cheltenham standard 15th january 2015

WEEKLY

www.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk 15 JANUARY 2015 ISSUE 26 Your discerning local weekly newspaper

Nothing concentrates a lawyer’s mind like preparing to argue your case in court.

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BY ERIC BARTON

MRS AGHERA is selling copies ofthe latest Charlie Hebdo magazinewhich was published on Wednes-day of this week despite fears ofrepercussions.Ila Aghera, 54, who runs Forge

News, in Charlton Kings, hasordered copies of the 'survivors'edition of the satirical magazinewhich was published onWednesday.The latest edition has been pub-

lished after many of the CharlieHebdo editorial team were massa-cred in an attack at their Paris of;cewhich saw terrorist brothers Saidand Cherif Kouachi kill 12 people.In total the Kouachi brothers andtheir colleague Amedy Coulibalykilled 17 police and civilians in sep-arate attacks on the French capital.Five of Charlie Hebdo's cartoon-

ists, including the editor were killedin the atrocity.The magazine's cartoon front

cover of the Prophet Mohammed

has sparked anger amongst someMuslims, with radical cleric AnjemChoudary describing it as “an act ofwar” andwarning of “retaliations.”Despite this mum-of-two Mrs

Aghera says she is doing the rightthing.

“It is important for future gener-ations to see this and to knowwhat happened,” she said. “I amnervous about all this. I'm only alittle shop but I don't care becausewhat I am doing is right. “We willbe selling it from Friday and I

think I'm the ;rstone to do it. I mightbe old fashionedbut I'm not going tobe scared. I'mselling it as a oneoff. I have ordered100 plus copies sofar and it is gettingout of hand aspeople across the UKare calling andasking for them.’On a more cynical

and contradictorynote she also said,“I’m not interested inreligion, I justwanted to take ad-vantage of all of allthe publicity sur-

rounding this issue. I simply didthis to increase footfall and salesand to help my small business. Idon’t really care about any of theissues around Charlie Hebdo.’’

TURN TO PAGE TWO >

JE SUIS CHARLIE

PROPERTY& HOMESHOWCASINGTHEVERYBEST HOUSESONTHEMARKET

CALLSFOR MORELEADERSHIPAHEAD OFMORECAMBEHOME CLASH

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BUCKLEYOURWEEKENDTV GUIDEWHAT’SONTHEBOX?PAGE 16 >>

CHARLTON KINGS VILLAGE SHOP OWNER ILA AGHERA DEFIES DANGER BY BECOMINGONE OF THE FEW UK STORES TO STOCK THE LATEST CHARLIE HEBDO MAGAZINE

Ila Aghera

2 CHELTENHAM STANDARD 15 JANUARY 2015

Motorists warned as weface another weather ‘bomb’

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However she did also say,“What happened in Franceis very upsetting, it wasvery wrong for a sillycartoon that was a joke tomake people laugh. I'mjust doing my job and pro-viding a service. If peoplewant to read it they shouldbe able to.”She was prompted to

order it following a requestfrom a customer and nowhas 40 reservations.

Local resident AnitaSyvret who regularly usesthe Forge newsagent said,“Good for Mrs Aghera. Thishas been an internationalphenomenon and it’s goodto show some strength anddepth about this here inCharlton Kings.’’ She alsosaid. “It’s also good that’sshe a switched-onnewsagent and can see thesales opportunities.’’WH Smiths and Menzies

are expected to be purchas-ing up to a 2,000 copies tosupply to stores in the UK.The edition will be pricedat £3.50 in the UK.As far as the Cheltenham

Standard is concerned allwe can say is Je SuisCharlie, Nous SommesCheltenham Standard!

20-year-old Cheltenham manJack Wright broke two of a girl'sribs when he assaulted her forthe second time in three days, acourt was informed earlier thisweek.Mr Wright, of Waterloo Street,

St Peters, was told by the judgethat he deserved to go to jail forhis attacks on the 17 year old girl.However on hearing that

Wright had already spent twomonths in custody on remandsince his arrest for the offencesJudge Jamie Tabor QC allowedhim to walk free with a sus-pended sentence.Wright admitted common

assault on the girl on October 16last year and assaulting her,causing actual bodily harm onOctober 19.Prosecutor Janine Wood said

Wright was in an on-off relation-ship with the girl when he as-saulted her.On the Hrst occasion he kicked

her in the leg and punched heron the left shoulder and she suf-fered a bruised knee.Three days later he committed

the more serious assault, punch-ing her to the right side of herribcage. She was taken toGloucestershire Royal Hospitaland found to have fractures ofthe 4th and 5th ribs.In a victim personal statement

the girl said she felt 'angry andrather sad' about the way he hadbehaved towards her.Joe Maloney, defending, said

Wright had spent twomonths injail reIecting on the conse-quences of his actions and wasnow keen to put matters behind

him and take up a potential offerof employment with a relative.Judge Tabor told Wright it

must have been a 'very hardpunch indeed' to break two ribs.But he said he took into

account that Wright was young,'not very bright' and had notbeen set a good example in hisyouth about how to behavetowards other people.’’“I believe you should go to

prison but you have already beeninside for twomonths and I hopeyou learned something whileyou were there.”He jailed Wright for eight

months suspended for two yearswith one year's supervision andordered him to do 100 hoursunpaid work as well as attend aspeciHed activity programme for20 days.

Man walks free after assaulting girl

Newsagentde"es dangerCONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

WITH forecasters predicting thatthe UK will be battered by theworst storm for two years laterthis week and the Met OfHceissuing snowwarnings on groundover 100m as well as ice and sleeton lower levels, many agenciesare advising drivers to carry someessentials to prepare for the freez-

ing onslaught. Thermometers areexpected to plunge to -8°C (18°F)in some parts of the UK.Automotive Trading Director

Dave Poulter of national chainHalfords said: “The phrase hopefor the best, plan for the worst isextremely relevant to motorists –who often forget the planning

part, leave things to chance andregret it later.“Almost half of motorists

(48%) are anxious or frightenedabout driving in poor weatherconditions, so carrying a few es-sential items in the boot can helpreduce anxiety and inspire greaterconHdence behind the wheel.”

15 JANUARY 2015 CHELTENHAM STANDARD 3

REVERENDCanon DrMichael Parsons wantsCanon B38 to be amended to allow thosewho have taken their own life to be given a“normal funeral service.”Currently, a “modiBed service” should be

used by the clergy but there is no approvedalternative liturgy available.The issue will be debated at the General

Synod next month.“The current law is that anybody who has

taken their own life, while of sound mind,cannot have a Church of England funeralservice,” said Dr Parsons, who is in charge ofthe St Oswald's, Coney Hill and St Aldateareas of Gloucester.“It's a technicality, but because canon law is

the way it is, it appears that the church ishostile to those who have committed suicideand it's just not true.”Dr Parson is calling on the General Synod

to change the law that governs the Church ofEngland to “remove all reference of prohibi-tion of Christian funerals for suicides.”“If they have professed a Christian faith

they are entitled to be buried according to theChristian faith,” he said.

“Why should taking your own life besomething that disqualiBes you?”But according to William Fittall, secretary

general of the Church of England, evenwhere suicide is suspected or conBrmed

“many clergy will use the normal burialservice with few if any modiBcations.”The motion is due to be debated at the

next meeting of the General Synod on12 February.

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CASH and jewellery were taken in adaytime burglary in Cheltenham onTuesday 13th January.OfBcers are appealing for informa-

tion after unknown offenders forcedtheir way into a house in CaernarvonStreet between 7.30am and 7.10pm.A man's palladium wedding ring

and hundreds of pounds of cash werestolen from the property.Police are also investigating two

other burglaries yesterday that couldbe linked.Unknown offenders targeted a

house in Ryeworth Road in CharltonKings between 10.30am and 1.30pm,stealing jewellery and electrical items,while a small amount of money anddocuments were taken from a housein Alverton Drive in Bishop's Cleevebetween 7pm and 8.30pm.House to house and forensic in-

quiries are being carried out but policeare eager to hear from anyone whoknows anything or witnessed suspi-cious activity in any of these cases.Anyone who can help should call

101 and quote incident 347 (Caernar-von Road burglary), 183 (RyeworthRoad burglary) or 365 (Alverton Driveburglary) of 13 January.

Cash and jewellerystolen in break-in


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SO, with 111 days to go to the GeneralElection the Liberal Democrats have re-vealed what their strategy is going to behere in Cheltenham – say as little as pos-sible about their own record and bang onabout the Conservative challenger notbeing local. Groan. Is that really whatdemocracy has come to in 2015? Let mebe crystal clear about my position. I wasraised in Foxcote by the Kilkenney pub.It’s where my mother still lives. I spentmy youth locally, whether it was attend-ing youth workshops in the Playhouse,learning to drive on the streets ofPittville, or even spending time as apatient in Cheltenham A&E after an ac-cident. I left home to build my career inLondon as a barrister, and now have re-turned to pursue my political career andlive in town with my wife and daughters.The Liberal Democrats pour scorn on

this. But saying Foxcote (a Cheltenhamaddress by the way) is not local is a bitlike saying Cheltenham Racecourse is inTewkesbury. It’s completely artiGcial. Andshould we really be sending the messageto Cheltenham’s young people thathaving a career in London automaticallydisqualiGes you from representing yourhometown?But what is most silly about all this is

the sheer hypocrisy. Martin Horwoodhimself left Cheltenham and became acouncillor in Abingdon. He also stood forParliament in Oxford, before trying againin London. Cheltenham was his thirdchoice. He only stood here in 2005 afterhe had exhausted all other options. Idon’t criticise that. But it is wrong to tryto pull the wool over people’s eyes.All this of course distracts from what

people are entitled to ask about – theLiberal Democrats’ record. After 23 yearsandmillions of pounds spent on Lib DemMPs and their ofGces in Cheltenham,people are entitled to know whether ithas been value for money. What havethey actually achieved here? What havethey stood for in Parliament? Take immi-gration. Vince Cable has admitted thatthe Lib Dems are ‘intensely relaxed’ aboutmass migration to this country, eventhough such immigration puts pressureon green spaces here in Leckhampton. Oron the EU referendum, Liberal Democratshave done their best to stop the Britishpeople having their say.These are the real issues that should be

debated. Obsessing about where a candi-date is from, or where he spent part of hiscareer, is not just petty – it’s bad fordemocracy.

CHALKTALKConservative Parliamentary Candidate

for Cheltenham gets vocal...

GPS in Cheltenham aremaking the switch tothe NHS Electronic Pre-scription Service. At lastthis now makes it easierand quicker for local pa-tients to get their med-ication.Fifteen GP practices in

Cheltenham have gonelive with the timesaving electronic serviceand can now digitally send prescriptionsdirect to pharmacies, without the need forthe traditional paper slip. It is designed tospeed up the process and gives patientsaccess to new services.One of the new options is the NHS

Repeat Prescription Service from Phar-macy2U, which allows people to order byphone, online or using a mobile app, andthen have their medication delivered forfree to their home or workplace.Pharmacist, Dr Julian Harrison, Director

at Pharmacy2U, said: “The move to e-pre-scriptions makes the process quicker andeasier and is giving patients a lot morechoice – such as a pharmacy closer to where

they work or an online andmail-order service like ours.“Our NHS repeat pre-

scription service can be auseful option for thosewho don't Gnd a tradi-tional high street phar-macy a convenient choice.It’s popular with peoplewho work long hours, the

elderly and housebound, and busy com-muters who want to save time.”The NHS Electronic Prescription Service

will eventually be rolled out throughoutEngland. Despite this, research conductedby YouGov on behalf of Pharmacy2U re-vealed that nearly three quarters of peoplein the South West (73 percent) were notaware that paper prescriptions are being re-placed.To use electronic prescriptions, patients

can speak to their chosen pharmacy to settheir ‘nomination’, which is where theirprescription will be digitally sent.Find out which Cheltenham GPs are live

with electronic prescriptions, here:http://www.escriptGnder.co.uk/

BY TODD HASLEWOOD

FREE media has an obligation to help andinform its readership and try to make changefor the good of the people. In last week’s issue,we bought to you the chaos surrounding thegeneral state of the roads in Cheltenham, andin particular the sink hole on Suffolk Parade.Since then, work has been done by the

Highways Agency on Gxing the problem, andmaking the road safe and accessible again.

Your complaints and the work by the paperhas managed to drive the authorities to Gx aproblem that had been unresolved for threemonths.Clive Burling, who I spoke to about the

state of Suffolk Parade last week said, “I thankthe Cheltenham Standard and the local resi-dents for all the pressure they put on theHighways Agency to Gll the sink hole. It hastaken far too long to resolve and I for one amjust glad it’s all over.”

Cheltenham GPs �nally switchon electronic prescriptions

The Power of the Pen


IN ONE of myMrst columns Iexplored themeaning of inM-

delity and the notion that individualsmay beneMt from discussing their deM-nition of cheating with their partner.This is because while we assume otherpeople instinctively ‘know’ and shareour visions of monogamy this is notalways the case; relationship bound-aries need to be created that are shared,understood and agreed by both people.

However, to date I have not dis-cussed the issue of dealing with anaffair if it has already happened. Canrelationships really survive such a be-trayal?

A recent Relate survey (The Way WeAre Now, 2014) found that 94% of ourcounsellors believed a relationship cansurvive (and potentially thrive!) after apartner has cheated. However thisvision was only shared with 33% of therest of the UK population (representa-tive 5,000 people surveyed).

So are Relate counsellors implyingthat most inMdelity should be forgivenand even enhance a relationship? No.But counsellors are highlighting thatnot all relationships need to end afterinMdelity – it highly depends on theunique situation, whether communi-cation is open and suggests not makinga decision based on what society, andmaybe you previously, seemed tobelieve about affairs.

A situation can feel very differentand more complicated when you arethe person in the middle of it (this isespecially important to remember if

you are listening to a friend discusstheir situation in order to try andreduce your initial judgement and con-clusion of what seems best to do).

On their national website, Relateoffer some tips on how it may be bestto cope if you Mnd out your partner hashad an affair which include; agreeingto spend appropriate time talking andlistening to your partner in which eyecontact can be maintained and therewill be no interruptions. Avoid cuttingin on what your partner is saying; youwill undoubtedly be shocked andupset, but try not to start shouting orrush out of the room. You need to hearthe full story in order to assess exactlywhat has happened. Ask your partnerto tell you the truth, however painful.

Recovery after an affair is alwaysworse if initial lies are told, includinglies of omission. Ask questions if youneed to, but try to focus on facts ini-tially, e.g. how long the affair has lastedand what your partner wants tohappen now. Avoid immediatelyblaming your partner, the affair partneror yourself. It may seem tempting tohurl an insult at your partner abouthis/her Mckleness and blame the thirdparty as a seducer, but this often gets in

the way of true understanding. Youshould also resist self-blame; an affaircan never be the “fault” of a faithfulpartner.

Once you have established the facts,if your partner resolves to end the affairand re-commit to your relationship, beslow to judge. You will need to reNecton whether you are able to forgive thebreach of trust and you will not yethave all the information with which tomake that decision. These tips havebeen taken directly from the Relatewebsite so for further information andto see the full article please visithttp://www.relate.org.uk/relationship-help/help-relationships/relationship-common-problems/ive-discovered-my-partner-having-affair-what-should-i-do. Personally I also think that otherfactors such as whether this has oc-curred before, how the affair came outand the attitude of the partner whocheated also affect the possibility ofreconciliation. If emotions are highand you Mnd it difMcult to discuss thesituation without continued conNictyou could also talk through the issuewith a Relate counsellor (chargesapply). You can book an appoint-ment at Relate Gloucestershire andSwindon on 01242 523215. But eitherway, it may beneMt you to take time toconsider your choices in a situationthat may not always be as clear cut as itMrst seems.

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FOLLOWING the appear-ance at Cheltenham Magis-trates Court on Wednesday7 January of Mark AndrewDodd, 49 and of CoopersEdge in Gloucester, on acharge of attemptedmurder, he has been re-manded in custody until 6February.

A preliminary hearingwill take place at GloucesterCrown Court on that date.

No bail application wasmade and no plea wasentered today.

The offence relates to anincident in which a 44-year-old Gloucester man wasstabbed and struck by a car.The incident occurred inPembury Road in Glouces-ter on Monday 5 January.

The victim was taken toSouthmead Hospital inBristol for treatment.

Collecting, kennelling andre-homing of stray dogsFROM 1 February 2015,Cheltenham BoroughCouncil will be using a newcollection, kennelling andre-homing service for anystray dogs found in theborough. As part of a pro-curement exercise, the con-tract has been awarded toWorcester Regulatory Serv-ices.

Councillor AndrewMcKinley, cabinet memberfor development and safety,says: “We are required todeal with stray dogs withinCheltenham borough, andthe cost of looking after dogsthat are not reunited withtheir owners is funded fromthe public purse.

“A review of all councilservices in our public protec-tion division is essential tous continuing to providevalue for money.”

Cheltenham BoroughCouncil put the collection,kennelling and re-homingservice for stray dogs out totender in November follow-ing a review of this service

Barbara Exley, head ofpublic protection, continues:“The welfare of dogs is para-mount and using Worcester-shire Regulatory Service willensure stray dogs foundwithin the borough are well

cared for − and if notclaimed by their owner arefound loving homes withina very short timeframe.”

Dog owners are legally re-quired to ensure their dogswear a collar and an identitytag detailing the ownersname, address and tele-phone number. Unlike acollar and tag a microchip isa permanent record of own-ership and cannot fall off orbe removed; micro chippingwill be a legal requirement inEngland from April 2016.

In most cases dogs seizedor collected by a dog wardenwill be taken to a designatedkennel used by the councilto board strays.

If the dog has been microchipped or the owner can beidentiMed all reasonableefforts will be taken tocontact the owner so thatthey can collect their dog.

Dog owners will be unableto collect their dogs from thekennels however, until afterthey have paid the appropri-ate fees. Once at the kennelsthe dog will remain there forseven clear days unlessclaimed by the owner. If theowner does not comeforward within this timeframe re-homing will bepursued.

Mark Dodd remanded in custodyon charge of attempted murder

POLICE are appealing forinformation after a suspi-cious house Mre in Chel-tenham on Tuesday 13 ofthis week

OfMcers were called by theMre service after a report ofsmoke coming from anaddress in PennsylvaniaAvenue shortly before6.40pm.

The house was unoccu-pied at the time and no onewas injured but there wassubstantial damage to thestaircase and smoke damagethroughout.

DC Niki Hazell said:“While the property wasempty it is a semi-detachedhouse and there was a realrisk to those next door.

“We are carrying outforensic and house-to-houseinquiries but we really needanyone who has informa-tion but hasn't comeforward yet to call us.

“If you witnessed any-thing suspicious in the areabetween 1pm and 6.30pmwe want to hear from you.Please call 101 and quote in-cident 325 of January 13.”POLICE are appealing for

witnesses after two maleswere assaulted in Chel-tenham.

The incident happenedoutside Boots in the HighStreet last Sunday 11/01/15around 0400 in themorning.

One of the victims re-ceived a bang to thehead and was knocked un-conscious. He was taken to

the Gloucester RoyalHospital.

Two men were arrested atthe scene on suspicion ofassault. Both men havebeen released on police bailuntil 26/02/2015.

OfMcers would like tohear from anyone who mayhave witnessed the assault.If you can help please call101 quoting incident no.63 of 11/01/15.

Appeal after house targeted insuspected arson in Cheltenham

Two men assaulted in Cheltenham


The heat of the kitchenFIVE young chefs from Gloucestershire andbeyond battled it out in GloucestershireCollege’s Food Central Restaurant kitchenthis week, in the district semi-;nal of theRotary Young Chef Competition.

In a Masterchef-style challenge, eachstudent was tasked to create a three-course,healthymeal for two people in two hours, forless than £15, with leading local chefs fromCowley Manor and The Greenway Hotelamong the judging panel.

Dishes including Thai chicken curry,steamed sticky butternut squash, chickensaltimbocca and salmon pate with blinis won13-year-old Winchcombe School pupilsChakkri Kaewkhamsorn and Eleanor Strate-meier, places in the district ;nal at theCotswold School on Saturday 28 February.

Gareth Cryws-Williams, Head of Schoolfor Hospitality and Catering, said: “The com-petition is a great way of teaching youngpeople how to cook healthily; develop pres-entation and planning skills; and considerfood hygiene. These are very importantaspects of the catering industry and some-thing we champion at GloucestershireCollege.”Organiser Marian Lewis said: “The Rotary

Young Chef competition is an important na-tional contest for anyone under 17 who is in-terested in cooking. Rotary is always keen toencourage excellence in any ;eld of interestfor young people, and this exciting event pro-vided just that sort of opportunity.’’

Many of the horses thatrun on Festival Trials Dayare having their 1nalpreparation before TheCheltenham Festival andit is rare that this meetingdoesn’t feature at leastone subsequent Festivalwinner.This year we sawLac Fontana win on Festi-val Trials Day, beforewinning theVincentO’Brien Hurdle in March.

In addition,The GiantBolster won the featurechase of the day, nowsponsored by on-linebetting group BetBright.He went on to be placed

in the Betfred Gold Cupfor the third consecutiveyear, behind LordWinder-mere.You and a friend could

be there to watch all theaction, with The Chel-tenham Standard givingaway two Club/Tattersallstickets for the day.

To win simply answerthe below question...

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FESTIVAL TRIALS DAYon Saturday 24th January at Cheltenham Racecourse

WHAT a sorry stateof affairs to see ourlocal hospital Doun-dering, unable to

provide vital services when we need them.In the past week two stories have come tomewhich clearly point out one of themaincauses.A friend’s daughter needs routine blood

tests to ensure that her diabetes is con-trolled. Her GP surgery could not offer anappointment within the next month oneither of the days she does not work, inorder to take her daughter for the test.After some discussion she was told by the

surgery “Take your daughter to A&E.”Similarly a small accident left another

friend with a deep cut potentially needingstitches. His wife called their GP surgery foradvice and treatment to be told, “We don’thave that facility here. Go to A&E.” Thiswas before 5.00pm on a weekday. Instead,knowing howmuch pressure A&E is under,they went to a pharmacy where they re-ceived reassurance and practical help.One of the most monumental blunders

was in the Labour Government treatingGP’s as if they were highly qualiCed adminclerks, setting up themajority of themwithofCce hours and junior banker’s pay.Meanwhile their colleagues in A&E, as

well as providing life-saving care, are inun-dated with unnecessary minor conditionsand problems which should never reachthem, causing potentially fatal delays tomore serious patients. This is a gross abuseof A&E staff, who must often be stressed tothe point of exhaustion.In Cheltenham, we must protect the

local NHS services that remain. Grand-standing by our MP does not solve theproblems, for which his Coalition Govern-ment policy failures must take some re-sponsibility.You are invited to our open meeting on

23 January to talk about this and otherissues. Details are on our websitewww.UKIPCheltenham.org.uk

Christina [email protected].


Christina Simmonds – Ukip CheltenhamParliamentary candidate for 2015

THE SIMMONDS FILE

A & E needs intensive care

UKIP Public Mee#ngAll welcome

Friday 23rd January at 7.30pmCome along and meet your UKIP parliamentary candidate,local girl Chris�na Simmonds, and hear the real issues andpolicies which we promote and support.

Guest speaker John Petley is Opera�ons Manager for theCampaign for an Independent Britain and edited FreedomToday, the The Freedom Associa#on’s magazine.

The Exmouth Arms, Bath Road, Cheltenham GL53 7LXPublished & promoted by UKIP Cheltenham Mar�n Leonard, Courtland, New Court Road,Cheltenham,GL53 9AZ as Agent for the U.K. Independence Party, Cheltenham branch

SENSE, the national deafblind charity, is of-fering budding athletes from Gloucestershirethe opportunity to take the challenge of a life-time and run this year’s London Marathon.The charity that supports and campaigns

for people who are both deaf and blind acrossGloucestershire, has guaranteed places for theiconic race in April.Tara Hamdi from Sense, said: “The London

Marathon is one of the world’s greatest butgetting a place can be difCcult, so Sense wants

to give local runners the chance to run for acause close to home. Whether you’re a sea-soned runner or a novice we’ll support youevery step of the way, from training andfundraising to the big day itself.”If you would like to run for Sense, you can

register online at www.sense.org.uk/london-marathon, call the Marathon Hotlineon 0300 330 9257 or [email protected]. The closing date isJanuary 23rd 2015.

JAMIE Mitchell (pictured), madesome of the Crst deliveries in Chel-tenham for Morrisons, after the su-permarket launched its homedelivery service in the town thisweek. He said: "It’s been pretty greatgoing so far and the Crst homes Idelivered to in the town were reallywelcoming. Checking the freshnessof their shopping on the doorstepwas a novelty for some customers,

they really seemed to really appreci-ate it.“Some of the customers we’ve de-

livered to have gone the extra mileand sent in positive feedback tohead ofCce, so big thanks to them!“We’re all really pleased to be

putting all our training in to prac-tice. What makes it even more re-warding is the positive receptionwe’ve had in Cheltenham.”

Morrisons hits the roadwith home deliveries

Deafblind charity calls forGloucestershire marathon runners

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 risk andwhilst every care is taken, heltenham Standard Ltd will not accept liability for loss ordamage. Dates, information and prices quoted are believed to be correct at time ofgoing to press but are subject to change and no responsibility is accepted for anyerrors or omissions. Neither the editor nor publisher accepts responsibility for anymaterial submitted, whether photographic or otherwise. All rights reserved. ISSNno. 2055-2092. Terms and conditions at www.cheltenhamstandard.co.uk


BUSINESS

LAST week will go down in theannals of journalism as one ofthe most difHcult days since

WW2with the atrocities committed inParis by a bunch of ill-informed,bigoted, gun-toting terrorists.It’s our right as journalists to offend.

It’s as simple as that. Imagine if wecouldn’t make comment on politiciansor fat people who are ripping off thebeneHts system. If I decide to unleash

hell on a local real ale pub for closing its doors on New Year’sEve to loyal regulars or worse still operating a ‘ticket only’ pro-cedure for Christmas day (again excluding some very loyal reg-ulars) just because the landlady has an odd sense of how to runa pub, then that’s my prerogative. We don’t live in Russia orChina thank God.In the same sense I wholly defend the right of a local

newsagent to Iy in the face of these terrorist idiots and sell thevery latest edition of Charlie Hebdo, even if it does cause somemis-guided offence. Democracy is everything, as is the need forus journalists to be able to speak out.On a weekly basis it’s my job to point out what’s right and

what’s wrong with this town. Youmay not agree, but how oftenhave we all been in situations where not everyone agrees withus? It may be me pointing the Hnger at the Borough Council,the County Council, inept politicians or even selHsh land-ladies/licensees. It doesn’t matter. It’s my right to defend thefreedom of speech for bothmy profession and indeed society asa whole.We may upset some folks on this journey, but quite frankly,

like Rhett Butler in ‘Gone with the Wind’, ‘’I don’t give adamm.’’ I don’t care that some small-minded people (and I’mthinking of one particular landlady here) take umbridge andfeel the need to be punitive. I won’t be intimidated by somelandlady from a small back street pub and certainly won’t holdback on comment. I would be Iying in the face of everythinga decent journalist believes in.What kind of town would we live in, if say a diner in a restau-

rant couldn’t complain about either the food or the service?Should we bar them for making comment?In fact let’s take that argument a tad further. AA Gill who

writes The Times restaurant reviews would almost certainly bebarred frommost restaurants if the owners took offence at whathe said. You see my point?As a newspaper we will always stick our neck out and

comment on the ‘uncommentable’. It’s our job and if somepublicans or local politicians don’t like it then they mustswallow it with a degree of good grace.Journalists died last week so we could have this freedom of

speech and just like Charlie Hebdo, we won’t be cowing downto anybody either… whatever the cost.Je Suis Charlie, Nous Sommes Cheltenham Standard!

Editor’sDESK

Got a comment?Please contact us at

[email protected]

EIGHT apprentices have been wel-comed to their new roles at Amey, theorganisation who deliver highwaysmaintenance services on behalf ofGloucestershire County Council.The apprentices, aged between 16

and 25-years-old, have been appointedto take on a variety of jobs, from outon the roads to working in adminis-tration responding to customer en-quiries, in the planning teamscheduling work or in the design teamworking on projects.Ruth Kinsella, Account Director for

Amey in Gloucestershire, said: “We arecommitted to helping young peopledevelop their careers and our appren-ticeship programme allows us to con-tinually invest in the futuregeneration. We want to recruit young,talented people who bring a fresh ap-proach to delivering services acrossGloucestershire. The enthusiasm

shown by our apprentices already hasbeen fantastic, and I wish them all thebest as they progress through their ap-prenticeship.”Cllr Vernon Smith, cabinet member

for highways and Iood at Gloucester-shire County Council, said: “Being anapprentice gives young people the op-portunity to gain a recognised qualiH-cation and develop professional skills,while earning a starting salary. Skilled

and well trainedyoung people arevital to growGloucestershire'seconomy and help itto Iourish.”This year alone,

Amey has already re-cruited nearly 100apprentices acrossthe UK and wasrecognised in the

prestigious Top 100 ApprenticeshipEmployers list, announced at the Na-tional Apprenticeship Awards in No-vember 2014. The list, which iscompiled annually by the National Ap-prenticeship Service and City andGuilds, recognises excellence in busi-nesses that employ apprentices as wellas organisations that ensure their ap-prentices become successful and inspi-rational role models.

Amey welcomes eight newapprentices in Gloucestershire

A NEWLY created and innovativemarketing communications agencylaunched this week in the town.Triangle Communications has been

set up by three experts in the Helds ofPR, Digital Media, Marketing, Events,and Internal & External Communica-tions, speciHcally to support theneeds of businesses in the SouthWest.As a specialist marketing, lead gen-

eration, media communications andevents agency, Triangle Communica-tions will have three main ofHces

from the outset - in Plymouth, Chel-tenham and Exeter - all of which willsupport local clients and specialise inworking with the needs of local busi-nesses across the South West region.All three Triangle Communica-

tions’ Directors - Neil Nixon, LizGraveney and Neil Howman -havedecades of broad and varied experi-ence working with clients to supporttheir sales and revenue streamsthrough developing and executingmarketing plans, PR campaigns andevents programmes. A varied range of

services will be offered to clients, in-cluding copywriting, web design anddevelopment, event organisation andmanagement, literature productionand design, and the management ofsocial media campaigns.Triangle Communications will be

launching with a very strong brandpresence and an eye-catching logo. Ahome-grown, creative website hasalso been launched where potentialclients can Hnd out more general in-formation about the company -www.trianglecomms.com

Triangle Communications launches in Cheltenham

Neil Nixon, Liz Graveney and Neil Howman


BUSINESS

THREE recruiters fromGloucestershire with over40 years experience withinthe industry have teamedup to form a specialist tech-nical, engineering and lo-gistics agency calledAmbrose Recruitment.Richard East and James

Gibbs directors behind thesuccessful Re ResourceGroup and SafeHands Re-cruitment agencies havebranched out into the Tech-nical marketplace with spe-cialist recruiter Robert Doveto provide permanent, con-tract and interim recruit-ment solutions toengineering and manufac-turing companies.“We are operating on a

nationwide basis sourcinggraduates through to direc-tor level positions across a

wide range of specialist in-dustries including aerospaceand defence, automotive,fmcg, automation, process,general manufacturing,warehouse and distribu-tion,” said Robert Dove.“I have worked in this

sector for 15 years and wit-nessed the evolution ofchange largely driventhrough advances in tech-nology which has had apositive effect on engineer-ing and manufacturing inthe UK.“This in turn has pre-

sented us with an excellentopportunity to meet thechallenges of the industryby working in partnershipwith some of the countries’leading employers to fulFltheir specialist recruitmentneeds”, concluded Robert.

“WE are delighted that CheltenhamMP, Martin Horwood, presented theFSB Cheltenham Rising Star Award toPitman commented Tim Calway,Chairman of the FSB CheltenhamBranch.“Kath and Kevin Daws who run

Pitman Training in Cheltenham, are agood example of a small business thathas had to work hard to succeed. Wepresented this award to them because

we wanted to recognise their achieve-ments, including more than doublingtheir turnover in the last 12 months.Kevin and Kath opened Pitman Train-ing Cheltenham in 2011 when wewere at the bottom of the recessionand we are delighted that they havesurvived and prospered. We hope thattheir success will inspire and encour-age other small businesses in Chel-tenham and Gloucestershire during

these difFcult times.”“We were both surprised and de-

lighted when we were told that wewould be receiving the FSB’sRising Star Award, commented KathDaws, Centre Manager at PitmanTraining Cheltenham, “We reallyappreciate this Award and it is fantasticto receive some recognition forall our hard work, it makes it all worth-while.”

Say hello to the new you… Alison Taylor Medical Cosmetics

Martin Horwood MP presents FSB’sRising Star Award to Pitman Training

A L E X A N D E R B U R NF U N E R A L D I R E C T O R S

www.alexanderburn.com

Alexander Burn is an independent family businesswith three of,ces in the Cheltenham area.

COURTEOUS, EFFICIENT AND RESPECTFUL

24 hour personal service | Private chapels of rest

HM Coroner and NHS Funeral Director for Gloucestershire

Bishops Cleeve22 Church Road01242 673300

Cheltenham436 High Street01242 245350

Winchcombe11 North Street01242 604888

IT’S TRUE that time stands still for no manor woman. The relentless tide of time agesus all eventually, and we all want to lookbetter. When you need that bit of extrahelp, and begin to delve into the medicalcosmetic world, the variety of treatmentsavailable nowadays becomes quickly over-whelming and daunting. That’s why it is sorefreshing to Fnd a true professional, whoknows the real dilemmas, knows the busi-ness and has an honest approach to whatcan be achieved. Combine that with beinghighly trained, passionate and having adeep integrity about helping people, you’llnot Fnd any better than Alison Taylor to bethat guide.None of us want to go down the Joan

Rivers route – the fear of having that “over-done” look is what stops many of us frommaking the move. Finding the balance oflooking so much better whilst it not beingobvious is exactly the balance that Alisonhas expertise in.

In her clinic, right in the heart of Chel-tenham, it is obvious that there is a de-lightful combination of professionalismand style. Its discreet location lends itself toprivacy and intimacy, yet it still remains afriendly place.Alison qualiFed as a registered nurse in

1987, she held senior posts in the NHS andhas kept her registration as a nurse to thisday as practising nurse in cosmetic medi-cine. Alison opened her Frst skin clinic inCharlton Kings in 2006. The clinic hasgrown and grown over the years, with ahuge and loyal following to this day.Thishas given her the conFdence to open aluxury clinic in Regent Street offering thevery latest treatments whilst still upholdingher strong personal values of giving naturalbeauty back in a subtle but effective way.There’s a veritable cocktail of the latest

procedures available; everything fromwrinkle relaxing and dermal and lip Fllers,through to micro needling, skin peels, facial

thread veins and skin care. “I’ve now beenable to invest in the latest in skin tighten-ing equipment, the Frst in Gloucestershire.I also have the latest in LED light therapy(that’s the safe and healing part of naturallight which makes our skin feel fabulousafter a holiday in the sun) and the new safe,pain free skin tightening and I’m so excitedabout the results we’re seeing already.”Alison continues to say, “Our skin is the

signpost to our well-being and if you’reconFdent in your skin, then you feel betterabout everything. It’s really important tome that I can offer the treatment I believein to give the best results. I don’t wantanyone to be less than happy with theirresults.As Alison says. ‘’Even if it’s just a freshen

up for your skin for a special do, or youwant to look in the mirror and not see thetired face anymore, there’s so much on offer- why would you not want to look a morerested, better you?’’

PHO

TO

GR

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YB

YG

EOR

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PHA

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Ambrose sourcing the creamof skilled professionals


CULTURE

Thursday 15th January (7.45pm)ONE NIGHT OF ELVIS, a brand newshow, featuring Europe’s mostsuccessful Elvis Presley tributeartist – Lee Memphis King.All tickets £24

Friday 16th January (7.45pm) seesBEATLEMANIA superbly recreatingthe legendary live performances ofThe Beatles, from their moptoproots to the Cnal years of Let It Be.All tickets £22.50

Saturday 17th January (7.45pm) goback in time with THE LONDONSWING ORCHESTRA and GrahamDalby to the legendary years of Jazz& Swing. Featuring hits from DukeEllington and Frank Sinatra.Tickets £19 & £24

Box OfAce on 01242 572573 or visitwww.everymantheatre.org.uk tobook tickets.

TCS

RIVER CRUISING

Spectacular Cruise

EARLY BOOKING

OFFERSAVE £30†

Some stunning one-nighter’s at The EverymanThree nights of toe-tapping, fab music at the Everyman Theatre– guaranteed to chase away those January blues!

Everyman Theatre kicks off 2015with a cracker of a crime thriller

TO CELEBRATE the 125th anniversaryof Agatha Christie’s birth and the 10thanniversary of the Agatha ChristieTheatre Company, this chilling thrillerfrom the Queen of Crime will have youon the edge of your seat!Following in the footsteps of the

company’s hugely successful tours ofMurder on the Nile; Go Back for Murderand Black Coffee, this is the perfect

creepy tale for a dark winter’s night!Based on the best-selling mystery

novel of all time, Agatha Christie’sown stage adaptation of this dark andcaptivating tale stars BAFTAnominated stage and screen star PaulNicholas, Colin Buchanan (Dalzieland Pascoe), Susan Penhaligon(Bouquet of BarbedWire and A FineRomance ), TV favourite Mark Curry,Emmerdale andWest End leadinglady Verity Rushworth, Emmerdalestar Frazer Hines and from ITV’saward-winning Soldier Soldier, BenNealon.A group of 10 strangers are lured to

a remote island off the coast of Devon.Upon arrival it is discovered that theirhost, an eccentric millionaire, ismissing... Stranded on the island by atorrential storm and haunted by anancient nursery rhyme, one by one theguests begin to die... With only thefallen believed to be innocent, whoamongst them is the killer?

AND THEN THEREWERE NONEMonday 26th – Saturday 31stJanuary 2015Everyman Theatre, Regent Street,Cheltenham, GL50 1HQEves: Mon – Sat 7.45pmMats: Thu & Sat 2pmTickets: £15 - £30 available from theBox OfAce on 01242 572573 or onlineat www.everymantheatre.org.uk

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

Paul Nicholas

One night of Elvis


CULTURE

WHAT better way to overcome thoseJanuary blues than dip into ‘The Feastof Artemis’? Despite reading themurder mystery over Christmas andwith plenty of festive food on offer, Ifound myself positively drooling overAnne Zouroudi’s sumptuousdescriptions of Greek delicacies.

To celebrate the saint’s day of theArchangel Michael, the Greek town ofDendra is holding a feast – and, boy,the Greeks deMnitely take their foodseriously. Each year there is acompetition to see which family canbake the best kleftiko (lamb cooked ina Mre pit). An act of sabotage, ruiningthe lamb and spiking the potentialwinner’s chances, reveals a deadlyfeud between two families: theKapsis and the Papayiannis. But thisis no Great British Bake-Off for things

soon take a vicious turn when ayouth from the Kapsis family, takingpart in a fairly bonkers activity of‘leaping the bonMre,’ winds up badlyburnt. The big question: was it anaccident, or was he tripped in a tit fortat act of vengeance?

Enter Hermes Diaktoros, maverick,and quietly persistent investigatorand ‘fat man’ with more than apassing interest in gastronomy.Nibbling his way through theinvestigation, (and having histrousers let out to accommodate hisexpanding girth) Hermes quicklyascertains that the heart of the feudstems from a longstandingdisagreement concerning olive oilproduction and, the averageconveyancing solicitor’s bête noir, aboundary dispute. Add to this an icecream parlour reputed to be a sourceof food poisoning and responsible forthe deaths of four of its customers,

and you have a glorious tale ofintrigue, rumour and backstabbing.

Zouroudi’s precise, descriptive andsparkling prose transports the readerto a place where the legacy of godslike Artemis imbue the island’sinhabitants with a sense oftimelessness and tradition. Througha cleverly interwoven plot, the authorleads the reader one way whileplaying peekaboo from anotherdirection. It’s the kind of book to readat a leisurely pace, a story in whichyou can really soak up theatmosphere and lose yourself.

The Feast of Artemis is publishedby Bloomsbury.

Eve Seymour is a freelance writingcoach and the author of seven crime*ction novels. Beautiful Losers will bepublished by US publisher Midnight Inkearly 2016. To see more details of herwork visit www.evseymour.co.uk

AT its peak in the mid-1970's WiganCasino had over 100,000 members whoconverged on the town each weekendfrom all over the country to dance to oldsoul records. Along with clubs inManchester and Stoke-On-Trent, thevenue in Wigan was at the forefront of theNorthern Soul scene. However, as with anysubculture, when Wigan Casino closeddown in 1981 the scene soon disintegratedand drifted apart.

Despite being nearly 150 miles from itsepicentre in Wigan, the recent resurgenceof Northern Soul music has not goneunnoticed in the South West. From thedancing Northern Soul Girl, whose videosMlmed on the streets of Bristol havegained over 2 million views on YouTube, tosold out screenings of the recent NorthernSoul Mlm at Gloucester Guildhall andStroud Subscription Rooms, Northern Soulmusic has established itself in themainstream once again after going largelyunnoticed for over 30 years.

But that's not to say that Northern Soulmusic had disappeared completely in thattime.The music has always kept somepopularity, and none more so than inCheltenham which boasts of having oneof the fastest growing soul clubs in the UK.

Soulfusion is a bi-monthly club nightheld at Dowty Sports & Social Club inCheltenham which next takes place onSaturday 17th January. Since January 2006a core team of resident DJs (including locallegend Jerry Hipkiss) have played the best

Northern and modern soul music thescene has to offer.

The three room event covers NorthernSoul, Motown and modern soulful house,jazz and RNB steppers. Founder Neil Selfexplains more: ""We normally have guestDJs and this month's event has Colin

Curtis, a living legend, plusone of the UK's top NorthernSoul DJs in Sean Chapman."

Soulfusion has built such areputation that soul fanstravel from all over thecountry to attend, as well as ahandful who make regulartrips from Europe. "The agerange is generally over 30s butwe do get a younger elementin for the modern room.Themusic is not mainstream, butmore soulful and cutting edgeas well as mega rare NorthernSoul. Each event attractsbetween 300 and 400 peopleso there is always a buzzingatmosphere."

Whether you were part ofthe original Northern Soulscene, or if you've just pickedup on the passion andexcitement that comes fromthis particular genre of music,with Mve more similar nightsplanned for later this yearthere's plenty of time to getyour soul Mx without having

to travel all of the way to Wigan.Saturday's event runs from 8pm to 1am

and costs £6. For more information visitwww.soulfusion-soulnites.co.uk/For more local music news visitBehind The Scene Gloucestershirewww.facebook.com/behindthesceneglos

By EVE SEYMOUR

BookREVIEW The feast of Artemis By Anne Zouroudi

THE LIVE LINE UPSFOLLOWING sell out performancesof their last three shows in theEveryman Studio, award winningcompany Box Tale Soup return toCheltenham in January with thepremiere of their latest work,Manalive! The new show wascommissioned by the EverymanTheatre, and tells the story ofBeacon House, a broken-downboarding establishment, and its

broodingtenants.When anexciting newguest arriveseveryone isuplifted by hisinfectiouscharm andenergy... but

the visitor may not be as innocentas he seems. Adapted from thenovel by G.K. Chesterton, Manalive!features just two performersalongside a cast of Box Tale Soup'ssignature handmade puppets.

MANALIVE!28th – 31st January, 7.45pm31st January, 2pmEveryman Studio TheatreTickets are £10.50 / £9Available from Everyman websitewww.everymantheatre.org.ukBox Of;ce Tel: 01242 572573

Manalive takes tothe studio theatre

IF YOU need an excuse to break theJanuary detox, pour yourself a nice glass ofred and call it research.Meet colour authority Pantone's top tip

for 2015: Marsala. A robust, earthy red, it'sthe perfect transitional tone to add to yourwardrobe that will take you take fromwinter to spring.“Much like the wine that gives Marsala

its name, this tasteful hue emanates asophisticated natural earthiness,” saysLeatrice Eiseman, executive director of thePantone Colour Institute.“The impactful, full-bodied qualities of

Marsala make for an elegant statementused on its own or as an accent.”Uncork Marsala and add a splash of this

year's colour to your closet.If scarlet red feels too much (Santa,

you're so 2014), Marsala might be the tonefor you. This colour doesn't screamstatement; it's surprisingly soft and mutedfor a red.

The reddish-brown hue is rich butgrounding, making it work for both casualand eveningwear.“Marsala is an elegant colour to wear, as

long as you have the right colouring for it,”warns Veronique Henderson at Colour MeBeautiful (www.colourmebeautiful.co.uk).“Wear it head-to-toe if you have more of

a soft colouring - think Jennifer Aniston.For everyone else, try teaming it with othercolours.”For a quick test, hold the colour under

your chin and see if your complexion givesyou a beautiful Cush (one glass of wine) orthe hungover look (lost count).Pantone describes Marsala as a “highly

varietal shade” that combines well withneutrals. Try mixing your new-found redwith taupes and greys to soften up thecolour. Teamed starkly against black, it'smore of a dark and dramatic statement.If you're feeling dedicated to 2015's

colour, wear Marsala top-to-toe, teaming

together different textures like faux fur,lace and big knits to add interest. Morehesitant? Weave Marsala into your outBtvia a print on one piece, like a top or shirt.Those not mad on Marsala can still get a

colour injection with bold accessories.Henderson advises: “Don't go for anecklace or scarf that's too close to the face,but a bracelet, handbags or shoes will worka treat.”

The Marsala takeover continues withyour cosmetics bag.Beware if you're wearingthe colour close to your

face: “Make sure thelipstick you wearworks with it anddoesn't clash,”Henderson says.

You can't go wrongwith matchy-matchytactics. Exaggerate

the top-to-toe look with Marsala-toned lipsor nails to bring your 2015 red looktogether.For a softer look, try a muted Marsala

and wear blotted on to lips that's more likea stain, or create a statement lip with apunchy, matte deep red.Painting your nails is probably the most

non-committal way to wear Marsala, whilealso testing out your colour compatibility.Apply two to three coats for a bold,opaque look and accessorise with a largeglass of red.


HEALTH&LIFESTYLE

Seeing red for January

Complimentary 1:1 Appointments with Mr WarrSaturday 24th January from 10am (at the hospital)

Mr. Warr MBBS, MD, FRCS (Plast) is consultant plastic surgeon working atNuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital. Having trained in Paris and London hisparticular cosmetic interests lie in nose reshaping, breast surgery and bodycontouring. An expert in tailoring treatments to the needs of his patients,he is renowned for his attention to detail.

If you are thinking of having cosmetic surgery then why not getcomplimentary expert advice from Mr Rob Warr. He can talk to you about arange of cosmetic procedures including; breast enlargement; breastreduction; breast uplift; tummy tuck; facelift; eye lid reshaping; nosereshaping and liposuction.

Consultations are for 15 minutes where you will have the opportunity to talkto Mr Warr in private about all your cosmetic surgery questions, he willexplain to you the procedures available as well as the risks and benefits ofsurgery.

Spaces are limited so book now to avoid disappointment.

Call 01242 246552 to book your free mini consultation.

Nuffield Health Cheltenham Hospital, Hatherly Lane, Cheltenham, GL51 6SYNuffieldhealth.com/cheltenhamhospital

THE Cheltenham ofBce is part of the award winning Miles Morgan Travel teamand we are delighted to have been voted the best Travel Agents in the UK!

We are experts at all things travel and between us we have 130 years ofexperience in selling and travelling to worldwide destinations. There is not acontinent we haven’t set foot on!

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QUIRKYNEWS SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT...A selection of the strangest stories from around the globe

C HELTENHAM appears tobe going through aworsening economic

recession over the past 12 monthsand it troubles me.This week we’ve heard the news

that Ruby Tuesday’s is shutting itsdoors in the Brewery complex,Burger King is no more and nowthe prospect of a shiny newMorrison’s Superstore to belocated at the old Portland carpark has been scrapped.What is going on in this town? I

feel like there’s a closing downsale to be had every week as yetanother business feels the pinchand has to shut its doors to theCheltonians. Well here’s anotherthree businesses I’d love to seedisappear from our radars and gobust for good.WHSmith. It’s an absolutely

pointless business that offers novalue to its customers; in fact I’dgo as far to say it’s ripping itscustomers off. Overpricedstationary,

extortionately pricedconfectionary, and don’t get mestarted on the 3 for 2 bookvouchers they can’t give awayquick enough in a promotion thatseemingly never ends. Here’s aretailer that’s stuck in the ninetiesand has struggled to play catchup in modernising.When a business has to depend

on leasing Boor space to the PostOfAce (which probably derivesmost of its footfall) then you knowthere’s a serious problem. Packyour bags Smith’s and let’s seethat prime retail space offered to amore exciting retailer.Chiquito. Here’s an example of

a restaurant I wouldn’t even wantmy Aunt to dine at (and I truly

can’t stand thatwoman).Chiquito’s winsmy award forthe worstcustomerservice going

out of

every single establishment inCheltenham. On arrival you canexpect to be greeted by a memberof staff whose face has beenslammed by a double decker; allthe female servers appear to sufferfrom severe sleep deprivation andshow pure disdain when youmake the smallest requests atyour table. If you are able to lookpast the zombie-like servers, andthe extremely long wait betweenordering and receiving the food,

let me tell you that it doesn’t getany better. The food is greasy,soggy, luke-warm junk. And thebill you’ll receive will bedisappointingly high. I’m notquite sure how they can describethe dining experience asauthentically Mexican just bydraping a few sombreros off thewall and placing an odd lizardstatue at the entrance. I’d love tosee this restaurant replaced with amuch more enjoyable Mexican

themed restaurant such as aChimichanga!Finally I’d like to end on how

extortionate I think it is for ‘TheCar Wash Centre’ in theKingsditch estate to be charging£7.50 for a basic carwash. A yearago they charged £3.50 for theexact same service. The EasternEuropean boys will do a quickscrub down of your car’s worstareas and then spray on somesoap before directing you into thebig machine which does the restof the job for them. A few quid isreasonable for the two minutes oftheir time you get and the Avespent in the massive machinewith the big dusters. But £7.50?So the award for mostdisproportionate inBation has togo to these guys who have set ayearly inBation rate of well over100%. Good job guys, the tax youcontribute to HMRC must be anadmirable sum.

Get more of Tom’s insightsby following him onTwitter @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

VENTING SPLEEN… Local man about town, Tom Thurlow lets loose

DRENCHED pedestrians have complained topolice after being splashed by motoristsdriving through puddles, @gures reveal.Upset walkers across England and Wales

have contacted police forces and accuseddrivers of swerving deliberately to drivethrough standing water.Some even said police of@cers were among

the perpetrators.Splashing comes under Section 3 of the

Road Traf@c Act 1988, and can be punishedthrough a @xed penalty notice.The details of those who have been

investigated were released by police forces tothe Press Association following a Freedom ofInformation request.There were 63 reported incidents of

motorists driving through a puddle andsplashing pedestrians during a @ve-yearperiod from January 2009.A police of@cer was forced to apologise

after driving a 4x4 through standing water,while one pedestrian complained that a busdriver accelerated to soak those walking onthe pavement.A van driver was given a ticket for a public

order offence after driving “back and forththrough a large puddle to intentionallysplash pedestrians.”Another driver was spoken to after

deliberately going through a puddle to splasha walker before laughing with a passenger.Cumbria Police were contacted by a group

of pedestrians in November 2012 after thewalkers say they were deliberately soaked bya car in Cockermouth.An unlucky resident here in the county,

said they were splashed “at least @ve times”by drivers speeding through puddles on oneparticular road.Another said a police of@cer “swerved into

a puddle on purpose” to soak him.One witness reported how a “young male

driver was swerving all along” The Knapp inStroud, “driving into puddles on purpose tosplash school children walking home.”It was one of 11 incidents reported to

Gloucestershire Police.Mike Frisby, the Driving Instructors

Association chief examiner, saidmotorists have a “duty of care” not tosplash pedestrians, something whichcan be “easily avoided.”He added: “It's probably not widely

known by pedestrians that they canreport incidents if they're splashed, but wedon't really want to engage in a culturewhere people are going to report every littleincident.“The driver has an obligation to plan well,

as there is always a danger when drivingthrough a puddle because even in shallowwater drivers won't know what lurksbeneath.”

POLICE in Dundee pulled over a manfor riding a space hopper while drunkon a busy main road.Of@cers spotted the man taking the

air @lled toy down the dual carriagewaytowards a tunnel on the city centre ringroad.Eye-witness Jamie Shankland, 25, said

the man tried to run away but policehad “no problem” catching him.

“He looked very drunkand police had blocked the

left-hand lane because hewas on the road,” he

said.“I had to pass

slowly and, as Idid, I sawanotherpolicemanwalking up the

tunnel to pick up ared space hopper.

“The look on the guy'sface was priceless - you could just tell hewas thinking: 'What have I done?”A spokesman for Police Scotland's

Tayside Division con@rmed a man on aspace hopper had been stopped on theroad, but no formal action was taken.

Hopping drunkSPLASHING TIME


CRYPTICCrossword

CoffeeBreak

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8

9 10

11 12

13 14 15 16

17

18 19 20 21

22 23

24

TAKES

TRIPS

BOATS

TRAIN

WordLadderConvert the word at the topof the ladder into the wordat the bottom of it, usingonly the four steps inbetween. Every word mustbe a valid =ve letter word.

Last week’s solutions (8th January 2015): Across: 1 Schnapps; 5 Ogre; 9Aria; 10 Colossal;11 Repel; 12 Orphans; 13 Station-wagons; 18Averages; 19 Logs; 20 Naivete; 21 Shore;22 Days; 23 Stendhal. Down: 2 Current; 3Nearest; 4 Pronouncement; 6 Gestapo; 7 Enlists;8 Hoopla; 13 Stained; 14Amenity; 15 Isabel; 16 Galahad; 17 Nigeria.

ACCRINGTON Stanley are inviting theirfans to spend £20 on souvenir tickets for agame which will never happen.The League Two side blew their chanceof hosting Manchester United in the thirdround of the FA Cup by losing to Yeovil intheir second-round replay.The match would have been a lifeline forcash-strapped Stanley which has nowproduced 250 commemorative tickets to

mark the club’s FA Cup run.Chairman Peter Marsden said the moneywould go towards “strengthening thesquad” for the rest of the season.Manager John Coleman said he hopedStanley would still get a chance to play the20-time league winners.“We are speaking to Manchester Unitedand we're going to try to pull on theirheartstrings a bit and hopefully those whobuy the tickets might actually see us playthem in the not too distant future,” hesaid.But the move has been met withscepticism on online forums by fans.One posted: “Bullseye springs to mind...Let's see what you could have won. Inreality, it's hardly an FA Cup run. Weentered round one and exited round two.”

3 5 11 3

9 7 1 55 6 2 9 78 3 9 6 5 2

46 7 8 4 1

2 4 81 3 6 4

StandOKU!Dif:culty rating: Moderate

TARGET

L Y OR SM I N

A

Make as manywords of four lettersor more as you can.Each word mustcontain the centerletter and eachletter must onlybe used once.

Target:20 words good;35 very good;40+ excellent.

ACROSS1. Those who avail themselves ofservices rendered (6-5)

9. Censure for shocking pubassault (7)

10. Container in which you'll =ndsome of the morphia left (5)

11.The result of summing up (5)12. Ann unusually eager for thismaterial (7)

13. Slip list in the book (6)15. Stays in the wrong sector (6)18. The gateman has become a bigbusiness operator (7)

20. The heart's regularly orderedbeat, initially (5)

22.A capital ring for a lover (5)23. Large part of the claim men

settled (7)

24.Ten genially disposed in agraceless way (11)

DOWN2. Usual procedure assumed bythe rider (5)3. Back a great many, we hear, tomake a new distribution (7)4. The kind of place for corporalpunishment (6)5. Prone to be disguised as anartist (5)6. Dear Sir, those in the attackhave been routed (7)7. Promote a greater number aswell (11)8. They're used for surveyingaircraft schedules (5-6)14. Prevailing system of disciplinefor nearly all the military body (7)16. A motto put up by northernTurk (7)17. Margaret holding the moneyfor rationing out (6)19. Everybody goes round to theisland (5)21. Somehow learn to describeglands affected by nephritis (5)

ARIES (March 20 – April 18):Leave smolderingresentments alone.Addressing them now (nomatter how wellintentioned) only fansembers into a >ame.

TAURUS (April 19 – May 19):TheVenus/Uranus sextilemakes you irresistible toeveryone but the personyou want. Clearly there areplenty of =sh in the sea.Toss this one overboard.

GEMINI (May 20 – June 20):Your romantic prospectswould improve byspending time in an exoticsetting.

CANCER (June 21 – July 21):The Last Quarter Moonindicates a last minutechange of mind. Asoftening in tone or signof concern is all it takes tosee someone in a newlight.

LEO (July 22 – Aug 21):It's always wise tointroduce a littleseparateness in yourtogetherness. It's what

keeps the other halffrom turning into a balland chain.

VIRGO (Aug 22 – Sept 21):Don't be so hasty toconclude matters.Youmay be signing off rightwhen someone importantis signing on.

LIBRA (Sept 22 – Oct 22):You're ready to let a no-win situation go, but anadversary may be trying topull a fast one. Be prudentand keep one foot in thering.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21):Don't jump toconclusions.The lastquarter Moon in Librawarns that you may beemotionally invested in atremendousmisunderstanding.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov 22 – Dec 20): Reach outto your network of friendsduring this Venus/Uranussextile. Not only are theyhappy to make importantintroductions, but their

friends (and friends'friends) will as well.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 – Jan 18):A lucky turn of events mayhave worked out in anopponent's favor, but s/hecan't win unless you giveaway the game. So don't.

AQUARIUS (Jan 19 – Feb 17):Firmly grasped notionswon't be given upovernight. It's just as wellsince your aim is toreverse a trend that's goneon for too long. Loosenone =nger at a time.

PISCES (Feb 18 – March 19):As the level of frustrationrises, your jobperformance improves aswell. There must be abetter way, but keep ondoing what you're doingfor now.

YourWeekly HOROSCOPES

The footy match that never was

MOTORISTS in a tranquil coastal townencountered an unlikely jogger - an emuon the run.The bird was Blmed zigzagging throughtrafBc in the Israeli coastal town ofHerzliya in the pouring rain on Sunday.Local authorities say it appeared to haveescaped from a private farm.Footage taken by Iliya Zelser, a 27-year-old video artist who was driving on theroad, showed the emu running betweencars.Speaking afterwards, he said it was an“absurd” situation.“It felt like (being in a) cartoon, (it feltlike in a minute I would hear) the ‘beepbeep’ and I said to myself in a second acoyote will appear from behind,” he said.An unnamed resident, who spoke to thewebsite Ynetnews, said the bird wasrunning at about 25mph (40kmph).They said: “I called the police andreported the emu siting. They were

stunned. As I drove, I noticed that a cityvehicle had arrived to deal with the emuand was zigzagging between lanes, but Iwas the only one who managed to chaseafter it with my scooter.”The man said he attempted to stop theemu, but it tried to attack him.He said he managed to steer it towards alawn next to a shopping centre, where itwas eventually caught.Dorit Basman, a spokeswoman forHerzliya municipality, said wardenscaught the emu and returned the birdsafely to its owner, seemingly unharmed.The emu, which is native to Australia, isthe second largest living bird in the worldafter the ostrich.

Emu on the run


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SHURDINGTON, GL51 4SR £192,000 GUIDEASEMI-DETACHED BUNGLAOW IN NEED OFMODERNISATION.The accommodation offers entrance hall, living room, good size kitchen, conservatory, two bedrooms andbathroom. Gas central heating and double glazing. (EPC - awaited). There is also a driveway giving offroad parking, a carport and garage together with a pleasant rear garden.OPEN VIEWING - SATURDAY 17th JANUARY - 11 - 11.30 am

NORTON, GL2 9LN £495,000CHARACTERFULCONVERTED BARNWITH FOUR BEDROOMS & TWO BATHROOMS.Lovely open plan living room, dining room & kitchen enjoying pleasant countryside views.SELF-CONTAINED ANNEXE/STUDIO.Attractive red brick walled grounds. Large driveway.Central heating & double glazing. (EPC-D)

GLOUCESTER, GL4 6TP £198,000JUST RENOVATED! A highly recommended DETACHED HOUSE with newly installed gas centralheating, upgraded double glazing, and new carpets/flooring. Entrance hall, living room, very appealingkitchen/dining room, cloakroom, three bedrooms and a bathroom. Also with off road parking, garden tofront and good size garden to rear with a large “workshop”. (EPC-F)

CHRISTCHURCH ROAD £57,500● Top floor flat requiring some updating.● Entrance hall, living room, kitchen, bathroom & one bedroom.● Night storage heating and double glazing.● Communal facilities and on site manager. (EPC-D)

SANDFORD ROAD £115,000● First floor flat near to Cheltenham General Hospital.● Living room with south facing aspect, modern kitchen (with window),● TWO BEDROOMS and bathroom.● Residents grounds and communal car park. (EPC-D)

PRESTBURY, GL52 3LN £122,000● Very nicely presented second floor flat with TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS.● Entrance hall, living room, re-fitted kitchen and bathroom● Gas central heating & double glazing (EPC-C). Residents’ grounds and parking.● Less than £400 per year maintenance charges!

HESTERSWAY £160,000 ONLY●An older type terrace house with off road parking!● Entrance hall, living room, separate dining room, re-fitted kitchen,● FOUR BEDROOMS, bathroom and separate WC.● No Chain SOME IMPROVEMENT REQUIRED (EPC-D)

LYNWORTH PLACE £215,000●A truly outstanding attractive double fronted refurbished house● Large kitchen/breakfast room, utility room (with wc), two separate reception rooms● FOUR BEDROOMS and bathroom. Gas central heating, double glazing,● Off road parking & good size rear garden. (EPC-D)

STMARK’S £215,000● Characterful older type house requiring some updating.● Living room, dining room, kitchen, cloakroom,● THREE BEDROOMS & bathroom. Gas centrally heated & double glazed (EPC-C).● Off road parking. Generous rear garden which is an outstanding feature.

STMARK’S £205,000 OFFERS●Amost attractive and charming double fronted semi-detached house● Entrance hall, living room, dining room, kitchen,● THREE BEDROOMS, bathroom and a very appealing garden.● Double glazing and newly installed gas central heating (EPC-F)

CLEEVEMOUNT £265,000● Most delightful, recently refurbished semi-detached house.● Entrance hall, living room, cloakroom/utility room, extended kitchen/dining room,● two double bedrooms & bathroom. Gas central heating & double glazing. (EPC-D)● Enclosed c. south-easterly facing garden, potential off road parking.

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THE Gloucestershire Big in Business Lunchwas held in the 1873 Club at Kingsholm onWednesday of this week and was attendedby over 100 local business folk. For the 1rsttime a male speaker Mr Tim Greenway co-owner of the family business High1eldGarden Centre based in Whitminster wasinterviewed by resident host, TV sports pre-

senter Jill Douglas. Local accountantsTayabali Tomlin were this month’s sponsor.The Lunch which started out as a predom-inantly Ladies Lunch has now beenopened up to men and women in business.The next lunch is at the end of April.To book contact [email protected]

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UNPOPULAR plans to reduce part of BathRoad to one lane are being trialled by theCounty Council. The so called ‘Bath RoadSafety Scheme’ will see the Bath Roadrestricted to one lane of traf>c betweenthe High Street and Oriel Road, as well astraf>c signals at Vernon place replacedwith a temporary pedestrian crossing.This scheme is part of the wider

Cheltenham Transport Plan, which regularSoapbox readers will know I have a fewworries about. At the heart of thecontroversial Transport Plan is the aim ofpreventing private vehicles going throughBoots Corner. However there are a numberof other signi>cant changes to the roadnetwork as part of these plans, includingthe Bath Road Safety Scheme.County Council of>cers have decided,

without any consultation with localcouncillors that the Bath Road schemecould be delivered on its own even if theCheltenham Transport Plan is thrown out.They have announced at extremely shortnotice that they are carrying out a trial ofthis road narrowing scheme for four weeksfrom Monday 19th January to 6th February.Residents living nearby are very

concerned that vehicular access fromVernon Place and Bath Street on to the BathRoad is going to be made very dif>cultwithout the traf>c lights.Whilst it might seem a good idea to try to

slow down traf>c on Bath Road, it is fairlyobvious that ‘slowing down’ could meanactual gridlock at times. It is also possible

that some drivers will choose other routeswhich might be even more sensitive. Forexample, College Road is already very busyat peak times but more North to Southtraf>c could be displaced on to it.It seems odd to move traf>c from a town

centre road with not many direct residentialproperties to a residential road whichdissects Sandford Park as well as being theaccess to the towns A&E.If you want an example of the

frustrations of being a councillor this is it. Iam County and Borough Councillor for thispart of Bath Road and College Road. Eventhough I have formally objected to thisplan on numerous occasions, of>cers havestill been working on it and now it is beingtrialled. Other schemes in my division,which I am desperate to be implementedtake a Christmas miracle and years ofdetermination to bring to fruition.I have been on twitter for a while; you

can >nd my normal account at@KlaraChelt. This week I am honoured tobe tweeting from the @Chelt52 twitteraccount. @Chelt52 is an account wheredifferent people tweet each week over theyear. It is a bit of a challenge to engagetwitter users who I suspect have no idea

who I am. As I write this, it isday two and I’m still feelinga little like a guest in akindly stranger’s home,trying to >nd my wayaround.One of the questions I

have posed to @Chelt52followers is what is yourfavourite thing about or inCheltenham and what in thetown would you put in room101. And thinking about itmade me realise how trickyit is to pick just one of eitherthing. I told my youngestson about this question. Heasked me if the town’sChristmas lights would begoing into room 101. Thething that irks me most however is thePromenade being used as a bus station andtaxi rank, so that’s going into my room 101.As for choosing the one good thing about

Cheltenham, this took a bit longer. When Ilived in London and Oxford, apart frommissing my family and friends, the onething that I missed the most was thegreenness of Cheltenham; the street trees

which are so much part of the character ofthe town, as well as the distant views tothe hills.However, all this aside it’s really crucial

for the powers that be (including politiciansbut also other powerful and in?uentialgroups) to focus their energies on bringinggenuine improvements to the real issuesthat need sorting out.

SoapboxBy COUNCILLOR KLARA SUDBURY


EDUCATION

LAST Friday Year 13 2014 leavers were invitedback to ASA for a reunion. During the timethey picked up their exam certiIcates andspoke with their old teachers about what theywere up to now.Over 30 students and many staff attended

to catch up with them to Ind out how theywere getting on at University etc.Lots of students expressed their enthusiasm

for their University courses and theindependent life they now led. Some studentsspoke about the higher apprenticeships orjobs that they had taken.Jake Sheppard is studying at BIMM

University in Bristol studying MusicProduction. He is currently in the process ofmoving to Bristol after commuting for theIrst term.Robbie Bond is studying Psychology at

Cardiff Met University. He was incrediblyhappy to have achieved a Irst in one of hisassignments. He is living in a house share inthe city centre and enjoying a newfoundsense of freedom.Demi Wheeler is studying Media &

Communications specialising in Journalismat Birmingham City University. She hasalready had a few of her articles published ona Birmingham Eastside website.Chelsea Craven is off on a Latter-day Saints

mission trip to Brazil in February and couldn’tbe more thrilled. “It has beenmy dream froma young age to serve as a missionary. When Ireturn I hope to apply for University to studyBroadcast Journalism.”Assistant Head of Sixth Form Leo Kelly said

“There was a great atmosphere and all thoseat University have had a very successful Irstterm and were really positive about theirfuture studies. Students mentioned that theywere thankful for staff and subject teachersthat encouraged them to go.”

2014 leavers return for social at All Saints

PROSPECTIVE Sixth Form students andparents are invited to look around AllSaints’ Academy Sixth Form inJanuary/February to discover thesubjects on offer along with supportand extra curricular activities that areavailable. Please contact Mrs Parr on01242 711225 to book a tour.In 2014we achieved our best results yet, 98%A* - E with 47% achieving top gradesA* - B. All Sixth Form students aresupplied with a laptop to enable theirindependent learning. Ofsted gradedAll Saints’ Academy as good in ourNovember 2014 report. “The sixthform curriculummeets students’ needsexceptionally well to prepare them fortheir next steps in education, trainingor employment. They are givenexcellent guidance to make sure thatthey are on the best course for them.Students’ achievement in vocationalsubjects is outstanding. It hasimproved in academic subjects.”Ofsted 2014.

All Saints’ AcademySixth Form celebratesbest ever results!

Breaking point for some state school places

THE Local Government Association fearsthe demand for school places could soonreach a tipping point with nomore space ormoney to extend schools.The LGA wants the government to fully

fund the cost of all the extra places,calculated to run to £12bn.Ministers said the last Labour government

had failed to plan ahead.OfIcial government Igures, published

last year, project that by 2023 there will bea total of 8,022,000 pupils in England'sschools - up from 7,143,000 in the currentacademic year.The school population bulge is most

acute in major cities, according to theNational Audit OfIce, with the birth raterising faster than at any time since the1950s.Some suburban areas have seen a rise in

the number of families with school-agechildren, due to changes in work patterns -while the school population has fallen insome rural areas.The National Audit OfIce has said the

rising birth rate is related to a 6% increasein the number of women of child-bearingage since 2003, plus older women havingchildren.The LGA says the cost of creating places

for all these pupils could be £12bn, meaningthe government's commitment of £7.35bnfor extra school places leaves a shortfall.

As well as more central governmentfunding, it wants councils to be given thepowers to open new schools to meet localneed without bureaucratic burdens.It says councils are “pulling out all the

stops to ensure there is a place for everychild.”Education Secretary Nicky Morgan told

BBC Radio 4's Today programme that thespaces would be provided by academies andfree schools, and £5bn had been spent inthis parliament so far on the creation of newplaces.“By the time we get all the free schools in

the pipeline up and running, they will beproviding over 200,000 new places acrossthe country,” she said.“Seventy percent of free schools that have

been opened have been opened in areas ofbasic need.”Class size was important but so was the

quality of education and number ofteachers in the classroom, she added.

The cost of creatingplaces for the 880,000extra pupils expectedin England by 2023could push schools tobreaking point,council leaders warn


EDUCATION

THE University ofG l o u c e s t e r s h i r econtributed an estimated£150 million to theGloucestershire economyin 2014. Its graduates areadding almost £200million of value to theUK economy every year,according to a newreport released today.The report has been

produced for theUniversity by BiggarEconomics, anindependent economicconsultancy. Usingmodels developed toassess the impact ontheir communities of a range of otherUniversities, the report estimates the directand indirect ways in which the Universitycontributes to Gloucestershire’s economythrough its staff and students, businessdevelopment, volunteering, and spendingwith local and national businesses.Vice-Chancellor Stephen Marston

(pictured) said: “We are proud to be theUniversity of, and for, Gloucestershire.This report estimates for the Arst time thevarious impacts of the University’sactivities, in terms of supportingeconomic, social and communitywellbeing for Gloucestershire. “It tries to

assess not just theUniversity’s impact asa £70m business inour own right, butalso the manyindirect andmultiplier effects fromstaff and studentspending, from ourprocurement of goodsand services, from thecontribution ourgraduates make in thelabour market, and soon. The reportunderlines ourcommitment to be akey contributor to theeconomic growth,

prosperity and wellbeing of the county.“The report estimates that the

University’s activities and spendingsupport almost 3000 jobs in the SouthWest region. Our staff and students spendmore than £28 million in the county andcommit more than 10,000 hours ofvolunteering each year. He went on to add,“One of the major Andings of the newreport is the value our students andgraduates bring to businesses and publicsector organisations in the region. Morethan 3000 students a year undertake aplacement or internship which generatesan estimated £4 million of impact.’’

University of Gloucestershirereleases major economic report

FOR parents seeking to realise their child’s potential andnurture their talents, The King’s School, GloucesterfulAls that dream.A hidden gemwith around 530 girls and boys aged 3-

18 years, it is the leading Independent Day School inthe area. Offering academic excellence, small class sizes,outstanding pastoral care and a unique ‘Keystones’programme designed to identify and developindividual talents.Established by Henry VIII in 1541 and set within the

Cathedral grounds, the school offers an inspiringsetting and provides a special sense of identity andpowerful community unlike any other. The Choristersand Choral music are intrinsic to life at King’s, whilethe school nurtures both its sporting and acting talent.Monday to Friday a varied academic and extra-

curricular programme including art, drama and musicis presented with a vibrant culture of endeavour andscholarship which continues to thrive. The school’sdedicated bus services enable access countywide.The next OpenMorning is Saturday 14thMarchwith

a Sixth Form Information Evening onWednesday 11thFebruary. Come and discover how King’s can developyour child. For further details or to arrange anindividual tour, please contact the Registrar SharonBird; 01452 337337, [email protected] visit www.thekingsschool.co.uk

Nuturing talent


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MOTORINGMOTORINGREVIEW

AUDI has pressed the refresh button on thefull A6 range, so the muscle-bound S6saloon and Avant estate get the same (tiny)makeover. The grille now has twin barsrunning across it instead of single, thickerones, and the headlights, bumper and airinlets have been slightly reshaped.Don some X-ray specs and you'll see

adaptive air suspension set to 20mm lowerthan the standard A6, while the brake

calipers are now matt black, the rear diffuserhas an aluminium-look blade and the full-LED headlights are ever-so-slightly slimmer.The wider changes to the base car have

made it a better-looking platform for the Sand, in 2015, the RS development teams todeal with. Side skirts that jut out moreprominently, 19-inch twin-spoke alloywheels and those Gashy headlights give itthe kind of window shopping appeal that

half of Amsterdam could scarcely dream of.But the S6's civility is stuffed deep down

inside its bag of tricks and there's no gettingrid of it. At Frst glance this could just be anS-line spec A6, and its relativeunderstatement is one of the qualities thathelp it sell so well.In Fnest fast Audi tradition you can

choose an estate model as well as thesaloon. With such shapely seats and high-

quality leathers cocooning you like a Persianprince, the S6 is better for luxuriating thanit is for folding the seats down and throwinga load of planks into. It's just too well-appointed for that.Turbocharging a V8 gets you lots of

things; power and speed being two. The S6is as rapid as the people who take usedplates away at all-you-can-eat buffets, and itdoesn't feel particularly like a turbochargedengine. It pulls harder and harder with abarrel-chested bellow as the revs rise, a lotlike the previous engines of S-cargenerationsGrip and traction are beyond what you'd

ever be able to exploit on the road. The wayit drags itself so violently but so steadily outof tight corners is uncanny. G-force hasnever been so unthreatening. Most roadssimply aren't big enough for the S6 tostretch its legs, but at normal speeds it's asstable as Ayers Rock. Sure, it's Frm overbumps on its huge (optional) 21-inchwheels, but if history has taught usanything it's that Audi buyers don't tend tomind sacriFcing ride quality for aesthetics.At £56,000, the saloon is not a cheap car.

And at that price Audi kindly leaves a lot ofthe technology and luxury that you're likelyto want on the options list, so quicklytotting up beyond £60,000 is a given. It'sbig, hugely capable and prestigious, butsmaller premium-brand cars that will do thejob just as well could offer a much bettervalue alternative.

SUAVE AND SOPHISTICATED...

FACTS ATA GLANCEAUDI S6 SALOON,FROM £56,000Engine: 4.0-litre turbochargedpetrol V8 producing 444bhp and406lb/ft of torqueTransmission: Eight-speedautomatic driving all four wheelsPerformance: Top speed 155mph, 0-62mph in 4.4 secondsFuel Economy: 30.7mpg combinedEmissions: 216g/km of CO2

THE Fnalists for the European Car of theYear have been announced and thewinner will be crowned at the GenevaMotor Show in March 2015.Among the contenders for the 2015

title are the new Ford Mondeo, CitroenC4 Cactus and Renault Twingo.Others in the running are the BMW 2

Series Active Tourer, MercedesC-Class, Nissan Qashqai and

Volkswagen Passat.Originally, 31 cars were on the possible

contender list, but they have beenwhittled down to just seven Fnalists.Now, 58 judges from across Europe willmake their decisions and their votes willbe added up to decide the overall winner.There are six judges from the UK.

Previous winners of the European Carof the Year title include the AlfaRomeo 147, Fiat Bravo, Peugeot 307

and 405, and the Porsche 928.Volkswagen has announced details of

its Frst high economy Bluemotion variantto run on petrol instead of diesel. ThePolo Bluemotion uses a 1.0-litre TSIengine to deliver 95bhp and 160lb.ft oftorque, giving respectable performance; 0-62mph takes 10.5 seconds and the topspeed is 119mph.More importantly the petrol-powered

Polo Bluemotion is capable of 68.9mpgand so has an ofFcial CO2 Fgure of94g/km, under the crucial 100g/kmbarrier.Based on the S model, the Polo

Bluemotion gains unique front and rearbumpers, a smoother grille, side skirts anda rear roof spoiler as well as 15-inch alloywheels and low rolling resistance tyres.Inside there's a multifunction leathersteering wheel, alarm with remote centrallocking, air conditioning, a front centrearmrest and a combined media andinfotainment system all as standard.Prices start at £14,730 for the three-door

version, with Frstdeliveries in the UK expected in March

2015.

European Car of the Year �nalists

HOMEWORK.

FESTIVAL TRIALS DAY24th JANUARY 2015

JUMP ONLINE NOWWWW.CHELTENHAM.CO.UK

CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

Local Rugby


SPORT

Cheltenham North 8Woodrush 11

THIS game was going to be thelitmus test for Cheltenham North'ssecond half of the season: at homewith a side only a couple of playersshort of the strongest they could putout, against the league leaders whohadn't lost a game since October.Woodrush kicked off with a strong

wind at their backs and quicklyopened their account. Giving awayan early score is now almost part ofthe North's game plan, but fortu-nately their generosity only ex-tended to a penalty.That was themetaphorical kick up

the backside required and the homeside began to play in earnest. The in-spiration was a trade mark 30 metrebreak from the base of the scrum byPaul Scott, he was dragged down onthe 22 but the North were in full cryand pounded the Woodrush line.Awarded a penalty they kicked for

the corner. They lost the ensuingline-out but such was their pressurethat the visitors were unable to cleartheir lines. Another North penalty,another lost line-out but still theypressurised.A third penalty and this time they

won the line-out and drove for theline. Dan Hewitt was stopped shortbut Damien Parker sniped andtwisted his way over to make it 5-3.Then, from a seemingly innocu-

ous scrum on the half-way line, amoments loss of concentration ledto a missed tackle. The Woodrushbacks are big, robust, quick and veryclinical, and when presented withsuch an opportunity were not going

to turn it down.Undeterred the home side came

back strongly. Their line-out was op-erating well by now and they hadthe upper hand in the scrums. Fol-lowing a RichHance break theywereunlucky not to score just before half-time but, after playing into a Gercewind and turning round three pointsdown, they went into the breakknowing that the gamewas theirs forthe taking.The North do not have a kicking

game and are far better off with theball in hand and so, apart from twobooming Tom Parks' clearance kicksthat went from 22 to 22, the wind attheir backs was not the advantage itcould have been. They dominatedterritory in the second half and soonwere awarded a kickable penalty tomake it 8-8.Then, in one of their rare sorties

into the North 22, Woodrush recip-rocated to make it 11-8. Woodrushtackle strongly and counter-ruck ag-gressively and it was to the North'scredit that their ball retention wasgood, no longer giving a string ofpenalties at the breakdown.North came tantalisingly close to

winning the game in the last Gveminutes: Grst DanHewitt crossed theline only to be brought back becausethe ref was unsighted, then from theensuing Gve-metre scrumWoodrushwere pushed back and then pe-nalised for collapsing.It was difGcult to see how that

could not be interpreted as a penaltytry but the ref was closer to theaction and he didn't see it that way.To add insult to injury a mix up atthe base of the next scrum led to afumble and Woodrush were off thehook and home and dry.

Unlucky North so close toupsetting leaders Woodrush

RUGBY UNION

ATALLAH SHINES IN AWAYVICTORY FOR CHELTENHAMNorth Bristol 18Cheltenham 24

A MUCH patched up Cheltenhamside travelled to North Bristol andcompleted a much needed windouble over the second bottomside in Western Counties North.Chris Scott’s team kicked off

playing into an icy wind, but it wasthe home side that opened thescoring in the second minute byway of a Dan Snow penalty.As both sides struggled with the

cold windy conditions, it wasCheltenham who took a narrowlead in the 17th minute when tal-isman Zac Atallah gained ball deepin his own half carrying the ballsome 40 metres before after threemore phases Gnding Sam OllyPickles who forced his way over fora unconverted try.North Bristol came back when

their star man Snow found formerScotland Under-21 player RossWilson who retook a narrow 8-5lead with a unconverted try wideout.

As the game continued to swingfrom end to end it was the turn ofCheltenham to take the lead after aGne Anthony Woodthorpe try,after good work from the Chel-tenham pack with Atallah kickinga conversion for a 12-8 lead.North Bristol did however

reduce the arrears just before thehalf time whistle with a secondpenalty via the boot of Snow.North Bristol started the second

half stronger and in the 53rdminute Alex Cue, son of formerBath and England Phil Cue, scoreda well constructed try with Snowadding the extras for a 18-12 homelead.Again neither side stamped their

authority on the game it was Chel-tenham’s talent young HarrisonSayers who scored a excellent try inthe corner with Atallah’s conver-sion drifting off target to narrowthe gap to 18-17.Cheltenham continued to gain

ball from the 50-50 situationsand in the 63rd minute captainTom Lait broke up Geld GndingAtallah who scored what was to bethe winning try under the posts

with his conversion making it24-18.North Bristol kept battling away

and were given a glimmer of hopein the 70th minute when refereeRob Waller showed a yellow cardto Cheltenham’s replacementRoss GrifGths for coming in fromthe side.But as in other games this season

Cheltenham refused to allow theman advantage to wipe out thisvital win to remain mid-table.

CHELTENHAM: Moore,Herbert, Gilder, Milne, Burger,Morris, Pickles, Lait,Woodthorpe, Atallah, Sayers,Brookes, Beeney, D Edwards,Delbrook-Jones. Replacements:GrifGths, Murells, Lockhart.NORTH BRISTOL: Collins,Anthony, Sterry, Wood, Wilson,Featherstone, Collins, Shep-herd, Cue, Snow, Samura,Hitchman, Gait, Warren, Lewis.Replacements: Lewis, Rawden,Purdy.REFEREE: Rob WallerSTAR MAN: Zac Atallah(Cheltenham).

RUGBY UNION

Hucclecote Panthers 50Cornwall Saints 24HUCCLECOTE Panthers had anamazing Grst quarter when visitorsCornwall Saints did the return legof the journey for the secondGxture in the South West EnglandUnder-16 Regional League.Mid court player Elisha New had

yet another fantastic game,showing great speed through courtand forcing three interceptions.Combined with solid defence

and outstanding shooting, they led17-3 at the end of the Grst quarter.The second quarter saw Saints up

their game and with more shoot-ing attempts netted 10 shots inthis period while slowing Huccle-cote’s tally to 12.The half-time score of 29-13 saw

changes made to Panthers squadwith Eve Saunders coming on toGK, Issy Robinson taking on theWD bib and and the partnership ofEllie Spark and Elisha New movingup through the unit. Saunders

made an instant impact defen-sively intercepting and reboundingstrongly.At times Panthers play was excit-

ing and fast paced although errorsstill crept in. With the score in-creasing to 40-15 at three quartertime, further changes saw LucyMartin take on the GA role and shedid well shooting seven of eight at-tempts.This was another excellent per-

formance which saw Panthers stepit up again to Gnish the game 50goals to 24.Shooting combinations saw the

Jane Taylor/ Emma Hale combina-tion produce good consistency al-

though it was Lucy Martin whoachieved a fabulous 88 percentagerate.The day however saw Saints

award Elisha New player of thematch for an outstanding displayof netball during the 60 minuteson court.This still leaves Hucclecote Pan-

thers as clear leaders at the top ofthe South West table and their un-beaten record continues.

HUCCLECOTE: E. Hale, JTaylor, L Martin, E New, ESpark, E Powell Davies,(captain), C Santacroce, E Saun-ders, H McCoubrie, I Robinson.

NETBALL

New the star as unbeaten Panthers punishCornish side

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SPORT LocalSport

Lions maintain unbeaten run by sinking Saints

St Mark’s 2Southside Lions 6ONA blustery day and heavy pitchat KGV, St Mark’s were out toavenge their 14-1 cup defeat byLions earlier in the season.The Saints started well and had

the bene@t of a strong wind ontheir backs, testing Lions withsome early shots, however it wasLions who opened the scoringwhen Callum Morrissey collecteda left foot pass fromMatty Hunt [email protected] Peck made it two, @nishing

with a good right foot shot aftercollecting a rebounded shot fromMorrissey to @re home.St Mark’s got one back from a

shot from Romain Harrison whichfound the corner, and when StMark’s attacked again Lions keeperAlex Scho@eld found George

Cuzner in his own half who ranthe length of the pitch beatingfour to slot home.Morrissey's second came initially

from a free kick by Cuzner thatwas rebounded out to Peck,headed on to Cuzner who volleyedback which ricocheted to Morris-sey who then calmly slotted it inusing all his goalscoring instincts.

Saints' Harrison made it 4-2from a free-kick, before two fromScooter Edwards put the game outof sight.His @rst when he was put in by

Morrissey and his second when hefollowed up a shot from Morrisseythat the St Mark’s keeper spilled asLions maintained their unbeatenrecord this season.

CHELTENHAMYOUTH FOOTBALL

Southside Lions

Pats pile on the points with bonuspoint success against Newton Abbot

Old Patesians 28Newton Abbot 23

ByMATT EVANS

THE recent bad weather meant OldPatesians were forced to move fromtheir usual Everest Road home to thePrince of Wales Stadium for the Na-tional League Three South West clashwith Newton Abbot.However, the change of scenery

seemed to do the Pats the world ofgood as they emerged with a bonuspoint win over the @fth-placed side.A barnstorming run from Aanker

George Angell straight from kick-offset the tone, and although they wereunable to take advantage of that break,Old Pats were on the scoreboard afterjust four minutes.Newton Abbot had already col-

lapsed onemaul, withOld Pats optingto kick the ball into touch from the re-sulting penalty. Theywon the line-outand another powerful rolling maulendedwith Jon Barker forcing his wayover the line for the @rst try of thematch.Barker could have added a second

try just a few minutes later, breakingfrom the back of the scrum throughthe defence only to contrive to dropthe ball as he went to touch down.However the referee gave Barker a

reprieve, returning to an earlier in-fringement from the All Whites, al-lowing George Hughes to slot home aregulation penalty to give Old Pats anearly 8-0 advantage.Newton Abbot @nally got into the

game, a strong scrum resulting in apenalty which Rob Avery-Wrightkicked with ease.Avery-Wright reduced the de@cit

further with a second penalty, theresult of another strongNewtonAbbotscrum.The Ay-half then had the chance to

give the All Whites the lead, attempt-ing an optimistic kick from thehalfway line that never looked likegoing through the posts. Old Patssoon extended their lead with asecond try.A sweeping set piecemove fromOld

Pats after a powerful scrum saw theball thrown to winger DuncanSpurrier who straightened the line su-perbly, before @nding his fellowwinger Dan Burrows who @nishedwell in the corner. Hughes’ conversionunluckily rebounded back off the post.As the half neared completion, Old

Pats found themselves under heavypressure and began to lose their disci-pline, with hooker Rob White sin-

binned.Pats defended resolutely on the line

keepingNewtonAbbot away from thetry line, receiving a helping hand fromreferee Karl Gibson,who inadvertentlyacted as an extra man in defence forOld Pats whenhe collidedwith an on-rushing Newton Abbot player.There was a 10 minute delay as the

referee recovered from his injuriesbefore blowing for half-time.Immediately after the break, Old

Pats extended their lead after NewtonAbbot were caught offside, Hugheskicking his second penalty of thematch.With hooker White still off the

pitch, Newton Abbot used thenumbers game to their advantage toscore a carbon copy of the Pats' @rsttry, a long rolling maul ending withAanker Simon Mingo emerging froma pile of bodies to claim the try, whichwas converted by full-backWill Castle-ton.White re-entered the fray but his

place in the sin bin was soon being@lled by another Old Pats player,Barker given a harsh yellow card for ahigh tackle.This didn't deter Pats, who crossed

the try-line @ve minutes later after arun down the blindside from Spurrier,who powered over the line, Hughesfailing to add the extras.However, Old Pats' lead was soon

reduced as Newton Abbot centre AlexMoore spotted a gap in the Old Patsdefensive line, bursting through totouch down under the posts, withCastleton again adding the extras.Barker returned to the action after

his spell on the side-lines, and the all-action Number 8 had an immediateimpact.A Newton Abbot scrum was over-

powered by Pats whomanaged towinthe ball against the head, Barker takingthe ball from the base of the scrumand driving towards the corner.Although he was stopped just short

of the line, scrum-half Lucas Roy-Smith got quick ball and Aung it acrossto Ay-half Craig Jones, who in turn fedthe ball to Hughes who sprinted inunder the posts for the Pats fourth tryand a bonus point.Hughes then added the extras to

take his own personal points tally to13 for the game.Newton Abbot then had much of

the ball for the @nal 15 minutes, butsome strong Pats defence kept the AllWhites at bay.Theywon a penalty under the posts

in the @nal minutes, which Castletoneasily kicked, meaning they secured alosing point as the Pats moved up toninth place.

RUGBY UNION

Loss of key men see Kings bow out of County Cup

Wickwar Wanderers 2Kings Reserves 1

WITH key players missing, thisCounty Cup quarter-@nal wasgoing to be a tough one for KingsReserves to win against Wickwarfrom the Stroud and DistrictLeague.Tom Hencher was with the @rst

team, Alex Febery unavailable andScott Walker injured, Kings Re-serves had to @nd some way tominimise the disruption.Neil Worrall made his second

appearance of the season follow-ing a long term injury and clearlyplayed a major part in the team’sefforts to clinch a semi-@nal place.A strong wind didn’t help either

side as they tried to play football.With the a strong wind at theirbacksWickwar dominated the @rst25 minutes and could have takenthe lead as early as the seventhminute when they rattled theKings upright.Kings defended well during this

period, but were unable toget much forward movementagainst the strong wind and a de-

termined Wickwar side.Gradually the game changed

and Kings. In a four-minute spellthe score could have been 2-1 tothe home side.On 25 minutes Kings mounted

a strong attack and had theWickwar defence under pressure,when a Gareth Bee shot came offthe crossbar, although it fell to JonChandler in space, he was deemedto have been off side.On 27 minutes Wickwar at-

tacked and a shot from justoutside the box saw Ivor Grif@thsAying across goal to make astrong one handed save as theball headed for the top farcorner. Spurred on by this,another Wickwar effort from closein was again well saved by [email protected] the last 15 minutes of the @rst

half, Worrall and Bee managed toget the Kings side on the offensive.They began to spray balls all overthe park and really did create allsorts of problems for the Wickwardefence.Kings then took the lead on 39

minutes. From a Joe Grif@ths free-kick, Worrall got his head to theball and it fell to Bee who found

the unmarked Mike Mackay whoangled his shot back across Bindenin the Wickwar goal.Wickwar hit back and with two

minutes to go to half-time, a highball was lobbed into the six-yardbox and Grif@ths in the Kings goalhesitated to come for it as hewould normally do, and Wickwarwere level at 1-1.The second-half saw the wind

drop and this enabled both sidesto play some better football. Kingsjust had the edge in terms of thebuild-up play, but were not able topenetrate a determined Wickwardefence.Despite this Wickwar were dan-

gerous on the counter attack andit was from one of these that Kingschances were dashed.On 67 minutes, Joe Grif@ths

and Bee went to put in a challengeinadvertently took each otherout and leaving Whitefootexposed to a two-on-one situation,which Kings were not able todefend.The last 15 minutes saw Kings

put everything into trying to getan equaliser to take the game topenalties, but despite this Wickwarheld out.

LOCAL FOOTBALL

GOT A LOCAL SPORTS STORY?Contact our Sports Editor via

[email protected]

LocalFootball


SPORT

FC LAKESIDE moved to the top ofDivision One of the CheltenhamLeague, sponsored by Bristol StreetMotors Cheltenham Ford, follow-ing their 3-0 defeat of old rivalsChurchdown Panthers.With Whaddon United losing

their match to the weather Lake-side pulled a point clear althoughthey have played a gamemore thanUnited. Both teams are in actionthis weekend and know that theyneed to keep taking all three pointsto stay in touch with each other.At the bottom Bishops Cleeve III

claimed a crucial victory as theybeat bottom club Kings 4-2. Thewin lifts them above Newton andleaves them seven points ahead oftheir opposition.Leaders Cheltenham Civil

Service Reserves avenged theirdefeat to Cheltenham Patriotsearlier in the season with a hardfought 3-2 victory at their Tewkes-bury Road ground.Patriots twice took the lead only

for Joe McCauley to twice drawService level. Keeper Lewis Hortonthen kept the hosts in the gamewith a superb save before a spectac-ular winner from Dan Midwintergave them all three points.Staunton and Corse kept up their

pressure on the leaders with a 3-2win at Andoversford. They are justthree points behind Service but cru-cially have three games in hand.

Service face another of their con-querors next week when they playFC Barometrics Reserves. Baros lost2-0 to WMK last weekend and willbe looking to get back to winningways and stay in contention for thetitle.Welland FC moved top of Divi-

sion Three after beating the previ-ous leaders Leckhampton Rovers4-3. They top the table by twopoints and still have two games inhand.At the bottom Shurdington

Rovers woes continued as theywere beaten 5-0 by BrockworthAlbion Reserves.This weekend Welland travel to

Newland who still boast an un-beaten league record. However,after drawing Gve of their openingsix matches they Gnd themselvesten points off the top of the table.There were just two league

matches in Division Four lastweekend and Southside Reserveswere the big winners as they hiteight past bottom club TewkesburyTown Reserves.First plays fourth this weekend as

Northway host Kings Reserves.Kings know they will need to avoiddefeat if they are to remain in con-tention in the title raise.An impressive 6-1 win for FC

Barometrics III over Hatherley FCsaw them move off the bottom ofDivision Five and up four places.Sherborne Harriers lost the only

other game in the Division, going

down 4-1 to Bredon. The defeat,coupled with Baros' win, sees Har-riers end the weekend bottom.Harriers task doesn’t get any

easier this weekend when they hostleaders FC Lakeside Reserves.Lakedside will be expecting to takemaximum points from the matchbut defeat could open up the wayfor Staunton and Corse Reserves orCheltenham Civil Service IV whoare on their tails.Malvern Vale maintained their

100 percent start to life in Division

Six with a 4-2 win at Gala WiltonIV. Fintan Reserves, the other teamwith a 100 percent record were notin action last Saturday.Fintan return to action this

weekend in the big game in Divi-sion Six as they travel to Chel-tenham United. United sit oneplace and one point above their op-position however they have playedtwo games more.United go into the clash off the

back of a 3-0 win at CharltonRovers III with Chris Clavin grab-

bing two goals and Carl Crisp theother.Defeat for United could open the

way for Regency Town to leapfrogthem. They will play Apperley afterthe United game Gnishes so will gointo their gaming knowingwhether victory will take them upto third.The bottom two teams also meet

this weekend as Andoversford IIIhost Charlton Rovers III. With bothteams on three points it will bewinner takes it all.

CHELTENHAM LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Cheltenham League round-up

old Sizing Europe (50/1, Henry de Brom-head), who was successful in 2011.Sprinter Sacre has been off the track since

pulling-up in the 2013 Desert Orchid Chaseat Kempton Park, but is set to return inAscot's Clarence House Chase on January 17,while Sire De Grugy is due tomake his come-back in the Betfair Price Rush Chase (regis-tered as the Game Spirit Chase) at Newburyon February 7.Irish handler Henry de Bromhead has three

entries, including Sizing Europe who couldmake his seventh appearance at The Festival.The tremendous chaser, who ran in the

2008 ChampionHurdle, took the Racing PostArkle in 2010, won the Queen MotherChampion Chase the following year, wassecond in the 2012 and 2013 renewals andGnished fourth last year.

He recorded his eighth Grade One victoryin the Punchestown Champion Chase inApril and got the better of subsequent dualGrade One victor Road To Riches by a headwhen landing the Grade Two PWC Cham-pion Chase for a fourth successive year atGowran Park in October.Sizing Europe turned in a rare lacklustre

performance on his latest start when sixth toChampagne Fever (WillieMullins, 8/1) in theGrade Two Clonmel Oil Chase on November13.De Bromhead said: “Sizing Europe is well

and in good form. We are just taking it onerace at a time with him at the moment, butit is better to be entered at Cheltenhamrather than not. That was our thinkinganyway.“He is in the Clarence House at Ascot next

weekend but I'm not sure if he will travelover. It will all depend on the ground.”De Bromhead has also entered Special Tiara

(25/1), who regained the winning threadwith a spectacular jumping performance inthe Grade Two Desert Orchid Chase at

Kempton Park over Christmas and was sixthin this race last year, and Grade One runner-up Moscow Mannon (66/1).The trainer added: “The Champion Chase

is the aim for Special Tiara. He has come outof Kempton very well and is in great form.“We delighted with him there - it was a

brilliant performance - and it was great to gethim back on the winning trail again.“We still need to think about whether or

not he will run again as I haven't given it a lotof thought yet.“We were happy withMoscowMannon in

Leopardstown and he seems to be in goodform after the race.“He will probably go for the Champion

Chase as well and I would be hopeful of agood performance.”There are 14 Irish-trained entries, another

modern record (previous highest 12 in 2007),with four of these hailing from the stable ofthe country's champion trainer WillieMullins.Mullins' leading contender appears to be

Champagne Fever, who is already a dual

winner at The Festival having taken the 2012Weatherbys Champion Bumper and 2013Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle.He was also the head runner-up in the

2014 Racing Post Arkle Chase. Mullins couldalso run Ballycasey (33/1), Turban (66/1) andTwinlight (22/1).British champion trainer Paul Nicholls is

the most successful current handler in theBetway Champion Chase with four successes.He has four entries for 2015, headed by

2011 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle victorAl Ferof (8/1), who was third over a milefurther in the William Hill King George VIChase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.Nicholls could also be represented by

Dodging Bullets (10/1), successful in thisseason's Grade One Tingle Creek Chase atSandown Park, plusMrMole (33/1) and Hin-terland (50/1).Alan King, successful with Voy Por Ustedes

in 2007, has two strong contenders in Ux-izandre (16/1) and Balder Succes (20/1), whileCumbrian-based Nicky Richards may runEduard (33/1) and Simply Ned (20/1).

33 entries for Chase

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

HORSE RACING

This week we focus on RobCurrywho captains South-side FC in DivisionTwo.One of the biggest junior

clubs in Cheltenham, South-side have made a successfultransition into open agedfootball enabling players likeRob to stay with the club andmove from junior to adultfootball.They now boast two teams

as well as a veterans teamwho play in the CountyVeter-ans League.The ;rst XIclaimed the County Cup lastseason and currently sit ineighth place in DivisionTwo.

Name: Rob CurryNickname: ChickenPosition: Centre mid;eldPrevious clubs: None. Played

for Southside since I waseight years oldMost memorable game:County Cup Final 2013/14versus English Bicknor whenwe won 1-0Worst game: League CupFinal 2008/09 versus Tewkes-bury Town, we drew 3-3, 4-4AET then lost 7-6 on penal-tiesToughest opponents:Charlton Rovers (promoted toNorthern Senior League lastyear)Best club player: Rob LoweTeam Supported: LiverpoolFavourite player: StevenGerrard

Cheltenham Football League, sponsored by Bristol Street Motors Ford Cheltenham

PLAYER PROFILE OF THEWEEK

Hartlepool United 2 Cheltenham Town 0SPORT32 CHELTENHAM STANDARD 15 JANUARY 2015

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PAULBuckle says CheltenhamTown must bounce backquickly from last week’s

setback at Hartlepool United as theywelcome Morecambe to WhaddonRoad on Friday night (7.45pm).They went down 2-0 to the

bottom club at Victoria Park, withgoals from Scott Fenwick andformer Robins trialist RakishBingham in each half.It was Pools’ Lrst victory under

new boss Ronnie Moore, bringingCheltenham back down to earthwith a bang after their 2-1 win atOxford United a week earlier,leaving them 18th in the table.“It's always disappointing when

you lose and we've probably hadenough of those days to last us alifetime this season,” Buckle said.“You have to manage the game

from the side, but the players haveto manage the game as well, interms of understanding the condi-tions.“I don't think we cleared our lines

well enough, we still had chancesall the way to the end, but the goalswe conceded were poor.“We just lacked a little bit today,

but it certainly wasn’t effort ordesire.”It was the Lrst time Cheltenham

had conceded more than one goalin a game under Buckle and heknows they will need to show a vastimprovement if they are to distancethemselves from the drop zoneagainst 11th placed Morecambe.“We had a brilliant weekend

against Oxford, but we have to takethis on the chin and it’s allabout dusting ourselves down andgoing again against Morecambe,”he said.

“I am dealing with this group ofboys I have inherited and I’m doingthe best I can with them. We didn’tget carried away with Oxford andHartlepool deserved their win, butwe shot ourselves in the foot.“We will be trying to get three

points at home after a good week oftraining and I will be calling formore leadership from the boys,which is the biggest thing they needto take onboard.”Cheltenham are still without

midLelder Asa Hall, who this weekunderwent surgery on his Achillestendon and faces another six weekson the sidelines.Captain Matt Taylor is close to

being considered for a return fromhis hamstring injury suffered atformer club Exeter City on BoxingDay, while Steve Elliott is workinghard to regain Ltness after a kneeproblem.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Flinders;Duckworth, Harrison, Jones,Austin; Franks, Tshibola, Woods,Compton; Bingham, Fenwick. Subsnot used: Maxted, Holden, Bates,Walker, Featherstone, Richards,Nearney.CHELTENHAM TOWN: Carson;Vaughan, Jones, Brown, Braham-Barrett; Ferdinand, Stewart,Richards, Sterling-James (Harrison54); Dunn, Gornell (Williams 69).Subs not used: Haworth, Deaman,Hanks, Kotwica, Reynolds.REFEREE: R ClarkATTENDANCE: 3,155 (177 fromCheltenham).

* Cheltenham Town's back-up goal-keeper Matt Gould has joinedBishop’s Cleeve on loan.Steve Cleal's Mitres side face Man-gotsLeld United at Kayte Lane onSaturday afternoon (3pm).

Record entries forQueen MotherChampion Chase

A MODERN day record of 33entries has been revealed forthe £350,000 Grade OneBetway Queen Mother Cham-pion Chase, the highlight ofLadies Day at The Festival.The previous highest

number of entries was 32 in2002.The latest four winners of

the two-mile chasing champi-onship are entered for theGrade One race, which takesplace on Wednesday, March11.Last year's hero Sire De

Grugy (Gary Moore, 11/2second favourite with newsponsor Betway), breathtaking2013 victor Sprinter Sacre(Nicky Henderson, 5/2favourite), 2012 scorer Finian'sRainbow (33/1, Nicky Hender-son) and the veteran 13-year-

HORSE RACING

Where betterto learn?

www.shaneduffsoccer.co.uk

Visit our website for futurecamps and further details

TURN TO PAGE 31>

FOOTBALL

Buckle calls for more leadershipahead of Morecambe home clash

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cheltenham standard 15th january 2015

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