The Local
A NS W E R
GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S BIGGEST LOCAL MAGAZINE
GLOUCESTER WWW.THELOCALANSWER.CO.UK
JANUARY 2019
The The Lo Local c al
AN ANSWER SWER Gloucester G loucester – 446,000 6,000 ccopies opies Stroud District S troud D istrict – 441,000 1,000 copies copies Cotswolds C otswolds – 30,000 30,000 ccopies opies Cheltenham C heltenham – 43,000 43,000 ccopies opies North North Gloucestershire Gloucestershire – 220,000 0,000 ccopies opies
Managing Director M anaging D irector D Dave ave K Kingscott ingscott dave@thelocalanswer.co.uk dave@thelocalanswer.co.uk
EEditorial ditorial & Marketing Marketing LLois ois Kingscott Kingscott eeditorial@thelocalanswer.co.uk ditorial@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Helen H elen Kingscott Kingscott
S Sport port R Roger oger JJackson ackson ssport@thelocalanswer.co.uk port@thelocalanswer.co.uk
EEntertainment ntertainment Tom T om Hadfield Hadfield
January’s winning cover photo: Esmond Lane of Winchcombe
Welcome Welcome ttoo JJanuary anuary ... ... Happy New Year to all our readers! We hope you had a wonderful festive season and are looking forward to what 2019 has in store – we certainly are! After listening to customer and reader feedback that we received last year, you may have noticed that we’ve made some changes to the style of the magazine. We have changed our font to make it clearer and easier to read, as well as amending the style of the editorial pages. Of course, we always welcome your thoughts so do let us know if there are any further improvements we can make. Don’t forget to check out the winners of our TLA Photography competition. After receiving so many brilliant entries it was hard to narrow it down, but we think the images we have chosen are going to look fantastic!
eentertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk ntertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Customer C ustomer S Services ervices K evin V aughan-Spruce Kevin Vaughan-Spruce services@thelocalanswer.co.uk services@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Claudie C laudie Francis Francis production@thelocalanswer.co.uk production@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Distribution D istribution JJohn ohn O Overton verton – 001242 1242 541075 541075 leaflets@thelocalanswer.co.uk leaflets@thelocalanswer.co.uk
LLouis ouis Jordan Jordan distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Accounts A ccounts R Robert obert K Kingscott ingscott aaccounts@thelocalanswer.co.uk ccounts@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Unit Churchill Road, Unit H, H, Churchill Churchill IIndustrial ndustrial EEstate, state, C hurchill R oad, Leckhampton, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Gloucestershire GL53 GL53 77EG EG
Telephone Telephone 01242 01242 510500 510500 @thelocalanswer @thelocalanswer
w www.thelocalanswer.co.uk ww.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Inside Inside this this month month .... .. Delicious Delicious Dish Dish Great Good, Feeling Feeling G reat LLooking ooking Good, Mirror Mirror on on the the Wall Wall M irror Mirror Medical Health M edical Health Photography Winners Winners TTLA LA Photography Parenting Guardianship P arenting & Guardianship Quick Crossword Q uick Crossword Employment EEducation ducation & Employment Holidays Trravel H olidays & Travel Word Search W ord Search What’s On W hat’s On Life LLeader’s eader’s Life Sudoku S udoku TTLA LA Entertainment Entertainment Homes Gardens H omes & Gardens he Garden Garden IInn tthe Wildlife Matters W ildlife Matters Design IInterior nterior Design Gadgets Gizmos G adgets & Gizmos Save the Planet Planet S ave the Money Matters M oney Matters Sport TTLA LA Sport IIndex, ndex, Competitions, Competitions, Solutions Solutions
5 7 9 1133 1155 1177 1188 1199 2211 2222 2255 2299 2299 330-31 0-31 3322 3399 4411 4433 4455 4477 5555 556-57 6-57 5588
Page 3
Page 4
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Delicious D elicious Dish Dish with w ith H Helen elen Kingscott Kingscott
B Butternut utternut squash squash roll roll IIff y you’re ou’re llooking ooking ffor or a vegetarian vegetarian a alternative lternative tto o a ssausage ausage rroll, oll, tthis his v vegetable egetable a and nd h herb-packed erb-packed recipe recipe iiss iideal. deal. IIngredients: ngredients: 500g fresh butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced; 10ml olive oil; 5g fresh thyme leaves; 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped; 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or use lazy garlic; 400g tin of butter beans, rinsed and drained; 50g baby spinach, finely chopped; 10g fresh coriander, finely chopped; 10ml soy sauce; salt and pepper; 320g ready rolled puff pastry; 1 egg, beaten. Method: Method: 1 Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 6). 2 Put the diced butternut squash onto a baking tray, coat with half the oil and all the fresh thyme and roast for 20-30 minutes. 3 Warm a pan over a medium heat and add the remaining oil. Once hot, add the red onion and garlic and gently fry until soft. 4 Put this in a food processor with the roasted butternut squash and thyme leaves. Add the butter beans, spinach, coriander, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Pulse the mixture until combined – you need to leave it chunky, not a paste. Set aside and cool.
5 Unroll the pastry but keep it on its parchment paper. Measure and cut the first piece to 10cm wide and however long the pastry is. The second piece needs to be 14cm wide – this will be the top of the roll. Put a piece of parchment paper onto a baking tray, then lay the 10cm wide piece of pastry on it. 6 Spoon the cooled butternut squash mix down the centre, brush the pastry edges with the beaten egg and then pop the top section of pastry on top. Using your fingers, firmly press the edges together then trim with a sharp knife. 7 Brush the pastry with the remaining beaten egg and score the top with 3 or 4 slits to allow the steam to escape whilst cooking. 8 Bake for 25 minutes, remove from the oven, turn it over and continue to cook for another 10 minutes to ensure the bottom is crisp and cooked through. 9 Remove from the oven, let it cool slightly then cut into slices. I think it is best served warm whilst the pastry is still crisp, but it is still tasty cold for a buffet or having leftovers for lunch.
~O OPEN PEN S SUNDAYS UNDAYS ~
13 IMPERIAL SQUARE, CHELTENHAM GL50 1QB w www.debonairformalhire.com ww.debonairformalhire.com – T Tel: el: 001242 1242 224 4 333 3 888 8
71 NORTHGATE STREET, GLOUCESTER GL1 2AG www.thegroomsroom.net Tel: el: 001452 www.thegroomsroom.net – T 1452 5520 20 6644 44
BLACK ~ GREY ~ NAVY ~ BROWN ~ 3 PIECE WINTER W INTER SSPECIAL PECIAL FOR FOR AALL LL HIRE HIRE BOOKINGS BOOKINGS MADE MADE BEFORE BEFORE APPOINTMENT PPOINTMENT N NECESSARY ECESSARY ~ ~28/02/19~ 28/02/19~ A
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Page 5
Looking Looking Good, Good, F Feeling eeling Great Great with w ith W Will ill M Mbanga banga
A year year of of healthy healthy intentions intentions At this special time of year, after spending time with family and friends, we should all take time to reflect on those things which are really important – time, respect, love and, of course, our health. I trust you had an enjoyable festive season with loved ones, and also took time to look back on the year ended and your positive intentions for the year ahead. New Year’s resolutions are something we are all familiar with and will be forming over the next few days. A few years ago, I decided to try something different. Instead of resolutions, I would have New Year’s intentions – something that I could act on daily that would make a real difference to me and/or those around me. Because we are inter-connected, our health is hugely important to the well-being and happiness of those around us. Having a holistic approach to your health will go a long way to ensuring you are able to be healthy, productive and, in your own unique way, contribute to making the world a better place. From a health perspective, the following are four crucial areas to invest in over the course of the year ahead to ensure you are on course for living a healthier,, happier and more fulfilling life.
M Mental/emotional ental/emotional health health This should be at the top of your annual list of New Year’s i n t e n ti o n s . M a n a gi n g s tr e s s a nd building emotional resilience and coping mechanisms for life’s many challenges is crucial to your overall well-being. With stress, specifically dealing with social and or emotional stressors is essential to promoting good physical/mental health and wellness.
There is a strong link between increased stress levels and poor health, so an intentional approach to lowering stress is key. Social and networks, friendships activities that take you away from your everyday ‘normal’ are important and for men, talking about ‘stuff ’ is also hugely beneficial. Men are generally less likely to talk about emotional issues than women, but it’s vital that we all talk and listen as best we can – after all, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’.
S Sleep leep Good quality sleep is essential for your health, regardless of your developmental stage; teens and small children need lots of it, but so do adults! Some useful tips for improving sleep quality include: • Reduce blue light/screen exposure in the evenings. Lower intensity lighting is also good for the hormones governing circadian rhythm. • Get into a good bed-time routine. • Maximise natural light//daylight exposure to lower Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms. • Use natural oils/herbal remedies to relax or improve sleep quality. www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
D Digestive igestive health health Ensuring optimal nutrition and hydration will be key, especially after over-indulging during the festive season! Finding ways to increase intake of foods that are helpful to gut health (e.g. walnuts, onions, leeks and asparagus) while lowering the intake of p r o c e s s e d f o od s a n d a l c o h o l w i l l be an important focus area.
P Physical hysical h health ealth Our biomechanical and physiological structure provides the strongest hint with regard to how best to ensure physical health; human beings were designed to move! Exercise boosts mood, strengthens bones, stimulates hormone production and raises our basal metabolic rate, helping us to stay lean and healthy. There is a saying in Africa: “You cannot give what you do not have”. We all want health, happiness and success for our family and friends. Each of us has the power within to make positive changes through intentional action, but we cannot make this happen until we consistently manage that in our own life. Here’s to a happy, healthy and successful 2019! Page 7
Page 8
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Mirror Mirror Mirror Mirror on on tthe he Wall Wall w with ith V Val al S Starr tarr
2019 2019 Beauty Beauty Resolutions Resolutions 2019 has arrived; I am sure we are all still slowly getting over the holiday festivities, and planning the year ahead. Exercise and losing weight is often top of the list, but do try and include the following on your resolution list on a daily basis. When we look good it makes us feel good!
S Skin kin Now is the time to supercharge your skin – with cold winter conditions and central heating, our skin can easily get very dry and dehydrated. Thorough cleansing every evening followed by a toner is essential. Exfoliation is often overlooked in the cold weather, as the misconception is it will dry out the skin. In fact, the opposite is true; gentle exfoliation at least once weekly will allow the skin to absorb the skin care regime you are using much more effectively.
Serums S erums It is a really good idea to apply serums, which give the skin the extra nourishment it needs. Follow this with a richer moisturiser than you would
use in the summer months. Liz Earle has a great new serum and their rich Superskin moisturiser is excellent, certainly worth the little extra you pay over the daily moisturiser. The Superskin contains naturally active ingredients which are kind to your skin; you have a choice of plain or one containing natural neroli, which I personally choose as I like the fragrance of the neroli. Superskin eye cream is rich so suitable for the harsher months but not too heavy. It helps to lift, brighten and relieve puffiness.
Sun S un screen screen No matter how grey and miserable the weather is, still try to use a sunscreen daily. It does not have to be the high factor we use in the summer months, but it is essential to help protect your skin from harmful rays. On gloomy days I often apply and think why, but I know how important this key product is to use all year. The sun’s rays might not be as strong, but radiation still seeps through, so do not neglect this important daily step. The Ultra Sun range is hard to beat and only requires once a day application.
Body Body Like our faces, our bodies do tend to become extra dry and sometimes itchy with all the additional clothes we wear during winter. As with your face regime, a good dry exfoliation before www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
you shower or bath followed by an intensive moisturiser applied to slightly damp skin will work wonders for your body.
Hair Hair On a similar note, hats and heat can dry the scalp and hair, often leaving a flaky and itchy scalp. The Phillip Kingsley range has an excellent shampoo for itchy scalps called Flaky/Itchy Scalp Shampoo. Many people find this very effective and, while not exactly cheap, after a few washes using the shampoo, you may only need to use it on the odd occasion thereafter. Coconut oil is also good if you are on a budget – you can use it for a quick rinse to hydrate your hair, or leave it in for a few hours or even overnight as a simple hair mask. Just make sure you give two good shampoos when you wash it out to ensure it is all removed. Let’s make 2019 the year we say ‘skin first’. Happy New Year! Page 9
M Medical edical H Health ealth with w ith H Holly olly H Hannigan annigan
New New Year, Year, N New ew Y You ou It’s that time of year again, after the festive over-indulgence, when people make New Year’s resolutions that are rarely kept for more than a few weeks! New years can often make us reflect on what’s not serving us or what has been holding us back over the past year, and so we say out with the old and in with the new, time to make some changes. The most common ones are to eat healthier, to get fitter (often resulting in a massive influx of gym memberships), to stop smoking and to do more of something you love. These are all great ideas in theory and if you need to make positive changes then the first step is having a positive mindset about it. When it comes to leading a healthier lifestyle, there are some great free or inexpensive ways to start.
W Walking alking Walking is great because it’s free and easy for most people to do.
Counting steps on a watch or app has become common, but there is no need for that. Simply getting out in the fresh air and being around nature, walking for 30 minutes a day will: • Increase cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) fitness • Reduce risk of heart disease and stroke • Improve management of conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes • Stronger bones and improved balance • Increase muscle strength and endurance • Reduce body fat If you are feeling slightly more energetic then you can advance to running and some local parks now have outdoor exercise equipment which is free to use and can be a very effective workout aid.
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
C Cycling ycling Dig out your old bike that’s been pushed to the back of the shed or garage, or get online and find a cheap, second hand one and get out cycling. This is especially great if you have kids, as you can all go on family bike rides. Along with the previous benefits of walking/running, cycling also improves posture, coordination and joint mobility.
Swimming S wimming If swimming is more your thing, then head down to your local pool for session times and reap the added benefit of an all over body workout that is low impact. Exercise in whatever form you choose to do it not only has physical health benefits, but it also boosts your mood, increases self-esteem, improves sleep quality and energy, along with string evidence to suggest it reduces the risk of dementia and mental health issues. So this new year, make the most of what you already have available to you, to lead a healthier lifestyle that improves your physical and mental wellbeing without hurting your bank balance. Page 13
Specialists Specialists iin nb bathroom athroom ssafety afety • Wet rooms
• Shower rooms
Before
• Bathrooms
• Cloakrooms • Tiles
• Wall boards well known brands
After standard of finish
high
friendly, polite bathroom fitters
Save 20%
VAT*
07496 0 057281 57281 or 0 014 14 453 53 8 884167 84167 Contact Rex on 07496 for a free home visit to discuss your needs
rex@lifestylebathrooms.net
www.lifestylebathrooms.net www .lifestylebatthrooms.net
Your Y our 2 2019 019 C Cover over P Photos hotos Congratulations Congratulations to to the the winners winners of of our our p photography hotography competition! competition! Once again, again, we we had had ssome ome ffantastic antastic e ntries a cross all all months months of of the the y ear a nd iitt Once entries across year and was a tough tough decision decision cchoosing hoosing tthe he winners. winners. Sadly, Sadly, there there could could only only be be one one winner winner was per month, month, but but w e think think tthe he p hotos we’ve we’ve per we photos chosen for for tthis his y ear’s ccovers overs llook ook b rilliant chosen year’s brilliant GLOUCE GLOUCES STERSH TERSHIIRE’S RE’S BIGGEST B IGGEST LLOCAL OCAL and w eh ope y ou w ill llook ook fforward orward tto o sseeing eeing and we hope you will M MAGAZI AGAZIN NEE them e ach m onth! them each month! JANUAR JANUARY 22019 019 A xplained in in the the original original ccompetition ompetition Ass e explained details, we we will will be be ssupplying upplying our our own own details, images ffor or the the m onths of of M arch and and images months March December – kkeep eep a n eye eye out out iin n the the M arch December an March iissue ssue for for ssome ome e xciting news news linked linked tto o the th e exciting ccover. over.
Th T h e Lo Lo ca cal
AN A NS SW WE ER R
January January
February F ebruary
E Esmond smond L Lane ane
K Kerry erry Palmer Palmer
GLO G LOU UCE CES STE TER RSH SHIIRE RE WWW. WW W.THELOC THELOCALANS ALANSWER.CO WER.CO.UK .UK
April A pril
May M ay
June June
July July
Jade Jade Pollock Pollock
Lauren L auren C Clifford lifford
Barbara B arbara Kelly Kelly
G Geoffrey eoffrey Francis Francis
August A ugust
September September
October O ctober
November November
A Alex lex M Marshall arshall
Martyn M artyn L Llewellyn lewellyn
Letitia L etitia N Newbegin ewbegin
Martin Martin V Vincent incent
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
P Parenting arenting & G Guardianship uardianship w with ith R Roberta oberta S Smart mart
A Are re you you having having a laugh? laugh? They say laughter is the best medicine and that certainly is true for surviving family life! No matter what happens, or how hard you try, when you put parents, kids, grandparents and miscellaneous others into a shared space, life is bound to be filled with spills and scrapes, dramas and disasters. How you choose to react to these says a lot about how well you can weather the storm.
Dig Dig deep, deep, find find the the humour humour a and nd llaugh augh No matter how serious the issue may be, from financial to health concerns, lost soothers to a f a mi l y ri f t , o n e o f t h e b e st ways of coping when things go awry is to dig deep, find the humour and laugh at it. Laughter has an incredible effect on our brains and our moods. Not only does it actively boost our immune system – which can take a battering during times of stress – but it actually relaxes the whole body, ensuring a healthy and happy you! My partner suffers with chronic pain and used to fall flat
on his face regularly, usually after rising from his seat, and as a family we became quite accustomed to seeing dad prone on the floor. We used to tease him, saying he was making the place look untidy, then step over him to go and put the kettle on! It really helped my children to see the ridiculous side of this situation – he was never hurt as he could control his fall, but it does mean my family have developed a rather black sense of humour around health and illness.
Treat T reat the the family family to to a ttruly ruly traditional traditional giggle giggle So how can you bring more laughter into your life? One way is to go to comedy clubs, watch family-friendly comedians on TV and listen to funny plays and storie s on the radio. In the age of YouTube, and Video Games, with violence all over the news, actively seeking out the funny and the weird can be a real source of delight. There are still Pantomimes on across the region and there is nothing better than a good old
fashioned chorus of ‘He’s Behind You!’, so why not treat the family to a truly traditional giggle this January? Maybe you have a funny bone that needs developing. Ever thought of taking some classes in Improv Comedy or Stand Up? Even if you never intend to perform, the skills you learn are invaluable in learning how to look at life differently: suddenly every mundane interaction can be mined for comedy gold and your family will love hearing your corny one-liners and endless puns (I promise).
P Put ut tthe he ffun un back back into into family family this this new new year! year! You could grab some joke books or funny stories and have a Comedy Night in the living room. Dressing up can be really fun and putting on silly voices will have everyone in stitches. Go on, I dare you – pledge to put the fun back into family this new year! Make 2019 the year of laughter and see what a difference it makes to your life. www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Page 17
Quick Quick Crossword Crossword DOWN ACROSS ACROSS DOWN 1 Most important 1 Trrue 2 Captioned 4 Pituitary or adrenal 3 Slope 7 Stowing space 4 Mirth 8 Accurate 5 News & current ... 9 Me, ... & I 6 Grime 12 Surprised, taken ... 10 Welded 15 Cadets 11 Swamp 17 Prohibited 13 Average narcotic 14 Card game 18 Breakfasts or 16 Light wind dinners 18 Incapacitate 21 Climatic 19 Squash (insect) conditions 20 Festival 22 Intended 23 Clung (to)
© Lovatts Puzzles
D Don’t on’t llook ook until until you’ve you’ve ffinished! inished! Solutions Solutions on on ‘‘Index Index ooff A Advertisers’ dvertisers’ page. page.
N JOIS! U
New N ew D Directions irections
G loucestershire County County Council’s Gloucestershire Council’s A Adult dult E Education ducatiion iin nG Gloucestershire lou is p leased tto oa nnounce tthe he llaunch aunch o ange o ourses a pleased announce off a rrange off c courses and nd d day ay sschools, chools, ffor or a dults w ho w ant tto o llearn earn ssome ome n ew a nd e ngaging a ctivities ffor or adults who want new and engaging activities rrecreation ecreation and and personal personal development, development, as as well well as as making making new new friends friends a nd p ersonal e njoyment. and personal enjoyment. E Each ach c course ourse a and nd d day ay sschool chool iis sp presented resented by by a highly highly qualified qualified tutor tutor with with ag genuine enuine p passion assion ffor or ttheir heir ssubject; ubject; ffrom rom yoga yoga to to painting, painting, French French to to archaeology a rchaeology and and creative creative writing. writing.
0800 0 8 0 0 5421 5 4 2 1 655 655
F For or m more ore information, information, contact contact us us on on 4 -6 C ommercial Road, Road, Gloucester, Gloucester, GL1 GL1 2EA 2EA 4-6 Commercial
Page 18
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
orr visit o visit at at
Education Education & E Employment mployment with w ith T Tom om H Hadfield adfield
Life Life after after university university – finding finding a job! job! University is not for everybody, but for me, it was the best three years of my life. It was hard work, but in the end worth it for the experiences I had, friends I made and of course my degree and graduation. Then the real world hits you, and the often daunting process of job hunting begins. Throughout university, you are encouraged to keep thinking about the future, plan work experience, get your CV looking professional, even get a professionally taken profile photo for your LinkedIn page. Mostly, this advice is ignored until the final year, when the realisation hits that it’s almost time to leave behind the lecture halls.
can be frustrating. But if you know what career area you want to go into, it’s not hard to offer a week or even a weekend here and there to companies to come in and gain some valuable hours in the workplace. Most companies are happy to accept the help, and even if it means working for nothing, it will pay off in the long run. When it comes to a CV, it’s important to be detailed but also keep it succinct. It’s also key to tailor your CV for each and every job application. You might be sending off hundreds in your search, and not every role will be the same, so why should every CV be identical? One company might care about your teenage paper P Put ut tthe he e early arly w work ork iin n round, and another may not, The old Catch-22 – you need so always read what the job experience for a job, and a job advert is looking for and adapt to gain experience – is true and the application.
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
F First irst iimpressions mpressions a are re k key ey So you’ve managed to bag yourself an interview. After plenty of rejections – or just being completely ignored in my case – the perseverance has paid off. But then you realise you’ve never actually had a formal job interview in your life. A recent survey of 2,000 hiring managers found that 50% would eliminate a candidate for a position just due to the way they dressed, acted or walked through the door, and 33% knew if they would hire someone within the first 90 seconds of meeting them.
Nail N ail tthe he q questions uestions First impressions then, are clearly key. Next is confidence, in yourself and your capabilities for the role. The employer clearly thinks you’re suited for the job, so you should too. Always research the company beforehand, prepare for the usual questions – “where do you see yourself in five years?” – and prepare some questions to ask at the end. If you get the job following the interview, congratulations. If not, it’s always good to politely ask why – most employers are happy to give feedback. At the end of the day, it’s another experience that’ll pay off in the long run. Page 19
Holidays H olidays & Travel Travel w with ith A All H Hidden idden
French A fast fast drive drive in in the the French ccountryside ountr yside The seasonal festivities are over. If you love motor sport, the closest you probably got to it over the holiday was Forza on the Xbox. That makes now the perfect time to plan a trip to one of motor racing’s classics. At the 87th 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15th-16th June 2019, 60 of the world’s fastest cars will do battle on the hallowed 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. Will you be there?
Your Y our Le Le Mans Mans options options Okay, so prime Le Mans accommodation is long sold out – or commanding silly prices for race week. But there’s still time to grab some of June’s action. Plenty of options remain, ranging from budget coach trips to stylish on-circuit ‘glamping’. You could even combine cheaper accommodation further from the circuit with a daily ‘commute’ by train, bus or tram – or, if you’re really brave, car... You’ve never been? There’s nothing quite like the 4am buzz of French beer, barbeque and speeding Toyotas, Rebellions
and Aston Martins. How about combining more time in France? For a change from Calais or Caen, sail to Cherbourg or St-Malo, then stay overnight at Auberge de la Sélune in Ducey, near mystical Mont St-Michel. Next morning, enjoy a leisurely drive to Le Mans – stopping somewhere like the lovely little organic café ‘Pour Tous les Goûts’ in sleepy Sainte Suzanne. After the race, of course, the rest of France awaits…
Drive D rive tthe he ccircuit ircuit Fancy driving Le Mans? Unless you’re in a car club, access to the full circuit is nearimpossible, but you can still drive most of it on public roads. Start at Tertre Rouge on Le Mans’ outskirts, then imagine that 50mph in an MX-5 is 213mph in www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
an Alpine A470 prototype, as you chase trucks and camper vans down the legendary Mulsanne Straight. Hang a sharp right and continue towards Indianapolis and Arnage corners in the 200mph tyre-tracks of Steve McQueen and nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. Then follow the old two-lane D139 through notorious Maison Blanche – last taken flat out by 240mph Porsche 917s in 1971 – to the fascinating Musée des 24 Heures du Mans.
Be Be part part o off L Le eM Mans’ ans’ glorious g lorious h history istory Whether you visit lovely medieval Le Mans, the circuit and its museum en route to somewhere else, or watch the race from start to finish, look forward to being part of Le Mans’ glorious history. Don’t miss it! Page 21
Word W ord S Search earch N O I T I D A R T A P U P S U S I F T L W U E U
S K I K Y W W E N Y S G N A L D L U A S U V L L
Q K A C S S I K V S F K E C V W F T Q A A I M E
R M R L W W O I I E N F W O C B Q F D F G O M X
W X P O C M T I S J E R R G R O B E V B U X T C
N G I O W T H T D A W K A A P K Y G U X C F Y R
T E N R E E I S U N Y E I T B U F F E T G O H K
K D W F V V R L X U E Y D D D Q L I J V U S R X
L Q N Y I P H I O A A T G N I G N I S O S D U J
J O X T E B S X F R R R S F A O G Q Z I W N P J
C W I W Z A G X D Y S A L I Q B V Q L P T E E W
X E Z S M L R L W Z E P R J E K G A O Q G I U X
S I L D K L O S N I V J S Q N J W V I W Q R N D
M G S S P O P G D N E W Q T X I A V O K Q F A O
D E T O R O P P E A W G B Z G E T J J J D N E Q
New New Y Year ear AULD LANG SYNE BALLOONS BUFFET CELEBRATE CHAMPAGNE CONFETTI COUNTDOWN DANCING FAMILY
FIREWORKS FRIENDS FESTIVITIES HOLIDAY JANUARY KISS MEMORIES MIDNIGHT MUSIC
NEW YEAR’S DAY NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY RESOLUTION SINGING TOAST TRADITION
Z J M H O N M T J D Y C A X N Q Z F B J C J N C
A S H O P S A R E S O L U T I O N I M I H H G O
V C I U R R J R Y U K C F Z Y Z H G N S F O A U
H I V Z B I W S N A I S H A L V Z G N T X E P R
C I G E Y O E T J S D W K I M Z C N U W F M M U
D L L G I H D S U Z O I Q R F I N R H R K A A C
E E J A T O Z M Q W A I L Y C X L J J O V I H J
C K I O W A A V G Q O A U O B P L Y H C J D C Q
1st 1 st Choice Choice
M I D N I G H T M C X Y Y R H A U G I N I C O G
Aerial A erial & Satellites Satellites
Digital D igital A Aerial erial IInstallations nstallations Upgrades Upgrades & Repairs Repairs
10% 1 0% off off w with ith tthis his aadvert dvert Call C all Mark Mark Hawkes: Hawkes: 001452 1452 311511 311511
Don’t Don’t look look until until you’ve you’ve finished! finished! S Solutions olutions oon n ‘‘Index Index ooff A Advertisers’ dvertisers’ ppage. age. Page 22
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
12,000 MILE/ANNUAL SERVICE with MOT is from inclusive of parts, labour and VAT
Give a little time and make a big difference
6,000/6 MONTHLY SERVICE with MOT is now from
Are you interested in becoming a Fosterer
MOT TEST ONLY ÂŁ35!
Cats Protection Gloucester & Cirencester Branch are looking for Fosterers. Give hope to local cats and kittens looking for their forever home. For more information please get in touch on 0345 260 3280.
www.julianrogersautoservices.co.uk w ww.julianrogersautoser vices.co.uk
01452 526778 or 308006
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
For further information please contact: Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) SC037711 (Scotland)
T: 0345 260 3280 W: www.cats.org.uk/gloucester :GlosCatsProtection
Page 23
Do you want
MORE C UST CUSTOMERS? T he L ocal Answer Answer rreaches The Local eac 73% of people in your area – promote promote your your business busine to our engaged audience
1100% 0 0% 8 9% 89% 73% 73%
of of C Customers u w ould recommend us* would o off C Customers usto are satisfied satisfied with response* of book for of Customers Custom 12 at a time 12 months months a
ItIt works works for for them… them … it it ccould ould work work for you! C ontact C laudie o n0 1242 5 10 5 Contact Claudie on 01242 510 500 00 o mail p roduction@thelocalanswer.co.uk orr e email production@thelocalanswer.co.uk tto o arrange arrange yyour our ccampaign ampaign **Statistical Statistical rresponse esponse ffrom rom C Customer ustomer SSurvey urvey cconducted onducted iinn O October ctober 22018 018
What s On The Local Answer Event Listings are compiled and presented 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. EVERY TUESDAY ARGENTINE TANGO BEGINNERS DANCE CLASS Weekly classes starting Tuesday 8th January at 7.30pm. Have fun, keep fit and meet new friends. No partner needed. £6 per class. St.Mark’s CofE Junior School, Robert Burns Avenue, Cheltenham, GL51 6NU. 07941 218535. www.tangocheltenham.dance 15 NOVEMBER – 6 JANUARY MAGICAL CHRISTMAS ICE RINK Get your skates on as the ice rink is coming back to Gloucester Quays this Christmas. Now in its third year, the attraction draws thousands of visitors of all ages wanting to embrace their inner Torvill and Dean each festive season. The rink has something for everyone from the novice to the experienced skater and there is plenty of action off the rink for spectators too including a ski chalet-style bar and café. Gloucester Quays, St Ann Way, Gloucester, GL1 5SH. www.gqchristmas.co.uk 30 NOVEMBER – 13 JANUARY ALADDIN Don’t miss the all new, bigger and better production written and directed by legendary Blue Peter presenter and actor Peter Duncan. Polish your lamp and book a magic carpet ride to the Everyman Theatre for the highlight of the season – Aladdin, the pantomime where wishes do come true! For times and prices visit www.everymantheatre.org.uk The Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ. 01242 572573.
1 DECEMBER – 5 JANUARY DICK WHITTINGTON Once again produced by The Roses’ team, with Ben Crocker at the helm, this year’s panto sees Dick embark upon the adventure of a lifetime as he seeks his fortune on the streets of London! For full details please visit www.rosestheatre.org. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. 1 DECEMBER – 6 JANUARY THE BIG BATSFORD ELF HUNT! Santa’s helpers have gone missing and they are all hiding in the Arboretum; find them to win a prize! £2.50 per child, plus Arboretum admission fee (children must be accompanied by an adult). The Elf Hunt is most suitable for children aged 8 and under, however children of all ages are welcome to take part! Batsford Arboretum and Garden Centre, Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9QB. www.batsarb.co.uk 3 DECEMBER – 4 JANUARY TETBURY CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL AND MEMORY TREE For the second year in a row Tetbury Town Council has hosted this fabulous festival – come and see a festive array of beautifully decorated trees supplied and decorated by local organisations, schools and clubs all in the beautiful setting of St Saviour’s Church. You also have the opportunity to leave your memories of loved ones, friends and family on our Christmas Memory Tree. For full details please visit tetbury.gov.uk
5 DECEMBER – 13 JANUARY JUST SO Five of Rudyard Kipling’s tales weave together into a wonderous tale of personal courage, individuality and friendship. A 25 year project that began with a series of inspirational stories, Stiles and Drewe bring us an imaginatively empowering piece of theatre in Just So. For full details please visit barntheatre.org.uk. The Barn Theatre, 5 Beeches Road, Cirencester GL7 1BN. 8 DECEMBER – 11 JANUARY KNITIVITY Come and visit our amazing life-size ‘Knitivity’, beautifully knitted by local communities from all across the county. The Knitivity project began in 2015 as part of the Gloucestershire Rural Community Council’s (GRCC) In Touch programme, which is designed to unite communities by starting up creative groups that people from all over Gloucestershire can attend. Full details at gloucestercathedral.org.uk Gloucester Cathedral, College Green, GL1 2LX. 8-30 DECEMBER SUDELEY CASTLE SPECTACLE OF LIGHT Experience the night-time magic of Sudeley through this beautiful new trail. Follow the White Rabbit and discover the amazing characters from Alice in Wonderland. Marvel at the glorious Field of Poppies, Meteors, Moroccan Lanterns and much more! Full details at sudeleycastle.co.uk Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, GL54 5JD.
Our Readers – Your Audience
Th T he L Loc oca al l
AN A NSW S W ER ER
GLOUCESTERS G LOUCESTERSH HIRE’S IRE’S BIGGEST B IGGEST LLOCAL OCAL MAGAZINE M AGAZINE JANUARY JANUARY 2019 2019
A dvertise y our event Advertise your event to to 100,000+ 100,000+ p people eople iin n tthe he G Gloucester loucester a area! rea! £25+VAT
£40+VAT
£50+VAT
P Plus lus £30 £30++VAT VAT
tto o include include a 3cm 3cm for c.40 words for c.65 words for c.90 words iimage mage w ith your your ttext ex t with
GLOU GLOUCEST CESTER ER
WWW WWW.THEL W.THELOCALANSW OCALANSWER.CO.UK ER.CO.UK
To list your event in our What’s On section, email production@thelocalanswer.co.uk Online event listings coming soon! To keep updated send your name and business name (if applicable) to lois@thelocalanswer.co.uk stating ‘Online Event Listings’. www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Page 25
115-28 5-28 DECEMBER DECEMBER THE HATTER IN WINTERLAND Far away from the mad comfort of Wonderland, the Hatter finds himself stranded in Winterland! Hysterical, silly and a little bit frightened, he must discover how he got there in order to find his way back home for the Christmas tea party… and all before the Jabberwocky’s curse freezes him in Winterland forever. Times and prices at www.cheltplayhouse.org.uk Cheltenham Playhouse, 47-53 Bath Road, GL53 7HG. 01242 522852. 3311 DECEMBER DECEMBER NEW YEAR’S DAY RACING AT WARWICK
The biggest raceday at Warwick with 7,000 like-minded racegoers warming up for the big night out. Live music, great racing and a fantastic atmosphere is an absolute certainty. Prices from £10. Opens 10.15, first race 12.15, last race 3.35. Tickets: 03445 793 013. Warwick Racecourse, Hampton Street, Warwick CV34 6HN. warwick.thejockeyclub.co.uk. 2 JANUARY JANUARY JACK AND THE BEANSTA ALK Times are hard for the Trott family; they have no money which means they can’t afford to pay the rent. The only thing they have of any value is their beloved cow, which they decide they have to sell. But when Jack is sent to market to do the terrible deed, he comes home with nothing but a handful of mouldy old beans – and that’s when the magic really begins! 3pm. Full details including prices at shed-arts.co.uk. Tetbury Goods Shed, Gumstool Hill, Tetbury, GL8 8DG. 4-6 4-6 JANUARY JANUARY THE COTSWOLDS DECORATIVE, ANTIQUES & ARTS FAIR The UK’s first major art and antiques fair of the New Year. Featuring art and antiques specialists from across the UK, this popular fair is the place to buy everything including the most traditional antique pieces to the latest in decorative chic style. Public Admission: £5. Opening Times: FridaySunday 11am-5pm. Westonbirt School, Tetbury, GL8 8QG. cooperevents.com 5 JANUARY JANUARY ANDRE RIEU ‘The King of Waltz’ will bring his New Year’s concert, recorded live in
Page 26
Sydney, Australia, to millions of fans across the world. Join the Maestro for a magical evening of music and dance featuring his world class sopranos, The Platin Tenors and plenty of surprises. With show tunes, classical music and plenty of festive fun! 7pm. £16.50 (£14.50, students £12.50). The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6EP. www.bacontheatre.co.uk 9 JANUARY JANUARY THE KING AND I Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children. With one of the finest scores ever written, The King and I is a testament to the lavish heritage of gloriously romantic musical theatre. 7pm. £16.50 (£14.50, students £12.50). The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6EP. www.bacontheatre.co.uk 1100 JANUARY JANUARY ANTONY & CLEOPATRA Broadcast live from the National Theatre. Caesar and his assassins are dead. General Mark Antony now rules alongside his fellow defenders of Rome. But at the fringes of a war-torn empire the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony have fallen fiercely in love. In a tragic fight between devotion and duty, obsession becomes a catalyst for war. 7pm. £16.50 (£14.50, students £12.50). The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6EP. www.bacontheatre.co.uk 1122 JANUARY JANUARY CLASSIC CHASE DAY AT WARWICK
If there is one day to head to Warwick Racecourse then this is the one. With a focus on the most thrilling race we stage all year, you can also enjoy free heritage talks with some of the stars of yesteryear plus an exhibition of interesting artefacts from Warwick’s racing past. Tickets: 03445 793 013. Warwick Racecourse, Hampton Street, Warwick CV34 6HN. warwick.thejockeyclub.co.uk.
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
1133 JANUARY JANUARY THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY Direct from its success at London’s Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, The Simon & Garfunkel Story is back. Using huge projection photos and original film footage, this 50th Anniversary Celebration also features a full live band performing all the hits including ‘Mrs Robinson’, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and many more. 7.30pm. £18-£25. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. www.rosestheatre.org 16 JANUARY JANUARY – 2233 FFEBRUARY EBRUARY 16 ORIGINAL ARTISTS’ POSTERS EXHIBITION AT CHAPEL ARTS Original posters, created by some of the most prominent artists of the 20th Century, for their own exhibitions. Wednesday to Saturday. 10am–4pm. www.thechapelarts.com 17-19 JANUARY JANUARY 17-19 PINOCCHIO & THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE Geppetto longs for a son and one day he is blessed when the blue fairy transforms Pinocchio, the puppet he has made, into a real-life boy. Pinocchio promises his guardian Jiminy Cricket that he will be good but is led astray by Whizz and Twang, a naughty wolf and cat. Times and prices at kingstheatregloucester.co.uk. The Kings Theatre, Kings Barton Street, Gloucester, GL1 1QX. 117-20 7-20 JANUARY JANUARY SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
Promenade Productions bring Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs right into the 21st century without losing any panto traditions – a beautiful Princess, a handsome Prince, a larger than life Dame, a large cast of singers and dancers, lots of audience participation and seven lovable dwarfs. Join them to find what the magic mirror will reveal. Family friendly times and tickets at last year’s prices. Book now! Thursday & Friday 7pm, Saturday12 noon and 4.30pm, Sunday 2.30pm. The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham GL51 6EP. £10-£15 from Showcase (01242 224144) or online at bacontheatre.co.uk
19 JANUARY THE ROCKET MAN Join us on a musical journey, charting the rise to fame of one of the biggest selling artists of all time, Sir Elton John. Combining breath-taking vocal and piano performances, flamboyant costumes, and a dazzling light show – all accompanied by an outstanding band and backing vocals. Full details at www.everymantheatre.org.uk The Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ. 01242 572573. 21 JANUARY HANS REY – RIDING LIFE Hans Rey, the former World Champion, pioneer of Freeride, Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and mountain bike adventurer, will take audiences on an inspiring journey through his 30 year career and show you some of the best trails and destinations worldwide. 7.30pm. £19.50. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1QA. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk 21-26 JANUARY FAME The international smash hit sensation following the lives of students at New York’s High School For The Performing Arts as they navigate their way
S Shipton hipton G Golf olf C Course ourse Shipton Golf Course, Nr Frogmill, Shipton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 4HT
NO NO NEED NEED TO TO BOOK BOOK – O Open pen ev every very day day from from 7am 7am until until dusk dusk Follow Follow us us on on Twitter: Twitter :
‘Shiptongolf’ ‘Shiptongolf ’
shiptongolf@tiscali.co.uk
Tel: 01242 890237
F FITNESS ITNESS C CLASSES LASSES 2019 2019 Monday Monday
HOLE HvO PA P AYay & PLAY PLAY COURSE COURSE IN IN THE THE Open Op““A eAn9e every eLrEyPAY d day HEART HEuntil RT OF F THE T E COTSWOLDS” COTSWOLDS” from from 7 7am am uAnRT tiO l dusk d uH sk
www.shiptongolf.co.uk
Dame Janet Trotter. The event will start at 6.30pm in the Council Chamber of the Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham. This year the theme is ‘Torn from Home’, which will also be the theme of a small exhibition that may be viewed in the Pittville Room adjacent to the Council Chamber, after the Act of Remembrance. WHITNEY – QUEEN OF THE NIGHT A stunning celebration of the music and life of one of the greatest singers of our time. This award winning production features a sensational line-up of musicians and artistes, together with a powerful and breathtaking performance in the spirit of Whitney. 7.30pm. £26. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. www.rosestheatre.org 25 JANUARY JIM DAVIDSON: THE PEOPLE FIGHT BACK The people’s favourite and one of Britain’s greatest ever comedians, Jim Davidson OBE is telling it like it is. Are you fed up with this PC world we now find ourselves in? Well, come and see Jim’s brand-new and outrageous show. Enough is enough, it’s time to fight back! 7.30pm. £25.50. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. www.rosestheatre.org
through the highs and lows, the romances and the heartbreaks and the ultimate elation of life. This bittersweet but uplifting triumph of a show explores the issues that confront many young people today: prejudice, identity, pride, literacy, sexuality, substance abuse and perseverance. For times and prices visit www.everymantheatre.org.uk The Everyman Theatre, Regent Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1HQ. 01242 572573. 22 JANUARY DAN SNOW – AN EVENING WITH ‘THE HISTORY GUY’ The well-known historian and TV presenter recounts anecdotes of memorable experiences from his very successful career as an historian and broadcaster. Otherwise known as ‘The History Guy’, Dan will also research and include historical facts and stories relating to the specific area/ town of each theatre on the tour and will be aided by the use of digital screens. 7.30pm. £27. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. www.rosestheatre.org 24 JANUARY HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY Please join Cheltenham’s National Holocaust Memorial Day Act of Remembrance, which will be led by
✉
☎
Vinyl Records
WANTED
Wednesday Wednesday
um s egs bbums 5.45-6.30pm – LLegs 5.45-6.30pm tums & tums up ump itit up Pump 6.30-7.30pm 6.30-7.30pm – P ilates Pilates 7.30-8.30pm 7.30-8.30pm – P
Aerobic 66.00pm .00pm – 7.00pm 7 .0 0 p m A erobic cconditioning onditioning 88.00-9.00pm .00-9.00pm Pilates Pilates
uesday TTuesday
Thursday Thursday
Zumba 7.00-7.45pm Zumba 7.00-7.45pm o ga Yoga Iyengar Y 7.45-8.45pm 7.45-8.45pm Iyengar
LOCAL BUYER PAYS CASH FOR YOUR YOUR U UNWANTED NWANTED R RECORDS ECORDS
Most LPs, EPs & singles from the 1960s/70s/80s/90s considered. Especially large or small collections of Heavy Rock, Psych & Prog Rock, Punk & 90s Britpop.
e-mail: e -mail: v vinyl@willowpitch.co.uk inyl@willowpitch.co.uk 01242 0 1242 702947 702947 o orr 0 07785 7785 5 515987 15987 www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
la s t Blast Abb B .45-6.30pm A 55.45-6.30pm og a F l o w YogaFlow 7.30pm Y 66.30 .30 – 7.30pm
01452 0 1452 8 864796 64796 www www.brockworthsports.co.uk w.brockworthsports.co.uk Page 27
25-27 JANUARY GLOUCESTER CAJUN & ZYDECO FESTIVAL With a mixture of live music and dancing all day, the party atmosphere is contagious. There are dance workshops for beginners to experts and the Swamp Rock DJs between bands, all topped off by authentic Cajun & Creole cuisine, the festival brings the spirit of Louisiana to Gloucester. For full details, please visit www.gloucesterguildhall.co.uk Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1NS. 26 JANUARY TONY SLATTERY’S CRIMES AGAINST IMPROV Yes, it’s Tony Slattery and a team of local improvisers pitting their wits against each other. They’ll be doing silly things because the audience say so. During the course of the evening, with comedy improvisation on trial, the audience will decide at the end whether the verdict is guilty or not guilty. Will Mr. Slattery be locked up in improvisation hell forever? Only you can decide. 7.45pm. £12.50. Cheltenham Playhouse, 47-53 Bath Road, GL53 7HG. 01242 522852. www.cheltplayhouse.org.uk KIM CYPHER JAZZ BAND Inspired by the funkier side of jazz and having studied alongside US saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, Kim Cypher’s style of performance is best described as ‘funky saxophonist meets 1940s jazz singer’. Kim performs an eclectic mix of music spanning many genres with a quirky, jazzy twist together with original material from her debut album ‘Make Believe’. 7.30pm. £12.50. Tetbury Goods Shed, Gumstool Hill, GL8 8DG. shed-arts.co.uk BEYOND THE BARRICADE The UK’s longest running Musical Theatre Concert Tour features past principal performers from Les Miserables, who will be delivering over two hours of the best of Broadway and the West End, culminating of course with a stunning finale from Les Mis. 7.30pm. £25. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. www.rosestheatre.org 29 JANUARY – 2 FEBRUARY CRIMES ON THE NILE Belgian detective extraordinaire, Artemis Arinae, is set to enjoy a holiday cruise along the river Nile when tragedy strikes once more. All the passengers and staff aboard are suspects, and the murder count is growing, will Arinae’s little grey cells
Page 28
identify the murderer in time. For full details including times and prices, please visit barntheatre.org.uk. The Barn Theatre, 5 Beeches Road, Cirencester GL7 1BN. 30 JANUARY LA TRAVIATA ROYAL OPERA HOUSE LIVE OPERA From the thrill of unexpected romance to a heartbreaking reconciliation that comes too late – Verdi’s La traviata is one of the most popular of all operas. Alfredo falls in love in with the courtesan Violetta in glamorous Paris society, but underneath the surface run darker undercurrents, leading to a tragic ending. Sung in Italian with English subtitles. For times and prices please visit coriniummuseum.org Corinium Museum, Park Street, Cirencester, GL7 2BX. 31 JANUARY I’M NOT RUNNING An explosive new play by David Hare, premiering at the National Theatre and broadcast live to cinemas. Pauline Gibson has spent her life as a doctor, the inspiring leader of a local health campaign. When she crosses paths with her old boyfriend, a stalwart loyalist in Labour Party politics, she’s faced with an agonising decision. What’s involved in sacrificing your private life and your piece of mind for something more than a single issue? Does she dare? 7pm. £16.50 (£14.50, students £12.50). The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6EP. www.bacontheatre.co.uk SPIRIT OF THE DANCE One of the most successful dance shows ever. Irish in origin and bursting with raw energy, this explosive and powerful show combines heart-pounding Irish Dance with the sensual Latino rhythms of Flamenco and Red Hot Salsa in a thrilling production of strength and passion. 7.30pm. £28. Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1QA. www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk 2-9 FEBRUARY A BUNCH OF AMATEURS Keen to boost his flagging career, fading Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steele arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford – only to find that this is not the birthplace of the Bard, but a sleepy Suffolk village. Jefferson’s monstrous ego, vanity and insecurity are tested to the limit by the enthusiastic amateur thespians. 7.30pm (2.30pm matinee on Saturday 9th). £14. Cheltenham Playhouse, 4753 Bath Road, GL53 7HG. 01242 522852. www.cheltplayhouse.org.uk
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
7-13 FEBRUARY PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERS EXHIBITION – UNIVERSITY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE The University of Gloucestershire presents an inspiring exhibition, showcasing the work of eight recent MA Photography graduates. The exhibition contains a diverse range of individual student led projects: from abstract macro photography to large landscape pieces, 3D works and documentary film. 10am-5pm. The Gardens Gallery, Montpellier, Cheltenham. gardensgallery.co.uk 16-24 FEBRUARY HALF TERM ACTIVITIES AT CHEDWORTH ROMAN VILLA Join us this half term for a fun day out. We’ve got craft activities for children, a special trail and you’ve got the chance to meet Chedworths’ Romans. Look out for the children’s mosaic workshop on Thursday 21st February. Full details of activities can be found at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ chedworth-roman-villa. Chedworth Roman Villa, Yanworth, GL54 3LJ. 21 FEBRUARY THE MUSIC OF JOHN DENVER The real spirit of the music of John Denver is captured beautifully by Chris Bannister. Chris has been touring with his solo show since 2010 and, having performed around the world, he is now internationally applauded for his delivery of some of the best songs ever written. 8pm. £16.50 (£14 concessions). Stroud Subscription Rooms, George Street, GL5 1AE. 01453 760900. www.subscriptionrooms.org.uk 22-24 FEBRUARY GLOUCESTER FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring live music and entertainment, this festival draws on traditional folklore of the local area. Events are mainly free of charge and many local bands will be playing. King’s Square, Gloucester, GL1 1RW. Full details at thecityofgloucester.co.uk 23 FEBRUARY BIRD WATCH MORNING Get to grips with bird identification with the help of one of our experienced reserve wardens. Join them as they walk around the bird hides and get help identifying a variety of species including waders, ducks and passerines. Winter is a great time to witness the magical sight of tens of thousands of birds spending winter here including our Bewick’s swans and white-fronted geese. Followed by breakfast in the Kingfisher Kitchen. 8am-10.30am. £16.50. WWT Slimbridge, Bowditch, GL2 7BT. www.wwt.org.uk/ wetland-centres/slimbridge
Sudoku
Leader Leader s L Life ife with with C Councillor ouncillor P Paul aul JJames ames
New N ew Year Year P Plans lans
Fill the grids so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.
I said at the start of 2018 that the year would be one of “openings and anniversaries” and “when it all starts to come together”. I believe the events of the last twelve months have proved both to be true. We certainly celebrated the 1100th anniversary of the death of Aethelflaed and the 375th anniversary of the Siege of Gloucester in style, gaining national and international coverage. We saw the opening of our new bus station, the completion of Project Pilgrim at Gloucester Cathedral, and the restoration of Llanthony Priory and phase one of Bakers Quay (the new Premier Inn, Beefeater,, Costa and Provender apartment building). Other projects have started on site, including the new Next home and fashion store at the Peel Centre, the Discover DeCrypt project at St Mary de Crypt in Southgate Street and the housing development at Black Dog Way (all due for completion in March). Not to mention McCarthy & Stone’s retirement living complex and the Crest Nicholson Monk Meadow development alongside the canal.
Our Our ffocus ocus for for 2019 2019 iiss tthe he ccore ore ccity ity ccentre entre Our focus for 2019 is very much the core city centre. I expect works to prepare the former BHS store in Eastgate Street for a new tenant and improvements to the Kings Walk mall and car park to start fairly early in the year, with Kings Square anticipated to be on site in the Autumn. That will certainly be something to celebrate. If our bid to the Government’s Cultural Development Fund is successful, Kings House (where Chambers pub is) will be transformed into a ‘cultural entrepreneurs hub’ – a workspace for the creative industries. The City Council will also relocate from its Docks offices to move in with the County Council at Shire Hall, bringing more people to work in Westgate Street and freeing up the Docks warehouses for regeneration – ideally as a quality hotel. 2019 will also see the return of the Tall Ships Festival on the second May bank holiday weekend. I believe this year’s event will be the best yet. As well as bringing a number of stunning vessels into the Docks, which is always a sight to behold, this year’s festival takes on an adventure theme, with some exciting spectacles in store. Early bird tickets are available from the website www.eventbrite.co.uk. 2019 promises to be a year of continued progress for the city. I hope it brings you everything you and your family wish for too. @cllrpauljames @cllrpauljames
Don’t look until you’ve finished! Solutions on ‘Index of Advertisers’ page.
THE SOLUTION FOR YOUR NEW BATHROOM ...
e: e: paul.james@gloucester.gov.uk paul.james@gloucester..gov.uk
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Your local family business
Page 29
Entertainment E ntertainment
IIff you you hhave ave a sstory tory ttoo share, share, pplease lease eemail mail ffull ull ddetails etails tto o TTom. om. with with Tom Tom Hadfield Hadfield ‒ entertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk entertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk
Gloucester Cajun Zydeco G loucester C ajun aand nd Z ydeco Festival Festival The 26th annual Gloucester Cajun and Zydeco festival is coming back to the Gloucester Guildhall this month. The festival, which runs from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th January, will feature an array of bands and DJs, as well as dance workshops and a selection of Cajun and Creole food. One of the three main headliners set to play the festival, The Po Boys, are looking forward to their return to Gloucester. “This will be the third year in a row that we’ve played at Gloucester, which is a first for this festival!” said drummer and vocalist Andy Watson. “We are honoured to be headlining the Saturday, having paid our dues with sets lower down the bill in previous years, and it’s a real testament to how
The Po Boys
far we’ve come in the five years we’ve been together as a band. “We always enjoy these events and can’t wait to blow the roof off the Guildhall on the Saturday night!” Cajun and Zydeco are two similar but distinctly unique music genres originating from Louisiana in the United States, and both have a rich background, as explained by Colin
FFilm ilm Review Review – Tom Tom Hadfield Hadfield
Watson from Bristol-based band The Bayou Tapestry. He said: “Cajun music is a central part of the culture of a relatively small group of French-speaking workingclass people living in Louisiana, USA. “It’s essentially a ‘DIY’ brand of music, played by people for their own entertainment – it’s what they do to unwind after working hard all week. It’s music to dance to!” The Gloucester Cajun and Zydeco Festival is the biggest event of its kind in the UK, and a great opportunity to experience a new culture. Andy added: “The music is designed to bring people together and onto the dance floor. If you are standing still at a Cajun or Zydeco gig you’re really not feeling it!” Full story online.
Book Book Review Review – Aloÿse Aloÿse of of Daylesford Daylesford Book Book Club Club
Fantastic Fantastic Beasts: Beasts: The The C Crimes rimes o off Grindelwald Grindelwald
A After fter the the P Party arty by Cressida Connolly
‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ is the latest instalment in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter films and sequel to the 2016 film ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’. Set in the 1920s, the film picks up almost immediately from the prequel, with Newt Scamander – played by the ever-impressive Eddie Redmayne – tasked with the mission of hunting down the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), who believes wizards should rule over non-magical people, or ‘muggles’. There is a slightly darker undertone to ‘The Crimes of Grindelwald’ in comparison to the earlier Potter films, but director David Yates manages to retain the magic and fantasy that made the series so Eddie Redmayne and popular worldwide. Katherine Waterston Full review online.
I t is 1 9 3 8 a n d P h y l l i s Forrester has returned to E n gl a n d w i t h h e r f a m i l y a f t er l i v i n g a b r o a d f o r many years. She is reunited with her two sisters, one of whom is involved with a summer camp on the Sussex coast. Phyllis allows her children to attend without realising the consequences. Cressida Connolly was able to use information researched from diaries of the time. The book is both a story of tensions within a family and tensions in a wider historical sense. The author builds up an impressive picture of life in 1938 – a period which many choose to forget. It makes for an interesting, if uncomfortable read, with Phyllis starting out as ‘the nicest woman in England’ until she becomes sucked into this sinister world. Full review online.
Above Above is is a selection selection ffrom rom local local entertainment entertainment stories stories available available online online ... ...
A Art rt • E Events vents • E Experiences xperiences • F Film ilm • L Lifestyle ifestyle L Literature iterature • M Music usic • R Reviews eviews • T Theatre heatre • T TV V
Drama Kings D rama ccomes omes tto o tthe he K ings Theatre Theatre Founded in 2007 by a group of graduates from Bath Spa University, Hammerpuzzle is a theatre company with a passion for re-imagining classic stories in a fun and engaging way for audiences of all ages. “Our ethos is that we take a piece of classic literature, or a well-known play, and smash it apart with a said Lizzy hammer,” Cummings, company director, “and then we piece it back together in our own way like a puzzle.” Originating in Bath, the company has also been based in Bristol, and now bring shows to theatres throughout the South West. Gloucestershire has been a favourite destination for Hammerpuzzle. This festive period, the company has produced
‘The Old Curiosity Shop’ Picture: Camilla Adams Photography
two shows – the Dickensian classic ‘The Old Curiosity Shop’ and the beloved children’s story ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’. Both shows enjoyed successful spells throughout December at the Everyman, selling out before opening, and both will now visit the Kings Theatre in Gloucester. Lizzy said: “‘The Old Curiosity
Shop’ is a classic story and we’ll be bringing it to life with our signature style of original music and song, alongside condensing the story down to what we are particularly drawn to.” Even though 2019 has only just begun, Lizzy and the rest of the Hammerpuzzle team have already started thinking about what comes next. “We’ve got plenty of plans and ideas in our heads,” Lizzy added, “but I think we should probably get these shows out of the way before we start the next project!” ‘The Old Curiosity Shop’ is at The Kings Theatre, Gloucester on Friday 11th January and Saturday 12th January. ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ is at The Kings Theatre, Gloucester on Saturday 12th January. Full story online.
Gloucester G loucester b band and sset et ffor or big big 2019 2019 Gloucester based band Elessar are gearing up for what is set to be an exciting year, kicking off in January with a gig at the Frog and Fiddle. The trio of Ricky Powell (lead singer and guitar), Alex Evans (vocals and guitar) and Dan James (drums), formed the band in 2014 after an impromptu meeting. Ricky said: “We’ve known each other for a while but have only been together in the band for four years. “We’re all local to Gloucestershire. I live in Gloucester and Alex a nd D an li ve in the For est of Dean. We’ve all been in different bands playing the local scene for years, and as individuals decided it was time to form something new.
From left to right: Dan James, Ricky Powell and Alex Evans make up Elessar
“Four years, two EPs and multiple tours later, it’s all going well!” Drummer Dan James describes the type of music that Elessar specialise in as “emo rock that makes you move”, but Ricky admits that change is in
the air. He continued: “We’re currently writing new songs which are taking us in a new direction musically.” 2018 was a successful year for the band, who spent a lot of time on the road, headlining gigs in cities including London, Newcastle and Birmingham. “Touring all over the country has been a big highlight for us,” Ricky added. “We’ve met some really great people and had the chance to see some outstanding places. “It’s been great playing alongside bands that we are fans of too, like Mallory Knox and Boston Manor. All these things really motivate us to keep it up!” Full story online.
For For full full articles articles and and m more ore sstories tories vvisit isit w www.thelocalanswer.co.uk ww.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Homes & Gardens FOR ALL YOUR PROPERTY NEEDS Our range of services include:
•D Driveways riveways •P Patios atios •R Resin esin B Bonding onding •A Artificial rtificial Grass Grass •F Fencing encing •L Landscaping andscaping •T Turfing urfing •G Garden arden Walls Walls
GENUINE GENUINE
F FREE REE Quotations, Quotations, Advice, Advice, Samples Samples & Brochures Brochures
5 Year Guarantee with all works Many local references available
b berudman@yahoo.co.uk er udman@yahoo.co.uk
Proud members of
0 07843 7843 2 277723 77723 ~ 0 01242 1242 2 255043 55043 C Covering overing C Cheltenham heltenham & G Gloucester loucester
220% 0% OFF OdurFinFg any any oorders rders during JJanuary anuary 2019 2019
• New roofs & repairs • Lead work • Tiles • Slates • Felt & battening • Repointing • Ridge tiles & chimney repairs • Flat roofs • EPDM rubber • Roof coatings • Dry verge systems • Gutter repairs & cleaning • External painting • Moss removal & fungicidal treatments • uPVC fascias & soffits ALL WORK FULLY GUARANTEED FULLY INSURED
47 Worcester Street, Gloucester GL1 3AW For a F REE Q UOTATION p lease c For FREE QUOTATION please call: all:
058696 or 01452 3 48487 07786 058696 07786 or 01452 348487
(Please dial area code when calling)
CPA G PAVING P A AV VING
LANDSCAPING L ANDSCAPING D DRIVEWAYS RIVEWAYS PATIOS P ATIOS
&
Block Paving • Tarmac • Gravel Drainage • Kerbs • Steps • Paths Turfing • Fencing & Decking
NEW NEW Resin Resin B Bound ound D Driveways riveways
r 99le ca £r7singrive fo d T& Cs ap ply
5 YYEAR EAR
GUARANTEE GUARANTEE WITH ALL WORKS
Fullyy insured
FFREE REE q quotations uotta ations
01242 0 1242 801706 801706 01452 0 1452 341699 341699 candgpavvinguk@gmail.com
www.cg-paving.co.uk w ww w ww w w..cg-pa av ving.co.uk Page 32
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
R ROOFING OOFING & D DRIVEWAY RIVEWAY SSPECIALIST PECIALIST NEW ROOFS & REPAIRS FLAT ROOFS • CHIMNEY WORK • TILES & SLATES FASCIAS • GUTTERING • SOFFITS • UPVC
AQ QUALITY UALITY SSERVICE ERVICE FFROM ROM TTOP OP TTO OB BOTTOM OTTOM
10% OFF GENUINE
ng any orders duri ’19 y ar Janu
TARMAC
BLOCK PAVING
REGULATED & INSURANCE APPROVED
FFREE REE QUOTATIONS QUOTATIONS GLOSBUILD GLOS BUILD 01242 500918 00918 Professional Professional & R Reliable eliable 01242 5 L LTD TD
General General Builders Builders OVER OVER 40 40 YEARS’ YEARS’ EXPERIENCE! EXPERIENCE!
ALL A LL M MAJOR AJOR CREDIT CREDIT CARDS CARDS ACCEPTED ACCEPTED
info@glosbuild.co.uk info@glosbuild.co.uk w www.glosbuild.co.uk ww.glosbuild.co.uk Court Court FFarm, arm, TTewkesbury ewkesbury Road, Road, Twigworth, Twigworth, G Glos. los. G GL2 L2 9 9PX PX
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Page 33
E.P.S E .P.S Ellis Property Solutions
JHD D
ROOFING & BUILDING • Roofing Repairs & Full Replacement • Slate & Tiled Roofs • Lead Work • Skylights • UPVC Fascias & Soffits • Gutter Replacement & Cleaning • Roof Cleaning
Upp ttoo U
30% 30% o off ff
• Chimney Repairs, Removals & Rebuild • Dry Verge Cops • Dry Ridge Copping • Fully Insured • All Work Guaranteed • Professional & Reliable • Free Quotes
all all rranges anges of of flat flat rroof oof ssystems, ystems, UPVC UPVC ffascias, ascias, ssoffits offits & gguttering uttering
F Fully ully Insured Insured ~ All All work work guaranteed guaranteed We’ll We’ll b beat eat any any ‘like ‘like for for like’ like’ quotation! quotation! For For a F FREE REE ESTIMATE ESTIMATE p please lease ccall: all:
FFREE REE
Fitted Fitted B Bathrooms athrooms F Fitted itted K Kitchens itchens E Electrical lectrical Plumbing Plumbing
Laminate Laminate Worktops oon n Worktops aallll K itchens Kitchens
email Scott@epsuklimited.co.uk
mobile mobile
07976 090247 0 7976 090247 llandline andline
www.eps‐glos.co.uk 001452 1452 5549213 49213
David D avid SStevens tevens
F FOR OR A ALL LL YOUR Y O UR P PROPERTY ROPERTY M MAINTENANCE, AINTENANCE, REPAIRS REPAIRS & R REFURBISHMENTS EFURBISHMENTS •P Plumbing lumbing & E Electrics lectrics • W Wall all & Floor Floor T Tiling i l i ng • K Kitchen itchen & B Bathroom athroom F Fitting itting • R Roofing oofing Repairs Repairs & M Maintenance aintenance • G General eneral B Building ui l d i n g R Repairs epairs &M Maintenance aintenance • G Guttering uttering & U Upvc pvc C Cladding l a dd i ng And m uch, much much more more And much,
0 01452 1452 6 617394 17394 o orr 0 07790 7790 8 816203 16203
Please ddial ial 001452 1452 347643 347643 (a(Please 07879 3370178 70178 area rea ccode) ode) 07879
dstevens999@me.com dstevens999@me.com www.dstevens999.co.uk www.dstevens999.co.uk
or or email: email: jhdroofingandbuilding@gmail.com jhdroofingandbuilding@gmail.com
GAS FOR HEATERS
Happy New Year
SPECIAL WEEKEND HIRE RATES available throughout January Massive range of sale items including
and
and all gardening and hand tools
Byard Road, Gloucester GL2 5DF 01452 526616 7.30am-5pm and 8am-12pm Saturdays
www.ermin.co.uk Page 34
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Free Free Roof Roof Inspection Inspection
New Roofs New Roofs R Roof oof restoration, restoration, Leak Leak Detection Detection P ointing & Lead Lead Work Work Pointing A ll aspects aspects o Flat roofing roofing All off Flat TTiling, iling, Slating Slating & Cladding Cladding Facias, Facias, Soffits Soffits & G Guttering uttering
JOE & JAMIE
~ Established 25 years! ~
LANDSCAPE GARDENERS All garden work undertaken and guaranteed! Fencing, Patios, Block Paved Drives & Gravel Surfaces Tree & Hedge Pruning, Trimming, Felling 10% OFF Turf supplied and laid ~ Lawns removed for OAPs Retaining Walls Built/Repaired
No job too small or too large ~ All waste removed For a FREE ‘no obligation’ estimate, call Joe or Jamie on
01452 500942 or 07724 159342
S S.J. .J. LLewis ewis & S Sons ons LLtd td Complete Complete R Roof oo f S Specialist pecialist
C CALL ALL NOW NOW F FOR OR A FREE FREE QUOTE QUOTE
01242 01242 6 649286 49286 | 01432 01432 2 298287 98287 07584 0 7 58 4 6 669301 6930 1
CARE Construction A family business delivering a professional and friendly service across Gloucestershire
• EXTENSIONS • RENOVATIONS • STONEWORK • BARN CONVERSIONS • PROPERTY MAINTENANCE • SPECIALIST RE-POINTING • LANDSCAPING Please email or call: info@careconstruction.online
01452 649 754 • 07794 540 071 • 07834 728 778
www.careconstruction.online
Paving & Tarmac Specialists Block Block Paving Paving • TTarmac armac • Landscaping Landscaping riveways FFencing encing • Patios Patios • D Driveways & Sons Ltd
Garden Walls Walls Garden
A ALSO LSO
All our work is G Guaranteed uaranteed ffor or 5 y years! ears! Guaranteed to beat any genuine quote
Resin esin Driveways, Driveways, P Patios atios & P Paths aths
aintenance • Low M Maintenance • Choice Choice ooff Colours Colours • Durable Durable & Long Long Lasting Lasting • Weed Weed Free Free • Porous Porous for for Drainage Drainage
Rectory Rectory F Fields, ields, R Rudford, udford, G Gloucestershire loucestershire G GL2 L2 8 8DT DT
Tel: T el: 01452 01452 6668005 68005 / 001453 1453 2297010 97010 / 001285 1285 2238089 3 80 8 9
w www.marshallsdriveways.co.uk ww.marshallsdriveways.co.uk
Company Company rregistration: egistration: 1 11415390 1415390
Page 36
Reduces Puddles •R educes P uddles • Firm, Firm, attractive attractive Surface Surfface Can •C an bbee aapplied pplied oover ve r EExisting xisting Surface Surface • Cost Cost Effective Effective
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
ELITE LOFT FT FT LADDERS
A All ll Landscaping Landscaping aand nd Horticultural Horticultural w work ork undertaken undertaken
Safe and easy access
LLOFT OFT LADDERS LADDERS SUPPLIED SUPPLIED & INSTALLED INSTALLED LLOFT OFT HATCHES HATCHES EENLARGED NLARGED 01452 526040 07972 777876 mark@eliteloftladders.co.uk www.eliteloftladders.co.uk
• FFull ull LLandscape andscape D esign Design &C onsultation Consultation •G arden/Commercial Garden/Commercial M aintenance Maintenance • LLawn awn C are & T reatment Care Treatment • FFencing encing • P atios Patios • SShrub/Hedge hrub/Hedge Pruning Pruning
C Call all Garry Garry on on 0 07398 7398 1 162908 62908 or or 01452 01452 6 612379 12379 www.gslandscapesolutions.co.uk www.gslandscapesolutions.co.uk
01242 01242 713800 713800 / 07778 07778 3340485 40485 Free Quotes ~ Competitive Rates
www.markclifford-landscapes.co.uk w ww.markclifford-landscapes.co.uk
PROFESSIONAL, AFFORDABLE
WALL & FLOOR TILING C overing all all Tiling Tiling Services Services Covering
P PROFESSIONAL ROFESSIONAL • TRAINED TRAINED • COMMITTED COMMITTED
• Tree Work • Garden Design • Garden Maintenance • Turfing • Lawn Cutting • Hedge Trimming • Pond Work • Patios • Decking • Pergolas • Fencing • Sheds • Driveways Diploma in Horticulture ~ Established 1993
JWG TILING
FREE ESTIMATES
07912 442497
Tel: 01452 522841 after 6pm Mob: 07799 142194 anytime
LANDSCAPING • PATHS • PATIOS • DROP KERBS • GARDEN WALLS • FENCING DRIVEWAYS • RESIN BOUND DRIVEWAYS • HOT TAR SPRAY & CHIPPINGS SURFACE DRESSING • CARPARK REPAIRS, CLEANING & SEALING SERVICES DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL
01452 757836 • 07867 910377 www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Page 37
R ROOFING O OFING &C CONTRACTORS ONTRACTORS
G
New New Roofs Roofs G.R.P. G.R.P. FFibreglass ibreglass Certified Certified Installers Installers G Roof Roof CCleaning leaning & CCoating oating G Roof Roof & CChimney himney Repairs Repairs G Slate Slate RRepairs epairs G D Dry ry Verges Verges G Flat Flat RRoof oof RRepairs epairs G uPVC uPVC Guttering FFascias, ascias, SSoffits uttering offits & G ● uPVC uPVC Repairs Repairs G High High PPressure ressure CCleaning leaning G Painting Painting & D Decorating ecorating 0 01452 1452 8 899903 99903 0 07503 7503 8 858963 58963
Phoenix hoenix Gardens Gardens P Let L et u uss d doo tthe he g groundwork roundwork for for you you
G
◆ Fencing ◆ Tu urfing ◆ Garden Landscaping ◆ Decking ◆ Patios ◆ Plant Advice ◆ Complete Garden Makeovers ◆ Hedge Cutting & Planting Call C all Mark Mark on on MOB: MOB: 07979 07979 421 421 501 501 TEL: 0 1452 549 TEL: 01452 549 2 286 86
C Cheltenham heltenham R Rdd EEast, ast, G Gloucester, loucester, GL3 GL3 1AE 1AE
Woodlands W oodlands Landscapes Landscapes
www.phoenixgardenersgloucester.co.uk
All types of gardening work undertaken For a FREE FREE PPATIOS ATIOS•FFENCING ENCING•TURFING TURFING For no no o obligation bligation PRUNING•TTOPPING OPPING•FELLING FELLING quote PRUNING quote call: call: HEDGE HEDGE CUTTING CUTTING 001452 1452 GARDEN GARDEN CLEARANCES CLEARANCES 8 99771 899771 A family run business – we won’t be beaten on price! leewoodlands@hotmail.com
orr o
007919 7919 8837765 37765
CHOSEN C HOSEN LAWNMOWER L AWNMOWER SERVICES S ERVICES S SERVICING ERVICING & REPAIR REPAIR of of d domestic omestic lawnmowers lawnmowers Mower Mower collection collection and d and delivery elivery For a reliable, friendly service please speak to Graham on
07771 07771 783528 783528
or to leave a message call
Rob Cockburn
0 01452 1452 7 731967 31967
Tree & Hedge Services
• Take down, reductions, crown lifting & thinning, bracing FIREWOOD • Stump grinding • Tree and hedge planting • Hedge laying, trimming and reductions A LOAD • Site clearance & excavations
£60
ALL TREE WORK OPERATIONS UNDERTAKEN
Fully NPTC Qualified and Insured
m: 07787 578845 t: 01452 700388 e: rob.cockburn16@gmail.com
Make M ake yyour ourr Garden ou Gar ardden worth your Heritage • Domestic/Commercial Maintenance • Decking Patios/Paving •P atios/Pavi • Fencing • Turfing • Driveways Ground Ground Works Works • Garden Design • Planting Arrangements •O Over 15 ver 1 5 Years’ Years’ Experience • Fully Insured • Portfolio available Work Guaranteed • References Available available • All All W
FFor or aadvice dvice aand nd free quotations contact Nick Rutter o on n0 01452 145 751274 or 07796 146099
All aspects of Tree and Garden work undertaken Hedges g – reductions/trimming/removals g Trees Tr rees – pruning/felling pruning/felling Garden Garden clearances clearances – W Waste aste removal removal Wood-chipper W d hi Services S i FENCING • PATIOS • TURFING • JET-WASHING No job too small or big · Professional, Local, Reliable Service
We We are are also also registered registered waste waste carriers carriers – Fully Fully insured insured
0 01242 1242 8 851 51 9 941 41 0 01452 1452 4 404 04 6 626 26
RRedwood edw wood Tree Tree CCare are
Specialist Work on All Kinds of Trees
25% 25%
• Planting • Topping • Pruning • Deadwooding • Removal (Roots too!) • Fruiit Tree Management • Stump Treatment • Health Assessmen
H HEDGES EDGES PRUNED PRUNED AND AND T TRIMMED RIMMED DISCOUNT DISCOUNT O ONE-OFF NE-OFF G GARDEN ARDEN T TIDY IDY S SERVICE ERVICE iinn JJanuary anuary 22019 019 L LICENSED ICENSED W WASTE ASTE CARRIER CARRIER
Call Dave for a FREE QUOTATION Mobile 07900 015764 redwoodtreecare91@gmail.com Page 38
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
IIn n tthe he Garden Garden w with ith JJulia ulia S Smith mith
Garden-themed G arden-themed rresolutions esolutions Usually when the New Year comes around, we tend to make resolutions around our health, fitness and wellbeing – all great ideas, but how about setting a different kind of resolution in 2019? Here are some garden-themed New Year’s resolutions that you could try this year: • Recycle the Christmas tree rather than leaving it in the garden as a reproachful skeleton until August! Garden centres quite often will take them, or local recycling centres, or most councils will take any left out for a couple of weeks after Christmas as long as they are not over 4ft high. • Grow at least one vegetable, be it a row of runner beans or a courgette in a pot. • Don’t tie the dying foliage of daffodils into neat bundles – leave it to die back naturally. • Don’t leave tools in the border to go rusty! This is one that I definitely need to stick to this year! • Mow the lawn once a week in growing season, even if it doesn’t look like it needs it.
These resolutions should mean you end the year proud of your garden – either because you’ve grown something new, or because you’ve kept it tidier than previous years! Now on to some general tips for your garden in January.
Ag good ood ttime ime tto ob buy uy H Hellebores ellebores To see the flowers of your Hellebores at their best in the coming weeks, cut away last year’s grotty leaves. If you haven’t got any this is a good time to buy them, as they are starting to flower and you can pick your favourite from all the wonderful range of pink, purple and violet colours. They like a nice rich soil and will thrive in semi-shade, and they look so magical with snowdrops and evergreen ferns during the dark days of January and February. Garlic grows best when it has endured some winter chill and rain, so plant out individual cloves in a sunny spot, pointed end up, 15cm apart with 2.5cm of soil covering them. If the soil is heavy or really wet you can start the cloves off in small pots
Young garlic sprouts www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
©Didier Willery
of soil-based compost and leave outside in a sheltered spot ready to plant out in spring.
Aw well-needed ell-needed b boost oost for for tthe he ccoming oming sseason eason If you have a greenhouse you can sow broad beans such as ‘Empress’ or ‘Witkiem Manita’ in pots. Lettuces can be sown into plugs in the greenhouse and transplanted outside later on if wanted, or sow cut and come again varieties into pots or growbags in the greenhouse. This also goes for those of you lucky enough to have window sills (I don’t have any!) – you can sow a small window box inside and pick off leaves as desired. Lettuces can also be sown outside under a cold frame or cloche. Mulch fruit trees , bushes and canes with organic matter unless the soil is waterlogged or frozen. This will give them a well-needed boost for the coming season. Get your garden off to a good start in 2019 and enjoy its splendours through the year! Page 39
FEMALE DECORATOR
Master Master Sheds Sheds Each structure is custom built to your own requirements – perhaps to fit a corner of the garden or a difficult location.
HEATING • PLUMBING ELECTRICAL
Central heating Boiler ser vicing & replacement Electrical testing & rewiring Plumbing tasks & repairs
07891 194005
01242 323923 07912 662516
michellepowell81@hotmail.com
admin@pbtinstallations.co.uk www.pbtinstallations.co.uk
01452 314011 07831 762644
www.mastersheds.co.uk
Unit D, Sudmeadow Road, Hempsted, Gloucester GL2 5JA
Garden Sheds, Summerhouses, Home Offices, Garages, Workshops, Site Huts, Stables, Kennels, Aviaries, Pavilions or any large timber buildings!
O OUR UR R READERS EADERS YOUR Y OUR AUDIENCE AUDIENCE HW Reach 135,000+ people in the Gloucester area! TR REV EV VO ONLY £120 +VAT T OR O R
for this size RO OGE GERS advertisement R (right) including our P PAI AIN NT TER ER & FREE F REE A ARTWORK RTWORK D DE EC CO OR RA AT TO OR S SERVICE ERVICE INTERIOR / EXTERIOR
ONLY £85
+VAT/month when you book for 12 months!
FREE ESTIMATES PAPER HANGING COVING & TILING SPECIAL RAT TES FOR OAPs
0145 014 52 23 333 333 333 33 077 0 777 77 75 555 556 666 66
For helpful, friendly advice call 01242 510500 or email info@thelocalanswer.co.uk Page 40
HATHERLEY H ATHERLEY WORKTOPS W ORKTOPS LTD LTD
Your Y our Local Local Worktop Worktop and and Kitchen Kitchen Specialists Specialists ranite F actory C Cheltenham heltenham b based ased Q Quartz uartz & G Granite Factory w with ith SShowroom howroom FR* EEFFER O SINK & CONDIITTIIOONS S *TTEERM APPLYLY
I I I I
I I I
Quartz Quartz & G Granite ranite Laminate Laminate Solid Solid W Wood ood M Minerva inerva®, Mirostone Mirostone®, Mistral Mistral®, Corian Corian® & Staron Staron® surfaces surfaces Worktop Worktop refits refits Door Door rreplacements eplacements Full Full kkitchens itchens
Tel: T el: 01242 01242 523398 523398 / 01452 01452 2 290458 90458 email: email: info@hatherleyworktops.co.uk info@hatherleyworktops.co.uk web: web: www.hatherleyworktops.co.uk www.hatherleyworktops.co.uk U Units nits 1 18, 8, 19 19 & 2 20 0M Malmesbury almesbury Road, Road, K Kingsditch ingsditch Trading Trading E Estate, state, C Cheltenham heltenham G GL51 L51 9 9PL PL
Opening Opening Hours: Hours: 8am-5pm 8am-5pm Monday-Friday Monday-Friday 9am-1pm 9am-1pm Saturdays Saturdays
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Wildlife Wildlife Matters Matters with w ith M Maxine axine Raggatt Raggatt
W Winter inter w wildlife ildlife watching watching For wildlife, winter can be harsh. Food is scarce and freezing temperatures can make everyday survival a battle. A lot of people associate winter with there being barely any wildlife out and about, but it is, in fact, quite the opposite. Winter is a wonderful season to take to the countryside, as there are no leaves left on most tree species, so visibility of animals is much clearer. If you head down to the forest, you may get a chance to see and hear Britain’s most widespread owl – the tawny owl – as they favour woodland habitats. You will often find them roosting in small holes in the sides of trees. It is also a great time of year to spot squirrels leaping between the branches and foraging for food. They can also be spotted in gardens taking food from bird feeders! Although squirrels build themselves a den to sleep in, they do not hibernate in the winter.
If it has been particularly cold and there is snow on the ground, or you are in an area of soggy mud, you can go searching for animal tracks. Badger tracks can be seen from their nocturnal activity, along with foxes and deer.
An An educational educational ffamily amily activity a ctivity You could turn this into an educational family activity to get everyone up and out on a chilly day, but be sure not to disturb any wildlife you come across. Making sure you leave any piles of sticks, leaves and rocks in place on the forest floor is crucial, so you do not disturb the smaller wildlife species and hibernating animals such as hedgehogs and dormice. If you head down to the riverside or lakes, there will be a large variety of birds around, some of which are in migration. The most recognisable birds to spot will be mallards, geese and swans, but other birds you may encounter either near the water or further inland are woodwww.thelocalanswer.co.uk
pecke rs, phea sants , partridges , smews, waxwings, Iceland gulls and of course robins. Certain plant life can also thrive in the winter, as some species are built for colder conditions. Snowdrops tend to flower between January and March and prefer damp soil so are often found in woodlands and by riverbanks. Dogwood, with its colourful bare stems, and mistletoe can also be found along with holly, which is beneficial to wildlife as it provides dense cover for birds. The bright red berries often associated with holly are only found on the female plants. These are also consumed by birds in late winter when other sources of food are scarce. No matter where in the countryside or along the coast you visit this winter there will still be animals around looking for food and shelter. Winter is also an excellent time to take s o me s tu n n i n g p h o t o g ra p h s o f wildlife and all the scenery has to offer on those beautiful frosty mornings. Page 41
014 52 52 2 4 22
interior needs
es@interiorneeds.co.uk
• Curtains Curtains & fabrics fabrics • Tracks Tracks & poles poles • Interior Interior shutters shutters • Perfect Perfect fit fit blinds blinds •B Bay ay w window indow reneal ttreatments reatments F r pe so esign d interiorrvice e s • Lighting Lighting • Wallpaper Wallpaper • Mirrors Mirrors
Happy Happy N New ew Year Year from from all all of of us us at at IInterior nterior Needs Needs
• Sandersons • Romo • Zoffany • Prestigious • Casadeco • Bill Beaumont • Ian Mankin • Hardy • Villa Nova • Harlequin • Luxaflex • James Brindley • Silent Gliss • Velux • Blendworth
• 20% off Fabric on M.T.M. orders • 20% off Blinds • 20% off Shutters • 20% off Lighting & Mirrors • 20% off Tracks & Poles • 10% off Wallpaper
O pening Opening T imes Times Monday Monday
Showroom Showroom cclosed losed
(open en b by y aappointment ppointment only) only)
Tuesday-Saturday uesday-Saturday 10am-3pm 10am m-3pm
Sunday Sunday Closed Closed
Sale continues until 31st January 2019
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)
w www.interiorneeds.co.uk ww.interiorneeds.co.uk
IInterior nterior D Design esign w with ith G Gill ill G Greenwell reenwell
C Creating reating a ccalm alm lliving iving sspace pace The New Year is all about looking forward and new beginnings, and where better to start than by taking a fresh look at your home. The current ‘mindful’ approach to dealing with our fast-paced lives can be applied to our homes too. Follow my quick and easy tips for your New Ye ear spruce up and create a calm, clear and relaxing space to live.
T Top op tips tips for for tidying tidying The post-Christmas period is always a good time to de-clutter. I love Marie Kondo’s book ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying’ – she takes you through the whole process with the mantra “only keep the things that spark joy”. Time to ask yourself – do I need it? Will I use it? Do I love it?
Get G et sstarted tarted Start with a wardrobe edit – you will find clothes you never knew you had – and you can always enlist help from a professional. Sort out your books – are you really going to re-read that book club paperback from two years ago? Delve into your kitchen cupboards – do you really need to keep that fish kettle you used once to bake a whole salmon?
I found a boxful of party g l a s s e s a n d g a v e t he m t o a friend for her barbeque, she was thrilled.
Ap place lace ffor or e everything verything Make sure you store things so you can easily find them. Storage doesn’t have to be unattractive – a friend of mine with a tiny flat in Paris always re-uses her nicest packaging boxes to store scarves, etc. The trend for all things natural means that you can find beautiful wicker, seagrass and natural-fibre baskets that really don’t cost too much, and are great for storing shoes, toys or bathroom essentials. Do try and avoid using display tall vases next to smaller plastic if you can. ornaments, add a pile of books with attractive covers and mix up C Curate urate y your our clutter clutter textures and colours. Now’s the time to be creative. S Something omething tto om make ake y you ou Aim for your home to be a thoughtful collection of all the s smile mile things you love. Invest in some At this time of the year, it’s good open shelving for displaying to have things around you that your most prized possessions make you happy. Why don’t you and embrace your inner stylist. look out for something new to Think about levels and layers – add that fun element? The Scandinavians are good at this – their home accessories come in lots of lovely bright colours which are so on trend this season. I have my eye on a storage basket in the shape of a pear, complete with a bright green stalk! It was meant for storing children’s toys but it will make a great addition to my laundry. Now it’s time to settle down with that interesting book you found at the back of your bookshelf, make yourself a soothing cup of green tea and chill out. www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Page 43
Kerry rry Baker Baker
sional q plumber Fully insured No job too small
Mobile:
0 07880 7880 258158 258158
O OVEN VENE& RANGE RANGFAENCLEANING CS •LMICROWAVES EANING O OVENS VENS • EXTRACTOR XTRACTOR FANS MICROWAVES HOBS HOBS • AGAS AGAS • RAYBURNS RAYBURNS
Local independent oven cleaning specialist 1100% 00% biodegradable biodegradable and and non-caustic n on-caustic products products T Tidy, idy, clean, clean, efficient efficient system! system!
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
kerry@thefemaleplumber.co.uk
YOUR Y OUR ELECTRIC ELECTRIC C COOKER OOKER OR OVEN OVEN N OT W ORKING? OR NOT WORKING? EST E ST 2004 2004 l cal TTel: el: 07955 07955 295360 295360
For more information pllease visit the website @
www.fix-my-oven.co.uk w ww.fix-my-oven.co.uk
D DIRTY IRTY C COOKER OOKER O OR RO OVEN? VEN? Tel: 01242 227067
www.ovenbusters-cheltenham.co.uk www.ovenbusters-cheltenham.co.uk
T Town own & C Country ountry
H Heating eating and an d P Plumbing lumbing L Ltd td
iinfo@sarsenenergy.co.uk nfo@sarsenenergy.co.uk w www.sarsenenergy.co.uk ww.sarsenenergy.co.uk
• Boiler servicing • Heating installations • Landlord gas • Complete bathroom safety certificates installations • Boiler breakdowns • Gas Safe and and repairs Oftec (oil) • Boiler installations registered • General plumbing • Free no obligation quotations and plumbing maintenance • No call out fee
Boil iler Serv rvic icin ing & Landlo lord r dG Safeety ty Checas ks in JJaan + F in eb 2019 £40+VAAT T
GRP Electrical
TT:: 001452 1452 4452002 52002 EE:: Office@gloucesterplumb.co.uk Office@gloucesterplumb.co
w www.gloucesterplumb.co.uk ww.gloucesterplumb.co.uk
LTD
Female male Plumber umber
Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Work under taken
Getting G etting rready eady ffor or tthe he d dark ark n nights ights with w ith e external xternal security security lighting lighting Kitchen lights Rewires Showers Fault finding Inspection & testing Landlord certificates Distribution board upgra Free Estimates ~ No Call out Charge
B BOILER OILER SERVICES SERVICES
✔
ffrom rom £44.50+VAT £44.50+VAT
110% 0% OFF O FF E EVERYTHING VERYTHING
t: 01452 37968 36191088
C100129
ffor or work work b booked ooked a and nd carried carried out out before before 31st 31st JJanuary anuar y 2 2019 019
306116
enquiries@townandcountryheatingandplumbing.co.uk ww w ww.townandcountryheatingandplumbing.co.uk U nit 7 10 JJupiter upiter C ourt, M eteor B usiness Park, Park, Unit 710 Court, Meteor Business C heltenham R oad E ast, S taverton GL2 GL2 9QL 9QL Cheltenham Road East, Staverton
Page 44
144 Finlay Road Gloucester GL4 6TF Tel: (Gloucester) 01452 307413 Tel: (Cheltenham) 01242 649642 Mob: 07970 547277 Email: info@grpelectricalltd.cco o.uk www.grpelectricalltd.co.uk
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
G Gadgets adgets & G Gizmos izmos w with ith L Laura aura N Nicklin icklin
New New year, year, n new ew yyou, ou, n new ew tech tech With every January comes the typical New Year’s resolutions that normally fizzle out before the end of the month, but if you’re eager, perhaps some of these gadgets can help you stand firm. Whether you’re looking to get fit, get back on that diet that probably went out the window during December, or simply invest in a new hobby, you can at least get the ball rolling with the latest gadgets for 2019.
ing, whereas clear glass means clear weather, and visible crystals are a sign of fog or humidity. be True, it might considered slightly archaic compared to more modern technology (i.e. weather apps or simply watching the forecast on TV), but it’s still an undeniably clever invention that manages to carry an air of elegance. The Storm Glass is both a classy addition to your garden, and a way of appreciating the old-fashioned things in life. Available from menkind.co.uk at £25.99.
Smart S mart W Water ater Bottle Bottle
Storm S torm G Glass lass This intriguing-looking ornament isn’t just a pretty face; it’s also a weather forecast. Yes, this crystal ball of sorts will predict whether stormy clouds are ahead, or if you can look forward to a spot of sunshine. The Storm Glass, rather aptly shaped like a raindrop, uses its clever crystals when reacting to pressure conditions to keep you updated on the weather. For instance, small crystals and cloudy glass mean thunder-storms are approach-
Scientifically speaking, the daily recommended amount of water is equivalent to over three and a half pints for men and under three pints for women. Of course, that’s easier said than done, especially if you’ve got a hectic day ahead. With the Bellabeat Spring Smart Water Bottle, you’ll get helpful reminders to keep hydrated. Simply shake the bottle left-to-right to sync your data to the app, and you can get started. This Smart Bottle will calculate your recommended water intake based on your age, height, weight, activity, etc, ensuring that it is tailored to your specific requirements. It also keeps track of your water intake throughout the day, so you www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
can check on your progress. The Smart Water Bottle is available from John Lewis at £79.99.
JLab JLab Epic Epic Air Air Elite Elite True True Wireless Wireless Earphones Earphones If you’re feeling the need for some motivation to avoid the January blues, then these Elite wireless earphones from John Lewis will help you out. One of the best motivators is music; with these wireless earphones, you can enjoy your own Rocky montage as you shut out the outside world for some metime. Sweat-proof and customisable, these little gizmos are ideal for outdoor exercising, and have up to six hours of battery life. Their clever over-ear hook design will make sure they stay in place, and they even include Be Aware Audio, which allows natural ambient noise in so you don’t get too distracted by your music. These are available from John Lewis at £112.99. Page 45
S Save ave the the P Planet lanet with w ith L Lily ily C Curle urle
The T he palm palm oil oil predicament predicament There is one ingredient in our everyday lives which you probably eat and use so often that you don’t recognise it anymore. It is used in everything, from peanut butter to shampoo, so much so that it is nearly impossible to miss out of your daily routine without some serious study. Furthermore, this ingredient is so prolific that it is needed in huge quantities, leading to deliberate deforestation by nations which grow it as an export product.
What What iis s this this iingredient? ngredient? This ingredient is palm oil. Of course, you may be thinking, there is no ingredient on the back of my shampoo that says ‘palm oil’, so it must not be in this product. However, the manufacturers of palm oil, and the labellers of products, are sneaky – they use a whole host of names to obscure that a product really has palm oil in. While many of these names have a hint of ‘palm’ in, many do not. For example, when looking at your shampoo, do you see sodium laureth
© James Morgan/WWF International
sulphate or sodium lauryl sulphate? While it may not be obvious, it is these which help your shampoo to lather, but palm oil is a key component of their production. Even when it is clearly labelled, it is often so widely used that it is difficult to avoid in processed foodstuffs. The majority of peanut butters contain palm oil to make it smooth, stable and glossy: the t r a d i t i o n a l b r a n d s , c on t a i n i n g just peanuts, often do not have the same rich texture that makes peanut butter desirable. In fact, the majority of food, processed bread, including ice crisps and cream all contain palm oil.
Why Why is is palm palm oil oil a problem? problem?
© Ulet Ifansasti/Greenpeace
Because it is so high in demand, palm oil production has boomed very www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
quickly. Unfortunately, as a consequence, the way in which it is produced has become a problem equally as fast. Because they can make a profit from producing it, many tropical nations are cutting down large swathes of forest in order to plant oil palms. This, in turn, directly threatens the exotic species which live in such habitats, like orang-utans and gorillas, of which most are already struggling. The palm oil trade also directly affects our human populations. Many people suffer human rights abuse in the plantations where palm oil is manufactured, along with f o rce d se i zu re o f t h ei r l an d i n order to grow more crops. So next time you’re at the shop, pull up a long list of the names of palm oil and see how much of your shopping you can buy without it. If this isn’t an option, try to buy from brands with a commitment to sustainable palm oil. Page 47
F Follow ollow u us s on on
QUEDGELEY Q UEDGELEY CARPETS CARPETS 01 01452 452 883113 883113 www.quedgeleycarpets.co.uk www.quedgeleycarpets.co.uk
W Why hy choose choose Q Quedgeley uedgeley C Carpets... arpets...
W We e stock: stock:
don’t p ride o urselves on on being being the the biggest biggest We e don’t pride ourselves iindependent ndependent fflooring looring shop shop in in Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, w ep ride o urselves on on being being the the best. best. we pride ourselves We e believe believe the the smallest smallest things things make make the the biggest impact. impact. biggest Firstly we we focus focus on on providing providing e xtraordinary Firstly extraordinary customer service. service. F or e xample, u nlike o ur customer For example, unlike our competitors our our expert expert ffitting eam can can – ittting tteam competitors Move your your furniture furniture • Remove Remove your your fflooring looring • Move Uplift your your flooring flooring • E ase yyour our doors doors • Uplift Ease … And e ven vvacuum acuum u pb efore w e lleave! eave! …And even up before we Selecting your your flooring flooring couldn’t couldn’t b ee asier! Selecting be easier! Our salesmen salesmen do do not not work work on on commission, commission, Our so we we can can ensure ensure o ur c ustomers a re g etting so our customers are getting the right right p roduct ffor or tthe he rright ight p rice. the product price. If yyou ou can’t can’t g et tto o tthe he shop shop then then d on’t worry. worry. If get don’t e offer offer a free free measuring, measuring, estimating estimating and and We home selection selection service. service. home Finally, speak for themselves, themselves, F inally, rreviews eviews s peak for check ours out we e are are # a above bove c heck o urs o ut … w tthe he rrest! est!
•C arpets Carpets •V inyls Vinyls
•E ngineered Engineered W oo d Wood
ugs Rugs •L aminates • R Laminates
The Bumble Bee
dy stody Custo ice Cu Pol Police tes Suites Sui
IIRRE RSH Y STE AR CE BUL OU TA GL ONS C
Holiday Inn Express WA TE RW EL LS DR IVE
Y TELFORD WA
5 M
STTANLEY COURT
OSE LO EDISON C
A38
GLO UCE STE R
E WE AR ARE HERE HERE
TEL FO RD WA Y
Luxury •A rtificial • Luxury Artificial Vinyl T iles G rass Vinyl Tiles Grass
Unit Unit 1, 1, Stanley Stanley C Court, ourt, T Telford elford W Way, ay, Q Quedgeley, uedgeley, Gloucester Gloucester GL2 GL2 2AE 2 AE info@quedgeleycarpets.co.uk info@quedgeleycarpets.co.uk
Page 50
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Page 51
M Matt G Grimshaw i h Carpentry C entry L Carpe Ltd d
All aspects of kitchen fitting undertaken G
G
G
Doors Timber Flooring St G Roofing G Bespoke Joinery G Decking G Fencing
0 01242 1242 6604423/07792 04423/07792 0 088822 888 mattgrimshawcarpentry@live.co.u mattgrimshawcarpentry@live.co.uk w www.mattgrimshawcarpentry.co.uk ww.mattgrimshawcarpentry.co.u
10% DISCOUNT ON K KITCHEN ITCHEN FFITTING ITTING WHEN QUOTING TL A
BM B MS SERVICES ERVICES 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 andles Misted g lass • Locks Locks • Hinges Hinges • H 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 217998 Call: 07963 E mail: b arrieminett@mail.com Email: barrieminett@mail.com W eb: w ww.bm-services-glos.co.uk Web: www.bm-services-glos.co.uk VERY V ERY C COMPETITIVE OMPETITIVE PRICES PRICES
Page 52
B B&H &H W Windows indows and and Repairs Repairs
A solution solution for for all all your your double double glazing glazing problems problems • Faulty Faulty Locks Locks • Broken Broken Hinges Hinges • Handles Handles • Burglar Burglar Damage Damage • Patio Patio W Wheels heels • Extra Extra S Security ecurity
YOU HAVE YOU HAVE GOT M ISTED GOT MISTED WINDOW PANES? PANES? WINDOW
We We can can replace replace tthe he ppanes, anes, keeping keeping your your frames frames – Save Save ££££s ££s
FFor or a free free no no obligation obligation q uotation pplease lease ccall: all: quotation
0 80 0 0 0380083 380083 / 0 07591 7591 142052 142052 COMPETITIVE COMPETITIVE PRICES! PRICES! 0800 O ver 228 8 years’ years’ Over e xperience experience
enquiries@bhwindowsandrepairs.co.uk enquiries@b hwindowsandrepairs.co.uk w www.gloucesterwindowrepairs.co.uk ww.glou cesterwindowrepairs.co.uk
RHODES CARPENTRY LTD Over 18 years’ carpentry experience
Kitchens K itchens & B Bathrooms athrooms ●
●
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.
General General B Building uilding W Works orks ((Internal/External) Internal/External) ●
● ●
All types of works underttaken. Custom built wardrobes, loft conversions, door hanging, decking, pergolas, patios.
FFor or a compe ve compe ve q quote uote p please lease ccontact: ontact: Home: H ome: 01452 01452 533102 533102 Mobile: 07870 586701 or Email: lee@lrcarpentry.co
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
LITTLE WHITE VAN MAN
Gloucestershire’s Gloucestershire’s ffriendly, riendly, cost cost e effective ffective removals, removals, collections collections and a nd deliveries deliveries service! service!
Discounts for OAPs, students, NHS, emergency services
BIG BIG VANS VANS A AVAILABLE VAILABLE Great reviews reviews o on Great n
07903 097465 01452 303850
hello@littlewhitevanman.co.uk
WE WE S SELL ELL Y YOUR OUR C CAR AR
““Better Betttter er Call Call Paul!” Paul!”
Money Money Matters Matters w with ith R Roger oger D Downes ownes o off A Andorran ndorran
A Allll cchange? hange? NT AG PAUL PA P AU A UL M MONTAGU ON TA T A GU • •CAR CAR H HELPERS• ELPERS• BUYING, BUYING, SELLING, SELLING, A ADVICE DVICE W WWW.CARHELPERS.CO.UK WW.CARHELPERS.CO.UK 001452 1452 3303850 03850 | 007903 7903 0097465 97465
All drains and blockages • All emergency plumbing work Pre-fixed prices • Saniflo blockages & installations High pressure jetting/drain repairs/relining CCTV surveys/homebuyers’ surveys Local Authority insurance & Water Company approved Emergency Emergency Plumbing Plumbing & Drain Drain Service Service N No o
2 24 4 0800 0800 0 068 68 1216 1216
ccallout allout ccharges harges HOUR HOUR www.draindoctorgloucestershire.co.uk
STEVEN Domestic and Industrial Skips
ATTENTION! A TTENTION! Let us lighten your load! Stevens Recycling
Ham Villa Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham GL52 6NB
01242 522647/529397
stevensrecycling584@gmail.com
The start of a new year is a time for looking first back and then forward. Often I would play a game of predicting what might happen in the financial world in the next twelve months, but anyone who tells you they can do that with confidence is lying. The year ahead promises to be one of the most turbulent on record politically and in the financial world. You think 2018 was bad? That was only the posturing phase; in 2019 we will see the realities of the fall out from those political manoeuvrings. As I can’t tell you what will happen, there’s not much point in speculating about what might take place, but it’s worth looking at the impacts that certain measures might create. This isn’t a new version of ‘Project Fear’ about the implications of the UK leaving the European Union, more an attempt to explain what happens if... The market T he sstock tock m arket crashes. crashes. Very few ordinary people have a lot of investments in shares. I’ve still got a few from when it was popular to buy privatisation issues, but for most of us, the impact of a major fall in the value of shares will be on our pensions. All of the pension funds hold the majority of their money in one form of investment or another and, whilst fund managers will tell you that they spread the risk as best they can, there is no doubt that anyone in a defined contribution scheme will take a big hit. IInflation nflation becomes becomes rrampant. ampant. Fairly obvious really – the cost of everything we buy goes up and our wages struggle to keep pace. We all demand bigger increases in pay, which stretches employers to the point where they cannot afford to award those increases and therefore have to consider laying off staff or, worse still, ceasing to trade. IInterest nterest rrates ates rise. rise. Often used by the Bank of England to stem inflation, but I’m not sure it really has the desired effect. For many of us, our largest monthly outgoing is our mortgage payment, so if that becomes more expensive, we still need the pay rise to help cover it. The T he value value of of sterling sterling plummets. plummets. Our holidays become more expensive, but remember the same happens to everything that we buy from abroad, so the cost of manufacturing could rise and there will be even more pressure on businesses in certain sectors. Others, who are selling abroad, will love it, but the concern is for those whose costs will rise and the knock-on effect for those businesses generally. As a country, we have enjoyed stability in these areas for the last decade, which may have caused us to become complacent, but has certainly got us used to a lack of turbulence. Fasten your seat belts as it’s going to be a rather bumpier ride through 2019. Whatever it brings, a Happy New Year to you and yours.
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Page 55
S Sport port
with w ith R Roger oger Jackson Jackson
TO SHARE SHARE YOUR YOUR SPORTING SPORTING WANT W ANT TO STORY ON ON OUR OUR WEBSITE? WEBSITE? STORY Please Please eemail mail ffull ull ddetails etails ttoo ssport@thelocalanswer.co.uk port@thelocalanswer.co.uk
V Vicky icky Holland Holland proud proud of of county county roots roots It is somewhat appropriate that Vicky Holland was at her parents’ home in Redmarley in the county of her birth when The Local Answer called. The current women’s world triathlon champion has trained and competed all over the globe and won a stack of medals but much of the groundwork for that success was done in her early years growing up in Gloucestershire. Born in Gloucester, the now 32-year-old – she’ll be 33 on 12th January – is quick to pay tribute to those who did so much to help her in her swimming and running, work that enabled her to take on and ultimately conquer the world. She learned her cycling – the third discipline of what must be one of the toughest events in sport – outside Gloucestershire but that doesn’t lessen one bit the sense of gratitude she has towards her home county.
Sam Sam is is a star star tturn urn Sam Cook is a good netball player, very good in fact. The 26-year-old has played for England, continues to play in the Super League for Severn Stars and is captain of Hucclecote, who are one of the best clubs in the country. She also works at the University of Gloucestershire, where she is first team coach, and is the Pathway Head Coach for Severn Stars, so it is fair to say that netball is a very big part of her life. She has also Sam Cook been capped 16 Picture: Andrew Taylor times by England’s senior team, playing in countries such as Jamaica, New
World champion Vicky Holland. Picture: David Pearce
It was swimming that was her first love. “I started swimming at Newent with Newent Otters when I was six or seven,” she said. “I always loved the water and was very soon happy to be swimming without armbands.” It was also clear fairly soon that she was a much better than average swimmer for her age. “I progressed through the first levels quite quickly, it was something in which I was relatively natural,” she added. Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
A ttop, op, ttop op m man an Edward Gillespie is one of the most familiar faces around Gloucestershire. He was the main man at Cheltenham Racecourse for some three decades and has immersed himself in plenty of other activities – by no means all sport related – over the years. He has recently taken on the role of Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire which sees him representing the Queen in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire, taking on a full range of civic and ceremonial duties.
A ttrue rue O Old ld C Cryptian ryptian Greg Barton is closing in on a major landmark with Old
Triathlon was a long, long way from her thoughts in the early to mid-90s of course, although her first swimming coach in Newent realised that the young Holland had that something extra in the pool. “Carol Perry spotted that I was quite good,” said Holland. “She was quite a good swimmer herself and encouraged me to move to Gloucester City Swimming Club. They were a bigger club and allowed me more pool time.” She made the move at the age of 10 and her first coach at her new club was Helen Stephens. Graham Brookhouse, an Olympic Games bronze medal winner for Great Britain in the team modern pentathlon in 1988, then became her coach for three years until the age of 18, by which time Holland was also showing real talent as a runner with Cheltenham Harriers. Full story online. Cryptians Rugby Club. He’s just two years short of serving the club for 50 years since first joining as a teenager, and he’s still as passionate about the club today as he was all those years ago. As it happened, he was enjoying his 63rd birthday when The Local Answer called and he was happy to look back on a lifetime spent at a club where he is a past chairman and treasurer, a club that has been his second home for close on five decades. “I started playing rugby for the club when I was 15,” he said. “I was at Crypt School and I used to play rugby on a Saturday morning for the school and then play for the seniors in the afternoon.” For full versions of all these stoories viisit www.thelocalanswer.co.uk
Above Above is is a selection selection ffrom rom local local entertainment entertainment stories stories available available online online ... ...
Hanlon Hanlon p proud roud tto ob be e aan nO Olympian lympian The clue is the signage on the roof of his car – ‘Olympic Pete Hanlon’. These days 59-year-old Hanlon is a driving instructor but back in the day he was one of the best amateur boxers in the country and good enough to represent Great Britain in the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Hence the word ‘Olympic’ in his business name of course. He was also good enough to win a string of amateur titles and fought all over the globe in the late 70s and early 80s. Born in Dublin, Hanlon moved to Gloucester with his family when he was 18 months old. He went to St Peter’s Junior School and it was while there that he first got into boxing. “After school I used to play in the street with my friend Kevin Martin,” he explained. “One afternoon I called round his house and he wasn’t there. I asked his mum where he was and she said he was at the boxing club.” The next afternoon Hanlon joined his mate at Gloucester Boxing Club which in those days was based at India House in Barton Street. Hanlon was just eight years old, so how did he get on? “I fell in love with it from the first day,” he said. Hanlon was a featherweight and in those days there were no headguards for amateur boxers like there are today. That didn’t bother the young Hanlon, however, and he was obviously pretty good, so when did he realise that he had a real talent? “When the coach came to my house and as ked my dad why I was no longer going to the gym,” he said. “Terry Beckett was the coach and I remember my dad asking me when I came home how my boxing was going and I said ‘good’. He then gave me a good hiding for lying!” Hanlon had left school without any qualifications and had
Pete Hanlon competed in the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow
started work when he was 15. Even at that tender age his boxing career was clearly at a crossroads. Fortunately for the young Hanlon, his dad Albert was able to offer very sound advice. “I told my dad that I was 15 and that my mates were all going out drinking and going to clubs,” continued Hanlon. “That was when my dad told me that Terry Beckett thought I could go all the way, he told me that Terry thought I had a gift.” And Beckett was absolutely right of course. “I had a whisky with my dad and he said that if I was going to give it a go I should give it a go for three years and have no regrets,” said Hanlon. And Hanlon certainly didn’t have any regrets because within those three years he had been crowned both ABA champion and British champion. In those days, the amateur championships were a very big thing. They were televised by the BBC and Hanlon, a postman, was often referred to as ‘the letter
boxer’ by top boxing commentator Harry Carpenter. “I won my first medal in 1978,” he said. “It was at the European junior championships. They were in Dublin and my dad was there and that was special because the Irish were trying to claim me as one of their own!” That was just the start for Hanlon because he won gold medals in the Acropolis Cup in Greece and the Tanner tournament in Finland in 1979, won a silver at the European Championships as well as a silver at the Commonwealth Games in Australia in 1982. In all he had some 250 fights, winning some 225 to 230 of them. He was stopped just the once and knocked down only a couple of times, so it’s very obvious that Pete Hanlon was a seriously good amateur boxer. The highlight would have to be the 1980 Olympics where he reached the quarter-finals, only losing on points to world no 1 Viktor Rybakov from the Soviet Union. Full story online.
For For full full articles articles and and m more ore sstories tories vvisit isit w www.thelocalanswer.co.uk ww.thelocalanswer.co.uk
dvertisers Index o Index off A Advertisers FOOD FOOD & DRINK DRINK Cafe Rene Tiger’s Eye
4 4
WHAT’S WHAT’S ON ON C CLUBS LUBS & SPORTS SPORTS Brockworth Sports Centre 27 Shipton Golf Course 27
HEALTH HEALTH & BEAUTY BEAUTY NHS Gloucestershire
10-11
HOLIDAYS HOLIDAYS & TRAVEL TRAVEL Norad Travel
23
PROPERTY PROPERTY & STORAGE STORAGE Bovis Homes Park Home Life The Property Centre
6 8 60
RETAIL RETAIL Assured Mobility Ermin Plant Hire Morgan DeVere Menswear Vinyl Records
12 34 5 27
HOMES HOMES & GARDENS GARDENS BATHROOMS BATHROOMS Lifestyle Bathrooms 14 Severn Vale Bathrooms 29 & 59 B BUILDING UILDING SERVICES SERVICES A1 Roofing & Contractors 38 BE Rudman 32 C&G Paving 32 Care Construction 36
34 David Stevens Elite Loft Ladders 37 Ellis Property Solutions 34 Glos Build 33 Home Care Roofing & Building 32 JHD Roofing & Building 34 JWG Tiling 37 Marshalls Driveways 36 Pave-Drive 37 Resindrives.co.uk 35 S. J. Lewis & Sons Ltd 36 CARPENTRY CARPENTRY Matt Grimshaw 52 Rhodes Carpentry 52 CLEANING SERVICES CLEANING S ERVICES Ovenbusters 44 Oven & Range Cleaning 44 EELECTRICAL LECTRICAL S SERVICES ERVICES GRP Electrical 44 PBT Installations 40 FFURNISHING URNISHING & A PPLIANCES APPLIANCES Bella’s Interiors 40 Dream Doors 48 Gloucester Carpet Outlet 46 Interior Needs 42 Quedgeley Carpets 49 G ARDEN S ERVICES GARDEN SERVICES Chosen Lawnmower Services 38 GS Landscape Solutions 37 Heritage Landscapes 38 Joe & Jamie 36 Lawn Doc 38
Mark Clifford Landscapes 37 Master Sheds 40 MCB Garden Services 37 Phoenix Gardens 38 Redwood Tree Care 38 Rob Cockburn Tree & Hedge 38 Southwest Landscapes 38 Woodlands Landscapes 38 HANDYMAN HANDYMAN SERVICES SERVICES David Stevens Maintenance 34 HEATING & PLUMBING HEATING PLUMBING Drain Doctor 55 Gloucester Plumbing & Heating 44 KB Female Plumber 44 Sarsen Energy 44 Town & Country 44 KITCHENS K ITCHENS Hatherley Worktops Ltd 40 PAINTING & DECORATING PAINTING DECORATING Michelle Powell Decorator 40 TV & AERIALS TV AERIALS 1st Choice Aerials 22 WINDOWS, WINDOWS, DOORS DOORS & CONSERVATORIES C ONSERVATORIES AJ Windows 54 Albany Windows 2 B&H Windows and Repairs 52 BM Services 52 C&L Windows 50 & 53 Clearway Windows 50 & 51 Inceil 52
P ROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SERVICES ANIMAL SERVICES SERVICES ANIMAL Cats Protection CARE SERVICES SERVICES CARE Charnwood House Coate Water Care EEDUCATION DUCATION Glos CC Adult Education MOTORING SERVICES M OTORING S ERVICES Blade Skoda Gloucester Car Helpers Julian Rogers Autoservices SERVICES REMOVAL REMOVAL SERVICES Little White Van Man SKIP HIRE HIRE & RECYCLING RECYCLING SKIP Stevens Recycling
23 16 8 18 20 55 23 55 55
The T he Lo Local c al
ANSWER AN SWER TToo advertise advertise call: call:
01242 01242 510500 510500
P Puzzle uzzle S Solutions olutions N O I T I D A R T A P U P S U S I F T L W U E U
S K I K Y W W E N Y S G N A L D L U A S U V L L
Q K A C S S I K V S F K E C V W F T Q A A I M E
R M R L W W O I I E N F W O C B Q F D F G O M X
W X P O C M T I S J E R R G R O B E V B U X T C
N G I O W T H T D A W K A A P K Y G U X C F Y R
T E N R E E I S U N Y E I T B U F F E T G O H K
K D W F V V R L X U E Y D D D Q L I J V U S R X
L Q N Y I P H I O A A T G N I G N I S O S D U J
J O X T E B S X F R R R S F A O G Q Z I W N P J
C W I W Z A G X D Y S A L I Q B V Q L P T E E W
X E Z S M L R L W Z E P R J E K G A O Q G I U X
S I L D K L O S N I V J S Q N J W V I W Q R N D
M G S S P O P G D N E W Q T X I A V O K Q F A O
D E T O R O P P E A W G B Z G E T J J J D N E Q
Z J M H O N M T J D Y C A X N Q Z F B J C J N C
A S H O P S A R E S O L U T I O N I M I H H G O
V C I U R R J R Y U K C F Z Y Z H G N S F O A U
H I V Z B I W S N A I S H A L V Z G N T X E P R
C I G E Y O E T J S D W K I M Z C N U W F M M U
D L L G I H D S U Z O I Q R F I N R H R K A A C
E E J A T O Z M Q W A I L Y C X L J J O V I H J
C K I O W A A V G Q O A U O B P L Y H C J D C Q
M I D N I G H T M C X Y Y R H A U G I N I C O G
C ompetition W inners Competition Winners The TLA Photography winner for the January 2019 cover is Esmond Lane of Winchcombe. C Competition ompetition R Rules ules 1 Prizes are as stated and no cash or prize alternative will be offered. 2 Employees of The Local Answer and their families or households are not eligible to enter. 3 The first correct entry drawn at random after the closing date will win the prize as stated. 4 The winner will be notified by telephone after the closing date has passed. 5 The Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 6 Entrants must be over 18 years, unless stated. 7 Proof of posting is not
regarded as proof of receipt of entry. 8 The Local Answer accepts no responsibility for the provision of the prize, which remains at all times the full responsibility of the prize donor(s). 9 By entering any competition you agree to have your name published in the nextt issue of The Local Answer should you be drawn as a winner of the prize. 10 By entering any competition you agree to have your details passed to a third party. 11 One entry per household.
BOOKING BOOKING D DEADLINE EADLINE FFOR OR N NEXT EXT IISSUE SSUE – T Thursday hursday 10th 10th January January 2019 2019 Page 58
www.thelocalanswer.co.uk