Cheltenham Standard 21st May 2015

www.spirecliniccheltenham.co.uk

21 MAY 2015 ISSUE 44

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A STREAM in Chel-tenham has beentested following thedeath of a dog after ithad been in the water.

A dog-walkingservice, based inW o o d m a n c o t e ,posted a warningonline saying the doghad possibly ingestedpoison or algae atBenhall Park.

The EnvironmentAgency (EA) immedi-ately launched aninvestigation afterthe death of thedog and reports of po-tential water pollu-tion at Hatherley

Brook location.An investigating

of.cer visited the areato visually inspect itand take a watersample.

Blue-green algaeoccurs naturally andblooms can form aftera period of balmy,calm weather. Theblooms can thenproduce toxins whichcan be harmful toanimals and domesticpets. And In humans,they can be the causeof rashes after contactand actual illness ifswallowed.

Andrea Burton, En-

vironment Manage-ment team leader atthe EA, commented:“We are advisingmembers of thepublic to keep anypets away from watersuspected of contain-ing blue-green algae."

The EA has in-formed CheltenhamBorough Council ofits .ndings as thecouncil is responsiblefor managing thepark and publichealth.

Fiona Warin, thegreen space and allot-ment of.cer, also

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2 CHELTENHAM STANDARD 21 MAY 2015

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commented by saying: “Fol-lowing the tests carried out bythe EA, we know there is blue-green algae present in thiswater. What the test doesn'treveal is if it's toxic.“We are in the process of

putting up warning signs andasking people to keep them-selves and their pets out of

the water at Benhall Park. TheEA will then test the waterweekly.“We have also requested that

the EA test the water at Pittvilleand Hatherley Parks as a pre-caution.”If you notice a bloom,

contact the EnvironmentAgency on its 24 hour hotlineon 0800 807060.

Poisoned water at Benhall Park?>> CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

British Transport Police (BTP)ofDcers want to speak to himafter a member of station staffwas assaulted at CheltenhamSpa.The incident happened at

around 3.40pm on Tuesday,5th May.PC Ben Smith said: “A man

was allowed through the barri-ers after informing staff theticket machines were notworking.“However, instead of pur-

chasing a ticket in the bookinghall, he made his way directlyto platform two where he at-tempted to board a Birming-ham-bound train.“A member of staff followed

him and challenged him, butthe man became aggressive,pushing the victim and swear-ing at him.“Undaunted, the victim fol-

lowed the man onto the train,

where he was subjected tomore verbal abuse.”The man did eventually

leave the train, but not withoutmore threats of violence.He was escorted to the exit,

leaving the station while con-tinuing to threaten the staffmember. OfDcers believe hemay have links to the Birming-ham area.

PC Smith said: “The victimwas pushed forcefully andthreatened with further vio-lence, but remained deter-mined to do his job.“Those who work on the rail

network have the right to do sowithout the fear of violence,and we work hard to ensureanyone who threatens staff ismade to answer for theiractions.“I believe the man in the

image we are issuing today canhelp with our investigationinto this incident. Please tell uswho he is.”Anyone with information is

asked to contact British Trans-port Police on 0800 40 50 40,or text 61016, quoting refer-ence GSUB/B7 of 19/05/2015.Information can also be passedanonymously to the independ-ent charity Crimestoppers on0800 555 111.

Do you ReCognise this man?

THE victim of a sexual assault inCheltenham has been praised bya judge for her “bravery andstrength” in giving evidenceagainst her assailant as he wasfound guilty of the attack.Mark Raymond Willis, 39 and

of Pirton Lane in Churchdown,was convicted of sexually assault-ing and causing actual bodilyharm to the woman following atrial at Gloucester Crown Court.Sentencing was adjourned until

a later date at Bristol CrownCourt while psychiatric assess-ments are made.The victim was attacked in

Queen’s Road at around 2.30amon Sunday 31st August last yearwhilst walking home after a nightout with friends in Cheltenhamtown centre.Willis punched the victim in

the face and pushed her over agarden wall. He then got on topof her, pinned her down and toldher to be quiet. He then at-tempted to pull the victim'strousers down before she brokefree using her mixed martial artsskills.DC Faye Satchwell-Bennett

said: “The victim demonstratedhuge courage and braverythroughout this investigation andwhilst giving her evidence to thejury. She was rightly commendedby the judge for coming forwardto the police about this and sup-porting the prosecution in bring-ing this dangerous offender tojustice. There's little doubt thatwithout her martial arts skills theattack could have been far worseso the victim is hugely relievedthat justice has been done today.“This was an extremely trau-

matic ordeal for her and even thejury members were visibly upsetby her account.I just hope the case encourages

other victims to come forwardand speak to police if they are thevictim of a sexual assault – wewill listen and we will do every-thing we can to secure aconviction.”

Churchdownman convicted ofsexual assault inQueen’s Road

21 MAY 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD 3

DRIVERS were caught speed-ing, using mobile phonesand failing to wear seatbeltsduring a road safety opera-tion involving Special Con-stables and regular policeofFcers in Cheltenham.Teams of ofFcers were sta-

tioned at various sitesthroughout the town lastSaturday (16th May) con-ducting a series of checks onmotorists as part of Opera-tion Vitesse.A total of 44 vehicles were

stopped;• 16 drivers/passengers werefound not to be wearing aseatbelt• 6 had exceeded a 30mphspeed limit• 4 were caught usingmobile phones while drivingAll were issued TORs

(trafFc offence reports) andgiven the option to attend adriver education course, sup-plied by Gloucestershire

Road Safety Partnership, onthe same day.Additionally, 13 drivers

were given verbal warningsfor minor offences, threepeople underwent andpassed eyesight tests andone driver was given acannabis warning after adrugs search.TrafFc police inspector

Mark Duncton said: “We

were looking to raise aware-ness and educate driversabout the dangers of the'Fatal Four'. The use ofmobile phones whiledriving, speeding, drink ordrug driving and notwearing seatbelts are all riskybehaviours which too oftenend in tragedy.“Education plays a key

part in our strategy to reduce

offending, but we willenforce the law where neces-sary.Initiatives such as this are

regularly made with mythanks to the commitmentof Gloucestershire's SpecialConstabulary. These peopleare a group of volunteer'warranted' police ofFcerswho dedicate their free timeon top of their day jobs and

busy lives to police thecounty in conjunction withtheir regular colleagues.”Sgt Bob Brundson of the

Special Constabulary said:“Safe and social driving is

one of the force's main pri-orities and we're pleased tobe able to work alongsideour regular colleagues todeliver the 'Fatal Four'message.”

Cops road safety purge in Cheltenham

Fish spotted on M5A NEW service stationbringing fresh Fsh andmeatto the travelling masses hasopened just outsideCheltenham on the south-bound M5.The Gloucester station

claims to be the Frst to in-troduce a Fshmonger to themotorway alongside its on-site butcher, patisserie andchocolatier.The northbound services,

near junction 12, opened inMay 2014 after years ofplanning debate and

appeals.Operator Westmoreland

has spent about £40m onboth services, with around300 people expected to beemployed.Chief executive Sarah

Dunning, said the companyhad “raised eyebrows” whenit unveiled the idea.She added: “Why should-

n't you be able to pick upfresh Fsh caught in Britishwaters on your way homefrom work or on your wayto a holiday cottage?”

GLOUCESTERSH IREPolice are appealing forhelp to Fnd 24-year-oldDean Ford. Mr Ford, fromCheltenham, is wanted byGloucestershire Constabu-lary’s Force Crime Opera-tions Unit in connectionwith a house burglary inApril. It is thought he hasconnections to theWhaddon and St Paulsarea of the town.Whilst we do not

believe he is a danger tothe public we advisepeople not to approachhim. If you know of his

whereabouts or have anyinformation please call101 or 999. Alternativelyyou can call Crimestop-pers anonymously on0800 555111.

Wanted appeal for Cheltenham man


EMPLOYEES from Ameyhave lent a hand to the localGloucestershire communityafter completing a projectwith St. Vincent’s & St.George’s Association.The team of twelve com-

pleted a variety of tasks tohelp the charity make thegrounds of its property inLansdown, Cheltenham intoan accessible garden for useby the community. Thegarden has been designed tomaximise wildlife and in-cludes a summer house forvisiting groups and offersquieter areas for relaxation.The team from Amey helpedto lay a new 35m long gravelpath, constructed raiseddecking in front of thesummer house and laid newtop soil and paving aroundthe edge of the pond.Les Bonney, Chairman of

the board of trustees of theSt. Vincent’s and St. George’sAssociation, said: “We are de-lighted with the hands onsupport from Amey whohave made a huge difference

to our garden. Amey’s workhas made it much more ac-cessible for the vulnerablepeople who live there, andmore available to our localcommunity. We are lookingforward to seeing the gardenat its best in the comingmonths thanks to the hard

work and contributionmadeby the Amey team alongwith our regular dedicatedvolunteers.”David Holmes, Legal

Counsel at Amey, said: “Thiswas a huge challenge formost of the team from ourLegal department, as we’re

used to working in an ofEcerather than being outside allday and we were very fortu-nate to have volunteers fromthe highways maintenanceteam to assist. It was a fan-tastic experience to be able tosupport St. Vincent’s & St.George’s Association, and to

see the difference our effortswill make to the individualsand groups who use the fa-cilities. Every employee atAmey is entitled to one paidday working with a charita-ble organisation of theirchoice to support the localcommunity, and it’s some-

thing I would deEnitely par-ticipate in again.”The team fromAmey com-

prised of employees from theGroup Legal team, as well asemployees from the high-waysmaintenance teamwhowork on behalf of Glouces-tershire County Council.

MORE than £70k has beenawarded to local projectswhich will improve Chel-tenham’s popular night timeeconomy. It is hoped thatone of the highest grantsawarded will secure andmaintain ofEcial ‘purple Fag’status for the town – show-casing it as a safe and enjoy-able night time destination.The money has been

raised through the ‘late nightlevy’; payable by premisesthat are licensed to sellalcohol between midnightand 6am. Invited to applyfor a share of the cash, com-munity groups, organisa-tions, businesses andlicense holders submitted ap-plications for a variety ofprojects.Purple Flag, funded

£30,974. To secure andmain-tain purple Fag status forthe town centre throughthe appointment of a nighttime economy co-ordinator.The accreditation recogniseshigh standards for adiverse, safe and enjoyablenight out.

Those winning fundingare as follows:

University CommunityStreet patrol, funded£12,778The project expands and de-velops an existing pro-gramme: the University ofGloucestershire / Students’Union operated “SuperstarsXtra”, which is a voluntaryscheme providing support topatrons of the night timeeconomy, one night a week.It may include speaking withdoor supervisors to offersupport or identify prob-lems, offer Erst aid, directpeople to taxi ranks orprovide drinking water.

Hello Cheltenham, funded£16,000The joining together of anumber of agencies to pur-

chase a multi-use, Fexiblecommunity van for use by avariety of partners. The vanwill be used in whicheverway it is needed but may forinstance act as a base forthose working to make thenight time economy safer oras a safe haven for vulnera-ble people.

Hub Bistro, funded£6,388Feasibility study, carried outby the Nelson Trust, to in-vestigate the possibility ofdeveloping an alcohol-freevenue for CheltenhamTown Centre that wouldprovide a quality late nightalternative to the currentalcohol-centred late nighteconomy.

A safer night out, thanks to cash grants

Amey lend A hAnd


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ON 14th May new socialmedia App company‘Tagstr’ came in to talk toYear 12 ICT students. Thepupils had the opportunityto test the app and givefeedback on what they likedand disliked about the app.They also got the opportu-nity to thoroughly test theapp on phones provided byTagstr.All Saints Academy’sTagst is a social media plat-formwhere people discover,share and collaborate withanyone in the world basedon their interests and pas-sions. Everything is organ-ised by #tags making itsimple to search. When youshare on Tagstr you share

with the world.Whether you’re inter-ested in sports, music, art orjust love occasions, Tagstrcan organise those experi-

ences by #tags. Share yourexperiences and collaboratewith people around theworld with whom you sharean interest.

Students thoroughlyenjoyed the experience andare looking forward toTagstr’s next visit to theschool.

FLAPPERS and gangstersdanced the night away toraise vital funds for peoplewith disabilities.More than 260 guests at-tended the Star Ball at Na-tional Star’s college campusin Ullenwood, near Chel-tenham.The Roaring Twentiestheme party raised £21,000on the night. Proceeds willbe used to enable peoplewith disabilities to live theirlives independently.The Great Gatsby ShowGirls had the ball goers onthe dance Coor practisingtheir Charlestons and tea-

pots, followed by live musicfrom Dancin’ Easy.Crowe Clark Whitehilland Safehands Recruitmentsponsored the eveningwhich is one of the charity’smost important fundraisersof the year.Student Lewis Fisher wasthe star of the evening.Lewis uses a communicatorto speak and controls it witheye movements.He said National Star hadprovided him the opportu-nity to realise his dreams in-cluding representingEngland in the sport Boccia.Guy Biggin, Partner of

Crowe Clark Whitehall,said: “The Star Ball is a fan-tastic occasion, always madethat much more special bythe reason we all go. High-lights this year wereKathryn and Lewis' speech,the food, the CharlestonGirls and the disco.”National Star Chief Exec-utive David Ellis said:“Never have I seen so manyfeathers and sequins underone roof.“It was a fantastic nightand we’d like to say a bigthank you to all those whoattended and supported theRoaring Twenties Star Ball.”

TO ADvERTISE IN THECHElTENHAM STANDARD CAll

01242 257019

All Saints Year 12 students App testers for the day

Flapping for fun and charity

THE vision for Cheltenhamas a tech-hub of the futurewas given a positive boostlast week, as local technol-ogy experts gathered tohear a presentation from aprominent local tech Brmand discuss plans for thetown’s high tech future.On Thursday 14th May,nearly 40 local profession-als from the tech sectorgathered in Cheltenhamfor the inaugural 'Bits andBites' event, organised bythe Cheltenham Tech Hubsocial group.Attendees received apresentation from locally-based data Brm, Ripjar, whoprovided a post-electionanalysis utilizing socialmedia.Cheltenham's newlyelectedMP, Alex Chalk, waspresent to support theevent. He made promotingCheltenham as a tech-hubof the future one of his elec-tion priorities, and believesthat an opportunity existsto transform the town's rep-utation for technology.Speaking to the Standard,

Mr Chalk said: “I was de-lighted to attend this fasci-nating event, which onlyconBrmed tome that Chel-tenham has the talent anddrive we need to become aregional tech hub. I believewe can grow our reputationas an attractive place to dotech business, which inturn will create opportuni-ties for Cheltenham'syoung people. In future, Iwill be pushing for newlow-cost business incubatorunits here in town to helpstart-ups, and will also beworking closely with theGovernment to explorewhether Cheltenham couldqualify for Enterprise Zonestatus. Reducing businessrates and promoting super-fast broadband would offera powerful incentive tobusinesses thinking aboutrelocating here.”

Support grows for Tech Town vision

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DAY TRIPSWest Somerset Railway* | Sunday May 24th | £33

Weston-super-Mare | May 24th, 27th & 31st | £17

Alton Towers* | Sunday May 24th | £52

Legoland* | Monday May 25th | £52

Tenby & Saundersfoot | Monday May 25th | £25

West Midlands Safari Park – incl. Safari Guide* Monday May 25th | £28

Cadbury World & Sealife Centre* | Tuesday May 26th | £40

Harry Potter Studio Tour* | Thursday May 28th | £57

Longleat Safari Park* | Friday May 29th | £42

Chatsworth House & Denby* | Saturday May 30th | £38

Dawlish & Teignmouth | Sunday May 31st | £23

Stonehenge & Salisbury* | Tuesday June 2nd | £33

Sidmouth | Thursday June 4th | £22

Three Counties Show, Malvern* | Friday June 12th | £34

*Entry included.Children (15 and under) receive a discountof £5 on all our Day Trips.

WE ARE OPENMonday to Saturday9.00am – 5.00pm

Various local pick-uppoints available!

To book please call01242 25771461 Clarence Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3LBwww.marchants-coaches.com

LOCAL funeral directors inCheltenham are supportingDying Matters AwarenessWeek providing support andadvice to young children inthe community.The awareness week, or-

ganised by charity groupDying Matters, runs from18th-22nd May and aims toget people talking about theissues of dying with activi-ties and events.In support of the cam-

paign, the Midcounties Co-operative Funeralcare havecreated a series of DVDs andbooks with bereavementcharity CHUMS, to helpseven to 16-year-olds copewith the loss of a loved one.Hayley Bewick, branch

manager at Cheltenham onLansdown Road said: “Be-reavement is an incrediblydifJcult time for anyone, butit can be particularly toughto deal with when you’re achild. As a parent or carer, itcan also be hard to knowwhat to say to children inthese situations, or how tobehave around them.“Although teenagers are

likely to use social media orthe internet to source infor-mation that may help withtheir bereavement, we feltthat we needed something

physical that we can provideto younger children.“Through our series of

DVDs and books we hopethat we can support childrenin the local communitythrough difJcult times andgive them an understandingof what has happened.”The exclusive bereave-

ment DVDs are entitled ‘OurYear Since’, and are aimed atchildren from Key Stage 2and above, with four varia-tions to help cope with theloss of parents and grand-parents.The DVD series also offers

guardians and caring profes-sionals structured supportthrough an additional guid-ance booklet, downloadablelesson plan, PowerPointpresentation, note takingtemplate and Q&A section.It is hoped that the serieswill also equip parents,teachers and carers with ef-fective support tools to carefor a child who is dealingwith the loss of a mother,father, grandmother orgrandfather.Co-operative Funeralcare

also provide books foryounger children, narratedby two characters calledAmy and Tom who haveboth lost a parent and share

their story.The DVD series was

created in conjunction withBedfordshire children’scharity CHUMS, which sup-ports children, young peopleand their parents or careersthrough bereavement andtrauma.Dawn Hewitt, Chief Exec-

utive OfJcer of CHUMS said:“We know that grief can feeloverwhelming, confusing,painful and lonely. AtCHUMS we offer a variety ofinterventions, in order tosupport children and youngpeople in their grief whensomeone close to them hasdied. Through the mediumof animation, the DVDs canhelp children and youngpeople relate to their ownexperience and help themrecognise that they are noton their own.“Schools, community

groups and specialised be-reavement services such asCHUMS all play an impor-tant role in supporting be-reaved children and youngpeople. Support and re-sources such as the DVDscan make a profound differ-ence, not only at the time ofa child's loss but also fortheir long term emotionalwellbeing and resilience.”

FORMER LibDemMPMartinHorwood this week kept hispromise to give evidence atthe examination of the JointCore Strategy in front of gov-ernment inspector ElizabethOrd. The inquiry openedtoday and will take monthsto examine every aspect ofthe development plan drawnup in a joint process by Chel-tenham, Gloucester andTewkesbury councils. Mostcontroversially the JCS plansuggests more than a thou-sand houses on the greenJelds at Leckhampton andthousands more north-westof Cheltenham immediatelynext to Swindon Village.Mr Horwood challenged

the JCS plan for ignoring im-portant safeguards for greenspace built into the NationalPlanning Policy Framework(NPPF).“Cheltenham needs its

green spaces”, said the former

Cheltenham MP. “Theyprovide space for free recre-ation, improve our mentaland physical health, absorbpollution and allow for thelocal growing of food. Theyare one of the reasons peoplewant to live and work here.“The Inspector is facing a

roomful of big developersand their consultants, all

trying to grab moreand more greenspace for high costmarket housing.They love to talkabout the presump-tion in favour of de-velopment in theNPPF but ignore allthe crucial safe-guards for greenspaces in the samegovernment policy.The NPPF recog-nises the intrinsicvalue and beauty ofthe countryside and

introduced the Local GreenSpace designation that I initi-ated to protect green spacesimportant to local people.“We need the inspector to

resist and leave us with a planthat provides more housing,especially affordable housing,but which also safeguardsquality of life for future gen-erations.”

Former MP Challenges Plan

Co-operative Funeral care in Cheltenhamsupports Dying Matters Awareness Week

Martin Horwood

WYCHWOOD is one of theUK’s best loved family festi-vals set in the beautiful sur-roundings of theGloucestershire countrysidefrom 29th – 31st May.Across the weekend the fes-tival will showcase timelessheritage artists includingUB40 - Ali Campbell, Astro,Mickey Virtue, Boney M,The Undertones and TheProclaimers plus festivalfavourites Craig Charlesand Andy Kershaw. New upand coming music willcome courtesy of Londonpromoters, SmashingBlouse in the Ecotricity BigTop, where Ghostpoet,Lucy Rose and Darlia are allset to perform.On top of the music

there is an innovative andpacked programme of ac-tivities and events for allthe family including yoga,crafts, comedy, children’sworkshops, craft beer festi-val and Wychwood’s

famous headphone discofor late night revellers!Families will be thrilled as

BAFTA Award-Winning,Justin Fletcher a.k.a MrTumble takes over themainstage on Sunday plusWychwood’s very ownChildren’s Literature Festi-val returns, in associationwith Waterstones.Wychwood offers a

diverse programme ofmusic and entertainmentfor all the family, a brilliantvariety of food stalls and isa festival not to be missedthis summer.

To win one pair oftickets to Wychwood2015 in our free toenter competitionjust answer thefollowing question:

Q. When was the3rst WychwoodFestival?

A) 2008B) 2004C) 2009

Answers to [email protected]

Competition entry closes5pmWednesday 27thMay 2015

Wychwood Festival takesplace at CheltenhamRacecourse, 29th – 31stMay 2015, tickets viawww.wychwoodfestival.com

Win tickets to theWychWood Festival!

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THE team at a Cheltenhamhotel will be taking its marksto compete in a specialcharity Tray Race to markNational Waiters Day.Front-of-house employees

at Holiday Inn Express Chel-tenhamwill compete againsteach other in a local TrayRace today, Thursday, 21stMay as the main ofCcialWaiters Day race takes placein London.And they’re encouraging

other local hospitality busi-nesses to sign up andcompete, or to come alongand watch on the day.Donations will also be col-

lected throughout the day,which will go to MacmillanCancer Support, the chosencharity of the hotel’s opera-tor, RedeCne BDL Hotels –the UK’s largest independenthotel management

company.Will Glenn, General

Manager of Holiday InnExpress Cheltenham, said:“Our front-of-house teamsare the reason the hotel per-forms so well, and it’s downto them that our guests areso well looked after. NationalWaiters Day is a great way torecognise the work that theydo – and the Tray Race is abrilliant opportunity for theteams to bond whilst raisingmoney for charity.“Around ten employees

from the hotel will race onthe day – includingme – andwe’d be delighted to bejoined by other local hospi-tality and tourism teams.”Holiday Inn Express Chel-

tenham’s Tray Race will kickoff at 4pm – just as the mainrace gets under way in HydePark.

HOTEL TEAM ON ITS MARKSFOR NATIONAL WAITERS DAYHoliday Inn Express Cheltenham:rEady, sErvE, go!

University reports rise in student applications,as revised plans for student village submittedTHEUniversity of Gloucester-shire has submitted revisedplans to CheltenhamBorough Council for the pro-posed Student Village at itscampus in Pittville.The revised plans reDect in-

tensive further discussionover recent months with theBorough Council, local resi-dents and other stakeholders,in response to issues raisedabout the previous plans. Thebuilding designs have beensubstantially reworked, andplans for managing the sitehave been further developed.It is expected the revised

plans will be available to viewon the Borough Council’splanning portal at www.chel-tenham.gov.uk/planningwithin the next few daysusing the reference14/01928/FUL.At the same time, the Uni-

versity has been experiencingawelcome rise in applicationsfrom students. Following themain UCAS deadline lastweek, when applicants forentry to courses this autumnwere required to conCrm theirCrst choice of University, the

number of appli-cants conCrmingoffers for places atthe University ofGloucestershire hasrisen 18% comparedwith the same pointlast year.Vice-Chancellor, Stephen

Marston (pictured), said: “Wehaveworked hard to improveand reCne our plans for thestudent village at Pittville, inclose consultation withCouncil planning ofCcers, res-idents and partners. We arepleasedwith the progress thathas been made. We are com-mitted to developing excel-lent accommodation for ourstudents, through a develop-mentwhich is attractively de-signed and well managed.“This year’s recruitment

cycle is showing that theUni-versity of Gloucestershire isincreasingly attractive to stu-dents. We expect to see an in-crease in our enrolments thisautumn. That is good newsfor the University and forCheltenham, given themanybeneCts that students andgraduates bring to the town,

contributing to avibrant commu-nity and a pros-perous economy.But this verywelcome expan-sion only rein-forces the need

for additional accommoda-tion so that we can offer stu-dents high quality, safe andwell-managed accommoda-tion with good facilities.”Revised plans for a 791 bed

village were submitted to theBorough Council earlier thisweek. If approved, construc-tion would start later thisyear, so that the new accom-modation is available for thestart of the academic year inSeptember 2017.Stephen Marston Cnally

added: “The University hasbeen part of the Pittville com-munity for a long time. If theplanning application is ap-proved, we are committed tocontinuing to work closelywith residents during the de-velopment and operation ofthe site, which is critical toour future prosperity and thatof the town.”


The dinosaurs have made a break for it and are taking part in aspecial FREE event at Smyths Toys Superstore at Gateway RetailPark, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham,0 GL51 9DU onSaturday 30th May from 9am -6pm. Come along to enjoydinosaurs ‘photobombing’ your pictures!

To celebrate the release of Jurassic World in cinemas on 12th June,we are giving away a Playstation®4 and a copy of the new LEGO®Jurassic World™ videogame. For your chance to win, email:[email protected] with the answer to thisquestion: The T-Rex had hollow bones – true or false?

and PlayStation are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Also, is a trademark of the same company. LEGO JURASSIC WORLDsoftware © 2015 TT Games Ltd. Produced by TT Games under license from the LEGO Group. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and the Knob con2 gurations and the Mini2 gureare trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2015 The LEGO Group. Jurassic World is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. Licensed byUniversal Studios Licensing LLC. All Rights Reserved.

CAN someone please passthe caffeine to the Indone-sian government so theycan wake up and Dnallydeal with Cheltenham drugsmuggler Lindsay Sandi-ford?I mean for God’s sake –

how much longer do wehave to put up with her in-sufferable requests for apardon? Each time I logonto Mail Online or readthis very newspaper for mylocal news, it’s hard to missa story on this woman’splight.She’s a former Chelton-

ian who gave up her right(in my opinion) to UK citi-zenship the moment shebecame a drugs smuggler.So it is quite right that ourgovernment has refusedher legal aid, saving the

British taxpayer thousandsupon thousands of poundsin the process.Whilst the death penalty

is not something Icondone – nor is it some-thing practiced in the UK –it is the sentence passed inIndonesia for what shehas been incarcerated for,and we should respect that.For us to intervene andplay God by telling theAsians they can’t do thiswould be totally unaccept-able.Our Foreign Secretary

Philip Hammond shouldignore the recent calls forhim to intervene and allowthe country to dealwith Ms Sandifordwithout any further delay.After all, we don’t protest

against our friends in the

United States or SaudiArabia for their use of thedeath penalty. We don’tlecture these World powerson what’s right and wrong.So we should leave wellalone in Indonesia too.Whilst most of us will see

the punishment as barbaricand ‘going too far’, I’d liketo point out how evenmore punishing it might’vebeen if thoughtless peoplelike Lindsay weren’tstopped in theirtracks.The quantity of

drugs thiswoman wascaught

smuggling - into an alreadydrugs-riddled country –would’ve had the capabilityof destroying the lives ofmany Indonesians. I’m notjust talking about theaddicts. Drugs can easilyimpact family members,children suffering inpoverty, and many morevulnerable, innocent by-standers who might sadlyget caught up in the cross-Dre between these selDsh,thuggish gangs.

I have no sympathyfor people caught up inillegal drugs. They arefully aware of the risks

involved and on amore sinister

note,they bla-tantly

decide to turn a

blind eye to the destructionthey wreak on others.The only thing Lindsay

Sandiford is sorry for is thatshe got caught, and nowshe’s paying the ultimateprice for it, her life. And it’sprobably a blessing she is.It’s about time we started

caring more for the law-abiding citizens on thisplanet rather than the indi-viduals hell-bent on de-stroying it.

Get more of Tom’sinsights by following himon Twitter @thurlow

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

THE Thriller Run is back –but be warned this time it’sgoing to be even tougher tooutrun the Zombies.Competitors will have to

crawl through a zombiegraveyard’s infected soil atnight and dodge deadlypaint balls in the third Na-tional Star event which in-cludes a range of obstacles.As well as Dghting to keep

the tags that the zombiesare trying to steal, runners

have to tackle a load of newchallenges; Dghting tosurvive The Scorcher and aforbidden alley that willmake them wish they hadeyes in the back of theirheads.The Thriller Run takes

place at National Star’s basein Ullenwood, near Chel-tenham on the evening ofFriday 26th June.Competitors brave

enough to take the test pay

£35 for the 'pleasure', withthe cash helping to supportpeople with disabilities.Find Dve more people daft

or daring enough to do itwith you and the six-personteam pay £30 per person.Zombies are also wanted

for the 5km run and have toprovide their own costumes.A £5 fee covers make-up.Visit www.thrillerrun.co.uk

or National Star’s website orFacebook page to sign up.

NaTioNaL STar ThriLLer

Venting spleen Local man about town, Tom Thurlow lets loose


1 2 3 4 5 6

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aCroSS1. Those who avail themselves of servicesrendered (6-5)9. Censure for shocking pub assault (7)10. Container in which you'll find some ofthe morphia left (5)11. The result of summing up (5)12. Ann unusually eager for this material (7)13. Slip list in the book (6)15. Stays in the wrong sector (6)18. The gateman has become a big businessoperator (7)20. The heart's regularly ordered beat, ini-tially (5)22. A capital ring for a lover (5)23. Large part of the claim men settled (7)24. Ten genially disposed in a graceless way(11)

DowN2. Usual procedure assumed by the rider (5)3. Back a great many, we hear, to make anew distribution (7)4. The kind of place for corporal punish-ment (6)5. Prone to be disguised as an artist (5)6. Dear Sir, those in the attack have beenrouted (7)7. Promote a greater number as well (11)8. They're used for surveying aircraft sched-ules (5-6)14. Prevailing system of discipline for nearlyall the military body (7)16. A motto put up by northern Turk (7)17. Margaret holding the money for ra-tioning out (6)19. Everybody goes round to the island (5)21. Somehow learn to describe glands af-fected by nephritis (5)

Cryptic Crossword No44

Last week’s solutions (14th May 2015): ACRoSS: 1 PImpunity; 5 Amps; 9 Fast; 10 Alfresco; 11 Quail; 12 Violent;13 Meadow saffron; 18 Napoleon; 19 Avid; 20 Opiates; 21 Piton; 22 Rhea; 23 Sturgeon. DoWN: 2 Measure; 3 Untried;4 Television set; 6 Masseur; 7 Shorten; 8 Cry off; 13 Man-hour; 14 Apprise; 15 Owlets; 16 Flaming; 17 Orinoco.

1 9 44 7 8 3 2 19 6 5 8 38 6

2 1 33 5

5 7 2 4 81 6 9 5

4 1 7

Standoku

TargeTA D YL RS T N

I

Make as manywords of four lettersor more as you can.Each word mustcontain the centerletter and eachletter must onlybe used once.Target:25 words good;35 very good;40+ excellent.

Medium

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PUPILS from a Cheltenhamprimary school took part in aspeed gun operation tomonitor motorists on twobusy roads in the town.The youngsters, who are

members of Oakwood SchoolPolice Cubs, were out onWhaddon Road and PriorsRoad between 3.45pm and4.20pm on Wednesday 29thApril, recording car speeds.Although 28 vehicles were

found to exceed the 30mphspeed limit on Priors Road,and three on WhaddonRoad, the operation was aneducational activity for theYear Six pupils and not en-forced on this occasion.

Police cub CourtneyNjenga said: “I really enjoyedlearning about car speeds andusing the speed gun. It wasreally interesting and goodfun.”Fellow cub, Josh Pearson

said: “We learned aboutspeed limits in built-up areasandmotorways. It was fun touse the speed gun like thepolice do and lots of driverssmiled at us and put theirthumbs up.”Alisha Hearn said: “Some

cars go fast and this can bedangerous. I learned that it'sbetter not to go fast all thetime because there are peopleand children about.”

Jazzmin Bamber said: “Itwas good to see how fast carsgo. I liked using the speedgun and this was one ofmy favourite lessons fromPolice Cubs.”The operation was carried

out with the help ofPC Simon Silsby andPCSOs Christine White and

Mike Edwards.The cubs programme also

covers antisocial behaviour,internet safety, bullying androles of the police and in-cludes demonstrations by apolice dog and handler and avisit to the Constabularyheadquarters in Waterwells,Gloucester.

Revised collection daysfor Spring bank holidayAs it’s the Spring bank holiday this weekend, the councilis reminding residents of their alternative collectiondays.Ubico (the Councils waste collection contractor) will

not be working onMonday 25thMay and so collectionsof waste, recycling, food and gardenwaste will take placea day later than usual that week, as follows:

Normal collection day Revised collection day

Monday 25 May(bank holiday) Tuesday 26 May

Tuesday 26 May Wednesday 27 May

Wednesday 27 May Thursday 28 May

Thursday 28 May Friday 29 May

Friday 29 May Saturday 30 May

Normal scheduled collections will resume fromMonday 1st June.In some areas refuse and recycling collections take

place as early as 7am so residents are asked to presenttheir food caddies, refuse/garden waste bins and/or bagsand recycling boxes in good time.The Swindon Road recycling centre will be open on

the bank holiday, 9am until 1pm, with usual openinghours on all other days.See www.cheltenham.gov.uk/recycling for more in-formation or call 01242 262626.

Police Cubs checkmotorists’ speeds

TICKETS are £55 and includeentry into Pitville PumpRooms, a three coursedinner, live music from theChip Shop Boys. In addition,ex-student Steve Sims (whohas a professional contract)and performed at Mrs Jones'

Celebration of Life will alsobe playing.Tables at the Pump Rooms

hold ten people each. Theyare inviting you to eithercreate your own table often or join an existing table.All partners, friends etc…

are welcome.They have a total mix of

people going: staff fromChosen Hill, Dean Close,Pates, Cleeve and otherlocal schools; their friendsand families; ex-students;and people from all kindsof other areas!If you would like to join

them or would like moredetails please drop an emailto either Mr Day([email protected]),Miss Nicholls ([email protected]), or contactus on 01452 713488.Places / tables will be allo-

cated on a Krst come Krstserved basis.

Chosen Hill School plan fundraiser for Diabetes HeroineCharity Ball, Friday 12th June, Pitville Pump Rooms


GLOUCESTERSHIRE busi-nesses and keen golfers arepolishing off their irons fora charity golf day on behalfof the Hollie Gazzard Truston Thursday 4th June.Brickhampton Court

Golf Complex in Church-down will play host forthe day which includesbreakfast, competitionsand a two course dinner andentertainment in theevening.The Hollie Gazzard Trust

was set up by Nick Gazzardfollowing the death of his

daughter Hollie, who wasbrutally murdered while atwork at Fringe BeneCts & LaBella Beauty Salon inGloucester in early2014. The charities aim is topromote the dangers ofknife crime, reduce the levelof domestic abuse and tohelp, support and fundyoung hairdressers inGloucestershire through a

partnership with Glouces-tershire College.Charity chairman Nick

Gazzard would like to thankBrickhampton for setting upthe day. “This is one ofmany events we haveplanned for this summerand is already well sup-ported with ten teams in.The business community inGloucestershire has always

been great with the trustand we are grateful forthat.”The event begins at 11am

and it is £200per team offour. Anyone looking toregister should contactColin Bassett on [email protected] more information

please visit the websitewww.holliegazzard.org

CHELTENHAM SARACENS RFCKING GEORGE V PLAYING FIELDSBROOKLYN ROAD, CHELTENHAM GL51 8DT

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RELATE Gloucestershire &Swindon are delighted to an-nounce discounted coun-selling sessions for the over50s in Cheltenham, thanksto the support of Chel-tenham Council. For alimited period, the over 50swill be offered counsellingappointments at less thanhalf price in Relate’s Chel-tenham ofCces.Relationships are central

to a happy life. A recentRelate survey showed that,83% of people over 50 saythat strong relationshipswith family and friends arevital for a happy retirement.Relate is now campaigningon this issue. “The Best Med-icine” campaigns draws onevidence showing that rela-tionships promote happi-ness, protect physical andmental health and increaseslongevity.Acknowledging an emo-

tional problem can be difC-cult for the over 50s. Issues

like depression, anxiety andstress have been privatematters in relationships.Seeking outside expertise toimprove a relationship canseem an alien concept anddifCcult step to take.Cheltenham Borough

Council recognises thesedifCculties particularly Cnan-cial ones. The over 50s are asandwich generation – theyare often busy caring forelderly parents and children.This can stretch Cnanceswith mortgages to pay andchildren to support.Counselling to improve

your relationship might feellike an indulgence, yet thecost of failing to tackle

problems often lead togreater difCculties: physicaland mental health issues,and emotional distress.To book an appointment

call 01242 523215 andmention that you’ve readthis article.A full price Relate appoint-

ment costs up to £55.Appointments are conC-

dential and set at a time con-venient to you.Have a look too, on

www.relateglos.co.uk formore information on what isavailable from your Relatecentre in Cheltenham, eitheras a client or worker. Forexample, have you everthought about becominga Trustee of a localCharity? Relate are alwaysinterested in talking topeople who would like tohelp in this way. Pleasecall the above number andask for Ellaine Cameronif you would like toknow more.

Good news for love in the over 50s

To adVerTise iN THe sTaNdardCall oUr sales TeaM oN 01242 257019

POLICE have released imagesof a man who is believed tohave stolen a bike in Chel-tenham.The cycle was stolen from

the University of Gloucester-shire's Park campus in Chel-tenham between midday onSunday10thMayand the sametime onMonday 11thMay.The bike was left insecure

in a bike rack and the of-fender then took the bikeaway.Anyone whomay recognise

the man or witnessed the in-cident is asked to contactGloucestershire Police on 101,quoting incident number 370of May 11.

CCTV appealafter bike nickedat CheltenhamUniversity

Tee off for Hollie

Hollie Gazzard

Nick Gazzard is challengingthe businesses of Glos


TELESALESVACANCIES2

We are looking for 2 Telesales people to join ourfast moving, popular magazine and newspapercompany, based in Cheltenham.Vacancy involves selling advertising space to a variety of clients.

Hours Negotiable | Full training will be givenSalary: Basic Salary + Generous Commission structure

Must be hard working, keen to learn, reliable with excellent people skills.

To apply please contact:Mark Cuzner on 07917 [email protected]

A CHELTENHAM charity hasused a donation from TheDeposit Protection Service(The DPS) to rehouse Evelocal homeless people.Cheltenham Housing Aid

Centre (CHAC) was one oftwo charities that received£10,000 from The DPSCharity Donations Fund inSeptember 2014.Mary Apperly, Housing

Advice Worker at CHAC,said: “We are very gratefulfor The DPS’ donation,which has managed to makea huge difference to ourclients.“A big thank you from all

at CHAC for this fantasticopportunity.”The beneEciaries of the

donation include a localman, Jack (a pseudonym),who had been living in hiscar after the breakdown ofhis relationship.“I was living inmy car and

not able to see my kids,getting more depressed anddesperate,” Jack said.“I now have a lovely Fat,

can have my kids over tostay and am looking forwardto getting back into work.Thanks so much!”

Another Cheltenhammanwith alcohol dependencyhas been able to move froma hostel to private rented ac-commodation as a result ofthe funding.Daren King, Head of

Tenancy Deposit Protectionat The DPS, said: “The CHACundertakes vital work inCheltenham.“Over the last year The

DPS Charity Donations Fundhas now donated over£80,000 to good causes, andwe’re proud to be able tosupport important charities

such as the CHAC.”CHAC was founded in

1988 to provide free, inde-pendent housing advice tolocal people.Over the years the charity

has developed a range ofservices to help some of themost vulnerable and disad-vantaged members of thelocal community.The DPS safeguard de-

posits throughout the periodof a tenancy and repay thefunds to the appropriateparties when they come toan end.

cheltenham charity helps the homeless

THERE were bubbles, gigglesand cake galore as Tonic, theSpa and Beauty Salon nestledin the Suffolks in Chel-tenham celebrated their Erstbirthday in business on lastThursday 14th May.Owner and beauty thera-

pist, Kerry Willcocks said: “Itwas such a wonderfulevening and I was so thrilledso many people, both newfaces as well as existingclients, came to help cele-brate with us.”Teaming up with local

South Indian RestaurantBhoomi, who provided thedelicious launch partycanapés, guests took part infun skin care demo’s,mingled with glasses of Pros-ecco, ate lots of cake andtook away luxury goody bagsto Enish off a delightful

evening.Already causing quite a stir

in the town, Kerry, who re-cently won the New businessof the Year category at theGloucestershire Women inBusiness Awards, said: “Weare a beauty salon commit-ted to providing natural,results driven treatments, de-livered by professionals to anexceptional standard everytime. We use natural, plantderived Parisian products,harnessing the power ofnatural ingredients toprovide treatments that

really work. Stripping ourtreatments back to providehands on, old school treat-ments that are tailored to theclient.”Having opened in May

2014, Kerry talks enthusiasti-cally about the Erst 12months in business: “It hasbeen fantastic, I have builtup a loyal client base, withpeople returning and givinggood reviews online, despitestruggling with road closuresfor nine months and havingscaffolding erected on thebuilding, whichmeant it has

been quite difEcult to getseen.”Looking forward to her

second year in business,Kerry furthered: “Tonic looksto build on the success wehave already experienced.We hope to welcome moreclients, providing them withexceptional service andmoreluxurious treatments. I'mlooking forward to develop-ing our seasonal menu, offer-ing in house designedtreatments that change on aseasonal basis, giving clientsfresh new ideas all the time.”

JUSTTHETONic

PHO

TO:L

UKE

JOH

NST

ON

ST PAUL’S Streetwatch is ajoint project between localresidents, university stu-dents and the police, op-erating bi-weeklyvolunteer patrols toaddress issues of antisocialbehaviour (nuisance, per-sonal or environmental),and discourage andprevent crime andfunding has been pro-vided for radios.Councillor Andrew

McKinlay, cabinetmember for developmentand safety said: “In Chel-tenham we have a richand vibrant night time of-fering, which peopletravel far and wide toenjoy. “Of course anactive night timeeconomy demands a lot oftime and resources fromthe council and otheragencies including thepolice.‘’I am pleased that

through the late nightlevy we have been able to

support these projects andI hope that they will addto the fun and safety of anight out in Chel-tenham.’’Gloucestershire’s Police

and Crime CommissionerMartin Surl added:“Cheltenham’s night-lifeis one of the most activein the region and apopular destination for avariety of age groups.“Keeping its communitiessafe while people are outand about having a goodtime puts pressure onboth police and councilresources. I am pleasedthat businesses who arebeneEtting from Chel-tenham’s night timeeconomy are sharing inthe cost of achieving ourgoal of safer days andnights for all.”Some projects are still

being assessed andfunding will be kept avail-able to fund other projectsthroughout the year.

St Paul’s Streetwatch,funded £885.90

editor’sDesk

There is doubt that we havea shortage of housing inCheltenham.

The amount of new builds is waytoo low which means that we stillhave a burgeoning rental market,particularly for the young peoplein the town.

So where am I going with this? Well it’s about timethe local council stopped allowing, just about every de-veloper, to grab plots of either spare land or old exist-ing buildings and turn them into up-market retirementMats. What good will that do for that town accept Lll itwith more old folks?It’s this kind of activity that could suffocate the town

in a dense fog of lavender, twin-sets and pearls that willwill ultimately stiMe the very life out of the town. Wecould end up with a ‘waiting for God’ situation thatturns the town into a shufMing, white-haired, upmarket development that’s shunned by anybody underthirty Lve. Not good.In real terms the glorious Kraft building is going over

to posh, retirement Mats for the over Lfties. St George’sHouse in Bayshill Road was acquired by Pegasus Life, adeveloper which specialises in re-inventing retirementhousing, in 2013. Great for them, but not good for thetown. And re-inventing what? Being old? Being old hasbeen around for years.Add to this the development on the corner of Old

Gloucester Road near Tesco and the planned £20M re-tirement development of the old Bovis HQ on Lans-down Road and you can see a picture beginning todevelop.It’s all about the greedy developers being allowed to

appeal to the old and the rich. Don’t get me wrong, I’mnot ‘oldest’, I’m just concerned that the younger gen-eration are being ignored and priced out.I clearly see the developer’s ethos with this. They

know full-well that it’s the old and rich they can targetwith these planned kind of apartments they want tobuild and in turn the yield per property they willreceive. It’s a pension pot they can get their mits onthat the young don’t have.This town needs to grow, and grow with a younger

population who are in sustainable employment withhouses that they can both afford and purchase.

Eric Barton, Editor

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 riskand whilst every care is taken, heltenham Standard Ltd will not accept liabilityfor loss or damage. Dates, information and prices quoted are believed to becorrect at time of going to press but are subject to change and no responsibilityis accepted for any errors or omissions. Neither the editor nor publisheraccepts responsibility for any material submitted, whether photographic orotherwise. All rights reserved. ISSN no. 2055-2092. Terms and conditions atwww.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk

Got a comment?Please contact us at

[email protected]

ACTIVE Gloucestershire, acompany funded by SportEngland to promote sport andphysical activity among allage groups in the county, hasappointed an interim chiefexecutive.Deborah Potts (pictured) is

an experienced business de-velopment strategist, havingestablished a consultancy 11years ago focussing on thesport and health sectors.For six years she was pro-

gramme director at CentralYMCA and, from 2000 to2004, Deborah was chief ex-ecutive at theWomen’s Sports& Fitness Foundation.Active Gloucestershire is

part of the County SportsPartnership network, workingwith schools, clubs and in theworkplace to encourage morepeople to participate in phys-ical activity.Based at Ullenwood near

Cheltenham, it has a broad-ranging remit that includesproviding coaching, training,support for people with dis-abilities and liaising with na-tional governing bodies.Deborah’s brief is to review

options to increase thecharity’s corporate proLle, todevelop new funding chan-nels and consider the implica-tions for the organisation’sstructure.

Board chairman BrianHudson said: “We are de-lighted that Deborah hasagreed to be our interim chiefexecutive.“With obesity and other

health-related conditions nowrecognised as major problemsfor society, encouragingpeople of all ages to be moreactive is an objective we mustall support.“Deborah’s task is to make

sure Active Gloucestershire isLt for its changing and devel-oping role and increase itsproLle in the community andthe media.“The Board believes she has

the management qualities re-

quired to identify ways of be-comingmore effective and welook forward to working withDeborah to achieve this aim.”

New Chief Exec for County-wide iniative


BUSINESS

BELINDA Wilson, director of Chel-tenham based business glosjobs.co.uk,has been awarded the very LrstGloucestershire Entrepreneur’s Busi-ness Award, hosted by the Gloucester-shire Business Show this week.Belinda received the award for her

continuing success with the popularonline job advertising company,glosjobs.co.uk, which she founded in2001, as well as her voluntary workwith Cheltenham Connect.“I’m delighted with the award,” said

company director Belinda at the galaaward ceremony on Wednesday 13thMay. “When you work hard for bothyour business and your community, it’sfantastic to get the public recognition.We have a great team at both GlosJobsand CheltenhamConnect and I could-n’t do it without their support.”The award also recognises Belinda’s

work with Cheltenham Connect, thevoluntary group that she foundedwithothers to strengthen and empower theCheltenham community. CheltenhamConnect also brings local businesses to-gether; Laptop Friday and the Skill-space events offer free weekly andmonthly networking.The award ceremony took place as

part of the Gloucestershire Businessshow at Cheltenham Racecourse.“We’ve had the opportunity to talk tomany business people from all over thecounty on the Cheltenham Connectstand," said Belinda. “I know suchevents take a lot of organisation andthere seems to be a great buzz withcompanies making valuable connec-tions.”

Glosjobs directorwins entrepreneur’sbusiness award

ATTIVO, the CharteredLnancial planning andwealth managementgroup head-quartered inCheltenham, has ac-quired a further four IFAbusinesses this yeartaking the total acquisi-tions to Lve in 2015 andon target for twelve byyear-end.The businesses

include: Porter DeVerebased in Hertfordshirewhich has 130 activeclients;Lifetime Financial

Partnership Ltd based inNorth London, with over180 Active clients;Morgan FitzgeraldLimited based inWorces-ter; and Pearson Finan-cial Services based inBracknell who have over

180 active clients.Stephen Harper, Chief

Executive of Attivo (pic-tured), said: “Attivo hastaken the opportunitypresented by a genera-tion of IFAs seeking re-tirement from theindustry and has workedwith these Lrms to takeover their clients andtheir Lnancial planningrequirements. It’s esti-mated between Lve toten thousand advisers areat retirement age and weoffer a respectful routefor someone to retire.“For someone who has

built up a loyal and valu-able client bank, it is in-credibly important tothem that they leavetheir business and clientsto a Lrm that puts the

needs of their clientsLrst. As a Chartered L-nancial planning busi-ness with our own DFMwe are perfectly placed tooffer Lnancial planningand wealth managementservices built aroundclients’ needs. “It is alsoimportant that thoseIFAs who let us take overtheir client base under-stand and believe in ourproposition. We want tohave IFA’s endorsementso their clients know thatthey will be properlylooked after. Clients arenot, and do not want tobe viewed as a commod-ity, and our differentbusiness model whichfocuses on their needsresults in a 98% reten-tion rate.”

Attivo Group acquires four new firms


WHAT’S ON

CiRCUS Starr returns backbigger and better than everbefore to dazzle adiscerning and deservingyoung audience at 28 UKvenues.

The Big Top Spring Tourruns from Saturday 25thApril to Thursday 18th June2015 and boasts a worldclass troupe of artistesincluding cheeky Mexicanclown Chico Rico and thegravity defying Serikbrothers with their jaw-dropping act on Chinese

pole and straps.Back by popular demand

the acrobatic high jinks ofthe Kenyan warriors whowill have audiencescheering from their seatsand dancing in the aisles.other highlights includethe captivating balance anddexterity of las ChicasMorales on Rolling globes.

From Russia, award-winning aerialist VictoriaAntipova is guaranteed tohave audiences on theedge of their seats as she

showcases her amazingCorde lisse skills high in theBig Top.

The enchanting RomyBauer makes her debutperformance with CircusStarr with a stunning actperformed in a suspendedgiant globe.

now in its 28th year oftouring, Circus Starrcontinues to bring themagic of live circusperformances to more than27,000 vulnerable childrenand their families. localbusinesses in each of thetowns on the tour pledgethousands of pounds to

fund free tickets that aredonated to local childrenand their families throughcommunity groups.Businesses are pleased tohave the chance to giveback to their communitiesand children enjoy a raretreat, forget their troublesand escape to the circuswith their families.Circus StarrSouth Car park,Cheltenham Racecourse,prestbury park,Cheltenham gl50 4SHSunday 14th June 20152.00pm & 5.00pmwww.circus-starr.org.uk

A UniqUE film about thesurvival of the Asianelephant is coming toCheltenham on Friday 12thJune. Entitled of oozies andElephants it depicts the lifeof elephants in Myanmar

(Burma) where elephants areused in the logging industrywith oozies, their head riders.

Camilla, Duchess ofCornwall, who is jointpresident with her husbandPrince Charles of the charity

Elephant Family, has sent theFriends of the Minster adonation to help defray theexpenses of showing thefilm.

The film has been shot bySuzanne and SimonCampbell Jones, twoscientists who are involvedin the preservation, not onlyof the elephants, but also aunique way of life. it hasbeen shown to muchacclaim at several filmfestivals, including the BathFilm Festival, the Paris FilmFestival and the washingtonDC Festival.

There will be a questionand answer session afterthe film.

The film is beingpresented by the Friends ofCheltenham Minster who arecurrently raising funds forthe Cheltenham Minster Bell

Appeal and will donateproceeds from the eveningto this appeal. "This is a rareopportunity for local peopleto see this fascinsating filmabout a way of lifethreatened with extinction,and i hope as many aspossible will come along,"says Dr Peter ormedrod,Chairman of the Friends ofCheltenham Minster.

Tickets can be obtainedfrom the Bacon TheatreBooking office. Anyonebooking before May 22ndwill be able to buy tickets at£8 each. Thereafter the pricewill increase to £10.Bacon Theatre, Dean CloseSchool. gl51 6He.Tel: 01242 258002;[email protected]: 7.30pm.Date: Friday 12th June

Saving THe elepHanTSCOmeS TO CHelTenHam

THE national DanceCompany of ireland,featuring The Young irishTenors, will perform forone night only atCheltenham Town Hall thisJuly (8th) as part of theirnationwide tour of therousing Step Danceextravaganza, Rhythm ofthe Dance.

This incredible live show,which tours for up to 40weeks per year, is in its16th year and has beenseen by over 4.8 millionpeople in 59 countries,including the USA, Chinaand Russia, but has rarelyvisited the UK – until now.

The talented cast of 19dancers, plus fivemusicians and threesigners, is led by MartyMcKay who danced inMichael Flatley’s legendarylord of the Dance.

Rhythm of the Danceexpresses both the richhistory of ireland and theart of irish dance, from thedisciplined tradition of theCeltic Step, to the sensualmoves of the Sean nosdance, rooted in the

ancient island ofinnishbofn near galway.

Rhythm of the Dancecelebrates a renewedvigour in irish culture,embracing the traditionaland the current. Theproduction has its owndance school and iscommitted to encouragingnew talent from as youngas four years old.

The shows are cast fromthe schools pool ofdancers making it a trulyirish experience withstrong family traditions.Tickets for Rhythm of theDance are £24.50 foradults and £14.50 forchildren and are availableto book from CheltenhamTown Hall Box Office inperson, via 0844 576 2210or at Cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk

Rhythm of the Dance

Balletboyz at Everyman TheatreFollowing a sell-out seasonat the Royal operaHouse/linbury StudioTheatre. BAllETBoYZpresent: the Talent 2015double bill. May 28th –Cheltenham EverymanTheatre.

The double bill includes‘The Murmuring’choreographed by Alexanderwhitley and ‘Mesmerics’choreographed byChristopher wheeldon.

The programme premieredat the linbury Studio, Royalopera House last year tocapacity audiences and toursfor the first time this spring. itkicked off with two nights atRichmond Theatre on April21st and 22nd, BalletBoyzshow off their talent aroundthe UK arriving inCheltenham next week.Tickets £14 & £20 availablefrom the Box Office on01242 572573.

Circus back in town


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ON Saturday 23rd May,Hylton RenaultCheltenham onMacKenzie Way will beholding an exclusiveRenault ZOE test driveevent to showcase thegreat features of theelectric ZOE model.Renault ZOE is a

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SPORT

market by Robert Cowell.Now a six-year-old ar-guably the horse is reach-ing his prime and havingwon the Group ThreePalace House Stakes atNewmarket on his Irst runof the season served noticeof his well being.On his last run last

season he won a Class Twohandicap over Haydock’sIve furlong straight courseso we know he goes on thetrack and will be at homeon any ground underfoot.Priced at around 8/1 he

could prove a good winand place proposition.Muthmir could run well

if turning up but is likelyto prefer six furlongs andHot Streak last year’s

winner might place againin what is a better renewalthis year having run thirdto Mecca’s Angel recently.Whatever wins on Satur-

day we are likely to seemuch more of thesesprinters over the Summerat Ascot, Newmarket andYork before the Inalbig sprint championshiprace at Longchamp inOctober.

SPRINTERS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT hAyDOCKHORSE RACING

>> CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

THE major Derby trial theDante Stakes was run at Yorklast week and was won im-pressively by the JohnGosden trained GoldenHorn.Considered more of a

French Derby type, Gosdenwas quick to conIrm thehorse would be supple-mented at a cost of £75,000for the English version and isnow favourite for the race.Prior to the Dante trial very

few other likely winners hademerged from the other trialsat Chester, LingIeld and overin Ireland.Indeed the Dante also saw

Elm Park run a good race inthird having tired in the lastfurlong on his Irst run of the

season and his trainerAndrew Balding professedhimself satisIed with therun.The trainer does however

seem concerned that theground and track at Epsommight not suit his horse andit is probably best therefore towait until race day before de-

ciding whether to wager onthe horse.The trial at Chester was

won nicely by Hans Holbeinand looks to be AidanO’Brien’s main hope in whathas been a disappointingseason to date for the Irishhandler.As it is only just over two

weeks to the Derby there isunlikely to be much changein the batting order andGolden Horn at this stagedoes look the best prospect totake this English Classic.The Oaks on the other

hand is muchmore competi-tive with several nice Illieshaving shown winning formthis season and generallylooks a better betting event.More on both races in next

week’s Standard.

Dante winner looks good Epsom Derby ProspectHORSE RACING

OXFORDSHIRE out shoneGloucestershire in the Mid-dleton trial at Oxford Cityand County Bowls Club asthey picked up Ive winningrinks against one.The result end up in Ox-

fordshire’s favour by 142-98shots.Manager Robert GrifIths

(Cheltenham) was keen topoint out that a lot hadbeen learnt from the matchas he and his observershad watched 24 players thathad come from theUnder-25s, reached latterstages of competitions and allhad an opportunity toimpress.The winning rink was that

of John Smallwood (Olve-ston), Andy Locke (Olve-ston), Nigel Cansdale(Cirencester), Paul Bryant(Olveston) who battled awayto clinch victory on the last

end over Colin Whitehead25-20.Of the other rinks Russ

Mellerup (Cam) went down18-15 to Baden Sparkes whileSteve Knight (Cheltenham)slipped to a 23-17 defeat toMark Sykes.Chris Davies went down

21-11 to Paul Sharman withMatt Cuthbert on the wrongend of a 25-17 loss toAlan Ley. Colin Dixonsuffered a hefty 35-13 defeat

to Mark Charlett.In the side Dave Smith

(Cam), Shaun Morris(Gloucester City) and ColinDixon (Kingswood andHanham) received their ColtsBadges.Joe Hibberd (Page Park)

and Arron Lloyd (Barn)gained their County Badgewhile both Steve Knight andChris Roach received their50th badge. All presented bypresident Dave Hopkins.

County well beaten in Middleton trialBOWLS

Gloucestershire U13 Girls174-4 (16 overs)Cheltenham College U15Girls 76 all out (15.1 overs)

Gloucestershire won by102 runs

A FIRST ever hundred byGloucestershire U13 skipperNatasha Wraith (Frenchay)helped her team cruise to a102 win over CheltenhamCollege U15.Coming in at 2-2 after two

overs Wraith smashed 13fours and seven sixes on herway to 111.Supported by Olivia Freer

(Cheltenham), who made25, Wraith struck the ball toall parts of the ground in adevastating display of

power-hitting.Needing 175 to win Chel-

tenhamCollege made a solidstart reaching 33 -0 off offour overs.Wraith then brought

herself and Freer into theattack. And they not onlyslowed the run rate downbut also took vital wickets –Inishing with 2-6 and 2-4respectively. This left thehome side on 44-4 at thehallway point in the 16

overs-per-sidematch.Millie Ashford

(2-10) (Newent)and AbbieWhite (1-4)(Bristol Phoenix)also took wicketsand there werethree run outs asC h e l t e n h am

College were all out for 76 in15.1 overs.Glos U13 coach Jamie

Mitchell said: “Natasha’sinnings was one of the best100s I have seen at juniorlevel, showing a mixture ofpower and timing against adecent bowling attack."The game will also act as

a great conIdence boosterfor our Irst ECB champi-onship game against Hamp-shire in two weeks’ time.”

CRICKET

Wraith century fires County girls to win over College


SPORTGloucester blown away by bathBath 50Gloucester 30

GLOUCESTER were crushedat Bath as the home sidebooked a play-off semi-Inalwith Leicester Tigers.A depleted Cherry and

Whites managed a four-trybonus point before they facetheir own play-off againstConnacht for a EuropeanChampions Cup spot.SteveMcColl crossed twice

for the visitors, who led earlyon, but converted tries fromKyle Eastmond, George Fordand Sam Burgess put Bath incontrol at the break and theyeased to victory in a pulsat-ing second half.Gloucester director of

rugby David Humphreyssaid: “The positives deI-nitely outweighed the nega-tives.“We conceded 50 points

but at the same time ouryounger players will beneItfrom the experience ofplaying here at such an in-timidating venue.“That gives us a lot of

hope – not just lookingahead to the next few weeks

and months, but beyondthat.“Playing Connacht will be

a huge challenge. We'reunder no illusions as to thechallenge that lies ahead. It'sone we are looking forwardto and it gives us a chance toget the club back intoEurope next season.”

Gloucester: Cook, Reynolds,Purdy, Macken, McColl, A.Thomas, Braley, Wood,Lutui, Knight, Hicks,Hudson, Stooke, D. Thomas,Ludlow. Replacements: L.Evans for Cook (60), Atkin-son for Purdy (65), Robsonfor Braley (57), Gibbons forWood (65), Dawidiuk for

Lutui (50), Y. Thomas forKnight (50), Underhill forHudson (71), Rowan forLudlow (64).

Sin Bin: Wood (55).

Attendance: 12,645.Referee: Dean Richards(RFU).

rUGBY UNiON

BISHOP’S Cleeve bossSteve Cleal said he was de-lighted to learn that histeam had been given a re-prieve from relegation inthe Southern League Divi-sion One South andWest.The Mitres Inished

second from bottom andlooked set for a return tothe Hellenic League, butthe Inal constitution seesthem retain their place atlevel eight of the foot-balling pyramid.“I'm delighted that

we've stayed in the leagueas last year hurt me morethan most having playedin the team promoted tothe league I was gutted tothink it was me who wasthe manager who took usdown,” Cleal said.“You hear rumours and

history says this canhappen but until it's con-Irmed you prepare ac-cordingly."Now I have a chance to

make my mark with myside, but more impor-tantly I'm pleased for the

club, the community, theColts and the supporters.”

Southern League Divi-sion One South andWest 2015/16: AFCTotton, Banbury United,Bashley, Bishop’s Cleeve,Bridgwater Town, Cinder-ford Town, ClevedonTown, Didcot Town,Evesham United, FleetTown, Larkhall Athletic,MangotsIeld United,North Leigh, PetersIeldTown, Shortwood United,Slimbridge, Swindon Su-permarine, TauntonTown, Tiverton Town,Wantage Town, Wim-borne Town, Yate Town.

Cleeve start their pre-season preparations witha home match againstWorcester City on July 11.They will host ForestGreen Friday, July 24 andvisit WestIelds onTuesday, August 4.The second annual

Bishop’s Cleeve ‘Old Boys’game will take place atKaye Lane on Saturday,August 1.

THIS Saturday’s Group TwoTemple Stakes at Haydockover Ive furlongs sees thesprinters take centre stage forthe Irst time this season.Looking very competitive

at this juncture it remains tobe seen howmany take theirchance with very impressivelast time out winner andheading the market Mecca’sAngel only likely to run ifground is on the easy side.

ProliIc winner Sole Powercould easily follow up on astylish win in Meydan inMarch but prior to that therewas talk of retiring the EddieLynam trained eight-year-oldso it might be that time foran emerging sprinter to takeon the mantle.One such horse could be

Goldream trained in New-market by Robert Cowell.Now a six-year-old arguablythe horse is reaching hisprime and having won the

Group Three Palace HouseStakes at Newmarket on hisIrst run of the season servednotice of his well being.On his last run last season

he won a Class Two handi-cap over Haydock’s Ivefurlong straight course so weknow he goes on the trackand will be at home on anyground underfoot.Priced at around 8/1 he

could prove a good win andplace proposition.Muthmir could run well if

turning up but is likely toprefer six furlongs and HotStreak last year’s winnermight place again in what isa better renewal this yearhaving run third to Mecca’sAngel recently.Whatever wins on Satur-

day we are likely to seemuchmore of these sprinters overthe Summer at Ascot, New-market and York before theInal big sprint champi-onship race at Longchamp inOctober.

Cheltenham fightback sees off Goatacrecricket

FOOtBALL

Cleal delight as Cleeve givenSouthern League reprieve

CHELTENHAM Civil Servicedefeated Woodmancote by104 runs in the Gloucester-shire Division.Martin Williams led the

way with 72, while Adie

Mayes made 53 in Service'stotal of 290 for nine.In reply, Woodmancote's

innings Inished on 186 fornine with Josh Colwellunable to bat.Ross Constantine top

scored for them with 49 as

Matt Barrett took four for 37to secure the win for Service.Hatherley and

Reddings overcame BourtonVale by four wickets atNorth Park.Bourton were dismissed

for 161, with Owen Price

claiming four for 41 fromhis 10 overs. Nick Andersonhit 58 not out for Vale.Hatherley then reached

164 for six in 32.2 overs,Richard Boroughs scoring59 and Tom Hage an un-beaten 46.

cricket rOUNDUP

Williams guides Service to win over Woodmancote


SPORT

A COMPREHENSIVE 4-0victory over LeckhamptonRovers sawWelland FC wrapup the Division Three titlewith four games to spare.After =nishing third, and

missing out on top spot byjust three points, last seasonthe Worcestershire basedclub proved very dif=cult tobeat with home and awaydefeats at the hands ofDowty Dynamos their onlylosses before the title wascaptured.If the 2014/15 season was

a triumph for Welland thenit was a disaster for Shurd-ington Rovers Reserves who=nished the season onminus six points after failingto claim a win or draw allseason and losing points forrule breaches.Rovers ended the season

in bottom spot, 25 pointsbehind the team abovethem, Charlton Rovers Re-serves. This was a mightycome down after winningDivision Four last season.Northway’s progression

through the leagues contin-ued as they added the Divi-sion Four title to theDivision Five crown theybagged least season al-though with six points sepa-rating the top three it wasfar from a foregone conclu-sion.The pivotal game came on

the April 24 as Northwayface second placed Apperley.Victory for Apperley wouldhave left Northway needingto win their last game andbetter their opponent’s goaldifference.In the end in did not

come down to that asNorthway beat their closestrivals 4-2 and left Apperleyruing the =ve games prior toplaying the champions inwhich they dropped ninepoints.With Northway celebrat-

ing back to back victories itwas a very different story forWinchcombe Town. Theypropped up the table, trail-ing Bourton Rovers III by

three points to see theirthird consecutive relegation.After setting the pace for

much of the season a poorrun of results in late Febru-ary and March saw Chel-tenham Athletic fall out ofcontention for Division Fivehonours.Taking just one point

from a possible nine, Ath-letic’s slip up opened theway for FC Lakeside Reserveand Cheltenham CivilService VI.With both teams neck and

neck for the title the crownlooked to be Service’s to lose,needing one win from theirlast two games. Howeverthat was to dramaticallychange with the last minutewithdrawal of KingshillSport.With just three games left

to play the late withdrawalof Sport was both disap-pointing and key in the racefor top spot. With the with-drawing team having held

Lakeside to a draw they onlylost four points, comparedto Service’s six. This lastminute twist left Serviceneeding to win both theirmatches.Service’s luck was out and

a 3-2 reverse againstStaunton and Corse Reservesin their penultimate gamesaw the title go to Lakesideto go with the Division Sixcrown they claimed lastseason.Lakeside =nished the

season with an incrediblegoal difference of plus 84with Ryan Gourley helpinghimself to 41 league goals.In what is to be their last

season in the CheltenhamLeague, Sherborne Harriersended their campaign at thefoot of the table.It was the second succes-

sive bottom place =nish forthe teamwho were relegated

from Division Four lastseason. The club will con-tinue next year in theCirencester League.Credit should be given to

Sherborne’s players andcommittee for continuingand completing their leaguecampaign. With just onewin and one draw to showfor their efforts they pre-served until the end unlikesome other teams.The race for the Division

Six title proved to be a tightcontest with three teamsbattling for top spot, FintanReserves, CheltenhamUnited and Malvern Vale.With the teams proving

too strong for the otherclubs in the Division, it wastheir head to head recordthat was to prove decisiveand with the three teamsmeeting in the closingweeks of the season an en-

thralling =nale ensued.Vale’s 4-0 victory over

Fintan on April 11 looked totip the balance in theirfavour although theyneeded to play United whohad hammered them 8-0Charity Plate =nal threeweeks earlier; a match wherethree Vale players receivedred cards.This time Vale =nished

the match with all elevenplayers on the pitch andpulled off a superb 5-0victory to leave them onewin away from the title.They made no mistake in

their =nal game beatingCharlton Rovers 9-3 to takethe title in style in their in-augural season in the Chel-tenham League.At the bottom, Chel-

tenham Saracens IIIrounded off a miserableseason for the club as they

=nished in last place in theleague, four points adrift ofCharlton Rovers III.Saracens can take heart

from the transformation ofteams who have =nishedbottom in previous yearsand gone on to progress upthe league, notably Hather-ley FC who won the leagueafter =nishing bottom theprevious year.The League saw continu-

ing success in the CountyCup competitions with vic-tories for Northway andFintan Reserves.Fintan were held to a 0-0

draw by Siddington Reservesbefore claiming the cup onpenalties whilst, making upsomewhat for the loss ofthe league title whileNorthway claimed a leagueand County Cup doubleafter beating WickwarWanderers 2-1.

cheltenham league season reviewCHELTENHAM LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Got a local sports story? Email [email protected]

Lakeside Reserves

Part two of our review of the 2014/15 Cheltenham Football League campaign


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rugby

camps

Goldreama sprinteron the upBy JAMES dALy

THIS Saturday’s Group TwoTemple Stakes at Haydock overFve furlongs sees the sprinterstake centre stage for the Frsttime this season.Looking very competitive at

this juncture it remains to beseen how many take theirchance with very impressivelast time out winner andheading the market Mecca’sAngel only likely to run ifground is on the easy side.ProliFc winner Sole Power

could easily follow up on astylish win in Meydan inMarch but prior to that therewas talk of retiring the EddieLynam trained eight-year-oldso it might be that time for anemerging sprinter to take onthe mantle.One such horse could be

Goldream trained in New-

TURN TO PAGE 21 >

SPORT with JON PALMER, SPORtS [email protected]

Where betterto learn?

www.shaneduffsoccer.co.uk

Visit our website for futurecamps and further details

FORMER CheltenhamTown captain John Finni-gan has returned to theclub he served with suchdistinction in a commer-cial role ahead of the2015/16 season.The hugely popular mid-

Felder, who played in boththe 2002 and 2006 play-offFnal triumphs at the Mil-lennium Stadium, has beenappointed commercial ex-ecutive at Whaddon Road.Chairman Paul Baker

said: “I am delighted toreport that John Finnigan,one of our most popularformer players and ourmost successful club cap-tains is joining the club.“He will have a key role

to play on match dayslooking after our sponsorsand in promoting andselling the club during theweek. He will be joined byJulianne Staveley, a provensales person. Both cannotwait to begin – they have achallenging budget toattain.”Finnigan joined Chel-

tenham from Lincoln Cityin 2002, helping the clubwin promotion underSteve Cotterill with a winover Rushden and Dia-monds in the play-off Fnal.He remained with the

club until 2009, when heswitched to KidderminsterHarriers, also turning outfor Shortwood United andBishop’s Cleeve beforehanging his boots up.Finnigan started in his newjob at the club this week.Meanwhile, boss Gary

Johnson is close to captur-ing his fourth new signing

of the summer, havingalready brought in AaronDownes, Jack Munns andKyle Storer.He is chasing a striker

with a proven goalscoringrecord at Vanarama Na-tional League level.The club have conFrmed

four away pre-seasonfriendlies and the dates fortheir three home warm-upgames this summer.Johnson's men will start

off with a short trip toBrian Hughes' CirencesterTown on Saturday, July 11(3pm) before taking onEvesham United, managedby Paul Collicutt, at theJubilee Stadium three dayslater (7.45pm).The Robins will play at

National League South sideWeston-super-Mare on Sat-urday, July 18 (3pm) andthey will Fnish off theirfriendly programme atLeague Two AFC Wimble-don on Saturday, August 1(3pm), a week ahead of theVanarama National Leaguekick-off.Johnson said: “We

wanted to Fnish up with agame against a League Twoside and AFC Wimbledonanswered the call, whichwe are really grateful forbecause this will give usthe sort of tough game weneed just before the seasonstarts on August 8.”There will be home Fx-

tures against higher levelclubs on July 21, 25 and29, with full details tofollow.The new season’s Fxtures

will be released on Friday,July 3.

horse raCinG

Former robins skipper makesWhaddon road return

John Finnigan

Cheltenham Standard 21st May 2015

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Transcript of Cheltenham Standard 21st May 2015