91Èȱ¬

On Wednesday's show we are looking at the latest research into the importance of breast cancer screening. I'll be speaking to local women about their experiences and we will discus the latest findings.

Some leading cancer doctors have questioned its value and a series of papers have claimed it's ineffective. If you have a strong opinion, either way regarding screening, please share your thoughts.

Updated Wednesday morning

We had a powerful response to this morning's programme on breast cancer. New research published today appears to support the case for screening. It concludes that for every woman who receives unnecessary treatment, two lives are saved.

Here are just a few of the comments.

Charlie Chan, a cancer surgeon at Cheltenham General Hospital welcomed the findings but didn't agree the age limit of 50 should be lowered for automatic screenings.

Joyce in Churchdown wanted to know why they don't screen over 70s?

Jane from Huntly is adopted and wanted to know what you do if you don't know your family history.

Cynthia in Cheltenham wanted to thank surgeon Chan who in her eyes "gave me 8 more years of life" . She had a mastectomy and thinks every woman in her 50s and 60s should have a screening.

We've had some great stories this week about the stars that came to Gloucestershire in the late 60s and early 70s.

This morning our night club impresario Chas Phipps delighted us with tales of Bob Monkhouse, Norman Wisdom, Dave Allen and Eartha Kitt at Witcombe Lodge near Brockworth..

Taxi driver Pam called in to share the story of taking a peckish Eartha Kitt to Ruddys fish and chip shop in Hucclecote!

Gail from the Forest remembers The Irving Club in Cheltenham, Cliff Richard was a regular there... Dave remembers the Albany on the Landsdown road... Peter in Churcham loved Snobs in Gloucester... Nick remembers the Plough Hotel in Cheltenham but can't remember the name of the club upstairs.

If you can add your memories and fill in some of the blanks please get in touch. More treats on the show this Wednesday.

On Monday's Breakfast Show we will take you back to a magical era. Chas Phipps was the man who introduced the first nightclub to the county. He will guide us back to that time with a celebrity packed radio series.

Val Doonican, Les Dawson, Bob Monkhouse and many other stars rolled into town. Do you remember the Dolphin club on Worcester Street or nights spent at Witcombe Lodge?

We will transport you back to the 60's and 70's. If you have any memories of meeting the stars please add your comments.

Nightclub update... Monday morning.

We had some great calls today adding wonderful colour to our night clubbing adventure. Barbara phoned to say she had her first kiss at the Dolphin club, in Gloucester, Christmas 1964. She was listening to the show today with the very same man she'd smooched with all those years ago!

The Gloucester rugby team often used the club after matches. Former number eight Harold Symonds phoned up with a few recollections of post match frivolity.

We will have more on Tuesday's show when we move to our next location at Witcombe Lodge. Already the anecdotes about Dave Allen, "Diddy" David Hamilton, Bob Monkhouse and many more have started to flood in.

Friday always sees a "co host" joining me in the studio. They add a touch of fun and / or insight to the proceedings.

This week's co host was Chris Evans who is a well known charity fundraiser and local personality. His passion is the
where children & students with learning difficulties can learn through acquiring gardening & land skills.

The extra tax on cider left a bitter taste for many listeners to the show. This could have a massive impact on the industry in the County. Many people called in with their favourite Gloucestershire brew.

Steve told me the County Arms in Gloucester was the real cider drinker's pub. He favours Golden Dawn, Shirley from Stonehouse can't resist a pint of Thatchers, and Dave from Tetbury loved Weston's Farm House Rough. He described it as a green cloudy liquid that certainly did the trick!

Let's celebrate our local cider producers. Past or present, share with me your favourite local "apple juice" .

Taking about cider prompted memories of a man who could always find a supply of the hard stuff. Jasper was a water bailiff and one the River Severn's great characters.

I was told he would have two pints at 0400, do his rounds, and then be back for another two pints with bacon and eggs for breakfast! If you remember the man and have a story to tell or a picture to share please entertain us with your memories.

I spent five hours in my garden hidden in a bush trying to record the sound of Oliver. He's my owl who hoots during the day but nobody believes me! Today I spoke to the world's finest bird impersonator Tony Durant. It's a rare skill used in the past by game keepers. He's taught me a very impressive owl technique to temp Oliver into a lunchtime chat.

I shall let you know how I get on. By the way, for my own sanity do you have a noisy owl? If they hoot during the day yes please leave a message and save me a trip to the psychiatrist.

This morning electric dog "shock" collars have been banned in Wales. They remain legal in England but provoke huge anger. On the show this morning we had dog trainers, dog lovers and even the ghost of Barbara Woodhouse turned up!

Dog expert Helen from Arlingham thought in exceptional circumstances they had a benefit. Paul in Cirencester thought if you need to use such a device you don't deserve to own a dog. Dave in Cam claimed owners who don't pick up their dog mess should be forced to wear a collar themselves!

Whilst you gaze at my rescue Lurcher please let me know what you think and we'll feature your views on future programmes.

Confusion in Bishops Cleeve this morning as our new system of rubbish collection descends into farce. An apologetic councillor came on to explain how a sudden rush of colour blindness has led to red faces... or should that be blue... or green. A leaflet listing collection dates has got the coloured bin information the wrong way round. There is a hasty reprint going on although I'm not sure in which bin the incorrect leaflet should be placed.

Andy from Hardwick is the one to blame. He's the one who started lawnmowing the other weekend and now the rest of us will be ordered to start. He phoned in to confess and asked for my advice on how to start a wildlife pond. I built one many years ago and it's still my pride and joy.

I've offered to be his tutor - and you too can add your hints and tips for the perfect wildlife habitat. Please email me your springtime photos of your watery heaven.

Dishevelled, hungover and happy sums up my guests this morning. The landlord of the Hollow Bottom in Temple Guiting, who had been , joined me just after 0700. Then Nigel Twiston-Davies' business partner Carl Llewellyn spluttered into life from the yard at 0800. A great effort from both who had certainly made the most of an historic Gloucestershire victory! To cap a perfect weekend a certain advertising sign seems to have made its departure from an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty above Cheltenham Racecourse!

Coach Brian Redpath fronted up as well this morning to talk about another defeat in a final for Gloucester. However he did which proved quite a challenge for a resident poet Peter Wyton who had three minutes to write a ditty about the giant winger. The breakfast bard didn't let us down...

"Lesley Vainikolo likes a Rollo, he's partial to Mars bars too. He eats them in bed or in front of the shed, and he's cherry and white through and through."

What an end to a fantastic Cheltenham Festival week - with Imperial Commander a local winner of the Gold Cup.

The 7-1 shot, ridden by Paddy Brennan, pulled clear with 2008 winner Denman seven lengths behind.

Congratulations to Paddy Brennan and trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies for their first Gold Cup victory.

Is this an example of clever Irish opportunism or the sacrilege of a classic Cotswold view?

It's 270 feet long, 50 metres high, it needed 60 men to build it, and it's taller and bigger than the Hollywood sign. So what do you think about the Irish bookmaker's sign on Cleeve Hill?

We spent Wednesday morning at the foot of the P for Paddy and received a mixed reaction. One Cleeve resident wants a reduction in her council tax. Another thinks it's an outrage and wonders what will happen next if others follow suit.

However the charming Paddy Power assured me it would come down at the end of the week... but later on he said he wanted to leave it up as a permanent structure!

Today's show included Tewkesbury Borough Council who stated quite clearly that the "temporary" structure had to come down... and any "permanent" planning structure would require full planning permission. That would be very hard to get!

Have you got a great story of the things you have got up whilst sleepwalking?

Our sleep week continued today with the science of sleepwalking. We had tales of people changing car tyres, wandering into the next door house and watering the roses all in their sleep.

My favourite tale came from Joyce on Crickley Hill who told me her Aunty Kitty used to be a cook in a "big house" and one night slept her way through cooking a roast lamb! She then went back to bed claiming the lamb was perfect - just ready 10 hours too early. If you have any classic sleepwalking stories add your comments.

By the way we've also asked for confessions of the places where you have fallen asleep. Our favourites include watching Cheltenham Town at a play off final at Wembley, during root canal work, on guard duty, in the crowd on centre court at Wimbledon and - my favourite - whilst walking the Cotswold Way!

We've managed to get our hands on the very cheese that was to be rolled down Coopers Hill this year. Rumours abound that last ditch efforts are being made to keep the event open. However, if that doesn't happen let me know what you think we could do with our wheel of cheese for the good of the county. Initial ideas include rolling it down a different hill every day in the week leading up to the late Bank Holiday Weekend.

It's a magical week to be in Gloucestershire and every morning you can wake up to our sports bulletins live from Prestbury Park with the colour and atmosphere as the racecourse blinks into life. The top names from the sport will be with us every day plus the "Wicked Whispers" from our team of celebrity spotters.

The hidden side of the town is also exposed as we reveal the full extent of the sex trade in Cheltenham. This morning we heard the shocking story of one woman's account of being "trafficked" into the sex industry in the county and of being trapped for 3 years. A 3 month investigation by 91Èȱ¬ Radio Gloucestershire has revealed a side to Gloucestershire many might be shocked at. Later this week we will hear a compelling interview with a local man who uses the services of prostitutes and his reasons why.

Wow, what a morning! How do you host a radio show with a co-presenter like Fiona Fullerton? The former actress turned property expert joined the fun to talk about the Kempsford Literary Festival - and she invited along some of the famous names who will be appearing this weekend. The highlight for me was the author of the brilliant "House of Cards", Michael Dobbs.

Fiona had a great time delving into the topics of the day - including the cancellation of the cheese rolling, and elderly people given more powers to help decide how money is spent on them when choosing the care they need. I clung on for dear life trying to eradicate the image of her in a jacuzzi with Roger Moore, and hoping I hadn't overdone the heady cocktail of Brut, Old Spice and Hai Karate!

I couldn't believe it when I got the a message through at 0800 telling me the . Insurance issues appear to be causing problems for the event that has now outgrown its traditional site. 15,000 people turned up last year and - as it's a free event - it's hard to judge how many people will show up this year.

There may be a legitimate issue of volume of cars, people etc and knock-on insurance questions, but this is without doubt a big blow to the late May Bank Holiday where we've already lost the Gloucester Tall Ships Festival.

Let's hope we hang onto Woolsack racing and shin kicking. Your thoughts on this, please - and any other reasons they might find to cancel any of our other treasured events are welcome... just click on "comments".

It felt like "World Irony Day" was upon us this morning. A 91Èȱ¬ investigation has found that Moreton Fire College, which trains firefighters from all over the UK, hadn't complied with fire safety laws when part of its own premises burnt down last year! It cost £1m when the appliance bay went up in flames devouring 11 fire engines.

It will be filed along with other classic stories such as the AA patrol van that broke down and had to be rescued by the RAC, the police chief at the forefront of combatting speeding who admitted to twice being caught out by roadside cameras - and finally the inventor of the Atkins diet who was found to be obese when he died.

Will any work get done today? was launched across the UK this morning and for the first time we can see what other people's homes look like.

We looked at the pros and cons: fears on privacy were raised, but the majority loved the idea. Wedding photographers can size up a venue, older folk can look at the street they grew up on even if they live hundreds of miles away - and it makes house hunting a breeze.

You can debate this one until you're blue in the face - but the one thing I learned from the show this morning is that we're all fundamentally nosey, and not a jot of work will get done in offices around Gloucestershire today. I'm off to log on and show off my shed collection to our head of News!

Here is what I learned last night when I took my life in my hands and submitted myself to the ladies of the Kingswood Abbey Women's Institute.

is a mile south of Wotton Under Edge but is in the Cotswold District, the name comes from the Old English cyning-wudu and describes "the King's wood". This area used to be part of Wiltshire, half the audience live in houses converted frorm old pubs due to the area's ale house history, they make a mean lemon drizzle cake and at last month's get together they were entertained by a belly dancer from Charfield!

Christine Bleakley might be water skiing across the Channel for Sport Relief, but on today's show we had a man from the Forest who could teach her a thing or two.

Chas Phipps - nicknamed the Severn King - was the first man to ski the bore, and the first and probably the last man to ski non-stop from Lydney to Gloucester, and later to ski 100 miles on the Severn and Wye estuaries eventually to end up in Gloucester.

Chas certainly gets around. He also opened the first nightclub in Gloucester on Worcester Street called the Dolphin, and then moved onto running Witcome Lodge.

We had lots of memories about the stars who appeared at these venues and would love to hear from you about the nightspots of the 60s and 70s for a series we are running in a couple of weeks' time.

Do you remember Chas Phipps? Were you there when Val Doonican opened the Dolphin, or Bob Monkhouse played Witcombe Lodge?

A 50/50 response this morning to the news dog owners might have to pay third party insurance for their pooches.

Here's a selection of today's comments. Jill texted:

"Anything that poses a danger to innocent people should need insurance cover including dogs, mobility scooters etc."

Dave emailed:

"Do you really think the people who let their dogs run wild will really bother with insurance?"

Jan from North Nibley made the point that if you are a member of the Dog's Trust you get third party insurance.

So what do you think about this one? Let me know your thoughts. And whilst we're talking about control over dogs, if anyone can offer any advice for me on how to get an over-excited lurcher puppy to come back to me when she's being too playful with another dog - please help!

Shock news in this morning that there are now 18 supermarkets within a two mile radius of Cheltenham town centre. The nice man from the British Retail Consortium revealed that, across the UK, there is now one big supermarket for every 10,000 of us... so probably room for a few more so long as we keep going and shopping.

His view is obviously shared by Asda who want to build a new store in Cheltenham - and Tesco who want to increase the size of the Quedgeley store by 50%.

Whisper it quietly, but did we get the first real hint of Spring yesterday? I took my family and new lurcher puppy for a wander around the Cotswold Water Park in the brilliant sunshine and couldn't believe how many people there were out sunning themselves around the lake.

There was a collective sense of joy as if we were all celebrating the end of Winter. I spotted one family actually having a barbecue on the beach! We had many calls from people this morning who had stepped out blinking into the sunlight ranging from a lazy walk around Symond's Yat to 5 hour dog walks at Weston Super Mare!

If Spring sprung for you yesterday let me know what you did and where you went - and if you have any pictures, please delight me with an email.