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Cheltenham steps into March with energy, questions, and a clear plan. We start on the streets: Festival week is almost here, and we break down the practical measures designed to keep the town safe and respectful—extra patrols, mounted officers, taxi marshals, and the return of Ask for Angela and Operation Vigilant. We talk cleanliness campaigns, crowd hubs, and the transport choices that make race days smoother for visitors and locals alike.

From there, we move to the stories shaping daily life. Tents outside Cavendish House spark debate over compassion, vacant buildings, and rough sleeping in a wet winter. A consultation on forming a new Cheltenham Town Council raises fresh possibilities for parks, events, allotments, and a ceremonial mayor. Flood sensors arrive on busy roads in a county pilot, promising earlier alerts and fewer closures. Planning news turns a page for Pillar House on Bath Road, balancing Regency heritage with much‑needed homes. And a row over EV charging bays in Charlton Kings asks a tough siting question: how do we build equitable charging without choking narrow school streets?

Our guest, Robert from Tallon Tattoo's, brings a grounded, generous look at a craft many admire from the pavement. He shares how his Cheltenham studio grew fast after lockdown, why strict hygiene and licensing are non‑negotiable, and what honest pricing looks like for sleeves and day sessions. Expect plain talk on pain (palms and armpits top the list), second‑skin dressings, realistic healing timelines, and the moments a good artist will decline a design. He’s also got news: a Gloucester studio is on the way, meeting demand where many of his clients are based. If you’re considering your first tattoo, you’ll leave with practical steps—research your artist, be in good health, and think long term.

We round out with what’s on: Wychwood Festival’s 20th anniversary lineup at the Racecourse, botanical sketching on Mothering Sunday, theatre, comedy, and a calendar full of gigs and talks. Plus, there’s a new fan‑mail link in the show notes for community notices and local events you want us to spotlight. Enjoy the listen, share it with a friend who loves Cheltenham’s buzz, and if you haven’t already, follow or subscribe and leave a quick review—it helps more neighbours find us.

Guest Robert from Tallon Tattos - Facebook

Cheltenham Town Council Feedback

StarBistro Bookings

Wychwood Festival

Coffee Sketch Club

Frog and Fiddle Metal 2

Bingo night and Sausage and Mash

Nigel Mansell Town hall

📍 Get involved with All Things Cheltenham

Submit your local events, community notices, or news tips free of charge via the website.

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Cheltenham had a week that actually moved the needle: a High Street comeback, a bridge finally reopening, a heritage flashpoint over a beloved pub, and a wave of neighbourly action that makes the town feel smaller in the best way. We start with Topshop’s return to bricks-and-mortar inside John Lewis—why it matters for choice, fit, and service—and the A40’s Hambrook Bridge reopening after grueling repairs that hit local trade for months. Then we dig into the Bell Inn’s planned conversion and what it means when living history risks becoming a memory on Bath Road.

From there, community energy takes over. Myra Showers and Cheltenham Town’s shirt partnership channeled £72,000 to Young Lives vs Cancer, funding mental health support, family stays, and life logistics when it’s all too much. A 12-year-old’s zebra crossing campaign is within a few hundred pounds of the finish line, proof that smart local pressure changes streets for the better. We also share a heads-up for Haven’s Coffee’s brief service changes, a police-advised alert on a suspicious van in Prestbury and Leckhampton, and a children’s book drive at Regent Arcade that turns preloved stories into real joy.

Our guest, Beth from Barking Buds, brings the most actionable segment: how scent work and rally transform everyday dogs. If recall stalls or loose-lead walking frays, this is your playbook. Beth shows why training on lead can still build focus, how to choose the right motivator—treat, toy, or sniff—and why consistency beats cleverness. We talk youth trainer programmes that boost kids’ confidence, mentoring for aspiring adult trainers, and how a scrappy Covid-era start created a library of video resources that now make owners more self-sufficient. For puppies, we get crisp timelines: start gentle one-to-ones at home after a week of settling, wait for vaccinations for group classes around twelve weeks, and introduce harnesses slowly with rewards so the walk starts calm, not combative.

Round it out with what’s on: YMCA Sleep Easy fundraising, a craft beer festival, a Radiohead tribute at Town Hall, and a sweep through the Everyman, Playhouse, Bacon Theatre, and more. It’s a full circuit of what to know, where to go, and how to help your dog thrive so your streets, parks, and living rooms all feel better.

If this helped you plan your week or train smarter with your pup, follow the show, share it with a neighbour, and leave a quick review—it helps more Cheltenham folks find us.

Zebra Crossing Campaign

Sleep Easy YMCA

Friends of Cheltenham Samaritans February Craft Beer Festival

Friday Tickets

Saturday Tickets

The Radiohead Project, a stunning live tribute celebrating Radiohead's

📍 Get involved with All Things Cheltenham

Submit your local events, community notices, or news tips free of charge via the website.

🎙️ Listen, follow, and share the podcast to support local voices in Cheltenham.

What if the classroom that finally works isn’t a room at all, but a quiet clearing in the woods? We sit down with Stacy, founder of Children Lead the Way CIC in Cheltenham, to uncover how a forest-based, trauma-informed community helps anxious and neurodivergent children feel safe, reconnect with learning, and rebuild trust—one hammock swing, tree net bounce, and woodwork project at a time.

Stacy’s journey began at home when her son hit severe separation anxiety and burnout at four. Traditional strategies failed, but nature didn’t. In the forest, the nervous system found cues of safety and regulation. That insight became a child-led model where behaviour is seen as communication, not defiance; safety is the foundation, not a reward; and play, choice, and attuned adults do the heavy lifting. We explore how sessions actually run, why the first 30 minutes often focus on settling and co-regulation, and how parallel play gradually turns into authentic friendship when pressure lifts and predictability rises.

We also dig into support for families and schools. Parents stay on site, build community, and shed the self-blame that often comes with school refusal or emotional-based school distress. On the education side, Stacy’s team collaborates with teachers on practical, psychology-informed adjustments that reduce overwhelm and increase connection—through their Seen Herd Supported training, EHCP guidance, and thoughtful environmental tweaks. Growth has been rapid: from seven families to dozens, with plans for secondary sessions and a pioneering GCSE in Nature and Wellbeing that recognises diverse ways to achieve and thrive.

This conversation is a blueprint for inclusive education across Gloucestershire: not a replacement for school, but a partner that widens the path. If you care about SEND support, trauma-informed practice, sensory regulation, or simply want to see children fall back in love with learning, you’ll find hope and concrete ideas here. Subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help more families and schools find this story.

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📍 Get involved with All Things Cheltenham

Submit your local events, community notices, or news tips free of charge via the website.

🎙️ Listen, follow, and share the podcast to support local voices in Cheltenham.