[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]Cheltenham and Gloucester are 2 towns of similar size, of similar style (mostly elegant Regency stone) and similarly placed. They're less than 7 miles apart in the tumbling humps of Gloucestershire, the county placed beyond the end of the Bristol Channel, where it gives up being the Severn Estuary and resorts to being the not-so humble Severn River. Cheltenham and Gloucester are also a college, shortly tipped to become a university. The main site, the Park Campus, is actually in Cheltenham, forming a very large roundabout, 11/2 miles from the town centre. On this urban island, there are [ITAL]elderly [EITAL]buildings ([ITAL]with the signs of age beginning to show[EITAL]), [ITAL]elegant [EITAL]grounds and an [ITAL]extraordinary [EITAL]garden. Among the tennis courts and the large pond where the ducks occasionally allow students to row, the garden is one of the few places in England where Wellingtonian trees can be found. They have very soft bark which can be punched or head-butted without fear of pain - [ITAL]handy for students wandering home drunk[EITAL]. (Kew Gardens also has some of these trees, to which a sign has been added: 'Please do not hit me'.) This is 1 of 3 main sites, all of which are in or very near Cheltenham.[PARA][PARA][BOLD][HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][ITAL]The separateness of the sites doesn't create too great a split and the College is a fun place to be, full of keen and helpful people. The community atmosphere is stronger than Stallone on steroids and much more perky than traditional universities. Relations with the naice folk of Chelters are OK, because the students know not to push it. [EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE SITES:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Pittville:[EBOLD] (Fine Art, Fashion, Sculpture, Media) This [ITAL]unfortunately named [EITAL]site, 21/2 miles from Park Campus, which looks a lot like a school, has recently been expanded by adding a new media block ([ITAL]which looks like a blue and white space-ship[EITAL]) and some self-catering accommodation. [ITAL]Being full of arty types[EITAL], there's a gallery and exhibition space.[PARA][BOLD]Hardwick:[EBOLD] (Leisure Management) [ITAL]You know a sports centre? That's this site, that is.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Francis Close Hall:[EBOLD] (Environment, Catering, Geography, Geology) 2 miles from Park Campus, FCH is [ITAL]picturesque and classically academic-looking[EITAL].[HDNG]TOWN:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 85,900 [BULL] London: 95miles [BULL] Bristol: 40miles [BULL] Birmingham: 43miles[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]Cheltenham is famous for 3 things:[EITAL] (i) its racecourse; (ii) its spa; and, [ITAL]ironically, since it's supposed to be clouded in secrecy,[EITAL] (iii) GCHQ. The spa more than the spies were responsible for its growth in the early part of the 19th century into what is now a [ITAL]very pleasant[EITAL] town with a [ITAL]satisfactory [EITAL]number of public amenities ([ITAL]but certainly not a glut[EITAL]). Among [ITAL]the most serene [EITAL]sights are the art gallery in the centre of town, the numerous parks and the Pittville Pump Rooms [ITAL]where the water is brown and tastes disgusting[EITAL] - although [PUSH]push[EPUSH] is not sure whether we were drinking from the right outflow.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] The nearest mainline station is Cheltenham Spa, 2 miles from Park Campus, offering direct links to Gloucester, Bristol, London and Cardiff.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] National Express, Marchants and Swanbrook operate coach services from Cheltenham.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] Main road links to the A10 2 miles from Park Campus and the M5, 2 miles away.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Fairly good prospects on the main routes.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] The College runs its own free bus service between all the Cheltenham sites. [ITAL]It's quite reliable, [EITAL]but stops dead at 9.15pm. Local buses take up the slack and run till midnight, but cost 40p from Park Campus to the town centre.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Most students like to get the real feel of a wheel between their thighs. [EITAL]The College offers a subsidy to students who want to buy bikes.[HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Business/Soc Sci[EBOLD] 1,400 12-14pts[BOLD][PARA]Env and Leisure[EBOLD] 1,750 12-14pts[BOLD][PARA]Arts/Ed[EBOLD] 2,100 12-14pts[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 209,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 1880 [BULL] Study places: 302 [BULL] Computer workstations: 600[ESTAT][PARA]3 libraries - 1 at each of the Park Campus, Francis Close and Pittville sites.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 2full/1part [BULL] Unemployed after 6mths (1992): 16%[ESTAT][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]The College operates 2 15-week semesters (rather than 3 shorter terms) and courses are modular.[PARA][BULL]The College is undergoing a vast increase in size and new buildings are popping up like organ stops.[PARA][BULL]The SU has a cat called Josephine.[PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA]Chris Broad (cricketer); David Brookhouse (modern pentathlete); David Bryant (bowls champion); Don Hale (author); PH Newby (writer); Sarah Potter (England cricketer, daughter of Dennis).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads, postgrads and part timers.[PARA][PARA]
