⏩ The Gloucester Start: Friday November 29th
PC sacked | Playground plea | Weekend what's on
Happy Friday and welcome to the 5th edition of The Gloucester Start. We've brought you more than 50 stories, updates and events from around the city in our first week and signed up more than a dozen subscribers. A solid start I’d say. Please do help spread the word.
👮 A snooping police officer has been sacked after a misconduct hearing found he had accessed information about an arrest without having good reason to do so. PC Thomas Baker, based in Gloucester, then lied about how many times he had looked up the sensitive information, a misconduct hearing was told this week. He was dismissed immediately and barred from policing for life. - Gloucestershire Live
🏢 The old Chambers pub, closed and boarded up since the Covid pandemic, should be leased to someone after the neighbouring Forum development is finished. The site is being marketed by the city council but, despite interest, hasn’t been taken on by anyone. - Gloucester News Centre, via the Local Democracy Reporting Service
🌱 The doomed Dobbies garden centre, due to close on December 15th, looks likely to reopen under new ownership. Blue Diamond Group, which runs 46 garden centres around the UK, is interested. - Punchline Gloucester
🏉 Rugby legend Kevin Sinfield is taking on another epic fundraiser for sufferers of motor neurone disease. His fifth annual ‘Running Home for Christmas’ challenge will take him all over the UK and day two, on Monday, starts at Kingsholm Stadium at 7am. - Gloucestershire Live
⛅ Today’s weather: Warmer today with temperatures reaching about 11C, although overcast and the chance of some light rain this evening.
🙏 Vital modernisation is needed at a ‘lifeline’ community playground, with a £500,000 fundraising campaign launched. Play equipment at The Venture Community Hub charity in White City is beyond repair. The space has been somewhere for children and families to learn, play and socialise for more than 40 years. - BBC Gloucestershire
🚑 Several police and an ambulance descended on Eastgate Street yesterday as a medical emergency happened. - Gloucestershire Live
🏥 Children going through cancer treatment at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital would benefit immeasurably from blood sampling machines. The hospital is aiming to raise £40,000 for two of the machines. - BBC Gloucestershire
📅 Weekend what’s on
A medieval-inspired Christmas market hosted by the Steampunks of Gloucestershire is on at St Mary de Crypt Church on Saturday and Sunday - more here
A Christmas Fair and Christmas Tree Festival is being run at St Barnabas Church on Saturday, 11am-3pm - more here
There’s plenty of availability at the Gloucester Quays Christmas ice rink after last weekend’s Storm Bert washout - book here
Local independent authors are holding a book fair at The Folk of Gloucester, including a series of free talks, on Saturday - more here
Free winter crafting workshops are taking place at Eastgate Shopping Centre on Saturday - more here
Learn how to make a traditional Ukrainian painted egg to decorate your home this Christmas - it’s £10 per ticket with all materials provided at The Folk of Gloucester on Saturday from 2pm-4pm - more here
A vegan Christmas market arrives at Blackfriars Priory on Sunday, with food and crafts available from stallholders, and letters to Santa for little ones - more here