Mark Cummings' Blog

I'm now on Twitter ...

Mark Cummings — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 10:52:58 +0000

Farewell to the blog .. I'll be keeping in touch from now on via Twitter

Listen on your mobile

Mark Cummings — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:57:30 +0000

If you have a iOS phone (Android soon too) you can hear the show wherever you are.

Just download the iPlayerradio app and click on local radio.

You'll be able to hear the show wherever you are in the county, the UK or indeed the world. So you know, some sport shows are "blocked" online due to matters relating to broadcast rights. This usually involves football.

Radio Gloucestershire on Facebook

Mark Cummings — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:43:28 +0000

There's lots to read about on Radio Gloucestershire's facebook page.

You dont need to "sign up" to view the page, although you do need to "sign up" to comment and send us messages

You can see our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bbcgloucestershire

Radio Gloucestershire on Twitter

Mark Cummings — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:38:46 +0000

You can keep up to date with all the programmes on Radio Gloucestershire .. and all the breaking news .. by following @bbcglos on twitter

Mark Cummings — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 11:04:51 +0000

Mark Cummings — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 10:58:00 +0000

Mark Cummings — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 09:29:10 +0000

Flooding 2012

Mark Cummings — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:31:02 +0000

The County is once more being affected by rising flood water. Its not quite as high as 2007 but that's no consolation to families whose homes have been inundated.

All our immediate updates are going out on our station Twitter account @bbcglos

You can also see all the latest information - and a selection of your photos - on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/bbcgloucestershire

This morning on the show we heard from Philippa who was watching the floodwaters rise ..

listen to ‘Philippa's story: Waiting for the River Severn flood water to enter her house’ on Audioboo

Sign of the times

Mark Cummings — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:16:20 +0000

Here is something that took my eye on Cricklade Street in Cirencester.

Do email me your favourite signs that make you smile for whatever reason. If any struggle with basic spelling that would be great too.

cummings@bbc.co.uk

Face furniture fright

Mark Cummings — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:13:06 +0000

My mate Chris Baxter is really going for it this November.

Our Mid Morning host is helping raise money for cancer research by scaring the living daylights out of friends, family and work mates. A "tash for cash" challenge is taking place around the country and Chris is going for the sinister look.

Do email me your "Movember" photos...blokes can take part too! cummings@bbc.co.uk

Frosty morning across Gloucestershire

Mark Cummings — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 07:34:25 +0000

The first proper frost of the autumn this morning. Here's a quick snap of Frocester Hill from John Wilkes

Wild boar cause uproar once again

markcummingsadmin — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 06:22:58 +0000

There's growing anger in the Forest of Dean about the way the wild boar cull is being managed - and there's a big meeting today for the Forest Verderers' to discuss the problems.

The campaign group 'Friends of the Boar' says the focus of the cull is in the wrong areas.

They're upset that animals deep in the woodland have been targeted and claim others have been left free to destroy land in and around Coleford and Ruardean.

Golf courses have been damaged, grass verges have been ripped up, gardens have been destroyed.

It's a mystery

Mark Cummings — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 12:10:11 +0000

Have a look at this picture and read the email below...then please HELP!

Hi Mark,

Building an orangery at The Red House, Bourton-on-the-Water. Fellow worker, Adrian, noticed a bit of unusual ground, so we investigated it; Only 6 ins below normal ground we uncovered some bricks built on edge, in a circle and about 4 ft. wide. The owners, Iain and Kate Bradley excavated the hole to about 3 ft. deep all last Saturday. We now see the hole opens up to 7 ft. wide, circular with a lovely domed head, which has 8' ventilation holes in it. We estimate it to be 7 ft. deep. The sides are rendered with a very hard material - I'm not sure what it is at the moment, but the brickwork is built in a lime mortar, dating it to about 1830 - 1850 - the same as the house.

We have discovered over the weekend that the house was not only the 3rd ever hospital in Bourton, but it was the 1st with a fully paid staff and it was also an isolation hospital. I've never uncovered anything as exciting as this building in my 54 years in the trade and I really want to know what it was before we reluctantly have to cap it over.

Suggestions so far lean towards: an ice house for storing meat or other foods, a morgue for storing bodies until undertakers collect or surgeons do post mortems, an isolation chamber for patients with unknown symptoms or again awaiting examination, a dousing bath or something along those lines, as the walls were obviously water-proofed at that time.

Bourton historian and good friend, John Finch, has searched local photos of the 2nd half of the 1800s, even an early aerial photo of the property, but nothing conclusive to date.

It has already raised great interest locally, so we desperately need answers this week. Friday it has to be finalised.

Norman

Any ideas...cummings@bbc.co.uk

A muddle with a puddle

Mark Cummings — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:32:03 +0000

Isn't it strange how people react when we get a bit of rain.

We've had a few down pours this week but then again it's September and we live on an island! John from Cam took a fairly innocuous photo of a puddle near his home and before he knew it the whole world wanted it and his story of mass floods!

At the end of a long day being phoned by media outlet around the UK...his photo ended up on Al Jeezera TV with former BBC Points West Weather man Richard Angwin!

Confession from the Dr of Pondology

Mark Cummings — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:17:14 +0000

When is it ok to be fake?

We've been talking this week about the fake grass that could be coming to the green banks by the river Windrush in Bourton on the Water.

When I built my pond in the wild flower garden at Cummings Towers I was advised to go for a fibre glass water fall. Once the grass and flowers grow in the spring you can't spot it...plus a few real stones and some naturally occurring moss helps cover my terrible secret.

So is it ok for have a fake waterfall in a natural wild garden? Please email me your water fall photos and we will try and guess if they are real or fake...cummings@bbc.co.uk