RUMOUR has it that Steve Knightley proposed to his wife at the end of a Show of Hands' gig in the Royal Albert Hall - which gives a hint of where he sits on the romance Richter scale. As the main writer of Show of Hands music, many of the duo's melodies
ONE of the most preposterous creations in the history of pantomime, Widow Twankey, attracted giggles and guffaws galore at the opening night of Aladdin at Hereford's Courtyard on Friday. Then she became deadly serious. At a time when the Courtyard's quest
Season's Greetings is Alan Ayckbourn's 'rosier' take on a family Christmas, which makes you wonder just how bleak the first is. A cluster of relatives strain under the pressure of three days holed up under one (large) roof; drunken confidences and sober
A NEW book gives its readers a bird's eye view of some of Herefordshire's finest - and oldest - scenery. Herefordshire Past & Present - An Aerial View, by Ruth E Richardson and Chris Musson, takes a revealing look at the county's landscape, including
December Events/talks 11 Staunton-on-Arrow Xmas Bazaar, to be held in Kington Market Hall, 10am-12noon. 11-12 Festive Fayre, Castle Green, Hereford 12noon-4pm. 01432 268698. 12 Christmas Fayre, National Trust Brockhampton Estate, 10.30am-4pm. 01885 482077
LIFE began at 40 for floral designer Judith Derby. That's when she opened her florist's shop and became a professional florist. "Which has opened up the world for me," she says. Judith started entering competitions as a flower arranger and began demonstrating
TWELVE youngsters have won prizes in a competition aimed at promoting recycling. The competition, organised by Wychavon District Council, called on schoolchildren to combine art and the environment by producing posters. Megan Wardle, aged six, from Flyford
ADULTS over 18 who were born prematurely are being urged to sign up for a "sugar babes" team in next year's Flora London Marathon. They will be required to run for Action Medical Research's Touching Tiny Lives campaign and carry their own birth weight
A ROGUE company featured on the BBC programme Watchdog is targeting residents in Droitwich. An elderly couple from Westlands was recently visited by staff from European Environmental Controls Limited who told them that their house needed rewiring. The
MINISTERS have rejected suggestions by Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff that travellers' caravans could be subjected to a number-plate licensing scheme. The idea has been put forward by Mr Luff as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister grapples with
The Travel Factory Midland Football Alliance Tuesday, December 14: WFA Senior Urn round two: Malvern Town v Castle Vale KH (7.45). Saturday, December 18: Malvern Town v Quorn (3.00). Bank Holiday Monday, December 27: Westfields v Malvern Town. Malvern
THEY'RE big, they're ugly and they're coming to a street near you. Two of them, in fact, per household. Wheelie bins are just one of the big changes on the cards for Worcester residents. The other is on-the-spot fines for anyone caught littering or allowing
July (friendlies) Thurs 15 PERSHORE TN (H) 6-1 Ross, Vincent, J Clarke (2), Stokes, og SAT 17 HALESOWEN TOWN (H) 1-0 O'Toole TUES 20 COVENTRY CITY (H) 0-1 TUES 27 HEREFORD UTD (H) 0-3 WEDS 28 REDDITCH UTD (H) 1-3 Williams FRI 30 WORCESTER CITY (H) 3-2
FUN-LOVING runners were rewarded for their efforts in this year's Christmas Fun Run with a presentation ceremony at Worcester City Football Club. The ceremony took place on Saturday at the club, in St George's Lane North, Worcester, during half time in
FIREFIGHTERS have been hit by a surge in malicious calls, figures have revealed. Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service has seen such calls increase by more than a half- from 91 calls between July and September this year, compared with 60 during
TWINS Faith and Zak Williams are all smiles and the picture of perfect health - something their parents feared they would never see. For the six-year-olds were born 11 weeks premature - with Faith weighing just 2lbs and 11oz and Zak a tiny 3lb 2oz. Between
STUDENTS, staff and even governors took to the stage in an evening of music and drama at Worcester's Christopher Whitehead High School. A Variety Show - the first in recent years at the Worcester school - gave dozens of budding stars the chance to show
A TALENTED musician is singing for joy after hitting the right notes with judges to be presented with a prize by legendary Beatles producer Sir George Martin. Eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter Lyndsey Bowden, of Martley, received her award for Outstanding
RUNCORN FC Halton's goalkeeper Tony McMillan is to be reported to the FA after allegedly spitting at a Worcester City supporter towards the end of Saturday's Nationwide North fixture. The incident is believed to have happened in the closing stages, behind
WORCESTER City player-coach John Snape hailed his side's battlers after they dug deep to grab a last-gasp Nationwide North victory over Runcorn FC Halton at St George's Lane. City were on a downer heading into the clash following last Tuesday's dismal
WORCESTER City player-coach John Snape hailed his side's battlers after they dug deep to grab a last-gasp Nationwide North victory over Runcorn FC Halton at St George's Lane. City were on a downer heading into the clash following last Tuesday's dismal
PERSHORE Rugby Club continued their fine form in Midlands Three West (South) with a 12-6 victory at Earlsdon. It wasn't pretty and Pershore's injury list is now reaching crisis point as they played without seven first-team regulars. The game was a dire
JOHN Brain will sit down with European hero Uche Oduoza in the coming months to hammer out his Sixways future. Worcester's director of rugby watched on with delight on Saturday as the 18-year-old bagged a hat-trick in the Warriors' 67-14 European Shield
All Saints CE: Rev Barry Gilbert, Wilden Lane, Wilden (01299 822041). All Saints CE: Canon Hazel Hughes, Kidderminster Road, Bewdley (01299 402196) Areley Kings Methodist Church: Rev Paul Booth, Stourport (01299 826641) Baxter United Reformed Church:
IF I am an over-privileged, rich anarchist, then why do I work 60 hours a week in a factory and still find time to hunt twice a week on foot? The answer - because it is a way of life and always will be for me and my family. In reply to K Hemming, can
THE Countryside Alliance and its followers keep banging their drum about 700 hours of Parliament time being spent on the hunt ban. There is only one group of people to blame for this. That is the House of Lords. If they had not been so obstructive it
THANK you Jim Evans for saying what I've long thought about the GP surgeries' move to Newtown Road, (You Say, Wednesday, December 1) I am angry at the proposed move of my practice - in my family there are two disabled people and an elderly pensioner who
WITH reference to the article headlined "Water bills are to go up by £43 over five years,"(Evening News, Thursday, December 2) I thought the managing director of Severn Trent, Colin Matthews' response to increasing water bills unconvincing and insulting
Saturday, December 13, 2004 NEW boss Stuart Watkiss hopes Saturday's precious 2-1 win over Rochdale at Aggborough will prove a major turning point in Kidderminster Harriers' bid to beat relegation from Coca-Cola League Two. A controversial second-half
IT doesn't take rocket science to create a good pantomime... but it does help if you have a spectacular flying horse. The Everyman team led by director/writer Sue Colverd have developed a big reputation for their Christmas offering, and with some justification
BUSINESS leaders warned the Government today they will fight any plans to force employers to contribute to workers' pensions. A task force set up by ministers last year to consider how employers could help increase pension provision was due to publish
Headway North Worcestershire: service manager, Mark Busby, Headway House, 7-9 Galahad Way, Stourport (01299 878738).
WANNABE pop stars will be taking to the stage in Worcester tomorrow night to sing their hearts out in the final of a talent competition. They'll be competing to be crowned as Worcester's own answer to Pop Idol stars Will Young and Gareth Gates in the
MIDLANDS TWO (WEST) 18/12/04: Malvern v Burton. 8/1/05: Old Laurentians v Malvern. 22/1/05: Malvern v Stafford. 29/1/05: Newbold v Malvern. 5/2/04: Malvern v Aston Old Edwardians. 19/2/05: Nuneaton Old Edwardians v Malvern. 26/2/05: Malvern v Kenilworth
HUNDREDS of Worcester's most needy residents will have a brighter Christmas thanks to donated food parcels. The Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Allah Ditta, helped sort and bag around 800 food parcels yesterday at Lower Broadheath Village Hall. The initiative
A WHOLE host of dedicated education staff have been rewarded for their long service with Worcestershire County Council. Fifty teachers, dinner ladies and administration staff were presented with commemorative plates at the event, at County Hall in Worcester
NURSING homes in Worcestershire might have to resort to charging fees when residents die without giving notice because of poor Government funding, MP Peter Luff warned. The Conservative MP for Mid-Worcestershire told the Commons that care home owners
A MAN was killed when his car crashed into a wall in Evesham. The 20-year-old died at about 12.15am this morning after the smash in Davies Road near the junction of Forest Gate. The metallic blue Peugeot 306, which is thought to have had Polish number
CREATIVE youngsters got into the Christmas spirit at a Worcester church as they took part in making a festive panto from scratch. A total of about 50 children turned up to Manor Park School in Turnpike Close, St John's to take part in the event. The panto
MY first editor was a well-spoken, tweed-suited English gentleman who was the very personification of politeness and fair play. A former prisoner in one of the Stalags during the Second World War, he rarely used Christian names, instead preferring the
WHEELIE bins are to be rolled into action in Worcester as the city undergoes a rubbish revolution. Fortnightly rubbish collections will be introduced as the city council tries to encourage more households to go green. Currently, rubbish in black bin bags
DROPPING rubbish on the streets of Worcester or allowing your dog to foul a city pavement is likely to earn you an on-the-spot fine from the summer. The city council is weighing up whether to include funding for enforcing by-laws against litter louts
BUSINESS owners left swimming in water and raw sewage after freak flash floods hit Worcester have welcomed news that Severn Trent is looking at ways to prevent future disasters. The water company is carrying out computer modelling of the affected areas
ALLOWANCES paid to Worcester city councillors are set to increase by £200 per member. The annual wage for a backbench councillor will increase from £3,320 to £3,445 if the authority agrees to the recommendations of an independent panel. The leader of
UP TO 20 finance jobs at Worcestershire Royal Hospital are being axed as health bosses try to slash costs. Some of the staff could be transferred to a central NHS finance centre in Bristol as part of a Department of Health initiative to reduce back-room
A DROITWICH resident claims he has found the town's missing Christmas lights in a council depot. And he is set to reveal their whereabouts tonight. The town council said last month they were searching for the lights that adorned the tree in Victoria Square
A COUPLE who have been left frantically searching for an alternative wedding reception venue have hit out at city councillors who voted to scrap the prestigious location they had booked. Hayley Rimell and Nick Fowler, right, who are due to tie the knot
A MEDIAEVAL banquet was recreated yesterday in the historic setting of the Commandery to celebrate the first birthday of the Worcestershire Young Archaeologists Club. The TV archaeologist Julian Richards, famous for his part in the television show Meet
STEAM Railway chiefs are chuffed to bits as this year's Santa Special service has proved the biggest hit yet. It has been action stations at the Severn Valley Railway as thousands of families flock to see Father Christmas and his helpers. The 16-mile
As recently as last summer Nick Balsdon was a desk-bound officer working for the Environment Agency in Worcester. Today he is risking life and limb in war-torn Iraq as a volunteer with the Territorial Army. From the daily routine of the military to learning
JOHN Brain will sit down with European hero Uche Oduoza in the coming months to hammer out his Sixways future. Worcester's director of rugby watched on with delight on Saturday as the 18-year-old bagged a hat-trick in the Warriors' 67-14 European Shield
RUNCORN FC Halton's goalkeeper Tony McMillan is to be reported to the FA after allegedly spitting at a Worcester City supporter towards the end of Saturday's Nationwide North fixture. The incident is believed to have happened in the closing stages, behind
JOHN Brain was happy to put the European Shield on the back burner for a while following the Rovigo rout. Worcester's director of rugby saw his side put 11 tries past the part-timers to set up a quarter-final clash with another Italian outfit, Leonessa
WORCESTER Wolves slipped to a disappointing 94-88 defeat when they took on Reading Rockets in an English Basketball League Division One match at University College Worcester. The fixture was a repeat of the National Cup semi-final in which Reading were
MALVERN Rugby Club's injury-ravaged side found title rivals Hinckley too strong as they went down 32-14. With four injuries in key positions, including the loss of pack cornerstone and skipper Matt Richardson, the omens were not good for Malvern in this
AN own goal decided a tight match in Bromsgrove Rovers' favour as they won 1-0 at Ashford Town in Southern League Division One West. Ross Davidson put through his own net 17 minutes from time to hand Jimmy Mullen's side the points on their visit to Short
JOHN Brain was happy to put the European Shield on the back burner for a while following the Rovigo rout. Worcester's director of rugby saw his side put 11 tries past the part-timers to set up a quarter-final clash with another Italian outfit, Leonessa
Saturday, December 13, 2004 WE'VE had half a dozen spellings and numerous ages given but Uche Oduoza was the name on everybody's lips come Saturday night. The 18-year-old scored a dazzling hat-trick on his Worcester debut as the Warriors eased into the
PERHAPS, Helen Donovan, I've become more politically-aware in my old age, but, as a disabled working class bloke, I've always read the left-of-centre New Statesman, and believed that Labour does far more for those marginalised by society than the Tories
DAVID Blunkett states he has done nothing wrong. What about God's Commandment "Thou shall not commit adultery"? Tony Blair is aiding Mr Blunkett by siding with him - what an example to young Christians. Stephen Quinn is a true Christian and the Catholics
RECENT photographs on this page of football teams of yesteryear bring back memories of my debut appearance in the local police side. Plodding up and down Rainbow Hill on my "patch" one dismal winter's day back in 1949, I was approached by the football
Saturday, December 13, 2004 IF MOVIEMAKERS ever planned a sequel to Nineties blockbuster Last Action Hero -- they need look no further than Les Hines as lead role. Twice in the space of eight days at St George's Lane, City's diminutive left-back has grabbed
WORKING mums have had their achievements recognised at an awards ceremony held at Worcester Rugby Club. The event was held in recognition of those involved in the NEW Women Project, funded by the European Social Fund and supported by the Learning and
MANUFACTURING companies will suffer problems after the Bank of England's decision to hold the interest rate at 4.75 per cent, the Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire and Worcestershire claims. Chris Harvey, head of policy and representation at the Chamber
A DOOR manufacturing company says high employment is preventing it from filling job vacancies and it may look overseas for staff. Permadoor, one of Upton-upon-Severn's largest and established employers, is creating more jobs as the firm continues to expand
A WARM welcome awaits in Leominster Priory on Saturday, December 18, when the annual carol concert is led by Leominster Choral Society. An exciting mix of familiar and more rarely-heard music will be blended together by guest conductor David Hatcher,
IT doesn't take rocket science to create a good pantomime... but it does help if you have a spectacular flying horse. The Everyman team led by director/writer Sue Colverd have developed a big reputation for their Christmas offering, and with some justification
