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MARCH 2023

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Spring is finally here and what better way to embrace the new season than to freshen up your home interiors. From adding colour and patterns, to styling a spring tablescape, Gill Greenwell shares her ideas in her Interior Design article.

In his latest Sport feature, Roger Jackson interviews former jockey Robert Thornton, looking back on his successful career and how it felt to ride at the Cheltenham Festival.

Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson shares his Police Budget for 2023-2024 with us. Read more about his plans for the year inside.

The 2023 event calendar is really starting to fill up, so check out our What’s On section for a selection of events happening around the county over the next month or two. If you’re planning an event and would like to promote it with us, you’ll find more details on page 25.

If you use the services of any of our advertisers, please tell them you found them in The Local Answer!

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Delicious Dish with Helen Kingscott

Veggie pizza

Ingredients:

For the base (makes 2 pizzas) 300g strong bread flour; 1 tsp instant yeast; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp olive oil.

For the topping

400g jar of tomato and vegetable sauce; 100g dairyfree grated cheese (or mozzarella if you eat dairy) Your mum’s favourite toppings. These could include: a few halved cherry tomatoes, black olives, sliced red onion, sliced button mushrooms, sliced green pepper and fresh basil.

Method: For the base

1 Put the flour into a large bowl then add the yeast and salt.

2 Make a well, pour in 200ml warm water and the olive oil, and bring together with a fork.

3 Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for five minutes. Cut into two even pieces.

4 Roll out to your desired size, pop onto two baking trays and leave to rise somewhere warm for about 15 minutes.

For the topping

5 Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C/gas mark 7).

6 Spread the tomato topping over the base, leaving a thin gap around the edge. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, then arrange your choice of vegetables.

7 Cook in the oven for around 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the edges of the base are crispy and golden.

8 Garnish with fresh basil. Always ask an adult for help when chopping vegetables and using a hot oven.

Make a tasty pizza for Mother’s Day! Make the dough from scratch or pick up a pizza base mix from your local shop, then add your mum’s favourite toppings.

Medical Health with

Kirsty Lilley

Support to stop smoking

No Smoking Day is an annual health awareness day in the United Kingdom which is intended to help smokers who want to quit smoking.

The first No Smoking Day was on Ash Wednesday in 1984, and it now takes place on the second Wednesday in March. Smoking is very harmful to your heart, and can seriously increase your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases. You can make small lifestyle changes to help you quit smoking and keep your heart healthy.

What does smoking do to my heart and circulatory system?

The chemicals in cigarettes make the walls of your arteries sticky. This causes fatty material to stick to the walls, which can begin to clog your arteries and reduce the space for blood to flow properly.

• If the arteries that carry blood to your heart get clogged, it can lead to a heart attack.

• If the arteries that carry blood to your brain get clogged, it can lead to a stroke.

Smoking can also affect your heart and blood vessels by:

• Increasing risk of blood clots.

• Causing an instant rise to your heart rate.

• Causing an instant rise to your blood pressure.

• Reducing the amount of oxygen delivered to the rest of your body.

What are the benefits of quitting smoking?

You might notice benefits sooner than you think.

• Heart rate and blood pressure will begin to return to normal after 20 minutes.

• Sense of smell and taste will begin to improve after 2-3 days.

• Your breathing will begin to improve, and exercise may be easier, after 2-12 weeks.

• Risk of a heart attack is half that of a smoker after a year. It’s never too late to benefit from stopping smoking. On average, men will add 10 years to their life if they quit by the age of 30. Many people will add three years to their life if they quit by the age of 60. Being a non-smoker can also improve your chances of being more physically active and healthier as you get older.

How can I quit smoking?

If you quit smoking, you will improve your health and the health of everyone around you. It may feel hard to resist the temptation to smoke, but you can make small changes to make it easier to stick to.

• Try to think positively – even

if you’ve tried to quit before and didn’t manage it, don’t let it put you off trying again.

• Set a date to quit and tell your family, friends and colleagues so they can help and encourage you.

• Plan how you will deal with your cravings when you’re at events and times when you would usually smoke.

• If you usually smoke after meals, eat foods that can make cigarettes taste bad like cheese, fruit and vegetables, or change your routine to keep your mind busy when you would usually smoke, like washing the dishes straight after eating.

• Cravings usually last around five minutes. Plan short activities you can do to stay busy when you get cravings.

• When you’re out, hold your drink with the hand that used to hold cigarettes and use a straw. This will help to keep your hands and mouth busy.

• When you get a craving, remind yourself of why you are quitting. You may want to carry a picture of your family with you to look at if you’re tempted to smoke.

You are not alone. Aside from your family and friends, you can get support from healthcare professionals, stop smoking programmes and nicotine replacement therapy. You can also make an appointment with your GP, pharmacy or practice nurse. They will be able to help you find a way to stop smoking that works for you.

As

Mirror Mirror on the Wall with

Val Starr

Spring predictions

Most things in life are hard to predict for certain, but fashion forecasts are the exception. Fashion lines are designed and executed many months in advance, so we can be sure of what is in store for us, with very few, if any, surprises.

The fashion market was predicted to be affected in a very negative way by all the doom and gloom of the financial markets. The public are being more careful where they spend their hard-earned cash, but most retailers are feeling positive when it comes to sales and revenue.

At the lower end of the scale, Primark are reporting excellent sales, while many people are still in the market for high-end brands and top designers. Despite a tough few years, consumers still want to splash out and enjoy life. After the comfortable loungewear, ‘stayat-home’ look, we want to get dressed up again! Here are a few examples of what you will be seeing in shops and online this season.

Mini skirts

Hemlines are certainly on the rise and mini is the best way to describe most of them. Perhaps the popular TV series Emily in Paris has been an influence –online retailer ASOS reported that the demand for mini skirts has soared by over a third.

Marks & Spencer said its sequin mini skirts were a star performer at Christmas and they expect demand for this style of skirt to continue into the spring/summer season. A mini skirt is not always the easiest item for many to style or feel comfortable wearing, but pairing the skirt with thick tights is a popular option. Mango have a cute tan faux suede skirt for £19.99, while Boden have a wool mini at £68.

Shoes

Kitten heels, ballet flats and killer chunky high heels can all be styled with a mini skirt, depending on the occasion. The ballet flat is back in a big way – Marks & Spencer have a lovely pair in leopard print for £35. Zara also have a leopard print pair of kitten heels for

£59.99. Whistles have a very smart pair of blue and white striped trainers for £80, while John Lewis and River Island offer some great slingback kitten style heels.

Blue jeans

Blue is the colour of the season, from navy to sky blue and every shade in between. Skinny jeans have been eclipsed by an array of different styles; cropped jeans, oversized jeans, and various bootcut designs. Per Una have a lovely high rise in dark denim for £39.50.

A go-to retailer for jeans, Gap may no longer be on our high streets, but you can still shop online and indulge in comfy 1990s style blue jeans for £32. Looser, more generous cuts are often more comfortable.

Blue is generally a very flattering colour, but I’m not sure if I would choose it from head to toe, which is what catwalks are showing. Blue nail polish seems very popular this season and will give an instant spring update. Fingers crossed we will all enjoy blue skies ahead this spring!

Looking Good, Feeling Great with Will Mbanga Begin with the end in mind

Regardless of where we are on our fitness and wellness journey, every so often – as in the case of New Year’s resolutions – it’s good practice to take stock, reevaluate what is important and make appropriate changes.

While the challenge of sustaining these changes is ongoing, committing to a health and wellness lifestyle is the single most important investment you can make in your life.

Be clear about your end goals

A good place to start is to be clear about your end goal(s). What will your intervention look like? A stronger body?

Weight loss? Optimum mental health? What will it feel like and, more significantly, what will it make you feel like?

Once you have clarity about the end, you can then begin to do the work required to bring it to life. Like many people having work done on their house, the experience has given me pause for thought. What makes a house strong? Is it building material, paintwork, roofing material, the skill of the builder?

You’ve probably guessed that it isn’t any of these very important ‘bits’ – rather, it is the foundations on which the house is built that provide its true strength. A house’s ability to withstand the weight and pressure of external forces is determined by the strength and stability of its foundations. Similarly, the key to our own strength is hidden in plain sight, in our basic human movements. Our foundation – our skeletal system – is built for movement, which results in the release of endorphins (hormones that help

to relieve pain, reduce stress and improve your sense of wellbeing) along with three main neurotransmitters: Dopamine, Noradrenaline and Serotonin. These are modulated by exercise and help to make us feel better and manage stress.

Relieve stress and optimise wellbeing

Our bodies are designed as a self-regulating circuit. By moving more, we release more of the hormones and neurotransmitters that help relieve stress, reduce pain and optimise physical and mental wellbeing.

There are many trainers who focus on teaching advanced movements, or use fancy bits of kit in an effort to challenge your body. While all of these are great in getting people exercising, in their efforts to maximise their following, they often leave out or overlook many key elements necessary for building a solid foundation.

My main concern for beginners or less experienced people is that many of these

programmes can challenge your body in ways you’re not physically prepared for, which increases the risk of injury.

Build a base of functional strength

As you seek your optimal exercise modalities, whether you engage in traditional or ‘modern’ training/workouts, consider the following:

• Build a base of functional strength. There are seven basic movements the human body can perform – Pull, Push, Squat, Lunge, Hinge, Rotation and Gait (or walking). All other exercises are variations of these.

• Are your equipment and environment safe, and do they meet your needs?

• Is the technique biomechanically sound and the intensity progressive?

• Is the exercise or training method sustainable over the rest of your lifetime?

If you manage to nail these points, you’ll be on the right track.

April 2023-March 2024

Panel backs PCC’s plan to increase police strength by more than 300

When I presented my budget to the county’s Police and Crime Panel, I was pleased that a crossparty grouping of experienced councillors and independent members unanimously supported my proposals to strengthen the Constabulary.

I was able to report that we had funded plans to increase the size of the force by over 300 officers, Police Community Support Officers and police staff – most of them already in place, the balance recruited by the summer. I also plan to recruit around 200 more volunteer Special Constables and 100 Volunteer Police Community Support Officers. We also have over 60 people supporting victims of crime, and youth groups helping to divert youngsters from the possibility of becoming involved in crime.

These increases have been possible due to a combination of sources –extra funding from the Home Office, your hard earned council tax contributions and my team’s success in bidding for financial support from a range of Government outlets. Indeed, in securing over £3M from the Safer Streets initiative, we have outperformed most other forces, acquiring money to tackle antisocial behaviour, male violence against women and girls, and rural crime.

The Chief Constable and I

continue to work on a new operating model for the Constabulary, based on an assessment of where crime and

source and capacity to cope with 999 calls.

Our force control room, for most the first point of contact with the police, is now performing better, having benefited from substantial investment in extra call handlers and new technology.

In January, our average answer time for 999 calls was 9 seconds (one second inside the national target), and 101 non-emergency calls answered in 2 minutes 40 seconds (my target is 2 minutes) – our best figures in 2 years.

police demand are coming from –something which has changed substantially in recent years. The force is working hard to improve its understanding and recording of all crime incidents, reassessing its ability to prevent crimes at

Still more to do, but we are starting to see significant improvements in effectiveness across the Constabulary, all tangible results of the extra investment from you, the tax payer.

Chris Nelson Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire

Picture courtesy of Thousand Word Media

Discove r Da ve an d Da rc y this s p ri ng!

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Throughout March, I’m offering a huge discount on the bundle of five books. The individual stories and the Colouring and Activity Book will also be discounted (no code required) if you’re looking to add a title to your child’s existing collection.

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Parenting & Guardianship with

Roberta Smart

Moody March

This month I wanted to touch on a rather delicate topic: moods. Yours and your children’s, and how to handle them when they change more quickly than the weather on a March morning.

I was asked to address the ever-changing emotional range of a five-year-old and how to handle it, and I thought it was a great topic as it allows me to cover a few things.

Firstly, a five-year-old has very little regulation, as their amygdala (the integrative centre for emotions and emotional behaviour) is still forming and not yet capable of ‘holding in’ what it needs to express.

Secondly, so many things contribute to how we ‘feel’, including how hungry or thirsty we are, how much energy we have, how stimulated (or not) we are and how safe we feel in our current setting.

I am sure you are already aware of the need for carrying that enormous bag filled with drinks, snacks, a change of clothes, a coat, an extra jumper, wellies and sun cream wherever you go, aren’t you? Exactly –to keep your little one as comfortable as possible at all times.

You won’t always be there to solve their problems

However, by the time they start school you are not on hand to solve every problem and indeed they are one of a group of kids who are all beginning to learn to problemsolve for themselves.

From eating and drinking enough, and releasing stress through activity at playtime, to sitting still and not fiddling with their best friend’s hair at story time. Those little brains are working so hard to learn, grow, navigate and retain information, and behave in a way they have been taught is socially acceptable (no matter what their bodies are telling them).

So when they emerge at 3pm and have a complete meltdown at the gate because you didn’t bring their scooter –which you promised you would that morning –and they don’t want to go to the shop – even though you need to buy dinner – and they ‘hate you’ – because you forgot to pack their most favourite toy in the world for show and tell… Breathe.

Remember that the real reason they are being like this is

because you are their safe place!

You are their safe place

They feel safe to release all the confusion, frustration and rage that has built up in them all day and they have kept hidden from their teacher. You, dear parent/guardian, are the first safe place to release it all. I know it sucks, but they behave like this because they feel safe enough, loved enough and accepted. It is a compliment, really.

So before you head out to pick them up from school at 3pm, remember to have a cuppa, eat something, stretch a little, take some deep breaths, watch cute cats on TikTok and have a little cry in the loo if you need to. Because, you know, you are an adult with a fully formed amygdala and you can, for the most part, regulate your emotions. Your little one is relying on you to hold it together so he or she doesn’t have to.

March brings with it all the moods, so let’s navigate with style and grace, shall we?

Holidays & Travel with

Al Hidden

Brittany’s in the pink

Think granite! If you’ve any interest in geology, perhaps you are imagining Ulster’s Mourne Mountains, Switzerland’s Gotthard Massif or the stone heart of California’s Sierra Nevada. Or maybe the fabled coast of Brittany’s Côtesd’Armor department, just a short ferry trip across ‘La Manche’. It’s close; and, if you’ve never been, well worth visiting.

The spectacular Côte de Granit Rose

From name to reality, the spectacular Côte de Granit Rose – from Plestin-les-Grèves to Louannec – is about the pink gorgeousness of every cliff and boulder. Plus all the other good things, including those delicious galettes and dry white wines, associated with Brittany.

Whether you stay local, base yourself here for wider exploration, or drop in after a longer trip, the Côte is visually stunning and always inspiring. In Port de Ploumanac’h, we recommend the lovely Hotel

des Rochers overlooking the harbour’s lines of moored yachts. It’s hard to imagine a more relaxing few days than exploring the village and its nearby coastline.

Many granites include hints of red, but few display the intensity of this littoral as it takes geological ‘vie en rose’ to the breathtaking max. To fully savour the landscape – it’s Hercynian granite with a high percentage of pink-giving microcline feldspar – follow the romantic Sentier des Douaniers (‘the path of the customs officers’) around to Perros Guirec – once home to author Joseph Conrad.

There and back, the walk past Phare de Men Ruz lighthouse –built of local granite; the name means ‘red stone’ in Breton – is about 12 km. At Perros Guirec, overlooking Trestrau beach, reward yourself with takeaway baguettes from Au P’tit Creux; cheap, filling, quintessentially Breton and, after the bracing clifftop air, delicious. Just watch out for marauding ‘mouettes’!

Captivating rock sculptures

Stroll the sands and watch the windsurfers for a while. Then return the same way for new perspectives as the setting sun and its long shadows accentuate the salmon-pink rock.

It’s not just the colour either; the shapes sculpted by the ocean and weather are captivating. I challenge you not to imagine all kinds of human and animal forms in the rock –and that’s before downing something delicious with supper.

If you become ‘pinked out’ and want to explore further afield, many Breton attractions are within a couple of hours’ drive. Go south to Quiberon and Carnac’s stones, east to St. Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel, or head for Pointe de Corsen, the French mainland’s westernmost extremity.

Whatever you choose, it’s not too late to plan your Breton ‘life in pink’ for this summer!

Dragon Vets Charlton Kings is fully equipped with a sterile operating theatre, digital radiography, ultrasonography and laboratory equipment Drop in and have a look around You will see many of the same friendly faces from our main surgery at Dragon Vets Cheltenham

You can book your visits and pick up pet supplies, food or medications at either surgery if it ’ s more convenient .

Pet Care

with Oliver Wilkinson of Charlton Kings Vet Centre

Are you willing or able to pay out thousands of pounds if something unexpected happened to a beloved pet? If the answer is yes then maybe you don’t need insurance, but otherwise it can be a sensible investment.

Often people think it makes sense to simply put the amount they would pay in monthly premiums into a savings account, and certainly the more pets you have the better this sounds, although it may take a while to build up enough money to have a cushion for the unexpected.

For those who like this option, I recommend doing both. Start off with insurance and put a similar amount aside. Once the pot is large enough you can make an educated decision as to whether it is worth continuing with the insurance. You’ll also have had a chance to establish whether a pet is particularly prone to health problems, in which case you may feel the insurance is offering good value for money.

If you choose an insurance policy, remember three key things:

1. Policies don’t cover pre-existing conditions

This is really important and one of the reasons why switching to a cheaper policy as your pet ages might backfire. Any health problem your pet has had prior to taking out a new policy will not be covered, which means that a recurring skin itch or regular stomach upset is unlikely to be covered by your new policy. Your insurer will insist on full previous medical records when you make a claim.

2. Annual policies are cheaper but you may not have the cover you want

Policies are either referred to as ‘life long’ or ‘annual’. A life long policy covers health problems generally forever with an annual limit as to how much you can claim. An annual policy covers health problems only for one year and then they become excluded, and if you then try to switch to a different policy you won’t be covered either.

3. Some of the cheapest insurers really sting you with premium hikes if you claim

What seemed like a good investment can become very expensive. Not all insurers do this but some are notorious and frankly poor value for money. The best people to talk to about pet insurance are likely to be at your vet clinic. We deal with all the insurance companies, we know which ones are good value and which ones aren’t, and we can also advise about an individual pet’s suitability or preexisting issues. Pet insurance can literally be a life-saver, but not all insurers are the same and sometimes the cheapest policies offer the worst value for money.

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Motoring with Toby Aiken

Audi e-Tron GT

I’ve been looking forward to this one ever since I saw its release pictures in the press.

I drove the e-Tron Q4 last year and it ticked the boxes but, in some unfathomable way, it missed the mark on the objectives. Yes it was electric, yes it was quiet and yes it was stylish. But it seemed to me to be missing something on the quality side of things.

Perhaps I was expecting too much, in which case the error is mine, but I came away from the test feeling somewhat deflated. This was Audi’s chance to level the score – to hit the mark and deliver on the promise of what an electric Audi should be. And, thankfully, it delivered.

The e-Tron GT looks like a fast Audi. It is a fast Audi, that’s probably why. But on paper, strangely, it’s not. It’s not slow, but with a 0-62 time of a little over eight seconds, it’s no way near a Tesla. But, and I can’t really explain this, it feels faster than a Tesla.

I’ve driven Teslas with a 0-60

time of around the 3.5 second mark, so while this was theoretically half as fast in terms of acceleration, it didn’t feel like it. And that makes no sense. When I first hit a straight bit of road in dynamic mode, I put my foot down and was pinned to the seat. I think I actually let out an involuntary ‘woah’.

Comparable to Musk’s Model S

As a five seat, four door saloon, it is clearly pitched against the Model S from Musk’s stable. And at around the £80k mark, it’s comparable in terms of price and spec. But there’s something about the eTron that felt different. I think I actually prefer it, and I have been a massive fan of Tesla since I first drove one almost eight years ago.

In practical terms, I think the Tesla wins, purely because its regenerative braking is much more effective. In the Audi, you have to ask for it using a complicated pattern on the paddle shifts. I think I got it to work,

but you shouldn’t have to think about it.

But that aside, in fact even with that taken into consideration, I loved it. Sleek, powerful and hunkered down with flared wheel arches and plenty of space inside, it ticked so many boxes. Sadly for me, the only box unticked was day-to-day liveability.

The lack of regenerative braking means that, on a good day, the range is around 260ish miles. In fairness, I tested this in very cold weather, which does have an impact, but even then, Teslas are looking at closer to a 400-mile plus range, and that is a much more practical figure.

And yet, I think where Audi wins, is in the style. The Tesla is a beautiful machine, but they haven’t evolved much in terms of style in almost a decade. The e-Tron GT looks fresher, meaner, and more modern.

This makes choosing between them a very hard decision. Thankfully, not one I need to worry about for now, but if I had to pick… I’m not sure I could!

Money Matters with Roger Downes of Andorran More bank closures

Regular readers of this column will be aware of exactly how low an opinion I hold of the service that the High Street banks offer to their business and personal customers. OK, we can’t keep harking back to the ‘good old days’ when there were bank branches on every street corner But I think we’re entitled to a little more consideration than we’re currently getting

The banks will tell you that it’s all in the name of efficiency, which is their wording for ‘we need to make a fortune for our shareholders’.

There is no let-up in their approach, with announcements in recent months from all the major banks of literally hundreds more closures this year.

There are, however, just the first signs that the banks are beginning to listen to their critics

Last year Barclays opened its fir st pop-up branch in St Austell in Cornwall The pop-up was open for old-fashioned banking hour s of 9.30am-3.30pm to allow you to deposit and withdraw cash, as well as speak to a member of staff. They say there will be more to follow in 2023 but haven’t published any details.

Are pop-up banks the way forward?

TSB is about to follow suit with a pop-up in a shopping centre in north London. The bank tells us that the cost to set up a pod is only one-sixth of the weekly running costs associated with a conventional ‘High Street’ branch, so is this the way forward for allowing the public and local businesses to carry out basic banking transactions? I know we’re all being obliged to embrace the digital age and to accept the idea of moving towards a cashless society, but that’s not yet for everyone.

We are also seeing a few shared branches appearing on Post Office premises. Staff from different banks set up on separate days to provide the same level of services as we are seeing in the pop-ups. We were promised a wide spread of shared branches across the country but to date only four have sprung up, half of them as part of the original pilot scheme

There’s no evidence of any of these new setups appearing in the county; we can but hope. They are no replacement for full branches, but they are better than nothing, which seems to be the alternative.

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.

10 FEBRUARY – 16 APRIL LAMBING AT COTSWOLD FARM PARK

The much-loved annual lambing event is back and better than ever, with over 300 lambs expected to be born on the farm. You’ll be able to see live births up close and personal, as well as enjoy talks from the Farm Park’s team of experts about all things lambing. Plus, you’ll be able to participate in all the usual play and exciting activities the park has to offer, from meeting and feeding the animals to exploring the beautiful Cotswold countryside. 9.30am-4.30pm. Tickets available at www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk

1 MARCH

GARDENING IN A CHANGING CLIMATE: A WORKSHOP

Join us for a discussion about how we can adapt our growing practices, identify adaptable plants, improve soil and manage water in the garden and allotment in the future as the climate changes. With Malcolm Allison, an expert in botany and forestry. FREE. 7-9pm, FRONT Community Hub, Sixways, Charlton Kings. Email Visit charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk/ local-events for tickets.

4 MARCH CHELTENHAM MIND BODY SPIRIT WELLBEING SHOW

By Deer Spirit Events. Over fifty fantastic exhibitors: 1-1 tarot, psychic, shamanic & clairvoyant readings, holistic therapies, self-help, crystals, jewellery, books, arts and crafts, healthy living products. Thirty talks

and workshops, inside and out. Refreshments/parking on site. 11-5pm. Pittville Pump Room, East Approach Drive, Cheltenham GL52 3JE. www.deerspirit.co.uk

8 MARCH

MAGGIE’S FIREWALK

Can you handle the heat? Challenge yourself, face your fears and walk across hot embers while raising money to support people living with cancer, their families and friends. Registration £15, with an £85 fundraising target per person. 6-9pm. Randall & Payne, Shurdington Road, Cheltenham GL51 4GA. To register, visit maggiescheltfirewalk23.eventbrite.co.uk

11 MARCH

CHELTENHAM CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande Suite. Debussy: Petite Suite. Ravel: Pavane pour une Infante défunte. Bizet: Symphony No.1. Tickets £20. Students free. 7.30pm. St Andrew’s Church, Montpellier, Cheltenham GL50 1SP. For more information visit www.cheltenhamchamberorchestra.org.uk

12 MARCH

CIRENCESTER VEGAN MARKET

Expect to see a wide range of vegan stalls including delicious vegan street food, baked goods and sweet treats, ethical clothing brands, cruelty free cosmetics, arts and crafts, charities and outreach, as well as free samples from our info tent. 10am-3pm. Free entry. Market Place, Cirencester GL7 2NW. www.veganfairs.co.uk

21 MARCH

LADYFRIENDS [A PERIOD DRAMA]

A high-octane romp through love letters, third dates, and lesbian period dramas – via the (probably) true stories of Annie Kenney and Christabel Pankhurst. Rammed with live music and film, it digs up real-life queer history to ask the age-old question: “are we dating, or are we just really good friends?” 7pm. £15. Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, GL1 1NS. www.gloucesterguildhall.co.uk

22 MARCH

SUBVERSE PRESENTS JENNY

MITCHELL & JOSEPHINE LAY

To celebrate World Poetry Day, SubVerse is delighted to present Jenny Mitchell. Born in Britain, Mitchell explores her Jamaican heritage, and the legacies of slavery and colonialism, through unsparing and exquisitely crafted poetry which she performs with a powerful and moving stillness. Support comes from poet Josephine Lay, a director of the Gloucestershire Poetry Society. 8pm. £8-£10. The Subscription Rooms, George Street, Stroud, GL5 1AE. www.thesubrooms.co.uk

24 MARCH

YOUNG ELTON – THE TRIBUTE SHOW

A celebration of one of the greatest singer songwriters of all time, with hits such as ‘Bennie And The Jets’, ‘I’m Still Standing’ and many more. £21 (£19). 7.30pm. The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham GL51 6EP. www.bacontheatre.co.uk

25 MARCH

SUE RYDER SPRING FAYRE

A wonderful day of live music and entertainment with a BBQ, pop-up bar, tasty treats, bouncy castle, face painting, family fun activities, raffle, tombola and more! 10am-5pm. Tickets available on the day. Adults £2.50, children under 12 free. More details are on the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice Facebook page.

26 MARCH

NATIONAL STAR’S SUNRISE WALK

Join National Star’s Sunrise Walk on Sunday 26th March 2023 from Ullenwood, Cheltenham. By putting your best foot forward you will transform the lives of young people with disabilities with every step. The beautiful 12km circular route will give plenty of opportunity to soak up the stunning views around the Cotswold Way. Registration from 4.30am with the walk starting at 6am. nationalstar.org/get-involved/sunrise-walk

28 MARCH

FEAST OF FIDDLES

A band of friends that puts on a show of huge dynamic range performed with passion, joy and a liberal dose of fun. Marion Fleetwood joins fiddlers Peter Knight, Brian McNeill, Ian Cutler, Tom

Leary and Garry Blakeley, who add the large range of fiddle playing styles to the rock back-line of guitars, sax, keyboards and accordion – all held together by legendary drummer Dave Mattacks. 7.30pm. Tickets from £23. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. www.rosestheatre.org

30 MARCH

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: LIFE OF PI Puppetry, magic and storytelling combine in a unique, Olivier Awardwinning stage adaptation of the bestselling novel. After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a 16-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them, nature is harsh, who will survive? £16.50 (£14.50, students £12.50). 7pm. The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham GL51 6EP. www.bacontheatre.co.uk

31 MARCH

SIMON EVANS: WORK OF THE DEVIL Simon’s last show, Genius 2.0, provided a hilarious analysis of the departure of any visible sign of intelligence from modern life. But his new show raises the stakes, with his usual excoriating views of a world on fire, given a

perspective shift from personal revelations that turned his world upside down this year. 8pm. £17. Sundial Theatre, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 1XA. www.sundial-theatre.co.uk

1 APRIL

UNDERCOVER HIPPY

Billy Salisbury has been performing at festivals since 2008, working his way up from being a solo singer-songwriter playing on small marquee stages, to now having a full band of incredible musicians and playing main stages at some of the UK’s best independent festivals. The music is best described as politically-driven acoustic roots reggae folk-hop, with feel-good vibes and a sly sense of humour. 8pm. £18£22. The Subscription Rooms, George Street, Stroud, GL5 1AE. www.thesubrooms.co.uk

1-2 APRIL MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION

St. Margaret’s Hall, Coniston Road, off Windermere Road, Hatherley, Cheltenham GL51 3NU. Layouts, refreshments, trade support, disabled access, children’s ‘drive yourself’ Thomas. 10am-5pm. Raising funds for Rachel’s Fight For Life as seen on BBC Midlands Today TV. Full details at www.cheltmodrail.org.uk

THE SELL-OUT THEATRE SHOW

CHELTENHAM HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ANNUAL SPRING FLOWER SHOW

There will be a stunning display of Spring bulbs, flowers and pot plants, with plants for sale from local nurseries. Many other stalls. Admission

£2.50, children free. 12.30-3.30pm. Pittville Pump Room, East Approach Drive, Cheltenham GL52 3JE.

9 APRIL

CHELTENHAM VEGAN MARKET

Taking place on The Promenade right in the shopping district, we’ll showcase the best local vegan businesses and their incredible products, from the tastiest vegan street food to homemade bakes and cakes, as well as non-food items like ethical fashion brands, cruelty-free skincare, homeware items and much more. 10am-3pm. Free entry. www.veganfairs.co.uk

12-13 APRIL RAPUNZEL

Join your Easter panto favourites Wally, Dame Dolly and Fairy Tale as they embark on a quest to break an enchantment that keeps Rapunzel locked away in her tower. But the wicked sorceress Gothel has other plans for Rapunzel and her everlengthening hair! Will Rapunzel escape? Find out in this hair-larious Easter pantomime adventure! Various times. Tickets from £16.50. The Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. www.rosestheatre.org

15 APRIL

CALLING LAWN BOWLERS

If you would like to play more bowls next season then you are welcome to come along to our first 2023 Open Day. Gloucester Spa Bowling Club play midweek and weekend friendlies plus compete in several local Leagues. For more information please ring Steve Morgan on 01452 520534. Beginners of all ages are also very welcome!

19 APRIL GREASE

Cirencester College Performing Arts

Department Presents: GREASE. After a whirlwind summer romance, leatherclad greaser Danny and girl-next-door Sandy are unexpectedly reunited when she transfers to Rydell High for senior year. But can they survive the trials and tribulations of teenage life and find true love once more? 7.30pm. £7-£10. Sundial Theatre, Cirencester, GL7 1XA. www.sundial-theatre.co.uk

20 APRIL

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: GOOD

David Tennant makes a muchanticipated return to the West End in a blistering reimagining of one of Britain’s most powerful, political plays. As the world faces its Second World War, John Halder, a good, intelligent German professor, finds himself pulled into a movement with unthinkable consequences. £16.50 (£14.50, students £12.50). 7pm. The Bacon Theatre, Hatherley Road, Cheltenham GL51 6EP. www.bacontheatre.co.uk

20 APRIL

TOM MCGUIRE & THE BRASSHOLES

Combining rich arrangements with meticulous songcraft, the band is carving a niche of their own. Their music is full of vitality, classic pop sensibility with high musicianship values and rich production. 7pm. £14. Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, GL1 1NS. www.gloucesterguildhall.co.uk

22 APRIL

PENDYRUS MALE VOICE CHOIR CONCERT

The celebrated Pendyrus Male Voice Choir will be performing at Leckhampton High School at 7pm. Hot on the heels of taking part in the Princess of Wales’ carol concert last December, you can hear them live in Cheltenham. Tickets available from https://buytickets.at/rccn

Put on your platform boots and funky suits or just a boa, and have a night of ABBA madness!! This is a fantastic live show that celebrates the music of ABBA through a fully live six-piece band, voiceovers, costume changes, choreographed dance routines, and light show. Lots of audience participation and all the favourite ABBA Hits! 7.30pm. £20. 01452 503050. Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, GL1 1NS. gloucesterguildhall.co.uk

Win tickets for this performance at thelocalanswer.co.uk/competitions.aspx MAY – AUGUST 2023

WORLD-CLASS OPERA IN THE COTSWOLDS

Enjoy world-class opera in the beautiful surroundings of the Cotswolds at Longborough Festival Opera – a 500seat theatre overlooking stunning views. 2023 includes: Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love), Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, and Purcell’s The Fairy Queen. Bring a picnic for the long interval or book a table in the exclusive on-site restaurant. Book online at LFO.org.uk

21 MAY

WELLCHILD’S MALVERNS END TO END CHALLENGE

Take on this 11-mile trek over the Malvern Hills, through stunning woodland and beautiful moors with England’s best views. Your £30 entry will support seriously ill children nationally. Visit WellChild.org.uk to learn more. Dogs welcome.

Add value to your home

You may feel that now isn’t the best time to sell your house, but it could be the perfect time to make home improvements. According to propertypriceadvice.co.uk*, converting a garage into living space, extending a kitchen or converting your loft space into a bedroom can each increase the value of your property by 15%, while a conservatory can add 10%.

You don’t necessarily need to plan a big project to transform your home. Here are a few low-cost ways that could help you to add value to your property in preparation for when you’re ready to sell.

SMARTEN UP YOUR GARDEN

No matter the size, how you use your garden space is what will affect the value. Mow the lawn, trim overgrown plants and trees, and clean your patio. Invest in potted plants to add depth and colour (you can take these with you if/when you move).

ADD A SECURITY SYSTEM

Home security will be an attractive feature if/when you decide to sell. Prospective buyers like convenience, so a pre-installed security system is an easy way to boost your home’s value.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

A low-cost way to improve a room’s appearance is to change the lighting. Adding a bright lamp can make a room feel warmer, especially if it doesn’t get much natural light. Placing a mirror adjacent to or opposite a sunny window will reect light into the room, giving it a brighter feel.

KITCHEN/BATHROOM MAKEOVER

You don’t need a full kitchen or bathroom renovation to add value; simply updating hardware in these rooms can make a big difference. Replace cabinet and drawer handles, upgrade taps and light switch covers, and replace or paint cupboard doors.

ADD A LICK OF PAINT

Painting your interiors is a quick, budget-friendly way to refresh your space. You can cover up old marks and accentuate your home’s best features. If your budget won’t stretch to your whole house, prioritise key rooms: kitchen and living room rst, then dining room and bedrooms.

PICTURE PERFECT

Your decor may not be entirely to someone else’s taste, but prospective buyers like to see personality and potential when looking for their next home. Display photographs, ornaments, art and other personal touches to help them visualise how they could make the space their own.

Whether you invest in a full renovation project or make smaller changes, consider your timeline and budget before making a decision, and solicit more than one quote if you outsource your projects.

If you need help with home improvements, The Local Answer has a wide variety of advertisers offering Homes & Garden services. If you can’t nd the service you require in your copy, check out our online directory for more. Visit https://thelocalanswer.co.uk/directory.aspx

If you run a business in the Homes & Garden sector and would like to advertise your services in up to 183,000 magazines across the county, please call 01242 510500 or email info@thelocalanswer.co.uk

with Julia Smith

The promise of spring

March is a lovely month with all the promise of spring, and sometimes a feel of summer!

While the sun may be shining, don’t be fooled into planting out tender bedding plants and other seedlings that you have been nursing; it is quite possible for a cold snap to happen and you would lose everything. Instead, be patient, gradually transfer things from window sills to a cold-frame and get ready with fleece to insulate should the worst happen.

Sow your outdoor tomato seeds now, indoors. Don’t plant too many, but a few extra can always be swapped with friends and neighbours.

Plant potato tubers once the soil has warmed up

It is time to plant chitted potato tubers (traditionally a job for Good Friday). Don’t do it until the soil has had a chance to warm up. Sandy soils warm up more quickly than clay ones. The chitted tubers need to be planted about 10cm deep, rose end up.

They can be planted either in a drill or in individual holes. They will need earthing up when the shoots are 20-25cm tall, or you can cover the soil with black plastic sheeting and plant through this, which excludes the light and the weeds. Early potatoes will be ready to lift in about 13 weeks. March is also a good time to lift, divide and replant clumps of chives into a sunny border. They are so pretty when in

flower, but keep trimming and use to flavour many dishes. You can also sow chervil, dill, fennel and parsley outdoors. There was an old wives’ tale that only the head of the household can germinate parsley seeds successfully –mine germinate fine, so it must be true!

A good time to repot houseplants

When the weather is not conducive to gardening outside, take the opportunity to look at your houseplants. It is a good time to pot them on if they have outgrown their container, and as it is the start of the growing season.

Make sure the root-ball is thoroughly moist before removing it from the pot and put it into another just one size up with fresh compost. Water well but don’t feed for about four weeks, and keep the plant out of direct sunlight. In a couple of months it can be put outside for a summer treat, but don’t put it in direct sunshine.

Wildlife Matters with Dorothy Glen

Badgers beyond

I went badger watching once, as a teenager with my Dad. It was a warm evening and I hopped out of the car wearing my favourite denim shorts and was immediately set upon by wise adults with armfuls of bug spray.

I was grateful for that repellent as we hunkered down in the woods with the sun dipping and the biting insects coming to inspect their visitors. After a while we were rewarded with black noses sniffing the summer air, followed by those unmistakable humbug faces as the family came out for their evening antics.

Seeing badgers felt surreal. They are one of our iconic woodland creatures, but are rarely seen by most of us. As a result, seeing them in their natural habitat felt almost fantasy-like, as though I’d entered a children’s book.

They are very active outside the sett

But although sightings are unusual (or at least they are if you’re a town dweller like me), badgers are very active outside the sett; socialising,

playing and foraging. They may travel a mile to find food, eating a wide variety of plants and animals. Earthworms make up to 80% of their diet –they can eat several hundred in one night, frustrating many a gardener who’s woken to a constellation of holes dug in their lawn.

A varied diet

They also eat fruits, cereals and insects. Their long claws and strong sense of smell allow them to locate the nests of small mammals including mice, rats and rabbits, and they are hedgehogs’ main natural predator. They can also eat wasp and bee nests, their thick hair and skin protecting them from stings.

Apart from holes in the lawn, a telltale sign that badgers live close by is the presence of their toilets, or latrines. Being clean animals, they like to do their

business in designated places. These shallow pits can be found near sett entrances and food sources, and are used to mark territory. You might spot badger tracks close by, recognisable by having five evenly spaced toes, unlike dogs which have four.

The setts themselves can emerge from large mounds of soil. I know one which is surrounded by bright orange sandy mounds on top of the usual topsoil, as the badgers dig out a completely different type of earth from a meter or more below.

Spot badgers at sunset

If you’d like to see badgers, you are best going out on a spring or summer evening. Arrive at the sett (keeping your distance and not disturbing the environment) an hour before sunset and settle in. Be still and silent, and if you’re lucky, you might even see the cubs playing when they emerge at dusk. Don’t forget the insect repellent!

Image: Vincent van Zalinge

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Interior Design with Gill Greenwell

Refresh your interiors for spring

As I write this in the depths of the English winter I am preparing to fly to Australia. When I am back, spring will be here and I am already thinking of what I will need to do to freshen up my home to embrace the new season. Follow my tips to bring a springtime feel to your home.

Bring the outside in

One of the easiest ways to add a springtime feel to your interior is to fill it with fresh spring flowers, and there is so much choice at this time of year. Add some cheerful seasonal colour by filling painted pottery jugs or vintage charity shop finds with single-coloured tulips or bright yolk-coloured daffodils. Regular readers of this column will know I love big bowls planted with paperwhite narcissi or white hyacinths; they have such a gorgeous scent.

Add some fresh colour

There is nothing like a new coat of paint to freshen up a room. Picking up the wellness theme, warm and restful natural hues are trending for SS23.

Check out Dulux’s new Wild Wonder shade. Pair with soft lavender, ochre or green. For a bolder modern look, add a bright pop of colour to a scheme by painting the skirting in vibrant Magenta pink –Pantone’s colour of the year.

Create a stunning feature wall with a bold botanical printed wallpaper, think Divine Savages’ Little Botanize in Palm Green or William Morris’ Pimpernel in a new leafy green and buttery yellow colourway.

New season pattern and prints

Another easy way to update your decor is to swap out curtains, cushions and throws. Search out floral patterned fabrics in uplifting colours, use lighter materials like linen or cotton, and mix and match prints for a stylish contemporary look.

Why not switch up a tired old lampshade for one with a pretty patterned shade? Pooky is my go-to brand for lighting and I love Alice Palmer’s candystriped pleated shades.

Style a spring tablescape

Spring is a time for entertaining family and friends so why not invest in some new tableware? Soft green or blue with white always looks lovely in spring and summer. I love a gingham tablecloth; pair it with raffia mats, and bright colourful plates and glasses.

Always have fresh flowers on the table. I put little blue grape hyacinths and narcissi into mini glass milk bottles. Check out the pretty purple, pink and orange bud vases at Oliver Bonas.

What’s new in store

At this time of the year, the new spring/summer home collections are hitting the stores. Grab the opportunity to pick up something new – perhaps a fun bunny planter from Anthropologie, an on-trend bobbin lamp or photo frame from Oliver Bonas, or maybe a beautiful patterned cushion from Next’s new range.

Give your home a joyful refresh and a springlike feel, ready for the sunnier months to come.

Image: Oliver Bonas

Image: Anthropologie

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with Roger Jackson

One of the Festival’s finest

National Hunt racing’s answer to the football World Cup is just around the corner.

Okay, so it’s not quite the same – thankfully the four-day Cheltenham Festival takes place every year! – but it’s an analogy readily accepted by Robert Thornton, a top jockey of the recent past.

Thornton, a keen Cheltenham Town football fan, rode more than 1,100 winners in a standout career, 16 of which came at the showpiece Cheltenham meeting in March.

Rather like the German footballer Miroslav Klose, who scored 16 goals across four World Cups, he often produced his very best on the biggest occasions.

“I’ll take that comparison,” laughed Thornton, who was up against the likes of Ruby Walsh, AP McCoy and Richard Johnson in their pomp for much of his career, a career that stretched over 20 years from 1995.

So what was the secret of his success at the Cheltenham Festival?

“It was always something we targeted,” said Thornton, who was number one jockey for many years for trainer Alan King, who is based just over the county border in Wiltshire.

“It was where we wanted to perform, we waited and waited for the meeting all season.

“It was always our priority, rightly or wrongly.”

Supporters of Thornton – he rode 30 Grade 1 winners so there were plenty – will say he was spot on, of course, with the King/ Thornton partnership realising 10 winners at the four-day extravaganza, including victories in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle with Voy Por Ustedes and Katchit, respectively.

“It was a good time, very good time,” said Thornton, who these days is Stud/Racing Manager for Apple Tree Stud just outside Stow-on-the-Wold. “It was obviously very enjoyable.”

Originally from Darlington, Thornton, now 44, moved to the Cotswolds as a teenager, landing his first job with celebrated trainer David Nicholson.

And his move to Gloucestershire was quite deliberate.

“The Cotswolds had that extra appeal because it was so close to Cheltenham Racecourse,” he said.

“Obviously working for David Nicholson was a big attraction but I was just a stone’s throw from Cheltenham.

“Cheltenham was the Mecca, all roads lead to Cheltenham.”

So what is it like to ride at the Cheltenham Festival, which this year runs from 14th-17th March?

“It’s incredible from the moment you get on the horse for the first race,” Thornton said.

“Walking out onto the racecourse, you can hear people shouting your name.

“Everyone wants to see the horses. Cantering down to the

start, everyone is excited and if you’re on one of the fancied horses there’s a wave of noise that follows you.

“When you start, there’s a huge roar and there’s another roar when you jump the first.”

And what about actually winning a race at the Festival?

“That’s indescribable,” said Thornton. “There’s no feeling like it. Winning any race at the Cheltenham Festival is so special.”

Thornton was just 18 when he won his first race at the meeting.

In fact, he won two in two because after steering King Lucifer to success in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup, he won the Pertemps Final on Pharanear.

Both those horses were trained by David Nicholson and Thornton said: “The first win is always very special but I was very young, I didn’t really appreciate it.

“It took me another seven years to win at the Festival again and I made sure I appreciated it when I was older.” Full story online.

Robert Thornton was a two-time Cheltenham Festival winner with Voy Por Ustedes, including the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2007

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