Archive

A WORCESTER man who has had more than a thousand pounds' damage caused to his car believes he may have been mistaken for the city's MP by someone with a grudge. Mike Foster, who is partially-sighted and relies on his wife to drive for him, found paint

TWO youths stole a handbag from an elderly, confused woman who was waiting at a Malvern bus stop. The two Malvern youths, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, took the bag containing £130 from the woman on Friday, January 8, Droitwich Youth Court

A FORMER Worcester pub landlord who says he poured 55 barrels of beer down the drain has been ordered to pay more than £6,000 compensation. Alan Jackson insisted he tipped the ale away when it became infected with water in the cellar of The Farmer's Boy

A WORCESTER man escaped with minor injuries after three would-be robbers cornered him in Warndon in the early hours of the morning. The victim, who has not been named, was walking along Langdale Drive, behind the Langdale flats, at about 12.10am yesterday

A BUSINESSMAN who read about a theft from a blind girl has given her the amount of cash she had stolen, so she won't become "embittered about society". Rob Gore, of Hereford's Holmer Trading Estate, sent the girl £40 because he was "embarrassed for all

A COMPUTER error that saw almost £800,000 less council tax being collected should not affect bills in Wychavon, officials have promised. The district council has given its assurance following the error in computer software which meant for the first time

WEST Mercia wants to recruit 300 new officers to tackle rising reported crime. Chief Constable Peter Hampson claims poor Government funding is to blame for the problems - and council tax will have to go up to compensate. The police authority, which decides

CHILDEN will be able to step back in time when a range of activities take place at a Worcester museum. The Museum of Local Life will be offering the following activities and workshops to history-hungry youngsters over half term. On Saturday, February

BRITISH Sugar took the lead in the Cleobury Indoor Cricket League title race after an impressive display against Burwarton. Opting to bat first, Sugar posted a total of 113-3 with Kevin Truswell hitting 35 not out. Edwards (32 not out) and K Phillips

HOSPITAL bosses may crack down on the type of patients who are given ambulance transport in a bid to cut waiting times. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is considering taking action so the most ill patients get priority for transport by ambulance

FIXTURES MIDLANDS ONE Saturday, February 9. Malvern v Walsall. Saturday, February 16. Saturday, February 23. Luctonians v Malvern. Saturday, March 2. Malvern v Leicester Lions. Saturday, March 9. Hereford v Malvern. Saturday, March 16. Malvern v Dunstablians

A COLD, snowy wedding may not have been the ideal start for Reg and Minette Marchant, but not even the freezing temperatures could put a dampener on their love for each other. Today, the couple are celebrating their diamond wedding together after 60 years

TWO young nature lovers are making sure that anyone who goes down to Wyre Forest is in for a big surprise. Emma Baker, aged 10, and Sonya Hardy, 14, are busy helping to create a new habitat for creatures including birds and butterflies. The girls were

HUNDREDS of dogs will die each year unless people come forward to lend a hand at a beleaguered rescue centre, it has been warned. Sandra Whitmore, who runs Forest Dog Rescue, has stressed the Far Forest centre - which saves about 300 abandoned animals

THE Bishop of Worcester has called for a new start at a Kidderminster church at the centre of a gay-sex row. Dr Peter Selby joined the congregation at St John's Church for the first time in two-and-a-half years on Sunday after being previously "banned

AT the Jubilee celebrations meeting at Bosbury School last week, headmistress Mrs Judy Toner and the Rev Sue Strutt, who had called the meeting, welcomed representatives from the following organisations: Bowls & Tennis Club, Bosbury Village Fund,

REV Raven hailed a positive start at Christ Church after 114 people attended the inaugural service. Mr Raven was pleased with the turnout after the "sad but gracious parting of the ways" at St John's. He said: "There was a wonderful sense of God's goodness

THERE will be a bangers & beetle evening at the village hall tonight (Friday) starting at 6.30pm. Tickets obtainable from Goodwins, Walwyn Road or Trish Hockett on (01684) 564872, adults £3 and children under 12 £1.50. At the beginning of July this

AN angry lobby group has claimed promised public consultation over a proposed multi-million pound Inner Relief Road for Stourport has not materialised. Phase one of consulting engineering firm Halcrow's £80,000 project to canvass businesses', residents

MALVERN Wells might be a far cry from the French Riviera, but last Saturday night the village hall took to her bosom all the trappings of a Monte Carlo gaming room for the Revellers Casino. In an atmosphere you could cut with a playing card, one witnessed

NEXT week is half term for our local schools and all regular events at Powick Parish Hall are suspended until the following week. Instead "M & M" Productions - The Powick Players - present the pantomime The Adventures of King Arthur. First night is

TWO charities are hoping for a much-needed cash boost after being chosen to share the proceeds of this year's Kidderminster Carnival. Money raised at the June event will be split between Headway for the brain-injured and a ground-breaking new district

AT the first meeting of the new year, members of Staunton & District Women's branch of the Royal British Legion arranged their coming events, which included plans to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee, which will be an open event on June 15. A sale

West Malvern lost another of its notable characters last month with the death at the age of 82 of Edwin Gilbert, who had lived on his own at Yew Tree Cottage since 1977. An Essex man, he shone at school but his university studies were interrupted by the

CAMPAIGNERS for the creation of a Kidderminster Town Council are hoping to revive their fight by taking it to the House of Lords. The quest to give the town a democratically elected forum to deal with Kidderminster issues, seemed doomed when the Government

A TOTAL of £70,000 in grants for the arts, sport and the countryside has been brought into the district over the last 12 months. The cash boost is the work of Wyre Forest volunteers and staff in the community development and events sections of Wyre Forest

JUNIOR GARDENING SCHOOL: How refreshing to hear a tale of pure enthusiasm! Last year Morag Potter started a junior gardening club at Bredon Hancocks First School. The numbers of pupils who can join is limited, but not the keenness of the whole school

INNER WHEEL CLUB: On January 23 the Inner Wheel Club of Evesham celebrated the 50th anniversary of its charter with a service of thanks in Broadway United Reformed Church followed by a lunch in the Northwick Hotel, Evesham. The lessons were read by the

The year's first meeting of Fladbury First School PTA was held at the Anchor Fladbury on Wednesday January 30th. The meeting was well attended as usual. Discussion consisted mainly of the program of events for the coming year. The following provisional

C OF E FIRST SCHOOL: Harvington C of E First School is looking forward eagerly to the spring or early summer as work proceeds on both new school hall and adventure playground with the promise of both being brought into use about that time. The adventure

AND CONCERT: The Traditional Christmas Tea and Concert which was held at the Pershore College of Horticulture raised enough money for Betty Hughes, who organises the event, to be able to donate £100 to each of her chosen charities. Betty is now in the

RAIN welcomed the day on Saturday, but unlike other matches this season it persisted all through the encounter with top of the North Midlands One table Edwardians. EDWARDIANS 20pts, UPTON 3pts Despite the difficult conditions it was a credit to both teams

February 8, 1902 A PIGEON shoot was held at the Eagle Inn on Saturday for a good stake, between Messrs W Robinson, C Spencer, AP Edwards, A E Chambers and A Strain. Conditions, seven birds each, a 25 yard rise. Some splendid birds had been obtained and

February 9, 1952 A sudden recession in the needle trade will result in reduction of the production programme and some redundancy was announced by the management of Needle Industries Ltd, Studley, this week. The reduction is to be achieved by discontinuing

February 4, 1977 WHAT a shocker! That is the reception of dozens of residents on a brand new housing estate in Redditch who have just received their electricity bills. For people living in Abberley Close, Church Hill, are faced with bills of as much as

THIS was the scene in Astwood Bank, captured on a 1910 postcard. The photograph shows New Road, off Evesham Road. The picture is from the collection of Alan Foxall, of the Redditch Pictorial History Society. Old pictures of Redditch or nearby villages

I AM writing in support of the comments made regarding the Studley bypass in your issue of January 23. I would like to say I fully support all the points made. I am one of several hundred people who has attended meetings, written letters of support and

S Walter's letter made interesting reading (Advertiser, January 16). Happily he was not hurt but, as he said, he could well have been killed. Unfortunately this will not be the last accident on this road as the saga of the bypass meanders on and on. While

IN your issue of January 30, you published a copy of the painting by Norman Neasom showing the extensive damage to the Glover Street area caused by the Germans in 1940. The scene shows the terrible destruction of the town and the suffering of its people

LET us hope the naming and shaming of 'nuisance' youth Christopher Anderson (Advertiser, January 30) brings him to his senses and does not, as may happen, encourage him further as he gains notority and celebrity status among his peers. What a pity his

THE Government spin machine is going full blast to offload onto Bromsgrove District Council the blame for the expected substantial council tax increases in the pipeline. What is conveniently forgotten is all the additional duties which have piled onto

I SHOULDN'T think I was the only person in Redditch who failed to be surprised at the abysmal state of the town's taxi fleet (Advertiser, January 30). I have long held the view they are nothing short of a disgrace and embarrassment to residents and visitors

This week, the Government has announced a groundbreaking deal with drug companies to allow patients suffering from MS to be treated with Beta Interferon if their consultant thinks it is appropriate. Recently, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence

REDDITCH will be one of the first areas in the country to pilot a specialist training and recruitment programme for the retail industry, it was announced by the Government yesterday. The news follows a successful bid from Redditch JobCentre to take part

SOME Wythall bus users have been left confused about using their concessionary travel passes on Pete's Travel buses. Bromsgrove Councillor Stephen Peters is advising residents they can use passes on all buses through Wythall, including Pete's Travel.

A CAMPAIGN to get traffic calming measures installed on a Redditch road is to be re-started again after years of trying. Petitions and previous campaigns to have traffic calming along Wirehill Drive, in Lodge Park, have failed but Redditch councillors

By Melina Cannon THE final phase of work to refurbish defective 'Cornish' homes in Batchley is due to start in April. Phase four of the development, which was agreed by Redditch councillors last month, will see 12 homes refurbished and is set to run until

NEW bus shelters will not be installed across Redditch until early next year despite being given the go-ahead several months ago, writes Becky Procter. Bus shelter firm Adshel had signed a contract with Redditch Council to build 50 new shelters and work

BATCHLEY residents are calling for measures to stop speeding and dangerous driving in Willow Way and Cherry Tree Walk. At a neighbourhood group meeting on Monday, one resident described the roads as "racetracks" and felt it was a matter of time before

WORK on improving Batchley Brook is due start in the next few weeks. Residents have been calling for a path which follows the brook to be tidied up for years. Worcestershire County Council is now completing the designs before the plans are passed to a

TREES and shrubs will be replaced along a Redditch road after vandals chopped the tops off them shortly after they were planted. Residents of Shakespeare Avenue, Lodge Park, requested money from the council's neighbourhood group budget to plant trees

AUDIENCES who want to get a taste of theatre life are being encouraged to try one of the Theatre Tasters being run at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham. The sessions involve going to a designated matinee performance, then enjoying a cup of tea, biscuits

A contractor has been appointed to install nine new finger post signs in Redditch town centre. The signs will be sited in the central pedestrianised area and will also include Trafford Park and Unicorn Hill. The work will take place in late February and

WORCESTERSHIRE County Council is likely to increase its share of council tax bills by 8.2 per cent to meet the cost of services, including schools and road repairs. The county council cabinet originally recommended a 7.9 per cent rise in December but

FARMERS and growers from across the West Midlands will be at a conference next week to see how their businesses can profit from the growing interest in organic food and drink. NFU vice-president and leading asparagus grower Michael Paske will be the leading

A UNIQUE awards initiative, specifically designed to recognise the achievements of individuals and communities across the countryside, has been launched. Leading rural member organisation, NFU Countryside, has inaugurated the annual Countryside Awards

DARREN Middleton emerged unscathed from a full-scale practice match at St George's Lane last night. The Worcester City midfielder survived a couple of crunching tackles on his injured knee and this morning declared himself fit to face Tamworth on Saturday

ENGLISH Hockey League Division One leaders St Albans proved just too much for Stourport on Sunday. Stourport resumed their campaign after the holiday break and a fifth place finish in the National Indoor Premier Division. They are also in fifth position

TENNIS prospect Lewis Barnes jumped to first in his Great Britain age group rankings with success at the National Grand Prix during the weekend. The 11-year-old from Torton beat Essex player Ben Levi 6-2, 6-4 in the final at Bisham Abbey. Barnes, a Lickhill

COMMONSENSE is a well worn phrase within sport but rarely does it flow as effortlessly than from Nigel Redman. The former England and British Lions second row forward this week settled into his new role as RFU England Academy manager at Worcester and

HOCKEY: Strong Stourport Ladies overwhelmed Bournville 4-1 in the Worcestershire First Division with Wilma Martin and skipper Fran Long sharing the goals. They opened their account within 10 minutes when Martin put away her first following a Teri Baron

TABLE TENNIS: Harriers B drew level with second-placed KF Hawks in Kidderminster League Division One in the battle for runners-up spot behind Jim's Gym A. Hawks were looking for revenge after losing the previous encounter and Jason Jones won his customary

MOTORSPORT: Nathaniel Freke gained his second race win of the season at Shennington in his familiar 125 Gearbox Class. Freke also doubled up to finish second in the 125 non-gearbox Rotax Max class. As well as racing, Freke has been travelling around the

GENEROUS residents dug deep to raise more than£2,000 for Stourport Rotary Club's annual Christmas collection to give Wyre Forest charities a bumper 2002. The week-long appeal, which swept around Stourport on a sleigh, exceeded last year's total after

SWIMMERS are being invited to make waves for charity by taking part in Swimathon 2002 in aid of Macm-illan Cancer Relief and district causes. Stourport Sports Centre's pool is one of 500 across the UK taking part in the March 18-24 event . People can

BOWLS: Three teams are tied at the top of Cleobury Indoor Bowls League with just one round of matches to play. The Extras are at the summit, having beaten Cleobury 19-14 to push them into third place. Stormin Normans are the other team on 21 points, moving

FOUR years after hundreds of thousands of pounds was spent refurbishing Stourport's High Street, cosmetic and more serious faults have still not been addressed, businesses have claimed. The £400,000 project funded by English Heritage as well as county

Jon Trice-Rolph will have a busy time, one way or another, at Sunday's Farmers Bloodhounds meeting at Dunthrop. The course, just outside Chipping Norton, is famed as a good drying one and will need to live up to its reputation to produce decent ground

DARTS: The Sun & Slipper won their first match of the season 5-4 against Cross Keys. Blount A were defeated 6-3 by the Royal Forester who move four points clear at the top. The Tavern kept pace with the front-runners with a 5-4 victory over Bliss

Another Mr Versatile, Smith signed for Harriers in 1997 for £19,000 from non-league rivals Bromsgrove Rovers. Smith's performances in non-league earned him three caps for the England semi-professional team as well as a Nationwide Conference team of the

Ex-England schools, youth and U-21 international Blake was a big hope at Aston Villa before moving to Portsmouth, Leicester, Walsall and Mansfield. A central midfielder with a big engine, an eye for goal and a competitive attitude, Blake switched to Aggborough

The son of former England goalkeeping legend Peter spent the past two seasons at Hartlepool before his free transfer move to Third Division opposition Harriers. An attacking midfielder who also filled in at wing-back, he moved from Plymouth Argyle to

SIX people were arrested in dawn raids on addresses across Wyre Forest as a blitz on car crime gets underway. Operation United, in which 13 warrants were also served, saw 13 homes in Bewdley, Stourport and Kidderminster targeted by 30 officers last Thursday

FIVE people were injured when the bus they were travelling in was written off after being hit by a stolen sports car. The crash happened at Kidderminster Road, Bewdley, at 9.15am on Monday when a Toyota Celica, stolen in Halesowen an hour earlier, collided

POLICE who stopped a car in Kidderminster found drugs with a street value of £7,500 inside. Blocks of cannabis resin were under the driver's seat and in the boot while cannabis bush was in a door pocket, Worcester Crown Court heard. More cannabis resin

A WOMAN was repeatedly punched in the face outside a Kidderminster nightclub after being accused of jumping the queue. The 24-year-old was walking back into Redwoods, Dixon Street, after escorting a friend to a taxi when a woman at the front of the queue

JEWELLERY and electrical equipment worth almost £2,000 has been stolen from a house in Kidderminster. The break-in occurred in the late afternoon or early evening last Thursday to a home in Avocet Drive. A £1,000 computer, watches worth £170 and a £100

DO we detect a certain note of arrogance in Councillor Gittins' and Bewdley Town Council's recommendations to carry out the mostly unnecessary traffic calming measures to the west of the town centre. Are they saying "We know best"? We once had an MP who

STOURPORT angler Anthony Gifford used a baby doll to catch nine trout to 3.5lb at Shatterford Fishery. Another angler used a cats whisker and caught 13 trout to 3lb, while a third used appetiser for a bag of 11 to 2.5lb. On the coarse scene, Kidderminster's

ROUND Four, Winter League, on canal at Bonemill: Andy Napthene (Squirrel) 5lb 9oz, Tim Jones (Squirrel) 4-6, Paul Wilson (Cock & Magpie) 4-0, Gary Owen (Good Intent Red) 3-8, John Whitehouse (Tomkinsons C) 3-7. Teams on the day: Tomkinsons C 26, Squirrel

l Thank goodness Crown House is safe (Shuttle/Times and News, January 31) There is enough demolition going on around Kidderminster this town without demolishing a building just because someone does not like the look of it. JOHN NORWOOD St Cecilia's Close

BANNED Nicholas Coles was almost four times over the alcohol limit when police found him asleep in his van after a Christmas party. Coles, 42, of Dog Lane, Bewdley, escaped a prison sentence in court at Kidderminster when he admitted being in charge of

CRUTCHES have been going walkies from Kidderminster Hospital and it is feared patients soon won't have a leg to stand on. The hospital says it is getting fed up with lame excuses from patients who have recovered from treatment but fail to return crutches

IT was disappointing to read that Wyre Forest's appeal against the "tarting up" of Crown House in Kidderm-inster was rejected. Any prolongation of the life of this vile building is to be deplored. Any new painting is only going to highlight even more

CHARGES of illegal possession of cocaine and cannabis resin, intending to supply others, have been sent for crown court trial. Malcolm Hart, 32, is alleged to have had the drugs when police raided his flat in Comberton Hill, Kidderm-inster, last July.

THERE will be a contest on Sunday on the BAA Staffordshire/Worcestershire Canal, bridges 26-27, draw 8am at the venue. Any members wishing to fish an annual contest on September 8 must inform the secretary on or before the next contest. A small deposit

I COMPLETELY agree with the final paragraph of Mr Charles' letter (Shuttle/Times & News, January 31), that the Chancellor's five economic tests about the single currency are pure waffle. The results could never be "clear and unambiguous" as Gordon

CHADDESLEY Corbett's scheduled West Midlands League Cup tie against Heath Hayes was postponed due a waterlogged Longmore pitch. The club have only been able to play one game since Christmas. They will switch home West Midland League games to Brintons'

SENSATIONALIST TV and radio coverage of flooding in Upton has caused the town to miss out on vital trade, according to an Old Street hotelier. Jon Lear, owner of the White Lion Hotel, said that within minutes of a morning television bulletin last Friday

THE much-delayed training of paramedics using vital clot-busting drugs to prevent deaths from heart attack will take place in the next 14 months. Paramedics were expected to be trained last autumn but chiefs finally announced training will take place

FLOODING misery returned to communities along the rivers Severn and Teme this week. A deluge of rain last weekend helped swell the water level enough for both rivers to burst their banks. Weather forecasters have predicted more heavy rain this weekend

A HANLEY Swan man is gathering names for a petition against EU reform of the way food supplements are sold. Dennis Nightingale-Smith, director of the Organic Living Association, is distributing nearly 100 petitions throughout the Upton and Malvern area

HOSPITAL campaigners have demanded the resignation of Health Secretary Alan Milburn. Wyre Forest MP Dr Richard Taylor had tackled Mr Milburn in the House of Commons over a vote which saw 86 per cent county consultants declare no confidence in Worcestershire

A MAGICAL journey to the heart of Pantoland is to be acted out by the Pepperpot Players in their latest production at Upton's Memorial Hall. Starting on Tuesday (February 12), Alice in Pantoland charts the progress of Alice as she teams up with a motley

TICKETS are on sale for a fundraising cruise on the MV Conway Castle in aid of the Upton branch of the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), on April 27, to the music of Ricky Graham and the Corvettes. Tickets are £9.50, from Change of Direction in Old

A TOP consultant has spoken out on the suffering of prostate patients waiting for operations. Surgeon David Baxter-Smith, who built up a successful urology department at Kiddermin-ster Hospital before its downgrading, said he was "aggrieved" at patients

A CONTEST will be fished on Sunday at Droitwich Canal, draw 9am at Ombersley Way access. Names of those fishing should be forwarded to Geoff Ife on 01299 400176.

A Seventeenth Century dairy barn in Hanley Swan could be converted into a dwelling. Planning consent for the listed Horton Manor Farm is being sought from Malvern Hills District Council. The applicant is Francis Harcombe, of Broadacre Farm, Hayler's End

ROGER le Moore beat The Wobblies 12-1 in Kidderminster Six-a-Side League Division Two to record the week's highest score. FC Harriers, of Division One, were also in scoring mood as they overcame Bewdley United 8-1. Other results, Division One: Mistermen

A TALK entitled "It's not Rocket Science", on the subject of public health in developing countries, is to be given at the next meeting of Hanley Castle Women's Institute. It will take place at Hanley Swan Village Hall at 7.30pm on Thursday (February 14

A HOARD of 'For Sale' signs is expected to go up in and around Throckmorton, following the shock news that an asylum seeker centre could be built. Villagers expressed their concerns at a Bishampton and Throckmorton parish council meeting on Monday. Councillor

FERNDALE girls U-14s broke their goal-scoring record with a 23-0 hammering of Southam Town in the Warwickshire League. New signing Rebecca Holland scored her first goal and took the player-of-the-match award. The other goals came from record breaker Holly

MY daughter parked her car at the back of Woolworths in Stourport, on Friday, January 25, only to come back to find her vehicle clamped. We have been parking there for 20 years now. The officer told her it would cost £95 to be released. She asked him

WORK starts next Monday on a £70,000 investment by Severn Trent Water to improve the sewer system in Pershore. Around 50 homes are set to benefit from the scheme in which 193 metres of pipe will be relined to help strengthen the sewer network. Larry Barnes

WORCESTERSHIRE Football Association is holding a meeting for all open age women's football clubs in the county. Teams are needed for the new county women's league in 2002/2003. The meeting is on Tuesday at the headquarters at Craftsman House, Hampton

A MAN was attacked and robbed when two men demanded money from him in a Pershore street. The men demanded the money before they kicked and punched him, near to a row of garages in Apple Tree Road about 8.30pm last Saturday. They took £30 in cash from

THE family of a Malvern-born serviceman have vowed to continue his campaign to have Gulf War Syndrome recognised by the Government. The funeral of Nigel Thom-pson was held last week in West Malvern, his early death caused by a degenerative disease he

THE distinctive radar dish that has dominated Malvern's electronics research establishment for decades is set to go. After nearly 40 years of reliable service, the Byson radar dish at QinetiQ, formerly DERA, is being decommissioned this month. The dish

AFTER suffering with angina and various complaints of the heart for a number of years, finally some two years ago I managed to get an appointment with a heart specialist in Birmingham who confirmed that I needed a coronary bypass operation to ease my

take part in a unique BBC project over the next two months, thanks to the Worcestershire Library and History Centre. The national pilot scheme of History Trails is based around the BBC's History website, and Worcestershire County Council's History Centre

ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners are urging cyclists to register their support for a proposed cycle path between Malvern and Upton as a survey into the route gets under way. The route, to be based partly on the old Malvern-Ashchurch railway line, would form

THE threat to rural postal deliveries and village post offices has been highlighted by the Council for the Protection of Rural England which ha launched a campaign to save the mail. Fears are growing for the future of the universal delivery service after

WEST Malvern managed to play their first game of 2002 under atrocious conditions at Perdiswell and came away with a creditable draw. GOODREST SPORTS 2, WEST MALVERN 2 The West gave a start to Graeme Maclennan, his first game of the season, to add a bit

THE new car park off Belle Vue Terrace/St Ann's Road in the Unicorn Yard is now nearing completion, and I am sure it will make a significant contribution to the prosperity of the town. I am writing to publicise the suggestion I have made to Malvern Hills

A shortage of skilled labour has been experienced by close to one in three businesses in the Malvern Hills region, according to a survey conducted by the district council. The economic development and tourism unit found that 28 per cent of the 299 respondents

FOLLOWING last week's heavy rain Malvern Radar's game last Sunday against Malvern Premiers was postponed. All being well, Radar are at home to Colwall St James this Sunday at Victoria Park, players meet 9.45am.

I REFER to councillor Pat Raven's letter in the Malvern Gazette of January 11. Prior to Coun Raven's attempt of some years ago to have this road closed, I, as the then county councillor for the Link, had agreed with the council officers a plan to put

DESPITE an absence of 'principle players' from a public meeting, Pershore's mayor said that the town council will keep pushing for a bypass link road. John Grantham, who chaired last Friday's meeting at St Agatha's Hall to press for a link road from the

IN view of the increase in allowances that councillors have just awarded themselves (Malvern Gazette, January 25), perhaps the Malvern Hills District Council could persuade central government to award me a 25 per cent increase in my pension to fund the

LAND at Boughton Lane, Lower Strensham, is to be used as a burial ground and nature reserve - despite opposition from nearby residents and parish councillors. They were worried that if the plan was allowed it may lead to other developments on the site

I AM writing in response to the article 'Rethink demanded on £30,000 skate park plan' Ledbury Reporter, January 18. I cannot believe that Coun Linda Nussbaum thinks that the protesters are the minority. Are 35 youngsters now the majority! I live adjacent

THE drug treatment and testing order programme, organised by the probation service in Worcestershire, is working well, and staff report some "incredible results". Heroin is the main drug of use across the whole of West Mercia Probation's case load. Chris

firefighters have warned about the dangers of lighted candles after attending two separate blazes in Malvern. Smoke damage was caused to a house in Wells Road last Thursday when a candle was left burning overnight on a hi-fi unit. A fire at a house in

PASSENGERS waiting for buses at Evesham's bus station will soon know exactly what time the next bus is due, thanks to space age technology. Worcestershire County Council is to plough £82,000 of funding from the local transport plan into introducing real-time

A 21-year-old accused of trying to snatch a £900 pedigree dog during a raid on a house has been cleared by a jury. Dorothy Philpott named Neil Pederson after watching a security video recorded by equipment she installed to deter prowlers. She told Worcester

Emergency accommodation for homeless people could be provided for the first time in the Malvern Hills district. National homeless charity Centrepoint has been carrying out a study into the problem affecting young people in Worcestershire and has published

ONE wonders what planet and climate Hereford Council actually work on, probably near the planet zog and in a climate of "nact und nebel". Hot on the heels on the "Great Toilet Saga" comes "The Great Car Park Rip Off". I am referring to recent events concerning

YOUNG thespians from the town's Break A Leg Theatre Company will be performing their own version of Cinderella later this month. The charity is performing Cinders, the Panto at Arrow Vale Community High School every night from February 21-23 at 7.30pm

Malvern Hills District Council is launching a review of its charging policy for road closures as the Queen's Golden Jubilee draws closer. The district council currently charges a £25 administration free for road closures for non-commercial uses, with

KATE O'Mara and Oliver Tobias star in a new production of an Oscar Wilde comedy at Malvern Theatres next week. A Woman of No Importance follows the success of Lady Windermere's Fan and An Ideal Husband and is being staged at Festival Theatre from Monday

DREAM Concerts return to the Palace Theatre this half term with a tribute to Steps and Boyzone star Ronan Keating. The entertainment kicks off at 2pm on Wednesday when Steps Beyond recreates the band's smash hits including Tragedy, Love's Got A Hold Of

AN instalment of Bill Bryson's travel diaries is going on tour direct from a sell-out season at the Edinburgh Festival. The team responsible for the stage adaptations of Bill Bryson's The Lost Continent and Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch hit Solihull Arts

BENEATH the tranquil surface of the picturesque town of Ledbury rage wild, passionate Latin rhythms to set the pulse racing and burn away February chills. At least they do in the back room at the Royal Oak Hotel, where townsfolk gather to mambo, rumba

ATTENDENCES at a series of public meetings held to find out what residents of the Malvern Hills district would like to see in the next ten years have increased. Just three people turned up to The Chase school last week to register their views with the

A REPLACEMENT post office is urgently being sought in Callow End as the present one prepares to close. For 18 years, the village post office has been run from a shop attached to the home of the late Alan Richardson. Wife Joan and son Martin continued

RUNNERS from the Malvern and Ledbury area are among the 2,500 selected to take part in the Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay this summer. Their names were announced yesterday (Thursday) at a press conference outside Buckingham Palace. Among those selected are

A GRAND piano upon which two of Malvern's most famous figures once played a duet is to be used in a concert for the first time since its restoration. A silver plaque on the side of the Steinway grand marks the occasion in 1929 when Sir Edward Elgar and

NEWS of the uncertain future of the landmark radar dish at QinetiQ makes depressing reading for anyone who cares about the town's heritage. It seems impossible that the dish, so long a part of the Malvern skyline, could be lost forever and sadly there

WORCESTER Rugby Club's skipper Kingsley Jones is back to lead the side at Coventry on Saturday (3pm). The flanker, who has missed Worcester's last three National One matches, returns to captain the team, while centre Chris Yates also comes in for the

PLANS to build a state-of-the-art hotel and health spa in Malvern Link have overcome a legal barrier. Developer John Williams was given outline consent in October 2000 for the luxury development off Townsend Way, Malvern Link. But the plan had been stalled

DARREN Middleton emerged unscathed from a full-scale practice match at St George's Lane last night. The Worcester City midfielder survived a couple of crunching tackles on his injured knee and this morning declared himself fit to face Tamworth on Saturday

A COUPLE impatient to be married after knowing each other almost 20 years are eloping north of the border for a Valentine's Day wedding. Lisa and Matthew Edwards - who share a surname even before their union - had planned a summer ceremony in St James

THE TALBOT pub in Knightwick became an island on Sunday after the River Teme broke its banks and flooded its front car park and surrounding fields. Although the hostelry escaped major damage, water lapped at the carpet of the ground floor lounge and its

A mother-of-two who fiddled the nursing home where she worked out of £19,000 has been jailed for 15 months. Jane Summers, a former financial controller at St Cloud Clare, in Upton, paid herself an extra salary and falsified records to cover up her crime

AFTER a 36-8 defat at the hands of likely champions Broadstreet, Malvern Rugby Club are looking to put their season back on keel at Spring Lane this Saturday against Walsall in Midlands One. Kim Withnall comes in at prop in place of James Daniell who

SPRING won the day during a four seasons hair and make-up competition at Malvern Hills College. Bedecked in flowers, catkins, gold paint and an appropriately leafy trail of green velvet, first-year NVQ hairdressing student Caroline Barnsley, aged 18,

A BASEBALL given to a Wolverley boy as a souvenir of the Second World War is about to begin a home run to the United States. Norman Tilt was given the ball, signed by a team of medical staff at a hospital at Brown Westhead Park in Wolverley to treat American

WORCESTER Rugby Club's Ladies travel to Blaydon in the RFUW National Cup first round on Sunday. Premiership side Worcester will be without England internationals Nicola Crawford and Joanne Yapp while Irish star Nicola Milne is also out of the knockout

EEVESHAM'S Prince Henry's School bowed out of the Daily Mail Rugby Cup with a 8-3 quarter final defeat to St. Peter's, York. Prince Henry's thought they had the measure of their Yorkshire opponents when they were only 8-0 down at half-time having played

100 years ago - February 8 1902 THE annual supper to the Post Office employees took place in the Farmers and Merchants Hall on Saturday night, when the good company sat down to an excellent spread provided by Mr B Carter, of the Wickhamford Dairy. Mr

MATHON, Cradley & Storridge (MCS) Men's A tennis team won their Winter League division on Sunday with a convincing four rubbers to nil victory at Hallow. Despite extremely windy conditions, Mark Kavanagh and James Plant started strongly and won the

THIS week has proved to be a total washout for all of Malvern Town's sides. Both the first team's fixtures at home to Dudley last Saturday and Wednesday's League Cup trip to Wellington were postponed due to waterlogged pitches. This is the second time

TAXPAYERS across the county could face an annual rise in their Council Tax bills of more than eight per cent, it has been revealed. The increase, which had been pegged at 7.9 per cent by members of Worcestershire County Council's Cabinet in December,

THERE have been times in England's none-too-distant footballing past when the sobriquet Mad Max would not have been inappropriate for Max Patrick. After all, it probably helped to have a few screws loose to allow you to tolerate some of those performances

FOR most young actors, their first job after drama school isn't usually something to write home about. But for Paul Chequer, appearing in the Royal Shakespeare Company's new production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the postcards home couldn't have been

AN "add hock" fundraising event proved a glass act, notching up a heady £300 for an emergency service. Cleobury Mortimer-based Inspired Wines owner Tim Cowin decided to give half the cash raised by an annual wine-tasting evening in aid of Shropshire Ambulance

BACH has become very much a symbol of all that is correct and orthodox. It is difficult, even in the hands of a persuasive and enthusiastic advocate like Geoffrey Weaver, to see beyond the familiar and hear his music with fresh ears. Geoffrey's talk at

LEDBURY & District ASC maintained their winning form with a strong performance at Monmouth in the third round of the Bluebell Properties Junior League last Saturday. Coach Viv Jones praised parents support and enthusiasm in ensuring their children

THE second round of the Malvern Table Tennis League's Handicap Competit-ion brought a rare result in a tied match between Abbey-downe and Crackpots B, both sides finishing on 415 points. Bill Lucas played well to keep Abbeydowne in the match just losing

A CAR sales business in Cleobury Mortimer has lost its appeal against refusal of planning permission. The Secretary of State for the Environment upheld the decision by South Shropshire District Council to refuse permission for the sales operation at 57

MANOR Park Juniors defeated Barnt Green 4-1 in the Worcestershire Junior Squash County League on Saturday to gain their first victory of the season. Unfortunately Manor Park were one player short due to illness. Previous matches against Stourport, Barnt

IN the Worcester County League Division One, Malvern Chess Club playing at home had a good win 4-2. Worcester had white on the odd boards and individual results are as follows, Malvern names first: 1 B Turner 1, E Myers 0; 2 I Clarke 0, S Mellor 1; 3

LAST weekend saw the top four teams in the Malvern Hills Inter Club Bowls League all in action. On Saturday, Gloucester entertained Eastnor at Manor Park and eventually took ten of the 14 points winning 87 shots to 77 shots. This was quite close over

SATURDAY FOOTBALL EXPRESS & STAR WEST MIDLAND LEAGUE Premier Division: Malvern Town v Star, Ledbury Town v Brierley & Hagley Alliance, Bromyard Town v Heath Hayes. Division One South: Chaddesley Corbett v Malvern Town Reserves (2.15), Leominster

THE egg-like brick creations of an aspiring Wolverhampton sculptor brought a splash of style to the grounds of a Trimpley clinic. Park Attwood Clinic, which treats people with a range of diseases and conditions from cancer to arthritis, has been offering

A SUN-WORSHIPPING businessman is preparing to trek across the Sahara to raise money for charity - and is getting in shape by training for a cross-country run through the Wyre Forest. Tony Fletcher, the proprietor of ROC Fencing, Kidderminster, has signed

FARMERS' markets could come to Broadway if traders give the plans the go-ahead. Wychavon's town centre manager, Lew Hammond, attended a parish council meeting to explain to members what the markets were all about. He said they were devised to help protect

POETIC entries have flooded in to the Kemp Hospice appeal as Wyre Forest wordsmiths got their creative juices flowing. About 60 poems arrived on the campaign manager's doormat and almost half these have been selected to appear in a booklet that will go

INTELLIGENT, funny, and beautifully animated, Monsters, Inc. will delight fans of Shrek and Toy Story. Billy Crystal and John Goodman make a fiercely funny comedic team as monster colleagues and best friends. Mike (voiced by Crystal) is a little green

THE thriving Pershore and District Society, now firmly established at Number 8 Arts Centre, shows a variety of films every Saturday night at 7.30pm. A very high quality of image and sound, as a result of benefiting from the equipment and technical expertise

THE Cotswolds is gearing up for an invasion of Celtic warriors. Instead of woad-painted Bravehearts these Celts are coming armed with bagpipes, guitars and bodhrans for the sixth annual Celts in the Cotswolds festival. The event at the Norgren Social

BEWDLEY'S Queensway Estate has failed in an attempt to get Government funding for traffic calming - but efforts to cut the number of cars using it as a "rat-run" will continue. Worcestershire County Council's sustainable transportation senior project

ROD Brown will have mixed feelings about Cirencester's 3-1 win over Swindon Supermarine last night. Defeat left Swindon further adrift at the foot of the table and ten points behind United. But Cirencester's win pulled them temporarily out of reach of

MONSTERS, INC. (U) Great animation for children of all ages which will delight fans of Toy Story and Shrek. Odeon Worcester (11.00 Sat & Sun) 12.00, 1.30, 2.30, 4.00, 5.00, 6.30, 7.30, 9.00. UCI Merry Hill (10.30 Sat-Thur), 11.30, 12.30, 1.00, 2.00

THE Bochmann Quartet is playing at Worcester Concert Club's latest event on Sunday, February 17, at Huntingdon Hall, Worcester. The quartet will be playing Schubert's Quartet in A minor Op. 29, Mendelssohn's Quartet in D Op. 44 No. 1, and Ravel's Quartet

TEWKESBURY'S Roses Thea-tre will play host to pop idols Steps and Ronan Keating during next week's half-term, but with a subtle difference. Two top teen tribute bands will play 'Dream Concerts' aimed at six to fourteen year olds, for whom a trip to see

A week before playing the US Musicians' Institute in Hollywood, former Supertramp guitarist Carl Verheyen performs in humbler surroundings at Worcester's Marr's Bar tonight (Friday). The following day, the axe hero gives a daytime workshop sharing his

WORCESTER Norton Ladies remain third in the Midland Premier Hockey League. Birmingham University, however, have stretched their lead to four points so Worcester will now have to rely on dropped points by the University if they are to take the title at

SOUTH NOTTINGHAM 6 WORCESTER NORTON 3 WORCESTER Norton visited South Notts in this DTZ Midlands League Division Two game hoping to get back to winning ways after losing their top of the table clash with Birmingham University the previous week. But with

YOUNG Midlands talent Ross Braden is spending a week's trial with Kidderminster Harriers. The 16-year-old midfielder or forward has made a big impression in a handful of games for Midland Combination side Handrahan Timbers. His manager at Handrahan, Steve

MATT Lewis was denied a winner from the spot as Harriers reserves gained a creditable 0-0 home draw with Tranmere Rovers. Wednesday night's result was no mean feat against a side who lead the Avon Insurance Premier Division but it prevented Harriers from

CROWN Jewels top Division One in the Worcester and District Skittles League. They are one point clear of Nomads. League pairs results: L White, M Tyler (Flinstones) 68; L Jauncy, B Hawkins (Sketch-ley Flyers) 74; N Carter, D Adams (Archers) 62; J Purvis

KIDDERMINSTER Harriers Ladies' match last Sunday against Bridgnorth was called off due to the bad weather. They face Hereford this weekend who they beat comfortably in the County Cup semi-finals 6-0 a few weeks ago. Fixture, Sunday: Harriers v Hereford

AFTER two successive defeats Wythall needed a result against visitors FISSC as father and son Ian and 13-year-old Mathew Smith took on Patel and Nettleton. The Smiths took control from the first game and held serve and broke at the first attempt. Mathew

TRAMPOLINING ace Abigail Cole is on her way to the National Schools Champion-ships after winning the County Schools title for the fifth consecutive year. The 13-year-old will represent Studley High School at the West Sussex finals on Saturday, March 23

Redditch Ladies 1 Bridgnorth 0 A tremendous all round team performance helped to secure a victory in Redditch's first competitive match for eight weeks. Second in the table Bridgnorth were rocked by an excellent first half of hockey by the hosts. Normally

WYTHALL Bowling Club is looking for new members after a successful season. The 15-year-old club had two promoted sides last season with the Tuesday morning team winning Division Six of the South and West Birmingham League in their debut season under the

Goff Jones took members through "Old Kidderminster from Land Oak to Proud Cross". With the aid of slides, he illustrated the tragedy of the demolition of once familiar buildings of style and character, such as Harvey's wine vaults and the Broadhurst building

PATRIOTIC businesses in Stourport town centre are set to celebrate a double bill of events this spring and summer with window displays and bunting. As well as the Queen's Golden Jubilee in June, Stourport Business Association - representing about 40 companies

A REDDITCH school is one of 224 primary schools in the country - and the only one in the county - to be praised in Ofsted's annual 'good schools' list after an outstanding inspection last year. Chief Inspector Mike Tomlinson listed a total of 348 schools

A NEW College student will receive a prestigious award next week for outstanding work while studying towards his M Certificate of Management. Richard Wall, now general manager at SH Autos, will be presented with the award on Tuesday by Mark Bartle from

PUPILS at Crown Meadow First School, Alvechurch, have been trying out the facilities in their new computer suite. The Tanyard Lane school bought 12 of the computers and an interactive white board.

The annual meeting was held at the RAOB Club, Scotts Road, Stourbridge, on January 8. Officials elected were: President/ chairman F Rogers, president elect/publicity officer J Kimberley, vice-chairman S Insall, secretary M Edmonds, treasurer D Sandham

NEW College has been praised for offering 'the perfect learning environment' by the external verifier of its Access to Higher Education programmes. Kay Dyer, from Stratford College, said the programme available was excellent and the college provided '

On Sunday a guided walk around Burlish and Blackstone, has been organised with Lawrence Warton - those taking part should meet at the top of The Kingsway, Stourport, at 10am. Next Thursday, February 14, a talk with slides will be given by Mervyn Needham

Applications for tickets to"An Evening With Sue Ritches, taking place on Friday, March 8, should be submitted to County Office by Monday (with money and a stamped, addressed envelope). The event, at the Civic Centre, Stourport, will begin at 7.30pm. Later

On Wednesday, Malcolm Ranieri will talk about Steam in Britain. The meeting will be in the booking hall of the Severn Valley Railway Station in Kidderminster, at 7.45pm. There is a nominal entrance fee for non-members.

There were five entries in the annual holiday video competition for the AG Maiden Cup. Roy Rowles entered Austria 2001, Vic Vernon had filmed a Return to Cornwall, Ken Caldicott had visited Minorca and John Ruffell had been to the Cornish Reviera 2001

IN the past, I have criticised David Barlow and seldom, if ever, have I been in agreement with his political statements. However, I do agree with Wendy Hands (You Say, January 30) that David could well be right for the appointment to the South Worcestershire

Families are being urged to give birds a helping hand through the winter by making feeders for seeds, nuts, fruit and fat. A workshop, which is being held at 2pm at Wyre Forest Discovery Centre, Callow Hill, near Bewdley, on Tuesday and is suitable for

IT is good to know that the doctors of spin are still fully occupied. I refer to the article on page 2 of the Evening News on January 22. It is a sleight of hand (and mind) to say that the courts are on target for opening, when in fact they are at least

SO, Worcester's new hospital has been built without a storage facility for the medical records of its patients (Evening News, January 25). More than a year ago, I wrote to your paper about the situation in Worcester and the problems that arose from having

IN reply to Mr Parker's Albanian proverb (You Say, January 22), possibly God created the whole, seemingly endless universe to prove that he exists. GEORGE COWLEY, Worcester.

IT is now official - Wonderland does exist. It's a parallel universe inhabited by fans of the euro like A L J Notman (You Say, January 29), where fantasy replaces fact and words mean what they want them to mean. When did the media, the Press (since when

THE letter from A E Monschau (You Say, January 28) regarding the welfare of hounds totally failed to address the issue. The writer produced no evidence to suggest that hounds were being put down just to feed other hounds. Simple mathematics tell us that

IT'S a year this week that coachloads of headteachers from across the county travelled down to Westminster to lobby the Government for better funding. And what has become of it? Well, the heads are still fighting for better funding and children are still

A JOURNEY to a birthday party turned into horror when a car carrying three generations of the same family ploughed into the wall of a house. Four people, including two elderly passengers, were injured after a silver Ford Galaxy, which was taking people

FIFTY years ago this week the country - and Malvern - was plunged into mourning by the death of King George VI, "a great Sovereign". "The death of the King, in his 57th year, came as a stunning blow to everyone and when the news was first heard in the

Malvern Cinema: Monsters Inc (U) 6.30pm Fri, 8th, 2pm & 6.30pm Sat 9th-Sun 17th. Odeon Worcester: See it first! Oceans Eleven (12) Thurs Only 12.00, 2.30, 5.30, 8.00 Free List Suspended: Monsters Inc (U) 11.00**, 12.00, 1.30, 2.30, 4.00, 5.00, 6.30

TWO boys aged nine and 10 were left shocked and scared after having their bikes snatched by older teenagers. The incident happened at about 3.35pm on Saturday, January 26, when the children were out playing in Costers Lane close to the junction of Huntington

THE fortunes of a woman who grew up in the Vale have improved dramatically - from her birth in a concentration camp - to an invitation to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen. Mary Palmesino, known as Mary Ross-Bell when she was a girl in Offenham, was

LAND at the centre of a row over plans for 400 homes has been placed 'out of bounds' to housing by Stratford Council, writes Helen Clarke. The site, off Allimore Lane, has been labelled an area of special restriction in the newly released Local Plan.

CLASSIC Northern Soul courtesy of DJs Basil, Steve Russell and Mr Tee's on offer at The Briars, Habberley Road, Kidderminster, from 8pm until 12.30am tomorrow. Call 01562 515291 for more details.

VILLAGERS in Bidford may be flushed with surprise when told what Stratford Council has planned for a huge stash of cash. In the council's capital budget for 2002/2003, £100,000 has been earmarked for some new toilets on Big Meadow. For several years,

WELLINGTON Heath Amateur Dramatic Society (WHADS) is staging its first production in the new village hall next month. The play is Tom Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound, a delightful spoof on the classic country-house murder mystery. It is only the society's

A VITAL £6 million centre for 1,500 mental health patients is on the cards after a u-turn by health chiefs. Kidderminster Hospital's D Block, which was due for closure under the county health shake-up, is now set to become a haven for adults and the elderly

SMASHED Eggs, the new play from Pentabus Theatre Company, arrives at Ledbury's Market Theatre this week. Described as a half-term treat for 8 to 11-year-olds and their parents, Smashed Eggs is by turns hilarious, haunting and scary. Titus and Miranda

A NEW headteacher is turning around a Kidderminster school with "serious weaknesses" after government inspectors praised improvements just two months after his arrival. Despite Ofsted's view that the school had made "unsatisfactory progress on key issues

Redditch United 0 Gresley 0 What a difference a manager makes. Under Nicky Cross the Redditch United faithful knew they were always guaranteed goals at the Valley - albeit often at the wrong end. But Rod Brown's promise of organising his team in a bid

ACIDIC dialogue punctuates Relative Values, as one might expect from the occasionally vitriolic pen of Nol Coward. It is a sugar-coated pill, however, when delivered from the mouth of Susan Hampshire, who excels in roles requiring genteel elegance. The

PEOPLE living in Alvechurch, Wythall and Tardebigge are being asked if they have any interesting Royal memorabilia to lend to a forthcoming show to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Bromsgrove Council is preparing an exhibition called The Queen's Jubilee

STUDLEY Village Hall has now got its own dedicated website. The venue is soon to be demolished to be replaced with a £700,000 state-of-the-art building. But in the meantime, the management committee has set up a website detailing the exciting plans and

THOSE who love playing or simply listening to keyboard music will be able to indulge their interests at a club in Cookhill. The village's keyboard club meets on the first Wednesday of the month in the village hall, usually from 7.30-10.15pm. People of

A STUDLEY couple have launched an appeal to raise cash for a well-known cancer charity's work in Worcestershire after losing a father and cousin to the disease. Jo and Wies Nowacki, of Thermaglaze Windows and Conservatories, Alcester Road, hope people

A volunteer day is to be held by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust at Grovely Nature Reserve, off Birmingham Road, in Hopwood, on Sunday from 10am-2.30pm. Work includes repairs to steps and paths. Meet at Wast Hills Lane off Red Hill Road, West Heath.

EVENTS linked to a groundbreaking archaeology and science exhibition launched on Sunday have been lined up, writes Melina Cannon. A sell-out talk by Time Team's Mick Aston was the first event to launch Boffins and Bones - The Science behind Archaeology

THE AGM took place on January 7. Chairman Marian Buchanan thanked all those members who support the club regularly. Members were asked to encourage new members and visitors to join. The programme for the year began on Monday at the Greig Centre with Back

THE first meeting of the year featured a talk by Diana Perowne, who is a guide at Soho House in Birmingham. Her subject was The Lunar Society of Birmingham whose leading lights, during the early years of the Industrial Revolution, were also to become

Thursday, February 7 The Blue Room, Swan Theatre, Worcester. Until February 23. Tickets from 01905 27322. Bill Bryson's Notes From A Small Island, Solihull Arts Complex. Tickets: 0121 704 6962. Friday, February 8 Richard Swerrun in Concert, Malvern Theatres

THE new year got off to an interesting start when David Shaw demonstrated the art of glass engraving. He showed how to trace a design onto glass using tracing paper and carbon and then how to use the engraving tool in different ways to obtain various

PRESIDENT Brenda Dainty welcomed members to the January meeting, the 10th anniversary of the group. The occasion was celebrated with a cake baked by Beryl Parsons. Speaker Bob Burton talked enthusiastically about his hobby of collecting old bottles and

PLANS have been mooted for a second railway station in Redditch to serve the ambitious £40 million scheme for a sports, leisure and entertainment complex on the site of Abbey Stadium, writes Becky Procter. The idea comes just days after Redditch Council

CHURCH Hill twins Claire and Louise Harbun celebrated their 18th birthday at the weekend - a milestone their parents thought they might never see. The sisters were born 10 weeks prematurely to Julie and Gary Harbun and spent months gravely ill in Birmingham's

A POST mortem on a Studley man who died in a Staffordshire nightclub has proved inconclusive. Darren Lees, 27, of Bromsgrove Road, Studley, collapsed while dancing at The Void nightclub in Stoke-on-Trent at about 1am on Sunday, January 27. He was taken

FIRE chiefs will be looking at fire patterns during last month after two shed blazes in the same Redditch road within a few hours of each other at the weekend, writes Becky Procter. Police have been called in to investigate the blazes in St George's Road

BUSINESSES in the Wychavon district could be in the money, thanks to their local council. Wychavon District Council is offering eligible companies that have been trading for more than a year business start-up grants of £500. When matched with the £500

EASTNOR Cricket Club has launched coaching and indoor nets sessions for adults and young people, at Ledbury Leisure Centre in The John Masefield High School. The first session, for under elevens and under thirteens, will take place on Thursday, February

A DROITWICH man who almost died in a work accident 12 years ago has gone on to build a successful national chauffeur company. Peter Priest, aged 31, from Farmers Green, cheated death when a crane jib fell on him while he was working for a construction

CELEBRATIONS broke out at Salford Priors School's PTA meeting when it was revealed its committee had scooped a £1,000 prize. Members had assembled in The Queen's Head pub in the village on January 22 to hold their usual monthly meeting and listen in on

TEMPLE Grafton Village Medlers are looking for new members as rehearsals for "Me and My Girl" get underway at the village hall on Mondays at 7.30pm. For details contact Rachel Gasper on 01789 750268 or Julie Popplewell on 01789 750430.

Whilst we growers rightly lay a lot of the blame for our ills at the feet of supermarkets and the flood of imports, we nevertheless must also look at own shortcomings. The rapid uptake of tasteless Brussels Sprout cultivars in the eighties has been acknowledged

I DO hope the organiser of the Black Country Evening at Broadway's Lifford Hall on February 8 does not let the show's performers read the Journal's 'Celebration of all that's Brummy.' A little research would have revealed that Aynuk (Enoch) and Ayli (

Evenlode Riding Club is holding two events next month. On March 2 there will be an indoor dressage competition at Cheltenham RDA Centre including prelim, novice and elementary classes. For a schedule, send a self-addressed envelope to Leigh Millar, 9

RECENT news reports state that the police are spending several days investigating coin throwing at a recent football match. As this was probably carried out by either a government supporter wishing to introduce the euro or an illegal immigrant wishing

ATHLETICS: Six members of Amazing Feet Running Club took part in the Stourbridge Stagger 10-mile Multi Terrain event. Eddie Sanders was first home for the club in one hour 15 minutes 50 seconds, followed by Chris Miles, 1-16-0, and John Amos, 1-16-30.

A POSTMAN has picked up an accolade for his dedication to a cause close to his heart - veterans of last century's two world wars. When Gary Talbot, of Gibbons Crescent, Stourport, is not pounding the streets he is secretary of the town's branch of the

Pro Snowboarders by Activision for PS2 Having thoroughly enjoyed playing SSX Tricky I was a little sceptical about the potential of this PS2 release, but once I hit the virtual slopes any such doubts rapidly melted away. The game's creators are Activision

SWIMMING: Wyre Forest won their third gala in a row when they took the Ray Wall Junior Trophy at Stourport pool on Saturday. Forest gained 15 first places 12 seconds and 10 thirds out of 49 races but were not confirmed winners until the final race with

NETBALL: Worcestershire maintained their position near the top of the English Counties Division Two with only Gloucestershire ahead on goal difference. Wyre Forest star Karen Greenfield helped the senior firsts to a tight 54-53 win over South Durham and

YOUTH club members in Stourport are the first county volunteers outside Worcester to staff Youthline - a telephone information service providing advice to under-25s. Young people who attend Stourport Youth Club, Windermere Way, finished a three month