91Èȱ¬

We will be celebrating these magical goldmines on Monday's show. Is there still a place for music on the high street in the face of stiff competition from supermarkets and internet downloads.

Our colleagues at 91Èȱ¬ Inside Out West will be asking what's happened to the West's independent record shops. Over the last five years, 32 of them have closed down leaving just 12 clinging on for survival.

Does anyone remember the Vinyl Vault in Cambray Place in Cheltenham...or Backstage Pass in Worcester Street in Gloucester. Let me know your favourites... href="mailto:cummings@bbc.co.uk">cummings@bbc.co.uk

Updated Monday 31st.
Brian in Cinderford...he still runs his own record shop RMD in Coleford he's been going 12 years and counting.

Nigel says that his wife use to work in the records department at Boots in Gloucester. records were available to order and still have the 1990 music master catalogue containing all the albums.

Ken in Cheltenham says Ken Watkinsons near Old Bowling Green, Sid Tong in Winchcombe Street and Cav House also used to stock records.

Brian in Gotherington can remember dale forty at the bottom of the prom in Cheltenham
Angela in Tewkesbury remembers the teen brother's record shop on Tewkesbury high street.

John in Gloucestershire says there used to be loads of places to buy vinyl in Gloucester...Music Markey in Eastgate Street...Boots...Debenhams...Woolies

Shirely in Bourton...when I bought my first record it was in the 50s and also remembers Vinyl Vault in Cambray Place

Sheena says how about P-nut in on Cheltenham High Street...it was the place to go as a teenager armed with a couple of weeks pocket money.

Sandie & Dave on the text say Duckson & Pinker in Southgate Street Gloucester.

The Ramrods are back!

Cheltenham's longest serving band is celebrating 50 years of gigging with a concert at The Bacon Theatre in Cheltenham this Friday. Some of the band will be joining me on this Friday's show... so make sure you tune in.

They were the band who gave Brian Jones his first break before making it with the Rolling Stones. If you have any great stories to share about this particular mix of much loved musicians please post a comment or email me at cummings@bbc.co.uk

But is it that realistic?

On Thursday's breakfast show we heard from an Irish traveller who's now settled in Gloucester, plus a journalist who's very critical of the way travellers are portrayed.

What do you make of the programme?

Angela says years ago she was on holiday in Spain and booked a trip to Gibraltar... she was really surprised that she stayed on the bus...she thought she needed a boat to get to the island.

Elaine wrote...When I first moved to Gloucestershire I used to listen to another radio station and for the first 5 years of living here I thought that there was a bit of a traffic hotspot at the 'ebloon' roundabout. I then got a job in Wiltshire and had to drive through this area where the roundabout was... I then realised it's the 'Air Balloon Roundabout'

Mark in Stroud always thought that Maidenhead was by the sea and had a pier ... and not inland!

Any confessions would be great! Email: cummings@bbc.co.uk

if you are now hitting "new" on your email to complain about my spelling of "dilemma" then just hold on there and listen to the show!

It seem that some of us are not as well educated as we thought ....

updated Tuesday 25th January...calls from the show this morning.

Roz in Maisemore has been busy searching through four dictionaries this morning and they all spell it with two mm's...she is amazed!

Eric in Hucclecote says when he was at school his teacher told the class it doesn't matter how you spell words as long as he could understand it that was in the 1930s and hasn't done him any harm.

Colia in Gloucester have been spelling it mna for 70 years she now stands corrected!

Stuart from Gloucester - here's an alternative meaning to the word dilemma... a welsh lemon picker

- Dave in Tetbury - spelt dilemma...dilemea...

Anon...my husband proof read a report i wrote last week and picked up that I'd spelt dilemma with 2 mm's. We both knew...or thought we knew...that it was spelt dilemna, so I changed it. I was then checking the spelling and amazed to find it with 2 m's.If you have any theories on this please join in...post a comment or Cummings@bbc.co.uk...On Wednesday's show we look at those things we've got wrong all our lives and have only just noticed we were wrong!

Tourism bosses want your stories of meeting Harry at the garage...William in the supermarket...Mike and Zara in the pub etc. as a way of enticing more tourism to the county ahead of the royal wedding. Post your comments here or email me cummings @bbc.co.uk

Here is a selection of comments from this morning...

Janet in Stonehouse met William and Harry when they were much younger at Weston Super Mare... they were crossing the road heading for the sea and they stopped shuck hands and were lovely.

David in Bishops Cleeve says his friend Neil and dad were in a card shop when in walks Princess Diana and her body guards...the dad notices and whispers to Neil "it's Di" Neil replies at the top of his voice "Di who?" he then realised and quickly felt about an inch tall!

Fred from Gloucester says he once bumped into a very inquisitive boy at Badminton horse trails...he didn't realise who is was until he saw Prince Andrew on the TV!

Gerry in Cirencester... " I was sat in my car at traffic lights when Princess Anne and her bodyguard walked across the road and into a shop... it was only 'rags to riches'! "

Many thanks to Jim...

"Hi Mark and the team...Thought you would like this one taken last night taken under our current moonlit sky at around 7.30pm standing on the canal at Frampton looking towards
Splat Bridge...This photo was taken without any flash light...just a 9 second exposure. Hope you like it."

I asked you for your stories after reading that England footballer Jermaine Pennant had forgotten about, and left, his Porsche at a railway station FOR A MONTH!!!

There were enough stories of 'left children' to comfort McCauley Culkin, such as Kath who texted in to tell us how her Mum left her outside the Post Office in her pram when she was 6 months old. When she arrived home her Grandmother asked her Mum if she'd forgotten something, which then prompted her to run all the way back into the village to find a very happy baby waiting.

Amanda in Lydney owned up to leaving a sleeping 6 year old on a train after a holiday in the USA. Can you imagine that moment as she realised as the train pulled away?

And then there was Nigel in Cheltenham who told us the story of the man who went to the Cheltenham Cricket Festival and parked his car in the grounds of the Cheltenham College. He spent the day in the beer tent and then walked home. For weeks afterwards he walked the streets trying to find his car, and even waited for parking tickets to arrive. The college ground staff assumed it belonged to a teacher, before they were reunited weeks later.

Just a pick of some of the great stories.

Mark's back with you on Friday at 6am, and I'll be back on Drivetime at 5pm.

This week on the show we've been looking at Gloucestershire's gateways.

What do visitors see when they first come to the county? What are their first impressions?

We've been at the quaint Kemble railway station, we've heard the history behind Symonds Yat in the Forest of Dean. We've also heard from people concerned about the state of the lower high street in Cheltenham and the welcome it gives to visitors.

What about Gloucester? Listen to Andrew Vincent's first impressions at the railway station...

Thanks for all the street party photos you have been sending in...I will post a glorious gallery later this week.

I also want your classic 1970s photos. Scroll down for my effort with bad hair, big collar and a party seven!

Are you brave enough to celebrate the seventies with me? Go in...any embarrassing photos would be great. You won't be on your own...the great and good of Gloucestershire are currently submitting their best efforts. Cummings @bbc.co.uk

However, not everyone is happy. The plan is to MOVE the date into June and to make it into a two day long PAID FOR event. Traditionalists are aghast claiming the event is being turned into a corporate event and moved from its traditional date.

Those backing the plans say they are the only way to ensure the tradition survives as it had simply grown too large for its own good and, interestingly, the date has moved in the past.

What do you think? I want to hear your views on the decision. Read the latest on our news pages and then send me your comments via email or leave them here on the blog by logging in.

updated Friday 14th...comments from Friday's Breakfast Show

Rob in Brockworth lives right under the bottom of Coopers Hill and has always been to the Cheese Rolling since he was younger...he can remember in the late 60s early 70s the date was changed...he says whit Monday as we know it now was actually later because people used to comment on how the weather was nicer when it was done in June...it seems like the date change is back to what it used to be.

Brian in Brockworth...he was never informed about the consultation and thinks that maybe televising the event live would cut down crowds.

Anon in Brockworth...she's always affected by the cheese rolling with noise, traffic, litter etc she would have loved to have been consulted about this but has never received a letter regarding it.

Sue in Cranham...one compromise could be to give local people free tickets...could be based on local postcodes.

Rob in Dumbleton wonders if the cheese rolling moves will it mean that the people who wanted to see the cheese rolling will now go to the Woolsack Races in Tetbury instead. this would then swell the crowds there and put that event in jeopardy?

Jenny in Stroud...it is an awful shame if the event becomes something that the locals come to dread.

Sandra in Brockworth...if the amount of people is the issue why does the event have to be moved? Can't we ticket on the bank holiday and at least save the traditionally day.

Graham in Whitcombe can remember going to the Cheeserolling when he was small... now in his 60s he thinks it shouldn't be moved from the spring bank holiday... the locals should be able to celebrate an age old tradition on the day it's always been.

Hilda in Stroud...the cheese rolling has become a victim of it's own success... it's not just known in Gloucestershire now it's known world wide and therefore too many people simply want to come and see it.

Colin in Ruspidge in the Forest of Dean...if this new festival isn't a money making scheme for funds to go straight to the authorities and instead they will go to charity, then what a great idea.

Mike in Stonehouse...the Cheese Rolling should still happen but people shouldn't have to pay for it.

Speculation is now mounting that Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall will marry in Scotland following sightings of the Royal couple at an Edinburgh kirk.

Postings appeared on Facebook and Twitter after the couple were spotted in the church grounds at 0830 GMT.

They were seen with the minister before heading to Holyrood Palace.but there has been no official announcement on the date and venue for the wedding.

Our offer of Gloucester Cathedral followed by a buffet at The Jockey still stands ....

The government is being urged to cut back red tape that could stop street parties for this April's Royal Wedding from going ahead. Some councils currently charge residents over a thousand pounds for the paperwork needed to close their road to celebrate!

So what are the stats in the West? Gloucester City - £75...Wiltshire is the same...Bristol is FREE!...Bath and North East Somerset it's a whopping £150

Now the campaign group Streets Alive is lobbying the government asking for those charges to be abolished for good.

Will you be planning one for the royal wedding this year or waiting for next year's Diamond Jubilee?

More importantly have you any classic photos of street parties... I'd love to publish them on the blog. cummings@bbc.co.uk

Have a look at these three photos... one is from Dave in Tetbury taken in 1977 on City Bank Road, Watermoor in Cirencester... plus two from my youth from the same year... one of my big sister Carol... one of a certain Radio presenter possibly indulging in some under age drinking! Look closely at our classic 70s refreshment.

After months of lobbying from family, friends and animal loving listeners...I've finally given in!

I've never been a big fan of dogs wearing coats but the coldest winter for over a hundred years has tipped me over the edge.

Skinny lurchers don't have a lot of fat on them and my shivering Stella did look rather pathetic on our evening stroll.

Any pictures of butch dogs wearing coats might make me feel better. cummings@bbc.co.uk

Many thanks to Malcolm Swait from South Woodchester for this reflective offering!

This was taken at The Cotswold Water Park when the lakes were frozen but beginning to thaw. There is a small film of water developing to produce Mother Nature's most memorable mirror.

So how do you decipher between road etiquette and breaking the law?

It's fair to say that most of us will have at some point or other flashed a driver for giving way or waved some out of a junction.

But could we be lining ourselves up for trouble after a driver was convicted and fined for wilfully obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty after he flashed his lights to warn there was a speed trap.

Is there anything wrong in your view flashing a fellow motorist to warm them of an impending speed camera? cummings@bbc.co.uk.

ANGELA SAYS THAT WHEN SHE TOOK HER 5TH DRIVING TEST IN 1989 SHE KNEW THE HIGHWAY CODE ABOUT FLASHING LIGHTS. DURING THE TEST A COURTEOUS DRIVER STOPPED AND FLASHED THEIR LIGHTS TO ALLOW ME TO PULL OUT!I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT MY EXAMINER REALISED MY DILEMMA AND TOLD ME TO PULL OUT. IT MUST HAVE BEEN OKAY AS I PASSED!

MARTIN IN GLOUCESTER SAYS APPARENTLY AN AA PATROL OFFICER WOULD SALUTE UNLESS THERE WAS A SPEED TRAP

TOM IN MINCHAMPTON AND SHAZ ON THE TEXT SAYS THAT THE AA WAS SET UP AS A WAY OF WARNING FELLOW MEMBERS ABOUT SPEED CHECKS AHEAD.

ANDY IN QUEDGELEY THINKS THE PURPOSE OF SPEED CAMERAS IS TO HELP AVOID ACCIDENTS BY SLOWING THE TRAFFIC DOWN RATHER THAN A REVENUE COLLECTION SYSTEM. THEREFORE IF MOTORISTS WARN DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN THEN THAT'S A RESULT AND TO PROSECUTE THOSE WHO FLASH LIGHTS IS JUST SILLY.

KAREN IN GLOUCESTER SAYS HER GRANDFATHER WOULD ALWAYS MAKE A SUBTLE 'THUMBS-DOWN' TO OTHER MOTORISTS IF THE POLICE WERE AROUND

GRAHAM IN WHITCOMBE ALWAYS THOUGHT THE POLICE WERE NEVER OUT TO CATCH PEOPLE SURELY THEN THERE'S NO HALM IN DRIVERS FLASHING OTHERS TO WARN THEM.

JOHN ON THE TEXT: A LOT OF PEOPLE FLASHING LIGHTS TO WARN OF AN ACCIDENT AHEAD AND TO SLOW DOWN SOME PEOPLE WAVE ARMS OUT OF WINDOWS AND OTHERS DRIVERS THANK ME.

GERRY IN CIRENECESTER: FLASHING HEADLIGHTS TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS WHAT'S THE HARM IN THAT?

DAVE TETBURY: CERTAIN PARTS OF THE HIGHWAY CODE ARE NOT COMPULSORY, BUT ADVISABLE AND YOU CANNOT BE PROSECUTED FOR NON- ADHERENCE THE QUOTE: "A FAILURE ON THE PART OF THE PERSON TO OBSERVE A PROVISION OF THE HIGHWAY CODE SHALL NOT ITSELF RENDER THAT PERSON LIABLE TO CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS OF ANY KIND"

To celebrate...the Breakfast Show Bard has produced this little offering.

On the first Monday after Twelfth night,
It used to be a time-honoured sight
For an English farmhand to decorate his plough
And drag it round his village but it doesn't happen now
Because everybody lives in the city,
Which seems to me rather a pity
Would it not be a pleasant surprise
To bring the custom back in a modern guise.
We could call it Computer Monday
A state-of-the-art fun day
A tip-top lap top tradition
For office workers on a mission
Led by mummers, Morris dancers, waits
And a straw-stuffed effigy of Bill Gates
Dancing in procession along Worcester Street
Chanting left click, right click, control-alt-delete,
Let's have an extra holiday, never mind the boss,
Make a bonfire of our Blackberries on Gloucester Cross.

A new post box near Berkeley Vale Park has caused controversy among residents.

They say it's much higher than the old one and now they can't reach it.

He born in Gloucester on Xmas Day 1986, but his family has no links around here.

His mother is from Swansea and his father from Essex, and he went to Bedford School and played his entire youth cricket around Bedford and in Essex...he has been with their academy since he was a teenager.

In the past we have tried, through Essex CCC press officer and England team press officers to ascertain how he came to be born in Gloucester.

Mr Cook works/worked in the banking industry so that ruled out my theory of him being in the services at RAF Innsworth.

All I can suspect is that his family were visiting relatives in the area for Christmas and young Alastair decided to make an appearance over the turkey and Christmas pud.

If you know anymore about our star batsmen and his links with the county do please post a comment or email me at cummings@bbc.co.uk

What image best sums up New Year for you?

For me it was chucking away the double cream from the fridge and replacing it with fat free yogurt...the painful process of taking down the Christmas decorations leaving a sad and empty house...and heading off to the recycling with what seemed like a thousand empty wine bottles.

Callers to this morning's show commented on what sums up this time of year for them. For some it was the smug feeling seeing empty booze bottles stacking up higher than theirs next door...noticing Easter eggs on sale in the local shop...and being bombarded with adverts for "Self Help" books.

What image does it for you? Send me a comment or email me at cummings@bbc.co.uk