Heritage Open Days in Cheltenham

11 - 14 September, 2008

Heritage Open Days are a series of annual national events co-ordinated nationally by the Civic Trust and supported by the Department of Culture Media and Sport and English Heritage, to promote an interest in our cultural, historic or architectural heritage by allowing free public access to buildings of interest that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission.

Cheltenham Synagogue will be opened on Sunday from 11am to 6pm, Parmoor House will be opened Saturday & Sunday from 11am to 4pm, Cheltenham Ladies' College will be opened on Friday and Saturday, however pre-booking is required. Gustav Holst Museum is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm with musical interludes throughout the day.

There will also be guided heritage walks around Cheltenham. These special walks are free of charge but please book soon as spaces are limited. The walks will leave from the Tourist Information Centre, 77 Promenade on Friday 12th September at 11am and Sunday 14th September at 10.30am. To book your place please phone 01242 522878.
Friday Walk - Historic Parks & Gardens: a walk around the former ‘pleasure grounds’ of the spa, whose award-winning displays contribute so much to this ‘town within a park’;
Sunday Walk - Famous Connections: a special walk around places in the centre of Cheltenham where a green or blue plaque commemorates famous people or events who have contributed to the town’s cosmopolitan atmosphere.

For information about this and other Cheltenham events please visit our Cheltenham events guide.

Open Day at Gloucestershire County Association for the Blind

6 September 2008, 81 Albion Street

Gloucestershire County Association for the Blind are inviting the public to celebrate 150 years of their charity by holding an open day at their resource centre at 81 Albion Street, Cheltenham. On Saturday 6th September from 11am to 3pm their staff will be on hand to answer any questions and to demostrate the aids they have on sale. All are welcome.

For information about this and other Cheltenham events please visit our Cheltenham events guide.

September Events for Acoustic Guitar Fans

STRANGER SONGS FESTIVAL
6 September 2008, The Frog & Fiddle

Stranger Song is a not-for-profit festivalette, taking place over one day in the Barn at The Frog & Fiddle. Confirmed to play are Chris Cundy and Stuart Wilding, Longstone, Serious Sam Barrett, Caroline Martin and many more. Tickets are available from Cheltenham Town Hall Box Office on 01242 227979. Start at 1pm.


ACOUSTIC GUITAR SHOW
13 - 14 September 2008, Cheltenham Town Hall

For acoustic guitar and mandolin fans, the Acoustic Guitar Show, which will take place in Cheltenham Town Hall over the weekend 13 - 14 September, is the place to see and play the finest British and American instruments. See how a guitar is made, meet the makers, play the instrument you've dreamed about! Or soak up the unique atmosphere and listen to some of the UK's top guitarists. Masterclasses, demos and Live Stage throughout both days. Evening concert on Friday with Coppin & Silver, Saturday with Gordon Giltrap.


DALE CAMPBELL AND GUESTS
19 September 2008, The Frog & Fiddle

Cheltenham acoustic guitar player Dale Campbell will be hosting an evening of music at The Frog & Fiddle with performers from all over the UK. Start at 8pm - Free Entry. Performers: Shura Denton, Jay Foreman, Kit Richardson, and of course Dale Campbell.

For a full calendar of 2008 Cheltenham gigs please visit our MySpace page. For other Cheltenham events visit our Cheltenham events guide.

Wedding Fairs in Cheltenham

If you are planning to get married in 2009 in Cheltenham and surrounding areas, you can find inspiration for your wedding day at the many Wedding Fairs taking place throughout September.

7 September 2008
GL1 Leisure Centre, Gloucester
11am - 4pm, Fashion Shows: 12noon & 3pm, free admission

14 September 2008
Hatherley Manor Hotel
10am - 4pm, Wedding Open Day

21 September 2008
Cheltenham Bride and Groom Show, Thistle Hotel
11am - 4pm, Fashion Shows: 12 noon and 3pm, free admission

If you are planning a wedding, don't forget to check our Cheltenham Wedding Guide with useful information about who does what at the wedding, list of things to do before the wedding in order to have a relaxed and stylish wedding day, information about Cheltenham churches and civil ceremony venues, as well as wedding photography tips.


All photos courtesy of wedding photographers at 07743 738009.

Unveiling of the Olympic Flag in Cheltenham

Sunday, 24 August 2008, 1.30 - 4pm - Prince of Wales Stadium

On Sunday, Cheltenham will be joining more than four hundred venues across the UK as it unveils the commemorative flag to mark the Olympic Handover. Cheltenham Harriers Athletics Club organised an afternoon packed full of sporting events for local young athletes at the Prince of Wales Stadium, from 1.30 until 4pm to celebrate the moment when London becomes the next Summer Olympic Host City. Cheltenham received two commemorative flags. The other flag will be raised at the Municipal Offices.
The Olympic flag will be paraded around the track by a group of athletes from Cheltenham Harriers. The afternoon will also feature a formal speech by Cheltenham’s Mayor, Councillor Robin MacDonald and will finish off with a display and workshop of ‘Capoeira’, which is a Brazilian dance, supported by music, chanting and clapping , culminating in ‘’two minutes of noise’’, in which the whole of South West region will take part with all bells ringinging, horns hooting and whistles blowing, creating an unmissable welcome. Families are welcome to come along to the event and watch the celebrations.


For information about this and other Cheltenham events please visit our Cheltenham events guide.

Cheltenham Literature Festival 2008 Tickets On Sale

10 – 19 October 2008

As every year August is the month when the tickets for Cheltenham Literature Festival go on sale. To guarantee yourself a place for the most popular events, you need to buy your tickets early. 2008 brings to Cheltenham yet again a fine selection of world renown writers, comedians, actors, directors, poets, journalists, musicians and politicians, offering over 350 events with over 450 guest speakers, even more than last year. There is certainly something for everyone - Man Booker Prize winners rub shoulders with the finest classically trained actors, whilst top class comedians appear alongside leading political figures.

The first day of the Festival, Friday, 10th October presents Graham Swift, author of Waterland and the Man Booker Prize-winning Last Orders who will be talking about his writing and remarkable literary achievements, including his most recent novel, Tomorrow. In the event called Crosscurrents, Historian Simon Schama will take a close look the America’s past, examining America’s path to supremacy and it’s future in an ever changing global climate. Also on Friday, Tony Robinson, Richard Curtis & John Lloyd will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first broadcast of Blackadder, one of Britain’s best-loved and most-cited sitcoms. In the Centaur, Frank Skinner will be entertaining the crowds, talking about his new extended autobiography.

On Saturday, 11th October, in the Centaur Julie Walters will be presenting her autobiography, Ray Mears will reflect on his experiences in some of the most remote and beautiful places on Earth and in a Cheltenham exclusive Roger Moore will talk about his career on the big and small screen. Sunday then brings to Cheltenham Sheila Hancock, Richard Attenborough, Alistair McGowan, Harry Hill and Kate Adie.

On Monday, 12th October, Rick Stein will be discussing his new collection of favourite recipes from around the world, Coast to Coast, and sets out his personal menu of literary treats and on Tuesday, 13th October, Michael Parkinson will be exploring his personal journey in his new autobiography. On Thursday, 15th October, Jonathan Dimbleby will be talking about his travels through Russia and on Friday, 16th October you will be able to join author and comedian Dave Gorman as he recounts his epic journey across America Unchained.

On Saturday, 18th October in an illustrated talk prize-winning biographer Richard Holmes will be proposing a radical vision of science before Darwin and Jilly Cooper with Ian Ranking will be exploring sex in literature from the sixties to the present. Sunday, 19th October then brings to Cheltenham some of the great comedians – Mark Thomas, Mark Steel and Alexei Sayle, as well as the artist Jack Vettriano.

Cheltenham Leisure Centre Set to Open

31 August 2008

Having been closed for over a year due to July 2007 floods, Cheltenham Leisure Centre is set to reopen on Sunday, 31 August. People will be invited to come along and try out free fitness classes and swimming sessions. The newly refurbished leisure centre includes re-designed reception area and new, top of the range equipment for the gym.

Other facilities available at the centre are: an air-conditioned fitness suite, with more than eighty stations; an air-conditioned dance studio; a comprehensive group exercise class programme; a low impact exercise studio; a spin studio; squash courts and an eight court sports hall; three swimming pools and a health spa; with easy access and free parking.

The centre will be open for normal trade from Monday, 1 September 2008.


2008 PRICES

Health & Fitness inc Memberships
Membership Contracted Monthly ........ £36.50
Membership Month to Month ........ £44.00
Membership (concessionary*) ........ £29.00
Joint Contract ........ £65.70
Joint Month to Month ........ £79.20
Annual Membership ........ £365.00
Annual Joint Membership ........ £657.00
Annual (concessionary*) ........ £290.00
Induction ........ £10.00
Introduction Fee ........ £25.00
Exercise to Music (ETM) Class ........ £5.00
Exercise to Music (ETM) Concession ........ £3.75
Gym ........ £6.00
Concession Gym ........ £4.50
Concession Gym (off peak*) ........ £2.00

Casual Swimming
Concession Swim ........ £1.90
Concession Swim (off peak*) ........ £1.00
Adult Swim ........ £3.40
Junior Swim ........ £1.90
3 Family (1 adult 2 children) ........ £3.40
4 Family (2 adults 2 children) ........ £6.80
5 Family (2 adults 3 children) ........ £6.80
Spa ........ £5.95
Spectator ........ £1.00
Swim Beginners/Flip n Fun ........ £48.50
Swim Improvers ........ £48.50
Swim Diving Course ........ £59.00
Crash Swim Beginners ........ £20.00
Crash Swim Improvers ........ £20.00

Childrens Activities
Sportzone All Day ........ £15.50
Sportzone Half Day ........ £10.50
Sportzone Week ........ £71.00
Saturday Sportzone ........ £4.50
Splash Party ........ £62.00
Sports Party per session ........ £48.00
Soft Play Party ........ £40.00

Campaign to Double Swindon to Kemble Railway Line

Campaign for second rail track on Swindon to Kemble railway line has been launched today. The second line was closed in the 1960s creating a bottleneck which has hampered good rail connections in the area ever since. The rail improvement plan could deliver a more reliable service to Reading and London and more direct trains from Cheltenham too. The £38 million investment needed has controversially been dropped from the Office of the Rail Regulator’s list but consultation is open until 4 September and a cross-party campaign is trying to get it reinstated.

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood relived his days as a business commuter today by getting up bright and early to get to Cheltenham Spa station before 7 o’clock in the morning. He was joining other campaigners handing out leaflets to current commuters about the doubling of the Swindon to Kemble line.

Martin said “It was no surprise that many of my work colleagues used to drive their cars to Swindon in search of a more reliable and regular service to London and I know many people from Cheltenham feel forced to do this still. But that’s no good for congestion or the environment or peoples’ stress levels when we should have a perfectly good railway service direct from Cheltenham. The doubling of the Swindon to Kemble line sounds like a bit of technical detail but what it actually means is more direct trains from Cheltenham to London and a more reliable service across the local network.”

Martin has already raised the issue in Parliament along with other Gloucestershire MPs of all parties. The Office of Rail Regulation is expected to make a final decision in October.

You can register your support for Gloucestershire County Council's campaign at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/railpetition or by Freepost at Freepost RRYJ- GCLA-TLHR, Gloucestershire County Council, Environment Directorate, Shire Hall, Gloucester GL1 2TH

Stranger Songs Festival

6 September 2008, The Frog and Fiddle

Stranger Songs is a not-for-profit festivalette, taking place over one day in the Barn at The Frog & Fiddle. The day will be headlined by the American singer/songwriter Micah P Hinson. Joining him will be many of the brightest stars in the independent alt-folk scene from Leeds, Bristol, London, Devon, Brighton and even New York.

Thomas Truax, also from The United States, will bring his uncanny collection of self-made instruments like his now-legendary “Hornicator” and a motorized mechanical drum machine called “Sister Spinster”. He employs these bizarre contraptions in a catalogue of exceptionally crafted, witty songs, and is easily one of the best singer/songwriters in the world that you’ve never heard of.

Brighton based songstress Mary Hampton, who will be also performing at the Stranger Songs Festival, has just received the Folk Album of the Month in MOJO Magazine, while Bristol-born Caroline Martin, who is no stranger to Cheltenham, having played at both *Calmer and the Cheltenham Literature Festival, has five BBC Radio One sessions to her name.

The Stranger Song Festival will also feature the old-time duo from Leeds Serious Sam Barrett & David Broad. Sam draws heavily on English, Irish and Scottish folk music and arranges his own unique versions of traditional songs.

And rounding off the bill are a collection of critically-acclaimed local talent – Electronic experimentalists Longstone, free music duo Chris Cundy & Stuart Wilding, and singer -songwriters Men Diamler, Z+ and Freeze Puppy.

Tickets cost £10 in advance (£12 on the door), available from Cheltenham Town Hall Box Office on 01242 227979. Start at 1pm.

LINE-UP
MICAH P HINSON
THOMAS TRUAX
MARY HAMPTON
BENJAMIN WETHERILL
CAROLINE MARTIN
LONGSTONE
SERIOUS SAM BARRETT+DAVID BROAD
CHRIS CUNDY+STUART WILDING
MEN DIAMLER
FREEZE PUPPY
Z+

For information about this and other Cheltenham events please visit our Cheltenham events guide. For other Cheltenham gigs please see our MySpace calendar.

Paws in the Park 2008

31 August 2008, Burrows Playing Field

After last year's cancelled event, Paws in the Park comes back to Burrows Playing Fields in Leckhampton. This year visitors will be entertained by The Essex Dog Display Team. Competitions for dogs of any size or breed include such entertaining categories as Waggiest Tail, Best Six Legs, Best Trick, Dressed to Impress, Best Condition, Best Rescue Dog, Golden Oldie and Most Appealing Eyes. Children can enjoy puppetry tales from Poppets Peculiar Petshop Show, facepainting, fun & games, raffles, and much more. Dog Scurry will be available. It costs £1 to register your dog, the event is free for spectators. The event starts at 12noon (dog registration 10.30am).

Paws in the Park is not the only event on that day where you can take your four-legged friend. Companion Dog Show will be taking place in Uckington, Tewkesbury Road, to raise funds for GSD2000. GSD2000 are a charity that rescues German shepherd dogs, but this will be an event for all dogs. There will be lots of fun competitions for you and your canine friends to enter from how beautiful your dog is to how waggy its tail is. Wherever your dog’s talents lay there will be a class for you. The event starts at 12noon and finishes at 4pm.

For information about this and other Cheltenham events please visit our Cheltenham events guide.

Were You at the Beatles Concert in Cheltenham?

1 November 1963 Cheltenham's Odeon’s stage was taken by storm by the Beatles. With them on the bill were the Rhythm & Blues Quartet, the Vernon Girls, Frank Berry, the Brook Brothers, Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers, and the Kestrels. The Beatles played a short set of about half an hour to a screaming audience which threw jelly babies at the stage as George was said to be partial to them. The very first printed use of the word Beatlemania appeared in The Daily Mirror 2nd November 1963 in an article describing the Cheltenham concert. "Beatlemania! Its happening everywhere.. even in sedate Cheltenham", said The Daily Mirror.

Martin Creasy, the author of the book Legends On Tour - The Pop Package Tours Of The 1960s is working on his new book about the Beatles' six tours of the UK between the beginning of 1963 and the end of 1965, which will include interviews with musicians who toured with the Beatles and fans who saw the shows. He is looking for anyone who attended the Cheltenham gig that opened the winter tour on November 1, 1963, to help him with his work. If you would like to help, please email us at cheltenham4u@aol.com or Martin directly at martin.creasy@talk21.com.

For more information about life in Cheltenham in the 1960s see our Cheltenham Nostalgia section.

Greenbelt Festival 2008

22 August - 25 August 2008, Cheltenham Racecourse

Greenbelt Festival is UK's largest Christian festival, featuring music, seminars, theatre, literature, and many other activities. First held in 1974, Greenbelt festival is in its 33rd year, and, the last festival taking place at Cheltenham Racecourse, attracted around 19,000 festival-goers. The theme for the 2008 Greenbelt Festival is Rising Sun.

2008 musical line-up features Michael Franti & Spearhead, Martyn Joseph, as well as 1 Giant Leap, the brainchild of musical visionaries Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman, who took a laptop and a DV camera round the globe to create a unique audiovisual snapshot. 1 Giant Leap celebrate ‘unity in diversity’ and offer perhaps the only true vision of ‘positive globalisation’. They headline the mainstage on Sunday 24 August. Monday’s main act is then Fightstar with its frontman Charlie Simpson, former Busted star.

Literary talks will include multi-award-winning writer Michael Morpurgo, the former Children’s Laureate. In the Visual Arts programme Leon Varga's ‘Kiss the sun Icarus’ installation features seven winged bicycles. In Performing Arts, the Festival welcomes the UK’s leading, living mime artist Nola Rae with her show Elizabeth’s Last Stand and also the celebrated Linda Marlowe (Steven Berkoff’s leading West End lady) with her show Believe, which tells the story of a handful of Old Testament heroines – blood, guts and all.

You can access the site from 10am on Friday 22 August 2008. The Festival village will be open to the public from around 2pm on Friday 22 August 2008 and the Festival programme will begin officially at around 5pm. The Festival then continues over the next three-and-half days, actually finishing in the early hours of Tuesday 26 August, at the end of the last full day's (Bank Holiday Monday) programme. Those camping leave before midday on Tuesday 26 August 2008. (Mainstage finishes at 23.00hrs each evening.)

Tickets can be booked in advance either online at http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/tickets, or by calling the ticket line 0207 374 2760. Tickets must be paid for in full at the time of booking.

For information about this and other Cheltenham events please visit our Cheltenham events guide.

August Gigs in Cheltenham

In August Beyond Eternity Promotions have prepared some exciting gigs for Cheltenham and surrounding areas.

Friday, 1 August 2008
Peter Gill & Friends - 'Jazz on a Summers Evening', Dean Close Open Air Theatre Festival, 7.30pm, gates open at 6pm, Bring a picnic! Tickets £14/12. 01242 587776, Jazz, Blues & Boogie
The Larry Miller Band / Doctors Orders - Tubby Blues Club, Newlands Club, Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, 01242 691998 or 07796 034206, 7pm for diners, 8.25pm Show.

Saturday, 2 August 2008
Tom Jurgens - The Crown & Trumpet, Broadway, 9pm, Acoustic pop & folk
JB3 - The Royal George, Birdlip, Jazz

Monday, 4 August 2008
Peter Gill Solo - Cox's Yard, Stratford Upon Avon. FREE. 12.15pm, Jazz, Blues & Boogie

Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Mundo Pequeno - The VENUE Jazz Club, Wheatsheaf Inn, Old Bath Road, GL53 9AJ. Doors open 8 p.m. music starts 9 p.m. Latin Jazz

Thursday, 7 August 2008
One Way Street (Gordon Wood and Phil Hambling) - The Apple Tree, Woodmancote, 9pm, Pop & Blues

Friday, 8 August 2008
Tom Jurgens Trio - The Royal George, Birdlip, Acoustic pop & folk

Saturday, 9 August 2008
Touch of Blue (Paul Newman and Phil Hambling) - The Suffolk 9pm, Pop & Blues
Tom Jurgens Trio - The Pilot, Hardwicke, Acoustic pop & folk

Sunday, 10 August 2008
Touch of Blue (Paul Newman and Phil Hambling) - Kings Arms Gloucester Road, 9pm, Pop & Blues
JB2 - The Kilkeney, Andoversford, Lunchtime, Jazz

Friday, 15 August 2008
One Way Street (Gordon Wood and Phil Hambling) - The Merryfellow Inn, Charlton Kings, 9pm, Pop & Blues

Saturday, 16 August 2008
One Way Street (Gordon Wood and Phil Hambling) - Northleach Social Club, 9pm, Pop & Blues
Tom Jurgens - The Berkely Arms, Tewkesbury

Monday, 18 August - Friday, 22 August 2008
Cheltenham Rock School - Dean Close School, Workshops for 11-19 year old musicians covering all aspects of musicianship. 01242 587776 for details, limited places still available. All Genres

Tuesday, 19 August 2008
The JB Jazz & Blues Band - The VENUE Jazz Club, Wheatsheaf Inn, Old Bath Road, GL53 9AJ. Doors open 8 p.m. music starts 9 p.m. Jazz

Thursday, 21 August 2008
Peter Gill Solo - The Apple Tree, Woodmancote, 9pm, Jazz, Blues & Boogie

Friday, 22 August 2008
New Moon - Original Music as performed at the Bacon Theatre by Phil Hambling, Neil Stephenson, John Aitken and Micky Clark). The VENUE @ The Wheatsheaf, 8pm. Jazz, Blues, & Pop.
JB3 - The Royal George, Birdlip, Jazz

Saturday, 23 August 2008
One Way Street (Gordon Wood and Phil Hambling) - The Suffolk 9pm, Pop & Blues
Dave Harper Rock & Blues Band with Owen Howell and Dik Cadbury. BBQ in the Garden 7 - 9:30. Tickets £5. Beef burgers, hot dogs, chicken burgers all £2.50 each. Wheatsheaf Inn, Old Bath Road, GL53 9AJ, Blues

Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Jam Night/Open Mic, PA, Amps, Drums, Keyboards, supplied, The Venue @ The Wheatsheaf Inn, Old Bath Road, GL53 9AJ, Eclectic

Wednesday, 27 August 2008
JB Jazz and Blues Bands - Pershore Jazz Club, 8pm, Jazz

Saturday, 30 August 2008
The Outboys - The Venue @ The Wheatsheaf Inn, Old Bath Road, GL53 9AJ.

Sunday, 31 August 2008
The Peter Gill Trio - The Norwood Arms, Leckhampton, Cheltenham. 8.30pm, Jazz, Blues & Boogie

For a full calendar of 2008 Cheltenham gigs please visit our MySpace page. For other Cheltenham events visit our Cheltenham events guide.