cheltenham standard 8th january 2015

WEEKLY

www.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk 8 JANUARY 2015 ISSUE 25 Your discerning local weekly newspaper

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TRAFFIC chaos is set to reign inthe town again as Severn TrentWater return for the next sixweeks as they begin the nextround of repairs.Severn Trent Water’s work to

help prevent sewer 7ooding inCheltenham started up again thisweek, as the company continuesits £5 million investment in thetown. New, larger, sewers arebeing laid in Suffolk Road, RomanRoad, Fawley Drive and CleeveView Road over the comingmonths.Paul Dennison from Severn

Trent Water, explains: “We’vecome a long way since we startedwork back in June last year. Sincethen we’ve laid over a kilometreof new sewer pipes.’’He went on to comment, “Now

we’re moving back onto SuffolkRoad and Roman Road, we’re alsostarting work on Fawley Driveand Cleeve View Road. As manywill know, we had to stop ourwork on Suffolk Road a fewmonths back after the ground justwouldn’t hold the pipes we wereputting in.”“We anticipate our work will be

completed during February, but

rest assured we’ll be doing all wecan to get it done as quickly aspossible. We’ll have to close theroad between Andover Street andMontpellier Retreat, and we’resorry for any inconvenience thiswill cause. We want to assureeveryone that all businesses onSuffolk Road are open as usual.”Mr Spicer from RJ Spicer, Jew-

ellers/Goldsmiths on Suffolk Roadsaid, “We all know it’s got to bedone. But it’s going to be at leastsix more weeks of noise and dis-ruption’’. He went on to add: “Mybusiness won’t take much of adent, but we will lose out onpassing trade. The worst elementis the actual noise all day with vi-brations and machinery. We’re inthe 6ne jewellery business andtrying to make repairs with theroad shaking is really tiresome.”He 6nally said: “At least we havehad good communications fromSevern Trent Water over therepairs. They always answer thephone for any queries, so I can’tcomplain too much.”In addition, the company has

completed its work to divert the

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Suffolk Road

2 CHELTENHAM STANDARD 8 JANUARY 2015

AN NHS spokesman said 30% of peopleusing Cheltenham General’s emergency de-partment had “non-urgent ailments.”People have been asked to consider

options other than A&E, such as calling theNHS 111 helpline.It is the second time in a month the NHS

Trust has declared this status in order to getextra help.Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation

Trust said another factor contributing to thecurrent problem was the high number of“elderly patients being admitted, whoseneeds are often more complex”.The trust’s clinical director, Dr Tom

Llewellyn, said the declaration of a major in-cident meant “stepping up normal manage-ment levels” to deal with “an unprecedenteddemand.”He said the main issues included more pa-

tients who were “sicker” and a “cohort of

elderly patients with respiratory disease”which meant they stayed longer and Clledbeds. “This also means we have to ofDoadsome of these patients into community bedsand those beds Cll up.“And you can see you get a bit of a snow-

balling effect, whereby eventually you endup with a situation where the emergency de-partment gets very full,” he said.Dr Llewellyn said it was a “challenging”

situation and praised hospital staff for “ab-sorbing all this pressure.”He said they would be working with the

ambulance service and the community “tocreate more capacity” and would open upmore beds in the hospital “to absorb thisbulge of patients.”The declaring of a major incident means

extra resources can be brought in such as spe-cialist teams, additional staff, equipment andfacilities.

Last month, the medical director of NHSEngland, Sir Bruce Keogh, said the “system iscreaking” as winter takes hold.In order to help, the government has in-

creased its winter resilience funding for theNHS to £700m - 75% more than last year.‘Major incident’ de$nition“Any occurrence that presents serious threatto the health of the community, disruptionto the service or causes (or is likely to cause)such numbers or types of casualties as torequire special arrangements to be imple-mented by hospitals, ambulance trusts orother acute or community provider organi-sations.”

A major incident has beendeclared for Cheltenham General

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THURSDAY 8th JanMin 5ºC Max 8ºC

FRIDAY 9th JanMin 11ºC Max 13ºC

SATURDAY 10th JanMin 3ºC Max 12ºC

SUNDAY 11th JanMin 6ºC Max 7ºC

MONDAY 12th JanMin 6ºC Max 10ºC

TUESDAY 13th JanMin 4ºC Max 8ºC

WEDNESDAY 14th JanMin 5ºC Max 8ºC

CheltenhamWeatherWatch

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existing water pipes in Roman Roadand it’ll now start laying new, largersewer pipes to help prevent Dooding inthe area. “We’ve also started work onCleeve View Road, again the sewersthere are too small to cope when wehave heavy rain so we need to putlarger pipes in. This does mean we’llhave to close Thames Road, WhaddonRoad, and Severn Road, at the junctionwith Whaddon Road.”Severn Trent Water has also started

work on the allotments off Blacksmith’sLane in Prestbury, as part of the work inFawley Drive to prevent Dooding. Thiswill be followed by work in StudlandDrive, South View Way and FawleyDrive.

Paul adds: “Again, we’re sorry for anyinconvenience all of the work maycause, but we hope that people in Chel-tenham can see the real beneCts it willbring.We’ll be helping to prevent sewerDooding from affecting homes acrossthe town.”NMC Nomenca will be carrying out

the work on behalf of Severn TrentWater. Find out more at www.north-mid.co.uk/cheltenham.For help with water or sewerage

services, customers can callSevern Trent 24 hours a day on0800 783 4444.

CHELTENHAM MP Martin Horwood foundhimself at the heart of this week’s crisis atCheltenham General when he had to ac-company an elderly relative into Chel-tenham A&E at night on Saturday, only towait more than four hours before she couldbe seen by a doctor.‘She’s been referred to A&E three times in

recent weeks and it’s been an eye-openingexperience. This time we arrived at 10.30pmand she didn’t see a doctor until nearly threeo’clock in the morning, only to discover weprobably didn’t really need to be there at all.“A&E was full and there were no beds

spare onmedical wards either. It sounds likethe same was true at Gloucestershire Royal.”Dr HelenMiller, Clinical Chair of Glouces-

tershire’s Clinical Commissioning Group,the GP-led body responsible for the localNHS budget, said: “It is really important toremember that hospital Emergency Depart-ments are designed to treat serious injuriesand emergencies.”“My relative probably didn’t need to be ad-

mitted,” agrees Martin. “But the CCGshouldn’t imply this is all down to patientchoice. She didn’t just fancy a night waitingin A&E. She was referred there by a commu-nity-based team after phoning 111. Previ-ously she was sent there after seeing her GP.And this is actually encouraged by Glouces-

tershire Hospitals Trust. Under their ‘Utopia’system – the name now seems like a bad joke– they admit all unplanned referrals via A&Eso of course it gets clogged up.”And he condemned the decision to

remove emergency doctors from Chel-tenham General at night: “The decision todowngrade Cheltenham A&E at night hasmade things even worse. With too manypeople being directed into A&E and Glouces-ter Royal unable to cope, Cheltenham couldhave played an important part in resolvingthis crisis. Instead, because they’ve removedthe emergency doctors at night so emer-gency nursing staff often have to call infavours from the out-of-hours GPs based inthe hospital. But they were closed as well thisweekend so people ended up waiting forhours on end in A&E while nurses try to Cnddoctors from the medical wards who will seepatients in A&E.”And there are plans to remove even these

out-of-hours GPs from Cheltenham toowhich could make matters even worse.Martin commented: “The government

needs to look at why so many 111 calls endup in A&E but locally the Trust and the CCGneed to look long and hard at the decisionsthey’ve taken and why Gloucestershire alonehas had to declare two of these critical inci-dents in the space of a few weeks.”

MP gets Crst-hand experience of A&E crisis

More disruptionsfor Suffolk RoadCONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

8 JANUARY 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD 3

THE extent of the problem caused by the poorstate of Britain's roads has been revealed in anew study which shows GloucestershireCounty Council face some of the biggest back-logs of repairs.A Government announcement that local

councils in England are to get a near-£6 billionfund to Bght potholes over the next six years isnot enough to tackle the problem, ministershave been warned.Unions representing taxi drivers and council

workers said the country has a “shocking”record of investment in the roads, while the AAsaid the poor state of roads is the main concernfor motorists.A succession of severe winters and the dev-

astating Coods earlier this year have left coun-cils playing catch-up with road maintenance.The FOI information showed the biggest

backlog of repairs in theWest were in Glouces-tershire (£86 million), and Swindon (£40million).Many councils said they did not have a

backlog, while some said repairs were “historic”or described the cost as bringing their roadnetwork to a defect-free standard.RAC chief engineer David Bizley said

funding for potholes was welcome but therewere doubts whether this was “new money”.He also said, “We also question whether thisreally goes far enough. Recent estimates by theAsphalt Industry Alliance suggest a one-off in-vestment of £12 billion is needed in England

to deal with the backlog in road maintenance,the majority of which is associated with thoseroads for which local authorities are responsi-ble.”Brian Strutton, national ofBcer of the GMB

union, said: “The announced money is lessthan half the ofBcial estimate of the invest-ment needed to cover the backlog of road

repairs, so the public should ask why the Gov-ernment is not doing more. In any event, notall councils will beneBt from this announce-ment. The promise of future money may ormay not materialise under the next govern-ment. Meanwhile, existing potholes will crackup when this winter bites, leaving roads in anunBt and dangerous state.”

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Pothole chaos set to continuePOLICE are appealing for informa-tion following a burglary in Chel-tenham on Monday 5th January2015.At around 8pm four males

wearing balaclavas forced theirway into a Cat in Harrison Road,Shurdington.The 48-year-old householder at-

tempted to prevent their entry butwas overcome. He was punched inthe face and threatened with alarge knife. He was also hit on theback of his head and sustained in-juries to his wrist.The four men made a brief

search of the premises and pickedup the householder's mobilephone taking cash tucked insidethe case.The man pleaded for the return

of his phone saying he had familyphotos on it. The men vacated theproperty and left the phone in thestairwell.Police would like to hear from

anyone with further informationor who heard or saw anything inthe area on Monday evening.Please call 101 quoting IncidentNo 417 of 5th January 2015.

Balaclava burglaryin Shurdington


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One in nine peoplefear missing rent ormortgage payments

LIBERAL Democrat MPs have now repre-sented Cheltenham for 23 years. In thattime, despite unprecedented publicmoney being poured into the NHS, thereality is that Cheltenham General Hos-pital has got worse, not better.Just a quick re-cap: in 2005, in-patient

services at Battledown Children’s Wardwere lost to Gloucester. Doctor-led ma-ternity services soon followed. Paediatricshave now gone. And then, to top it all offA&E was downgraded. The bottom line isthat for too long the Lib Dems have failedto ensure that Cheltenham General getsits fair share.The effect of that latest blow is now

plain for all to see. It’s no coincidence,you may think that it was the Glouces-tershire hospitals that were the Frst todeclare a major incident in the A&E de-partments this week. I speak to medicsregularly and they tell me that the Trust’sdecision to downgrade Cheltenham’sA&E has put increased pressure on Chel-tenham General.It creates a backlog at Gloucester at

night, which staff over here then battle tounwind during the day.

The Liberal Democrats did preciouslittle to stop this happening. All we sawwas a pointless petition after the decisionhad been made. And that’s the starkreality: the Lib Dems are good at photoopportunities, but not at getting results.In the last eight years, the principal par-liamentary achievement of the currentLib Dem MP, Martin Horwood, has beento set up the All Party ParliamentaryGroup on Tribal Peoples. That’s Fne, andI’m sure we all wish tribal peoples well.But it’s surprising that our MP should befocusing on that when there are biggerproblems closer to home.The coming year is going to be crucial

for our hospital. As I have warned repeat-edly, I think it likely that after theGeneral Election the Trust will seek toremove emergency general surgery fromCheltenham altogether. That will effec-tively mean the end of Cheltenham as anacute hospital. Despite these warnings,the Lib Dems have done the square rootof nothing to raise this as an issue. If theyget back in, expect another pointless pe-tition and another photo opp. Chel-tenham deserves better.

CHALKTALKConservative Parliamentary Candidate

for Cheltenham gets vocal...

The Lib Dems have failedCheltenham General Hospital

A L E X A N D E R B U R NF U N E R A L D I R E C T O R S

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Alexander Burn is an independent family businesswith three of,ces in the Cheltenham area.

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FOLLOWING a stabbing incident that tookplace in the vicinity of Brunswick Street, StPauls, Cheltenham, at about 3.15am onThurs 01 January, four women are now onpolice bail until 7 April on suspicion ofcausing GBH.A 24-year-old male from Cheltenham was

also arrested onMonday of this week on sus-picion of causing GBH in connection withthe same incident and remains in custody.

A male victim, aged 34, sustained anumber of stab wounds and continues toreceive treatment in Gloucestershire RoyalHospital. His injuries are not believed to belife-threatening.Police are still appealing for anyone who

believes they have information relating tothis incident to call on 101 quoting Incident175 of 01 January 2015 or crime number0256/15.

Four women on police bail and one male under arrestin connection with stabbing near Brunswick Street

THOUSANDS ofrent or mortgagepayers across thecounty might befacing a not-so-

happy new year, as new research reveals onein nine are worried they will be unable tomake payments this January.Research from Shelter and YouGov paints a

bleak picture for many this winter, with 65%of rent or mortgage payers in the South Westrevealing they are already struggling to keepup with their housing costs.Shelter is warning that ignoring money

worries rather than seeking advice could leadto people’s homes being put at risk. Worry-ingly, over a quarter (27%) of people in theregion said they would feel too ashamed toask for help if struggling with housing pay-ments.The charity has seen a surge in the number

of people visiting its website for advice on rentand mortgage arrears, and is urging anyonehaving difFculty meeting their housing coststo get help as early as possible.Mother-of-two Katharine works unpre-

dictable shifts and lives in constant fear she

won’t be able tomeet her rent payments eachmonth. Katharine said: “I work every hour Ican to support my family but each month Iwonder if I’m going to able to make my rent,and I’m expecting things to be especially badat Christmas, even though we cut back onspending as much as we could.’’“I’ve borrowed money from family and

even had to stop paying bills to keep the roofover my children’s heads. It’s horrible to startanother year not knowing if I can afford tokeep my home.”Shelter’s helpline adviser Nadeem Khan

said: “Every day at Shelter we hear frompeople who are feeling overwhelmed bymounting rent or mortgage bills, as the in-creasing pressure of sky high housing costscontinues to take its toll.“Many have spent a long time thinking

they have nowhere to turn and are often closeto breaking point by the time they come tous. If you’re in this situation, it’s so importantto remember you’re not alone and that help isavailable.For free and independent advice from

Shelter visit shelter.org.uk or call the helplineon 0808 800 4444


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I WAS terribly impressed with one of the pres-ents my partner got me for Christmas this yearbecause I had dropped a couple ofhints but had absolutely no ideathat he had picked up on it.I really wantedOprahWinfrey’s

new book ‘What I Know for Sure’but it was a luxury I couldn’tafford to buymyself, so as you canimagine I was thrilled to be giftedwith it on Christmas Day; and itis everything I hoped it would be.It can only be described as a mixture ofthoughts and insights that Oprah has collectedalong her life journey which she demonstrateswith examples of her own personal challengesbut does so without any sign of preaching.I particularly liked themetaphorOprah used

when exploring the issue of Resilience inwhichshe states that; “Nomatter what challenge youmay be facing, you must remember that whilethe canvas of your life is painted with daily ex-periences, behaviours, reactions and emotions,you’re the one controlling the brush… we arethe artists of our own lives.” (p41)Sometimes it is easier to blame external

issues or people for our state ofmind than ownour own feelings which is fundamental if wewant to make a change. Understandably, thereare situations in which we do not have com-plete control of the events surrounding us in-cluding the way others decide to treat us orstruggling with the memories of a difHcultchildhood, but at the very least we can recog-nise that we can control our reactions to it asadults otherwisewe actually become evenmorepowerless. This was particularly illustrated inViktor E. Frankl’s memoir ‘Man’s Search forMeaning’ which is based on his experiences ofsurviving a Nazi concentration camp butOprah’s words reminds us that his teachings arealso relevant to all of us in everyday life.

While these words are wise, I do recognisethat we are not always in the best place to

absorb theirmeaning, especially if weare feeling low at this time of year.And if anyone feels signiHcantly de-pressed I would always advise theytalk to their doctor about it, Oprahalso reacquaints us with the notion ofgratitudewhich helpedme a few yearsbackwhen I felt low and found it hardto focus on anything other than a par-ticularly difHcult situation I had found

myself in. It was introduced tome originally byRhonda Byrne in her book ‘The Magic’ andOprah reiterates one of Rhonda’s advised exer-cises which is to write a list of things you arethankful for everyday (because even in thehardest of times there will still be thingswe canbe grateful for from the air we breathe, the giftof our eye-sight/hearing/ability to walk and/oreven the possibilities or hope in the future).Doing this task enables our brain to switchfocus onto the positives that also reside in ourlives at times when we can feel overwhelmedwith negativities or bad luck.Oprah summaries by saying that “sometimes

we get so focused on the difHculty of our climbthat we lose sight of being grateful for simplyhaving a mountain to climb.” (p76) Please letme know of any advice that has inspired youin the past which you would be happy for meto share in future columns (my email address [email protected]) or if youwould prefer to talkmore about an issue with aRelate counsellor then please call the Glouces-tershire and Swindon ofHce on 01242 523215to book an appointment (charges apply).

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THIS town has always had itsfair share of problems withpotholes. However, theSuffolk Parade has playedhome to a four foot sink hole,which has been unresolved bythe authorities since October.The sink hole is an obvioussafety hazard for the generalpublic, with the only thingstopping people falling into itthus far has been a set of smallbarriers.The sink hole sits a matter ofmetres away from businessessuch as The Retreat and Val-lenders Hair Salon, and forthem it has been a huge ordealtoo. JeromeHerve, manager ofVallenders said: “It causeschaos at peak times. It affectsthe Iow of trafHc, the ability to take in deliv-eries and is a major hazard for cyclists as that isthe main route from Bath Road to the TownCentre.”Local resident Clive Burling also voiced his

concerns over the Council’s lack of involve-ment. “I’m totally amazed at the lack of atten-tion given to this problem by the HighwaysAgency, everybody seems to be passing thebuck. It shouldn’t take the press and all of these

complaints to change something as dangerousand obvious as this.”After increased pressure from the locals and

also the Cheltenham Standard, GloucestershireCounty Council have Hnally agreed to Hx thesink hole after three months of persuasion.Local HighwaysManager Chris Riley said: “Wehave been out to investigate the sink hole onSuffolk Parade and we will have it Hxed by theend of this week.”

PHOTO:C

LIVEBURLING

Sink Hole Shame


Ex-racecourse boss awardedOBE in New Year’s HonoursTHE former director of CheltenhamRacecourse hasbeen appointed OBE in the New Year's Honourslist.Edward Gillespie spent 32 years steering the

world-famous horse racing venue andwas creditedwith developing the National Hunt Festival intoone of Britain's greatest sporting occasions.Hewas given the honour for his services to horse

racing in the town.Mr Gillespie said he was “surprised, honoured,

privileged” and hoped it reAected the “friendliness,warmth and uniqueness” of Cheltenham.He started in the role in 1980, at the age of 27,

and announced he was stepping down as manag-ing director shortly after the 2012 Festival whichattracted almost a quarter of a million spectatorsover the four days.“The place has grown and yet its essence and its

DNA has remained the same. The Festival particu-larly has got longer, larger, deeper, wider and ismore accessible to all sorts of different people,” hesaid.“I don't know a sporting event quite like it. I'm

thrilled to have been a part of that and to help getit to where it is today.”A total of 13 people inGloucestershire have been

recognised in the New Year's Honours list, includ-ing Sarah Staniforth, from Cheltenham, whobecomes a CBE for her services to national heritage.

“PLEASE can you return this toCheltenham Borough Council, orthe police. We were drunk andthere was no harm meant. We’resincerely sorry.’’ Neptune’s tridenthas @nally been found and re-turned to the borough council,along with an apologetic note anda costly repair bill.Stroud police contacted the

council on Monday 5th Januaryto say the trident had been recov-ered from a garden in Painswickandwas safe with them. An of@cerfrom the council collected it fromthe police and it is being stored inthe Municipal Of@ces until it canbe repaired and put back where itbelongs, on the fountain.The trident, which Neptune

holds in his hand atop the famousfountain in the Promenade, was@rst noticed missing on themorning of 21st December 2014and after being returned to thefountain by a member of thepublic, was taken again sometimeduring the same weekend. Thecouncil issued a press releaseasking the public to help in@nding the missing trident.

Garrie Dowling, senior prop-erty surveyor, said: “The fountainis one of Cheltenham’s most

iconic landmarks so we are de-lighted the trident has been foundsafe. We’d like to thank everyonefor their help in assisting with itssafe return.“Although the perpetrators

have apologised in their note, un-fortunately they do not seem torealise the considerable repaircosts of around £5k. The top forksection of the trident has comeaway from the staff and alsoNeptune will need a new arm as itwas badly damaged during theremoval. A stonemason will thenneed to put it all back togetheragain. “We are hopeful of a repairbeing completed before the foun-tain switch-on in the spring. Wewill look into how we @x thetrident back to negate any futureattempt to remove it unlawfully.”

Stolen trident tracked down

Edward Gillespie OBE

THEREwill bemanyin Cheltenhamwhowill now bewonder-ing how to cope

with the bills following the Christmas cele-brations. For the average person this isalways a difCcult time but sadly our govern-ment seems to take perverse delight inmaking it even more challenging; makingbills bigger by the burdens placed on busi-nesses, which inevitably pass the costs on tothe consumer.Business rates, 1,139 new business regula-

tions and directives since October 2013,new EU allergy rules impacting all restau-rants cafes etc. all add up.In Cheltenhamwe rely heavily on leisure,

tourism and small businesses. Many of ourtraders will be suffering negative effectswhich will be felt by the rest of us in higherprices, reduced employment opportunitiesand lower pay rises.And whilst we may choose to eat out or

buy consumer goods, no such choice existsover fuel bills which are inDated by extracosts imposed by Government on energysupply companies. The coalition keepstelling us they have it sorted, both Conser-vative and Liberal Democrat leaders rushing

to tell us we need more of the same.Tell that to the people I saw begging in

the Promenade in freezing weather; tell thatto someone who needs to use food banks tofeed themselves or their family; tell that tothe person at the end of their tether tryingto work out how to pay their winter fuelbills. Just a tiny proportion of the “lost” bil-lions paid for EU membership and overseasaid could transform the lives ofmany of ourlocal people.The current system is not fair, it’s not

right and it’s not common sense.

Christina [email protected]


Christina Simmonds – Ukip CheltenhamParliamentary candidate for 2015

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On Instructions from: Begbies Traynor Re: Foundation Retail (Cheltenham) Ltd in Liquidation

Friday 16th January 2015,10am - 4pm

Sale to be held at:Unit 5 Church FarmBusiness Centre,Church Road, Leckhampton,Cheltenham, GL53 0QJ

OUR friends at two localSainsbury’s stores ran a com-petition just prior to Christ-mas for local children todesign their own Christmastree baubles. This festive funwas a huge success and anumber of local children de-signed some stunning decora-tions. Sainsbury’s generouslydonated some great prizes forthe young designers enablinga host of them to not go awayempty handed. Our Crst prizewinner is young Megan. Welldone her!

THE Deputy Prime Minister is calling onpeople to nominate unsung mental healthheroes in their local area as part of his cam-paign to raise awareness of mental healthproblems.

One in four people will experience amental health problem this year but formanythe stigma and discrimination that surroundsmental health will make it harder for them tospeak out and seek the support they need.

That’s why the Deputy Prime Minister iscalling for nominations for local Mental

Health Heroes to celebrate those from everyregion - from healthcare professionals to nextdoor neighbours - who have gone above andbeyond to help, support or inspire peoplewith mental health conditions.Deputy PrimeMinister Nick Clegg said: “It

could be the woman sitting next to you onthe bus, the dad picking his child up at theschool gates or a colleague fromwork - every-one knows someone living with a mentalhealth problem.

“I want to celebrate those who have gonethat extra mile, whose passion and commit-ment have helped someone get through theirdarkest days and helped challenge the tabooaround mental health which has existed forfar too long.

“It is my ambition to bring mental healthout of the shadows and create a fairer societywhere people can speak up about how theyfeel and get the support and treatment theyneed to live the life that they choose.”The winning nominees will be invited to a

ceremony in London on Thursday 5th Febru-ary, which will mark Time to Change’s ‘Timeto Talk Day’ to encourage people to speak outabout mental health and spread the messagethat mental illness is nothing to be ashamedof.If you would like to nominate someone for

the Deputy Prime Minister’s Local MentalHealth Hero Award, here's how you can do it:Go to gov.uk/DPM and complete the nom-

ination form online.The closing date for applications is Tuesday

27 January 2015.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg launchescountry-wide search for mental health heroes

Festive fun atSainsbury’s

MP Nick Clegg

Cheltenham Standard is published weekly by Cheltenham Standard Ltd isregistered at Suite 104, Eagle Tower, Montpellier Drive, Cheltenham, GL50 1TA.Reproduction of any material, in whole or in part, is strictly forbidden without theprior written consent of the publishers. All material is sent at the owner’s risk andwhilst every care is taken, heltenham Standard Ltd will not accept liability for loss ordamage. Dates, information and prices quoted are believed to be correct at time ofgoing to press but are subject to change and no responsibility is accepted for anyerrors or omissions. Neither the editor nor publisher accepts responsibility for anymaterial submitted, whether photographic or otherwise. All rights reserved. ISSNno. 2055-2092. Terms and conditions at www.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk


BUSINESS

WE’VEhad a lot in the news thisweek aboutmajor incidents inour local hospitals.

There is no doubt that our treasuredNHS is under severe strain and looks likesplitting apart at the seams unless we dosomething about it.The political remedy for this falls

squarely at the inept feet of ALL ourpoliticians.

It’s very easy for the opposition to attack the present govern-ment for not doing enough, but I’ll bet you a plaster to a walkingstick that any new government will not make a jot of a differ-ence. It’s all bluster. And its dangerous behaviour as it’s not a po-litical football. Or it shouldn’t be. It’s not about scoring points,it’s about Exing the very basic services we need in this country.The NHS is at the very forefront of society and its problems.

The job they do is without doubt incredible. Andwewill all needtheir services at some point in our lives.Surely the myopic politicians and Trusts can see that if we

don’t actually do something to Ex themalaise then we will haveno NHS and the basic right to receive medical treatment will goout the window. That’s not what this country fought for in thepost WW2 years.Some of my colleagues have already highlighted the senseless

drain on the system by bringing ‘wee Jonny’ into Emergency De-partments with nothing more than a cold. It’s got to stop. Theycan’t cope with having to deal with this rubbish anymore.Also just over the Christmas andNewYear just about every ED

was inundated with drunks. I’ve also been informed by a credi-ble source that young women have been admitted with cut feetas they can’t be bothered towalk in their ‘skyscraper’ high heeledshoes. That’s got to stop too. If you’re stupid enough to walkabout in bare feet then you need to suffer the consequences.I would also say they if you are blind drunk, fall over and sub-

sequently damage yourself, then if admitted to ED you should bemade to pay. How dare they go out to get drunk and then expectthe taxpayer and the NHS to pick up the bill?It’s all about trying to discourage these idiots from draining

away the very lifeblood of this most venerable institution, justbecause they are unthinking and thick. It’s tantamount to self-harming and if they take that route then we should give them awhopping great invoice for the trouble.This source also tells me that every Christmas a plethora of

elderly are dumped on ED’s as the families ‘can’t cope’. Hmm,so it’s just at Christmas and New Year that they can’t cope is it?Or is it they just want to go partying’ and can’t be bothered tolook after their elderly? Shame on them.We need to keep the NHS and our local hospital here in Chel-

tenham for sick people or patients in real need. Not the drunksand scroungers. Let’s start charging them and then we’ll see theadmittance rate drop. I.e. stop going to hospital for stupid or self-inFicted reasons. And if you do, bring your wallet.

Editor’sDESK

Got a comment?Please contact us at

[email protected]

GUY Foster, Group Head of Researchat Brewin Dolphin said: “2014 hasbeen a year of change and the sheerfall of oil and iron ore prices, the col-lapse in Russia’s fortunes and Tesco’saccounting irregularities have sur-prised us all.”

GiltsFew anticipated that there would con-tinue to be so many buyers of bonds

relative to other asset classes. Investorsseem unperturbed and unconstrainedby the poor returns on offer, with his-torically low yields and still falling.

RussiaRussia’s status collapsed as it wentfrom host of the Winter Olympics,which celebrates international sports-manship, to global pariah. Russia’s fallfrom grace has undone a decade of

economic reform and re-turned her long sufferingpeople to face their seem-ingly terminal fate of highinflation and low growth.

TescoWhilst a decline in salesperformance by the majorsupermarkets was ex-pected in the wake ofrapid gains by Aldi andLidl, the magnitude of thedecline and the significantimpact on profitability ofTesco in particular tookthe market by surprise.The discovery of account-ing irregularities shockedeveryone and com-pounded the issue.

Standard CharteredAn organisation that was once abeacon of probity has truly stalledbeset by three profit warnings, growthchallenges and credit woes.

The BudgetGeorge Osborne’s surprise SpringBudget announcement certainlycaught the life insurers on the backfoot. Many are attempting to adjusttheir business models in time forApril next year when the mainchanges take place. Retirees will beable to draw as much of their pensionas they wish at their marginal rate oftax after taking their 25% tax-freelump sum. We continue to like thosecompanies which were well placedgoing into the reforms and thosewhich have the versatility to weatherthe changes.

And finally… iron oreWe were not surprised by the direc-tion; however the sheer magnitude ofthe falls in iron ore prices were ratherastonishing. Supply growth was betterthan expected while demand growthwas lacking, resulting in a largersurplus than we and the market wereforecasting for 2014.

Brewin Dolphin reflect onsome surprises from 2014

Tory Parliamentary Candidate for Chel-tenham Alex Chalk is calling on localbusinesses to bid for unclaimed busi-ness rate relief.Prospective Conservative MP Alex

Chalk is reminding Cheltenham's smallbusinesses that theymay be entitled fora discount on their business rates.Recent data released by Cheltenham

Borough Council under a Freedom ofInformation request showed that over500 local businesses who are not cur-rently receiving a discount on theirbusiness rates may be eligible for smallbusiness rate relief. Companies canapply for Small Business Rate Relief iftheir property's rateable value is lessthan £12,000 and they only use oneproperty.Alex Chalk said: “This recent data

shows that over 500 premises inCheltenham have a rateable value of

less than £12,000, but are not currentlyclaiming a discount on their businessrates. I hope this news will encouragetraders who think they might fall intothis category to get in touch with theCouncil and check if they're eligible. Insome cases the rates discountmay evenbe able to be back-dated. Business ratesmake up a significant chunk of busi-nesses operating costs, so any potentialdiscount could make a big difference.”

Guy Foster

Local Tory urges localbusinesses to bid forrate relief


BUSINESS

NATIONAL professional services BrmKnights, which has an ofBce in Cheltenham,continues to grow with the promotion ofseven paralegals to trainee solicitor status,taking the Brm’s trainee intake up to 15.The 15, who have been recruited within

the last 18 months from the Brm’s talentedparalegal ranks, are based across the Brm’sofBces in Cheltenham, Chester and New-castle under Lyme. The latest seven traineeswill begin their 18-month training contractin March 2015.Mark Whitehouse, employment partner

at Knights, said: “This is all part of our con-tinued commitment to nurturing hard workand talent. It is our responsibility to providean environment and culture where all of ourteam can thrive, excel and fulBl their legalcareers, irrespective of level.”Knights has in addition recruited 13 new

paralegals across all ofBces further underlin-ing the Brm’s commitment to growing anddeveloping the next generation of the Brm’s

lawyers.“By working hard and demonstrating

their commitment and team ethic, parale-gals at Knights know there is the opportu-nity to earn a training contract with theBrm,” he added.David Beech CEO of Knights said: “Our

paralegals and junior lawyers not only rep-resent the future of both our Brm and thelegal profession but also play a vital role inhow we offer clients the best solution totheir legal needs. They are a vital componentto our business.”Knights, which has doubled turnover over

the last two years, has an ambitious expan-sion strategy, and has hired an average ofjust over one professional a week over thepast 12 months.“The Brm has grown fee income from its

top Bve clients by 41% through more col-lective working practices aided by our openplan ofBce layout which allows individualsto work together seamlessly,” added David.

New trainees and paralegalsas Knights continues to grow

WINSTON’SWish, the leading childhood be-reavement charity in the UK, is delighted tostrengthen its SWITCH programme with therecruitment of Family Services Lead, SheilaElliott.Funded by the Big Lottery Fund, SWITCH is

a targeted bereavement support service forchildren aged 8 to 14 who are bereaved of aparent/carer, grandparent or sibling andwho are experiencing difBculties at school,with relationships; or with managing their

behaviour.Sheila joins the Winston’s Wish team as

Family Services Lead for SWITCH, bringing awealth of experience in child care to the or-ganisation.Originally from Gloucestershire, Sheila

now lives in East Sussex and is based in theWinston’s Wish Horsham ofBce, in WestSussex.Sheila is keen to get started in her new role

at Winston’s Wish, commenting:

“I’m really looking forward to supportingthe successful running of the SWITCH pro-gramme and taking it forward using my pre-vious knowledge and experience. It’s reallyimportant for Winston’s Wish to expand itssuccessful SWITCH strategy so we can con-tinue to support as many bereaved childrenas possible.“SWITCH makes a real difference in how

these young people manage bereavement,and consequently how they cope with other

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contributing emotional factors and prob-lems.”SWITCH supports children, helping them

to build a more positive future and to avoidpathways into offending. The SWITCHmodel sits beneath the umbrella of theWinston’s Wish core intervention pro-gramme and philosophy, supporting childrenand young people within the context of thefamily, through a group process.Sheila has spent 26 years in a local

authority role as a social worker, supportingchildren with physical and learning difBcul-ties. Most recently, Sheila held the positionof Practice Manager; Children LeavingCare (care-leavers between 16 and 20-years-old).

Winston’s Wish SWITCH programme strengthened

Knights CEO David Beech

Sheila Elliott

THIS week Gloucestershire hospitals hasmade national news by declaring a ‘MajorIncident’ due to the high demands madewithin their Emergency Departments (ED).By declaring a Major Incident

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust can begiven extra resources such as staff,equipment, and even specialist teams tohelp alleviate the pressure.I’ve worked as a nurse in ED and have

witnessed Crst-hand the number of peoplewho opt to come to the ED, when a trip tothe GP or a call to the ‘Out of Hours’ wouldhave sufCced. In my experience, weekendspredominantly consisted of members of thepublic who had caused themselves injuryduring some sports activity (by day) orwhilst under the inDuence, or due to analtercation with another whilst under theinDuence (by night). What a tragic waste oftime for nursing staff who could be on handfor that cardiac arrest, road trafCc accident orbeing brought in by ambulance. Thenthere’s the seriously unwell patient comingin to ED presenting with breathingproblems, chest pain, a bleed or maybe afracture of some kind. I’ve also witnessedover-anxious parents bringing their ill childthrough the doors of ED because of a feverand lack of appetite.I am a parent, and if I were in any doubt

about my children’s health out of hours Iwould visit ED myself, but not beforecontacting the NHS Helpline by telephoning111. However, I would hope that commonsense would prevail and I would realise thedifference between a life threateningcondition (I would be calling 999) and a bugwhich can be managed (even if notpleasantly) until the next day when I cancontact my GP. I would also hope that if a

condition was worsening throughout theday that I would contact my GP beforeconsidering the Emergency Department orleaving it to the point where out of hours EDwas my only option. There’s an assumptionthat a minority of the general public exercisesome common sense before entering ED, sothat the numbers of attendances for non-emergency ailments are signiCcantly reduced– will that help with the current lack of bedsavailable at Cheltenham General andGloucester Royal hospitals?Here is how it works. Once a patient is

admitted into ED, they’re on a ‘4 hour rule’.This target was set by the Department ofHealth meaning that 95% of patientsattending ED need to be admitted, treatedor discharged within 4 hours of admissionbefore the Trust incurs a Cne. If the patientis admitted, a bed has to be found andeven when a hospital is full to capacity.By declaring a ‘Major Incident’, where

able, patients that no longer require acutemedical treatment or management can bemoved to appropriate care in the

community thus freeing up beds for acutelyunwell patients coming through ED. It’s sodisappointing to see BBC and ITV news vansparked outside the hospital just to focus onnegatives of Gloucestershire NHS Hospitals.Where were they when I went back to thewards to help with IV’s at 4am having onlygot home at 2am? Or recognising othercolleagues that have gone that extra mile toprovide outstanding patient care? Pleasethink before going to ED. This time of year isrecognised as being one of the busiest forany hospital so consider help from thefollowing number: NHS Helpline (previouslyNHS Direct) 111 or Gloucestershire out ofhours dentistry 0845 422 0505.

Your essential guide to staying healthyand enjoying the best life has to offerBy NATALIE NEALE


HEALTH&LIFESTYLE

HealthMatters

INCIDENTALLY MAJOR

Complimentary 1:1 Appointments with Mr WarrSaturday 24th January from 10am (at the hospital)

Mr. Warr MBBS, MD, FRCS (Plast) is consultant plastic surgeon working atNuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital. Having trained in Paris and London hisparticular cosmetic interests lie in nose reshaping, breast surgery and bodycontouring. An expert in tailoring treatments to the needs of his patients,he is renowned for his attention to detail.

If you are thinking of having cosmetic surgery then why not getcomplimentary expert advice from Mr Rob Warr. He can talk to you about arange of cosmetic procedures including; breast enlargement; breastreduction; breast uplift; tummy tuck; facelift; eye lid reshaping; nosereshaping and liposuction.

Consultations are for 15 minutes where you will have the opportunity to talkto Mr Warr in private about all your cosmetic surgery questions, he willexplain to you the procedures available as well as the risks and benefits ofsurgery.

Spaces are limited so book now to avoid disappointment.

Call 01242 246552 to book your free mini consultation.

Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital, Hatherly Lane, Cheltenham, GL51 6SYNuffieldhealth.com/cheltenhamhospital

Structural fat grafting is one of the greatinnervations in plastic and cosmeticsurgery in recent years. In essence, theprocedure transfers fat from areas inwhich you have a relative excess, suchas the outer thighs, and injects it intoareas that may be lacking in volume,such as your face, hands, breasts orbuttocks.Using fat from areas of the body to

restore volume elsewhere is not a newconcept, however until recently withthe advent of new processes the resultswere not consistent.In general, this safe, long-lasting, well-

tolerated procedure aims to producenatural-looking results that will last andso should be seen in contrast totemporary Cllers.

When to Consider Fat Transfer:• If you have facial areas that appearcreased and sunken.• If you desire more permanent

correction than is provided bytemporary Cllers.• If you wish to improve your bodycontour, revise scars, Cll bodilydepressions and rejuvenate your handsand face.• For use in breast reconstruction, to Cllin contour irregularities or hide obvioussigns of breast implants.

Mr Warr has considerable experience inthe technique of fat transfer havinglearnt the technique whilst working inParis in the 2003 and he has sinceperformed over 500 procedures.Mr Warr practices at NufCeld Health

Cheltenham Hospital. Mr Warr isrunning a clinic on Saturday 24thJanuary where you can have acomplimentary 10 minute appointmentto discuss all your cosmetic surgeryneeds. Places are limited and availableon a Crst come, Crst served basis. Tobook please call 01242 246552.

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THE New Year is off to a busy start with anumber of important events andconsultations taking place, some of whichwill help shape the future of our town.

On Thursday January 15th 2015Gloucestershire County Council’s Traf;cRegulation Committee will be meeting atCheltenham Town Hall (10am start) todiscuss the ‘Cheltenham Transport Plan’.

The Plan proposes changes at BootsCorner, which will see private vehiclesbanned but taxis and buses allowed through,along with a number of other signi;cantchanges to the road network in the town.

The ;nal decision doesn’t rest with thiscommittee, I am told this lies with thecabinet of the County Council. Before the;nal decision is made by the Countycabinet, the Borough Council, who havebeen the driving force behind the proposals,will be holding an extraordinary meeting onMonday 26th January at 6pm to discuss theoutcome of the meeting of the Traf;cRegulation Order Committee. The Borough

Council need to give a view as to whether ornot they want the County Council toproceed with The Plan in light of the largenumber of objections received during theTraf;c Regulation Order consultation.

Cheltenham Borough Council is currentlyconsulting on its budget for 2015-16 and Iwould particularly encourage you to take alook and get involved this year. As well asthe consultation on the revenue budget, thecouncil also wants to hear your views onhow it should spend the substantial capitalreserve it has built up since the sale of theNorth Place and Portland Street sites.

The sale of these two key town centre sitesrepresent a once in a lifetime opportunity tochange Cheltenham for the better.Suggestions for what this money could bespent on have come from councillors,council of;cers and the Cheltenham Trustand the council is now asking residents togive their top three preferences.

One of the options is the public realmimprovements at Boots Corner which theBorough Council has linked with theaforementioned Cheltenham Transport Plan.In my opinion the whole of the High Streetcould do with some TLC not just BootsCorner, it is all starting to look pretty tired.

Improving our High Street mustbe a priority but not one that isdependent on whether the plansto change our road networkincluding Boots Corner go ahead.The responsibility for themaintenance of the road surfaceand paving along the High Streetrests with the County Counciland it is grating that they haveallowed it to fall into such anunloved state. However, theBorough is able to contributemoney to get a higher spec ;nishas they have already done withthe recent Promenade repavingand with not quite such greatresults outside M&S.

Other choices include improving the playarea in Pittville Park, investment in theTown Hall, improvements to car parking andsignage, investment in renewable energy andrelocating the council from the Municipalof;ces to somewhere else. The consultationcontinues until Monday 26 January 2015. Ifyou want to read more about the budget andhave your say please have a look on theBorough Councils’ website athttp://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/budget.

On a ;nal note, before Christmas the lapdancing club on Bath Road applied to renewis license. The Borough Council recentlyamended its’ relevant ‘Sexual EntertainmentVenue’ licensing policy, and this club is nowin an area of the town where a limit hasbeen set on the number of such premisesand that limit is zero. However, there areother considerations that licensingcommittee will possibly need to bear inmind so it is not certain that the applicationwill be rejected.

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CULTURE

Four girls out to have fun, four boys outto pull girls, four men who have seen itall before! Bouncers is classic comedy,guaranteed to chase away thoseJanuary blues!...Lucky Eric, Judd, Les and Ralph are

the original men in black as they tellthe tale of one night in a Yorkshiredisco in the 80s in this outrageousparody of Saturday Night Fever! All the

gang are out on the town, the boys, thegirls, the cheesy DJ, the late nightkebab man and the taxi home, allunder the watchful eyes of theBouncers.Bouncers has been performed all

over the world and is a multi award-winning play written and directed byJohn Godber and featuring afrightening array of Northern talent.John Godber is one of the UK’s mostperformed contemporary playwrightsand his other hits include April in Paris;Teechers; Screaming Blue Murder; Up‘N Under; Perfect Pitch and mostrecently Crown Prince. He has writtenextensively for television and ;lm andwas for many years Artistic Director ofthe acclaimed Hull Truck TheatreCompany.

BOUNCERSWednesday 21st – Saturday 24thJanuary 2015Eves: Wed – Fri 7.45pm, Sat 8pmMats: Thu 2pm & Fri 5pmTickets: £13 – £28 available from theBox Of=ce on 01242 572573 or onlineat www.everymantheatre.org.uk

Amonthly acoustic night hosted byTheDrawing of theThree.This will be a special evening with

Stressechoes playing and releasing hardcopies of their new CD, ‘Distractions’Music starts at 8pm, it’s FREE ENTRY and

food is served in a chilled out and friendlyatmosphere. Support comes in the form ofDanVickers, DamonThomas and hostsThe Drawing of theThree.

8pm – DanVickersDan spent the last two years travelling theworld, writing and playing in manycountries.Very relaxed, soothing andpercussion style guitar, with a hauntingvoice and deep lyrics. In<uences are BenHoward, Benjamin Francis Leftwhich andSon House.

8:45pm – DamonTDamon is well known on the local scene,and always goes down a storm.Think deepdown dirty acoustic blues, lots of slide anda voice to match. Not to be missed!

9:30pm – StressechoesThemain event – local favouritesStressechoes have a new CD ‘Distractions’and will be performing songs from it,along with exceptional stories andawkward banter!

10:15pm – The Drawing of the ThreeHostsThe Drawing of theThree will closethe night with acoustic versions of tracksfrom their album BrokenWalls, with acover or two thrown in! Melodic indieacousticness.

The Bayshill Pub Cheltenham.Time: 8pm. FREE ENTRYFacebook: www.facebook.com/events/1496732863940290www.drawingofthethree.co.uk/gigs

Wednesday 14th JanuaryBayshill PubBig Acoustic Night

The Drawingof the Three

BOUNCERS John Godber’s smash hitcomedy returns to The Everyman


CULTURE

EVE is dead. Not me, you understand,but a central character in ColetteMcBeth’s classy psychological thriller,‘The Life I Left Behind.’Whilelingering in limbo between life anddeath, Eve narrates the story leadingup to her murder. Before she can bereleased into eternity, she hassomething she needs to do: warnMelody, a woman attacked six yearspreviously that she remains in gravedanger. You may wonder how Eve, inher ethereal state, can possibly dothis. More easily than you’d think forEve was working to clear the name ofDavid Alden, the man convicted ofthe attack on Melody. By charting themistakes the police made, Eveuncovers the truth, at the cost of herlife.It’s a brave writer who imagines a

hereafter in which a murder victimwatches life on earth taking placewithout them. Alice Sebold carriedthis off in ‘The Lovely Bones’ and yetMcBeth brings something originaland fresh to the table. Connectingthe dead with the living, the storyunfolds through two mainviewpoints: Eve’s and Melody’s.Expert in charting emotionalresponses to traumatic life-events,McBeth lays bare in raw detail theimpact of murder on those leftbehind. And this is where McBethreally displays her talent for strongcharacterisation.Following the attack that left her in

a coma, Melody has transformedfrom a conGdent, happy individual toa woman unable to work, whoobsesses about exercise and istrapped between pretending that sheis all right when inside she’s a messof misery. It strikes a disturbingly

authentic note. Despite being dead,Eve doesn’t escape McBeth’s Gnepsychological insights: ‘Oxygen,carbon and hydrogen were thebiggest components in my humanbody, but after I died I consistedalmost entirely of anger, agony andlonging.’ Her narrative shrieks of alife cut off in its prime with all theinjustice that encompasses.There are great books, Gendishly

clever and compelling books. Rarelydo you get all three elements meshedtogether with such style. You dohere.‘The Life I Left Behind’ is published

by Headline.

Eve Seymour is a freelance writingcoach and the author of seven crime)ction novels. Beautiful Losers will bepublished by US publisher Midnight Inkearly 2016. To see more details of herwork visit www.evseymour.co.uk

DOYOU have a NewYear's resolution?Maybe it's to eat more healthily and joina gym? Or perhaps quit your job and gobackpacking around the world? Or, ifyou're an aspiring bedroom musician, itmight be to perform your songs in frontof an audience for the very Grst time.If it's the last one then getting out

there and performing in front of peoplecan be a daunting task. Luckily for you,there is a whole host of regular Open Micnights in Cheltenham that welcome newperformers.Whether you've got your ownsongs or cover someone else’s, or if youplay guitar, bass, drums or the triangle itreally doesn't matter. Take a look at ourOpen Mic guide and make it your NewYear's resolution to try out your musicaltalents at one of these. Don't forget to getthere early and put your name down onthe list - don't be shy!The Cotswold Inn boasts of being

Cheltenham's longest running OpenMics. Every Sunday from 9pm performersare welcome to show off their skills. Allgenres and abilities are welcomed and asan added incentive each musicianreceives a free drink for their troubles.Similarly, The Restoration's weekly

Open Mic event takes place everyThursday. A welcoming environment forperformers, the Restoration Open Micstarts at 9pm and is open to all abilitiesand anyone who want to play solo, with aband or just to jam along with others.Instruments and a full PA are provided.

The St Paul's Tavern holds two OpenMic nights each week. Every Tuesday isan acoustic & percussion based eveninghosted by Jemma Swales and Peche-Peach. On a Thursday there is a full bandOpen Mic run by Gaf Franks-Bayntunwhich has been running for 6 years.These nights are very popular andperformers are encouraged to get intouch beforehand if they'd like to play.Finally, two new monthly Open Mic

nights are beginning to Gnd their feet inthe town. On the lastWednesday of everymonth Right Nice host a relaxed evening

at The Feathered Fish from 7.30pm. Actsare asked to get down early to put theirname on the chalkboard to secure theirslot to perform. And The Maple Leaf Bar& Grill are trying their hand at holding aregular night from January. Experiencedhost Johnny Duff and his band, Reloadedwill be there on the fourth Thursday ofevery month beginning on January 22ndfrom 8.30pm.For more local music newsvisit Behind The Scene Gloucestershirewww.facebook.com/behindthesceneglos

By EVE SEYMOUR

BookREVIEW The Life I Left Behind By Colette McBeth

THE LIVE LINE UPSTHE critically acclaimed featureGlm, Kajaki. The true story has justbeen taken on by the Cineworldchain, and due to overwhelmingpopular demand, Cheltenham hasbeen selected as one of the siteswhere it will be shown from thisSunday 11th January.The Glm has received Gve star

reviews from many critics. It hasbeen described as “Courageous andastonishing,” “The British HurtLocker” and Jeremy Clarksonrecently said “It may well be thebest war Glm ever made.”Kajaki is unique and depicts a

real incident that happened toBritish soldiers in Afghanistan with10% of the proGts being donated tomilitary charities, including Helpfor Heroes, The Royal British LegionandWalking with theWounded.

War )lm arrivesin Cheltenham


QUIRKY NEWS SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT...A selection of the strangest stories from around the globe

C hannel 4’s ‘Come Dinewith Me’ hasn’t failed todisappoint once again as

it puts on another display of raw,car-crash telly and this week’sbroadcast is especially worthy of awrite-up as the cameras havedescended into Cheltenham andour surrounding areas.

The cast this week includes achap who walks round his gaffstark naked, Miss Cheltenham, alady who hates Miss Cheltenhamand two others who don’t really domuch.

Come Dine with Me is a verysimple concept. You bring together:ve people from varyingbackgrounds and hopefully atleast a few of them are going toclash. The food is irrelevant andjust a cover to get the contestantsto go to each other’s homes for thejealousy, prying and drama toensue.

In its 31st series, it’scertainly not a format to bescoffed at. Itbrings in theviewers for

Channel 4 and they’ve got aformula that has been perfected sobeautifully I doubt even televisionsupremo Simon Cowell wouldfault it.

Sophie Lydia Smith (aka MissCheltenham) is without doubt thisweek’s star. The show has laudedher up as our town’s saviour witha compilation of cringeworthyclips which include; Sophieparading up The Promenadeoffering the royal wave to anyunsuspecting member of thepublic that’ll take it, greetingchildren on the street, and eventelling one girl that she maybecome ‘Miss Cheltenham’ oneday. Not quite Miss World butyeah, guess it’ll do?

I do admirewhat the 24-year old hasachieved. Sheappears to be

doing verywell in her

career as

a surveyor, has won a beautypageant and campaigns for goodcauses on a regular basis(marathons, ambassadorpositions). Sophie’saccomplishments are impressivefor her age and not many couldmatch it.

However, she does harp onabout being Miss Cheltenhamquite a lot. And it’s this reasonwhy fellow contestant Carmel hastaken an immediate dislike to theblonde.

Cynical Carmel has concludedthat nice girl Sophie uses herposition to further her own careerand her own image.

I wouldn’t even say Carmel isfar wrong. But I also wouldn’t saythat this is a problem, I’d say goodon her. She’s clearly smart enoughbased on the success she’s enjoyingin her career and for the sheeramount of coverage she gets in thelocal press. She’s quite the PRguru. I also imagine she’s the typeof girl who’s approachable, easy to

get on with and who displaysimpeccable manners. But why do Istill enjoy watching a perfectlynice girl get bullied on TV?

The show thrives on bitchingand it’s because of this we love towatch people ridicule and berateeach other. If anyone says they’rewatching it for the chocolatesouf;é they’re an awful liar.

Get more of Tom’s insightsby following him onTwitter @thurlow

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

VENTING SPLEEN… Local man about town, Tom Thurlow lets loose

A BRAZILIAN man drove more than twohours to hospital with a knife sticking outof his head after being stabbed at a party.The 30cm-long blade narrowly missedJuacelo Nunes’ left eye and passed throughhis mouth into the right side of his jaw, theG1 news website reported.“The knife passed through several nervesand veins, structures that can quickly kill apatient” Gilberto Albuquerque, the directorof the hospital in Teresina, said.The knife was removed and given topolice who are investigating the attack, thedoctor told G1.He added that the 39-year-old wasrecovering surprisingly well.Mr Nunes also suffered two knife woundsto his throat, shoulder and chest when hewas stabbed after an argument at the partyin Agua Branca, more than 60 miles fromTeresina, in northeastern Piaui state.The motorcycle taxi driver said he gotinto a dispute with a man who then called

three others to attack him.“I did not see the moment of thestabbing, but at no time fainted andremained conscious even with pain,” hesaid.“I thought I would die and only came tobelieve when I saw what happened to me,because if someone told me I would not

have believed it.”Mr Nunes’ wife said she was shockedwhen she saw him with the knife in hisskull.“I did not believe when I saw myhusband like that,” Francisca Pereira said.“I thought he was going to die. It was amiracle.”

KNIFENUTTERDRIVES FORTWO HOURS

A TWITTER campaign is puttingforward UKIP leader Nigel Farage forthe Rear of the Year award.It comes after the politician wasnamed Briton of the Year by the Timesnewspaper this week.The Rear of the Year contest, whichcounts Rachel Stevens and Anton duBeke as previous winners, celebrates the‘most stylish and fashionable celebrityrears’.And although this year’s winnershave already been named as formerwinner Carol Vorderman and OllyMurs, Twitter users are calling for MrFarage to be given the accolade.Unfortunately for the UKIP leader, hisbackers - almost without exception - sayhe has earned their vote because theythink “he’s an a**e”.

Farage – bestbum of the year?


CRYPTICCrossword

CoffeeBreak

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8

9 10

11 12

13 14 15 16 17

18 19

20 21

22 23

TEAS

CAKE

TAKE

TEST

WordLadderConvert the word at the topof the ladder into the wordat the bottom of it, usingonly the four steps inbetween. Every word mustbe a valid four letter word.

Last week’s solutions (30th December 2014): Across: 1 Dressy; 4 Odious; 9An eye for aneye; 10 Outcrop; 11 Ovine; 12Wince; 14 Anode; 18 Uncle; 19 Settler; 21 Stop-press news;22 Taking; 23 Beaten.Down: 1 Dragon; 2 Electric clock; 3 Shear; 5 Dragoon; 6 Overindulgent;7 Sweden; 8 Coypu; 13 Cheapen; 15 Gusset; 16Askew; 17 Prison; 20Taste.

A MOUSE delayed a Qatar Airways6ight from Madrid to Doha for morethan six hours after the tiny mammalwas spotted in the cabin.The rodent was spied upon

landing, running down the aisle ofthe plane, causing alarm amongpassengers.The entire cabin had to be

fumigated causing a delay of morethan six hours for passengers waitingto board at Madrid’s Adolfo SuarezBarajas airport.The mouse’s body was found

shortly after the fumigation processbut passengers had to wait until thefumes had completely cleared beforethey were allowed to board.Passengers missed connections to

Thailand, Singapore and Bali becauseof the tiny animal.The company has said it will pay

any of the costs incurred as a result ofthe delay.

7 8 5 2 9 34 3 6

3 7 19 6 1 4

8 7 52 8

4 2 7 8 11 2 4 6 7

3 9

StandOKU!Dif:culty rating: Moderate

TARGET

D R PS AM W E

O

Make as manywords of four lettersor more as you can.Each word mustcontain the centerletter and eachletter must onlybe used once.

Target:20 words good;35 very good;40+ excellent.

ACROSS1. The spirit of the Netherlands (8)5.The monster is spilling gore (4)9.A song from Maria Callas (4)

10. Huge deDcit in fuel (8)11. Drive back the returning leper(5)

12. Harps on about these children(7)

13. Cooking toast inWogan's cars(7-6)

18.Means to say it's a long time (8)19. Records of wood (4)20.The innocence of Bothamgoing back to check the England

opener (7)

21.Where you might see a horserunning? (5)

22. It's said to stun for a long time(4)

23.A writer from Shetland? (8)

DOWN1. Present requiring electricity? (7)3. Closest Eastern resort (7)4. It is one to join together astatement (13)

6. Postage changes for theGerman secret police (7)

7. Joins up tinsel somehow beforethe end of Christmas (7)

8. The band goes to Los Angelesfor a game (6)

13.Marked instead, perhaps (7)14. It can be used up any time (7)15. Is the Drst murder victim a

girl? (6)

16. Celebration held by a knight(7)

17. I.e. ring a cook in Africa (7)

ARIES (March 20 – April 18):Helping those who can’thelp themselves is secondnature to you.You alsoknow that what you dotoday will come back toreward (or haunt) youlater.

TAURUS (April 19 – May 19):It’s funny how you foughtchanges every step of theway only to realize theywere working in your bestinterests all along. Nexttime you won’t be sostubborn.

GEMINI (May 20 – June 20):You’re shedding old habits,beliefs, and obligations likea layer of dry skin.Think ofit as psychic exfoliation.

CANCER (June 21 – July 21):Now that you’vecommitted to thatforward direction, therewill be no slowing youdown.You’re making theswitch from immoveableobject to unstoppableforce.

LEO (July 22 – Aug 21):You said you’d move on if

a relationship becamemore trouble than it’sworth.Well the momentof truth has arrived. Ifyou’re happy: Dne.If not?

VIRGO (Aug 22 – Sept 21):It’s touchy discussingmoney with loved ones,but business is business.Make it all about the mathand you’ll do Dne.

LIBRA (Sept 22 – Oct 22):It’s unwise to confrontsomeone who has theupper hand. However youcan take advantage ofhis/her overconDdence toturn the tables.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21):You struggled to hook aprize catch but now thatyou see it you realize youdon’t want it. Don’t fret.Plenty of Dsh get tossedback into the sea.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov 22 – Dec 20): Goodthings come to youthrough others, but makesure that there aren’t so

many strings attachedthat they choke off what’ssupposed to beneDt you.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 – Jan 18):Take another look atwhat’s being offered.Yes,it’s not what you hadhoped for, but it isn’texactly shabby either.

AQUARIUS (Jan 19 – Feb 17):What do you say to afriend who keeps askingfor favors no matter whatyou do? The word you’relooking for is "no."

PISCES (Feb 18 – March 19):You agonized over a toughdecision, but it looks likecircumstances havealready decided things foryou.Take yourself off thehook.

YourWeekly HOROSCOPES

MOUSE DELAYS FLIGHT

A NORTH Yorkshire woman called thepolice after her ex-partner gave theirchildren some stick insects for Christmas.The woman’s call has prompted

police to remind the public to call onlyin genuine emergencies, reports theNorthern Echo.Paul Richardson, deployment

manager with North Yorkshire Police forcecontrol room, said: “We had a call from awoman in York who had a domestic splitwith her partner.“He had bought the children some stick

insects and a glass container, and hereturned the children with the container.“Neither of them wanted the insects, so

she asked if she could bring them to thepolice station and leave them with us.

“I think she wassurprised when we said‘no’. People think wehave this endless resourcethat we can deal with any

issue whatsoever. She wasleft with some advice about

what police can and can’t do.”Police saw the funny side of her

request, but Mr Richardson said there wasa serious side to the call, as it took anoperator away from being available togenuine emergency calls.“It happens all the time. My colleague

was straight out of training and her eyeswere wide open - she said you won’tbelieve what I’ve just dealt with,” headded.

Stick insects nicked by cops


TELEVISIONYour one-stop guide to the besttv over the four-day ‘weekend’

1. Fit special weather strippingtape to make windows lessdraughty. Weather stripping(typically self-adhesive foamtape) helps to *ll the gapbetween the frame and themoving part of the window. Thesame tape can be used onexterior doors. Bear in mindthough, original sash windowsare notoriously draughty, andyou may prefer to get a pro todraught-proof and refurbishthem more thoroughly.

2. Minimise draughts at thebottom of an exterior door with abrush-style strip - simply cut it to*t and screw it in place, but don't*t it too low or it will drag on the+oor. Exterior doors should alsobe *tted with keyhole andletterbox covers to stop cold aircoming in.

3. For extra insulation at this

time of year, *t a curtain poleabove an exterior door and hanga heavy curtain across it,especially if the door is partiallyor fully glazed.

4. Interior doors should bedraught-proofed if they lead to aroom that isn't heated. Keep thedoor closed so the cold air staysin the unheated room, and blockany gap at the bottom of thedoor with a fabric 'sausage'draught excluder.

5. Chimneys can be a source ofdraughts, so if you have anunused *replace, get thechimney capped on the roof (bya roofer) and *t a chimneyballoon, which in+ates inside thechimney to keep warm air in theroom and block cold air comingdown the chimney - just makesure you remove the balloonbefore using the *replace.

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PROPERTY&HOME

25 Bath StreetCheltenhamGL50 1YA

01242 261222

TIMBERCOMBE LANE, CHARLTON KINGS, GL53 8EE £695,000●ADETACHED FAMILYHOUSEWITH GENEROUSACCOMMODATION IN THIS POPULARAREAOFOUTSTANDING NATURALBEAUTYOccupying a plot with pleasant grounds to all sides the property offers double glazing and has a low emissions Daikin Air Source Heat Pump centralheating system & solar panels. Living room and separate dining room both with Southerly aspect, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, cloakroom,office and study, family bathroom and FOUR DOUBLE BEDROOMS, master suite with dressing room & en-suite. Double garage. (EPC-D) NO CHAIN

NEW INSTRUCTIONS

CHARLTON KINGS, GL53 8NXOPEN VIEWING

SATURDAY 10th JANUARY2 - 2.30 pm

NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARYA semi-detached house

in need of some updatingbut in our view has the feeling

of a non-estate propertybeing located at the “top” of

Beeches Road without through traffic.Entrance hall, living room/dining room,

kitchen, three bedrooms,bathroom & separate wc.Partial gas central heating,

double glazing,parking and garage,

together with pleasant gardens.(awaiting EPC)

Guide Price £285,000

GLOUCESTER, GL4 6TPOPEN VIEWING

SATURDAY 10th JANUARY12 - 12.30 pm

NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY

This is a newly modernisedDETACHED HOUSE

with new gas central heating,upgraded double glazing,and new carpets/flooring.Entrance hall, living room,

very appealing kitchen/dining room,downstairs cloakroom,

three bedrooms and a bathroom.Also with off road parking,

garden to front and good size gardento rear with a large “workshop”.

(EPC-F - not upgraded)

£198,000

HATHERLEY £250,000 GUIDE● SEMI-DETACHED BUNGALOWWITH MUCH LARGERTHAN AVERAGE GARDEN

CHARLTON KINGS GUIDE £190,000● ADETACHED BUNGALOW IN NEED OF COMPLETEMODERNISATION

WYMANS BROOKAREA £185,000● A SEMI-DETACHED HOUSE WITH THREE GOODSIZE BEDROOOMS

NEAR THE BREWERY £185,000● AMOST DELIGHTFULMID TERRACED HOUSE WITHTHREE BEDROOMS.

● (EPC-E) ● (EPC-F) ● (EPC-D) ● (EPC-D)

SIMILAR REQUIRED SIMILAR REQUIRED SIMILAR REQUIRED SIMILAR REQUIRED

CHELTENHAM STANDARD 8 JANUARY 2015

WITH spring on the horizon (almost!), anddesigners launching their latest bed linencollections, there couldn’t be a better timeto give your bedroom a little bit of love andattention.After all, it’s the most intimate room in

the house, where we go to unwind and relaxand, if we’re lucky enough, where we spenda third of our lives sleeping.A haven of tranquillity with plenty of

scope for personal touches, simple pleasuressuch as soft cotton sheets, a boudoir cushionand a throw can evoke a feeling of wellbe-ing, enhance your space, and be an open in-vitation to come to bed.“For a fresh, elegant look for spring bed-

rooms, white or champagne tones are time-less, romantic and naturally calming,making the perfect antidote to a busy day,”says Julie Hall, head of design at Bedeck.

“As in fashion, the addition of stylish ac-cessories can give the bedroom personality,while layering the bed will create the com-plete effect.”Indeed, scattering softly-coloured decora-

tive cushions and a beautiful throw at thebottom of the bed for a neutral but texturedlook, adds interest without overwhelmingthe scheme. And if you can’t resist decora-tive details for a more luxurious feel, deli-cate lace borders, embroidery, seersucker, ora subtle 4oral pattern in a muted colourpalette are right on trend for 2015.

“The most important thing about yourbedroom is that it re4ects your personal styleand taste; it has to be a place that you wantto be. Whether you share or have the roomall to yourself, make it your favourite placeto relax,” advises Molly Freshwater, SecretLinen Store founder.

GREATFIELDFarm Shop

Open: Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 10-2Up Hatherley Way, Cheltenham GL51 3QX

01242 690058

NOW INSevilleOrangesfor marmalademaking

Wilja Potatoes – SPECIAL OFFER £4.99 per bag

Logs and Kindling

Fresh fruit and vegetables always in stock!

CRIPPS OPEN DAY

Cripps Kitchen is excited to announce the �rst ever Cripps Open Day at both Cripps Barn and Cripps Stone Barn.

With photographers, �orists, hair and makeup experts, videographers, musicians and magicians – this Open Day will also be the perfect place to meet local suppliers weddings or special occasions.

Simply drop in or book a tour of the barns with a Personal Wedding Coordinator on 01285 721900.

JANUARY 18TH 2015, 10AM TO 5 PM.

Cripps BarnFosscross LaneCirencesterGL7 5BA

Cripps Stone BarnNr. Upper WindrushCheltenhamGL54 3RF

[email protected] 721900

The bedroom haven

PROPERTYADVICE


Thursday 26th February2015 – moloh – anintroduction to aBritish fashion brand

Caroline Smiley, moloh’s founder and cre-ative director, will give guests a ‘behind thescenes’ insight into the making and manu-facturing of a spring and winter collection.Caroline’s engaging and humorous talk willtouch upon her travels to source particularfabrics, experiences from the early days oflaunching moloh ten years ago, and what itmeans to run a successful British fashionbrand today.After the talk, guests can enjoy a glass of

champagne whilst browsing the moloh col-lection in the gallery rooms. Guests areinvited to try on clothing and enjoy shop-ping after lunch from around 1.45pm.£45 includes tea, coffee and biscuits served

from 10.30am, Caroline’s talk from 11am, aglass of champagne and viewing of themoloh collection from 12 noon. A two-course lunch will be served at 12.30pm in LeMazot brasserie with a glass of wine, fol-lowed by coffee.

Thursday 12th March 2015– ‘Unique Treasures &Antique Chic’ withCorrigan Jewellery

Discover the rare beauty of 5ne antique andvintage jewellery with Paul Corrigan as hegives guests an insight into the glamourousworld of 5ne jewellery from the Victorian,Edwardian and Art Deco era. Using carefullyselected pieces to showcase the presentation,he will demonstrate how each piece has itsown unique story and provenance. Paul willalso share his tips on what to look for whenbuying antique and vintage jewellery atauction and the considerations of owner-ship.After lunch guests are invited to try on

some of the beautiful jewellery. Exclusiveoffers on selected pieces will be available onthe day for those wishing to make a pur-chase.£45 includes tea, coffee and biscuits served

on arrival from 10.30am. Paul’s presentationwill start at 11.00am, with a glass of cham-pagne and viewing of the Corrigan collec-tion from 12 noon. At 12.30pm a two-courselunch with a glass of wine will be served inLe Mazot brasserie followed by coffee.

Special Events Room Rates start from£250 per room for those attending eitherof these special events at Whatley Manor:

To book call Events on 01666 834 026or email [email protected]

Ladies’ lunches and shopping events at Whatley ManorADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Piper, Bob MacNaught will entertain guests with traditional Scottish music and poems during the evening. Start the evening in the Drawing Room with a glass of Deutz champagne or try our special Burn’s night whisky cocktail before entering the magical world of Gordon & MacPhail presented in our private cinema followed by the ‘Burns Supper’ served in The Dining Room and created by Michelin-starred chef, Martin Burge.

Carefully selected Whiskies from the Gordon & MacPhail portfolio will be served throughout supper and to address the Haggis. Wine will be served with the starter and the main course.

The dress code is black tie or traditional Scottish attire.

Champagne and canapé reception in the Drawing Room from 6.30pm

£105 includes an aperitif and canapé reception, four-course set menu, a selection of Whiskies, wine, coffee and shortbread

Special Event Room Rate applies. Rooms from £250 including English breakfast and full use of the spa facilities.

To book call Events on 01666 834 026 or email [email protected]

Burns Night Celebration at Whatley Manor with Gordon & Macphail

20th January 2015

Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa Easton Grey Malmesbury Wiltshire SN16 0RBWeb whatleymanor.com @Whatley_Manor

Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa is the privately owned 23-bedroom Cotswold countrymanor house hotel tucked away in the heart of the beautiful Wiltshire countryside

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MOTORING

best wheels,best deals...

MOTORINGREVIEW

FIRST let me sum up the performance. Whenyou let it loose, the Cupra 280 runs riot like afuriously territorial bull. It rampages throughthe DSG gearbox with the front tyres on thelimit, slamming each new ratio home with asatisfying whump in the back and a cheekyparp from the twin exhausts.It could - and should - be a bit louder in

Cupra mode; the angriest of the four drivingmode selector options. When Comfort andIndividual modes can take care of the

quiet, relaxed, everyday thing, there's noreason to hold back with Cupra.The VAQ triple-clutch differential assist on

the front axle is worth its weight inunobtanium, managing the immense torqueacross the grippy front Bridgestones todevastating effect. Dry weather traction isunbelievable: violent, relentless andintoxicating. Your tyre ?tter will thank youfor the extra business if you enjoy it toooften.The DSG gearbox is a thorn in the car's

side. It's a bit fragile, so torque has to belimited and fed in slowly when the turbo ?rstspools up. It helps to make the automaticCupra the gentler and more relaxed optioncompared to the manual, but the latter ismore immediate, more explosive, more rawand, believe it or not, smoother - unlessyou're a complete dunce with the clutch.

Then there's the lack of real manualcontrol to boost the sense of drivinginvolvement. If you don't shift up in time,it'll do it for you, so if you're just a fractionlate with the shift paddle, you end upswitching two gears instead of one. It couldde?nitely be implemented better. At theadditional price it commands, it's hard torecommend DSG.But either way, having that swell of torque

on tap is a joy even if you only ever use 20%of it on your commute. Just knowing it'sthere is enough to put a smile on your face.It does have some annoying niggles

though The CD player being in the glove boxis one of them, and the desperately old-techmedia screen is another - I'm sure the screenon my ?rst mobile phone had betterresolution. OK, I exaggerate, but it reallyisn't good enough for a 2014 car costing

almost £30,000 before options.Thankfully, the much-improved unit from

the Leon X-Perience could see production inthe Cupra in a year or two.The wheels at at 19 inches make one heck

of a statement. The more you look at this car,the more the wheels make sense. It's not amassively overstated car in terms of its

styling, but there's no question that thewheels add attitude. Until you kerb them.Protect them if you can.There are @aws to accept and work around,

just like with a husband or wife, but its allpart of the hot Seat's unique character. Ithelps that it's especially beautiful in thethree-door SC body style with its sleeklysloping roof line and rear three-quartercurves to die for. The Leon Cupra 280 is uber-desirable; it's a car you buy because it pullsyour heartstrings more than any of its rivals.But rest assured it has the bite to back up itsbark.

BRILLIANCE ON THE BOIL...

FACTS AT A GLANCESEAT LEON SC CUPRA 280 DSGfrom £28,230 (£30,935 as tested)Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol producing 276bhp @5,350-6,600rpm and 258lb.ft @1,750-5,300rpmTransmission: Six-speed DSGautomatic gearbox driving thefront wheelsPerformance: Top speed 155mph(limited), 0-62mph in 5.7 secondsFuel Economy: 42.8mpg (of8cial)CO2 rating: 155g/km


LOCAL EXPERTS That have the answerROOFING & BUILDING SOLUTIONSfor all your property needsOur range of services and installations include:

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NEED A NEWDIRECTION IN 2015?

On 7th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 17th January, Pitman Training Cheltenham will be opening its doors to o�er professional advice for anyone seeking career progression.

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LocalSport


SPORT

THE total prize funds for the twoGrade One contests on St Patrick'sThursday,March 12, the LadbrokesWorld Hurdle and the RyanairChase, will increase in value to£300,000.This is a boost of £25,000 for

both races, which were worth£275,000 in 2014.The prize money for the OLBG

Mares' Hurdle has increased from£85,000 to £100,000 (as well as be-coming a Grade One race) and theprize money for the GlenfarclasCross Country Chase will be£60,000, an increase of £10,000.The total prize fund for the four

days of The Festival is now £3.9million and Cheltenham Race-course extends its thanks to bothLadbrokes and Ryanair for theircontinued support.Meanwhile, the 3lb allowance

for riders riding for their ownstable and the 7lb allowance forriders who have not ridden awinner will be removed from therace conditions in the Martin PipeConditional Jockeys' HandicapHurdle race, from 2015.Stuart Middleton, British

Horseracing Authority (BHA)Racing Operations Manager, said:“Removing the additional 3lb al-lowance removes any temptationto gamble on inexperience forwhat is the highest proKle condi-tional jockeys event of the year,unless trainers are comfortable thatit is the right booking for thehorse.“We do not have an issue with

trainers using their own riders and

understand the desire to keep suc-cessful partnerships intact, butother trainers who might prefer tobook the best available ridershould not be discouraged fromdoing so, as was previously thecase with these allowances.“The same sentiments apply to

the booking of riders whohave notridden a winner.”Following a review with the

BHA's Senior Inspector, themaximum Keld sizes for the fol-lowing races have been reduced toimprove bypassing arrangements:Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle -22 runners from 24 runners;Neptune InvestmentManagementNovices Hurdle - 22 runners from24 runners; Coral Cup HandicapHurdle - 26 runners from 28runners; Fred Winter JuvenileHandicap Hurdle - 22 runnersfrom 24 runners; JCB TriumphHurdle - 22 runners from 24runners; Vincent O'Brien CountyHurdle - 26 runners from 28runners.The changes made to the three-

mile handicap chase starts on boththe Old Course and the NewCourse, to improve the starts andused to date this season, will alsoapply at The Festival.This will affect the following

races: The Festival HandicapChasewill be run over a distance of 3m1f(previously 3m½f) on the Tuesday;The FulkeWalwynKimMuir Chal-lenge Cup will be run over a dis-tance of 3m2f (previously 3m1½f)on the Thursday. and The FestivalPlate (reduced to 2m 4f in 2014 bythe request of the BHA) will revertto 2m 5f on the Thursday.

Injuries ruin Cheltenham’s hopes ofa win in county derby with Newent

Cheltenham 10Newent 46

AN INJURY ravaged Cheltenhamside leaked six tries to county rivalsNewent as the sides returned toaction after the Christmas break atthe Prince of Wales Stadium.Cheltenham opened the scoring

when Newent were penalised, al-lowing Zac Atallah to kick a 27metre penalty.Newent kicked their own

penalty three minutes later withstar man Ross Webb on target.The visitors then gained

turnover ball from the restart andran it down the left wing withWebb on hand to score a uncon-verted try.Within four minutes Newent

gained a further try through centreCharlie Gellert withWebb convert-ing to make it 18-3 after 22minutes.Cheltenham hit back, spending

10 minutes camped in their oppo-nents’ 22 but Newent withstood allthe home side could throw atthem.Just before half-time Chel-

tenham were reduced to 14 menwith Tom Lait shown a yellowcard.Despite being a man down,

centre Harrison Sayers intercepted

a pass and ran 72 metres for theironly try of the game.Josh Herbert took over kicking

duties after Atallah was helped offthe Keld and he converted success-fully.Cheltenham then found them-

selves reshufLing their depletedteam further when captain JamesHillier was carried from the pitchwith a suspected ankle break.Newent regained a stranglehold

over the game and in the 60thminute Gellert ran in his secondtry with Webb adding the extras.Cheltenham were then reduced

to 14 men with Herbert incurringthe wrath of referee Hugh Bowles,earning himself a yellow card.Worse was to follow for Chel-

tenham when they lost prop HenryCompton with a recurring groininjury and with no replacementsleft they restarted with 13 men anduncontested scrums.Newent soon utilised the numer-

ical advantage with the hardworking Brett Gardener divingover for a well worked score andthe boot of Webb extending thelead to 32-10 with 72 minutesplayed.It grew to 39-10 when the excel-

lent Gellert scored his third trywithWebb again on target with theconversion.Cheltenham lost yet another

player with Anthony Woodthorpe

leaving the Keld of play to end thegame with 12 players left on thepitch.The Knal play of the game saw

prop Chris Steward kicking aheadand Dominic Matthews winningthe foot race for the Knal try withWebb completing a comprehensiveaway victory.It left Newent at the top of

Western Counties North withGloucestershire rivals Coney Hillwho had a narrow win againstChosen Hill.Cheltenham will need to have a

head count of Kt players for a vitaltrip to North Bristol this weekend.

CHELTENHAM: H Compton, JHerbert, S Gilder, J Hillier, JMilne,R Edwards, J Haskayne,T Lait, A Woodthorpe, ZAtallah, H Sayers, S Brooke, RMorris, D Edwards, CWhitKeld.Replacements: S Murrells, TAcheson, B Burger.NEWENT: M Morris, LWilliams, C Steward, DFletcher, T Freeman, J Parker, RMalone, F Nottingham, J Dean,W Matthews, D Mattews, RWebb, C Gellert, B Gardner, RMerrett. Replacements: GPhelps, J Meek, D Bubb-Sackyn.REFEREE: Hugh Bowles, GlosSociety.STAR MAN: Ross Webb,Newent.

RUGBY UNION

Prize money reaches £3.9millionas Festival 2015 changes unveiled

HORSE RACING

CHELTENHAM Civil Service havebeen drawn at home to Gala Wiltonin the semi-Knals of the Les JamesCup.The Gloucestershire County

League leaders' opening match of2015 against Ellwood last Saturdayfell victim to the weather, withBishop's Cleeve Reserves' trip toBerkeley Town also postponed.Taking part in the Les James Cup

for the Krst time, Service thrashedHenbury 4-0 in the quarter-Knalsafter progressing on penalties againstPatchway Town in round two after a1-1 draw.King's Stanley face Thornbury

Town in the other semi-Knal of thecompetition, which was won byleague champions Longlevens lastseason.Dates for the semi-Knal ties are to

be conKrmed with the Kxture secre-tary.

Service face Gala in semi-*nals of Les James CupCOUNTY FOOTBALL

GOT A LOCAL SPORTS STORY?Contact our Sports Editor via

[email protected]

LocalFootball


SPORT

Bishop’s Cleeve 1Merthyr Town 3

BISHOP’S Cleeve put on a brave show againstleague leadersMerthyr TydIl before Inally suc-cumbing to a 3-1 defeat at Kayte Lane on NewYear’s Day.Two late strikes for theMartyrs saw them run

out winners but Mitres boss Steve Cleal waspleased with his team’s efforts.Merthyr played with the wind at their backs

in the Irst half, enjoying large spells of posses-sion as they looked to continue their Inegoalscoring record.It took 20 minutes for the deadlock to be

broken when forward Kane McLaggon foundspace in the box and despite Steve Benbow’sinitial save he Inished from close range.Benbow then produced a Ine stop to tip a drivefrom 30 yards onto the bar.Merthyr continued to press but the Cleeve

defence stood Irm, keeping it 1-0 at the break.Cleeve started the second half well, trying to

get back into the game and putting the Welshside under pressure.They found a deserved equaliser when Jack

Watts curled in from out wide over the goal-keeper.TheMitres were not level for long when now

10 man Merthyr, who had Guillermo Bauzasent off for violent conduct, regained the leadwhen a neat one two and cross come shotfound its way into the net by defender DanSummerIeld.Substitute Ryan Prosser added the third with

a close range header from a corner.

Beech Road & 1991 Morley Street) plus theCheltenham Gold Cup (1992 Cool Ground).There were also two successes in the NationalHunt Chase – Lucky Vane in 1981 and Bo-raceva in 1989.He sent out two winners of the Grand Na-

tional (1969 Highland Wedding and 1989Little Polveir) at Aintree, giving him the raredistinction of having trainedwinners of JumpRacing’s three biggest prizes.Balding was a noted mentor of young

jockeys, having nurtured the most successfulJump jockey of all-time, 19-time championA.P. McCoy, as well as other leading riderssuch as Bob Champion, Richard Linley andAdrian Maguire.

Always a positive contributor to the racingindustry, he helped found the National Train-ers’ Federation and also served on the boardof the British Horseracing Authority. In recog-nition of his efforts, he was elected an hon-orarymember of the Jockey Club in 2005 andwas awarded an OBE for services to racing in2011.His training career began on the death of

his father Gerald, saddling his Irst winner onthe Flat at Ascot on September 26, 1957.At the age of 20, he was the youngest

trainer in the country at the time. He held alicence for 47 years up until his retirement in2004. For the majority of his career, he wasbased in Hampshire.The Balding racing dynasty also includes

Toby’s younger brother Ian, a highly-success-ful Flat trainer who sent out the outstanding1971DerbywinnerMill Reef fromKingsclere.Andrew Balding, who took over the train-

ing licence at Kingsclere from Ian in 2003, isToby’s nephewwith leading broadcaster Clare

Balding his niece.Balding’s daughter, Serena Geake, wel-

comed the initiative. She said: “The wholefamily are honoured and delighted to have arace named after Dad at the Festival this year;and he would be too.“He adored Cheltenham and had an envi-

able record with two Champion Hurdles anda Gold Cup under his belt to name but a fewof the races he won there. We are all lookingforward to the day with great excitement.”Ian Renton, Regional Director Jockey Club

Racecourses SouthWest, said: “I am delightedthat we are able to remember Toby Balding atThe Festival, with a race named in his honour.“Toby was such a renowned Igure within

the racing industry, both as a trainer andthrough his work with the National TrainersFederation and British Horseracing Authorityso it is Itting that the four-mile chase on theopening day of The Festival will be the TobyBalding National Hunt Chase.”First staged in 1860, the National Hunt

Chase has been run more times - 144 - thanany other race at The Festival.Until the 1930s, only the Grand National

was more important than the National HuntChase in the Jump calendar.The race took place at a number of venues

until it became a part of the new two-day Na-tional Hunt Festival at Cheltenham in 1911.Two earlier renewals were run at Cheltenham,in 1904 and 1905.

Toby Balding’s 11 winners at The Festival:

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: 1990 Forest SunNational Hunt Chase: 1981 Lucky Vane,1989 BoracevaMildmay Of Flete Handicap Chase: 1961Malting Barley, 1973 Vulgan TownCounty Hurdle: 1987 NeblinSun Alliance Chase: 1987 KildimoChampion Hurdle: 1989 Beech Road, 1991Morley StreetCheltenham Gold Cup: 1992 Cool Ground

Festival tribute toToby Balding OBE

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

HORSE RACING

Evesham United 5Bishop’s Cleeve 0

FORMER Cleeve boss Paul Collicutt’sEvesham United completed a win doubleover Steve Cleal’s Mitres side with a 5-0rout at the Jubilee Stadium on Saturday.Five second half goals, including three

in Ive minutes condemned Steve Cleal’sside to their 20th defeat of the season.

Both sides had chances in the Irst halfwith Joe Tustain and Jack Watts goingclose for Cleeve despite Evesham’s domi-nance in possession and territory butneither side got the breakthrough so athalf time the game still looked in thebalance.However 47 minutes in Evesham took

the lead and they went from strength tostrength, with two goals each for AdamMann and Ashley Edenborough, alongwith Nick Stanley’s strike.

Brave Cleeveundone byleaders MerthyrSOUTHERN LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Collicutt’s Evesham run riot in second half as Cleal’s men are made to sufferSOUTHERN LEAGUE FOOTBALL Steve Cleal (left) and Paul Collicutt

Steve Benbow made an out-standing save for Cleeve, butwas still beaten three times


SPORT LocalFootball

Dursley Town 1FC Barometrics 5

FC BAROMETRICS travelled to DursleyTown for their Brst game of 2015 andcame away with an emphatic win indifBcult conditions.The visitors took the lead with only

six minutes on the clock followingsome good build up play.Danny Gittings played in Kevin Slack

(pictured), who made no mistake,rounding the goalkeeping and Bring

into an emptynet.The lead was

soon doubledwhen captainDavid Lodge'sshot from atight angleCew into thenet for his Brstgoal of theseason.

With only 19 minutes gone, Barosmade it three when Kurtis Burrowsraced through on goal before lobbingthe keeper from 20 yards.Dursley were struggling to deal with

wave after wave of attack and Baroswere unlucky not to increase their goaltally.First Slack shot over from a good po-

sition and Lodge then Bred just wide.The home side were given a glimmer ofhope when they were awarded a softpenalty in time added on at the end ofthe Brst half, which was well takengiving Rob Sherwood no chance.The second half began in similar

fashion to the Brst and It was not longbefore the three goal lead was restoredon 51 minutes.An inswinging corner was only half

cleared and former Bishop's Cleeve andEvesham United forward Slack wasquickest to react, his left foot strikefrom 10 yards Bnding the net.Sam Slender replaced Slack on the

hour mark and Sonnie Burrows cameon for man of the match AndyVarnam.It was substitute Sonnie Burrows who

was next on the scoresheet after hisbrother Kurtis was brought down in thebox and Sonnie made no mistake fromthe spot.Late in the game player/manager

Mike Rhodes replaced the impressiveNick Hill as the visitors comfortablysaw the game out.Baros lie sixth in the Northern Senior

League Division One table ahead of thisweekend’s GFA Senior Amateur Cup tieat Leonard Stanley.

Barometrics make%ying start to new yearNORTHERN SENIOR FOOTBALL

THE weather may have impacteda number of Bxtures but therewas still plenty of action as theCheltenham League, sponsoredby Bristol Street Motors Chel-tenham Ford, resumed after itsChristmas break.The season of goodwill to all

men was clearly over at KGVShurdington as LeckhamptonRovers demolished their hosts 16-0 in their Division Three Bxture.Four players, Joseph Lawrence,

Tim Tylatt, Jack Horrell andMarkLawrence, all netted hat-trickswith Horrell and Lawrence start-ing the game on the bench.The win moved Leckhampton

to the top of the table while Shur-dington remained rooted to thebottom, six points adrift of Charl-ton Rovers Reserves who wentdown 3-1 to Pittville United lastSaturday.Leckhampton face second

placedWelland this weekend andwith their opponents just a pointbehind, the game could providean early indication of the likelydestination of the league title.Northway moved back to the

top of Division Four followingtheir 11-4 win over BourtonRovers III.Guy Simmons hit Bve goals as

the leaders got back to winningways following their defeat lasttime out.With the top two in cup action

this weekend, third placed Chel-

tenham Civil Service III couldmove level on points with North-way if they beat Star Reserves.The big game in Division Five

saw fourth placed CheltenhamCivil Service IV beat third placedStaunton and Corse. Proven goalscorer Jamie Moore netted twiceas Service beat their hosts 3-1.FC Lakeside Reserves also

claimed all three points and theirwin took them top of the table,heading Cheltenham Athletic ongoal difference.At the foot of the table, FC

Barometrics Reserves travel toHatherley FC knowing thatvictory could move them off thebottom and potentially up fourplaces if other results go theirway.Irrespective of how other team

perform, with their opponentsjust three points ahead, and

sharing the same goal differencethey are assured to move off thebottom with a win.With second placed Fintan Re-

serves in cup action on Saturday,Malvern Vale will move threepoints clear at the top of DivisionSix if they beat Gala Wilton IV.Both Fintan and Vale have 100

percent records, winning all six oftheir league games and neitherteam will want to be the Brst tolose that record before the clubsmeet in early February.The top two teams were not in

action in Division One thisweekend so third placed RSG hadan opportunity to close the gap atthe top.However things did not go to

plan as they were beaten 4-2 by aBishops Cleeve III side who havebeen struggling at the bottom ofthe table.

The top four all play thisweekend and with old rivals FCLakeside, who are currentlysecond, and Churchdown Pan-thers, who sit in fourth place, itpromises to be an exciting roundof Bxtures.Panther’s pipped Lakeside to

the Division Two title last seasonand both teams started life in thetop Division in impressive form.Panthers form in recent weeks

has been below par and theyknow they will need to win thisgame if they are to have anychance of taking back to backtitles.The bottom two also meet this

weekend as Kings AFC hostBishops Cleeve III. Cleeve,buoyed by last weeks victory, willbe looking to open up a sevenpoint gap between the two teams.Kings know that defeat will leavethem in a very perilous position.Cheltenham Civil Service Re-

serves opened up a three pointlead at the top of Division Twowith an emphatic 5-1 win atNorthleach.Dan Warren scored twice and

was joined on the score sheet byDan Midwinter, Joe McCauleyand Ryan Williams as the leadersstarted 2015 as they Bnished2014.Service host Cheltenham Patri-

ots on Saturday, a team who de-feated them in the return Bxtureearlier in the season. Patriots trailthe leaders by 13 points, but havefour games in hand.

CHELTENHAM LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Cheltenham League round-up

Southside Reserves 3Kings Reserves 2THIS was not the result that KingsReserves wanted, but they playedwell and were the better sidewhen it came to passing footballin this Cheltenham League Divi-sion Four clash at Burrows.Due to a lack of available

players in the Brsts, the Reserveslost three key players. Despite thisthey managed to draw on occa-sional players who put on a goodshow.On the other hand Southside

Reserves were able to draw on re-inforcements from their Brst teamas they attempted to gain revengefor the defeat in the County Cupmatch before Christmas.

On a very heavy pitch, theopening exchanges were even, al-though Southside were theslightly better side, they lackedthe ability to Bnish off some goodbuild up play.As the game developed into

something of a midBeld battle, itwas difBcult to see where a goalwas going to come from untilFebery went on a devastating runand put Ben Ellis in to score theopener.At this stage Kings were begin-

ning to win the midBeld battlewith Dan Creed, Gareth Bee andFebery linking up extremely wellto break down opposition attacksand create goalscoring opportuni-ties at the same time.This goal put Southside on the

back foot but they were spurredon by Lewis Hough and Matt

Williams, as they hit back to tryand get themselves back into thegame.With half-time beckoning,

Worgan was harshly adjudged tohave unfairly shouldered an at-tacker off the ball on the edge ofthe box.The free-kick was struck well

but then took a deCection off theend of the Kings defensive wallwhich left Ivor GrifBths with noreal chance to stop the equalizer.The second half saw Kings

trying hard to regain the lead andthey were pinning Southside intotheir own half for long periods,but without success.Southside were looking to

counter attack and from one ofthese they broke through the de-fensive cover for Jack Edwards toscore.

Sol GrifBths was then intro-duced into the game and gaveKings a bit more pace up front. Hewas almost through on goal whenhe was brought down in the areabut despite the Kings protest nopenalty was awarded.He then came very close to

equalising when he was putthrough but had to stand andwatch as his shot beat Teague butrebounded off the cross bar.Southside were awarded

another free-kick on the edge ofthe penalty area and this wasstruck home leaving Ivor GrifBthsstranded.With time running out, Kings

were awarded a penalty which JoeGrifBths dispatched into the netto give them a Bghting chance,but it came too late to make a dif-ference.

CHELTENHAM LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Depleted Kings go down $ghting at Southside

DanWarren scored twice tohelp open up a three pointgap at the top of Division

Two for CheltenhamCivil Service Reserves

LocalFootball


SPORT

LIVERPOOL youngster KevinStewart admitted he could nothave wished for a better outcome

on his debut for Cheltenham Town atOxford United on Saturday.The 21-year-old curled in the winning

goal during Crst half stoppage time afterfellow Reds prospect Jack Dunn had lev-elled for Paul Buckle’s Robins in the 40thminute.“It doesn’t get any better than that

really and I owed the goal after losing itin the build-up to their goal, so I wasreally happy to get the goal for theteam,” Stewart said.“It went though a lot of bodies, so the

goalkeeper didn’t see it until late. Wecame here to win and get the team upthe table so we want to go on a runnow.”Stewart spent time on loan at League

One side Crewe Alexandra two seasons

ago, during his time at TottenhamHotspur, but he said League Two pre-sented an altogether different challenge.“I found it very different to when I was

at Crewe because it was a lot more phys-ical, with a higher tempo and you don’tget any time on the ball,” he said. “Itwas a new experience for me, but I amlooking forward to the next one now.“The main thing is to get games and

build experience, so I was very happy toplay 90 minutes on my debut.”Stewart started in a deep lying midCeld

role at the Kassam Stadium, having re-cently made the switch from left-back inthe middle of the pitch under Liver-pool’s academy director Alex In-glethorpe, with whom he also worked atSpurs.“That was only my fourth game in the

middle, but I prefer it there,” he said. “Iwas deep at Crst against Oxford, then

asked to go higher, it’s about adapting towhat the gaffer wants me to do.“Alex Inglethorpe told me to make

sure I show my strengths and adapt towhatever is asked of me.“I don’t score many goals and I don’t

think I have scored a winner since I wasa little kid, so I was very pleased withthat!”On-loan Bristol City striker Wes Burns

put Oxford in front after 20 minutes andCheltenham were second best for muchof the opening 45 minutes.But two moments of magic from their

Liverpool loanees put them ahead. LeeVaughan fed 20-year-old Dunn, whosepowerful drive beat Clarke at his nearpost and nestled in the bottom corner.Twominutes into time added on, Matt

Richards took a short corner and fedStewart who curled a shot into thebottom left corner, with U’s goalkeeper

Ryan Clarke making a mess of it.Robins number one Trevor Carson’s

superb save from Danny Hylton in thesecond half ensured the Robins endedtheir long wait for a three point haul.

OXFORD UNITED (3-4-3): Clarke;Mullins, Dunkley, Wright (c); Meades,Whing (Rose 72), Ruffels, Holmes-Dennis (O’Dowda 82); Burns (Campbell75), Hylton, Roberts. Subs not used:Collins, Crocombe, Long, Ashby.CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Carson;Vaughan, Jones, Brown, Braham-Barrett;Sterling-James (Hanks 57), Ferdinand(Deaman 90), Stewart, Richards; Dunn,Gornell (Williams 79). Subs not used:Gould, Harrison, Haworth, Kotwica.REFEREE: K Hill.ATTENDANCE: 5,360 (499 from Chel-tenham).STAR MAN: Jack Dunn.

Liverpool starlet so happy to capRobins debut with winning goal

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loan starlet Kevin Stewart

Oxford United 1 Cheltenham Town 2SPORT32 CHELTENHAM STANDARD 8 JANUARY 2015

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CHELTENHAM Town chair-man Paul Baker says thereare likely to be more players

coming and going during theJanuary transfer window.Boss Paul Buckle has so far

brought in young loan trio LloydJones, Kevin Stewart and Jack Dunnfrom Liverpool.Striker Dunn and mid?elder

Stewart capped their debuts with thegoals in Cheltenham’s 2-1 victory atOxford United last Saturday.Mid?elder Jason Taylor has left

the club to join Northampton Townand Baker admitted that Bucklemay

need to of@oad more players fromthe wage bill before further newfaces arrive.“Cash @ow is tight and the

manager is conscious of the ?nancialsituation at the club,” Baker said.“He is looking very carefully at all

the costs he is responsible for and re-alistically we need to move playersout before wemovemore players in.“The manager has one or two

thoughts which he has shared withme and it all sounds good.“We don’t need to make loads of

changes and we are moving in theright direction, with a lot of goodplayers already here.“One or twomore inwould be the

maximum expectation, withperhaps two going in the other di-rection as well.”Cheltenham ended a run of nine

League Two games without successby defeating Oxford, earning Bucklehis ?rst victory at the helm.It lifted them to 17th in the table

ahead of this weekend’s long trip tobottom club Hartlepool United.Baker said: “The win at Oxford

was a massive relief. We have beengetting there slowly, with somedraws and looking much tighter atthe back, but it’s great to ?nally getthat win.“I was delighted for the fans

because they haven’t had a lot to

cheer about for quite a few monthsand I am delighted for the board aswell because we’ve been under a lotof pressure.“It was a huge lift for everyone at

the club and a great start to the newyear.“It’s just one win, but to go to

Oxford, whose budget will be con-siderably higher than ours and playas well as we did in the second half,was very pleasing.“The away support of 499 fans

was superb. For them to travel inthose numbers and make as muchnoise as they did was ?rst class andthey made a huge difference sothanks to all the fans who went.”

National HuntChase to be runin honour ofToby Balding

CHELTENHAM Racecoursehave announced that the 2015National Hunt Chase will berun in honour of the late TobyBalding OBE.The four-mile contest for

novice chasers takes place onthe ?rst day of The Festival,Tuesday, March 10, ChampionDay.Balding died on September

25 at the age of 78 and his me-morial service was held atMarlborough College onMonday, December 15.He trained over 2,000

winners over Jumps and on theFlat during the course of hiscareer and was especially athome at The Festival, wherehis 11 victories included twoChampion Hurdles (1989

HORSE RACING

Where betterto learn?

www.shaneduffsoccer.co.uk

Visit our website for futurecamps and further details

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FOOTBALL

Buckle set for more wheelingand dealing in transfer window

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cheltenham standard 8th january 2015

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