Chedworth Players Merchant of Venice Review

Local talent got great response.

The Merchant of Venice is a strangely disturbing play to watch these days, with the strong anti-semitism applauded by the Christian ‘Goodies’. I must admit, by the end I was all for Shylock getting his pound of flesh! Especially as it was to be from the particularly smug and self-righteous Antonio, who totally dismissed Shylock’s logical point that the Christians kept slaves at the time, which they considered as mere possessions, to do what they will.

The audience had a great time.

The al fresco production was by the Chedworth Players, in the lovely setting of Chedworth Manor gardens, which they used to great effect.

The play opened with a range of beautiful and unfamiliar vocals from Rowena Wakefield, playing Shylock’s daughter Jessica. They were quite amazing.

Teamwork!

There were a lot of good actors in this performance. In particular the part of Shylock, by director Ross Aldridge was played superbly. Notable also was Portia, the female lead, played with brilliant timing and wit by Katy Sirr.

Well done to all for this sell out show!

Cirencester Market Place and "Love Parks" From July 28th

Cirencester Market Place

At the Market Place – Eat well; stay active in Cirencester this summer

The summer season is now upon us with festival fever in full swing and plenty of outdoor activities for all to enjoy. The Wimbledon crowd will be devouring quantities of luscious strawberries and it reminds us of this special time of year with beautiful fresh British produce along with a multitude of outdoor activities to keep our families happy, healthy and entertained.

July is a busy month in Cirencester and the perfect month to celebrate our outdoor spaces. Cirencester’s Love Parks Celebrations commences Friday 28 July with an inspiring array of free family sporting, leisure & nature  activities; an open air Cinema in St Michael’s Park; a Dog show in the Abbey Grounds and the regular weekly markets in the Market Place .

Have you experienced the new Cirencester Markets yet? Many of you will now be familiar with the new Market Place and bustling Charter and Farmers’ Market offering a fantastic shopping experience for all. The fresh produce, craft, drinks and cooked food have raised the bar with affordable, quality produce that the town centre can be proud of. There are also plenty of other traders to attract your attention including clothing, vintage goods, homewares and more. If you have not been down to visit your local market, it is well worth a visit.

In June, the Market Place saw the return of the popular Italia in Piazza, the Italian produce market. The great news is that it will be returning later this year! The new Flavours of the World Market proved to be a big success with some fantastic alternative shopping and food on the Market Place.

Also, are you aware that an Arts & Crafts market takes place on the Market Place the first Saturday of the month focusing on local artists and crafts people. If you are interested in trading, please get in touch, this is the perfect platform to reach out to your local community and show people what you can do!

Cirencester Markets take place every Monday & Friday (Charter Market) from 9am to 3pm and every second and fourth Saturday of the month (Farmers Market) from 9.00am to 2.30pm. Cirencester Arts & Crafts Market takes place the first Saturday of the month from 9am to 5pm.

For more information about the markets visit www.cirencester.gov.uk/markets. We are also on Instagram @cirencestermarkets; Facebook @Cirencester Markets; Twitter @CirenMarkets

To find out more about Love Parks Week visit www.cirencester.gov.uk.

What is Lungworm? Pet Talk with Corinium Vets

What is all this hype about Lungworm?

Lung worm, Angistrongylus vasorum, is a parasite that can cause serious health problems in dogs, and can even be fatal if not diagnosed and treated.

Dogs of all breeds and ages can become infected, but it seems younger dogs are more susceptible to picking up the parasite.  Dogs who are known to eat slugs and snails are also considered at high risk.

Dogs can become infected by accidently swallowing infected slugs and snails even the small ones off their toys or drinking from puddles, eating grass.  Lungworm larvae can also be found in the slime trail left behind by slugs so another route of exposure to infection. 

Signs of Lungworm 

Breathing problems, coughing/tiring easily

Poor Blood Clotting, excessive bleeding/nose bleeds/bleeding into the eye/anaemia

Behaviour Changes, depression/lethargy/seizures

                                          
General Sickness, weight loss/poor appetite/vomiting/diarrhoea

Your dog could show one or more of these symptoms if infected with lungworm, but some dogs may not show any signs in the early stages of infection. 

The signs for Lungworm infection can be easily confused with other illnesses, but if you notice any of these symptoms or if you think your dog might be at risk then it is important to talk to your vet.  Early diagnosis and treatment will give your dog the best chance of complete recovery.

Preventative products available and with regular use prevention is easy to achieve. These drugs can only been obtained with a veterinary prescription.  Always check with your vet as not all worming products are effective against lungworm.

Here at Corinium Veterinary Surgery we can offer free flea and worming consultations to discuss lungworm preventative treatments and prescribe appropriate drugs for your dog. Why don’t you phone the surgery to make an appointment soon?

Bettina Gruninger (Veterinary Surgeon) and Alison Cuss (Veterinary Nurse), Corinium Veterinary Surgery, Cirencester

Please Vote for the Willow Trust by July 29th!

Please vote for the Willow Trust by 29th July!
Please vote for The Willow Trust to help us win up to £25,000 from the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) Community Awards. We need your vote, as this will help us provide therapeutic and inspiring days on the water, free of charge, for disabled and very ill children and adults. 

In order to help, please just click on vote The Willow Trust on www.mcf.org.uk/vote
 
Please pass this on to friends, relatives, colleagues, etc reminding them that each year around 7,000 disabled and seriously ill children and adults spend a day on our boats totally free of charge, this includes people from Cirencester, we would be very grateful.
www.willowtrust.org

Fresh Air Exhibition Review 2017

Statue: Waterbath by Carol Peace. Photo
by Carlo Vuolo

Fresh Air is a biennial event with 2017 seeing some amazing weather!
We recently paid a visit to this outdoor exhibition on the HOTTEST day recorded in June for many a year! This was my third trip to FRESH AIR, which is open every second year.

Over 25 years it has evolved from representing traditional outdoor sculpture to reflect a much more contemporary and vibrant genre. Today it has built up an enviable reputation for quality, diversity and popularity as one of the UK's leading outdoor contemporary sculpture shows, and takes place at Quenington Old Rectory.

It's in a beautiful setting, with the River Coln running through the 5-acre garden surrounding the listed Cotswold Rectory. 88 artists are showing their latest work, of which over 30 are new to FRESH AIR. Prices of the work range from £50-£50,000.

As we frazzled in the heat, we wandered around the gardens examining the exhibits. As is usual there were one or two questionables, such as a flat plastic puddle, looking like an empty mat awaiting a sculpture, hoping someone would be mad enough to cough up £5,000 for the honour! Presumably a joke. However there were also some lovely exhibits like the Waterbath (pictured) and a magnificent mirrored wheel whose reflections blended into its surroundings. This created ever changing artistic masterpieces.

To keep up to date with Fresh Air news, keep an eye on www.freshairsculpture.com

Grenfell Tower Donations Arriving at the British Red Cross Charity Shop Appeal for Volunteers

Red Cross manager
Justin Bindley

Since the dreadful events of the Grenfell Tower fire in June of this year, the general public throughout the UK have been donating, amongst other things, a vast amount clothing and bedding to the British Red Cross.  These donations are now being distributed throughout the British Red Cross Charity shops across the United Kingdom where they will be sold specifically to raise funds for the victims of the fire.

Here in Cirencester we are also doing our bit.  But we need help, we need volunteers to come and help sort out the donations and help prepare them for display and sale within the shop. 

Justin Bindley, manager, is urgently appealing for volunteers to help with this task.  Justin, recently appointed as the new manager to the Cirencester shop, is a professional opera singer.  Now at age 54 he has retired from the stage and made the decision to change direction in his career.  It has always been an ambition of his to work for a charity and when the opportunity arose to work for the British Red Cross he moved from London in May this year to Swindon to run the charity shop in Cirencester

‘What I need,’ said Justin, ‘are enthusiastic committed volunteers to join our friendly cheerful team.  Anyone who has a few hours to spare each week or who can come in just occasionally is welcome.  There are a variety of tasks to undertake and the unique skills of each volunteer are put to good use.  Not only are we dealing with the donations for the victims of the Grenfell Tower but also with those from our local, and often repeat, donors.  It is a never ending turn around of donations coming in and then going out into the shop to raise urgent funds for both domestic and international tragedies and disasters.’

‘People across the country have given generously to the British Red Cross for the Grenfell Tower victims, now however we need to see that generosity extended into time giving.  So if you have some spare time, do please consider becoming a volunteer, you are greatly needed.’

If you are interested and would like to help, please get in touch with Justin Bindley, manager, or Sue Waters, assistant manager please call 01285 655734 or drop into the shop, Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 17:00 at 44 Cricklade Street, Cirencester GL7 1JN (opposite Boots Opticians).  Thank you.