Weekly column of Tetbury news by Kevin Painter

1. Full timetable of holiday events 

Holiday Activities & Food HAF Present a full timetable of events some specifically for families eligible for free school meals through the Holiday and Food Program (HAF).

These include watersports, cookery, workshops, forest schools, sports camps & much, much more. TAYCT are running drama workshops, cookery classes and open access passes to Westonbirt Arboretum including a lunch bag for children. These events and bookings can be accessed through the CABs booking system.

Please contact us if you are eligible but not yet registered, they can do it all for you! Email: Darby.law@tayct.org.uk Lets Play! On 6th August - Last baguette Drama workshop (HAF). 8th August - Drop in Youth Session on The Rec 3-5pm - Year 7-13. (TAYCT)9th August - Play Gloucestershire Play Rangers Day on The Rec 10-4pm - (Takes place outdoors and are open access - no registration) For further information please contact : www.playgloucestershire.org.uk. 12th August - Cookery Workshop (HAF) + Youth Bus Trip To Cirencester.

14th August - TAYCT Play day on The Rec 10-1pm - Families & Children welcome - no booking necessary - there will be a small soft play set up for under 5's too.15th August - Drop in Youth session on The Rec 3-5pm - Year 7-13(TAYTC)21st August - World Jungle Play day on The Rec. 22nd August - Drop in Youth session on The Rec 3-5pm - Year 7-13(TAYCT}

28th August - TAYCT Play day on The Rec 10-1pm - Families & Children welcome - no booking necessary - there will be a small soft play set up for under 5's too. 29th August - Drop in Youth session on The Rec 3-5pm - Year 7-13. 30th August - World Jungle Play day on The Rec 2-4.30pm - all free, everyone welcome - Circus skills, Giant Bubbles, African Drumming, Henna, Wellbeing Area, Graffiti, Trapeze, Arts and Crafts and more - Book You can use the link or Register on the day : https://cotswolddistrict.coordinate.cloud/project/55613

And thank you to TAYCT who as always are running some fantastic special days

2. New networking session for businesses in area 

Well it's Good news if you have or run a business, as the new Free Tetbury Chamber Business initiative will take place on Thursday Aug 8 at St Marys Church, and will be hosting a free informal networking with drinks and nibbles, gathering 5.00pm for a 5.30 start, and your invited to drop in to find out more about this new local business group.

The new business chamber/ forum is launching its groundbreaking free membership platform, and you can find out about some of the new projects and initiatives that the new chamber will be launching along with other independent projects.

The project's objectives are clear to be a network of businesspeople designed to promote and protect the interests of all local businesses. To Inform Influence with Innovation.

With opportunities for networking and information sharing. Continuously promoting our Town/ region's capabilities to the wider world and to Lobby and represent business to both local and national government.

We want to ensure that our own local business community has access to opportunities to innovate within their organisations in order to support growth. So, it is fantastic news that our brand-new MP Roz Savage MBE has agreed to come along to say a few words and listen to the businesses. Roz said ‘Thank you so much, I would be delighted to join you. This will be a great chance to meet more of the Tetbury business community’.

This will be a fantastic opportunity for Tetbury businesses to engage with our New MP, and having Roz attend and supporting our Town is a huge step in the right direction. No matter what size, from sole trader or bespoke business to the larger ones, or even if working remotely, So please get involved, if you cannot be there on the day or you want more information then you can ring or WhatsApp Coreen on 07780143160.

Or you can email admin@tetburychamber.org Also from 12 o'clock noon you'll be able to drop in and have a chat and have your say on what you would like to assist your business or share information about your business you want promoted. This is in case your schedule is full and you can not get to our evening gathering.

We will be creating an inspirational and supportive place for our local businesses to learn from each other, building confidence and customers while networking. Between us all we have a myriad of experiences and knowledge which we are happy to share, with a nurturing and supportive network. Support and raise the profile of our Businesses.

Represent the views and needs of our local business community. Of course if you’re new to the area, or launching your first business, you are welcome. After all 'We all got here by different ships! But we are all in the same boat now’

3. Popular entertainer brings magic and wonder to Tetbury 

On Sat 10 Aug 2024 Tetbury Goods Shed Arts welcomes after hosting four sell-out cabaret shows in Stroud, local entertainer The Magnificent Mr. Kai has decided to leave his home town and bring the magic and wonder of cabaret to Tetbury!

Featuring:‘The Magnificent Mr Kai‘ as compère, comedian and juggler. Ivy Malice performing her signature Rock n Roll burlesque. Ana Toxin, ‘The Storyteller of striptease’ with her act ‘Dairy Queen’ – a hilarious act about a cow’s attempts to avoid a trip to the slaughterhouse, And Annabelle Holland with her knife-throwing act, ‘Bunny’.

One of very few female knife-throwers in the world and definitely THE most original, Annabelle has charisma and a unique style; presenting her skills in a beautiful, warm, hilarious and distinctly murderous vein. Her knife-sharp comedy not only entertains but may make you think a little about gender stereotypes whilst laughing at the irony.

Come and enjoy a wonderful mishmash of circus, theatre, spoken word and burlesque acts, all held together with Kai’s unique blend of stand-up comedy, juggling and audience interaction. Be warned that this show contains strong language, adult humour and partial nudity.For more information or to book your tickets, please visit the new website:www.tetburygoodsshed.co.ukTickets cost advance £17.50.Group ticket £40.00-£80.00 Please note that tickets bought on the door on the night will cost £20.50.

4. Solo performance at the Tetbury Goods Shed Arts 

On Friday 16 Aug 2024 at 7.30pm, Tetbury Goods Shed Arts are delighted to welcome a Solo performance by singer-songwriter, Willy Tea Taylor.

Willy hails from Oakdale, California (The Cowboy Capital of the World) and is touring the UK in support of his album, The Great Western Hangover There is no question that Willy Tea Taylor’s life as a singer/songwriter was predetermined.

His role was realised the moment he wrote his first song. His inspirations are drawn from two separate wells: living the life of a cattleman’s kid and experiencing true visionaries of music like Greg Brown, John Hartford, and Guy Clark.

The image of Guy Clark and friends sitting around the kitchen table loaded with ashtrays full of butts, half-smoked cigarettes, food, and booze on one Christmas Eve in 1975 burned into Taylors’s soul. Those guys, swapping songs without pretence, lit Willy Tea’s fire.

And have done ever since: leading purpose with passion, curating relationships through musical friendships that get him closer to his own Clark-style kitchen table. For more information or to book your tickets, please visit the new website:www.tetburygoodsshed.co.uk Tickets cost advance£12.50 under 25 £10.00 PLEASE NOTE:

On the door on the night tickets will cost £16 and £13

5. Important Tetbury Town Council meeting 

At the last Tetbury Town Council meeting held on July 22, there was a very important item on the agenda 'To approve recommendation from Heritage & Regeneration Committee to hold a Town Meeting regarding the future of Burials in Tetbury’

The report stated n light of the Environmental Agency SPZ1 legislation implemented in October 2023, which renders Tetbury unsuitable for burial, significant changes are on the horizon for the town's funerary practices. Currently, St Saviour's, the primary burial ground in Tetbury, is down to its last six available plots.

This pressing issue necessitates a community-wide announcement regarding the imminent closure of Tetbury Council burial site located at the back of St Saviour’s. To address the concerns and inform the residents comprehensively, it has been decided to convene a Town Meeting.

This meeting will serve to elucidate the situation, outline the implications of the SPZ1 legislation, and discuss the dwindling options for burial within Tetbury.

As part of our proactive approach, we have already sought a ground engineer's to assist in articulating the technical aspects and constraints of the new regulations in a clear and accessible manner for all residents. This initiative underscores our commitment to transparence and community engagement during this pivotal transition in Tetbury's burial practices. The time date and location will be confirmed soon ,and of course you will be notified.

6.  Clean newspapers needed for the hedgehogs 

Mary Hinton "Hedgehog Mary" urgently needs clean, staple free newspaper ( no magazines or glossy paper please) for the hedgehogs.

These can be left in the wicker basket in the St Marys’ Church porch.

Non fishy cat food welcome too. Thank you The St Marys' Church Fete committee would like to express their thanks to all those who set up and cleared away, the stallholders, the kitchen team, all who donated items for the stalls, the local businesses who gave prizes for the amazing raffle (all thanks to Clare's hard work) and to everyone who came and supported the fete on the day.

Without you all it would not have been the joyful and successful occasion that it was. They are just waiting any other expenses, but they expect the proceeds will exceed £2200! Which is a fabulous result!

7. Message from Reverend after final service 

Following on from Revd Poppy Hughes final service last week, here is a message letter from her. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This comes with my heartfelt thanks for all we shared at my final service at St Marys' Tetbury last Sunday: those present in person, online and in spirit! It was such a beautiful service and - for me - a truly blessed conclusion to my ministry here.

Thank you! And a huge thank you, from both Garry and I, for the wonderful gifts we received after the service: a beautiful painting by artist Nicki Heenan, which is pictured below; and an incredibly generous cheque - an amazing gift which we will use particularly in creating our new home in Enfield. I feel so very blessed to have served in this Benefice. I will carry all of this - and all of you - in my heart, and am so glad to have so much to remember and to remind me of all we have shared.

As I said in my sermon, it has been a privilege to walk this "bit" of your journey with you, and I have such confidence that you will continue to flourish and grow as God's people in this place. Finally, folk have been asking kindly about arrangements for my licensing at St Peter's Grange Park. This service will be held at 7pm on Wednesday 11th September at St Peter's.

Please do hold me in your prayers as I prepare for this. And - as I've mentioned - there is very warm invitation to anyone from Tetbury Benefice who is able to be there to help launch me on the next bit of my journey! I've popped the invitation in below. With my love and prayers, as ever. Yours in Christ, Poppy You are warmly invited to the Collation, Induction and Installation of the Revd Poppy Hughes at St Peter's Grange Park.Vera Avenue Enfield,N21 1DN at 7.00pm Wednesday 11th September,. Light refreshments will be served in the parish hall afterwards.

Depending on numbers St Marys may hire a coach or mini bus to Poppy's Licensing at St Peter's Grange Park on 11th September. For more infomation please contact

8. Dolphins Recreation Centre AGM

The Chair of the DRC Steve ‘Scotty’ Scott welcomed everybody to the Dolphins Recreation Centre AGM. Steve gave his chairs report here is edited highlights. Steve said 'There have been multiple issues to deal with that have all made managing the trust anything but easy sailing. Issues have included: Transitioning to a CIO. Handling the change in booking and usage patterns based on peoples change in social attitudes and activities since COVID.

Dealing with an aging asset infrastructure. Trying to manage a building project at a time when inflation was over 10% and building materials have gone up by over 40%. Managing a large green space asset with virtually no income.

The Dolphins Recreation Centre CIO has officially been registered with the Charity Commission with Charity number 1201602. Bank account have been opened and the constitution is in place. Weekday usage of the hall is back to pre-covid levels and maybe even slightly up.

There are a good number of daytime events in the hall, and it is in use on most weekday evenings. In fact, the weekday evening demand outstrips availability, and we are having to turn requests for regular bookings away.Trying to finish phase one of the building project in 2024 with a budget that was set in 2018/2019 is proving to be a challenge.

Due to there being many delays to the build being started, for various reasons, by the time we received the initial quotes from builders they were already coming in at well over 900k, which was much more than the budget would allow us to spend. It was for this reason the trustees decided to run a self-managed build to attempt to bring the project in for less.

Of course, when this decision was made there was no provision in our planning for a world-wide pandemic, as well as a new war in Europe, which has seen material prices and labor costs increase by up to 40%. Managing the build ourselves has meant it has been very slow.

We have tried to use local contractors, who have often given us very good rates. While most of the work is now complete, we find ourselves about 50 000 short to finish phase one. This is of course very frustrating for everyone, and it delays the completion of the new building further. We still need to point out that as far as budgets are concerned, we are still way under any price we were quoted by any builder.

At this moment in time, we are seeking to find grants, investment from local authorities and working with community partners to acquire the funds to complete the build. Obviously, the huge increase in costs has also affected the expected price of doing phase two of the project.

We now think the expected cost of phase two will have risen from the 2018/2019 estimate of around 950 000 to probably closer to 1.4 to 1.6 million pounds. This is a significant cost increase and requires serious reflection.

The Recreation Ground is one of Tetbury's greatest assets. A large area of green space in the middle of the town, available to all the community, is an incredible thing for the town to have and in my opinion should be protected and defended to ensure it remains an asset for the town for generations to come.

Over the years the state of the soil and ground structure has become incredibly poor. This could often be seen through large cracks appearing when it was dry and flooding when it was wet.

Considering how important the rec is, it often surprises people to discover that it has no income outside of what the trust charges the sports clubs to use it and a small grant from Tetbury Town Council which for 2024/2025 has been reduced to the smallest amount it has even been (2500 pounds) Maintaining the recreation ground just based on grass cutting and hedge maintenance can cost well over 10 000 pounds a year.

This does not include looking after any of the play equipment or other facilities such as the Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) The reality is the rec is struggling. The income from the sports clubs and the TTC grant do not cover the basic maintenance let alone all the improvement work those needs doing. The assets on the recreation ground such as the playpark are decaying and showing all the signs of lack of fundings.

If the people of Tetbury wish to see the Rec remain the vital asset it is in the long term, then over the next few years the trust and the town need to seriously consider how this is funded and its future ensured.'

The meeting was attended with about 30 people with a wide range questions from the public ranging from challenging the right for the charity to be a CIO, where and who has the deeds for the ground and building. And thanking the Cricket Club for going that bit further for upkeeing the ground. If you would like to find out more the visit the web site dolphinshall.org

9. New independent family run cafe opens 

Tetbury welcomed its brand-new independent family run café, The Gilbertine Kitchen. Sarah Bliss, who runs it with her daughters, said she was excited to be opening in Tetbury, already we have been made to feel at home by the people and the amazing, fantastic welcoming traders in the town and of course thanks must go to my enthusiastic team.

Provenance is a big deal here! As they are Passionate about sustainable, healthy and ethical produce.

The attention to detail of the Beautiful stylishly furnished and decorated location that matches the superb menu is no surprise, as Sarah, who has a background in photography, with two other highly successful eateries in her portfolio, the first The Gilbertine Kitchen that opened in November 2019 at nearby Poulton (which is temporary closed for refurbishment) and the Burrito Mama, located at the Old Post Office, near Blackjack Street, in Cirencester.

Sarah added 'when we started, I was given the confidence boost that two of my five daughters, Ella and Grace, already had a lot of hospitality experience'. Cornelia, who was one of the early happy visitors said 'To have a restaurant of this quality in Tetbury is a huge asset to the community living here and its visitors and this is only day one and already I’m planning and looking forward to my revisit.'

As they say, the proof is in the pudding, and you can find out for yourself when you visit. They serve breakfast from 9.00am until 11.30am and then lunch from 12.00noon until 3.00pm. Coffee, tea and cakes or available all day. It is also spacious and has no steps making it accessible for buggies or wheelchairs, and it is even dog friendly.