The Citizen Gloucestershire

Festival Plea

ORGANISERS of the Stroud Fringe Festival are calling for volunteers to fill the last remaining stewarding slots. The three-day event will take place throughout the town and surrounding areas this weekend.

Meeting On Incinerator

Tribute to Salsa Fan

A DAY of salsa and fun will help remember a beloved friend and raise essential funds for charity. Friends of cancer victim Velma Baxter have organised the event which will go this weekend in Gloucester.

Chance to Quiz Meps

BUSINESS leaders from across the county will have a chance to quiz the south west's MEPs on European policies on Friday. Headlining the event will be newly elected MEPs Julie Girling, Ashley Fox and Graham Watson.

Police Give Children Paintball Trip Reward

WELL-BEHAVED children were rewarded with a paintballing trip with the police. Police community support officers took 13 children aged between 12-15 from Newnham to the Forest of Dean Paintball centre as a reward for their good behaviour.

Your Stars with Claire Petulengro [...]

Your stars with Claire Petulengro ARIES (Mar 21-April 19) Call 0904 020 5480 Tying current events up to your satisfaction and success will require travel on your part. Those who promise to come to you are unlikely to be able to do so. Knowing this is to your advantage. Call now to hear who has a confession to make to you. TAURUS (April 20-May 21) Call 0904 020 5481 You're not happy with a drama which has started to get out of your control. Don't stick your head in the sand, face these issues ...

Handy Crafts Made by Cleo

A SMASHED saucer or broken cup is met enthusiastically by Cleo Mussi. The Stroud artist searches for fragmented bits and pieces to use in her unique mosaics. A selection of Cleo's inventive work is on show at Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum from September 5 to October 18.

Get Back to Bach

Curtain Going Up

GLOUCESTERSHIRE'S newest arts venue opens its doors for the first time next week. The Pounds 12.2m Parabola Arts Centre, owned by Cheltenham Ladies' College, includes a 320-seat theatre complete with full orchestra pit.

Autobiography Is Pegged Back

Find Way in Maze ; Letter From Newent with Jill Clayton

VISITORS to a Forest of Dean maze can get lost by candlelight on Friday. Elton Farm Maize Mazes in Elton, near Newnham, is holding a late- night special with a barbecue from 6pm.

Carnival Rolls ; Letter From Newent with Jill Clayton

IT'S showtime at Westbury-on-Severn this Sunday. The carnival day starts at 12.30pm, with the procession at 1pm taking a theme of Westbury Through the Ages.

Make Date to Check Details ; Letter From Newent with Jill Clayton

SOME of you may have noticed a spring in my step last Thursday. This had nothing to do with the GCSE results. I had just found out that I was officially four years younger than I had thought. Although present at my birth, I can't remember the event so I might have got it wrong. However, having checked my passport (confirmed by my birth certificate), the bank and I reluctantly agreed they had got my date of birth wrong. Anyone else who is having difficulty with a bank's security questions may ...

Op Boy Kian Could Come Home

THE parents of toddler Kian Baker say he could be "two or three weeks away from coming home" after undergoing a lifesaving bone marrow transplant. Two-year-old Kian, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder, is recuperating at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, after undergoing the procedure in July.

New Cider Pear-Fect!

A PEAR farmer believes new brands of pear cider are helping to boost the business of traditional perry cider producers. As the popularity of pear cider spreads, fears grew the traditional perry cider (made from perry pears) was becoming more unpopular.

Plea to Save Race Pigeons

PIGEON racing is under threat from rising numbers of birds of prey in towns and cities, the sport's governing body has warned. Populations of peregrine falcons and sparrowhawks have steadily increased over the past 20 years, with the result that many are colonising urban areas.

Give Site a Scrub-Up with Volunteers

VOLUNTEERS are needed to help the National Trust tidy up an area of scrubland near Stroud. Young Gloucestershire is organising the trip to Rodborough Fort on Friday for helpers aged 16 to 25.

Fans to Tackle Rugby Questions

RUGBY fans can show off their knowledge of the game at a quiz in Gloucester tomorrow. The event is at Teague's Bar, in Kingsholm Road, at 7.30pm, where teams of three can compete for Pounds 5.

Changes to Rail Routes

PLANS for longer, more frequent and faster trains on key rail routes were outlined yesterday by Network Rail. The routes affected will include the Gloucester to Weymouth train, which has been earmarked for longer trains.

Web Can Work for Artists

ARTISTS from across Gloucestershire are being asked to sign up to a website which will help them showcase their work. Bigartweb.net is asking for artists and organisations to get in touch to show that art is alive in the area.