⏩ The Gloucester Start: Monday November 25th
Flooding and weather latest | Man's body found | Prison transformed
Good morning Gloucester and welcome to your Monday morning digest from The Start. Storm Bert has drenched and battered, a man’s body has been found by police, the city’s former prison has undergone a temporary transformation and a call’s been made to ban drug addicts. Here’s the round-up.
🌧️ Flood alerts remain in place this morning and the damage is being assessed after a brutal weekend of heavy rain and high winds brought by Storm Bert. Some schools in the wider county are staying closed or opening later than usual this morning with road closures also in place after localised flooding and falling trees - Gloucestershire Live
⛅ It’s a better outlook weather-wise for the rest of the week, with dry and sunny spells predicted, temperatures reaching 11C.
🚨 A man’s body was found by police, who were responding to a separate call, shortly after midnight on Saturday. The 38-year-old from Matson, whose family have been informed, was discovered on Painswick Road after a collision with a car, which stopped at the scene, and an appeal has since been made for any dashcam footage from the area around the same time. - BBC Gloucestershire
🪖 Military veterans should be guaranteed a roof over their heads in Gloucester, after the issue of homelessness among ex-Armed Forces personnel was raised. The call was made at a city council meeting, where current policies will be reviewed in the spring. - Gloucestershire Live
🎒 Pupils with special educational needs (SEND) will be catered for at a dedicated new school in Abbeydale after plans were agreed. The £16.5million development, on county council-owned land, met with local opposition but will plug a rising gap for SEND students. - Punchline Gloucester
🏛️ Gothic traders transformed Gloucester Prison into a market ‘pulsating with life’ on Saturday. The former jail was taken over by stallholders selling goth-inspired art and literature, crystal healing and fantasy crafts, among others. It was the brainchild of University of Gloucestershire lecturer Julie Farr. - BBC Gloucestershire
🏆 The Believe in Gloucester Awards, celebrating the best of the city, were revived for the first time in five years at the Guildhall on Thursday night. Categories included Pub of the Year, Business of the Year, Best Customer Service, and the Lifetime Achievement Award, with 17 different winners announced in all. - Gloucester BID
🚫 Drug users and drinkers should be banned from the city centre as visitors ‘are being scared away’, a councillor has said. Cllr Andrew Bell said there was a particular problem at the Longsmith Street car park but was told in return at a city council meeting that a plan to deal with the issue is coming in the new year. - Gloucester News Centre, via the Local Democracy Reporting Service
🖌️ Gloucester creatives have hailed the impact of a city hub helping young artists and professionals achieve their dreams. Jolt is based in King’s Square, above the former Chambers pub, and is a thriving centre for people looking to establish themselves in creative industries. - Gloucestershire Live
And to finish today’s Start…
⚽ One unlikely victim of the weekend’s winds was Gloucester City AFC goalkeeper Jared Thompson, whose attempted pass in a 4-4 draw - match report here - at Walton & Hersham on Saturday blew into his own net and has since gone viral.