Cheltenham MP marks Holocaust Memorial Day

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood is marking Holocaust Memorial Day today by attending a special service this evening at Cheltenham's beautiful regency synagogue. The MP has also announced that he will be visiting the former wartime concentration camp at Auschwitz in the company of local school students.

The special service at Cheltenham synagogue will take place at 6.30pm tonight. The trip to Auschwitz will take place on 19 March and will be organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust.

Martin commented: 'The lesson of the Holocaust is that we must always stand firm against prejudice and hatred. It is particularly important for those of us who are critical of the Israeli government's recent actions in Gaza - and I am very critical of them - to make clear the distinction between government and people and never let criticism of Israel drift into anti-semitism. The Jewish people have a very deep sense of history and I am honoured to have been asked to share this moment of reflection with Cheltenham's Jewish community. And of course it is always a pleasure to visit Synagogue Lane and one of Cheltenham's most beautiful buildings.'

'The visit to Auschwitz will be less pleasant but equally important - for me and for the young people involved. The holocaust was a terrible episode in European history and it must never be forgotten. I rarely fly nowadays but this will be a once in a lifetime event for all of us, I'm sure.'

Half Term Football Courses at Cheltenham Town FC

16 - 18 Febraury 2009, Whaddon Road Stadium

This half term, Cheltenham Town FC are offering some brilliant football courses from February 16th-18th, 9am-3pm. The courses are aimed at boys and girs aged 6 - 13, and will be delivered by Cheltenham Town Community Programme qualified coaches.

There will lots of football fun and games, a ground tour of Whaddon Road, a visit from a Cheltenham Town FC star player and plenty of prizes for all! The cost is £17 per day. To apply please fill in the application form and send it back to CTFC Community Programme, Whaddon Rd, Cheltenham, GL52 5NA, with payment.

On Thursday, 19th February, there will be a special Man United trip. The day will include a ground tour of Old Trafford, a visit to the club museum, visit to the Red Cafe & a training session at the famous Cliff training ground with MUFC staff. The cost is £40 per person. Coach travel is arranged and will depart the club at 8am returning at 7.30pm. Contact Mike Cook 01242 588119 in the community department to book your place.

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

Half Term Multisports Days at Cleeve Sports and Arts Centre

16 - 22 February 2009, Cleeve Sports and Arts Centre

Come and enjoy a day of playing a variety of sports, including football, badminton, squash, tennis, cricket, hockey, netball, dance, rugby, cricket and table tennis, at Cleeve Sports and Arts Centre. The day includes a mini Olympics in the afternoon and a whole lot more. The cost is £10 per child, per day, which includes a free certificate and t-shirt. For more information ring Cleeve Sports and Arts Centre on 01242 673581.

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

Philomusica Concerts for 2009

Philomusica of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire is a mixed choir with members from all over both counties, with rehearsals at 7.30 pm on Friday evening for the Gloucestershire members. They give 12 concerts a year in various venues around Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. Two orchestral concerts are held each year at venues such as Tewkesbury Abbey and Pershore Abbey. New members are always welcome. If you love to sing, come along to one of their concerts and see for yourself. If you would like to join please contact Linda Parsons on 01452 700847.

2009 CONCERTS

21 March 2009 - With a Voice of Singing

St. Andrews Church, Station Road, Churchdown

Mixed programme, start 7.30pm, tickets £7 (children under 16 free) at door or a discount of £1 if purchased in advance, contact Linda Parsons tel 01452 700847.

26 September 2009 - Carmina Burana

Pershore Abbey, Pershore

Philomusica Choir & Orchestra will perform Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, start 7.30pm, tickets £12 at door or £1 discount if purchased in advance, contact Linda Parsons tel 01452 700847.

24 October 2009 - Mozart Requiem

St. Andrew's URC, Montpellier

Conductor: Linda Parsons, soloists: Lyn Rimell - soprano, Karen Longmate - alto, John Crayford - tenor, David Parsons - bass. Concert starts 7.30 pm, tickets £7 (children under 16 free) at the door or from The Cheltenham Tourist Board, Promenade.

21 November 2009 - Mozart-Goodall

Tewkesbury Abbey, Tewkesbury

Leader: Christopher Horner. Goodall--Eternal Light: A Requiem, Mozart--Requiem. Soloists: Lyn Rimell, Kathryn Skipp - Sopranos, Karen Longmate - Alto, John Crayford, John Quinn -Tenors, David Parsons - Bass. Orchestral concert, start 7.30pm, tickets £12 at door or from Tourist Boards. Discount of £1 if purchased in advance, contact John Quinn on 01452 506417

19 December 2009 - Christmas Concert

Lonsdale Road Methodist Church, Longlevens, Gloucester

A delightful seasonal concert conducted by Linda Parsons. Start 7.30pm, tickets £7 at door or discount of £1 if purchased in advance, contact Linda Parsons tel 01452 700847

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

For more information about Philomusica and other Cheltenham clubs and societies please visit our Community section at www.cheltenham4u.co.uk/community.

If you are a member of Cheltenham club or society and would like to get your club's profile featured to promote its activities please get in touch. To find out how please visit our website www.cheltenham4u.co.uk/community.

Talbot House at the Playhouse Theatre

6 - 7 February 2009, 7.30pm, The Playhouse Theatre

The Playhouse Theatre presents a new play by Peter Gill ‘Talbot House – A Home from Home’.

During the First World War Talbot House in Poperinge, Belgium a few short miles behind the front line, became a haven for thousands of allied troops – a ‘home from home’ where they could enjoy some of the comforts of home and remember the men that they really were. Run by a diminutive chaplain named Tubby Clayton the house became known by its army signaller’s code of Toc H and ultimately would be the inspiration for the association with that name.

This new play, written by Cheltenham’s very own Peter Gill, is now on national tour having recently arrived back from a tour of Belgium. It is aimed at a family audience giving a brief taste of the history of the house and with the aid of poetry and music from the Great War, the atmosphere that was felt by the troops that visited it.

Tickets cost £10/£8, Box Office 01242 522852. Performances start at 7.30pm.

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

Apres Bar 25% Off Voucher

Enjoy 25% off your total bill during January and February 2009 at Apres Bar at The Brewery if you present the following voucher on ordering.

PRINT VOUCHER

January Gigs in Cheltenham

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

Wednesday, 14 January 2009
The Kim Cypher Band, The Norwood Arms, Bath Road, Cheltenham, Jazz & Funk

Thursday, 15 January 2009
JB3, The Redcliffe Hotel, Paignton, Jazz
Dave Miles, The Apple Tree, Woodmancote, Pop & Rock
Alex Chapman, The Station, Bruton Way, Gloucester, Pop & Rock

Friday, 16 January 2009
The Kim Cypher Band, The Strand, Cheltenham, Jazz & Funk

Saturday, 17 January 2009
Otis Mack Solo, Suffolk Arms, Suffolk Road, Cheltenham. 9pm, Jazz
One Way Street, The Victory Club, Cheltenham, Pop & Rock

Sunday, 18 January 2009
JB Jazz and Blues Band, Stafford Jazz Club, Lunchtime
Brian McCabe, Rising Sun Hotel, Cleeve Hill, Pop & Rock

Tuesday, 20 January 2009
JB Jazz and Blues Band, The VENUE Jazz Club, Wheatsheaf Inn, Old Bath Road, GL53 9AJ. Doors open 8 p.m. music starts 9pm, Jazz

Thursday, 22 January 2009
Touch of Blue, The Apple Tree, Woodmancote, Pop & Rock
Alex Chapman, The Station, Bruton Way, Gloucester, Pop & Rock

Friday, 23 January 2009
Alex Chapman, The Strand, Cheltenham, Pop & Rock

Saturday, 24 January 2009
True Colours, The Queen Vic, Stroud, Pop & Rock

Sunday, 25 January 2009
The Jazz Jam, The VENUE Jazz Club, Wheatsheaf Inn, Old Bath Road, GL53 9AJ. Doors open 8 pm, music starts 9 pm
Dik Cadbury, The Priory Inn, Tetbury
Sherri Trifle, Rising Sun Hotel, Cleeve Hill, Pop & Rock

Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Paul Newman's Blues Jam Night, The VENUE @ The Wheatsheaf Inn, Old Bath Road, GL53 9AJ

Thursday, 29 January 2009
Steve Rezillo, The Apple Tree, Woodmancote, Pop & Rock
Alex Chapman, The Station, Bruton Way, Gloucester Pop & Rock

Friday, 30 January 2009
Touch of Blue, Old Richians, Gloucester, Pop & Rock

Saturday, 31 January 2009
Tom Jurgens, The Crown & Trumpet, Broadway, Pop & Rock

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

Meet Your MP Martin Horwood This January

Martin Horwood is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Cheltenham. If you need to discuss any matters with your local MP, you can arrange an appointment at his advice surgeries on Friday lunchtimes or evenings. Appointments can be booked by phoning the office on 01242 224889 or e-mailing martin@martinhorwood.net.

You can also meet Martin at various events taking place in and around Cheltenham.

Friday, 16 January 2009
9:30am
Bettridge School in Cheltenham recently achieved an ‘Outstanding’ grade at their Ofsted inspection. Martin will be attending a celebratory assembly and presenting certificates to pupils. For more information about the Ofsted report or the assembly please contact the school on 01242 514934.

Sunday, 18 January 2009
11:30am
The Everyman Theatre Association is holding its AGM at the theatre. Martin will be the guest speaker at this meeting.

Tuesday, 20 January 2009
4:00pm
Martin is hosting a parliamentary reception on 20 January in Member’s Dining Room to celebrate the Cheltenham Festivals. The reception will showcase in London the achievements of Cheltenham Festivals and to reveal the principal themes of next year's festival programmes. Having launched its Music Festival in 1945, Cheltenham Festivals currently offers a unique portfolio of Jazz, Science, Music and Literature festivals.

Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Martin and other MPs will be meeting with Iain Wright (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government) in Parliament at 10am to discuss the South West Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS – please see http://www.southwest-ra.gov.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=836 for more details). This will be followed by a briefing for people who have travelled to London from the southwest. Amongst these will be representatives from the local ‘Save the Countryside’ campaign.

Friday, 23 January 2009
9:15am
Martin will be giving a talk on parliamentary democracy to first year students at the Francis Close Hall campus of the University of Gloucestershire.

Thursday, 29 January 2009
From 6:30pm
The Youth Parliament election results will be announced at an event at Shire Hall in Gloucester. The event will celebrate the achievement of the outgoing MYPs and reveal who has been elected. For more details about this please contact CJ Phelps, county participation worker, on 01242 255888 or cj.phelps@gloucestershire.gov.uk.

To keep up-to-date with Martin's Horwood's appearances in parliament please visit our website.

Cheltenham Folk Festival 2009

13 -15 February 2009, Cheltenham Town Hall

The opening concert of the 13th Cheltenham Folk Festival will be headlined by Steve Ashley with Robert Kirby and Orchestra. With a recording career spanning 40 years Steve Ashley is one of Britain’s finest singer-songwriters, his album Stroll On is regarded as a folk-rock classic. Robert Kirby is best known for his work with Nick Drake but has also written arrangements for many other artists from the folk world.

The Folk Festival will also witness the performances of Altan, Breabach, Jeff Davis and The Old Fashioned, who will be visiting Cheltenham for the first time. Other performers, such as Martin Simpson (nominated for Musician of the Year in the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2009) and Andy Cutting, Faustus (nominated for Best Group), Brian Peters and local band Grand Union, are coming back as festival favourites. Also showcasing at the festival will be The Lark Rise Band led by Ashley Hutchings.

The Festival Café at the Town Hall will be bigger than ever this year and thirsty festival goers can also try local brews at the Cheltenham Real Ale bar. There will also be the Market Place at Cheltenham Town Hall with stalls selling everything from CDs, arts, crafts and musical instruments.

Although the main venue for the festival is Cheltenham Town Hall, there are other locations with plenty of folk music - Cheltenham College Junior School, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, the YMCA, The Bell Inn and the Music Library. The festival will also take to the streets of Cheltenham - there will be displays from the Morris Dancing sides and dance teams from all over the country in the High Street, Cambray Place and Regent Street.

Weekend tickets are £66, day tickets £40 Saturday, £33 Sunday. You can also buy tickets to individual events. You can purchase tickets at http://www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk/folkfestival-whatson.asp.

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

Fight to Save Cheltenham's Countryside Goes On

Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood is starting the new year by stepping up his campaign against nationally-imposed housing targets that are threatening countryside around Cheltenham. He has obtained a meeting in Parliament with Communities & Local Government minister Iain Wright MP on 21 January and is hoping for a strong showing from across the south-west region and across the political spectrum.

A small number of MPs and constituents will meet Mr Wright – Tewkesbury Tory MP Laurence Robertson and Stroud Labour MP David Drew are included - but Martin is hoping for a strong showing from members of the public at a larger meeting in Parliament at the same time. The MPs will then be able to report back from the ministerial meeting. Martin will be inviting Cheltenham’s Save the Countryside campaign, the Leckhampton Green Land Action Group and Gloucestershire Campaign to Protect Rural England to join the MPs in Parliament. Members of the public interested in coming should contact these groups or Martin’s office.

Martin said ‘The Regional Spatial Strategy is based on outdated growth forecasts, a housing bubble that has long since burst and numbers for Cheltenham that go way beyond actual housing need. It poses a real and immediate threat to the future of the countryside around Cheltenham by handing over large swathes of green space to the developers. This won’t help the dying rural communities or the urban areas that need regeneration. And it certainly won’t help Cheltenham. We need new homes but 7,500 are already planned for the urban area and the priority should be on making sure a good proportion of those are available to people who are stuck on the housing waiting list. Building all over the countryside as well will just hand more profits to the developers and do irretrievable damage to our local environment.’

‘I have already made repeated submissions to the regional policymaking process and raised the issue again and again in parliamentary debates. But the Regional Spatial Strategy is now firmly back in the government’s in-tray, along with a staggering 35,000 objections from all over the south-west of England. Two-thirds of the regions MPs are openly opposing from across the political spectrum. But it seems that government still hasn’t got the message. On 21 January we need to give it to them loud and clear’.

Credit Crunch Roadshow

To help you to cope with the credit crunch, Cheltenham Borough Council together with Citizens Advice Bureau and Chelteham Spa Credit Union has organised free workshops in local neighbourhoods. The workshops include advice on Electricity and Gas tariff changing, how to reduce outgoings, how to reclaim charges and much more.

ROADSHOW DATES
Monday, 19 January 2009 - Oakley Resource Centre, 2-5pm
Tuesday, 20 January 2009 - Gardeners Lane Primary School, 2-4pm
Wednesday, 21 January 2009 - St. Paul's Community House, 1-4pm
Thursday, 22 January 2009 - Arthur Dye Primary School, 2-4pm
Friday, 23 January 2009 - Coronation Square Area Office, 2-5pm

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