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CHELTENHAM MAN LED £2.2M MONEY LAUNDERING RING Eight people have been convicted after £2.2m was laundered through Post Office branches, with two Gloucester men jailed in the final sentences handed down at Bristol Crown Court
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EIGHT people have been convicted following a £2.2 million money laundering operation led by a Cheltenham man who recruited seven others to launder criminal cash. Patrick White, 31, from Spa Road, and Thomas Dainty, 31, from Beckford Close, Abbeymead, were jailed at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 14th August after pleading guilty to their roles in the organised crime group. White was handed three years and eight months in prison, while Dainty was sentenced to two years and nine months. The pair had laundered more than £300,000 through Post Office branches in Gloucestershire and Bristol as part of the wider operation.
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Cheltenham Post
News Cheltenham Post AROUND THE COUNTY news from Gloucestershire Contact us Commercial Director Mark Cuzner mark@cheltenhampost.co.uk
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Where to find us You can pick up your copy of the Cheltenham Post in many shops and leisure places throughout the town. We also have stands at your local supermarkets listed below; Arle Court Transport Hub Asda Superstore, Hatherley Lane Co-Op, Leckhampton Road Co-Op, Bath Road, Leckhampton Co-Op, Salisbury Avenue Cheltenham General Hospital Cheltenham Spa Train Station East End Garage, Charlton Kings Morrisons, Caernarvon Road Up Hatherley Sainsburys, Gallagher Retail Park Sainsburys, Priors Road, Oakley Tesco Superstore, Collets Drive Tesco, Church Road Bishops Cleeve We are also at selected other Co-Op stores as well as many 1000s delivered door-to-door on a rotation basis every two weeks.
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Man and woman who admitted killing two men and drugging two others are jailed A MAN and a woman who fatally drugged two men and poisoned two others before stealing from them have each been jailed for 17 years. Following a joint investigation by Gloucestershire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police, Adina Mihai and Madalin Dumitru pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of two men, aged 80 and 37 at a hearing at Oxford Crown Court on 24th June. The pair, both formerly of Ilford in Essex, also each admitted two further counts of administering poison. The court heard how Mihai, aged 31, and Dumitru, aged 30, arranged to meet men who had been seeking sexual services between August 2024 and July 2025. The pair took payment from the victims, for sexual services that they did not intend to provide. After arriving at victims’ homes, Mihai would secretly spike their drinks with gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) - a substance that converts into the sedative GHB when in the body - to render them unconscious before stealing items such as watches and aftershave. Two men died, as a result of this, while two others survived. Malcolm King, aged 80 and from Bagendon near Cirencester, was found dead in his property on 21st August 2024, and 37-year-old Gary Mouat was found dead at his property in Banbury on 13th July last year (2025). Following a post-mortem examination, detectives from Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit ascertained Mihai had poisoned Mr Mouat with GBL after secretly adding it to an alcoholic drink. While Mihai was at Mr Mouat’s address, Dumitru sent her a text in Romanian, which was translated to: “OK put [him] to sleep.” Dumitru then texted Mihai: “See if he has a watch, something else, jewellery, etc., more important.” Through forensic links, this led Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Major Crime Investigation Team to conduct further enquiries into Mr King’s death, which was initially deemed to be nonsuspicious due to a pre-existing health condition he had. Further toxicology tests revealed Mihai had also poisoned Mr King with GBL. Detectives subsequently discovered two surviving victims from across the south of England,
KILLERS: Adina Mihai and Madalin Dumitru.
PICTURES: Thames Valley Police
who Mihai and Dumitru had drugged and stolen from. The pair were arrested on 31st July last year and charged on 6th August last year following Mr Mouat’s death. Mihai and Dumitru were further charged on 24th April this year (2026) in relation to Mr King’s death. Before Mihai and Dumitru were sentenced at Oxford Crown Court today, the court heard a Victim Impact Statement read by Mr. King’s daughter which described the impact of their crimes: “When my father was killed, the defendants did not only end his future. “They stole mine as well. That is something no sentence can ever return. It is a loss that I will carry for the rest of my life.” The court also heard from Mr Mouat’s wife, Louise, who said her family’s life had ‘changed forever’. “I had to tell my eight-year-old son that his daddy had died; someone who should have been around to watch him grow up was gone,” she said: “I will never forget the scream that came from him when he realised his daddy was gone forever; he dropped to the floor and begged me to say it wasn’t true.” Mrs Mouat added: “You’ve destroyed my present and taken away my future; you’ve taken away the plan for Gary and me to grow our family.”
“Sadly, Malcolm King and Gary Mouat lost their lives as a result of their actions and our thoughts remain with their families. “I am glad that these dangerous people are behind bars and cannot inflict any more pain and suffering. “We believe there are more men out there who may have encountered Mihai in similar circumstances, and who were drugged and had possessions stolen from them. “I would urge these men to contact police and would like to reassure them that their report will be dealt with sensitively and discreetly." Thames Valley Police Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Michael Roddy, of its Major Crime Unit, said: “Adina Mihai and Madalin Dumitru deliberately exploited men for financial gain, showing a complete disregard for the devastating consequences of their actions. “Their offending was calculated, predatory and ultimately cost two innocent men their lives. “Today's sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes, and I hope it provides a measure of justice to the victims, their families and all those affected by the actions of Mihai and Dumitru.”
The court also heard a statement from Mr Mouat’s nine-year-old son: “Ever since my dad died my life has been really tough. I miss him every day and will never get to see him again. “I will never be able to get another dad and that makes me feel so sad. You have ruined my life and all the plans we had to do things together. My family is destroyed now.” His statement ended with: “I will never get over my dad being killed, I will never forget him and I will miss him for the rest of my life. I hope I make him proud.” Sentencing Mihai and Dumitru, Her Honourable Mrs Justice Brunner KC told them: “It ought to have been obvious to you that to administer a covert, uncontrolled dose of such a serious substance to strangers you knew nothing about was a risk to their lives. “You left each victim alone in deep unconsciousness and a moment's thought could and should have led to the realisation that they might never come around.” Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Adam Stacey, of its Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Mihai and Dumitru are callous individuals who gambled with the lives of their victims by intentionally incapacitating them with a dangerous drug before stealing from them, and leaving them unconscious and alone.
Information can be submitted by completing the following online form and quoting 53260063954: www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/ tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-aboutexisting-case-report/
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Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
Eight jailed over £2.2m money laundering operation
News
Continued from front page They also pleaded guilty to drugs offences, with both men admitting being concerned in the supply of class A drug cocaine, while Dainty also admitted being concerned in the supply of class B drug cannabis. The money laundering operation was led by Guiseppe Sangiovanni, 35, from Belworth Drive in Cheltenham. He was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison in April after admitting recruiting one woman and six men to launder £2.2 million, which was immediately converted into cryptocurrency. When officers searched his flat, they seized £30,000 cash found on top of his fridge, a display case of Rolex watches, a Porsche and designer clothing. Sara Buffin, 43, from Valley Gardens, Quedgeley, was also found to have played a significant role, laundering more than £1 million. She was sentenced in February to three years in prison. In total, the group made 1,168 transactions over four months, laundering between £93,000 and £1 million individually. Sangiovanni himself paid in cash totalling £80,000. All eight offenders were arrested by officers from the South West Regional Crime Unit (SWROCU), supported by Gloucestershire Constabulary, in February 2022. Peter Highway, who led the SWROCU investigation, said:
FRAUDSTERS: from left, Sara Buffin, Guiseppe Sangiovanni, Thomas Dainty, Patrick White. PICTURES: Gloucestershire Police
“Our investigation started following an alert about suspicious cash deposits into bank accounts using 28 Post Office branches and two bank paying-in machines in our region. “Through painstaking analysis of hundreds of transactions and work to obtain information from numerous countries, we were able to evidence the extent of Sangiovanni’s operation and the involvement of those he recruited. “Ultimately, Sangiovanni was making money by laundering – and getting others to launder – criminals’ cash for them, which is likely to have derived from crimes committed in the Cheltenham and Gloucestershire areas. “While criminals will always need to seek ways to launder
their dirty money, this case shows the ability we have, working with the financial services industry, to target those who are enabling that to happen. By laundering money for other criminals, they are complicit and we can and will bring them to justice for that. “We are now working to secure confiscation orders for the cash and assets seized from Sangiovanni, Buffin and others.” Four other men, all from Gloucestershire, were handed suspended sentences in February 2026.
Woman assaulted near the Promenade POLICE are appealing for witnesses and footage after a woman was assaulted in Cheltenham. The woman was reportedly grabbed by the throat and verbally abused by a man near the Queens Hotel on The Promenade between 4.30pm and 5pm on Friday, 21st August. Members of the public
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restrained the man after seeing what happened. A man in his 50s was subsequently arrested on suspicion of common assault. He has since been released on conditional bail while officers continue their enquiries. Police believe the incident may have been filmed by members of the public and are
appealing for anyone who witnessed what happened or has footage to come forward. Anyone with information or footage which could assist the investigation is asked to complete the online form at www.gloucestershire.police.u k/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-usabout-existing-case-report/qu oting occurrence number 53260072445.
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Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
News
Developer fined for axing protected Cheltenham Oak A HOUSING developer has been ordered to pay more than £6,000 in fines and legal costs after pleading guilty to cutting down a protected oak tree in Cheltenham. Cheltenham Borough Council has successfully secured a legal prosecution against Churcham Homes Holdings Ltd following the unlawful felling of the mature tree. The incident took place at the Greenway Park development - formerly known as Cromwell Court located on Greenway Lane. The case concluded at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on 17th August 2026. Local authority officials stated the conviction
underscores the council's strict commitment to preserving the town's natural heritage and green infrastructure. Churcham Homes Holdings Ltd pleaded guilty to the offence of removing an oak tree safeguarded by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) without the necessary consent. The destruction was a direct violation under section 210(1) of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990. The court ordered the developer to pay a fine of £3,000, which was reduced to £2,000 in mitigation due to their early guilty plea. However, the firm was also ordered to pay an £800 victim surcharge alongside
full council prosecution costs amounting to £3,362.52, bringing the final financial penalty to
£6,162.52. The unauthorised felling occurred directly on the building site during
development works by Churcham Homes. Council leaders hope the decisive legal action serves as a stark warning and an effective deterrent to potential future violations by builders in the area. Councillor Paul Baker, cabinet member for planning and building control, welcomed the magistrates' verdict and warned that environmental damage would not be overlooked. “This prosecution sends a clear message that Cheltenham Borough Council will not tolerate illegal acts that harm our environment. “The importance of trees, especially mature trees,
cannot be understated and we will continue to work diligently to protect these wonderful assets and ensure that developers understand the importance of adhering to environmental regulations. Members of the public can often be our eyes and ears so please do report such incidents, they will be fully investigated.” The successful local authority prosecution was mounted with the assistance of the council’s Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit alongside One Legal, a shared legal service. The council has extended its formal gratitude to both partner agencies for their contributions to securing the conviction.
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Friday 11th September 2026
Cheltenham Post
News
In the dock! The following cases have all been heard recently at Cheltenham Magistrates Court: Christopher James, 30, of Leckhampton Road, Cheltenham, admitted having an axe and a hatchet in a public place, the Wheatsheaf pub in the town, on 31st May this year. He was sentenced to an 18month community order with mental health treatment and ordered to take part in up to 25 rehab activity days. He was also ordered not to drink alcohol for 180 days. The magistrates banned him from going to the Wheatsheaf for a year and ordered him to pay £85 costs. The axe and hatchet were ordered to be destroyed. Tiago Almeida, 34, of Swindon Road, Cheltenham, who admitted 23 shoplifting offences which netted him more than £3,000 worth of goods, was jailed for a total of 26 weeks. As well as the repeated thefts from Tesco’s, Smyth’s, Holland & Barrett, Waitrose, Angling Direct, and Sainsbury’s, Almeida was also convicted of one attempted theft, two offences of assault, two of breaching a restraining order, one of criminal damage, one of possessing cocaine and two of breaching bail. His offences dated from March last year to July this year. His thefts targeted Lego sets from Tesco’s and Smyth’s and audio speakers from John Lewis. Antony Davis, 47, of Arle Road, Cheltenham, was placed on a one year community order after admitting that he stole perfumes worth a total of £1,209 from two stores in the town. He was also ordered to attend up to 15 rehabilitation activity days. Davis pleaded guilty to theft of £1,071-90 worth of perfume sets from Boots, Gallagher Retail Park, on 3rd November 2024 and Ralph Lauren perfume worth £138 from John Lewis in Cheltenham on 26th August last year. He asked for one further offence to be taken into consideration. The magistrates ordered him to pay compensation totalling £673.95. Amin Laazari, 30, of Prestbury Road, Cheltenham, was remanded in custody to await trial at Gloucester Crown Court on charges of raping a woman,
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intentional strangling on two occasions, and using controlling and co-ercive behaviour towards a female. He also faces a charge of criminal damage. The charges date between August 2023 and August this year. He will make his first appearance before Gloucester Crown Court on 25th September. Leon Gratton, 44, of Ullswater Road, Up Hatherley, admitted stealing £620 worth of goods from Sainsbury’s in Cheltenham on 3rd March this year. He was bailed until 25th September for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. It is a condition of bail that he must not enter Sainsbury’s. Steven Aubrey, 39, of Thames Road, Cheltenham, admitted stealing a number of steaks from the Co-op in Winchcombe on 9th January this year. The magistrates ordered him to pay compensation of £166 but imposed no other penalty and made no order for costs. Carl Gerrard, 37, of Wool Lane, Dursley, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police constable in the execution of his duty in Cheltenham on 3rd April this year. He admitted failing to provide a breath sample to the police on the same date. He was bailed till 21st October for trial on the assault charge. Wayne Marks, 48, of Yarnolds Terrace, Cheltenham, who is charged with stealing a quantity of antique coins from their owner in Cheltenham on 7th January this year, was committed to Gloucester Crown Court for jury trial. He was granted unconditional bail pending his first appearance at the higher court on 22nd September. Jay Harrison, 23, of Naunton Road, Gloucester, admitted speeding at more than 70mph on the A40 Golden Valley by-pass between Gloucester and Cheltenham on 24th May last year and was fined £281 with 4 penalty points. He was also ordered to pay £130 costs and a £112 surcharge. Saffron Snow, 40, of Heather Drive, Brockworth, is charged with driving a Kia
Magentis car on Hubble Road, Cheltenham, on 21st December last year without third party insurance or a valid licence. At the request of her defence the case was adjourned until 30th November this year because she was unable to arrange appropriate qualified care for a special needs child on the date of the scheduled hearing (August 24th). The court warned that if she does not attend the next hearing the case will proceed in her absence. Cyril Puthussery, 37, of Orchard Way, Cheltenham, admitted driving a Toyota Prius in Gloucester without a valid licence on 11th May 2025. He also faces a charge of having no third party insurance for the vehicle at the time. His case was adjourned till 30th November for him to plead to the insurance charge. The magistrates said the case could go ahead in his absence if he does not attend then. Nicola Page, 39, of Merriville Road, Cheltenham, admitted two shoplifting offences and was bailed until 22nd September for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. She pleaded guilty to stealing perfume worth £190 from John Lewis on 19th June last year and taking washing products valued at £23.92 from B&M Home Store, Tewkesbury Road, on 4th July 2025. She was granted bail on condition she lives and sleeps each night at her home address pending sentence. Jake Le Vance, 26, of West Lodge Drive, Gloucester, was unconditionally bailed until 15th February next year on a charge of assaulting a woman causing her actual bodily harm at Waitrose in Cheltenham on 26th May last year. He will face a trial estimated to last two and a half hours on that day. Gregory Hallam, 38, of Clarence Square, Cheltenham, was bailed till 23rd September on charges of: stealing a hammer worth £34.99 from Tivoli Trading in Andover Road on 19th May this year; breaching a criminal behaviour order by entering the Tivoli Trading
Store; and failing to comply with the conditions of a sex offender order. He is also accused of not notifying a change of address within three days, as required by the order. It is a condition of his bail that he must not enter Tivoli Trading. Terence Green, 48, of Grove Street, Cheltenham, admitted the theft of a ‘number of items’ from a Mid Counties Co-op store in Cheltenham on 29th January this year. He was fined £100 and ordered to pay £85 costs.. Vincent Smith, 48, of Cartwright Road, Churchdown, is charged with stealing sand, clothing and other goods worth a total of £405 from B&Q in Gloucester on 10th June last year. He was unconditionally bailed till 6th October so that CCTV clips can be provided to his defence. Sam Swift, 33, of Princess Elizabeth Way, Cheltenham, admitted two offences of stealing food from Texaco Cheltenham Filling Station on 18th and 24th April this year. He took a £1.90 sausage roll on one occasion and unspecified food items on the other occasion. He was sentenced to be detained at the court for the rest of the day and ordered to pay £11.90 compensation and £85 costs. James Orton, 40, of Hawthorn Road, Cheltenham, admitted stealing a handbag worth £450 from a shop in Cheltenham on 24th July last year. He asked for other similar offences to be taken into consideration. He was sentenced to a 4-week jail term suspended for six months and ordered to pay compensation totalling £1,602. The magistrates said they were not jailing him immediately because there was evidence that he is now clean of drugs, he has not offended again and this was an opportunity to continue his good progress. But they said his offending was aggravated by his previous convictions, the high value of the goods stolen and the fact that he returned to the same premises to steal again.
Carl Waterworth, 42, of Hawbush Road, Brierley Hill, Dudley, is charged with driving a BMW car on Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, on 6th February this year without insurance or a licence. The charges allege his licence was revoked by the Secretary of State 10 years ago. A warrant was issued for his arrest. Joshua Lines, 28, of no fixed address, who is charged with stealing £83.40 worth of food from Sainsbury’s, Cheltenham, on 19th July this year, did not attend court and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Lucy Swift, 36, of Alstone, nr Tewkesbury, admitted driving a Peugeot 2008 on St Anne’s Terrace, Cheltenham, while more than twice over the alcohol limit on 21st June this year. She had 82mcgs of alcohol on her breath, the legal limit being 35mcgs. She was bailed till 28th September for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. Amy Patterson, 40, of Princess Elizabeth Way, admitted eight shoplifting offences in Cheltenham between March and December 2025. She was bailed unconditionally for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. She is due back before the court on 29th September. Patterson admitted that, jointly with a male person, she stole three times from the B&M Home Store in Cheltenham, three times from Farm Foods, once from the Co-op and once from Poundland. The goods stolen were mostly cleaning and washing products and food. James Wallin, 57, of Pitman Road, Cheltenham, who is charged with stealing a £22.19 joint of meat from M&S in Cheltenham on 19th February, did not attend court and a warrant without bail was issued for his arrest. Daniel Sterling, 58, of Constitution Street, South Leith, Edinburgh, who is charged with driving in Cheltenham without insurance and while over the limit for Cocaine and Benzoylecgonine, did not attend court and a warrant without bail was issued for his arrest. Sterling is alleged to have driven illegally in a
Skoda Kamiq on Gloucester Road, Cheltenham, on 11th February this year. Adrian Kruszynski, 28, c/o Arle Ave, Cheltenham, is charged with two thefts from the same Gloucester shop on the same date. He is alleged to have taken £25.35 worth of goods and then £27.25 worth from the One Stop Shop, High St, Gloucester, on 23rd December last year. He did not attend court to answer to the charges and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Jay Privett, 33, of Princess Elizabeth Way, Cheltenham, admitted driving with excess alcohol on his breath and being in possession of a locking knife in a public place. The offences were committed in Swindon Road, Cheltenham, on 22nd July this year when he was driving a Mercedes vehicle. He had a breath-alcohol reading of 52mcgs. The legal limit is 35mcgs. He was unconditionally bailed till 30th September for a presentence report to be prepared. Sophie Cox, 34, of Pitman Place, Cheltenham, who is accused of possessing a kitchen knife in public in Corinium Ave, Gloucester, on September 9th last year, was bailed unconditionally to await a two-and-a-half hour trial on 8th February 2027. James Hay, 29, of Winchcombe Street, Cheltenham, did not attend court to face a charge of stealing six Mystery Pop Vinyl boxes from HMV Cheltenham on 11th April this year. A warrant without bail was issued for his arrest. Alistair Gymer, 43, of Vittoria Road, Cheltenham, is accused of possessing a folding pocket knife in public at the White Hart Hotel, Winchcombe, on 12th March this year. He failed to attend court and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Robert Evans, 50, of Hawser Road, Mitton, nr Tewkesbury, admitted stealing a £100 coat from M&S in Cheltenham on 13th November last year. He was ordered to pay £100 compensation. The court did not impose any other penalty or order Evans to pay any costs.
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Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
Star line-up for Literary Festival
News Max Wilkinson MP
Liberal Democrats
Richard Osman, Mary Berry and Michael Rosen lead a star-studded 500-event programme as the world-famous festival prepares to take over Cheltenham this October CHELTENHAM will once again become a meeting place for readers, writers and storytellers when the Literature Festival returns next month - but organisers are keen to stress that visitors do not need a ticket to experience much of what is happening. The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival runs from October 9th to 18th, bringing more than 500 events to the town, with almost a third of the programme free to attend. Alongside headline appearances from authors and famous names including Richard Osman, Mary Berry, Ian Rankin, Caitlin Moran, David Olusoga and Michael Morpurgo, the festival will spread beyond the main Festival Village and into Cheltenham itself. Free activities will include family events, drop-in sessions, VOICEBOX events for younger adults and activities taking place around the town ahead of and during the festival. Times Radio will also broadcast live from Times Square, giving passers-by the chance to hear interviews and conversations without necessarily having a festival ticket. For families, there will be storytelling sessions at the Story Shack and creative activities in The Den, as well as a ‘Little People’, BIG DREAMS’ trail. The family programme includes more than 70 shows and workshops, ranging from animation and engineering to Aardman model-making, football, fantasy and live drawing. Among the names appearing for younger audiences are Michael Rosen, MC Grammar, Liz Pichon, Katie Kirby, Harriet Muncaster, Rob Biddulph and space scientist Maggie Aderin. The festival's organisers are also placing particular emphasis on encouraging children to read at a time when reading for pleasure is under pressure. More than 50 author talks and careers events are being offered through the Literature for Schools programme, covering
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Ian Rankin.
pupils from reception age through to sixth form. Cheltenham Festivals says its year-round Literature for Schools work reaches more than 12,000 schoolchildren, while its Reading Teachers = Reading Pupils programme celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. A new Reading for Families Project will also launch, aimed at encouraging reading beyond the classroom and into family life. This year's Big Read will provide another way for the wider community to get involved. The chosen title is The Correspondent by Virginia
Evans, winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction. The novel centres on letters, loneliness, connection and unexpected friendships. The book will provide the inspiration for Cheltenham Writes Back, an around-town literary trail created in collaboration with local artists UrbanCanvas. Handwritten fragments from a letter described as an "ode to the town" will appear around Cheltenham, while pop-up letter-writing stations will give residents and visitors the chance to add their own words. The contributions will form part of an installation at The Snug in collaboration with The Sunday Letter Project. The festival is also working with Gloucestershire's Year of Reading initiative, with organisers hoping the various projects will help make reading a more visible part of everyday life across the county. For young adults aged 18 to 30, VOICEBOX will return with a dedicated space and free programme covering subjects including new writing, pop culture, wellbeing and society. There will also be opportunities for aspiring
Richard Osman.
writers, with workshops covering subjects including historical fiction, pitching, selfediting and developing creative confidence. The festival's programme ranges from major literary figures and political debates to family activities and free events around town, meaning organisers hope it will appeal well beyond the traditional image of a literary festival. Public booking for the October festival opened on September 3rd. The full programme and booking information are available from Cheltenham Festivals.
THE health of our town centre is a big concern for Cheltenham people. Tackling crime and antisocial behaviour is inevitably going to be part of its long-term success. During the summer holidays there were reports of disorder among groups of teenagers, abuse and misogynistic behaviour towards women, and other incidents that left residents worried about safety. That’s not good enough. I have repeatedly raised concerns with various levels of authority about the care and future of the town centre. Consequently, I was pleased when our local police invited me to join officers on a walkabout in the High Street as part of Operation Shield. It was a valuable opportunity to see at first-hand some of the challenges facing the area and hear directly from those working to keep people safe. As well as police officers, I heard from people in the town centre and some shopkeepers too. One thing is clear: we will only be able to transform our town centre for the better if people feel safe when they are there. The police are playing an important role in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, but more needs to be done. Our councils are doing some excellent projects like the Golden Valley, Junction 10 and more besides – not least our brilliant parks and gardens. They deserve praise for that. But the town centre is too often an after-thought and sadly it shows. That must change urgently. Creating a thriving town centre needs proper focus from everyone with responsibility – including the Borough, the County and the police. Very soon, our new unitary Gloucestershire Council will
need to step up – it must not forget that most of the people who shop in and work in the town are not Cheltenham residents. And most of those people travel in from the rest of Gloucestershire. A failure of the current County Council and the future Unitary to understand that will inevitably lead to more problems. If and when we get a regional mayor, that person will need to take responsibility too. Although shop vacancy rates are below eight per cent, around half the national average, there are still significant challenges. The continuing uncertainty around Cavendish House and the recent closure of Decathlon show we have cause for concern. The poor state of areas such as The Strand and the County Council’s lack of action on ‘tarmac cowpats’ are very obvious ongoing worries. The Borough, County and BID’s work on the future design of the town centre is a positive. We now need to see a formal plan. Another key part of the solution is having more people living in the town centre. Empty, underused and quieter areas are often more vulnerable to certain types of crime and antisocial behaviour. Just look at the eyesore Town Centre East car park, which could and should have been redeveloped years ago. Transforming some of the vacant and underused spaces into new homes would help create a busier, safer and more vibrant town centre. We have the opportunity to make this happen through the next Local Plan. Drawing lines around fields on the edge of town is the easy option for any local planning team, but a proper focus on the town centre cannot be ignored.
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Friday 11th September 2026
Cheltenham Post
News Council Corner A decade of dreams; a day of delight! It was quite an occasion as the Petersfield Partnership, based at Saracens' Football Club, opened its new Community Hub. A community that for too long felt its voice was not heard has finally been listened to. Families, children, older residents, and carers now have a safe, welcoming space in the heart of their neighbourhood after a 10year journey of determination and belief. Work began a decade ago when St Peter’s and The Moors was awarded more than £1m through the national Big Local programme, managed by Local Trust and supported by National Lottery funding. The purpose was to put decision-making directly into the hands of local residents so they could decide how to improve their area. Over the years, that money funded a wide range of projects, including youth activities, green space improvements, and local events. However, as the programme developed, residents realized they wanted a lasting legacy not just individual projects, but a permanent place that would continue to serve the community long after the Big Local funding ended. The primary barrier preventing the community from growing stronger was the lack of a local meeting space. Saracens, Cheltenham Borough Council, and Big Local stepped in to take action, ensuring residents were involved at every stage. Community input was vital because this area has a very young population, with around 42% of residents aged 25 and under. This hub is about more than just bricks and mortar; it gives children somewhere positive to go, supports families, improves
Flo Clucas Chair of The Big Local wellbeing, and builds local pride. Residents made it clear what they needed. The new building will act as a real focal point, offering youth activities, parent and baby sessions, coffee mornings, computer skills training, mental health support, and advice on housing, debt, and employment. It will also support sport, volunteering, and social activities, bringing residents and Saracens Football Club together in a shared space. Big Local made a direct investment of £356k into the building. Cheltenham Borough Council, acting as the accountable body for the funding, ensured the money was used properly and put the right agreements in place. The Petersfield Partnership, a local charity, will now run the Hub on behalf of the community, working alongside the council and Saracens to continue fundraising now that the 10year Big Local programme has concluded. A wide range of organisations also contributed vital cash, including local councillors’ Build Back Better funding, Tesco Groundwork’s Grant, the Police and Crime Commissioner Fund, Saracens, the Football Foundation, Cheltenham Skittles League, and the Jockey Club. The Hub successfully replaces temporary, inadequate facilities with a permanent space featuring a skittle alley, café, bar, and community rooms. It stands as a practical response to local need and a symbol of what happens when a community refuses to give up. This has been a decade of dreams, but today is a day of delight.
Youth Cafe returns to its roots at Smokey Joe’s A safe space for young people has reopened in Cheltenham town centre, with new funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner set to support a second daytime session By Nick Clarke editor@cheltenhampost.co.uk NO Child Left Behind (NCLB) has brought its Youth Cafe back to Smokey Joe's in Bennington Street following a successful pilot earlier this year and a series of well-attended weekly sessions. The cafe restarted on Thursday, 3rd September, and will run every Thursday from 3.30pm to 6pm, including throughout the October half term. The sessions are being supported by youth work providers Springbank Community Group CiC and The Rock Cheltenham. Young people can drop in and out during the sessions, use Smokey Joe's vintage arcade video games for free and take part in activities delivered by local organisations. Each young person also receives a free food and drink voucher on entry, while some sessions will include activities from organisations including The Music Works and Escape Rooms Cheltenham. The project has been funded by Cheltenham Borough Council, with additional money recently secured from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Gloucestershire. The OPCC funding will support a second daytime youth cafe session, providing space for partner agencies to engage with and support the young people they work with. Councillor Jamie Jamieson,
Conservative Party Rob Garnham
WHAT an interesting week last week was. Autumn arrived, and schools went back. It was also the first time Andy Burnham faced Kemi
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Badenoch at Prime Minister’s Questions. Good knockabout stuff, and Kemi pointing out the failures of the Government – which is exactly what her job is to do as Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition. With long term government borrowing costs reaching a 28year high, Kemi wanted to know the PM’s plans to cut public spending and to bring down debt. In 2026/27 this
Government is forecast to pay £135bn on debt interest, which is twice the money spent on defence. As Kemi said: “He thinks that if the Government spend more money everyone will get richer!” It’s good to see clear blue water between Labour and the Conservatives. We saw in last week’s Shadow Cabinet reshuffle a new Economic Team being appointed ready to
SAFE SPACE: Youth Cafe returns to Smokey Joe’s.
cabinet member for safety and communities, said the response to the pilot had shown the importance of having a safe and welcoming space for young people in the town centre. He said: “It gives them a space where they can just relax, spend time with friends, enjoy activities and get some support if and when they need it.” Nick Evans, deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, said the continued funding formed part of efforts to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour in the town centre. He said the cafe would provide a "welcoming place" for young people while sustainable funding was deliver the costed £47bn of savings under the Conservatives. Half of those savings will go to reducing the deficit, half towards tax cuts and pro-growth measures. Tories know it is business that is the engine of growth, not the Government. Last week also saw a little publicised news release on Army training. In an effort to cut costs the Army has been told to suspend all nonessential training and major war exercises. Unbelievable – I’d have thought we need to be doubling training not cutting
sought, adding that many safe places for young people had been lost over the years. There is already a strong link between the venue and the idea of giving young people somewhere to meet. Smokey Joe's has been a family-run business for four generations. Its history began with a cafe in Churchdown, run by the owner's grandparents, before the family opened the current Cheltenham venue in 1981 in a former printing works. The venue quickly became popular with teenagers, who came to socialise and play the latest arcade games and pinball machines. The building itself even has it. Especially with all the dangers the world is facing from the war in Ukraine and Trump’s battle with Iran. And how is that going President Trump? A lot of political leaders were in the news for various reasons last week. The two main leaders as mentioned above, then Nigel Farage caught on camera allegedly discussing illegal donations. Zack Polanski (remember him - you know the former Lib Dem now leader of the Greens) saying he will contest Starmer’s old seat. That’s
a connection to the history of video games. Before becoming Smokey Joe's, it was used as workshops for building the then-new Space Invaders game. The cafe also became known for its jukeboxes and music, continuing a family tradition which began with the original Churchdown cafe. Today, Smokey Joe's retains its retro identity, with its arcade games providing one of the attractions for young people attending the Youth Cafe. Organisations interested in supporting or getting involved with the Youth Cafe can contact the No Child Left Behind team. most leaders, but what of Ed Davey? Little seen in the media these days. Is that because Daisy Cooper is plotting a leadership challenge I wonder? Much closer to home, last week saw people waiting at least 7 days to get a slot at Wingmoor Farm. With the Lib Dems closing the Swindon Road tip, now shutting Hempstead for months, and the introduction of charges for recycling due next year, is it no wonder fly-tipping is on the increase? C’mon Lib Dems – listen to the people for once?
www.cheltenhampost.co.uk
Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
News
Cheltenham welcomes second Duracell E-Charge ultra-fast EV charging site DRIVERS in Cheltenham now have access to even more ultra-fast EV charging, as Duracell E-Charge opens its second site locally at St James' Street Car Park. The new location, run by Cheltenham Borough Council, forms part of the rapidly expanding Duracell E-Charge network, designed to make EV charging easy to find, simple to use, and reliable for drivers on the road. The company also has an EV charging point at Bath Terrace Car Park, Cheltenham. Equipped with ultrarapid chargers powered by 100% renewable energy, the site offers convenient access for local residents, commuters, and visitors travelling through the area.
St James' Street strengthens charging provision in a location already seeing growing demand from EV drivers, helping to reduce waiting times and improve access to dependable high-speed charging infrastructure in the town. Cllr Richard Pineger, cabinet member for climate emergency, said: "Most of us will be driving electric vehicles in the years ahead, so it's important that we have a range of ways to charge them wherever we are. This new hub, delivered at no cost to the taxpayer, provides ultra-rapid charging for people who need to get back on the road quickly. “These chargers are especially useful for visitors to Cheltenham,
helping to attract people into our town centre, shops and cafés while they charge, which is good news for the high street. For residents who can't charge at home, we're also making lower-cost charging options available for everyday use, which should give you the confidence to make the switch when the time is right for you.” Drivers using the Duracell E-Charge app benefit from a discounted rate of 80p/kWh, while adhoc users can charge at 85p/kWh. The opening of St James' Street is another step forward in the rollout of a national network of ultrafast chargers, bringing the trusted Duracell E-Charge name to everyday EV journeys across the UK.
Cheltenham solicitor launches book for families facing separation By Dan Burner A CHELTENHAM family solicitor has written a new book designed to offer comfort, reassurance and hope to people facing separation and divorce. Charlotte Perry, a partner at Knights and a member of family law organisation Resolution, launched Bramble & Fawn, a premium illustrated gift book, at a celebration at the Greenway Hotel on Sunday. The book is the culmination of a year's work and was inspired by Perry's experience of supporting hundreds of clients through relationship breakdown. She said that while legal advice can provide clarity, many people leave appointments carrying fear, uncertainty and grief that no court order can resolve. Bramble & Fawn combines illustrations with reflections and personal observations, occupying a space between legal guidance and traditional self-help. Written using Perry's professional experience and personal understanding, the book is intended as a gift and companion for anyone
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Scan the QR code, visit imperialhearing.com or call 01242 524711 navigating separation, divorce or a new beginning. Perry said: "As family lawyers, we're trained to guide people through the legal process. I wanted to create something that could
sit beside them through the human one." The book is available in hardback and Kindle editions. More information online at brambleandfawnbook.uk/
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Friday 11th September 2026
Cheltenham Post
News Operation Alchemy, protecting our rural communities SOME people naively think that our countryside communities are sleepy and that they suffer no crime, but this is not the case. They face crime just like the urban areas do, but often crimes specifically targeting their vulnerabilities; being on county borders, being far away from emergency services hubs and uniquely expensive rural tools and vehicles. Our rural communities are so important to Gloucestershire. Farmers, landowners, rural businesses and residents should be able to live and work without fear of becoming victims of organised crime. That is why I welcome the success of Operation Alchemy, a major multi-agency operation that took place a couple of weeks ago that delivered significant results in tackling criminality in our countryside. Operation Alchemy was a
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By Chris Nelson Police & Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire coordinated day of action involving 10 agencies working together across Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. It demonstrated the power of partnership working in tackling organised crime that often crosses force boundaries and affects communities across the region. During the operation, six people were arrested and suspected stolen plant machinery and other items worth more than £300,000 were seized. Police executed six warrants at farm sites and commercial premises in Pendock, Staunton, Redmarley and Stroud as well as Ledbury in Herefordshire. Across those locations, officers recovered numerous items of suspected stolen machinery, vehicles and equipment. In
one notable example, a dumper truck, reported stolen from Cardiff on the very same morning, was recovered during the operation. The theft of agricultural and construction machinery can have a devastating impact on rural businesses. Farmers and contractors rely on this equipment to earn a living, and the loss of highvalue machinery can cause significant financial hardship and disruption. Operations such as this send a clear message that law enforcement and partner agencies are determined to pursue those involved in organised criminal activity and recover stolen property wherever possible. What makes this operation particularly encouraging is the strong partnership approach behind it.
Gloucestershire Constabulary worked alongside West Mercia Police, the National Construction & Agriculture Theft Team, British Transport Police, the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, Immigration Enforcement, the
Environment Agency and other partners to deliver this day of action. The success of Operation Alchemy shows that organised criminals will not be allowed to operate unchecked in our rural communities. I’ve consistently made
commitments to tackle rural crime, even since before I was first elected, because I understand just how much it affects lives in this county. This operation hopefully shows you, that alongside the Constabulary, we are fulfilling that commitment to residents.
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Friday 11th September 2026
Cheltenham Post
News
Labour Party
Mike farmer
‘Follow the Money’ John Webster, a former leading Cheltenham Borough Councillor, has publicly raised concerns about Plexal Ltd. which were reported in the local press. This prompted me to look again at Plexal and its relationship with the Council as a business partner in the Golden Valley, Cyber Park and Minster Exchange projects. As is often the case when you start delving into business relationships, things are a lot more complicated than they first appear. Plexal was first taken on as a key business partner of the Council in the Minster Exchange (MX) project. The Council’s original MX business partner, Workshop Cheltenham Ltd (trading as Hub8), appears to have had financial difficulties, and in 2023 was taken over by Plexal (City) Ltd. This company was then itself taken over by Plexal (Group) Ltd. Confused? It gets even more complicated, because, to quote from Plexal (Group) Ltd’s annual accounts, ‘The Company’s immediate parent undertaking is DV4 Innovation Centres Ltd [and] ultimate parent undertaking and controlling party is DV4 Ltd. DV4 Innovation Centres Ltd and DV4 Ltd are registered and incorporated in the British Virgin Islands’. In other words, they are offshore companies. Why, we ask, do they set up such complex arrangements which are ultimately controlled offshore? Does this matter? I think it does. There are very large sums of taxpayers’ money involved. The MX development cost over £10
million, over £2 million of which was paid to Plexal. But the Golden Valley development, at over £1 billion, is 100 times bigger and riskier. It’s very difficult to find out from our Council who ultimately profits, since almost all the relevant meetings are held behind closed doors. Ironically, Plexal (Group) Ltd, as a British Company, has to publish its accounts, which record the £2 million payment, but not how much income MX is generating, and how it is split between Plexal and the Council (i.e.to local taxpayers). The film ‘All The President’s Men’ showcases the story of the journalist Bob Woodward unearthing the trail of corruption in President’s Nixon’s government. His shadowy informant tells him to always “follow the money”. Attempt to follow the money from Cheltenham Borough Council through the complex web of companies associated with the MX and Golden Valley projects, and you seem to hit a dead-end somewhere in the British Virgin Islands. Are we as local taxpayers getting any benefit from all of this? The short answer is ‘We don’t know’… but we have a right to know.
Football and education pathway to help young people build careers CHELTENHAM Town Community Trust is helping young people build a future in sport through its Football & Education Programme, combining full time study with competitive football and professional coaching. The two year programme, designed for young people aged 16 – 18 years, gives students the opportunity to work towards a Level 3 Diploma in Sport, equivalent to three A Levels, while representing Cheltenham Town FC in the English Football League CEFA competition. Delivered in partnership with Swindon Academy Sixth Form, the fully funded programme provides students with the opportunity to continue their education in a supportive sporting environment while developing the practical skills, knowledge and confidence needed to progress into further education, employment or careers within the sports industry. Established in 2011, the programme has become an important part of Cheltenham Town Community Trust’s education and employability work, offering an alternative pathway for young people who want to combine their passion for football with their education. Alongside their football development, students study a broad range of sports related subjects, including sports coaching, nutrition, sport psychology, fitness, sports injuries, performance analysis, sports business and organising sporting events. The programme is designed to
Reform UK
Matt Podmore, Reform UK Cheltenham Chair
AS summer draws to a close, and the children go back to school, the serious business of running the country begins again. Depending on where you stand on climate change, this was either a fantastic summer of long, hot days or clear evidence of disaster! I am firmly in the former camp.
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Having said that, I am concerned for our farmers. I have been saying for years that we need to onshore more of our food production; as a country, we are a net importer of food, which makes us vulnerable to geopolitical turbulence, and food prices today reflect that. I would like to see a Reform government create a new deal with the farming community, offering minimal bureaucracy for farmers while protecting
our rivers, streams, and wildlife. I would rather pay a little extra to a British farmer than import cheaper foods from abroad if it means preserving our food production, farming culture, jobs, and the rural way of life in this country. So, it’s very frustrating for me to see that the Government wishes to stop farmers from planting drought-resistant crops in the UK when, according to climate alarmism,
support every student to reach their potential, with smaller class sizes, tailored support and a fair rotation policy ensuring that all students have opportunities to participate and develop on the pitch. For students who want to continue their education, there are also progression opportunities into university level study. Cheltenham Town Community Trust delivers its own Community Football Coaching Degree in partnership with the University of South Wales and EFL in the Community, providing a further pathway for students who want to pursue a career in football and community sport. For former student Ethan, the programme provided the confidence and direction he needed after completing his GCSEs. “It is unlike any other college or sixth form. You get so many opportunities that just would
not happen anywhere else,” he said. Ethan has since progressed from the Level 3 programme onto Cheltenham Town Community Trust’s Community Football Coaching degree. Our Education & Employability Manager, Chantelle Goldsworthy said: “Our Football & Education Programme is about giving young people more than just a qualification or the opportunity to play football. It is about creating a pathway where education, football, personal development and future careers come together. “For some young people, a traditional college environment is not the right fit. This programme gives them the opportunity to learn in an environment they are passionate about, while receiving the support and guidance they need to build
their confidence and plan for their future.” Each year, Cheltenham Town Community Trust recruits up to 15 students aged 16 - 18 onto the programme. Applicants are required to have a minimum Grade 4 in GCSE English and Maths, while GCSE PE is desirable but not essential. Students who need to retake their Maths or English GCSEs can also complete their retakes alongside their Level 3 studies. The programme is fully funded and free of charge for students enrolled for both Year 12 and Year 13. Through its Football and Education Programme, Cheltenham Town Community Trust is continuing its commitment to creating opportunities for young people across the local community, helping them develop the skills, qualifications and experience to take their next steps.
droughts will become the norm! This “hair shirt” response to climate change is so self-defeating. Air conditioning, cheaper energy, more water reservoirs, and hardier crops are all essential if the doom-mongers are right. Instead, we must suffer in the heat, run out of water, while business energy rates spiral upwards and farmers go under. Why? So we can move the UK’s 1% of CO2 emissions to China or India, who are building more coal-fired power stations? It’s absurd, and this Government needs to pull its finger out and start drilling again in the North Sea.
Reportedly, they are waiting until the hot summer is over so it doesn't look bad to the Net Zero fanatics. Let me remind the Government that every winter that passes without cheaper energy, more elderly people will die because they cannot afford to heat their homes - that’s the stark truth. Let’s not forget, though, who put us in this fix. It’s not just a Labour mistake; the Conservatives under Theresa May put Net Zero into law! Labour have doubled down and pushed harder, the Liberal Democrats cheer on from the side, while glibly suggesting more solar panels on houses are the answer.
This is what people often mean by the 'Uniparty'. One might think consensus is great in politics - it can be, but on mass immigration, Covid, and climate change, we have seen consensus become a rigid groupthink where dissenting voices are ignored and then forbidden. Only Reform, from Day One, has been the questioning voice against all these instances of blinkered thinking. For that, we have been ridiculed and insulted, but as the saying goes: “truth is the daughter of time,” and so time and time again we see the other parties pivot towards the policies Reform wisely created years ago.
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Friday 11th September 2026
YearsGoneBy
Cheltenham Post
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Memories of Cheltenham’s past 1968 England Kart team celebration Dinner & Dance held at the Belle Vue Hotel Cheltenham. Featured Cheltenham drivers Dave Bunting, Steve Turfrey, Graham Stallard, and one driver who really did go on and make it to the top 1992 F1 World Champion Nigel Mansell. Picture sent in by Steve Turfrey. Opening of Wheeler’s restaurant in Cheltenham. Work was undertaken by Lynworth Builders.
The Wedding of Frank and Gladys Lippet, Cheltenham, 1930’s.
Naunton Park AFC 1927.
Pictures sent in by Terry Lippett.
Do you recognise any of the people in these pictures? Get in touch and send your old photos via email to be included in our ‘Years Gone By’ feature. Email mark@cheltenhampost.co.uk
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Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
Animal Shelter
Keeping pets and people together By Alison Jarvis
CHELTENHAM Animal Shelter is always here to care for and rehome pets in need. But the charity also believes that, wherever possible, the best place for a pet is with the people who already love them. The companionship, comfort and routine pets provide can make an enormous difference to people's lives. But financial pressures, a lack of knowledge or difficult circumstances can sometimes put that special relationship at risk. That is why the charity works to provide practical support, advice, education and services that help pets and their owners stay together. One of the ways it does this is through its Pet Food Bank, which provides free pet food to owners experiencing financial hardship. Nobody should have to face the heartbreaking decision of giving up a beloved pet simply because they are struggling to afford to feed them. Subject to availability, the Pet Food Bank provides wet and dry food for cats and dogs, as well as occasional feed for small animals, helping to support people who are finding it difficult to provide for their pets. At the charity, every pet food donation generously given by the public is put to good use. Sometimes, however, the shelter receives food that is surplus to its own requirements, is past its best-before date but still safe to use, is difficult to store, such as loose pouches, or is not suitable for the animals in its care, such as food designed for working breeds. Where appropriate, these donations can be made available through the Pet Food Bank, ensuring they
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can still benefit pets and their owners. Where donations allow, the charity also shares a range of non-food items, including cat litter, treats, jumpers, coats, harnesses and other useful pet supplies. Crucial items such as crates, carriers, leads, collars and bowls can also be purchased at the charity shop in Gardners Lane, with some smaller items available at the Winchcombe Street shop. The charity also recognises that the cost of veterinary care can sometimes put additional pressure on pet owners who are already struggling financially. Thanks to a limited fund kindly donated specifically for this purpose, the shelter can sometimes offer discounted cat neutering at CASVet, helping owners protect the health and wellbeing of their cats while also preventing unwanted litters. The scheme offers cat neutering for just £15, with microchipping available at the same time for an additional £5. By helping to remove some of the financial barriers to essential preventative care, schemes like this can support
responsible pet ownership and help prevent future welfare problems. Helping pets and people stay together is not always simply about providing financial support. Sometimes owners need practical help, expert advice or support with a problem before it becomes overwhelming. Cheltenham Animal Shelter offers a wide range of services and advice to help people care for their pets throughout their lives. From accessible veterinary care at CASVet to free pet advice and dog training classes delivered by experts, the charity can help owners find the information and support they need. Whether someone is struggling with their pet's behaviour, needs advice
about their animal's care or requires practical support, the charity's aim is to help resolve problems wherever possible and strengthen the bond between pets and the
people who love them. By supporting owners when they need it, Cheltenham Animal Shelter can help prevent avoidable separations and give more
pets the chance to remain safely and happily at home. Visit www.gawa.org.uk/petservices to see the full range of pet services Cheltenham Animal Shelter offers.
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Friday 11th September 2026
Cheltenham Post
Recipes Steph Williams Follow Steph’s blog This Plate Is Pretty stephnicw.wixsite.com /thisplateispretty
Spiced Sweet Potato Balls These spiced sweet potato balls are a delightful appetizer or side dish that combines the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes with the warmth of spices. Perfect for any occasion, these bite-sized treats are sure to impress your guests. This recipe will take around 1 hour and 20 minutes, including chilling time and contains 19g of net carb per ball. Ingredients 10 balls • 800g Sweet Potato • 4cm of Ginger Root • Pinch of Salt • 2 tablespoons Corn Flour • 1 slice of Bread • Handful of fresh coriander • 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper • 1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes • 1.5 teaspoons Cumin Seeds Instructions l Bake your sweet potatoes for 40 minutes at 180 degrees until soft. l Chop the coriander and mince/grate the ginger. l Scrape out of skins and add the flesh to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, except the bread crumbs.
l Take your slice of bread, add to a food processor and blitz until completely crumbed. l Split the mixture and roll into 10 balls with your hands, then roll in the bread crumbs to fully coat. l Pop them onto a lined tray and chill them for 1520 minutes. l Increase the oven heat to 200 degrees and bake the balls for around 20 minutes, turning over half way through. l For the final 2 minutes or so, use your grill to give them a little bit more colour.
Recipe notes 1 bread slice = Approx. 35g of crumb, if you are using pre-made. You can also fry the sweet potato balls. Use two tablespoons of vegetable oil pre-heated in a large frying pan. Cook in two batches at around 4 mins each side. I had few issues with them falling apart while frying them, so I recommend chilling them for as long as possible. Remove all coriander stalk before using. Salad/Salsa is not in carb count but consists of tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red onion, lime juice, salt, pomegranate seed and coriander.
Spiced Aubergine & Caramelised Onion Dip This dish is an explosion of flavours, with a slight Moroccan influence. As the world is getting more and more expensive, especially when it comes to food and drink, I've been experimenting a lot with more vegetarian recipes, with meat being the most expensive part of most dishes. This Aubergine is also a versatile accompaniment to a Meze platter. It should take you around 25 minutes to prepare and contains only 12g of net carbohydrate. Ingredients 2 servings Aubergine • 1 large Aubergine • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil • 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon • 1/3 tablespoon Sumac • 1 tablespoon Pomegranate molasses • 2/3 tablespoon Cumin Onion Dip • 2 cloves of Garlic • 1 teaspoon Mint Sauce - See Recipe Notes • Pinch of Chili Flakes • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil • 125g Red Onion • 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice Instructions Aubergine l Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius. l Mix the marinade into a paste and set aside. l Slice the aubergine length ways from top to bottom, about
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1/2 cm-1cm thick. l Brush the marinade paste over the aubergine evenly and lie them flat on a parchmentlined baking tray. l Oven bake for around 12 minutes, basting half way through. l For the final 90 seconds or so, use your grill to give them a little bit of char for added texture. Onion Dip l Dice up the garlic and onion.
l Add the onion and oil to a pan and apply a low-medium heat (slightly more on the medium side). Caramelise for 15 minutes, adding in the rest of the Dip ingredients half way through, except for the lemon juice. l Stir through the lemon juice once off the heat. The mixture should be fragrant and soft now. l Blend until smooth. Recipe notes Serve with low fat natural yoghurt, a low carb wrap or flat bread, or on it's own. Other accompaniments include Quinoa, Pomegranate Seeds, Fresh Coriander. I've used Mint Sauce rather than fresh leaves because of it's Vinegar content contributing to the flavour of the overall dip. One large Aubergine should get you around 4 slices per portion.
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Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
Going Out
Cheltenham Cocktail Week comes to The Brewery Quarter THE Brewery Quarter is raising a glass to Cheltenham Cocktail Week this September, with six of the town’s 36 participating venues based at the popular leisure and dining destination. Taking place from 18th–27th September, Cheltenham Cocktail Week is a town-wide celebration of Cheltenham’s vibrant food and drink scene, bringing together 36 venues for ten days of signature serves, exclusive drinks and tempting food offers. The event is partnered with Cheltenham BID and M.AD Agency, working with venues across the town to showcase the best of Cheltenham’s cocktail culture and encourage residents and visitors to explore the town’s hospitality offering. The Brewery Quarter is proud to be home to six participating venues: The Alchemist, The Botanist, Cosy Club, Flight Club, Mowgli Street Food and Mulligans – giving cocktail lovers plenty of choice in one vibrant destination. There’s something for every taste, from tropical and fruity creations to twists on classic cocktails, with Cocktail Week serves available from just £5. At The Alchemist, cocktail lovers can try the colourful Buzz Bomb for £7, while wristband holders can enjoy
20% off their food bill when dining at the venue. The Botanist is bringing a taste of the tropics with its Yuzu Colada for £5, while Cosy Club is serving up a Kiwi Margarita for the same price. Over at Flight Club, the Pink Palm Cocktail is £6, with a 25% discount on pizzas from Sunday to Thursday – perfect for pairing cocktails with a pizza or two. At Mowgli Street Food, the Passionfruit Martini is £7, alongside Lychee Rose and Espresso Martinis for the same price. There’s also 50% off curries on Monday 21 September, making it the perfect opportunity to combine great food with a Cocktail Week tipple. Meanwhile, Mulligans is getting into the tropical spirit with its Frolic on the Beach for £7. And it’s not all about alcohol. All six Brewery Quarter venues are offering mocktail alternatives, ensuring nondrinkers can get involved in the Cocktail Week fun too. Raising a glass to Cheltenham's hospitality scene Demelsa Coleman, Marketing & Communications Manager at The Brewery Quarter, said: “We’re delighted to be part of Cheltenham Cocktail Week and
incredibly proud that six of the 36 participating venues are here at The Brewery Quarter. It’s a fantastic town-wide celebration and a brilliant way to showcase the breadth and quality of Cheltenham’s hospitality scene. “With such a great variety of venues taking part across the town, there’s a real opportunity for people to explore somewhere new, discover a new favourite cocktail and support local hospitality businesses along the way. “Here at The Brewery Quarter, we’ve got everything from cocktails and mocktails to great food and entertainment, so whether you’re planning a full cocktail crawl or simply popping in for a drink with friends, we’re looking forward to raising a glass to Cocktail Week.” Get your Cocktail Week wristband Cocktail Week wristbands can be purchased from The Alchemist at The Brewery Quarter from 12pm–8pm on Friday 11th September, giving cocktail lovers the chance to get their wristband ahead of the event. Alternatively, visit cheltenhamcocktailweek.co.u k for more information, participating venues, offers and wristband details.
REVIEW: The Choir of Man By Ruth Carr IF you are familiar with my regular theatre pieces, you will know I am usually able to get on stage prior to the performance for a touch tour, which is specially for VIPs (Visually Impaired Persons). This was not audiodescribed, so there was no touch tour, but I did get on stage and had a pint and a chat with the locals - I mean cast! The award-winning The Choir of Man made its debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017 and has since gone on a pub crawl of the UK. We meet up with nine fellas down at their local public house. We are welcomed in to join them on a night out to remember. The "Jungle" could be any pub you may care to think about. There were pints of
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lager and packets of crisps. In fact, bags of crisps were thrown into the crowd and beers passed around. It is completely interactive, with a good old sing-along thrown in. We meet the Romantic, Joker, pub bore, Poet, barman, beast, maestro, Handyman, and hardman. After poetic monologues for introductions, the night kicks
off with Welcome to the Jungle, followed by hit after hit. I get the feeling that some theatregoers were expecting literally a choir of men. I think they were pleasantly surprised by so much more. It is a mixture of beautiful choral, energetic pop, and haunting a cappella that showed these guys' exceptional talent and range, not to mention their musical ability. This celebrates a pub where everyone knows your name and impresses the importance of community and feeling part of something. On the most basic level, it is a show full of excellent music. On a deeper vein, it embraces friendship and the importance of being there for each other. I went to the midweek matinee and came out feeling like it had been a flipping good night. Cheers!
Cocktails from £5
Pick up your Cocktail Week Wristbands from The Alchemist from 12-8pm from Friday 11 September, or alternatively visit cheltenhamcocktailweek.co.uk
On for
10
days
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Friday 11th September 2026
Cheltenham Post
Finance
MONEY TALKS Are you rich or are you wealthy?
Are Your Finances Leaving You Feeling Frustrated and Overwhelmed? Do you secretly worry about your financial future? Do you create a budget but fail to stick to it? Maybe you have never been good with money?
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I HAD a client a while back. Consultant. Earning well over £150,000 a year. Smart, driven, the kind of person who had worked hard for everything they had. They came to me because they had nothing saved. Nothing. Not a meaningful pension, not an emergency fund, not investments. Just a very expensive life and a salary that funded it month by month. They weren't unusual. There is a difference between being rich and being wealthy and most people don't know it. Rich is about income. What comes in. Wealthy is about assets. What you have. And for a surprising number of high earners, those two things look very different. Think about two people. One is a GP. Earning £90,000 a year. Two cars on finance. Private school for the kids. A beautiful kitchen put on a remortgage. Holidays twice a year. They look, from the outside, like they are doing brilliantly. And if their salary stopped tomorrow, they would be in trouble within three months. The other is a secondary school teacher. Earning £38,000. They bought a modest house 15 years ago and have paid it down steadily. They put money away every month without thinking about it. They have six months of living costs in savings and a pension that is growing. If their salary stopped, they could breathe. For a while at least. Which one is wealthy? Income is a flow. It comes in and it goes out. Wealth is a store. It sits there, grows, and gives you options. And the thing about a high income is that it doesn't automatically build wealth. In fact, it can do the opposite. Because a high income brings a high lifestyle, and a high lifestyle is very hard to pull back from. The technical term is lifestyle inflation. Your salary goes up. And somehow, within a year, so does everything else. The car. The
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07487 890 165
holidays. The school fees. The restaurants. It all expands to fill the space. And the gap between what you earn and what you actually keep - which is the only gap that matters - stays exactly the same. I see this again and again. People who earn extraordinary amounts and feel permanently on the edge. And people who earn what looks like very little and feel completely secure. The question that cuts through all of it is simple. If your income stopped tomorrow, how long could you manage? Not comfortably. Just manage. A week? A month? A year? That answer tells you more about your financial situation than your salary ever could. The awkward thing about being a high earner is that the
expectations attached to that income are enormous. From your social circle, from your family, from yourself. There is often an unspoken idea that earning well means you can afford everything. That the salary will always be there. That later is fine because later you will sort it out. And so the wealth never gets built. Because it keeps getting spent on the life that is supposed to go with the income. Real wealth is options. The option to work less. To say no to something. To weather a bad year without panic. To make choices based on what you actually want rather than what you financially have to do. It doesn't require a huge income. It requires a gap between what you earn and what you spend, and the discipline to put something in that gap every single time. My consultant client is in a different position now. Same salary. Very different relationship with it. The car is older. The lifestyle is smaller in some ways and bigger in others - because financial security turns out to feel better than a new kitchen. They are not yet wealthy. But they are becoming it. And that shift - from just earning well to actually building something - is one of the most satisfying things I get to watch.
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Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
Finance
Five alternatives to holding money in bank cash accounts Cheltenham Wealth Management firm JM Finn explores whether cash is still the best home for your savings, and looks at five alternatives that could offer greater potential for long-term growth ARE you holding cash in an instant access account? As most instant access accounts offer relatively low rates of interest, cash held in low-interest accounts may lose purchasing power over time if the interest earned is lower than inflation. That’s because UK inflation is currently 2.6% - meaning money held in cash may buy less in the future than it does today. Money needed within the next five years might be better held in cash or lowerrisk assets, as investment values can be volatile over shorter periods. However, for those who can afford to take a longer-term view, there may be alternatives worth considering that could offer the potential for higher returns over time. 1. Gilts Gilts are bonds issued by the UK Government and are generally considered to be among the lower-risk investments available to UK investors. When you buy a gilt, you are effectively lending money to the Government in return for regular interest payments and the return of capital at maturity (i.e., the date on which the bond ends), provided the issuer remains able to meet its obligations. Certain gilts may also offer tax advantages depending on individual circumstances. 2. Stocks and Shares ISAs For money that is unlikely to be needed in the short term, a Stocks and Shares ISA could offer the potential for higher returns than cash
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over the long run. UK investors can invest up to £20,000 into a Stocks and Shares ISA in the 2026/27 tax year. Unlike a Cash ISA, the money is invested in assets such as equities (company shares), bonds or funds, meaning values can rise and fall. However, investors benefit from tax-free income and capital gains, making ISAs one of the most widely used tax-efficient investment wrappers available in the UK. 3. Investment funds Investment funds, such as JM Finn’s Investment Management Service, allow investors to pool their money with others and gain access to a diversified portfolio managed by professional investors. A fund may invest across different regions, sectors and asset classes, helping to spread risk more effectively than holding a small number of individual investments. For many people, funds provide a straightforward way to access stock markets without needing to make day-to-day investment decisions themselves. 4. A bespoke investment portfolio Some investors require a more tailored approach. This can be particularly useful for individuals with more complex financial circumstances, such as capital gains tax considerations. A tailored portfolio, such as JM Finn’s Wealth Management Service involves appointing an
investment manager to make day-to-day investment decisions within the agreed mandate and risk parameters. 5. Premium bonds Premium bonds remain a popular choice among UK savers. Backed by the Government through National Savings & Investments (NS&I), they offer the chance to win taxfree prizes each month while maintaining access to your capital. Although there is no guaranteed return, the security of government backing makes premium bonds an option for those who want an alternative to a standard savings account. The right mix will be different for everyone. There is no single alternative to cash that suits every investor. The appropriate balance will depend on factors such as your objectives, time horizon, attitude to risk and need for access to capital. Whether you’re getting started with investing or thinking of moving from an existing provider, we can help: contact your local Cheltenham office on JMFinn-CheltenhamOffice @jmfinn.com The value of securities and the income from them can fall as well as rise. Past performance should not be seen as an indicator of future returns. All views expressed are those of the author and should not be considered a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any products or securities.
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Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
Environment
You’re never too old for solar Ian Williams of Forever Green makes the case that solar isn’t just for the young — it’s also a smart financial move for pensioners facing rising energy bills “I’M over 60; why should I invest in a home energy system at my age?” I am asked this every week, and the comprehensive answer is, “Because even at your age, you’ll be considerably worse off if you don’t.” The key is how you pay for the installation; generally from your ‘nest egg’, which in many cases you hope to pass on to your children. Typically,
installing a home energy system will elevate your energy performance certificate by one band, which should increase the value of your home by about the installation cost. Considering the inevitable, your heirs will still benefit when they sell the house, which will be easier to sell anyway, because the electricity bill will be close to zero. Consider this: if you
decide not to invest in solar panels, how do you get your electricity? The answer is you have to buy it, shelling out month-onmonth for power you’d otherwise get free. A seven year payback on your investment might seem like a deterrent, but not when the alternative is giving away the installation cost over six years, with nothing to show for it.
“At my age, how long will it be before I see the benefit?” How does one month sound? £10,000 in an ISA will earn £400 in a year; £33 in a month. Typically, your Year one savings from a home energy system will be £1,200; £100 a month. By the end of the first month, you’ll be £66 better off. And here’s perhaps the most compelling reason to invest in solar panels. The
price of electricity went up by 5% in July; there’s another 9% increase due in January; 14% in a year. The average annual increase is 11%. Can you point to a pension plan that increases your payments by 11% every year? Conversely, the savings from your solar panel system precisely track the price of energy. Every time you experience an increase in
the cost of electricity it erodes your expendable income. Why would you accept that, when by transferring funds from an investment paying 4% to an investment paying 12%, tax free and ‘index linked’, you’ll be 100% protected from rising energy prices. I suggest you list the reasons not to invest in a home energy system. Do you have any?
Local mayors and infrastructure THE Government is giving mayors greater powers over strategic planning decisions. How might this affect the nation’s infrastructure as a whole? Giving local government greater control over infrastructure has the potential to make projects more responsive to local needs. A council or regional mayor is likely to understand much better than Whitehall how a new railway, road, housing development or energy project will affect the people who live there. Local decision-makers can also join projects together: housing can be planned alongside transport, employment alongside skills, renewable energy alongside the electricity network. The danger is that local control can also produce a patchwork of decisions; infrastructure rarely stops at a council boundary. Electricity networks, railways, major roads, reservoirs and flooddefence systems operate across regions. If every authority pursues its own
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priorities, nationally important projects will inevitably become slower, more expensive, harder to coordinate and potentially less effective. There’s also a question of expertise. A major infrastructure project can require highly specialised planning, engineering, environmental and financial knowledge. Some smaller councils simply do not have the financial resources even to assess significant projects. Central government must recognise that local authorities play an important role in major infrastructure projects, but also that they need proper resourcing and effective engagement. Funding is therefore critical. Devolving responsibility without devolving sufficient funds will merely transfer the problem from Westminster to town halls. Infrastructure cannot be planned according to an annual funding cycle; long-term funding settlements are essential, so councils can plan infrastructure over decades
rather than years. It’s clear that the best solution is neither complete centralisation nor complete localism. National government should establish the strategic framework, national standards and major infrastructure priorities, while local and regional government should have substantial control over implementation. This could produce a more democratic, integrated and responsive infrastructure system. But devolution will only succeed if local authorities receive the funds, expertise and strategic powers necessary to match their new responsibilities. The challenge is to make local government powerful enough to deliver infrastructure, without making the infrastructure system so fragmented that nothing can be delivered efficiently.
Ian Williams designs domestic solar, battery and backup systems across Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire for Forever Green Energy. Tel: 01242 370308. These notes are general information, not financial advice. 21
Friday 11th September 2026
Cheltenham Post
TEST YOUR BRAINPOWER Puzzles
1. Toucans are a native bird species of which continent?
6. The negative-positive calotype process was an early type of what?
2. The Norfolk Broads were created by the excavation of which natural resource? 3. Which golfer won the 2025 US Masters Tournament, held in Augusta, to secure a career Grand Slam?
5. Which ‘city’ is the backdrop for the BBC 2025 crime drama series This City is Ours?
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EQUALISER 7
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8. Which UK port handles the greatest tonnage of cargo?
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10. What M is a type of Ford car and wild pony found in the US?
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7. The Bizet opera The Pearl Fishers is set on which island?
9. Emma Thompson wrote the screenplay and starred as Elinor Dashwood in which film based on a Jane Austen novel?
4. TV presenter Esther Rantzen founded which charity in 1986?
FIVE ALIVE
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Here are two miniature five-square crosswords using the same grid – but the letters have been mixed up. You have to work out which letters belong to which crossword.
Place the four signs (add, subtract, multiply, divide) one in each circle so that the total of each across and down line is the same. Perform the first calculation in each line first and ignore the mathematical law which says you should always perform division and multiplication before addition and subtraction.
CRYPTIC CROSSWORD 2
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3. It’s the way to stroke husband (4)
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4. Order beer at a discount (6)
11. Bill I’d rendered sharp (4)
5. Later shook mat outside to use roughly (8)
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19. German city makes rebel leader get into line (5)
Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9, and so must each 3 x 3 box.
24. The cost of taking an attractive girl out? (6,5)
21. Pain in stomach excruciating (4)
NONAGRAM 5
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2. Shrub with droopy flowers (7) 7. Tibetan priest (4) 8. Press clothes (4) 9. Beer mug (7) 10. Otherwise (4) 12. Healing skin (4) 15. Flavoursome (5) 17. Chronological records (6) 18. Tinned (6) 19. Horizontal beam (6) 21. Cold symptom (6) 22. Devout (5) 23. Press down tightly (4) 26. Religious order (4) 28. Aromatic herb (7) 29. Soot (4) 30. Join (4) 31. Wandered (7)
DOWN 1. Drag (4) 2. Destiny (4) 3. Tent fabric (6) 4. Inactive (6) 5. Helps (4) 6. Fizzy drink (4) 10. Ornamental shoulder pad (7) 11. Equivalent word (7) 13. Call together (7) 14. Unpaid money (3,4) 15. Slumber (5) 16. Becomes light (5) 20. One-dimensional (6) 21. Sweet (6) 24. Military force (4) 25. Vessels (4) 26. Exchanged for money (4) 27. Hypocritical talk (4)
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How many words of four letters or more can you make from this Nonagram? Each word must use the central letter, and each letter may be used only once. At least one word using all nine letters can be found. Guidelines: 19 Good; 22 Very Good; 26 Excellent. Any word found in the Concise Oxford Dictionary (Tenth Edition) is eligible with the following exceptions: proper nouns; plural nouns, pronouns and possessives; third person singular verbs; hyphenated words; contractions and abbreviations; vulgar slang words; variant spellings of the same word (where another variant is also eligible).
QUICK CROSSWORD: Across – 2 Fuchsia; 7 Lama; 8 Iron; 9 Tankard; 10 Else; 12 Scab; 15 Sapid; 17 Annals; 18 Canned; 19 Lintel; 21 Sneeze; 22 Pious; 23 Tamp; 26 Sect; 28 Oregano; 29 Smut; 30 Link; 31 Strayed. Down – 1 Haul; 2 Fate; 3 Canvas; 4 Static; 5 Aids; 6 Cola; 10 Epaulet; 11 Synonym; 13 Convene; 14 Bad debt; 15 Sleep; 16 Dawns; 20 Linear; 21 Sugary; 24 Army; 25 Pots; 26 Sold; 27 Cant.
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FIVE ALIVE: (1) Across – Frump; Clang; Demon. Down – Faced; Unarm; Pagan. (2) Across – Burka; Ranks; Theft. Down – Burnt; Rinse; Asset.
EASY SUDOKU 3 6 2 5 8 9 5 7 4 6 3 1 9 1 8 4 7 2 4 3 1 8 9 7 2 9 7 1 5 6 6 8 5 3 2 4 7 4 6 2 1 3 1 5 9 7 6 8 8 2 3 9 4 5
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CRYPTIC CROSSWORD: EQUALISER: 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Across – 1 Compartment; 9 Beast; 10 Bolster; 11 Acid; 12 Clockwise from top left – subtract; O W N C D K I Sturgeon; 14 Annexe; 15 Haunch; 18 Antelope; 20 Ewer; 22 multiply; divide; add. Total: 2. Railcar; 23 Comma; 24 Pretty penny. NONAGRAM: Down – 2 Oration; 3 Path; 4 Rebate; 5 Maltreat; 6 Nitre; 7 Abracadabra; 8 French bread; 13 Explicit; 16 Newsman; 17 emir; impi; impose; improv; improve; IMPROVISE; isomer; mire; miser; miso; moire; mope; moper; Sporty; 19 Trier; 21 Ache. more; move; mover; movie; perm; pismire; poem; pome; prim; prime; primo; prism; proem; prom; promise; rime; romp; semi; simper; some; sperm; verism; verismo; vomer. QUIZ CHALLENGE: 1 South America; 2 Peat; 3 Rory McIlroy; 4 Childline; 5 Liverpool; 6 Photography; 7 Ceylon (Sri Lanka); 8 Immingham; 9 Sense and Sensibility; 10 Mustang.
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QUICK CROSSWORD
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Each number in our Cross Code grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. You have three letters in the control grid to start you off. Enter them in the appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you get the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and control grid. Check off the alphabetical list of letters as you identify them.
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© Sirius Media Services Ltd.
Quiz Challenge
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Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
Legal
“We didn’t realise how important this was” How one Gloucestershire couple benefitted from reviewing their home ownership A COUPLE from Gloucestershire recently reviewed their affairs after beginning to think more seriously about long-term planning and ensuring their wishes were clearly documented for the future. Like many homeowners, they assumed everything was already in place. They owned their home jointly, had a will, and felt their arrangements were straightforward. However, during a routine review, they discovered their property was held as joint tenants - something they had never previously questioned or fully understood. At first, it did not seem like an issue. But after discussing their situation in more detail, they began to understand how this
structure could limit their ability to plan effectively for the future and reflect their wider wishes. They were concerned about: • Ensuring their children would ultimately benefit from their estate; • Having clearer control over how their assets were passed on; • Putting a more structured plan in place for later life; • Making sure their wills worked alongside their property ownership. Following advice, they chose to change the ownership of their property to tenants in common and update their wills accordingly. This allowed them to: • Define their individual shares of the property;
• Set out clear instructions for the future; • Create a more structured estate plan; • Feel more confident that their wishes were properly documented. Importantly, this was done well in advance, giving them time to consider their options carefully and make decisions without pressure. They later reflected that it was a relatively straightforward process - but one they had simply not been aware of before. Their comment was simple: “We didn’t realise how important this was until someone explained it properly.” Their experience is not unusual. Many families only become aware of these details when
reviewing their affairs or when circumstances begin to change later in life. DID YOU KNOW? Many couples assume their arrangements are already in place. Ownership structure can often be reviewed and updated. Early action allows more time to consider your options. A SIMPLE REVIEW CAN PROVIDE PEACE OF MIND Understanding how your home is owned - and whether it still suits your needs - can be an important part of planning ahead. To speak to a local specialist for clear, practical guidance, call 0333 335 5875.
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Friday 11th September 2026
Cheltenham Post
Sport
Captain’s Charity Day raises more than £10,000 at Lilley Brook Golf Club MORE than £10,000 has been raised for Sue Ryder and the Injured Jockeys Fund following a hugely successful charity golf day at Lilley Brook Golf Club. Club Captain Martin Spencer's Captain's Charity Day attracted 34 teams, with golfers, sponsors, volunteers, greenstaff and local businesses all playing their part in supporting the event. There was strong support from the racing community, with a host of unique experiences among the auction prizes, while an extensive raffle also helped boost the fundraising total. Despite challenging weather conditions in the build-up to the event, the course was presented in excellent condition, with Spencer paying tribute to Head Greenkeeper John Terry and his greenstaff for their hard work. Volunteers also helped throughout the day, including with starting duties and shifts at the Halfway House, while Paul and the Waypoint team kept players fed and watered. Ed and his Pro Shop team also supported the event, while Sally helped with marketing and promotion. Spencer reserved particular praise for his wife, Apple, who played a major role behind the scenes by sourcing prizes for the raffle and auction. He said: "I just want to say a massive thank you to my darling wife Apple, who worked extremely hard on sourcing raffle and auction prizes. I couldn't have done this without her by my side." Her efforts helped secure an impressive collection of prizes and experiences, which proved instrumental in raising such a significant amount for the two charities. Fergal O'Brien Racing provided a visit for four people to see the horses on the gallops followed by an English breakfast, while Richard Phillips Racing donated a morning on the
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Charlie Davies, Rob Spencer, Martin Spencer and Charlie Morgan.
Andy Rabjohns
Lewis Clayton
Tom Hume
Runners up, Nigel Goss, Russ Hallam, Sally Goss and Wayne Vincent.
gallops for up to four people at Adlestrop Stables, including refreshments and a stable tour. Martin Keighley Racing offered a visit for six people to Condicote Stables to watch the horses on the gallops. Jonjo O'Neill Racing also donated a stable tour for two, including a meet and greet, watching the horses on the gallops, a champagne breakfast and the opportunity to see the equine swimming
pool and therapy unit. Other auction prizes included racecourse hospitality, four badges for Cheltenham Gold Cup week in March 2027, Gloucester Rugby hospitality for a match against Bath and a luxury chauffeur-driven transfer to Heathrow Airport. The raffle featured golf lessons and four-ball vouchers, restaurant and afternoon tea experiences, Cheltenham Racecourse
Winners, Gary Cooke, Freddie Coombe, Kevin Slack and Ryan Coombe.
tickets, champagne, wine, a television, a hi-fi system, clothing and beauty vouchers, as well as numerous other prizes donated by supporters and local businesses. The club said the fundraising total was expected to be in excess of
Tom Hume, Lewis Clayton, Andy Rabjohns and Martin Cruse.
£10,000 for the two charities, with final figures still being calculated following the event. Spencer thanked everyone who gave their time, support and generosity, saying the day could not have been such a success without so many
people getting involved. The event provided a successful combination of golf, community spirit and fundraising, with the money going towards two organisations which do important work supporting people in need.
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Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
Sport
Holliday rocket fires Cleeve into FA Cup second round qualifying GOALS from Reegan Messenger and Charlie Holliday booked Bishops Cleeve’s place in the FA Cup Second Round Qualifying with victory over Southern Premier Division outfit Poole Town. Bishops Cleeve FC hosted the FA Cup action at the weekend, as Poole Town made the long trip to Kayte Lane for the First Round Qualifying tie. The game ended 2-1 to the Mitres in something of an upset, with secondhalf goals from Reegan Messenger and Charlie Holliday overturning the 1-0 deficit they went into half-time with. After a quiet first 10 minutes, the tier-above Poole threatened for the first time and would have taken an early lead if not for a goalline clearance from Jake Lee. Seven minutes later, Adulai Sambu nearly forced the opposition goalkeeper into a
By Ben Ware costly mistake, with his high press almost causing him to completely lose his bearings. Despite this, the score remained 0-0, and a poor header gave the visitors a one-on-one opportunity in the 24th minute, stopped only by a sweeping Lewis Clayton. With 10 minutes left before half-time, a delivery into the Poole penalty area eventually fell for Messenger, whose halfvolleyed effort could only fly over. The first-half action was far from over, though, and the visitors took the lead with a minute remaining through a clinical counter-attack. The sides went into the break with just the one goal between them, but it was all still to play for after the break. The second half nearly
started with a second goal for Poole, but a solid save from the foot of Clayton kept the deficit at just one. Cleeve’s first effort after the restart came through Messenger, whose low strike was off target but showed that the hosts were still very
much in the tie. The number 12’s involvement was far from over, either, and he proved this by netting the equaliser with 58 minutes played. The goal was undoubtedly well worked, with Messenger heading home from a fine
Cleeve keep their cool to win FA Youth Cup shootout BISHOPS Cleeve and Bristol Manor Farm clashed once again on Thursday night, with the Mitres winning the shootout to advance in the FA Youth Cup. Cleeve carved open the defence with a superb crossfield ball from Churchley, who played Pilsbury through down the right, though his shot from a tight angle was just wide in the second minute. A corner from the left went straight onto the far post, and Manor Farm only halfcleared the danger. A low shot from distance was controlled by Stroud, who slotted home under the keeper, beating the offside trap with six minutes gone. Another corner caused further issues three minutes later, this one towards the front post, with a scrambling goalkeeper just about keeping it out under pressure. Manor Farm's first sight of goal came in the 13th minute, with a decent counter-attack seeing a low shot across goal deflected just wide. A swift advance
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down the right then saw a low ball fizzed into the corridor of uncertainty. The first man slid in and missed, while the second forced a good save. Cleeve just about retained their lead with 18 minutes gone. A well-worked move then saw Manor Farm find the back of the net with a smooth finish under the keeper in the 29th minute, but the flag went up and it would not stand. Cleeve came close not long after, with another good passing move seeing the ball played right, then left, before a good turn brought a shot onto the woodwork at the bottom-left corner. There was a huge let-off for the hosts in the 37th minute as Cleeve were played through on goal and rounded the keeper, but the resulting pass across goal got stuck in the long grass and was pounced upon by a grateful shot-stopper. An end-to-end first half then came to a close with Cleeve a goal to the good. The slope played into the
home side's favour as Cleeve struggled to battle uphill. Two big saves early in the second half were then followed by a big miss, as the Mitres continued to live a charmed life in front of goal. The game was then stopped around the hour mark as the floodlight issues continued. With the fading light becoming an increasing problem, urgent attention was needed before the match could resume. Eventually, play got back underway in the 62nd minute. Cleeve came agonisingly close to a second through Pilsbury, who burst through and was far too quick for a pass to be the option. Instead, a little dink across goal looked destined to find the net, only for a bobble to guide it around and away from danger. Cleeve came close once again in the 73rd minute, as McCaffrey sent a low shot just wide. The luck was now appearing to be going the way of Manor Farm. The pressure was on as the game approached the 90th
minute, with Manor Farm lashing at shots whenever they neared the Cleeve goal. There was plenty of pressure, but also plenty of relief when the shot finally came in. The 95th minute gave Manor Farm their lifeline. A poor tackle gave the referee no choice but to point to the spot, awarding a penalty deep into added time. The keeper went the wrong way, and the game went to penalties. Manor Farm stepped up first, but a tremendous save denied them. Cleeve's first was sent straight into the topright corner. The hosts scored their next two, but so did Cleeve, before another tremendous save denied Manor Farm's fourth. The referee then blew the final whistle, but brought the celebrations to an abrupt end when he realised his mistake. The shootout was not yet over. The Cleeve captain stepped up and calmly slotted home the winner, sending the Mitres through to the next round of the FA Youth Cup.
Aaron Evans-Harriott corner, but there was arguably a lapse or two in concentration from the Poole defence. The lapses didn’t appear to be short-lived either, as a poor clearance from a corner 10 minutes later gave Cleeve the chance to keep the attack
going. The ball ended up with Holliday on the right side of the box, and he skipped between two defenders with ease before firing a rocket into the topleft corner, sending Kayte Lane into raptures. In the 77th minute, a Poole effort that was initially off target almost turned into an equaliser, as it hit one of their own players and very nearly deflected into the bottom-left corner. As it didn’t, however, Cleeve heads remained very much high, and an outrageous chipped effort from Holliday proved exactly that, as it bounced off the crossbar and behind. As the game crept towards injury time, Holliday found himself with another chance to shoot, but this time he couldn’t keep his effort down. Five additional minutes were added, and after three minutes of football, with Cleeve expertly keeping the ball anywhere but their own half, the referee blew for fulltime, meaning the Mitres progressed in the FA Cup.
Cleeve Devs hold on to climb second after Longlevens thriller BISHOPS Cleeve Development overcame Longlevens Reserves to climb to second in the Gloucestershire County League table after five games. The scoring was opened by Will Hawes, who capitalised on a foul on Men’s First Team striker Ross Langworthy to fire a free kick across goal and into the keeper’s right with 18 minutes played. This came slightly against the run of play, with Player of the Match Isaac Parry already having been called into action numerous times by the visitors. Longlevens would level things in the 31st minute through the head of none other than Brad Martin. The former Mitre beat Parry to the ball from a free kick and headed home the equaliser. He is no stranger to scoring at Kayte Lane, having bagged 24 goals in 35 matches for Cleeve.
An end-to-end start to the second half saw the game continue in the same vein, but once again it was Cleeve who found the net. Harry Davis was given all the time in the world down the left, charging towards goal before sending a pinpoint low effort into the bottom-right corner to restore the lead with 57 minutes played. Levens had a chance to level the game again in the 63rd minute as a mistimed tackle saw a spot kick awarded. Parry, however, wasn't keen on conceding again and pulled off a stunning save to deny the visitors. Langworthy came close to adding a third in the 75th minute, denied only by a good save from close range, with Longlevens squandering chances of their own in the dying stages. A miss from a yard out was followed by a miss from three yards out, as the Devs just about held on for the win.
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Friday 11th September 2026
Cheltenham Post
Sport —
Cheltenham football league round-up with Rob Morrison THE Cheltenham League returned last weekend with a renewed sense of excitement as 33 teams kicked off a new season across three divisions. Five new entries have joined the competition, although all are familiar names with strong ties to local football. Leading the returning contingent are Bibury, who rejoin the Premier Division after their spell in the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League. Their arrival adds further quality and experience to an already competitive top flight. Elsewhere, both Lakeside and Cheltenham Saracens have expanded their presence in the league by entering additional teams in Division Two. There are also welcome returns for St Pauls United and AFC Cheltenham. St Pauls United begin their latest chapter in Division Two, while AFC Cheltenham are back in league action in Division One. There was a full Premier Division programme on the opening weekend, with all 10 teams in action. The headline fixture saw Wickhamford travel to newly promoted Mickleton Rangers. Wickhamford came agonisingly close to silverware last season,
finishing runners-up in both the league and the Senior Charities Cup. Having earned the unwanted tag of nearly men, they will be determined to go one step further this time around. Mickleton, meanwhile, arrived in the top flight on the back of promotion as Division One runners-up and wasted little time in showing they belong. In a thrilling contest, the newcomers edged a 3-2 victory to mark their Premier Division debut with all three points. Shurdington Rovers, the side who denied Mickleton the title last season, opened their campaign away to Cheltenham Civil Service Reserves. With no fewer than nine former Service players in their matchday squad, Rovers had extra motivation to make an early statement.
However, despite leading 21, they were pegged back as the hosts fought back to secure a 3-2 victory. Goals from Cacchioli and Healy, together with a stunning strike from Toby Marlow, ensured Service manager Stu Midwinter got the start to the season he had hoped for. Bibury's long-awaited return to the Cheltenham League ended in disappointment as Montpellier produced one of the results of the day, running out convincing 4-1 winners. Whaddon United Reserves also made an impressive start, cruising to a 5-0 victory over Bishops Cleeve A, while Southside and Lakeside served up a tengoal thriller in one of the most entertaining matches of the weekend. Division Two burst into
life on the opening weekend, with all six fixtures producing a flood of goals and plenty of early statements of intent. Leading the charge were newly-promoted Worcester Forge, who announced their arrival in emphatic fashion with an 8-2 demolition of Cheltenham United. It was the perfect start for the newcomers, whose display will have already caught the eye of their promotion rivals. Bredon Reserves also enjoyed a dream opening day, powering to a commanding 7-1 victory at Charlton Rovers to put their first three points on the board in style. Meanwhile, Falcons Reserves banished memories of last season's struggles with a performance full of confidence and attacking flair. Their 6-2 triumph over Hanley Swan provided the ideal start to the campaign and suggested brighter times could lie ahead. Cheltenham Saracens A also made a strong start to the season, putting five goals past Kings in an emphatic 51 victory. Harvey White and Joshua Oluwafemi both struck twice as Saracens produced one of the standout performances of the opening weekend. There were five goals, too, in the match marking AFC Cheltenham's return to the
league. However, their comeback ended in disappointment as Leckhampton Rovers edged a closely contested encounter 3-2, denying AFC the positive start they had hoped for on their return. In the division's final fixture, home advantage counted for little as Welland suffered a 4-1 defeat to Tewkesbury Town Development. The visitors claimed all three points and rounded off an action-packed opening weekend. Division Two got underway on Friday night under the lights at Bishops Cleeve, where Whaddon United III made the perfect start to the new campaign. A comfortable 3-0 victory over Bishops Cleeve B continued the progress shown by United towards the end of last season and handed them an early three points. On Saturday, two of the league's newest sides went head-to-head as Cheltenham Saracens B hosted St Pauls United. It was the home side who enjoyed the dream start, securing an impressive 4-2 victory on their league debut.
FC Lakeside Reserves, the other new addition to the division, also made their bow. However, they were unable to celebrate a winning start as Bibury Reserves edged a closely fought contest 1-0. At The Burrows, Leckhampton Rovers Reserves claimed a solid 2-0 victory over Tredworth Tigers. A Curtis Wise penalty put Rovers ahead in the first half before they doubled their advantage before the break. Despite creating chances of their own, Tredworth were unable to find a way through as the hosts saw out the win. In the final fixture, Winchcombe Town Reserves started what they hope will be their resurgence with a 21 victory over Prestbury Rovers. Both sides were relegated from Division One at the end of last season, but it was Town who made the brighter start to life in Division Two. Having failed to register a single point during the previous campaign, the win marked a significant and encouraging step forward for the visitors.
Match report with Pat Cox
Saturday 1st September 2026: Cheltenham Town 3 – York City 2
IN another entertaining match at Whaddon Road the Robins came out on top against a newly-promoted York City who looked a good side to beat. York started the game better than the home side and as early as the first minute a good block by Shaun McWilliams stopped a dangerous attack. The same player was booked two minutes later for what looked a good tackle, a poor decision by the referee who would go on to and officiate inconsistently and poorly for the rest of the game. York’s early pressure saw a succession of corners awarded which Cheltenham defended well. From one of these Alex Hunt found Ollie Banks in space on the edge of the box but his effort was well wide. In the 12th minute another
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York corner saw them take the lead when Wyll Stanway spilt Alex Newby’s long range effort straight into the path of Ollie Pearce who seized the chance from short range. A big mistake by the usually reliable Stanway. The goal jolted the Robins into action and when Jake Evans found Andreas Weimann in space his goalbound effort was diverted for a corner. The next minute Cheltenham were given a great opportunity to draw level when Robbie Cundy was bundled over in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot. Charlie McCann stepped up but his penalty was dealt with by Alfie McNally who then saw Jake Evans react the quickest and coolly finish to equalise. With both sides pushing forward the lively Evans saw
his attempt pushed round for a corner with 10 minutes left until half time. York finished the half as they had started it, pressurising the Robins’ defence. Harry Boyes missed the target from a tight angle and in the final minute of the half goal-scorer Pearce shot from distance but Stanway was able to parry his effort and gather it. The Robins were happy to go in level at half time. Steve Cotterill brought on Pierce Sweeney in the second half, changed formation from a back 4 to a back 3 and started the period brightly earning a couple of corners. From the second of these Joe Tomlinson headed back across goal but no Cheltenham player was able to finish off the move. In the 50th minute Cheltenham thought that they
should be awarded another penalty when Weimann was manhandled to the ground but the referee disagreed and was probably the only one who did. The first 15 minutes had been Cheltenham’s but Hunt’s viciously dipping free kick nearly gave York the lead in the 61st minute, just skimming the top netting with Stanway scrambling to get to it. Close! In the 65th minute the quick-thinking Weimann took a fast throw-in to Jake Evans who cut inside and repeated his brilliant strike against Rotherham to restore the Robins’ lead. Both sides continued to go forward and York drew level with quarter of an hour to go when a dangerous Boyes’ cross was met by substitute Jovan Malcolm whose glancing header gave Stanway no chance. A good goal!
Cheltenham went looking to regain the lead and win the match and with 10 minutes left Tomlinson shot just wide, quickly followed by Evans, who made a dangerous run but failed to pick out a telling pass. Cheltenham were on top and pressing. A good move between McCann and Evans saw the latter nearly complete his hat trick but his well struck shot was saved by McNally. Cheltenham were not to be denied and in the next minute McCann did brilliantly to win possession and surge forward. He struck the ball early and well and it squeezed under McNally for the decisive match winner. In the first minute of added time Stanway saved well at the foot of his post to ensure Cheltenham took all 3 points. Great match, brilliant result.
Player rating
Wyll Stanway 6 Jonathan Tomkinson. 6 Joe Tomlinson 7 Robbie Cundy 7 James Wilson (C) 7 Ben Stevenson 7.5 Charlie McCann 7.5 Shaun McWilliams 7 Andreas Weimann 7 Jake Evans 9 Jordan Shipley 6 Kirsten Otchere 6 Jake Bickerstaff 6 George Nurse 6 Pierce Sweeney 6.5 Freddy Willcox 6.5
Coxy’s Man of the Match Jake Evans
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Cheltenham Post
Friday 11th September 2026
Sport
“A game of two halves” Robins’ assistant manager reflects on the home draw against Grimsby Town Continued from back page A slow start to the second half saw Grimsby get one back just a minute in. The Mariners carried on battling and got their equaliser with ten minutes to play. The match descended into chaos at full-time, as a brawl broke out on the pitch which saw a Grimsby coach and Cheltenham boss Steve Cotterill both sent off. That meant post-match thoughts were past over to assistant manager Rob Edwards. Edwards praised a great first-half performance. He said: “The boys were excellent first half. Took the game to Grimsby and showed good energy. Second half was a different game, we all saw that. We had to dig in and unfortunately conceded the second goal. It was a bit of a ding-dong affair, but some real positives first half. “That’s what the gaffer wants, that high energy. The crowd got behind us and the boys were terrific in terms of getting after the ball and scored two good goals. “They [Grimsby] are a good team, the pitch is good and
it’s a nice day - if we let Grimsby settle into the game, they showed second half what a good team they are. It’s about high energy from the start and trying to take it to them. We know the game is never won at 2-0 and we’ve seen enough games to know you need a third or a fourth to secure the game and that didn’t happen. We gave them a chance to get back into the game.” Edwards also spoke about Weimann’s performance and how there is clear competition for who can take penalties. He continued: “I watched about four or five of them taking penalties on Friday and I don’t think one of them missed. So I am not sure how they were going to sort that out! I am not sure if Andi pulled rank in terms of seniority, but it was good to see him score. I’d be surprised if any of his teammates didn’t want him to take the penalty and score because he’s been a breath of fresh air. Somebody who has achieved brilliant things in the game, but if you see him train day-in, day-out, in terms of how he speaks to the
players, he’s brilliant for them. You wouldn’t think he’s the age he is because his appetite for the game is outstanding. “The gaffer’s big message was, new half, they are going to come at us. Conceding that goal meant the second half was longer, long enough, wasn’t it! It was a difficult start, the boys looked like they composed themselves a little bit, but it was a tough start to the second half. “But overall we can think after things settle down and the emotion goes out of it, it’s a difficult thing, the first three-game week, and that’s not a bad points tally, but we are 2-0 up at home and we want to be a team that can win from that position. There are a lot of things we’ll learn about today. A really good learning day for the players and if you want to be a team that’s right up there, you have to learn in those moments.” The draw comes at the end of a demanding eight days for the Robins. They drew with Barnet and beat York City as well as conceding the draw with Grimsby, facing some of the top teams in the league in terms of expectations.
Edwards was pleased with those results, and also spoke about tensions rising at the end of the Grimsby game. He said: “We have definitely played against teams in all the games that fancy themselves being near the top of the division. I think it’s going to be a close division this year and you can see the teams are closely matched. We have real good things in our side in terms of attitude and ability, so we think we can take on the best
sides. It’s just putting the small things together like the corner, which can be the difference between the sides at times. Nobody feels sorry for you in football and you don’t want the message to be ‘look how tough it’s been for us’ because you get on with it. The boys have been brilliant, excellent. The teams we’ve played are near the top and want to get promoted, so we’ll see. We’ve definitely made a promising start.
“There was a disagreement between the gaffer and one of their players. It was when Sweens went down with cramp and the gaffer thought their player could have helped him to his feet and it went from there. It’s just sportsmanship, picking a player up when he’s on the floor, not standing over him. We were a little bit disappointed with that, but the disagreement went on obviously, but that’s what the initial thing was.”
Match report with Pat Cox
Saturday 5th September 2026: Cheltenham Town 2 – Grimsby Town 2
THIS really was a game of two halves. The first half saw a high press Robins team give one of the their best 45 minutes at Whaddon Road, whereas the second half saw them start slowly and concede early and not look anything like the side they were in the first period. Cheltenham went in front when the impressive Jake Evans took on the Grimsby defence tying up three players in the box and calmly passing to Charlie McCann who dispatched his shot into the bottom right corner to record his fourth goal of the season. Cheltenham were cohesive and playing well and when
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Andreas Weimann was put through on the right in the 24th minute his poor cross evaded his onrushing team mates. Two minutes later a rare Grimsby attack saw Joe Tomlinson booked for a late tackle. Cheltenham continued to push forward and the dangerous Evans was once again involved in their second goal when he took on Cameron McJannet in the box, beat him and was brought down - for a clear penalty decision. Weimann took over penalty duty after McCann’s Tuesday miss and sent David Harrington the wrong way to
make it 2 – nil , no more than Cheltenham deserved. The last effort before half time saw Evans shoot wide. With the crowd hoping to see the Robins continue in the same manner as they did in the first half, it was Grimsby who quickly quietened them. With the first meaningful attack in the 2nd minute of the half Harvey Rodgers was allowed the space and the time to pick out substitute Mark Shelton whose finish unerringly found the bottom corner. It was the Robins’ turn to be under pressure now, and in the 58th minute Maldini Kacurri put a free header
over - warning signals! A minute later a double goal line block by Pierce Sweeney kept the Robins in front. On the hour a rare Cheltenham raid saw Evans find McCann whose poor touch let the chance go by. Minutes later Ben Stevenson shot straight at the keeper. In the 64th minute Steve Coterill made a double substitution taking off both goalscorers, Evans' removal seeming particularly questionable. With 15 minutes left Stevenson once again tried his luck from distance but shot wide.
Two minutes later substitute Jake Bickerstaff turned his man on the edge of the box but could not generate any power with his shot. Grimsby pushed forward again and were awarded a corner in the 82nd minute. From it, Grimsby skipper Kieran Green sent his header goalwards and Jonathan Tomkinson missed his chance to head it off the line, making it two each. In the final minute of the match Freddy Willcox saw his shot go over the bar. A fair draw in the end against an unbeaten Grimsby team but the way the home side started fans were left feeling disappointed.
Player rating
Wyll Stanway 6 Jonathan Tomkinson. 5 Joe Tomlinson 6.5 Robbie Cundy 7.5 Ben Stevenson © 8 Charlie McCann 7 Shaun McWilliams 7 Andreas Weimann 7 Jake Evans 8 Pierce Sweeney 6.5 Jordan Shipley 6 James Wilson 6 Kirsten Otchere 6 Jake Bickerstaff 6 George Nurse 6 Freddy Willcox 6
Coxy’s Man of the Match Ben Stevenson
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Friday 11th September 2026
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Robins share the points with Mariners
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Golf: £1000s raised at Lilleybrook charity golf day
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By George Didcote Chief Football Writer CHELTENHAM Town’s good start to the season continued, but they had to settle for a point against Grimsby. An action-packed game saw the Robins take a two-goal lead into halftime. Charlie McCann continued his fine form and scored the opener, while Andreas Weimann got his first Robins goal, netting a penalty after a great bit of play from Jake Evans saw him fouled in the box. Cheltenham did not want the halftime whistle to come.
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