Tewkesbury Feb’19
YO U R F R E E LO C A L COMMUNIT Y MAGAZINE
SHORT STORY
La Chouette GARDENING
Remarkable Raspberries VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Run a social group in your area
HOME | GARDEN | LEISURE | COMMUNITY NEWS
Oatmeal & Raisin Cookies If you fancy a batch of home-made cookies at the weekend then try this quick recipe. They will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Ready in: 50 minutes, plus cooling time | Makes 24
Ingredients
225g self-raising flour 175g rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
250g unsalted butter, softened 200g golden caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
T IP
150g raisins
2
Preheat the oven to 180C / fan 160C / gas mark 4. Lightly grease two large baking sheets. Mix the flour, oats and baking powder together in a bowl. Place the butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract in a separate large bowl and beat together until creamy. Stir in the flour mixture and the raisins and mix to a rough dough using your hands. Divide and roll the mixture into about 24 balls and place well apart on the baking sheets. Flatten each ball with your fingertips to about 6mm thickness.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes until golden. Leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.
Replace the raisins with 150g white or dark chocolate chips, 150g sweetened dried cranberries or 150g chopped dried apricots for flavour variations.
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Spontaneous Shopping Spree Hello and welcome to the February issue of your local community magazine. This month's editor's letter comes from Anne (that’s me!) and I manage the magazine production and coordination of our community features each month.
We managed to bag some great bargains. Even the light fitting made a big difference, but with the rest of our purchases, the room feels transformed.
We certainly have the bug for home improvements now. The bathroom is next on 2019 for me started off with an unexpected our list, but that’s another level of makeover series of home improvements. It wasn't a where a trip to the sales won’t suffice. Neither New Year’s resolution, it just kind of happened... of us have any skills that would enable us to install a shower, do any sort of plumbing or In January, my other half suggested we should lay tiles. So we will call upon the expertise see what was on offer in the sales at the local of our super advertisers, furniture stores to improve our desperatelyand I’ll just look forward needs-a-makeover living room. to the final flourish Firstly, we found a nice new light fitting – with new towels well within budget. Before we knew it though, and posh soap. we had a new sofa and armchair, a nest of tables, a mirror and a giant wall clock!
Anne x
CONTACT US If you are a resident, a distributor or want to contact us about what's included in the magazine call Anne on 01242 388 366 or email Anne@lovelocalmagazines.co.uk If you are an advertiser with us now or would like details about advertising, call Sarah on 01242 388 367 or email Sarah@lovelocalmagazines.co.uk We look forward to hearing from you! www.tewkesburymagazine.co.uk Page 5
Displaying art in your home Art on your walls is the essential addition to any room, transforming it into a personal space. Don’t treat art as an afterthought, but give as much care and attention to choosing and hanging drawings, paintings and photographs as you would to choosing fabrics and furnishings. Above the sitting room mantelpiece is often an optimal location, but any room in which you spend a lot of time is ideal, such as the kitchen (away from humidity and splashes), family room or conservatory. Direct sunlight can damage precious works, so use special protective glass if necessary, or find a more suitable spot. Bigger pieces need an expansive space while smaller works may look odd when hung on their own on a large wall – in which case, either find a niche wall to hang a smaller work or create a grouping of pieces that work together, by colour, theme or subject matter. Pairs of complementary pictures make a nicely symmetrical display, while informal groups, perhaps with a variety of frames and hung asymmetrically, create a sense of intimacy and individuality. Alternatively, group identically framed works of the same size and shape in closely packed rows – a formal design particularly well suited to a dining room or a hallway.
A white wall (as in art galleries) is not the only choice of backdrop. You could pick a colour from the painting and replicate it on your wall, or even hang works against wallpaper using complementary colours – but pick a small pattern to use as a backdrop to a sizeable work.
Light works of art so they can be seen properly after dark, perhaps by using a table or floor lamp 6
to cast a glow towards them. For a more formal, professional effect, use either traditional picture lights fitted above the work or a discreet track and spotlight. LED bulbs are recommended but make sure the colour ‘temperature’ is neither too ‘cold’ and white or too ‘warm’ and yellow. For real detail, choose a bulb with excellent colour rendition at 95CRI or above.
Height is dictated by personal preference, the size and shape of the piece, the room’s proportions and the surroundings. Museums and galleries typically hang modern works at 1.55m to the centre line of the picture (Old Masters go a little higher) – roughly equivalent to the average human eye line. Damage-free hanging strips and hooks allow you to experiment until you get it right and thus enjoy an impressive and attractive display of art on your walls. By Kate McLelland
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It’s wheelie great – look down on Cheltenham from 35 metres above Imperial Gardens
three-week Light Up Cheltenham event, organised by Cheltenham BID, which will run from February 2-24.
It will be surrounded by floodlit buildings in Imperial Gardens including the Queens Hotel, the Town Hall, 131, and a terrace of ornate Regency buildings.
The wheel will operate from 3pm every day with extended operating times at weekends and throughout the half-term holiday. A tenminute ride will cost just £5 for an adult, £4 for a child and a family ticket is £15. A giant observation wheel will be the focal point of an expanded Light Up Cheltenham in February.
It will be the first time a wheel of this kind, standing at more than 35 metres high, will have been brought to Cheltenham. The wheel will feature throughout the
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The expanded Light Up Cheltenham sees Cheltenham BID increase the number of buildings illuminated from six to more than 20. It’s all about ensuring that there are good reasons to come to the town centre in February, traditionally a quiet time for businesses of all kinds.
Kevan Blackadder, Cheltenham BID Director
SNOWDROPS
AT PAINSWICK ROCOCO GARDEN Back in the 1740s, Benjamin Hyett designed an unusual garden to entertain his guests at Painswick House. This was a theatrical place, nestled in a hidden valley and perfect for holding intimate garden parties. It was a country gentleman’s experimental creation, not the realisation of a horticultural dream. Instead of an orderly flower garden, Painswick Rococo Garden is a haven of peace and tranquillity to explore, sprinkled with quirky features to tickle your fancy. The Garden is famed for having one of the largest collections of naturalised snowdrops in the country. Each year, around five million
snowdrops bloom, heralding the approach of a new spring. Predicting the flowering of snowdrops is one of nature’s big gambles, as their peak is very dependent on the weather, but February is usually a good bet – keep an eye on Rococo Garden’s website for up-todate information. The Garden is a magical place for all ages to enjoy. Families can battle their way to the centre of the maze and explore the woodland rustic play area. Well-behaved dogs, on leads, can join in the fun too! There is plenty of free parking and tasty homemade food and warming drinks on sale in the cosy café.
The Garden is open daily from 10.30am until 5pm. For more information, call 01452 813204 or visit
www.rococogarden.org.uk.
Painswick Rococo Garden Trust is a registered charity no 1107844
or Sh
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La Chouette
“Mum, come in here,” Jennifer whispered, dragging Doreen into the downstairs toilet. “Have you seen what Gary’s got in his rucksack?” “No love,” Doreen replied, steadying herself on the towel rail; it was a tight space for two people and a rucksack. “I don’t go nosing through your brother’s belongings, and neither should you.”
“Shhh, he could be out of the shower any minute,” Jennifer said. “I need to show you something. Have you noticed he’s been behaving a bit strangely this week?” “He has been a bit jumpy,” Doreen agreed reluctantly. “I thought it meant love was in the air.”
“Me too,” Jennifer nodded. “You know how I said he should take Elaine somewhere special for Valentine’s Day?” “You wouldn’t stop going on about it!” Doreen interrupted sternly.
“I had to!” Jennifer declared. “The poor thing, 10
all he ever does is take her for walks in the countryside. What woman wouldn’t rather be wined and dined somewhere fancy?”
“She’s the outdoors type,” Doreen shrugged. “Honestly Mum, is she a woman or a Labrador?” Jennifer shuddered. “They even go out in the rain.” “He seems happy,” Doreen said.
“That’s what I thought,” Jennifer said. “I just had this notion that he might be planning on popping the question tonight.” “What a lovely thought!” Doreen gasped. Jennifer continued, “I had this hunch that I if looked in his rucksack I’d find an engagement ring.”
Doreen grasped Jennifer’s arm. “And did you?” “No.” Jennifer opened the drawstring of Gary’s bag. “I found these. They’re nightvision binoculars, a thermos and some cheese sandwiches.”
Both women looked at each other in horror.
“Mum, tell me honestly, have you properly met this Elaine?” Jennifer asked.
“So you’re not stalking her then?” Doreen asked.
“Don’t you think it’s odd that he only invites her round when we’re not here?”
“That doesn’t sound very romantic,” Jennifer pouted.
“No, Mum,” Gary laughed. “She really is my girlfriend.”
“He says she’s quite shy,” Doreen offered.
Gary smiled. What Jennifer had failed to find was the diamond engagement ring he’d hidden in the lid of the thermos flask.
“I assumed he wanted some privacy.” Doreen felt flustered. “What are you trying to say, Jennifer?”
“And you know how he finally agreed to book a fancy restaurant, La Chouette, for tonight? Well, I googled the restaurant,” Jennifer said. “It doesn’t exist.”
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Doreen went pale.
“What are you two doing hiding in here?” Gary surprised them both by opening the door. He frowned. “Why have you got my bag?”
Jennifer took a moment to compose herself. “How do you explain these?” She held up the binoculars.
Gary’s face froze. “They’re for this evening,” he snapped, “and none of your business.” “We know La Chouette doesn’t exist,” Jennifer said. “It’s time to come clean.” Gary stared at her and then his face softened. “I said that just to get you off my case,” he said. “Elaine really isn’t interested in fancy restaurants.” “Where are you going then?” Jennifer asked suspiciously.
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SDROOFING-BUSINESS-CARD.pdf
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“Well, what if Gary just imagines that Elaine is his girlfriend?” Jennifer said carefully. “What if he’s just been watching her from afar with these binoculars?” “You mean like a stalker?” Doreen shook her head. “Our Gary’s not like that.”
SDROOFING-BUSINESS-CARD.pdf
Gary sighed, “I’m taking her barn owl spotting.”
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Cotswold dentist publishes first children's book Dr Emma Spiers grew up in Cheltenham and started her professional career as a dental assistant before studying dentistry at the University of Bristol and successfully building up a practice in Cheltenham for over 15 years.
At the age of 42, Emma, who lives near Stow-on-the-Wold, beat the odds and became a mum after having been given a less than 2% chance of conception. Following the happy news, she decided to take a break from dentistry in order to concentrate on and fully enjoy her new role of being a mum.
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Emma, a self-confessed bookworm, was playing around with different ideas and tried her hand at writing. The result was a series of children's books about her terrier dog Maisie and their adventures in the Cotswolds. “I didn’t have a specific lightbulb moment," says Emma, "I was just racking my brain thinking what I could do." “I’ve had Maisie for about 13 1/2 years and thought it would be nice to tell the true stories of all the things she’s done so I sat down with a pen and paper and wrote it the old-fashioned way.”
Emma's first book ‘Maisie – The Adventures of a Terrier’ was published and released in November and is available on Amazon. Her second book ‘Maisie at the Village Fete’ is in the making and due for release this year, and Emma already has another four Maisie stories in the pipeline so watch this space!
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Sighted volunteer guides needed in Gloucestershire Guide Dogs is in urgent need of volunteers across Gloucestershire who could spare a few hours to help local people with sight loss get out and about.
Although the charity is best known for the guide dog service, it also runs a service called ‘My Guide’ where it matches sighted volunteer guides with visually impaired people. Mike, 60, from Cheltenham, is visually impaired. After contacting Guide Dogs, Mike was partnered with a sighted guide, Natalie, 31, who is also from Cheltenham. Natalie guides Mike for a few hours every fortnight and the pair do various activities together including walking, shopping and visiting local events. Mike said: “I can’t wait for Natalie to arrive, it’s the highlight of my week.”
“Having Natalie’s support has made my town accessible to me and it means I can
be part of the community and I can be part of Cheltenham, which I love.”
Volunteers must be 18 or over. No experience is necessary and full accredited training is provided. Guide Dogs is also required to carry out a full enhanced DBS check for each volunteer. If you are interested in volunteering as a sighted guide in Gloucestershire, please contact the Guide Dogs Birmingham Mobility Team on 0345 143 0194 or email Karen.Toozer@guidedogs.org.uk.
Page 17
GARDENING
Remarkable Raspberries If you want to grow soft fruit then I recommend raspberries for value, reliability and ease of growth.
The canes, best bought bare root, are available now, so here are my top tips for planting and growing great raspberries.
Raspberries like moisture, without being soggy around the roots. Improve light and sandy soil by digging in plenty of bulky organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure before planting. Summer-fruiting raspberries crop in midsummer, while autumn fruiters crop from the end of summer, often until the first frosts, so if possible plant a few of each. There are different varieties of summer and autumn-fruiting raspberries, and the ‘Fallgold’ variety even has yellow fruits. If your soil is heavy and wet, and if it 18
is alkaline or chalky, summer raspberries may struggle, so grow autumn fruiters as they can withstand the adverse conditions. AUTUMN FRUITING RASPBERRIES WILL CROP UNTIL THE FIRST FROSTS First, choose a sunny, sheltered spot and weed thoroughly so the raspberry canes are not competing with weeds for moisture and nutrients. If your garden is very hot and sunny in the summer then light shade for the raspberries from a nearby tree is recommended; otherwise, they like sunshine.
Summer-fruiting raspberries need a support system – sturdy posts at a spacing of about 1.8m (6ft) and galvanized wires at a spacing of about 30cm (12in) will do the trick. Autumn-fruiting raspberries should be fine without support but you can tie them in if you wish.
The canes are available now and in their ‘dormant’ state (looking like a bundle of sticks) respond well to planting now. Space the canes 40-45cm (15-17in) apart and allow about 2m (6ft 6in) between rows.
Dig in plenty of well-rotted manure and plant each cane at a depth of 58cm (2-3in), spreading the roots out well so they establish better. Firm the canes in then cut each one back to about 25cm (10in) above ground level and water in well if the soil is dry.
Summer-fruiting raspberries fruit on the previous year’s growth, so planting now will be much better in 2020 onwards than this year. Autumn fruiters produce their crop on the same year’s growth, so expect a decent crop this autumn
and heavier ones from 2020.
Mulch raspberries each spring with wellrotted manure. Once finished cropping, cut the fruit-bearing canes of summer-fruiting varieties back to ground level and tie the newly formed canes to the wires ready for next year. With autumn-fruiting raspberries, cut back the old canes at the end of winter and the new canes will appear in spring.
Written by Pippa Greenwood
Visit Pippa’s website www.pippagreen wood.com and join ‘Grow Your Own with Pippa Greenwood’ for great vegetable plants and weekly advice from Pippa, stylish cloches, the fantastic SpeedHoe, gardening tools, Grower Frames and signed books! Or book Pippa for a gardening talk at your gardening club.
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Page 19
Salmon with Tomato and Coriander Salsa This low-fat supper is quick to make and is packed with flavour. If you prefer, replace the salmon with trout or sea bass fillets.
Ready in: 30 minutes | Serves 4
Ingredients
Ready in 30 minutes
4 ripe tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
½ red chill, deseeded and very finely chopped (optional) 2 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 salmon fillets
T IP
Boiled long-grain and wild rice, to serve
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To make the salsa, scoop out and discard the tomato seeds and dice the flesh. Place in a bowl with the red onion, coriander, chilli (if using) and 1 tbsp each of the lime juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Place the salmon fillets in the pan, skin-side down, and cook for 5-6 minutes. Turn each fillet over, sprinkle over the rest of the lime juice and cook for a further 5-6 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Serve the salmon fillets on a bed of boiled longgrain and wild rice and topped with the salsa.
If you prefer to oven bake the salmon fillets, wrap in individual foil parcels and place on a baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 190C / fan 170C / gas mark 5 for 25 minutes.
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HRH The Prince of Wales visits Gloucestershire hospice
© Rob Lacey
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales brought smiles to the faces of patients being cared for by Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice and their families during a special visit to Cheltenham in December.
The Prince of Wales, who has been Patron of the hospice for 32 years, met patients receiving expert and compassionate palliative care, their families, volunteers, supporters, Sue Ryder Nurses and hospice support staff.
During the visit, His Royal Highness was invited to mark the occasion of his 70th birthday year by planting a Yellow Norwegian Maple within the hospice grounds. The commemorative tree and plaque have pride of place in the hospice’s new woodland walk. For more information on Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice please visit www.sueryder.org/leckhampton
© Rob Lacey
Volunteers needed to start and run new social groups
Royal Voluntary Service is looking for volunteers in Gloucestershire to kickstart a range of new social groups for people in their community, particularly those in later life.
Social activities could include; running a quiz group in a community hall, establishing a book club in a local library or exploring new ways to bring people together over food. The Bring People Together programme is active across the county and is seeking volunteers in Cheltenham, Cirencester, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Stonehouse, Dursley, Winchcombe, Coleford, Cinderford, Lydney, Mitcheldean and Bourton-on-the-Water.
Previous experience is not necessary as full training will be provided. Royal Voluntary Service will also provide guidance on recruiting volunteers to help you, managing money and fundraising. They will also teach you how to run the activity safely and legally. In return, volunteer coordinators can enjoy developing their skills and experience, being part of a team and creating something of lasting value for their community and the people in it. If anyone has an idea for a group they would like to set up as a volunteer coordinator, please contact Charlie on Charles.allen@royalvoluntaryservice. org.uk, call 07774 334 322 or visit www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk.
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Goodrum Carpets
A LOCAL BUSINESS EST. OVER 30 YEARS
Friendly Service & Professional Advice
Carpets • Carpet Tiles • Natural Flooring • Vinyls • Insurance Estimates • Remnants
All styles of curtains, blinds, pelmets etc. with a wide range of fabric, poles and accessories to choose from.
Or visit our shop & showroom in Chapel Hay Lane, Prospect House, Church Road, Churchdown, GL3 2ES
www.chosencurtains.co.uk sales@chosencurtains.co.uk
CALL NICK FOR A FREE ESTIMATE.
01242 251700 or 07967193966
PUZZLE ANSWERS
SUDOKU (p. 14)
3 Letters DOE DOG EGO ERG GOD ODE ORE PEG
PER POD PRO RED REP ROD ROE 4 Letters DOER
DOPE DROP ERGO GORE OGRE PORE PROD REDO ROED
ROPE 5 Letters GORED GROPE PORED ROPED 6 Letters GROPED
(p. 13)
QUIZ (p. 14): (1) An albatross (2) Ode
To A Nightingale (3) Limerick (4) Lesbos (leading to origin of the term "lesbians") (5) Pig (whose ring in its nose is used as a wedding ring) and Turkey (who marries them) (6) January (7) Troy (8) The Invictus Games (9) It is a palindrome (i.e. it reads the same backwards as it does forwards, as does its title) (10) The female of the species is more deadly than the male
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PICTOGRAMS (p. 14) 1. Gravy train 2. Kiss and tell 3. Under starter's orders
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE (p. 19)
1. Moustache 2. Bee missing 3. Lighthouse 4. Dog Tooth 5. Nut 6. Shirt Pattern 7. Sea 8. Fence Hole 9. Dog Ear 10. Dog leads
WORDWHEEL (p. 14): SAXIFRAGE Target: Excellent: 35 or more words; Good: 30 words; Fair: 26 words
LATE NIGHT BUS SERVICE
ROUTE N71 Monday - Saturday evenings / Friday & Saturday late nights between Tewkesbury, Gloucester & The Quays M-S
M-S
M-S
F-S
Tewkesbury High Street, Boots
19:30
20:46
22:16
23:46
Snowdonia Road
19:35
20:51
22:21
23:51
Monterey Road
19:38
20:54
22:24
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Coombe Hill, Swan Inn
19:43
20:59
22:29
23:59
Norton, Kings Head
19:48
21:04
22:34
00:04
Twigworth
19:51
21:07
22:37
00:07
Market Parade
19:58
21:14
22:44
00:15
Gloucester Quays
20:05
21:20
22:50
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M-S
M-S
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Gloucester Quays
20:15
21:45
23:15
Market Parade
20:20
21:50
23:20
Twigworth
20:25
21:55
23:25
Norton, Kings Head
20:28
21:58
23:28
Coombe Hill, Swan Inn
20:32
22:02
23:32
Monterey Road
20:37
22:07
23:37
Snowdonia Road
20:40
22:10
23:40
Tewkesbury High Street, Boots
20:45
22:15
23:45
ROUTE T Every hour Monday - Saturday between Bishop’s Cleeve and Tewkesbury
NEW timetable since Nov’18
Email: info@gloucesterminibuses.com www.gloucesterminibuses.com
Your local EVENTS GUIDE WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Ongoing until 17 March, Nature in Art, Twigwoth, Nr Gloucester, GL2 9PA World-renowned photography exhibition featuring breathtaking images from the animal world. T: 01452 731422 OLD FATHER THAMES: THE RIVER IN ART 14 Feb, 2pm, Highnam Community Centre (Gambier Parry Hall), GL2 8DG The Arts Society West Gloucestershire presents an art talk on the Thames by Andrew Davies. Ticket required. T: 01684 833701
WINCHCOMBE MUSEUM WINTER TALKS 14 Feb, 2.30pm, Winchcombe Methodist Church Hall "The Darker Side of Winchcombe’s Story"; Anne Crow. £3, incl. refreshments. Everyone welcome. WINCHCOMBE LIVE 15 Feb, Doors open at 8.15pm, White Hart Inn, Winchcombe The Spike Drivers. £10.
PUDDLE JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIP 16 - 24 Feb, 9.30am - 5pm, Slimbridge Wetland Centre. Jump into the puddles and become the ultimate splasher. Daily competition at 2pm. Incl. with normal admission, free for WWT members. 26
WINE, CHEESE & CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL 23 Feb, 12pm - 9pm, Cheltenham Racecourse For tickets from £9.60 see www.eventbrite.com.
CRESCENDO BIG BAND CONCERT 24 Feb, 3pm (doors open from 2.30pm), Gupshill Manor, Gloucester Rd, Tewkesbury. Admission: £10. www.crescendoband. co.uk/index.htm
JAZZ CLUB – SWING FROM PARIS 27 Feb, 8pm, Theoc House, Barton Street, Tewkesbury 2-course menu - £12.50. http://www.theochouse.co.uk/ events/
Coming up
CLEEVE CONCERTS Tithe Barn, Bishop's Cleeve 29 Mar, 7.30pm: Lindisfarne. Box Office: 0333 666 3366 (booking fees apply). www.cleeveconcerts.com
Regular events
CARERS’ COFFEE MORNING 1st Thurs/month, 10 11.30am, Tewkesbury Day Centre, Station Road Share experiences & concerns in a friendly, supportive environment. Tea and cakes. Free entry. 01684 296238
CRAFT FAIR 2nd Sun/month, 11.30am - 2.30pm, Bishop's Cleeve Community Centre Wide range of stalls; refreshments. Free entry. Libby Cleal: 07776 301767.
CRICKET PRACTICE Sundays, 10am - 12pm, Bushley Cricket Club More players wanted, esp. for ladies team. Kit & coaching provided. Any experience catered for. 01684 292350 or 07812 179002. MEMORY CAFÉ Last Wed/month, 2 - 4pm, Tewkesbury Day Centre, Station Road. For those with memory problems and their carers/companions. Tea and cakes. Free entry. 01684 296238
MINT & CORIANDER COOKING COURSES Bishop’s Cleeve. Learn to cook authentic Indian dishes from scratch with Aly who will be sharing her family recipes and cooking tips with you. Variety of courses. 01242 692475, 07438 495254, mintncoriander@ yahoo.com. Info & recipes mintandcoriander.com, Facebook Mint & Coriander. TEWKESBURY CARE TO SING 2nd Weds/month, 2-4pm, Tewkesbury Day Centre, Station Rd, GL20 5DR For those with memory
problems and their carers/companions. Sing your favourite songs together. Tea & cakes. £2.50/person. 01684 772559
SHOPPING
COUNTRY MARKET Fridays, 9 - 11.30am. Tewkesbury Town Hall. Homemade cakes, savouries, preserves, crafts, seasonal vegetables/fruits, plants & shrubs. Refreshments.
FARMERS & CRAFT MARKET 2nd Sat/month, 9am - 1.30pm, Abbey Lawns Car Park, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PG. Local produce and local arts and crafts. Dave Joynes: 01386 840138 or Trade.CotswoldMarkets@gmail.com GENERAL RETAIL MARKET Weds & Saturdays, 9am - 3.30pm, Spring Gardens Car Park, Oldbury Rd, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DN. More info Dave Joynes, 01386 840138.
h TecT ip
How safe are your online photos?
This spring, users of the photo sharing site Flickr will find their free accounts have become less generous, with a limit of 1,000 photos – a fraction of the effectively unlimited number they could previously store. If they have more than 1,000 shots and don’t upgrade to a paid package, their pictures will be deleted to get the total under that number. This is a downside to online photo storage: it doesn’t necessarily last forever. That means it’s a very good idea to keep copies of any important images not just in the cloud, but in your home too. We like external hard disks because they’re fast and cheap, but some people prefer to archive to DVD. And of course there’s a tried and tested way to archive photos for posterity: get them printed!
delicious! be with Slimming World TUESDAYS 9am & 11am: Tewkesbury Boys Brigade, Canterbury Leys, Newtown, Tewkesbury, GL20 8BP. Call Kathy on 01386 750246 5.45pm & 7.45pm: The Library, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5NX. Call Kathy on 01386 750246 WEDNESDAYS 5pm & 7pm: Sixth Form Centre, Tewkesbury School, Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury, GL20 8DF. Call Vickie on 07967 089859 THURSDAYS 5pm & 7pm: Northway Village Hub, The Ray Shill Building, Lee Walk, Northway, GL20 8QG. Call Anne on 07392 974815 NEW GROUP 7.30pm: Bredon Hancocks School, Church Street, Bredon, GL20 7LA. Call Karen on 07967 831348
slimmingworld.co.uk 0344 897 8000
For recruitment opportunities in the area call Maxine on 07857 542527 Page 27
HISTORY
The History of Plastic It has been around for less than 200 years but has become our indispensable disposable. Now, with the realisation of its hugely detrimental impact on our environment, are its days numbered? Put simply, plastics are polymer chains which can be carbon or siliconbased and moulded into any shape. The first plastics were derived from natural and organic sources.
Rubber, a plant-based material, was being used as early as the 1820s. It was manufactured from a substance called latex, the thick milky sap produced by the rubber tree. Elastic, invented in 1820 by Thomas Hancock, is also produced from latex. Similarly, in 1839, a German chemist, Eduard Simon, accidentally came across what he called Styrol (now known as styrene) while distilling a natural resin 28
of the Turkish sweetgum tree. However, he did not realise its potential and his work was resurrected in the early 1900s by Hermann Staudinger to become the basis of polystyrene.
Another plant-derived substance, and the forerunner of the plastics family, was called Parkesine. It was unveiled by Alexander Parkes at London’s Great International Exhibition in 1862 and used to make objects like buttons and cutlery handles. Derived from cellulose, it could be heated, moulded into whatever shape was needed and then cooled to retain this shape. Cellulose also gave rise to celluloid and cellophane.
The material of a thousand uses
Bakelite, invented in 1907, was the first plastic to be made from a non-plant
source. A hard resin formed from formaldehyde and phenol (a chemical from coal tar), its manufacture was perfected by a Belgian inventor, Leo Baekeland. It was initially used as an insulator for electrical wires but went on to be made into all kinds of everyday objects from decorative bowls and cigarette holders to telephones and jewellery.
The Bakelite Corporation’s tagline was ‘the material of a thousand uses’, which could equally be applied to all plastic today. In 1930, Badische Anilin & SodaFabrik (BASF) used the work of Simon and Staudinger to start commercially manufacturing polystyrene, which could be injected, extruded or moulded. Later, the Dow Chemical Company produced the first foamed polystyrene dubbed Styrofoam – a light, air-filled insulating plastic that went on to be used in disposable cups, packaging and the building industry. By the 1930s, a range of synthetic plastics was introduced: vinyl, acrylic, polyester, polyvinylchloride (PVC), polythene, polyurethanes and nylon. This is now seen as the most significant era in the history of plastics. Manufacture was taken over by petrochemical companies who turned crude oil into mass-produced plastics for every conceivable commercial and domestic requirement. It was a miracle material. With the 1941 development of polyethylene, which can withstand up to two atmospheres of pressure, the plastics drinks bottle was born.
Inexpensive to mass-produce, plastics quickly became an integral part of our disposable society. By simply tweaking the polymer chains, a plastic suitable for any form or function could be made.
And the downside? Plastic can be divided into two types: thermoplastic and thermoset. Thermoplastic can be recycled but thermoset cannot and endures. Also, plastics that find their way into the sea are broken down into microplastics that can invade living organisms, including, ultimately, ourselves. So, as we ingest increasingly more of our miracle invention, is our DNA chain slowly becoming a polymer one?
By Catherine Rose
Fox and Hounds Lunchtime Set Menu
2 courses £9.95 3 courses £11.95
Book now for Valentine’s Day
Set Evening Menu
2 courses £11.95 3 courses £13.95
BLACKBOARD SPECIALS & À LA CARTE MENU Fun QUIZ NIGHT every SUNDAY £2.50 Church Street, Bredon, Tewkesbury GL20 7LA Tel. 01684 772377
VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED Come and join our team for one afternoon a month at Tewkesbury Baptist Church where we organise a social club for elderly visually impaired residents.
FREE TRAINING PROVIDED Contact Volunteer Organiser Christopher Chapman for an informal chat on 01684 293527 or mail@cchapman.co.uk
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Advertisers index ACCOUNTANTS Crowthers Chartered A. 31 Francis & Co Chartered A. 11 AERIALS & SATELLITES Digital & Satellite Systems ANTIQUES Patrick Oliver
CAR & BIKE REPAIRS DDV Smart Solutions CARING SERVICES Sue Ryder
CARPETS & FLOORING Goodrum Carpets Ledbury Carpets CHARITIES Sue Ryder
CLEANING Tewkesbury Cleaning & Domestic Services
CURTAINS, SHUTTERS & BLINDS Chosen Curtains Granley Blinds Sheilas' Shutters
EVENTS Painswick Rococo Garden FOOD & DRINK Fox & Hounds Shack Diner Tewkesbury Park Hotel
8 13 23 22 24 17 22
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24 4 3 9 29 21 7
FUNERAL DIRECTORS Alexander Burn
5
HANDYMAN SERVICES LB Services
13
GARDENING & LANDSCAPING Cheltenham Town Landscaping & Driveway S. 4
HEALTH Slimming World
LEGAL & FINANCIAL Dee & Griffin Solicitors R K Shipman MOTORING, MOTS & VEHICLE SERVICES V-Hub MOT Centre V-Hub Services OIL SUPPLIERS Watson Fuels
27 15 16
8 4 23
PAINTERS & DECORATORS Tewkesbury Exterior P. 3 PAVING, DRIVEWAYS & TARMAC SPECIALISTS Resin Drives back page PHOTOGRAPHY BK Drone
PLUMBING & HEATING TEM Plumbing
ROOFING LB Services SD Roofing Tewkesbury Flat & Pitched Roofing
3
TRANSPORT Gloucester Minibuses Volunteer Drivers
26 29
VACANCIES SEP Events
21
VOLUNTEERING Guide Dogs - Sighted Guide 17 Royal Voluntary Service 22 Volunteer Drivers 29 WINDOWS, DOORS & CONSERVATORIES Ledbury Door Supplies Shane Howells
15 YOUR FR E E LO C A L COMMU NITY MAGAZI NE
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Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by error in the printing of an advert. All artwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission has been given for use in the publication. Glos Directories does not officially endorse any advertising/editorial material included within the publication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval systen or transmitted in any form electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise - without the prior consent of the publisher. The use of this magazine for canvassing or direct marketing is strictly prohibited.
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Bishop’s Cleev e February 2019
Tewkesbury
Feb’19
L E E LO C A YOUR FR NITY COMMU NE MAGAZI
SHORT STOR
La Chouette
GARDENIN
Remarkable
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Raspberries
LOCAL EVEN
Light Up Chelte
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HOM E | GAR
SHORT STOR
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La Chouette
GARDENIN
Rema
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erries rkable Raspb ED
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VOLUNTEE
Run a social
group in your
HOM E | GAR
Feb
DEN | LEIS
Happy Valentine’s Day!
area
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MUN ITY
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MUN ITY
NEW S
NEW S
To include your business in the March issue call 01242 388 367 or email Sarah@lovelocalmagazines.co.uk. We publish 6 magazines in the Gloucestershire area.
The End of Car Ownership: A Vision for the Future?
You may have seen them parked in reserved spaces around town, especially in places like London: Pay as You Drive rental cars. They are increasingly popular in cities where insurance, parking costs and the availability of public transport make running a car expensive and unnecessary. When you need to venture further, renting a car is the obvious solution. In fact, most of us already rent our cars anyway via Personal Contract Purchase (PCP).
Allied to this, last year saw the twin announcements that London would trial driverless cars in 2019 and Addison Lee, the private hire firm, wants a driverless taxi fleet by 2021.
So, if you don’t need to drive a car, why own one? The way we buy, pay and shop for anything has changed out of all proportion in the last ten years: online purchase, cashless, rent it, lease it, same-day delivery. Suppliers have had to wake up to this fact, and quickly. Making cars is tough game to be in anyway. 8% profit margin is what most manufacturers work on, so being agile in the way they sell and knowing how we make car purchases is vital for them.
I wager that the upcoming seismic shift in the way cars are driven will trigger a way we pay for them too. Why part with your hard-earned money for your transport, even when you are not using it? Why not just use an app to “whistle” up a driverless car to pick you up and collect you again after an evening out? It’s going to happen. There’s too much money riding on it.
By Iain Betson
Email: jane@tewkesburyclean.co.uk Website: www.tewkesburyclean.co.uk
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