⏩ The Gloucester Start: Friday January 3rd
Hospitals critical | Gas leak repair | Former MP dies
Good morning and welcome to another edition of The Gloucester Start. For those of you still struggling with what day of the week it currently is - happy Friday! A reminder that you can submit items for inclusion here, and to please hit the share button below to keep word spreading.
🚑 Gloucestershire Royal Hospital continues to operate at a ‘critical’ level amid an influx of flu and norovirus patients, and with a cold weather health warning now in force. - BBC Gloucestershire
↪️ Cold weather health alerts, in place in every region in England until 12pm next Wednesday, are relatively rare and serve to offer guidance both to the public and healthcare services. - BBC
🚧 Work to find and repair a gas leak, closing Horton Road by the level crossing, has been extended until January 12th. Pedestrians can still cross, but motorists are being advised to leave more time to travel while Wales and West Utilities carry out the work. - Various Facebook groups/pages / Wales and West live map
💙 Former Conservative MP for Gloucester Sally Oppenheim-Barnes has died aged 96. She served the city between 1970 and 1987, never losing an election. - Gloucester News Centre
🥶 Today’s weather: Another bright but cold day in store. And a reminder that a yellow weather warning comes into force from 12pm tomorrow for snow and ice across much of England and Wales.
🚆 Rail fares have been slashed for a short time to encourage people to get away. Tickets on Great Western Railway services from Gloucester to London are available for £19 on selected days in January, among other deals. - GWR
🚨 Two more men have been charged over an alleged stabbing in Cromwell Road on Christmas Eve. Three people have been charged in total but police are still keen to hear from anyone with camera footage from the area in the early hours of that morning. - Gloucestershire Constabulary
🗳️ County council elections due to take place in May look increasingly likely to be postponed. The council is formally applying to the government to do so, so it can prepare to form a unitary authority. - BBC Gloucestershire
💪 Eight women - four of them firefighters with Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service - will take on a gruelling fitness challenge to raise money for 4Ed and those living with motor neurone disease. They will cover the distance of 15 marathons on five pieces of gym equipment. 4Ed was established after former Gloucester Rugby player Ed Slater was diagnosed with MND. - Gloucester Rugby
👩⚕️ University of Gloucestershire student Sharon Shuttleworth could help shape the future of nursing and midwifery. She’s been selected from more than 300 applicants for a place on a national programme aimed at developing future leaders. - Gloucestershire Live
📅 Weekend what’s on
🏟️ Gloucester Rugby and Gloucester City AFC both have their first home games of 2025 on Saturday. The Cherry and Whites take on Sale Sharks, the Tigers face Taunton Town, with both matches kicking off at 3pm. Tickets from Gloucester Rugby / Gloucester City
🎫 There’s plenty of opportunities to get to know Gloucester and its history a little better on Saturday:
Take a guided walk of the city with Gloucester Civic Trust - Saturday, 11am, booking here
Explore Gloucester’s Roman origins with a guided tour of the Eastgate Chamber, courtesy of the Museum of Gloucester. - Saturday, 2pm, booking here
🎭 Auditions are being held to cast actors for a new play. They are at King’s Theatre - Sunday, 6pm, info here
📆 Looking to plan your year out? Visit Gloucester has picked 25 highlights for 2025 in the city in this round-up.
👈 ICYMI: Yesterday’s most popular stories
🎄 Get your Christmas trees recycled and help good causes in the process - BBC Gloucestershire
⛺ Emergency cold weather measures activated to help rough sleepers - BBC Gloucestershire
🚓 Person injured in A417 incident - Gloucestershire Live