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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

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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

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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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What if you could watch a city grow before your eyes? Jonathan from Majestic Studios joins us to share how he turns dusty engravings and archival photos into living, breathing histories using AI, careful research and a documentary maker’s eye. This isn’t about flashy tricks. It’s about building trust: start with a rock-solid script, choose a measured voice that sounds like a real historian, and guide the visuals so they evolve smoothly from a Roman fort to a modern skyline without losing plausibility.

We dig into the leap from quick viral shorts to 30-minute, 4K documentaries and why long-form is where real immersion happens. Jonathan breaks down the pipeline, from selecting reference images and generating motion to stitching timelines that feel cinematic on a TV. He’s candid about the challenges too: fact-checking when sources clash, hunting down AI glitches before they slip by, and tackling audience expectations when the subject is London, Paris, or soon, New York and Rome. The archive is vast, the pressure is real, and the pay-off is a clear, visual map through centuries that holds attention without noise.

Beyond technique, we talk about what survives when AI lowers the barrier to entry. Storytelling still separates signal from slop. Taste, pacing and editorial judgement turn tools into films. That stance shapes Jonathan’s vision for Majestic Studios: a go-to history channel for living rooms, not just phone feeds, expanding from cities to figures and inventions while keeping accuracy and clarity at its core. If you’re curious about where AI genuinely adds value to education, creativity and cultural memory, you’ll find a thoughtful, grounded roadmap here.

Subscribe, share with a fellow history fan, and leave a review telling us which city, figure or invention you want to see brought to life next.

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Cheltenham is moving with purpose—storefronts lighting up, kitchens testing new ideas, and a youth space built from teenagers’ own words. We kick off with the long-awaited revival of a prominent High Street corner as Holland & Barrett expands into a bigger, multi-floor site, part of a national investment that brings energy back to the town centre. It’s a tangible sign that the High Street can still evolve, drawing people in with choice, expertise, and a sense that good things are happening here.

Food lovers get a double helping. Jeho, the modern Indian small-plates spot, has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for delivering high-quality cooking at honest prices—a clear nod to skill, service, and heart. Then we preview a family-run Italian opening at 10 Cambray Place, where Italian soul meets French finesse across seasonal dishes, dry-aged cuts, and classic pastas finished in cheese wheels. These aren’t just new places to eat; they’re invitations to linger downtown and support teams raising the bar for Cheltenham’s dining scene.

We also spotlight a seven-week youth café pilot at Smokey Joe’s—a safe, welcoming hub with music, games, and trusted adults on hand. Funded through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Problem Solving Fund, the project aims to offer the right support at the right time, especially where antisocial behaviour has been a concern. Alongside that, Cheltenham Animal Shelter asks supporters to donate thoughtfully so precious funds go to animal care rather than waste disposal, a simple shift with real impact.

To round out your diary, we run through the Cheltenham Jazz Festival lineup and the week’s best events—from quizzes and workshops to live music and theatre—plus a quick programming update: our local business interviews now live within the main show. Stay tuned for next week’s guest, Beth from Barking Buds, sharing practical tips on bonding, training routines, and those first months with a new dog.

Enjoy the episode? Follow and subscribe, share it with a neighbour, and leave a quick review to help more Cheltenham listeners find us. Which story are you turning into plans this week?

Animal Shelter Donations

Hatherley Bingo Night Book a Table

Coffee Cauldron Latte Art Workshop

Steam Jazz club Night

Chop Suey X Slip-Not at Frog and Fiddle

Chris Cobbsons Afrika Quintet at Smokey Joes

Black and White Street Photography

Musicals Karaoke at Smokey joes

📍 Get involved with All Things Cheltenham

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

In this episode of 'Let's Talk with Local Businesses', Reg Lee interviews Fenner from the Steaming Jazz Club, a unique jazz venue in Cheltenham. They discuss the club's mission to create a welcoming atmosphere for both musicians and audiences, the diversity of jazz music, and the importance of community engagement. Fenner shares insights into the challenges and joys of running a jazz club, the process of booking bands, and the significance of improvisation in jazz. The conversation also touches on Fenna's personal journey as a violinist and the upcoming events at the club, highlighting the vibrant local jazz scene.

Takeaways

• The Steaming Jazz Club is run by musicians for musicians.
• Jazz encompasses a wide range of styles and eras.
• The venue, Stephen Whistle, is a well-equipped music space.
• Community engagement is vital for the club's success.
• Booking bands involves a mix of personal connections and discovery.
• Improvisation is a key element of jazz performances.
• Fenner's inspiration comes from renowned jazz violinist Stefan Grappelli.
• The club aims to support both established and emerging jazz artists.
• Vinyl records are making a comeback, enhancing the music experience.

📍 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.

In this episode of All Things Cheltenham, host Reg Lee covers a variety of local news, including the opening of a new Pilates studio, the closure of a controversial pop-up market, and the recent No Child Left Behind Awards. The podcast also features updates on local sports, community initiatives, and upcoming events in Cheltenham, encouraging listeners to engage with their community and participate in local activities.

Takeaways

• Cheltenham welcomes a new boutique reform Pilates studio.
• Cavendish House's pop-up market has permanently closed.
• The No Child Left Behind Awards celebrated local contributions.
• A serious e-scooter incident led to legal consequences.
• Cheltenham Town has made significant player transfers.
• Community groups are actively working to reduce social isolation.
• Adventures Against Addiction is raising funds for mental health awareness.
• Valentine's Day events are being organized in Cheltenham.
• The Everyman Theatre is hosting notable performances this week

Edinburgh Marathon for rethink mental illness

Valentine’s Cookie Decorating Class – Cheltenham

Creative Explorers - Feb Half Term at Wilson Gallery

Gloucestershire Parent Carer Forum from 10am - 2pm few tickets left

Planning Ahead – Wills & Power of Attorney

📍 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.

In this episode of Let’s Talk with Local Businesses, Reg Lee sits down with Jack, founder of Paperless Perks, a digital loyalty card system built to help small businesses reward repeat customers without the hassle of physical stamp cards. What started as a simple frustration with lost loyalty cards has grown into a smart, easy-to-use tool designed with both businesses and customers in mind.

Jack talks through how Paperless Perks works, why he chose QR codes over traditional apps, and how the platform makes it simple for businesses to set up and customise their own loyalty schemes. With many customers reluctant to download yet another app, the focus has been on keeping things friction-free, accessible, and practical for everyday use.

The conversation also explores the realities of building a tech startup from the ground up, including nearly a year of software development, learning from early customer feedback, and signing up the very first local coffee shop. Jack shares how the pricing model is aimed squarely at small businesses, including a generous free tier, and looks ahead to his plans for growing Paperless Perks and taking the idea further afield in the future.

📍 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.