Tewkesbury Direct Magazine March 2024

With Easter fast approaching, many local attractions are opening up again, and there will be lots to see and do.

Sail & Paddle at Croft Farm Water Park is now open everyday for boat hire and tuition - and is introducing a popular new sport - Wing-surfing. For more details see article inside this issue.

There’s a great entertainment programme at The Roses Theatre with some exciting new shows, and Tewkesbury Town Band will be holding a special afternoon concert at the Watson Hall on Sunday 3rd March. See page 30 for live music events.

Also at The Watson Hall, on Saturday 2nd March, South West Wrestling presents ‘The Beautiful War.’ To reserve your ringside seats, visit the website southwestwrestling.co.uk

There’s plenty of opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors too, and you’ll find a few ideas

for places to visit this month on page 53.

On Good Friday (29th March) there’s a chance to explore Cleeve Common and earn yourself a treat! A familyfriendly Easter Trail starts from the Quarry Car Park between 1pm and 3pm, with clues to solve over a route of approximately one mile.

Organised by The Cleeve Common Trust,

tickets are available from eventbrite.co.uk/e/cleevecommon-easter-trail.

Over in Cheltenham, from Saturday 23rd March until Sunday 7th April there’s a family Arty Easter Egg Hunt at the Wilson Art Gallery and Museum in Clarence Street. Find all the eggs and crack the code to win a prize. The trail is open from 10am.

Continued on page 8

Old God’s Time

by Sebastian Barry Paperback £9.99

Sebastian Barry's new novel is once again located in his homeland of the Emerald Isle, and features the life of recently retired Detective Sergeant Tom Kettle.

A widower he has chosen to move to the coast renting a lean-to attached to an old castle where he watches his landlord Mr Tomelty spending his time gardening. Another neighbour, a cello player, strangely takes pot shots with a rifle at cormorants resting on an island off shore. There is also an actress Miss McNulty, and her son in another apartment, but his contacts with these fellow residents are few and far between yet all have meaning to the story as it unfolds. Another McNulty in another Sebastian Barry novel!

Tom spends his days relaxing on his favourite cane chair enjoying the sea views, savouring his retirement after years spent solving the crimes of Dublin. Some six months into his new routine his peaceful life is disrupted by a visit of two policemen, Wilson and O'Casey asking for his help on an old murder case that they are reviewing and assessing; one that Tom and his old sidekick, Billy Drury, who was renowned for his meticulous recording of case files, some of which his visitors have brought along, had investigated and been unable to solve.

This enquiry followed up by a visit from his old boss, Jack Fleming who requests Tom comes into Dublin to help clarify some queries about the case of two priests, Fathers Martin and Byrne. The issue of corruption and child abuse within the Irish Roman Catholic church is now a matter of record, but back in the 1980s was more often swept under the carpet, vehemently denied by the Church hierarchy.

These visits prompt Tom's memory to recall events not only in his old

career but in his earlier life. His childhood in an orphanage, a spell in the British Army, with time spent in Malaya, which helped him to be accepted into the police force, where he had a successful career, but never advanced beyond Sergeant.

His memories are also very family focused remembering his late wife June, the love of his life and their children Winnie and Joe. June had also grown up in an orphanage and their chance meeting in a Wimpy cafe changed both of their lives for the good, but both have dark memories of an unhappy childhood. A bond which provides a solid happy foundation for the Kettle household; but old memories never fade away.

Time passes, the summer comes, Tom meets his neighbours and the actress reveals the reason for her choice of location. Tom hears little back from the police but their initial questions have rekindled his memories of the case and the events that surrounded the investigation.

His recollections merge together in his mind as the present day unfolds and gradually the author reveals to us, his reader, the depth of the story he has to tell.

As ever Sebastian Barry writes beautifully; some of the conversation and Tom's thoughts recounted in a lyrical Irish voice that make the pages turn. Highly recommended as ever with this prize-winning author.

Selected by: Ian B. Nicholson

Alison’s Bookshop

Tewkesbury GL20 5JR

Andrew Laskey, owner of Laskeys, Curtains, Blinds and Shutters in Barton Street, has organised the collection and personal delivery of much needed laptops to pupils of the Ex-Army Public Secondary School, in Pokhara a town in Nepal.

Andrew is a regular visitor to the country and has become firm friends with local residents, Ashok, Sharada and Sandeep. Many pupils at the local school do not have access to a computer so Andrew launched an appeal in

Laptops delivered from Tewkesbury to school pupils in Nepal

his Laskeys Customer newsletter, for any surplus laptops.

The campaign was well rewarded with donations, the laptops were wiped, cleaned and checked by Steve Davies of Cotswold Computer Medic. Then, in January, they were personally delivered to three pupils at Pokhara School.

The Principal of the School, Mohan, said that

all the children were waiting eagerly in the assembly hall. He had decided that the fairest method of allocating the laptops was to pick three

names at random.

Andrew said: “I can honestly say that when the names of the children were read out I felt six inches taller. Their

beaming smiles said it all and I admit I may have shed a little tear!

“My only wish was that I could have delivered more. I do, howev-

er, have a cunning plan to try to get more out to them later this year.

“These three children will have hours of pleasure and having access to the technology that we all take for granted will advance their education, thanks to our wonderful customers’ efforts. I hope I can help more soon."

Food Redefined. Exploring the culinary magic of Tewkesbury Park’s award-winning executive chef…

Whilst Tewkesbury Park is renowned for its breath-taking views, award-winning 18-hole golf course and stunning interiors channelling a country house feel, it has also now become a true food destination thanks to the brilliance of Anuj Thakur and his brigade.

Anuj’s unique food concept blends his Indian heritage with modern British cuisine that he likes to refer to as ‘untraditionally British’, with an unwavering focus on seasonality and locally sourced produce.

Working in tandem with Anuj is an exceptionally talented pastry chef, Jiju, who has spent many years crafting his talent in the 5-star hotels of Dubai. His deserts are not only delectable treats but also works of art, conjured up by his patisserie wizardry! The afternoon tea sweet treats Jiju serves are almost too beautiful to eat – his lemon & lime cake

with meringue & pistachio blackberry sorbet is a flavour sensation not to be missed!

Reflecting Tewkesbury Park’s status as a true food destination, the team have launched a new tasting menu for 2024 with five courses of culinary delights and accompanying handpicked wine flight.

Back by popular demand is their show stopping Sunday Brunch with dishes to tempt your tastebuds from wonderful waffles, extravagant eggs and sumptuous savouries. The iconic sweet buffet is brimming with decadent treats, mini

puddings and a ‘Wonka-enque’ chocolate fountain with delights to dip. Enjoy with family, friends and loved ones as you indulge in a delightful afternoon filled with great company, exceptional food and the luxury of no post-feast washing up!

Tewkesbury Park’s Sunday Brunch is served 12-3pm. www. tewkesburypark.co.uk

m Anuj Thakur

m Jiju

Can you help us to find Tewkesbury’s ShoeShine Boys of 1961?

On 25th November 1961, the Ashchurch to Upton railway had just closed and the town’s mayor at the time was the founder of Cotteswold Dairy, Harry Workman.

Harry is pictured here having his shoes cleaned at the Boys’ Brigade shoe shining fund raising event in Tewkesbury High Street, which was the entrance to Tewkesbury’s first Railway Station.

The station was built in 1840 but closed in 1864, when a replacement station was built behind Cotteswold Gardens and the line extended to Ripple, Upton and Malvern.

The site in the photograph is now occupied by Domino’s Pizza.

Can any readers identify the lads in the picture? If you have any information we would love to hear from you by email to tewkesburydirect@googlemail.com

Thank you to Ian Boskett, the Worcester News and the Civic Society for supplying the photograph.

A NEW GRANGE IN THE COTSWOLDS!

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) has announced its first visiting locomotive for the popular, award-winning Cotswold Festival of Steam, over the bank holiday weekend of 25th to 27th May.

The locomotive is brandnew Great Western Railway 6800, or ‘Grange’, class 4-6-0 no. 6880 Betton Grange and perfectly fits the event’s theme, ‘Western Workhorses’. The idea of building a new ‘Grange’ class was conceived in 1998 by the 6880 Society and the locomotive was first steamed at Tyseley Locomotive Works in Birmingham earlier this year.

Betton Grange, which uses components from other scrapped classes of GWR locomotive, fills an important gap in the number of surviving GWR-designed two-cylinder locomotives.

The Cotswold Festival of Steam last year won the coveted accolade as ‘Best Event in the Cotswolds’ in the an-

nual Cotswolds Awards organised by Cotswolds Concierge. In addition, the railway won ‘Best Attraction in the Cotswolds’. The organising team will announce further visiting locomotives over coming weeks as contracts are finalised, that fit the theme ‘Western Workhorses’. The visitors will join the railway’s own fleet of locomotives which includes two other two-cylinder 4-6-0 types: ‘Modified Hall’ class 4-6-0 no. 7903 Foremarke Hall

and ‘Manor’ 4-6-0 no. 7820 Dinmore Manor – the latter being a smaller version of the ‘Grange’. Trains will be operating over the full 14-mile railway between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway with a range of events taking place particularly at Toddington, where the locomotive depot will be open; and at Winchcombe where the railway’s acclaimed Carriage & Wagon Department is located, which is also throwing its doors open to visitors.

m 6880 at Tweerton Tunnel from painting by Malcolm Root GRA.

A STITCH IN TIME…TIME TO RETIRE!

Jo Figgett, Tailoress…

End of an era of 36 years…

Thank you so much to my many amazing customers/friends and family who have helped and supported me throughout 36 years of sewing services in Tewkesbury.

What started as a hobby has been a fantastic journey with you

all and I have enjoyed every single minute! (Except Covid).

It is now time to hang up that needle on 30th March! I am going to

miss you all terribly...for the chats and the many many laughs we have had over the years.

Thank you to everyone… Jo x

m Following the success of our first post-covid Stamp Specialist Session in January Bookworm Tewkesbury will be holding another one on Saturday March 30th. Sessions are by appointment, we allocate 30mins per person between 10.30am and 3pm to meet with Mike Bennett. If you have a collection that you would like valued or wish to find out how to dispose of it then he will be do his best to help you.

This advice is free but a donation to our charity would be welcome. Mike will also have a supply of British and Commonwealth stamps available - in addition to our normal stock - if you have gaps to fill in your collection. To book an appointment please pop in or call us on 01684 438385.

CRESCENDO BIG BAND at the Gupshill Manor

Sunday 3rd March 2024 from 3pm

Join us for an afternoon of swing and jazz music with special guests, vocalist Catherine Sykes (Glenn Miller Orchestra UK), and drummer Ian Matthews (Kasabian). Visit us on Facebook: Crescendo Big Band

m Jo Figgett

EXPLORING TEWKESBURY’S PAST

The second of two talks by Historic England’s Johanna Roethe takes place at the Tudor House Hotel on Thursday 7th March.

Organised by Tewkesbury High Street Heritage Action Zone, Johanna will tell the story of Tudor House in

its historic Court Room.

From private house to Noncomformist Academy and the childhood home of author and nat-

NOW TRADING at the Malt House

Emporium

Ashchurch Road Tewkesbury

Preloved quality

Jewellery Pieces

Sunglasses Perfume and much more

uralist John Moore, the story is rich in history and shrouded in anecdote.

The talk will take place at 3pm, and is a free eventwith tea, coffee and cake included.

Spaces are limited and tickets should be booked in advance from the Roses Theatre Box Office or online via the website www.rosestheatre.org.uk

Rock Choir In Concert

A charity concert in aid of Brain Tumour research has been organised by the Rotary Club of Pershore.

The Rock Choir will be performing in Pershore Abbey on Saturday 6th March, starting at 7pm with doors open at 6.30pm.

RUN FOR RYDER

The event is open to runners of all abilities, and you can choose the distance which suits you best.

Come and be tempted by some beautiful quality Tiffany & Co items. We are right by the checkout

The Malt House Emporium, Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury GL20 8UY

Tickets are £15 online from www.pershorerotary.club/concert of from Blue, 19 Broad Street, Pershore.

Signing up means you can help to raise vital funds for Sue Ryder’s programme of compassionate care and bereavement support. Sign up at sueryder.org/gloucshalf10k

You can also call 01242 395450 or email leckhamptonevents@sueryder.org for more information.

Tudor House: childhood home of John Moore

There

REFORMING THE NHS AT PROBUS CLUB

When Tewkesbury and Bredon Hill Probus Club looked for a speaker on the subject of the NHS, we chose Martin Gower who is exceptionally well qualified on the subject, having been Chairman of two NHS Foundation Trusts over the last 15 years.

In his talk Martin gave us a lot of relevant statistics demonstrating how well the NHS performs in certain areas and why it seems not to perform in others. He illustrated his talk with many examples of how successfully the NHS operates against other countries.

In some aspects it is among the top three but in other areas, particularly patient satisfaction and administration it does not perform well. Martin discussed most of the significant areas covered by the NHS and was scathing at Government interference, suggesting that a reformed NHS would involve fundamental solutions including scrapping Government control and putting the management of healthcare into the

hands of local people and organisations. The task of reforming the NHS would be complex and involve many difficult decisions but with his past experience of politicians’ resistance to change Martin did not feel very optimistic that such a radical solution would be achievable.

Still on the subject of politics, we once again welcomed Mike Warburton the renowned tax and financial expert who regularly comments on radio, TV and in national newspapers on all things financial and who has close links to members of parliament and Government ministers.

His talk surrounded the attitude of certain politicians whose mantra appears to be “Do as I say, not do as

I do” revealing the ‘alleged’ hypocrisy of two well-known politicians, whose names I cannot divulge in this column!

If you are a retired professional or businessman looking for something new to stimulate your retirement in a social environment, you would be very welcome to join us as a guest at one of our Tuesday morning meetings. For more information, please visit our website at www. probusclub.net/tewkesbredon/ or contact our Secretary Steve Tucker on 07803 907243.

Our events programme for the coming month is featured in this edition of Tewkesbury Direct.

By Chris Brown for Tewkesbury and Bredon Hill Probus Club

We are here to listen and learn about you and your business and help to make the complicated understandable. We will give you professional advice, and ensure you meet your accountancy and taxation compliance needs.

Unit 29, Basepoint Business Centre

Oakfield Close, Tewkesbury, Glos GL20 8SD

Tel 01684 854414

Mob 07767 890699

Email info@devereux-hunt.co.uk

WHAT’S ON IN MARCH at the John Moore Museum

m CREATIVE CROSSSTITCH WORKSHOP

Join us to learn the art of cross-stitch which has been around for centuries. From a blank piece of fabric, an embroidery hoop and thread, you will design your own sampler with initials, name or decoration which can be hung up at home.

Suitable for beginners and upwards. Spaces are limited to 12 participants, so booking in advance is essential.

Date: Saturday 9th

March

Time: 2.30pm (duration of 90 minutes)

Location: Old Baptist

Chapel Tickets: £5 - includes all materials

Booking essential: please email admin@ johnmooremuseum.org or call 01684 297174.

m TUDOR COSTUMED TOURS

This living history tour will take you back in time to 1580, where Agnes, a Tudor housewife, will reveal her life and daily routines as you wander

through the home she shares with her husband, Thomas. Hear Agnes talk about her childhood on a tenant farm, and of how she came to live in Tewkesbury as a merchant’s wife. You will see where Agnes sleeps, learn about a curfew, a trencher, and you may even get to see a Tudor en-suite! Okay, a pisspot but there is a story behind every object.

Date: Saturday 16th March

Times: 11.30am & 2.30pm

Location: Merchant’s House, Church Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5SN

Tickets: Adults £3.50, Concessions £3 & Children £1.50

Booking: Call 01684 297174 or email education@ johnmooremuseum.org to reserve your place.

m POPSICLE PLANES

A colourful craft for boys and girls of all ages to enjoy this springtime. All materials will be supplied.

Date: Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th March

Times: 10am to 12pm (drop in)

Location: The Old Baptist Chapel

Tickets: £1 per child

Booking essential: please email admin@ johnmooremuseum.org or call 01684 297174.

m DRINKING WITH THE TUDORS: FROM WATER INTO WINE

Have you ever wondered what the Tudors and Early Stuarts really drank? What’s the difference between Ale and Beer and which is more patriotic? What’s all this talk about not drinking water? Find out the numerous beverages that were popular and the various reasons behind their uses and availability, plus some folklore as well.

Date: Saturday 30th March

Times: 11am

Location: The Old

Baptist Chapel

Tickets: Adults: £7, Concessions: £5.50 & Children: £3 - Ticket includes admission to the John Moore Museum and The Merchant’s House

Booking essential: please email education@ johnmooremuseum.org or call 01684 297174.

utility room; attached double garage; beautiful west facing garden; gas central heating; mains drainage. Tax Band G; EPC D.

Beautifully

Fantastic opportunity. Large 3 bedroom detached bungalow sitting within large private gardens with driveway parking, garage, separate lounge; modern kitchen/dining/garden room; large utility room; guest wc; modern bathroom; potential ensuite; Private no through road. EPC D; Tax Band E. Located within a cul du sac of exclusively detached homes, this 4 bedroom home offers generously proportioned and light accommodation. Dual aspect Lounge; separate dining room; modern kitchen; large utility room; guest wc; garage; carport; ample driveway parking; attractive rear garden.

Detached

Pretty

garden home office; summerhouse; garage; shed; delightful gardens; Solar Panels; mains gas; Tax Band D; EPC B.

beautiful

several sheds; ample driveway parking; mains gas central heating.Tax Band E;

“We are hugely grateful to Tom, Wendy and the whole team at Engall Castle for their help in our recent move. They gave realistic advice throughout the process and reassurance when certain aspects were more challenging. It was such a pleasure to have them overseeing our move. Thank you!” BS

With

Detached 4 bedroom home with the advantage of No Onward Sales Chain; lounge/dining room; kitchen; large conservatory; guest wc; main bedroom with ensuite and fitted wardrobes; main bathroom; South facing rear garden; driveway parking for several cars. Tax Band D; EPC C.

kitchen/breakfast room; lounge; spacious garden/family room; pretty walled garden; driveway parking; garage; EPC C; Tax Band D. STONEHILLS £375,000 TWIXTBEARS £355,000

maintained and presented, semi detached home in this popular area of the town. 3 good sized bedrooms; first floor wc; modern bathroom; open plan kitchen/dining room; modern kitchen/breakfast room; utility room; garage store; ample driveway parking; attractive rear garden. EPC D; Tax Band D. Modern energy efficient detached bungalow within this desirable location; Dual aspect lounge; modern kitchen/ dining room with patio doors out to the garden; 2 bedrooms; modern shower room; ample driveway parking; private gardens; Gas central heating; UPVC double glazing; EPC C; Tax Band C.

NORTHWAY £300,000

SHEPHARD

cottage with the advantage of a private courtyard rear garden, cottage front garden and driveway parking; 3 bedrooms; lounge; kitchen; dining room; utility; guest wc; first floor bathroom. EPC D; Tax Band C.

Beautifully light, this modern duplex apartment is lovely offering spacious and flexible accommodation. Three bedrooms; main bedroom with ensuite; main bathroom; home office; large landing ideal as hobby room; courtyard garden. Grade II Listed; 999 year lease; no monthly maintenance charge. Tax Band B.

Large ground floor apartment with 50% share of Freehold; 2 double bedrooms; lounge/dining room; bathroom; modern kitchen; leasehold garden (peppercorn rent); no monthly maintenance charges; private alleyway access. Gated rear garden access. EPC D; Tax Band B.

Light and spacious, a second floor apartment within this popular development for the over 55s in the heart of the town centre with all amenities on your doorstep. 2 bedrooms; lounge/dining room; modern kitchen; bathroom; excellent communal facilities; 935 year lease. EPC D; Tax Band B.

Beautifully presented throughout, a modern, contemporary styled first floor maisonette. 1 double bedroom with fitted wardrobe; modern shower room with walk in shower; modern fitted kitchen; open plan living room; modern electric panel heating. Tax Band A; EPC D.

£230,000

£165,000

£135,000

Immaculately presented, modern 2 bedroom bungalow within the grounds of Shepherd Mead over 55s development for the active retired. Unallocated parking; modern electric panel heating; contemporary styled kitchen/breakfast room; lounge/dining room; contemporary shower room. Patio for al fresco dining. EPC C; Tax Band C.

Pretty dual aspect town centre

RED, EXPAND INTO HEAVY LIFTING

Operations

Ollie Olonso, explains “Tewkesbury now has a crane hire company. In 2023 we had an opportunity to purchase a mobile crane, to enable us to lift roof trusses and chimney stacks. The crane has a 36 metre reach which allows us to deliver these items onto 3-story houses on building sites.

“It has also enabled us to lift items including, hot-tubs and trees over houses, to drop them into back gardens or areas where access is difficult.

“Richard Cooke has recently joined RED to

oversee the HGV side of the business. Over the past 5 years we have invested in HGV vehicles to work alongside our very successful, sameday courier service.

“This recent acquisition has been added to our ever-increasing fleet of vehicles and operates alongside our other lorries which include:

• 2 x 7.5 ton ‘Box’ lorries

• 1 x 16 ton Curtain-side lorry

• 1 x 18-ton Curtain-side lorry

• 1 x 26-ton Flat-bed crane lorry (used

for moving up to 32 ft containers)

• 1 x 26-ton Hiab Crane lorry used to load and un-load bricks.

“Our 20 -strong fleet of lorries and a variety of different vans means we can deliver almost anything in the UK.

“We are ready to help with any lifting or difficult access issues, you can call Richard on 01684 296677 or email sales@robertsexpressdelivery.co.uk we will be delighted to quote for any of your transport requirements.”

Local delivery and transport company, RED, continue to expand, now supplying crane hire.

m RED’s new heavy lifter, now available for hire, call 01684 296677 or email us at sales@robertsexpressdelivery.co.uk

Langley Grove £510,000

Executive four bedroom detached family home situated in the popular village of Twyning. Lounge, dining room, fitted kitchen with integrated appliances, French doors to the rear garden, detached single garage and off-road parking for two vehicles.

Thistle Down £350,000

Rarely available three bedroom detached bungalow in the Northway with a DOUBLE GARAGE with power and lighting and an automatic up and over door. There is ample parking and a good sized, well maintained, mature garden.

The Sandfield £255,000

Three bedroom family home in the popular area of Northway with easy access to the motorway. Lounge/ dining room, kitchen, study, shower room, french doors leading to the rear garden, the garage has been converted and off-road parking for 2 cars.

Wheatstone Close £175,000

*IDEAL FIRST TIME PURCHASE OR RENTAL INVESTMENT* Well-presented one Bedroom terraced home located in the residential area of Northway. Galleried bedroom, modern kitchen and off-road parking for two vehicles.

Arlington Road £425,000

*NO ONWARD CHAIN*A really great opportunity to purchase this wonderful four bedroom detached family home in the ever-popular residential area of Walton Cardiff. Fitted kitchen/breakfast room, patio doors leading to the rear garden, single garage.

Oldbury Road £350,000

Situated in the heart of Tewkesbury Town Centre is this period three bedroom detached house, the property not only has off road parking but also a good-sized courtyard garden. Viewing is highly recommended.

Old Hospital Lane £239,000

*NEW TO THE MARKET* A rare opportunity to purchase this characterful two/ three-bedroom mid terrace property in the heart of Tewkesbury, with the added benefit of a town garden.

The Maltings £145,000

A delightful Town Centre retirement living one bedroom first floor apartment, wonderful views over the gardens, living room with bay window, kitchen, good size bathroom with walk in shower, low level W/C and wash hand basin. Monthly Service Charge.

Rectory Close £420,000

A wonderful opportunity to acquire an immaculate three bedroom detached extended village home in Ashleworth, Gloucestershire. This property really does have it all, Viewing essential!

Knights Way £340,000

Offered for sale with no onward chain a well presented three bedroom semi-detached property located on the popular residential development of Newtown with the addition of a wonderful extension to provide extensive ground floor accommodation.

Margarat Road £229,950

A fantastic opportunity to purchase a two bedroom semi-detached home. Living room, Kitchen, modern family bathroom, large well-kept rear garden, off road parking for two/ three vehicles.

Oldfield £140,000

***NO CHAIN***An opportunity to purchase this good sized one bedroom garden flat, in the popular Oldfield development. Lounge, kitchen, bathroombath and shower over, large private rear garden, front garden. Great opportunity for a first-time buyer or investment purchaser.

THEY’RE BACK!

All 8 bells are back in the tower at St Nicholas Ashchurch and were rung for the 11am service on 18th February.

A huge thank you to everyone who made this possible. Many hours of work have been put in. Robert Bishop of Tewkesbury will be dedicating the bells during the 11am service on 10th March. All are welcome. by Alison Lund.

WHAT’S ON at Three Counties Showground

m SUN 3RD MARCH

Flea and Collectors Fair

m THURS 7TH MARCH

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Business Expo

m SUN 10TH MARCH

Autojumble

m SAT 16TH MARCH

Family History Show

m FRI 15TH - SUN 17TH MARCH

Fly Ball Championships

m SUN 24TH MARCH

British Show Pony Society Show Area 9A

m SUN 24TH MARCH

Militaria Fair

m MON 1ST APRIL

Flea and Collectors Fair

OUR PHARMACY IN CHURCH ROAD, BISHOPS CLEEVE IS OPEN EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR

We offer a range of services including the new Minor Ailment Service. We can supply free of charge, subject to criteria, a range of treatments for coughs, colds, eye infection, constipation etc.

Don’t suffer, pop in and see us.

Badham Pharmacy

23 Church Road

Bishops Cleeve Tel 01242 672653

Dowty Organ Recital at Pershore Abbey

Saturday 6th April at 3pm

The organist is Mr Simon Bell of Dean Close School, Cheltenham and Director of Music at Tewkesbury Abbey’s Schola Cantorum.

The Dowty Group once employed many thousand at their Ashchurch factories. All former employees are welcome to attend - admission is free.

Email Mr Will Mundy at willmundy331@icloud.com

m One of the 8 bells back in St Nicholas Tower

SPRING STEAM TRAINS RETURN ON THE SATURDAY 2ND MARCH

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway resumes operation of its beautiful Cotswolds railway after two months of intensive activity by volunteers to maintain track, buildings, rolling stock and locomotives, ready for the new season.

However, while repairs continue on the magnificent and historic 15arch Stanway Viaduct, just north of Toddington, at the beginning of the season there will be no trains to or from Broadway. However, services are expected to resume in mid-April as the vital works are completed.

In addition, due to increased security at Cheltenham’s National Hunt racecourse at Cheltenham during the runup to and immediately after the Cheltenham Festival (12-15 March), only passengers with prebooked tickets will be able to join or leave the train at Cheltenham Racecourse station on either weekend of 9 th - 10 th and 16 th - 17 th March. Tickets can

be booked up to midday before the day of travel. There will be no access

to the station by car or on foot for ‘turn up and travel’ visitors on either weekend.

Catherine Johnson, the GWSR’s Marketing Manager says: “The rail-

way and racecourse are sorry for any inconvenience this will cause but we hope that customers will join us via our other stations.

“Toddington, Winchcombe and Gotherington stations remain open. There is no parking at Gotherington (but is ideal for walkers), very limited parking at Winchcombe while there is plenty of free car parking at Toddington. I strongly advise everyone planning to travel, to join their train at Toddington.”

The railway is again running its special trains

for racegoers on all four days of the Festival (12th -15th March), from Toddington station for pre-booked passengers only. For more information about these trains contact Classic Hospitality which is managing bookings and hospitality packages during the Festival.

The railway has been running these special race trains for Classic Hospitality since 2003.

Full details of the GWSR’s train times and ticket prices, including the railway’s new ‘annual pass’, can be found at www.gwsr.com

Weirdly, spring is upon us due to climate change and el Niño combining forces, writes

Tim Hoskins.

So if you’re wondering what to do in the garden, start spring jobs

urgently. Potting on and feeding need to be done soon, but be mindful of frosts and more cold spells, so use your common sense and avoid planting out tender plants.

If you’re still not ready to get outside and fancy more armchair winter gardening, how about a bit of botany to add to last month’s ecology?

its classification.

Changes happen frequently nowadays as DNA sampling has found relationships that were missed when more physical similarities were sought.

Did you know that Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) is now Salvia rosmarinus, in the same genus as sage?

Note how the names may be descriptive or

A useful start to gardeners’ botany is to pick a particular plant that is either a favourite, or one that you are particularly unsuccessful with.

First look at the family, then the genus, then the species names.

Try to find the root of the name and note how old or new the names are and any changes the plant may have had to

give clues to a plants origin.

Next, look up the global range and subsequent habitat requirements.

Looking at environmental conditions within the natural range give clues to its survivability in conditions we can find at home.

You may find the native environment is

similar to the UK, which could then give you ideas about other plants that would grow well here or partner with it.

Now look at the physical attributes of the plant and particular parts that may appear absent, fused, enlarged etc.

This is fascinating and helps us understand evolution and breeding

of plants.

Finally, look up some breeders. Look at their breeders rights to propagate.

Look at their cultivars and what makes them commercial (disease resistance, stability of cultivar, size etc).

Gardening is mostly about getting dirty, but for some of us who find it interesting, a little applied science can really deepen our understanding of our world.

TIm Hoskins

New Customer Centre Grand Opening!

As part of our exciting journey of growth, Cotswold Home Improvements is proud to announce the opening of our brand-new Customer Centre, conveniently located near our previous site in Tewkesbury, just a stone’s throw away from Jct9 of the M5. Join us in this remarkable space designed to elevate your home improvement experience!

Our team has over 50 years combined industry experience. Dan, Stu and Jon have a wealth of technical knowledge and design experience. From conception to implementation, we have the skills and the range of products to you help your project succeed.

The Three Counties leading trade supplier

Come and discuss your next project with us

We will help you win

TEDDFEST 2024

The family fun weekend TEDDFEST returns to Teddington Truckstop over the weekend of 26th to the 28th April.

For lovers of big trucks this rally, combines working and show trucks, entertainment, trade stands, food and music show to raise money for the, Midlands Air Ambulance.

Tickets are £5 and under 12’s go free, the event takes place at the truckstop GL20 5NE and can be followed at Teddfest 2024 on Facebook.

PLAN YOUR 2024 ADVENTURE TODAY!

M5 LEISURE OPEN DAY EVENT

Saturday March 9th 10am- 4pm

We would love you to join us on Saturday the 9th of March for our yearly Open Day Event! It’s a great opportunity to meet the team and explore our fantastic range of motorhomes for hire and sale. Why not pop in and say hello and plan your motorhome Adventure, whether it’s a short weekend break or a longer trip to Europe, we have a range of Sunlight motorhomes and van conversions to suit everybody!

The day It is free to attend, with parking available on-site and free refreshments available.

We are a proud supplier of new Sunllight Motorhomes. Built in Germany they are Europe’s number one selling brand of motorhomes and part of the well-known Hymer family.

A motorhome holiday is an affordable way to discover those parts of Britain that you may not have seen, the Scottish North Coast 500, Wales,

the Brecon Beacon and Snowdonia National Park, maybe even Northumbria coast. Why not head further afield and head to Europe and be part of the Olympics in Paris or the 2024 Euros in Germany. Whether hiring for a mini break, festival, or other event, you’ll love the fun and freedom of a motorhome or campervan holiday. With lots of different options available, we are confident we will have the right vehicle for your adventure.

Whether you are looking to rent or purchase a motorhome, we would love to meet you. Our small but professional team get very excited about motorhomes and will be on-hand to help with any questions you may have.

If you can’t attend our Open Day, you are always welcome to pop in for a chat. We are open 5 days a week between 8.30am-5.30pm. Come down today and let us help you with your next Adventure!

The first was Oldfield across the former A438 road.

The houses were built after 1956 but in preparation the Council had allowed “Wimpey Ltd. supplied earth from the work at Ashchurch Industrial Units FREE of charge and levelling at Oldfield Estate to bank up above flood level.

It has saved Council many thousands of pounds’ infill.

Before that in World War II, John W. Healing of the Mill allowed the Home Guard, which he commanded, to build a pillbox on Oldfield in

1940 (b) – disguised (as we see) as a hayrick to fool any Nazi invaders.

The late Almeric Page remembered that the erection was strengthened with two cast iron columns, (before) partly supporting the first floor of Healings Mill”.

It was removed in 1945-6 - does anyone remember playing there after the invasion scare receded?

Children brought up here remember that part of the area around the river was a council dump with memories of a hand discovered – which turned out belonging to

a

Link Road (c) became accessible when a bridge was first opened in 1964. John Dixon

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Pictured above: (A) map of Healings Grove, (B) the hayrick Pillbox and (C) Oldfield junction, February 2024.

The Wynyards Close Estate (February Edition) was the second division into housing of the former Healings Oldfield Estate after its sale in 1954 (a), writes John Dixon.

Cross

FRI 1st MARCH: Sad Café, Subscription Rooms, Stroud. thesubrooms.co.uk

SUN 3rd MARCH: Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra St Andrews Church, Montpellier.

SUN 3rd MARCH: Martha Tilston, Subs Rooms, Stroud. thesubrooms.co.uk

SUN 3rd MARCH: Tewkesbury Town Band Afternoon Tea Concert, The Watson Hall, 3pm. Tickets £10 on the door.

TUES 5th MARCH: Steve Tilston, The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

WED 6th MARCH: The Rod Kelly Jazz Trio plus Penny, Fox & Hounds, Bredon. foxandhoundsbredon.co.uk

TEWKESBURY

Thursday 21st March 2024

‘Secret Tewkesbury’ (A book published in 2024) by David Elder

Methodist Church, Tewkesbury Cross at 7.45pm. Members £2.50, Visitors £4.00. All welcome. For more details visit tewkesburyhistory.org

Test your powers of recall with six of the best questions in this month’s Tewkesbury Direct Pub Quiz.

1: Which actor and comedian wrote ‘This is My Song’ which was a hit record for both Petula Clark and Harry Secombe?

2: Which city has been the capital of Brazil since 1960?

THURS 7th MARCH: The ELO Experience, The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

FRI 8th MARCH: Peatbog Faeries, Subscription Rooms, Stroud. thesubrooms.co.uk

FRI 8th MARCH: The Beat, Guildhall, Gloucester www.gloucester guildhall.co.uk

FRI 8th MARCH: Nine Below Zero. Huntingdon Hall, Worcester. worcestertheatres.co.uk

SAT 9th MARCH:

Some Guys Have All The Luck (Rod Stewart Tribute Show), The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

FRI 8th MARCH: Fairport Convention, The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

3: ‘Beware the Ides of March’ is a quotation from which play by William Shakespeare?

4: Which Belgian snooker player was crowned World Champion in 2023?

5: Born in France in 1122, which Queen of both France and England was the mother of King Richard I and King John?

WED 13th MARCH: Mixed ‘Open’ Folk Session, Royal Oak, Bredon. Music Starts 8pm.

FRI 15th MARCH: Jive Talkin’, The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

SAT 16th MARCH: 90s Live’ The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

FRI 22nd MARCH:

The UK Pink Floyd Experience The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

SUN 24th MARCH:

Seven Drunken Nights - the story of The Dubliners, The Roses Theatre, www.rosestheatre.org

WED 27th MARCH: Celtic ‘Open’ Folk Session, Royal Oak, Bredon. Music Starts 8pm.

6: Sometimes known as ‘Irish Moonshine’ which alcoholic drink is distilled (illegally!) from grains, grains, whey, molasses and potatoes?

6.

4.

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1.

TUES 2nd APRIL: Banter, The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

THURS 4th APRIL: John Mosedale. Swan Theatre, Worcester. worcestertheatres.co.uk

THURS 4th APRIL: Simon and Oscar from Ocean Colour Scene. The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

SAT 6th APRIL: Johnny Coppin with Paul Burgess. St Andrews Church, Toddington, GL54 5DJ. EasternGroupEvents@ gmail.com for details.

THURS 11th APRIL: Thar’ll Be The Day, The Roses Theatre www.rosestheatre.org

SAT 13th APRIL: The Music of Joni Mitchell (tribute show), The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

FRI 19th APRIL: The Bon Jovi Experience (tribute show), The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

TUES 20th APRIL: The Treorchy Male Voice Choir The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

THURS 25th APRIL: Newton Faulkner, The Guildhall, Gloucester. www.gloucester guildhall.co.uk

SAT 27th APRIL: Feast of Fiddles, The Roses Theatre. www.rosestheatre.org

SUN 5th MAY: Katie Grace Harris with Mike Weaver, Forest of Dean Folk Club, The Orepool Inn, Sling, Coleford, GL16 8LH. 7.30pm for 8pm start. forestfolk.club.com

Fixed price menu now available served mon to thurs 12 – 8.30pm friday 12 – 9pm 2 course £15 – 3 x courses £20 Menu’s subject to availability

Bar staff required… weekends and weekday evenings join our friendly and hard working team!!

UTILITA ARENA, BIRMINGHAM

6 March: James Arthur

8 March: Jason Derulo

23 March: Simple Minds

7 April: James Blunt www.utilitaarenabham. co.uk

NEC BIRMINGHAM

1-2 March: The National Wedding Show

2-3 March: National Equine Show

7-10 March: Crufts www.thenec.co.uk

CHELTENHAM

TOWN HALL

5 March: Alice Roberts

12 March: Miles Jupp

21 march: Rosie Jones www.cheltenham townhall.org.uk

EVERYMAN, CHELTENHAM

12-17 March:

Shrek The Musical

21-30 March: A Midsummer Night’s Dream www.everymantheatre. org.uk

PLAYHOUSE, CHELTENHAM

16 March:

Best of the Blues

21 March: Howlers Comedy Club Night

28-30 March: Les Miserables www.cheltplayhouse. org.uk

THE HENRICIAN, EVESHAM

9 March: The Sounds of Simon (tribute) www.henrician.org

GUILDHALL, GLOUCESTER

Sat 2nd March: Daniel MartinezFlamenco www.gloucester guildhall.co.uk

THE COURTYARD, HEREFORD

6-7 March: Tim Vine

21-23 March: The Gondoliers

27 March: Chris McCausland www.courtyard.org.uk

MARKET THEATRE, LEDBURY

15-16 March: Hereford County Drams Festival

23 March: Learning to Fly (Attic Theatre Co) www.themarkettheatre. com

MALVERN THEATRE

4-9 March:

Twelve Angry Men

12-16 March: Oh What a Lovely War 19-23 March: The Boy at the Back of the Class www.malverntheatres.co.uk

No.8 ARTS CENTRE, PERSHORE

8 March: Jo Caulfield www.number8.org

RSC STRATFORDUPON-AVON

Until 30 March: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

21-30 March: First Encounters, Romeo and Juliet

Until 6 April:Ben & Imo www.rsc.org.uk

SWAN THEATRE, WORCESTER

10 March: The Hound of the Baskervilles

16 March: Dom Joly

From 19 March:

Zog and the Flying Doctors Live on Stage 24 March: The Great American Song Book

27 March:

Exciting Science

5 April: The Sooty Show 75th birthday spectacular

11 April: Antiques and a Little Bit of Nonsense (stars of Bargain Hunt) www.worcester theatres.co.uk

Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners and are Allied Healthcare professionals.

In order to qualify, osteopaths must undertake rigorous training in the form of a degree. This is usually a 3-year Bache-

lors or, more commonly, a 4-year integrated Masters degree in osteopathy.

During this degree, osteopaths study anatomy, pathophysiology and biomechanics as well as osteopathic assessment and treatment

skills. They must also undertake 1000 hours in the clinical setting.

Osteopaths can undertake further training in certain specialisms, including paediatric, cranial or animal osteopathy at postgraduate level.

m Philippa Wingate

All osteopaths must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council who regulate the profession.

This registration must be renewed each year and is conditional on the osteopath undertaking 90 hours of training spread over a 3-year cycle.

This ensures all osteopaths keep their knowledge up to date, so you can rest assured you are in safe hands!

Dragon Vets Tewkesbury is fully equipped with a sterile operating theatre, digital radiography, ultrasonography and laboratory equipment. Drop in and have a look around. You will see many of the same friendly faces from our main surgery at Dragon Vets Cheltenham. You can book your visits and pick up pet supplies, food or medications at either surgery if it’s more convenient.

ALLEYCAT APP IN APPLE HI-TECH LAUNCH

On 1st February Apple launched its new Augmented Reality system, the Vision Pro.

Very simply, this is a wearable computer (a headset) which runs apps so that the screens appear to be floating in front of you, whilst you can still see the real world too. Difficult to explain, but there is a great demo on Apple’s website. The Vision Pro is currently available only in the USA and is eye wateringly expensive at $3,500!

So, what has this to do with Tewkesbury, you might ask?

Well, the device needs specially developed Apps. And at launch there were only 600 world-wide, mainly from large software developers such as Apple, Microsoft and the major games companies.

AND PROJECT ALLEYCAT!!!

Our ace app developer Bilaal Rashid has reconfigured the Alley App to take advantage of VR, so with the device you can sit in California and take a 3D walk down the High St and Barton St, stopping to read information on alleys. A bit of a tour de force for a community group, and evidence

that Tewkesbury doesn’t live in the past. We were pleased to receive an email from Apple’s Vice President “We are thrilled that you are with us on launch day”.

Now, a bit of reality. The Alleycat Vision Pro app (available from the Apple Store, free) has limitations. We don’t have the computing power to render realistic street scenes, nor the money to buy in resources, so we have had to use block representations of buildings, with alley information on floating panels. We see this as a start, but we are looking for ideas as to how we develop it. Is there a community/college/ school/apprentice project here? Can we leverage it to encourage innovation?

Or should we just shout “Tewkesbury, 21st Century Town?”

If you have any ideas as to how we can develop the VR app, for the benefit of the town, please let us know. Email tewksalley@outlook.com

The Project Alleycat (Vision Pro) app is available on Apple App Store, along with the regular app for iPhones and iPad. Android users should download their version from the Google Play Store. Free and no ads.

More High Street Improvements

Many readers will have noticed that Tewkesbury high street has been a hive of activity, with building work and scaffolding covering buildings, in many locations.

The work is part of the High Streets, Heritage, Action Zone, Cultural Programme, a four year campaign of cultural activity to make High Streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend leisure time.

Tewkesbury is blessed to be a busy town, to the hard work of business owners, the investments they have made, the support of the authorities and above all the custom given to the town by the residents and vistors, have made it in the writers,view, a town to learn from. Peter Edgar, Communications manager for Tewkesbury Borough Council,corporate services. Work in the high street currently includes the row

of properties 104 to 112 (excluding 108) they are currently being refurbished by their owners and will benefit from a High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) grant to cover some of the costs.

Theses works part-funded by the HSHAZ include:

- refurbishment of upper-floor windows redecoration of façades - replacement of large modern shop signs with traditionally sign-written signs addition of hanging

signs and traditional retractable awnings and, in the case of 107 High Street, - reinstatement of an historic ironwork over the shop fascia.

The HSHAZ grant has enabled all the properties to be refurbished at the same time, improving the ambience of this area of the High Street and complementing the works already funded opposite at 38-40 High Street.

These works are due to be completed before the end of March 2024. Ends.

MARCH MUSEUM TALKS at Tewkesbury Museum

Tewkesbury Museum remains closed to visitors, but we continue to deliver our popular talks programme.

Two very different subjects this month, we set off in the footsteps of Henry VIII on a progress, followed by a look at the public clocks and timekeeping

in Tewkesbury, but both, co-incidentally, make mention of the Abbey.

m 5TH MARCH “THE ROYAL PROGRESS THROUGH GLOUCESTERSHIRE 1535”. PRESENTED BY

ALAN PILBEAM

Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Thomas

Cromwell and the royal court take a long tour through the county, including a stay in Tewkesbury. This is the progress featured in the novel and film “Wolf Hall”.

m 19TH MARCH

“A BRIEF HISTORY OF (TEWKESBURY) TIME. PRESENTED BY DAVID BAGLEY

In the ages of smart watches and ubiquitous clocks, it is difficult to imagine when townsfolk depended on church bells and public clocks to know the time.

All talks are on a Tuesday, at Tewkesbury Baptist Church, Station Road at 7 pm (doors 6.40). £3 including tea/ coffee/cakes.

We accept cash or card. All welcome. Visit tewkesburymuseum. org/for more details.

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Newtown WI February meeting rang with laughter at the verses and stories from Paul Evans.

A lengthy spoof let-

ter demanded that their bank’s pernickety procedures be reciprocated when dealing with this customer of 38yrs standing - especially the tor-

tuous telephone options. Poor dear Basil (tall for 11) and his unrequited love for a local 16yr-old, which ended sadly and badly (for his cat). A child’s-eye view of grannies - rather unsavoury people, with funny underwear - but also they have time ...

Alan Titchmarsh’s tale of a Yorkshire chap describing “The Messiah” to a pal in a pub: they furious singers, arguin’ repeatedly ‘bout Joyce Grately, and then, weirdly, predictin’ rain fer ever

‘n’ ever (?).

Reg, the lonely, amorous glow-worm, spurned and burned by a gutter fag-end. And the old, belligerent local village poet Lou, who left five school exercise-books full of gritty poetry for posterity, such as ...

“A bit o’ binder string”, which the hero, enterprising, would use for many a thing; a bull-lasso, a doormat, and then a wedding-ring!

Next time, Wheatpiec-

es Community Centre, 13 March 2024, at 2pm, for another fun afternoon.

You are very welcome; contact Julie on 07737 271684.

Air-to-air heat pump technology heats, or cools your home for a fraction of the cost.

alternative to oil or LPG central heating, reducing your carbon footprint and your heating bills.

The Craddocks and the Farriers Arms

Trading as the Farrier’s Arms, 87 Church Street was never much more than an alehouse serving the people who lived nearby. It occupied a plot which extended to St Mary’s Lane, which included a brew-house, stabling and a carriage house.

The pub itself had two small bars but a great deal of its business was take-away, jugs of beer for home consumption. Its early days are not well documented. The earliest recorded landlord was James White in 1774. Landlords came and went. Thirty-seven are recorded in the one hundred and forty-three years of its existence.

Five were widows of landlords who had died in office. Two of those deaths were dreadful accidents. In 1826, John Brimmall, walking home from Coombe Hill, tried to jump onto a moving wagon. He slipped and the wheel ran over him. He died on the spot. In 1858, Richard Preston was returning home on a river excursion with a party of victuallers when he had a seizure and fell over the stern. It took an hour to find his body.

In 1831 it was the scene of an argument between William Humpidge and Thomas White, both from Chaceley. It became so heated that they resorted to the Swilgate Meadow to fight it out. This resulted in the death of Humpidge. In an ensuing trial for manslaughter at the Borough Court, White, and the two seconds to the fight, were found not guilty.

Beyond this, it was a quiet place, it’s only other claim to fame was that Thomas Shakespeare Hart, eighth generation in descent from Shakespeare’s sister Joan, was the landlord in 1850.

The next landlord, William Scott, heavily promoted wine and spirit off-sales, though the pub didn’t get a full spirits licence until 1869.

The arrival of the Cra-

ddock family in 1874 marked a few years of disturbance of the Church Street peace. Quite why the Craddocks were given a licence with the family’s

previous long history of misdemeanours is hard to understand. John Thomas, who had a record of petty crime, took on the lease. His parents James and Caroline also moved in. In no time, he was in court answering charges of permitting drunkenness and ‘lock-ins’. His sideline of poaching brought

many more court appearances, In 1878 he and Arthur Hovey were convicted of poaching game; two months later the same Arthur Hovey was caught red-handed burgling the pub, stealing six gallons of whiskey! Meanwhile, mother Caroline was accusing a

SPEAKER NEWS

Meetings held on the 2nd Monday of each month in the Baptist Hall, Station Road.

Refreshments from 10:00am for a meeting start time of 10.30am.

n March 11, 2024 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Tim Bridges will talk about the question ‘Sir George Gilbert Scott – hero or villain ‘ responsible for significant changes made to Tewkesbury Abbey in the late 19th century.

n April 8, 2024 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

John Butterworth will tell us about his visit to China as  part of an official delegation when the country opened up to the world in the 1980s. It will be interesting to compare the country and its’ leadership then with today’s hard line stance.

n May 13, 2024 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Mike Jackson whose career included producing the Antiques Roadshow and Bargain Hunt will enlighten us with stories from those times and what goes on behind the scenes.

m 87 Church Street

m The Farriers Arms 1900

m The Echo Office

Come and have some Fun this Spring/Summer at Croft Farm Water Park!

Sail and Paddle at Croft Farm Water Park (Tewkesbury) are pleased to announce that we are now open for the Spring/summer 7 days a week from 8:30am - 5pm for boat hire and tuition. Families and kids parties are welcome – we run some great structured sessions on the water for kids including instruction and kit for the water. One of our most popular taster lessons at the moment is “wingsurfing” - a fantastic up and coming sport that is great for all ages and abilities, you can book online for these lessons and all boat hire through our web site or just email/ call (individuals or groups are welcome, sessions run at regular intervals everyday).

If you just want to pop in to the centre to hire a boat, all general

public are welcome during our opening times (entrance tickets can be purchased through our web site link also). We have a big range of easy to use hire equipment including giant Dragon and Swan shaped pedal boats, slide pedal boats for all the family, single and 2/3 seater sit on top kayaks, stand up paddle boards / giant team stand up paddle boards, catamaran team canoes, sailing boats and windsurfers. Please see the water sports pages on our website for full details

and price list at “www.croftfarmwaterpark.com” email tom@croftfarm leisure.co.uk or call 01684 772321 (ext2). We hope to see you down at our lake soon for a water sports experience you and your family/ friends will not forget.

Continued from P43…

long string of men, and women, of assaulting her, the last being Mr Morgan the Tax Collector. She seldom persuaded the magistrates of their guilt.

In 1879, John Thomas was declared bankrupt. He was found to have no assets whatsoever because on the previous day he had sold the pub, lock, stock and barrel (literally) to his father James for a pittance. This frustrated the creditors, but didn’t seem to affect the running of the Farriers.

James became the new licensee and took

this new responsibility seriously. It was him who appeared on future summonses. In 1880 he had his licence endorsed and was fined £10, the maximum possible, for permitting drunkenness in his inn. George Yates, a farmer, appears to have had his drink spiked by two women who had ‘seen the contents of his purse’. His unconscious body was found in an alley in St Mary’s Lane and carried to the police station. His purse was empty. Soon after this incident, James Craddock moved to Twyning and transferred the licence to John Henry Thomas. The pub again became a quiet backwater.

Business could not have been good, though, because landlords seldom lasted even twelve months. The inevitable came in 1917, when the magistrates ordered its closure under the terms of the Compensation Act. The last landlady, Alice Walker, was compensated with £133. By then, it was owned by Cheltenham Original Brewery, who received £1,039.

It took two years to sell the property, which was bought by the Gloucestershire Echo. It was their local office until 1995 when they sold it, to become a private residence. It is far better remembered as the Echo office than as a pub.

MITTON W.I.

It has been a very busy couple of months for Mitton W.I. Our Christmas party in December was very well attended, much fun had by all, but there was a bit of a dilemma with the Christmas quizzes - too many winners!

So thank you for your patience in the delivery of your prizes. January was good old fashioned board games - not quite so well supported due to coughs and sneezes, but we certainly made up for in February when we were visited by John Dixon who told us all about Mitton Manor during WWI. He gave us little potted histories of the people involved in the hospital there from the matrons and nurses down to the stretcher carriers, bringing the wounded from Tewkesbury station. One of those names we still remember today with the opening of our new health centre. We also had our Christmas/New Year meal at The Gupshill during January.

We will be visited in March by glass artist Sarah Brown, who will be telling us all about the art of glass blowing and design. In April we will be learning how to help wildlife in the garden.

Mitton W.I. meet at Mitton Manor School 7.30pm every first Monday of the month (unless bank holiday). All welcome so come along and join us. If you would like more information please ring 01684 292385, Mitton-WI@gmail.com or look for Mitton WI on Facebook.

Treatments we offer…

General Dentistry

Detection of oral problems early with regular private examinations

Teeth Straightening

Invisalign is a clear alternative to braces, comfortable, removable and easy to wear

Hygiene Appointments

Remove plaque and calculus from behind the gum line and teeth

Tooth Whitening

A safe way to brighten the natural colour of your teeth

PATIENT FINANCE

You can split treatment costs into monthly payments to make your dental health easy and and affordable.

THE BOYS (AND GIRLS) IN THE BOAT - AT AB SEVERN ROWING CLUB

You’ve probably heard of Sir Steve Redgrave, possibly watched the annual University Boat Race or seen the recent film directed by George Clooney, but did you know that there is a very successful junior rowing club right here in Tewkesbury?

AB Severn is a rowing club for juniors aged 12 to 18, based just off the A438 at Mythe Bridge. The club has private access to the River Severn all year round, meaning rowing sessions are flexible and can fit around school and other commitments. It’s a great way to get fit, meet new friends, travel to new places and develop skills for life.

There are many reasons why we believe rowing is the best sport out there! Anyone can learn to row, although being taller than average can give a competitive edge. Rowing is a mental sport as much as a physical one and offers many health benefits. It gives a great cardio workout and is a low-impact exercise, reducing the risk of injury while also improving strength, endurance, flexibility and co-ordination. Rowing can also help with stress reduction and improve mood and concentration - many of our teenagers

row during exam periods in order to have a break from studies.

Students doing GCSE P.E. can use rowing as a qualifying activity, either as an individual or team sport. For the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, you can use rowing in the Physical category. We also have tailored weekly training sessions at CrossFit Tewkesbury, which are an excellent way to keep fit and build strength.

Head coach, Brian Curtis, has over half a century of experience and is dedicated to encouraging the young rowers to be the absolute best they can be - as long as they listen to instructions and more importantly, always laugh at his jokes!

AB Severn is a competitive club, regularly travelling to local and national events. In the past couple of years, the members have rowed on the 2012 Olympic lake at Eton Dorney, won

medals at the National Schools Championships, Junior Sculling Regatta, and the 2023 National Juniors. A club highlight of 2023 was winning the Victor Ludorum award for most successful junior club at Trentham Regatta, taking home eighteen winners ‘pots’ and a cheque towards club funds.

Current members also have very real aspirations to row for Team GB, the Oxford and Cambridge crews, and even to row in the USA.

Sixteen year old Grace joined as a beginner two and half years ago, and has done things she never thought possible. “The support the club has given me, makes me proud to represent it. I have recently been able to go forward for GB camps which I never thought I would. From getting my first ever Bronze at Junior Sculling Regatta to trialling for GB U19 selection, I know that AB Severn and Brian are

the reason for my motivation.”

The club are looking for new members, so if you know any young teenagers on the tall side of average, please contact Head Coach, Brian Curtis, on brian.curtis@ absevernrowing.co.uk, 01684 850040, visit our Facebook page or www. absevern.com to find out more.

Despite the inclement weather, Bredon Cricket Club is already making plans for the forthcoming season which starts on Saturday 13th April, with a friendly fixture against Elmley Castle. League fixtures commence the following Saturday, April 20th with a

first team home game against Bromsgrove.

The Club runs two senior teams in the Worcestershire League and a Sunday team that plays friendly matches against local opposition.

We also have a thriving junior section and run teams at all age groups as well as offer-

WE WANT YOUR CAR

ing highly successful Allstars and Dynamos programmes for our 5-10 year old age group, the details of which can be found on the Club website www.bredoncricketclub.com

We are always looking to attract new members of all ages both on the playing side and socially and will be holding an open day on Saturday 13th April from 1pm onwards, when people are

welcome to come along and chat to club officials, watch our first XI in action, and enjoy a drink from our well stocked bar. You can even watch the Grand National on TV!

Alongside cricket, the Club also runs a wide range of social events throughout the summer and details of these events will be highlighted in the coming months.

In the meantime

should you have any questions regarding any aspect of the Club, please contact Neil Hall on neil@hallonline.co.uk

I look forward to welcoming you to Bredon Cricket Club, Hill Close, Westmancote, GL20 7EU in the near future.

By Neil Hall Chairman Bredon Cricket Club

HOME COOKED SUNDAY ROASTS, NOW AT THE BERKELEY ARMS

Licencees, of Tewkesbury’s Berkeley Arms, Ron and Trish Winwood are delighted to announce that great home cooked Sunday roasts have returned.

After a major refit and new extraction system, their kitchen is busy serving roasts ,the traditional way.

Current starters include homemade spinach, leek and potato soup crab and shrimp fishcakes and walnut and crumbled Brie.

Roasts include half a chicken, roast loin of pork and a red pepper puy lentil and walnut roast, all served with yorkshire puddings, roasted vegetables, roast potatoes, seasonal greens and cauliflower cheese.

There is a choice of homemade desserts and childrens roasts are available too.

A local Chef with years of experience, cooks all food from fresh using locally sourced produce to provide a great lunch.

Dining times and menu choice will become more comprehensive over the coming weeks.

m Photo © Neil King

It is a good idea to pre book dining, either by phone, 01684 290555, or just pop in.

Tewkesbury Flower Club

Flower Arranging Demonstrations at Bushley Village Hall 1.30pm for 2pm

Tuesday 12th March Herald the Spring

All visitors welcome - £6 on the door.

LOWER LODE INN, LOOKING FORWARD TO SPRING!

This year has been a wet one so far, and the popular, riverside inn, The Lower Lode has had more than its fair share of seasonal flooding.

At the time of writing the floods are still high, Landlady Samantha Snape is eager to say:

“Spring visitors will be welcomed back for food and drink as soon as possible, we will have some clearing up to do, so we are hoping you will bear with us whilst we do it.

For Mothers Day lunch and Easter bookings on Sunday the 10th March please give me a call on 01684 293224”.

For further information please visit www. lowerlodeinn.co.uk m Samantha Snape

Stimulate Your Retirement At Tewkesbury & Bredon Hill Probus Club

Probus Club offers retired and semi-retired professional and business men the opportunity to enrich retirement by joining like-minded people for congenial conversation, sharing experiences, listening to a wide variety of interesting speakers and occasional visits to places of interest.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS IN MARCH

5 Mar - The honey bee and beekeeping (with Brian Miller-Hall)

12 Mar - Visit to British Motor Holdings bodyshop works 19 Mar - Tuneful tubes (with David Wornham)

26 Mar - Seven years inside (with Janine Kilroe)

Meetings are held at 10.15 a.m. in Bredon Village Hall. Every interested person will receive a very warm welcome. Please contact our Secretary, Steve Tucker on 07803 907243 for further information or visit our website at: www.probusclub.net/tewkesbredon/

FEAST OF FIDDLES –30TH ANNIVERSARY SPRING TOUR 2024

SATURDAY 27TH APRIL at Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury from 7.30pm

The Feast of Fiddles set out on their Spring Tour once again in 2024 following a very successful return to the road post pandemic restrictions.

Born in Nettlebed on Valentine’s Day 1994 as a one-off special concert, Feast of Fiddles has done 28 spring tours, 26 festivals and has 7 CDs to its name. Not bad for a bunch of old folk-rockers!

This is a band of friends that puts on a show of huge dynamic range performed with passion, joy and a liberal dose of fun. Typically, Fiddlers Garry Blakeley (Band of Two), Ian Cutler (Bully Wee), Marion Fleetwood (Trad Arr, Sandy Denny Project), Peter Knight (Gigspan-

Church

ner, Steeleye Span), Tom Leary (Joe Brown), Brian McNeill (Battlefield Band) bring a large range of fiddle playing styles to the rock backline – all held together by legendary drummer Dave Mattacks.

As this is the 30 th anniversary of the band you may see and hear past member special guests along the way. Keep an eye open for tour news on the website. This is a live music entertainment like no other on the circuit which is guaranteed to be enjoyed by even the

Street Gifts stock

most doubting of friends dragged along!

Exact line up subject to change/confirmation but currently expected to be: Blakeley, Crabtree, Cutler, Fleetwood, Harding, Leary, Mattacks, McNeill, Swarbrick and Vincent.

Britain’s fiddling supergroup” – Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2. See the band in action www. youtu.be/Eu2rCv6KGsU

For information and the latest news please follow us on Facebook www.facebook. com/Feastoffiddles/ or feastoffiddles.co.uk

a wide range of meads which you are welcome to come and try

Mead, often referred to as “honey wine,” is one of the oldest fermented beverages known to humankind. It’s made by fermenting honey with water, sometimes with added fruits, spices, grains, or hops.

Mead holds a special place in the history and cultures of various civilizations across the globe and the origins of mead are shrouded in the mists of time. There is evidence of its consumption dating back thousands of years. Ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Vikings and surely the medieval Monks of Tewkesbury would have all had their own versions of mead, each with its own rituals, myths, and significance. Mead was not just a beverage but a symbol of hospitality, celebration, and community. It was often shared during important ceremonies, weddings, and religious festivals, bringing people together for joyous events.

Mead is experiencing a resurgence in popularity as people rediscover its rich history and unique flavours using it in cocktails or as a long drink.

LADIES HAIR, BY PIP

The Cutting Room in Barton Street, now offers ladies styling.

Pipa Friend has joined owner Harvey Hutchings to offer complete styling for the whole family.

Pip offers all aspects of styling, including cutting, washing and colouring, appointments and walk ins, can be made on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9am-2pm, and Saturdays by appointment.

For anyone looking for a thoughtful Mothers Day gift on March 10th, Pip has gift vouchers for hairstyling, available.

m A warm welcome awaits Sunday lunch diners, at the Berkeley Arms.

Gloucestershire Society of Artists marks its

The

is at Nature in Art on

A46 Tewkesbury-

CATE AND GEORGE’S NEXT ‘DAYTIME DISCO’ - once a month, next date: Thursday 14th March, 1-4pm at the Watson Hall. Dancing encouraged, but only optional if you’d just like to enjoy the music, watch the dancers, or have a chat and a cup of tea! Free event - all welcome.

There will be someone to say hello when you arrive, so you can come on your own or with a friend(s).

WEEKLY JOB

CLUB AT PPNP - (Priors Park Neighbourhood Project), Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (GRCC),

MANYTHANKS to

Employment Skills Hub project offering help with: Employment, Education, Training and Volunteer opportunities including Digital Help.

Wednesdays 10-1pm at PPNP, York Road, Tewkesbury, GL20 5HU Contact Laurai@ grcc.org.uk for more info

TEWKESBURY

REPAIR CAFÉ - Next session due Saturday 16th March. Held in Tewkesbury Baptist Church, 2-5 pm. Please double check before travelling. Bring electrical, toys, clothes, anything that needs fixing. Tools can also be sharpened. Tea and coffee available while you wait.

EXPLORING

DEMENTIA - Public event - Watson Hall, 65 Barton Street, Tewkesbury, Monday 18t h March, 10am to 6pm. Free entry, tea and coffee. This event is for carers, those with dementia and anyone who would like to know more about dementia. There will be stalls with information, plus activities and talks from experienced professionals. All welcome. Contact cate.cody@glouc estershire.gov.uk if you would like a stall.

TEWKESBURY

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH

- The next Tewkesbury Friends of the Earth meeting is on Monday March 18th at 7.30pm at the Cross House TAVERN.

TEWKESBURY NATURE RESERVEFollow on Facebook and Instagram or why not sign up to volunteer? There is plenty to do on the reserve, to find out more about email to info@tewkesbury naturereserve.org.uk

STONEHILLS

GROUPIf you live on the estate, please get in touch with catecody99@gmail.com

- see www.

our regular columnist Jack B. Walker for sending us this lovely image of the sun setting over the floods on The Ham. Abbey Mill can be seen on the left, with the weir spanning the Mill Avon in the middle ground. With spring now upon us Jack looks forward to drier walks! His ramble for this month can be found on page 55.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

WARWICKSHIRE

STEAM RAILWAY: Services re-start Saturday 2nd March. Award-winning 14-mile heritage line through the Cotswolds. Stations at Broadway, Toddington, Winchcombe and Cheltenham Racecourse. Tickets and timetables www.gwsr.com

TEWKESBURY

BATTLEFIELD WALKS: Sundays 3rd March and 7th April. Starting at 10am from Abbey Lawn Car Park. Approximately two miles, taking around two hours. Stout footwear is recommended.

SUDELEY CASTLE AND GARDENS:

Re-opening in March. Historic home and last resting place of Queen Katherine Parr near Winchcombe. Events throughout the year. Tickets and details from sudeleycastle.co.uk

BATSFORD ARBORETUM:

Off the A44, near Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9AT.

(Pictured above) Please check website for opening hours as the arboretum may be closed in bad weather. Wonderful arboretum with spring-flowering bulbs and Japanese flowering cherries. Restaurant, and garden centre. www.batsarb.co.uk

COTSWOLD WILDLIFE PARK:

COTSWOLD FARM PARK, GUITING POWER: Lambing and Kidding until 14th April. Daily lambing talks. Open every day from 9.30am to 5pm. Established by Joe Henson, founder of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, in the 1970s. Cotswold Farm Park is now run by Joe’s son, Adam, best known as a presenter on BBC TV’s ‘Countryfile.’ Rare farm animals, attractions and activities to keep all ages entertained and amused. Buy tickets in advance online at cotswoldfarmpark. co.uk

Open every day from 10am until 6pm (last admission 4pm). Madagascar exhibit closes at 3.30pm. Opened over fifty years ago, Cotswold Wildlife Park is now one of the UK’s largest zoological collections set in the beautiful gardens and grounds of Bradwell Grove, near Burford. A wonderful spot to discover and learn about the beauty of the natural world through many enclosures, lakes, hot houses, aquarium, vivaria and a woodland walk with wolves! www.cotswoldwildlife park.co.uk

WOODCHESTER MANSION: Near the village of Nympsfield, off the B4066 south of Stroud. Re-opens Friday 29th March, then open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Guided tours at 11.45am or 2.30pm,

or self-guided.

Deep a hidden valley, Woodchester Mansion is a house like no other. Construction began on this Grade 1 Listed Gothic Revival masterpiece in 1857, but was abandoned in 1860leaving it unfinished. Visitors can also observe the bat colonies from April until September. Full details woodhchestermansion. org.uk

SNOWSHILL MANOR:

Snowshill, Broadway, WR12 7JU

Re-opens Fri 8th March

The curious home of avid collector and noted eccentric Charles Wade. See nationaltrust.org.uk for more details.

Daffodils

March is one of my favourite times of year for woodland walks, as the greenery starts to return to the tress and the spring flowers begin to show, writes Jack B. Walker.

Tiddesley Wood, near Pershore, covers around 200 acres and is believed to date back some 6,000 years.

Now in the stewardship of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, the wood has many paths for wandering along - as long as you pay heed to the flags and notices warning you when you are near to the gun firing range!

Plans of the paths and information boards are displayed at the woods’ entrances and are also available on the website worcswildlifetrust.co.uk

Please note all dogs should be on leads throughout the reserve. Tiddesley is atmospheric and magical at any time of year. This is one of my favourite short walks, suitable for any time of year - although some of the trails can be muddy.

Park in the Trust’s car park on the Besford Bridge Road, about half a mile west of Pershore.

Leave the car park and join the track (1) which leads to the woods.

As you enter the wood, keep straight ahead on the main broad track, ignoring the turnings to the left.

Forestry work is ongoing here, and the trust is also gradually replacing the conifers with native deciduous trees.

The conifers were planted by the Forestry Commission when Tiddesley Wood was used for commercial purposes a few decades ago.

Carry on along the path, which rises slightly and eventually meets a bridleway (2).

Turn right and follow the bridleway as it curves upwards, until it bears right and descends to the end of the wood. (3)

Leave the bridleway at this point and walk straight ahead along the track.

UNDERTAKEN

Mobile 07801 700254

At the next path turn left (4) and keep climbing upwards until you reach cross tracks (5)

Bear left here - and at the next junction bear right (6) down a path which can at times be slippery. At the bottom of the decent you will meet the bridleway again. by a wooden gate (7). Bear left and take

the path into the woods here, and follow it until you meet the main track once more (8) . Turn right and return to the car park.

*NOTE: although they are abundant in Tiddesley Wood bluebells are one of the last spring flowers to bloom, any time from late March until early May.

WEBSITE DESIGN

Bluebell carpets in Tiddesley Wood (see note)*

67a

Johnny Coppin

Singer songwriter set for Toddington Church show

One of the region’s most respected singer songwriters, Johnny Coppin, is set to play a special concert at St Andrew’s Church in Toddington next month.

A respected composer, guitarist and pianist, Johnny will be joined by the multi-instrumentalist Paul Burgess for the show on Saturday 6th April.

Q magazine described Johnny as having ‘one of the finest voices in the UK.’

Over the years he has fronted the legendary band Decameron, written music for theatre and television, collaborated with Laurie Lee, and enjoyed a period as a BBC radio presenter. He has continued to perform all over Britain throughout his career. For tickets (£15) please email EasternGroupEvents@ gmail.com

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