We are pleased to announce that summer 2026 will see a return of live music to the Pittville Park Bandstand! With a grant from CBC and some of our own funds, Friends of Pittville will be supporting and hosting a series of concerts featuring major silver and brass bands. Concerts are provisionally booked for five…

Friends of Pittville worked with Men in Sheds to build two bug hotels for the Sensory Garden, and they’ve already become lively homes for insects. Creating one at home is simple and can provide safe nesting spaces for insects that are not only charming to observe but also incredibly helpful to the garden. Solitary bees,…

You may be surprised to learn that Pittville Park was once the stage for a remarkable moment in aviation history. In 1889, a young woman named Emily de Voy (also recorded as Emma Dovey) made what is recognised as the first parachute descent by a woman in Britain. Her historic jump took place here in…

Over the last three months, I’m amazed at all that our Green Space Volunteers (GSVs) have achieved, despite mixed fortunes with the weather — which saw our numbers fluctuate from a whopping 24 one day to four damp souls on a wet and chilly morning. We have pruned, weeded, cleared and mulched with enthusiasm and…

We’re delighted to share that this year’s Friends of Pittville Annual Quiz Night was an outstanding success! Held on Monday 16 February at The Feathered Fish, the evening brought together 72 enthusiastic quizzers, all ready to put their knowledge to the test, with resident quiz master Paul striking the perfect balance between challenge and fun.…

Following our recent AGM we have a keen, very willing and even more able committee. With just one missing Trustee. After a long and dedicated run our membership coordinator has retired and we now need to find a replacement. This is a key position in the committee but need not be too onerous in terms…

On a pleasant autumn evening in early October, Chris Chavasse, Senior Trees Officer for CBC, kindly led a delightful and informative walk on and around Pittville Circus, discussing the trees and plantings there. Most of us just whizz past this space, but it is well worth taking the time to walk around and really look…

We were delighted to receive news from Wayne Sedgwick, the Senior Ranger with the Green Space Team at CBC, that work is due to start immediately on a new path in the park. It will be of compacted stone and will start from the junction of Albemarle Gate and Tommy Taylors Lane adjacent to the…

On 30 September, the mayor of Cheltenham, Dr David Willingham, came to the park to officially open the Sensory Garden in front of the aviaries and unveil the carving of ‘Quirky’ by sculptor Natasha Houseago. He paid tribute to volunteers in Cheltenham’s parks and spoke of the importance of the partnership between CBC and FoP…

First, an anniversary.  19 November 2009 was the start date of the Green Space Volunteers with just six members, two of whom, Judy and Terry Langhorn, still volunteer regularly with the team. That’s quite something! Since then, our numbers have grown and we regularly have a team of 18+ working in the park – at…