sam Timms is a cabin crew for an international Gloucesterrshire with her family some 16 years y ago – “II love it airline i li and d the th need d to t gett miles il in the legs means she has run here,” she said – and originally linked up with Stroud Athletic pretty much all over the world. The 54-year-old member of Club beffore switching to Cirencester Athletic Club has Cirencester AC. And it was the Thursday been running since the age of r group who “38 to 40” and this year’s morning running London will be her first ever meet in Cirencester – they are made up of men and women marathon. So how’s she feeling as the big ranging in age from their 20s to 70s – that was w the big reason for day approaches? g the move. “I’m a little bit daunted by it,” her making The grou up are run by Dick she admitted, before adding, “but I felt it was the right time to Waldron and Timms, who describes herself as a social do it. it “I run with a wonderful group runner, said: “The ladies call Dick’s Chicks! He goes of people on a Thursday ourselves D morning and some of them have out before our runs and leaves run multiple marathons and water and jelly babies on our route. done Ironmans. “He says,, ‘I don’t care how fast “So I entered the ballot for the ow you are’. We go a London Marathon and was quite or how slo lot off road, through the mud shocked when I got a place.” Mind you, it’s not the first time and the fields, I’m very, very that she has had the chance to grateful to him and the wonderful group I run with.” run in the race. So how did she get into “The first time I was given a place I broke my wrist on a running originally? “I used to think running g was skiing g holiday,” y she explained. p “I was obviously a bit down that for other people, I used to think I’d broken my wrist but I was runners were on a different also slightly relieved because it planet,” she admitted. “But then meant I wouldn’t have to run the we went on a cruise and there marathon! was a treadmill. “I’m very lucky to be given a “By the end of the cruise I second chance and I’m going to could do 30 minutes. Once give it my best shot.” you’d broken the first 10 Timms moved to glorious minutes, that was the hardest
bit. I’d always liked to keep fit. We had We had a dog dog – a collie/lab collie/lab – and fitting in trips to the gym was diffficult. “I tho ought that by going running g I could kill two birds with one stone, I could keep fit and exercise the dog at the same time.” And itt’s fair to say that she’s never lo ooked back. “It gives me head space,” she said. “T The great thing about running g is that you can fit it in around the rest of your life. And yo ou always feel better when yo ou come back.” She w was soon running in some of the best events around the county too. “My fiirst half was the Stroud Half and my first 10K was the Frampton n 10K,” she said, adding that 10K K was her favourite distance. “I’ve never cracked the half marathon under two hours. I generally y do two hours to two hours, 10 0; I like to say I’m half marathon n fit!” So wha at’s her target for the London M Marathon? “I’d likke to say under five hours,” she said. “I ran the Cardiff H Half Marathon in two hours, 12, so based on that I could run n 4.38. “That would be amazing but if I ran four hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds I’d be very happy.” And it’s fair to say she’s certainly very happy at Cirencester AC. “They’re a great club,” she said. “You’re running with likeminded people. You’re getting coached, they do speedwork and it’s also a chance to have a chat. It’s a fantastic way to meet local people.” Timms’ husband Paul is also a member b off the h club l b and d is i a pretty de ecent runner. He’s run the London Marathon twice, clocking times t of three hours, 33 and three e hours, 40. He will be supporting her in the capittal this year as she has him in the past. Full story y online.
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Competition Winners The TLA Photography winner for the April 2019 cover is Jade Pollock of Bishoop’s Cleeve.
Competition Rules 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. into 6 Entrants must be over 18 years, unless stated. 7 Proof of posting is
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