March 14, 2026

Cheltenham News & Events | All Things Cheltenham with Helen (Nutrition Centre) & Tom (Empty Chair)

Cheltenham News & Events | All Things Cheltenham with Helen (Nutrition Centre) & Tom (Empty Chair)

Got something to share? Send it in Cheltenham can feel like two towns at once: the headline-making, visitor-packed version that explodes into life during Festival week, and the everyday version built on small shops, familiar faces, and the places we choose to support. We start by unpacking the Cheltenham Festival 2026, from the biggest racing moments and the scale of the crowds to the sobering welfare news that many locals are still processing after the final race. From there, we move into C...

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Got something to share? Send it in

Cheltenham can feel like two towns at once: the headline-making, visitor-packed version that explodes into life during Festival week, and the everyday version built on small shops, familiar faces, and the places we choose to support. We start by unpacking the Cheltenham Festival 2026, from the biggest racing moments and the scale of the crowds to the sobering welfare news that many locals are still processing after the final race.

From there, we move into Cheltenham town centre changes that hit closer to home, including store closures and what they signal for the future of independent retail. Helen joins me from the Nutrition Centre on Bath Road, sharing the story of a business that has quietly served Cheltenham for more than five decades and explaining what people actually come in for, from whole foods to supplements and practical advice on healthier choices.

We also open up “Have Your Say” with listener messages on potholes and road safety, then run through a stacked Cheltenham events guide: a teaser clip with Andy Ray on the Dark Side Of The Ale Festival, plus sci-fi fun with Forcefest UK, the Cheltenham Poetry Festival, family inflatables, and “Empty Chairs” at the Swan Pub, where Tom is creating a no-pressure space for conversation and connection.

Subscribe or follow All Things Cheltenham, share this with a friend who loves local life, and leave a review to help more people find the show. What’s the one Cheltenham story or event you want us to cover next?

Keith Scarrott Shoes

Cheltenham Playhouse

Cheltenham is Growing

SoGlos Awards

Dark Side of the Ales Festival Facebook

Force Fest UK at Town Hall

Cheltenham Poetry Festival

Empty Chair

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00:39 - Welcome And Mother’s Day

01:04 - Cheltenham Local News

10:10 - Cheltenham Notice Board

15:35 - Guest - Helen from Nutrition Center

41:26 - Have Your Say

43:53 - Cheltenham Events

45:15 - Clip from Andy Rea - Dark Side of the Ales Festival

52:23 - Guest - Tom from Empty Chairs

WEBVTT

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Hello, I'm Reg, your host, and welcome to All Things Cheltenham, the community podcast.

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Today is the 15th of March 2026.

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So let's get started.

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Now, before we get into this week's Cheltenham news, as a quick mention that this Sunday is Mother's Day here in the UK.

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So a very happy Mother's Day to all mums, grandmothers, stepmums, and mothers figures in our community.

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I hope you're being thoroughly spoiled today, whether that's with flowers, chocolates, or maybe even breakfast in bed.

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And of course, if you're listening with your mum today, thanks for choosing to spend a little bit of your Sunday with all things Cheltenham.

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So coming up on this week's episode, I'll be chatting with Helen from the Nutrition Centre, speaking with Tom about the upcoming empty chair event, and you'll also hear a short clip from Andy Ray about the dark side of the Owls Festival taking place in Cheltenham.

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But first, and most importantly, let's take a look at the Cheltenham local news.

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So we start off with probably the most obvious one, the Cheltenham Festival 2026 Roundup.

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Cheltenham has just experienced one of the biggest weeks of the year as the Cheltenham Festival returned to Presbury Park for four days of world-class racing and thousands of visitors arriving in the town.

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Across the week, more than 200,000 race goers travelled to Cheltenham, filling hotels, restaurants and pubs across the town and creating that famous festival atmosphere once again.

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The festival opened on Tuesday with Champion Day, where one of the standout performances came from Louise Mouth, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, who stormed to the victory in the Champion Hurdle.

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It was another major win for the mayor and confirmed her status as one of the stars of the modern national hunt racing.

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As the week continued, there were plenty of surprises and dramatic moments on the track.

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On St.

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Patrick's Thursday, home by the Lee produced a shock result to win the Stayers Hurdle at Big Odds, the while Hart would claim victory in the Ryanair chase after the favourite was withdrawn shortly before the race.

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Then on Friday, the festival reached the climax with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the most prestigious race of the week.

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The winner was Gaelic Warrior, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townland, who powered up the famous Cheltenham Hill to secure a dominant victory.

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The result capped a remarkable week for Mullins and his team, with the Irish trainer enjoying multiple wins across the festival and continuing his incredible record here at Cheltenham.

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There were also some huge outsider wins during the week, showing once again that anything can happen at the Cheltenham Festival.

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Sadly though, four horses have died during this year's Cheltenham Festival, including two on the final day.

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Evan Allen was which finished ninth in the Booties Cheltenham Gold Cup chase, collapsed shortly after the race, while Saint Lafort was put down after falling at the final obstacle during the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap hurdle.

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Cheltenham Race Course said both horses were immediately attended to by an expert veterinary teams.

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A spokesman described Ingrid Allen as a sublimely talented horse and offered offered condolences to all those connected with the horse.

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In the case of St.

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LaFort, Vets concluded the most appropriate course of action for the horse welfare was to humanely energetise it.

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These incidents followed the earlier deaths of HMS Seahorse on Wednesday and Hansard on Tuesday during the festival.

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But despite these sad moments, the 2026 festival will be remembered for dramatic racing, big performances from the Irish stables, and another huge week for Cheltenham as a town.

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And now that the final race has been run and the crowds have headed home, Cheltenham can begin to catch its breath until the racing world again meets next March.

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Now, if you were in the town during the festival this week, you'll know just how busy it gets from packed pubs and restaurants to taxis are working around the clock.

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And if you are out and about during the festival, I'd love to hear your thoughts, whether you were at the races, working in town, or simply navigating the crowds in town.

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You can share your experience with the show by emailing info at all thingscheltenham.co.uk or send in a message via social media.

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Or use the have your say voicemail on the website.

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Send the voicemail to the show, and some of your comments may be featured in the have your say section on future episodes.

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A longstanding Cheltenham footwear business is preparing to close its doors after nearly 50 after 50 years in business.

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Keith Scarriot Shoes, originally established back in 1975, has been a familiar name in the town for generations of customers looking for stylish, high-quality footwear.

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Over the years, the business became known for its bespoke shoe ranges, carefully created collections, and a personal shopping experience that kept customers returning season after season.

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In recent years, the company has been led by Keith's daughter, Sophie Scarriot, who continued the family tradition of combining creativity, craftsmanship, and attention to detail.

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Working closely with European artisans, Sophie and her team developed seasonal collections that blended classic styles with modern tens.

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Many Cheltenham families have shopped with Keith Scarriot across the multiple generations, making the store much more than just a retailer but part of the town's shopping heritage.

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The business is now preparing to close over the coming weeks while remaining stock is being sold off.

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For longtime customers and anyone looking for a final chance to pick up a pair of their distinctive shoes, it may be the last opportunity to visit the well-known Sheltenham brand before it closes its doors on the promenade shop or online.

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And from all of us here at All Things Sheltenham, i.e.

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me, we wish the Scarriot family and their team all the very best for the future.

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Now I can promise you, if you've not been past their shop on the promenade, that little one they have on there, if you're looking for shoes, ladies, now's the time to visit because believe me, they have got some ridiculous bargains going on selling off their stock.

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Or go to their website, which is keyscarriot.co.uk, and as always, all a lot of links will be in the description of this podcast to a lot of these places.

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Okay, moving on.

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Shelton and Borough Council has moved to clear the rough sleeper tents from the promenade, but it appears the tents have reappeared just a short distance away.

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The tents have been set up outside the empty Cavernish House department store building in the town centre last week.

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Councillor teams carried out enforcement action to remove the tents following concerns raised by residents about the behaviour in the area.

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Council Leader Rona Hay said the authority acted to help the town centre a welcome become a welcome and safe and vibrant place for residents and visitors.

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However, shortly after the tents were cleared, similar tents were seen again nearby, this time in the churchyard of the Cheltenham Minster St.

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Mary's, which is only around 100 yards from the original location.

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The council says it's working with the Gloucester police and organisations as part of a multi-agency approach to both address concerns in the town and provide support to those sleeping rough.

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Rohanna Hay says the council recognises the complex nature of homelessness and the challenges faced by those affected, adding that the support and welfare assessment are being offered, including the possibility of housing locally where people are eligible.

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Meanwhile, the entrances at Cavernish House building has now been boarded up by contractors acting on behalf of the building owners.

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Some local residents have suggested the situation has simply moved rather than solved after the tents appeared again nearby in the churchyard.

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Cheltenham Borough Council says work to tackle rough sleeping and support vulnerable people continues throughout the year, and that homelessness support remains a key priority across the county.

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Now a clothing shop in Cheltenham Town Centre is preparing to close its doors.

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I did mention this about a month ago.

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Ballista clothing currently has signs in its window advertising a closing down sale with reduced prices across much of the store, and staff have indicated that the shop is expected to close it's about a week's in about a week's time.

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They couldn't find anywhere else by the sounds of it, so they are closing.

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But they're still looking.

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The store has been a familiar site in the town and is now selling off remaining stock as it prepares to shut.

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There's also been some local speculation about what might replace the unit.

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And I have heard unconfirmed reports, this is unconfirmed, that the space could potentially be a new fast food outlet, but somebody we already know, possibly KFC relocating from its current town centre location.

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However, there has been no official confirmation of that, so at the moment it remains speculation.

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And of course, if I see something more confirmed, I will let you know.

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So that's the latest news from around Cheltenham.

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Now it's time for a Cheltenham local offer.

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Imperial Huss is running a two for one on all classic cocktails every Friday and Saturday night in March between 9pm and 11pm.

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So if you're planning a night out in the Cheltenham this month, it might be a good excuse to pop in and try one of their cocktails with a friend.

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And if you're a local Cheltenham business with an offer or promotion you'd like mentioned on the podcast, just get in touch through all things Cheltenham website or social media.

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Right, on to the Cheltenham notice board after I've had a nice sip of tea.

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So bear with me.

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Oh, that's better.

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Right, a new UK online car market has launched called Heart Vehicle Auction, aiming to tackle one of the biggest frustrations for people selling vehicles online.

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Time wasters and buyers who don't follow through.

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Heart Vehicle Auctions, founded by UK entrepreneur Wayne Hart, has officially launched at HeartVehleAuctions.com.

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The platform combines the traditional car listings, live vehicle auctions, and a social community where car enthusiasts can post, discuss and interact with others.

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Unlike many existing platforms, Heart Vehicle Auctions allow people to sell vehicles through their live auctions or fixed price listings, while also offering built-in messaging so buyers and sellers can communicate directly.

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One of the platform's most distinctive features is a bidder commitment system designed to protect sellers.

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When a user wins an auction, a temporary£75 hold is placed on their card, similar to a hotel pre-authorization.

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The buyer then pays the seller directly.

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Once the seller confirms that they have been paid, the£75 hold is immediately released back to the buyer.

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However, if the winning bidder fails to complete the purchase,£50 of the bond is paid to the seller and a compensation for their time, while£25 goes to the platform.

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Founder Wayne Hart says the idea come from seeing how frustrating traditional car marketplaces can be.

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People selling cars online often deal with fake bids, buyers disappearing, or people wasting their time.

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And he says I wanted to build something that encourages serious buyers while also creating a place where car enthusiasts can connect.

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The platform also includes a built-in social feed called the Social Lounge where users can post photos of their cars, share builds, and interact with members of the community.

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Heart Vehicle Auctions is currently offering free vehicle listings during its launch period.

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You can find more information at the website www.heartvehicleauctions.com.

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Now I'm not a car owner, I'd never have a never had a car, nor's my family to be honest.

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My mum and dad never had one.

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So I don't know how difficult it is to buy and sell cars like that.

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So if you've got any experience of that, um do let me know.

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Okay, the Cheltenham Playhouse Theatre are looking for someone who can volunteer for a few hours a week to help them prepare grant packs and supporting documents.

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You would be supporting the trustees responsible for the grants, helping to organize and present key information clearly and professionally.

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These roles would involve research and gathering relevant information, collating and structure content for grant packs, creating well-presented documents using Canva, presenting information in a concise and engaging way, skills that would be helpful would be confidence with using Canva, strong research and organization skills, ability to summarize and structure information clearly, great attention to detail.

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It's around five hours a week, flexible and remote.

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This is a voluntary role, but it is a great opportunity to support a charity, gain experience, and help us or them create professional materials that make a real difference.

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If this sounds like something you'd enjoy or you know someone who might be interested, please get in touch, they say.

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We'd love to hear from you.

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Now you can do it via their social media or you can do it via their contact page, and I will have the link in the description below in the description below.

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Now, Cheltenham is growing.

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It's March.

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There's a rev it's revving up for gardening the gardening world, and they need more volunteers in the Cheltenham area.

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Would you be interested in joining their loc their friendly bunch of enthusiastic veg growers to help grow fresh veg and food for local people who need it most?

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If you're interested and would they'd love to hear from you, no experience is necessary.

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So if you want to grow vegetables for people who need it most in Cheltenham is growing, you need to email them at cheltenhamisgrowing at gmail.com or you can find out more via their website.

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And I'll say it last once more.

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Obviously, the link will be in the description.

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As will all the others, I'll stop saying it now.

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And finally, on the community notice board this week, we've had quite a few.

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Voting has opened for the Gloucestershire Lifestyle and Community Awards 2026, organized by So Gloss.

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The awards celebrate some of the very best across the country, including restaurants, pubs, independent shops, cultural venues, charities, and community organizations.

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So if there is a Cheltenham business, a venue or organization you love, this is a great chance to show your support.

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Use the link in the description.

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I said I wouldn't say it, but I just did.

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Um, for the So Gloss Gloucestershire Lifestyle and Community Awards 2026 to find out more and cast your vote.

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Let's start now with this week's first guest section with my chat with Helen from the Nutrition Centre.

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Welcome, Helen, from the Nutrition Centre to All Things Chapman and Podcast.

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Thank you for joining us.

00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:51.440
Thank you, and thank you for inviting me to come and have a chat with you today, Reg.

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That's no problem at all.

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Now, for people who don't know the Nutrition Centre, do you want to tell people a bit about what the nutrition centre is and where they can find it?

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Right, okay.

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Well, um the nutrition centre has been on the bathroad for about 53 years.

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So quite a long time.

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Um my father-in-law started the original shop where we are, and it was called uh Chartnham Health Foods.

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And he started it as a bit of a retirement project.

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He used to own a shop.

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I don't know if you're interested in all this, but it's a bit of local.

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Oh, yeah, yeah, I love it.

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I love the history of things.

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That's wonderful.

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So so he used to have, he originally had a shop at Six Way uh Charlton King's and about 50-55 years ago he could see that the supermarkets were going to take away, take over from those sort of small local shops selling stuff.

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So he looked for a retirement project and the um the shop came on the market, he Julie bought it.

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At that time it was next door to uh the supermarket next door to us was fine fare.

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Now it's Sainsbury.

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Um so he started it 50 50 something yeah 53 years ago, and uh we're still going strong.

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No, I started working there, I don't really want to stay, but I will say, uh in 1977.

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So I've been working there for a long time, and my husband and I uh brought the business off of him when he really wanted to retire, which was sometime in the late 80s.

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So that's how long we've been going.

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So we've been there a very, very long time.

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That's unbelievable.

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That really is a long, a long time for a for a business to be going in one shop.

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Yes, more so than than you know, been going.

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I mean, companies go for long times, but they move about.

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You say that's literally been the original shop from the start.

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The original shop, yep, that's quite correct.

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The original shop from the start, yeah.

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I would imagine even sort of the years you've been there, you've probably seen a lot of changes on Bath Road.

00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:07.920
We have.

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Um, I think the Bath Road is a well, I would say this, a very, very special area.

00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:17.839
Um I meant to I really apologise.

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I meant to walk up and down the Bath Road yesterday and I ran out of time.

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But I am completely certain there are no empty shops.

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No, I don't think there are either, not now.

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No, no.

00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:30.559
No, I don't think there is.

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Um which in itself is unusual.

00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:36.319
Definitely.

00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:37.359
That's that's true.

00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:38.720
That is definitely true, yeah.

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It's it's it's predominantly independent businesses.

00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:47.839
You beat me to it, that's what I was about to say.

00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:57.119
Yeah, predominantly independent businesses, which again I think is unusual and very, very special these days.

00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:14.000
Um I think a way it's changing at the moment is that there's quite quite a few restaurants and cafes, so it's become quite a not only a retail area but uh um social area.

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So it's quite vibrant in the evenings, and well, enjoying the day, it's a busy it's a busy area.

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So I think it is somewhere very special and hopefully you know the independence like us can continue.

00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:51.119
Yeah, because I would imagine it's it is one of those if no one's if you've listening to this and you've not been down Bath Road, whether it's for years or if you've never been there, because you go straight to town centre, it really is worth making an effort to go down Bath Road because I've been down there many times over the years, and it is a really unique place compared to a town centre you normally go to.

00:19:51.279 --> 00:20:04.400
There is bar the Obama two, everything else is pure independent, self-owned businesses, whether it's a coffee shop, whether it's the nutrition centre or whatever, it's completely different and it has a different vibe to it.

00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:12.880
Um, and I would imagine the nutrition centre being there since your since you your your was it your grandfather or father-in-law took it?

00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:15.359
My father-in-law, my father's father-in-law.

00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:22.799
I would imagine I think the butchers possibly might be the only other one that's been there longer or at that length of time.

00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:31.759
Um, yes, yeah, the excuse me, the butchers next door to us, GR Lane's, they've been going for years, haven't they?

00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:33.519
Yeah, they've been there a long time.

00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:35.359
Yeah, yeah, donkeys, yeah.

00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:40.640
Um, the butchers over the road, also that's been there for a long time, but it's changed ownership.

00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:49.039
Um, Bloodworth, of course, um, but they're no longer yeah, yeah, but they they've actually recently sold.

00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:52.160
So I think you could well be right, actually, that we are.

00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:54.240
Do you know why I hadn't even thought of that?

00:20:54.640 --> 00:21:03.279
Yeah, you've got to be, if not, if not one of only maybe two or three that have been there for that length of time on Bath Road, the but the butchers and you guys.

00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:08.240
I can't even say the others have sold, or yeah, might still be the same shop, but they're not the original owners.

00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:12.079
No, I I I think you I think you're probably right there, actually.

00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:14.960
Yeah, I've I've I've literally not considered that.

00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:15.599
Yeah.

00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:16.480
Well, there you go.

00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:18.480
That's something a bit of advertising for you.

00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:22.640
Oh, I'm sorry, that wasn't the intention.

00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:31.359
Uh so obviously the nutrition centre by the name of it sounds like health and sell one.

00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:34.079
So, what kind of things do you sell at the nutrition centre?

00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:36.640
What what what advice can you give and what do you sell?

00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:38.079
What do people come for?

00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:41.759
Um, well, I want to just quickly say that.

00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:48.480
We have customers that have been coming to us for at least 20, 30 years, some of them, which I think is a big tick.

00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:51.920
Um we sell we sell food.

00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:59.759
Um what you would class perhaps as whole foods, but food that's um you know, part of a health.

00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.799
Healthy diet.

00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:06.880
Plus, we do sell vitamins, herbal supplements, that sort of thing.

00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:15.039
It's just got, you know, and herbal teas and um whole foods, nuts.

00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:20.559
Quite, you know, quite a quite a range, plus um frozen foods and yogurts, that sort of thing.

00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:26.880
So it's interesting because the business has changed obviously over the the years.

00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:35.920
I mean, it used to be when I first started there, food was much, much bigger part of our business than it is now, although it is really still an important part.

00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:44.160
But we sell much more supplements and you know give ad advice on a healthy diet and all of that sort of thing.

00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:47.279
Yeah, I've got to be honest, you took me back there.

00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:50.720
You just made me step back a bit when you said you sell healthy food.

00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:57.279
I genuinely thought you were all sort of healthy supplements and nutrient and nutrition herbal and things like that.

00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:58.799
I didn't know you did food in there.

00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:00.480
Yeah, no, we do, we do.

00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:12.960
We sell, we've got oh I don't sell um, you know, like as basic as organic porridge oats to olives, you know, all of that, all of that sort of stuff.

00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:17.519
We do um some tinned vegetables that are organic.

00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:20.880
So yeah, food is quite an important part.

00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:33.920
Plus, uh, plus I'm I'll get into trouble if I don't mention that we also sell natural cosmetics, um, and um, you know, ECOVA, you know, natural, uh chemical-free or nasty chemicals.

00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:35.839
Everything is a chemical, really.

00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:39.200
Um uh household products as well.

00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:43.920
So cross cross um across the board, really, is what we sell.

00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:46.319
Wow, I genuinely didn't realise you.

00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:54.000
I I whenever I passed, I just thought you did general herbs, like you know, sort of general herbs and and sort of minerals and vitamins, things like that.

00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:56.480
Yeah, I'm gonna have to pop in and have a look round properly.

00:23:56.720 --> 00:24:00.559
I was gonna say, I think you really need to come and have a look, yes.

00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:03.359
Yeah, you've caught me off guard there.

00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:20.160
Yeah, because I mean I think Yeah, I I think it is important to do both because um, you know, we we we should encourage people to get nutrients that they can through their food and have a healthy diet.

00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:33.680
I mean, there's so much in the papers at the moment, isn't there, about what is a how what constitutes a healthy diet, how do we eat healthily, and um and it's important that you can go somewhere that well, I would like to think that you can trust that you can buy healthy food from.

00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:44.160
Yeah, I mean, I sort of watch a lot of YouTube and at the moment they have there's people that have the clips from from TikTok and places like that, and they they review them and talk about them.

00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:53.680
And America at the moment is at the moment is going mad on the food in America, which in regards to just the bread alone, you see them rinse it underwater.

00:24:53.920 --> 00:25:02.400
Woman has a uh like a a um a bap and she runs it underwater and she can ring it out like a sponge, and it's in perfect condition.

00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.960
And now I know this to be true, Edge.

00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:06.160
Sorry to interrupt you.

00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:08.400
My daughter actually lives in the States.

00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:09.599
Oh wow.

00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:13.119
Yeah, and uh she you know, like you do.

00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:18.400
Well, I don't know whether you do, but sometimes you go through your cupboards and you look at it, you think, Oh my goodness, that is old.

00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:19.599
I should have checked that out.

00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:29.759
Anyway, there was a loaf of bread in the back of her cupboard, and we pulled it out, and it was four or five months old, and and it was as fresh as a daisy.

00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:31.759
That that shouldn't be that shouldn't be.

00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:33.359
And that shouldn't be, should it?

00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:35.200
I mean, don't you think that's scary?

00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:43.119
It is, it is, and there's there's lots of things like that on YouTube at the moment from America anyway, you know, and that it's that's not food, it can't be.

00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:44.160
No, it's not.

00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:46.160
It's it cannot be food.

00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:52.400
I mean, things need to come as close as you can to source, which is difficult these days, I will admit.

00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:58.960
But yeah, they need to if things last in that length of time, they shouldn't be.

00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:01.519
Yeah, it's more chemical than food, that's for sure.

00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:04.400
I think we're probably safe to say that.

00:26:04.559 --> 00:26:05.599
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:10.079
Um, I was just thinking, you say you've been there since a while now.

00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:15.200
Was you doing something before you started working there, or was it more rather than giving your age away?

00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:26.720
Was it sort of from university, college, school, don't say which, um, into the business, and then you sort of moved on to eventually buying it, or was was it you sort of decided to give it a go?

00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:34.559
Um, it was what one of the one of those things that um my husband and I had not long been married.

00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:35.920
He finished his training.

00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:44.480
He's a child, he was a child, what's today's a child servaire, and um we moved to this neck of the woods, and I needed a job.

00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:48.880
And David's father um said, Well, would you like to come and work first?

00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:53.039
And I didn't know the first thing about this business at all.

00:26:53.359 --> 00:26:56.079
And um, so I said, Oh, okay, then.

00:26:56.240 --> 00:27:05.680
So that's how I started, just as a job to tide me over while I ever thought, well, I had done I had done my nurses training or some of my nursing training, and I wanted, was I going to complete that?

00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:08.000
You know, like you get to those little bits of crossroads.

00:27:08.079 --> 00:27:11.759
I mean, I was quite young, what 22, 23, something like that.

00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:15.440
And um, yeah, and so I've still still there.

00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:22.880
So it was initially just a sort of filler job, just so you sort of settled in and you'd just be married and and get yourself organised.

00:27:23.519 --> 00:27:23.920
Exactly.

00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:44.000
Then the same happened again uh when my husband and I brought the business because he he was working with the Redditch Development Corporation as a surveyor, and they the corporation had finished doing its job, and we were again at those life crossroads that you come to, everybody comes to them, don't they?

00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:50.480
And he was offered a job in London, and we didn't really want to live in London, and we've got two little girls at that stage.

00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:56.640
And David's father said, Well, I'm gonna sell the business, so you know, have a think, Helen, what you want to do.

00:27:57.039 --> 00:28:00.160
Well, if you're gonna sell the business, could we buy the business?

00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:06.640
So, my husband again was originally just gonna help me set it up and take over for six months and go back to his defense.

00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:08.720
Well, are you still in the business now?

00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:12.480
So that's the way it is.

00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:22.400
Yeah, sometimes it's just one of those things, you know, you sort of fall into something and it just you say you went there temporary, you know, really, probably thinking a few months and you'll move on to do nursing or whatever.

00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:23.359
Yeah, exactly.

00:28:23.920 --> 00:28:26.880
One year led into another year and you're still there, you know.

00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:29.440
And still there, yes, yeah, very much.

00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:34.720
So you you must pretty much know that shot backwards, inside out, and forwards by now, I'd imagine.

00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:36.240
Uh pretty much, yes.

00:28:36.400 --> 00:28:37.119
Yes, it is.

00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:37.440
Yeah.

00:28:37.680 --> 00:28:42.400
Although to be fair, my husband and I now I would class us as semi-retired.

00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:45.359
Um he work he goes in most days.

00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:52.400
I go in perhaps a couple of couple of mornings a week, and I'm I'm the I do a lot of the paperwork and that sort of stuff now.

00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:56.480
But yeah, it so it's um it's worked really well, the shop has, to be honest.

00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:57.200
Yeah, yeah.

00:28:57.519 --> 00:29:04.160
It's it's it is actually, you know, you can obviously it's been there a long time, and I imagine it's changed even since you started there.

00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:09.680
But um, if you were going in, like what's what's a typical day in the shop like?

00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:12.480
I mean, is there a sort of a particular routine?

00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:17.039
I mean, is it or is it, you know, do you have you say you get regular customers that come in?

00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:18.880
How's a typical day look?

00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:25.839
Well, it's really interesting because I am not sure there is a typical day, particularly nowadays for trading.

00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:39.599
Um it used to be before COVID that nine o'clock we'd open our doors and customers would be coming in and um the latter part of the day would be quiet.

00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:40.160
Okay?

00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:40.640
Yeah.

00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:43.519
Now that's completely changed since COVID.

00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:50.960
The morning is quite quiet until about mid-morning, and we're busier in the afternoon.

00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:51.599
Why?

00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:52.240
I don't know.

00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:57.920
Whether people are working from home and work in and then come later, I don't know.

00:29:58.079 --> 00:30:05.519
Um, so each day is really different on on that sort of level.

00:30:05.759 --> 00:30:21.200
We have obviously there's deliveries that have to be checked in, we get regular deliveries coming in, and then there's you know the real basics of of retail is cleaning, date checking, all of those sorts of things.

00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:24.720
Whilst they might seem a small part of the job, they're actually really important.

00:30:24.880 --> 00:30:28.480
So there is never shelf stocking and things like that.

00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:29.359
Exactly.

00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:31.519
There is never not anything to do.

00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:42.000
Um, plus, you know, training, we get we get um companies that we deal with have nutritionists that work for them, so we arrange training evenings.

00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:50.160
And yeah, recently we've actually tied uh tied in with a coffee shop on the corner uh called the Coffee Corner.

00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:51.440
Oh, I know them, yes.

00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:52.400
Yeah, you know them.

00:30:52.480 --> 00:31:10.960
Um we've hosted I think it's three talks now there where we've got a nutritionist in to give a talk, um and um that's been successful, so that we've done that we've done that of an e of of an evening.

00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:23.200
So um, yeah, so I I think I think you have to look at how things are changing, and it it's always a way of like uh advertising you know, different ways of advertising.

00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:33.680
I mean when we first started, you must remember you used to hire, you know, book a page in the echo, a double page thread, and you get other people to advertise for you.

00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:41.839
Now it's all social media, which to be honest, you know, I have yeah, I I'm not a great one of understanding how that works, but I do do a bit.

00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:44.400
But one of my managers does all of that.

00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:56.559
But um, so you've just got to I'm gonna say awful phrase, move with the times, but it is it's it's it's different now to how it was, you know, even 10 years ago.

00:31:56.960 --> 00:31:58.960
Yeah, yeah, things have things have changed.

00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:07.759
I I I know from talking to other shopkeepers and people, you know, years ago, sort of when I was younger and you were younger, you know, you had the sort of set routines.

00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:23.920
So shopping was on a Friday or Saturday, so you knew shops were going to be absolutely hammered on a Friday and Saturday, and then Mondays were quiet, and then midweek you'd have a few people in because they'd be buying sort of top up just for the few bits and pieces, and then you're back to the Friday and it'd be bad again.

00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:29.359
But nowadays that doesn't apply, it's just all through the week, and you never know what day is going to be busy.

00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:32.880
That is so that's absolutely correct.

00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:35.119
That it it is completely different.

00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:47.119
You're you're you'll spot on there that Friday and Saturday were manic, quieter, and it gradually builds up over the week, and it's not like that at all anymore.

00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:51.119
We can have a really busy, busy day midweek, one week.

00:32:51.279 --> 00:32:58.160
So, say for example, it might be Wednesday, that manic you busy, and the next week you think, Oh, I wonder what Wednesday's gonna be like.

00:32:58.319 --> 00:32:59.759
It can be really quiet.

00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:02.559
There is absolutely no rhyme nor reason.

00:33:03.039 --> 00:33:19.759
No, no, it's it's impossible, and especially for I mean, I suppose your shop's not too bad apart from maybe some of the food items, where you, you know, because your stock probably has a reasonable sell by date because it's in teams and so on, but the fresher stuff you can't pre preempt what's going to happen anymore.

00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:30.240
No, no, I mean I would hate to I would hate to be like a greengrocers or something like that where you've you know stuff has a limited shelf life because you have absolutely no idea.

00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:32.960
No, no, it becomes very difficult.

00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:35.200
Yeah, it is, it's very difficult.

00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:42.240
And obviously, we have a an epos system, you know, where it's all computer, you know, yeah, and all that sort of stuff.

00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:45.039
So we've got all that data that gives us an idea.

00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:47.359
Plus, it's all in my husband's head anyway.

00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:50.160
I'm not sure that's the place you want to be, but there we go.

00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:53.440
Full of full of tins and and fluffy tapes.

00:33:53.599 --> 00:33:56.160
I mean, what a place to be, you know, you can't argue that.

00:33:57.759 --> 00:34:24.639
So obviously, you you though you sort of class of a semi-retired, sort of similar to me, really, um, and you're sort of not involved in the business as much as you was, but have you know, for the let's say for another in a within the next sort of, you know, by Christmas this year or in about a year's time, is there plans to change at all in any way or expand the business, or is it just sort of gonna tick over as it always has done because it's always worked?

00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:33.360
Oh, now if you if you if you have that uh approach to tick over as it's always done, then you're my you're going backwards, aren't you?

00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:34.639
You are, yes.

00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:48.880
You are so um we actually it's really interesting that um after my husband and I took over the business, uh we then took over a shop in Tewkesbury and in Sourencester.

00:34:49.440 --> 00:34:53.920
We opened one in Sourencester and we had a really busy uh website.

00:34:55.199 --> 00:35:01.679
And but as the leases on the two other shops came up, oh and we had one in Wincham Street as well.

00:35:01.920 --> 00:35:13.039
As the leases for those shops in the last oh five or six years have come up for renewal, yeah, it was an easy decision on both my husband and I's parts that we weren't going to renew them.

00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:14.320
Right.

00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:23.360
So we didn't, so the business has has contracted down to just the original one, and that at the moment suits us really well.

00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:46.719
We've got a really good team in, we've got two excellent managers, um, and um we're happy it it's a good semi-retirement job for us both, yeah, and it's important, like you're semi-retired, you know, you get to a certain age and think, well, that's it, I'm done, I'm gonna sit in the chair and vegetate.

00:35:46.800 --> 00:35:48.880
Well, you're not gonna last very long like that, are you?

00:35:49.199 --> 00:35:51.840
Right, you've got to have something to keep your mind occupied.

00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:52.800
Absolutely.

00:35:52.960 --> 00:35:57.840
So we we we're really happy the way the shop is running at the moment.

00:35:58.239 --> 00:36:08.239
Um we you know, so at the moment, yes, it's going to we've got no plans for it to close, change, sell, or anything else.

00:36:08.719 --> 00:36:14.559
And hopefully, you know, we will see some it will change because we've always changed.

00:36:14.800 --> 00:36:16.480
Yeah, as move with the times.

00:36:17.360 --> 00:36:18.239
Yeah, exactly.

00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:30.079
Move with the times, and as as um new products come and others fall by the wayside, then obviously our stocking will, you know, what we stock will change.

00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:35.599
So in the moment, yes, we're we're not gonna stand still, but we're happy where we are.

00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:44.320
That's that's wonderful, and to be honest, you say, you know, I've forgotten there was actually a uh the nutrition centre in Cheltenham on Winchcumbe Street.

00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:45.679
I remember it actually.

00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:59.519
Um to actually turn around and look at the business and go, we're gonna shut those down and we're gonna focus on the main the original one, that actually takes a lot more nerve than trying to keep them going.

00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:00.960
Yeah, well, thank you.

00:37:01.039 --> 00:37:14.320
Yeah, I I it was like it were it was big decisions, but when the landlord said, Well, we need you to sign up for another 20 years on the lease, you think, Well, I might not be alive.

00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:15.360
Yeah.

00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:18.559
Yeah, that that's that's uh sort of no, you know.

00:37:19.119 --> 00:37:22.559
Yeah, you know, that that's that that's just that's just ridiculous.

00:37:22.719 --> 00:37:24.159
We're not going to do that.

00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:40.239
So um in that respect, it was they were it was it was fortuitous that they the way that the leases on these shops came out, and I've got we've got two or three friends within our industry who've been in exactly the same position.

00:37:40.719 --> 00:37:47.119
Leases have come out that well, I'm not going to renew that, and they've they've they've contracted as well.

00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:52.239
Yeah, sometimes it's meant to be, it's just sometimes it's just meant to be, you know, it's the way it works.

00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:54.719
Well, I didn't want to be working that hard.

00:37:54.880 --> 00:38:05.039
I mean, it we we were working really hard full time, you know, running all of that, and and and that's so at the moment where we are suits us really well.

00:38:05.199 --> 00:38:06.079
Yeah, we need to be able to do that.

00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:08.800
And it works, and that's the end of the that's the main thing.

00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:12.800
It works for you and your husband, and obviously for the team that are in the shop as well.

00:38:12.960 --> 00:38:15.599
They they're happy to sort of do what they're doing as well.

00:38:16.079 --> 00:38:23.599
They are, and I mean we we have um members of our team that have been with us 20, 25 years.

00:38:24.079 --> 00:38:24.480
Wow.

00:38:24.719 --> 00:38:26.480
It's a bit like Hotel California.

00:38:26.639 --> 00:38:28.480
You join and you never get out again.

00:38:28.639 --> 00:38:34.800
Um but we and we've got two members of staff I've got at the moment who left to have children and they've come back.

00:38:35.519 --> 00:38:42.159
Wow, to have staff that long shows one commitment to you, and two, you're a very good employee.

00:38:42.400 --> 00:38:42.559
Yeah.

00:38:44.239 --> 00:38:46.559
Well, I don't I but I I I I hope so.

00:38:46.719 --> 00:38:47.360
I hope so.

00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:55.760
They're they're a really happy team and they go out, they go out together and you know, go out for a career and all sorts of very supportive.

00:38:55.840 --> 00:38:57.760
That yeah, it it works well.

00:38:58.320 --> 00:38:59.039
That's brilliant.

00:38:59.199 --> 00:39:03.280
Well, thank you so much for coming on All Things Channel and Podcast.

00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:14.239
It really is lovely to hear from you, and it's lovely to hear from a shop that's one doing well, two been around for so long, and um has got an immense, brilliant team behind it.

00:39:14.320 --> 00:39:18.639
So I'm definitely gonna have to come down and see the other parts of the shop, that's for sure.

00:39:18.880 --> 00:39:20.800
There's my and we've got the dog join us.

00:39:21.280 --> 00:39:23.360
The dog's just decided to park.

00:39:23.519 --> 00:39:24.639
Shush, goose.

00:39:24.800 --> 00:39:25.840
Sorry about that, Med.

00:39:26.159 --> 00:39:27.119
That's okay though.

00:39:27.199 --> 00:39:29.280
Well, we I I love it when pets join us.

00:39:29.360 --> 00:39:32.159
We had a cat join us a few weeks ago, so why not a dog?

00:39:32.480 --> 00:39:33.360
He wants to be as well.

00:39:33.679 --> 00:39:36.079
What what's the dog's name if you're there?

00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:37.760
It's it's Goose.

00:39:38.079 --> 00:39:38.400
Goose.

00:39:39.280 --> 00:39:40.000
Goose, yes.

00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:40.400
Yeah.

00:39:40.719 --> 00:39:42.159
Okay, I was gonna say goodbye.

00:39:42.239 --> 00:39:43.039
Now you've got me.

00:39:43.119 --> 00:39:44.320
Why is he called Goose?

00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:45.679
I'm not sure.

00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:47.920
Um my husband Oh, you didn't name him.

00:39:48.239 --> 00:39:50.159
No, my husband, my husband did.

00:39:50.400 --> 00:39:57.199
But uh people sometimes say, well, was it was it was there an aircraft in um a film called Goose or something?

00:39:57.519 --> 00:39:58.800
Spruce Goose wasn't there, I think.

00:39:58.880 --> 00:40:01.039
Something about spruce goose, maybe.

00:40:01.199 --> 00:40:01.679
I don't know.

00:40:01.920 --> 00:40:05.039
I don't know, but she she's a silly goose anyway, so she's good.

00:40:05.440 --> 00:40:06.000
Well, there you go.

00:40:06.079 --> 00:40:06.719
There's a reason.

00:40:06.880 --> 00:40:07.280
Silly goose.

00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:08.480
Sorry about that.

00:40:08.719 --> 00:40:09.920
No, no, that's fine.

00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:10.559
People love it.

00:40:10.639 --> 00:40:11.119
I promise you.

00:40:11.280 --> 00:40:13.280
Listen to them laugh, they love these sort of things.

00:40:13.440 --> 00:40:15.039
You can never predict what's going to happen.

00:40:15.119 --> 00:40:16.800
I mean, it's the way things are.

00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:18.719
So thank you, Helen, for coming on.

00:40:18.800 --> 00:40:22.320
That was lovely to meet you and to also meet Goose as well.

00:40:22.639 --> 00:40:26.400
And maybe I might happen to come down to the shop when you're in the shop one day.

00:40:26.480 --> 00:40:28.639
So that'll be lovely to chat to you then as well.

00:40:28.880 --> 00:40:32.320
Yeah, well, thank you for inviting me, Reg, and it's been an absolute pleasure.

00:40:32.639 --> 00:40:33.440
No problem.

00:40:33.599 --> 00:40:34.559
Bye for now.

00:40:34.880 --> 00:40:35.519
Bye.

00:40:36.719 --> 00:40:38.639
Now it was great, excuse me.

00:40:38.719 --> 00:40:42.079
It was great chatting and talking to Helen from the Nutrition Centre.

00:40:42.159 --> 00:40:51.280
So thanks, Helen, once again, for coming on and as a guest, including your the surprise visit from her dog Goose.

00:40:51.679 --> 00:40:54.239
That was a bit of fun at the very end.

00:40:54.480 --> 00:40:57.679
Now, we're not quite finished with guests just yet.

00:40:57.920 --> 00:41:09.519
On next week's show, I'll be chatting with Andy Ray, the organizer of the upcoming Dark Side of the Owl Festival, and you will hear a short clip from that conversation a little later in the event section.

00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:15.679
Also, I had a chat with Tom about the event taking place next week called the Empty Chair.

00:41:15.760 --> 00:41:17.199
So do stay tuned.

00:41:17.440 --> 00:41:24.320
When we get to the event section, you will get both those chats very soon.

00:41:24.639 --> 00:41:31.119
Right, on to the brand new section that starts this week called Have Your Say.

00:41:31.440 --> 00:41:36.400
Now, it's your chance to share your thoughts on what's happening around Cheltenham.

00:41:36.880 --> 00:41:41.920
Now, I've had three messages this week, so thank you so much for the people that got in touch.

00:41:42.079 --> 00:41:48.320
And the first one's from Carol, who said would love dangerous potholes repaired properly.

00:41:48.960 --> 00:41:57.039
I also got a message from Stephen, who just sent simple potholes, potholes, potholes.

00:41:57.840 --> 00:42:05.039
And otter.6689098, he said sort out the sort the roads out.

00:42:05.199 --> 00:42:12.239
Places like Bays Hill Road, Hatherley area, severely other several other locations are dis disintegrating.

00:42:12.400 --> 00:42:13.760
Nothing is being done.

00:42:13.920 --> 00:42:17.440
Yet apparently we can afford new railings around Montpellier Gardens.

00:42:17.760 --> 00:42:26.400
Councils don't realise priorities should be allocated on important spending thousands on new railings around Montpellier Gardens is not a priority.

00:42:26.559 --> 00:42:30.000
Getting people to and from work safely is.

00:42:32.000 --> 00:42:34.400
So I'm not a car driver, as I said.

00:42:34.480 --> 00:42:36.239
So is there a problem with the potholes?

00:42:36.400 --> 00:42:44.159
I am being tongue-cheek here because I do know that people are always complaining about the potholes in Cheltenham.

00:42:44.880 --> 00:42:56.960
Now, if there if you've got any thoughts on potholes and you've noticed bad roads in your area or there's a particular street that needs attention, I'd love to hear from you.

00:42:57.119 --> 00:43:01.679
You can send your message using the fan mail link in the show notes.

00:43:01.840 --> 00:43:04.400
At the top, it just says got something to share.

00:43:04.559 --> 00:43:09.840
Just send in your message and I may read it out in future have your say sections.

00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:15.039
Of course, you can email you can contact me for anything else around around Cheltenham.

00:43:15.280 --> 00:43:19.840
You can also email me at info at allthingscheltenham.co.uk.

00:43:20.320 --> 00:43:29.599
You can get in touch through social media, or you can leave a voice message using the Have Your Say voicemail on the All Things Cheltenham website.

00:43:29.679 --> 00:43:35.840
And some of your comments or even messages may feature in future episodes.

00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:52.320
And if you've got a local event, community notice, something happening around Cheltenham, or if you run a business, charity, organisation, or a sports club and you would like to come on the podcast as a guest or share some news, press release, or announcements, feel free to get in touch.

00:43:53.039 --> 00:43:56.800
It's now time for upcoming Cheltenham events.

00:43:57.039 --> 00:43:59.760
Now there's a brand new Arts and Our festival is coming.

00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:06.480
Coming to Cheltenham later this month, and it's happening at the award-winning Stanford Park Alehouse.

00:44:06.719 --> 00:44:21.280
The inaugural Dark Side of the Hell Festival will run from the 23rd to the 29th of March, bringing together dark beers, dark spirits, live entertainment, and a whole range of creative events across the week.

00:44:21.519 --> 00:44:25.199
Visitors can expect more than 50 dark beers.

00:44:25.360 --> 00:44:37.760
You heard me, 50 dark beers and spirits from craft producers across the UK, alongside music, comedy, film nights, games, talks, and even a special themed pub quiz.

00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:50.239
There will also be food inspired by the festival's darker flavours, with dishes designed to pair perfectly with the beers and help create a real festival atmosphere throughout the week.

00:44:50.480 --> 00:45:00.400
Some of the ideas behind the festival are really interesting, especially how music, arts, and dark hours are being brought together to create something a little different for Cheltenham.

00:45:00.800 --> 00:45:14.480
Now, I actually had a chance to sit down and chat with Andy Ray, one of the organizers of the festival week, and he shared how the idea came about, what makes this event unique, and what people can expect when they walk through the doors.

00:45:14.639 --> 00:45:19.119
So here is the clip from when we chatted earlier in the week.

00:45:19.440 --> 00:45:29.039
Every element, if you like, is is around this name, the dark side of the ale, because it is a it's a pub that's a camera award-winning pub, which is championing real ale.

00:45:29.519 --> 00:45:36.000
Um, and uh so you know it's a collaboration between me and programming all of the stuff that we bring in.

00:45:36.079 --> 00:45:50.239
There's uh we can go into that, and the pub, uh Andrew Coates, who's the the manager there, um, saying, Well, we've got a venue, let's do a let's do a local festival, it's free to attend, lots of fun stuff happening, and championing uh Dark Ale.

00:45:50.639 --> 00:45:51.920
So, Dark Side of the Ale.

00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:55.519
And obviously that was a great title because of Pink Floyd.

00:45:55.840 --> 00:45:57.360
Oh, right, Dark Side of the Moon.

00:45:57.840 --> 00:45:58.320
Am I right?

00:45:58.480 --> 00:46:00.239
Yes, I remember it.

00:46:00.719 --> 00:46:05.119
Uh it's kind of prog inspired, and we can say Darth Vader inspired if you like.

00:46:05.199 --> 00:46:09.199
Uh, given that Dark Side of the Moon was probably where Darth Vader was hiding.

00:46:09.440 --> 00:46:12.800
Um, but uh but yeah, I'm I'm I'm having fun.

00:46:12.960 --> 00:46:17.519
You know, um we we're definitely bringing in a lot of prog inspired music.

00:46:17.760 --> 00:46:22.480
Um and uh yeah, uh you know, the whole thing is themed around this dark side.

00:46:22.639 --> 00:46:24.559
So uh welcome to the dark side, Reg.

00:46:24.880 --> 00:46:39.679
Now you'll be able to hear the full conversation on next Sunday's episode of All Things Cheltenham on the 22nd of March, where I chatted with Andy Ray and we dived much deeper into the story behind the festival and some of the highlights planned across the week.

00:46:39.840 --> 00:46:43.840
And I have a link to the Facebook page for this event.

00:46:44.320 --> 00:46:52.320
Now, another event is the Fourth Fest UK launches a new sci-fi fan event at Cheltenham Town Hall.

00:46:52.480 --> 00:46:54.079
You may have seen the leaflets.

00:46:54.239 --> 00:47:09.519
A brand new sci-fi fan celebrating celebration is landing in Cheltenham this summer as Fourth Fest UK brings together film and TV guests, immersive displays, and family-friendly entertainment for a full day of galactic fun.

00:47:09.760 --> 00:47:15.199
It's taking place on Sunday, the 28th of June 2026, at the Cheltenham Town Hall.

00:47:15.519 --> 00:47:30.800
Forcefest UK will welcome fans of Sci-Fi and Fantasy for a convention experience packed with live stage panels, professional photo shoots with star guests, interactive displays, and a marketplace of specialized traders.

00:47:31.280 --> 00:47:44.719
Visitors can meet actors and from some of the world's much-loved franchises, explore themed exhibits, exhibits, take part in free lightsaber training, and enjoy a wide range of activities suitable for all ages.

00:47:45.039 --> 00:47:56.400
The event aims to create a welcoming fan celebration where collectors, cosplayers, and families can be can enjoy the shared love of science fiction culture.

00:47:57.360 --> 00:48:06.480
Now, another event coming up in Cheltenham this spring is the Cheltenham Poetry Festival taking place from the 9th to the 18th of April.

00:48:06.639 --> 00:48:07.840
So it's not far off.

00:48:08.000 --> 00:48:25.199
The festival brings together an inspiring programme of live literature events in venues across Cheltenham, as well as some sent sea, as well as some seasons online, sessions online for those who want to join from home.

00:48:25.440 --> 00:48:38.000
Organisers say the events aim to be warm, friendly, and inclusive, showcasing both acclaimed poets and rising voices, alongside open mic opportunities for new writers.

00:48:38.320 --> 00:48:46.480
This year's theme is Possess, exploring poetry connected to place, imagination, identity, and resilience.

00:48:46.719 --> 00:48:55.599
The programme features a wide range of talks, readings, and performances celebrating the power of poetry to entertain, transport, and transform.

00:48:56.159 --> 00:49:09.920
Among the highlights this year, you'll exp your there'll be appearances from poets and writers, including Rishi Dasadar and David Punter, who will explore the verses and techniques that make poetry so compelling.

00:49:10.159 --> 00:49:20.880
Adam Horowitz will take audiences on a journey through Neolithic Gloucestershire, exploring deep connections between landscapes, ancestry, and storytelling.

00:49:21.039 --> 00:49:35.440
There will also be discussions on how poetry reflects everyday life and personal experience, along with themed events including the Gothic Poetry Evening inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson.

00:49:35.679 --> 00:49:47.760
The festival also features conversations about landscapes and writing performances from contemporary poets and a range of voices exploring poetry influenced by modern culture and global traditions.

00:49:47.920 --> 00:49:50.960
So that's the Chottenham Poetry Festival.

00:49:51.199 --> 00:49:59.599
Runs from the 9th to the 18th of April, and you can find the full programme and book tickets on the Cheltenham Poetry Festival website.

00:49:59.760 --> 00:50:01.280
And you know what I'm gonna say?

00:50:01.519 --> 00:50:03.519
Links are in the description.

00:50:03.760 --> 00:50:17.119
Now, if you're looking for something fun to do with the family over Easter, and the kids love inflatable bouncy castles, there is a giant inflatable theme park which is returning to Cheltenham.

00:50:17.280 --> 00:50:30.000
The inflatable theme park will be at the Newlands Park Sports Club on Soham Southern Road Lane, sorry, bringing some of the England's biggest and best bouncy castles and giant inflatables to the town.

00:50:30.159 --> 00:50:42.159
Now the event runs from the 28th of March until the 12th of April, with additional dates on the 18th and 19th of April, the 25th and 26th, and again on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of May.

00:50:42.400 --> 00:50:49.599
It'll open daily from 10 till 5 and features a wide range of inflatable attractions designed for children aged 2 to 14.

00:50:50.079 --> 00:50:58.000
Now, an all-day unlimited wristband costs£10 per child, while accompanying adults can enter for free.

00:50:58.239 --> 00:51:04.400
Alongside the inflatables, there'll also be food and refreshments available, ice creams, toilets and on-site security.

00:51:04.639 --> 00:51:14.480
So if you're looking for a high-energy day out with the kids during the school holidays, that's the inflatable theme park coming to Lunan Parks in Cheltenham.

00:51:15.599 --> 00:51:25.519
Now, Cheltenham Batgammon Club at the Stevens Club in Tivoli is on a Tuesday evening between 7 and 10.30.

00:51:25.760 --> 00:51:35.679
Now, if you wish to find out more, why not listen to next week's podcast where I actually chat with John, the creator of the Cheltenham Batgammon Club.

00:51:36.880 --> 00:51:46.719
Now, on Thursday the 19th of March from 7 pm, the event called Empty Chairs is taking place at the Swan Pub.

00:51:47.039 --> 00:51:49.280
It's a very simple but lovely idea.

00:51:49.440 --> 00:51:57.119
A small table is set up with a few empty chairs, inviting anyone who might fancy a bit of a company to come along and join.

00:51:57.280 --> 00:52:00.719
There's no pressure, no agenda, and no expectations.

00:52:00.960 --> 00:52:04.719
You can stay as long or as short as you want.

00:52:04.880 --> 00:52:09.920
Just a chance to sit down, have a chat, and maybe meet someone new.

00:52:10.320 --> 00:52:16.320
If you do pop along, just look out for Tom, who'll be wearing something orange so he's easy to spot.

00:52:16.480 --> 00:52:21.519
Now I actually, as I said earlier, had a chat with Tom about the idea of empty chairs.

00:52:21.760 --> 00:52:25.440
So let's welcome Tom to All Things Cheltenham.

00:52:25.760 --> 00:52:29.599
Welcome Tom from Empty Chair to All Things Cheltenham.

00:52:29.840 --> 00:52:30.639
Thank you for joining us.

00:52:31.039 --> 00:52:31.679
Pleasure to be here.

00:52:31.760 --> 00:52:32.719
Thank you for having me, Reg.

00:52:33.119 --> 00:52:34.079
No problem at all.

00:52:34.239 --> 00:52:43.840
This was a sort of last minute adjustment to my schedule because what we're going to talk about, I believe you have an event next week, so we have to get this in really quick for you.

00:52:44.079 --> 00:52:47.840
So would you like to explain a bit more about Empty Chair?

00:52:47.920 --> 00:52:50.480
Are you playing a musical game?

00:52:51.199 --> 00:52:55.039
It sounds like uh it sounds like a kid's something you do at a kids' party, isn't it?

00:52:55.119 --> 00:52:56.320
But uh no.

00:52:56.719 --> 00:52:58.960
Um oh that's yeah, empty chairs.

00:52:59.039 --> 00:53:04.719
It's um it was it's uh started by a chap uh in London called Dean Perryman.

00:53:04.880 --> 00:53:21.679
It was kind of kind of become a nationwide thing of um the concept is uh a host will book a table in a pub or a venue like that and just leave it as an open invitation for anyone to join.

00:53:21.760 --> 00:53:29.440
And the whole idea is um for people to come who want connection, conversation.

00:53:29.760 --> 00:53:37.360
Um it was started by Dean because tragically he lost his best mate to suicide.

00:53:37.920 --> 00:53:49.599
And I believe this is um the kind of thing they used to do together would be to go to their local just to chat and meet people, and Dean carried on doing that after his fr after his friend tragically passed.

00:53:49.760 --> 00:53:51.360
And it kind of spiraled from there.

00:53:51.440 --> 00:54:06.800
He's like, hang on, this is a great way for just people to uh you know connect and talk, those who may be suffering from loneliness or depression, or just people who want to meet uh new uh people in their town.

00:54:06.960 --> 00:54:08.719
Uh that kind of resonated with me.

00:54:08.800 --> 00:54:11.679
So uh, you know, I thought that sounds very simple.

00:54:11.840 --> 00:54:14.960
Just book a table in a pub and see who turns up.

00:54:15.039 --> 00:54:16.000
It's quite exciting as well.

00:54:16.079 --> 00:54:23.119
You don't know who's gonna show up and um you know, in a in a in a selfish way, I want to meet people as well.

00:54:23.280 --> 00:54:25.119
So it's it's it's brilliant.

00:54:25.519 --> 00:54:33.280
It sort of works for both ways, kind of thing, as well as as well as you being the host, you get to meet all the people as well, so you meet new people at the same time.

00:54:33.760 --> 00:54:34.960
Yeah, exactly that.

00:54:35.119 --> 00:54:41.519
Um we've done one in Cheltenham already a couple of weeks ago at uh the Swan Pub.

00:54:42.159 --> 00:54:51.840
And uh again, I had no idea how many were gonna show up, and I was really pleased to see four people t came, which was better than zero.

00:54:52.719 --> 00:54:53.840
It was fantastic, yeah.

00:54:53.920 --> 00:54:59.679
Um I mean, as you say, four's better than three, and it's better than two, and a lot better than one.

00:54:59.920 --> 00:55:02.239
So, you know, especially something new.

00:55:02.400 --> 00:55:08.400
I mean, this is when I I did actually, I've got to be honest, I did see the mention of this, and it took me back.

00:55:08.559 --> 00:55:09.679
I was like, what, huh?

00:55:09.840 --> 00:55:12.719
How what you know it's like what is this?

00:55:12.960 --> 00:55:18.400
It is something completely from sort of side field, you know, a curveball.

00:55:18.559 --> 00:55:22.320
It's something completely unique, and I think it's a great idea.

00:55:22.559 --> 00:55:31.920
Um, but I think a lot of people will be like, hang on a minute, meeting strangers and talking, and and that's a whole nowadays is a completely different concept.

00:55:32.239 --> 00:55:33.360
Yeah, do you know what?

00:55:33.519 --> 00:55:38.639
Uh I completely agree, and uh it takes it takes a lot of guts.

00:55:38.800 --> 00:55:49.039
I got I gotta I gotta admit, it takes guts to to um walk into uh a room, a pub like that, um potentially busy environment to meet people you've never met before.

00:55:49.280 --> 00:55:53.199
I can completely resonate that that's could be scary.

00:55:53.440 --> 00:56:01.119
And um I read on uh the the main empty chairs Instagram, which hopefully you'll be able to link for us later.

00:56:02.400 --> 00:56:02.639
Thank you.

00:56:02.800 --> 00:56:17.840
I read some comments on there uh from uh I think it was a retired uh pensioner, uh this lady called um Jean, I think, who tried to come to an event wherever it was.

00:56:18.000 --> 00:56:25.519
Um she got as far as the front door of the pub, but uh but but then had a last minute wobble and didn't go in.

00:56:25.679 --> 00:56:32.719
And she talked about this in the comments, and people were like, Oh, it's okay, just go on in, everyone's super welcoming.

00:56:32.960 --> 00:56:40.320
And um that's the exact vibe I felt from the event in Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago.

00:56:40.480 --> 00:56:46.320
It was super relaxed, you know, everyone was sort of talking freely, getting to know each other.

00:56:46.559 --> 00:56:53.840
Um, and by the end of it, it was like we sort of knew each other for months almost, and um left on great terms.

00:56:54.000 --> 00:57:05.599
Um we did start like a WhatsApp group where um we could chat and mention other things we were doing, like simple things like even a dog walk or another PubMe or a coffee shop or something like that.

00:57:05.840 --> 00:57:14.079
Um expectations, but um it's there it's there's there's the opportunity for further connection if people want.

00:57:14.480 --> 00:57:23.679
Yeah, but that's the thing, you know, you sort of you start that type of thing chatting to somebody, you know, and they're another dog owner, and you know, they walk the dog over Pitwell Park, and you walk your dog over there.

00:57:23.840 --> 00:57:30.159
So if the timing works, you say, okay, well let's meet for a coffee and at 11 or whatever it is, and we'll walk the dogs at the same time.

00:57:30.239 --> 00:57:39.599
You know, just you've got somebody to chat to rather than the dog, you know, so it can build and the friendships build from nothing, and they've got to start somewhere.

00:57:40.159 --> 00:57:41.039
Yeah, exactly.

00:57:41.199 --> 00:57:50.239
And in this sort of fast-paced online world we're living in, it's uh it's harder and harder to meet people in a sort of candid environment, isn't it?

00:57:50.639 --> 00:57:54.639
So um I like to think this is a little something that helps with that.

00:57:55.840 --> 00:57:59.280
Just a really simple idea, and uh hope to do more, yeah.

00:57:59.760 --> 00:58:05.679
It it is, and I mean I I glance at the website and I I've got the feeling this has spread virtually across the entire country.

00:58:05.760 --> 00:58:09.920
There seems to be these these events popping up all over the place.

00:58:10.239 --> 00:58:11.599
Indeed, the world, actually.

00:58:11.679 --> 00:58:16.800
Yeah, there's there's a few people hosting in like Canada and uh North America as well.

00:58:16.880 --> 00:58:19.679
So Wow, I didn't realise it had spread that fast.

00:58:20.000 --> 00:58:20.639
Yeah.

00:58:21.599 --> 00:58:29.599
So without being silly, I where firstly, before you go any further, when when and where and what time is your next event?

00:58:30.639 --> 00:58:38.480
It's uh 19th of March at the Swan Pub in Cheltenham.

00:58:38.719 --> 00:58:43.039
Uh it's the bottom of the high street at uh seven o'clock in the evening.

00:58:43.199 --> 00:58:44.719
Yeah, so okay.

00:58:44.960 --> 00:58:45.920
That's brilliant.

00:58:46.079 --> 00:58:48.239
Now that's the that's the that's the important part.

00:58:48.400 --> 00:58:50.320
Now I've got a question for you.

00:58:50.800 --> 00:58:54.400
I actually have no idea what you look like, and so would the visitors.

00:58:54.559 --> 00:58:57.119
So how do they know where to go?

00:58:58.159 --> 00:59:05.840
Um, so the host would normally uh has to wear uh orange, so like an orange jumper or something like that.

00:59:05.920 --> 00:59:09.280
Um so that helps us stand out.

00:59:09.440 --> 00:59:16.079
I I'll uh dig out my best um orange attire from my wardrobe and I'll be sat there.

00:59:16.400 --> 00:59:22.559
Uh the the Swan Pub, by the way, has been absolutely brilliant with this.

00:59:22.719 --> 00:59:31.199
You know, they don't know how many people are gonna come, but they've been really on board and just let me have um two tables last time.

00:59:31.360 --> 00:59:35.440
Um I think they've given me one one table this this time around.

00:59:35.519 --> 00:59:42.079
Um but um you walk through the main entrance of the swan, and if you look left, that's probably where they're gonna situate me.

00:59:42.159 --> 00:59:43.679
That's where they put me last time.

00:59:44.000 --> 00:59:49.760
Right, yeah, knowing the swan, that's a there's a little step up, it's like a little alcove area, isn't it, if my memory serves me correct.

00:59:50.000 --> 00:59:50.719
Exactly that.

00:59:50.800 --> 00:59:50.960
Yeah.

00:59:51.360 --> 00:59:54.320
Yeah, so you've it's a little nook, you've got your own little nook there.

00:59:54.480 --> 01:00:02.880
And also the other side of it, being a pub, I mean if you need another table, well, unless they are absolutely packed out, there's always a spare table in a pub somewhere.

01:00:03.119 --> 01:00:04.079
Yeah, for sure.

01:00:04.239 --> 01:00:04.559
Yeah.

01:00:04.960 --> 01:00:08.239
Um no expectations to stay any longer than you want.

01:00:08.800 --> 01:00:13.360
You can come for a cup of tea, glass of water, glass of wine, whatever you want to do.

01:00:13.519 --> 01:00:16.159
Um, and we just have a chat and it's all good.

01:00:16.480 --> 01:00:18.639
That that is absolutely wonderful.

01:00:18.800 --> 01:00:21.039
So this do you say is your second event?

01:00:21.119 --> 01:00:27.840
So obviously you've just you've just started this as a I don't know what but I don't know if it's a business or a social thing.

01:00:27.920 --> 01:00:29.599
I'm not quite sure what it comes under.

01:00:30.800 --> 01:00:33.519
Well, there's certainly certainly no business element to it.

01:00:33.599 --> 01:00:38.239
It's um um it's it's purely connection, Reg, to be honest.

01:00:38.400 --> 01:00:39.119
Yeah, yeah.

01:00:39.440 --> 01:00:41.280
Yeah, um that's brilliant.

01:00:41.360 --> 01:00:44.079
I mean I'm just sort of thinking, you know, you know it's gonna happen.

01:00:44.159 --> 01:00:46.159
I'm sure it possibly has around the country.

01:00:46.320 --> 01:00:49.519
They recommend you wear an orange jumper or something orange.

01:00:49.679 --> 01:00:53.280
You know someone one of these days gonna be in that pub with an orange jumper on, didn't you?

01:00:54.880 --> 01:00:56.000
Yeah, exactly.

01:00:56.079 --> 01:01:02.719
Yeah, uh maybe Christmas time, but somebody's gonna walk in with an orange jumper on or something and cause chaos.

01:01:02.960 --> 01:01:07.920
I can I just as soon as you said it, my mind went, hang on a minute, that's dangerous.

01:01:08.480 --> 01:01:08.719
Yeah.

01:01:09.119 --> 01:01:11.199
You need a colour that no one's gonna wear.

01:01:11.519 --> 01:01:14.559
Hopefully, not there's not gonna be many people dressed as a Satsuma.

01:01:14.800 --> 01:01:14.960
Yeah.

01:01:15.760 --> 01:01:16.159
That's true.

01:01:16.480 --> 01:01:17.599
It'll just be me.

01:01:18.480 --> 01:01:35.519
Um, so you you said you disliked the sound of the the idea, so that's what made you sort of step up and give it a go, or do you have was there sort of a background that you thought, you know, I actually reckon I'd be good at this, or there was something in your background if you're willing to talk about it that made you think, yeah, I'm gonna do this.

01:01:35.840 --> 01:01:37.119
Yeah, that's a good point.

01:01:37.360 --> 01:01:46.880
Um, I think it's like maybe since having a young family and children, it it it makes you a little bit more in touch with your kind of emotional intelligence side.

01:01:47.119 --> 01:02:16.559
Um, and I'm I'm a good listener, I uh I and it's something from maybe from my past job that I've gotten better at is uh being able to listen and then kind of like uh work a room a little bit and uh you know if someone's uh told me they're interested in their dog walking or they uh they have a couple of pets and then the other side of the room oh have you met such and such over here?

01:02:16.639 --> 01:02:21.920
That they've got they've got a couple of uh dashants as well, or spaniels or whatever.

01:02:22.159 --> 01:02:34.000
Um so yeah, I g I I guess I've uh um I'm happy enough and confident enough to sort of bring people together like that and work a social environment.

01:02:34.239 --> 01:02:37.360
But uh that that that's brilliant, that's brilliant.

01:02:37.519 --> 01:02:49.519
I was I was also thinking it's not very often you get events, and I imagine this is one of besides sort of when there's something going on in a pub, as this is, or but I suppose this could happen in a coffee bar really.

01:02:50.000 --> 01:03:02.559
Um you don't need to book, you don't need to register, you don't need to telephone, pay anything up front, it's completely free, and you just come in and leave when you want.

01:03:03.280 --> 01:03:04.159
Yeah, exactly.

01:03:04.320 --> 01:03:05.199
Yeah, absolutely.

01:03:05.360 --> 01:03:09.519
No sign up required, you can just turn up if you don't need to let me know you're coming.

01:03:10.239 --> 01:03:12.159
Um exactly that, yeah.

01:03:12.320 --> 01:03:15.519
Um in the WhatsApp group we've started, it's been really great.

01:03:15.760 --> 01:03:23.840
People have been um uh talking about uh little things they might be doing in the near future and if they'd like to join.

01:03:24.079 --> 01:03:41.360
Um I've also shared a few other little social groups around Cheltenham, like um a board gaming community, or if I get wind of any other kind of like little meetups and things going on, if I find out people are into running or whatever, I might talk about and share running groups that I've heard about.

01:03:41.679 --> 01:03:54.719
So it's it's about it it's about connection and just sort of bit um if people want networks and things like that uh around town, then um it's it's it's quite gratifying to be able to like help people with that.

01:03:55.440 --> 01:03:57.360
Oh, that that's for sure, you know.

01:03:57.440 --> 01:04:10.159
Uh definitely um being at a sort of pass-on information of social groups or clubs that somebody's interested in had no idea that was in Cheltenham, and they're like, oh wow, you know, and it makes you feel wonderful.

01:04:10.239 --> 01:04:12.239
I said that's the one reason why I do this.

01:04:12.400 --> 01:04:20.079
I love putting out this information, and you know, the news ain't always the best news, but putting out the events, community notices, things like that.

01:04:20.239 --> 01:04:26.559
You know, if I get a message back saying, I had no idea that existed, or thanks for letting me know about that event, that's wonderful.

01:04:26.719 --> 01:04:29.920
It's it makes you feel it puts a little glow in your heart, as they say.

01:04:30.239 --> 01:04:30.800
It does.

01:04:31.039 --> 01:04:36.800
I think we get quite a few um transient sort of working professionals through town, don't we?

01:04:36.880 --> 01:04:40.559
With uh H HQ, there's various businesses.

01:04:40.719 --> 01:04:46.000
Um you've got like the the the pilot training at Gloucester, things like that where people might come and go.

01:04:46.159 --> 01:04:52.719
So I can appreciate like when you're new to a town, it's it's hard to get to know people, you know.

01:04:52.960 --> 01:05:01.519
Um and it can get lonely, especially um you even like single mums, single dads, uh is is another thing.

01:05:01.599 --> 01:05:18.000
I've discovered that uh you know it's harder to meet people because you've you've got that sort of obligation to your children, and it's much harder to find that spare time to meet people, um go to um sports groups or whatever how meet people these days.

01:05:18.159 --> 01:05:25.280
But uh this is yeah, this is a very simple thing, and you can come along for an hour or less, whatever.

01:05:25.519 --> 01:05:29.519
Um go from there, which is which is great.

01:05:30.079 --> 01:05:32.079
Talk about time in that sense.

01:05:32.239 --> 01:05:34.880
You say you start seven o'clock, give or take.

01:05:35.039 --> 01:05:41.679
Um have you got a sort of ending time or do you a sort of do I mean obviously the people want to stay longer than you, that's up to them.

01:05:41.840 --> 01:05:49.440
But I mean, besides the pub closing, but I mean, do you have a sort of time where you say I'm off, that's it for the meeting in that sense?

01:05:49.920 --> 01:05:50.960
No, not really.

01:05:51.119 --> 01:05:59.760
The um the empty chairs, um th what what Dean says on his page is uh the the host like me will stare.

01:06:00.480 --> 01:06:03.039
For at least an hour from the start time.

01:06:03.199 --> 01:06:08.079
If um no one shows up in that time, I might then disappear off after that.

01:06:08.320 --> 01:06:13.440
But um, you know, if people are there, we'll stay as long as long as long as we want, really.

01:06:13.599 --> 01:06:20.159
Um Right, so it's yeah, it's that's how long people want to stay, and if they stay till the final bell, then that's what they do.

01:06:20.239 --> 01:06:25.920
But you don't you don't have to stay there that long because obviously, you know, you have a life to live as well.

01:06:26.719 --> 01:06:27.760
Yeah, absolutely.

01:06:27.840 --> 01:06:31.360
You know, it's it's uh it's easygoing, you know, there's no pressure at all.

01:06:31.519 --> 01:06:31.760
Yeah.

01:06:31.840 --> 01:06:34.880
I think last time we we were there a couple of hours or so.

01:06:35.280 --> 01:06:42.480
Yeah, and the thing is, um a lot of younger younger ones and people that are addicted to their phones, which I would admit I'm as bad.

01:06:42.639 --> 01:06:47.840
Um, when you start talking to people and that you actually don't always realize what the time is.

01:06:49.360 --> 01:06:50.639
Yeah, exactly.

01:06:50.800 --> 01:06:52.320
Um I did find that, yeah.

01:06:52.480 --> 01:07:02.800
Well, you know, uh people start to open up as well, and we we got some some really good sort of deep conversation going with uh people's backgrounds, their lives, what brought them to Cheltenham.

01:07:03.360 --> 01:07:08.559
Um so and I wanted to get around the room and listen to each person myself.

01:07:08.800 --> 01:07:15.679
Uh so um yeah, I so the next event, yeah, 19th of March.

01:07:15.760 --> 01:07:24.239
Um I was maybe trying to maybe trying to do this like roughly monthly, um working it around my own sort of work schedule and things like that.

01:07:24.400 --> 01:07:29.360
But um I haven't got a date for April yet, but I will try and sort one out for April, I think.

01:07:30.960 --> 01:07:50.159
Yeah, and also if you know hopefully the people that come to the last one, some of them, if not all of them, will turn up to this n this one, um, which will give you a base group, and then you hopefully you'll get some more people either lit that listen to the podcast or have seen the promotion or whatever you however else you promote it.

01:07:50.320 --> 01:07:52.880
Um and you'll build a little base group there.

01:07:52.960 --> 01:08:02.960
And of course, if once you you know, once you get your base group, then they tell people who tell people, and and hopefully it'll grow and grow from that.

01:08:03.519 --> 01:08:14.159
Yeah, I think if people want to find out more, um the the main empty chairs UK, uh Instagram's probably the first port of call, they're on TikTok as well.

01:08:14.480 --> 01:08:23.760
And um their website's sort of helpful for um background information to the concepts, and they've got a big long list of events coming up as well.

01:08:23.920 --> 01:08:28.560
So you'll look out for like Cheltenham, hosted by Tom on there.

01:08:29.039 --> 01:08:36.319
Um it is a very big long list, so it's it's um might might take a little bit of scrolling to find like your local town.

01:08:36.560 --> 01:08:41.520
Um indeed if any of your listeners are not from Cheltenham, they might find that um their local towns on there.

01:08:41.600 --> 01:08:46.720
Because I believe there's there's a host doing one in Stow in the World, for example, which is uh not far away.

01:08:47.039 --> 01:08:49.920
Probably the next nearest one I've I've noticed the other day.

01:08:50.159 --> 01:08:51.439
Um brilliant.

01:08:52.159 --> 01:08:54.000
It's actually a gr a great concept.

01:08:54.079 --> 01:08:56.479
It's and it's such a simple concept.

01:08:57.439 --> 01:08:58.479
Precisely, yeah.

01:08:58.640 --> 01:09:02.880
You know, book a table in a pub and uh speaks to me.

01:09:04.880 --> 01:09:05.920
I love the pub.

01:09:06.720 --> 01:09:10.319
Well, I would say who doesn't, but I don't actually drink and I don't go to pubs.

01:09:10.479 --> 01:09:15.279
So I mean uh it it's not I don't like don't not like them, I don't like them either.

01:09:15.439 --> 01:09:16.960
I mean they're they're neutral to me, you know.

01:09:17.039 --> 01:09:19.760
I mean if I want something, I would, you know.

01:09:20.239 --> 01:09:23.039
A couple of us had a cup of tea in the last meeting.

01:09:24.479 --> 01:09:25.520
There's no harm in that.

01:09:25.600 --> 01:09:28.159
I have I I've I have drunk but many, many years ago.

01:09:28.239 --> 01:09:30.880
But I mean if I go to pub, I only have Diet Coke.

01:09:31.520 --> 01:09:36.159
That's you know, I don't I used to have shandies in really hot weather, but even those have gone off.

01:09:36.239 --> 01:09:40.399
So it's Diet Coke, or in your case, a nice cup of tea, because you can't beat a good cup of tea.

01:09:40.640 --> 01:09:44.000
Oh we are British at the end of the day.

01:09:44.239 --> 01:09:50.239
We are, we are for our for our um and then for our what was the word I was thinking of then?

01:09:50.319 --> 01:09:51.199
It's gone completely.

01:09:51.359 --> 01:09:52.560
I hate that when it happens.

01:09:52.800 --> 01:09:55.039
Oh, it just went totally.

01:09:55.199 --> 01:10:15.840
Yeah, but we're talking about talking, and one thing when you I said about you know people on phones and all that, is you hear nowadays um not so much the younger ones, I'm on about 15, 16 year olds, but sort of I don't know if it's 18 to 30 year olds, even 25-year-olds, they don't even use their phone for making phone calls anymore.

01:10:15.920 --> 01:10:20.000
Some of them won't even answer their phone because they don't know how to talk.

01:10:20.319 --> 01:10:28.159
So doing this, even going to a a pub and talking like you like you do, would be a completely new concept.

01:10:30.399 --> 01:10:32.000
Yeah, I suppose it would be.

01:10:32.159 --> 01:10:41.760
Um it's uh and as I said, it takes a lot of a lot of guts to um turn up to an environment like that, which uh is admirable.

01:10:42.000 --> 01:10:53.760
Um which is which is why I try and stress that it's uh it's a it's no no stress and no uh expectation kind of meetup.

01:10:53.920 --> 01:11:00.079
It's um it's it's a it's a safe place and you can talk about whatever you want as well.

01:11:00.640 --> 01:11:19.520
Um I appreciate that um during the working week for some people you might not like you might not have a chance or time to talk socially or meet up with friends in the evening, or indeed at the weekend, you know, that you might not have friends in your in the local area.

01:11:19.760 --> 01:11:32.479
Um just like we were discussing, you know, this people in this digital age, you know, we we live all over the country, we don't necessarily stay in our hometowns anymore.

01:11:32.640 --> 01:11:38.640
Um so our our friends have dispersed, our university friends have dispersed, our family might not be nearby.

01:11:38.800 --> 01:11:40.239
So it's hard, yeah.

01:11:40.479 --> 01:11:51.359
And um so I think um having that uh access to connection is a great thing.

01:11:51.600 --> 01:11:54.239
And it can be such a simple thing, can't it?

01:11:54.319 --> 01:11:59.680
Like a a walk in the park, it can be a card game in a cafe.

01:11:59.920 --> 01:12:02.079
Uh whatever.

01:12:02.399 --> 01:12:03.199
Yeah, yeah.

01:12:03.359 --> 01:12:10.159
Um offhand, um empty chair is an unusual ty I mean it kind of speaks what it is.

01:12:10.239 --> 01:12:12.239
It's an empty chair in a in a building.

01:12:12.319 --> 01:12:15.680
I'm not gonna say a public could be a cafe, it could be anywhere, I'm assuming.

01:12:15.920 --> 01:12:24.960
Um but do you know why it ended up being called Empty Chair, or is that on the website, or is it just one of those things that's always been known as empty chair?

01:12:25.520 --> 01:12:50.560
Yeah, I think Dean talks about that a little bit on his uh on his TikTok, and um he started going to a pub after his friend passed on his own and just sitting there, and to his surprise, you know, after doing this for a few days, people started just turning up to his to his table of empty chairs and uh talking to him, and he thought he's like this is brilliant, you know.

01:12:50.720 --> 01:13:03.600
Just you know, he's that he's probably feeling quite down about losing his friend, and um and then people are openly walking up and talking, and uh, you know, that that's happening less and less, isn't it?

01:13:03.680 --> 01:13:07.439
You know, just like that, having that courage to just walk up to someone like, Hey, how you doing?

01:13:07.600 --> 01:13:11.520
Um it's it's almost seen as a bit faux pas in this day and age.

01:13:11.680 --> 01:13:15.760
But um the empty chairs is about normalizing it.

01:13:15.840 --> 01:13:25.279
It's about normalizing uh the the idea of just go walking up to a to a an individual or a small group and saying, Hey, how's it going?

01:13:25.600 --> 01:13:27.119
I'm Tom.

01:13:28.000 --> 01:13:33.279
Yeah, yeah, it it's it's it's very nerve-wracking, especially people are not used to it.

01:13:33.520 --> 01:13:37.760
And also people when they're approached, they feel like this what's going on?

01:13:37.920 --> 01:13:39.039
What what what what do you want?

01:13:39.119 --> 01:13:41.119
They they feel very defensive.

01:13:41.600 --> 01:13:41.920
Yes.

01:13:42.079 --> 01:13:44.560
Um because they're not sure who you are, what you are.

01:13:44.720 --> 01:13:46.319
There's always that defensive mode.

01:13:46.399 --> 01:13:47.920
It's like phone calls now.

01:13:48.159 --> 01:13:51.680
Um, you get a phone call, your instinct is it's a cold call.

01:13:51.760 --> 01:13:52.560
What do they want?

01:13:52.720 --> 01:13:54.079
And it's your friend down the road.

01:13:54.159 --> 01:13:57.279
And you you just you just like my wife's not won't answer the phone.

01:13:57.439 --> 01:14:01.840
So it's another phone, another cold call, and it could very well be her sister, but she won't answer it.

01:14:02.159 --> 01:14:03.359
Yeah, yeah, very true.

01:14:03.600 --> 01:14:08.960
You know, it's just you you you've got into we've got into that habit of safety, defensive.

01:14:09.039 --> 01:14:13.039
Um, the old school just walking up to someone saying, Have you got light for a cigarette even?

01:14:13.279 --> 01:14:16.239
has become very nerve-wracking for people.

01:14:16.479 --> 01:14:24.960
And uh it's only sort of you know the sort of my age, sort of nearly 60s, that uh know that style of conversation.

01:14:25.119 --> 01:14:29.520
It's it's the younger ones do not like it and don't understand it.

01:14:29.840 --> 01:14:33.119
So let's repeat what's what.

01:14:33.359 --> 01:14:42.000
So the next meeting will be correct me if I'm wrong, on the 19th of March, which is a Thursday, if my memory serves me correctly.

01:14:42.159 --> 01:14:42.800
Yeah, that's right.

01:14:43.039 --> 01:14:49.199
Yep, so Thursday, the 19th of March at the Swan Pub starting at around 7 pm.

01:14:49.600 --> 01:14:54.640
And look out for Tom who'll be wearing a lovely bright orange jumper.

01:14:55.600 --> 01:14:56.079
That's it.

01:14:56.800 --> 01:14:57.680
That sound good to you?

01:14:57.920 --> 01:14:59.520
That's exactly correct, mate.

01:14:59.680 --> 01:15:00.159
Absolutely.

01:15:01.600 --> 01:15:02.319
Wonderful.

01:15:02.479 --> 01:15:03.359
It really was.

01:15:03.439 --> 01:15:07.920
I mean, this was put together rather quickly because we have to get this out for you as soon as possible.

01:15:08.079 --> 01:15:15.600
So I appreciate your time because I know you you've obviously you work, I do this all the time, so this is part of what I do as a hobby.

01:15:15.680 --> 01:15:18.319
But you obviously have to work and you've got children and so on.

01:15:18.399 --> 01:15:20.960
So thank you for coming on and sparing your time.

01:15:21.039 --> 01:15:32.800
And also, thank you on behalf of everybody that hopefully will come along to your event that you do, because it is your time, I am assuming, as like a volunteer, to to put this together.

01:15:33.279 --> 01:15:34.159
Absolutely.

01:15:34.399 --> 01:15:37.600
Um, I'll only ever do things I'm passionate in.

01:15:37.680 --> 01:15:41.199
I really enjoyed it last time, and as I said, I hope to continue this.

01:15:41.359 --> 01:15:43.039
Yeah, try and make it monthly.

01:15:43.199 --> 01:15:52.079
Um, but yeah, thank you very much for your time, Reg, and allowing me to talk about this and uh sharing the information about it.

01:15:52.239 --> 01:15:52.560
Yeah.

01:15:52.960 --> 01:15:53.760
That's no problem.

01:15:53.920 --> 01:15:54.880
Very much appreciated.

01:15:54.960 --> 01:16:02.479
So you take care, have a good meeting next week, and uh maybe you never know, maybe I'll pop down one meeting and say hello.

01:16:02.800 --> 01:16:07.920
I may not stay because I can't, my wife being slightly disabled, I have to be around in the evenings.

01:16:08.000 --> 01:16:12.560
But I live not far from La Swan, so I might pop down for 10 minutes, have a cup of tea, and just say hello.

01:16:13.039 --> 01:16:14.079
Appreciate that, Red.

01:16:14.159 --> 01:16:15.359
You're more than welcome.

01:16:15.680 --> 01:16:16.720
All right then, Tom.

01:16:16.800 --> 01:16:17.520
Have a great week.

01:16:17.600 --> 01:16:18.159
Take care.

01:16:18.399 --> 01:16:19.039
Thank you, mate.

01:16:19.199 --> 01:16:19.680
Bye.

01:16:20.640 --> 01:16:22.720
Now it was lovely chatting to Tom.

01:16:22.960 --> 01:16:26.800
It sounds such a nice idea, and it's so simple.

01:16:27.039 --> 01:16:33.359
If you want to find out more about the the events they do, and use the link in the description.

01:16:33.920 --> 01:16:42.239
Okay, if you've got an Easter event, charity fundraiser or community egg hunt happening here in Cheltenham, please let me know.

01:16:42.399 --> 01:16:50.880
You can get in touch via the email at info at all thingscheltenham.co.uk or via social media.

01:16:52.079 --> 01:16:57.840
Now, here's a look at what's happening across Cheltenham venues this week.

01:16:58.319 --> 01:17:06.079
My coffee and co on Friday the 20th of March, they have Eucopolia, which I think is uh ukulele group.

01:17:06.319 --> 01:17:10.960
The Vine Pub have something that I would be interested in, but I wouldn't be going.

01:17:11.119 --> 01:17:17.760
It's back to the 80s night on the 21st of March, starts from 8:30 till midnight.

01:17:18.079 --> 01:17:27.439
Time to get the leg warmers, tease the hair, step into those neon and relive the ultimate decade of music and get ready for a proper throwback night.

01:17:27.680 --> 01:17:32.239
Iconic 80s anthems, big tunes, and a pack dance floor all night long.

01:17:32.399 --> 01:17:34.479
And the good news, it's free entry.

01:17:34.640 --> 01:17:37.199
Just turn up and dance the night away.

01:17:37.760 --> 01:17:47.680
Right, the Frog and Fiddle have rode to Massachusetts, which is presents FT Ballal, Cranes, and Pluto.

01:17:48.000 --> 01:17:51.359
That's on Friday the 20th from 7:30 p.m.

01:17:51.760 --> 01:17:55.920
They also have heat one of Drag Wars 2026.

01:17:56.399 --> 01:18:00.319
That's on Saturday, the 21st of March from 8 pm.

01:18:00.880 --> 01:18:11.680
Now the Everyman Theatre from next week have Single White Female, the BTEC connections, Brittany's Lock, and Because we said we would.

01:18:12.960 --> 01:18:20.399
Now the Playhouse used to have one event, one showing, and that's Cinderella and Love to Dance on the 21st of March.

01:18:21.279 --> 01:18:23.439
The Town Hall has quite a few.

01:18:23.600 --> 01:18:39.600
They have Coca Cabana Magic, the Barry Manilo show on the 19th of March, the Ultimate Boy Band Party Show on the 21st, English Symphony Orchestra Residency Spring Equinox on the 22nd of March.

01:18:39.760 --> 01:18:48.880
Now the Wilson Art Gallery and Museum has Palo Rego creator curator-led tour on the 18th of March.

01:18:49.119 --> 01:18:54.720
The Parable Arts Centre has a Feast of Beethoven on the 21st of March.

01:18:54.960 --> 01:19:01.600
Now the Gardens Gallery has form by Jonathan Oaks and Darren Rumley until the 17th.

01:19:01.680 --> 01:19:02.880
So that's coming to an end.

01:19:03.039 --> 01:19:09.359
And then they have Aspects and Attitude by six different artists from the 18th of March.

01:19:09.600 --> 01:19:21.920
Now at the Spring Sheltenham Gallery, just up the road, Fryer Seller is on until the 17th, and it's an abstract artist exploring the realms of the invisible through the study of essence and shadow.

01:19:22.159 --> 01:19:25.600
And then from the 18th, they have Uncertain Narratives.

01:19:25.760 --> 01:19:38.399
Studio Wall is an initiative comprising of three figurative painters from Birmingham Art Space, an independent studio group in Birmingham, plus emerging artists from around the region.

01:19:38.800 --> 01:19:47.199
Now the 16 gallery, they have Uteria, an immersion collection of illusions and animations until the 17th.

01:19:47.439 --> 01:19:53.279
And before I go, because that's it, a quick big thank you to everyone who's listening to this podcast.

01:19:53.520 --> 01:20:03.039
Of course, a big hello to all the listeners here in Cheltenham, but also for those tuning in from Gloucester, across the UK, and even around the world.

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It's great to have all your support.

01:20:06.479 --> 01:20:09.680
So that's it for this week's episode of All Things Cheltenham.

01:20:09.920 --> 01:20:13.520
And if you're enjoying the podcast, please follow or subscribe.

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Thank you for listening, and I'll be back next week with more from All Things Cheltenham.