CELEBRITIES and writers descended on the town as it held one of its biggest annual events, the Literature Festival, in October.
Stars including former Bond star Sir Roger Moore and Harry Potter creator JK Rowling pulled in the crowds as thousands headed to Cheltenham to hear them speak.
Elsewhere, another big name announced it was leaving the town after more than a century.
Bosses at gentleman's outfitter The Famous, which had stood in High Street for 126 years, announced they were shutting the store for good after failing to find a new location elsewhere in Cheltenham town centre.
Troublemakers were in the news after the police announced a crackdown on anti-social behaviour in the town centre.
Officers were given the power to tell intimidating groups hanging around the lower end of the High Street to leave if they were causing problems for residents, shoppers and traders.
Another thug in the news was Cheltenham football hooligan Aaron Cawley.
His family was forced into hiding after the Sheffield Wednesday fan ran onto the pitch at a game against Leeds and hit the opponent's goalkeeper, Chris Kirkland.
He was jailed for his attack, but was promised his old job back when he left prison.
Monsters of another sort were taking to the streets at the end of October as the Echo held its first Monster Walk.
The charity fundraiser saw young and old dress in ghoulish costumes to raise cash for good causes.
Energy company Western Power Distribution said it was investing £1.3 million on improvements after thousands were left without electricity throughout the county.
Residents endured three months of power failures before the money was stumped up to cover the next two years.
Generous donors did their bit to help those in need find their feet.
More than £74,000 was raised to send six-year-old Leckhampton schoolboy Daniel Webster to America for a life-changing operation.
The youngster, who has a form of cerebral palsy, needed the op to help him walk again.
And another fundraising campaign backed by the Echo helped by 37-year-old Daniel Baker a new wheelchair.
Daniel, from The Reddings, has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and needed a specialist chair costing £9,000.
Meanwhile, generous lottery winners Chris and Colin Weir, who won the EuroMillions, stumped up a large chunk of the cash needed for a £40,000 operation for a three-year-old girl.
Skye Swinton needs the money to pay for her to have the op to help her walk again.
Campaigners were also out in force in an effort to stop a planned badger cull across Gloucestershire.
The county had been chosen to run a pilot scheme in an effort to stop the animals spreading bovine TB to cattle.
But ministers decided to delay the cull at the last minute until June 2013 - leaving the protesters to continue their fight next year.
But villagers hoping to stop a planned development in Prestbury were defeated.
Developers wanting to build homes in Starvehall Farm finally won their battle after years of fighting.
