Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

He is a local legend who has just quit rugby because of another neck injury. Despite being from Cornwall and ending his career with Wasps we love him here in Gloucestershire.

One of my radio highlights was an hour spent with Phil when he came back from the World Cup as a winner. The reaction from listeners that day was amazing. It was similar today...have a listen to him talking about his love for his family and Gloucestershire...dreams for the future...the magic moments of his career...and getting punched in the scrum!

If you have ever met the man, or simply enjoyed watching him play for Gloucester or England ...do leave a comment or email me cummings@bbc.co.uk.
Here are just a few of the comments about him from this Friday's show.

Yvonne from Gloucester still has a framed photo of Phil with her grandson when her grandson was in plaster after a rugby injury...he went down to meet some of the players...

Tom said that he thinks it's so important to remember that Phil is Gloucester's most capped player ever...what a great man and truly unique - being a man who has played in two world cup finals...Tom takes his hat off to Phil for playing through all the injuries he's had...what a legend.

Bob from Mitcheldean says that he would like to pass on his best to Phil...great player...he met Phil in the Highnam Garden Centre and shook his hand...Bob says that Phil's hand engulfed his!!! Lovely guy.

Dusty from Highnam says he lives just down the road from Phil...he went round to his house to get Phil's autograph on a recipe book for old spot pork... apparently Phil had a recipe in there...Dusty says it's sad to hear he'll no longer be playing and sends his best.

Glenys in Hucclecote says that everyone knows Vickery had his beginnings in Cornwall and finished his career at Wasps...but Phil is one of Gloucester's most loved adopted sons...please pass on all best wishes for the future and his good health.

Graham in Whitcombe says he can remember the applause that Phil got shortly after England won the world cup...he came on as a replacement with Trevor Woodman when Gloucester played Northampton and the noise was a memory he'll have for a long time.

Soudley and Alvington in the Forest of Dean have had their day in the sun... this Thursday Walton Cardiff near Tewkesbury will be starring...and today it was the turn of Cherington near Tetbury.

This group of respectable people lit up our show today with their humour...candid observations...and general hilarity.

These delicate trees are showing off their wonderful array of vivid colours. I'm a huge Acer fan and tried to introduce a whole glade of them into my garden.

When I planted a tiny pathetic offering in front of my kitchen window a few years ago...little did I know this little blighter would be the one to grow into a ten foot monster! Suffice it to say my kitchen is permanently in the dark and my wife has banned me from planting trees anywhere in the garden!

If you have any photos of examples of well meaning efforts from the male species...that don't always work out as planned...please make me feel better. cummings@bbc.co.uk

This week we are marking the 50th anniversary of the Severn Railway Bridge disaster.

On 25 October 1960 two tanker barges collided in heavy fog near to Sharpness on the River Severn.

They got caught by the tide, lost control, and smashed into one of the bridge's pillars.

Five men lost their lives in the disaster.

Click for a photo gallery .

You'll be able to hear a series of documentaries on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Gloucestershire across the week.

Jim from Hardwicke emailed in this lovely moonlit panorama which he took last night at around 8.30pm. Can you guess where it was taken? (answer below)

"I was stood at the top of Coaley Hill near Frocester under a superb moonlit sky," said Jim, "and couldn't resist taking this picture overlooking Frampton and the River Severn and into the Forest of Dean. Hope you and the team like it."

We do, thanks Jim.

Thanks to John for this image of SmallPox Hill near Uley. It was taken just before sunrise this Wednesday morning.

If you read the following email I received today it just goes to show that words can paint a stunning picture as well. Many thanks to Rich Tebb for his wonderful words.

Hi Mark

The joys of dog-walking in the dark! I just got back from walking the dogs on Painswick Beacon, and what a glorious morning! The entire span of River, Forest and Vale is marked out by the red lights on tall structures - from the twin radio masts of Droitwich across to Ledbury, down to the Severn bridges, Cardiff in the distance, and even the mast on the Mendips above Wells. The snake of headlights along the A48, and the clusters of lights that mark out Lydney, Cinderford, Great Malvern, Bishop's Cleeve, and of course Gloucester and Cheltenham. An orange glow on the eastern skyline. Simply stunning!

Cheers Rich
Upton St Leonards

This location is one of eight sites to be developed to meet the government's nuclear energy plans. On Wednesday's show I'll be chatting to some of the characters who helped build the first one.

Did you know that this has been the location for many other famous TV moments? Top of the Pops filmed Slade stomping over the top of it singing along to "Gudbye to Jane"

As well as Doctor Who, Oldbury has hosted the stars of Blakes 7, episodes of Tomorrow's World and even the National Monopoly Championships!

If you remember any of these shows being filmed please post a comment or email me at cummings@bbc.co.uk

See also:

All of this week we are celebrating the wonderful things about this time of year.

Thanks to Pete from Frocester for a photo of Monday's sunrise over Selsley Common in the Stroud valleys. Below are some of the comments from this morning's show for those whose autumnal cup is always half full.

Andy in Quedgeley...One of the highlights to me of this time of the year is home made apple pie...We had a lovely walk yesterday from Elmore to the River Severn to help raise funds for Elmore Village Hall. Glorious...lunch in the hall afterwards...lots of Sheppard's pie followed by lots of home made pies... Heaven.

Morning Mark and the team,
I took my dog Chilli up Crickley Hill yesterday morning and it was breathtaking...the autumn colours were superb...the sun was shining and the sky was so, so blue, and the icing on the cake was seeing the line of fog rolling along the whole stretch of the Severn in the distance. Wonderful !!!!!!!!!Regards, Glenys.

I love lighting the fire for the first time...the excitement of your children as they count down to Christmas...pumpkin soup... and shifting from wine to a deep fruity red! What do you love about this time of year? Post a comment or email me cummings@bbc.co.uk

In the past I might have mentioned that I'm not a huge fan of some of his music. He was 70 the other day and his two greatest fans joined me in the studio to celebrate.

Brenda Kirby and Carol Barton from Gloucester follow him all over the world. They went to all of his concerts at the Royal Albert Hall last week. After I played a brief medley of his hits they decided not to go through with their most sinister threat...to force me to watch his video of The Millennium Prayer!

Do you have a cracking nick name for a place in Gloucestershire?

are launching a project to uncover the nicknames, pet names and hate-names people use in the daily lives for places which are near and dear to them.

Feast yourselves on these Gloucestershire examples from the Wednesday's Show and please add any others you might know...cummings@bbc.co.uk

John says Nibley monument is known as Nobbly Minument

Maggie in Birdlip says stroud is known locally as strow - udd

Ros in Maisemore claims Longlevens was known as "short twelves."

Jan in Stow on the Wold says Broadwell known as bradall...Evenlode known as "Emlod" ...Broadway known as "Broddie" ...Chipping Campden known just as "Campden"...Conndicot is known as "the Docks" and Evesham known as " Air Sam"

Dorothy in Cheltenham says that Charlton Kings has been known as '"Yarley" in the past...but she doesn't know why.

Terry in Bourton on the Water says Broadwell is known as "bradle" and Yanworth is known as "yanuth" .
Dave in Tetbury says Cinderford is known as "Monkey Trump"

Elsewhere we have heard people from Stroud refer to Dursley as "Drizzly"

Apparently Hucclecote is nicknamed "Chucklecote" and Abbeymead is sometimes refered to as "Shabbymead"

Robin in Bourton on the Hill says near him they've got Snowshill which they call "Snozzle"

Bill in Upton st Leonards says they call is " Upton st rain hard'.

Geoff from Monmouth says there's a place near him called bagolidia - they call it bag of idiots!

Tony in Gloucester used to live in Whitecroft in the Forest of Dean and he says that they used to call it 'dab-down' but he's not sure why. the people living there were also referred to as 'greeks' but again, tony doesn't know why.

If you can help us with Monkey Trump and Dab Down we would love your help. Cummings @bbc.co.uk

Andy from Hardwicke has laid his pond on the line.

A few months ago he asked for our help with his first foray into the world of pondology.

Here are a few of the comments his little piece of heaven has sparked off. Do feel free to add an updated message on how you feel it has "matured" over the past few months!

Previous thoughts

I have never seen a square pond, shouldn't it be a random shape?

Andy from Hardwicke should spend more time doing his work rather than messing about with water, it all smells a little marshy to me!

I don't want to be too hard on Andy, he has dug out a pond, but a bit of a softening in the shape would have been good. Square and rectangular ponds are best in a formal setting. As it is, you should try to create shape around the pond,so vary the level of the surrounds, particularly around the waterfall. Rethink your turf too, the turf over the liner will dry out and die,whilst the tail of grass below the cascade will work as a drinking straw and take water out of the pond.
So step one cut back and reshape the turf, bury some of your liner,or anchor with rocks or slabs. Raise the soil in places and soften the surround with one or two plants.
Congratulations on deciding to have a pond !

It's a good start. What it needs next is a few fish, and a nice gnome with a fishing rod, possibly sat on a toadstool.

I've tried to resist responding to this, but that's not a pond. It's a square hole in the lawn filled with water. I've seen more attractive puddles.

OK; so some major aesthetic problems, me thinks, with Andy's pond. Positioning is hardly great either; the general look tends to remind me of a large flooded pothole and a more natural shape would have been a better solution. The margins look far to deep to readily facilitate wildlife access; the cascade is rather akin to an irrigation system in Chad. But hey, it's a start.

Really good constructive comments which I will definitely take note of. I will try and do this one evening this week and send some photos to Mark. I have hundreds of Frog Tadpoles in their now and have just purchased some Smooth Newt "eggs" from a licensed distributor.

Personally I quite like it now. Good work.

You'll never catch me on a cruise!

Is it inevitable that one day you will want to go on a cruise? I'm still adamant that my wife will never drag me on one.

The thought fills me with horror...stuck with a boring couple from Telford for two weeks...feeling claustrophobic...eating all day and doubling my body weight. No thanks.

However I have been told that eventually people like me always crumble. On Monday's show we will be covering the launch of the Queen Elizabeth, the third Cunard ship to bear her name. As part of this we will be discussing the joys or lack of them of cruising.

Can someone please tell me what can be pleasurable about being cooped up in a little cabin...with the only thing to look forward to an evening watching a club singer who didn't make it onto X factor? cummings@bbc.co.uk

Updated Monday 11th

I had a few supporters this morning agreeing with me...however many more trying to move me over to the dark side!!

John in Cheltenham says that he's about to go on his 27th cruise next week...he's been doing them for 15 years and loves them. They are no longer just for the wealthy... anyone can now enjoy them and see the world in the best way.

Pat in Cheltenham says she doesn't like the idea of cruising with thousands but a small boat of 500 passengers through the Norwegian fiords is magic.

Francis in Christchurch says that she really can't see the point in cruises...when you go on holiday you pick a place and then arrive and explore the area... on a cruise, you're just bobbing around not really seeing much...

Jenny in Stroud said her favourite cruises were when she was younger and living in Southampton. They used to have docked parties on the big ships and then head home later that evening...great fun and you didn't have to sail anywhere!

Of course I will. Sue got in touch to tell me about this weekend's Old Time Music Hall Soiree. This will be a brilliant event bringing the whole village together.

If you want to hear the characters of the village tune into Friday's Breakfast Show, Chris Baxter's mid morning show and join Faye Hatcher this Saturday morning.

If you live in a part of Gloucestershire that doesn't get the publicity and promotion it deserves please get in touch. Will will come out and interview you for the radio and splash you across the blog! cummings@bbc.co.uk

Thanks to Maggie for this little beauty! Waking up in Birdlip with this view from your garden must be a wonderful way to start the day

The magic of autumn is with us. The weekend looks very mild so enjoy the last gasps of warmth. As ever, any magical photos of our gorgeous county would be gratefully received.
cummings@bbc.co.uk

Nearly a thousand students are expected to descend on Cheltenham town centre on tuesday evening as part of a massive pub crawl organised by a company called 'Carnage Uk'...the organisers say the event will be carefully supervised with medical assistance to hand - but some local businesses have told us they're worried about the mess they may have to clean up in the morning.

The late comedian spent a lot of time in Gloucestershire and when he was here made quite an impression! Here are just a few memories.

Marjorie in Kingsholm says that she saw Norman the 1960's when he came to the Regal in Gloucester...He was fabulous...his usual self, falling over everything!

Russ was walking in the Isle of Man when his dog started pulling the lead behind him...Russ turns around and is faced with Norman playing with the dog!

Mike Norman from Matson got lost once on the Isle of Mann and his friend told him to go and knock on a door to get instructions. He knocked on the door and Norman Wisdom answered the door! He invited him and did a series of impressions for him

Morris in Tirley remembers Norman staying at the Mory House Hotel on Parabolla Road in Cheltenham... he used to play the drums in a dingy little soldiers drinking club

Gene from Hucclecote...she and her husband saw Norman at Wembley before 1953...he was in an ice dance...she said he was hilarious!

Ray in Abbeydale met Norman at Bowden Hall when he toured boxing venues

If you can add to this list of cracking tales please post a comment or email me at cummings@bbc.co.uk

All this week we are talking about Great Gloucestershire Rivalry.

After Gloucester thumped Bath last week we have decided to go to town on this.

Tune in all week to hear about the ultimate competition between schools...villages...sports teams... and even vegetable growing!

If you grew up in the county,

updated Tuesday 5th.

Les in Stonehouse went to Marling School from 1927-31... there was great rivalry between them and Wycliffe College...Stroud Rugby Club was annoyed that Wycliffe and Marling both played football! In the end the schools both changed and played rugby

Joy from Bourton on the Water says she used to go to the Westwood School in Northleach and they had big rivalry on the hockey team with Chipping Campden.

This week on the programme we've been talking about pesky wildlife - those wild animals which make your life a misery. Whether it's squirrels nibbling through cables or seagulls keeping you up all night.

The squirrel saga goes on, Pete sent us this poster which he got through the post from his daughter Karen who lives in Birmingham.