Gloucester

[the.fee.fairy]

My dad has a job in gloucester, which means that we're likely to be moving there.

So...anybody from gloucester here?

I need to know important things:

1. Is there a body mods shop in Gloucester? If there is, are they EPPA or APP registered?
2. Are there some dirty dingy rock dives round there?
3. what is it like?

[snapdragon]

1. what's that?
2. probably - at least theres a Rugby club which possibly doubles as one
3. ok depends on which bit (as per usual with cities/big towns)


have to add that I didnt live there - but worked there briefly when I lived outside Cheltenham - which was an hundred eons ago - so really I know nowt

best ignore me

[Thomzo]

Hi Fee
I don't know Gloucester very well I'm afraid. Apart from the docks which are worth a five minute visit.

But Swindon is less than an hour away so I can definitely pop over for the housewarming.

There is some lovely countryside around there, however. If Dad is prepared to commute in to work then you should find a fantastic place for you all to live.

I don't know about the rock dives but if you can get into the real dance scene (proper Jive, lindyhop, swing, balboa etc) there are some fantastic clubs in that area.

Zoe

[Green Rosie]

I used to live between Swindon and Gloucester but likewise don't know it too well - but get out of the town and the countryside is FANTASTIC.

And if your Dad fancies popping into the Local Records Office he could always do a bit of family history research for me (living in France has made that particular hobby a bit hard for me )

[Andy Hamilton]

Emma loves Gloucester and its only an hour away from Bristol (with direct trains from my local station!) so we have been there a few times. Never at night though. I like it around the docks too as there is a massive antique warehouse over 5 floors.

Not sure what Body mods is??? There does seem to be quite an Emo/rock/goth scene just looking at the people that hang around the town so I would imagine there are some clubs and pubs. I hear that The Pig Inn The City is a good music venue.

It's like most UK smallish towns or is it a city?? It has some old bits, some chavs, some nice places and be careful you don't live in an area that might flood!!

[Eigon]

Gloucester is a city - it has a rather nice cathedral (used as a set for Harry Potter once, I believe, unless I'm getting it mixed up with Worcester).

[the.fee.fairy]

Groovy, ta!

By body mods, i mean piercing/tattooing place. I aim to have my own studio when i've finished my traning. However, if there is another one registered with the EPPA (European Professional Piercers Association) or the APP (Association of Professional Piercers) then its not worth me opening in that area.

I know that there is a place in Bristol...

I like rock dives, especially those that play music with screaming guitars and have a clientele of lots of men with long hair and leather trousers...

I also like folk clubs.

Oh...and i need somewhere to work, what's the job situation like?

[contadina]

I hope I'm not he only person that thought that body mods meant motorbike alterations - doh!

I'm with Andy, being close to Bristol will give you plenty of alternative nights out. But I found a couple of links that might be useful, although I don't think that Gloucester has too much of an alternative scene. I grew up in Guildford, which is quite similar to Gloucester and spent most of my youth going to gigs in London.

http://www.rocknights.org/Country/UK/Gl ... rshire.php

http://knowhere.co.uk/417_music.html

[WiseBird]

I am Chelenham born and bred but moved down to Dorset 12 years ago, so what I know about Gloucester is a bit out of date too...but there are loads of great pubs and clubs in Cheltenham, which is only 8 miles away...not much help...sorry

[Squaralina]

As a true Shire child, I am can help you out here -

1) I can't say regards to accreditation but there are a couple of well-respected ( so I'm told, not being a modder myself) tattoo and/or modding places around - Alzone (purple shop on Eastgate Street); Arts & Daggers (on southgate street near the docks, if it's still called that). Both are supposed to be award-winning and very highly rated on a national level. I can think of 5 or 6 else in the city centre and no doubt there are more around

2) We have one rock club, Crackers, under a car park, extremely dingy and skanky and affectionately known as the Crackhouse at least by my social circle. I used to go there when I was younger but nowadays it's much better in memory.
It has the gay night on Mondays, strip club on Saturday afternoons (as horrid as you would imagine a strip club in a dive on a Sat afternoon to be - I went there to photograph a friend and felt absolutely awful by the time I left - I think it was the girl lacing herself with moisturising lotion in an ejaculatory fashion that turned my stomach, that and thinking ' I can see right up you!), rock night Saturday nights, psytrance night one Friday night a month (called Toadstool - preferred although the nitrous was well 'aired' down - not that you'll probably get that anymore since that idiot did himself in using a carrier bag!) and drum and bass on some Thursday nights (poss once a month?). I 'd like to go to the d'n'b night but the only person I know who went there got beaten up ( although he is one of those people who kind of ask for it - most of his stories involve him getting struck)

3) What is Gloucester like?......Well..... It's mostly crap.

There is very little culture. I mean it, really. We have the Guildhall that does it's best, bless it. Decent selection of world cinema. We had the Automatic play on Thursday I saw Muse before they were famous about 7 years ago. Ash played about 12 years ago. Eliza Carthy is playing soon (woo!) . The museum never changes. The gallery in the museum once had a nice quilting exhibition but I rarely think 'ooh I must go and see that!' to things they put on. I did see a good photo exhibition at the Guildhall once. My friend worked for the library service and apparently they keep taking 'literature' off their lists and adding more 'bestsellers' because no-one ever reads the good stuff - it's so depressing.

The town is built on four 'gate' streets - Eastgate, Westgate, Northgate, Southgate.

Eastgate is the 'high street'. The inner half is the shops bit, like any other, the outer half would be the 'strip' - Loads and loads of bars and the two clubs (Liquid and Innteraction [no typo there], which apparently is known as Interracial, but not by anyone I know) frequented by most - Alcopops, shots, short skirts, same music played constantly that was in the charts 8 years ago, special nights at Liquid with Charley from Big Brother last year, but more likely to be Little Britain impersonators or Hollyoaks actors, screaming drunks who literally sound like animals ( I used to live on it), kebabs all over the floor. They now have to close the road off and put police all down it every weekend.

Nicest 'gate' street is Westgate definitely ( the Made in Gloucestershire is gorgeous but prohibitively expensive). Best pubs on it - The Fountain has folkies at it every other Wednesday - and this area has the most history, which is the best part about Gloucester (a post for another time, if so desired)

Southgate Street isn't too exciting - it leads to the Docks and has
Cafe Rene on it, which was this wicked French-themed pub with an indoor well, winebottles lining the walls and ceilings and a dog called Leo, but since it became the only pub to be open until 4, now has everyone patronising it and is unbearably busy on the weekend and even, and EVEN has the effrontery to change an entrance fee now! Oh, it does have Collectors Choice, a excellent shop for comics, drug paraphernalia, books, records, collectables and D&D/card games, but they said they would shut down within a few years - surprise sur-bloody-prise - anything interesting, niche or just good closes down.

Gloucester values mundanity and banality and cheap shit. There are empty shops everywhere. At one point we had the Pound Shop, the 99p shop and the £2 shop. Guess which one closed first . Good selection of charity shops though, most on Westgate, another strip off Northgate Street by Debenhams and also some up top of Northgate.

Northgate is the worst for aforementioned emptiness and crapness. It's got the New Inn on it which isn't a great pub but fantastic history.

The cathedral is wonderful (yes we do have the Potter crew in regularly, just a few weeks ago, in fact) and the docks are beautiful.

The city park is reputed for its muggings, disused needles, etc. Not totally fair a view anymore and it's plenty used. They are partway making it better.

I'm running out of steam. There is so much more to say. We have the Farmers marker on Friday mornings which is pretty good. The rugby is a pain in the arse; so noisy, traffic jams, pissed fans, town is full to the brim.

Cheltenham, Stroud, etc would be a post for another time. Quickly, Cheltenham is 'all fur coat and no knickers', to use my most favourite local phrase. Clubs are prevalent, good is a debatable term, although I like Subzone very much. Stroud, I am fond of, but tis v. small. The Golden Harp is my fav pub there.

GloucesterSHIRE is the amazing bit. Rolling hills and valleys, the river Severn and Wye, PYO farms, walks, cycle paths, craft centres, the Forest of Dean ( went out there yesterday ), the Cotswolds, the expensive restaurants and hotels, etc.

Jobs I find it hard to say. Few graduate jobs as we can find. Sales, office, carework, factory, manual. I've never found it too hard to get a job but you do need, to a degree, to be not be too picky.

I am finally escaping in a few months. We are moving to Bristol. I've lived here all my life and always said I would leave. Finally at 24, it's happening!

If you are friendly and tolerant, you should be alright. Most people here aren't but I'm sure you'll find a crowd to get in with - if you're interested in bodymod shops and the Crackhouse, you'll be alright with the 'alternative' crowd I'm sure. They are all v. friendly and welcoming, for sure. You may also wish to frequent the Pig Inn The City (again, no typo) on lower Westgate - the music is not 'good', it's local teenage bands, but maybe I am a touch picky.

Thomzo, where are the jive/lindy/swing/etc clubs in Gloucester? I know the Guildhall does the occasional night?

Hope that explains a bit :) when I saw the previous posts, I was like 'Right!...'

[Squaralina]

Saw another of your posts and although you mentioned it being unlikely due to the cost, I will still recommend as gorgeous areas that are close enough to the local surburban sprawl of Quedgeley and Hardwicke and Gloucester centre (and the more southern ones near to Stroud) whilst being in the honest-to-God wonderfulness of our countryside;

Epney, Longney, Saul, Cam, Frampton, Elmore, Framilode

I'm biased though, this is all near where I grew up. Don't live too close to the river though

[the.fee.fairy]

Brilliant! Thankyou for such a detailed description!

I like the location of Gloucester as compared to Bristol, Cardiff, etc.

I can't remember where it was that Dad's looking to buy. He's looking at more rural areas. He really wants a smallholding...I think i convinved him by telling him that we could get goats!

Thankyou again for all the info! Its a lot to take in, but i shall definitely keep the advice in mind!

[Thomzo]

Thomzo, where are the jive/lindy/swing/etc clubs in Gloucester?

Hi Squaralina

For Jive try Ceroc http://www.strictlyceroc.com/

For Swing and Lindy then it's Jazz Jive from The Rock Dance company http://www.jazzjiveswing.com/

Lots of venues in and around Glos.

Cheers
Zoe

[Shirley]

I like rock dives, especially those that play music with screaming guitars and have a clientele of lots of men with long hair and leather trousers...

Oh me too, me too...... VERY thin on the ground in Aberdeenshire! Hope you have more luck in Gloucester.

[the.fee.fairy]

I've got my fingers crossed...

If not, then it'll be regular trips back to london to get my fix!

Although...there is a certain folk band who play in Cardiff a lot that would do in the meantime...