Archive
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50 years of memories from Penzance to panto
WOODFIELD Operatic Society, as DODS was first known, was founded in 1953 by a small group led by Charlie Wall who became their founding chairman. Rehearsals took place in Woodfield School and we believe the first performances were staged at Slimbridge
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Weekend Picture
A view of the former Lister Petter site, Rednock School and Kingshill seen this week from the top of Cam Peak Picture by John Anyon November 29, 2002 GJA980H02
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Weekend Picture - Friday, December 20, 2002
A view from Cam Peak of Cam looking across the Severn Vale . . . in the centre stands St Bartholomew's Church, with Cam Co-op to the right Picture by John Anyon GJA1020H02
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Weekend Picture, March 14, 2003
Town below the woods . . . A view of Dursley taken from Drake Lane showing St James the Great Parish Church to the right and Boulton Lane in the centre Picture by John Anyon GJA274H03
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Award - winners in amateur dramatics
WHILE many small community clubs have fallen by the wayside award-winning am-dram group Rangeworthy Court Players has survived for 44 years - and keeps on growing. The thriving group meets twice a week, stages at least three productions a year and regularly
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Weekend Picture, April 11, 2003
Churchyard splendour . . . Masses of magnolia flowers on a tree in the churchyard provide a magnificent foreground for St Mary's, Kingswood Picture by Steve Richards GSR271H03
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Weekend Picture
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Purton, St John the Evangelist Church is seen in the autumn sunshine this week Picture by Steve Richards October 11, 2002 GSR773H02
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Weekend Picture
A view from Hill Road of Dursley in the autumn sunshine this week, showing Dursley Education Centre, Dursley Tabernacle United Reformed Church and The Towers Picture by John Anyon October 25, 2002 GJA829H02
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Boxes to Russia with love
LAST CHRISTMAS the Gazette published many pictures and stories about shoe-box appeals where schools and businesses had collected gifts for less fortunate children in Eastern Europe. Operation Christmas Child has been running for over 10 years and over
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Bugs are key to success
IT IS well known that industrial and residential sites do not always live side by side in harmony. The CPC Stroud Flexibles factory, in Wotton-under-Edge, has had its fair share of accusations surrounding pollution and harmful emissions. The company has
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Take a walk on the wildside
GLOUCESTERSHIRE Wildlife Trust is bidding to reveal the magic of watching wildlife. As part of National Wildlife Week, which starts tomorrow, May 31, 2003, the trust is challenging people, especially families and children, to get out and take a look in
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Weekend Picture May 9, 2003
Across the rooftops . . . another view of Wotton-under-Edge seen from the Old London Road Picture by John Anyon GJA441H03
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TETRA trials spark new health fear
THERE is disquiet and concern, not to mention controversy, in parts of central Dursley about possible health risks arising from the new police communications mast on the British Telecom building. Here Lynne Edmunds, TETRA co-ordinator for Mast Action
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Weekend Picture
A view of the village of Coaley, dominated by St Bartholomew's Church, taken from the top of Cam Peak Picture by John Anyon December 6, 2002 GJA1008H02
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Where quality counts
THE GAZETTE letter's page fairly hummed when the newly-renovated Black Horse at North Nibley opened its doors in August. Few people, it seemed, approved of the fact that the former village pub - and its prices - had "gone up-market" and was now a restaurant
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Weekend Picture
St Giles' Church in Uley is captured in the autumn sunshine beyond plenty of leaves remaining even after the recent stormy weather Picture by Steve Richards November 8, 2002 GSR813H02
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Weekend Picture April 4, 2003
Colour beneath the trees . . Another sign of spring with a bed of white flowers carpeting the ground in the woods above Woodmancote, Dursley Picture by Steve Richards GSR263H03
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Aviation heritage is preserved
A BAND of dedicated enthusiasts is hard at work treasuring the area's aviation heritage. The volunteers spend hours each week in a draughty hangar preserving a collection which includes everything from a helicopter to a bus, from missiles to spacecraft
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Country house is very much home
NEWARK PARK in the Ozleworth Valley, near Wotton-under-Edge, is looking for volunteer room stewards. The house, originally a Tudor hunting lodge, is owned by the National Trust and is open to the public from April to October. Room stewards are needed
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Weekend Picture - January 10 2003
Snow and frost remained on the walls at Blacksmith Hill in Ozleworth for several days this week as temperatures stayed below freezing Picture by Steve Richards January 10, 2003 GSR18H03
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Family poet is an inspiration
HAWKESBURY UPTON pensioner Ronald Cook had always known he had a published poet for a relative. But when Mr Cook while going through his father's belongings following his death he found a book of Eliza Cook's poems. This discovery ignited an interest
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'TETRA is safe and secure'
THERE has been much public debate surrounding the safety of new a TETRA police communications mast on the British Telecom building in Dursley. Last week TETRA co-ordinator for Mast Action and TETRA consultant for Mast Sanity Lynne Edmunds stated her case
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Weekend Picture April 25, 2003
A sea of yellow floods fields next to the road going from Stancombe to Stinchcombe with rape seed in full bloom Picture by Steve Richards GSR305H03
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Family business leads the field
WHEN you think of international oil, gas and energy engineering companies with multi-million pound turnovers, the obvious places that spring to mind tend to be in the Middle East. So it may be surprising to hear that in a small corner of Wickwar there
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Four Pillars - a tightly run ship
AS you turn into the leafy drive of Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel you immediately begin to get a sense of grandeur. The imposing grade two listed building has nearly 200 bedrooms, three restaurants, numerous conference and banqueting facilities and
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Weekend Picture May 16, 2003
Source of power . . . a blustery day for the wind turbine at Lynch Knoll, near Nympsfield Picture by Steve Richards GSR391H03
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Weekend Picture July 4, 2003
As nature intended . . . Wild flowers grow in profusion in the uncut verge at Westend, Wickwar Picture by Steve Richards GSR588H03
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Popular tearooms with variety on the menu
TWO decades ago Wickwar was a thriving community with about 15 shops along its main street. Now the number of shops has dwindled - as is the case with so many villages throughout the land. But one businesswoman is planning to buck the trend and has opened
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A special place for play time fun
A PLAY area for children with special needs exists on the edge of Wotton-under-Edge. Bournstream opened at the end of the 1980s, the two-acre site providing a place where special schools and families with disabled children can enjoy the countryside in
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Birdwatchers celebrate
IT may be celebrating its golden anniversary this year, but Dursley Birdwatching and Preservation Society shows no signs of slowing down. From organising interest trips abroad to raising thousands for conservation charities, the society is a thriving
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Weekend Picture May 23, 2003
Blue among the green . . . Swathes of bluebells carpet the slopes of Cam Peak, brightening the grey landscape during the rain on Wednesday Picture by Steve Richards GSR416H03
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Weekend Picture
Autumn hues... A favourite spot for walkers and ramblers, the steep track that climbs up to the Tyndale Monument at North Nibley passes through the woods around Nibley Knoll Picture by John Anyon November 22, 2002 GJA932H02
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Weekend Picture - Friday, 24 January 2003
Looking towards Uley from the top of Cam Peak, early morning sunlight silhouettes the trees along the top of Downham Hill Picture by John Anyon GJA60H03
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Weekend Picture May 2, 2003
Pleasure boats line the banks of Sharpness Marina by the now disused entrance to the old dock on the Gloucester-Sharpness Canal Picture by John Anyon GJA397H03
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Town under scrutiny
MARKET towns throughout the land are at present undergoing a 'health' check - with factors as varied as economy and history buildings under the microscope. The aim of the Countryside Agency initiative is to enable market towns assess and improve their
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Weekend Picture February 7, 2003
The former Rowland Hill Tabernacle, now Wotton Auction Rooms, stands above the Parklands estate in Wotton-under-Edge in this view from Adey's Lane Picture by John Anyon GJA100H03
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Choir Leader hasn't lost his appetite for success
FOUR days after returning from leading the Dursley Male Voice Choir on a thoroughly successful concert tour of British Columbia in Canada, Barrie Cooper dropped in to the Cheltenham Competitive Festival of Music and won three out of four classes in the
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Youth takes centre stage
REALISING the area was blessed with young theatrical talent, Charfield man Gerald Bishop and friend Peter Manley decided to form a drama group. Eight years on, the society has staged plays, musicals and will soon be performing in the USA. Gazette feature
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Greens up close
A GARDENING philosophy promoting no digging has to be good news for all those green-fingered folk fed up of the backache. However the message of the Good Gardeners Association is far more serious than just providing a lazy way to grow carrots. Gazette
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Weekend Picture - January 17, 2003
Sunlight glints through the trees in Midger Wood nature reserve on a bright winter's day in the Kilcot Valley, near Hillesley. January 17, 2003 Picture by Matthew Bigwood GMB1H03
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Weekend Picture
A view down across the fields from Churchend to the village of Charfield and St John's Church Picture by John Anyon October 4, 2002 GJA747H02
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Weekend Picture March 21, 2003
Many Gazette readers have asked us to picture these wonderful daffodils which are brightening up the churchyard at St John the Evangelist in Slimbridge Picture by Steve Richards GSR222H03
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1962-63 - That was the winter that was
NOW that the trend is towards warmer, wetter winters, where snowfall in southern England is the exception rather than the rule, I look back 40 years to the sever winter of 1962-63. It was the coldest winter of the 20th century and the most severe since
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School a tribute to caretaker
WHEN the former caretaker of Rednock school, Bob Cotton, was killed in the Paddington train disaster two years ago the school's India friendship club set about creating a project in his memory. Club founder Jenny Parsons here explains the development
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Memories of Wotton Picture House
WOTTON Picture House was started by Mr and Mrs W T Coe in the summer of 1913. It was a hit from the very beginning. The first auditorium was upstairs in the old banqueting hall of the Crown Hotel, which closed in 1911. An advert in the local press of
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Weekend Picture June 20, 2003
A bird's eye view of the Lister Tyndale Steam Rally that took place in the fields of Nibley House Farm in North Nibley. The picture was taken on Friday morning. For the first time in the rally's 12-year history the event was held over a three-day period
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A delightful dawn chorus
COPPICED hazel sticks have long been favoured by gardeners for the growing of peas and beans due to their flexibility, unique shape and environment-friendly nature. In recent years these have been superseded by bamboo canes imported from the Far East.
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Giving youth a chance
THE LOT of young people in inner cities has been well documented yet the fate of those in rural areas is sometimes forgotten. However, within Gloucestershire, it has long been recognised that young people face the same issues as their urban dwelling counterparts
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Weekend Picture March 28, 2003
Sign of the change of seasons . . . lambs in the spring sunshine in fields at Coombe, near Wotton-under-Edge Picture by Steve Richards GSR239H03
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Weekend Picture
A moody early morning winter sky and stark leafless branches provide a frame for Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel Picture by Matthew Bigwood December 27, 2002 GMB418H02
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Support where it's needed
BRINGING up young children can be tough. Financial difficulties and isolation are just some of the problems that can face new families. A Government-backed initiative launched in Dursley and Cam aims to help ease the lot of some new parents. Gazette feature
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Searching for home truth
Why Jacob Stiff's House? DOUBTS have been expressed about the name of Weaver's House in Dursley so I decided to look into the records to find out about the Stiffs, who, we know, built it. I consulted the parish church records which are on microfiche at
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Infertile women get a chance at being a mum
ALL young women assume they are able to have children. Even those who don't want to have babies think that they would have no problem producing a child if they changed their minds. So it is somewhat shocking to discover that there thousands of women desperate
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Stinchcombe Hill Recreation Trust tells the story of 'The Hill'
STINCHCOMBE HILL is special - and special in a number of ways. Special because it provides a superb 'breathing space' for the community as a result of one of the largest benefactions ever made in Gloucestershire; special in that it is home to one of the
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Weekend Picture February 28, 2003
A view of Stinchcombe village showing St Cyr's Church in the background Picture by John Anyon GJA208H03
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Back to Romania
Gazette feature December, 2002 by Matthew Bigwood BACKGROUND Romania experienced social and political upheaval during the twentieth century. Following the rise of the Iron Guard fascist movement in the 1930s Romania fought alongside Germany in the Second
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Weekend Picture january 31, 2003
Snowdrop Weekends are taking place at National Trust-owned Newark Park, Ozleworth, for the next three weekends, with the house and grounds open from 11am to 5pm each Saturday and Sunday and last entry at 4.30pm. Entry costs £4 for adults, £2 for children
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'Crew' are up and running
WITH clubs and societies ranging from short mat bowls to music hall, the village of Coaley still retains an air of old-fashioned community spirit. But until recently younger people had nothing they could call their own. Villager and youth leader Fran
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Weekend Picture February 14, 2003
Pleasure boats lie moored at Sharpness marina close to the old entrance to the Gloucester-Sharpness Canal. The Severn is at low water revealing the sandbanks and the remains of the supports of the Severn rail bridge Picture by John Anyon GJA135H03
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It'll be fun, fun, fun at the centre
THIS spring has been a time of new beginnings at Wotton-under-Edge Youth Centre. The club building has undergone a revamp and a new leader-in-charge has started work at the centre. Gazette feature writer KIRSTY RAMSDEN met Kate Stone, leader-in-charge
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Weekend Picture May 30, 2003
River rapture . . . The Little Avon sparkles in the sunshine as it makes its way under Kennels Bridge at Berkeley towards the Severn Picture by John Anyon GJA505H03
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Weekend Picture
Country scene... Looking down Warend Hill, near Breakheart Quarry, across the fields of Millend towards Waterley Bottom Picture by Steve Richards November 22, 2002 GSR881H02
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Weekend Picture February 21, 2003
A view of Berkeley seen from near Kennels Bridge, showing the prominence of one of the town's landmarks - St Mary the Virgin Parish Church Picture by John Anyon GJA171H03
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Weekend Picture June 13, 2003
A view looking down the hill from Damery to the village of Tortworth and St Leonard's Church with its 15th century tower Picture by John Anyon GJA539H03
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Weekend Picture July 18, 2003
Seeking shade . . . Horses shelter from the mid-day heat this week under a tree near North Nibley Picture by John Anyon GJA678H03
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Weekend Picture
A view of the village of Charfield looking down the hill past The Pear Tree and St John's Church and out towards Wotton-under-Edge Picture by John Anyon GJA650H03
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Ron is flying high with winning kite
PENSIONER Ron Cook is flying high thanks to a hobby which has taken him around the world and won him many accolades. The Hawkesbury Upton man is a champion kite-flyer who discovered the sport quite by accident. Gazette feature writer KIRSTY RAMSDEN met
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Aerial view, Cam June 13, 2003
Copies of this aerial view of Woodfield, Cam, with The Yew Tree Inn top left, may be purchased from the Gazette reception at Reliance House, Long Street, Dursley (tel 01453 544000), quoting reference number GMB36H03. Prices are 14in by 11in framed £20
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Players celebrate 30 years of cracking productions
THE Abbey Players of Kingswood are immersed in their village community. Such is demand for tickets to their productions, shows invariably sell-out and on occasions extra nights have been staged. As the players celebrate their 30th anniversary, Gazette
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Mastering the boomerang
A BOOMERANG-MAKER and competition thrower is a character you would associate with the Australian outback rather than rural Gloucestershire. However Hawkesbury Upton pensioner Ronald Cook is a champion in the art of boomerang-throwing and has a collection
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Weekend Picture March 7, 2003
Back to nature . . . The scene today at Slickstones Quarry on the road between Cromhall and Charfield. The limestone quarry, now owned by the Tortworth Estate, closed about ten years ago. The lime was taken to a kiln at nearby Bibstone where it was made
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Weekend Picture
Rural stroll . . . Taking advantage of the spring sunshine with a walk in the country lanes near Charfield Picture by Steve Richards GSR294H03
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Weekend Picture June 30, 2003
One of those lazy, hazy days of summer and just the time for a slow cruise by narrowboat on the Sharpness-Gloucester Canal near Slimbridge Picture by Steve Richards GSR564H03
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Weekend Picture
Seasonal hues . . . The golden colours of autumn are displayed at Tortworth Arboretum on the ground and still on trees, even after the weekend storm Picture by Steve Richards W/E November 1, 2002, GSR802H02
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Riders get webwise
A DURSLEY riding enthusiast is celebrating the launch of her new website, which offers a unique, comprehensive directory for all horse events. Jane Waters, 44, of Hunger Hill, who has four children, has devised the new web-based events service, Riding
