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Published: August 27th 2016
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Georgian England must have been a strange place. The good folk were convinced of the healing powers of some rather disturbing looking water and towns and resorts sprung up all over the place, where those with a bit coin could come and take the waters. I look at the stuff they call water coming out of the taps in my sister’s house and remain very unconvinced.
Cheltenham owes everything to the waters. The story goes that pigeons were found pecking at salt crystals near a spring and a Spa town was born. The town was so grateful, pigeons made it to the coat of arms of the new town, Cheltenham Spa. A bit of royal endorsement in the form of a visit from King George III in 1788 moved things on very nicely and the Cheltenham we know today took shape. Whether I am unimpressed by the actual water, you cannot fail to stand and admire the rows of Regency mansions that followed to cater for those of the gentry who came to have their ills cured.
The Georgian architecture is widespread. There are no sweeping crescents as in Bath, but pockets of pleasing vistas
await your eye from Pitville in the north to Montpellier in the south. We normally park in Pitville and it was disturbing to see scores of very un-Georgian signs, indicating residents only or a maximum of 4 hours parking – every day of the week. Pitville Pump Room – the largest of the spa buildings in town - is still up and running. The waters were first discovered in 1716, but Pitville as we know it is a creation of the the 1820s. Joseph Pitt had a vision of a glorious new town, of which the focal point would be The Pump Rooms. A Grade 1 listed building, it was designed and built by a John Forbes between 1825 and 1830. Forbes later went on to have a bit of a chequered career thereafter. After some designs in Montpellier, he speculated in building at Imperial Square and then got convicted of fraud and spent 2 years at His Majesty's Pleasure.
A sweeping view at the northern end of Pitville highlights the colonnade of columns of the Pump Room across the manicured lawns and lake. It didn’t look at it’s best today with torrents of other water falling
from the sky. This was August, but it could have been October. The trees in full leaf were being battered in the heavy winds. A few brave dog walkers and others thinking that it was summered wandered the parkland. The adjoining rows of grand Regency villas seemed quiet. The owners were probably basking in the sun in their holiday homes on the continent. The Pump Rooms today are in Council hands, but still open for business. There are ballrooms and reading rooms, still actively used to assist in the hugely successful Literature and Music Festivals that bring prosperity and visitors to the town.
Meanwhile, a few minutes away in the town centre modern life was going about it’s Saturday business. The old and new building mix happily, although one wonders just how some of the 1960s creations made it into this equation. The Promenade is one of the finest streets in Britain. A mix of retail, municipal buildings and urban parkland. The weather didn’t help, but it wasn’t at it’s most appealing today. A craft market lined the centre of the wide street, which cluttered proceedings. Trade seemed low, as the frequent showers kept many to indoor
retail therapy over the prospect of browsing an outdoor stall. The War Memorial was under renovation outside the Municipal Buildings. The monument to former resident Edward Wilson was shrouded in a large shadow. He was born in the Montpellier area of town and was a member of Scott’s ill-fated mission to the South Pole in 1912. Wilson, one of Scott’s closet companions, was found frozen to death in his sleeping bag. The Boer War Monument stands at the opposite end to Wilson and the Neptune Fountain adds some contrast. The flowers looked colourful in Imperial Gardens, but the sky still threatened. English composer, Gustav Holst, born round the corner, was conducting with his characteristic left hand. It was time to go and rescue the car.
We proceeded north from Pitville, passing the most iconic of Cheltenham sporting venues. Prestbury Park or as it is more commonly known, Cheltenham Racecourse, stands splendidly in the shadow of Cleeve Hill. All was quiet today. In March, thousands of Irish and other horse racing enthusiasts take over the town for the Festival. What would the polite society of Georgian England have made of it? I had other sporting occasions
in mind. It was FA Cup day again. Bishops Cleeve were hosting Camberley at Kayte Lane. I parked the car at Hotel Bishops Cleeve and deposited the other half, before walking swiftly back to the ground to make kick off. The weather had clearly put most folk off and the small seated stand was a welcome sight on this miserable afternoon. I did a swift head count and reached no more than 75. I was surprised that about half seemed to have made their way from Surrey - the locals it seemed had either stayed away or gone to Whaddon Road, where Doncaster Rovers were playing Cheltenham. Camberley surfaced in a strip to resemble Crvena Zvezda, so my loyalty was decided. The strength of the wind made some of the attempts to play neat, passing football quite comical. Rain and wind are not the natural allies of the non-league footballer. It was a fairly even contest, the attacking prospects dependant on whether you had the wind advantage. The Bishops Cleeve management team had apparently not read the recent Football Association guidelines about "Respect" and spent most of the first half berating the the referee and linesman, when they felt decisions
had not gone their way.
"Don't you know the rules , ref?" On the whole, he did and the criticism was grossly unfair. The Camberley centre forward almost broke the bar with a thunderous shot and I was beginning to fear a 0 - 0 draw. The Cleeve keeper came to the rescue with a spectacular piece of mis-judgement in the 92 minute, that even I on a Thursday night would have taken stick for. He got out of jail in the last minute of injury time. Camberley thought they had it sorted, until a wicked deflection gave Cleeve an undeserved draw. Tuesday in Camberley anyone? Just like Heaven!
Appendix 1 FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Date: Saturday 20th August 2016 @ 1500 Hours
Venue: Kayte Lane, Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Bishops Cleeve 1 - 1 Camberley Town Scorers: 0-1 Jewell (Camberley) 92 Mins, 1-1 Holmes (Bishops Cleeve) 93 Mins
Attendance: Est 75
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Rainyb
Lorraine Brecht
Very nice!