City tours visit the majority of the interesting and historic buildings in the City centre area as well as the exterior of the Cathedral and grounds; the guides will explain the significance of the buildings visited and their part in Gloucester’s rich and varied history.  City tours take about 1 hour 30 mins to complete.  Docks tours offer an in-depth view of the Docks area, its development and later decline as trade diminished and alternative forms of transport emerged.  Docks tours last about 1 hour. Combined tours offer an overview of both City and Docks and can vary in length between 1 hour 45 mins and 2 hours. Specialist tours will vary in length and content, but these aspects will be explained by the guide at the start of the tour.

In addition to the above:

St Michael’s Tower will be open on Saturday 11^th February 2012 from 11.00 to 14.30.  The Tower team will be showing old films of Gloucester  and promoting the work of the Civic Trust.

St Mary de Crypt will be open from 11.00 to 15.00 hrs on Saturday 11^th February for people to look around this very interesting building – as in the schedule above, a guided tour will be available on Sunday 12^th February at 13.30.

All the activities above will be free of charge to residents  – donations  to the Civic Trust will be most welcome.

The Tourist Information Centre staff are asked to control the issue of tickets, and to limit the numbers taking part in guided tours to 15 people per tour.

We’ve signed up many new members, extended heritage learning to so many; and we’ve built up an outstanding team of “Ambassadors of Gloucester” who daily man St Michael’s Tower and promote all things Gloucester.

Our footfall has been off the scale this year as we’ve met and greeted many people – for instance, over the Heritage week our footfall was up by 40% on the previous year.

The volunteers who man St Michael’s Tower, many of whom are tour guides, promote all things Gloucester to everyone who walks through the door. The most satisfying thing is that the majority of our users are Gloucester people, people who want to find out more about their city.

In 2010 we wanted to reach out to local people who perhaps for whatever reason have been unable to explore Gloucester’s vast heritage tales.

Two of our volunteers came up with a novel idea of creating an “Armchair Tour”. Here people can sit back and discover Gloucester from a comfy chair in St Michael’s Tower. This new activity took hundreds of man hours to trial and test. Now it’s been perfected, and it’s a great hit with people who are not so mobile – both young and old. They too can now come and take a “tour” without having to walk anywhere. We were overwhelmed with the take up, and we have bookings already for next year. We make no charge for this “Armchair Tour”. Armchair Tours take place every Thursday morning, but other days can be organised.

Schools and youth groups: Everyone will tell you that it’s hard to engage young people in heritage learning. Our volunteers pondered how we could get more young boys and girls interested in heritage. We began to market our audio trails to schools and other youth groups. As a result, some 342 young people came to St Michael’s Tower over the summer months to do our audio trails. The trails which are fun and involve some high tech equipment were an instant winner. Referrals have flowed in, and it looks as though 2012 is going to be a busy year. We’re now taking bookings from schools and other youth groups for 2012. We charge a small fee of £1.50 per head. The heritage trail is interactive and lasts one hour. Everyone receives a certificate of achievement and we serve refreshments as part of the activity. We take both day time and evening bookings.

Tower for Hire: St Michael’s Tower has played host to many worthy causes looking to promote their own organisations and for meetings. St Michael’s Tower is available for hire at very affordable prices. The Tower has full hospitality facilities, the hire rates include use of all equipment, and it has full disabled facilities/toilet.

Exhibitions: We’ve had a wide variety of exhibitions this year. The Tower’s proved to be an excellent venue for small exhibitions from recycling, art and photographic exhibitions to heritage ones such as the Gloucestershire Regiment.

Our Heritage Art Classes are held twice a month. At a cost of just £2.50 which includes all materials and refreshments, this is excellent value for money. This year we took the classes “on tour” and visited places such as the Folk Museum and Gloucester Docks. We aim to create a diversified arts programme for 2012. Bookings are now being taken. The art classes are funded by the Arts Council of England.

Events: We held many events this year in St Michael’s Tower. Events bring people in to the city and in to St Michael’s Tower. We’re planning a series of new talks and events for next year, and something special in the summer to celebrate 40 years of Gloucester Civic Trust.

Filming: This year we filmed and recorded local veterans from the Battle of the Imjin River. We’re still editing the film which we hope will be ready soon. The film contains many emotional scenes and also funny stories. Most of all for the Civic Trust volunteers who filmed it, they found it inspirational.

Visits: This year we had visits from other civic groups looking at our St Michael’s Tower project as they too want to do similar things. It’s flattering that our Tower project is a beacon for others. Our visitors are always in awe of the work done by our Gloucester Civic Trust volunteers and the time they give.

2012 Project: For next year we’re going to re-instate a bell back in to St Michael’s Tower, and repair the flag pole on top of the Tower. We’re also going to erect an interpretation board outside the building, so when it’s closed people can still discover the fascinating history of the site. The total cost of the project is £18,000. So far we have £8,500 pledged.

A New film on Gloucester: Another idea is to use all the audio trail scripts that we have and put them to film footage thus making a truly unique film on Gloucester. We’re currently talking to a local TV and film unit on how we may move this forward. One thing we’ve learned is that public need changes all the time. We know that we have to use the latest technology to attract and maintain a wider audience.

Volunteers: We have an outstanding team of volunteers within the Civic Trust – we man many buildings across the city keeping them open. Our tour guides continue to conduct walks around the city centre and historic docks offering a first class heritage experience. The city walks start from St Michael’s Tower.

In St Michael’s Tower volunteers are very hands on. We get together for Tower socials; we’re like a family helping each other out when needed in times of personal difficulty. It’s true when they say volunteering is fun and rewarding. In St Michael’s Tower it’s rewarding to receive the many letters complimenting our volunteers – it makes it all worth while.

St Michael’s Tower closed for the winter season at the end of September and re-opens 1^st April 2012. In the meantime, the Tower volunteers are working hard behind the scenes on new literature, events and fund raising ideas.

Thank You: We’d like to thank the Ecclesiastical Insurance for all their help and support this year.

Thanks also to the Heritage Lottery Fund for funding the Civic Trust Tower project in the first instance. Without their funding the Tower project would have been a great loss to the city.

2012 Bookings:

To book a place on the Armchair Tour, school/youth bookings for audio trails and Tower hire, please call 01452 526955

For Art Class bookings call our Artist In Residence, Trudi Ochiltree, on 01452 386007

To become a volunteer in St Michael’s Tower from next April, call 01452 330356 or email info@gloucestercivictrust.org

View updates on www.gloucestercivictrust.org

marilyn.champion@gloucestercivictrust.org

Wednesday, September 21^st: Darren Lewington, Head of Operations at Gloucestershire Airport, will talk on the airport’s fascinating past, its present operations and its plans for its future.

Wednesday, October 19^th: Philip Lancester, a member of the Ivor Guerney Society, will talk about Gloucester’s creative but troubled genius who left us 200 songs and several chamber and orchestral works as well as more than 300 poems

Wednesday, November 16^th: Barnwood House Hospital was a pioneer in the treatment of mental disorders. It was here that electroconvulsive therapy was first attempted. Tonight Richard Aukland and Brian McBurnie will tell us of its history and how it has been transformed into one of the county’s biggest charities. Afterwards, wine and mince pies will be provided by our chairman, Robin Morris.

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012: Dr Nicholas Herbert, former County Editor of the Victoria History of Gloucestershire from 1970 until 2003, is well known to many Civic Trust members. Tonight he will talk on Trade on the River Severn when the river was the M5 of its time.

Wednesday, March 21^st: Now for something different – a talk entitled Blood, Guts and a Little Off the Top by John Putley whose alter ego is John Deighton, a Tudor barber-surgeon in Gloucester. In a fascinating talk, he will tell us of Tudor medical theories and unusual treatments.

Wednesday April 18^th: Following the AGM, Angela Panrucker who delighted members with a talk earlier this year on Gloucestershire pub names will be returning with a new talk entitled ‘Odd, Curious and Quirky Gloucestershire’. This talk will be equally entertaining.

All talks will be at the Gala Club at the end of Fairmile Gardens off Gloucester’s Tewkesbury Road at 7.30pm. Entry is free but there will be a retiring collection to cover room costs.

Saturday 3 – 10 September

“Gloucestershire Glories” – a stunning exhibition by Peter Wiles returns to St Michael’s Tower by popular demand. Peter exhibited in St Michael’s Tower during June. Hundreds flocked to see his fine work and the techniques he uses. Free Entry.

Heritage Open Days Specials:

Thursday 8 September

Armchair Tour of Gloucester. 12 Noon

Discover Gloucester in a comfy chair where John Larkin takes you on a tour of Gloucester – and with no walking.  From Roman roots to present day – this has it all. Refreshments available.  Lasts just over 1 hour.  FREE.

Friday 9 September

The Story of St Michael’s Church and Bell Tower – a talk – 45  minutes by Gloucester Civic Trust, 12 Noon. Includes an exhibition of old photos.

Saturday 10 September

“Women and Children First”. Street Theatre with the Spaniel in the Works Theatre Company. Meet the women behind Gloucester’s famous men. Costumed performances at 11, 12, 1 and 2 pm.  FREE.

Daily from 10.30 – 3.30 Monday – Saturday – Film Shows: ”Gloucester – The way we were”.  A nostalgic look at Gloucester. Films are screened throughout the day at no charge.

Daily from 10.30 – 3.30: fresh tea and coffee served.

The project involves re-instating a bell in St Michael’s Bell Tower; the repair and re-instatement of the City Flagpole on top of St Michael’s Tower and a new information board outside the building to depict the history of the St Michael’s Church and bell tower.

The bell tower is all that remains of the Church of St Michael the Archangel which was demolished in 1956. The Bell Tower itself dates back to around 1465 and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. After laying uncared for for many years, the Bell Tower was restored by Gloucester Civic Trust in 2009.

Today it’s now the HQ of Gloucester Civic Trust and is 100% successfully run and managed by volunteers.

The Tower is a community heritage hub delivering heritage events, exhibitions, organising educational visits and promotes all things Gloucester.

Marilyn Champion, Project Leader, says “we’ve always wanted to have a bell back in the Tower and to get the flag pole repaired. We have pictures of the church in the early 1900’s with the flag of St George flying high over the City. It looked pretty impressive. Next year Gloucester Civic Trust is 40 years old; it’s also the Queen’s jubilee and the Olympics so we thought the project name of “city celebrations was a good one.

We’d like to thank all the Gloucester people who’ve been calling in to St Michael’s Tower this past year with their family memories of St Michael’s Church. Many of these will be included in the new information board outside the Tower. The bell will be rung out for city celebrations such as St George’s Day, the Carnival and other city events. The bell installation is quite complex and will involve heaving the bell up into the belfry in the traditional way through the collapsible ceiling in the Tower.

The repair and reinstatement of the Flagpole also involves engineering skill as health and safety rules have certainly moved on since the early 1900’s and we have to ensure the flagpole is safe in every way.

The cost of the project will be in the region of £18,000. The costs will be met through local sponsorship, grant aid and volunteer fund raising.

If you’d like to find out more about the “city celebrations” project or have more stories we haven’t heard yet about St Michael’s Church please call in to the Tower and share your memories with the Civic Trust volunteers”.

End of press release

There are over 100 venues open in Gloucester free to the public during this period. For full details of what’s available please call in to St Michael’s Tower on the Cross in Gloucester to pick up a brochure. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore your city at no cost.

Gloucester Civic Trust has a varied line up of events taking place, and also starting from St Michael’s Tower from the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th September for Heritage Open Days. This is a national event across the UK where many historical buildings are open to the public free of charge.

The free events organised by Gloucester Civic Trust and based at St Michael’s Tower in September are as follows:

Thursday 8^th: 11.30 am City Tour

Thursday 8^th: 12 Noon Armchair Tour of Gloucester – sit back in a comfy chair and take a tour around Gloucester. Refreshments included.

Thursday 8^th: 2.00 pm Geology of Gloucester

Friday 9^th: 11.30 am City Tour

Friday 9^th: 12 Noon “The History of St Michael’s Church and Bell Tower” – a talk

Friday 9^th: 1.00 pm “Art Walk” – discover Gloucester’s hidden public art

Saturday 10^th:  ‘Women and Children First” STREET THEATRE – fast, family fun with local actors helping you to discover Gloucester’s famous folk. Performances at 11.00, 12.00, 1.00 and 2.00

Saturday 10^th: 11.30 am City Tour

Saturday 10^th: 2.00 pm Siege of Gloucester Walk – takes you back to 1643

Saturday 10^th: 2.00 pm Historic Pub Walk

Saturday 10^th: 4.00 pm Siege of Gloucester Tour

Sunday 11^th:  11.30 am City Tour

Sunday 12^th: 2.00 pm Historic Pub Tour

TEAS/COFFEES AND CAKES SERVED ALL DAY

Art Workshop – “The Architecture of Gloucester”.

At St Michael’s Tower. Call Trudi on 01452 386007 for bookings.

Saturday 6 August 12 Noon

“Roundheads V Cavaliers” with Captain Curzon.

A thrilling tour that takes you back to 1643 during the English Civil War.

Starts from St Michael’s Tower.

Tickets £3.50 available from St Michael’s Tower and the TIC.

Friday 12 August 7.00 pm

“The Greyfriars Story”.

This has it all – water wars and friars with attitude!

Meet on site – includes a brief history on the surrounding heritage

area, and St Mary de Crypt.

Tickets £3.50 available from St Michael’s Tower and the TIC.

Saturday 13 August from 12 noon

Gloucester in Poems, with former County Poet Laureate Peter Wyton.

A light hearted look at Gloucester in verse.

At St Michael’s Tower.

Tickets £3 available from St Michael’s Tower and the TIC.

Thursday, 18 August 11am, 12 noon, 1pm and 2pm

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”.

A street theatre performance by Spaniel in the Works Theatre Company.

A re-enactment of some of Gloucester’s best known stories.

Great family fun for the holidays.  Takes place outside St Michael’s Tower.

FREE

Saturday 20 August 12 Noon

“The Joe Meek Story” – this was sold out last year, and many were disappointed – so it’s back again. Our local pop svengali; with new material, music and archive footage.

In St Michael’s Tower.

Tickets £2 available from St Michael’s Tower and the TIC.

Thursday 25 August at 1.30

Art workshop for children – Making Mosaics.

At St Michael’s Tower. Call Trudi on 01452 386007 for bookings.

Thursday 25 August 7.00 p.m.

“Saxon England and Gloucester”.

Gloucester’s own warrior Queen springs to life once more with tales of Viking raids, saints and miracles. Venue: St Michael’s Tower.

Tickets £2 available from St Michael’s Tower and the TIC.

M S SOCIETY – GLOUCESTER & FOREST OF DEAN BRANCH

FRIENDSHIP CAFÉ

TUESDAY 23 AUGUST, 20 SEPTEMBER and 18 OCTOBER in ST MICHAEL’S TOWER, the CROSS, GLOUCESTER.

From 10am to 2pm.

FOR ANYONE AFFECTED BY MS, OR WANTING INFORMATION ABOUT MS.

DROP IN TO MEET NEW AND OLD FRIENDS.

LIGHT REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE.

Tuesday 5 July 7.30
Historic Pub Tour
with local atuthor Darrel Kirby
£3.00 Starts at St Michael’s Tower
Tickets available at the TIC and Tower
01452 526955

Wednesday 6 July 1.30 – 4.30
St Michael’s Tower
Art Class – Theme – Gloucester Docks
To book a place call Trudi on 01452 386007
£2.50 includes materials and refreshments

Saturday 9 July 12 Noon
“The Romans are Coming”
A lecture at St Michael’s Tower
Tickets available at the TIC and Tower
£2.00
01452 526955

Tuesday 12 July 7.30 p.m.
The Robert Raikes Story
with Hugh Worsnip
includes a trip to the Robert Raikes Pub garden
£3. Starts at St Michael’s Tower
Tickets available at the TIC and Tower
01452 526955

Saturday 23 July 10 – 1
St Michael’s Tower
Art Class – Theme is Seagulls
To book a place call Trudi on 01452 386007
£2.50 includes materials and refreshments

Saturday 30 July
“The Rise and Fall of Gloucester Spa”
A lecture by Nick Rowles. Includes an
exhibition of old photos. £3
Tickets available at the TIC and Tower
01452 526955

Saturday 5 August 12 Noon
Roundheads V Cavaliers
Pistols, Prisoners and Pigs
The Siege of Gloucester tour
Starts at St Michael’s Tower
£3
Tickets available at the TIC and Tower
01452 526955