Gloucester

The Local

A NS W E R

GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S BIGGEST LOCAL MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019

GLOUCESTER OUR NEW ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY IS LIVE! DETTA AILS INSIDE

The The Lo Local c al

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

October’s winning cover photo: Letitia Newbegin

Welcome Welcome ttoo O ctober October

M anaging D irector Managing Director Dave Dave K Kingscott ingscott dave@thelocalanswer.co.uk dave@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Marketing Marketing LLois ois K Kingscott ingscott llois@thelocalanswer.co.uk ois@thelocalanswer.co.uk

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

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

EEntertainment ntertainment TTom om H Hadfield adfield

As we say goodbye to summer and welcome autumn, we have plenty of editorials to get you into the cosy spirit. We’ve got seasonal gardening tips, a warming autumn pie recipe, and tips to make your home more efficient during the colder months. Be sure to check these out when reading this month’s issue.

Gloucester Day on 7th September was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who had a go on our Tombola – you helped us to raise over £400 for our Charity of the Year, Cobalt!

We have some very exciting news this month with the launch of our brand new Online Business Directory! See inside for more details.

This is also the last month for you to enter our TLA Photography competition to find the covers for next year’s publications. If you’d like to see your photo on the cover of 180,000 magazines, get your entries in by 31st October.

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

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

Accounts Accounts Rob R ob Kingscott Kingscott accounts@thelocalanswer.co.uk accounts@thelocalanswer.co.uk

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

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

Autumn Autumn lamb lamb pie pie A ttasty asty a alternative lternative tto o tthe he ttraditional raditional S Shepherd’s hepherd’s P Pie ie – perfect perfect for for warming warming y you ou u up po on n a ccold old a autumn utumn n night. ight.

IIngredients: ngredients: 1½ tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion; 1 garlic clove, chopped, or use 1 tsp of lazy garlic; 500g minced lamb; 4 baking potatoes; 2 tsp garam masala; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp lazy ginger; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tbsp plain flour; 1 lamb stock pot or stock of your choice made up to 275ml; 1 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tbsp butter; ½ tsp dried chilli flakes; splash of lemon juice; 3 tbsp chopped coriander; 50g fresh breadcrumbs; 6 tbsp grated parmesan/cheddar.

M Method: ethod: 1 Pop the whole, scrubbed but unpeeled potatoes into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for about 25/30 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.

2 Heat 1½ tbsp olive oil in a heat proof casserole dish. Add the onion and cook for about three minutes on high to turn them nice and brown, reduce the heat and add the garlic for one minute.

3 Turn the heat back up, add the mince and brown all over.

4 Reduce the heat again and add 1½ tsp garam masala, cinnamon, ginger, Worcestershire sauce and flour, stirring it all well together.

5 Slowly add the stock, then the tomato puree.

Turn the heat very low and simmer for 30 minutes.

6 Switch the oven on to 200°C (gas mark 6).

7 Peel the potatoes from the skins and mash them with the butter, chilli flakes, ½ tsp garam masala, lemon juice, coriander and a little salt.

8 Spoon the cooked mince into an oven proof baking dish and top with the potato mixture.

Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and cheese of your choice.

9 Cook for 30 minutes until beautifully golden brown. Serve with your favourite seasonal vegetables.

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Mirror Mirror Mirror Mirror on on tthe he Wall Wall with w ith V Val al S Starr tarr

A Autumn utumn fashion fashion fix fix Now is the season for cosy, autumnal dressing. The new shades hitting the shops resemble lovely falling leaves, and if you are a fan of rich rusts, warm greens and khakis, you will love what the high street has on offer this season.

Russet Russet sshades hades In all their glory, deep rusts, browns, khaki and camel shades can be seen in wrap dresses, coats and jumpers, as well as shoes and boots. If you are not a big fan of ‘rust’ colours, simply tone it down by adding a hint of brown, orange or red and just accessorising with a handbag or scarf. This will bring any outfit up to date.

As always, tartan will also be popular during the autumn/ winter season. Try pairing a tartan skirt with tights and boots, or how about a tartan scarf for the men when the temperature starts to drop? You can never go too far wrong with any shade of tartan, so have fun experimenting!

B Blazers lazers Once a huge staple of any wardrobe, blazers have returned in a

very tailored and styled form.

They are a great investment item that will stand the test of time.

Jaeger has a great selection of well-cut blazers and lovely wrap style coats that will see you through the autumn season.

You can pair these with a lovely cosy jumper as we head into the cooler months of winter. I believe it is better to spend that little bit extra on good quality, staple pieces, which can instantly update any wardrobe.

Jeans Jeans Talking of staples, jeans have never gone out of fashion and dare I say never will. Yes the style may change slightly, but a great jean is always in fashion.

Our main problem has been sizing, but the good news is this issue may be a thing of the past. Well-known high street shop Next claim to have a tailor made solution; a new inbetween range. It offers sizes you wouldn’t usually find on the shelves to help you get the best fit. So, instead of being a snug size 10 or a baggy size 12, you could be a comfortable size 11. The new jeans are sold in sizes 11, 13, 15 and 17, alongside the regular sizes.

D esig ners are favou ring boot cut or a slight flare in their designs this season.

Not the huge flare of the 80s, but a gentle flare that will be great for elongating the legs and pairing with boots!

Block B lock heels heels Scarf – Barbour The Local Answer

Comfortable and stylish, block heels are back. This style can be perfect for

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day or evening, and pretty much any event you are attending. It is interesting how comfort in fashion is everywhere – you can look stylish with any number of dressy type trainers or pumps.

Designers are clever and when they see a style catch on, they replicate it in their ranges.

After all, it is all about sales.

The more we purchase fashionable comfort styles, the more they will design. A great thing in my book!

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D Distributors istributors Required Required

SA AINTBRIDGE INTBRIDGE HOUSE OUSE NURSING NURSING & RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL H HOME OME

01452 01452 300307 300307

For various routes across

G Gloucester loucester Each round is made up of 150-400 copies per month. The rate of pay is 6 pence/copy. Depending on property types, our current team of people average between 100-150 copies/hour (equivalent to £6-£9/hour).

Magazines are delivered to T The h e Loc Lo c al al Distributors’ homes towards the A ANS NS WER WER end of each month and we expect deliveries to be completed within four days between the hours of 7am and 9pm.

You must be 13+ years old, flexible, reliable and sufficiently physically fit to perform the GLOUC G LOUCEESTER STER duties.

Offering single en-suite bedrooms for up to 36 residents

GLOUCESTERSHIRE G LOUCESTERSHIRE’’S S BIGGEST B IGGEST LLOCAL OCAL MAGAZINE MA AGAZINE OCTOBER OCTOBER 2019 2019

OUR O UR N NEW EW O ONLINE NLINE B BUSINESS USINESS D DIRECTORY IRECTORY IISS LLIVE! IVE! D DETAILS ETAILS IINSIDE NSIDE

For details email John – distribution@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Page 8

Tastefully decorated and homely Lovely patio and landscaped lawn area for residents to enjoy in the warmer weather ● Dedicated, caring and hardworking staffff ● Exceptional hygiene standards ● Weekly unisex hairdresser. Chiropodist, dentist, physiotherapist and optician visits arranged ● Activities Co - ordinator with an ongoing programme of events to keep residents occupied and maintain both physical and mental well being. ● ●

loucestershire G L4 4 QQ 1 189 89 P Painswick ainswick R Road, oad, G Gloucester, loucester, G Gloucestershire GL4 4QQ iinfo@saintbridge-house.co.uk nfo@saintbridge-house.co.uk w ww.saintbridge-house.co.uk www.saintbridge-house.co.uk

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Police Police and and Crime Crime Commissioner Commissioner Martin Martin Surl’s Surl’s

ANNUAL A NNUAL R REPORT EPORT T A April pril 2 2018-March 018-March 2019 2019

1,382 GO MISSING IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE The hidden challenge to fighting crime The primary task of all Police and Crime Commissioners, as laid down by the former Home Secretary who defined the role, is to reduce crime. What is apparent is that the role of the Constabulary is now more than just that.

Whilst crime throughout the UK is rising, the increase in Gloucestershire has been much less than other comparable areas.

Gloucestershire is still one of the safest places in which to live, the question is, can we keep it that way?

As the range and complexity of crimes continues to grow, the answer is further complicated by the additional social issues around mental health and lack of youth provision. With much of the Constabulary’s time now spent as first responders health crisis that is gripping ou what you might call ‘convent police work is being squeezed Records show that from January to May this year, the were 1,382 Missing ‘episo recorded by the constabular of those were linked to health; 269 related to child mental health problems. Inde our missing individuals are ch 43% of those cases, menta factor.

Research also suggests tha child goes missing 18 tim compounded by the fact tha recorded are between the hours of 6pm-7am.This may be as a result of other statutory services being unavailable but if the Constabulary is now the agency of first resort as well as last, the time it has to spend on burglary, assault, anti-social behaviour, vehicle and other crimes is bound to be reduced.

Of course, it could be the increase is due to more accurate recording and the partnership work underway to ensure ‘missing’ is reported at the right time. Certainly, there has been significant collaboration with multi-

y care plans for those who are ntly missing or are in crisis. ithstanding the impact on families nds, it is an immense strain on police s. Callous as it sounds to evaluate a roblem in terms of hard cash, in the f a Constabulary under considerable pressure it is not unreasonable. Set an expanding workload, it is mand is kept to a level that the police can deaal with. Otherwise, when do they find the time to tackle crime which the public quite reasonably expects?

Finding answers to the causes and consequences around mental health requires a multi-agency approach.

The first priority of the police will always be to keep people safe, but they are having to do more with less and have been for some time now.

Martin M arrttin S Surl url Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire

You Y ou can police Martin can read read more more aabout bout tthe he cchallenges hallenges ffacing acing tthe he p olice iin n PPCC CC M artin SSurl’s url’s annual annual report report online: online: https://www.gloucestershire-pcc.gov.uk/reports/ h ttps://www.gloucestershire-pcc.gov.uk/reports/ FFor or a p rinted ccopy, opy, email email the the Office Office of of the the Police Police and and Crime Crime Commissioner Commissioner at at printed PCC@gloucestershire.pnn.police.uk or or call call 01452 754348 01452 754348 PCC@gloucestershire.pnn.police.uk

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

Time Time to to change? change?

No matter what the time of year, we all find ourselves facing moments of realisation in our lives. That moment when it hits you: something has to change.

Maybe it’s seeing a picture of yourself on holiday and feeling unhappy with your appearance, so deciding to change your look, hair or maybe take up a fitness regime.

Perhaps you smoke or drink and a casual distraction has grown into a rather major habit, leaving you feeling dissatisfied.

Maybe you are at the end of your tether with the behaviour of others in the family (not always the kids, it could be a spouse, sibling or even a parent) and you have had enough!

The list of possibilities is endless and as I have been approached so often in recent months for help with effecting change, I thought I would share some top tips with you, my lovely reader.

G Get et rreal eal First thing’s first: accept where you are. Whatever you are

facing, face it! ‘Know your numbers,’ as they say in the business world. Get really clear on your starting point and come to terms with it.

Stop seeing it as a bad thing, the enemy or a problem. It just ‘is’. Ok? Now visualise how you would prefer things to be.

What does that look like? More importantly, what does it feel like? What emotional state is connected to your desired outcome? Calm? Happy? Safe?

Relaxed? Confident?

Baby B aby steps steps Now look at the gap between here and there, and make a rough pathway between the two. For example, between smoking 20 a day and quitting you may see ‘ smoking 10 a day’, ‘only buying X supplies per week’, ‘limiting the times you smoke’, etc. before finally making the ultimate decision to stop and step into a new identity as a non-smoker.

Or with behaviours, you may be at the end of your tether and want to feel relaxed, so The Local Answer

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you step through self care, calming your mind, managing your emotions, setting boundaries, holding them, making declarations and following through, and letting go of control before you get to a realisation that others are changing around you.

Mind M ind map map Use a mind map to note down the areas of your life and how you feel about them. Draw a circle with you in the middle, then concentric circles outward for body, home, family, work, social life, health, wealth, spirituality, fun, etc.

Then colour code the circles red for ‘urgent attention needed’, orange for ‘pay attention’ and green for ‘go – all good’.

The key to effective change is this: accept where you are right now, commit to change in order to feel better, and then take action and move forward step by step.

Make October the month you made it happen – you know you can!

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BECOME A COVER STAR!

Have you entered our photography competition yet? We are looking for images of food, animals, plants, everyday objects and more to represent the four seasons of the year.

The winning photographs will appear on the covers of our 2020 publications!

How to enter: Send your image(s) along with your name, postal address and telephone number to photography@thelocalanswer.co.uk stating ‘TLA Photography 2020’. We cannot accept postal entries. Any photos sent in the post may not be returned. The closing date for entries is Thursday 31st October 2019. Entries received after midnight on this date will not be accepted.

You must specify for which month you wish your photo to be considered for the front cover and submit no more than three photos (one photo per month for up to three months).

For full competition rules, as well as image criteria and specifications, please visit:

thelocalanswer.co.uk/competitions.aspx

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

Venetian V enetian class class ‘La Serenissima', ‘The Queen of the Adriatic’ or ‘The Floating City’: whatever your preferred sobriquet for Venice, it’s among the world’s most popular and distinctive destinations. Let’s be honest, who hasn’t dreamed of a romantic gondola ride – with or without a Cornetto in hand?

Despite concerns about environmental issues and touristic pressures, Venice’s appeal continues unabated with over 25 million visitors annually.

And for good reason: its signature canals and bridges; narrow alleys; architectural gems such as the Doge’s Palace (tip: book in advance to circumvent queues); and delicious cuisine.

Catch C atch a w water ater ttaxi... axi...

Fly into Venice or evoke the romance of the Venice SimplonOrient-Express as you cross Ponte della Libertà to Santa Lucia station. Then catch a motoscafi water taxi into the city – book a private hotel transfer for maximum convenience and style. Book early for the best accommodation too, be it the five-star Gritti Palace or – our recommendation – highly-rated Hotel Ala on Campo Santa Maria del Giglio in San Marco’s heart.

Whether on foot or by vaporetto water bus, you must sample the obligatory sights.

Please venture ‘off-piste’ too, because getting lost in Venice is a traveller’s joy.

Savour espresso overlooking the traditional Squero di San Trovaso gondola boatyard. Or seek out adorable Paso de Chiodo footbridge in Cannaregio.

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And while you’re in this most northerly of Venice’s ‘sestieri’, squeeze down impossiblynarrow Calle Varisco before refuelling on delicious Sarde in Saor, Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia, carnival-time’s moreish Frittelle doughnuts or other treats.

....or ..or an an iconic iconic g gondola ondola And so to gondolas, the definitive Venetian icons.

Consider avoiding €100-plus rides on the gondola-choked Grand Canal. Instead, enjoy lesser-known – but equally beguiling – waterways.

And for the cheapest, yet gondola most authentic, experience? Join Venetians on cheap two-minute Canal Grande crossings by ‘traghetto’ gondola – and test your sea legs as To advertise call 01242 510500

you rub shoulders with the locals.

Whether you stay near Piazza San Marco or venture further afield around Venice’s lagoon to glass-making Murano or Chioggia’s ‘Little Venice’, when is the best time to visit? The consensus seems to be late spring or early autumn – with November an atmospheric alternative if the smallest crowds are your priority.

So pack Laura Morelli’s (fictional) ‘The Gondola Maker’ or Barry Frangipane’s (factual) ‘The Venice Experiment’ and explore the locations of movies as diverse as Nicolas Roeg’s haunting ‘Don’t Look Now’, ‘Death in Venice’ or ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ as you discover ‘La Serenissima’ for yourself.

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Call C all M Mark a rk H Hawkes: awkes: 01452 01452 311511 311511

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

S Secretive ecretive spiders id Some people don’t mind them and some people hate them but regardless of our feeling spiders are everywhere. The can be tucked away in th corner of a shed or scurryin out from underneath the sofa Most of the time we don realise they are there, as thes arachnids don’t like to be bothered. Spiders are, in fact, useful to our ecosystem as they control the population o insects by eating bloodsuckin and crop-destroying pests.

Spiders spin their webs our gardens all year round.

During the end of summer into autumn, you will see many fully-grown common species.

There are over 650 species of spider in the UK, most of which go unseen. Many of these species tend to live out in nature rather than in and around houses.

B Best est to to leave leave them them alone alone The biggest spider in the UK is the cardinal spider, which can grow up to 14cm. You may also see giant house spiders,

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hiding in your home or shed. It is best to leave spiders alone to take shelter through the colder months. If you really cannot stand to let them stay in your house, then use a glass and paper to move them outside and pop them in with some greenery, rather than squashing them.

Silky S ilky w webs ebs Spiders have silk glands which produce a watery gel of long protein chains to make their

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provide different types of silk from super sticky to extra fine.

The T he sshy hy ffalse alse widow widow The false widow spider is now widespread throughout England.

They usually prefer to live indoors in places such as sheds and outhouses. These widows will often hide away in a hole by their web during the day and only come out at night, usually staying close to their web.

The females are considerably bigger than the males and live up to three years, whereas the males often live for only one.

False widows don’t move particularly fast; neither are they aggressive unless threatened. If a false widow bit you, it is similar to that of a wasp sting. This will usually result in pain and stinging but will tend to subside after a while.

They are generally nothing to worry about, and it is advised to wash the area with soap and water and apply antiseptic cream. In rare cases, they can result in an allergic reaction or bacterial infection, which can happen with any bite. When in doubt, seek medical attention.

Page 15

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

L Looks, ooks, comfort comfort and and performance performance If you’ve never driven an Alfa, there will be something missing in your understanding of them.

If you’ve never owned one, you’re missing something else: the ability to call yourself a petrol head.

Before I start (or at least before I really get started) I should say that for some time I was critical of Alfa for making an SUV. Historically, that’s not what the marque was about. It was about bonkers stuff – amazing handling, crazy power, stupendous style, but not sensible, reliable family life.

IIss A Alfa lf a a g good ood iinvestment nvestment ffor or a ffamily amily S SUV? UV ?

But leaving that aside, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Speciale looks amazing. It has good looks, comfort and performance so it should satisfy most camps... but it’s Italian and (let’s face it) an Alfa. Given their reputation for build quality and attention to detail, is Alfa a good investment for a family looking for an SUV? Possibly not.

I should preface this by saying that at one point in the last 15 The Local Answer

years both my wife and I owned an Alfa of our own. As I said, you can’t be a petrol head until you’ve owned an Alfa and loved it anyway.

My wife’s 147 was a dream. It rarely missed a beat. It remained at its best for years and brought my son home from hospital after his birth – in the snow – and I felt safe (still hands down the most harrowing drive of my life, by the way).

My 156, however, appeared to have been built at 4.55pm on a Friday afternoon with glorious weather and the Italian equivalent of a bank holiday in the offing. It was horrific, to the ex tent tha t I got hold o f a c opy of Alfa’s diagnostic software and bought myself a set of diagnostic cables so I could reset the numerous fault codes every other week or so.

But, I still loved that car. It was amazing. Even when it wasn’t working.

And that reputation endures.

My neighbour asked if the Stelvio was as quirky as you’d expect from an Italian car. At the time I said no, but on a week

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away with the family the Satnav went full Italian on me. The main display said I had to turn right in 1 mile. The dash display said to turn left at the exact same point. Neither resolved themselves until I chose one.

Like I say, very Alfa.

G Give ive Alfa Alfa half half a chance chance a and nd y you ou w will ill ffall all iin n llove ove But, as with my piece of rubbish 156, I loved it anyway. It was flawed, but with such character that it was somehow endearing.

This was not meant to be a commentary on Alfa Romeo as a manufacturer but I think for the uninitiated it serves as a good recommendation.

They may not be reliable, they may not always make sense, but give Alfa a chance and you will, as I have, fall in love.

Giving it back though, I felt... nothing. I like the car but it’s missing something compared to the Alfas of old. It was missing a soul. Luckily, they make a Quadrifoglio version, with a 2.9 litre bi-turbo V6. Now that may spark some feelings.

Page 1

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

Leader Leader s L Life ife w with ith C Councillor ouncillor P Paul aul JJames ames

K Kings ings S Square quare rrevamp evamp By the time you read this, work should be underway to revamp Kings Square. I know it’s difficult to believe after so many false starts, but it is true. When it comes to bad luck, plans for Kings Square have had more than their fair share.

One developer went bust, another walked away and a third just didn’t deliver. The Urban Regeneration Company (remember them?) had their own plans drawn up, but then funding got withdrawn and they were wound up.

The most recent scheme by developers Stanhope involved building on a lot of the Square. I didn’t think that was right for the city and neither did most people I spoke to, so we parted company with them amicably and drew up our own plans.

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Kings Square will stay as an open space for events, performances and activities. New high quality paving, landscaping and lighting will be installed and, yes, the fountains will be making a comeback – not as they were, but as a ground level water feature which can be programmed and switched off when the space is needed for other uses.

We’ve set aside a budget of £5 million, which will be enough to do a proper job on it, and the planning application is working its way through the system. While it does so, we can get on with moving, disconnecting and demolishing the elements that don’t need consent before the major work starts in the New Year. All being well, it should be finished by Christmas 2020.

The last time Kings Square was refurbished it won awards for the design. But sadly it didn’t stand the test of time. Remember the disused fountains, the bearpit toilets and the dilapidated Golden Egg building? All of those have gone, but I’m the first to admit the current Kings Square provides a fairly bleak outlook.

But it could be great. The Retro Festival, including the performance by The Real Thing, offers a glimpse of what it could be if used properly.

Gloucester has had lots of regeneration over the last 15 years, but people won’t feel we’re anywhere near finishing the job until Kings Square is sorted. We ell, it’s started now. I hope the finished article will have been worth waiting for. @ @cllrpauljames cllrpauljames

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e e:: paul.james@gloucester.gov.uk paul.james@gloucester.gov.uk

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B Brickhampton rickhampton is is ‘‘home’ home’ for for C Chris hris S Smith mith Chris Smith played golf at Brickhampton Court on the very first day that the club opened.

That was way back in August 1995 and it’s fair to say he’s never looked back.

This year he’s captain of the men’s section and he’s enjoying his golf as much today as he was all those years ago.

“I remember it was a hot summer and if you hit the ball down the fairway it could disappear down a six-inch crack,” he laughed.

That doesn’t happen now, of course, and as the club looks forward to its 25th anniversary it is certainly in rude health with some 800 members.

Smith has been a member for almost half his life – he’s just turned 52 – and said: “I used to play a lot of football when I was younger.

“I played for Cheltenham Civil

A sspecial pecial y year ear Regular readers of The Local Answer online will know that Chosen Hill Rugby Club are targeting promotion for all three of their teams this season.

That would be some achievement of course – not many clubs are able to run three teams these days – and they’ll know for sure come the end of April whether they’ve realised their goals.

But whatever the outcome there will still be plenty for the club to look forward to postApril because they are hosting a major event in June to mark their 50th anniversary.

“We’ve got a ball planned on 13th June,” said chairman Dan Yeates. “It will be in a marquee at the club and we’re expecting about 200 people to attend.”

A All ll ssystems ystems g go o Top rugby referee Craig MaxwellKeys enjoyed a bit of extra

Chris Smith

Service on both a Saturday and Sunday but as I got older and my body couldn’t do what it once could I took up golf.”

And Brickhampton Court in the heart of Churchdown ticked pretty much every box for the young Smith.

“I’m Churchdown born and downtime in the summer just gone.

The much later than usual start to the Premiership season due to the ongoing Rugby World Cup in Japan meant he was able to chill for a few weeks longer than would normally be the case.

“Last season was wrapped up at the start of June and we weren’t fitness tested until the beginning of August,” MaxwellKeys said.

And it’s fair to say that the 29year-old made the most of his extended break, whether spending time at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, holidaying in the Balkans or taking time out to go to a friend’s wedding in Toulouse.

Mind you, that additional time off will soon be forgotten once the top-level domestic season gets under way on the penultimate weekend of October with

bred,” he said. “I live in Churchdown and went to Chosen Hill School, I haven’t gone far.

“Brickhampton Court felt like home from day one.”

But while he felt at home as soon as he walked into the clubhouse all those years ago, in golf terms he was very much stepping into the unknown back in the mid-90s.

“I hadn’t got a handicap or anything like that,” recalled Smith. “I remember the pro taking us out on the course and giving me a 7-iron to swing. He gave me a handicap of 16.”

Smith went on to reduce that by 10 strokes but these days plays off 14.

“I rapidly got it down to six and I played off seven for a number of years,” he said.

“Now I’ve come almost full circle because I play off 14.”

Full story online. very few spare weekends in the schedule until the end of June.

And A nd tthey’re hey’re off off The wait is almost over for racegoers as they look forward to what is sure to be another outstanding season at the home of National Hunt racing.

The 2019/20 campaign at Cheltenham Racecourse gets under way with the excellent two-day Showcase meeting on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th October.

It’s the start of 16 days of racing at Prestbury Park spread over six months with the highlight, as always, being the Cheltenham Festival which this season runs from 10th-13th March.

That’s still a long way off of course and before that all eyes will be on The Showcase, which sees seven races running from 2pm until 5pm on both days.

For full verssions of all these storiies and more visitt www.thelocalanswer.co.uk

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

M Mark ark P Portnell ortnell leading leading from from front front Mark Portnell is the men’s clu l b capta t in at Gloucester City Hockey Club for the first time this season.

And that’s good news for one of the bigger clubs in the area because he’s keen, ambitious and wants the best, not only for himself and his team-mates but for the club as a whole.

The 28-year-old is going into his fourth season with the club, having joined just before the 2016/17 campaign when he moved to this area.

And while in many ways he may be a relative newcomer to the club, he’s certainly made a big impact on and off the pitch.

On the pitch he plays up front or as an attacking midfielder – “I can defend but I’m better as an attacker,” he said – but while he is clearly a very decent player, it’s probably fair to say that he’s made an even bigger impression off the field in his three seasons at the club.

That’s because he’s one of those players who has a very clear vision of what he wants to achieve with a club and – just as importantly – the way he wants to realise those goals.

And he’s not just a talker, he’s a doer too because last season as well as playing he coached the men’s 1st XI and the previous two years he had coached the 2nds, 3rds and 4ths. He’s also coached the club’s junior boys as well so clearly plays a very big role at the club.

Now he’s captain of the men’s section which is another key position, of course, having taken over from the long-serving James Burrows.

“I was voted in at the AGM in May,” said Portnell, who works in the technology industry and lives in Gloucester. “James was looking to step down after a number of years in the role and I put my hand up.”

Portnell won’t be coaching the 1st team this season – “I only did it last season because we

Mark Portnell

couldn’t find a coach,” he said – and is looking forward to a successful campaign after they won promotion back to the Championship in the South West League in 2018/19.

A big reason for Portnell’s optimism this season is the arrival of new 1st team coach Laura Smith, a lecturer at Hartpury College.

“She’s newish to the area and prefers coaching men,” explained Portnell. “She’s young, ambitious and has had some real interesting experiences.

“Her views on how to develop a team are the same as mine.

She won’t just coach the team, she’ll push the team and I’ve got loads of confidence that Laura can take it forwards.”

That process has already started, of course, after last season’s promotion – the men’s flagship team had been relegated at the end of 2017/18 – and followed a period when Portnell said the men’s section had been stagnating.

So what are the key motivating factors behind Portnell’s hockey philosophy?

“When I took over as coach I wanted to shift the culture from one of blame and negativity,” he explained.

“I tried to turn it around, I wanted people to take responsibility but also to encourage their team-mates if they made a mistake rather than blame them.

“It was a massive shift of dynamic and the players said it was so much better.

“Before that we had a toxic culture. That was noone’s fault, it’s what happens when a team stagnates and there are no new players, no new coaches and no new ideas.”

As well as bringing in Laura Smith, Gloucester have also recruited a number of new players this season and Portnell continued: “A lot of them are a good standard and will generate competition for places.”

Portnell’s concern isn’t just the 1st team, he is clearly very much interested in the club as a whole.

“The 2nd XI is very important to the health of the club,” he added.

“We need them to step up a level or two to make the transition from 2nd team to 1st team that much easier. We need to close the gap.”

The 2nds, just like the 1sts, were promoted last season after suffering relegation the year before – they’re playing in De Cymru & The Marches 2 in 2019/20 – and Portnell will follow their progress closely this season, just as he will the 3rds and 4ths.

And again it’s not just talk because one of his aims is to establish a 5th XI at the club in the next couple of years, saying: “The message I want to get across is that you can enjoy playing hockey at Gloucester at any level, we want to be an open and inclusive club.”

Portnell is clearly one of the driving forces behind the new ambition at the club – he’d like the 1st team to win promotion in the next two or three years and the 2nd and 3rd teams to gain promotion this season – but he’s the first to say that it is no oneman operation, singling out chairman Anton de Leeuw in particular as someone who does so much good for the club.

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

What s On The Local Answer Event Listings are compiled and presented in good faith with the kind support of many contributors. We recommend you use the contact details provided to check event information updates prior to planning your visit.

10 SEPTEMBER – 6 OCTOBER AS THE CROW FLIES Art inspired by the landscape, flora and fauna in and around a working quarry by Esther Tyson. This exhibition features a broad range of works both large and small, nearly all produced in the field. Many will be for sale. Come and meet Esther when she is artist in residence. 10am-5pm. Twigworth, Gloucester, GL2 9PA. natureinart.org.uk 1 OCTOBER AUCTION OF PROMISES, BIDDING OPENS As part of Cobalt’s charitable partnership with local auctioneers Chorley’s, we are running an amazing auction of promises in October with some very special prizes. Bidding for the prizes opens on October 1st. cobalthealth.co.uk/auction-of-promises 4-6 OCTOBER GLOUCESTER COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL TASTER Ahead of the new festival which will be coming to the city in 2020, this taster weekend will feature music from country artists in venues around Gloucester. Free entry. Full details at gloucestercountrymusicfestival.co.uk 6 OCTOBER DEVIL’S AQUATHLON AT SANDFORD PARK’S LIDO A 400m or 2K swim at the Lido then a 10K run up to the Devil’s Chimney on Leckhampton Hill and back. 8-11am.

Details at www.sandfordparkslido.org.uk/ events/2019-10-06-the-devils-aquathlon Managed in partnership with Sandford Lido Ltd and Cobalt Unit Appeal Fund.

8 & 15 OCTOBER ROH: DON GIOVANNI The new Royal Opera Season begins with Mozart’s engaging masterpiece, which follows Don Giovanni, the women he serially seduces, and the vengeance that finally catches up with him. Sung in Italian with English subtitles. Full details at gloucesterguildhall.co.uk Gloucester Guildhall, 23 Eastgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1NS. 11 OCTOBER COBALT’S AUCTION OF PROMISES As part of Cobalt’s charitable partnership with local auctioneers Chorley’s, we are running an amazing auction of promises with some very special prizes. 11am. Prinknash Abbey Park. Open to the public so please do come along to the charity auction event. Fantastic lots and loads of fun! cobalthealth.co.uk/auction-of-promises BALMORAL BERKE 1937. The Pauncefoot Paint Company are set to unveil their latest paint range.

The Company has gathered together the very crème of society to witness the unveiling of their latest colour range – Balmoral Berke. However, there is at least one person here who has other ideas about the true ownership of this paint range! Murder mystery, threecourse meal and disco. £29.95. Full details at www.hallmarkhotels.co.uk.

Hallmark Hotel, Marlstone Close, Robinswood Hill, Gloucester, GL4 6EA. 12 OCTOBER – 2 NOVEMBER FRIGHTMARE The biggest Halloween event in the South West is back with new

attractions, including a vintage fairground alongside the usual scary experiences. Over Farm Market, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 8DB. Full details at www.frightmare.co.uk 12 OCTOBER – 18 APRIL THE MAGICAL WORLD OF WILLIAM SIMMONDS An exhibition on the life and work of local artist, woodcarver and puppeteer William Simmonds. Featuring a previously unseen painting, and many more treasures from his life. 10am5pm Monday to Saturday. £5/£3.

Museum of Gloucester, Brunswick Road, Gloucester GL1 1HP. www.museumofgloucester.co.uk 16 OCTOBER GOODALL ‘ETERNAL LIGHT’ Youth singers and dancers from St Peter’s High School, Ribston Hall High School and Denmark Road High School, along with members of Gloucester Choral Society and University of Gloucestershire, perform highlights from Howard Goodall’s ‘Eternal Light’, accompanied by Gaudeamus Youth Strings. £5 (u12s free). Includes a glass of wine/soft drink. Available from 01452 768928 or www.3choirs.org. Gloucester Cathedral, 12 College Green, GL1 2LX. 16 OCTOBER – 4 NOVEMBER MUSEUM OF THE MOON The Moon will be taking residence in the Nave of Gloucester Cathedral in the form of Luke Jerram’s lit replica.

Gloucester Cathedral, 12 College Green, GL1 2LX. Full details at www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk

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2255 OCTOBER OCTOBER FUNTASTIC FAIR BY LOVE VIVA CAKES AND CRAFTS

Love Viva Cakes and Crafts presents FUNtastic Fair on Friday 25th October, 11.30am to 3.30pm. Gloucester Guildhall, GL1 1NS. Cakes, crafts, gifts, shopping and more for everyone. Free entry. For more details, email vivaoflynn@gmail.com or visit www.loveviva.co 2266 OCTOBER OCTOBER COFFEE MORNING IN AID OF COBALT

From 10.30am. All welcome. If you have any cakes, books, tombola or raffle donations, please call Cobalt on 01242 535920. Coffee morning to be held at Emmanuel Church, Fairfield Parade, Cheltenham, GL53 7PJ (off Bath Road) and all proceeds going to Cobalt’s Breast Cancer Research Nurses Fund.

PITTVILLE BREAST CANCER CHARITY BALL In aid of Cobalt and Focus. An evening of dinner, dancing, live auction and

Abbb A b bbee y M i llll

fun at Pittville Pump Room. This event is organised by volunteer Sarah Cook.

For further information email pittvillebcball@gmail.com or buy tickets online www.bookwhen.com/ pittvillebreastcancerball GLOUCESTER ZOMBIE WALK One of the most popular annual events, the Zombie Walk begins at Café René and gives everyone the chance to get into the spirit of the Halloween. It’s free to get involved and there will be collections for Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice. 35pm. Café René, 31 Southgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1TP. www.caferene.co.uk 26-27 26-27 OCTOBER OCTOBER MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION Layouts, refreshments, children drive yourself Thomas. Raising funds for Pied Piper at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. St. Margaret’s Hall, Coniston Road, off Windermere Road, Hatherley, Cheltenham GL51 3NU. 10am-5pm. Full details at www.cheltmodrail.org.uk ANNUAL GIFT AND CRAFT FAIR Local artists and craftspeople will be showcasing a variety of crafts, from woodwork and ceramics to glassware and photography, to raise funds for the Nature In Art Trust. 10am-5pm.

Nature in Art, Wallsworth Hall, Twigworth, Gloucester, GL2 9PA. www.natureinart.org.uk 3300 & 31 31 O CTOBER OCTOBER WESTONBIRT SHOPPING FAIR Over 130 stalls selling exciting and innovative fashion, jewellery and homeware. Meet friends for coffee or lunch. Feel good about spending to support local charities. Westonbirt School, Tetbury GL8 8QG. www.westonbirtfair.org 2 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER AUTUMN CRAFT FAYRE Over 20 stalls selling a wide variety of crafts and artwork. Refreshments

available all day. 10.30am to 3pm. Free entry. St. Catharine’s church, Wotton Pitch, London Road, Gloucester GL2 ORR. NOVEMBER 9 NOVEMBER BONFIRE & FIREWORK DISPLAY – BURLEY LAKES FIREWORKS NIGHT Disco roadshow, pig roast, small fun fair with new rides, burgers, chips and licensed bar at Burley Fields Lakes, Leckhampton Lane, Cheltenham.

Gates open and bonfire lit at 5.30pm.

Kids Show at 7pm and Grand Finale at 8.30pm. Last admission 8.15pm. Adults and children £5 in advance, £7 on the night. Tickets on sale at Burley Fields Lakes Farm Shop, Sardar’s Cafe (Warden Hill) and Bargain Booze (Bath Road). Call Steve on 07831 734683, Pam on 07769 700067 or 01242 861333. Strictly no alcohol, fireworks or sparklers to be brought in.

CHARITY CHRISTMAS FA AIR A selection of gifts for sale and refreshments available, all raising funds for charity, including Cobalt.

10am to 12.30pm. Alderton Village Hall, 4 Church Road, Alderton, Tewkesbury, GL20 8NR. 14-24 14-24 NOVEMBER NOVEMBER GLOUCESTER QUAYS VICTORIAN MARKET In addition to the open-air ice rink there will be a whole host of stalls selling food, drink and bespoke gifts alongside a line-up of entertainment.

Gloucester Quays, St Ann Way, Gloucester, GL1 5SH. Full details at www.gloucesterquays.co.uk 3-10 DECEMBER DECEMBER 3-10 THE BIG GIVE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE For seven days, all donations to Cobalt through www.thebiggive.org.uk will be DOUBLED making a fantastic £50,000 available to support Cobalt’s Breast Cancer Research Nurses. From 12 noon on the 3rd through to 12 noon on the 10th.

Looking L ooking for for a Great Great Day Day Out? Out? V Visit isit The The Wye Wye Valley Valley & F Forest orest of of Dean Dean

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Entertainment E ntertainment

IIff you you hhave ave a sstory tory ttoo share, share, pplease lease eemail mail ffull ull ddetails etails tto o TTom. om. with with Tom Tom Hadfield Hadfield ‒ entertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk entertainment@thelocalanswer.co.uk

Grove G rove reflects reflects on on breakthrough breakthrough year year When it comes to music, Beth Griffin is a person of many talents.

A vocalist, producer, DJ and beatboxer, Beth, who is probably better known by their stage name Grove, first got into performing in a very different capacity.

“I first performed when I was 15 in a prog rock band,” said the 22-year-old.

“I’ve evolved since then more into hip hop, electronic, reggae.”

Originally from Cheltenham, Beth has this year performed all around the county and beyond.

Part of the local vocal collective 5 Mics, they say that performing in Gloucester was where they were able to hone their craft.

“It was all about running into the right people at the right time,” continued Beth.

“I started doing events with JPDL and Yogi Beats, Griz-O,

Beth Griffin AKA Grove

and they were a really high standard – we created a local scene for hip-hop.”

And it was during a performance at the Strike a Light Festival with 5 Mics when Beth was spotted by the director of what has gone on to be one of the biggest shows of the year.

FFilm ilm Review Review – Joe Joe K Kennett ennett

‘Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster’ has received critical acclaim and was the highest rated show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“It’s still surreal to think we’re number one out of 3,700 shows,” said Beth.

The show is a modern-day retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, told through beatboxing and rap.

Produced by Battersea Art Centre’s Beatbox Academy, it has this year been performed all around the country, with talks of an international tour on the cards.

Beth added: “I still can’t really compute how well it’s done and can’t wait to see where it goes – there’s so much potential.

“I’m looking forward to next year, it feels like I’m on an upward trajectory.”

Full story online.

Book Book Review Review – Aloÿse Aloÿse of of Daylesford Daylesford Book Book Club Club

Good Good B Boys oys

Clock Clock D Dance ance by Anne Tyler

Take quite literally every stupid thing you may have said or done as a child and cram it into a 90minute film; that’s essentially what first-time director Gene Stupnitsky has done with ‘Good Boys’.

On face value, the movie has all the potential to be a complete flop, with generic ‘boy’ humour and a plot line which could definitely be strengthened.

Yet what we actually get is a brilliant new comedy with some real heart and emotion behind the storyline. Starring Jacob Tremblay, Keith Williams and Brady Noon in their biggest roles to date, these newcomers earn their rightful place on the big screen with commendable rapport and unforced acting, which suffers (L-R) Keith Williams as Lucas, Jacob sometimes Tremblay as Max and Brady Noon with a younger cast. as Thor. Image: Universal Pictures Full review online.

Clock Dance is the 22nd novel from the much loved American author Anne Tyler.

At the age of 61, Willa Drake has led a seemingly dull life with only a handful of defining moments until her son’s ex-girlfriend is shot. In a totally out of character decision she crosses the country, from Arizona to Baltimore, to take care of this woman, her daughter and dog.

Accompanied by her patronising husband Peter, who refers to Willa as ‘little one’, she is out of her comfort zone but surprises herself with her capabilities and her increasing pleasure in being part of this odd ball community.

This may not be Anne Tyler’s finest novel but it deserves careful reading and savouring of the characters in the book. Each is described with Tyler’s characteristic tenderness and dry humour.

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

Classic Classic sitcom sitcom next next for for Players Players The St John’s Players are set to return to the stage next month with their production of ‘Abigail’s Party’.

The play, first staged in 1977 and written by Mike Leigh, was also adapted for television in the same year, starring Alison Steadman in the lead role of Beverly.

“It’s a play I’ve wanted to direct and the Players have wanted to put on for a while,” said John Knowles, who will be directing the production.

“It’s an iconic play that has gone down in the annals of theatrical history.”

John has been with the Players for over thirty years, first performing with them in 1984 when they moved from the old village hall on Parton Road to their current home at St John’s Hall in Churchdown.

The cast of Abigail’s Party in rehearsal

Before that, he was part of the Gl ou ce st er Op er ati c a nd Dr am atic Society, which he joined when he was 11 years old.

‘Abigail’s Party’ is set in 1970s Essex and tells the story of a group of neighbours getting together for drinks.

The play features a cast of five and takes place in Beverly’s middle-class home.

“It’s one of those plays that you can’t move or change,” said John.

“It’s a very humorous comedy but does feature a bit of a twist that I obviously don’t want to give away.”

When John spoke to The Local Answer, the Players had just had their first rehearsal.

“It was very good,” he added , “we got a lot more done than I thought we would! Our cast is very accomplished, and it’s set to be a good show.”

‘Abigail’s Party’ will be at St John’s Hall in Churchdown every night from Tuesday 12th to Saturday 16th November starting at 7.30pm.

The box office opens on Monday 7th October and can be reached on 01452 713952.

Full story online.

Young Y oung Gloucester Gloucester band band on on the the up up ‘Better Than We Look’ are a Gloucester-based band made up of a group of friends from The Crypt School.

The group includes lead singer and guitarist Dylan Molyneux, bassist Patrick Garrigan, drummer James Cook, Santino Caldarone on keyboard, and Charlie Lovell, who plays rhythm guitar.

“Our first gig was in June 2016 at the King Charles II pub in Ross-On-Wye,” said Charlie.

“The band formed as we all went to school together for years 7-11 and we formed in Year 9 – the school were kind enough to let us use a space each Friday after school for practice.

“After our GCSEs we all went different ways, but thanks to the MAS scheme we were able to still practice and keep the band going and growing.”

Better Than We Look

The boys are all 17 and all but Charlie, who is an engineering apprentice with Renishaw, are studying for their A Levels around the county. Despite this, they still find plenty of time to rehearse and are in big demand, having performed at a number of local festivals.

Better Than We Look are also involved in the MAS Records Development Scheme.

The scheme’s patrons include The Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson

and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant.

Charlie explains what it’s all about: “The scheme is set up to help aid the next generation of music into the industry – this is done by paid-for rehearsal space, masterclass sessions, drop-in sessions and a two-day master recording. We’ve already done this years’ recording and are looking at releasing it soon!”

For more information visit www.facebook.com/BTWL.band Full story online.

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

C Compost ompost your your fallen fallen leaves leaves October is a lovely month, even though the nights are drawing in. The colours of the turning leaves and the spiders’ webs glistening with dew strung across the garden in the morning make it one of the most beautiful times of year.

As mentioned last month, you can now sow sweet-peas ready for next year. Soak them for a few hours in some water to help them germinate, then sow 1.5cm deep in seed compost in a 13cm pot, several seeds per pot. Cover with glass or polythene until the seeds germinate and then stand out in the garden in a cold frame, unheated greenhouse or just somewhere sheltered to overwinter.

U Use se o one ne ccompost ompost h heap eap w whilst hilst tthe he o other ther rrots ots Collect up fallen leaves and compost in a separate ‘leaf bin’. This could be chicken wire wrapped round four stout posts set at the corners. If you have two made, you can use

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one whilst the other is rotting down, as it takes a good year to create leaf-mold. Put a layer of some sort of membrane like plastic on the bottom to stop weeds growing up through the leaf-mold.

Alternatively, if you don’t have much space, put the leaves into black bin-liners – half fill the bags and prick some holes in, then store somewhere outside.

Evergreen leaves don’t compost well and would need shredding (things like holly, laurel and Mahonia). They drop all year but largely in August.

Don’t let leaves lie on heathers, dwarf conifers and other small shrubs, as they can cause disease. They shouldn’t be left on the lawn either.

However, if deciduous leaves are lying on the flower borders in which all the perennials have died back they can be left – by springtime they will have disappeared if the worms are doing their job!

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G Get et rrid id of of box box tree tree ccaterpillars aterpillars My garden has been plagued with box tree caterpillars this year for the first time. I had heard about them but was quite complacent until I noticed a small bit of densely woven webbing on one of the box balls.

On closer inspection I found a fat caterpillar and realised that it had been decimating the leaves! I inspected my other box balls and found them on quite a few, and furthermore as I searched in the leaves the hatched moths were taking to the sky (well, the ones I didn’t grab first!)

There are insecticides such as BugClear Ultra that you can spray, but you must penetrate the webbing for them to be effective. I don’t like using sprays so I have picked off and disposed of any caterpillars and given the plants a good drench with a seaweed tonic to help them perk up. It is a good idea to clear any leaf litter from underneath the plants and mulch after feeding.

Page 33

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Page 35

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

Making M aking aan ne entrance ntrance Whenever I visit family or friends, as soon as I walk in the door I know immediately if I feel at home. What is it that creates that special feeling?

At this time of the year with Halloween upon us, and as we look forward to more visitors in the winter months, it’s a good time to think about sprucing up entrances and hallways. Follow my tips to help you create a warm welcome.

First F irst iimpressions mpressions It’s easy to forget the outside of your house when you spend most of your time inside.

Nothing says “welcome” more than a freshly painted front door. Try an interesting new colour like smart grey or soft blue/green. Pots of colourful or architectural plants are a quick and easy way to add style.

Last October I was in the US visiting my daughter and I loved the bright orange pumpkins, golden chrysanthemums and seasonal wreaths outside all the pretty clapboard houses.

Cut C ut tthe he cclutter lutter In my experience, most hallways end up messy and full of

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clutter, whether it’s coats, shoes or bags, and it gets even worse in winter with muddy boots! It’s time to sort through and rehome what you can elsewhere in the house, or utilise the space under the stairs with hooks and shelving.

Add some extra storage in the hall, maybe a bespoke unit for coats and shoes, or a row of attractive baskets for hats and scarves. You can instantly create a more spacious and tranquil feel.

L Let et tthere here b be e light light Arriving home to a light and stylish entrance will immediately make you feel calm. I have lots of downlights in my hall to make it bright and welcoming, or why not go for a statement light fitting for more impact?

Mirrors in a hallway are essential, not just for reflecting light and making it look spacious, but so you can check the way you look before rushing out the door. Big and bold is a good rule of thumb for mirrors.

Set S et the the tone tone

Create C reate a gallery gallery

Your hallway sets the tone for the rest of the house. It should smell good; I always have a basket of fragrant flowers or a beautiful scented diffuser on my hall table.

For walls I love light neutral colours like Farrow and Ball’s Ammonite. If you prefer something more dramatic, look up Kit Kemp on Pinterest for some lovely ideas. If you can afford to change your flooring, hard floors are more practical – natural wood is very on trend, and you could add a rug for a pop of colour.

Finally, your entrance hall should say something about you. If you have room for an item of furniture, make sure it makes a statement – it could be a lovely painted console table, or an interesting piece found in antique market.

For that personal touch, try creating a gallery wall of favourite artworks or family photos. Have fun channelling your inner creative side.

Now you are ready to welcome your visitors into your home.

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interior needs

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• Curtains Curtains & fabrics fabrics • Tr Tracks racks & poles polees • • IInterior nterior shutters shutters • Awnings Awnings • Wallpaper Wallpaper • •L Lighting ighting • Bay Bay window window treatments treatments • •C Conservatory onservatory roof roof bblinds linds • OPENING TIMES: T OPENING TIMES: Tuesday-Saturday uesday-Saturday 110am-3pm.

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

Ghastly Ghastly gadgets gadgets & g garish arish gizmos gizmos ‘Tis the season of pump spice, jack o’ lanterns an as many pictures of autum leaves as you can post o Instagram. With Halloween creeping around the corne and the colder weathe setting in, now’s the time t gander at some of the lates gizmos coming out th month.

Thermos S Thermos Super uper L Light ight Direct D irect D Drink rink F Flask lask Lakeland: £21.99 Whether you’re going for a morning jog, or simply walking to work, this stylish flask from Lakeland will keep your beverage nice and warm – or chilled if the colder weather doesn’t put you off – with its airtight seal. You don’t even need to stop to carefully unscrew the lid; simply use the flip-up lid with the push of a button.

The flask has also been designed to cool down hot drinks, so you can drink directly from it without burning your tongue and making a numpty of yourself in

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button, and the camera ncludes a built-in privacy shutter. Just download the free Alexa app onto your Fire OS, Android, iOS device or desktop browser to get started.

Mountfield M ountfield M MBV48LI BV48LI C Cordless ordless Leaf eaf Blower Blower

Amazon E Amazon Echo cho S Show how 5 Smart S mart S Speaker peaker

John Lewis: £139.99 Yes, the red and orange hues of crisp autumn leaves may be photogenic, and a Pinterest lover’s dream for some homemade arts and crafts, but they can also be a right mess.

Hence why the Mountfield MBV48LI leaf blower (try saying that six times fast!) is the perfect tidying tool for your garden.

John Lewis: £79.99 Need a weather update?

Fancy listening to a podcast? Or perhaps you need to wake up the rest of the household? Simply ask Alexa. With the hands-free Echo Show 5, you can now manage your day with some help from the everpunctual Alexa.

With its 5.5” screen and lightweight design, this device will help you make hands-free calls and connect with other Echo devices using the Drop-In feature. It even works with smart home devices including cameras, lights and thermostats from brands including WeMo, Philips Hue, Netatmo, SmartThings, TP-Link, Hive and more.

You can turn the microphone and camera off at the touch of

With its DigiTorq brushless motor, this leaf blower produces a blast of air which can travel up to 174mph. You can switch between high and low power easily and save energy by varying the speed.

With up to 30 minutes of power, you can blast away any leaves or debris cluttering up your garden in no time at all.

public. And in case you’re extremely accident-prone, it also has a leakproof seal, so even if you end up knocking it over or turning it upside down, it won’t spill. With its sleek and portable design, you can easily slip this into your bag for an easier commute.

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Page 39

QUALITY KITCHEN Q UALITY K ITCHEN MAKEOVERS M AKEOVERS b byy ssimply imply rreplacing eplacing tthe he d doors oors a and nd w worktops orktops

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M Make ake your your home home more energy efficient more e nergy e fficient The weather is starting to get cooler and my husband and I begin our annual ‘Battle of the Boiler’ where I try and turn the heating on and he throws me an extra jumper!

In all seriousness though, we are both trying to do more to ensure that we are more energy efficient at home.

These are some of the tips I have picked up to make small changes that will hopefully add up to a big difference.

Don’t Don’t boil boil the the kettle kettle for for e every very ssingle ingle ccup up I drink a lot of tea, especially when I’m working from home, and my top tip is to make a pot and keep it covered with a cosy so that you are not boiling the kettle for every single cup. You can do the same for coffee and also invest in a decent thermos to keep it hot for hours.

Use draught excluders on all your external doors. You can even make your own very simply with some fabric and filling, and basic sewing skills.

Make sure any gaps around windows and doors are filled, especially in older houses.

Put on the extra jumper. It’s the advice my husband gives that irritates me so much, but it is actually very good. Often I sit and moan about feeling cold and I’m only wearing a tshirt!

IInvest nvest iin nw warm arm p pyjamas yjamas and and slippers slippers Add an extra blanket to your bed. This is something that I do a lot in winter, and also invest in some warm pyjamas and slippers.

Wool duvets. My husband and I have always had issues as he is too warm and I am too

cold. Last time we were duvet shopping, we were looking at all the different options and stumbled upon wool duvets and it’s been brilliant for both of us. It is somehow selfregulating and we can both sleep comfortably under it.

Don’t put the oven on for longer than needed. Get to know roughly how long yours takes to get up to temperature so you don’t have it on for hours unnecessarily.

Shower instead of bath. We all prefer showers over baths generally and just have baths as a special treat. When the children were younger and had more baths, I used to bathe them together and sometimes with me too. Not the most relaxing experience but it certainly saved water!

Research a Research and nd e evolve volve with w ith eco eco awareness awareness Those are a few of my top tips and I’m always searching for more. I think that we can constantly research and evolve with our eco awareness and I’m always striving to do better. I don’t always manage it but if we all try, we can make small changes that will hopefully make a big difference.

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BM BM SERVICES SERVICES Money Money Matters Matters W Window, indow, Door Door & Conservatory Conservatory R Repairs epairs

A sspecialist pecialist rrepair epair sservice ervice ffor or w windows, indows, d doors o o rs a and nd conservatories conservatories w with ith o over ver 4 40 0 yyears’ ears’ e experience. xperience.

Misted glass Handles Misted g lass • Locks Locks • Hinges Hinges • Handles Seals Conservatory Roof Cleaning leaning Seals • C onservatory R oof C For For ffree ree quotes quotes a and nd a rreliable, eliable, ffriendly riendly sservice: ervice: Am member ember o off Call: 07963 217998 217998 Call: 07963 E mail: b arrieminett@mail.com Email: barrieminett@mail.com W Web: eb: w www.bm-services-glos.co.uk ww.bm-services-glos.co.uk VERY V ERY C COMPETITIVE OMPETITIVE PRICES PRICES

RHODES CARPENTRY CAN ASSIST YOU WITH ALL YOUR CARPENTRY AND BUILDING NEEDS

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Christmas Christmas spending spending The summer holidays are over, the kids are back at school and I’m thinking of putting the golf clubs away for the winter.

We are all in need of therapy from the nonsense that has been going on regarding our exit from the EU and the knock-on effects into our UK politics.

What better therapy than a dose of shopping?

What better excuse than buying a few Christmas presents?!

The big retailers are taking delivery of products by the lorry load and are about to launch their advertising campaigns to persuade us to spend the usual ‘small fortune’!

So what is the best approach to Christmas shopping? From a choice perspective, anything you want to be on offer will be available over the next couple of months. So if that’s what you’re after, now is the time to shop.

IIt’s t’s never never too too early early to to shop shop for for Christmas!

C hristmas!

From a financial perspective, you probably missed the boat. Alongside making products available, retailers are charging peak prices for their goods, making shopping over the next couple of months that much more expensive than it would have been if you’d shopped steadily over the last six months. Yes, I’m agreeing it’s never too early to shop for Christmas!

With the availability of online shopping and a society that won’t wait five minutes for anything, more and more people are buying things when they want them, not waiting for birthdays or Christmas. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find things to buy for loved ones at this joyous time of year.

C Christmas hristmas is is not not a time time for for getting getting d deep eep iinto nto d debt ebt

ATTENTION! A TTENTION! Let us lighten your load!

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So my thoughts are that we shouldn’t try too hard. Don’t buy something just because the other person will buy for you, if there’s nothing that person wants. Give the money to charity instead.

Also don’t compete by trying to spend more because there is nothing you can get for your original budget. That’s the quickest way to build up a credit card debt that you’ll spend the first six months of next year trying to pay back.

Christmas is a time of goodwill to all people, not a time for getting deep into debt.

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W WHAT’S HAT’S ON ON EVENTS & A EVENTS ATTRACTIONS TTRACTIONS Abbey Mill 25

H HEALTH EALTH & BEAUTY BEAUTY Gloucester Dental Care 6 V Jeavons Mobile Foot Clinic 6 Wings of Health 6

H HOLIDAYS OLIDAYS & TRAVEL TRAVEL JustGo! Holidays Howard Trravel

12 12

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10 52

R RETAIL ETAIL Brewers Ermin Plant Hire The Grooms Room

36 30 6

BATHROOMS BATHROOMS Lifestyle Bathrooms 16-17 Severn Vale Bathrooms 20 & 51 B BUILDING UILDING S SERVICES ERVICES A1 Roofing 30 BE Rudman 28 C&G Paving 28 Care Construction 30 Ellis Property Solutions 31 Glos Build 29 Home Care Roofing 28 JHD Roofing & Building 30 Marshalls Driveways 32 Pave-Drive 31 WB Home Improvements 31 C ARPENTRY CARPENTRY Rhodes Carpentry 49 CLEANING S CLEANING SERVICES ERVICES Ovenbusters 35 ELECTRICAL SERVICES ELECTRICAL S ERVICES Cleevely Electrics 42 GRP Electrical 42 FURNISHING APPLIANCES FURNISHING & A PPLIANCES Bella’s Interiors 35

Designex Cabinets Ltd 18 40 Dream Doors Gloucester Carpet Outlet 43 Interior Needs 38 Spacemaster 35 GARDEN SERVICES SERVICES GARDEN Easigrass 2 Grass Scape 31 GS Landscape Solutions 34 Lawn Doc 34 Lawn Man & Tree Fella 34 Mark Clifford Landscapes 34 Master Sheds 32 Phoenix Gardens 32 Redwood Trree Care 34 Rob Cockburn Tree & Hedge 34 Southwest Landscapes 34 Woodlands Landscapes 34 HANDYMAN HANDYMAN SERVICES SERVICES Big Job Little Job 30 Your Way Home Help Agency 32 HEATING HEATING & PLUMBING PLUMBING Emergency Plumber 42 Gloucester Plumbing 42 KB Female Plumber 42 Sarsen Energy 35

DECORATING PAINTING PAINTING & DECORATING Michelle Powell Decorator 35 TV TV & AERIALS AERIALS 1st Choice Aerials 14 WINDOWS, DOORS W INDOWS, D OORS & CONSERVATORIES CONSERVATORIES AJ Windows 48 Albany Windows 44 & 46 BM Services 49 C&L Windows 42 & 47 Clearway Windows 45

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14 6 8 8 18 34 49

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C ompetition W inners Competition Winners The TLA Photography winner for the October 2019 cover is Letitia Newbegin.

Competition Competition Rules 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 afftter 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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