WHEN people think of the Cotswolds this June they will hopefully no longer picture Roman ruins, tweed suits and hunting dogs thanks to one man's mission to change people's perceptions of the district.

Oli Christie is on a mission to prove that the Cotswolds is a cool place to live and work.

The Cirencester-based CEO of mobile games company Neon Play launched Rock the Cotswolds late last year and called for people to vote for any business or individual they thought 'rocked' the district.

Out of hundreds of nominations, Oli Christie and his team picked a list of the first 75 'rockers' and invited them, as well as many others, to what is being called 'the party of the year' this June.

The prestigious event being held in Gloucester will be celebrating all the exciting businesses and individuals in the area.

While the list of rockers includes Cotswold residents known all over the world such as Kate Moss, Lily Allen and Damien Hurst; it also includes some of the little known quirks of the Cotswolds such as Octavia’s Bookshop, He Says She Waffles and Mango Bikes.

“We want people in London, Birmingham, Bristol, New York, and Shanghai to hear about Rock the Cotswolds,” said Oli.

“We want them to realise how much is going on here. They can move here, get a fantastic job or start a company.”

Oli went on to say that this is merely the first stage of Rock the Cotswolds as a new set of 'rockers' will be announced next year.

To see a full list of the first 75 Cotswold rockers visit rockthecotswolds.com