Citizen Gloucestershire, The back issues from July 2007:
County escapes further floods
Jul 01, 2007 ... The County has escaped the further floods predicted this weekend. Weather experts forecast yet more extreme weather for the weekend,but Gloucestershire appears to have got away lightly despite episodesof heavy rain in some parts today. The Environment Agency has now given the ...
Leg singers aiming to march up the charts
Jul 02, 2007 ... Leg ulcers may not be a normal subject for a pop song but onemusical group of pensioners are hoping it will propel them up thecharts and aid awareness about the condition. A multi-cultural music band, led by district nurse duo AnnaGibbins and Lynn Davis, have just recorded their ...
My wonderful wife
Jul 02, 2007 ... Italian born Giuseppe Perillo who was captured during the SecondWorld War found love with a Gloucestershire girl. Sixty years on and the 91-year-old former prisoner of war hascelebrated 60 years of marriage to the sweetheart he met in Newent. Rescued from two months of ...
Trust to launch a wild goose chase
Jul 02, 2007 ... A County attraction is hosting a day of activities as part of anational initiative. As part of the BBC's Saving Planet Earth season this summer, theWildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge will hold a Saving PlanetEarth Day on July 6, offering 10 per cent off all admission ...
Have a say on health
Jul 02, 2007 ... Residents will be able to have their say on the NHS at a series ofmeetings. Anyone wishing to make any comments about health services shouldthe meetings at: n July 18 - United Church Hall, Wotton-under-Edge; n July 19 - Church Rooms, Church Walk, ...
Full monty women raise pounds2,300
Jul 02, 2007 ... A Group of Stroud women, who took to the stage earlier this monthto bare all, have raised pounds2,300 to help give a little Stroudgirl an education. The Show Girls Night staged at the town's Subscription Roomsearlier this month featured The Full Monty Girls - a team of ...
DNA tests a 'major step' in finding my girl's killer
Jul 02, 2007 ... Vital Dna evidence which could snare the killer of former cityschoolgirl Joanna Parrish in France is at last being examined by atop British forensic scientist And Joanna's dad Roger has hailed the move as "a major step" inbringing his daughter's murder to justice. The ...
Wheels would be better option
Jul 02, 2007 ... We (Friends of the Earth) discussed methods of getting power fromthe Severn tides. We hear a lot about the barrage but nothing about another methodwhich would be quicker and cheaper to build. Rotary wheels under thewater would ...
Bus pull-ins did ease congestion
Jul 02, 2007 ... With reference to the report of traffic problems in AbbeymeadAvenue, as I get older, my memory does tend to fail me at times, butwere there not pull-ins for buses along Abbeymead Avenue to helptraffic run smoothly? And didn't the council remove these pull-ins and also place ...
Professionalism worthy of praise
Jul 02, 2007 ... I Am writing to express my gratitude to the staff ofGloucestershire Royal Hospital. I was recently in for five nights for an operation. While inthere, I found all the staff to be extremely professional and kind,nothing was too much trouble for anyone. Everyone involved before ...
We need to stop garden grabbing
Jul 02, 2007 ... Following the catastrophic flooding we have seen inGloucestershire this week, I am more convinced than ever by theLiberal Democrat case against so-called "garden grabbing". Last week, Coun Jeremy Hilton and I successfully put a motion tothe County Council proposing action to ...
They're asking for trouble here
Jul 02, 2007 ... Readers were shown some startling photographs of the floods in TheCitizen on June 26 and the immediate thoughts are for those poorfolks caught up in them. One interesting comment was "why were we not warned?" Well, thegeneral public were warned on television of severe weather ...
Non-religious faith schools?
Jul 02, 2007 ... Keith Waldon's letter on June 27 about a proposal for a new faithschool in Cheltenham finished with the sentence "If we must have a[faith] academy in Gloucester then for ...
Gladiators in fete rescue
Jul 02, 2007 ... Gladiators have come to the rescue of Longhope's annual fete. Scout brass and percussion marching band, the GloucesterGladiators, has come forward to lead the fete procession and add atouch of magic to the event. The fete, this Saturday at Longhope Recreation Ground will ...
Jeremy's comment brings it home to us
Jul 02, 2007 ... It's Not often I put the words 'agree' and 'Jeremy Hilton' in thesame sentence, but he was spot on with his recent comments about"garden grabbing." Coun Hilton urged his colleagues to write to Ruth Kelly, theSecretary of State for Communities and Local Government, asking herto ...
Crime to be wiped out
Jul 02, 2007 ... Police in Gloucestershire will soon be handing out 2,500 yellowdusters to motorists in an attempt to reduce thefts of satellitenavigation systems. Great - just when we need Jack Regan, we get Kim and Aggie! Apparently, the dusters are for drivers to clean the rings ...
Will they be carrying on forever?
Jul 02, 2007 ... As I've said before, I'm fully in favour of recycling, but some ofthe claims made by so called experts must have been dreamt up duringa full moon. For example, eco-warriors tell us that plastic carrier bags cantake up to 500 years to decay in landfill sites. How do they know? ...
Not such hot weather news
Jul 02, 2007 ... At The beginning of January, after a Met Office warning of hightemperatures to come, I wrote in this column: "Whenever experts tellme we're ...
Flushed with success
Jul 02, 2007 ... The Citizen's website is a huge success and attracts a greaternumber of 'hits' every day. But some people are concerned that, inthe not too distant future, ...
Rapist faces long stretch
Jul 02, 2007 ... A Young Gloucester man who raped a woman is likely to be locked upindefinitely for the protection of the public, a judge has ruled. Matthew Richards, of Oxmoor, Abbeydale, pleaded guilty on Fridayto raping the woman, who cannot be named, on March 11 this year. He also admitted ...
Visitor hid drug in bra at prison
Jul 02, 2007 ... A Woman who was caught trying to smuggle crack cocaine intoGloucester Prison in her bra was jailed for six months. Kerry Hopewell, 36, was caught when a sniffer dog found the drugon her and she was seen to remove a package from her bra, GloucesterCrown Court heard. Judge ...
'They're pushing us out'
Jul 02, 2007 ... Traders say a hike in overheads is forcing them out of the city'sEastgate Market. An investigation by The Citizen has uncovered that a number oftraders in the indoor market are struggling to cope with soaring rentand service charges. Some believe it is part of a "secret ...
City hairdressers to have brush with top TV stylist
Jul 02, 2007 ... Hairstylists are to get top tips from TV makeover star AndrewBarton when he visits Gloucester-based Peter Hickman Hairdressers. Known to Channel 4 viewers as the hair expert on the extrememakeover show Ten Years Younger, Andrew will be hosting a masterclass for Peter Hickman ...
Homes get green light
Jul 02, 2007 ... A Pair of turf-roofed, low energy eco-homes are to be built inStroud's Slad Road. Members of Stroud District Council's planning committee have giventhe go-ahead to a plan to build two semi-detached homes. The two four-bedroomed homes will be built on a plot of land at142 Slad ...
Kids on course for a healthy lifestyle
Jul 02, 2007 ... Overweight children are shifting the pounds and transforming theirlives on a pilot scheme in the Forest of Dean. For more than two months, youngsters as young as seven have beenlearning how to eat healthily and exercise in a bid to lose weight. Five children and their parents ...
We escape floods misery
Jul 02, 2007 ... Flood victims in Gloucestershire are breathing a sigh of reliefafter escaping a second episode of flooding. The Environment Agency has given the River Severn from Tewkesburyto upstream of Gloucester the all clear after the weekend's rainfailed to have the disastrous impact weather ...
Law stubbing out custom at my pub
Jul 02, 2007 ... Having a fag and pint in your local boozer became a thing of thepast from 6am yesterday as the new ban in public places kicked in. But for one Gloucester publican, the new legislation brings thethreat of lost business. Tom Kennedy, landlord of The Imperial in Northgate Street ...
Cricketer Stewart's farewell
Jul 02, 2007 ... The Funeral of a county cricketer who collapsed and died during amatch takes place this week. A celebration of the life of father-of-two Stewart Robertson, 57,who collapsed on Saturday June 23 while representing Redmarley SecondXI against Tewkesbury, is on Thursday. There ...
Upset as yobs torch centre for children
Jul 02, 2007 ... White City: AN ARSON attack on a children's centre has sickenedparents. Staff are also upset that the Finlay Children's Centre, a much-valued community hub, was targeted by yobs on Saturday. A buggy park at the facility in Finlay Road was set alight anddestroyed. A ...
Howdy! Fair maidens
Jul 02, 2007 ... Cowboys, pirates and princesses turned out in force for Rodboroughfete. The event began with a fancy dress procession starting from theButts. At the end of the parade, the fete was then officially opened byChairman of the League of Friends of Stroud Hospital David ...
pounds250k set aside over unison row
Jul 02, 2007 ... Stroud District Council has set aside pounds250,000 to pay aworkers' union after an employment dispute. The Conservative-run authority has earmarked the money in its 2006-07 statement of accounts after an action brought by Unison whichrepresents public sector employees. A ...
Councillor damion, 23 puts youth issues first
Jul 02, 2007 ... Coleford's youngest ever town councillor says he will put youthissues at the heart of the council. At 23, Berry Hill rugby player Damion Collins is not your averagecouncillor. But his fondness for the town and for helping people has led himto take on the role. Damion ...
Pub has to pay pounds20k after hygiene breach
Jul 02, 2007 ... A Company which owns a Longhope pub has had to pay out nearlypounds20,000 for failing to meet hygiene standards. Philip Kiernan, landlord of the Farmers Boy Inn and managingdirector of the company PK Inns which owns the business, was finedpounds2,700 and the firm was fined ...
Step out on evening programme of walks
Jul 02, 2007 ... A Series of evening walks have been arranged by the Longhopebranch of the Gloucestershire Public Rights of Way Volunteers. The walks, organised in conjunction with the North Dean WalkingGroup, will give people a chance to explore their local villagefootpaths. Everyone is ...
Jazz diva bound for Dean date
Jul 02, 2007 ... Music lovers with a taste for sultry 1930s jazz can catch risingstar Mellow Avstreih when she visits the Forest later this month. Mellow will be performing at the Forest of Dean Jazz Club at theMiner's Arms in Whitecroft, on Monday, July 9. The silky songstress has been ...
Volunteers needed to raise guide dog funds
Jul 02, 2007 ... Volunteers to help support a range of fundraising opportunitiesare being sought in the Forest of Dean by the guide dogs charity. It has recently opened a Forest fundraising branch and is lookingfor more members to help raise awareness and funds in the area. Volunteering and ...
Churches get together for a barbecue food giveaway
Jul 02, 2007 ... Churches Together in Cinderford are celebrating the success oftheir three day giveaway barbecue held in the town centre. John Holliday, who helped organise the event, supported by anumber of local Christian churches, thanked all those who came alongbetween noon and 2pm at The ...
Baby hopes as couples to get free shot at IVF
Jul 02, 2007 ... Couples who have trouble conceiving have been given a lifeline bythe county's health chiefs. The NHS will now give one cycle of IVF free to eligible couples inGloucestershire. From yesterday the county's PCT will now routinely fund assistedconception (IVF) ...
Laying foundation for a great career
Jul 02, 2007 ... Three Forest students have been picked to represent their collegein a regional skills competition. The three Royal Forest of Dean College NVQ Bricklaying studentswere among 68 entrants from 13 colleges across the South West takingpart in the 2007 Skill Build competition. Ian ...
Car crash closes road
Jul 02, 2007 ... A TWO-vehicle crash caused a road closure in the Forest of Dean. The accident happened at Cannop Crossroads on Thursday. Police were called out to the ...
Let's share a speed gun
Jul 02, 2007 ... Minchinhampton Parish Council is to talk to neighbouring parishauthorities about them all possibly sharing the ...
Debt keeps bureau busy
Jul 02, 2007 ... The largely volunteer run Stroud and District Citizens AdviceBureau dealt with 41,837 enquiries from 10,764 ...
Pupils unveil new exhibits
Jul 02, 2007 ... Pupils from a Forest school unveiled a new attraction at theirlocal museum. A range of new audio visual installations at the Dean HeritageCentre at Soudley were revealed by pupils from Coalway Junior School. As part of the Forest of Dean's Cultural Festival, the ...
Faith study at vicarage
Jul 02, 2007 ... St Laurence Church in Stroud is following up the recent deaneryweekend study course with "Focus for Faith" in the vicarage garden onSunday from 3pm to 6pm. If it is wet the event ...
Visitors flock to the vestry
Jul 02, 2007 ... More than 60 people, far more than expected, dropped into a recentopen day at the historic Vestry ...
Date with guitar star
Jul 02, 2007 ... There will be a rare opportunity to see influential guitarist JanAkkerman in Stroud. One of rock's great ...
Dance date
Jul 02, 2007 ... Jazz jive fans can bop the night away at two events in Stroud. Just Jazz Jive-In nights will be held at ...
Carnival capers!
Jul 02, 2007 ... A Carnival arts project for schools ended the only way it could -with a vibrant, noisy and colourful parade through Stroud. Children from five primaries, who'd all earlier enjoyed workshopswith the Dourado Carnival Collective, hit the High Street with drumsbanging on ...
Inspired by a dad who was so brave
Jul 02, 2007 ... The Pain of losing loved ones mixed with the joy of survival tocreate an emotional atmosphere at the Forest of Dean's third Relayfor Life event. Twenty-six teams turned a blind eye to the weather to raise moneyfor Cancer Research at Lydney's Whitecross Leisure Centre. For ...
Sturgis takes crown aboard monarch's rock
Jul 02, 2007 ... Beanie Sturgis headed the top section at a rain-soaked SalpertonPark BE one-day event. The Great Somerford rider headed the Advanced Intermediatesection, seeing off a challenge from New Zealand Olympian AndrewNicholson and Flush Banker by 0.1 of a mark, on the 17hh horseMonarch's ...
Storr on top with resolut showing
Jul 02, 2007 ... Broadway international Peter Storr won the top two tests at AbbeyDressage's two-day affiliated meeting at Fiddington. His partner was a horse he had sat on for the first time just aweek before the competition, the 17hh bay 12-year-old Resolut. The pair scored a clear 13-mark ...
Carpenter heads to festival
Jul 02, 2007 ... Mary-anne Carpenter has secured a place at the British EventingGrass Roots Festival at Aston-le-Walls in Northamptonshire. The Bledington rider earned her chance to compete in the PreNovice Championship at the Festival with her performance at the GreatTew one-day event in ...
Hayley is too good
Jul 02, 2007 ... Hayley Critchell took the top spot in the Badminton Horse FeedsYoung Dressage Horse qualifier at Hartpury College. She earned a place at the championship, due to be held atBadminton on July 20, riding the five-year-old chestnut Freelancer. Results, Badminton Young Dressage ...
Clapham clinches double
Jul 02, 2007 ... Bev Clapham completed a double aboard Solomon at Cheltenham andDistrict Riding Club's evening dressage show in Shurdington. Michelle Spokes went close to a double, heading the Prelim 12 teston Tess the Limit and finishing second to Sue Guyatt in the Prelim 10restricted ...
Kerry gold for Lucy
Jul 02, 2007 ... Lucy Chapman won one of the top classes at Newnham EquestrianCentre's unaffiliated showjumping event. The 15-year-old from Ross-on-Wye won the horse section of the 2ft9in class on Kerry Results, 2ft 3in Ponies: 1 and 2 Phoebe Nicholson, Woody andBarbie; 3 Charlotte Morgan, ...
Bloomfield aims to complete doubles win
Jul 02, 2007 ... Cheltenham-trained Richard Bloomfield is in pole position to reachthe last 16 of the Wimbledon men's doubles after winning the firstset of his second round clash. The British number four and partner Jonny Marray won the first setof their last 32 tie with Polish 16th seeds Mariusz ...
Coach Thomas hails his shock champions
Jul 02, 2007 ... Chief coach Martyn Thomas hailed his Cheltenham water polo playersas "outstanding" after they were crowned national champions. They have won the ASA Water Polo Championships in Manchester inconvincing style despite being without their Great Britaininternationals. Cheltenham ...
Hucclecote leave it late to seal Widden crown
Jul 03, 2007 ... Hucclecote stole the Widden Sevens crown from the hosts andholders, winning a high quality tournament at Tuffley Avenue. Sixteen teams entered, with Gordon League, Cainscross, CheltenhamSaracens, Painswick, Old Richians, Dowty, Ross-on-Wye, Berry Hill,Old Cryptians, Bream, Lions, ...
Foresters keen on St Peter's duo
Jul 03, 2007 ... Cinderford are hoping to enlist the services of starlets DeanMiller and Ryan Burford for the forthcoming season. Back row Miller and scrum-half Burford, both products of thehighly successful rugby set-up at St Peter's School, have beentraining at Dockham Road with the Foresters in ...
Fortey, pointon ready to roll
Jul 03, 2007 ... Old Patesians' new coaching team of Lee Fortey and Dave Pointonwill get their first chance to put the players through their pacesnext week. Pre-season training for the Everest Road club, who will ply theirtrade in South West One next term, starts next Tuesday (July 10) ...
Duo sign deals at Forest Green
Jul 03, 2007 ... Forest Green have captured the signings of defender Olly James andmidfielder Jonathan Smith. Both 20, James and Smith were released from Tranmere Rovers andMorecambe respectively at the end of last season and have penned one-year deals at the New Lawn. Rovers are also set to ...
Foresters and Centurions set for brace of cup battles
Jul 03, 2007 ... Cirencester Town and Cinderford Town are on course for two earlyseason cup clashes following yesterday's draws. Southern Premier side Cirencester will entertain their DivisionOne Midlands neighbours in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup,providing Cinderford can overcome ...
Barrage - let's see report on tidal power
Jul 03, 2007 ... I Refer to the ongoing discussion on the Severn Barrage (TheCitizen, June 9). A barrage from Beachley to Aust spanning just over a mile wasproposed as early as 1849 primarily to create a shipping harbour andrailway bridge. Flood protection was also one of the objectives. Thatwas ...
Academy: Parmjit had strong case
Jul 03, 2007 ... I Am somewhat bemused by the attack on the Gloucester MP ParmjitDhanda by Coun Jackie Hall over his criticisms of the countycouncil's proposals for its academy school. Mr Dhanda has a proud record of representing Gloucester andputting the city first. He put forward a ...
We live with this nuisance
Jul 03, 2007 ... In response to A Keohane's letter (The Citizen, June 23) I wouldlike to have the right to reply. A Keohane lives in Quedgeley - out in the burbs. I'm sure theyare not affected as we are in the city by the nuisance of the gulls. Also as the name suggests in that they are ...