⏩ The Gloucester Start: Monday January 13th
Firefighters could strike | Pub influencers visit | Things to do this week
Good morning and welcome to Monday’s Start. We’re approaching 250 subscribers here which feels like a nice little milestone. Do please give us a share to keep the word of mouth spreading. We’re also on Instagram - all followers welcomed with open arms.
⛔ Sandhurst Road is among several in the county closed this morning due to flooding. - Gloucestershire Live
🚒 Firefighters could go on strike over proposed changes to their shift patterns. The county council wants to change from nine hour days and 15 hour nights, to 11 hour days and 13 hour nights for wholetime community fire stations. - Gloucestershire Live
⛅ Today’s weather: Dry with sunny intervals, and warmer than recent days with temperatures up to 7C.
🏥 Health Secretary Wes Streeting has been invited to Gloucester to discuss the ‘deeply concerning’ critical incident declared at the county’s main hospitals and how patient waiting times can be reduced. City MP Alex McIntyre has written to him about the ‘enormous challenge’ faced. - Alex McIntyre
🗳️ That’s not the only letter county MPs have been busy writing - five of them have outlined their own vision for what local government devolution could look like. Two unitary authorities - one in the east and one the west - is their idea, with a feeling that a bigger single authority would not best serve Gloucestershire. - Gloucestershire Live
↪️ On the subject of devolution, our reader poll in Friday’s Start asked whether the county council was right to delay May’s local elections - most of you think not, with 77% of respondents believing they should go ahead.
🔍 Ofsted inspectors have rated an early years setting for SEND children as good. Dingley’s Promise in Coney Hill was praised for its strong relationships, an ambitious curriculum, and effective leadership. - Gloucestershire Live
⚽ Free football coaching is being delivered through a new community initiative by Gloucester City AFC, starting this weekend. The Tigers’ new foundation, formed last month as a community interest company, will bring children’s sessions to the Sebert Street Rec in Kingsholm on Saturdays. - Gloucester City AFC Foundation
🎤 A bit of a fanboy moment for me with this one - not that I’m giving away my age or anything… Britpoppers The Bluetones are coming to Gloucester Guildhall. Get your vocal cords ready to belt out Slight Return, If, Solomon Bites the Worm and many more on April 4th. Tickets are £25. - Gloucester Guildhall
🎊 Gloucester granddad Andy Wallington is the proud new owner of a supercar worth £82,500 which he won for 59p on his 75th birthday. He picked up the keys for his new Audi R8 V10 from competition site BOTB. - Wilts & Glos Standard / BOTB
🍺 Gloucester has joined the ‘Crawl of Fame’ after a couple aiming to drink in every pub in the country visited. The Great British Pub Crawl were full of praise for the city’s watering holes. - Great British Pub Crawl
👮 Know anything about a violent assault in Barton Street in early December? It happened outside One Eyed Jacks on the evening of the 7th, with men on bikes seen acting suspiciously. Witnesses are needed. - Gloucestershire Live
Things to do this week
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🤸 Break dancing classes for 8-16-year-olds at Gloucester Guildhall | Tuesdays 5.30pm-6.15pm | Details
🏉 Walking Rugby at Gloucester Cathedral | Today, 9.30am-12.30pm | Free | Details
🪴 Gardening for Wellbeing at Gloucester Cathedral | Wednesday, 10.30am-1.30pm | Free | Details
🎸 James Oliver Band at Cafe Rene | Wednesday, 9pm | Free | Details
🎭 Pantomime Alice in Wonderland by the Hardwicke Players at King’s Theatre, Barton Street | Thursday- Saturday, various times | £10/£8 concessions | Details
😂 Comedy from Mitch Benn at Gloucester Guildhall | Friday 7pm-10.30pm | £19 | Details
📽️ Conclave, Better Man, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Wicked all showing at Sherborne Cinema, Kingsholm | All week, various times | £6/£7 | Details
🍻 Manchester Beer Showcase at The Thirsty Pine, Brunswick Road | Thursday-Sunday | Free (not the beer, obvs) | Details