POSSIBLE sites for two new Worcester park-and-ride schemes have been revealed - and the public can have its say on them later this month. Worcestershire County Council, in conjunction with environmental consultants Halcrow, has identified four sites as
POP star Ritchie Neville was mobbed by pupils at a Worcester school when he dropped in to celebrate the county's first specialist arts college. The ex-member of world-famous pop group 5ive was special guest at Bishop Perowne CE High School at its gala
THE Government Minister who opened a new centre for lifelong learning in Worcester could be one of its new students. Margaret Hodge, Minister for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education, said she had her own ambitions for when she left politics. She officially
A DERELICT car abandoned for weeks in Worcester's Arboretum area has been dumped in the canal by vandals. The Citroen was spotted half-submerged in the Worcester to Birmingham Canal by a resident, who then alerted a neighbour, Connie Davis . Mrs Davis
A MENTALLY-impaired woman's death came as a "surprise" because she was unable to communicate her symptoms to carers. Betty Williams, of Bromwich Road, Worcester, died of an "unusually severe" case of inflammation of the epiglottis and larynx, causing
AN 83-YEAR-OLD widower died after being hit by a car. George Bickley was struck while crossing Stourbridge Road, in Kidderminster, close to the Larkhill Junction. Yesterday's inquest in Stourport-on-Severn heard how Mr Bickley had been taken to Worcestershire
A WORCESTERSHIRE school that experienced an exodus of staff is finally back on track and is making good progress. Nine teachers have left Grimley and Holt CE Primary School in the past two years. But Ofsted inspectors said the village school has since
DON'T miss your chance to buy tickets for the last show in the season of a Bromsgrove classical music society. Tickets are selling fast for the final concert organised by Midland Sinfonia, which will be held at St Laurence Church in Alvechurch on Saturday
FOLK-music lovers can look forward to a poignant performance from a popular artist who is visiting Bromsgrove this week. Dave Sealey is making his first appearance in front of Bromsgrove Folk Club since the death of his brother, Alan a couple of years
BRASSED-OFF youngsters are being urged to join an award-winning town band. The Rubery Youth Marching Band, which recently swept the board in a national competition, is looking for enthusiastic new recruits. The band took part in a competition in Southampton
A 39-YEAR-OLD man was found in the bath by his mother, with stab wounds and cuts to his wrists and throat. Robert Havard was his mother's full-time carer, an inquest at Stourport-on-Severn Court House heard. Worcestershire coroner Victor Round said on
Saturday, October 5, 2002 IT'S often said - in many walks of life - that when one door closes, another one opens. But not so in the case of Bromsgrove Rovers who, for the second week in succession, have seen a possible lucrative road to cup riches blocked
REVIEW - Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Festival Theatre, Malvern (until October 12). THE excited chatter beforehand, people telling each other it's the 'umpteenth time I've seen this show', the audience participation and a standing
DROITWICH Spa Hockey Club Men's First XI got their DTZ Premier league campaign off to the perfect start with a 3-2 home victory against Stone. In a match slightly marred by five red cards, Gareth Thomas' side let a 3-0 half time lead slip and ended up
Atherstone twice in four days BROMSGROVE Rovers return to Dr Martens Western action this Saturday looking to get back to winning ways with the visit of fellow title challengers Atherstone United. Rovers' sixth consecutive home game is their first league
FUND-raising for a new children's hospice has hit the £1.75m mark thanks to generous donations from people throughout Worcestershire and Herefordshire. After a record-breaking month for Acorns Children's Hospice Trust, September's total boosted the charity's
JON Holloway has been doing an admirable job shoring up the centre of Worcester City's defence in place of the injured Mark Shail -- but he still hankers after a midfield slot. Despite impressive displays at right-back and as a centre-back alongside Carl
MOST Kidderminster Harriers fans will be well aware by now that there is life after Jan Molby but Saturday provided the ultimate proof. The Conference-winning Dane, who upset many by walking out on Harriers last season, could only watch in horror as his
WITH the cricket season now over, this section of the site will not be updated as regularly as the others.
A FURIOUS John Barton tore into his players after Worcester's woeful 1-0 defeat at Bath City last night. City's manager branded the display poor and locked his side in the dressing for a lengthy inquest following the clash at Twerton Park. The result
Malvern Town won 3-2 at Bromyard Town in a West Midlands League Premier Division derby last night. During a fast and furious first half Malvern always held the upper hand, and it was Dean Roberts, who turned in the game's outstanding performance, who
DROITWICH Spa Cricket Club paid tribute to their chairman, Brian Bradbury, at their recent annual awards event. Following his death in June this year, the club honoured Brian at their end-of-season finale by renaming their most prestigious award after
BROMSGROVE RFC First XV's injury crisis appears to be on the road to recovery with several key players in line for a return to action this weekend. Tom Churchill, Ian Young and Matt Birch are all expected to pull on shirts for this Saturday's Midlands
IT'S often said - in many walks of life - that when one door closes, another one opens. But not so in the case of Bromsgrove Rovers who, for the second week in succession, have seen a possible lucrative road to cup riches blocked off by opponents who
BARNT Green Spartak moved clear at the top of Midland Combination division two after winning 3-0 at second place Droitwich Spa. GJ Singh's side opened up a three point gap with the victory at King George's Playing Fields last Saturday while pushing Kevin
FREE-scoring Fairfield Villa Ladies went to the top of the league and kept their 100 per cent start to the season with a 7-1 victory at Knowle. Fairfield, who scored eight goals last week, ran home easy winners despite a below par performance. It took
WASELEY United remain pointless at the bottom of Bromsgrove Football League division one after going down 4-1. Sporting Harborne are hot on the heels of Olympic. Adam Bourne's solitary strike saw off a gritty Crabmill side. Division two saw Barley Mow
DROITWICH Spa A lost their first Worcestershire Premier League game of the season, losing 3-2 at home to Worcester City Youth. Droitwich fell behind on 40 minutes and were three down within ten minutes of the second half. With half an hour remaining,
Maypole United U7s 1 Lickey End U7s 10 Free-scoring Lickey added ten goals to the 17 of last week. Lickey End came from behind to lead 4-1 courtesy of four Jamie Lucas goals. A second half hat-trick from Max Crisp, another for Jamie Lucas and two from
NEW Raiders are topping Wednesday Division One of the E & E Engineering Worcester Friendly Skittle League. DIVISION ONE P W D L B P New Raiders 4 4 0 0 30 70 Rams 4 4 0 0 26 66 Windshields 4 3 0 1 28 58 New Castings 4 3 0 1 24 54 Morganite 4 3 0 1
Westsiders recorded their highest team score on the Herefordshire House in their Worcester and District Skittle League Division One match against Cradley Sports. Scoring three legs well over 100, they amassed 502 to win by 58 pins. Leading the way for
DEAR EDITOR - I note with interest the recent front-page article entitled "Yobs are target" - concerning the most welcome initiatives being made to make Bromsgrove a more safe and pleasant place in which to live. I would however suggest that yob culture
DEAR EDITOR - My thanks to Mr. Pugh on his response to my recent thoughts on the best way to decrease the incidence of crime. While I certainly did argue that a harsher penal system is not the solution, I did not suggest, as he seemed to think, that the
DEAR EDITOR - The Lickey Park Residents Association (covering Lyall Gardens, New Inns Lane, Thurloe Crescent and Woodham Close, Frankley) and the Clent Road Action Group, Rubery would like to thank everyone who turned out last Thursday for the heated
Sat July 20 Halesowen Harriers (a) 3-1 Mulders, Stanier, Dobson Sat July 27 Boldmere St Michaels (a) 1-4 Giddings Mon July 29 Stourbridge (h) 3-2 Giddings, Stanier, Fletcher Thurs Aug 1 Rushall Olympic (h) 2-3 Bailey, A Nicholls Sat Aug 3 Telford United
AFTER wowing the summer audiences at Spa's Norbury Theatre as miserable Scrooge, a versatile actor is taking on a challenging new role. Martin Bourne has swapped the mean and miserly attire of Scrooge for the flamboyant and flashy lifestyle of a nightclub
I AGREE that the football game probably is faster today than in 1973. However, I think Gary Webb (You Say, September 26) and myself are on different wavelengths. I am really thinking of the period of the late 1920s to mid-1950s when the game was often
Wednesday October 9 l Music: The Carling Free Concerts, Robin Hood RnB Club, Merryhill. l Show: Oleanna, The Arena Theatre, Wulfrana Street, Wolverhampton, 7.30pm. l Music: Martin Simpson, mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, 8pm. l Film: Italian For Beginners
A RECENT letter from a reader about stag hunting caused me to recall an incident that was reported in the Observer Magazine some time ago. There was a graphic picture of a stag that had been exhausted and trapped in a stream and was killed by the hunter
A WYCHBOLD swan sanctuary has inspired a new exhibition by a professional county artist. The Bevere Vivis Gallery in Worcester is now showing the Passion for Swans exhibition by talented artist Valerie Briggs. She has taken her inspiration from the Wychbold
PRESIDENT Marion Neale welcomed members to the September meeting at the Raven Hotel. Members were encouraged to bring along friends and relatives to the ploughman's lunch at Rotary House on Thursday, October 31, to help raise funds for St Richards Hospice
AT the September meeting, following the AGM and election of officers, the first speaker of the society's 30th season was Malcolm Atkins - from the county archaeology department. The title of his talk was Death, Dung and Disease - not a very pleasant subject
KNOWING how many members of the Worcestershire Hunt and their supporters live in and around Crowle, I am concerned to read that Miss Sowden (You Say, October 2) could find no one who could have allayed her fears about the safety of herself and dogs. For
AMAZING how many flowers and shrubs are blooming in September. The members listened entranced to Elaine Horton talking about and showing her beautiful flowers grown on Tin Penny Farm on the borders of Oxfordshire. Her love of tall stately plants was obvious
IN your edition of September 19, you reported the official opening of the new hospital at Newtown by Health Secretary Alan Milburn. "It faces a challenge" he said "to make sure it provides the best care for the county's 550,000 residents". Let us hope
MEMBERS of the Droitwich Ladies Lifeboat Guild held a fundraising champagne reception and dinner at the home of Mr and Mrs Rex Simpson, of Doverdale. Digby Jones, the director general of the CBI, was the guest speaker and he gave a lively and interesting
BROMSGROVE would soon be featured on the world squash map when a new club built by town building firm William Weaver opened in Worcester Road. The town's MP Hal Miller was to perform the opening ceremony. n IT had taken ten years to get him, but international
A COACHMAN died after being kicked by the horse he was clipping for his master, Dr Ambrose, of Barnt Green. An inquest jury sitting at the Victoria Hotel in the village, returned an accidental death verdict on 34-year-old Edward Jones, who died a day
CRIME, in all its forms, is sadly an inescapable fact of life. It features every week to a greater or lesser degree in the columns of this and almost every other newspaper in Britain. Often some of the crimes we report are considered to be minor. A shed
SHOPKEEPERS in Bromsgrove's Worcester Road claim takings have nose-dived since a walkway linking the busy Market Hall to their premises has been temporarily closed. They are now calling on the district council to erect a simple map and direction notices
HOT tickets for a black tie bash, bringing together the town's business community, are still up for grabs. Droitwich Spa Association for Retail, Tourism and Services (DARTS) is hosting the event at the Raven Hotel, in St Andrew's Road. The business group
residents living near a village cricket team's ground are being urged to act as its eyes and ears in a bid to stop petty criminals and vandals targeting the club. Rod Braithwaite, the chairman of Avoncroft Cricket Club, is calling on Stoke Heath residents
TALENTED teenagers added a splash of colour to the town's library with a new exhibition. Youngsters who sat GCSE exams at Whitford Hall and Dodderhill School, in Crutch Lane, are now showcasing their art coursework at the Victoria Square venue. Paints
TRANSPORT bosses are facing a tidal wave of opposition from angry bus passengers who will be hit by radical timetable changes in Droitwich Spa. Public outcry has followed a decision by the First bus company to slash services in the Spa from November.
HOUSES could be built on the site of a village petrol station which has become a "thorn in the side" of its owners. Hingley and Callow Oils, which runs the station at Chaddesley Corbett, says it can no longer compete with supermarkets who are offering
POLICE are launching a mini blitz on drivers who are parking illegally in the town centre following calls for action by community leaders. Parking problems were a hot issue at Droitwich Spa Town Council's planning committee meeting. Town mayor councillor
The former boss of a company which dumped illegal waste, including asbestos, on unlicensed sites has been jailed for 12 months. John Bruce, of Enid Blyton Corner, Droitwich Spa, acted through greed to avoid landfill tax while running Ivory Plant Hire,
A SPA horse racing enthusiast has enjoyed the track triumph he always "furlonged" for. Don Lewis and fellow members of the Elite Racing Club stole the limelight at Ascot when their horse, Soviet Song, won the Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile - a Group One
A TOWN pensioner's battle to change the status of her town centre property has failed at the final hurdle. Wychavon District Council's refusal of a bid by Nellie Copson to turn her High Street premises from retail to residential has been upheld by the
BROMSGROVE Olympique Cycling Club will compete on home soil this Saturday when they host their second annual Cyclo-Cross event. The meeting, in Sanders Park, off Kidderminster Road, will give 30 club riders as well as other competitors from across the
DROITWICH Spa golfer John Bickerton collected £8,290 after finishing in joint 58th at the Dunhill Links Championship last Sunday. Bickerton ended with rounds of 71 at Carnoustie and 72 at St Andrew's for a three-under-par total of 285, 16 shots behind
THE foundation stone for the Anglican Church in the Wyche was laid a century ago. Performing the ceremony was Countess Beauchamp, who was accompanied by the Earl. The Malvern Gazette reported: "The ceremony was fixed for half-past three, but fully half-an-hour
FOUR days, two games and two totally contrasting performances have left us with a big task to lift the players ahead of Saturday's FA Cup tie at Hucknall Town. Where we finished strongly against Havant & Waterlooville for a terrific comeback, last
BROMSGROVE Rovers return to Dr Martens Western action this Saturday looking to get back to winning ways with the visit of fellow title challengers Atherstone United. Rovers' sixth consecutive home game is their first league fixture for more than two weeks
Tuesday, October 8, 2002 A FURIOUS John Barton tore into his players after Worcester's woeful 1-0 defeat at Bath City last night. City's manager branded the display poor and locked his side in the dressing for a lengthy inquest following the clash at
ONE of Hereford's leading materials handling equipment distributors has become the local dealer for Kalmar industrial lift trucks. HFT Forklifts can now offer a choice of trucks from less than one tonne lift up to 28 tonnes. Company spokesman Jamie Crawford
CHEESE-lovers are being given a helping hand by Heart of England Fine Foods (HEFF) as part of Regional Food Week. To celebrate the event, which runs until Friday, HEFF has launched a Regional Cheese Guide to help promote local dairies. It is also launching
A COUNTY housing association has been celebrating its first year in its new head office. Wyre Forest Community Housing marked its first year at its headquarters in Foley Grove, Kidderminster, by holding a Services Fair. Tenant representatives, councillors
BUSINESS in Herefordshire is set to receive a £750,000 boost. The region's development agency, Advantage West Midlands, has announced the funding to boost business, tourism and employment in Herefordshire. The funds will support a range of measures including
A WORLD-famous Worcestershire car company has been lambasted in court after it loaned a vehicle with defective tyres to a foreign visitor who was later involved in a fatal crash. New Zealander Nathan Graham admitted two counts of driving with defective
THE proposed asylum centre at Throckmorton should not be built in such a rural setting claims a leading member of the Liberal Democrats. The party's Home Affairs spokesman, Simon Hughes, made the point on the day Home Office Minister Beverley Hughes visited
AN estranged husband called police and said: "I've just stabbed my wife," a court heard. Mother-of-five Maureen Troth wrote a will after a threatening phone call from husband Terence, who lay in wait and stabbed her to death on her doorstep seven hours
NEARLY 50 years after emigrating to Australia, John Williams is catching up with old friends in Worcester, thanks to an Evening News website. Mr Williams, back in the city this week, said he posted an appeal for information on the "Where Are They Now?
TWO Worcester men stole more than £3,500 of goods from a DIY store which was being refurbished. Stewart Connor, aged 21, and 20-year-old Kevin Jones made their move when they found a storage shed full of equipment at the back of Homebase, in Hylton Road
MONEY which could have been spent on a children's party has had to be used to repair a vandalised community centre. In the latest of a line of attacks to plague The Green Centre in Dines Green, vandals climbed on to the roof and broke 10 tiles. But a
MYSTERY surrounds the death of a 58-year-old man who hanged himself from a tree in a "quiet and peaceful" spot, an inquest heard. Trevor Young was found with steel wire around his neck, suspended from a branch on a riverside footpath. A man walking his
OVERGROWN hedges in Warndon are putting cyclists and drivers at risk, say residents. Greenery is overgrown on certain cycle paths and hedges on Mill Wood Drive have grown so thick that people driving into the road from Wood Leason Avenue are having difficulty
TOWNSFOLK are being urged to don their party hats and get out their Union Jack flags ready for the musical extravaganza of the year. The Bromsgrove-based Primrose Hospice is holding its annual Proms Concert on Saturday, October 26. Classical music lovers
THE number of police officers serving with West Mercia Constabulary has reached an all-time high after the recruitment of 51 men and women. Forty probationers and 11 transferees took the Constable's Oath during the attestation ceremony yesterday evening
A FATHER lost two teeth after a family came out of their home to complain about midnight noise, a jury heard. Three men had gone to Orchid Court, Malvern, to question resident Scott Willis about a romance he was accused of having with one of the trio's
AN evening of friendly banter and top class country music is on the cards for night owls visiting a Droitwich Club this Saturday (October 12). Doncaster-based John Aston will be the latest artist to be presented by the End of the Trail Country Music Concert
A CONMAN has stolen £180 after forcing his way into the home of a Worcester pensioner. The raider called at the house in St George's Lane North, at 12.10pm yesterday, saying he was from the council. He showed the elderly man a red and white identity card
THE Maggini Quartet will be performing the music of Haydn and Beethoven at a Spa spectacular on Saturday evening (October 12). Classical musical lovers can catch the show, organised by Droitwich Concert Club, at the Methodist Church in Amphlett House,
WE have been asked to point out that yesterday's Evening News story "Nurse's assault on mentally disabled patients", which appeared on pages 1 and 2, contained minor errors. We are happy to correct the spelling of the names of Sharron Burnett and Carole
AN Evesham man sunk his teeth into a police officer's uniform during a drunken incident in the town. Hugh Parfitt, aged 25, admitted being drunk and disorderly following the incident in the early hours of Saturday, September 28. Stephen Davies, prosecuting
A MAN jumped out from an alleyway, grabbed a 17-year-old girl from behind and indecently assaulted her. Police said the girl struggled free of the attacker, aged in his 40s, who struck outside Focus Do It All, in Hereford, and sprinted off. The unshaven
SOCIAL services and housing teams in Herefordshire are under scrutiny. Inspectors have arrived in the county for a six-week review of both departments, the results of which will be published next spring. They want to know the quality of service provided
CRIMINALS who prey on farms and country homes are being targeted by a new project in Evesham. Farmwatch was due to be launched by PC Charlie Cavendish and PC Roy Storr at the BBC Club in Evesham's High Street at 7.30pm today. An existing scheme has been
POLICE want to hear from sharp-eyed people who saw a plump, red-haired woman and a man wearing dark clothing near Hereford shop Flipped. The man and woman were spotted in Widemarsh Street between 1.40pm and 1.47pm, when an attempted burglary took place
EAST meets west in the Birmingham Stage Company's production of Romeo and Juliet at The Old Rep Theatre. Juliet and the rest of the Capulet family are all played by Asian actors, while Romeo and the rival Montagues are white. The two houses have been
BROMSGROVE Men's Hockey Club First XI began their DTZ West Midlands division one programme with an emphatic 4-1 home win over Market Drayton. During an attacking first half, Bromsgrove, relegated from the West Midlands Premier last season, put their visitors
DROITWICH Spa Hockey Club Ladies Seconds won 1-0 at Upton. Spa started well and were rewarded with a goal from player of the match Lucy Hine. Droitwich absorbed second half pressure and were unlucky not to add to their score. Droitwich entertain Stourport
THE issue of park-and-ride, which raised the hackles of so many in Worcester when the first site was proposed four years ago, is back on the agenda today. Four sites, from which the next two park-and-ride facilities are set to be chosen, are being put
EVESHAM United face, financially, the biggest game in the club's history this weekend. Having come through a handful of searching ties, the Robins travel to the south coast on Saturday to face Havant and Water-looville where a sixth FA Cup win will propel
FORMER Kidderminster Harriers boss Jan Molby has denied that he has offered his resignation as manager of Hull City. The former Liverpool star, whose struggling side lost 1-0 against Harriers at Aggborough last Saturday, said: "I can categorically deny
HEREFORD United recorded their fifth consecutive away win with a comprehensive 2-0 victory last night over lowly Leigh RMI at Hilton Park in the Nationwide Conference. The Bulls produced a professional and hard-working display and were rewarded with goals
MOTORSPORT: The Chiron Supersports car designed and built by Lower Broadheath engineer Henry Nickless made it three wins in succession at Snetterton. Competing in the Dunlop National Supersports Championship, driver Chris Buncombe totally dominated qualifying
The John Barton column FOUR days, two games and two totally contrasting performances have left us with a big task to lift the players ahead of Saturday's FA Cup tie at Hucknall Town. Where we finished strongly against Havant & Waterlooville for a
JON Holloway has been doing an admirable job shoring up the centre of Worcester City's defence in place of the injured Mark Shail -- but he still hankers after a midfield slot. Despite impressive displays at right-back and as a centre-back alongside Carl
DROITWICH Spa RFC lost their third Midlands Four West (South) league game on the bounce last Saturday with a disappointing 27-15 home defeat by Kings Norton. Spa conceded a try within seconds of the start and were on the back foot from then on, eventually
BROMSGROVE RFC Colts were outclassed 57-0 at Worcester Colts. It took Worcester only eight minutes last Saturday to unlock the Bromsgrove defence for a well worked try. A penalty given against Peter Davies, allowed the hosts to carve out a converted score
A SOLID second half display from Bromsgrove RFC U16s handed them a 26-7 home victory over Walsall. Walsall dominated the territorial battle but Bromsgrove defended resolutely and it was only in the last play of the first half that Walsall drove over for
Atherstone twice in four days BROMSGROVE Rovers return to Dr Martens Western action this Saturday looking to get back to winning ways with the visit of fellow title challengers Atherstone United. Rovers' sixth consecutive home game is their first league
FAIRFIELD Villa ripped up the form book to win 2-0 at Endsleigh Challenge Cup holders Coventry Sphinx. Villa showed little respect for their Midland Combination premier division opponents as Ray Peters and Wayne Davies fired Fairfield through to round
LAST Sunday's action in the Redditch and South Warwickshire Combination. Jim Fleeman Cup - Studley Swan 2 (Gardener two) Oast House 5 (Ager two, Gorley, Dougherty two); Hymatic/Allendale Reserves 3 (Berling two, Phillips) Alvechurch Sports and Social
THE Acorn Childrens Hospice was the beneficiary of £1,667 last Monday, raised from the charity match organised by the Birmingham City Wholesale Markets. The Charlie Abbott Memorial Cup was fished on the river Avon at the Twyford Farm and it was Steve
WATERS booked by the Birmingham Anglers' Association. Saturday, October 12. River Avon at Avon Meadows; Barton 1; Bidford LB; Marlcliffe; Salford Priors 1; Parks Farm; Fladbury Below; Pershore LB; Pensham 1 and 2; Mythe Farm; River Severn at Knowle Sands
DEAR EDITOR - I object strongly to Councillor Pam Davey accusing me of being "economical with the truth" (Letters/Oct 2). 1. The one thousand objections to the Waitrose plans that I mentioned had nothing to do with the Parish Poll. The report on the Waitrose
DEAR EDITOR - As former Head of Art at South Bromsgrove High School I am very aware of the aesthetic and artistic value of St John's church.. In the teaching of A level Art, I have encouraged students to appreciate their environment and several have focussed
DEAR EDITOR - Theresa Thom's recent letter does my heart good. It may be the letter that finally wakes up the anglers of this country to the fact that 'Animal Welfare' supporters only ever see one side of the argument and - no matter what logical debate
DEAR EDITOR - Having read the recent article about Callowbrook Swifts football team I would like to say that I'm a nine-year-old boy and I play for them. I think the changing facilities and toilets are a great idea, especially in bad weather. We're often
DEAR EDITOR - I enjoyed last week's Droitwich Advertiser and two items in particular. Namely front-page praise for local jam makers, and J G Johnson's letter describing councillors' dismissal of voters' views at the Wychavon Waitrose planning vote. Perhaps
DEAR EDITOR - I have followed with interest the proposed development of the new Waitrose store in Droitwich and the many articles and letters that it has generated. As we have a three mile round trip to purchase milk, bread and our daily newspaper, we
DEAR EDITOR - I read the headlines in last week's Droitwich Advertiser - "God's Gift to Traders?" - with considerable surprise and dismay. I note and share the very real concerns for the future of the indoor market traders, but the article reveals some
FORMER Hereford United and Coventry City defender Dave Titterton is the new manager of Stourport Swifts. Titterton, who has also played for a string of Midlands non-league clubs, has joined from Ludlow Town where he was assistant boss. He will be assisted
HOW unfair of Ian Morris of the UK Independence Party to describe Germany and Britain as the "givers" and all other EU members as "takers," on the question of our membership in the European Union (You Say, September 25). His letter conveniently failed
WE would like to clarify an issue raised in David Lewins' recent article headlined "Support for mums with toddler twins". Although the Monday afternoon meetings of pre-school twins are a relatively new development, now run under the auspices of Worcester
I WISH to congratulate The Phillpott File (Evening News, September 23) for writing such a good, unbiased article on faiths. It was not religiously racist, or insulting. However, just like the Christian Church, which has many denominations, the Muslim
The society's annual summer show was held on August 31 in the village hall and provided the usual high quality display of exhibits. The society's president, Dr Barrie Williams, and his wife were able to attend. Dr Williams, in his welcoming speech before
HANBURY Bowling club held its annual meeting at the Vernon Arms. Fifty-four members, including many from Bromsgrove, sat down to a capital goose supper followed by entertainment, which included an accordionist. Dennis Baylis won the club championship.
A Green-fingered town couple has gone bananas by swapping their English country garden for a tropical paradise. Mark and Yvonne Langford have brought their love of the tropics to Lydiate Ash by turning their back garden into an exotic utopia complete
A WORRIED mum has warned parents to be on their guard after her children were sent a threatening chain letter claiming to be part of a world record attempt. Clare Gibbs contacted the Advertiser/Messenger after opening the letter which was addressed to
A GREEN-FINGERED schoolgirl was over the moon when she arrived back from her summer holiday to find she had scooped a gardening award. Susie Sale, of Aston Fields Middle School, entered the fuchsia competition at Webbs of Wychbold after taking part in
HUNGRY youngsters at a Bromsgrove school tucked into tasty treats as part of a healthy eating workshop. Pupils at Catshill First School made scrumptious sandwiches in an afternoon-long session on healthy food, sponsored by Warbutons bread. The Gibb Lane
A SERVING police officer has blown the whistle on the shocking reality of the "thin blue line" in Bromsgrove. And he claims it's so thin it has almost vanished! The situation is even more worrying as the officer says good luck and not any grand master
SEPTEMBER 28 H Oxford NT 100-96 OCTOBER 05 A Oxford NT 84-108 12 H Plymouth NT 15 H Bath NT 20 A Bath NT 27 A Plymouth NT NOVEMBER 02 A Westminster NL 09 H Derbyshire NL 17 A Black Country NL 23 H North-West London NL 30 H Bath NL DECEMBER 07 A Mansfield
THE Hopkins family from Bromsgrove will be tucking into a big birthday celebration after all - thanks to the Advertiser/Messenger. Long-time foster mum Margaret Hopkins, of Marlbrook Lane, was looking forward to having her extended family around her for
AN AMATEUR Droitwich Spa boxer is destined for great things according to his coach after putting in a top performance to beat an established fighter. Marc Bonehill, aged 15, defeated Welsh champion John Connors during a West Mercia v Welsh Select ten
SCHOOLS in Bromsgrove are reaching "saturation point" and can't find space for any more pupils in some age groups. Headteachers are warning that education chiefs may now have no alternative but to look at transferring pupils to other schools out of the
WASPS, maggots and sticky sap are just some of the problems created by overgrown trees in a Droitwich Spa road. Frustrated resident Karen Bradley is calling for the Lime trees in Vines Lane to be cut back. The 31-year-old mum said sap from the trees covers
Vandals have struck at Bromsgrove's ancient parish church which is already beset by major problems. Graffiti has been scrawled on the doors, stonework and tombstones and a quantity of tiles from the 16th century lychgate, which was recently repaired by
CHAMPAGNE corks are popping in Belbroughton after planning chiefs approved proposals to open an exclusive art gallery in the village. Trevor and Gill Simmonds are celebrating after their plans to convert one of their out-houses into a showroom for fine
CALLS for consultation on the future of the town's magistrates court are being made by leading Spa politicians. The Ombersley Street East building is earmarked for closure and both Peter Luff MP and Wychavon District Council's Labour leader, Councillor
PUPPIES and kittens born on the Westlands estate will be hit by the sad demise of a town animal charity. The Westlands Pet Project has been forced to dissolve because its founder and leading light, Pat Dymock, is "very poorly". The charity, which had
A PROMISING Hagley athlete has been selected to represent England in an indoor international at Glasgow in December. Oliver McNeillis, from Haybridge High School, competes in the pentathlon, made up of eight events, and is the reigning county and midlands
A GUSHING appreciation from the Daily Telegraph, which dubbed Malvern "Our Little Switzerland" was reprinted in the Malvern Gazette a century ago. But after the usual lyrical waxings on the beauties of the hills, the correspondent had some harsh things
THE Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt, was visiting Malvern Science Park today to open the Royal Technology Exchange. Ms Hewitt was due to tour the park to help strengthen relations between central government and regional employers
THE Government is launching a campaign to recruit more Worcestershire school leavers into the construction industry. Construction Minister Brian Wilson says the industry needs to be more inclusive and treat workers with respect to recruit the next generation
