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Cotswolds: Cheltenham: C otswolds: 330,000 0,000 ccopies opies • C heltenham: 443,000 3,000 ccopies opies Gloucester: G loucester: 446,000 6,000 ccopies opies North N orth Gloucestershire: Gloucestershire: 220,000 0,000 ccopies opies Stroud District: S troud D istrict: 441,000 1,000 ccopies opies

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

Sales S ales & Marketing Marketing LLois ois Kingscott Kingscott llois@thelocalanswer.co.uk ois@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Claudie C laudie FFrancis rancis iinfo@thelocalanswer.co.uk nfo@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Sport S port Roger R oger JJackson ackson ssport@thelocalanswer.co.uk port@thelocalanswer.co.uk

EEntertainment ntertainment TTom om H Hadfield adfield eentertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk ntertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Customer Services/Administration C ustomer S ervices/Administration Kevin Kevin Vaughan-Spruce Vaughan-Spruce sservices@thelocalanswer.co.uk ervices@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Roxy Roxy Walmsley-Strauss Walmsley-Strauss admin@thelocalanswer.co.uk a dmin@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Helen H elen K Kingscott ingscott Distribution Distribution JJohn ohn O Overton verton – 001242 1242 541075 541075 lleaflets@thelocalanswer.co.uk eaflets@thelocalanswer.co.uk

LLouis ouis Jordan Jordan ddistribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk istribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Accounts Accounts Rob R ob K Kingscott ingscott aaccounts@thelocalanswer.co.uk ccounts@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Unit H,, C Churchill Churchill Road, U nit H hurchill IIndustrial ndustrial EEstate, state, C hurchill R oad, Gloucestershire GL53 LLeckhampton, eckhampton, Cheltenham, Cheltenham, G loucestershire G L53 77EG EG

Telephone T elephone 01242 01242 510500 510500 @thelocalanswer @thelocalanswer

w www.thelocalanswer.co.uk ww.thelocalanswer.co.uk

May’s winning cover photo: Lauren Clifford of Cheltenham

Welcome Welcome ttoo M May ay ... ...

With tw o bank holi days to l ook forw ar d to this month, make sure you check out our What’s On section to find the best way to spend them.

It is not only in print that you can find out what is going on around Gloucestershire – we are very happy to announce we now have event listings online as well! Head inside to find out more, including a great introductory deal for those looking to promote their events!

Our TLA Charity Giveaway runs until the end of the month, so if you know or are part of a charity/not for profit organisation that would be a worthy recipient of our £2,000 prize, be sure to vote for them soon. The more nominations they receive, the higher chance they have of being drawn! More details on how to enter inside.

Inside Inside this this month month .... ..

Delicious Dish Dish Delicious M otoring Motoring Health M edical Health Medical Quick Crossword Crossword Quick Parenting & Guardianship Guardianship Parenting Word Search Search Word Holidays & Travel Travel Holidays What’s On On What’s TLA Charity Charity Giveaway Giveaway TLA TLA Entertainment Entertainment TLA Homes & Gardens Gardens Homes Wildlife Matters Matters Wildlife In the the Garden Garden In Save the the Planet Planet Save Required Distributors Required Distributors Interior Design Design Interior Gadgets & Gizmos Gizmos Gadgets Sudoku Sudoku Money Matters Matters Money TLA Sport Sport TLA Index, Competitions, Competitions, Solutions Solutions Index,

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F For or more more details, details, ccontact ontact u uss today: today:

01242 0 1242 5 510500 10500 • p production@thelocalanswer.co.uk roduction@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Abbey Group, Units 23/24, Neptune Business Centre, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, GL51 9FB www.abbeybusinessequipment.com The Abbey Business Lounge at Gloucester Rugby’s Kingsholm Stadium sponsored by Gloucestershire’s leading business solutions provider

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Delicious D elicious Dish Dish with w ith H Helen elen Kingscott Kingscott

Rhubarb, R hubarb, o orange range aand nd vvanilla anilla sponge sponge Im made ade a rhubarb rhubarb a and nd o orange range p pudding udding a att sschool chool a and nd remember remember how how well well the the flavours flavours went went ttogether ogether – I sstill till u use se m my y rrecipe ecipe book book ttoday! oday!

T This his pudding pudding w will ill sserve erve 6 6-8 -8 so so y you ou will will need need a 2 llitre itre ccapacity apacity o ovenproof venproof d dish. ish.

Ingredients: Ingredients: 600/800g rhubarb cut into 3-4cm chunks (or as I did, used up some of last seasons’ that I had frozen); 125g golden caster sugar.

For the sponge topping: 30g flaked almonds; 25g ground almonds; 200g golden caster sugar; 225g softened butter; 200g self-raising flour; 2 tsp baking powder; zest of one orange; juice of one orange then made up to 100ml with smooth orange juice; 4 medium eggs; 1-2 tsp vanilla essence.

Method: Method: 1 Preheat your oven to 200°C, (180°C fan/gas mark 6).

2 Put the rhubarb in your dish and sprinkle over the sugar.

3 Set aside the flaked almonds and 2 tbsp caster sugar then place all the other ingredients into a food processor and cream together.

4 Spoon onto the rhubarb until it is all covered then sprinkle on the sugar and flaked almonds.

5 Bake for about an hour but keep an eye on it and if it is starting to brown too much, cover with a piece of foil. Test if it is cooked through by inserting a skewer, which should come out clean.

6 Serve with your choice of cream, custard or ice-cream.

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(our printer) printer) a re P recision C olour P rinting Ltd Ltd (our Precision Colour Printing are ouncil ((FSC) FSC) proud Council p roud to to be be a Forest Forest Stewardship Stewardship C holder, and The Answer nd T he LLocal ocal A nswer iiss ccertificate ertificate h older, a proud p roud to to have have this this publication publication printed printed on paper with FSC o n p aper ccompliant ompliant w ith F SC demands environmentd emands tto o ssupport upport e nvironmentally beneficial, a lly appropriate, appropriate, socially socially b eneficial, and economically managea nd e conomically vviable iable m anagement off tthe m e nt o he world’s world’s forests. fo orests.

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FREE* E FREE Editorial ditorial review review on on our our website, w ebsite, including including p photographs hotographs a and nd ssocial ocial m media edia p promotion romotion – sshared hared o on nF Facebook acebook a and nd T Twitter witter F For or more more details details email: email:

e entertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk ntertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk *Dine-in restaurants to p provide a 3-course meal for two and ad drink rink e each ach for for The The Local Local A Answer’s nswer’s Reviewer Reviewer aand nd Guest.

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motor motor c company ompany m Menti ti o n th this is and waedvert your R’lll pay oa Tax d

Pace Motor Company was established over 10 years ago and our reputation has been built on knowledge, honesty and trust which brings customers back time and time again for all their car and van requirements.

OTHER SERVICES WE OFFER: • Finance • Warranties • Part Exchange • Vehicle Sourcing

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If it’s more convenient, why not visit our other branch, Oxford Van Centre in Begbroke L Little ittle Barrington Barrington B Burford urford Oxfordshire O Oxfordshire OX18 X18 4 4TN TN Tel: T el: 0 01451 1451 8 844271 44271

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Motoring M otoring with w ith T Toby oby A Aiken iken

Peugeot P eugeot 508 508 GT GT – a contender contender buyers ffor or luxury luxur y ssaloon aloon b uyers I think Peugeot often gets overlooked. Think about it – I’m guessing when you read Peugeot in the title you thought of small cars, hatchbacks, maybe the odd hot hatch in the 205GTI days, but you wouldn’t think of a relatively low slung sports saloon.

That’s what the 508 GT is. And while I thought the photos looked nice before it arrived, I wasn’t quite ready for the level of quality and feel – this is a genuine contender for luxury/ executive saloon buyers. It looks good – especially in the pearlescent paint – and the frameless windows give it a great GT look.

Driving D riving p position osition iiss g great reat The seats are comfortable, the driving position is great, and the new Peugeot i-Cockpit is really good, giving different alldigital display options depending on your preferences. This includes night-vision mode, although it’s a £1,300 option – and good as it is, I don’t think

it’s worth the money. Plus it’s not quite as good as Audi’s equivalent system, but still, a nice gadget to play with.

So it looks good outside, the inside is a lovely place to be with quality leather, a nice touchscreen and even seat massagers on the model I tested. It’s well specced, has a great 360 degree reversing camera and is remarkably easy to park for a relatively big car.

Boot space is excellent, and the two-litre diesel gives a nice balance of power and poke with decent fuel economy.

Ah handy andy ssafety afety d device evice on o n llonger onger jjourneys ourneys The GT spec gives quite a lot of extras, including the kappa leather interior, electric tailgate, seat massager and the lanekeeping system that works with the adaptive cruise control really well. With cruise set, the ‘lane positioning assist’ helps to keep you in lane on motorways, a handy safety device on longer THE LOCAL ANSWER

journeys, and one that I was quite impressed with.

There are only a few niggles that I had with this car, and they wouldn’t deter me from buying one, but it’s only fair to mention them. Some of the infotainment controls were a little temperamental on my review model – I have no idea why, and I was able to get them working again, but this would be a little annoying had I shelled out £40k on it.

A ssmall mall crossover crossover between the between the brands brands The only other areas it lost points were again around the satnav/radio controls, which I think come from the Citroen side of the Peugeot/Citroen partnership – but that’s the only place I noticed any crossover between the two brands.

One final thing – and I appreciate this is the most first-world of all first-world problems – the motors that operate the seat massage system are just a little bit too noisy.

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

Stay S tay safe safe in in the the sun sun In the UK we are lucky enough to experience plenty of spring and summer sunshine, which we bask in. Yet we still seem unaware of the dangers and damage our beloved sun can do to our skin.

Melanoma of the skin is the 19th most common cancer worldwide and skin cancer is the 5th most common form of cancer in the UK. The positive though is that most skin cancers can be cured if detected early, and 86% of melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK are preventable.

Wear sunscrean, Wear sunscrean, cover cover up u pa and nd sseek eek sshade hade Simple things like wearing sunscreen that protects against UVB and UVA rays and is SPF30 or higher, and covering up with protective clothing, are the best ways to stay safe when going out in the sun. If you can, stay indoors during the peak hours of 11am-3pm or seek some shelter in the shade.

There are two main types of skin cancer; melanoma and non-melanoma. less Melanomas are common, but they are one of the most dangerous forms of skin cancer. They can develop from existing moles, but they more often appear as new marks on the skin.

The T he A ABCD BCD ssystem ystem The ABCD system tells you some of the things to lookout for. A melanoma may show one or more of the following features: THE LOCAL ANSWER

A B C D

Asymmetry: Asymmetry: the two halves of the area differ in their shape.

Border: Border: the edges of the area may be irregular or blurred, and sometimes show notches.

Colour: Colour: this may be uneven. Different shades of black, brown and pink may be seen.

D Diameter: iameter: most melanomas are at least 6mm in diameter.

Non-melanoma skin cancers are more common than melanomas and tend to appear gradually anywhere on the body. They are most common on the areas of skin most exposed to the sun such as the head, neck, lips, ears and the backs of hands. Old scars, burns, ulcers or TO ADVERTISE CALL  

wounds that do not heal are also more at risk. This form of skin cancer will often not be painful.

Some of the possible signs to look our for with nonmelanoma skin cancer are: • A scab or sore that will not heal.

• A scaly or crusty patch of skin that is red or inflamed.

• A flesh coloured bump that won't go away and grows in size.

• A volcano like growth with a rim and a central crater.

As with all cancers, early diagnosis is key, and if you are referred by your GP to a specialist you should be seen within two weeks.

IIff in in doubt, doubt, check check it it out! out!

Remember – if in doubt, check it out! Tell your doctor about any changes to a mole or patch of skin, or a new mole or mark on adult skin.

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Quick Q uick Crossword Crossword ACROSS ACROSS 1 Found 4 Ahead of time 7 Stir 8 Speak slowly 9 Stared angrily 12 Most immature 15 Divergent lines 17 Emotional shock 18 Torment 21 Technical sketch 22 Literary style 23 Perspired

© Lovatts Puzzles

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DOWN DOWN 1 Lawsuit contestant 2 Enrages 3 Tie in race 4 Viewed 5 Delighted 6 Shout 10 Perishing 11 Erupted 13 Foiled 14 Untouched (of meal) 16 Curved fruit 18 Tiny branch 19 Rim 20 Flying mammals

www.thelocalanswer.co.uk www .thelocalanswerr.co.uk more articles more variety more e mobile

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

Get G et o outside utside and and get get g gardening! ardening!

May Day blessings to you all and I hope this month finds you happy and healthy and ready to embrace the pure joy that is the British summer time.

After the fabulous festivities of the May bank holiday, featuring the first barbecues of the season, village fetes, maypole dancing and rather too much imbibing of local ales, it is the perfect time to get cracking in your own back yard and launch your own ‘Going Green Campaign’. This month I want to urge families to get outside and get gardening, as it is World Plant a Vegetable Garden Day on Sunday 19th May. If you don’t have the space – or the will – to create your own garden, why not consider joining forces with neighbours and creating a community garden? Members of the Green Party and their neighbours in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham have recently created an orchard on public land and are committed to growing fruit

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trees to benefit pollinators, the environment and future generations.

Start w Start with ith v vegetable egetable sseeds eeds iin np pots ots o on na windowsill w indowsill But what should you grow?

The simplest thing is to start with vegetable seeds in pots on a windowsill, or put seedlings into trays. Then if you have a greenhouse you can transfer them into larger pots to come on. Tomatoes, onions, leeks, cabbages and seed potatoes are great for beginners, but personally I love nothing more than a freshly pulled knobbly carrot.

Yummy!

Starting small with a simple herb garden or salad patch and enjoying getting your hands dirty – whilst offering the kids a chance to understand what real food is, why it is healthy and how delicious home grown produce truly is – will be so rewarding, and just imagine what could happen. Before you know it you could be entering the ‘Biggest Marrow’ competition at the school fete or TO ADVERTISE CALL  

crafting artisan soup recipes to rival Mary Berry!

Then, of course, we have the added joy of the compost heap, as using fresh produce inevitably creates green waste and can offer the chance to create a wonderful mulch with which to use on future plants.

Kids will love seeing the worms create their home and magically turn their old vegetable cuttings into soft fragrant soil.

Whilst gardening may look like work to grown-ups, it is the best kind of play for children who can feel useful and accomplished when they see what they have created. It is prime quality time too for parents and kids to get together without pressure or hurry, to simply enjoy physical activity.

The benefits to mental and physical health cannot be understated, as well as all those incredible microbes in the soil adding to our immune system, creating healthy bodies and minds. What’s not to love? This May, get outside and get gardening!

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Word W ord S Search earch R F O I C T S S W K S E C J R I G C W K J T D F

R E E E D I I W P P C Z G M D M E A L X Z R R M

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A L A S G N A Y Z C K C O O C I I O N R J S X W

P A D I R S E L X V F I X L X R Z A I Z Q D Y O

M Z R B R I I P P G B D S C H A W T H O R N Q O

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L N C T A Y Z F L B X Y G V I W H G D P P I W L

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X D I H C R O H C V J B M V O N C D L I L Y X T

Flowers F lowers AZALEA ANEMONE BEGONIA BLUEBELL CORNFLOWER CROCUS DAFFODIL DOGWOOD FREESIA

GERANIUM HAWTHORN HYACINTH IRIS JASMINE LILAC LILY MARIGOLD MAGNOLIA

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Installers of top quality windows, windows, doors and conserva tories. conservatories.

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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.

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Holidays H olidays & T Travel ravel with w ith A All H Hidden idden

Summertime S ummertime Seattle Seattle Think Microsoft, Kurt Cobain, Boeing or Elvis in ‘It Happened at the World’s Fair’ and Seattle probably comes to mind. The city and its Cascadian environs are worth visiting at any time of year. But for many, warm summers between the mountains and beautiful Puget Sound mean this season shows Seattle off best.

Whenever I’ve visited, I’ve stayed with friends out in leafy Northgate. However, if you’re arranging accommodation, Seattle is packed with great places to stay – from ritzy fivestar to cosy boutique places such as Hotel Ballard with its furnished roof terrace and mountain views.

Whether you stay at the wellr a t e d G r e e n l a k e G u e st H o u s e , 10 minutes’ drive from downtown, or the waterfront Edgewater Inn made famous

by Led Zeppelin in July 1969, TripAdvisor and its peers are your planning-time friends.

Mount M ount R Rainier ainier p presides resides iimpressively mpressively Throughout Seattle, the mighty Cascades are ever-

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present and the active volcanic cone of Mount Rainier presides impressively. From Lake Union Park to historic Pioneer Square, Seattle rewards exploration on foot, by public transport or by car. Check out Pike Place Market with its famous lowflying fish or view the city from the newly-renovated 184mhigh Space Needle – a PacificNorthwest landmark.

Later, wander Queen Anne’s steep ‘San Francisco-esque’ streets or ferry-hop to Bainbridge Island and beyond.

For new perspectives the mountains beckon, as do Washington State’s 900+ world-class wineries. And cult TV fans are sure to enjoy visiting locations from the 1990s series ‘Twin Peaks’ out at Snoqualmie and North Bend.

Aviation enthusiasts will love visiting Tukwila’s Museum of Flight or Everett’s massive Boeing factory – home of classic airliners such as the 747 and 787 Dreamliner. You could even venture north across ‘the line’ to Vancouver, Canada. If

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you do, I highly recommend the four-hour Amtrak Cascades train journey along scenic Puget Sound – complete with impromptu seal-spotting stops!

Sample S ample S Seattleites’ eattleites’ ffavourite avourite treats treats Naturally, you’ll punctuate your exploration with delicious wines, local beers (start with anything from Old Stove or Reuben’s Brews), Seattle’s renowned coffee and the city’s eclectic culinary offerings. Do sample Seattleites’ favourite treats too: fresh-shucked Oysters at Elliotts off Alaskan Way; curry beef hom bow; katsu burger; and anything with teriyaki sauce.

And what could be better before that Mariners (baseball) or Seahawks (American football) home game than a ‘Seattle Dog’ – with cream cheese, of course.

Whether your visit to superliveable Seattle leaves you sleepless with excitement, or perfectly relaxed, look forward to an amazing summer experience!

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What W hat s O On n The T he L Local ocal A Answer nswer E Event vent Listings Listings are are compiled compiled and and presented presented in in good good faith faith with with the the kind kind support support o off m many any ccontributors. ontributors. W We e recommend recommend you you use use the the contact contact details details provided provided to to check check event e vent iinformation nformation updates updates prior prior to to planning planning your your visit. visit.

1166 APRIL APRIL – 1122 M MAY AY INTO THE BLUE The colour blue is generally associated with the sky and the oceans, but is oddly rare in nature. It has different meanings in different cultures and was the first man-made colour pigment in 2,200 B.C. This selection of work celebrates blue in a varied mix of both 2D and 3D items. £5.25 adults, £4.75 conc, £15 family.

Full details at natureinart.org.uk Nature in Art, Main A38 Twigworth, Gloucester, GL2 9PA. 2244 APRIL APRIL – 2255 M MAY AY FAVOURITES FROM THE ROYAL ACADEMY AT CHAPEL ARTS Work from some of our favourite academicians, past and present.

Featuring painting, printmaking, architecture and more. WednesdaySaturday, 10am-4pm. ww.thechapelarts.com 1 MAY MAY THE HIDING PLLA ACE 7.30pm. A drama telling the true story of Corrie Ten Boom and her family’s struggle to save Jews from the Nazis.

Tickets £10.50 from christianartsfestival.org. At Cambray Baptist Church, Cambray Place, Cheltenham GL50 1JS (near John Lewis).

2 MAY MAY – 1188 JJULY ULY STROUD HARMONY SINGERS COMMUNITY PERFORMANCE CHOIR Pop, Jazz, Folk, World, Sacred, Classical and Original Songs.

Welcomes new members! Fun warmup. Private coaching available.

Thursdays 7.45pm – 9.30pm. Cashes Green Community Centre, Stroud, GL5 4NR. Contact tessvox22@mail.com / 07425 139767.

4 MAY MAY COBALT PLANT SALE Greenway Nurseries are providing wonderful plants for the Cobalt Plant Sale. Come along and buy bedding plants, perennials or shrubs and enjoy coffee and homemade cake in our Linton House pop up café. 10am-1pm.

Cobalt, Linton House, Thirlestaine Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7AS. For more information call 01242 535922.

44-6 -6 MAY MAY CHRISTCHURCH ABBEYDALE FLOWER FESTIVAL Stunning floral displays depicting favourite nursery rhymes at Christchurch Abbeydale, Heron Way, Gloucester GL4 5EQ. Light lunches and refreshments available. Saturday 4tth from 10.30am-4.30pm, Sunday 5th from 12.30pm-4.30pm and Monday 6th from 10.30am-4.30pm. Free entry.

66-29 -29 MAY MAY THE MAY RACING CARNIVAL AT WARWICK RACECOURSE Four days of action-packed racing with events including Kids Carnival Day, Ladies Night, Proudly Warwick and Celebration Race Night. For full details of the carnival, please visit www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/warwick 7 MAY MAY NHS RETIREMENT FELLOWSHIP CHELTENHAM BRANCH Join us and enrich your retirement by meeting new and old friends. Social

events, information sharing and guest speakers. Meetings at 2.30pm.

Highbury Church Hall, Oxford Street, Cheltenham GL52 6DT. cheltenhamnhsfellowship.webs.com FREE SOLO

Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite’s 3,000ft high El Capitan Wall.

With no ropes or safety gear, he completed arguably the greatest feat in rock climbing history. 7pm. £9 (£8).

The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6EP. www.bacontheatre.co.uk 9 MAY MAY AS YOU LIKE IT Rosalind is banished, wrestling with her heart and her head. With her cousin by her side, she journeys to a world of exile where barriers are broken down and all can discover their deeper selves. Gender roles, nature and politics are confused in a play that reflects on how bewildering yet utterly pleasurable life can be.

7pm. £16.50 (£14.50, students £12.50).

The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6EP. www.bacontheatre.co.uk

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Online O nline e event vent llistings istings llive ive ffrom rom W Wednesday ednesday 1st 1st May! May! Go Go to to our our website website – w www.thelocalanswer.co.uk ww.thelocalanswer.co.uk – a and view nd v iew the the ‘What’s ‘What’s On’ On’ ttab ab ffor or more more details. details.

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WIN WIN £2,000 £2,000

FOR YOUR LOCAL CHARITY OR CLUB Last month we launched our latest ‘TLA Charity’ competition in partnership p artnership w with ith ffour our o off o our ur g generous enerous advertisers advertisers (below) (below) who who sshare hare the he ssame ame commitment commitment we we have have to to support support the the local local community. community.

Whether you have a personal personal iinvolvement nvolvement o orr jjust ust like like to to support support a sspecific pecific local local charity, charity, club, club, ssociety, ociety, group group or or association association – p provided rovided it it is, is, essentially, essentially, a non-profit non-profit m making aking e enterprise nterprise – you you ccould ould h help elp b boost oost ttheir heir ffunds unds b by y £2,000! £2,000!

IIt’s t’s easy easy to to enter enter our our draw... draw ...

For your chance to choose which organisation benefits from this prize, send their name (and registered charity number if applicable) along with your name, address (including postcode) and telephone number to ‘TLA Charity’, The Local Answer, Unit H, Churchill Industrial Estate, Churchill Road, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, GL53 7EG. Alternatively, enter via email by sending the same information stating ‘TLA Charity’ in the subject line to competitions@thelocalanswer.co.uk.

Closing date: Friday 31st May 2019.

In addition to our usual competition rules, by entering you agree to have your name and photograph featured in our magazines and online should you win. Only one entr y per household accepted. The winner will be chosen via a random number generator, but the more times an organisation’s name is submitted, the higher the chance it has of being drawn. The Local Answer reser ves the right to discard any entries it believes do not meet the specified criteria. Good luck!

1111 MAY MAY CLIVE CARROLL (GUITAR) AND LILY NEILL (HARP) A dynamic evening, with sparks flying across 36 strings – don’t miss it!

Tickets: £17 (adult), £15 (members), £10 (student/child). Starts at 7.30pm.

Bishop’s Cleeve Tithe Barn, 19 Cheltenham Road GL52 8GD. www.holstmuseum.org.uk WORLD BINTURONG DAY Learn about the unusual Binturong with two keeper talks at 11.30am and 3.30pm. Find out about the Binturong conservation work we support through ABConservation. Enter our raffle to win a unique Binturong Encounter. Find us near the Binturong enclosure near the Reptile House. www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk 111-12 1-12 MAY MAY SUDELEY CASTLE JOUST The Castle has been invaded by a new band of Knights for our annual, epic joust tournament! The Knights of Royal England will be battling it out during the weekend. With two dramatic shows per day, come prepared for spectacular action, stunts, falls, fights and galloping horses. Included within general admission. Full details at sudeleycastle.co.uk. Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, GL54 5JD.

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12 MAY 12 MAY CLASSICS AT PRESCOTT

Get a close look at wonderful classic vehicles in the paddock and orchard, and see them in motion on the thrilling hill run and more gentle cavalcade.

Plenty of parking and food outlets.

10am-6pm. For details and to pre-order tickets visit classicsatprescott.com.

Bugatti Owners Club, Prescott Hill, Gotherington GL52 9RD. 1144 MAY MAY ALL MY SONS Despite hard choices and even harder knocks, Joe and Kate Keller are a success story. They have built a home, raised two sons and established a thriving business. But nothing lasts forever and their contented lives, already shadowed by the loss of their eldest boy to war, are about to shatter.

7pm. £16.50 (£14.50, students £12.50).

The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road,

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Cheltenham, GL51 6EP. www.bacontheatre.co.uk 116-28 6-28 MAY MAY GIFFORDS CIRCUS – XANADU Much loved Giffords Circus returns to Sudeley as they make their annual tour of the village greens of the Cotswolds.

With their magically chaotic familyfriendly show, suitable for all ages to enjoy. For more details please visit sudeleycastle.co.uk Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, GL54 5JD. 1177 MAY MAY GLOUCESTERSHIRE POLICE MALE VOICE CHOIR Stroud Congregational Church in Bedford Street. This beautiful church right in the centre of town will again play host to this renowned choir.

Doors open at 6.45pm. Tickets £7.

Proceeds from the evening will be shared between The Western Air Ambulance and the church. www.stroudcongchurch.org.uk 117-19 7-19 MAY MAY WINCHCOMBE WALKING FESTIVAL Enjoy our great selection of 24 walks to suit all abilities plus 2 evening events.

Our walks, led by knowledgeable local guides, offer a great insight about the history and landscape of the Cotswolds. www.winchcombewelcomeswalkers/ festival.com

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1188 MAY MAY AN EVENING OF BURLESQUE

Hundred Watt Club presents a dazzling evening of burlesque and cabaret.

With sublime showgirls and ridiculous comedy, it’ll be naughty… and very nice! Ages 18+. This show employs adult themes and partial nudity. 8pm.

Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, GL1 1NS. Tickets £16 +booking fee. Call the box office on 01452 503050 or visit www.seetickets.com and search ‘Hundred Watt Club’.

1199 MAY MAY CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL OF CYCLING Support the Western League Cyclocross Race, take part in free coaching and confidence building sessions, guided rides, bike maintenance, demos and much more.

All ages and abilities welcome. 10am5pm at Pittville Park, Tommy Taylors Lane. cheltenhamcyclingfestival.org.uk CITY OF GLOUCESTER 10K, 2K CHILDREN & FAMILY RUN AND 10K WHEELCHAIR RACE An event for runners of all abilities, supporting Macmillan Cancer Support.

The course is flat and fast, traffic free, taking place in the summer. The Children and Family 2K Run is a great day out for all the family and a chance for young, budding athletes to race for top spot. The 2k event sees children of all ages running with their mums, dads, uncles, aunties and grandparents. The Corporate Business Challenge is a team spirit friendly competition and all round fun. For more details and to enter online visit cityofgloucester10k.org.uk CHELTENHAM WHADDON BOWLING CLUB OPEN DAY Ever fancied bowls? Come along and have a go! Free refreshments, coaching available, all ages and genders welcome, equipment is provided and flat shoes must be worn.

Contact Andy Todd on 01242 5743379.

2255 MAY MAY CHARLTON KINGS CHORAL SOCIETY Handel – Coronation Anthems.

Boyce – Symphony No 5 in D. Handel – Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Haydn – ‘Nelson’ Mass.

Soloists: Fiona Hammacott, Victoria Jess, Nick Drew, David Smith.

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Regency Sinfonia. Conductor: John Wright. Saturday 25th May 2019 7.30pm. Pittville Pump Room, East Approach Drive, Cheltenham GL52 3JE. Tickets £15 (£10 for under 25s in full-time education). 01242 526636. www.ckcsonline.org.uk 2255 MAY MAY – 2 JJUNE UNE THE WILDLIFE ART SOCIETY EXHIBITION

An opportunity to see and purchase beautiful works of art and to meet artists who are dedicated to promoting conservation of all species.

Daily 10am-5pm and final Sunday 10am-3.30pm. Entry is FREE with good parking. Set in the beautiful grounds of Nature in Art Gallery and Museum, Main A38 Twigworth, Gloucester GL2 9PA. SatNav Postcode: GL2 9PG. LEMUR WEEK In aid of our Madagascan conservation initiatives. We have Lemur themed competitions and board games as well as merchandise and Lemur talks held in the walkthrough enclosure. Pop by our kiosk outside of the ‘Madagascar’ exhibit to chat to our Keepers to learn about our conservation work to protect these charismatic primates. www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk 1-2 1-2 JUNE JUNE CHALFORD & FRANCE LYNCH GARDEN TRAIL On the slopes of Chalford valley, around 40 diverse gardens with picturesque views. Refreshments and plant stall.

12-6pm. Tickets from Middle Hill Green, GL6 8FS. £6 covering both days.

Children free. Facebook.com/Chalford FranceLynchGardenTrail 8 JUNE JUNE SACRED HEARTS SUMMER FETE Fun for all the family. Music Man, bouncy castle, Ukes Anon, children’s games, BBQ, stalls and refreshments.

12-3pm. Sacred Hearts Church, Moorend Road, Charlton Kings, GL53 9AU. 14TH CHELTENHAM CRAFT BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL With craft keg beers, a selection of cask ales, crafts ciders, food stalls, children’s activities and lots of live music, the Cheltenham and District

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Friends of the Samaritans Beer & Cider Festival is a great day out for all the family! 12 noon until 11pm. Tickets £8 – available from Eventbrite. For more information see the Facebook page – Cheltenham Craft Beer and Cider Festival.

9 JUNE JUNE CELEBRATING 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APOLLO MOON LANDING Bishop’s Cleeve Street Fair 2019, 12pm-4pm. Parades, great stalls, musical entertainment, Punch & Judy shows, Morris Fun Fair, Jet Age Museum display, Classic Car Show.

Dog Show organised by Folly Gardens Veterinary Practice – entry forms from Folly G Vets and George Lewis Footwear. Programmes, including raffle ticket, available from Church Road shops, Tesco 24//5 & 25/5, 31/5 & 1/6. Funds raised will be donated to Midlands Air Ambulance and local charities.

23 JUNE JUNE 23 RIDE FOR RYDER Join us on one of the longest running, best loved charity cycling events in the Cotswolds and raise vital funds for our care. Cycle 40km, 90km or 130km in the spectacular Cotswolds. Sign up at www.sueryder.org/rideforryder or call 01242 246162.

29-30 29-30 JUNE JUNE THE PIED PIPER SUMMER SHOW Food court, live music, catwalk shows and demos, classic cars, fashion, beauty and craft marquee, and an activity-packed kids zone. Fun for all the family! Adults £10, children £5, family ticket £25. Book online at piedpipersummershow.co.uk Highnam Court, Gloucester GL2 8DP. 119-28 9-28 JULY JULY 49TH GUITING MUSIC FESTIVAL Classical, jazz and blues musicians from the UK and beyond. Fabulous concerts both indoors and open air in the Cotswolds. Tickets on general sale from 1st May 2019. £20 and £22. www.guitingfestival.org Email: enquiries@guitingfestival.org 2299 JULY JULY – 4 A AUGUST UGUST CAFE RENE RHYTHM & BLUES FESTIVAL Our 17th annual Rhythm and Blues Festival offering an acclaimed musical line-up featuring 20 brilliant acts across seven days. The festival showcases fantastic local, national and international artists from the world of Rhythm and Blues. Guests can also enjoy our real ale and cider festival, tuck into treats from the barbecue and hog roast, and sip on tipples from our outdoor bars. For full details, keep an eye on the website – caferene.co.uk

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Wednesday 1st May! www.thelocalanswer.co.uk www.thelocalanswer.co.uk View V iew tthe he ‘‘What’s What’s O On’ n’ ttab ab We aim to provide a comprehensive comprehe ensive guide to what’s what’s happening happening in in and and around around to Gloucestershire – a great great platform platform for for Gloucestershire businesses, ccharities harities a nd other other businesses, and organisations tto op romote ttheir heir e vents. organisations promote events.

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Entertainment E ntertainment

IIff you you hhave ave a sstory tory ttoo sshare, hare, 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

C COS OS rreturns eturns with with latest latest production production COS Productions, the group formerly known as Cirencester Operatic Society, have been entertaining audiences in the town for nearly 70 years.

The amateur dramatics society is known for their nearprofessional quality productions, and will this month be holding their first show of 2019, ‘Merrily We Roll Along’.

Grace Hawker, a COS member of five years, gives an insight into what the show is all about. “‘Merrily We Roll Along’ opens in the late 70s at an extravagant party in Bel Air and travels back in time through the lives of three estranged friends – Frank, Mary and Charley,” she said.

“I am playing Frank’s first wife, Beth Spencer, and have the pleasure of singing one of the amazing songs written by Stephen Sondheim.”

Grace, who lives in nearby

(L-R) Richard Abrams, Albertine Davies and Rob Hall rehearsing as Frank, Mary and Charley.

Chalford, studied music at Cirencester College, and it was during her time at the College back in 2014 that she discovered COS. “I landed my first ever role in their autumn show that year,” she added.

The group rehearse and perform at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester, and hold two musi-

FFilm ilm Review Review – Joe Joe K Kennett ennett

cals a year, usually in spring and autumn.

The latest production runs from Wednesday 8th to Saturday 11th May and will include a matinée performance on the Saturday in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

“We started supporting Macmillan for our production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof ’ in 2017, and we are delighted to have been raising money for them with every show since,” said Grace.

“Cancer touches all our lives and COS Productions is no exception. We have past and present members who’ve fought against the disease, and we are proud to support Macmillan and the wonderful work they do.”

For more information on COS and the upcoming show, visit www.cosproductions.org Full story online.

Book B ook Review Review – Aloÿse Aloÿse of of Daylesford Daylesford Book Book Club Club The T he Aftermath Afttermath

F Fisherman’s isherman’s Friends Friends

This true story about a band of shanty singing fishermen is sure to warm your heart with the best feel-good film cinemas have seen this year.

Daniel Mays stars as Danny, a music executive with a fast lifestyle, who is pranked on a colleague’s stag weekend into signing the Fisherman’s Friends for a big record label.

These are real small-town men with insane talent that we don’t appreciate enough today.

The film is the recognition they so desperately deserve.

Full review online.

by Rhidian Brook The Aftermath is a novel based on recollections from the author’s grandfather who was stationed in Hamburg after the war and lived in a requisitioned house along with the German family who owned it.

Rachel Morgan arrives in the city with her son to join her husband, Lewis, a British colonel involved in the rebuilding of Germany. They have not seen each other for seventeen months and neither have they come to terms with the loss of their eldest son who was killed by a stray bomb during the war.

This is a moving story, unsettling at times, but one of love, loss and forgiveness. Rhidian Brook, a regular contributor to Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, has given us lots to think about in this novel.

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

Literature L iterature Festival Festival ccelebrates elebrates 10 10 yyears ears As Gloucestershire prepares itself for the festival season, one town in particular is in very good hands.

Chipping Campden this month plays host to the annual Literature and Music Festivals, with the former celebrating its tenth anniversary.

The Literature Festival was founded by Vicky Bennett, whose husband Charlie also happens to run the Music Festival.

“I saw the success my husband was having with the Chipping Campden Music Festival and thought, ‘why not hold a literature festival?’

“I’ve always been interested in books, and live events like this are so important for small communities that rely on tourism.”

In 2010, Vicky and her team held the inaugural Chipping Campden Literature Festival.

Alan Rusbridger

Since then, the festival has grown in popularity year on year, and now attracts visitors from around the UK and beyond.

This year the festival will be running along the theme of ‘news’ – “a big topic at the moment” says Vicky.

The programme features a

whole raft of different talks, interviews and Q&As with authors and novelists related to the world of news and journalism, but there’s also a variety of events outside of the theme.

“We’ve got Alan Rusbridger, former editor of the Guardian who was involved in the Wikileaks story, coming to speak about his recent book,” said Vicky.

“We’ve also got events on Orwell, Evelyn Waugh and one on sports photography – there’s a lot of variety.

“Also Kelleigh GreenbergJephcott, whose book on Truman Capote, ‘Swan Song’, has been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2019, will be here.”

The Chipping Campden Literature Festival runs from Tuesday 7th to Saturday 11th May. Full story online.

L Local ocal orchestra orchestra prepare prepare for for cconcerts oncerts The Cirencester Philharmonia will this month be holding two performances around Gloucestershire.

The orchestra is led by experienced conductor Ian Higginson who, since moving to Cheltenham in 1983 from his native Merseyside, has worked as a professional musician and with a number of groups in the county.

As well as the Philharmonia, he is also Director of Music for the University of Gloucestershire, piano and organist at St. Edwards School in Cheltenham, and Conductor of Jubilate Chamber Choir, amongst others.

“The orchestra is a friendly group who meet on a Sunday afternoon about 7/8 weeks before the spring and autumn concerts,” he said.

The Philharmonia and Ian during rehearsal. Photo: Marc Silverthorn

“It is basically an amateur chamber orchestra, although it does include some professional musicians in the various sections, who help enormously to maintain a high standard of performance.

“It is a very rewarding orch-

estra to work with and the players come from all over the Cotswolds.”

The upcoming concerts are at Bingham Hall in Cirencester, on Saturday 18th May, and St Peter’s Church in Winchcombe on Saturday 25th May, during the Winchcombe Music and Arts Festival.

“The orchestra normally only performs one concert in the spring and one in the autumn,” continued Ian. “But we were delighted to be invited to give a second performance of this concert as part of the Winchcombe Music and Arts Festival.

“Rehearsals have been going very well for the two forthcoming performances.”

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

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Wildlife W ildlife Matters Matters with w ith M Maxine axine Raggatt Raggatt

Picture: Lauren Clifford

The The cunning cunning red red fox fox Foxes are well known to be cunning creatures of the night; however, they can actually be seen day or night and often go about their own business without anyone knowing they are even there.

In my experience, there is barely a week that goes by where I don’t see a few foxes lurking around my neighbourhood. I’ve spotted them jumping through skips, resting in my garden and even taking a nap on the roof of a car on a summer’s eve at dusk. I think foxes are truly stunning animals and I could happily sit and watch them all day.

Opportunist O pportunist sscavengers cavengers As the countryside reduces in size and more housing and industrial sites are built, it’s the wildlife that suffers. Over the years, foxes have been forced to survive in urban communities, and although finding a place to set up house is becoming ever more challenging for them, looking for food can be easy.

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Foxes have been seen breaking into bin bags and taking scraps of food, as they are omnivore scroungers and can eat anything from rabbits and voles to bird eggs, beetles and fruit.

Foxes are lazy predators, and although they will take livestock such as guinea pigs and chickens, it is highly unlikely they would be a threat to cats, dogs or humans. They are opportunist scavengers, but in truth, foxes are the first to run if they feel even slightly threatened.

During cold winter nights, it is not uncommon to hear the chilling scream of a vixen looking for a mate. The peak time for mating is usually January, with 4-5 cubs per litter being born around March.

The average lifespan of a fox in the wild is 2-4 years. Foxes can be seen throughout the year as they do not hibernate.

Fox dens are usually holes in the ground, and these often contain different exits to protect cubs in case of a predator invasion.

H ow you you ccan an h elp a ffox ox How help w ith mange mange with Sarcoptic mange is a nasty condition that can be found in foxes. It usually first presents itself through thinning of the tail hair and works its way up the body. Foxes with mange can be seen scratching a lot, have a hunched appearance and often limping.

Conjunctivitis is also a c o m m o n p ar t o f t h e c o n d it i on , as well as needing a copious amount of water. After about four months of contracting this unbearable condition, without treatment, the fox will die.

If you have a fox regularly visit your neighbourhood and you think it may have mange, you can help by contacting the National Fox Welfare Society (www.nfws.org.uk). They can provide you with free medicine if necessary to leave out for a fox with mange. Merely put a few drops on a slice of bread and jam. With continued use, this can bring foxes back to full health.

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IIn n tthe he Garden Garden with w ith JJulia ulia S Smith mith

Fantastic Fantastic sspring pring flowers flowers May is such a lovely month for spending time in the garden, and a good time to see wildflowers in the hedgerows and fields. Everything is fresh and green and bursting with life!

This month finds the gorgeous Dicentra, or Bleeding heart, coming into flower. This is a shade-lover with elegant foliage and arching stems of heartshaped flowers, which is a m ai n st ay o f th e s pri n g g arden .

The Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’ is my favourite with its beautiful white flowers.

Dicentra D icentra g goes oes w well ell w with ith any a ny ssort ort o off ffern ern Plant it in a sheltered position in dappled shade and mulch it annually with weed-free organic matter to keep it happy.

The leaves die down in summer so don’t think you have killed it, but mark where it is so you don’t disturb it. It goes very well with any sort of fern.

Clematis need constant tying in as they scramble up their supports. Use soft twine and tie in a figure of eight, being careful not to damage the delicate stems. They look superb THE LOCAL ANSWER

growing up through climbing roses and shrubs, extending the season of interest or flowering at the same time as their host but with contrasting colours.

Try Sambucas racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’ with a beautiful blue Clematis ‘Perle d’Azur’ growing through it. Or a l o v e l y R o s a ‘G e r t r u d e J e k y l l ’ with Clematis ‘Etoille Violette’ scrambling up it.

If you choose late flowering clematis, the pruning is more simple as they are Group 3 and just need to be chopped off about 30cm high in early spring – very easy! Give the clematis a spring feed with a highpotassium rose-type fertiliser gently forked into the soil surface, and then water and mulch – but don’t let the mulch touch the stems as it may rot them.

Shear over early-spring flowering plants such as Brunnera, Iberis, Cerastium and Aubrieta to keep them tidy. If you don’t want your Helleborus x hybridus to set seed, now is the time to

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deadhead them, which will make them stronger plants for the following year.

Wear W ear gloves gloves when when handling E handling Euphorbia uphorbia Helleborus argutifolius needs different treatment by cutting away the stems carrying the old flowers at ground level. Apply a general fertiliser and water and mulch. Do remember that Euphorbia produces a milky sap, which can cause severe irritation so wear gloves when handling!

Traditionally, asparagus spears are harvested from 1st May onwards, although in these days of warmer temperatures you might have been cutting them for a while by now. Harvest all spears when they are 15-20cm tall – new spears will emerge shortly. Keep harvesting for about six weeks, then leave the plant alone for the summer.

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S Save ave the the P Planet lanet with w ith L Louise ouise W Williams illiams

A planet-friendly planet-friendly sschool chool run run As a Mum of two, a large proportion of my life is spent doing the school run, and I know I’m not alone in that!

The majority of children in the UK are in school for approximately 190 days a year, with two school runs a day.

This means that, on average, we are either on the way to, or back from school, 380 times a year.

If your school run is ten minutes each way, that’s 7,600 minutes, or 126 hours sitting in the car, producing dangerous emissions, every single year... for each family!

What a terrifying thought for the planet. So what can you do? I’ve been looking at the many other means of getting to and from school.

Walking W alking

Is it possible for you to walk?

We can, it takes 25 minutes but is actually a really lovely way for us to start the day.

Pros: We chat as we go, talking Pros:

about what the day has in store and taking in our surroundings, whereas in the car we usually have the radio on and it’s over very quickly. We can also take the dog, so that gets his walk out of the way too.

C ons: Often they have Cons: after school club and are tired when they finish.

Also, it rains a lot here in the UK, which can result in a lot of moaning and complaining about getting wet!

Scooting S cooting

I recently acquired an adult scooter, and they are a lot of fun and very speedy! If you don’t have a scooter, it’s still a great way to get some exercise in. I put my running kit on and jog along with the kids on their scooters (or behind them if I can’t keep up!)

P ros: This is much quicker than Pros: walking, meaning the school run is over and done with before you know it.

Cons: It can be hard Cons: work on your legs, as I discovered.

Cycling C ycling

Have a look and see if there are dedicated cycle routes you could use to get to school. Do a trial run at the weekend to learn the route and check whether your school has bike racks to store them when you get there.

Pros: Helps keep you all Pros: fit, and is also much quicker than walking.

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C Cons: ons: Better for older children, as the roads can be very busy in the mornings.

Public P ublic transport transport

Is it possible to get the bus to school and get there on time?

Pros: P ros: You don’t have the stress of driving in traffic, or cycling for that matter.

Cons: Cons: It can become expensive when you add up two trips a day for an adult and children.

If driving is the only option, why not see if there is anyone who lives near you that you could share a lift with. My friend will often take the children and I will pick them up. Talk to your school about setting up a car pooling group for this purpose so like-minded people can find each other.

And if none of the above options are viable, you can still help by ensuring that your car is regularly serviced, you keep your tyres well inflated and you combine jobs into one trip to prevent multiple short ones.

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IInterior nterior Design Design with w ith G Gill ill G Greenwell reenwell

Home H ome tthoughts houghts from from aabroad broad If you’re like me, the sunshine and blue skies of spring will inspire you to think of travel abroad. Holidays are a perfect opportunity to pick up those interesting and unusual items that bring individuality and personality to your home.

Here are some ideas on what to look for, and how to avoid the ‘knick-knack’ trap and that sinking feeling when you unpack your holiday find and think “it looked great in that Moroccan souk but I’m not sure now I’ve got it home…”

Add A dd a an ne exotic xotic ttouch ouch Foreign markets and souks are an obvious starting point for holiday shopping, but why not search out those interesting antique and design shops in the side streets too? Beautiful fabrics, rugs and throws are always worth looking out for, and flea markets are often a treasure trove of unusual lighting. And remember – less is more, so try not to get carried away and go too boho.

Create C reate a b beach each v vibe ibe Step away from the sunbed and go hunting for items that will give an escapist feel to your home. A bleached piece of driftwood or a large shell can look stunning in a living room or bathroom. Just be careful not to bring home coral or shells picked up from the

beach as this can be against local laws.

You can also never have too many handcrafted baskets – they’re great for storage and will hopefully spark wonderful memories of your travels.

Spice S pice up up y your our kitchen kitchen I can’t resist a hand painted bowl – my kitchen is full of them and my daughter even said recently, “please… no more bowls Mum”. Italy has wonderful pottery in fabulous colours, as do Spain and Portugal, while Asia is good for interesting porcelain bowls.

In France you can find beautiful coloured linen tea towels and napkins. Look out for brightly woven place mats – great for an injection of colour into an all-white kitchen.

Snap up a keepsake epsake hings that will of your life. artwork can found abroad have an orignal Aborigine painting from a THE LOCAL ANSWER

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recent trip to Australia, which adds a contemporary touch to my hallway and reminds me of sunnier climes. We came home from Marrakech one year with a set of bellows for our BBQ – they come out every summer, a reminder of a lovely holiday.

Introduce a talking Introduce talking point p oint A weekend away in the UK can also be a source of inspiration.

Look for beautiful handwoven throws and blankets, and individual handmade pottery.

Search out those unique artisan-crafted pieces that give an individual feel to your home.

Look for unusual items that make you smile or have a story – a Chinese wooden bowl in the shape of a pelican and an African carved money bracelet are some of the more unusual finds from my trips. Carefully curated items like these are what makes a home stylish, unique and special to you.

Happy souvenir hunting!

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Gadgets G adgets & Gizmos Gizmos with w ith L Laura aura N Nicklin icklin

Keep Keep your your cool cool As Spring saunters on, you may want to cool yourself off with some new gizmos; from superhero tech straight out of Wakanda, to the latest gadgets in weather forecasting, explore the new and improved products this month.

Menkind.co.uk – £69.99

Black P Black Panther anther Bluetooth B luetooth S Speaker peaker This licensed Marvel merchandise is the ideal gift for any comic book lover and wannabe Avenger. The Black Panther Bluetooth Speaker, based on the King of Wakanda’s superhero alter ego, comes equipped with 360° sound, audio playback, and a USB power output port charge that works with MAC and PC. The 5W speaker showcases some impressive sound quality, from this already impressivelooking desk accessory. Charge it by using its included USB cable, connect your device to the speaker using Bluetooth or 3.5 mm audio-in jack. Whether you want to show off your Marvel knowledge to your work colleagues, or simply add to your expansive superhero collection, this panther is one cool cat.

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Netatmo Smart Netatmo Smart Weather W eather Station Station Part of the ‘connected lifestyle’ range from Netatmo, this weather forecaster, in the form of a stylish solid aluminium case, helps keep you protected from the outside elements. The Smart Weather Station comes equipped with two different modules; an Indoor and an Outdoor module.

The Indoor module works by using the app to access indoor temperature, humidity, indoor air quality, C02 readings and a sound meter. Meanwhile, the Outdoor module works for outdoor activities, taking weather readings and letting you check barometric pressure, temperature and air quality.

The Smart Weather Station also has a Netatmo web app, which displays all data in the form of graphs, illustrating forecast variations. With a simple and user-friendly design, this gadget is perfect for your home once it gets connected to the WiFi, and also works with Alexa.

Sodastream Crystal Sodastream Crystal Sparkling S parkling Water Water Maker Maker Feeling fancy this spring? If you want some refreshment for the warmer weather, and also want to cut back on your plastic bottles, then the Sodastream model from Lakeland is the cool gizmo for your kitchen.

Save on recycling and get clear sparkling water with a simple touch of a button; the Sodastream Crystal Sparkling Water Maker is the electric-fre e drinks maker that relies on its gas cylinder to quench your thirst.

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into the back of the Sodastream Crystal drinks maker, fill the carafe with cold water and fit in the drinks maker before locking the lid closed.

After that, just push the button three times for the water to start carbonating and voila – the perfect sparkling drink. You don’t just have to stick to plain water either; once the water has been carbonated, you can use one of Sodastream’s flavoured mixers, or add some flavours of your own. Sleek, easy-to-clean and environmentally-friendly, the Sodastream is a dream.

Lakeland – £149.99

PAGE 

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

Money M oney Matters Matters with w ith R Roger oger D Downes ownes o off A Andorran ndorran

40 4 0 yyears ears on on The end of April/start of May 1979 saw two great women come to power – Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister for the first time and I got married!

Forty years on and the UK has its second female PM (well we did at the time of writing!) and Mrs Downes and I are still going strong.

We’ve spent the last few weeks looking back at all the good, and the occasional disappointing, events that affected the family through four decades as we celebrated this special anniversary.

There T here are are many many more more women women in in regular employment regular employment than than iin n 1979 1979 It set me thinking about all the changes that we’ve seen in that time. There are the obvious statistics, such as the number of us that now own a personal computer and smartphone, which didn’t even exist in Maggie’s day. We are living longer on average and, despite ongoing criticism about pay inequality, there are many more women in regular employment than in 1979, something Mrs T would have welcomed.

Standards of living have increased over 40 years, often as a result of dual incomes, meaning that more households own a car and often more than one. In 1979 less than 40% of homes had central heating compared to over 80% today and there was still more than 10% of houses in the UK 40 years ago that had an outside loo.

The T he ccredit redit crisis crisis b brought rought Margaret Margaret Thatcher’s T hatcher’s vision vision to to its its knees knees

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One area in which we’ve let down Mrs Thatcher is the number of people owning their own home. Whilst numbers increased dramatically under her ‘reign’ in the 1980s, the following decade saw the trend reverse sharply and the credit crisis of 2008 and 2009 brought her vision to its knees. It’s never recovered and shows no real signs of doing so.

In 1979 there was no world wide web and therefore would have been nowhere for me to click to research any of these statistics, but at least I wouldn’t have been surgically attached to my mobile phone as I seem to be now!

I wonder what the next 40 years will bring?

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Sport S port

with w ith R Roger oger Jackson Jackson

WANT W ANT TO TO SHARE SHARE YOUR YOUR SPORTING SPORTING STORY S TORY ON ON OUR OUR WEBSITE? WEBSITE? Please Please eemail mail ffull ull ddetails etails ttoo ssport@thelocalanswer.co.uk port@thelocalanswer.co.uk

New N ew b boys oys C Chesterton hesterton a are re fflying lying h high igh Chesterton may be the new kids on the block but they have pretty much swept all before them this season.

The club – Chesterton Association Football Club to give them their full name – have been banging in the goals left, right and centre almost from the first kick-off as they’ve clocked up win after win.

And it’s not just in the Cirencester League where they have enjoyed such a good campaign because they have also won the GFA Primary Cup. The club were formed by Tim Bond and Jordan Stallard, who grew up together in Chesterton and were at school at Deer Park in Cirencester, and this is their first season.

Now in their mid-20s, they are joint managers of the football club – Stallard is also the club’s secretary – and it’s fair to say that the success that the club

Chesterton have enjoyed great success this season

have enjoyed is beyond their wildest dreams.

“One hundred per cent,” admitted Stallard, “we never expected this to happen. The main aim is keeping the lads together and developing the football club.”

That shouldn’t be too much of a problem because the club certainly appear to have been

Alex Alex B Binnie innie w wants ants a ffast ast sstart tart It’s probably fair to say that Alex Binnie has been fast-tracked into the captaincy of Cirencester Cricket Club.

At the age of just 22 he is preparing for his second season in charge of the club which play in the Gloucestershire Division of the West of England Premier League, which is a very decent standard of cricket.

And while he may have been fast-tracked into the lead role of the club’s flagship team, he is hoping that his side can make a faster start to the season than they have done in the previous two years.

“We’ve made a poor start to the last two seasons,” said the wicketkeeper. “Last season we lost our first four games and we found ourselves in the relegation zone.”

Alex Binnie

Those poor starts didn’t prove costly – two seasons ago they recovered to finish third, while they ended in mid-table last time out.

“We won six of our last seven games last season,” said Binnie, “that really helped us out.”

Cirencester begin their league campaign at home to Frocester 2nds on Saturday 4th May. Full story online.

built on solid foundations. “It took a year’s work behind the scenes by Tim and I before we were able to join the league,” explained Stallard.

“We wanted to play football with our friends, that was always our main aim. We’ll do everything to evolve the players we’ve got and the club we’ve created.”

Full story online.

League L eague m milestone ilestone One of the more impressive football leagues are celebrating a special milestone this year.

The Gloucestershire County Football League are coming to the end of their 50th season.

The first ever winners of the league were Stonehouse Town and they will be hosting a special representative game between a County League side and a team from the Western League on Saturday 4th May (2.30pm).

Proud P roud p president resident Keith Bedford is about halfway through his one-year term as president of the Gloucestershire Bowling Association and it will come as no surprise to anyone who knows him that he is loving every minute of it.

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

Above Above is is a selection selection ffrom rom local local entertainment entertainment stories stories available available online online ... ...

Bourton Vale skipper Charlie Garratt

Bourton Bourton Vale Vale are are full full of of optimism optimism “These are exciting times.”

Those are the words of Bourton Vale Cricket Club captain Charlie Garratt as he looks ahead to the new season.

And it’s easy to see why there is such optimism at a club whose flagship side play in the Gloucestershire Division of the West of England Premier League.

There’s been a huge upgrade in the club’s facilities at Rissington Road, they will be running three adult teams on Saturday afternoons for the first time after merging operations with nearby Slaughters United and they have signed an overseas player who they hope will have a big impact in the coming season.

The overseas player is an allrounder, Australian Mitch WinterIrving, a right-handed batsman who can play in the top four and a left-arm seamer who is a newball bowler.

A secondary school teacher in his late 20s, he comes with plenty of cricketing experience and Garratt is confident he will be a major player this season.

“I played against him when

I was playing cricket in Melbourne four years ago,” said the 27-year-old, who will skipper Bourton for a third season.

“And with Ash Jones being available this season after coming back from Australia, we feel like this is a good time.

“Mark Whitney got a lot of runs last season and if I can do my bit I feel we should be pushing on towards the top of the table.”

Jones is a top order batsman who is also a good enough bowler to take the new ball and clearly provides plenty of options for Garratt, who admitted: “I’m spoilt for choice.”

The experienced Whitney, meanwhile, scored more than 500 runs batting at three and if he can produce the same again Garratt said “it will stand us in good stead”.

That’s certainly the hope of hardworking chairman Kevin Langley as he looks for the club to push on, and in Charlie Garratt he certainly has someone who is singing from the same hymnsheet.

“We’ve got new facilities, an extra team and some good players, it’s time to put in the

p e r f o r ma n c e s t h a t r e f l e c t t h a t , ” Garratt added.

Among those ‘good players’ is the ever impressive Max Shepherd, the teenaged left-arm spinner who is very much part of Gloucestershire’s junior setup.

“He had another exciting season last season and hopefully he can build on it,” said Garratt. “He nearly always comes on first change and if he’s not taking wickets he is tying an end up. He’s only 15 or 16 but he’s got a huge part to play.”

Bourton finished seventh in the 10-strong division last season but they were only 11 points adrift of fourth-placed Hatherley and Reddings, who they host on day one of the new campaign, in what was a very congested middle of the table.

“There are some very strong sides and it’s a very competitive division,” said Garratt.

“Everybody can beat everybody and I don’t think any team will run away with it.

“But there’s a huge amount of positivity around the club and I’m going into this season looking forward to it more than I have done for a while.”

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Competition Winners The TLA Photography winner for the May 2019 cover is Lauren Clifford of Cheltenham.

Competition Rules 1 Prizes are as stated and no cash or prize alternative will be offered. 2 Employees of The Local Answer and their families or households are not eligible to enter. 3 The first correct entry drawn at random after the closing date will win the prize as stated. 4 The winner will be notified by telephone after the closing date has passed. 5 The Editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 6 Entrants must be over 18 years, unless stated. 7 Proof of posting is

not regarded as proof of receipt of entry. 8 The Local Answer accepts no responsibility for the provision of the prize, which remains at all times the full responsibility of the prize donor(s). 9 By entering any competition you agree to have your name published in the next issue of The Local Answer should you be drawn as a winner of the prize. 10 By entering any competition you agree to have your details passed to a third party. 11 One entry per household.

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