⏩ The Gloucester Start: Monday March 31st
Nick Gazzard collects OBE | Severn Bore this morning | New businesses coming
Good morning, welcome to Monday’s Start. What a glorious weekend - great weather, great sport (well done Gloucester City and Gloucester Rugby) and a buzzing atmosphere for Gloucester Half Marathon and Eid celebrations in the Park. Here’s today’s bulletin - as ever a share or a recommendation to a friend is hugely appreciated 🙏
☀️ Today’s weather: Another bright and sunny day ahead - long may it continue!
🏄 The biggest Severn Bore of the year is likely to attract surfers, kayakers and plenty of spectators this morning. The four-star bore is due at Over Bridge at 10.46am, but times can vary by up to 30mins either side of that. - SoGlos
↪️ The tidal wave has a long, fascinating, and sometimes cruel, history - people used to throw dogs into the water to hear them howl. - BBC Gloucestershire
🎭 The Kings Theatre will be ‘re-energised and reimagined’ when it reopens later this year after urgent repairs. The Barton Street venue was forced to shut after a raft of structural and safety issues were identified - its chairman has now said it’s a chance to breathe ‘new life’ into it. - Gloucestershire Live
🧇 A new waffle and dessert house is opening in Gloucester soon. The Wafflers is currently being fitted out in Northgate Street. It will be joined just round the corner in Worcester Street by another new food and drink business, Karak Chaii, a ‘stylish desi cafe’ coming soon - dates tba. Already open and through its first successful weekend in business is a third new eatery, The Shed Cafe in Kingsholm Road.
🎖️ Nick Gazzard is officially an OBE. The founder of the Hollie Gazzard Trust, set up in memory of his daughter who was killed by her ex-boyfriend, received his honour from the Princess Royal and warned of ‘negative role models’ for young men as the charity’s work continues. - BBC Gloucestershire
🏗️ Former Bon Marche employee Stuart Conlon has spoken of his delight at the building’s transformation into a new university campus. The building, latterly Debenhams, is in the middle of significant building work and holds memories for Stuart, who started work on the cheese counter in his teens. - Gloucester News Centre, via the Local Democracy Reporting Service
💰 A £40,000 grant will help Gloucester Cathedral conserve its magnificent 14th century cloister. The money from The Headley Trust will boost a range of essential works. - Gloucester News Centre
🤔 For sale signs outside the former offices of Lloyds Bank in Barnwood have gone missing. But the estate agents overseeing the sale of the site say it’s still on the market. - Punchline Gloucester
🏃 Gloucester Half Marathon saw hundreds of runners pounding the streets on Sunday. There was a 10k route too, both of which started and finished in Gloucester Park 👇
↪️ If that’s whetted your appetite to pull the trainers on, there’s another chance later in the year when Gloucester 10k takes place on June 29th. - Gloucester 10k
↪️ But not everyone’s happy about the half marathon’s scheduling. Restaurant Spago said it suffered losses thanks to the event taking place on ‘one of the busiest Sundays of the year’ - yesterday was Mothering Sunday.
🚨 Crime and police news
🚨 A caravan in Spa Road which was attracting antisocial behaviour has been moved. Police said neither the city nor county councils would take any action, but its occupants were spoken to by officers and agreed to leave. - Your Community Alerts
Former Gloucester MP Richard Graham urged anyone who sees the caravan in another city street to call police immediately.
🚨 Extra police, many officers in plain clothes, hit Gloucester’s streets on Saturday night to target violent and harassing behaviour. It was part of Operation Comet, which aims to ensure people stay safe while on a night out. - BBC Gloucestershire
🚨 Police have confirmed the body of a man found in Gloucester last week is that of missing Lee Horton. Lee, 36, never made it home to Evesham after a day out in Bristol. - Gloucestershire Live
🚨 Police have invited the owner of a car abandoned in Norfolk Street to give them a call about some personal items left behind - including bags of cannabis and magic mushrooms. - Gloucester Neighbourhood Policing Team
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📌 New tour guides have been trained up to help share Gloucester’s rich history with others. The group were inducted by city mayor Lorraine Campbell in a special ceremony for Gloucester Civic Trust. More here.
📌 Project Grow is taking over a space at Kingsholm Primary School to turn it into an outdoor classroom. We will be transforming this site into an outdoor classroom teaching children all about good food production and nature based growing for wellbeing. We cannot wait to show you our plans they may include animals! 👇
The top posts from Friday’s Start:
👨👩👧👧 Fundraiser launched for family who’ve ‘lost almost everything’ in Elmbridge house fire
💔 Body found in search for missing Lee Horton
🦴 Hundreds of skeletons and other Roman finds at Gloucester’s old Debenhams