Gloucestershire Echo

Cavendish House Action call as pop-up traders go at end of month

THE planned departure of stallholders from Cavendish House has been met with sorrow as Cheltenham MP says people demand action to restore the ‘much-loved town centre treasure to past glories.’ Traders at the former House of Fraser in Promenade were...

Final plans for £1bn cyber site submitted

AWORLD-CLASS development project set to be built beside GCHQ in Cheltenham has submitted its final, detailed plans required before the first phase of work can begin. The Golden Valley Development site, located in West Cheltenham, will see up to 200...

First new road in Missing Link to open

AN ex-teacher has been fined £500 after admitting to wearing a uniform or dress bearing the mark of His Majesty’s Forces without permission. Uniformed officers arrived at the home of Jonathan Carley on Monday in search of a fake Royal Navy officer,...

Honours announced

FIGURES from across the county have been recognised for their efforts in this year’s New Year’s Honours list. Ellen Roome who is campaigning for improvements to children’s online safety following the death of her teenage son has spoken of the...

Christmas traditions

Airthrie Carol Service provided a truly magical conclusion to the Michaelmas Term. Entitled The Holy Night and written by Airthrie teacher Matthew Medhurst, the service at Christ Church, Cheltenham showcased the talents of every pupil across the...

Daring dippers raise money for hospice

MORE than 140 fearless swimmers ‘brrrrraved’ the chilly waters of Cheltenham Lido on Saturday December 7 for the Sue Ryder Big Dip Cheltenham – raising over £15,000 so far for the palliative and bereavement support charity, with more donations expected...

Panto cast goes green

» HUNDREDS of schoolchildren have taken part in a competition to have their Christmas card designs alongside cryptic puzzles for GCHQ’S annual Christmas Challenge. Seven puzzles are contained in the UK spy agency’s Christmas card, which was released...

Stage is set for panto fun

THE festive season launched in spectacular style at the Everyman Theatre on Friday 28th November, as Robin Hood and His Merry Men opened to huge applause and a buzzing Cheltenham audience. This year’s show bursts with the unmistakable Everyman...

Cool way to have fun

Cheltenham Ice Rink launched last weekend in Imperial Gardens. Offering the chance for skaters from 3 years old upwards to experience real ice under blade and twirl like Torvill and Dean. The indoor rink is open everyday until January 4 excluding...

S-hello to actors

CHILDREN at Dean Close Prepreparatory School were treated to an unforgettable Under the Sea WOW Day as the cast of The Everyman Theatre’s upcoming production of The Little Mermaid swam into school to kick start a day filled with oceanthemed...

County remembers

TOWNS, villages and communities across the county this week paused to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. In Cheltenham on Sunday the war memorial in the Long Gardens in the Promenade was once again the centrepiece for the town’s service...

Landlord hits out at flats plan

CHELTENHAM’S “last remaining Regency inn” faces an uncertain future as “terrible” plans to turn most of it into flats have been approved. Publican Chris Evans, 79, who runs The Bell Inn in Bath Road, says he was surprised by the latest proposals for...

DEFEND YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW.

Plans for licensed premises in your neighbourhood could be hidden from view if new government proposals for secret alcohol licensing notices get the green light. SCAN THIS QR CODE and complete the survey to #defendyourrighttoknow

Stars join latest chapter of literature festival

A PUB, which has been shut for more than five years, is set to welcome customers again next year. The Tunnel House Inn, near Cirencester, closed its doors in 2020, but there’s good news as the owners of the Bell Inn in Sapperton have announced plans...

» Robins’ win hopes dashed by last-gasp equaliser

» STEVE Cotterill is looking for a third free agent for his Cheltenham Town squad with a striker his priority. The returning Robins boss has signed midfielder Ben Stevenson and defender Jonathan Tomkinson since returning to Whaddon Road, and has one...

Call for action to fix town centre street

SERIOUS concerns have been raised that an “abysmal” stretch of resurfacing in Cheltenham High Street is undermining the spa town’s reputation. Cheltenham Civic Society has questions about the procurement, management and sign-off of the resurfacing...

Something to shout about

THE Bacon Theatre at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, rang with cheers and colour as every pupil took part in the annual House Shout Singing Competition - lovingly known at ‘House Shouts.’ Adjudicator Samuel Harrison-oram, an accomplished opera and...

Ryan, the far-flung fan

ABRITISH football fan who ditched his club after becoming “fed up” has forked out £500 for a season ticket for a club in Germany. Ex-man United fan Ryan Williams, 36, decided to sack off his life-long team to support Bochum last year after feeling...

Bid on a big cat

ABEAUTIFULLY designed pride of lions that has captivated the community will be going under the hammer to raise funds for a new state-of-the-art cancer centre in Cheltenham. Thousands have followed the Lions at Large Trail, discovering majestic lion...

Pedal power helps charity

ATEAM of cyclists from a retirement village provider in Gloucestershire have raised hundreds for Age UK after organising their own “Tour de Richmond Villages” event. The five participants cycled an impressive 136 kilometres between three retirement...

Making a splash

FOOTBALL matches are normally called off if the pitch is waterlogged - except in the Cotswolds. Two teams braved chilly water to take part in the annual Football In The River match in Bourton-on-the-water, Gloucestershire. While much of the country...

Celebrating A Level success

IT was A-level results day last Thursday (August 14) and thousands of students got their grades. After a lengthy, nerve-wracking wait since their exams ended, young people found out if all that hard work at college had paid off. Students at All...

Battle to save green space

ACAMPAIGN has been launched to save a beautiful green space in Cheltenham from being sold to the highest bidder amid fears it could be lost to the community. People across the town are determined to save Daisybank, which is a 4.13-acre natural space...

MP hits out over £350,000 Strand works Tories ‘spent so much money on a poor job’

CHELTENHAM’S MP is calling for answers after it was revealed the controversial resurfacing works at The Strand cost taxpayers almost £350,000. Max Wilkinson has revealed the figure publicly for the first time after questioning the Shire Hall’s new...

I forgive my dad for killing abusive mum

Up to 170,000 people attended the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford last weekend. It is the world's largest military air show, held annually in July, in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust

Outlet centre is open

THE Cotswolds Designer Outlet near Tewkesbury finally opened its doors to the eagerly awaiting public at 10am on July 16. Set just off Junction 9 of the M5, UK’S newest shopping avenue will serve as a pit stop on longer journeys. Hailed as the UK’S...

Iron Age swords are rare find

AN Iron Age Roman settlement has been discovered following a rare sword find, archaeologists have revealed. The excavation near a Cotswolds village has revealed what could be evidence of a Roman villa. The dig follows the discovery of two iron Roman...

£2.8m project to bring site back to life

NEW homes and new life will return to the site of a tragic Cheltenham legend. Known for generations as Maud’s Elm, land at 320 Swindon Road will be transformed through a £2.8m project into 24 high quality, affordable new homes with work due to start in...

All the fun of the festival

WITH thousands of festivalgoers descending upon Pilton for this year’s Glastonbury Festival, residents at a Cheltenham nursing home were able to enjoy the spirit of Glastonbury closer to home last week. The annual event, known as Wentfest, was hosted...

92,000 flock to show

THIS year’s Royal Three Counties Show celebrated over 8,000 of the region’s finest animals and a programme of family fun across three days, with 92,000 people attending the show. Highlights included special guests Clarkson’s Farm’s Kaleb Cooper,...

Mike’s shin-kicking finale

ATHREE-TIME shin-kicking world champion, who trains by bruising his legs with a hammer, has earned a congratulatory motion in parliament after calling time on his undefeated career. Mike Newby, 34, a PR associate director, who lives in Cheltenham with...

Colour is mane attraction for campaign

PUPILS at Dean Close Prep and Pre-prep schools let their creativity run wild as they took part in a colourful and fun-filled Tame Your Mane Day - a fundraiser in support of the Big Space Cancer Appeal. Children and staff were invited to come to school...

Downhill daredevils

DAREDEVILS have thrown themselves down a steep hill in the annual death-defying cheese rolling race. Brave competitors sprinted, tripped and tumbled down Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth to try to win the 8lb double Gloucester. The recent dry weather had...

Sarah breaks UK cycling record

ACYCLIST who lost her ability to walk as a teenager after being diagnosed with a debilitating illness has broken the world record for cycling the length of the UK and back. Sarah Ruggins, a Canadian wealth manager living in Cirencester, cycled 2,700km...

Bloomin’ wonderful

VISITORS didn’t have to have green fingers to be inspired at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival last weekend. The Three Counties Showground welcomed over 100,000 visitors across the four days, celebrating “Plants and People” – and on the final day of the...

Henry’s special moment

THE Prince of Wales shared his son’s keen interest in the Second World War, and a Gloucestershire veteran shared a laugh with The Queen during a tea party at Buckingham Palace attended by veterans. In a heartfelt remark to one veteran, King Charles...

14-week road closure for bike path work

THE final phase of construction on the A435 Cycleway route, which will link Bishop’s Cleeve with Cheltenham, is set to begin this month. Work will start on Monday, May 19 and will be finished by the end of January 2026. As part of the works, there...

Animal magic at show

MORE than 6,000 visitors attended the Three Counties Showground in Malvern last Thursday, to meet hundreds of animals with their dedicated handlers. Many got the unique chance to hold baby goats and newborn lambs, groom Highland cattle calves, and...

We dig this project

THE community day to plant the saplings and other plants was organised by Leckhampton Rovers FC and was supported by 150 pupils from The High School Leckhampton as part of their non curriculum eco-day. There were also wild flowers for the children of...

Nursery puts down roots

ANEW nursery is laying down roots in Tewkesbury as it opens its doors this week. Families, staff and special guests gathered to mark the grand opening of Dean Close Little Trees Tewkesbury Day Nursery on Ashchurch Road. Warden of Dean Close, Emma...

Resurfacing plan for Prom is paused

ASHLEY Manor Prep School painted the town red as staff and pupils dressed up and baked up a storm to raise money for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. Their efforts netted £868.55, helping fund three lifesaving missions. The Charlton Kings school...

Young stars centre stage

DEAN Close School’s annual Rocsoc concert on Sunday, March 23, at the Bacon Theatre was a celebration of talent and passion, lovingly put together by music teacher Ciara Allen. This year’s show truly proved that “the guitarists are back in force,”...

Celebrating town tourism

CHELTENHAM’S tourist scene was given the spotlight as local MP Max Wilkinson took part in some of the town’s top visitor experiences to mark English Tourism Week. The MP, joined by councillor Martin Horwood, cabinet member for economic development,...

Shock at cost of ‘botched’ parking zone

THE almost £600,000 spent so far on am “unwanted” rollout of new residential parking restrictions should have been spent on fixing “appalling” nearby roads. That is the view of some residents who ask who will be held accountable at Gloucestershire...

M5 junction revamps get funding boost Schemes part of £14m investment

HUGE improvements to the M5 along with major transport schemes in Gloucestershire have been given a funding boost of almost £14 million. Council leaders from Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury Borough have agreed to allocate funding from...

Council Tax bills to go up as rise gets yes

COUNTY taxpayers face more household bill hikes in April as civic chiefs have approved an almost five per cent council tax increase despite Shire Hall being solvent. Gloucestershire County Council debated and approved the Conservatives’ budget...

Who’s behind the mask?

DEAN Close School’s annual Disguised Decanian, now in its fourth year, once again captivated a packed audience at the Bacon Theatre, offering an unforgettable mix of music, comedy, and creative costumes—all in support of a great cause. Run by Mr...

Kaleb lends a hand

TWO young agriculture students, who may have struggled to get into the sector as they are not from an agricultural background, have had a helping hand from none other than the Cotswolds’ most famous farmer, Kaleb Cooper. Royal Agricultural University...

Pair caught after £20,000 jewellery raid

JUSTICE has caught up with a pair of thieves who helped themselves to £20,000 worth of jewellery from a store in Cheltenham. The heist was one of a series of offences as two young men from Bristol drove around Gloucestershire and Wiltshire on a crime...

New housing near store is given ‘yes’

PLANS to build 60 homes behind Aldi and a Costa Coffee drivethru on the western edge of Cheltenham have been given the goahead. Initial plans to develop offices at the Corinthian Park site proved unsuccessful and developers looked to new housing as an...

Gaining new support

THERE was cause for celebration in Leckhampton this week as the local football club announced a sponsorship deal that will support the growth of girls football in the area. Fast growing estate agent Perry Bishop Ltd has agreed to fund Leckhampton...

Fitness in focus after gym makeover

LEISURE at Cheltenham’s new gym is now open, boasting a “modern and welcoming space designed to meet the diverse fitness needs of the community”. Developed in partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council and equipped by Origin Fitness, the facility...

Full steam ahead

AGLOUCESTERSHIRE heritage railway joined a worldwide “whistle up” to mark a major anniversary. Railway enthusiasts from Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) braved the pouring rain to shatter the peace at its Broadway Station and...

Campaign to save pub

ACAMPAIGN has been launched to save a Cheltenham pub from being converted into homes. Plans to turn the Bell Inn in Bath Road into four flats and build a house behind it were submitted to Cheltenham Borough Council earlier this month. Peter Glanville,...

Action call after traffic chaos on road

A PILOT spread some early Christmas cheer by sketching the outline of a festive tree in the sky. The small Piper aircraft, flying at an altitude of 2,400 feet over Gloucestershire, created the image of a distinct green tree on the flight tracking...

Family left in limbo after home floods

COUNCILLORS in Cheltenham have voted to give themselves a pay rise of just under £200 next year. Cheltenham Borough Council this week approved the three per cent rise to be applied to the member’s basic and special responsibility allowances from April...

» Time to shine this party season

Fears planned homes will be hit by flooding

SEVERN Trent chiefs couldn’t say what plans they have to upgrade sewer systems in Tewkesbury amid serious flooding concerns as thousands of homes “could be built on floodplains”. A series of connected garden communities are being planned near...

Festive fun for everyone

IT’S officially Christmas in Cheltenham town centre as the annual Countdown to Christmas by the Cheltenham BID and the Christmas launch party at The Brewery Quarter took place over the weekend. Thousands of lights wer turned on throughout the town...

Town tip may close for good in new year

CHELTENHAM council leaders’ intention to close their household recycling centre and get Shire Hall to take on the work has been described as a “hospital pass” as the Swindon Road depot needs a £1m revamp to stay open. The depot could close...

Remembering the fallen

The county stopped and remembered the fallen at Remembrance Sunday services last weekend. In Cheltenham, the war memorial in Cheltenham’s Long Gardens on the Promenade was once again the centrepiece for the town’s service of remembrance and civic...

‘Delight’ as Golden Valley site gets £20m

CHELTENHAM’S major Golden Valley Development has been given a huge boost as the Government confirmed it will provide £20m towards the project. The proposed development will cover more than 116 acres, and will deliver a diverse innovation district,...

Back on the course

flocked to Cheltenham for the October Showcase, as day two, Saturday, saw a record crowd of 20,585 at the Home of Jump Racing. The next meeting is on November 15-17, including the £150,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, the first major contest of the jumps season

Make Space for abbey trip

A light display will take you our of this world in the coming days. SPACE by Luxmuralis visits Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire between October 22-27. Thousands of visitors are booked to see this spectacle. Pictured, the Revd Canon Nick Davies...

Have your say on future of M5 junction

RESIDENTS will be able to have their say on potential route options for the M5 Junction 9 and A46 (Ashchurch) Transport Scheme. The county council will be hosting two public engagement events, where attendees can meet with the project team, learn more...

Call to scrap new parking zone plans

APETITION has been launched calling for parking restrictions in Cheltenham to be scrapped. Gloucestershire County Council’s proposals to introduce the new parking zone 16 have been met with strong opposition from residents. The new area is being...

Municipal Offices go on the market

THIS year’s Malvern Autumn Show at Three Counties Showground was bigger and better than ever. Adults and children alike feast their eyes each year on giant produce, take photos next to them to show their sheer scale and find out exactly what it takes...