Cheltenham Standard 25th June 2015

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25 JUNE 2015 ISSUE 49

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LECKHAMPTON HILL DELAYS

SEVERN TRENT CONTINUE MUCH NEEDED PIPE REPLACEMENT

A LARGE swathe of water pipes are now being replaced along Leckhampton Hill.

There will be temporary traffic lights installed along the busy road, causing probable traffic delays for motorists over the coming months.

“We’re working to make sure our customers’ water supply is

always there when they need it, that’s why we’re replacing more than a kilometre of water pipes in Leckhampton,” said Clive Ingram, programme manager for Severn Trent Water.

That was the word from the water company, which started replacing £350,000 worth of pipes along Leckhampton Hill last Monday 22 June.

The work is expected to go on for at least 16 weeks and be completed in October.

It will replace two of its existing water mains in Leckhampton Hill from outside The Lodge to the road’s junction with Daisy Bank Road.

Their engineers will start outside Shrublands and progress along Leckhampton Hill to its junction with Daisy Bank Road before returning to The Lodge and completing the final section.

Clive Ingram further explains: “We’ll be replacing two of the existing water pipes on Leckhamp-

ton Hill. The pipes there have grown old and become brittle meaning they can crack or burst.

By laying brand new pipes, we’ll be helping to prevent the disruption and inconvenience that can be caused by a burst water pipe, which may cut off the water

supply and stop taps and toilets working in the area.”

The company said it has worked hard to ensure the road was not closed during the work, but lights will have to be placed along the stretch throughout.

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 25 JUNE 2015

Cheltenham WeatherWatch Thursday 25th June Min 14ºC Max 20ºC FrIday 26th June Min 12ºC Max 19ºC saTurday 27th June Min 14ºC Max 20ºC suNday 28th June Min 14ºC Max 19ºC MONday 29th June Min 14ºC Max 19ºC TuEsday 30th June Min 14ºC Max 20ºC WEdNEsday 1st July Min 13ºC Max 20ºC

EdITOr editor@cheltenhamstandard.co.uk spOrTs jon@cheltenhamstandard.co.uk advErTIsINg mark@stylemagazines.co.uk bethany.lynch@stylemagazines.co.uk sales@stylemagazines.co.uk rECruITMENT recruitment@cheltenhamstandard.co.uk

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GCHQ broke rules IT transpires that GCHQ did not follow proper procedures when collecting information on two international NGOs (non-governmental organisations), the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has commented.

The IPT said rules had been broken in connection to the handling of data that had been intercepted.

However, it said the initial collection of information had been within the law.

The action was brought by a number of NGOs including Amnesty and Privacy International.

Along with the American Civil Liberties Union and others they accused the intelligence agencies of intercepting their communications.

There was no determination in most of the cases under consideration. This means either they were not spied on or if they were, then no rules were breached.

But in the case of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) and South Africabased The Legal Resources Centre, the Tribunal ruled that GCHQ had not followed proper internal procedures.

The tribunal found that the EIPR's communications had been lawfully intercepted but the data had been stored for longer than it should have been.

In the case of the South African NGO, the tribunal said

it was satisfied that the interception itself had been lawful but GCHQ internal policies for examining those communications had not been followed.

In both cases, the tribunal said there had not been material damage and so no compensation had to be paid.

But in the Egyptian case, it required GCHQ to confirm within 14 days that the relevant documents had been deleted.

This was the third and final judgment on challenges raised by the NGOs, to the lawfulness of the UK's bulk interception powers and of the intelligencesharing arrangements between the UK and the US National Security Agency.

A government spokesman said: “We welcome the IPT's confirmation that any interception by GCHQ in these cases was undertaken lawfully

and proportionately, and that where breaches of policies occurred they were not sufficiently serious to warrant any compensation to be paid to the bodies involved.”

He added: “GCHQ takes procedure very seriously. It is working to rectify the technical errors identified by this case and constantly reviews its processes to identify and make improvements.”

A report by David Anderson, the independent review of terrorism legislation, published this month, called for an overhaul of the laws surrounding the interception of communications including by GCHQ, arguing that their lack of transparency made them “undemocratic.”

The new laws would include stricter safeguards regarding the authorisation of intelligence activities.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience the lights may be causing...” >> CoNTINueD FroM FroNT PAGe

It is thought that the lights will shift along the road as work progresses.

He also said, “We've managed to avoid closing Leckhampton Hill, however we do have to put temporary traffic lights up to keep the local community and our workforce safe.”

Clive Ingram also added, “We’re sorry for any inconvenience the lights may be causing and we’ve planned this work carefully to help minimise disruption. We’re also using new engineering techniques to get this work completed as quickly as possible. We’ll be talking to the local community, so residents know what we’re doing

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and how to get in touch if they need our help.”

Severn Trent Water together with its contract partner, Amey, said it is open to questions and suggestions from customers and residents.

Contact Amey’s 24-hour customer service centre on 0800 521 660 or email STW.Works@amey.co.uk

Police seek motorist who knocked down cyclist POLICE are trying to trace a motorist who knocked down a cyclist in Cheltenham several weeks ago.

The collision happened at the junction of Bath Road and Montpellier Drive at about 7.30am on Wednesday, 6 May. The driver of the vehicle - a black 4x4 - stopped, but the 53year-old victim said she was 'okay' and both parties went on their way. Neither exchanged details.

However, the cyclist was dazed and shocked and later discovered she had an injury at the back of her head. Her daughter took her to hospital where she received surgical staples for the wound.

The victim, did not report the incident to police until last Saturday, 13 June. Police are appealing for help in tracing the driver.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting incident 163 of 13 June 2015.

Man arrested after police officer punched in face A MAN has been arrested after a police officer was assaulted as he conducted an investigation into an alleged indecency incident in Cheltenham.

Officers were called to Prestbury Road just before 8pm on Friday 12 June after a motorist reported seeing a man in his 40s indecently exposing himself to two young girls.

After conducting enquiries in the area, a man was arrested in Hayes Road on suspicion of indecent exposure and also of assault after a police officer was punched in the face.

He was released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Police would like to speak to the two young girls in question and are appealing to them to come forward. They are described as being white, in their early teens and had their hair in a bun.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting incident 440 of 12 June 2015.

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25 JUNE 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

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Hospital Trust told by health watchdog to improve GLOUCESTERSHIRE Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was criticised for waiting times in A&E departments and delays in ambulance handovers.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) report also said there were not enough consultants in emergency departments.

The trust said it had already begun to address some of the issues.

The inspection, between 10 and 20 March, looked at departments at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Cheltenham General Hospital and Stroud Maternity Hospital.

It said issues with the flow of patients through hospitals and pressures on wards to discharge patients had led to patients not always being treated on the most appropriate ward and overcrowding in emergency

Weird Fish team give back to the Cheltenham community

departments.

The report also highlighted that A&E waitingtime targets were constantly not being met and patients were having to queue in emergency department corridors for treatment.

CQC's chief inspector of hospitals, professor Sir Mike Richards, said: “It is well known that patients have been waiting too long in A&E. “I am aware that this is being investigated, and we will continue to monitor the trust's performance in this important area.”

In December 2014 and January 2015, the trust declared a major incident

when demand in A&E departments became unmanageable.

The trust's chief executive, Dr Frank Harsent, said: “Clearly the winter was a very challenging period for us and this has had an impact on our performance.

“In relation to the fourhour waiting standard at A&E, we are determined to make this better for patients and we are working closely with our health and care partners to do this.”

In addition to the three hospitals, the trust also runs six outpatient clinics but these were not visited for this inspection.

STAFF from Weird Fish volunteered at the Oakley Neighbourhood Project on Friday 12 June by painting one of its classrooms.

Naomi Hill, Stuart Hancocks and Ron Morris from the Weird Fish team were invited to help paint a couple of training rooms at The Oakley Neighbourhood Project, a local community centre in Cheltenham. The project offers help and support with employment skills, counselling, community family days and food banks.

Caroline from Business in the Community organised the volunteering project and joined the Weird Fish staff members during the day, while the centre provided the hard workers with a constant supply of refreshments.

The day of volunteering has kick-started a bond between the centre and Weird Fish and the clothing retailer will continue

to offer a helping hand with volunteering activities in the future.

Naomi Hill, PR co-ordinator at Weird Fish, said: “The Oakley Neighbourhood Project in our local home of Cheltenham is a really amazing place and we were so happy we could do something to help as a local business.”

John Stockton, managing director at Weird Fish, said: “Being a local business we really want to give back to the community

we live and work in. We want to offer help in whatever way we can, from weeding to offering work experience placements.”

To find out more about the project, visit www.oakleyneighbourhoodproject.org.uk Weird Fish clothing is available to buy nationally from Weird Fish retail stores and online. For more information, visit www.weirdfish.co.uk or call 01242 539535.

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 25 JUNE 2015

Caffe Nero back to square one?

A COFFEE shop chain has denied it has reversed a decision to stop using milk from farms in the badger cull zone.

Caffe Nero said it would stop using milk from farms that were part of a pilot tackling badger numbers, after being targeted by anti-cull activists.

Earlier, Leader of the Commons Chris Grayling said what happened was “utterly unacceptable” and he was glad the firm had now changed its mind.

A Caffe Nero spokesman said there had been no change of policy.

Mr Grayling was responding to a question in the Commons from the Conservative MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset, Ian LiddellGrainger.

Mr Grayling said: “It is not acceptable to my mind for companies to give into pressure from a very small number of activists in a way that can damage the livelihoods of people who may

Enter Now! Sunday 27th September 2015 have in reality no connection at all to the issues that are being raised.

“What took place was utterly unacceptable and I'm glad Caffe Nero changed their minds, but I wish they hadn't taken this decision in the first place.”

It follows a report in the Times that the company was preparing to reverse its decision following criticism from farmers and MPs. However, Caffe Nero said it would continue to source its milk from outside the cull zone in order to protect its

staff and customers.

Spokeswoman Kelly Sylvester, said: “We are at a loss as to why our stores have been the target of protesters when we are not part of the debate.

“In fact 98% of our milk supply came from outside the affected areas.

“In response to serious and credible threats against our team members, we decided that the welfare of our people and our customers came first and have taken a pragmatic decision on our milk sourcing policies.”

PHOTO: ANGUS BETHUNE

www.cheltenhamhalf.co.uk

LiLy Gin’s cocktaiL frenzy THERE was shaking and stirring galore on Wednesday 17th June when Cheltenham cocktail bar, Lily Gin’s, officially launched their new drinks menu and very own exclusive gin.

Bar manager Lucas RoySmith said: “Thank you to everyone who came to our new menu and very own gin launch. It was a huge success and I know all the staff enjoyed it. I'm very excited about this menu and the gin and can't wait for more ven-

tures to come.”

With a vintage ‘olde worldy’ style twist, the new menu takes you on a journey through a variety of premium spirits, rare liqueurs, cockle warming sippers, knee tremblers and throat scorchers.

Lucas enthused: “With our new menu we have tried to keep customers guessing and leave them wanting more.

We have also created our very own page of cocktail concoctions; created by our

own bar stewards, plus of course our very own Lily’s Gin! “I have chosen six botanicals to create this astonishing flavor (even if I do say so myself). It’s designed to be a sipping gin, so I suggest you try it on the rocks, slightly stirred down, Churchill style.”

Perhaps not to everyone’s taste, but that truly doesn’t matter with the extensive new list of cocktails now on offer.

Watch the birdie as more cctV cams on Way AN increased number of CCTV cameras could be installed across Cheltenham.

Councillors were presented with a petition signed by hundreds of people calling for new cameras to be put up on Brunswick Street, Swindon Road and the Honeybourne Line which can be open to crime.

The borough council already owns and maintains 61 cameras and has allocated a further £420,000 to spend on CCTV this year.

Every year the authority reviews its CCTV provision and this week councillors agreed to consider the request raised by the petition as part of that process.

A local petition noted that increased CCTV in St Paul's would make residents “feel safer”.

Gloucestershire police are responsible for watching the feeds from the

borough council's cameras.

Councillor Andrew McKinlay (LD, Up Hatherley), cabinet member for development and safety, said during the meeting the borough council takes the issue of combatting crime “very seriously”.

“We put a significant amount of money towards this and we do work very closely with the police,” he said.

“We are currently in negotiations with them about how we can take this coverage forward.

“The police view of CCTV is that it is an effective deterrent of crime… but they do not believe St Paul's is a special case.”

Councillor John Rawson (LD, St Peter's) advocated more CCTV for the Honeybourne Line which is used as an “escape route” by criminals.

Meanwhile, Councillor Max Wilkinson (LD, Park)

suggested hard evidence outlining the number of crimes cameras have helped solve should be presented before more are installed.

“We do have the right to walk around all day without knowing that the state is watching at every turn,” he said.

He said the need to protect civil liberties must be balanced with the need to deter criminals and solve crime.

“We need to be very careful when we extend CCTV,” he said.

Councillor Louis Savage (C, Battledown) said that while the evidence was “ambiguous” on exactly how many crimes have been solved primarily because of CCTV the Conservatives would back the plans because so many people had spoken up on the issue.

25 JUNE 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

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Man behaving indecently in Swindon Road GLOUCESTERSHIRE Constabulary have received a report of a male behaving indecently in Swindon Road, Cheltenham.

At around 1.20am on 11 June a woman was walking home on Swindon Road where it forks with St Pauls Road. She had headphones on but heard a man shouting at her. She removed her headphones, looked up onto the bridge and saw a man behaving indecently.

The man was white, of large build and wearing a

grey hoodie with the hood up.

Police would like to advise people to avoid walking home alone late at night and to always be aware of their surroundings. If you see an incident that concerns or frightens you please call 999 in an emergency or 101.

Anyone who has any further information concerning this incident please call 101 quoting incident number 185 of 11 June 2015.

Silverware stolen in Swindon Village POLICE are appealing for information on the theft of four distinctive items of silverware, stolen from a house in Swindon Village near Cheltenham.

Thieves broke in through a French window at the property in Swindon Manor, Manor Road, between 7 January and 8 January this year.

Police have released images of the stolen items.

They include: • A silver horse about 8 ins tall worth several thousand pounds • A silver vase • Two silver tea sets Anyone who has seen these items for sale or has any information which could help the enquiry is asked to call 101, quoting incident 63 of 8 January 2015.

Have your say on the plan for Cheltenham’s future RESIDENTS’ are being asked to give their views on the new Cheltenham Plan which will help guide the development of the borough over the next 15 years.

The plan is a locallyfocused document that deals with Cheltenhamspecific issues such as supporting the town’s economy, the work of the Cheltenham Development Task Force, protecting and conserving the town’s built heritage, and recognising the importance of parks and gardens. It will be used in making decisions on planning applications and will be a key part of ‘place shaping’ Cheltenham.

Public consultation starts today (Monday 22 June) and runs for six weeks.

There are two public events where planning officers will be available discuss this consultation in depth. The dates are Saturday 4 July 2015 from 12noon to 6pm at the Midsummer Fiesta,

PHOTO: Lauren Bridges

natalie Lawson-Lee, Melody Wall, Chloe richards, Principle Mathew Burgees, alex Chalk MP, James Ho and Chris richardson

Cheltenham MP opens new state-ofthe-art library at Cheltenham Campus CONSERVATIVE MP for Cheltenham, Alex Chalk, was greeted by smiling Gloucestershire College students on Friday 19 June, when they welcomed him to their new state-of-the-art library at Cheltenham Campus. The newly elected MP spent an hour with the College’s Principal, Matthew Burgess, before making his way to recently remodelled Library to officially open the new facilities.

Created by Bristol-based design specialists, OEG Interiors, the open plan Library features a dynamic colour scheme of pink, white and blue, creating a clean and modern look. The light and airy space features floor-toceiling windows, which create an inspiring place to study; a Creative Zone with a large group study table, surrounded by Macs; and a printing booth and drop-in PCs.

Alex spent time talking with the College’s Catering and Foundation Studies students about their new library and studies, before cutting the ribbon with Matthew Burgess.

For more information about courses at Gloucestershire College, and where they can take you in the future, visit www.gloscol.ac.uk or call Student Services on 0345 155 2020.

Montpellier Gardens; and Saturday 18 July 2015 from 10am to 4pm in the Regent Arcade.

To read and comment on the consultation documents, simply register using our online consultation webpage consult.cheltenham.gov.uk. Copies of the questionnaire are also available in Cheltenham’s libraries and can be posted back to: Planning Policy Team, Cheltenham Borough Council, Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 9SA. Tracey Crews, head of planning, says: “If you live, work or visit Cheltenham it’s important to have your

say on how you believe the council should be working on this plan.

“We also want to hear your views on the location of new housing and local green spaces in the town; on brownfield sites in Cheltenham that you believe should be regenerating; or open and green spaces that deserve national level protection.”

Cllr Steve Jordan, leader of the council, says: “It’s important that we try to get the right balance between the need for homes and jobs while protecting the green spaces that make Cheltenham the place it is.

Planning can play an important role when creating and safeguarding jobs in Cheltenham. The plan reviews the issues we currently face and proposes possible planning solutions

to help us become more competitive, deliver more jobs and increase economic productivity.

“It’s vital that members of the public have the opportunity to engage with us in shaping this plan right from the start.”

The Cheltenham Plan will complement the Joint Core Strategy (JCS) by effectively ‘filling in the details’. It will not, for example, decide on the level of growth that should take place in the borough, or where major strategic developments should take place that will be set out in the JCS. Comments on the proposed scope of the Cheltenham Plan will be considered by officers and the comments will be used to inform the preparation of the draft Cheltenham Plan.

For any further questions, please contact the planning policy team on 01242 264328.

6

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 25 JUNE 2015

whizz Kid at the Palace

ON Sunday 14 June, Adam from Cheltenham attended disabled children's charity, Whizz-Kidz, 25th anniversary celebration at Hampton Court Palace and was awarded the charity’s ‘Excellence in Volunteering’ award.

Adam is also a beneficiary of the charity and received his first powered chair from Whizz-Kidz when he was five. Now at 30, his dedication to supporting young people through volunteering in his spare time is an inspiration and demonstrates a passionate commitment to others.

Adam’s award was one of 25 that will be handed out through the course of the charity’s 25th birthday to celebrate the outstanding achievements of those involved with Whizz-Kidz. 7 of the awards were given out at the event in Hampton Court Palace, sponsored by Give It Away, and the winners were joined by the charity’s patrons, Jamie Murray, Nina Hossain and Jordan Jarrett-

Bryan, to celebrate their achievements.

Upon receiving his award, Adam said, ‘It was an honour to receive the award to be a part of the WhizzKidz family and to get recognised is great. Because of Whizz-Kidz wheelchair users are no longer seen and not heard.’

Last year, Whizz-Kidz was awarded £5.3 million in Lottery funding last year to provide 10,000 new opportunities for disabled children and young people over the next three years, including services for disabled children in the West Midlands.

Adam is justone example of how the charity can transform the lives of young disabled people in the area but it is impatient for the changes in society that could mean young disabled people wouldn't have to rely on charities for support. The charity is now urging individuals and companies to Power Up and work with it to make society more inclusive for disabled youngsters.

To find out how you can help, and to learn more about the Power Up campaign, visit www.whizzkidz.org.uk/support-us/powe r-up.

Cheltenham’s Half Marathon – Sunday 27th September RegiSteR Now!

Volunteer e ing Opp portunities Cheer Sq quad Requirred for Brit10k k run in London Sunday ay 12th July Travel and cheer materials inccluded New Music Festival for Chheltenham

5RYLQ· )HVW V Ch heltenham RFC Newlands Park

Friday 17th ² Sunday y 19th July Bucket Collectors Req R uired Includ des entry to the festival Organised by St James Place Wealth Mana M gement

We need eed people to hel e p run some of o the traditional a stalls such as Coconut shy, Hook a Duck k, Bouncy Castle e etc.

Volunteer to 2 ½ hours and bring the fa f mily down

A FIRM favourite with runners from across the region, Cheltenham’s Half Marathon combines Regency splendour with a dose of Cotswold charm. This is a popular destination road race set in the heart of Chel-

tenham, with wide tree-lined avenues providing plenty of space to run.

A single lap, closed-road course takes in the beauty of Cheltenham, and features the majestic Cheltenham Racecourse. So, whether you’re a

seasoned runner or a firsttimer looking for a challenge, this is a friendly course with fantastic support and is the perfect challenge for the autumn! So register now to grab your place. www.cheltenhamhalf.co.uk

D vil Mud Run De t Saturday 26th ² Sunday 27th September

Volu V l nte t ers required i d marsh hallin lli g obsta acles and for regiistration For more m information or to sign up to volunteer at one of these events, s Please contact Sue Hughes on shughes@winstonswish.org.uk or call 01242 515 5 157

25 JUNE 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

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Level crossing dangers THOUSANDS of people are risking their lives and those of others at level crossings, say British Transport Police (BTP).

Officers will be carrying out extra patrols and activities across Cheltenham and the rest of the country as a whole as they warn about the dangers of crossing misuse during Operation Look, a week of action which started on Monday 22nd of this week.

The initiative comes as BTP reveals it recorded 3,615 UK-wide offences at crossings in the last year, with incidents ranging from trespass to failing to stop at signals.

The majority of those dealt with were motorists who failed to obey signals and warning lights, risking their lives and those of others simply to shave a few minutes off their journey.

Most of those drivers (1,228) agreed to attend one of BTP’s Driver Aware-

ness courses. The vast majority of those who attend these courses do not reoffend.

As part of the week, the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Group will be performing monologues from their play, Off The Level, which reinforces the importance of using crossings safely.

The monologues, which highlight the consequences of crossing misuse, and have the backing of both BTP and Network Rail, will be performed close to crossings, with officers and crossing managers on hand to talk to the public about the issues raised.

Inspector Becky Warren said: “We will not hesitate to enforce the law, but convincing people to change their habits at crossings is a vital part of what we do.

“We spend a lot of time talking to schools and businesses about the importance of safe level crossing use, and we want to use

this week to engage with the public who use level crossings on a daily basis.

“We are delighted to be working with the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Group and hope the messages in their monologues will strike a chord with the public.”

Darren Furness, head of level crossings at Network Rail said: “Britain has one of the safest railway networks in the world however, level crossings do pose a risk and everyone needs to take care when crossing.

“Alongside British Transport Police, our awareness campaigns aim to help everyone who uses level crossings, be that people on foot, bike or car, know the risks that exist and how to use crossings safely so that they can cross with confidence.”

Pothole summit... and you’re invited!

ONE of Cheltenham's biggest bugbears will be the centre of attention this Friday 26th June, at the town's first ever 'Pothole Summit'.

The event, which has been organised by Cheltenham's MP, Alex Chalk, will give local residents the opportunity to hear about the road projects in progress across the town, as well as allowing them to raise their potholerelated concerns directly with the County Council.

Mr Chalk, who appeared on national TV last month to

promote this initiative, is campaigning for improvements in Cheltenham's roads. He has stated that he wishes to see the most efficient possible use of the road maintenance grant allocated to Shire Hall by central government, which has increased by over £1 billion nationally since 2010.

The town's man in Westminster also wants to make it easier to report potholes and has pledged to work with transport bosses to develop new ways for residents to make their concerns heard.

Speaking to the Standard,

Mr Chalk commented, “Potholes matter. They are not a trivial issue. For motorists they can cause unnecessary damage and expense. For cyclists they are a serious danger. That's why I campaigned on this issue prior to the election and have continued to do since - both locally, in Parliament, and in the national media.”

“This summit is an excellent opportunity to have a constructive dialogue about an issue that affects almost every one of us. The event is open to all, and I look forward to a good turnout.”

Citizen’s Advice Bureau offering Pension Wise appointments helping people plan future

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CAB is offering Pension Wise appointments at the Cheltenham Citizens Advice Bureau giving people access to free and impartial pension guidance in their local area.

Following pension reforms on April 6th, people approaching retirement have greater freedom over how they can use their pension pots. People will be able to take a lump sum, take out an annuity or a mixture of both.

Pension Wise is a new Government service designed to help people make sense of their pension options, and empower them to make the right choices for them.

The free face-to-face Pension Wise sessions are available to book now. The 45 minute appointments will

be tailored to the individual, taking into account the value of their pension and their plans for retirement.

A Pension Wise appointment may help you if: • You are approaching retirement or are 55 or over.

• Have a defined contribution pension.

• Are thinking of accessing your pension in the next six months.

Guidance appointments are also available on the telephone, delivered by the Pensions Advisory Service.

People can also get information and general guidance online at www.pensionwise.gov.uk.

Norman Gardner, Bureau

Manager of CAB, said, “Gloucester and District CAB will be offering Pension Wise appointments from its office in Cheltenham CAB, St Georges Place, Cheltenham, giving easy access to Pension Wise.”

“Pensions can be a confusing topic and Pension Wise appointments will help people to make sense of their pension choices. Gloucester and District CAB already helps people with retirement issues and we’ll continue to offer this service outside of Pension Wise.”

To book a telephone or face to face appointment people can call 0300 330 1001. People can also call in at Gloucester CAB or Cheltenham CAB.

8

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 25 JUNE 2015

TFIELD A E R G FARM SHOP

Cheltenham CAMRA raise over £400 in memory of Trevor Carter OVER £400 has been raised for the British Heart Foundation in fond memory of Trevor Carter, a real ale enthusiast and a stalwart of both Cheltenham and Gloucestershire CAMRA for the last 20 years.

The memorial event took place at the award-winning Cheltenham Motor Club, a recent Campaign for Real Ale UK Club of the Year, and one of Trevor’s favourite real ale venues.

The event was set up the way Trevor, a solid Cornishman, would have liked it with plenty of strong, dark and Cornish beer and tasty pasties. The proceeds from the sale of a polypin of dark oatmeal stout, and a bucket collection, raised over £400 for the British Heart Foundation.

Cheltenham CAMRA Branch Chair, Veronica Emary, said: “We had a terrific time, the Motor Club was packed. Trevor's brother Steve and his wife came all the way from Cornwall.”

She also added, “lots of money has been raised in Trevor's memory, with more to come, for the British Heart Foundation. I would like to thank everyone for their overwhelming generosity and say well done Neil and the CMC team. The night was a fitting tribute to a great man who died at only 51 and is sorely missed by many across Gloucestershire and the wider CAMRA family.”

Many people travelled from Tewkesbury, Gloucester and the wider county for the night. Trevor was, for many years the face of Cheltenham CAMRA who volun-

teered at many beer festivals and was a respected figure on the Gloucestershire tasting panel. He was regularly sought out by many for a quick chat, or to get his recommendations on what beers to try at local festivals.

Trevor was due to run the bar at the Gloucester Beer Festival at the end of April.

As a tribute, his many CAMRA friends named Battledown “Old Curmudgeon” after the “Gentle Giant.”

The British Heart Foundation will gain again at the first Cheltenham CAMRA Real Ale Festival (CRAF15) on August 14th and 15th at Cheltenham Town Hall. The proceeds from all donated, unused beer tokens will be converted to cash and given to the charity.

Festival details can be found at www.cheltenhamcamra.org.uk/craf

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Motorbikes stolen from garage in Bishops Cleeve

Venting spleen

POLICE are appealing for information after two motorbikes were stolen from a home in Bishops Cleeve near Cheltenham.

Thieves broke into the garage of a house in Hyatts Way some time overnight on Sunday 7 June and took two Kawasaki 250cc off-road racing bikes.

Police have released images of the bikes. One has a green and black seat and the number 104 on the side. The other has a black seat with the number 24 on the side.

Anyone with information, or who has seen bikes matching these descriptions for sale, is asked to call 101, quoting incident 58 of 8 June 2015.

QUICKLY - someone bring me a Burger King. Oh that’s right, we no longer have one.

Our summer weather ruined what should’ve been a glorious Food & Drink festival, the Council continues to flog off any bit of public owned space we have left and the state of our town’s potholed roads goes from bad to worse. It’s enough to give me a migraine.

Fast food is what should power Cheltenham. The snappy, convenient goodness that comes from it can provide us with hope and some momentary satisfaction whilst all else is seemingly going wrong with our regency town.

It’s a grim reality to face up to but someone has to say it – this town is in the middle of a fast food drought.

Why does a town capable of hosting a plethora of chain restaurants such as: ASK, Jamie’s, Zizzi’s and Prezzo struggle to maintain just a handful of ‘fast food’ venues?

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Local man about town, Tom Thurlow lets loose

The town centre caters for the ‘lower middle’ crowd by offering all of the above in abundance, yet the town has weirdly snubbed the American giants with only a solitude McDonalds and KFC located here. These two do have smaller drive thru offerings dotted around the outskirts of town but the other big names seem to be on the decline.

Burger King vanishes, Eat and Pret-A-Manger are too scared to locate here, Millie’s Cookies have downsized and don’t get me started on Gregg’s and how many properties they’ve vacated. I’d be surprised if they didn’t need their own in-house property expert to manage the number of leases they back out of.

I’ll be one of the first to

say Cheltenham is a town to be proud of. We can certainly put our noses up to the majority of our neighbours. However I do firmly believe we have no reason to be food snobs. Listen up - rich people like the taste of sugary, salty food too you know? There’s no reasoning why we need more sit-downs such Carluccio’s and Cote Brasserie launching in this town.

Enough is enough already.

There are plenty of places to push some salad around a plate for two hours. What we don’t have enough of are fast, convenient restaurants.

We need more variety, bigger sized units, and longer opening times. I want Cheltenham to lead the way in welcoming a USstyle capitalist offering. I want choice and lots of it. I want businesses to take advantage of the wealth of our populous and set up shop here.

I want brightly coloured units springing up all over town selling sugary, tasty treats such as Dunkin’ Donuts, Ben & Jerrys. I want Pizza Hut to reopen their restaurant; I want a Za Za Bazaar.

I also want the tree-hugging, picket-wielding freaks to stop loading their beliefs onto the food industry and Government.

It’s not Krispy Kreme making the World fat. The fault lies solely on the gorillas that refuse to learn portion control and where to find Fitness4Less on a map.

Get more of Tom’s insights by following him on Twitter @thurlow

The views, opinions and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments on these articles are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of The Cheltenham Standard

25 JUNE 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

Standoku

TargeT

Cryptic Crossword No49

Medium

7 6 9 4 7 8 6 4 2 5 3 9 4 1 5 7 6 3 2 1 3 4 6 7 1 5 8 9 1

3

8 9 4

Make as many words of four letters or more as you can.

Each word must contain the center letter and each letter must only be used once.

S M A R U O Y L E

9

aCroSS

DowN

1. I'm eating out with Charles I - that's mysterious! (9) 8. May changes her name (3) 9. News of how the Red Arrows fly (11) 11. Does pie get cooked in one instalment?

(7) 12. 1, 11, 0, 1000 is a mathematical statement (5) 13. Change this for the right top (1-5) 15. Party on sea or land (6) 17. I do business - that's perfect! (5) 18. Nastier concoction of Greek wine (7) 20. Mail printer produces a textbook (5,6) 22. Some sympathetic article ... (3) 23. ... about the way notes fade when unable to hear (5,4)

2. Religious woman starts the Canticle of Simeon (3) 3. Moira's new man (5) 4. What remains when the estate is divided up? (3-3) 5. Stylish silver ring from a city in Illinois (7) 6. Driving Al's minicab around the north to find evidence of flesh-eating (11) 7. A burning desire? (9) 10. Does Adam's doctor practise alternative medicine? (5,6) 11. Disentangle from a mangled Crete taxi (9) 14. Is concerned with the travels of Laertes (7) 16. The English-speaker has to leave without the band (6) 19. Brief to cut down trees (5) 21. Age of the older generation (3)

Target: 25 words good; 35 very good; 40+ excellent.

Council is keeping a bird’s eye on the success of the new programme.

If it looks like it’s worked for the city it may be that the town will consider following suit.

Cheltenham Borough council spends many thou-

sands of pounds every year on trying to control the town's gull population which has a high nuisance factor for most of the residents Birds of prey are normally used to stop gulls from nesting but they are usually

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Last week’s solutions (18th June 2015): Across: 7 Eyelid; 8 Repair; 10 Musical; 11 Backs; 12 Wood; 13 Pause; 17 Acorn; 18 More; 22 Photo; 23 Evening; 24 Lonely; 25 Danger. Down: 1 Sea-mews; 2 Session; 3 Hitch; 4 Verbose; 5 Fancy; 6 Dress; 9 All agreed; 14 Schools; 15 Foliage; 16 Vergers; 19 Apple; 20 Joint; 21 Began.

Seagulls on the menu?

The skies over the town could soon be seagull-free if some rather radical plans get taken on.

Gloucester City Council has used birds of prey to tackle the seagull nuisance for the first time this year and Cheltenham Borough

1

deployed in rural countryside areas.

The cost of using the birds means the borough council would need to know for sure that they are effective in a town environment before they deploy the seagull eating winged Ferraris.

One thing is for sure: If it works for Gloucester it will be considered by Cheltenham.

The issue was raised at a meeting of Cheltenham Borough Council earlier in the week.

Councillor Andrew McKinlay (LD, Up Hatherley), cabinet member for development and safety, commented “I believe that any solution that works, we should be fully au fait with.

“We need to wait for

23

Gloucester to report back on their experiment with the birds of prey.”

In a written answer to a question on the issue, Mr McKinlay said he was aware the city has been using birds of prey.

“However”, He added, “given the additional cost of this method along with the practicalities of their use in urban areas it has yet to be

validated as a value for money exercise.”

Our borough council is a member of the Severn Estuary Gull Group so receives information from lots of authorities on the issue of gull control.

Mr McKinlay did say that the use of birds of prey would be considered in Cheltenham if it works over in Gloucester.

Racecourse’s new Cheltenham Club IAN Renton, Chief Executive of Cheltenham Racecourse invited a VIP guest list to join him and his team for drinks and canapés to inspect the Cheltenham Club in the racecourse’s new grandstand.

It is understood that the club will be offering top-end, high quality dining facilities, together with a lounge area for members to relax and enjoy drinks in. The club area even has its own modern fireplace to create an easy-living, sophisticated and cosy environment for those chillier months.

Find out more about the Cheltenham Club and membership www.cheltenham.co.uk

10

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 25 JUNE 2015

Ibiza death girl to be remembered at service The many friends of Cara Keirl are being invited to her funeral, which has been now slated for July 3rd.

Her funeral will take place at noon in Cheltenham Crematorium.

Cara’s mother Cheryl posted on Facebook: “My beautiful Cara's funeral is at 12 noon on Friday 3rd July xxx all friends welcome xxx and can you please dress in colour to match my girl's personality xxx to celebrate my wonderful daughter's life xxx more details to follow xxx love you all xxx.”

The hairdresser from Cheltenham who died in Ibiza on June 9th, was a former pupil at Bournside School.

Cara left the school in 2004 to pursue a career in hairdressing and attended the famous Toni and Guy Academy in Manchester and then later owning her own mobile hairdressing business.

She had most recently lived in Bristol but still cut hair for her customers in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.

Details of what happened to Cara in Ibiza have not been made public by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Cara’s family have said donations to mental health charity MIND would be very welcome.

DEADLY DOG DISEASE STILL ABOUNDS...

a reminder from last week’s edition!

LUNGWORM infection in dogs, caused by the parasite Angiostrongylus vasorum, is spreading. A recent nationwide survey of UK vets has revealed that over 25 per cent of those questioned had either confirmed or suspected a case of this potentially fatal condition, yet as few as six per cent of dog owners had even heard of the disease.

Lungworm (spread by slugs and snails) is now a nationwide threat to dogs.

Woodlands Veterinary Centre in Cheltenham has recently diagnosed and treated a young dog which had picked up lungworm.

Greg Simpson MRCVS, a director at the veterinary clinic comments: “This dog originally came in with symptoms that are atypical to lungworm. However very shortly after she become unsteady on her feet and developed haemorrhages in both eyes. This made me very suspicious so we carried out an in-house test for

lungworm which came back positive. Thankfully after treatment she is now on the road to recovery.”

Greg adds: “Whilst dog owners should be on the lookout for any unusual symptoms in their pet, the more typical signs of lungworm are respiratory problems and bleeding tendencies. This can be bleeding in their stools, bleeding gums or bruising under the skin.”

“This is the first case of lungworm we have seen in the practice but we know

other veterinary clinics in the area have diagnosed dogs with the parasite. Pet owners should speak to their vet about a monthly, preventative worming treatment, as lungworm is potentially fatal.”

Raising awareness of the parasite, Woodlands Veterinary Clinic is joining other vets and owners nationwide in support of the national ‘Be Lungworm Aware’ campaign.

A recent survey suggests that lungworm is now endemic throughout much of the UK. In a survey of 150 veterinary practices across the UK a total of 952 suspected cases were reported (157 laboratory confirmed), with 81 deaths thought to have been caused by the parasite.

Routine use of a specific treatment, available from veterinary surgeons, prevents dogs from developing this infection, so taking your pooch for a lungworm check-up is strongly advised.

ATM decepTion scAM AfTer AnoTher cArd ThefT GLOUCESTERSHIRE Police are warning people to be on their guard when drawing money out of cash machines after another case of deception tactics being used to steal a bank card.

At about 11.00am on Friday 5 June, a customer using an ATM (automated teller machine) at Barclays bank in Cheltenham High Street had £240 fraudulently drawn from his account after thieves switched his card for another.

The scam involves an offender approaching an ATM-user in the act of drawing cash and alerting him/her to a £10 or £20 note which will be on the floor behind them.

A co-offender - who will have monitored the victim's PIN number being punched into the keypad - swiftly removes the card and swaps it for a different one while the victim is distracted.

The offenders then leave the scene allowing them to withdraw large sums of money from the victim’s account.

Police are investigating a series of similar thefts in other areas of the county, including two reported earlier in March and May at Barclays bank in Southgate Street, Gloucester.

Det Cons Andy Houghton said:

“This is an organised crime committed by individuals who have no remorse for the often vulnerable persons they target.

“This is a cross-border investigation which will utilise the assistance of other police forces in the country.

“We ask that when using any cash machine, whether inside a banking institution or on the street, that all care is made to ensure that your PIN number is hidden from other people who may be trying to view it.

“Be aware of any persons loitering near to you and ensure that any suspicious activity is reported to the police.

“We ask that if any person recognises the circumstances of a dropped note at a cash point or if you have had your bank card stolen in the same circumstances, then please contact Gloucestershire police on 101.”

Anyone with information about the Cheltenham card theft is also asked to call 101, quoting incident 191 of 5 June 2015.

General advice when using a cash machine can be found on our website: w w w. g l o u c e s t e r s h i r e . p o l i c e . uk/staying-safe/keeping-yourselfsafe/when-using-a-cash-machine-oratm/

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01242 255133 www.woodlands-vets.co.uk

25 JUNE 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

11

GROwth hub helPS PaReNtS4SPORt wiN NatiONal SOcial eNteRPRiSe awaRD WITH support from the University of Gloucestershire and The Growth Hub, Parents4Sport was one of 40 winners of Big Venture Challenge. The social enterprise now has access to £100,000 of National Lottery match funding, along with 12 months of business support

from social entrepreneur charity UnLtd. Founded by Olympian swimmer Sharron Davies MBE, after the London 2012 Olympics, Parents4Sport aims to provide parents with information and advice that encourages their children into sport.

The Big Venture Challenge looks for ambitious and scalable social ventures, and this year received more than 450 applications. Finalists were required to pitch to a Dragon’s Den-style panel of investors and business leaders.

The Growth Hub consult-

Net cast for anglers to mentor youngsters POLICE in the county are looking for keen anglers to become mentors in a project which aims to reduce antisocial behaviour by encouraging youngsters to take up fishing.

Local officers, in conjunction with the Angling for Youth Development charity, run an angling club for young people at the balancing pond opposite police headquarters at Waterwells.

The idea is to engage youngsters, help them develop qualities such as

patience and concentration and steer them away from activities which could cause a nuisance in the community.

PC Lucy Winterburn said: “We're currently looking for members of the public to take part in this successful project. So if you have a love of fishing and a drive to educate young people around the sport on a voluntary basis, please do get in touch.

“You will be required to pass a course to become a qualified angling coach,

Clean as a whistle SOHO Bar in Montpellier who received a poor rating from the Food Standards Agency back in February has now received a top rated five star mark which now subsequently means that its standards of food hygiene are now very good.

And the owner of the Soho Bar in Montpellier has happily commented that the one-star rating which meant that 'major improvements were necessary' was to do with administrative mistakes and not a true reflection of the standards of hygiene in his bar's kitchen.

but this is all done free of charge.” She added.

“If you're interested, but unsure, you can always come and help out at some of the sessions already running.”

Anyone with a child who is interested in learning how to fish is also encouraged to get in touch; the sessions are free and the kit is provided.

For more information, email AFYDgloucester @hotmail.co.uk or lucy.winterburn@gloucestershire.police.uk

ant and University of Gloucestershire lecturer Simon McNeill-Ritchie advised Sharron to convert the Parents4Sport.com business model to a social enterprise, completed the award application and accompanied Sharron through the Big Venture Challenge competition rounds, including the Dragon’s Den final in London on 23rd April. University lecturer Charles Afriyie and student Fernando Danieletto modelled the financials, while another student, Lydia Coleman, conducted market research.

Sharron Davies MBE, founder of Parents4Sport, commented; “Now that we have both The Growth Hub and UnLtd on board, it’s an incredible opportunity for us to push on. The match-funding is a huge bonus on top of this and we have plans to imme-

Olympian Sharron Davies & Simon McNeill-Ritchie – Parents4Sport

diately start developing the website and to launch a marketing campaign. As many people as possible need to know about Parents4Sport and we can now make that happen.”

Laura Crabb, Director of Business for The Growth Hub, commented: “Being able to lend academic and business expertise is what makes The Growth

Hub such a valuable and unique resource. Drawing upon the knowledge of University of Gloucestershire faculty, the talent of its students, and our experience of early-stage SMEs; we were able to offer Parents4Sport the best possible support.”

The Growth Hub is open to all businesses of all shapes and sizes that want to accelerate their growth.

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12

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 25 JUNE 2015

BUSINESS editor’sDesk

I

NOTE with some envy that dear old Gloucester is to possibly benefit from a reduction in the on-street charity fundraisersthe ’chuggers’. I.e. Charity muggers.

It may be that new rules could be brought in to reduce the number of charity collectors around The Cross area of Gloucester.

Leader of Gloucester City Council, Paul James, said there was "anecdotal evidence" chuggers were deterring people from visiting the city centre. Well done them- the council, not the chuggers.

These can-rattling, form-filling human spam are a complete nuisance and we have way too many of them in Cheltenham. The precinct is like Chuggers Alley now. It’s Hogwarts with pens, cans and forms.

We all know how to dodge them though, with either a body-swerve, which makes one look as if you’ve either tripped, got caught in a small hurricane crosswind or had one too many. However many of us just resort to the direct verbal retort of ‘sorry too busy’.

In stark observation most, if not the vast majority of, fundraisers are paid. They are either salaried staff of a charity or they work for a direct marketing/creative agency, a strategic consultancy, a capital appeals/major donor consultancy, street/door fundraising agency (a ‘professional fundraising organisation – PFO). It’s a mind-boggling, can-shaking trail of on-street fundraising that’s been going on for years.

‘Chuggers’ are far from exceptional in being paid because most fundraisers are. If there is an argument not to pay chuggers, there is an argument not to pay any fundraiser. Objections to chuggers being paid should really be consistently applied to all salaried/contracted fundraisers. But if charities were not allowed to pay fundraisers, their voluntary income would collapse and their beneficiaries would suffer as a result. It’s a cruel World is it not?

Street fundraisers are paid an hourly wage; they do not work on commission, though they can receive bonus payments.

Might be that Cheltenham Borough Council could again take a leaf out of Gloucester’s proposed activity and get shot of these fundraising chuggers. Like wasps; they’re annoying, not useful and serve no purpose other than feathering their own nests.

Eric Barton, Editor

Got a comment?

Please contact us at editor@cheltenhamstandard.co.uk Cheltenham Standard is published weekly by Cheltenham Standard Ltd is registered at Suite 104, Eagle Tower, Montpellier Drive, Cheltenham, GL50 1TA. Reproduction of any material, in whole or in part, is strictly forbidden without the prior written consent of the publishers. All material is sent at the owner’s risk and whilst every care is taken, heltenham Standard Ltd will not accept liability for loss or damage. Dates, information and prices quoted are believed to be correct at time of going to press but are subject to change and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. Neither the editor nor publisher accepts responsibility for any material submitted, whether photographic or otherwise. All rights reserved.

ISSN no. 2055-2092. Terms and conditions at www.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk

Cheltenham law firm raise almost £11,000 for National Star LAWYERS and staff at Willans LLP have raised a whopping £10,949.75 by organising a full programme of events.

They held a pool tournament and carol concert, spent a day at the races, provided their services to create people's wills, and put payments from documents that needed witnessing straight into the pot.

Now the Cheltenhambased firm is handing over the last cheque to National Star, which will use the money to support young people with complex disabilities and acquired brain injuries.

James Grigg, partner and head of the charity committee, said everyone was delighted to truly smash their £10,000 target and it had been good to focus effort on just raising money for National Star as the company's charity of the year.

“We've grown very close to

the brilliant team at National Star and seen the great work they do so it's sad when to come to the end of the fundraising year but I'm sure we'll stay in touch,” he said.

The event that raised the most money was a quiz night where 52 teams, making up 230 people, took part in battle of wits.

Gloucestershire businesses joined in raising £4,600 in one evening including and donating prizes for an auction held on the night.

“The quiz night was held in the marquee used for the Star Ball so it was all kitted out and beautifully decorated, all we had to do was

sprinkle some stars on the table,” Mr Grigg said.

“It's very hard to get people to spend an evening with lawyers but National Star is always so well received in the community that working in conjunction with their team made it much more meaningful.”

National Star will use the money raised to enhance young people’s lives and help them meet their full potential.

“On behalf of the young people we support National Star says a huge thank you to Willans,” said David Ellis, Chief Executive of National Star.

“It's a huge amount to raise in just a year and illustrates how companies can make a real difference when staff come together to focus their support.”

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Hotel Du Vin taken over ONE of Cheltenham’s smartest hotels has been bought in a take-over of its parent company.

Frasers Hospitality UK Holdings Ltd a subsidiary of a Singapore company has bought the Hotel Du Vin and Malmaison chains for £363 million.

The 29 hotels in operating under both names, which were owned by the same company, include the Hotel in Cheltenham’s Parabola Road.

The group won accolades such as Business Traveller best Small Hotel Group in the World and also won a Conde Nast Gold Award for design and ambience for its 16 hotels.

Frasers Hospitality CEO Choe Peng Sum commented, ““MHDV provides a tried and proven DNA in the boutique lifestyle segment for us.

The purchase of Malmaison and Hotel du Vin perfectly complements our brand portfolio and gives Frasers Hospitality a platform to further expand into the fastest growing hospitality sector. We look forward to building on this success with future development in the UK, Europe and Asia.

“With these two bestin-class lifestyle brands, we are on track to reach our goal of operating 30,000 keys by 2019.

Travellers are turning are turning away from cookie-cutter hotel offerings, looking for lifestyle experiences. MDHV is key in developing this format and remains at the heart of its development.”

25 JUNE 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

Cheltenham Garden Centre hosts afternoon tea to raise money for Marie Curie CHELTENHAM, A Wyevale Garden Centre, on Evesham road, is taking part in the Blooming Great Tea Party this week to raise money for its charity partner Marie Curie.

Until Monday 29th June, there will be delicious Special Marie Curie Tea for One and lemon bon bons on sale at the centre, with 50p from every sale going to Marie Curie.

There will also be a raffle to win a luxury hamper of teatime goodies, including a ‘cream tea for two’, and a ‘Guess the name of the teddy’ competition taking place in the garden centres’ restaurant.

Lyn Anthoney from Cheltenham Wyevale said: “We hope that the local community will join us for afternoon tea this Summer and help support Marie Curie. We’ve got lots of Blooming Great Tea Party

activities to get involved with from 20th to 29th June, and all the money raised will help Marie Curie provide care and support to help people living with a terminal illness get the most from the time they have left. ” The garden centre is supporting Marie Curie as part of a two year partnership as their first national charity partner in its ‘Gardens for Good’ community programme, which recognises the benefits that gardens and gardening can bring to individuals and local communities.

Wyevale garden centres are aiming to raise over £500,000 nationally from 2014-2016 to help Marie Curie provide care to people with terminal illnesses.

Call 0845 052 4184 or visit www.mariecurie.org .uk/teaparty.

13

Runaway Mum no longer faces Klink REBECCA Minnock will no longer face being locked up after her ex-partner dropped legal action over her alleged breach of court orders when she went on the run with their son which instigated a UK wide hunt for the pair.

Proceedings were adjourned so Miss Minnock, who grew up in Cheltenham, could get legal representation to face allegations of contempt of court.

During the break her expartner Roger Williams instructed his barrister Rupert Chapman to withdraw the application for her committal.

Mr Chapman then told the court: “My client observed that this is a case characterised by a long history of breaches of court orders at multiple stages of the proceedings by the respondent, the mother, Miss Minnock.”

He went onto say that he does feel that it is important that the mother understands that any future breaches will

be met by an application of this sort.

“In view of the fact that Ethan has been returned home to his care, and that he is settled and happy home and contact has started, my client wishes to draw a line under the previous breaches.”

He then warned Miss Minnock, who still has family living in Cheltenham, his conclusions would contain comments about her “utterly irresponsible” actions.

He added: “The idea that people can behave in the way that you did and it be swept under the carpet is completely wrong.”

Judge Stephen Wildblood QC told her she was “manipulative, attention seeking and truculent” and her “utterly irresponsible” behaviour was driven by “selffocus”.

He denied the mother-ofone's claims that she had been backed into a corner and described her as a

Rebecca Kinnock and son Ethan

“scourge on the system.”

Miss Minnock will now not face any contempt allegations, but may be back in court for a family hearing regarding contact with her son.

14

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 25 JUNE 2015

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CHELTENHAM STANDARD 25 JUNE 2015

WHAT’S ON Jenny wren Productions presents

TwelFTh NighT by william Shakespeare tWELFth Night is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, featuring a set of twins, Viola and Sebastian, stranded on an island, each believing the other to be drowned at sea. their story unfolds with countless plot twists and turns as the stage is set for an evening of madcap mayhem, music, laughter and tears! this is Jenny Wren’s first foray into Shakespeare and

Sunday 12th July 2015 Cathedral of the Forest, Newland, Forest of Dean, GL16 8NL. Box Office: Everyman theatre 01242 572573 www.everymantheatre.org.uk Performance 7pm – grounds open from 5.30pm for picnics. tea, coffee, wine and beer on sale. tickets £10.00 (£7.00 children).

Follow signs for parking when you reach Newland. if bad weather, performance will go ahead in the church.

Saturday 18th July 2015 St Augustine’s Farm, Arlingham, Glos. GL2 7JN/GL2 7JR. Box Office: Everyman theatre 01242 572573 www.everymantheatre.org.uk Performance 7pm – grounds open from 6pm for picnics

will be an action-packed outing, fast-paced and energetic, featuring crossdressing, a couple of fights

tickets £10.00 (£8.00 concs.)

Soft drinks and alcohol will be on sale.

Friday 24th and Saturday 25th July 2015 Coach House Theatre, Malvern. WR14 3HB. (N.B. indoor performances) Box Office: Everyman theatre 01242 572573 www.everymantheatre.org.uk Performances Fri/Sat 7.30pm and Sat matinee 2pm tickets £12.50 (£10.00 concs.)

Wednesday 29th July 2015 Cowley Manor, nr.

Cheltenham, GL53 9NL. Box Office: Everyman theatre 01242 572573 www.everymantheatre.org.uk Performance 7.30pm – grounds open from 6pm.

Please do not bring picnics – BBQ food and drinks (including alcoholic) will be

and some drunken revels. throw in a shipwreck, much unrequited love and a classic case of mistaken identity and your entertainment is complete. A small cast of six work their yellow cross-gartered stockings off to play all the characters between them – all for your diversion. in the open-air (except in Malvern) – please bring a chair or blanket.

Dates and venues below...

on sale. tickets £12.00 (£8.00 concs.)

Thursday 30th July 2015 Westonbirt School, Tetbury, GL8 8QG. Box Office: Everyman theatre 01242 572573 www.everymantheatre.org.uk Performance 7pm – Westonbirt house and grounds open from 5.30pm where BBQ food and range of drinks will be available to purchase, or for picnics. tickets £11.00 (£8.00 concs.)

Friday 31st July 2015 Tuckwell Amphitheatre, Dean Close School, Cheltenham, GL51 6HE. Box Office: 01242 258002 www.bacontheatre.co.uk Performance 7.30pm – grounds open from 6pm for picnics. tickets £14.00 (£12.00 concs.)

Music Festival on horizon With just over ten days to go, this year’s Cheltenham Music Festival, one of the UK’s longest-running and most admired classical music festivals, is gearing up for another fortnight of outstanding music-making from across the globe. After the record-breaking audiences and acclaim for the 70th Cheltenham Music Festival in 2014, the 2015 programme promises the same impressive level of breadth and depth.

With over 20 world premieres across more than 60 concerts, once again both the mainstream and contemporary are both diversely represented. From blockbuster symphonies such as Rachmaninov’s 2nd, brand new works by Graham Fitkin, Charlotte Bray and Rolf hind, internationallyestablished performers such as Eric Whitacre, Edward

TEWKESBURY ABBEY

Durufl é Requiem

Also Kodály: Laudes Organi Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine Langlais: Messe Solennelle

celebratory Laudes Organi, by hungarian composer Kodály.

Sarah Platt, Birmingham Bach Choir’s Chair, said: “the selection we'll be performing ranges from the melodic and calming to highly dramatic and stirring, with Duruflé's incredibly moving Requiem the centrepiece. Singing in the beautiful atmosphere of

See right for details >>>

Conductor: Paul Spicer Soloists: David Wynne Claire Barnett-Jones Organist: Alex Mason Tewkesbury Abbey Tewkesbury GL20 5RZ All tickets: £15 (£12.50) In advance or on the door Registered charity no: 218393

BiRMiNGhAM Bach Choir, one of the UK’s leading large chamber choirs, returns to tewkewsbury Abbey Saturday July 4th for a lovely programme of works including Duruflé's meditative and moving Requiem, Fauré's popular Cantique de Jean Racine, Langlais's inspired Messe Solennelle and the

Martin, and a new play exploring the life and music of Erik Satie.

Cheltenham has always had a reputation for championing new music, and this year is no different.

A total tally of 22 premieres include a deconstruction of 1970s Disco by Graham Fitkin, Rolf hind’s new work for contemporary Gamelan ensemble inspired by recent travels in Bhutan, ‘Entanglement’, a one-act chamber opera by Charlotte Bray about Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain, new pieces by Joe Cutler and thomas Strønen for trish Clowes’ genrebending ensemble the Emulsion Sinfonietta, and works by Peter Wiegold, Jonathan Dove and Matthew Martin.

Saturday 4 July 7.30 pm

BirMiNghaM Bach choir reTurN To TewkeSBury aBBey

the Abbey is a great way for us to conclude our very successful 2014/2015 season.”

Tickets available now: £15 (£12.50 conc) from www.birmingham.bach choir.com, or tel 07901 798442. Also available on the door.

Gardner, Sarah Connolly, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Marc-André hamelin, to emerging figures such as 2014 BBC Young Musician, pianist Martin James Bartlett, and accordionist Ksenija Sidorova, there are thematic focuses on Paris, on the music of 1945, on dance and on film with live soundtracks.

70 years on from the end of World War 2 and the inaugural Cheltenham Music Festival, Cheltenham also focuses on iconic works written in and around 1945, featuring music by Richard Strauss, Britten, tippett and Messiaen. Paris is a musical centre-point at this year’s festival, with events ranging from the second ‘Live Screening’, the 1928 silent film Jeanne d’Arc with live music from the Orlando Consort, a Parisian cabaret with Jazz vocalist and BBC Radio 3 presenter Claire

Full details and tickets at:

www.birmingham.bachchoir.com or Ticket Officer: 07901 798442.

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25 JUNE 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

21

SPORT

County women ready for Somerset showdown BOWLS

Joy Sheward (Cheltenham Whaddon) skip of the top winning rink against Warwickshire

Glos 113 (16 pts) Warwickshire 98 (6pts)

Gloucestershire lose out in thriller BOWLS

20-3 however in the final run in they could only score two shots and had to be content with a 22-12 win.

The third winning rink came the way of Jenny Westlake (Arrow), Myra Savage (Falcon), Kay Gent (Caer Glow) and Sue Latham (Olveston) who against J.Corn held a one shot way at halfway 8-7 and had to work every inch of the way in the second half.

By the 15th end the lead by two shots 13-11 and then they were all square 15-15 with three ends to play. Getting their noses in front they pulled off a narrow 18-16 win.

Val Osmond (Ardagh),

Rita Gerry (Moreton), Julia Stannard (Nailsworth) and Lindsay Collin (Page Ladies) having battled hard against M Timms to lead by just one shot after 15 ends 1211 were pipped at the post and went down to a 18-16 loss.

Val Webb (Victory Park), Ann White (Arrow), Val Molton (Kingswood and Hanham) and Rachael Hughes (Royal Forest of Dean) up against M Parson had to dig deep as they found themselves heading for a hefty defeat when at the halfway stage they were 16-3 adrift.

Pulling back they grabbed seven shots in five ends against one and then

Cheltenham CrossFit star Saulichova shows power in Paris FITNESS

CHELTENHAM based CrossFit competitor Aneta Saulichova was part of the AMSport team that finished second in the 2015 French Throwdown in Paris.

The 31-year-old had previously competed at the event as an individual, but she took part in the team category this time around as she recovers from a back injury sustained in January.

Competing alongside Becky Pykett, Tom Parker and Mike Palmer, Saulichova helped her team shine and handle searing temperatures of more than 30 degrees at the National Institute of Sport and Physical Education sports hall in the Bois de Vincennes region of the French capital.

Among the workouts were rowing, squatting, muscle ups, deadlifts, clean and jerk, box jumps and swim-

ming, designed to test each athlete to their absolute physical limit.

“I mostly compete an individual so this was really nice change as we all shared our suffering and pushed beyond our limits just because we didn't want to let the rest of the team down,” she said.

“I hope we will represent AMSport again as we all enjoyed this and the French Throwdown is one my favourite competitions.”

with another four shots in the final run in they closed the gap to lose by only five shots 21-16.

Sally Rolls (Gloucester Spa) Cynthia Winter-Alsop (Wotton) Gill Fry (Gloucester Spa) and Lyn Hamer up against M Edwards faced an uphill task after having been just four behind at the 10th and 15th ends they could only manage another shot and crashed to a 24-11 defeat.

With Somerset beating Cornwall 136-80 in the other group match the showdown will come on Saturday, July 4 when Gloucestershire will need at least maximum points to top the group.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE women can count themselves unlucky not to have reached the regional finals of the Walker Cup when they lost by two shots to Wiltshire 41-39 in a real thriller at Falcon BC. In what turned out to be a grandstand finish the rink of Val Molton (Kingswood and Hanham), Sue Latham (Olveston), Sue Osborne (Kingswood and Hanham), and Joy Sheward (Cheltenham Whaddon) had to endure the last end wood of Alex Jacobs that saw a one shot deficit turn into a five shot again for a 23-14 win.

That left the rink of Iona Bird (Caer Glow), Myra Savage (Falcon), Pauline Gunn (Caer Glow) and Jacky Howes (Stroud) looking to gain the shot against S Ochyea to a force a tie and an extra end however just coming up short they won

Above: Gloucestershire’s Iona Bird, Myra Savage, Jacky Howes and Wiltshire players

25-18 and that left Gloucestershire two shots short of victory In the early stages the rink skipped by Sheward found themselves 10-5 adrift at the halfway stage and then were seven shots down after 18 ends before that crucial bowl for Jacobs saw them lose out by nine shots.

Jacky Howes took an early 7-4 lead and then trailed by one 16-15 after 15 ends before turning up the heat to move into a 22-16 lead after 18 ends.

The dramatic last end saw them win by seven shots but the overall victory went to Wiltshire.

Aneta Saulichova (left), with AMSport team mates Becky Pykett, Tom Parker and Mike Palmer PHOTO: PETEWILLIAMSONPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

HAVING put in a steady performance in the John’s Trophy against Warwickshire to win by 15 shots at Welford-on-Avon BC, Gloucestershire Women now face a showdown with Somerset to see who tops the group to progress to the quarter-finals.

Three winning rinks came Gloucestershire’s way with Val Ayres (Lydney), Pat MacGregor (Arrow), Sue Osborne (Kingswood and Hanham) and Joy Sheward (Cheltenham Whaddon) in terrific form when up against J Scott they went from 4-2 ahead after five ends to jump into a 19-3 lead just five ends later.

The shots kept on piling up and leading 27-7 on 18 ends they won the last three ends for a blistering 30-7 win.

Iona Bird (Caer Glow), Jenny Stanfield (Moreton) Pauline Gunn (Caer Glow) and Jacky Howes (Stroud) up against J Winch also produced a comprehensive display when jumping into a 9-1 lead they never looked back.

Over the next 10 ends they moved the score along to open up a 17 shot lead

Gloucestershire players Val Molton, Sue Latham and Sue Osborne

22

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 25 JUNE 2015

SPORT highland reel could be one to watch HORSE RACING >> CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

of the Coolmore runners.

Ryan does not normally get it wrong so his choice is the one most likely to give the favourite most to do on Saturday.

At this stage it might be Highland Reel who looks an improving horse having finished second in the French Derby recently and being by Galileo will be suited by the step up in trip from one mile two and a half furlongs to one mile

four furlongs.

It is possible that the O’Brien Oaks winner in Qualify may also take her chance.

There is no reason why a filly cannot win a Derby but it would not be a common occurrence (mainly because fillies rarely contest the race).

All in all, it is not a vintage 150th renewal of the Irish Derby but will still enhance the winner’s stud value. A fact not lost on Jack Hobbs’ owners Godolphin.

Jack Hobbs

Day to forget for Cheltenham as they slip into drop zone CRICKET

CHELTENHAM suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of promotion chasing Potterne in Premier Two on Saturday.

A fifth defeat in eight matches saw Will Simmons’ men slip into the bottom two, leapfrogged by Goatacre.

Having won the toss and elected to bat hosts Potterne posted a huge total of 341 for two, with Edward Young and Thomas Cullen unbeaten on 171 and 109 re-

spectively.

Young’s amazing innings included 17 fours and 12 sixes, coming from just 82 balls.

Mike Kelly and Harry Arthur were the only bowlers to make any kind of impact for Cheltenham, who then collapsed to 100 all out from 21 overs.

Matt Jennings scored 40 of that meagre total, with Arthur (12) and Rob Cooper (10) the only others to reach double figures.

Amazingly Cheltenham’s

HORSE RACING

THE other derby on Saturday is ‘The Pitman’s Derby’, now more commonly known as the Northumberland Plate run at Newcastle racecourse over a distance of two miles.

It used to be the main staying race of the summer flat season but has not had quite the same status in the last few years. It is, however, still a race that Newcastle born trainer Brian Ellison always wants to win.

Only up to 20 horses will go to post on Saturday (because of the safety limit) so one or two of Ellison’s entries may not make ‘the cut.’

The most interesting of his entries is Seamour who may just sneak in at the

bottom of this heritage handicap.

If so, this improving fouryear-old could easily follow up on an impressive win at Haydock last time out having clearly been ‘laid out’ for the Plate.

Ellison’s other fancied contenders include Totalize who looked to be running into form last time out behind Seamour and is sure to get into the field.

Owner Ricci Rich, more known for Cheltenham Festival winners, sounded quite sweet on the chances of his horse Max Dynamite when interviewed at Royal Ascot.

Willie Mullins does target long distance flat races in the UK, but not usually the Northumberland Plate. If he runs, the hint should be taken.

home match against bottom side Gloucester AIW was abandoned due to rain, while Woodmancote’s clash with Lydney failed to start.

There was time for Hatherley’s Tom Hage to score 100 not out from 63 balls, with Andre Soma scoring 51.

Saturday fixtures: Bourton Vale v Woodmancote, Dumbleton v Hatherley and Reddings, Stroud v Cheltenham Civil Service.

I am here to win promotion, says new boy Barthram FOOTBALL

Trainer ellison TargeTs his favouriTe long disTance race

top for batsmen all failed to score, leaving them at one stage on 12 for four.

Dylan Higgins took five for 31 for Potterne, with Jake Roberts claiming four for 56.

Cheltenham host Chard at the Victoria Ground on Saturday (12.30pm).

In the Gloucestershire Division’s top of the table clash Dumbleton won by 148 runs at Cheltenham Civil Service, led by Adam Stuart’s 92 not out.

Hatherley and Reddings’

JACK Barthram says his aim at Cheltenham Town is clear: win promotion straight back to the Football League under boss Gary Johnson.

The 21-year-old is a graduate of the same Tottenham Hotspur youth team as fellow new Robins recruit Jack Munns and Liverpool midfielder Kevin Stewart, who spent time on loan at Whaddon Road last season.

Having made a total of 23 appearances for Swindon Town over the past two seasons, Barthram was the subject of interest from other League clubs, but Johnson persuaded him to play in a team gunning for promotion from the Vanarama National League at the first attempt.

"I had a call from Gary Johnson saying he wanted me to join and I already knew a bit about Cheltenham, but he really sold the club to me," Barthram said.

"One of the main things that interested me was that he is clearly not intending to be in the National League for more than one year and he wants to get straight back up into League Two. "I know what he did at Yeovil, taking them into the Championship and I think he can do something similar at Cheltenham, or I wouldn't be here. We are going to give it a right good go."

Speaking while fishing with his dad Darren at his local lake in Essex, Barthram said he would be travelling to Cheltenham early next week to find accommodation in the town, ready for the start of preseason training on Wednesday, July 1.

Jack Barthram in his Tottenham playing days

25 JUNE 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD

23

SPORT Sell out crowd see county slip to last over defeat against local rivals CRICKET: NatWest T20 Blast

A BOUNDARY from Lewis Gregory in the final over sealed a five wicket Natwest T20 Blast win for Somerset over Gloucestershire in front of a full house at the County Ground.

Chasing 166 to win, the visitors looked in control for most of their innings before a late stutter almost brought Glos back into the game.

Going into the final over they still needed five for victory but two wides from James Fuller followed by a single and four through midwicket ensured Gloucestershire’s six game losing streak against their local rival continued.

Johann Myburgh, opening the innings for the first time in place of Marcus Trescothick led the way with 63 off 50 balls including nine fours.

Earlier Glos won the toss and chose to bat but it was hard work from the off as Somerset’s bowlers kept it tight.

A solitary leg bye was the only run from Jim Allenby’s first over. And it took until midway through the second over – bowled by Sohail Tanvir (1-26) – for the first runs off the bat.

Klinger had already decided against a quick single to James Hildreth at cover when the Somerset fielder threw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end and saw the ball ricochet towards the long-on boundary for three overthrows.

In the next over, having failed to get off the mark in six balls, Handscomb nicked the seventh behind to Bates off Gregory (1-37) to make it 7-1. The umpire didn’t flinch but the Australian walked.

A Klinger six over long on in the same over helped ease any early nerves but it proved to be a rare boundary for the home side.

Somerset rotated their attack throughout the first five overs and it paid off as Glos reached 22-1 on a diet made up almost exclusively of singles.

Alfonso Thomas (2-42) entered the attack in the final over of the power play and provided Glos with some much needed impetus.

Klinger and Cockbain traded fours through the covers as the score jumped to 37-1.

The pair brought the 50 up in the eighth over but it was in the ninth that proceedings livened up.

Re-entering the attack, Gregory’s first ball was lifted over the vacant slip area for four by Klinger. Cockbain (34 off 21) then clubbed a flat six over long off before being caught my Max Waller off a mistimed hook a ball later to leave Glos on 65-2.

Klinger wasn’t looking his usual fluent self but a single off Waller in the 12th over took him to 37 and 450 T20 runs for the season.

Sadly for the expectant Glos fans he was only able to add seven more runs to his score before after flicking a full toss from Allenby (1-17) down the throat of Hildreth deep backward square leg.

The skipper’s dismissal made it 99-3 and it was soon 101-4 when his replacement Geraint Jones (1) top edged a sweep from Waller (1-21) straight up in the air to be easily claimed by Bates.

Kieran Noema-Barnett (6) struck a fine four over cover off Rehman (1-18) in the 16th over but he perished next ball to a spectacular one-handed diving catch from Thomas at short mid-

wicket to make it 115-5.

Howell (26 off 23) tried to give Glos some late acceleration but was caught at long off by Rehman off Thomas in the 18th over with the score on 124-6.

Jack Taylor (24 off 14) and James Fuller (14 off 6) were both out before the end but their late flurries helped the home side to 165-8.

In reply, an encouraging first over from Fuller saw him beat the bat three times and take the edge but an Allenby cover drive for four made it 5-0.

The Australian-born allrounder struck five more fours before he top edged a pull from Craig Miles to David Payne at short fine leg for 27 off 21 balls in the fifth over to leave his side 44-1.

Johann Myburgh had played second fiddle to Allenby but he now became the aggressor.

Two consecutive fours bludgeoned through midwicket off Payne ensured Somerset reached 59-1 at the end of the powerplay, 22 better than Glos at the same stage.

With Myburgh scoring freely all Peter Trego had to do was keep him company.

But he fell to Tom Smith in the tenth over, top edging a sweep to Payne for eight to let Glos back in at 84-2.

Tanvir was promoted up the order and he made 13 before skying onefrom Howell (1-30) to NoemaBarnett at point off the back of his bat for 13 to make it 104-3.

Tight bowling saw just 12 runs off the next three overs but this was broken by the first six of the innings from James Hildreth off Howell over long on.

Myburgh brought up his 50 off 42 balls with single off Howell.

To advertise in the Cheltenham Standard call one of our sales team on 01242 257019

But he fell shortly afterwards to a brilliant diving catch by Handscomb at wide long off trhe bowling of Smith (2-23).

This made it 143-4 in the 18th over and left the game still in the balance.

Two consecutive sixes by

Tom Cooper in the penultimate over from Payne all but ended Glos hopes of pulling off a victory in front of an increasingly raucous full house.

When was caught by Miles at fine leg for 14 off the final ball of the 19th it

In aid of

gave Glos a tiny glimmer of hope, but it wasn’t to be as they made it home with two balls to spare. * Gloucestershire host Sussex in the Natwest T20 Blast at the County Ground on Friday (5.30pm).

24

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 25 JUNE 2015

with JON PALMER, SPORtS EditOR

SPORT

jon@cheltenhamstandard.co.uk

Former SpurS Full-back barthram joinS robinS Jack Barthram has been on the books of Tottenham Hotspur and Swindon Town

Where better to learn?

Visit our website for future camps and further details

www.shaneduffsoccer.co.uk

‘Jack’ in the box seat for Irish Derby horSe racinG

By JAMES dALy

Football

RIGHT-back Jack Barthram has agreed a deal to join Cheltenham Town for the 2015/16 campaign.

The 21-year-old Londoner started his career at Tottenham Hotspur, where he played with midfielder Jack Munns, who has also joined the Robins this summer.

Barthram joined

Swindon in the summer of 2013 and has since made 16 League One appearances for the Wiltshire club. He also netted in a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy victory over Plymouth Argyle at the County Ground.

Cheltenham manager Gary Johnson said Barthram was an extremely exciting talent, who will be comfortable at either a full-

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back or wing-back role.

“This signing is a real coup for the club because there is no doubt in my mind that Jack is potentially a Championship standard player,” Johnson said.

“He is quick, with great energy and also end product. The grounding he has had at Tottenham and Swindon is only going to benefit us and I’ve

managed to convince him he's coming to a Football League club, even though we are in the National League this season.

“He did have other offers and he's had experience in League One because he has real quality. He's one that will excite the fans and a positive character too.

“I also got Munnsy to have a word with him because they know each

other from Spurs and I am very happy to be able to bring him here.”

Barthram becomes Cheltenham’s sixth new signing of the close season, following Munns, Aaron Downes, Kyle Storer, Harry Pell and Amari MorganSmith. >> For an interview with Jack Barthram, see page 22.

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JACK Hobbs, second in the Epsom Derby at the beginning of this month, seeks compensation in the Irish Derby at the Curragh on Saturday.

With no Golden Horn in the line up, Jack is sure to start a very short price. As he was a clear second at Epsom it is unlikely that anything behind him in that race will reverse form with him on Saturday.

Take out the winner Golden Horn, however, and it was probably a pretty average Derby so there could be an upset on Saturday, particularly with Aidan O’Brien’s team doing so well at Royal Ascot last week.

Aidan does not usually declare his hand till very late in the day so it is difficult to predict what he might field against Jack Hobbs.

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