WHEN HTV weatherman Bob Crampton wanted to film one of the best views in the West, first out of the hat was at Cinderford.

Supported by tv cameras and microphones, Bob was shot 800ft up on the side of Littledean Hill, for a weather item to be screened on HTV this Friday (October 2).

The idea for the shoot came from Joan Martin, landlord of the Royal Foresters Hotel.

"HTV were asking people to volunteer the best views for a piece about the weather, and I thought, well you can't get much better than this. From up here you can see Gloucester Cathedral, the whole of the Severn Vale and horseshoe bend on the river, the M5 and Stonehouse. At night you can clearly see the lights of the Severn Bridges. It's got to be the best view in the Forest. You can even see the curvature of the earth on a clear day."