LOOKING back on some of the stories the Gazette has reported through the years...

September 1997

PEOPLE living in a Thornbury street feared it would turn into an overflow public house car park, amid Avon County Council’s plans to allow night-time drinking.

The county was recommending that no waiting at any time in St John Street should be changed to allow parking between 6pm and 8am, and on Sundays.

The proposal was part of the county’s traffic management review of Thornbury Town Centre, which was under consideration at the time.

St John’s resident Nigel Davies warned the street could become a centre for parking for people using the Chinese takeaway, The Plough, the George and a nearby wine bar.

Cllr Terry Press said the new restrictions could also mean parked cars preventing emergency vehicles from entering sheltered housing at Quaker Court.

Town councillors agreed to make a late appeal to the county council, asking for residents’ views to be taken into consideration.

September 2007

BERKELEY Castle was the focus of a new television series that claimed to go behind the doors usually closed to the public.

Halo Films, based in Stone, filmed the Berkeley Estate for a 20-episode television series.

Peter Georgi, owner of Halo Films, said: “The Berkeley family and the estate are very interesting and making 20 shows means we can really take our time with the different parts and people.

“The castle is so intrinsically linked with a country way of life which they are keeping going.

“Their approach to running the estate is unique, they believe in longevity, with many estate workers having been there for 25 years.”