A police helicopter has been spotted circling the skies above Stonehouse The helicopter was scrambled after concerns were raised for a vulnerable man who had been reported missing from Gloucester on Saturday Officers are now pleased to update that missing man Jan has now been found The 28-year-old was located in Stonehouse and is now receiving the appropriate support A police spokesperson said: “Thank you to everyone who called in with sightings of Jan shared our appeal or submitted information on his whereabouts.” To contact the Stroud Times team, please visit our contact page to find the appropriate email address or send us your story via email on news@stroudtimes.com Website built and managed by Hewlett Photography & Design What’s on in Stroud this week: 5 – 11 May gardens and countryside are bursting back into life and we are blessed with a bank holiday Monday The result is clusters of exciting events at each end of the week with a plant swap and VE day celebrations in Coaley and Uley on Monday and weekend springtime celebrations including the Randwick Wap Horsley Open Gardens and Stroud Arts Festival.  Plus a continuing exhibition at the Chapels of Rest in Stroud Cemetery and a festival of Ukranian culture in Gloucester.  Find out more in our regular look at things coming up in Stroud and the wider district. To suggest an event for inclusion, use this form the village produce show’s plant swap & trail sees residents host stalls of reasonably-priced plants at locations around the village It usually leads to a pleasant rural wander amassing seedlings for planting out in the garden with tea and cakes from Coaley WI at the village hall Uley villagers mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a special celebration featuring a blessing of the memorial trees a memorabilia exhibition and a bar and food trucks Plus a special award for the attendee in the best 1940s dress.  Randwick’s ancient spring festival returns for another year with the newly-elected Wap Queen and Mayor cried in at the war memorial before being processed to the well in ordee to be anointed and sung at it’s off for a traditional rolling of the bless-ed cheese by the church This free collaborative show by artist Matthew Robert Hughes and floral designer Emma Thistlethwaite is the first exhibition to take place at the Chapels of Rest since the Stroud Preservation Trust signed a seven year lease in February 2025 The centrepiece of the exhibition is a diorama of a haunted garden where ceramic ghosts walk among living flowers evoking memory Horsley’s annual open gardens event sees 17 gardens around the village open to the public Open gardens HQ is at St Martin’s Church Tickets are £7.50 and are valid for both days Stroud’s two-day spring festival has been taking place since 1946 Highlights this year include Autin Dance Theatre’s Out of the Deep Blue explore the town centre during Saturday’s farmers market As part of a new commission on show at the SVA’s John St Gallery Stroud artist Dan Guthrie continues his exploration of the clock on Blackboy House in Castle Street The clock was originally assembled by a local watchmaker in 1774 before being relocated to the front of the former schoolhouse in 1844 Gloucester Ukraine Festival returns to the Folk of Gloucester #for a second year with two weeks of Ukranian cultural offerings continuing until 18 May Expect a range of activities and performances from Ukrainian and British artists For a full month of art, music, theatre, literature, film and comedy events, pick up a copy of Stroud’s popular listings magazine, Good on Paper Gloucestershire County Council elections and Stroud District Council by-election – Polling Cards Electors do not need their poll card to vote in Thursday's elections and if you are unsure on where their polling station is or call us if there are any issues on polling day Please remember to bring your photo ID to the polling station Find your polling station online or call us if you need to know more - all the details are here: https://www.stroud.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections/voting-options/ Police are asking for the public’s help to keep 999 lines clear for genuine emergencies The request comes following a significant rise in the number of non-urgent 999 calls received in the Force Control Room over the last 24 hours Call handlers took 256 999 calls yesterday (Sunday 4 May) and while most of the calls were to report genuine emergencies numerous people rang to report inappropriate matters.  a member of the public called to report that they had found some spilt coffee in their kitchen and during another call someone reported that a man had been rude to staff at a car wash Chief Inspector Paul Cruise said: “All calls are important to us and we don’t want to discourage people from calling 999 when there is a genuine emergency however we are still getting a large number of calls to our emergency line about non-urgent matters.   they delay our response in getting to people who may urgently need our help and may potentially put lives at risk “We are urging people to only call 999 if they have a genuine emergency so we can get to those in desperate need as quickly and effectively as possible.  please use our online reporting form or dial 101 Our call handlers may be dealing with genuine emergency calls and there may be a short wait while your call is answered however the average time it took us to answer 101 calls yesterday was under one minute.” The teams in our control room are the same team that answer both 999 and 101 calls so it is important that calls are made to the right phone line If you need to report something that’s already happened we introduced a new call back service to our 101 phone line we will give you the option for a call back This means that your call will end and we will call you back when our phone lines are less busy Please consider using our call back feature if our 101 lines are busy These are the only reasons that you should ever call 999 for a police response don’t hang up – stay on the line to let us know that you didn’t mean to call and that you’re safe We prioritise silent 999 calls in the same way as any other 999 call as it could be from someone who needs help but is unable to talk our call handlers will spend valuable time trying to call you back to check if you’re okay you’ll be able to quickly tell us that we’re not needed which means we can then continue to respond to other emergencies we use a language line service so a translator can speak to the operator on your behalf British Sign Language (BSL) users please use our video relay service where an interpreter will help you report the crime to us The Green Party is celebrating yesterday’s Gloucestershire County Council results The party has more than doubled to nine (from the previous four) following the elections on May 1st said: “These fabulous results are a sign of increasing disillusionment with the two main parties and a growing interest in the Green ethos of social and environmental justice and hard-working local activism The Greens offer real hope and real change and that’s a message that resonated with the electorate She added: “With this larger Green group we will have greater influence on decision making in our own right.” Re-elected County Councillor for Minchinhampton said: “We are absolutely delighted to get so many of our target candidates elected and to hit our target of doubling the size of the Green group on GCC “We have taken three seats from Labour as well as the new seat of Haresfield and Upton St Chloe Turner added: “The icing on the cake was the election of Cate James-Hodges to the Stroud Central seat of Stroud Central on Stroud District Council and her election this year is testament to the voters of Stroud wanting a dynamic Beki Hoyland (Forest of Dean: Blakeney and Bream) Gary Luff (Stroud: Bisley & Painswick) Natalie Rothwell-Warn (Stroud: Stroud Central) John Patient (Stroud: Haresfield & Upton) Ian Alexander Cameron (Prestbury and Swindon Village) Cate James Hodges (Stroud: Stroud Central Stroud District Council by-election) It’s a double triumph for the Carpenters Arms at Westrip—and a double triumph for the third year running The pub is not just Stroud CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year but has prevailed in the next round to be crowned Gloucestershire CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year again winning against such formidable cider strongholds as the Pelican (Cirencester and Forest of Dean did not nominate a pub) with a framed certificate as our Cider Pub of the Year for 2025 on a cool overcast Sunday in April Sammy reciprocated by bringing out a large tray of cider samples for those taking part in the photos Sammy has had the area over the bar repainted (including the new CAMRA logo) reflecting her current award status though a further win may jeopardise the integrity of this artwork Aside from (officially) the best range of cider in Gloucestershire for those who preferred other libations there were three real ales and all the usual sedative-hypnotics behind the double-sided bar that serves both the lounge and the public bar The musical backdrop to proceedings was provided by the Wurzels and in particular their track which reached number three in the charts in September 1976 was there in recognition of the pub being crowned Gloucestershire CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year Jim Hill from Dursley CAMRA showed his enthusiasm for the pub by tunnelling under the wall from Dursley The Carpenters is a whitewashed stone-built pub right at the north-western edge of the Cashes Green conurbation It is located on a steep hillside with spectacular and panoramic views over Stroud from Rodborough Fort to the Bear Hotel at Amberley and across to Selsley and all along the valley towards the River Severn Sammy bought the pub in 2019 and has proved a hands-on There’s always something going on at the ‘Carps’ which was once closed and risked being lost to a residential conversion after being declared unviable by so-called ‘industry specialists’ Previously the pub was owned by Punch Taverns with landlord Steve Poulter as their tenant for many years It was subject to an unsuccessful application by Pubmaster (now part of Punch) for planning permission for conversion to residential in 1997 This was refused by Stroud District Council the appeal was rejected and the pub was saved from closure The Carpenters Arms was advertised for sale as an ‘ideal lifestyle purchase [that] would also appeal to purchasers looking to open on restricted hours and benefit from three-bedroom private accommodation in a desirable residential area’ Neon Homes bought the pub and built two houses on part of the car park It was eventually advertised as for sale freehold at £300,000 or to let on a free-of-tie lease The Carps now goes into the next round for the Gloucestershire area award and is up against the Cross House Tavern The winner of this round goes up against the best that Herefordshire Oxfordshire and Worcestershire have to offer until one pub out of a shortlist of four is crowned national CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year Which just goes to show that it’s not all bad news on the pub front and that a village local in a peripheral location at the edge of an urban area energetic and enterprising publican can triumph against the odds over property speculators intent on converting any pubs they get their greedy hands on to residential in order to achieve a higher return That’s surely worth raising a glass (of cider) to Families in Minchinhampton have a new reason to celebrate as The Bulwarks Playground at The Glebe has officially reopened following a £50,000 refurbishment project The project involved replacing and improving play equipment to enhance the space for children and families across the local community Minchinhampton Parish Council deputy clerk told Stroud Times: “We’re thrilled to see The Bulwarks Playground open again and ready to welcome children back “This investment reflects our commitment to providing safe and accessible facilities for families in Minchinhampton.” The refreshed playground now features updated structures designed to encourage active play and creativity The project was funded by the Parish Council and forms part of an ongoing effort to improve public amenities across the area bringing an end to nearly six years of conflict in Europe VE Day is a time for reflection and gratitude honouring the bravery and sacrifices of those who fought for freedom and peace This year celebrations will take place over the three days leading up to May 8th A national programme of events includes a military procession and flypast on Monday 4 May and a remembrance service at Westminster Abbey on Thursday 8 May with local events taking place in communities throughout the Stroud district Here are some of the ways you can get involved in celebrating VE Day: Find out about events taking place in your community - Further details and more events can be found on the VE Day website: VE Day 80 - Join the party in a shared moment of celebration! Bake the official WI VE Day orange and ginger cake - Created by Great British Bake Off 2014 winner Nancy Birtwhistle using a traditional method which would have been used by women in WWII Celebration+Cake+page+v05.pdf Organise a street party - Why not share your orange and ginger cake with your neighbours at a street party? Follow the guidance to help organise a party here Your guide to organising a street party - GOV.UK Stock up on VE Day merchandise including bunting, paper cups, flags and clothing at  Shop - VE Day 80 Learn about local history - Stroud's The Museum in the Park is showcasing a two-part collections display to commemorate the anniversary of the end of World War Two Service and Friendship will be in the foyer while Stroud’s War: The Civil Defence of Area Eight will tell the story of Stroud on the Home Front Upload a V for Victory selfie - Send a photo of yourself making a victory sign to become part of a national #VEHAPPY digital mosaic placed over an iconic image of Winston Churchill. Find out more at VEHAPPY - VE Day 80 Share your Second World War history - Letters to Loved Ones is a project that invites people to share Second World War stories, family histories and messages of remembrance on social media. More details available here: Letters to Loved Ones – VE Day and VJ Day 80 Visit your local war memorial - Pay tribute to those that served by visiting a war memorial in your community. You can use the Imperial War Museum’s register to learn more about your local war memorial War Memorials Register | Imperial War Museums Stroud District Council is responsible for the upkeep of the war memorial in Stroud’s Park Gardens and arranged for its renovation in 2024 which is maintained by Stroud Town Council was given to the town by Sidney B Park in memory of his son Herbert Sidney Park who was killed in the First World War Learn more about VE Day - The Royal British Legion has produced resources to support people to learn about how, why and how we remember. Find more details here: Resources to help you mark VE and VJ Day Grow your own - Schools can learn about history, healthy eating and gardening by creating a giant `V for Victory’ out of fruit and veg – either as a physical model, artwork or digital collage. Register your school at https://ve80.com/victoryveg/ Find out more information about VE Day on the official website - VE Day 80 - Join the party in a shared moment of celebration! Stroud and District Trades Council held their May Day Rally in Bank Gardens Trades Council media officer Andy Woolley told Stroud Times: “This is our second year running and it’s slightly bigger and we’re hoping to grow it in future years “What we’re trying to do is to celebrate what trade unions do and bring it to the attention of people in in Stroud and to talk about people who are having difficulty at work “We’ve had speakers here from the phlebotomists and teachers people talking about the problems at their workplaces We opened it up to a number of community groups who are speaking as well.” Amongst the speakers were Caroline Hayhurst one of the phlebotomists from UNISON who are on strike in Gloucester hospitals a teacher member of the National Education Union who was a delegate to the recent annual conference Rachel Beaney the Regional Secretary of PCS union local historian Stuart Butler who is the organiser of the forthcoming Stroud Chartist Festival Robin Layfield representing Stroud Palestine Solidarity Campaign one of the UNITE bin workers on strike in Birmingham Ian Trehearne from the Communication Workers Union Steve Hunter representing Unite Retired Members Ben Histon a Unite Representative from Walls factory in Gloucester and a representative of Stroud Against Racism spoke about ‘the need to learn the lessons of this week’s vote and returning to our Labour roots.’ He also highlighted the need to improve living standards; tackle poverty and inequality; protect employment rights; act on climate change and focus on community and including trades union banners and flags did two laps of the town centre before returning to the park “The idea of the procession is to both entertain people and to tell them about May Day We’ve handed out leaflets beforehand to explain why we do it and we hope it’ll show people a very positive side of trade unions,” added Mr Woolley The deadline is fast approaching to join the Spring round of Stroud Funding Stroud District Council’s crowdfunding campaign Local groups have until 7 May to prepare their projects before starting crowdfunding in Mid-May with a chance to apply for a share of £135,000 from the council to enhance their communities aims to support local groups such as schools community organisations and parish and town councils in raising funds for community improvement projects The funding can cover entire projects or parts of them or projects that are already partially funded through other sources Stroud District Council has allocated £135,000 to pledge towards projects launching in Spring and Autumn 2025 Those that align with council priorities -  such as addressing environment and climate change or building community resilience and wellbeing - and demonstrate community support could receive up to £10,000 to a maximum of 50% of their funding target from the council’s fund all 17 projects achieved their funding goals collectively raising £254,034 from 1,865 pledges from local people Stroud District Council and other organisations These funds are now supporting a variety of projects including free art classes for people with memory problems and dementia boxing classes to reduce anti-social behaviour and an interactive history trail in Minchinhampton Community crowdfunding is an innovative way to finance ideas that improve local areas People can pledge money towards the cost of projects that appeal to them via an online community fundraising platform managed by Spacehive a platform dedicated to community fundraising used by local authorities across the UK No fundraising experience is necessary - 65% of Spacehive creators are starting a community project for the first time Spacehive assists project creators with online workshops providing advice on everything from project costs to campaign promotion For more information on how to register a community project, visit the Spacehive microsite: www.spacehive.com/movement/stroud Groups that are not ready to start fundraising in May can join the Autumn round which opens for registration in June Stroud Funding is not a match-funding scheme and not every project will receive the maximum pledge The first Stratford Park Music in the Park event of 2025 will take place tomorrow free events feature a variety of bands performing from 2- 4pm every Sunday from May to September in the park’s Victorian style bandstand Visitors can enjoy a variety of music styles from award-winning brass bands to jazz and steel bands and people are encouraged to bring a picnic and blanket to enjoy the beautiful 56-acre park Refreshments will be available from Stratford Perk café in Active Lifestyles Stroud and the Museum in the Park The park in Stroud hosts other events including a miniature railway on the fourth Sunday of the month (April to October) Stroud Show and a weekly 5km parkrun every Saturday morning two recently refurbished children’s play areas with accessible equipment The park is home to the free-to-enter Museum in the Park which tells the fascinating story of the Stroud district’s rich and diverse history through 4,000 objects on display The Active Lifestyles Stroud leisure centre offers an indoor pool During the summer months visitors can also enjoy the outdoor lido Bands will perform in the bandstand from 2 – 4pm:  What’s on in Stroud this week: 28 April – 4 May The result is Stroud at its seasonal best with May Day at the top of Painswick Beacon beer festivals at the Prince Albert in Rodborough and the Hog in Horsley and a special bank holiday weekend event at Woodchester Mansion Plus music at the Sub Rooms from Sam Lee as part of the NeoAncients Festival an exhibition of rugs at Ruskin Mill and jazz on the patio at Burleigh Court hotel Set the alarm clock for an ungodly hour and make your way up to Painswick Beacon to watch three local Morris Dancing sides bring in the season Gloucestershire Morris and Tattered Court should emerge from the half light around dawn for a hop Listen out for bells to help you locate them and nightingale-listener Sam Lee comes to the Sub Rooms for one night only as the opening night of this weekend’s NeoAncients Festival Expect an exploration of music from Lee’s critically-acclaimed fourth studio album Songdreaming and also hopefully plenty more from the first few Head to the best pub at the top of a fairly steep hill in Stroud for a bank holiday celebration with beer cider and perry flowing in the yard from Thursday to Monday Ragstone and Pebble Daisy on Sunday and the Bagelites on Monday Join the Woodchester Mansion team and Steampunks of Gloucestershire for a special sort of May Day weekend event cheese rolling and hobby horse show jumping Plus craft stalls and reduced-priced entry to the mansion itself.  Horsley’s biggest beer festival returns for its spring celebration live music every day and a range of activities from facepainting to cigar box guitar building Burleigh Court hotel’s Sunday Jazz Lunches return for the summer with live jazz performances from talented local musicians We are promised a seasonal Sunday lunch menu expertly prepared by Burleigh Court’s on-site chefs with fresh kitchen garden vegetables and indulgent desserts Stroudie rug maker Jessie James – aka Studio Tuft – brings a special exhibition of her hand tufted rugs to the gallery at Ruskin Mill Expect plenty of vibrant rugs created in James’ custom-built studio at the end of her garden in Stonehouse If you’re looking for a fully immersive May Day experience Glastonbury goes all out with celebrations throughout the day to mark Beltane The day begins before dawn atop Glastonbury Tor and continues into the afternoon with dancing drumming and the celebration of the May Queen