Love Local Magazines - Tewkesbury October'19

Tewkesbury YO U R F R E E LO C A L COMMUNIT Y MAGAZINE

October 2019

LOCAL EVENT

Treorchy Male Choir Concert SHORT STORY

Henry Harvests A Good Result CULTURE

Panto: The UK’s Quirkiest Tradition?

HOME | GARDEN | LEISURE | COMMUNITY NEWS

health and you may already brush your cat’s teeth regularly. If you notice they have bad breath or red/swollen gums or are salivating more than normal, it’s advisable to take them to the vet as they could have tooth decay, gum disease or a digestive problem.

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Health Check Your Cat

Although your cat needs a check-up with the vet once a year, you can also carry out your own health check at home. Here are some of the main areas to keep an eye on so your feline friend stays as healthy as possible through the year.

Skin and coat Check for any lesions or scaling as this could indicate a skin condition or infestation of fleas/mites. Their coat should be shiny and glossy with no bald patches or dandruff – cats typically shed in autumn as well as springtime, so it’s a good idea to groom them regularly.

Ears Although you shouldn’t examine too far inside your cat’s ears, you can look for any dirt, redness, or other signs that they might be infected. If your cat shakes its head or holds it to one side, they could have an ear problem and your vet will be able to examine them more closely.

Eyes Eye health issues are generally easier to spot, as redness or soreness becomes fairly obvious. Your cat may rub their eyes to relieve itchiness or squint to avoid the light and ease soreness.

Mouth Good dental hygiene is important for cat 2

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Good Times? No Story There.

I always think that to start my magazine without an intro in the form of this editor’s letter seems a bit rude. Like launching into a conversation without a ‘hello’.

However, it can be a challenge each month to think of something to say. The natural default is a comment on either the weather or how quickly the year is going. So let’s get it out of the way: October already, wasn’t the weather in September lovely, I’m not looking forward to the darker nights!

(On that note - remember the clocks go back by one hour on 27th October.)

Do I comment on the contents of the magazine, when you can see for yourselves what’s inside?

Or should I tell you about my month? I have a happy life, but I realise that doesn’t make for an interesting story.

When I try to tell my family or friends of some fun I’ve had I often get a glazed ‘you had to be there’ sort of response. However, when I can relate an anecdote of when something went wrong I get full attention.

Not catastrophic you understand, but something like making a flight by the skin of my teeth and the series of events that caused me to be late.

I guess no film was ever a blockbuster without something going wrong along the way. As long as it has a happy ending the challenge of getting there is where the entertainment is.

And on that gentle musing, I need to get this magazine to print and sort out distribution for this month. Contributions from you, the reader, always welcome!

Anne x

T: 01242 388 366 | E: Anne@lovelocalmagazines.co.uk

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TREORCHY MALE CHOIR CONCERT IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL CHARITIES 16th November 7.30pm, Cheltenham Town Hall

In 1992 the world-famous Treorchy Male Choir performed a concert to raise funds for the Lions Club of Cheltenham for the first time. Next month, on Saturday 16th November, they will be back at Cheltenham Town Hall for their twelfth concert on behalf of the Club.

Over the years, the concerts have raised over £35,000. The proceeds have gone to various local causes, including Cheltenham's Oncology Unit, the Meningitis Trust and Acorns Children’s Hospice. Funds have also gone towards the running costs of the Club's Holiday Caravan in Burnhamon-Sea which allows local disabled people and disadvantaged families to take a break.

The proceeds of this year's concert will be shared between Acorns Worcester (to help care for and support local children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions), and the running costs of the Club's Holiday Caravan (over £4,000/year).

For 130 years the Treorchy Male Choir has been recognised as one of the greatest choral ensembles of all time. World tours have included trips to North America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, where they conducted three sell-out concerts at the Sydney Opera House.

To see and hear the choir locally is a great honour and furthermore the concert will also feature local soprano Susan Black.

The audience’s attendance at this performance delivers much appreciated financial support for The Lions Club so be sure to book your place early.

Call the Box Office on 08445 762 210.

6

TREORCHY MALE CHOIR Cheltenham Town Hall Saturday 16TH November at 7.30pm Guest Soprano Susan Black Tickets £25 Seniors £23 Box Office 0844 576 2210 In aid of

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Page 7

Pick a retirement hobby while you are still working

Retirement beckons, and with it the opportunity to do the things you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t had time for.

However, research by the Skipton Building Society has shown that we don’t always follow up on our dreams of an active retirement: apparently, many of us start to feel bored and undervalued within just ten months of stopping work.

According to the Age UK Index of Wellbeing in Later Life, the rate of our general wellbeing can increase by 20% if we simply engage with the world around us, whether that’s through social activities in the community, physical activities or creative pastimes.

Finding the right hobby can help you make new friends and give you a sense of purpose, which ultimately benefits both your physical and mental health.

But here are so many options, it’s often hard to know where to begin.

Sociable hobbies Joining a choir can be one of the most rewarding ways to spend your leisure time.

It’s estimated that a staggering 2.8 million Britons now belong to a choir, and recent research has shown that group singing is a particularly fast way to create social bonds – in other words, it’s a speedy shortcut to making new friends.

Other ways to meet people include 8

volunteering at an animal shelter, joining a book or film club or local amateur dramatic society, helping at a charity shop, or starting a social media group such as a neighbourhood watch.

Home alone If you want something you can do at home, creative hobbies such as upcycling furniture, card-making or jewellery-making could be perfect. Get inspired by the speedy arts and crafts videos available on YouTube or scour charity shops and second-hand bookstores for cheap ‘how to’ books that can teach you a new skill.

Buy vintage jigsaws, write poetry or short stories, take up knitting or baking or learn to fix up an old car. Alternatively, find a pen pal in the UK or overseas with the help of clever phone apps that make it easy for you to chat to people all over the world.

The great outdoors Exercise is important for health.

Whether you choose something like metal detecting (which you can do on your own) or Nordic walking (which you would normally do as part of a group), there are so many hobbies that encourage you to explore the great outdoors and get fit in the process.

Fishing, trainspotting, birdwatching and amateur astronomy are also popular and will encourage you to get out and about in the open air.

Although you may be tempted to put off choosing a hobby until you’ve finally finished work, the evidence suggests that it’s a good idea to have a plan in place.

With a little preparation, you should be able to walk out of work and straight into a life filled with exciting new possibilities.

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Spot the difference! Can you find all 10?

Answers: p. 30

Page 9

Henry harvests a good result

˜ A short story written by local writer Geraldine Faulkner ˜

Henry was pulling up beetroots in his vegetable patch and humming away happily to himself when he spotted his wife, Annie, coming down the garden with two mugs in her hands.

“Time for a break,” she said with a smile as she handed him a steaming cup of tea.

They stood together in companionable silence sipping their hot drinks and admiring Henry’s pile of beetroots.

“Salad and a baked potato for tea tonight,” said Annie, wondering how they were going to get through so much beetroot in the next couple of weeks.

“I’ve just had a chat with Claire,” she added referring to their youngest daughter.

“She was telling me how excited the children are about their half-term holiday.”

Both Claire and her husband, Ian, worked full-time so Henry thought he knew what 10

Annie was going to say next.

“Can we have them for a couple of days?” he predicted.

“Well, not quite,” said Annie carefully.

“Ian’s parents are suggesting they take the children away to an Airbnb holiday apartment in Devon.”

“What!” barked Henry, spilling his tea all over the beetroots. “That means we won’t get to see them at all.”

Henry was a doting grandfather to all four of his grandchildren but he had a particularly soft spot for Claire’s daughter, six-yearold Rosie, who was the only one of the grandchildren who knew where he kept his secret stash of Hob Nobs in the greenhouse.

Piling the beetroots into a trug, he stumped off towards the house.

Annie’s heart sank. Henry wasn’t going

to let this rest.

Sure enough, he was on the phone to Claire when Annie came into the kitchen.

“But Ian’s parents took the children away during the summer holidays,” he was saying. “We were looking forward to having a couple of days with them over half-term.”

Both Claire and her mother knew that Henry suffered from ‘granddad envy’.

Jealously, he would monitor the time spent by the grandchildren with each set of grandparents. In fact, he kept a diary in his desk that he thought Annie knew nothing about, and would casually point out when Ian’s parents, a nice couple called Sue and Leslie, appeared to have enjoyed the lion’s share of the grandchildren’s company in any given school holiday.

Annie wondered how Claire was going to find a diplomatic solution to this latest eruption.

There was a long pause as Henry listened to his daughter.

“That sounds a good idea,” he said finally.

“Let’s give it a go and see how we get on.”

He put the phone down and turned to Annie with a big smile on his face.

“Claire has suggested that we have the children after their judo club every Thursday afternoon. We collect them from school, take them to the club and then bring them home for tea before we drive them home or Claire collects them.”

He rubbed his hands gleefully.

“In the long run that counts for more than a week in an Airbnb apartment.”

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Pictograms

PICTOGRAMS

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JU D D

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WORDWHEEL Using only the letters in the Wordwheel, you have ten minutes to find as many words as possible, none of which may be plurals, foreign words or proper nouns. Each word must be of three letters or more, all must contain the central letter and letters can only be used once in every word. There is at least one word that uses all of the letters in the wheel.

N D

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A A

M

F

TARGET Excellent: 26 or more words Good: 20 words Fair: 18 words 12

QUIZ GHOSTS

NERYCES

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SUDOKU

Puzzle Page

1. Which famous literary character is haunted by a ghost called Banquo?

2. Named after Ghostface Killah from the hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan, which social networking app has a ghost called Ghostface Chillah as its logo and mascot?

3. Ghostface is the name given to the killer or killers in which film series?

4. How is the ghost of Jennet Humfrye known in the title of a 1983 book by Susan Hill?

5. In the Harry Pottery novels, what is the nickname of the ghost that haunts the first floor girls’ lavatory at Hogwarts, with author J.K. Rowling saying she was inspired by “the frequent presence of a crying girl in communal bathrooms, especially at the parties and discos” of her youth?

6. Which famous song is played on a jukebox in the famous pottery scene from the film Ghost?

7. In the video game Pac-Man, what colour do the ghosts turn when Pac-Man eats a power pellet?

8. Who had a hit single in 1984 with the theme song from the film Ghostbusters?

9. How many ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge in the Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol?

10. Which famous person won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor for a cameo role as himself in the 1989 film Ghosts Can’t Do It? Answers: p. 20

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Page 13

Leek, aubergine and tomato gratins Simpler to make than a vegetarian lasagne, but just as tasty. Serve with crusty bread and green salad for a family supper.

Ready in: 55 minutes | Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large aubergine, trimmed and thinly sliced 3 tbsp olive oil

1 large leek, trimmed and halved widthways then cut into strips

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed

600g bottle passata (sieved tomatoes) 2 tbsp tomato puree 2 tsp dried oregano Pinch of sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 200g ricotta cheese

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14

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Brush the aubergine slices with 2 tbsp of the oil. Heat a large cast-iron griddle pan and cook the slices (in batches) for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly charred and just tender. Set aside.

Blanch the leeks in a large pan of lightly salted water for 1 minute then refresh under cold water. Drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes then add the garlic and fry for a further 1-2 minutes. Add the passata, tomato puree, oregano and sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until reduced and thickened, stirring frequently. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spread some of the sauce in the base of four shallow individual gratin dishes. Cover with half the aubergine and leek then spread more tomato sauce on top. Crumble over the ricotta cheese. Cover with the rest of the aubergine and remaining sauce. Top with the mozzarella and the remaining leeks. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Top with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan (or vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese) mixed with brown breadcrumbs before baking to give a lovely golden crispy crust to the finished dishes.

Auction Anecdote This month’s story is an illustration of the unpredictability of auctions which makes for an exciting and eventful working environment.

The August sale included a pair of attractive 19thcentury Chinese famille verte vases estimated at just £80/£120 since one of the vases was badly cracked throughout.

However, as soon as the catalogue went online, enquiries began to flood in for condition reports and further images and we began to anticipate that they might make substantially more than the estimate. Chinese items are renowned for being the hidden sleepers in auction rooms due to the difficulty in identification and the strength of the market at present.

As sale day approached emails continued to arrive with one client sending multiple messages with further demands and questions. Two telephone bids were booked directly to China and on the day itself, a frisson of excitement ran through the staff as we dialled the international numbers.

Due to the level of interest I had instructed my colleague on the rostrum to try starting the bidding at £500 and sure enough the internet sprang into life with a bid from China followed quickly by another from France – imagine then our surprise when both telephone bidders declined to bid any higher and after no further action the hammer came down at just £520.

It was all a bit of an anti-climax and we laughed about it several times during the day and over our curry later that night!

Smiths’ forthcoming sales are on the 4th of October and 8th of November. The November sale includes a full range of antiques plus a special section for silver, gold and jewellery.

Entries are invited on the 8th, 10th, 15th & 17th October, 10am-3pm or by appointment.

For all enquiries please telephone 01531 821776 or visit www.smithsnewentauction.co.uk.

- Written by Rita Kearsey Manager of Smiths Auction Room at Newent

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Panto: the UK’s quirkiest tradition?

Oh, yes it is!

Hand coloured photograph

of Widow Twankey in 1896

Christmas may seem a long way off, but such is the popularity of pantomime, the best seats could have already disappeared in a puff of fairy dust.

Pantomime is a British tradition that’s guaranteed to mystify anyone who is unfamiliar with our culture. The name itself creates confusion: when US-based Baywatch actor Pamela Anderson received her first offer to appear in pantomime in Liverpool in 2010, she was convinced she would be “miming in a box” (bizarrely, she agreed to do it anyway).

Like most traditions, pantomime has grown from customs and practices that have been transformed over time by changing tastes and fashions.

There’s nothing like a Dame

One of pantomime’s best-loved characters is the ‘Dame’. Nearly always played by a man, the Dame is generally portrayed as a vain, 16

foolish woman, determined to get a husband at any price. But, with the possible exception of the villainous Ugly Sisters in Cinderella, the Dame never fails to gain the audience’s affection. It seems that we Brits simply love the idea of a man acting out a female role.

Maybe that’s because the practice of men appearing as women on stage is deeply embedded in British culture.

Until the law was changed in the early 1660s, it was illegal for women to act in theatres, so audiences were used to seeing men performing in female attire.

Copying Commedia

Commedia dell’arte was a broad type of comic performance popular in Italy between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, which is said to be the forerunner of our traditional pantomime. Based on ‘stock’ characters, the plots generally featured a pair of lovers, a mischievous servant, a clown or pierrot character and a money-grabbing old man.

While pantomime’s young lovers have changed little from Commedia dell’arte days, some of the other characters have been reworked to fit different plots. The clown is still with us in the shape of daft but lovable Simple Simon

or Wishee Washee, while Cinderella’s footman Buttons is a pale reflection of the Commedia’s high-spirited servants. Finally, the stock character of the old man appears variously as the foolish Baron Hardup (Cinderella), the villainous Fleshcreep (Jack and the Beanstalk) and the power-hungry Abanazar (Aladdin).

less popular parts of the Harlequinade but kept the transformation scene, where Harlequin waved his magic baton (nowadays a fairy wand) to show fairytale characters and scenes dramatically changing before the audience’s eyes.

By the Victorian era the Harlequinade had become the two-act pantomime we would recognise today.

In the seventeenth century, British theatre borrowed some of Commedia’s characters to create an early type of pantomime known as a ‘Harlequinade’.

But pantomime as we know it today was created when audiences began to demand more and more spectacle.

Canny theatre producers discarded the

By Kate McClelland

Harlequinade to pantomime

So pantomime goes on, changing year on year to suit current tastes, but in many respects remaining true to its earliest origins. It’s the one theatre entertainment that can successfully play to an audience aged between two and ninety-two, but will it continue to do so for centuries to come? Oh, yes it will!

Page 17

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Page 21

GARDENING

The Rock Garden Is Alive…

If you have ever dreamed of Sound of Music landscapes, then create your own! A garden mountain range might not be possible, but you may have space for your very own rock garden.

So what do you need to do?

You’ll need to choose a fairly sunny spot, ideally away from overhanging deciduous trees – most alpine plants like a fair bit of light and detest becoming clogged up with deteriorating leaves.

Even if space is limited, make the rock garden on as large a scale as possible, for more impact and planting opportunities, and a more realistic feel.

If possible include gullies running down the rock garden, perhaps ending in a pond or pool, by arranging rocks so that water can run over or between them.

Where the water runs beneath rocks (rather the over them) you should use guttering or drainage pipes that are 22

hidden by soil or rock outcrops.

Get yourself a good selection of rock from local or mail-order suppliers and don’t be tempted to use old chunks of concrete – the end result will look like a rubble pile with plants!

Use a pile of rubble or broken bricks to create the classic mound shape – this will be hidden by the good-looking rocks. The rubble pile also ensures good drainage; alpines typically hate being too wet.

Use upturned turves on top of the mound, laid grassy side down. Then add a layer of sandy soil, to a depth of about 30cm (12in), over the top of the turves; these prevent the soil from slipping down amongst the rocks.

Then, using string and pegs, mark out where you want each outcrop of rock.

Once the soil is well-firmed, use a spade or a trowel to dig out a hole for each

rock; this keeps the rocks securely embedded so they won’t shift even in heavy rain.

Use smaller bits of stone beneath the rocks to wedge them firmly. Add more soil over these bits of stone and then more soil between the rocks when they are in position. Water well to settle the soil, topping up if necessary.

to make a planting hole, then remove the pot, pop the plant in the hole, and fill in around it with some compost. When you have finished planting you can topdress the soil surface with good-looking horticultural grit or gravel.

By Pippa Greenwood

Visit Pippa’s website www.pippa greenwood.com and you’ll find some Alpine plants are available in nurseries great gardening items: Nemaslug and and garden centres now, but just choose controls to sort out lawn infestations a few – buying more throughout next and other great natural pest controls, spring and summer will give you an stylish cloches, practical and pretty array of alpines to provide flowers and plant supports, the fantastic SpeedHoe, interest throughout most of the year. gardening tools, planters, Grower Frames, signed books and more!

Arrange your plants, still in their pots, on the surface of the soil. When you are Or why not book Pippa for a gardening talk at your gardening club? happy with how they look, use a trowel

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Spiced pumpkin cheesecake Rich, creamy and spiced with cinnamon, this autumnal cheesecake is best baked the day before serving.

Ready in 2 hours, plus cooling and chilling | Serves 8

Ingredients

200g digestive biscuits, finely crushed 85g unsalted butter, melted 500g full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature 100g caster sugar

75g light soft brown sugar 3 large eggs, beaten

425g can pumpkin puree 2 tsp vanilla extract

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

TIP

Raspberry sauce, to serve (see TIP)

24

Grease a 20cm round spring-form tin and line the base with baking paper. Mix together the crushed biscuits and melted butter and press into the base of the tin. Chill in the fridge whilst making the filling. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas mark 2.

Beat the soft cheese, caster sugar and 55g of the light soft brown sugar together in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Place the pumpkin puree in a separate bowl and beat with the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon until smooth. Fold into the cheesecake mixture until thoroughly combined. Spoon the mixture over the biscuit base and gently level the surface. Sprinkle over the rest of the brown sugar.

Bake the cheesecake on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 1¼ -1½ hours until the filling is just set. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside until cold, then chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. Serve sliced drizzled with raspberry sauce.

For a quick raspberry sauce, push 200g fresh raspberries through a fine-holed sieve (discarding the pulp left in the sieve). Stir in 25g icing sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Your local EVENTS GUIDE AUTUMN WILDLIFE TRAIL Ongoing until 25 Oct, from 10am, Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe. Children can follow a new wildlife footprint trail around the grounds to find out about the creatures that call our countryside home.

Incl. with general admission.

LITERATURE FESTIVAL 4 - 15 Oct, Cheltenham www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/ literature/ ANGLO AMERICAN AUTUMN CLASSIC 5 & 6 October, First car on the track 8.30am both days, Finishes around 5.30pm, Prescott Speed Hill Climb. Great family day out: Top class racing, American Car Displays, 2 for 1 - All American Cars, Live bands & entertainment, The World's Oldest Wall of Death, Race Season Finale with a party vibe. U14s go free with paying adult. prescott-hillclimb.com

ROUTE 61 BLUES BAND 5 Oct, 7.30pm, The Moats, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PG. A Gloucestershirebased 5-piece blues band comprising well-seasoned and experienced musicians.

Free entry. T: 01684294364 GUIDED BATTLEFIELD WALK. 6 October, 2pm, Meet at Abbey Lawns car park, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury. T: 01684 855040 SANDFORD PARKS LIDO EVENTS Keynsham Rd, Cheltenham,

GL53 7PU. 6 Oct: The Devil's Aquathlon and Devil's 2K Swim 12 Oct: Dog Swim - Saturday 13 Oct: Dog Swim - Sunday For more information visit www.sandfordparkslido.org.uk TEWKESBURY MOP FAIR 9 & 10 Oct, 4 - 10.30pm, Tewkesbury Town Centre The biggest street fair in the West returns with traditional rides and stalls complemented with the very latest thrill rides.

Fun for all ages. Car parking will be provided. Note: The Town Centre Main Car Parks (off Oldbury Road) will not be available during the Fair. T: 01684 855040 ART LECTURE 10 Oct, 2pm, Highnam Community Centre (Gambier Parry Hall), GL2 8DG. Thomas Gainsborough transformed British art and remains one of its most beloved figures. Visitors welcome. T: 01684 833701

AUTUMN DIESEL WEEKEND 12 & 13 Oct, Toddington station. Diesel running weekend featuring a fleet of 50+year-old heritage diesel locomotives.

For details: www.gwsr.com FRIGHTMARE 12, 18, 19, 24-26, 30 & 31 Oct, Over Farm Market, GL2 8DB A 12A rated event. All children aged 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Tickets: £22. Ample free parking www.frightmare.co.uk/ CHELTENHAM MEMORY WALK. 13 Oct, Event opens

at 10am, walk starts at 11am, Pittville Park, East Approach Drive, Cheltenham, GL52 3JE Sponsored walk for all ages and abilities to raise money to defeat dementia. Registration £10pp, fundraising target of £160. Includes walker t-shirt and finisher's medal. T: 0300 330 5452 MUSICAL AFTERNOON TEA 13 Oct, 3 - 6pm, Watson Hall, Barton Street, Tewkesbury Tewkesbury Town Band.

Tickets: £7. T: 01684 291675

AFTERNOON STROLL 14 Oct, 2pm meet at Warders Alley (beside M&Co, High Street). Stroll around the lanes & alleys of Tewkesbury. £2.50.

COTSWOLDS FOOD & DRINK FAYRE 19 & 20 Oct, Toddington station car park & Winchcombe station Over 40 exhibitors. Trains will run throughout the day (two steam trains, one diesel hauled train). Free parking at Cheltenham Race Course, Toddington and Winchcombe stations. Free admission to the fayre. www.gwsr.com THE WITCH FINDER 19 Oct, 11am - 12pm, The Old Baptist Chapel, Old Chapel Court, Church Street. A Talk by John Putley of Gloucestershire Archives. www.johnmooremuseum.org STARLIGHT HIKE 19 Oct, 7pm - 12am, St Edward's prep School, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham A night to remember. Shine

Page 25

bright in memory of loved ones on this 10k walk and support Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice. To sign up, call 01242 24162, email leckhampton.events@ sueryder.org or visit www. sueryder.org/LeckhamptonSLH. TEWKESBURY MODEL TOY & TRAIN COLLECTORS FAIR 20 Oct, 10.30am - 2pm, Tewkesbury School, Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury GL20 8DF. T:01270652773 CLEEVE CONCERTS 20 Oct, 7.30pm, Tithe Barn, Bishop's Cleeve China Crisis: The boys bring their RETROspective tour & perform all their hits. Tickets from 0333 666 3366 or www.cleeveconcerts.com.

GRAND CHARITY AUCTION 25 Oct, The Wilson Gallery, Cheltenham Drinks, canapés and the opportunity to bid on some spectacular bids. Auctioneer: Phil Allwood from Moore Allen and Innocent. Tickets £21.83 from www.lincfund.org.

DISCOVERING BATS 26 Oct, The Old Baptist Chapel, Old Chapel Court, Church Street. Live Animal Event; 4 sessions to choose from. johnmooremuseum.org

ENCHANTED SUDELEY 26 Oct - 3 Nov, from 10am, Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe Follow a magical fairy tale trail through the castle and gardens while discovering scenes from a host of famous stories from Grimm’s fairy tales. Included with general admission.

HALLOWEEN STEAM AND SCREAM 26 & 27 Oct, Winchcombe 26

Station. Join the ‘Spooky Special’ train at Broadway, Toddington or Cheltenham Race Course Station and get in the mood with a special Halloween quiz on the train.

Lots of Halloween-themed fun, incl. arts and crafts and fancy dress - come dresses for the occassion. www.gwsr.com

November

BREDON QUILTERS EXHIBITION & SALE OF CRAFTS. 2 Nov, 10am - 4pm, Bredon Village Hall. Free admission, refreshments available.

In support of Cystic Fibrosis.

TEWKESBURY BONFIRE NIGHT & FIREWORKS 2 Nov, 6 - 9pm, Vineyards Field (behind Tewkesbury Abbey), GL20 5PG. Bonfire (6.30pm), Fireworks (7pm), Refreshments and children's amusements.

Adjacent car parking. Free event; donations to charity collection welcome. Hosted

by Tewkesbury Rotary Club.

GUIDED BATTLEFIELD WALK. 3 November, 2pm, Meet at Abbey Lawns car park, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury. T: 01684 855040

COME AND SING WITH CLEEVE CHORALE 9 Nov, 9.45am, St Michael & All Angels Church, Bishop’s Cleeve. Rehearse and perform Haydn’s Creation with Musical Director Heather Parker. Incl. a light lunch and tea & cake.

Scores will be provided. Tickets: £15 (£5 for full-time students) or just come to the performance at 3pm for £5. Tickets available from 01242 674114, George Lewis Footwear or on the door.

Regular events

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.

DANCE WITH PARKINSON'S Tuesdays, 1.15pm, Marina Court, Trafalgar Rd, Tewkesbury, GL20 5AY. £5 per session, incl. refreshments.

A friend or carer can come too for a £1 suggested donation towards costs. 01242 603207 for details. Term-time only.

MEMORY CAFÉ 4th Wed/month, 2 - 4pm, Tewkesbury Day Centre, Station Road. For those with memory problems and their carers/companions.

Tea and cakes. Free entry.

Tel. 01684 296238 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

WINCHCOMBE GUIDED WALKS. Every Sunday until end of Oct, 11am & 2.30pm, Starting at the Winchcombe TIC. Covering history of the area, 1–1¼ hours, under 1mile.

New volunteer guides welcome. 01242 602925, winchcombetic@tewkesbury.gov.uk.

Shopping

ANNUAL GIFT & CRAFT FAIR 26 - 27 Oct, Nature in Art, Twigworth, GL2 9PA. www.natureinart.org.uk

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. T: 01684 855040 GENERAL RETAIL MARKET. Weds & Saturdays, 9am - 3.30pm, Spring Gardens Car Park, Oldbury Rd, Tewkesbury, GL20 5DN. More info Dave Joynes, 01386 840138.

TEWKESBURY HIGH STREET MARKET 20 Oct, 10am - 4pm, www.cotswoldmarkets.com

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01242 251700 or 07967193966 Page 27

The Seven Tuns celebrates one year of success with Oktoberfest-style birthday party This autumn, The Seven Tuns in Chedworth is bringing a little bit of Oktoberfest magic to the Cotswolds to celebrate the gastro pub's first anniversary.

The four-day event will take place from Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th October (inclusive) and will include live entertainment from various local bands, including Stromboli, a special BBQ specialising in all manner of locally sourced produce and meats from the South West, and access to an Oktoberfest-themed outdoor seating area, complete with log burners and traditional pub games (backgammon, boules, etc.) for the guests to enjoy.

Co-owner of The Seven Tuns, Simon WillsonWhite, explains: “Our Oktoberfest-style birthday celebration is certainly going to appeal to lots of you. It’s not just about speciality beers and ales, it’s also about celebrating good wholesome food made with local and seasonal produce.

The perfect combo for a great pub and a great birthday knees up!”

Simon continues: “Our aim was always to bring our international experience to the Cotswolds and put Chedworth back on the gastro pub map.

We now pride ourselves in being not only an award-winning pub but also - through word of mouth - the friendliest pub in the Cotswolds.”

A special selection of beers will also be provided by the Cotswold Brew Company throughout the Oktoberfest-style weekend (Bavarian tankards to the ready).

Over the four-day event, there will be a special Cotswold-style Oktoberfest menu for the pub’s à la carte restaurant which prides itself in a 30-mile radius menu as well as an impressive bar menu which offers quirky pub favourites such as pulled beef chilli tacos and black pudding sausage roll.

28

The Seven Tuns, located in Chedworth, opened its’ doors on 19th October 2018 after extensive renovation and since then has grown from strength to strength greeting no less than 50,000 visitors through its doors and serving no less than 18,000 covers in that time.

Tom Conway of Nobu, Criterion on Piccadilly and The Potting Shed fame, and Simon Willson-White, formally of The Ivy and The Ritz, together converted a once run-down 17th century Cotswold pub into a mecca for fine dining and wholesome pub grub.

Tom’s passion for sustainability and sourcing seasonal produce has seen him working with local suppliers, using every part of the animal with a genuine ‘field to fork’ ethic.

Food and wine pairings have been championed

by Simon. They play a key part in the pub’s ethos with various tastings taking place throughout the year.

The Seven Tuns is simply brimming with character and over the year has proved to be a firm favourite with the locals and connoisseurs of the gastro pub scene. As a dog-friendly pub it’s also on the radar for walkers, ramblers and horse-riding fans.

For more information visit www.seventuns. co.uk. To make a reservation call 01285 720 630.

The Seven Tuns The Seven Tuns

Award-winning pub in the Award-winning pub in the heart of the Cotswolds heart of the Cotswolds offering fine dining, offering fine dining, locally sourced and seasonal locally sourced and seasonal pub grub and an extensive pub grub and an extensive wine list to suit all budgets wine list to suit all budgets and palettes. and palates.

For more information visit 01285 720630

www.seventuns.co.uk For more information visit

www.seventuns.co.uk Page 29

AERIALS & SATELLITES Digital & Satellite Systems ANTIQUES Patrick Oliver Antiques APPLIANCES Godsell's Discount A. AUCTIONEERS Smiths of Newent

2 13 7 15

BUILDING & HANDYMAN SERVICES LB Services 2 Tewkesbury Exterior Painting 5 S. R.S Property Maintenance 5 BUSINESS PARKS Compoton Green B. Park CAR & BIKE REPAIRS Bod's Custom Cycles Ltd V-Hub MOT Centre V-Hub Services CARPETS & FLOORING Goodrum Carpets Ledbury Carpets CHARITIES & GROUPS Cheltenham Lions Club CURTAINS & BLINDS Chosen Curtains Sheila's Shutters

11 9 27 7 27 17 6 13 23

DECLUTTERING SERVICES Mutha Clutta 21

ELECTRICIANS David Richards Electrical LB Services

11 2

ESTATE AGENTS Steve Gooch Estate Agents 19 EVENTS The Seven Tuns Oktoberfest 28&29 Treorchy Male Choir Concert 6 FENCING Colour Fence

FOOD & DRINK The Seven Tuns

back page

FUNERAL DIRECTORS Alexander Burn

28&29 27

GARDENING & LANDSCAPING Cheltenham Town Landscaping & Driveway Services 4 Highnam Landscaping 19 James Bubb 20 HEALTH Fothergill Foot Clinic

31

HEATING & PLUMBING LB Services 2 Town & Country Heating & Plumbing 9 KITCHENS & WARDROBES Fresh Doors 7 LB Services 2

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. Love Local Magazines do 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.

LEGAL & FINANCIAL SERVICES Dee & Griffin Solicitors

13

MOTORING, REPAIRS & MOTS Bod's Custom Cycles Ltd 9 V-Hub MOT Centre 27 V-Hub Services 7 MUSIC & INSTRUMENTS Strummers 11 REMOVAL & STORAGE Compoton Green B. Park Swift Removals & Storage ROOFING LB Services SD Roofing Tewkesbury Roofing SKIP HIRE Newent Skips Ltd

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Scouts Volunteer Drivers WINDOWS, DOORS & CONSERVATORIES Shane Howells

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE SOLUTION (p.9)

Advertisers index

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Pattern on bird Beaver mouth Red Fox Nose Yellow bird missing 5. Beaver on the left 6. Hole in tree 7. Bird on head 8. Fox eyes 9. Small beaver gone 10. Leaves

To include your business in the November issue call 01242 388 366 or email Anne@lovelocalmagazines.co.uk. We publish 6 magazines in the Gloucestershire area.

Driving

Going Dutch

First introduced in the Netherlands, where it is now part of their driving test, road safety bodies in the UK are promoting the technique of using your LEFT hand to open the driver’s door.

This action means you will naturally turn your head to the right and thus look back over your shoulder for oncoming, or passing, cyclists.

The Dutch Reach, as it’s called, has been endorsed by a major UK private-hire firm, who now incorporate it into their driver training, and Olympic cycling gold-medallist Laura Kenny.

And I can see why Laura would lend her name to this door-opening method: last year a survey of 2,000 cyclists found that over 60% either had personal experience of a car door being opened in their path or knew someone who had. Just over half of those surveyed had sustained an injury as a result, some requiring hospital attention.

In the last couple of years there have been changes to the Driving Test in order, it’s said, “to bring it into line with today’s road conditions”. Perhaps, with the increase in cycling, which is no bad thing, the Government should consider introducing this door-opening technique into the driving test?

It may seem trivial, but we are taught to look over our right shoulder before entering the carriageway, so why not do the same for when we exit the vehicle?

In the meantime, incorporating the Dutch Reach into your driving might just save a cyclist?

By Iain Betson

Page 31

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