Gloucestershire in pictures: Pelicans, dancing and spring snaps
This foal appeared to be ready to pose for the camera in this beautiful shot taken in Upton St Leonards. We love the beautiful natural light that our Weather Watcher Tone Poet managed to capture so well.
The University of Gloucestershire has teamed up with National Star, a specialist college for people with physical disabilities, to provide students with opportunities to express themselves fully through dance.Supported by inclusive teaching and learning processes, students spent 10 weeks preparing for the Dance Celebration Evening at the college's Ullenwood campus.
This gold crest was spotted enjoying the spring sunshine at Westonbirt Arboretum.The site has a collection of more than 15,000 trees which attract and provide habitats for a diverse range of wildlife.
Westonbirt is beautiful to visit all year round, but there is something particularly special about what's on offer at this time of year.The site is filled with stunning blossoms of pure whites and blushing pinks and looks particularly peaceful in this image captured on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Anyone posting letters in Up Hatherley, Cheltenham will be sure to have a smile on their face this week thanks to this Easter-themed postbox topper.
Lots of people have been enjoying the sunshine with a visit to Rococo gardens.The picture captured by Emma Brookes Photography shows the Red House, a Grade II listed garden pavilion.
New accessible trails have opened at Beechenhurst in the Forest of Dean. It is part of a project by Forestry England to help people with disabilities, health conditions and access needs to enjoy the forest.
One of the BBC's Weather Watchers, Space Walker, captured this gorgeous shot of Little Witcombe under blue April skies.
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Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Much-loved UK theme park reveals new rainy day guarantee – with free return after bad weather
WASH OUT Much-loved UK theme park reveals new rainy day guarantee – with free return after bad weather Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE WORLD'S top place to take bored kids this summer, which is in the UK, has announced a new rainy day guarantee scheme. Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort has introduced a free return for ticketholders who attend the attraction on a day that rains. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort has introduced a rainy day guarantee Credit: Supplied 4 This means if it rains for more than three hours on the day you visit, you can return for free within seven days Credit: Supplied The new policy means that guests will always have a great visit to the attraction, because if the weather is poor they can return on a day where it is better. The policy will be in place throughout August and it will need to rain for more than three hours on the day of their trip. If this does happen, then guests can return for free within seven days of their original visit date. CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, Amanda Thompson OBE said: "It's important to us that guests have the best time when visiting, and while technically speaking the rain doesn't affect our rides, we wouldn't want the wet weather to dampen anyone's day. "We truly believe that you can have a great time at Pleasure Beach come rain or shine, but we know that everything is extra special when the weather is on side." If a guest wants to use a rainy day return, they should arrive at the same ticket centre on the day of their return visit and display their eTickets, paper tickets or confirmation email to staff. The new option can also be used seven days of the week. Blackpool Pleasure Beach resort was also recently named as one of the best attractions to bust kids being bored. created an index compiling the best attractions to take kids to this summer and the Lancashire-based attraction managed to beat the likes of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando. Overall, it scored 31.3 out of a possible 35 marks. First look at new 'tallest of its kind' ride to open at English seaside theme park The attraction is home to 10 rollercoasters, five 'dark' (indoor) rides, five water rides and 12 Nickelodeon-themed rides. Throughout the year, Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort also hosts a number of shows, including fireworks. Earlier this year, the reimagining of Launch Pad was unveiled, which climbs up to 80 mph and sends riders 210 ft into the air. Banish Boredom Index was made by analysing reviews from over 160 destinations, and the UK dominated the top 20. 4 The attraction has multiple different rollercoasters, rides and shows Credit: Supplied These included the likes of the Tower of London, Ribby Hall Village, and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London all made the list. Some other attractions across the UK offer rainy day guarantees, such as Crealy Adventure Park in Devon. The attraction offers visitors a free return within seven days of their original visit if there is 30 minutes or more of continuous rainfall during their visit. It is worth checking the FAQs or T&Cs of your tickets to an attraction to see if the theme park, adventure park or other destination offers the same guarantee. Use these tips on your next theme park trip Next time you visit a theme park, you may want to use our top tips to make the most of your adrenaline-inducing day out. Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens. Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer - this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest. Download the park's app to track which rides have the shortest queues. Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out "birthday badges" that can get you freebies. If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return. There is also a unique UK theme park with safaris, water park and rides for everyone from toddlers to grandparents. Plus, Disney is set to open a brand new theme park and resort – here's everything we know.
BBC News
14-07-2025
- BBC News
New Forest areas assessed for damage after seven weekend fires
Several areas of a national park are being assessed for damage following weekend the worst incident in the New Forest, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) said crews from Hardley and Beaulieu began tackling a blaze on Exbury Road, Beaulieu, shortly before 22:00 BST on reels and jets, as well as a specialist water carrier vehicle from Eastleigh, were used to extinguish the blaze which affected a 60m by 40m area of England said it was one of seven fire-related incidents in the forest over the weekend, at least two of which were caused by campfires. "The current risk of wildfires is high and everyone visiting can help to protect the forest."We are reviewing the affected areas to assess the level of damage. "We would like to thank the fire service for attending the incidents so quickly and making the areas safe," it added. The site at Beaulieu is still being monitored and the cause is being use of barbecues and the lighting of campfires in the New Forest is prohibited under Public Space Protection Orders introduced in England also urged people to discard any cigarettes, glass bottles and other litter safely to reduced the risk of wildfires following the hot, dry weather conditions. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- BBC News
How is climate change affecting Gloucestershire?
Gloucestershire is the driest county in the West, with less rainfall then Wiltshire, Somerset and Bristol, Met Office statistics a particularly dry spring followed by a hot June has resulted in challenges for the county's agriculture and follows a wet winter, which caused farmers to lose thousands of pounds in crop Short, professor of environmental governance at the University of Gloucestershire, said that, due to the effects of climate change, he was predicting unpredictability in the county and beyond. Here we take a look at examples of how farms, rivers and vineyards are faring in Gloucestershire. Crop failure An incredibly wet period in autumn meant all the wheat crops that were sown at Blackhouse Farm in Newent were wiped Lowe, whose family have owned the farm since the 1950s, had to start again, opting instead to grow maize for animal process cost him £30,000. "We came to the spring with practically no crops established," Mr Lowe said. "It is becoming more tricky, all farmers feel they are slaves to mother nature – and you've got to work with mother nature, not fight her, because she will win every time," Mr Lowe farm has a water gauge that shows it has had only two spells of rain since the start of April, both about 0.4in to 0.6in (10mm to 15mm)."We have to tailor our cropping depending on what situation arises, for example, we've ended up planting maize because it was the last option we had," he said. Low rivers Those monitoring the River Churn, a tributary of the Thames, have measured 10 million litres of water flowing every this time of year, the flow rate should be double that number, experts say."We've effectively had the driest spring on record for the Churn catchment and large parts of the Cotswolds," said hydrogeologist Dr Mike river is lower than it was in 2022, which was the last time the area experienced a significant dry spell and heatwave, Dr Jones added: "Ultimately later on in the year we ended up in a declared drought with temporary use bans. "I don't want to give an alarmist view but that's the sort of situation we are in today on the Churn." Dr Jones is also a member of the group Friends of the Gumstool Brook, an offshoot of the group has been trying to improve river flow into the stream, but given that the Churn in Cirencester has been recorded to have its "lowest and slowest flow this early in the year", it has been a difficult Office statistics show that from April to June 2022, 4.8in (123mm) of rain fell in Gloucestershire – and only 3.1in (79mm) fell in the same period this year. Boost for vineyards Vineyards in Gloucestershire have had a particularly good year, with the dry weather and long sunny days helping bring the grapes on follows one of the poorest years last year with lots of rain – which was "disastrous" for the crop, said Martin Fowke, of Three Choirs Vineyard."We are flowering at the moment which is two weeks earlier than we would expect to be and that gives us a longer growing season and the opportunity for more ripeness," he said. Mr Fowke said he believed this year was drier than 2018, which was the most recent comparable to trade body WineGB, there are now 4,209 hectares of vineyards in the UK, with English wine said to contribute several billion pounds in economic activity annually. Proposed solutions So how do we change our environment in order to cope with the new weather patterns brought about by climate change?Professor Chris Short, from the University of Gloucestershire, regularly speaks to farmers about the measures they can put in place to cope with higher temperatures in the summer and heavier rainfall in the said: "The key thing they [farmers] are recognising is the one thing they can manage is their soil."They need their soil to be as healthy as possible so it can retain moisture for longer." Professor Short has been looking at increasing soil health by diversifying crops, meaning a number of different crops are planted in the same field. This not only makes soil healthier but gives farmers options should a crop has also been research looking at shading crops under more trees is an approach that has been suggested for urban areas too, although Professor Short said much more may need to be done besides."We have so much hard surface in our cities, if you have those very localised, very heavy rainfall events, whatever system you have in place isn't going to sustain that," he professor proposes use of green walls, green roofs and permeable surfaces to slow rain water down and reduce flash flooding."Several people have commented maybe this is the new norm: we can predict it's going to become unpredictable," he said.
