⏩ The Gloucester Start: Wednesday June 11th

Council PR job criticised | Car boot comeback date | Docks dredging

Jun 11, 2025

Good morning, welcome to Wednesday’s Start. If you’re finding these bulletins useful and informative, please do share or recommend to a friend - word of mouth helps so much. Here’s today’s edition.

☀️ Today’s weather: Hot and bright, highs of 25C.

💼 Opposition city councillors have criticised a job advert for a communications officer at the authority that aims to ‘convince the public’ of the ‘best’ Greater Gloucester plan for a devolved county. Their calls were labelled ‘loud, dramatic and misinformed’ by council leader Jeremy Hilton. - Gloucester News Centre, via the Local Democracy Reporting Service

🚗 Gloucester Car Boot will return to Hempsted Meadows for its first sale since November on July 20th. It’s being run under new operators after a lengthy city council process to award the lease. - Gloucestershire Live

🚢 Dredging work is ongoing in Gloucester Docks to make sure boats and tall ships can navigate in and out. More than £3million has been spent on digging out silt there over the last three years. - Canal and River Trust

☕ Visitors to the Docks could soon enjoy a floating seating area. The owners of The Cafe on the Boat want to install a pontoon with tables and chairs. - Punchline Gloucester

🚗 There’s an almost 18-week waiting list for learner drivers wanting to book their test in Gloucester, analysis has found. And it’s reported third-party companies are bulk booking appointments to sell them on at a higher price, causing much of the delays. - BBC Gloucestershire

🩺 A modular building set to help ease waiting lists at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital has been given planning permission after installation work started. The MRI unit sits in a courtyard otherwise used by supply vehicles. - Punchline Gloucester

⛷️ Stuck for ideas for Father’s Day? Giant balloon shows, open air cinema screenings, ski lessons and picnic spots could be worse places to start. - Visit Gloucester

📌 Community Noticeboard

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📌 Following the successful #foodforthought installation at the Cheltenham Science Festival the commissioned centrepiece shed has arrived at Kingsholm Primary School. Painted by Stroud artist Chris James and commissioned by the Gloucestershire Archives Green Pledge Project and Project Grow - the ode to the history of food production across Gloucestershire will become a new outdoor classroom for the students in their newly established food growing space. 👇Thanks to subscriber Claire for this submission

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📌 The Adopt an Artist art competition is open for entries until 5pm Saturday 14th June. Entry to the competition is free. The top prize is £200. Make an artwork (A3 or A4) in response to one of the 25 artworks in city centre shop windows and submit to the Cathedral Quarter Gallery, 21 Westgate Street by the deadline - Whilst there take a look at 'POP-UP, the group exhibition by members of Gloucester Contemporary Arts. Full details. Thanks to subscriber John for this submission.

📅 Things to do

Got an event coming up you want to shout about? Send listings through at least a couple of days in advance if possible, via this form. It’s completely free.

Today and tomorrow

🎨 Creative Welcome Space at City Works | Wednesday, 10am | Free | Details

🪴 Gardening for Wellbeing at Gloucester Cathedral | Wednesday, 11.30am | Free | Details

🪡 Textile Cafe - Visible Mending at City Works | Thursday, 10am | Free | Details

🎶 Acoostic Cafe at Roots, Alvin Street | Thursday, 6.30pm | Free | Details

🎻 Tightrope Moon folk duo - violin, viola and vocal compositions from Cori Smith and Seth Bye of Filkin's Drift at The Folk of Gloucester | Thursday, 7pm | £15 | Details (thanks to subscriber Jessica for sending in this listing)

🍺 Lancashire Beer Showcase at The Thirsty Pine | Thursday-Monday, 12pm to 10pm | Free | Details

Further ahead

📽️ Free movie at the Friendship Cafe 👇 Thanks to reader Ashraf for this submission

🎫 Gloucester Cathedral Tower Tours - reopened with a new roof deck | Thursdays and Saturdays | Various times | £12 | Details

💪 Big Health Day 2025 at Oxstalls Sports Park | Friday, 9.30am-2.30pm | Free | Details

🧀 Gloucester Farmers Market at The Cross | Friday, 9am-3pm | Free | Details

📽️ The Phoenician Scheme, The Salt Path, Lilo & Stitch, Mission Impossible all showing at Sherborne Cinema | Various times | £6/£7 | Details

🎭 Moomin 80 events across Gloucester as part of Refugee Week | Saturday onwards | Free | Details