Stories for 4 September 2007

Before The 1900'S

2nd September to 8th September

100 Years Ago:  more...

Business

Outdoor bar on show at trade fair

WORCESTERSHIRE timber specialists M&M Timber Ltd from Clows Top, near Bewdley, will be taking centre stage at the NEC's National Licensed Business Show later this month - literally.  more...

Coach'S Column

We must stay focused despite our relegation

WE may have lost the battle against relegation in the four-day game - but there is still so much for us to focus on this season.  more...

Down The Lane

Attendance drop is hardly a surprise

MONEY is tight at St George's Lane. Everyone connected with Worcester City knows that.  more...

Education

Is your child ready to start their school life?

DRESSED in her school uniform with sparkling new shoes at the ready, Ruby Needham is one of hundreds of children across Worcestershire who will be starting their educational life tomorrow.  more...

Is your child ready to start their school life?

DRESSED in her school uniform with sparkling new shoes at the ready, Ruby Needham is one of hundreds of children across Worcestershire who will be starting their educational life tomorrow.  more...

Equestrian

Twentieth year of Highland ponies

THE prestigious Highland pony show celebrated its 20th year at the Three Counties Showground with a new ridden class for the over-40s.  more...

Farmers' Markets

Flooding didn’t stop us baking

How did you manage during the floods? Richard Church, his partner and six children not only coped for 10 days without water but also ran their bakery, providing local villagers with fresh bread and cakes throughout the deluge.  more...

September: Market Diary

Droitwich - Victoria Square, Saturday, September 1 - 9am-2pm  more...

Gardening

From Percy to Monty, we're still going strong

It started as a seed of an idea when colour TV was coming in and gardening was considered a fantastic medium for it - and has gone on to produce vast harvests of information for gardeners worldwide.  more...

BEST OF THE BUNCH: Hydrangea

These flowering shrubs have long been garden favourites, their great flowerheads in shades of blues, pinks and whites brightening the border in late summer and autumn.  more...

Good enough to eat: Lemongrass

The stalks of this tropical grass are a staple in Thai curries and other Far Eastern dishes as the roots and stems contain an aromatic oil producing a distinctive citrus flavour.  more...

THREE WAYS TO...

Stay safe when hedge trimming  more...

What to do this week - September 1

- Pot up clumps of parsley, cutting off their leaves to encourage fresh growth for winter use.  more...

Dont miss...

Kids Create Eden is a nationwide competition being launched by The Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Centre in partnership with the Eden Project.  more...

Kidder News Latest

Lorry driver dies at services

A KIDDERMINSTER lorry driver died after his own vehicle collided with another truck, trapping him between the two vehicles.  more...

Policing matters on agenda

A PUBLIC meeting in Kidderminster will allow people to have their say about policing and see what is being done in the Wyre Forest area.  more...

Free illness advice cards

FREE cards are available at a Kidderminster store explaining the common signs and symptoms to look out for in meningitis and septicaemia.  more...

Free illness advice cards

FREE cards are available at a Kidderminster store explaining the common signs and symptoms to look out for in meningitis and septicaemia.  more...

Sports club burgled

POLICE are appealing for information about a burglary at Stourport Sports Club overnight.  more...

Superstore saves party after raid

CALLOUS burglars stole money saved by children for an end of holiday club party.  more...

Superstore saves party after raid

CALLOUS burglars stole money saved by children for an end of holiday club party.  more...

Latest

Parents of Malvern car crash man pay tribute

THE parents of a Malvern man who died after a car crash have said they could not have wished for a better son.  more...

Pensioner's massive flood insurance hike

A PENSIONER whose Worcester home was hit by this summer’s floods has had her excess charge increased from £50 to a massive £10,000.  more...

I ran to my prom to help Acorns

A 16-YEAR-OLD Worcester schoolgirl has handed over £360 to a children's hospice after raising the money by running to her school prom.  more...

Wartime sick bay to open as visitor centre

A wartime building in the grounds of a Worcestershire stately home is to be given a new lease of life this weekend.  more...

Event for aspiring magistrates

ASPIRING magistrates can find out more about what the role involves at an event tomorrow.   more...

Pedestrian hospitalised after collision

A WOMAN has been taken to hospital with a fractured leg after being involved in a collision with a car this morning.  more...

Two women injured after Malvern collision

AN elderly woman has been taken to hospital with facial injuries after a road collision in Malvern yesterday.  more...

Family's delight as pub in line for top award

A FAMILY run Worcestershire pub that was victim to two floods in just four weeks has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Calor Rural Pub in the Community Award, a national search to find the country's most community- focused rural pub.   more...

Bike thief avoids city's CCTV

A CYCLIST is warning others to keep a close eye on their bikes after his was stolen just a month after buying it.  more...

Six weeks on traffic lights will be mended

LIGHTS on a pedestrian crossing in Worcester which haven't worked since the July floods will be back up and running by the end of the week.  more...

Historic start to school term

THE start of the new school year has marked an historic new era for two of Worcester's oldest schools.  more...

We tested the city's clocks - with some surprising results

HIGH above the hustle and bustle of Worcester city centre can be found centuries of tradition.  more...

Droitwich drivers warned after spate of thefts

CAR owners in Droitwich have been warned to be on their guard after thieves targeted four cars in one night.  more...

Woman injured after being kicked by horse

A WOMAN in her 50s has been airlifted to hospital with a head injury after being kicked by a horse.  more...

Travellers told to leave retail park

TRAVELLERS who have set up camp on a Worcester retail park have been given until noon tomorrow to move on.  more...

Business as usual at flood-damaged schools

SCHOOLS hit by this summers floods have been getting back to normal with the start of the new school term.  more...

Holiday club receives top report from Government

STAFF and youngsters at a holiday club for children in Worcester have been celebrating after receiving a top report from government inspectors.  more...

Worcester woman injured in coach crash

A WORCESTER woman is reported to be one of 30 people injured when a National Express coach overturned.   more...

Visitors flock to Moreton Show

AROUND 20,000 visitors flocked to Moreton Show on Saturday - despite a ban on the livestock competitions due to foot and mouth restrictions.  more...

New date for flood-hit charity barn dance

AN event to raise money for impoverished children is back on after being cancelled by flooding.  more...

No mountain too high for fundraiser

AN EVESHAM charity worker is going to great heights to mark the tenth anniversary of a bereavement charity - by climbing the highest mountain in Africa.  more...

New website to help foil cowboys

A SCHEME to beat rogue traders has been hailed a success.  more...

Letters

Defence decision was taken behind scenes

SIR - Mike Pryce missed out from his otherwise excellent article How the Woofers came to an end (Worcester News, August 31), just why the then Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, with typical New Labour spin, announced the re-structuring of the British army into "larger regimental formations" of 1,500 men each.  more...

Show us women some respect

IR - I write regarding your headline We don't want half-naked females throwing up here! (Worcester News, August 27). As a female resident of Droitwich I was disgusted at the comment made by Councillor Graham Gospill regarding the re-development of Droitwich town and possible nightclub. Whether or not a nightclub would be good for the town who knows, but do not disrespect the females of the town. Does the councillor think males are not capable of being half-naked or throwing up? Maybe the councillor should watch Booze Britain on Sky TV to realise that males are more than capable of the comment he kindly made about females. I myself would welcome a nightclub to the town. It would save people paying extortionate taxi fares to Worcester. I do not class myself as a half-naked female throwing up, along with probably all the females of Droitwich. So maybe the councillor should apologise to the females of the town and show a little respect J NORMOYLE, Droitwich  more...

Show us women some respect

SIR - I write regarding your headline We don't want half-naked females throwing up here! (Worcester News, August 27). As a female resident of Droitwich I was disgusted at the comment made by Councillor Graham Gospill regarding the re-development of Droitwich town and possible nightclub. Whether or not a nightclub would be good for the town who knows, but do not disrespect the females of the town. Does the councillor think males are not capable of being half-naked or throwing up? Maybe the councillor should watch Booze Britain on Sky TV to realise that males are more than capable of the comment he kindly made about females. I myself would welcome a nightclub to the town. It would save people paying extortionate taxi fares to Worcester. I do not class myself as a half-naked female throwing up, along with probably all the females of Droitwich. So maybe the councillor should apologise to the females of the town and show a little respect J NORMOYLE, Droitwich  more...

Show us women some respect

SIR - I write regarding your headline We don't want half-naked females throwing up here! (Worcester News, August 27). As a female resident of Droitwich I was disgusted at the comment made by Councillor Graham Gospill regarding the re-development of Droitwich town and possible nightclub. Whether or not a nightclub would be good for the town who knows, but do not disrespect the females of the town. Does the councillor think males are not capable of being half-naked or throwing up? Maybe the councillor should watch Booze Britain on Sky TV to realise that males are more than capable of the comment he kindly made about females. I myself would welcome a nightclub to the town. It would save people paying extortionate taxi fares to Worcester. I do not class myself as a half-naked female throwing up, along with probably all the females of Droitwich. So maybe the councillor should apologise to the females of the town and show a little respect.  more...

What is a festival really all about?

SIR - I am very pleased that many people think the fifth Worcester Festival was such a success, Jim Evans among them (Letters, August 30).  more...

Laws need to be tightened up

SIR - Walking through Foregate Street my thoughts went back to those distant days soon after the war when as a young bobby' I patrolled around this area and the amusing incidents I remembered.  more...

Which cereal?

SIR - I am beginning to hate the Worcester News.  more...

Too old to be cool?

SIR - As an "old crock" (Dave Bradley, August 10) I do not have an iPod, am not on Facebook, and don't text on my phone. But I do sometimes were my cap backwards, and wear my shirt outside my jeans. At 70, am I cool or just pathetic?  more...

More rosadworks - I don't believe it!

SURELY it can't be true - the public notice I read in your newspaper that Bridge Street in Stourport is to close for a month for "essential carriageway repair work".  more...

Will walkers have to take a test?

I WAS particularly interested in last week's letter from Mrs Pat Jones about a one-way system for pedestrians over Bewdley bridge. I had to pinch myself, on a day which felt somewhat autumnal, in case it was really early April!  more...

Looking cheap

THURSDAY market, farmers market on a Friday, market again on a Saturday and now a car boot proposed for a Sunday in the Swan Centre car park.  more...

Looking cheap

THURSDAY market, farmers market on a Friday, market again on a Saturday and now a car boot proposed for a Sunday in the Swan Centre car park.  more...

Carnival thanks

AS chairman of Stourport Carnival Committee can I thank all residents and visitors of Stourport for their tolerance and generosity over the weekend.  more...

Hunt for carpet magazines

IN the days when the carpet industry in Kidderminster was the envy of the world, most of the larger companies kept their employees informed by producing in-house periodicals or magazines.  more...

Deal would 'reason for being'

PETER Neilson (Letters, August 30) correctly notes the background to the reasons for the success of Independent Health Concern since 2001 when Dr Richard Taylor first gained the local Parliamentary seat.  more...

Deal would end 'reason for being'

PETER Neilson (Letters, August 30) correctly notes the background to the reasons for the success of Independent Health Concern since 2001 when Dr Richard Taylor first gained the local Parliamentary seat.  more...

Local News

Kids Create Eden

Kids Create Eden is a nationwide competition being launched by The Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Centre in partnership with the Eden Project.  more...

Local Walks

Droitwich Canal

THE Droitwich Canal, haunt of numerous moorhens and mallards, is easily explored by using the towpath which runs along its entire length. The canal cuts through the valley of the River Salwarpe, which has no towpath and in its more rural stretches is mostly inaccessible by rights of way.  more...

Music

Piano star plays at Hereford

RISING piano star Jill Crossland is giving a recital at Holy Trinity Church, Hereford, on Saturday, September 15 at 7.30 pm.  more...

News

Pace star Kabir put on hold for Pro40 test

KABIR Ali will miss Worcestershire's LV County Cham-ionship clash with Hampshire at Kidderminster today (10.30am).  more...

Read live text coverage from the County cricket

Catch Michael Reeves' coverage of Worcestershire v Hampshire at Kidderminster today by clicking the link below.  more...

Read live text coverage from the County cricket

Catch Michael Reeves' coverage of Worcestershire v Hampshire at Kidderminster today by clicking the link below.  more...

Harriers looking for three in a row

HARRIERS will be aiming to make it three wins in a row when they take on Farsley Celtic at Throstle Nest in the Blue Square Premier Division tonight (7.45pm kick off).  more...

Opinion

All the best to merged city schools

WHEN this newspaper revealed exclusively that two of Worcester's most historic schools were to merge, the news sparked furious debate and controversy.  more...

Pershore

Townsfolk urged to have their say

PERSHORE residents are urged to have their say on the future of the town at a public meeting on Monday.  more...

Pets

MISSING CAT - Large reward

Jasmine, a 15 motnh old cat was last seen 23rd August on Lansdowne street where she suddenly disappeared without reason. She is a beautiful lilttle dark tabby cat who never strays far from neighbouring streets and although she has a lovely sweet nature, she is unlikely to befriend strangers. She has dissapeared before overnight and has appeared in the morning cold - assumed to have been trapped in a garage all night.  more...

Philip Serrell

Is that HMV hound real or a cheap resin replica?

I am a huge fan of Jack Russell terriers, and as I sit here in the sale room writing this article, I am being stared at by one of the favoured Parsons breed. Not a live one, I hasten to add, but a model of almost life-size proportions mimicking the quizzical look of the old HMV logo. Now, old advertising memorabilia is hugely sought after, but the key word here is old'. Resin replicas crop up all over the place and not just of advertising items. For example, the Japanese typically dressed in a kimono with a belt around the middle, the buckle of which was a small pierced carving from wood or ivory known as a netsuke (pronounced net-ski). These, having become popular, are also now reproduced in resin. How do you tell the difference? Well a sure-fire way - almost literally - is to heat a needle to a red hot temperature and then push it into the article in question. A real piece of ivory may result in a small hole while a resin copy will melt into a hot gooey globular mass. One thing before you embark on such a test is to make sure you have the owner's permission, and if it is not forthcoming, you might just know the reason why!   more...

Made in Worcester - but who painted it?

Many of my regular readers will know my passion for the wares produced by our local Worcester Porcelain factory. The mug illustrated above is a loving cup that was made at the back end of the last century by the Grainger Company here in Worcester. Interestingly, the unusual decoration was done outside the factory. This means simply that the mug would have left the factory as a plain white piece and was either painted by an enthusiastic amateur or a factory painter but as an outside piece rather than an authentic example of the works of George Grainger. Value? Well not a fortune - this little piece will sell for between £30-50, and would perhaps be a start to a new area of collecting for some of you out there.  more...

Imp-ossible to value sentiment

I have just been asked to sell a Hillman Imp in my next sale.  more...

Should I be flattered or concerned by elegy to Phil?

I was a little disconcerted the other day when I walked into my sale room and there left on the desk was a piece of paper with my name on it, apparently from an enthusiastic supporter who had called in hoping to meet me.  more...

Tip of the week

I was contacted by a client a couple of weeks back.  more...

Phillpot Files

Success of the festival shows city is thriving

THOSE two glorious weeks just flew by. Can so much really have happened since the Worcester Festival was declared open?  more...

Her dog fouled my bike and then she shouted at me

lTHE most ludicrous example of delusion regarding public rights-of-way occurred a few years ago on the Worcester riverside.  more...

Her dog fouled my bike and then she shouted at me

THE most ludicrous example of delusion regarding public rights-of-way occurred a few years ago on the Worcester riverside.  more...

Time to act on menace of riverside litter

THE litter problem from North Quay to Diglis shows no sign of abating. The coppers say they'll do something and politicians pretend to be concerned but that's about it.  more...

Vehicles must stay on roads

WALKING down Bath Road I was alarmed to see a lorry heading straight for me, two wheels on the pavement and two on the road.  more...

Slow down – and save a rabbit from being squashed on the road

I'M always saddened by the sight of dead animals on the road. For some time, the British have accepted this carnage as just roadkill' - yet another colonial import from our US masters that predictably fails to adequately describe such wholesale slaughter.  more...

Stop poaching!

THREE men on the riverbank at Pitchcroft. Two are holding plastic bags, the third has some fishing gear.  more...

Reports

County put to the sword

WITH Kabir Ali rested for Sunday's all-important NatWest Pro40 match with Northants and skipper Vikram Solanki joining up with England for the World Twenty20 tournament, relegated Worcestershire were put to the sword on the opening day of their LVCC Division One match with Hampshire before falling away late in the day at Kidderminster.  more...

Round-Up

Fortune is mixed for top flight newcomers

THE opening day of the Birdseye Sports Evesham Sunday League saw differing fortunes for the two newcomers in Division One.  more...

Pershore eyeing December date

PERSHORE Town are hoping to have their clubhouse back in working order by the start of December.  more...

Driving range is battling for its survival

IT may be more than six weeks since the floods devastated Wor-cester but many people and organisations are still only beginning to count the cost.  more...

Driving range battling for survival

IT may be more than six weeks since the floods devastated Wor-cester but many people and organisations are still only beginning to count the cost.  more...

County’s fixture backlog

A JADED Worcestershire Over 60s lost by 54 runs at Leicestershire after playing three games in as many days.  more...

League’s youthful stars at double

THE Crusader Worcestershire League Under 19s retained their five-season unbeaten run with two victories.  more...

Kickboxers are unbeaten

FOUR kickboxers from Pershore UKCBA claimed three wins and a draw from the local Evesham Show.  more...

Meeting hit by injury to Tom

INTERMEDIATE rider Tom Perry was taken to hospital after a collision during Worcestershire Grasstrack Club's youth meeting.  more...

Meeting hit by injury to Tom

INTERMEDIATE rider Tom Perry was taken to hospital after a collision during Worcestershire Grasstrack Club's youth meeting.  more...

World Masters for city 12

TWELVE Worcester Canoe Club senior paddlers are in Hungary for the International Canoe Federation World Masters Cup.  more...

Shelsley Walsh is ready for weekend

WORK is now almost complete to repair recent storm damage to the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb.  more...

Hook, line and sinker

HOOKS have numerous uses - but now they could help save lives thanks to a new scheme from Bromsgrove District Housing Trust.  more...

Clean up

A BROMSGROVE school's playing field has received a much needed makeover after Cadbury's employees volunteered to transform the area.  more...

Police clampdown

A DISPERSAL order to tackle anti-social behaviour could be introduced in Rubery this week.  more...

Skip fire

BROMSGROVE firefighters were called to a skip fire on Tuesday, August 28, in Aston Road, at around 7pm. One hose reel was used to extinguish the fire and the area was made safe.  more...

Sign here please

A BROMSGROVE author will be appearing at a High Street book shop this Saturday (September 8). Ian Pogson has written a book about his time in Shanghai, in the automotive industry, as a follow on from working at Longbridge, and for MG Rover in China. Ian will be in Bromsgrove Waterstones signing copies of Carry on Car Making - Life in China after Longbridge from 11.30am to 1pm.  more...

Jump start

BROMSGROVE entrepreneurs looking to jump start their property business are being invited to a free advice seminar. Co-hosted by Cognitor Ltd, Presence Marketing Ltd, Young & Lee and G & C Finance, the session is to be held at the National Motorcycle Museum, in Coventry Road, Solihull, next Tuesday (September 11) from 9.30am-12.45pm. For more information about the event, or to register your interest, contact Zoe Jones on 0845120 4877.  more...

Community meetings

BROMSGROVE residents are being invited to attend two forthcoming PACT (Partners and Communities Together) meetings.  more...

It’s party time

A GROUP which provides support to people with learning difficulties held a special event in Bromsgrove to celebrate its achievements.  more...

Benefit fraud

A BROMSGROVE man was given a suspended prison sentence when he appeared before Worcester Crown Court on two charges of benefit fraud.  more...

Car crash victim dies in hospital

A MALVERN man has died after his car was in collision with a building on Bank Holiday Monday night.  more...

Antiques coffee event

AN antiques centre in Malvern Wells is planning to hold one of the biggest Macmillan coffee mornings in the county.  more...

Future of key site is discussed

EXPLORATORY talks about the future of the Post Office site in Great Malvern have taken place between the Town Centre Partnership and the Royal Mail.  more...

Car crash man loses fight for life

A MALVERN man has died after his car was in collision with a building on Bank Holiday Monday night.  more...

Prison threat to knife man

A MAN has been warned he could face jail for drunkenly waving a 12-inch knife at police officers in full view of children.  more...

'Hope England have better luck'

EURO MP and former Malvern College rugby captain Philip Bushill-Matthews welcomed England Rugby director Rob Andrew and a team of RFU officials to the European Parliament in Brussels last week.  more...

Churches set to share their rich heritage

FIFTEEN of Malvern's beautiful Victorian churches will be sharing their hidden architectural treasures this weekend.  more...

Two hurt in road crash

TWO women were taken to hospital after a road accident in Malvern on Monday, September 3.  more...

Horse-kick woman flown to hospital

A WOMAN in her 50s was airlifted from Leigh Sinton to the Worcester Royal Hospital on Tuesday after being kicked in the head by a horse.  more...

Kids' karate class starts up

A NEW karate class for children is starting up in Malvern on Monday, September 10.  more...

New date for arts fair

ARTISTS from the Malvern area and beyond will be displaying their works at an arts fair in Malvern's town centre next weekend.  more...

Junior sports clubs start up again

JUNIOR sports clubs organised by Malvern Hills District Council return with the start of the autumn term.  more...

Invention on show at Green summit

MALVERN inventor Malcolm Victory will be showing his Rotaire Dryline clothes line cover at the Green Party's national conference in Liverpool next week, and the Malvern Autumn Show at the end of the month.  more...

Garden expert gives talk

INTERNATIONALLY-acclaimed garden designer Julian Dowle will be giving a talk on Thursday, September 13, to Castlemorton Gardening Club.  more...

Travellers move off land

A GROUP of travellers who moved on to common land owned by Malvern Hills Conservators last week were off again within a day.  more...

Cut the Carbon protesters march through town

A HIGH profile protest march against increasing carbon emissions made its way through Malvern and Ledbury on Saturday.  more...

Cut the Carbon protesters march through town

A HIGH profile protest march against increasing carbon emissions made its way through Malvern and Ledbury on Saturday.  more...

Marching bands contest

MEMBERS of the Malvern Lynx Marching Band hope it will be third time lucky when they host the annual West Mercian Championships on Sunday.  more...

College is named one of top five schools in country

MALVERN College has been named one of the best independent schools in England in a recent survey.  more...

Lost Stanley

A BRITISH Blue pedigree cat called Stanley went missing from his home in Malvern Wells last week and his owners are desperate to find him.  more...

Protesting against call centre closure

A DEMONSTRATION against the threatened closure of the ambulance control centre in Bransford took place at the weekend.  more...

Protesting against call centre closure

A DEMONSTRATION against the threatened closure of the ambulance control centre in Bransford took place at the weekend.  more...

Roundup

Ali to miss Chester Road county clash

Kabir Ali misses Worcestershire's County Championship clash against Hampshire at Chester Road, which starts today.  more...

Wardens kill off Kidderminster's title hopes

KIDDERMINSTER Victoria's title hopes came to an end in the Birmingham and District League Premier Division after losing narrowly by one wicket to Kenilworth Wardens at Chester Road on Saturday.  more...

Jack’s got it in one

A JUNIOR from Cleobury Mortimer GC achieved something most adult players can only dream of when he hit a hole-in-one.  more...

Gritty duo bounce back to seal title

A PAIR from Chester Road Bowls Club showed grit and determination to win the Worcestershire Bowling Association's pairs title.  more...

Gritty duo bounce back to seal title

A PAIR from Chester Road Bowls Club showed grit and determination to win the Worcestershire Bowling Association's pairs title.  more...

Gritty duo bounce back to seal title

A PAIR from Chester Road Bowls Club showed grit and determination to win the Worcestershire Bowling Association's pairs title.  more...

Giving young talent chance to shine

WYRE Forest Golf Club is holding a new programme to bring the best out of young talent.  more...

Freke goes Dutch

NATHAN Freke will be back behind the wheel of a racing car this weekend after he was invited to compete in the Dutch Supercar Challenge at Silverstone.  more...

Swifts hold on

SWIFTS 2 BROMSGROVE 2 IT has been a record breaking September for Droitwich Garage this year with the 57' change of plate.  more...

Swifts hold on

SWIFTS 2 BROMSGROVE 2 IT has been a record breaking September for Droitwich Garage this year with the 57' change of plate.  more...

This is a test

SWIFTS 2 BROMSGROVE 2 IT has been a record breaking September for Droitwich Garage this year with the 57' change of plate.  more...

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Society

Kidderminster

CYCLING CLUB - There are no rides from The Green this Sunday. The club is running its annual 200 kilometre event which starts from Astley Village Hall at 8am on Sunday. Entrants are expected from all parts of the country. Members not taking part in the event will be helping with the organisation.  more...

Hartlebury

HARTLEBURY COMMON LOCAL GROUP - August 18 was memorable as the rain stopped just before the second live moth trapping night on the common and the warm, humid conditions were very suitable for flying moths.  more...

This Week In........

2nd September to 8th September

This week in 1992:  more...

What'S Happening

Fun and face painting at Worcester

St Peter's Garden Centre, just outside Worcester, is hosting a huge Autumn Harvest Food Festival on Saturday, September 22.  more...

Wyre Forest Flashback

August - 100 years ago

In an article entitled "The Boys Point of View", it was stated that, in a class of 20 boys, average age 15, not one could be found to champion the cause of the "suffragists." One boy wrote: "If women were allowed to vote, and the wife and the husband are of different opinions, domestic troubles would arise. It is bad enough already for a decision to be arrived at in the House of Commons, and it would be probable that it would be much worse if women were there." The article concluded by quoting another boy. "If women were in Parliament, they would have the handling of the money. This would lead them to spend it on themselves and the nation would be ruined." The following report appeared in the sports section. "A most interesting game was witnessed at Stourport in the final of the Worcester Quoits Challenge Cup. The final was played between B Ketley and W Vaughan, both of Stourport Quoits Club. Ketley led off with a brace and two singles, but Vaughan soon found the pin. A close game the followed, but Vaughan emerged as a narrow winner."  more...

August - 50 years ago

A bus strike that did not end until midnight on Sunday, July 28 meant that about 500 people who planned to go away at the start of the carpet industry's works fortnight, had to make alternative arrangements. Rainfall in August had been such that the month was set to become the wettest for many years, but although the storms had flattened many crops, and harvesting would be delayed, local farmers were optimistic that two or three weeks of good weather would improve the situation. A special supplement in The Shuttle, marked the opening of the new showroom extensions of B French Ltd. Included was a brief history of the firm, which stated that there were really two businesses in one. These were the large firm of electrical contractors at Pike Mills, and domestic sales and service at 107 Mill Street. The firm had been founded in 1912 and the first big contract secured was the complete internal wiring of Stourport Power Station in 1924. No cases of poliomyelitis had been reported in Kidderminster, although there had been an outbreak in Redditch and Worcester. Over 28,000 children were on the waiting list for vaccination in the county, but at the moment there was nothing like enough serum to deal with the rush. Dr R W Meehan, acting Medical Offaicer of Health, stressed that the risk of polio occurring was slight, and there was no need to panic.  more...

August - 30 years ago

Under the front page headline "More carpet shocks", the Shuttle announced that a receiver had been called into Stourport firm Bond Worth Holdings Limited. The company employed more than 1,000 workers at Stourport and several thousands in subsidiaries in furnishing and textiles throughout the country. In a special small report, it was announced that a survey of coffee prices in cafes and hotels in the area was not yet completed, but the front-runner appeared to be the Tahiti Café in Blackwell Street where coffee is sold at 11p per cup "and made mostly of milk". Winner of television's New Faces and runner-up in the All Winners programme, 18-year-old Jaime Adams, described as a cross between Pam Ayres and Max Bygraves, made a special visit to Kidderminster to appear on the hospital broadcasting service. Stourport's Tontine Hotel would lose all it's characteristics if the brewery's restoration plans went ahead, it was claimed. Support for this claim came from the Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman, who, in a letter to Stourport Civic Society said: "The Tontine Hotel is an irreplaceable Georgian building and should be patched and mended and not destroyed".  more...

August - 30 years ago

Under the front page headline "More carpet shocks", the Shuttle announced that a receiver had been called into Stourport firm Bond Worth Holdings Limited. The company employed more than 1,000 workers at Stourport and several thousands in subsidiaries in furnishing and textiles throughout the country. In a special small report, it was announced that a survey of coffee prices in cafes and hotels in the area was not yet completed, but the front-runner appeared to be the Tahiti Café in Blackwell Street where coffee is sold at 11p per cup "and made mostly of milk". Winner of television's New Faces and runner-up in the All Winners programme, 18-year-old Jaime Adams, described as a cross between Pam Ayres and Max Bygraves, made a special visit to Kidderminster to appear on the hospital broadcasting service. Stourport's Tontine Hotel would lose all it's characteristics if the brewery's restoration plans went ahead, it was claimed. Support for this claim came from the Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman, who, in a letter to Stourport Civic Society said: "The Tontine Hotel is an irreplaceable Georgian building and should be patched and mended and not destroyed". Planning permission had been denied, and the brewery intended to take the matter to a public inquiry. Estate agent Robert Young FRICS was advertising a three-bedroomed house in Western Way, off Bewdley Hill, for £12,450.  more...

1956 floods

THIS picture shows Wyre Forest after it was hit by severe flooding more than half a century ago. The photograph of Kidderminster's Vicar Street was taken by Doreen Brown, 72, of Hamilton Road, during the summer floods of 1956. She and husband, Stanley, had travelled into the town centre to see the damage caused after the River Stour burst its banks. Mrs Brown said: "We had a lot of rain and then it suddenly flooded. The water was pouring out of The Futurist Cinema and it was 5ft high in parts of Vicar Street. It flooded the Bull Ring and into Mill Street and around all the carpet factories. It stayed for about three weeks." She added several of the shops in the town centre were forced to close but most people carried on with daily life as best they could.  more...

1956 floods

The Futurist Cinema in Kidderminster's Vicar Street in 1956. See previous picture and story for details.  more...

  
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