Staff at the Arle Court site of Gloucestershire’s biggest aerospace firm GE Aviation (formerly Smiths Aerospace) were told today the factory would close at the end of March 2010. The closure will affect 200 employees, out of which at least 95 will lose their jobs or will be offered the chance to apply for positions at other GE plants .
It was announced late in June that GE was considering closing the site.
Aircraft manufacturing have been in operation at Arle Court since 1935, when George Dowty purchased the estate at Arle Court as a site for the factory and the headquarters for The Dowty Group, his aircraft company.
Martin Horwood, MP for Cheltenham said: “This is a very sad day for Cheltenham as well as for the employees who are losing their jobs. The aviation tradition at Arle Court goes back to George Dowty in the 1930s. But the aviation sector in Gloucestershire is bigger than this one site and I hope many people will be able to find jobs elsewhere. I expect Cheltenham Borough Council, Gloucestershire First and GE themselves to do everything they can to support people through this process.”
Thursday, 25 September 2008
GE Aviation to Close Arle Court Site
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Cheltenham French Circle
Do you enjoy learning languages and exploring new countries? In Cheltenham you can do it without leaving the town.
Established in 1947, Cheltenham French Circle promotes interest in the French language and culture through a programme of events consisting mainly of illustrated talks/lectures, discussions and social meetings. It offers French conversation facilities with lecturers from France. Meetings are held on alternate Mondays from September to May in Church house, 60 Painswick Road. They start at 7.30pm with a talk, followed by refreshments and the opportunity to chat in French.
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Cheltenham Leisure Centre Fun Day
27 September 2008, 10am – 4pm
Cheltenham Leisure Centre will be hosting a fun day packed with free live entertainment and events on Saturday, 27 September, to mark the start of the four year Cultural Olympiad. There will be music, dance displays, jugglers, swimming and face painting and many more free activities happening on the day.
Indoor and outdoor displays will include tango dancing and Capoeira, a Brazilian dance. Stilt walkers, ‘Notional Trust’ guides, the Music Man and Mr Dennis Teeth with his ‘musical saw’ will provide outdoor entertainment throughout the day. With a number of workshops, families can have a go at kite making, wall climbing and learn to DJ. Sporting activities will include badminton, football, basketball, gymnastics, athletics and free swimming. An outdoor stage to the rear of the leisure centre will host live music, including The Gecks and Peter Gill & Friends. The Star Radio team will be broadcasting live from the event.
For information about this and other Cheltenham events please visit our Cheltenham events guide.
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Cheltenham MP Meeting Local Amnesty Group
17 September, 8:00pm, the Guildhall Arts Centre, Gloucester
Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood will be giving tips on how to effectively lobby politicians when he attends a meeting of the local Amnesty group tomorrow evening.
Lobbying is one way in which people can make decision makers aware of their concerns. Martin is lobbied by his constituents about a wide range of local, national and international issues, including the availability of cancer drugs, flooding problems in the town and the threat to our green belt. Amnesty members often lobby politicians about human rights issues.
Liam Scott, a member of the Gloucester and Cheltenham Amnesty Group, said, "Lobbying your MP is a way of drawing their attention to important issues, both in this country and overseas. With the UK government seemingly willing to sacrifice our human rights under the banner of ’counter terrorism’, and with the focus on Beijing this summer despite China’s poor record on human rights, it's more important than ever to make our voices heard to our Members of Parliament”.
Autumn Gigs at the Xposed Club
19 September 2008, 8pm - Trash Money + Men Daimler
24th October 2008, 8pm - Roshi feat Pars Radio + Gagarin
The Xposed Club at Pittville Studios at the University of Gloucestershire, Albert Road, with its monthly gigs brings to Cheltenham all types of alternative and experimental music.
The Xposed Club will kick off the new term with a gig in September, featuring Trash Money, who started the Xposed Club's last year season. Trash Money was formed by Joe Wilson, course leader of the popular music degree and former member of the band Sneaker Pimps. Their first album, Trash Money was released in 2006 and is an eclectic range of rock, electro, punk and disco tracks with a nostalgic twist. Fans of the band include Lauren Laverne, The Mighty Boosh and Alan McGee. 
The concert is free for Freshers and Foundation students, for other students tickets cost £3, staff and public £5.
Sunday, 14 September 2008
Cheltenham's Trial Cycle Hire Scheme Has Ended
The pioneering two-month bike hire scheme, based on the successful trial at the University of Gloucestershire has now ended. Docking stations have been returned to the university campus sites, however registered users will still be able to hire bikes in Cheltenham, as some docking stations will stay - at the Railway Station, the Promenade and Cheltenham General Hospital. The number of bikes will increase from 30 to 34.
The data gathered through the trial scheme will be analysed over the next few months, before it is going to be decided whether to take the bike hire scheme any further.
Saturday, 13 September 2008
Sunday Jazz Jam at the Wheatsheaf Inn
28 September 2008
26 October 2008
30 November 2008
Starting this month, last Sunday of every month will be devoted to Jazz Jam at the Venue Jazz Club at Wheatsheaf Inn, Old Bath Road, Leckhampton. The best local jazz musicians just chill out, get together and jam with the 'Venue Jazz Trio'. Doors will be opening at 8pm, music will start at 8.30pm. Tickets normally cost £3, but the first evening on 28 September is free, so come along and play or just listen - the perfect way to end any weekend.
For a full calendar of 2008 Cheltenham gigs please visit our MySpace page. For other Cheltenham events visit our Cheltenham events guide.
Monday, 8 September 2008
Campaign to Double Swindon to Kemble Railway Line Update
More than 1,800 people have signed Gloucestershire County Council's petition calling for an extra railway track between Kemble and Swindon. If the decision to redouble the line between Swindon and Kemble is not made next month, it won't happen for at least another seven years as earlier this year the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) said the scheme would not be included in its planned programme of works for 2009 to 2014. The programme contains 50 of the most pressing rail projects in England and Wales together costing £7.1 billion. But, agonisingly, the Swindon-Kemble link is number 51 and will not be included, unless the decision is overturned.
Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood has joined other MPs, councillors, business people and rail users calling again for the redoubling of the railway line between Swindon and Kemble. He made his final submission to the consultation which will decide whether this scheme will be included on the priority works list of the Office of Rail Regulation.
Martin, who regularly uses rail services between Cheltenham and London for his work in Parliament, said “I believe the scheme will be good value for money, significantly improve the passenger experience for my constituents and many others, be good for business and for the environment, allow for planned growth in population and deliver noticeable benefits to a large part of the rail network from South Wales to London.”
In his submission, Martin told the Office of Rail Regulation “It seems inconceivable to me that such an important and widely supported scheme could be excluded from your priority list”. A copy of the letter was also sent to Tom Harris MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport. Martin has already raised this issue several times in Parliament and written a joint letter, with Labour’s David Drew and the Conservative Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, to other MPs requesting their support.
To read Martin Horwood's letter to the Office of Rail Regulations in full please click here.
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
Sunday, 7 September 2008
‘New York New York!’ Themed Coffee Morning
30 September 2008, Express by Holiday Inn
‘New York New York!’ themed coffee morning with a ‘New York New York’ style BBQ Buffet in aid of the Cobalt Breast Clinic £1m Appeal Fund is held in Express by Holiday Inn on 30 September from 11am to 3pm . The coffee morning offers Cappuccino & a cake for £3.50 and a New York BBQ Buffet for just £6.50 per head. There will also be a raffle with some fantastic prizes to be won, from a makeover in London worth £500 to Everyman Theatre tickets.
The Cobalt’s current key priority is to raise the remaining £600,000 towards the Cobalt Breast Clinic £1m Appeal to complete work on the Cobalt Breast Clinic by autumn 2009. The Clinic will be a centre of excellence providing modern, multidisciplinary breast care with consultants, radiologists, breast clinicians, radiographers and breast care nurses all under one roof.
For information about this and other Cheltenham events please visit our Cheltenham events guide.
Thursday, 4 September 2008
Pink Car Rally to Stop in Cheltenham
7 September 2008, 1pm
The Pink Car Rally is being held to raise awareness of the Little Princess Trust charity. It will leave Hereford Hospital at 10.30am and should reach Cheltenham Promenade around 1pm, where it will stop for 30 mins for a Street Collection, in aid of the Little Princess Trust. If you have a pink car, why not join the Rally? Otherwise do come along to see the array of pink vehicles. For more information how to join the rally please visit http://www.pink-car-rally.com/ 
PINK CAR RALLY SCHEDULE
10:00 Hereford Hospital Depart 10:30
11.00 Ledbury (slow drive through the Market Town)
11:15 Eastnor Castle Depart 11:45
12.15 Tewkesbury (Morrisons Car Park – to be confirmed)
Depart 12:30
13:00 Cheltenham – on the Promenade Depart 13:30
14:00 Gloucester – on the Docks
Depart 14:30
15:00 Berkeley – The Prince of Wales Hotel on the A38
Depart 15:30
16:30 Bristol Children's Hospital
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Meet Your MP Martin Horwood
Martin Horwood is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for the Cheltenham. If you need to discuss any matters with your local MP, you can drop in at his advice surgeries on Friday lunchtimes or evenings. You can also meet Martin at various events taking place in and around Cheltenham.
THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2008
9.30am
Martin will be meeting David Bull from Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service at the Trig Point on Leckhampton Hill. They will be discussing the archaeology project that has been carried out there this week.
12.00pm
LINC (Leukaemia and Intensive Chemotherapy Fund) at Cheltenham General Hospital are holding a lunch to raise money. Martin will be the speaker at a lunch at the Mayflower in Cheltenham.
Martin and the Lib Dem Shadow Environment Minister Steve Webb will be visiting Tewkesbury to meet representatives and discuss last year’s flooding. The meeting will be held at the Corn Exchange, Tewkesbury Town Hall. Alistair Cameron, Lib Dem PPC for Tewkesbury, has organised this meeting and will also be there.
Martin will be speaking at a meeting of the local Amnesty group at the Guildhall Arts Centre in Gloucester.
Martin will be helping to launch the new self-guided walking tours at the Tourist Information Centre in Cheltenham.
Monday, 1 September 2008
Paws in the Park 2008 Photos and Video
After last year's cancelled event, Paws in the Park were back this August. Despite the rainy weather visitors and their pets flocked to Burrows Playing Fields in Leckhampton where their pets took part in competitions for dogs of any size or breed including 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. The crowds were entertained by The Essex Dog Display Team, Poppet's Peculiar Petshop Puppet Show and Philip, the dog who won Best in Show at Crufts 2008, also made an appearance.
If you recognise your dog and would like a digital copy of the image of your pet please email us at cheltenham4u@aol.com.
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