Prince Harry 'excited for new nephew'

May 6, 2013, 3:56 am

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PRINCE Harry has let slip that he will be having a nephew after he reportedly told friends that Kate and William are expecting a boy.

Sources close to the Prince said: "Harry has been telling everyone Wills and Kate are having a boy and how thrilled he is at the prospect of having a little nephew.

"He said the whole family were excited about it. Apparently Kate has always wanted a boy. They're really working hard on baby names now and think they have it sorted."

Whether a girl or a boy, the country will have a new future king or queen with links to Gloucestershire while Prince Charles resides in Charlie's Highgrove.

The bookies are offering odds of 1/3 favourite on the Duchess of Cambridge having a girl and 5/2 for a boy.

There has been no official announcement about the baby due in mid-July. 

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Review: Jason Adasiewicz, Cheltenham Jazz Festival

May 6, 2013, 4:24 am

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SUNDAY at the festival was a good vibes day. After the great champion vibraphonist Gary Burton came Jason Adasiewicz from Chicago - the hottest contender on the block. Just as Burton emerged as a revolutionary, the Chicagoan has a bold new approach. As a former drummer he hits the instrument with a mighty force drawing out different tones. Indeed his instant creativity assault on the metalwork sometimes looked like attempted demolition - but sounded highly constructive. Assisting that process was his use of a great degree of reverberation, and he fed that hanging sound into dense and harmonically complex tunes which recalled the work of Andrew Hill. I've yet to discover why the trio is called Sun Rooms, but they sounded hugely integrated, .even though Devin Hoff was deputising. His deeply delving bass sourced and evolved the ever changing chords beneath the chimes. Whilst Mike Reed's drumming, choppy or simmering lent added shape and drive. The sheer physicality and rugged organic development of faster tunes, contrasted with the empty even runs of the vibes players of clichés. And Adasiewicz's lyrical side also captivated with shimmering harmonies. Maybe that championship title will pass his way before too long.

Review: Reginald D Hunter at Cheltenham Town Hall

May 6, 2013, 5:42 am

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IT'S difficult to know where to start when reviewing this show. The start of the performance was solely devoted to talking about the controversial PFA awards last week. Incase you don't know, Reginald caused controversy at the Professional Footballers' Association awards ceremony with his liberal use of the 'n' word. Understandably Reginald wants his say on the matter but I'm not sure that 20 minutes was needed to explain it. But explain it he did, joking that he was the new 'shadow minister of sport' to start. Then he defended his use of the N-word and said that although the PFA had not sought reimbursement of the fee they paid for the stand-up, he would refund the organisation if they handed over the rights for the footage of his show. In truth, it was a bit of overkill with the support act, Candian comic Pete Johannson, proving funnier than Reginald in the early runnings. I think it was the routine about bears that did it. When we finally got on to the show it seemed to be a mis-match of motivational speaking and comedy. Reg talks a lot about racism which is obviously what he is known for and a lot about women which at times was quite funny, even if he was very close to the mark. He flittered from one story to another, with awkward silences and confusion littering the evening. We touched base on the recent stories with Jimmy Saville and Oscar Pistorius which was very funny and it's a shame that he didn't do more material on topics like this which was sending the audience each time in to raucous applause. I give credit to Reginald that it has probably been a tough few days for him and that he's been put off balance with the PFA controversy. I would imagine he'll soon find his rhythm again and concentrate on his show. As it was, it was an evening which was summed up by one audience member as we left. Therapy.

'Intelligent' burglar Lianne D'Addario jailed for one year

May 7, 2013, 12:20 am

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A 28-YEAR-old woman who burgled six homes in Cheltenham was described by a judge as "an enigma – a very rare woman".

At Gloucester Crown Court, Judge Jamie Tabor QC told Lianne D'Addario he had never encountered a solo female burglar.

But he said although he had his suspicions there was a man involved, evidence pointed to D'Addario alone.

D'Addario, of St George's Street, Cheltenham, who wore a leather jacket and ski pants in the dock, admitted three burglaries and two attempted burglaries. She asked for three other burglaries and one count of shoplifting to be considered.

In December last year, D'Addario broke into a house in St Stephens Road and stole a camera and Nintendo.

Judge Tabor said: "It is rare to have a solo female burglar – very rare."

Prosecutor Janine Woods said in January D'Addario got into a house in Llandudno Villas through a sash window and stole a Play Station 3.

Two days later, a resident in a basement flat in Montpellier Terrace heard a knock at the door and when she answered it found nobody there.

"Ten minutes later the resident heard her front bedroom window being opened. She went to the room and saw D'Addario there. The window was ajar and the lock damaged," she said.

"On March, the sash window of a basement flat in Priory Terrace was smashed and she got in. A witness saw her and she said she was there to collect something for her mother.

"Later, she rang the police herself and said she had been to that address selling Avon products and had noticed the basement window was smashed.

"On April 1, a rear sash window of a house in Leckhampton Road was smashed while the occupiers were away. A neighbour went to check on the premises and found the defendant climbing through the kitchen window.

"The defendant said 'I'm shutting the window because someone in a hoodie was here yesterday'."

Joe Maloney, defending, told the court "She is a bright, articulate and very intelligent lady. She is something of an enigma."

Jailing D'Addario for a year, Judge Tabor told her: "You are an enigma. You are a bright young woman and you have been in quite a lot of trouble in your past but there was a long gap when you stayed out of trouble and then you plummeted back into the criminal system big time."

Cath Kidston's got flower power

May 7, 2013, 1:16 am

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Queen of florals Cath Kidston, whose trademark rose, polka dot and cowboy prints grace the covers of ironing boards, aprons, tea towels and tents, is as cheery as the hugely successful brand she created.
 
As she sits nursing a Kidston 'cut roses' mug of tea and discusses her life and work – as featured in her new book Coming Up Roses: The Story Of Growing A Business – it's clear her cup is always half full. It's not surprising, considering Cath, 54, is reputedly worth an estimated £25 million, with more than 100 eponymous shops, including one in Cheltenham, and concessions worldwide.
The company may have gone global, but Cath herself prefers to stay out of the limelight, stating resolutely: "I have absolutely no wish to be famous or to be recognised.
"I don't see it as a bonus in life. I'm proud of the company but I don't want to be a celebrity. It's just not my thing."
 
She's keener to talk about the business than about herself, but her happy, privileged childhood was clearly an inspiration. She grew up in the comfort of a secure, loving home with her two brothers and sister and a menagerie of pets, in a large Georgian house full of overblown chintz, gloss paint and coloured Formica worktops.
 
"I've always been interested in houses and homes. From my earliest memories, I've liked re-arranging my room and was one of those children who was always re-styling my bedroom," she recalls. "I always loved to play shop, I loved trading, drawing and doing all the stuff I love to do today. All I'm doing is a grown-up version of what I did as a kid."
 
Eager to earn her own money, she left school at 17 and moved to London where she jumped from job to job – dog-walker, Laura Ashley model, Bendicks chocolate packer – in between visiting Kensington Market on the hunt for vintage clothes she could customise.
 
Life was sweet, but things changed when her father Archie, a London banker, died suddenly from a brain tumour aged 50. Cath was 19 at the time.
 
"It was utterly unexpected and a shock for the whole family," she writes in the book. "At the funeral, I remember thinking that I'd have to show him what I could do to make him proud."
 
Cath began collecting 'kitchenalia' and vintage fabrics from car boot sales and junk shops and soon friends started asking for help. Later a friend introduced her to Nicky Haslam, interior designer to the stars, whose clients included Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger.
 
"When I first went to work for him, he sent me to Ava Gardner's house to measure up some curtains," she recalls. "It was entertaining to go and see Rod Stewart's house, from the nosiness factor. But the most important thing I learned from Nicky was that I really loved doing the design."
 
She opened a little curtain shop with a friend in the late Eighties, an Aladdin's cave of vintage fabrics, finials and curtain poles. By the early Nineties she was ready to go it alone, opening her first Cath Kidston shop in 1993, filling it with vintage fabrics and all the bits she'd collected, as well as brightly painted old furniture, to fill her concept of modern vintage.
Initially the shop didn't make much money, so she ran her own interior design business to help finance it.
 
"I was excited about making practical, pretty, everyday products which were useful in the house," she says.
 
Cath met her partner, record producer Hugh Padgham, who has worked with Sting, McFly and Phil Collins among others, when she decorated his house.
 
"When I moved in, four years later, naturally I had to redesign it to my taste," she jokes.
 
"He liked the fact that I was independent and he didn't have to look after me, and vice versa. We could be there for each other without having to be dependent on each other."
 
Cath was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995, at the age of 37, and had a mastectomy. The illness prompted her to close her interior design business to focus on developing the brand.
 
"It was a really positive turning point," she says.  "It really helped me think, 'I'm just going to make the most of it and get on', and I still feel that. You don't want to waste time. You want to enjoy what you're doing. I enjoy life. "I'm very lucky. If you are someone who likes the positive side of things, that's a real blessing."
 
Cath has a step-daughter, Jessica and a Lakeland terrier, Stanley, who features in her designs. Cath and Hugh married quietly last year after moving from their old home in Stroud to a 17th century country pile just down the road.
 
She sold a majority stake in her retail empire to a private equity group three years ago but remains creative director.
 
Working in London five days a week, she has a bolthole in Chiswick and can't imagine not wanting to design or be creative in the future.
 
"Having a business is a bit like having a child," Cath says. "As they grow up, you don't want them to be too reliant on you but you want to remain on very good terms with them."
 
Coming Up Roses: The Story Of Growing A Business by Cath Kidston is published by Quadrille, priced £16.

Review: Cirencester Choral Society, Cirencester Parish Church

May 7, 2013, 1:17 am

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CIRENCESTER Choral Society celebrates its 150 birthday this year, and the celebrations got off to an auspicious start with a concert devoted to Gloucester composer Sir Hubert Parry. Following the impressive Coronation Anthem I was Glad, which is very well known, the strings of Corinium Camerata gave an elegant and polished performance of Lady Radnor's Suite, which isn't. This is a dance suite in the Baroque style full of splendid melodies including a gentle allemande, an expressive slow minuet and a jolly gigue to round things off. Then came the anthem Hear my Words, ye People premiered in 1894 by a choir of over 2,000. Although Cirencester Choral's strength is far more modest, its singers created a sense of lofty divine grandeur aided by some expressive singing by two soloists and a capella quartet. The final work, Invocation to Music, is a setting of Robert Bridges' ode in honour of Purcell which implores the Muse of Music to return to England after a long absence. This Muse could hardly fail to be stirred by the warmth and sincerity of the welcome expressed in the opening chorus, though the diction needed to be clearer. Later the turbulence of the sea was evoked to stunning effect by choir and orchestra. The young soprano Jenavieve Moore impressed with the sensitivity of her singing and ability to project her voice without strain. Her duet Love to Love Calleth with tenor Adam Smith was especially striking. Baritone Ian Caddy, a last minute subsitute, offered a convincing and eloquent reminder of the power of music to console. Rather than stick to more familiar pieces conductor Carleton Etherington took us on a journey of discovery, giving some neglected, yet magnificent, music by an eminent son of Gloucestershire the kind of performance it really deserves.

Pop art pizzas resemble the stars from Kate Winslet to the Duchess of Cambridge

May 7, 2013, 1:25 am

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As a child you're always told never play with your food. But thankfully Prudence Staite never really listened.
At the age of two the Tewkesbury artist, who has become famed for her creations using different types of food, made a penguin out of pieces of pear.
Little did she know it was to be the start of a love affair that would shape her career. Since then she has created Duckingham Palace – a replica of the royal residence using 3,000 duck spring rolls and a portrait of the Queen from hundreds of cupcakes among a whole range of weird and wonderful creations.
Her latest project has seen her create 13 celebrity pizza portraits. The likes of Simon Cowell – his skin made from slices of garlic – and Kate Winslet (pictured) – her hair from yellow peppers – all feature.  But pride of place is her Kate Middleton piece, made primarily from olives and anchovies.
"Kate was a bit of a challenge. I drew the image and then built it up from there," says Prudence. "I used about 50 black olives and lots of anchovies. It took me several attempts with Kate. She is very beautiful and she has the type of cheeks that if you draw a line out of place it makes a big difference.
"She was definitely the toughest to make out of all the pizzas."
After Prudence made the pizzas – which took her two hours per face – she was quick to stick them in the oven for an evening meal with friends.
"Kate was really tasty because I liked the combination of anchovies and olives," the 33-year-old said.
Prudence, who studied fine art at the Winchester School of Art, describes her style as "food pop art".
"It's in the style of Andy Warhol really. I break an image down to four colours," she explains. "For me art is about life and noise and something you can interact with.
"When I was 18 I either wanted to be a chef or an artist and I thought why not put the two together to create something magical?
"I started making art with pizzas in 2005 but I also use other foods such as chocolate and I do cheese sculpture and different things.
"When I go to the supermarket I'm always looking at colours and shapes and what would look good as trees or grass."
Prudence recently returned from  Australia where she spent five weeks making an edible walk-in wardrobe.
"It was six metres long and featured 350kg of dark, milk and white chocolate," she says.
"The wardrobe doors were made from white chocolate bars and dark chocolate, the walls were milk chocolate and there was even a two metre long window seat made from milk chocolate.
"I made solid chocolate shoes, hats, handbags, gloves to fill the wardrobe shelves and two large chocolate mosaics of  Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe."

Review: Cirencester Choral Society, Cirencester Parish Church

May 7, 2013, 2:00 am

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CIRENCESTER Choral Society celebrates its 150 birthday this year, and the celebrations got off to an auspicious start with a concert devoted to Gloucester composer Sir Hubert Parry. Following the impressive Coronation Anthem I was Glad, which is very well known, the strings of Corinium Camerata gave an elegant and polished performance of Lady Radnor's Suite, which isn't. This is a dance suite in the Baroque style full of splendid melodies including a gentle allemande, an expressive slow minuet and a jolly gigue to round things off. Then came the anthem Hear my Words, ye People premiered in 1894 by a choir of over 2,000. Although Cirencester Choral's strength is far more modest, its singers created a sense of lofty divine grandeur aided by some expressive singing by two soloists and a capella quartet. The final work, Invocation to Music, is a setting of Robert Bridges' ode in honour of Purcell which implores the Muse of Music to return to England after a long absence. This Muse could hardly fail to be stirred by the warmth and sincerity of the welcome expressed in the opening chorus, though the diction needed to be clearer. Later the turbulence of the sea was evoked to stunning effect by choir and orchestra. The young soprano Jenavieve Moore impressed with the sensitivity of her singing and ability to project her voice without strain. Her duet Love to Love Calleth with tenor Adam Smith was especially striking. Baritone Ian Caddy, a last minute subsitute, offered a convincing and eloquent reminder of the power of music to console. Rather than stick to more familiar pieces conductor Carleton Etherington took us on a journey of discovery, giving some neglected, yet magnificent, music by an eminent son of Gloucestershire the kind of performance it really deserves.

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Review: Van Morrison, Cheltenham Jazz Festival

May 7, 2013, 2:09 am

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IT was a glorious May evening to stroll into Montpellier Gardens, low warm sun and blossom and jazz. And to then be engulfed in the warm, rich sounds of Van Morrison and his band in the Big Top provided the perfect end the day. His opening number, with Van on saxophone, set the scene for the evening which placed jazz at the core of the set. With traditional-style jazz breakdowns focussing on the skills of his musicians, it was a bright sound that brought the sunshine into the tent. His voice remains as magnificent as ever, combining clarity, power and a rich sound with subtle tenderness. As ever Van Morrison brought his own enigmatic quality to the stage. With his dark glasses and hat, he makes no effort to engage with the audience directly. He lets the music speak for itself. And it is perhaps that distance he maintains that makes the emotion all the more powerful. His voice, lyrics and arrangements build subtley, draw in the listener and become engulfing. Moondance featured surprisingly early in the set, a smooth jazzy version with instrumental breakdown and engaging dialogue between the brass. Days Like This with deep harmonies and a harp-like guitar riffs and felt like a warm bath of music. Please Don't Go marked a change of pace, before he invited Gregory Porter to join him on stage for a magical and soulful duet for Tupelo Honey. There were moments when the performance retained a rawness of a jazz improvisation. He described it briefly as a 'workshop' and at times he surprised his band with sudden set changes, and directed them musically with a clarity of purpose of someone who has been performing for almost half a century. His band were though incredibly polished and provided him with a solid backing of musical talent. Brown-eyed Girl, which he described as the "little calypso song" was given the jazz treatment, and Whenever God Shines His Light was given a soulful light touch. It was a magnificent performance, subtle and powerful and a great end to the Jazz Festival. A rocking and prolonged version of Gloria allowed the band to shine, and Van Morrison to slip off the stage in his own understated way with his vocal; "It's too good to stop now" still resonating.

Review: The Big Laugh Cafe, Gloucester Guildhall

May 7, 2013, 2:48 am

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IT was a night full of laughter from beginning to end. The Big Laugh Café was a fantastic evening and I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an alternative to your typical night on the tiles. When we arrived at the venue an hour early, there was already a buzz about the place. At 9pm the show kicked off with Andy Robinson, who was the commentator for the evening, although he was so funny I'm surprised he was not the main act! He warmed the audience up through interaction and quick witted one liners. Once the crowd were ready, the first act of the night was introduced, Tim Clark. I felt disappointed, as his material was not to my liking, although it's not to say people were not enjoying it. I found him a little too rehearsed and his material at times, a little patronising. After a short break, Andy Robinson was soon back working the crowd and getting us ready for the main man. Charlie Baker came to the stage and I immediately warmed to his Devonshire accent and cheeky smile. He soon cracked his first joke of the night, which referred to his appearance. He looks uncannily like Jack Black. He continued to have the whole room laughing and he had the audience so involved it brought a very one-off feel to the evening. He made the night and I would definitely see him again if he is to make a return to the area. The venue itself was brilliant and it had a warm, friendly atmosphere, with music to keep everyone in good spirit. Overall, the night was better than expected and I am looking to organise a group of friends to attend the next one.

Review: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, St James' Church, Chipping Campden

May 7, 2013, 2:56 am

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CHIPPING Campden Music Festival is looking more enticing than ever as it opened with a concert of Baroque music by one of the world's leading period instrumental ensembles. Corelli's Concerto Grosso in F, in which three string soloists were supported by the larger ensemble, proved to be a stimulating work with an unusually varied introductory movement. So were the two oboe concertos, by Albinoni, the inventor of this type of concerto. Soloist Anthony Robson made a persuasive case for them in the expressive adagio in the Concert in B flat and the bubbly outer movements of the Oboe Concerto in C. Handel's organ concertos were also a very novel concept in their day, and offered the composer a vehicle to display his virtuosity as a performer. Steven Devine, the OAE's conductor showed just how spectacular these concertos can be when he swapped his harpsichord for a chamber organ to perform his Organ Concerto in F Op 4. The lightning finale delighted everyone and so did the restrained but melodious adagio movement. Handel was also represented by two of his vocal works: Tanti strali al sen mi scocchi, written in his early twenties, and Love's Labours Past from his final oratorio, Jephtha. Canadian soprano Gillian Keith was a last minute replacement, and seemed to lack assurance in the first of the duets but came into her own in the lovers' parting from Jephtha. Counter-tenor Owen Willetts was consistent throughout singing expressively and clearly. The crowning glory of this opening concert was Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. With impeccable support from the OAE's musicians the two singers gave an moving account of the Virgin Mary's feelings at her son's death leading to a prayerful conclusion marked by reverence and sincerity. The Festival runs until Saturday May 18 with lunchtime concerts by young musicians and evening concert by household names like Mark Padmore, Steven Osborne, Paul Lewis and I Fagiolini. (www.campdenmusicfestival.co.uk)

Win tickets to see Kings of Leon this summer

May 7, 2013, 3:07 am

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AFTER a two-year hiatus, Kings of Leon are back on tour and are set to rock the LG Arena in Birmingham this summer. And we have a pair of tickets to see their July 9 performance. To be in with a chance of winning, answer the following question. Which hit reached number one in 2008? a) Back Down South b) Sex on Fire c) Closer Send your entries to Kings of Leon comp, Features, Floor 3, St James' House, St James Square, Cheltenham, GL50 3PR, by May 13. Usual Gloucestershire Media terms and conditions apply.

Out of control terrier shot by police in Hester's Way

May 7, 2013, 3:21 am

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Police had to shoot an out of control Staffordshire Bull Terrier dog in Hester's Way last night. The dog had killed another Staffie and injured the owner during the incident on Welch Road at 6.35pm. The owner of the dogs, a 33-year-old man, suffered injuries to his hand and leg while trying to separate the dogs which were fighting in the garden. He was taken to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol for treatment. A police statement said: "One of the dogs had killed the other and due to their actions officers were concerned the surviving animal would cause further serious harm to other members of the public and as such the animal was destroyed."

The Gloucestershire Echo launches new dedicated website

May 7, 2013, 5:05 am

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The Gloucestershire Echo has a new, dedicated website. We have been delivering news, sport and entertainment to readers on Thisisgloucestershire.co.uk since 2004. But one of the most common pieces of feedback we have had is that people want their local news from the area where they live – the area covered by the Gloucestershire Echo. So we have now launched Gloucestershireecho.co.uk You will find great articles, reviews, events, businesses and pictures from Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and the Cotswolds. We know these are the areas that really matter to you. Gloucestershire Echo Editor Kevan Blackadder said: "Our new-look site is bright and modern and will give our readers something very different. "We are increasing the amount of video content and have all sorts of new ideas. The site will develop over the coming weeks and months so your feedback is vital. Please give the site a try and let me know what you think." Our sister paper The Citizen also has a new website - Gloucestercitizen.co.uk

Gloucester Rugby lock Will Graulich signs for Cornish Pirates

May 7, 2013, 5:11 am

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ALEX Brown's recommendation helped Will Graulich seal a move to Cornish Pirates for next season. The 20-year-old Gloucester lock has completed a deal to move to the Championship club, in a bid for regular first-team rugby. The former England age-group international spent 2011-12 on loan with Cinderford, before making three first-team Gloucester appearances this season. But his opportunities have been limited behind the likes of evergreen Will James, new recruit Lua Lokotui, Tom Savage and the fast-developing England Under-20s cap Elliott Stooke. With Newcastle's James Hudson on board for next season and Stooke primed to step more regularly into the first-team reckoning, Graulich's opportunities looked limited. So he will head south to link up with head coach Ian Davies, who admitted Gloucester's new rugby operations manager Brown gave the young lock a ringing endorsement. Davies said: "Will comes highly recommended by Alex Brown at Gloucester and obviously he knows a thing or two about playing in the second row. "Will is a young player with enormous potential and it is our job to make sure he is given the platform to fully reach it."

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Commissioner pledges £10k to youth club

May 7, 2013, 11:00 pm

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A £10,000 grant has been pledged for the new Dursley youth club project from Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner.

The cost of the project is £220,000 and Dursley Town Council is more than halfway towards its target.

Councillors are hoping to be able to give the thumbs up to the start of building soon.

Helping young people become responsible adults is one of the five priorities of Commissioner Martin Surl's Police and Crime Plan to reduce crime and provide more peace and good order.

"I think it's important for an area of this size to have a focus for young people," he said.

"It's an important part of creating a better environment and safer communities."

He announced the grant when he addressed the Dursley Annual Town Meeting.

Dursley's last youth club was sold to make way for a new Sainsbury's supermarket in 2008.

Police swoop on suspected brothel

May 7, 2013, 11:00 pm

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A HOUSE police suspect was being used as a brothel has been raided by officers.

The home in The Haw-thornes on the Manor Farm estate in Bussage was searched by police in possession of a warrant.

A man was also arrested away from the house, police spokesman Simon Masters said.

"A 61 year old man was arrested on suspicion of being concerned with the management of a brothel," said Mr Masters.

The man was later bailed without charge to return to Gloucester Police Station on July 2.

"We were acting upon a warrant following community intelligence," said Mr Masters.

Eddie leaps at chance to start walkers

May 7, 2013, 11:00 pm

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EDDIE the Eagle Edwards jumped at the chance to start a charity's sponsored walk.

The Woodchester plasterer, who famously came last in the ski jumping at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, will launch the Horsfall House 10-mile sponsored walk in Minchinhampton on Sunday.

Eddie, who in February won ITV's celebrity high-board diving show Splash!, will urge the walkers forward as they begin their trek around Gatcombe Park and Avening Court at 10am from the National Trust field near Horsfall.

The section of the walk through Gatcombe Woods is with permission from the Princess Royal.

Charity counts cost of arsonist's attack

May 7, 2013, 11:00 pm

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A SUSPECTED arson attack has forced the Cotswold Care Hospice to close one of its shops.

Investigations are under way into three fires in Stonehouse, all of which police believe were started deliberately.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 3.40am on Monday when a building used for storage and kitchen facilities for the Cotswold Care Shop in High Street was engulfed in flames.

Fire crews also tackled fires in a recycling skip behind the old police station and in a rubbish bin, which set an electricity box alight. A window at Park Junior School was broken at around the same time.

Emma Luther, 33, was staying with her boyfriend in a neighbouring flat when the shop fire started.

She said: "The flames were 6ft high and there was so much smoke it was coming into the flat. People started coming out of their homes and staring in disbelief.

"There was another fire beneath the flats – flames were lapping up to the electricity circuit box. Then the box caught fire and there were loud cracking noises and white sparks sprayed across the car park. It was quite frightening."

Jules Eaton, chief executive of Cotswold Care Hospice in Minchinhampton, said the fire would hit the charity hard.

He said: "We will be unable to trade from these premises for months.

"Even though we are insured, every pound spent on repairing damage is a pound less spent on vital care, so the ultimate victims of this mindless attack are our patients."

Enjoy, explore

May 7, 2013, 11:00 pm

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One of the joys of travel is the opportunity to explore places you've never ventured to before but there's also a great pleasure in rediscovering old haunts. The holidays on this page allow you to do just that.

The Seine, Paris and Normandy holiday takes you to our near neighbour across the Channel. From Paris we slip our moorings and commence our wonderfully scenic cruise along the beautiful and majestic Seine into the heart of one of France's most historic and picturesque regions Normandy.

Home to fascinating town such as Bayeux, known for its tapestry depicting William the Conqueror's victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Normandy was the scene of the D-Day landings in the Second World War.

Spain is rich with the legacies of the Romans and Moors, an example of which is Segovia's perfectly preserved Roman aqueduct. In Toledo you will find evidence of Christian, Jewish and Moorish civilisations. Salamanca, boasts a highly ornate style of architecture known as Plateresque. The capital Madrid has the Prado museum, home to one of the world's greatest art collections and Picasso's Guernica is in the Reina Sofia museum nearby.

The Moroccan cities of Fez, Meknes, Marrakesh and Rabat are collectively known as the imperial cities and have all been the capital.

The oldest is Fez, first established as capital in the 9th Century under Sultan Idriss II, a great-great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. After the fall of his dynasty the Almoravides took over and Marrakesh became their capital but Fez has been capital twice since under different rulers.

The Almohads took control in the 12th Century and built Rabat as their capital. This was replaced, during the rule of Moulay Ismael, by Meknes. Rabat again became capital under the French protectorate in 1912 and retained the title after independence.