What county is Cheltenham in? (And 4 other facts about the world-famous town)

Cheltenham is in Gloucestershire, in the South West of England. Arguably most known for hosting the annual Cheltenham Festival, which sees horses from all over the world competing in a number of races, including jockeying for the prized Gold Cup.

The beautiful town is also home to Albany Windows, a trusted local double glazing company with over 20 years of experience Improving homes across Gloucestershire.

What is the ‘Cheltenham roar’?

The aforementioned Cheltenham Festival, known for its enthralling atmosphere, was established over 100 years ago. The ‘Cheltenham roar’ is a tradition that sees attendees cheer loudly at the start of the first race of the Festival.

The event is estimated to generate up to £100 million for the local economy, with the 2019 event attracting around 68,000 attendees on the opening day alone. The first Gold Cup race was run at the festival in 1924 with a prize pot of £685. The prize for the winner of the 2020 Gold Cup? £625,000.

Why is it called Cheltenham Spa?

Over 300 years ago, a Quaker and local farmer William Mason spotted “particularly healthy looking” pigeons pecking at salt deposits around a spring on his land. Mason became convinced of the spring’s healing powers, enclosed it and charged local residents to drink the water.

Many years later, his son-in-law, Captain Henry Skillicorne, inherited the land and saw the value in the spring. He took the opportunity to turn it into a well, hoping to attract visitors from far and wide.

King George III visited, and subsequently endorsed, the spa in 1788, leading to the water being bottled and sold throughout the country. In honour of the initial discovery, pigeons were added to the town’s coat of arms and remain a symbol of Cheltenham to this day.

Home of the Superdry headquarters

Superdry has established itself as one of the most popular clothing brands in the UK. Businessman Julian Dunkerton, and business partner Ian Hibbs launched Cult Clothing in 1985 and started selling clothing in a market stall in Cheltenham.

Dunkerton joined forces with James Holder, who was running streetwear brand, Bench, at the time, to launch Superdry in 2003. Fast forward to today, the company boasts annual revenue of £872 million and has 515 stores in 46 countries around the world. The company still has its headquarters in Cheltenham, like your local home improvement experts: Albany Windows.

Let’s Do the Time Warp Again

Richard O’Brien was born in Cheltenham on 25 March 1942. After moving to New Zealand at the age of 10, he returned to the UK in 1964 and broke into show business as a stuntman in Carry On Cowboy. A few years later, he performed in the London production of Jesus Christ Superstar, where he met director Jim Sharman.

O’Brien showed Sharman a play he’d been developing, with the working title of They Came from Denton High. Sharman agreed to help O’Brien with his dream but suggested that the name of the production should be changed to The Rocky Horror Show. Since its original West End opening in 1974, the ground-breaking play has become a pop culture sensation and been performed in over 30 countries, translated into more than 20 languages and been adapted into 2 movies.

Albany Windows have been offering high-quality products and expert customer service to homeowners throughout Gloucestershire for 20 years. For more information about our products or services, call us for free on 0800 111 4621 or contact us online.