My Festival

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As the National Hunt Festival virtually takes over Cheltenham for a week, we want to find out how far the ripple spreads around the rest of the county.

Here are a few thoughts offered those in Cirencester...

"I go to it occasionally and when I'm not there I avoid the area because of the traffic!"

"I don't avoid it like the plague but when it's on, if I have the time, I would go."

"When my son was little he had an appointment in Cheltenham on Gold Cup day and it was horrendous. We pulled into this garage and this kind gentleman took me all around the back roads so I could get right round the outskirts and back into Cheltenham. Yes I would avoid Cheltenham it if I had to!"

"My husband thoroughly enjoys it because he likes racing. I do like to go and watch racing but I've never been to the Cheltenham Festival."

"It means a lot to me as I'm a racegoer so it's probably my favourite week of the year."

Jon Davies, owner of Lock Stock and Barrel in Cirencester and a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, says:

"Cirencester is a great place for those racegoers that perhaps want a break from the three or four day festival to come and have a look around and also perhaps to stay away from what is a really busy Cheltenham.

"If they don't want to go hunting around shops, fighting through the crowds, they can come to Cirencester and take advantage of the local economy."

What is 'My Festival'?

It's a BBC Gloucestershire series, on the radio and online, reflecting how the annual Cheltenham National Hunt Festival impacts on the rest of the county.

How does it affect you? Whether you're planning on going or not, we'd love you to capture a snapshot of what it means to you and email that photograph to: gloucestershire@bbc.co.uk

Or simply just tell us in words by filling in the form below...

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