Cheltenham International Jazz Festival 2008

29th April - 5th May 2008

This year’s Cheltenham International Jazz Festival is bringing Hollywood glamour to Cheltenham. Eartha Kitt, who is best known for her role as Catwoman in the 1960s TV series Batman, for her 1953 Christmas song Santa Baby and who also has her own star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, will open the festival with a performance at The Centaur at Cheltenham racecourse on April 29. It will be her only performance in the UK for 2008.

Another act to headline 2008 Cheltenham Jazz Festival is Van Morrison, who will be performing in the Centaur on April 30 to promote his new album, Keep It Simple. Morrison's career, spanning some five decades, has influenced many popular musical artists. He had hits with his singles "Gloria", "Brown Eyed Girl", "Moondance" and many others.

Other acts confirmed are jazz funk maestro Maceo Parker, drum legend Jack DeJohnette, sultry songstress Gwyneth Herbert and guitar innovator Bill Frisell. BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Big Band will once again be participating at the Festival and as every year, the Jazz Festival Fringe will take place with various great events around the town centre.

Fringe events will include events at the Xposed Club. On Friday, 2nd May 2008 at 8pm Han Bennink, Dutch drummer and multi-instrumentalist, will be playing with local bands Longstone and Noose for Luke. Tickets £7 (students and concs £3). Saturday, 3rd May 2008 will feature a tribute to Sun Ra big band with open workshop from 12:00 noon to 2:00pm and then performance from 6pm to 7pm. Tickets for Saturday, which brings the whole day of Fringe events music, film and art/design work, are free.

Tickets are on sale now, available from the Town Hall on 01242 227979.

CHELTENHAM JAZZ FESTIVAL 2008

Tuesday, 29 April 2008
7.00pm, Eartha Kitt, The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse
7.30pm, Carol Brewster, The Daffodil

Wednesday, 30 April 2008
7.00pm, Van Morrison, The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse
7.30pm, Sara Colman, The Daffodil
7.30pm, Courtney Pine, Town Hall Main Stage

Thursday, 1 May 2008
7.30pm, Maceo Parker with his band, featuring Dennis Rollins, Town Hall Main Stage
7.30pm, TG Collective, The Daffodil
10pm, Gwyneth Herbert, Town Hall Pillar Room

Friday, 2 May 2008
7:30pm, BBC Radio 2: Tribute to Billie Holiday, Town Hall Main Stage
7.30pm, Colin Salmon, The Daffodil
7.30pm, Jerry Dammers' Spatial AKA Orchestra, Everyman Theatre
8pm, Han Bennink, Xposed Club, University of Glos
9.30pm, Gilles Peterson with Jose James, Elan Mehler & Tawiah, Park Bar, University of Glos
10pm, Stefano Bollani & Enrico Rava, Town Hall Pillar Room
11.30pm, Jazz on 3, Everyman Theatre

Saturday, 3 May 2008
10am, Zoe Rahman Piano Masterclass, Town Hall Drawing Room
12noon, Phil Robson's Six Strings &The Beat, Town Hall Pillar Room
1.30pm, Outhouse Ruhabi, Everyman Theatre
2pm, Making Sense of Sound, St. Andrews Church
3pm, The Jerwood Interview with Soweto Kinch & lain Ballamy, Town Hall Drawing Room
3pm, Tim Berne's Science Friction, Town Hall Pillar Room
4.30pm, BBC Big Band with Nicola Conte, Everyman Theatre
5:30pm, Dave Stapleton Quintet, Town Hall Pillar Room
7pm, Imelda May, Town Hall Main Stage
7.30pm, Alias / The Jerwood Commission, Everyman Theatre
8pm, Gloucestershire Jazz Live Big Band, St. Andrews Church
10pm, Heritage Orchestra with Bonobo, Town Hall Main Stage
10.15pm, Soweto Kinch's Basement Fables, Everyman Theatre

Sunday, 4 May 2008
10am, The Breakfast Show / The Destroyers, Town Hall Main Stage
11am, Family Fun Day, Imperial Gardens
12noon, Dan Nicholls Band, Town Hall Pillar Room
1.30pm, Jack DeJohnette, Everyman Theatre
3pm, Bobby Previte's New Bump, Town Hall Pillar Room
4.30pm, Ralph Alessi with This Against That feat. Ravi Coltrane, Everyman Theatre
5.30pm, BBC Radio 3 Jazz Library, Town Hall Drawing Room
5:30pm, Pete Wareham:The Final Terror!, Town Hall Pillar Room
7pm, Ruby Turner, Town Hall Main Stage
7.30pm, Bill Frisell, Everyman Theatre
9.30pm, Mr Scruff, Town Hall Main Stage
10.30pm, Roberto Fonseca, Everyman Theatre

Monday, 5 May 2008
10am, Jack DeJohnette Drum Masterclass, Town Hall Main Stage
12noon, Dave Holland Prize Competition Winners, Town Hall Pillar Room
3pm, Andy Sheppard & The Lunatics featuring James Morton, Town Hall Pillar Room
6pm, Blink, Town Hall Pillar Room
8pm, Cleo Laine & John Dankworth, Town Hall Main Stage

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

Cheltenham Post Office set to move

Cheltenham main Post Office is set to move to WHSmith store in April this year. Cheltenham Post Office will be one of 76 branches transferred to nearby WHSmith stores nationwide.

The new post office will be located on the first floor of the store and it will offer the same services. The lifts for the disabled, people with walking difficulties and mothers with pushchairs is located at the back of the store.

Update: The existing branch in the lower High Street will close on April 23 and reopen in WHSmith at 9am the following day.

Puppet, Toy and Shadow Theatre Festival

20 February – 23 February 2008

Puppet, Toy and Shadow Theatre Festival is held this half term at Bayshill Unitarian Church Hall in Royal Well Lane. There will be three performances a day at 11am, 2pm and 3.30pm of three different plays and Puppet Making Workshops (Thursday to Saturday at 1pm).


Programme:

Cinderella and the Glass Slipper – presented by Colin Bailey & Gina Scarbro
Wednesday 20 Feb, 2pm
Thursday 21 Feb, 3.30pm
Friday 22 Feb, 11am
Saturday 23 Feb, 11am and 2pm

Elizabeth Fry, The Story of Newgate Gaol – A Toy Theatre Production, performed by Peter and Sylvia Peasgood
Friday 22 Feb, 2pm and 3.30pm

Stories from Aesop – A Shadow Puppet Production, presented by Pauline Venables
Thursday 20 Feb, 2pm

Marionette Cabaret
Wednesday 20 Feb, 3.30pm
Saturday 23 Feb, 3.30pm

Shadow Puppet Workshop
Thursday 21 Feb, 11.30am

Tickets are £3.50 for adults and £2.50 for children, family with 2 adults and 2 children can get a family ticket for £10. Puppet making workshops are £2.50. Tickets can be obtained in advance on 01242 577656 (18 -23 February 01242 255820) or at the hall prior to each performance. Proceeds go in aid of N.S.P.C.C.

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

Open lectures at University of Gloucestershire

The University of Gloucestershire is holding a series of lectures with many famous figures appearing at Pittville Studios, Albert Road, to speak about art and media related subjects. All Lectures are held at 6.15pm — 7.15pm and are free to all to attend.

21st February 2008 - Sarah Jones

Sarah Jones will talk about her practice and her photographs made during her tenure as Fellow at The National Media Museum in Bradford (2006/7). She has had recent solo exhibitions at Maureen Paley Gallery; The National Media Museum, and, Anton Kern Gallery, New York.

28th February 2008 - Isabel Young

Living and working in London, Young was the winner of the Gilchrist Fisher Award 2006 and selected for Jerwood Contemporary Painters 2007. Current work includes a group show at Flowers East and a solo exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery, Tyne and Wear Museums, Newcastle for which she has been supported by the Arts Council of England.

6th March 2008 - Robin Elias

In his role as Managing Editor of ITV News, Elias manages camera crews, editors, and Presenters. At the end of 2007 he was appointed by ITN as launch editor of the Setanta Sports News Channel. He was programme editor of News at Ten for more than five years - and was in charge of Output during the death of the Princess of Wales, and the attacks on the Twin Towers. He will talk about the decision-making process in Television news, the changing pressures on journalists, and the challenges of an increasingly multi-media world.

10th April 2008 - Onya McCausland

Onya McCausland is the Artist-in-Residence at Gloucester Cathedral. She will discuss how her work has been informed by one year at the cathedral.

Viewfinder Film Festival

7 - 12 April 2008, Cineworld

Viewfinder Film Festival is a festival of short films which seeks to find regional audiences for locally made films by emerging film making talent.

In its 4th year, the festival will be hosting a range of activities including feedback schemes, filmmaking workshops and, most importantly, film screenings taking place in venues across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. In Cheltenham the screenings will take place in Cineworld Cinema at the Brewery. The programme for 2008 will include screenings of drama/fiction, animations, experimental films, documentaries and music videos, with a Gala Night at Cineworld scheduled for Saturday 12th April 2008.

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

Easter Weekend in Cheltenham

21, 22 and 24 March 2008

A three-day street party featuring some of the town's finest bands and acts will be taking place in Cheltenham town centre over the Easter weekend. Four stages will be set up in the town centre: at the Regent Arcade, Beechwood Arcade, the Promenade and the Brewery. Other acts will perform on the streets as Cheltenham town centre will be transformed into a menagerie of entertainment. Musicians and street performers confirmed include the Roy Kirby Paragon Jazz Band, Master of None, Thomas Trilby, Edmund Tahl and local dance group The Coady Crew.

The party will feature an Easter bonnet parade and an Easter egg hunt for youngsters. The event will run from 11am to 4pm on Good Friday, Saturday, 22, and Monday, 24 March.

Cheltenham Swedish Group update

Cheltenham Swedish Group was set up in October 2007 to celebrate the culture and the language of Sweden. It is a fun informal group which meets every 2-4 weeks, usually in a cafe or pub for an informal social gathering and some Swedish conversation in a relaxed atmosphere.

The Swedish Group continues to grow steadily, and their next event is on Wednesday 20th February at The Swan pub, central Cheltenham, at 8pm. If you are interested in Swedish culture you are welcome to come along.

Future events will include:
- Music evening
- Pub evening in Winchcombe
- Cultural evening
- Scandinavian party

If you are a member of a 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.

Cheltenham Sport Relief Mile

16 March 2008 - Pittville Park

Repeating the success of 2006 Sport Relief Mile, Cheltenham is holding another Sport Relief Mile event in 2008.

Sport Relief Mile runs are held at Pittville Park. Participants can choose to run one, three, or six miles. If you want to take part you need to register, as places are limited. Visit www.sportrelief.com/themile for the latest details of the event and to sign up. . The closing date for telephone or online advanced registrations is Wednesday 12 March.

The event starts at 10.30am and the end time is estimated to be at 1.00pm. There will be a range of entertainments on offer throughout the event including music and a group warm up with the fitness staff of Cheltenham Leisure Centre. The meeting point is at the main reception of Prince of Wales stadium. Three Gloucester Rugby Club players will be giving guest appearances.

UPDATE: The event has been rescheduled to Sunday 27 April 2008, 10.30am after it was cancelled because of rain.

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

Dowty Slot Car Racing Club update

The 2008 calendar of races is now available on Dowty Slot Car Racing Club pages on Cheltenham4u. You can also read up about the different classes of slot cars they race every week and see the results for their January races.

Dowty Slot Car Racing Club is a friendly bunch of people who enjoy racing followed by a chat over a pint. If you would like to join them give a ring to Dave Coward on 01452 421311.

For more information about Dowty Slot Car Racing Club 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.

Gustav Holst Statue to be unveiled

The statue of Cheltenham born composer Gustav Holst is to be unveiled on April 4. The statue is to be placed in the centre of the fountain in Imperial Gardens near the Town Hall, where he conducted his most famous piece The Planets in 1927. The late Elizabeth Hamond, a member of Cheltenham Civic Society, bequeathed £45,000 for the creation of the statue. The plinth of the statue will be decorated with plaques depicting the individual planets which he used as an inspiration for his work. Renowned sculptor Anthony Stones, based near Lechlade, created the statue.

Mark Elder, the Music Director of a Halle orchestra will unveil the statue to the sound of a fanfare specially composed for this occasion by the Cotswold-based composer Raymond Head, which will be played by pupils from Pate's Grammar School - the school Holst, who was born in Clarence Street, attended as a boy. Cheltenham Bach Choir will sing music by Holst.

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

Bishop's Cleeve Seniors Club Table Top Sale

2 February 2008, Denley Hall, Bishop's Cleeve

Bishop's Cleeve Seniors Club is holding a table top sale at Denley Hall, Churchfields, Bishop's Cleeve.
Sale of first class bric-a-brac, books, clothing, and many other items. 10am - 12.30pm. Refreshments are available. Admission FREE.

Cheltenham March and April Events

As every month, Cheltenham4u is bringing you a round-up of Cheltenham events. So what is in stall for us in Cheltenham in March and April?

There is plenty of things to choose from – you can spend the time at the races at Cheltenham racecourse, first in March as the Festival kicks off, and later bet on the horses at the April Meeting. Music lovers can listen to selection of great musicians at Tubby Blues Festival, and any jazz lover at this time of year won’t miss Cheltenham Jazz Festival at Cheltenham Town Hall. Film buffs can enjoy Viewfinder Film Festival at Cineworld and if you would like to learn to dance to the theme of Beijing Olympics visit Cheltenham Art Gallery.

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

Cheltenham Festival

11th - 14th March 2008, Cheltenham Racecourse

The National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse is the highlight of Cheltenham's horse racing calendar, with its importance in British racing, comparable to the World Cup in football. It features the famous Cheltenham Gold Cup, the tradition of which goes back to 1819 and which had its present form since 1924. The four-days of the best steeplechase and hurdle racing attracts thousands of visitors from Ireland, with a strong line-up of Irish horses challenging for the prizes on offer. The 25 races offer in excess of £2 million in prize money and over £500 million will be spent on bets.

The highlights of 2008 Cheltenham Festival includes Tuesday’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, which is the most sought after prize anywhere for 2 mile hurdlers, Wednesday’s Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase which is a must race for all 2 mile chasers. Thursday brings The Ladbrokes World Hurdle, a long distance hurdle race over 3 miles long. Thursdays have been established as Ladies’ Day when ladies fashion takes the centre stage and the name of a Lady who has made the most Outstanding Contribution to Jump Racing, as well as the winner for the Best Dressed Lady awards is announced. And as every year everyone is eagerly awaiting Friday with its totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

There is plenty to see and do before the racing starts. You can enjoy the Festival atmosphere, with trade stands, live music and paddock interviews.

If you want to come and enjoy Cheltenham Festival please get your tickets as soon as possible. As every year the Best Mate enclosure has already sold out on totesport Gold Cup day, 14th March.

The gates open at 10.30am and first race is held at 2pm.

CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

For more information on this other Cheltenham events please visit our Cheltenham Events Guide.

Cheltenham Borough Homes Are Moving

On Wednesday 16 February 2008 Cheltenham Borough Homes' office at Whaddon Lodge will close and from 21 January 2008 they will open their new offices in the brand new Oakley Community Resource Centre on Clyde Crescent which also houses various other community projects.

You can contact Cheltenham Borough Homes on a free phone 0800 408 0000 or email to CBHcustomerrelations@cheltborohomes.org

The Oakley office opening hours:

Monday: 9am - 5pm

Tuesday: 9am - 5pm

Wednesday: 10am - 5pm

Thursday: 9am - 5pm

Friday: 9am - 5pm

Chinese State Circus in Cheltenham

1 - 3 February 2008, the Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse

The action-packed production of the Chinese State Circus is touring Europe and on their UK tour the circus will be stopping in Cheltenham.

For the first time outside China, the spectacular 2-hour show combines the martial arts warriors from the Shaolin Temple, artists from Peking Opera, and acrobatic stars of the Chinese State Circus in this special Olympic Nation Spectacular. There will be back-flipping acrobats spiralling through rotating hoops, a dizzying succession of an array of beautiful plate spinning oriental divas and much more.

Cheltenham will witness this attraction 1 - 3 February at the Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse.


Performances:
Fri - 8pm
Sat - 2.30 & 7.30pm
Sun - 2.30 & 6pm


Tickets available from the Centaur box office: 01242 691141


Rear Circle: Side Circle: Grandstand: Ringside:
£10.00 £15.00 £20.00 £27.00


For more information on this other Cheltenham events please visit our Cheltenham Events Guide.

Cheltenham Wedding Guide

If you are planning a wedding in 2008 don't forget to check our Cheltenham Wedding Guide with useful information about who does what at the wedding, list of things to do so you have a relaxed and stylish wedding day, information about Cheltenham churches and civil ceremony venues as well as wedding photography tips.

You can find inspiration for your wedding day at one of the wedding shows taking place in and around Cheltenham.

20 January 2008 - Cheltenham Bride and Groom Show, Thistle Hotel

15 - 16 February 2008 - Wedding Fayre, The Regent Arcade

13 April 2008 - Gloucestershire Bride, Seasons Conference Centre, Swindon Village

All photos courtesy of wedding photographers at 07743 738009.

2008 Gigs at the Xposed Club

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. Anyone who loves jazz and improvized music will thoroughly enjoy music which is showcased at this venue. The new Popular Music Degree at the college has started and the venue also offers students a space to present their music.

2008 brings to Cheltenham a duo Gail Brand and Simon Picard. Born in London, 1971, Gail has been a trombonist since the age of 9 and has been playing on the international Jazz and Improvised Music scene since the early 1990s. Simon will accompany her on tenor saxophone.

Another gig we can look forward to is Jon Corbett on trumpet with Nick Stephens (bass), Tony Marsh (drums) and Paul Dunmall (saxophones) which promises to be an evening of fine jazz and alternative music.

1 February 2008 8pm - Gail Brand & Simon Picard

7 March 2008 8pm - Jon Corbett/ Nick Stephens/ Tony Marsh/ Paul Dunmall

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

Cheltenham Politics

If you are interested in local politics in Cheltenham you will probably welcome a new online service where you can make your district councillor to let you know about what he/she is up to. You can then leave comments or your thoughts about their answer.

You simply enter your details (name, email address and postcode) and when enough people from your district entered their details then email will be sent to the councillor to let them know people would like to know what they are doing. However, it is up to the councillors whether they want to reply or wait for more people to be interested. To sign up visit cheltenham.hearfromyourcouncillor.com

Similarly, at http://www.hearfromyourmp.com/ you can sign up to hear from your Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood. If you want to keep an eye on his appearances in parliament make sure you regularly check our website where you can review all his activities.

You can always email your councillors or MP directly – their email addresses are available in our Cheltenham Politics section. From the ward map in our Cheltenham Borough Council section you can find out in which ward your house is located in and if you are not sure, handy street locator is available here.

2008 Horse Racing Fixtures at Cheltenham Racecourse

1 January 2008 – New Year’s Day Racing
2008 horse racing at Cheltenham Racecourse starts with New Year's Day Racing. The New Year is kick started with some of the best horses, jockeys and trainers in the land. Gates open at 10.00am, first race is on at 12.25pm, last race at 3.55pm.

26 January 2008 – Festival Trials Day
This is arguably the best one day Jumps meeting of the entire season anywhere. Seven races give some final clues as to the destination of the big prizes at The Festival (Five Festival winners ran on this day last season), but this is a day of sporting drama that is far more than a prelude to four days in March. Highlights include the Letheby & Christopher Chase, Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle and the Ladbrokes Trophy Chase. Gates open at 10.30am, first race is on at 12.55pm, last race at 4.20pm.

11 March – 14 March 2008 – The Festival
The National Hunt Festival is the highlight of Cheltenham's horse racing calendar, with its importance in British racing, comparable to the World Cup in football. It features the famous Cheltenham Gold Cup, the tradition of which goes back to 1819 and which had its present form since 1924. The four-days of the best steeplechase and hurdle racing attracts thousands of visitors from Ireland, with a strong line-up of Irish horses challenging for the prizes on offer. The 20 races offer in excess of £2 million in prize money.

16 April – 18 April 2008 – The April Meeting
For 2008, a Friday evening fixture has been added to the traditional two days. There is also another top class National Hunt sale organised by Brightwells in the Centaur on the evening following the first day of the meeting. At the April Meeting in 2007 Paul Nicholls broke Martin Pipe's record for the most prize money ever won in a Jump season.

7 May 2008 – Hunter Chase Evening
Hunter Chase Evening is a fixture where amateur jockeys take centre stage on the racecourse. There is a party after the last race to end the 2007/2008 horse racing season, with live entertainment in the Centaur and an outstanding atmosphere throughout the evening.

Where to recycle Christmas trees in Cheltenham

The festive season wouldn’t be the same without a decorated tree and when it comes to choosing one, more than 76,000 Gloucestershire residents opt for the real tree. If you have got this winter your Christmas presents under a cut tree, you'll need to know where to recycle it when the festive season is over.

If you live in Cheltenham you can take your Christmas trees to be recycled at Swindon Road recycling centre. The centre is opened:

Monday – Friday 7.30am ~ 6.30pm
Saturday 7.30am ~ 4.00pm
Sunday and bank holidays 9.00am ~ 1.00pm

For residents whose households are part of the kerb side garden waste collection scheme, trees 6ft and under can be left (whole) next to your garden bag on your collection day and they will be taken as part of this service.

You can also deposit your tree between 3rd and 21st January 2008 at:
Blooms, Evesham Road, Bishops Cleeve
Dawn Nurseries, Main Road, Little Shurdington
Dundry Nurseries, Bamfurlong Lane, Staverton
Gotherington Nurseries, Gretton Road, Gotherington
Greenway Nurseries, Main Road, Shurdington
Hurrans Garden Centre, Cheltenham Road East, Churchdown