⏩ The Gloucester Start: Tuesday May 20th
Cyber attackers still targeting council | Vandals daub defibrillator | Things to do
Good morning, welcome to Tuesday’s Start. There’s been an influx of subscribers over the past couple of days - thank you - so here’s a quick rundown of what this is all about if you’re new to it. Here’s everything I’ve been able to find for today’s bulletin.
☀️ Today’s weather: Warmer than yesterday with overcast skies later on.
💪 Gloucester MP Alex McIntyre has shared more details of his seven stone weight loss (covered in yesterday’s Start) after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He’s been on an NHS programme of liquid meals and reduced his calorie intake to less than 1,000 per day to get his condition into remission after calling it a ‘massive wake-up call’. - Gloucester News Centre, via the Local Democracy Reporting Service
💻 Gloucester City Council is still getting thousands of attempted hacks on its IT systems every week. Its managing director Jon McGinty said the authority is better protected than ever before after services ground to a halt for months following 2021’s cyber attack, but that no organisation is ‘100% safe’. - BBC Gloucestershire
🌊 The cause of the spectacular water main burst in Matson last week, which left a home seriously damaged and interrupted domestic supplies, is still a mystery. Severn Trent have thanked the community for their patience and apologised again for the issue. - Gloucestershire Live
🚫 Cromwell Street residents say there’s still a stigma hanging over the area in the wake of the Netflix documentary about Fred and Rose West’s horrific crimes there. Some have said local authorities ‘should have done more’ to support those left behind. - Gloucestershire Live
❌ Vandals have sprayed a defibrillator and community building with graffiti. The Kingsway Sports Pavilion, including the life-saving equipment mounted on its exterior, was daubed with paint over the weekend. It’s the latest of ‘so many problems with youths’ according to Quedgeley Town Council. - Quedgeley Town Council
🐎 Help is needed to pay the vets bills for a horse rescued while running loose on a motorway. Dash has been taken in by Blossom Hill Equestrian in Brookthorpe after a worker there came across him on the M32 and blocked traffic to get him to safety. - BBC Gloucestershire
↪️ You can donate to the fundraising appeal here.
🏅 Gloucester has a new mayor and sheriff. Ashley Bowkett was sworn in as mayor and Linda Castle as sheriff and deputy mayor at the city council’s annual meeting last night. - Gloucester City Council on YouTube
🦕 Life-sized dinosaurs will roar into Gloucester for a prehistoric party in King’s Square next month. The free Dino-ROAR Weekend comes to the city on June 7th and 8th. - Punchline Gloucester
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📌 With the reopening of funding available for creative and cultural ideas through Together Gloucester, two advice sessions are being hosted to help potential applicants. Gloucester Culture Trust is hosting them this Thursday at Roots from 11.30am-2.30pm and on June 4th at Jolt, 4pm-7pm. More details from Gloucester Culture Trust here. 👇
📅 Things to do today and tomorrow
🖌️ Let’s Paint beginner painting class at The Boat on The Docks | Today, 6.45pm | £20 | Details
🎭 Cutting Out theatre by Viv Gordon Company at Gloucester Guildhall | Today and Wednesday, 7.30pm | Pay what you can | Details
😂 Comedy Night at The Roastery, Riverside | Today, 7.30pm | £10 | Details
🎨 Creative Welcome Space at City Works | Wednesday, 10am | Free | Details
🏉 Gloucester Rugby Q&A with past and present players at Saintbridge Sport Centre | Wednesday, 7.30pm | £5 | Details
📽️ Mr Burton, The Penguin Lessons, Thunderbolts and A Minecraft Movie showing at Sherborne Cinema | Various times | £6/£7 | Details
Top posts from Monday’s Start:
🥧 Highgrove Gardens accepts Gloucester’s gift to King of pie carving
🍺 Landmark anniversary for ‘pure Gloucester’ ale-testing tradition
😮💨 City’s air quality improves and pollution monitors can be removed