My Great Uncle Kenneth Armstrong (bottom centre). Died as a POW in Japan.

Did you know that today is V-J Day, the unofficial commemoration which marks the end of the war in the Far East in 1945?

Spare a thought of thanks today for the 30,000 brave souls who died in combat, in prison camps or when they were forced to build the Thai-Burma “Death” railway  after Singapore fell to the Japanese in February 1942.

Laura got in touch to tell us that she will be running the London Marathon this April and is raising money for her chosen charity Friends of Conservation.  Here’s Laura’s personal message:

Hello! On 22nd April I am running a whopping 26 miles in the London Marathon. Madness you say? Then please, please help lessen my pain by giving generously to my wonderful charity Friends of Conservation. It will certainly help me to run all 26 miles knowing I have your support.

Did I mention it is 26 miles?!

Friends of Conservation works with local communities in Africa, Central & South America and Asia to support sustainable ways of living in harmony with wildlife and the environment. 

Thank you so much for any donations.

Laura

To help Laura reach her fundraising target of £1500 for Friends of Conservation, you can donate online at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LauraMorris83 or get in touch with Laura by email at laurajuliemorris@gmail.com.

What is the Joint Core Strategy and what does it mean for Leckhampton?
‘The Joint Core Strategy (JCS) is a partnership between Gloucester City Council, Cheltenham Borough Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council, supported by Gloucestershire County Council.
The JCS was formed to produce a co-ordinated strategic development plan for the area, and will plan how the area will develop during the period up to 2031.’

The public consultation ‘Developing the preferred options’ outlines the various proposed scenarios for development throughout Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury over the next two decades.

Leckhampton has been targeted as one of the potential allocated areas for housing development, with a possible 1650 additional homes being built.

I live in Leckhampton.  What should I be doing?
Leckhampton residents are being urged to make themselves familiar with the Joint Core Strategy proposals, and have their say by responding to the consultation.  Things to consider include:
•    Impact on environment and wildlife
•    Loss of informal recreation space
•    Impact on local road networks
•    Flooding issues
•    Impact on local primary and secondary schools
You can respond to the consultation in a number of ways:
1.    Attend a consultation event (see timetable below)
2.    Complete the consultation questionnaire online. Click here for more details
3.    Download the consultation document.  Click here for more details
4.    Listen to an audio explanation of the consultation.  Click here for more details.
5.    Get in touch with the Joint Core Strategy Team directly by telephone on 0800 073 1441, email info@gct-jcs.org, or write to them at:
Joint Core Strategy Team
Municipal Offices
Promenade
Cheltenham
GL50 9SA

Below is a timetable of public consultation exhibitions throughout February.

Miaow!

Yes really!

The last time I checked outside we weren’t in the plains of Africa, but were indeed in the leafy streets of Leckhampton in the early throes of autumn.  And yet, take care, because snakes and big cats have been stalking our homes and gardens!

Kit Braunholtz, Chairman of Leglag, recently had a slithery surprise one morning when he spotted a slinky visitor in his spare bedroom!  Kit described the snake as about 15 inches long with a dark brown zigzag pattern on its skin.

He says, “I am very puzzled as to how it got into the house and my only concern is that it is quite a young snake and there might be others about”.

And in other properties across Leckhampton, a panther-like cat has been spotted prowling through gardens.  The creature has been described as jet black, six feet long from head to tail with a long neck, small head, slim body and long tail.

It has been suggested that these big cats are attracted by the smell of domestic felines, particularly when they are breeding.

Watch out tabbies!

Your local Cook shop in Bath Road

Do you love Bath Road?  Are you proud of the unique shops and friendly vibe that awaits you just a short walk away?  Then become a friend of Bath Road!

Lizzie Smith, owner of COOK, is calling upon local residents to join her in taking care of Bath Road, and keeping the community feel alive.

Recently leading the way in opposing the closure of the Bath Road toilets, Lizzie is now the proud lease holder of the public toilets!

Lizzie says, “There is such a feeling of community throughout both the residents and traders along the Bath Road, that I am establishing a new Group, The Friends of the Bath Road, whose first project will be to work with me and have a little ‘fun’ with the toilets. We are hoping to find some local businesses to sponsor the toilets with a view to decorating them to a standard good enough to be entered in to the ‘Loo of the Year’ Award! It will also, hopefully, be a little fun along the way.”

The plan will be for the group to be established from local residents who all have a passion and love for The Bath Road and who will work closely with BARTA (Bath Road Traders Association) on projects such as fundraising for the car park toilet renovation and helping to maintain the new planters that will hopefully be coming soon.

So if you fancy joining The Bath Road Friends get in touch with Lizzie on 01242 571464 or cheltenham@cookfood.net.

Edward in intensive care

Chiropractor Simon Rose from Leckhampton and his friends Neil Barrett and Paul Dodd have completed a 103 mile sponsored Cotswold Way Challenge from Chipping Campden to Bath in an astounding 3 days. The walk usually takes 1 week to complete and Simon’s wife Leah says she is “very proud” of the men who have really had to dig deep to complete this challenging event.

Simon set the challenge to raise money for Bristol Children’s Hospital, as a way to say thank you for saving his young son’s life.  Simon’s son Edward was born with a serious congenital heart defect called Fallot’s Tetralogy in 2007 and he received his life saving open heart surgery at Bristol Children’s Hospital in 2008.

Simon says “It is very important to me and my family to be able to give something back to the Bristol Children’s Hospital after they saved our sons’ life. He may need further corrective surgery when he is older and so we will always support their charity as much as we possibly can.”

Edward is now a bouncy and boisterous 3 year old, who loves going to Westfields Day Nursery and Broadlands Pre School with his brother Thomas.  Simon says “He is one of the happiest, strongest, liveliest little boys you’ll meet.  He is big and he is clever and he adds sparkle to the lives of all that he meets.”

Simon and his wife Leah have been overwhelmed by support from friends, patients and neighbours.  The fundraising total is currently at £2000 and the family are still collecting donations.  If you would like to donate please visit http://www.justgiving.com/leah-rose.

With something for the all the family, the two venues on Bath Road promise a fantastic fun weekend. There will be more than 40 craft and trader stalls (centred around The Norwood Arms) and a fantastic variety of local singers,musicians and bands (based around The Exmouth Arms).

There are many local craftspeople and traders signed up already including potter Kath Cooper, pottery and ceramics studio The Potthouse, luxury cake specialist Vanilla Pod Bakery, wedding and portrait specialist Ryde Photography, nature inspired painter Lisa Calnan, unique and handmade jewellery by Nine Lives and fabric home and personal accessory designer and producer Chocolate Design.

And for the music lover, you can delight in a whole range of bands, choirs, singers and dance troupes including the ever-original adaptations of pop to skiffle from Thrill Collins, the soulful and bluesy harmonies of Ezekiel Butler, alongside various choirs, ukulele bands, belly dancers and many others.

Open 10am – 6pm Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th June. Free admission.

See you there!

• Live music from Leon Daye 12pm – 2pm
• Hog roast 12 – 5pm
• Large family-friendly beer garden
• Live music from Vibe 6pm – 9pm
• Man Utd vs Barcelona UEFA Champions League final – 7.30pm watch it live on 3 screens

The Wheatsheaf brand new website has just gone live, where you can view menus, sign up to our latest events and find out how to get in touch. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare.

The Wheatsheaf Inn, 283 Old Bath Road, Leckhampton, Cheltenham GL53 9AJ. Tel: 01242 525371.

The planning proposal includes 25 3 – 4 bedroom family homes, a retirement complex, and an additional affordable healthcare provision for the elderly.

Click on the images below to see in full size

Local residents have raised the following issues after seeing the plans.

• Additional road traffic caused by the proposed 90 new houses (the 25 family homes currently have 2 car parking spaces allocated to them)
• Even more pressure on primary and secondary school places – what would a potential extra 50 children mean to the area?
• Have they got the aesthetics right? Are they trying to cram too much in? What benefit could this new development bring to the community?

Post your views on the plans in the comments section below.

Fred is putting on an exhibition of his work in the Sue Ryder Day Hospice.

Entrance is £2 and there will be other family activities.