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The Blindside is a prestigious, members-only hospitality offering, designed for those who are looking to elevate their matchday. Situated at the top of the Malvern Tyres Stand, The Blindside offers exclusive access to a stylish new lounge for every Gloucester Rugby home game next season. Enjoy a private bar and a refined selection of British tapas, expertly crafted by our Executive Chef. Membership is available either as a standalone package (including a season ticket) or as an upgrade to your existing membership, with an exclusive introductory price of £3,500 for the first 10 members. This new lounge redefines matchday hospitality, offering elevated pre-match entertainment, exceptional comfort, and contemporary style. Hosted by a legendary Cherry & White former player, the lounge delivers an unrivalled atmosphere and connection to the Club’s proud heritage. Membership also includes priority access to the England Rugby ticket ballot. Register interest here: www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/register-your-interest-the-blindside 
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Radio 2 DJ and all-round music legend Jo Whiley will be bringing her 90s Anthems to Dunkertons on Saturday 20th September. She will bring you all the best tracks from the greatest decade for music. Think Blur vs Oasis, Fatboy Slim, Primal Scream, The Verve, The Chemical Brothers, Faithless, The Prodigy and a whole lot more. Jo Whiley is quite simply the ultimate authority on British music – and the voice and face of a generation. Jo is headed your way with a dazzling new show as she rummages through her record bag to dig out the very best of 90s Anthems. No-one knows the 90s like Jo – she was right there on the cutting-edge, leading the charge as Britpop blew up, dance music exploded and indie went wild. Now you can relive those magical memories on a dancefloor once again with the queen of the 90's. Let Jo take you on a personal tour of her finest musical memories of the decade that defined them all. You can find all the info and tickets HERE.  There are lots of places where I go to eat and don't write about, however, I feel a bit of a need to shout about the lunch we had this weekend at BAO + BBQ in Cheltenham. We're already in a good mood when we arrive. The sun is shining, although not as warm as it has been in previous days, the town is buzzing with the Jazz Festival in full swing and we're off to watch David Gray in the evening. It's a pretty good day. After getting a seat downstairs in the corner by the window, it dawned on me that it must have been three years since I last came here which is utterly ridiculous. It was my wife's first time. We browsed the menu over a Marg (hers) and a Asahi (mine) and picked some of the things we wanted and some of the things we definitely didn't. The dreaded second "are you ready to order" after asking for another few minutes came, and you feel obliged to decide. However, this time was different. The waiter asked how many dishes we were thinking (five to six?) and whether we wanted them to choose for us. We told him what we didn't want; chicken wings (too messy), anything tofu (I imagine these guys can make it taste nice) and the Sticky BBQ Pork Ribs (for the same reason as the wings. You just can't take that risk in a white t-shirt). First to arrive were the Longhorn Brisket and Cornflake Chicken bao buns. The brisket was smoked with a sake BBQ sauce, chillies and pickles. The chicken and a panko and cornflake crumb (hence the name), Korean hot sauce, pickled chilli and cucumber. It was seriously good and quite possibly both of our favourite dish of the meal.
Next to arrive before we had taken a mouthful of the buns were the Gochu-glazed King Prawns in a sesame yogurt and three Wagyu beef sliders, both of which looked potentially very messy. We'd have never had ordered the sliders, but these were awesome with juicy little brisket patties, BBQ mushrooms, pickled cucumber, chillies and caramelised onions. And the prawns? We would go back for these alone they were that good, and the yogurt became the dipping sauce for everything else on the table.
Some courtesy greens arrived in the shape of scorched sprouting broccoli, cashew miso butter, garlic ginger and lemon (if I'm going to have to eat broccoli, this is the way to do it) and some kicky kale + cucumber salad, followed by a smoked brisket rice bowl with a cured duck egg and beef bone broth and the glazed pork belly in the most incredible blueberry hoisin sauce with crispy cabbage and pickled veg. We probably didn't need the rice bowl but we gave it a good go. In hindsight, maybe, six dishes was too many, but YOLO and all that! The pork was one of the best plates I have eaten for a long time. It was the cherry on the cake dish, at the end of a gruelling (in the loosest sense of the word) 90 minutes of eating. I had genuinely forgotten just how good this place is. baobbq.co.uk  If you have ever experienced the Woozy Pig food, you will probably be as excited as we are about their brand-new restaurant on Suffolk Road in Cheltenham. Opening its doors of Friday 9th May, the restaurant will offer their classic burgers, sides and tater tots, as well as an awesome brunch menu on a Sunday including the Woozy full English, waffles and, of course, brunch burgers. You will find local brewers Deya on the taps with a quality selection of cans and bottles from the fridge, alongside a few cocktails including a Spicy Mango Marg, Spiced & Stormy and a Woozy Groni. You can check out the restaurant here www.woozypig.co.uk. Illustrations: Punkross Tables: Barebones Photos: The Same Grain
  After a dramatic year in National Hunt racing, the curtain comes down at Prestbury Park with their one and only evening meeting of the season on Friday 2 May. Amateur riders and trainers will be taking centre stage, all with the dream of winning at Cheltenham. The evening will bursting with energy, excitement, and great entertainment. Cheltenham favourite Richard James returns to the Tattersalls Sales Arena from 16:45 for the final time this season, delivering a feel-good soundtrack guaranteed to set the tone for a great night. Don’t miss local legends The Chip Shop Boys in a spectacular post racing finale, where they'll bringing the season to a close with an extended live performance. Gates open at 3:30pm with the first race going off at 4:35pm. Groups of 6 plus get 10% off at checkout. Under 18’s race free and must be accompanied by a responsible adult (over 21). All tickets and further info can be found here - www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/cheltenham/events-tickets/race-night  One of our favourite things at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival is the incredible free "around town" events that take place across various venues in the town. This dynamic programme showcases an exciting mix of performances, from intimate pop-up shows in pubs and bars to vibrant acts in unexpected spaces around town. With 70+ artists, it’s your chance to discover fresh talent, support emerging artists and maybe even catch a future headliner. The venues include The Free Stage on the festival site, Bottle of Sauce, Smokey Joes, The Queens, Hotel du Vin, The Tavern, The Brewery Quarter, John Lewis, and the Imperial Garden Bar. For the full day-to-day line-ups, visit www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/our-projects/around-town/cheltenham-jazz-festival-around-town  This is a seriously Easter treat for any Gloucester Rugby supporters and their families. On Wednesday 23rd April 2025, you can enjoy time with your family and a delicious lunch cooked by our Gloucester Rugby team chef, all whilst watching the Gloucester Rugby team train from premium balcony seating at Kingsholm as they prepare to face Exeter Chiefs. This family-friendly afternoon features Easter egg treats & crafts for kids hosted by our Community team, plus an exclusive post-training Q&A with Attack Coach James Lightfoot-Brown and Gloucester Rugby players - with chances for selfies and autographs! The Itinerary - 12pm: Arrival - 12.30pm: Lunch - 1pm: Watch training and take part in Easter crafts - 2.15pm: Q&A with James Lightfoot-Brown & players - 3.30pm: Event closes For more information and tickets, visit www.universe.com/events/easter-family-dining-experience-tickets  After a sell-out first Cabaret of Curiosities last week, multi-award-winning comedian, and Cheltenham resident, Dom Joly has added some new dates at The Steam and Whistle Pub in Cheltenham The next dates are: Thursday 1st May Thursday 5th June Thursday 3rd July The 230 deep crowd enjoyed a performance from the "You're Gorgeous" famed 90s rockers Babybird and the brilliantly funny French comedian Marcel Lucont. The Speakeazy is recorded for a podcast, with a mission to not only shine a light of local talent but invite bands he loves to do unplugged sets as well as a series of top mystery guests that, with the help of the audience, he will interview on stage. You can find all the information and ticket links HERE and photos from the first show below.  
  It has been confirmed today that season 4 of the superb Clarkson's Farm will land on Amazon Prime on Friday 23rd May. The series follows Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper's ups and downs in the world farming and now, of course, the hospitality industry with Jeremy's pub The Farmer's Dog opening in the Cotswolds last summer. Season 3 of the show breaking Amazon Prime UK's ratings record and we wouldn't be surprised if Season 4 does the same!  After an emphatic derby victory against Bristol last weekend, Gloucester have just two more home games to lock-in a play-off spot. A dominant performance in front of a sold-out Kingsholm propelled George Skivington's side back into the top four and completed a league double over their neighbours. Hat-tricks for Seb Atkinson and Christian Wade and tries for Josh Hathaway, Chris Harris and George Barton saw Gloucester rack up over fifty points to entertain the buoyant Kingsholm crowd. Gloucester welcome Exeter Chiefs to Kingsholm on Sunday 28th April, followed by Northampton Saints on Saturday 31st May. You can find tickets and all information HERE.  After a crazy four days at the Cheltenham Festival, we move on to The April Meeting on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 April. The sunshine will hopefully be shining over the famous Cleeve Hill and hallowed Cheltenham turf is sure to put a spring in your step and provide a brilliant day out with high-quality racing. Throughout the two-day meeting, there will be live music from The Quevega Stage, the perfect place for refreshments and entertainment between races. Wednesday offers competitive racing, with entertainment and a relaxed atmosphere make it a fabulous April afternoon out. It’s the perfect race meeting to bring along a friend who has never experienced the buzz of a Cheltenham Raceday. Thursday is an all-mare race card, so get your girlfriends together and come and experience the April Meeting. With the wide range of bars, from cocktails to champagne, you will find the perfect spot to enjoy your day. For a mid-April day out, there is nothing better than a day soaking up the fabulous atmosphere with pals, whilst enjoying the superb sporting action on the track. Tickets are available from £15. You can book tickets HERE.  Multi-award-winning comedian, and Cheltenham resident, Dom Joly has created an awesome new night in town. Dom’s first Cabaret of Curiosities will take place aton Thursday 3rd April at The Steam and Whistle Pub (opposite Chetenham Spa railway station) and have a late-night chat show vibe with guests, music & comedy. Dom wants to provide a unique, off-beat experience. The idea is to have an evening that incorporates all of Joly’s interests- music, comedy, a bit of culture and a smattering of current affairs. It aims to be a monthly affair, taking place on the first Thursday of every month, and the evenings will be recorded for a podcast of the same name which he promises that it will not be your usual podcast. Joly wants to not only shine a light of local talent in his curiosity show, he has persuaded bands he loves to do unplugged sets and promises a series of top mystery guests that, with the help of the audience, he will interview on stage. These could be musicians, comedians, writers, politicians…anybody who Dom feels might be interesting and are foolish enough to accept his invitation. 2025 is already a huge year with the 25th anniversary of global smash hit Trigger Happy TV, and a tour being announced this week. You can find all the information of the Speakeazy HERE.  Tickets for Gloucester Hartpury's Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) semi-final vs Bristol Bears are now on sale! The two-time defending champions will play in their third consecutive semi-final on Sunday 2nd March, when West Country Rivals, Bristol Bears, come to Queensholm. General admission adult tickets are available for just £20 for seating & £15 for standing, whilst juniors can gain entry for just £10 anywhere in the Stadium for the highly anticipated semi-final fixture. With a bumper crowd expected at the iconic ground, be quick to secure your place now and click here to get your tickets. In other news, Gloucester Hartpury can confirm that Maud Muir has signed a new contract with the Club and has committed her future to The Circus. At just 23, the Red Rose front rower has already made 33 appearances for Gloucester Hartpury and has put pen to paper on a new deal to extend her time with the defending champions. For all information regarding the Gloucester Hartpury v Bristol Bears fixture, please visit www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk.  Lulu, Tom Walker, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lisa Stansfield, David Gray, Roger Daltrey, Curtis Stigers, Macy Gray and Katie Melua are just a few of the names that will descend on Cheltenham Jazz Festival that takes place in the town from Wednesday 30 April – Monday 5 May 2025. Since launching in 1996, Cheltenham Jazz Festival has built a reputation for hosting world class acts spanning jazz, blues, pop, soul and beyond, and will this year present globally celebrated performers. Taking place in the Festival Village in the town’s central Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2025 presents an array of special one-off performances, free events, group workshops, family-orientated shows, late-night jams and more. The Festival is also set to pop-up across the town, incorporating several additional venues including Cheltenham Town Hall, Parabola Arts Centre, Dunkerton's and late-night jazz jams held at Hotel Du Vin. Marking a special milestone as part of Cheltenham Festivals’ 80th anniversary – the charity behind four world renowned Jazz, Literature, Music and Science Festivals and talent and outreach programmes – the Jazz Festival will run across six days with a programme that once again reflects the far-reaching jazz landscape, offering music from a broad spectrum of styles and celebrating sounds from all corners of the globe. You can find all information here - www.cheltenhamfestivals.org  The Big Feastival have today announce their line-up for this year's festival in August. Travis, Nelly Futado, The Wombats, Faithless, Tom Walker and Sophie Ellis-Bextor will all play across the Bank Holiday weekend at Alex James' Farm in Kingham. The Pigeon Detectives, Rizzle Kicks, Maximo Park and Scouting For Girls will also be playing. The festival takes place from the 22nd-24th August 2025. For the full line up, visit bigfeastival.com  Kingham Plough Head Chef Ashleigh Farrand will represent the South West on the new series of the Great British Menu on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Keep your eyes peeled this coming Tuesday 4th February at 8pm. We wish Ashleigh all the very best!  IMAGE VIA THE KINGHAM PLOUGH  IMAGE VIA THE KINGHAM PLOUGH With the Cheltenham Festival just weeks away, Festival Trials on Saturday 25th January is the last chance to catch racing at Cheltenham before the magical four days in March. With a now seven-race card, where every race is a trial for a race at the Cheltenham Festival, it doesn’t get much more exciting, unless it is the Festival itself. The excitement isn’t restricted to the track, with fantastic live performances from The Afterparty and The Cinelli Brothers post racing and the return of the Race. Ride. Cheltenham VR equiciser experience; it is a seamless prelude to the Cheltenham Festival. Last year, Sir Gino put in a massive performance winning the Grade 2 JCB Triumph Hurdle trial, for Nicky Henderson, James Bowen and Mrs J Donnelly. He showed a spine-tingling turn of foot winning by an impressive 10 lengths and is favourite for the Arkle after outclassing Ballyburn at Kempton over Christmas. For us, Festival Trials is one of the best days of the year at Cheltenham with top quality racing and off course entertainment. Click here for all tickets and further info  The entries for the 2025 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup have been announced and include just five horses from UK based yards. Dual winner Galopin Des Champs is one of five Willie Mullins-trained horses entered into the race that takes place at Prestbury Park on Friday 15th March. The entered horses are: Ahoy Senor Banbridge Conflated Corbetts Cross Embassy Gardens Fact To File Galopin Des Champs Gentlemansgame Gerri Colombe Grangeclare West Grey Dawning Hewick Il Est Francais Jungle Boogie L’Homme Presse Minella Cocooner Monty’s Star Royale Pagaille The Real Whacker You can buy Cheltenham festival tickets here.  Former Gloucester Rugby, Wales & British & Irish Lions back, James Hook. will return to Kingsholm at for this week's European Rugby Challenge Cup clash, under the lights against Welsh side, Scarlets. The fan-favourite fly-half will be participating in an exclusive Q&A in the Captain's Lounge with his former teammate, Mark 'Aki' Atkinson, before the big fixture on Friday 10 January. Hook made 78 appearances for the Cherry & Whites between 2014 and 2017. He also represented Ospreys in Wales and Perpignan in France. A versatile player, he won 81 caps for Wales and toured South Africa with the British & Irish Lions in 2009. Book your place in the iconic Captain's Lounge now for a pre-match meal and complimentary bar until kick-off, in addition to hearing from the former Cherry & White. Places are limited, click here to book your spot now.   Regardless of how you celebrated New Year’s Eve, there is no better way to jump into 2025 than racing on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham. Thrilling and high-quality racing action, that is sure to provide Cheltenham Festival insight, fresh air, and amazing free family entertainment. There are seven highly-competitive races on the day with Graded and Listed contests, the racing action will blow away those New Year’s Eve cobwebs. Can you afford to miss out on racing at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day? There is lots of entertainment to enjoy throughout the day for all ages. There is an abundance of live music. Step into the heart of the action at The Guinness Village, to feel the infectious energy of The Mark Walby. As a fantastic day of racing draws to a close, their greatest hits post-racing set promises the perfect way to kick start the new year. If dancing along to feel-good favourites sounds like your cup of tea, head to Tattersalls Sales Arena to see Richard James in between races and for a roof raising post-racing set. Quevega's Bar will play host to Luke Gittins and Ash Smith throughout the afternoon and post racing, its the perfect place to catch up with friends and soak up the good times. For those looking to raise a glass to the start of a new year and a great day's racing, The Champagne Bar offers the perfect backdrop of smooth sax from Benjamin Martin throughout the day. Before racing, you can join Martin Kelly and Aly Vance at 11.35am in the winners’ enclosure for the highly anticipated Preview Show. They will be speaking to racing greats and special guests, previewing the afternoon’s racing, providing exclusive information; insight, entertainment and hopefully some winners! And if you have children to entertain, then the Junior Jumpers Family Fun Zone is just for you, and includes Phil The Elf one-man pantomime, Bluey and Bingo meet and greet at intervals throughout the day, arts and crafts, inflatables + lots more! Under 18s race for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult, please apply for your child's free ticket online. You can get your tickets HERE.    Wychwood Festival announced more bands that will join them in 2025. Shed Seven, Doves, The Lottery Winners, Scouting For Girls, The Magic Numbers and The Zutons are just a few of the bands that will be playing across the weekend on 30th May - 1st June 2025 at Cheltenham Racecourse. The three-day festival has won numerous awards for being the best Family Festival in the UK, and next year looks like it will be the best yet. Day and Weekend tickets are on sale now. wychwoodfestival.com  PHOTO COURTESY OF WYCHWOOD FESTIVAL Get your Christmas celebrations off to a perfect start at Cheltenham Racecourse for a weekend of top-quality racing on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 December. With the festive season about to enter the home straight, The Christmas Meeting brings joy and excitement for all, this two-day meeting is a highlight of the Christmas racing calendar and kick starts the festive sporting season. The Friday boasts a fantastic festive atmosphere with lots of racegoers celebrating their work Christmas parties by enjoying the fantastic racing and superb entertainment. Last year saw Dysart Enos give local trainer Fergal O’Brien some extra Christmas cheer, when she thundered up the hill and hit the finish line in front and Ginny’s Destiny following up on his win at the November Meeting when beating Grey Dawning. Saturday is a Christmas Extravaganza themed family fun with a Santa's Grotto and superb racing action. Embrace and enjoy the Christmas buzz, with Grade 2 action on the track, providing those all-important Cheltenham Festival clues and an abundance of festive treats – it is the ultimate Christmas sporting day out. With Grade 2 and 3 racing action, including some highly competitive Cheltenham Festival trials, including the JCB Triumph Hurdle trial and the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle trial, it is a key race meeting for Cheltenham Festival clues. The December Gold Cup went the way of local trainer Richard Hobson and his charge Fugitif in a nail-biting finish under jockey Gavin Sheehan. Off the track, join Richard James as he returns to Quevega's for an afternoon of feel good favourites and Christmas classics; and experience the magic of the Got2Sing Choir and Hornbrokers brass trio around The Plaza's Christmas Tree. For the younger racegoers, you can make their day at Cheltenham extra special with a magical Christmas pony ride, a visit to Father Christmas in his Grotto and getting stuck into his fun elves' workshop activities! Under 18’s race free, apply for your free children's ticket online. Tickets and further info here - www.thejockeyclub.co.uk 
 While it's cold, wet and miserable outside, you'd be forgiven to be dreaming of singing, drinking and soaking up sunshine next summer. And looking at all of the music announcements coming through, summer 2025 is going to absolutely awesome! FOREST LIVELet's start with Forest Live at Westonbirt Arboretum which boasts six nights of great music from 17th - 22nd June 2025. If you've never been to Forest Live, it's a wonderful concert experience taking place in beautiful natural woodland arenas every summer, with a relaxed atmosphere. 17th June: Snow Patrol 18th June: Sting 19th June: Elbow (+ The Coral and Billie Marten) 20th June: Paul Heaton and special guest singer Rianne Downey ( + Billy Bragg) 21st June: McFly (+ Twin Atlantic and Devon) 22nd June: The Script (+ Tom Walker) www.forestlive.com
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