This is just a small selection of what a few of us found strewn across the amphitheatre one May evening. It included
glass whisky and vodka bottles. Please feel free to write your own caption.

Amphitheatre

On a much brighter note, we are delighted to tell you that the ROMANS RETURN. No, this isn’t anything to do
with a soap opera pub, it’s the real thing. A must be there date for your diary – Sunday 18 September 2022 for the delayed
return of the Ermine Street Guard. Watch your inbox for more detail nearer the time. This is a FREE event.
Below are a couple of pictures from their last visit in September 2018.

Further good news was the laying of a long section of rubber matting coming out of the woods into the amphitheatre
along the stretch which gets quite boggy during periods of extended rainfall. Conversations with regular users elicited
a very favourable response but it will be monitored to see how it performs through a full winter season.

You may recall the fallen tree early this year that totally blocked the pathway near the entrance from Cotswold
Avenue. This was quickly cleared with the huge root stump and sawn trunk left on the side to provide natural wildlife
habitat. It is interesting to see how this has now been overgrown giving the appearance of something that has long
been part of the scenery

You may have noticed the absence of our annual appeal for volunteers for our visitor counts. Before breathing too big
a sigh of relief, we were asked by English Heritage if we could conduct surveys on their behalf which would enable
them to get a much better understanding of who uses the amphitheatre. We are working with English Heritage to
develop a survey form that will collect information relevant to improving the visitor experience in the future. It is
taking a little longer than anticipated to get the survey up and running but we are taking the approach that it best to get
the process right from the outset so that the data collected will be useful. Once we have the form we will (surprise,
surprise) be asking for volunteers.

We have long been concerned about cyclists in the amphitheatre, not just from the point of view of damage to the
surface but also because they would often come down the slopes at speed with no control, presenting a real danger to
children and dogs who could be running around out of line of sight. We now have a proper “no cycling” sign on the
entrance from Cotswold Avenue which gives us some back up for advising people that it is not allowed.

One further exciting piece of news. We, in conjunction with the Cirencester camera club, have been waiting for some
time for permission to overfly the amphitheatre with a drone to make a special video. English Heritage have now
agreed and work is about to start. Filming will be done over a series of sessions to capture the amphitheatre in
different light – much will depend on weather conditions. We will let you know when the footage is available and how
you can access the video.

QUERNS WOOD

As part of the planned maintenance programme, a couple of potentially dangerous trees were taken down at the corner
of the pathway that leads down to the hospital main entrance. By dangerous, we of course mean that they were rotting
and likely to fall rather than threatening people as they walked past.

Much more dramatic was a tree that came down in April deep into the woods over towards the ambulance station. No
narrative needed, the pictures speak for themselves

Four Acre Field

Many of our favourite pictures over the years have come from Four Acre Field – early morning mist, rainbows,
sunsets, storm clouds and more. We make no apologies for adding another one.

The (not so new any more) hedgerow is in it’s second season and has done brilliantly well this year. We seem to have
done a pretty good job of clearing the nettles but we’re now overrun by thistles and bindweed. The thistles actually do
look quite lovely when in flower and are much loved by bees. Give it another year or so and we can probably leave
them to do their own thing but right now we still need to clear them as best we can to allow the hedgerow to become
more established. Meanwhile, this year there’s been a wonderful display of wild flowers along this section –
disturbing the ground to do the initial hedgerow planting seems to have kick started a wealth of things we didn’t even
know were there.

Obelisk

We’ve been delighted with the support we’ve had for our work parties this year and there’s been a real sense of team
spirit – thanks to all who have taken part so far. You know who you are and every one of you makes a difference to
what we can achieve. Even so, we’re only just managing to hold our own so more bodies will always be welcome.
As with Four Acre Field, there’s a wealth of new plants and shrubs appearing that we’re certain we haven’t put in:
we’re starting to wonder whether we’ve got a gardening equivalent of Banksy who sneaks in at night and plants
things.

What else?

HOSPITAL GROUNDS VOLUNTEERS
Back in newsletter 21, we told you about the volunteers who work in around the hospital grounds and Querns Wood.
They too would much appreciate any support you may be able to give.

Apart from maintenance, clearance and other work, lovely little things like this hand made bench appear from time to
time. Contact richard.hobbs@ghc.nhs.uk to find out more.

Not new news any more, and you’re looking at it right now – but just a reminder that our revamped website was launched earlier this year. We really are very proud of it. Thank you to Jamie at www.glasshalfpool.com

AND AS ALWAYS
You can find us on facebook:
www.facebook.com/FriendsOfAmphitheatre?fref=ts
We continue our committee meeting by Zoom on the 4th Thursday of every month. You are very welcome to join us if
you wish. Please contact Alison for more detail: aqivasec@gmail.com
And if you have friends, family, neighbours or anyone who might be interested in learning more about
what is going on, please pass on our contact details.