91Èȱ¬

The first of our festive photos features brave dry stone waller Mike. He's been creating a wall near Tetbury with his colleague Paul.

They've been handling the rocks in all the recent cold weather. If anyone deserves a warming fire - they do !

If you have a suitably festive scene for featuring on the blog in the next month then just email it to cummings@bbc.co.uk

It's been a little nippy getting up at 3:45am this week!

And Sunday was the , according to our weather warden Ian Thomas.

Some snow is expected but it doesn't look as though we will have the drama that they are getting "up north". Make sure you join me for a full weather forecast every morning at 7:10 and 8:10. Keep the wintry photos coming...cummings@bbc.co.uk

Were you in the Shed this Saturday for the Gloucester versus Saracens game?

I took some calls on this Monday's show regarding the behaviour of some of the opposition fans. Rather than being seated in the corner of the "Buildbase" Stand, around 50 people stood in the Shed.

According to the fans who called in this morning they were generally very noisy... singing songs more associated with a football ground... and brought a big flag with them which was taken off them at some point in the proceedings.
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Posters on Shedweb have put comments up like "our stewards were out of their depth" in dealing with this group, who, if the message boards are to be believed, were an orchestrated group, given free tickets and travelled with the intent of "raising Saracens profile."
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On Tuesday's show we will be chasing reaction from both clubs. Let me know if you were there and what you saw. Post a comment or email me at cummings@bbc.co.uk

With snow forecast for parts of Gloucestershire this weekend will we see anything like this? No, it's not The Alps. Believe it or not this photo was taken at The Pludds in the Forest of Dean in the 60's.

Many thanks to the team from Ordnance Survey again!

If you take the district of the Forest of Dean and apply their computer calculations you will discovered the geographical heart of the Forest.

Many people think the Speech House or Parkend represent the true centre of the Dean but the official "middle bit" is somewhere between Blaize Bailey and Blaize Bailey farm.

So where is the middle of our County? To celebrate Geography Awareness week, we've been taking a look at some of the centre points of Gloucestershire.

Ordnance Survey supplied this map of Brockworth with the official answer - Moorfield Road. Now find the little red dot.

I've been given the privilege of hosting The 91Èȱ¬ Radio Gloucestershire Christmas Celebration 2010. Put this date in your diary...Tuesday 21st December at 7.30pm (doors open at 7.00pm) in the glorious setting of Gloucester Cathedral.

It will be a wonderful evening of your favourite carols with the story of Christmas read by your favourite presenters including Chris Baxter...Faye Hatcher...David Smith...and Steve Kitchen.

Our special guests this year both come from Gloucestershire and they are the wonderful Shimmering Flutes and the highly talented High School for Girls Senior Choir.

As you arrive the Cirencester Town Band will be outside getting you in the festive mood with some dreamy Christmas classics.

Tickets for the 91Èȱ¬ Radio Gloucestershire Christmas Celebration 2010 cost £2.50 each and are available from the Gloucester Tourist Information Office (01452 396572 email: tourism@gloucester.gov.uk)

I've saved the best till last this week. After sharing our cold foggy mornings I thought we'd head into the weekend on a high

"Mark, I've been enjoying your recent focus on Gloucestershire autumnal weather and the mist. While out walking last night on Leckhampton Hill I saw a rather nice sunset brewing and mist rolling in from the Malverns. I drove round to Crickley Hill where I took the photos attached. I love the view from there and really enjoying taking landscapes from there, which I should really do lot more of"

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Your brilliant photos have helped make this blog into such a glossy picture book of life in Gloucestershire. Thankyou!

Scan through the blog archive and you'll see a seasonal calendar of treats from brilliant bluebells...majestic sunsets...fields of glorious poppies...and foggy November mornings.

Another delight has been the archive material supplied by you. David Hanks from Cheltenham has been a prolific provider of magical nostalgia. His book "Cheltenham Past and Present" has just been launched and he'll be signing copies this Saturday 20th at British Books on the Strand, Cheltenham, from 12.00pm until 1.00pm.

Meanwhile enjoy a "then and now" extract from the book. It's the Cadena Café in the Strand part of the High Street.

I've been speaking to a Gloucestershire woman who was violently attacked by her husband and left scarred for life...she says she and her children are making a good recovery thanks to a Gloucestershire support group.

The Castlegate Trust, based at Gloucester prison, has been helping her children come to terms with what had happened...but the service would have closed earlier this year if it hadn't been for Children in Need.

Can you make a foggy issue a little clearer please?

This Tuesday my reporter Mark Smith spent the morning dipping in and out of the mist. The topography of the county means we have such a contrast in light and shade on these autumnal mornings.

He took a host of photographs...however so have many of you...so which gallery is the best? There's only one way to find out. FIGHT!!!!

1. These views in Aston Down, Barrow Wake, Chapman's Cross, Cirencester College and Duntisbourne Leer were taken by Mark:

2. While these views from Painswick Beacon, and of May Hill, were taken by Rich Tebb, Dave Williams and John Wilkes:

Updated...Wednesday 17th

Ian says he prefers Mark Smith's attempts... he loves the composition and the colours

However Mike claims the listeners photos are better...specially the dreamy island shot

Jonathon emailed in to say Mark's photos are better... they generally have better colour and clarity and are better composed. There is a use of lead-in-lines, foreground interest and negative space.

Rich his vote between the two galleries has to go to Mark, especially the one of the frosty field with a bare sapling in the foreground - simply beautiful...well done

It looks like we will be having a few foggy mornings this week.

This was taken by John from Dursley on Sunday. It's a view of May Hill taken from Tait's Hill near Cam

1000 jobs will go over the next 4 years. Libraries, youth services and bus routes are all under threat.

Throughout Friday's breakfast show we're digging into where money will be saved and the ideas the Council has for how to fill the gaps that are left.

Click here for more information on what's going and what's staying.

Have you ever experienced a surprising view of the river Severn that you weren't expecting?

My favourite is driving down Rodborough Hill...just before the cattle grid...towards the Prince Albert Pub...you get a quick flash! Wonderful.

There is another one heading into Painswick from Gloucester. It shimmers through the trees on a sunny day!

Can you think any other examples of surprising sights of the Severn? If so post a comment or email me Cummings@bbc.co.uk.

Many thanks to John from Dursley for this taken from the road from Tetbury to Wotton...just before the descent of Wotton Hill.

Here are some of the comments from listeners to Wednesday's breakfast programme:

Pat in Cirencester says that as someone who has used the Cheltenham cardiac ward a lot recently it is horrifying to hear about the plans to cut hospital beds. Those in the cardiac ward are already under great pressure. The staff are brilliant and deserve full support for their life saving work.

An anonymous staff nurse at Cheltenham General says that Dr Frank Harsent (the Trust Chief Executive) needs to spend time on a ward to see exactly what goes on. What the nurses have been saying today is absolutely right - bed blocking does happen as many elderly patients are ready for discharge but there is nowhere for them to go. Dr Harsent talks about community hospitals, but what if you're in Cheltenham, you don't drive and your partner is sent to the community hospitals in Tewkesbury, or Moreton or Cirencester? And closing Delancey hospital didn't help.

Jenny in Stroud says she was talking to a friend over the weekend who used to be a matron. When she was working, hygiene was the priority. When the matron was in hospital herself later in life, she contracted MRSA which kept her in longer. If the hygiene was better we wouldn't need as many beds.

Ray in Hucclecote says that if more than 40 beds are going to go, does that mean the nurses, doctors and cleaners who look after them are going as well? Surely you don't save money by simply getting rid of the beds.

But now people are trying to steal the copper cables from high voltage electricity pylons.

The most recent attempted theft was only last week in Frampton.

It left wires draped across a youth football team's pitches, forcing the cancellation of some matches.

We'll be talking about the issues and the dangers on Tuesday's breakfast programme from 6am.

Enjoy this gallery of delights from this weekend's extravaganza at Cheltenham Racecourse!

Rupert the Bear is 90 this Monday!

"THE CARE BEAR CARE HOME FOR CLAPPED OUT T.V. TOYS"

In the fifties they were brand new entertainment,
In the sixties they were still quite up to date,
Now the 'Watch with mother' era's in retirement
And its stars have started to deteriorate.

But they'd always paid their annual subs to Equity,
There were legacies from long gone girls and boys,
So they're housed in unimaginable luxury,
At the Care Bear 91Èȱ¬ for clapped out T.V. toys.

Rag, Tag and Bobtail, Mary, Mungo and Midge
Are having zimmer races around the romper room,
Peregrine the Penguin's fast asleep in the fridge
And Muffin the Mule's being pampered by his groom.

Bill and Ben the Flowerpot men are dandy,
Though the Little Weed's on prescription Flobadob,
The Woodentops and dear old Andy Pandy
Are playing five card stud with Noggin the Nog.

Torchy the Battery Boy is feeling a bit run down,
But Pinky and Perky have tottered off to the pub
For a pint or three of traditional mild and brown
With Pugh, Pugh, Barney Mcgrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub.

Get it while stocks last. The autumn colours won't be here for long.

Hope you are enjoying the delicious colours at the moment. Many thanks to my rural paparazzi... John Wilkes... Nigel Phillips and Robin Pywell.

Can you spot our luscious locations? Cheltenham... Upper Cam... North Nibley... Westonbirt... and the Forest of Dean.

If you can grab anymore stunning photos before winter turns our world back into black and white please email them to me at cummings@bbc.co.uk

Many thanks to Rich Tebb who was walking his dog on Painswick Beacon.

The early morning low lying fog created a mystical landscape across the county. Thanks also to Maggie from Birdlip for her photos from her lofty viewpoint. If you have any photos as the season develops please send them in. cummings@bbc.co.uk

Some council workers in Norfolk are being stopped from doing that very thing from this week - they will be asked to clock on and off whenever they go for a cigarette break.

We asked our county council what its policy was, they told us they don't have one - it's at the manager's discretion.

Here's a selection of comments fro the Tuesday's Show regarding the issue and a few memories of the old days! Your thoughts always welcome, post a comment or cummings@bbc.co.uk

Peter in Stratford says isn't it employment law that everyone is entitled to a 5 minute break every hour for either the toilet, water/coffee break - or cigarette?

Fred in Cheltenham says during the war the wounded would be given a cigarette to help numb the pain and calm them down. Do we think this is still done in Afghanistan?

Anon on the text says that they don't mind people having cigarette breaks, as long as they don't take coffee or Facebook breaks as well!

Amanda emailed in to say that when she worked for a travel company back in the 80's...they were encouraged to offer their clients cigarettes whilst searching for and booking holidays... if the client accepted, the worker was expected to smoke with them to make them feel relax.

Fred in Cheltenham worked at an engineering firm...says smoking was bad...but chewing baccy was worse...says when he was an apprentice he worked alongside an old boy who like to chew....and then of course spit...he had a tin near their machine but he would often miss...hitting him on many occasions!!!

Jim in Tewkesbury used to work in an accountancy office where the three 'old boys' would each smoke a pipe...it was like a navy operation... cover the place in smoke so nobody would see you!

Robert in Cheltenham says he used to have a doctor who smoked like a chimney but would then tell you off for smoking!

Rob in Cam says when the smoking office ban came in...he found people made any excuse possible to go from building to building in order to have a sneaky fag...he used to work with one guy called Luke who they nicknamed "Luke sight-walker"!

-dave, tetbury says you go to work for one reason only and that's to do a decent days work. the time adds up if people are going for a 10 minutes fag break 6 times a day. That's almost an hour gone. Some people think they are employed at a holiday camp.

Helen on the text says when she started teaching 34 years ago the school staff room was a fog at break times and often staff would have a quick nicotine fix first thing in the morning with a coffee. Helen says she can't even imagine it now! It seems so appalling.