It was a pleasure for us to drop in to The Ramblers Club for the community meal.
Thanks to the One Church, Aran Fenemore and the team for the food and drink – it was much appreciated by everyone who attended.
Looking forward to supporting more events here in 2020!
It was lovely for Vicki and I to visit Badger Vale Court, Duke of Beaufort Court and Halford House over Christmas to sing carols with residents.
Communal singing brings people together and we will be doing more of this in 2020.
In the meantime we would like to wish all residents of Podsmead and Gloucester a Merry Christmas.
It was good to stop by the Podsmead Big Local recently and catch up with Les and the team distributing the surplus food that is donated by local supermarkets. This is a really important service for the area and I am fully supportive of their work.
Whilst in the area I was able to take photographs of several potholes and get them reported to Highways.
I am pleased to see that this patch of pavement on Shakespeare Avenue has been marked up pending action.
It has been quite a battle to get this problem taken seriously – several times I have been told by Highways that this is not a big enough safety concern yet!
I disagree and have been tenacious in pressing the council for action on this. I am standing up for Podsmead and making sure we get the resources we deserve.
Monday 9th December saw members of the Podsmead community come together to help improve Milton Avenue. A lot was achieved including a large area of bramble being cleared and a fence being built to improve safety around the pond inlet.
I was pleased to help out for a couple of hours and learn some new skills. Hammering in some fence posts was good for stress relief during an election campaign!
My thanks to all who came and helped out including members of Podsmead Big Local and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. The area is looking really good and it shows what can be achieved together.
It was lovely to see this rainbow over Podsmead recently. We had a good day of volunteering.
On Small Business Saturday it was good to give a shout-out to all the fabulous small businesses in Gloucester.
We can all play our part by supporting local shops when we can.
Only ever shopping at the same identikit chains will just ensure lack of choice and absence of that personal touch that small businesses provide.
Do pay them a visit when you can!
Upstairs Downstairs Antiques Centre Gloucester
Aladdin’s Cave The Eastgate Shopping Centre
The Ramblers Club
The Club at Tuffley Park
Idun Spirit
The Tailor of Gloster
Vinyl Vital Signs
Not everyone has the internet and it’s important that I am accessible to residents in lots of different ways.
So I’ve installed a postbox in Duke of Beaufort Court for residents to send me letters or notes. There will also be one in The Ramblers.
I am always keen to hear from residents about any issues they may have.
I will be holding advice surgeries in Podsmead on the dates above. If you cannot make the dates but want my help with an issue, please get in touch via the alternative methods listed on the poster.
Next week I will be undertaking another walkabout with PCSO Suzanne Sexton, and attending some meetings in the ward.
On Friday 8th November we attended with the Mayor, Sheriff and civic party, city council group leaders and Managing Director together with council staff, as we paid tribute to the staff members of the Gloucester Corporation (as it was then known) who made the supreme sacrifice in the First World War.
‘A city’s strength is not in her walls, nor in her ships, but in her sons’.