Archive

BROWN Dawn and Adrian Are pleased to announce the birth of their son Harvey, born January 19th, weighing 10lbs, 4oz. Published in paper 22/02/2006

SANDLES Elizabeth Precious memories of a dear mum, nan and great nan, passed away four years ago today. Deeply loved and sadly missed. Doreen, Lou, Anne, Trevor, Lynne, Peter, San, David, Sue, Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. xxx Published in paper

PATRICK Martyn John February 22nd, 2005. In loving memory of a devoted father, adored and caring son and a beloved brother. Missed so much by Simeon, Freda, Rupert and Ann. Memories are our keepsakes. Published in paper 22/02/2006

BRISCOE HOUGHTON Judith Judy In memory of my dear wife who passed away one year ago today. Always in my thoughts. Loving husband Harry. xxxx Published in paper 22/02/2006

SEFTON James Ted Passed away peacefully in hospital on February 17th, 2006, aged 81 years. He will be sadly missed by all his Family. Funeral Service at St Michael's Church, Dines Green, Worcester on Monday, February 27th, 2006 at 12 noon followed

CHAMBERS Stanley William Passed away in Worcestershire Royal Hospital on February 10th aged 82 years. Beloved father of Julie and grandfather of Robbie, Vicky, Nolan and Jason. Funeral service will take place at Worcester Crematorium on Friday, March

DUGMORE NEE FORD Betty Irene Peacefully at Worcestershire Royal Hospital on Sunday, February 19th, 2006, aged 81 years. Beloved wife of Donald, loved mother of Joy, mother in law to Steve and grandmother to Stephanie. The funeral service will take place

MORAN Brian John Passed away suddenly at his home on February 20th, 2006, aged 64 years. Beloved husband of Rosemary, much loved dad of Sue, Richard and Paul, father in law of Trev and Stephanie and grandad of Emma, Jade, Kirsty and Sophie. Funeral Service

Wednesday, February 22 Jane Eyre, Malvern Theatres. Until February 25. Tickets on 01684 892277 or www.malvern-theatres.co.uk Birmingham Royal Ballet presents The Seasons and Carmina Burana, Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst Street. Tickets on www.birminghamhippodrome.com

LEARNING to ride a horse is a dream for many people, whatever their age, and can be a hugely fulfilling hobby. It is a pastime accessible now to most, whatever their age, with lots of riding stables from which to choose. However, this can also make it

MARCH 18 Hartpury College unaffiliated dressage. www.hartpury.ac.uk 19 Highgrove House, Craven Arms, 01588 672765 SJ CR 19 Pauntley Cross Country, 01531 820812 19 Oxford Clinic, Arrow Equestrian Centre, 01544 388 321 26 M&DRC Novice 2 phase Houghton

FOLLOWING the sell-out BeatStreet Weekend in December, Birmingham-based DanceXchange is offering a BeatStreet Triple Bill tomorrow. The night will bring together three West Midlands dance companies at its base in The Patrick Centre at Birmingham Hippodrome

WHEN the BBC's Animal Hospital featured Homer, whose ill-treatment and neglect had led to a head collar becoming embedded in his face and other wounds, the nation took him to its heart. Homer became a celebrity as the programme followed his recovery.

HEARTBREAKING tales abound at the Equine Market Watch sanctuary just outside Bromyard but, far from being a sad place, it is full of hope for those lucky horses and ponies, many of whom were no more than walking skeletons when they arrived. There is the

The world premiere of Horrible Histories by Terry Deary comes to the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, from Tuesday, February 28. These two special productions - The Terrible Tudors and The Vile Victorians - use actors and ground-breaking 3D special effects

FOR something described by its inventor as "a stupid-looking machine", the Le-Monn ground clearer hasn't done badly at all. Because this cross between a lawn mower, rotovator and brushcutter manufactured in the rural backwater of Suckley Knowl, 10 miles

HOW often have you waited at temporary traffic lights while workmen struggle to erect a roadside structure? Well, no longer. Because Kidderminster-based firm Strataform's innovatively designed new flat-packed telemetry cabinets for use by telecommunication

IF there's one thing deplorable about the film industry it's movie moguls' desperate need to cash in on an old formula which worked superbly the first time around. Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman star as actors playing Darrin and Samantha in a remake of

WITH just over two months left before the deadline, entries are flooding in for the annual Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire and Worcestershire Awards. Now in their fifth year, the awards are recognised as the pinnacle of business success in Herefordshire

NOT to be mistaken for an X-rated movie, Kinky Boots is a Full Monty-esque offering from director Julian Jarrold and the team behind Calendar Girls. When his father dies, Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) is the unwitting heir to Price Shoes, makers of sensible

HAVING heard friends rave about the talents of Jack Johnson, I have to say I was quite excited at the prospect of listening to some of his offerings. Not to be put off by the title Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the film Curious George (no, I hadn't heard

ALL credit to The Sparks who have thrown the rulebook away in penning this extraordinary album. The opening track, Dick Around, is like an entire rock opera in a little under seven minutes and the madcap Mael brothers then go and repeat the feat with

The Chamber Of Commerce Herefordshire and Worcestershire receives many complaints from businesses about the soaring cost of regulation. In many cases business supports the principle behind regulation - including safety in the workplace, support for the

Peach opened its specialist legal division almost a year ago and has been overwhelmed with its success. The division has gone from strength to strength over the year responding to the high demand from local firms for qualified and experienced legal support

Dame Judi Dench is both an Oscar winner and a national treasure and she has a career that her 20-year-old Pride and Prejudice co-star Keira Knightley can only dream about. With acting anecdotes dating back over 40 years, the first lady of British film

People are the most important asset in any successful business, as they can be the difference between success and failure. With the 2006 employment legislation regarding age discrimination, employers need to consider carefully their obligations and how

HOUSE prices in the Worcester area fell back slightly during January, as agreed sales suffered their largest fall in six months. According to the latest housing market survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, buyer enquiries levelled

Michael Argent is the managing director of Dinosaurs Unlimited (Wyvern) a specialist search and selection company, which provides business-to-business employment solutions Where were you born? West London. Moved to Worcestershire 30 years ago. What was

Phone giant BT is to ban its workers from smoking in all offices and even vans from next month, in a move which could set new standards across British industry. The company is introducing the ban more than a year before new legislation comes into force

HEREFORDSHIRE cider maker Westons has given its premium quality Oak Conditioned range of drinks a facelift. The company, which is based at Much Marcle, felt that although its red, white and blue labels are instantly recognisable by consumers, after 13

THE Royal Mail denied that it had any plans to close thousands of post offices but admitted it faced a "challenging" future. Chief executive Adam Crozier repeated to MPs earlier this month that just 4,000 offices would be needed to run a basic postal

A WORCESTERSHIRE hotel offers near perfect service to businesses booking conferences and meetings, according to an international research agency. Business Development Research Consultants carry out test calls on venues around the world and mark the performance

TWO Worcestershire pubs are outshining their competitors in an innovative awards scheme. The Fir Tree at Dunhampstead, near Droitwich and the White Hart at Fernhill Heath, near Worcester, have been nominated for Shine awards by Punch Taverns in recognition

BROMSGROVE Rovers manager Rod Brown has made a double bid to bolster his midfield after winger Anthony Maguire quit the club for Hednesford Town on Monday. Brown has put in seven-day requests for former midfield maestro Riad Erraji, who is at Rushall

ATHLETES from Worcestershire Special Olympics were given awards for excelling at the club's presentation evening at the Spadesbourne Suite.AWARD WINNERS: Michelle Banner, Danielle Parkes, Ben O'Brien, Richard Murphy, Adam Smith and Adam Hodgson were winners

BROMSGROVE Army officer Tamsin Clark tested herself to the limit when she competed in a gruelling cross-country ski tournament in the French Alps.ENDURANCE: Tamsin Clark competed at the Army's UK divisional Nordic Ski Championships. Clark, a member of

THINUS Delport returned to training yesterday to hand Worcester Warriors a boost ahead of Friday's trip to Premiership basement side Leeds. The South African has been missing since the middle of January following knee ligament damage but is now in contention

Cinderford Town 1 Bromsgrove Rovers 3 Southern League Division One West By Peter McKinney overs' victory on Saturday at the Causeway made sure that there's still life in the club's ailing play-offs aspirations in the Southern League Division One West.

HOCKEY: Redditch Ladies romped to a 6-3 win at Droitwich to claim three vital points. With the whole squad on top form, Redditch played fast flowing hockey and three goals in the first half was a just reward for their effort. Player of the match Becky

February 24, 1906 THE Redditch Technical School is not getting the support which the committee has a right to expect, nor is it making the progress of which there was so much promise in the first year or two following the opening. In the past two years

Coventry Sphinx 3 Feckenham 4 FECKENHAM staged a heroic fightback in a seven-goal thriller on Tuesday evening to book themselves a two-legged Challenge Cup semi-final against Pershore Town. The Millers, who have twice suffered costly defeats to Sphinx

PREPARE for a comic extravaganza with the new production of The Mikado by Astwood Bank Operatic Society. The group will stage the Gilbert & Sullivan masterpiece at the Kingsley Theatre from Tuesday, March 7, until Saturday, March 11. Due to the temporary

Juniors: Redditch United u12s booked their place in the semi-finals of the Open Cup following a 4-0 victory over visitors Smithswood. The Kingsley College side took just two minutes to open their tally when Shayne Hancox found the net with a superb free-kick

FOLLOWING the sell-out BeatStreet Weekend in December, Birmingham-based DanceXchange is offering a BeatStreet Triple Bill tomorrow. The night will bring together three West Midlands dance companies at its base in The Patrick Centre at Birmingham Hippodrome

Wednesday, February 22 Jane Eyre, Malvern Theatres. Until February 25. Tickets on 01684 892277 or www.malvern-theatres.co.uk Birmingham Royal Ballet presents The Seasons and Carmina Burana, Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst Street. Tickets on www.birminghamhippodrome.com

I wonder if any of your readers have noticed the annual outbreak of "Botulinus Constructivitis" that has returned to plague us again. The first visible symptoms are spots alternating between red, amber and green. These are followed by partial or severe

THOUSANDS of children will be denied free dental care if a row between the NHS and local dentists is not resolved. Under a new contract, starting on April 1, practices that offer adults private treatment will no longer be paid to provide free NHS treatment

I attended the Chase High School for five years and for those five years I had to go through the risky business of crossing Poolbrook Road every morning. A year or two ago, the issue was raised at the school that there should be a crossing built on Poolbrook

THE wheels are in motion to restart a bus service between Cradley and Malvern. Cradley Parish Council is sending a questionnaire to 700 households in the village asking them what bus service is wanted. The previous once-weekly bus to Malvern was cancelled

THINUS Delport returned to training yesterday to hand Worcester Warriors a boost ahead of Friday's trip to Premiership basement side Leeds. The South African has been missing since the middle of January following knee ligament damage but is now in contention

WORCESTER trio Tracey Balmer, Gemma Sharples and Alice Lovett will line up for England Students in their match against the Netherlands at the Dutch National Stadium in Amsterdam on Sunday. Sharples, a back-row forward, represents the University of Worcester

Gloucester City 1, Evesham Utd 1 DOWN to the bare bones, Evesham's 12 players produced a dogged display of character and commitment last Saturday to prise out what could be a precious point in the battle against the drop, writes Mervyn Collins. Injuries

HEREFORD United completed their third double of the Conference season but were made to fight all the way by a battling Aldershot side who came close to snatching a point in the closing stages. The Bulls dominated the first period and goals from teenagers

A SIMON Russell howitzer proved to be the difference between Kidderminster Harriers and Crawley Town in the Nationwide Conference clash at Aggborough last night. The diminutive winger's superb 25-yard drive into the top right-hand corner on 24 minutes

MALVERN Town consolidated their position at the top of the Midland Alliance table when they won 3-1 at Cradley Town last night. Marc Burrow gave Town a 55th minute lead and another former Worcester City player, Mark Owen, made it 2-0 20 minutes later.

Littleton 2, Ettington 3 FOR the third time in their last six Midland Combination games, Littleton saw a two-goal advantage turned over as Ettington came from behind to win 3-2. Littleton dominated the opening period and went close when a Phil Haines

MALVERN mens' hockey team welcomed high-flying Barlaston for this Coaching Solutions West Midlands division two fixture. MALVERN 1, BARLASTON 6 The home side started the game with only one recognised defender and young Adam Morris performed well, even

WORCESTERSHIRE'S Vikram Solanki completed a century as England 'A' defeated Antigua and Barbuda by 262 runs with 3.1 overs to spare on the third and final day of the tour match at the Antigua Recreation Ground. Set 426 to win, England's bowlers ripped

PAUL Bryan has been named as Droitwich CC's new captain for the 2006 season. Bryan, a stalwart of their first team for the last few years, has replaced Steven Walsh as captain. The new skipper at St Peter's Field will be hoping to carry on the momentum

STUDENTS at a Worcester college have spent a week honing their combat skills so they can peform realistic fight scenes for stage and screen. During last week's half-term holiday, 12 students and two lecturers from the performing arts department of Worcester

PLANS to transform a former Ministry of Defence site at Defford near Pershore into a police training facility are one step closer to reality. The former air base was leased by QinetiQ, a global defence, technology and security company, until it moved

A CENTRE which supports victims of rape or sexual abuse has expanded its service in a bid to help more people, almost a year after it was threatened with closure. Over the past year Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre has turned around

A COMPANY director is devastated after being told a prominent and ageing tree in his Malvern garden is set for the chop after being declared unsafe. Alec Newton, aged 54, of Victoria Road, Malvern, has been battling for 15 years to save the 150-year-old

RURAL Herefordshire is at the heart of a new food revolution aimed at transforming the county into one of the gourmet capitals of the world. Herefordshire Council has launched a £150,000 campaign to join the planet's gastronomical elite and claim entry

IT has been an exceptionally dry start to the year, but forpeople living in one Worces-tershire village, water has become the bane of their lives. While there is already talk of a shortage elsewhere, residents in Owl's End Lane in Himbleton have to wade

Coventry Marconi 15 Droitwich Spa 24 Midlands Division Four West South DROITWICH ended their losing streak in the Midlands Division Four West (South) by defeating Coventry Marconi on Saturday. Victory ended Spa's three-match losing run and ignited hopes

I AM writing to you as a resident of Catshill village. I live on Golden Cross Lane, which had lovely grass verges, and in the spring, flowers that enhanced the village. However, in October 2005, work was carried out to lay new cables which involved digging

THE Advertiser/Messenger's 'Pride in your Patch' campaign is to be commended. It is no secret that Bromsgrove District Council has fallen below standards expected by residents. The Government's 2005 Audit Commission Inspection Report on BDC clearly states

Recently I read your article outlining possible cut backs the district council may make to balance its books. Amongst others they included closing the public toilets and increasing parking fees. Does anyone who works for the council ever venture down

I am attempting to find out more about my cousin, Flight Sergeant Eric Wheeler of the RAF Volunteer Reserves 18 Squadron who died on February 23, 1945, while on active service. He is named on a war memorial in Malta and was the son of Albert Edward and

CONGRATULATIONS on your much-needed campaign against litter and dog fouling. Here on the Oakalls we have a reasonable number of well-patronised dog mess bins, although we would probably be unaware of any problem because we are knee-deep in litter (only

Bredon Buzzards U-16 55, Birmingham and Solihull 0 BIRMINGHAM and Solihull visited Bredon on Sunday for the quarter-final of the Under 16s North Midlands Plate competition. Bredon dominated from the start, camping in the Lions half of the pitch and were

Droitwich Spa Reserves 0 Halesowen Town Reserve 1 DROITWICH Spa's good run of form in the Midland Combination Division Three came to an end as the leaders narrowly beat them on Saturday. Droitwich were edged out in a hard fought game at Droitwich Spa

Alcester 3 Coventry Dunlop 15 For the second time in three weeks, Alcester ran high-fliers Dunlop close and were unlucky not to get something out of a game they dominated for the final half-hour. Both sides signalled their intent with some aggressive

COFTON Falcons dug their claws into win a seven-goal thriller in the Bromsgrove Advertiser/Messenger League Division One. Falcons edged Bromsgrove Town 4-3, with goals for Parkinson (3) and Phillips. McLeod (2) and Gaffney scored for Town. Star and Garter

BROMSGROVE Rovers Reserves bounced back from disappointment in the Worcestershire Junior Cup by drawing 2-2 with Mickleover Sport on Saturday. A last gasp goal by Delton Francis ensured Rovers a draw in the Midland Combination Reserve Division. Mickleover

REDDITCH United's claims in local newspaper articles of underhand dealings by Dave Busst have been rubbished by the Evesham United manager, writes Mervyn Collins. The stories relate to the loan deal that allowed Jermaine Clarke to move to the Valley Stadium

GOALSCORERS 10 - Hadland, Banner, Dyer. 6 - Barnes-Homer. 5 - Danks, Davis. 4 - Porter, Moore. 3 - Curtis, Szewczyk. 2 - Smith, Ramsay, Johnson, Maguire, Reynolds. 1 - Collins, Mitchell, Geohaghan, Willetts, Hurren, Benbow, Williams. ADVERTISER/MESSENGER

WE should be grateful to Eve Mills (Letters, February 8) for raising the matter of dogs fouling on footpaths. This problem had a lot of publicity a few years ago and for some time there was noticeable improvements, but the effect has now worn off. St

OUR fans got absolutely no value for money on Saturday -- it was a poor game with very little entertainment on show. Vauxhall Motors were not interested in entertaining though. They came to St George's Lane for a draw and, to their credit, they got it

Our president Shirley opened the meeting and thanked Wynnie for the attractive flower arrangement. Maggie read the minutes of the last meeting. Forthcoming events include a quiz night on February 28; the annual council meeting in Malvern on March 21;

There was a good attendance at the February meeting - nearly 50 members - when Rae Fowler stood in as deputy president. Rae then told the members that she had received an email from the president, bringing us up-to-date on her travels. The members in

'DON'T panic.' That's the advice from of one of the largest poultry farmers in the Bromsgrove area as fears grew this week that the deadly bird flu virus is about to spread to Britain from the continent. While scientists are urging that millions of free-range

PUPILS at Belbroughton First School will be taking their studies into the great outdoors thanks to the opening of a new outdoor shelter. The new unit will be used as an outdoor classroom and playtime facility. The shelter was built using cash from a Government

THREE Bromsgrove men are looking to shed some pounds as part of a mammoth fundraiser for an orphanage in Kenya. Roy Miles, from Sidemoor, discovered the Furaha Children's Home in Mombasa while on holiday there in 2002. Now he plans to return in July with

A STOKE Heath museum is turning over a new leaf in its library. Principal library assistant Pat Tansell, from Bromsgrove's library, is assessing Avoncroft Museum's collection and providing advice on storage. The museum is working tow-ards opening the

POLICE are appealing for information after eight sheep were found dead and several others injured after being attacked by a dog near Bromsgrove. Four sheep were found dead at a farm in the Chadwich area on February 10 and 11, and another two were found

BROMSGROVE MP Julie Kirkbride has praised West Mercia Police Authority's bravery in its battle against being merged into a regional super force. The authority has vowed not to meet this Friday's deadline to voluntarily amalgamate with other constabularies

A WELL-known and respected villager, who devoted her life to Belbroughton, has died. Una Read, aged 76, died at the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, on Friday, February 10. She had been in hospital for about a month and had suffered pneumonia. Una was a

TWO former MG Rover workers from Droitwich Spa have set up their own business following the collapse of the Longbridge firm. Kim Johnson and Tim King, who used to work for MG Sport and Racing, are the men behind Full Throttle Racing. The business is based

TIM Burton is at his best with this dark, animated humour which is sure to delight. A twisted tale of love and death, with the added warped humour from the director of a Nightmare Before Christmas and the recent re-make of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

AN addict tried to repay his drug dealer by stealing four packs of mouth ulcer ointment to improve the crook's health. But Sean Carroll was approached by a security guard and arrested before he could leave Quicksave in Angel Street, Worcester, with the

IF there's one thing deplorable about the film industry it's movie moguls' desperate need to cash in on an old formula which worked superbly the first time around. Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman star as actors playing Darrin and Samantha in a remake of

Harrogate Town 1 Redditch United 1 A CRAIG WIlding goal early in the second half earned Redditch a share of the spoils from their trip to north Yorkshire. But the United frontman could have wrapped up all three points had he managed to tuck away a glorious

100 years ago A Salvation Army lass, who pleaded that she had been deceived by a man under the cloak of religion, was tried at Worcestershire Assizes in Monday on a charge of converting to her own use a bicycle of which she was bailee. The machine was

MALVERN Referees' Society meet again on Sunday (February 19) at the Civil Service Sports and Social Club, Malvern, commencing at 7.30pm. The topic for the evening ischallenges at local parks football, led by Birmingham County FA licensed instructor Terry

WITH reference to the item about the Forge Mill pond full of dead fish, attracting flies, swarms of seagulls etc. (Advertiser, February 8). I live by the Mill Pond - the Pound, we call it. A large number of roach were taken out at the beginning of January

Campaigners against plans to build a chimney as part of an animal carcass incineration plant at Hopwood were this week set to face a public inquiry without the support of Worcestershire County Council. Protest group members have slammed the county council

A REDDITCH pensioner says he spotted a large black panther-like cat by the canal towpath at Tardebigge. Sixty-seven-year-old Terry Dallaway from Ladygrove Close on the Greenlands estate said he was going for a walk along the towpath last Saturday afternoon

FOUR friends from Redditch are taking steps to raise cash for a cause close to their hearts. Julie Senior, Rachel Walmsley, Julie Ingram and Sharon Clarke, otherwise known as 'The Hopeful Honeys', are taking part in The Aviva Weekend for Breakthrough

One of the founding members of Redditch Community Relations Council (CRC) has stepped down after ten years as chairman. Madge Tillsley MBE, along with Betty Passingham, Gladys Allbut and Elsie Williams, helped form the CRC in the 1970s with the aim of

A FORMER MG Rover employee from Southcrest has turned his talents to teaching maths after losing his job last year. Keith Thomas is now training to teach maths after being made redundant when the Longbridge plant closed in April 2005. The 58-year-old,

LAST week, we saw the return of Labour's very own local spin doctor, Robin King, who has picked up his pen again to defend his political masters (Letters, February 15). How strange Mr King feels recriminations for the AIR Festival should now be shared

MAYOR Diane Thomas has a bash at badminton at Redditch Ladies Day. Mrs Thomas (pictured) opened the day of games, alternative therapy and healthy living held at Redditch Youth House last Wednesday. The day was organised by the staff at the All Women's

SIR - I would like to convey my thanks to the people who helped me on Monday, January 30 at about 11.45am at the bus stop at the end of Comer Road. I had an accident while getting off a 31 bus and everyone was most kind and attentive while I waited for

I WRITE to comment on your contributors who seem to think spending more than £600,000 on an event without making a profit or even covering costs a success. I suggest the advocates of the AIR Festival probably called it that in memory of the air head who

A 55-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to causing the death of two men by driving carelessly while under the influence of drink. Graham Bessant, of Edgeworth Close, Redditch, was remanded at Worcester Crown Court for a trial date to be fixed. He was

SIR - I write to express total agreement with Mike Matthews of Bristol, (Worcester News, January 30). There are fierce critics of the technical college. Others complain stridently about The Giffard. Others condemn the former Kay's building at Shrub Hill

I NOTE with some interest Jacqui Smith's Letter from Westminster (Advertiser, February 15), particularly her comments regarding the matter of biometric ID cards. Frankly, I have to question that Jacqui ''will be supporting the introduction of ID cards

A BAND of budding Redditch rock stars have set off on their first European tour. Hey Pablo! jetted off to the French Alps to put in a performance at an international snowboarding competition last week. The group - Toby Ford, Mark Laydon, Justin Januszewski

SIR - Once again we see how intolerant Islam and radical Muslims really are of democracy and free speech, ideals that underpin Western society. As interpretation is subjective, anyone who has a different opinion to yours runs the risk of offending, whether

THOSE of us who have been around a long time will confirm that "everything that glitters is not gold". The facts have been detailed in these columns on the revenue effects of the NHS in Worcestershire of the Private Finance Initiative-provided Worcestershire

FOR most town teachers, the forthcoming Easter holidays will be a time to kick back and enjoy some well-earned relaxation time - but not intrepid Meryl Hargreaves. The Winyates Green woman will be donning her walking boots and trekking across the rugged

SIR - Never surrender ! It's great to see the fighting spirit of the grey army of elderly tenants of Worcester Community Housing on the front line battling plans to replace resident wardens with new teams. Good for them. It's refreshing to see some concerted

VICTIMS of violent crime shared their views on how the police can improve its response to such incidents at a meeting in Redditch. The meeting was in response to a random questionnaire sent out to people who had suffered a violent crime, asking them how

BOTTLES of wine were snatched from a post office stores in Webheath. A man went into the shop in Heathfield Road last Saturday, February 11, and ran out with two bottles. He was white, slim with dark hair and was wearing a light coloured top. Pc Neil

REDDITCH firefighters are taking part in a watery challenge to support a successful youth training programme. Fire crews from Redditch, Droitwich and Bromsgrove will by kayaking down the River Wye during a three-day fundraiser this May to raise cash for

HIGH-flying teachers at Trinity High School have returned to the classroom to top-up their qualifications. Maths teachers Rupert Segar and Nick Wynne and history specialist Caroline Godsell have all achieved Advanced Skills Teacher status following rigorous

THE decision to close a school - no matter how small - is never one that is taken lightly. When Worcestershire County Council announced that Malvern Hills Primary should close in August 2006, a chain of events was put in place to see if that decision

EVESHAM Rowing Club's Junior 14 boys were on record-breaking form again last Saturday at the Wycliffe Big Head of the River. The crew of Tom Noble, Ben Farrar, Jon Farrar and Jordan Bunyan, coxed by Rob Barnett, stormed down the 4,500-metre course in

A CALLOW Hill teacher has been turning cartwheels after qualifying to become a world class gymnastic judge at the age of 55. Dr John Elgy, of Parmington Close, has earned his International Judging Brevet, which allows him to judge any world class gymnastic

A CHURCH Hill girl is looking forward to seeing her words in print after entering a national poetry competition. Emma Shepherd, a pupil at St Bede's Middle School, wrote a poem on Redditch for a competition to win £1,000. The 11-year-old's work did not

JOHN Bickerton braved treacherous weather at the Maybank Malaysian Open to finish in fourth place over the weekend. The Droitwich professional golfer enjoyed his highest finish of the European Tour's new season so far with a 16-under-par score of 200.

MP Jacqui Smith joined (from left) Sally Harvey, Annett Jaep, Gillian Entwistle and Gordon Prescot at a reunion for people coping with a long-term medical condition. People who have benefited from the Expert Patient's Programme met at the Church Hill

THE evening opened as usual with the singing of Jerusalem. Minutes were read and approved. Details were given of correspondence received, especially the proposed new WI magazine. The competition for the group meeting will be an Arabian tile design in

A MATCHBOROUGH councillor has voiced concerns over rubbish dumped in what she has termed "beer-can bog". Councillor Juliet Brunner contacted the Advertiser on Monday after discovering a number of beer cans in a stream between Milhill Road and Hatfield

BROMSGROVE came runners-up in the in the second round of the Worcester Winter League. Out of the 40 races Bromsgrove had members finish in the top two of 22 of them. The club finished nine points behind winner Stourbridge. Dan Scarr won the individual

A COMMUNITY leader is concerned Redditch Council has been frozen out of a debate on the future of local government. Tory group leader Carole Gandy said she and her fellow councillors were anxious they had not been invited to a meeting with Minister for

DROITWICH Dolphins Swimming Club came up against some strong teams when they finished fourth in the Worcester Winter League's second round. The Dolphins faced stiff challenges from eventual winners Worcester A, Reddtich, Stourbridge and Broadway and finished

PLANS to move Redditch's fire station have been put on hold for the foreseeable future. A meeting of the Combined Fire Authority last week agreed proposals to move the station to provide better safety cover and to keep the number of fire engines in the

REDDITCH businesses keen to support the Fair Trade campaign are invited to a seminar next month. A tasting session will showcase the wide range of produce on offer, including coffee, tea and chocolate, will take place at the town hall on Monday, March

BIRMINGHAM has been called "The Whistling Capital of the World" and Simon Topman, managing director of the Acme Whistle Company, recently came to tell us why. His company was founded by Joseph Hudson, a farm worker from Matlock, who came to the Midlands

NEIL Entwistle, the husband of former St Augustine's teacher Rachel Entwistle appeared in court in Massachusetts, USA charged with the murder of his wife and daughter. The 27 year old pleaded not guilty to the charges last week. Mr Entwistle fled to his

EXTENDED free travel for senior bus travellers is on its way. This means that from April 1, any Redditch resident aged 60 or over with a council bus pass will be able to travel free anywhere in Worcestershire and into Birmingham, where currently they

Friday, February 24 Gordon Hartley-Bennett will give a talk on The Times and Life of Wilbur Wright at Trinity High School, Grove Street, from 7.30pm. Saturday, February 25 Pupils from St Augustine's School will be holding a bag pack at Morrison's store

Tuesday, February 21, 2006 WORCESTER City's exceptional de-fence enhanced its reputation last night by holding championsip challengers Nuneaton Borough to a 0-0 Nationwide North draw at Manor Park. It was City's second stalemate in the space of four days

A MOSAIC workshop has helped transform designs into reality. l Val Harris with artist Steve Field and the winning mosaic designs. Val Harris with artist Steve Field and the winning designs. Five winning drawings were chosen to represent the spirit of

A SALFORD Priors man died of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), an inquest heard. Mark Andrews, 37, of St Matthew's Close, was found dead in his kitchen by his sister, Jane Andrews, and her partner on Monday, November 21, 2005, at about 7pm. The court

BOB Britain of Bidford celebrates his 100th birthday listening to the gramophone hits of yesteryear played by Chris Wall. Bob, a former butcher, shopkeeper and milkman, reached the milestone this month at the Bidford residential home. He shared the day

ALCESTER'S musical Cuckoo Club may have filled the Greig many times over - but organisers are keen to see it fly to more nests. Club events have been running successfully for the past four months, proving to be a sell out each time and giving visitors

ALCESTER residents are being asked their views on the controversial plans to merge the ambulance service. Warwickshire County Council and Coventry City Council have joined forces to urge people to make their views known about the proposed ambulance supertrust

SIX gas bottles have been stolen from the Willow Park caravan park in Salford Priors. Call police on 01926 415000 if you can help.

WORCESTER trio Tracey Balmer, Gemma Sharples and Alice Lovett will line up for England Students in their match against the Netherlands at the Dutch National Stadium in Amsterdam on Sunday. Sharples, a back-row forward, represents the University of Worcester

PLANS are in hand for the Spring Bank Holiday flower festival at St James, Staunton, from Friday to Monday, May 26-29, in aid of church funds. The festival will begin with a preview of paintings by local artists and during the weekend, a number of interesting

FOR something described by its inventor as "a stupid-looking machine", the Le-Monn ground clearer hasn't done badly at all. Because this cross between a lawn mower, rotovator and brushcutter manufactured in the rural backwater of Suckley Knowl, 10 miles

BUDDING Phil Mickelsons and wannabe Tiger Woods are to be given a helping hand with the launch of a major new scheme to unearth young golf stars. The Redditch Advertiser has teamed up with The Golf Academy to launch a scheme that will see eight youngsters

THE Winter Olympics are still in full swing but Joanne Savastico's thoughts are turning to sunnier climes. The 21-year-old (pictured) will say farewell to her workmates at a Redditch factory next week ahead of a five-week trip Down Under where she will

Recently the murder of a local woman during World War Two has been the subject of some discussion. An earlier and less well-known case is that of Eliza Smallwood, a young teenager, who died in July 1832. Eliza worked in a nailshop next to her home near

WORCESTER Wolves are hoping to give their English Basketball League (EBL) Division One title-charge a real lift by claiming their fir-st ever win over Reading Rockets. Wolves travel to the Rivermead Sports Centre tonight (7.45pm) for the first of two

ANGLING: Round two of the Redditch Canal League was fished on the Stratford Canal at Kings Heath with Barry Colgan (Birmingham AC) taking 89 small roach for a winning weight of 5lb 9oz. Second was Studley Road AC's John Hines (3lb 11oz) with Pete Taylor

CYCLING: Redditch riders were involved in the 12th and final round of the West Midlands Cyclo Cross League, held in Wolverhampton. Joe Reeves finished third in the u12s race ahead of Beth Crumpton tenth (second girl) and Alex Potts 17th. Chloe Potts finished

Wednesday, February 22 Jane Eyre, Malvern Theatres. Until February 25. Tickets on 01684 892277 or www.malvern-theatres.co.uk Birmingham Royal Ballet presents The Seasons and Carmina Burana, Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst Street. Tickets on www.birminghamhippodrome.com

EXPENDITURE on items like new books and re-binding, which were the "lifeblood" of any library, were being kept at the same rate in previous years in order to effect as much savings as possible. Councillor A P Wells told Redditch Urban District Councils

February 20, 1981 AN angry mother has criticised sports hall managers for allowing teenagers to monopolise a special "family" roller skating session. Disappointed children have been turned away from the Abbey Stadium's Sunday roller disco because there

STUDLEY manager Kevin Rowlands has paid tribute to keeper Jamie Atkins after the youngster kept a clean sheet on his debut. The Bees drew 0-0 with Oadby Town at the weekend with the Moor Green topper stepping in to the line-up at the last minute. "He

Women: Bilton Ajax 1 Studley 2 Studley had a break from league action and made the trip to Bilton to play a friendly looking for a confidence-boosting win. And it was the visitors who opened the scoring on 19 minutes when, from their first corner, Sam

WORCESTER'S Swan Theatre presents Alan Ayckbourn's Role Play - part of the acclaimed 2001 trilogy - this week. Staged by the Swan Theatre Amateur Company, Role Play opens tomorrow and runs until March 4. The play sees Justin and Julie-Ann preparing for

Bromsgrove men's 1st XI 3 Market Drayton men's 1st XI 2 DOUBLE hero Nick Frizzell made sure Bromsgrove continued their resurgent form in the Coaching Solutions West Midlands Division One by bagging a last-minute winner on Saturday. Frizzell made sure

THE Upton Muggery pub has given the Friends of Upton Primary School £800. Landlady Muriel Ovenden presented the school with a cheque for the money, donated by customers throughout 2005. The cash will go towards the www.classroom project, which will see

THIS year sees the 30th anniversary of the Mercian Festival Junior Football League and it is still growing. Unfortunately, over the years some records and information have been lost and I am trying to fill in a lot of gaps for our handbook for next season

REAL ale fans can celebrate National Pubs Week with the help of a new good local pubs guide. Real Ale Around The Malvern Hills has been produced by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. The 26-page guide is aimed at both locals and visitors and features 63

WORCESTER City's exceptional de-fence enhanced its reputation last night by holding championsip challengers Nuneaton Borough to a 0-0 Nationwide North draw at Manor Park. It was City's second stalemate in the space of four days, but unlike Saturday's

SPORTING enthusiasts from across the district were recognised at Wychavon's annual Sports Development Recognition Awards for 2005. For helping 30 academy players reach semi-professional status and for winning the College County Championship, Geoff Samuels

AFTER coming out on top in the Year Six district football tournament, the girls of Simon de Montfort Middle School grabbed more glory at the county event. Their double dose of success means the team will now represent Worcestershire in the regional championships

WORCESTERSHIRE'S Vikram Solanki completed a century as England 'A' defeated Antigua and Barbuda by 262 runs with 3.1 overs to spare on the third and final day of the tour match at the Antigua Recreation Ground. Set 426 to win, England's bowlers ripped

Holders Moreton Wanderers reached the last four of the Birdseye Sports Evesham Sunday League Knockout Cup with an extra time win over Red Horse. The teams shared six goals in normal time before Wanderers hit three without reply. Mills (2),Jeffs, Winter

Burlish Olympic Ladies 6, Evesham United Ladies 1 EVESHAM got off to a great start at bogey side Burlish on Sunday as they opened the scoring inside the first five minutes. A long free kick taken by Charlene McLoughlin picked out Sam Perry who raced past

DAN Hodgkins was again the main man in front of goal as Ilmington Revolution recorded an 8-1 victory over Alcester Lions. Hodgkins netted four times in Saturday's Stratford Alliance Aquaid Division One clash and he was joined on the scoresheet by Ben

WORCESTER Wolves are hoping to give their English Basketball League (EBL) Division One title-charge a real lift by claiming their fir-st ever win over Reading Rockets. Wolves travel to the Rivermead Sports Centre tonight (7.45pm) for the first of two

HANLEY Swan's Anna Bailey took the gold medal in her class at the Scottish Indoor Rowing Championships. Bailey (Old Wrecks), still feeling the effects of her record-breaking row with an injured wrist at Manchester, rowed one-handed for half the race but

Former Mayor hits out at malicious Asian saboteur FUMING former Worcester Mayor Allah Ditta has hit out at a malicious caller who sabotaged a charity dinner. Councillor Ditta had organised the event on Monday night to raise money for the survivors of

A YOUNG boy who picked up a needle maliciously pushed through his parents' letterbox does NOT have HIV - but the hate campaign against the family continues. The Worcester News revealed on Saturday how two-year-old Connor Reeve had been pricked by the

A DAREDEVIL flying ace who overcame cancer is finally set for lift-off in his record-breaking attempt to fly solo around the world. Fifty-nine-year old Manuel Queiroz, of Pirton, near Pershore, won a battle against bowel cancer six years ago after doctors

EVER since the return of Bruce Forsythe to the Saturday night television screens, formal dancing has been booming. But fans do not have to content themselves with just watch Strictly Come Dancing. Starting this month, ballroom, Latin and sequence dancing

A CITY councillor is campaigning to boost the image of a local community centre and persuade more people to use its facilities. The Green Centre, in Gresham Road, Dines Green is a venue for community clubs, business meetings, private parties and much

VOLUNTEERS are being sought to work in shops owned by the British Heart Foundation. People are being urged to put their spare time to good use by working at one of the charity's six shops which are in the two counties. Ken Blair, BHF chief executive of

PERSHORE High School has been complimented for offering its students a good edu-cation despite a lack of cash. The support given to students in the school's sixth form was singled out for particular praise and bullying was described as rare. However,

THE leader of Herefordshire Council has expressed his astonishment and disappointment at Government solicitors who have pulled out of court proceedings against strawberry producer S&A Property Ltd. Councillor Roger Phillips wants the Treasury solicitor

SENIOR members at Eve-sham have booked a place in the quarter-finals of the Worcestershire Knockout Cup. The Craycombe foursomes squad defeated Droitwich B 2- and will now face Stourbridge for a place in the last four. Other results - January Betterball

Luton 76 Bromsgrove 25 Midlands Division One BROMSGROVE RFC suffered their biggest defeat of the season as Luton routed them on Saturday The Boars were ran ragged by an inspired Luton side that scored 11 tries. Defeat is another disappointing blow for

Droitwich under-8s grabbed a satisfying double victory over Worcestershire rivals Evesham. Jack Weston bagged two tries early on, while Jack Richards, Brennan Kilner, Jamie Wall, Luke Wall and Peter Bedborough all touched down during the first game to

REDDITCH United manager Gary Whild has been forced to look to the transfer market after defender Asa Charlton was ruled out for the rest of the season. The Valley Stadium boss had drafted in Simon Rea on a month's loan to cover for the former Stourport

THE government claims to be consulting the people about its plans to re-organise the Primary Care Trusts which organise the health care other than in hospitals. I agree with Councillors McGrath and Pearce, ( Letters, February 8). This consultation is

I read with interest the article in last week's Advertiser regarding the bin collectors. I have also experienced similar service or rather dis-service and have decided to write to the local council to make an official complaint. The reason for this is

The recent increase of 15 per cent in the taxi licensing charges, which the Tory controlling group won by one vote will inevitably be used to justify substantial increases in the taxi fares. This was done, so we were told, in order to increase the council's

IN your letters page there are often comments about litter. It is disgusting, but we have travelled behind vehicles loaded with skips overfilled completely and uncovered, no nets or tarpaulin, with paper and litter blowing about like confetti. Please

Redditch 24 Handsworth 0 A BRACE of tries from Andy Irvine helped steer Redditch to another vital win in their fight to climb away from the relegation places. Joe Alekna also went over for the home side with Will Wilson adding the extra points against

BROMSGROVE Rovers manager Rod Brown has made a double bid to bolster his midfield after winger Anthony Maguire quit the club for Hednesford Town on Monday. Brown has put in seven-day requests for former midfield maestro Riad Erraji, who is at Rushall

Cinderford Town 1 Bromsgrove Rovers 3 Southern League Division One West By Peter McKinney overs' victory on Saturday at the Causeway made sure that there's still life in the club's ailing play-offs aspirations in the Southern League Division One West.

Coventry Copsewood 1 Barnt Green Spartak 2 BARNT Green Spartak kept on the trail for silverware by edging Coventry Copsewood in the Endsleigh Challenge Cup on Saturday. Kevin Brooked bagged the winner late on to make sure that Barnt Green booked their

Burntwood Town 0 Fairdfield Villa 2 TEENAGE striker Duncan Tie sealed a vital victory for championship chasing Fairfield with a spectacular goal on Saturday. The second half substitute, on for other goalscorer Spencer Kenwood, blasted a powerful half

Bartley Green 1 Droitwich Spa 1 DROITWICH more than matched high-flying Bartley Green to come away with a point in the Midland Combination Division Two on Saturday. Andy Pheasant grabbed a spectacular equaliser to ensure precious point for the relegation

Juniors: AN excellent display of kicking from Jamie Randall helped Alcester u16s to a 28-11 victory over Coventry side Barkers Butt. It was Randall who handed his side an early lead with a penalty and the home side continued to have the better of the

WHAT an enjoyable evening at the Norbury Theatre on February 10. A full house listened to the Worcester Jazz Orchestra playing the music of Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra and many others, ending with the audience swaying to New York, New York. It was so refreshing

CLASSIC Chekhov play Three Sisters has been transposed from bleakest Russia to sun drenched Trinidad and Tobago for its run at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Award-winning writer Mustapha Matura has reworked one of Chekhov's greatest plays, Three Sisters

The world premiere of Horrible Histories by Terry Deary comes to the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, from Tuesday, February 28. These two special productions - The Terrible Tudors and The Vile Victorians - use actors and ground-breaking 3D special effects

Hereford 1, Bretforton II 2 BRETFORTON took the lead in the first couple of minutes when Kelsey Smith passed to Shirley Aubrey who produced a cool finish. The match then turned into a sluggish battle with Hereford having more possession but fewer chances

Bretforton 3, East Glos 1 BRET got off to an excellent start in this match at Prince Henry's High School with a slight change in the midfield formation making all the difference. Midfielder Lisa Workman was back to full fitness and worked well with Deb

Tuesday, February 21, 2006 A SIMON Russell howitzer proved to be the difference between Kidderminster Harriers and Crawley Town in the Nationwide Conference clash at Aggborough last night. The diminutive winger's superb 25-yard drive into the top right-hand

PRESIDENT Barbara Maskell welcomed everyone to the February meeting. The evening started with the notices for the month including the annual council meeting on Tuesday, March 21, at the Forum Theatre, Malvern, at 10.30am. The speaker will be Ann Widdecombe

Lickey WI met at the parish hall for a social evening. Outings for the year were announced and deposits taken for the first of these to Bristol in April. The skittles team had played its second match of the county tournament against a victorious team

Members were treated to a nostalgic and very appropriate evening of romantic songs at February's meeting, which was held on St Valentine's Day. Our president, Lynne Reading, introduced the speaker, Mr Hibbs, who had brought a wide selection of songs which

SUPER fit Dean Sargeant is gearing up for the challenge of a lifetime. Not content with tackling a two-way swim across the Severn estuary in aid of the Severn Trent Rescue Association last November. Dean is now in training for an Iron Man triathlon in

AN intrepid town teacher is heading to South America to raise money for a leading children's cancer charity, writes Carly Mann. Meryl Hargreaves, of Aston Fields Middle School, is aiming to raise at least £2,500 to jet off to Peru during the Easter holidays

THREE motorists were taken to hospital after a four-vehicle collision on the A38, less than a fortnight after a fatal motorcycle accident on the same stretch of road. Last Thursday's accident occurred at around 8.20am when a white Volvo lorry turned on

A BATTLING Bromsgrove man who lost half his leg in an accident has become the UK's first amputee firefighter on active duty. Simon Hawkins, aged 31, had his lower left leg amputated after a motorbike accident 19 months ago. He thought his 12-year dream

THANKFULLY, this is one adaptation of a classic tale that will not have its writer, storytelling genius Charles Dickens, turning in his grave. Director Roman Polanski has stayed relatively true to the original text and has expertly captured a seedy world

CAMPAIGNERS are gearing up for this weekend's protest march against proposed cuts to local health services. Hundreds of people are expected to take part in Saturday's march through Bromsgrove town centre, in a bid to fight a range of proposals including

A LOCAL man, jailed for taking part in a plot to smuggle millions of pounds worth of cannabis and cocaine into the UK, has failed in an appeal court bid to clear his name. Carl Platten, of McConnell Close, Aston Fields, Bromsgrove, was convicted at Worcester

REPORTS of the demise of Britain's traditional high streets and the impact on small traders from supermarkets has focused attention sharply on small towns such as Bromsgrove. An all-party Parliamentary Group for Small Shops recently painted a gloomy picture

THE future of Bromsgrove's popular carnival and gala is hanging in the balance after the town's hospital fundraisers pulled out. At a public meeting last week the Friends of the Princess of Wales Community Hospital announced this year would be its last

DRIVERS aged over 60, who are entitled to a concessionary permit for car parks in Bromsgrove, are facing a savage 500 per cent hike in the fee. If adopted, from May 1, the charge, which is used to cover administrative costs, will rise from the current

TEENAGE sweethearts are set to celebrate 60 years of marriage with family and friends next week. Edie and Tom Francs first met at school at the age of 14 and have been together ever since. The caring couple got married at Bromsgrove register office on

A DROITWICH Spa dentist has claimed health bosses have done a U-turn on funding for NHS treatment for children. Concerns have been raised that dentists in Droitwich Spa and across the county will have to abandon treatment for youngsters because of new

MEMBERS of Droitwich Spa's Fair Trade Group are busy preparing for Fair Trade Fortnight. The event, which helps promote worldwide ethical trade, runs from March 6-19. Buying Fair Trade products is a way of helping farmers and workers in developing countries

DROITWICH Spa's new multi-million pound health centre development has moved a step closer to becoming a reality. The proposed building, on the former magistrates court site, in Ombersley Road East, has been given the green light by planning officials.

DROITWICH Spa's new lido development has now been granted planning permission meaning work could start in the next few months. Wychavon District Council approved the plans to build a 21st century lido at a meeting last Thursday. Development control committee

NOT to be mistaken for an X-rated movie, Kinky Boots is a Full Monty-esque offering from director Julian Jarrold and the team behind Calendar Girls. When his father dies, Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) is the unwitting heir to Price Shoes, makers of sensible

HAVING heard friends rave about the talents of Jack Johnson, I have to say I was quite excited at the prospect of listening to some of his offerings. Not to be put off by the title Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the film Curious George (no, I hadn't heard

ALL credit to The Sparks who have thrown the rulebook away in penning this extraordinary album. The opening track, Dick Around, is like an entire rock opera in a little under seven minutes and the madcap Mael brothers then go and repeat the feat with

Redditch United 1 Hinckley United 1 AN OWN goal from Hinckley defender Leigh Platnauer deep in injury time handed Redditch their second draw in four days. But it was no more than the Valley Stadium side deserved as they dominated for much of the game.

EST Malvern played their first game for three weeks in a rearranged game with Goodrest Sports and came out second best. WEST MALVERN 0, GOODREST SPORTS 2 In a fairly even first-half, Matt Jacklin was unlucky with a header that went over the bar and Gareth

ANGRY parents were urgently trying to find care for scores of children after three Redditch nurseries closed down without warning. Twenty-two staff from Rosies Day Care Centre at Woodrow, Rosies in Church Hill and Paddingtons in West Avenue were shocked

THE son of a Redditch taxi driver brutally assaulted on the job is calling for more measures to be implemented to protect his colleagues from repeat attacks. Shazad Mohammed, whose 58-year-old dad Mohammed Mushtaq remains in intensive care after an attack

A GREENLANDS woman narrowly escaped a prison sentence after pleading guilty to benefit fraud. Kelly Ebanks, of Wishaw Close, was sentenced to a 240-hour Community Punishment Order by Redditch Magistrates last Tuesday. The court heard a visiting officer

WHEN will Redditch councillors and their henchmen stop crowing about the success of the AIR Festival (Letters, February 15)? It was, after all, an unrivaled financial disaster. They keep bleating on about it being a victory for the council - Pyrrhic victory

A MUCH-loved Redditch woman, the former president of the Royal British Legion Women's Section, has died aged 87. Friends and family of Ita Emms attended a funeral service at Mount Carmel RC Church last Monday following her death 10 days earlier. Mrs Emms

SIR - Why has dealing with the death of a loved one become so expensive? A recent survey indicated that the national average cost of a funeral had increased during the last five years by 60 per cent to £3,307. Also, due to soaring house prices, about

I WAS appalled to see the headlines regarding Redditch Market (Advertiser, February 8). For 16 years I traded very successfully in Royal Square and Church Green and it is patently obvious to anyone that if the market were moved back on to Church Green

SIR - With reference to the letter from Simon Clarke regarding tail-docking on dogs, could he please explain why labradors, golden retrievers, St Bernards, border collies (sheep dogs) and I am sure other working breeds, do not have their tails docked?

I AM dismayed Redditch Council is changing the landscape of the town without due consideration to the needs or preferences of residents. The council has blocked a popular woodland path leading from Rockford Close, Oakenshaw South, into Wirehill Wood.

PUB landlords have generally welcomed the news that smoke-filled drinking holes will be a thing of the past after a total ban on smoking was agreed by Parliament. But publican Francis Danks, of the Black Horse, said outlawing smoking in all pubs, restaurants

BOOKWORMS in Studley are being urged to speak up for longer library opening hours. The parish council is calling for residents to join its campaign for extended hours at Studley Library. Council clerk Dot Mitchell said: "As Studley is one of the largest

IR - Whatever happened to that super scrubbing machine that removes chewing gum? It hasn't made much difference on The Cross and Angel Place. I'm beginning to think it's a complete waste of money, with more people giving up smoking and turning to chewing

I WISH to sing the praises of the under-valued members of our community, grandparents. This unpaid, qualified and willing army of workers are invisible to the Government but are an invaluable resource to parents. Without this workforce, many parents would

SIR - In reply to the letter from Mrs Daphne Price on January 25, about WRGS not being the oldest school in the UK, the school has never claimed to be such. The oldest school is claimed to be King's Canterbury founded in 597(600?) followed by Rochester

BUDDING conservationists can find out how to put their spare time to good use at Arrow Valley Countryside Centre. The Battens Drive centre will host the launch of the Redditch volunteer programme on Saturday, March 11. From 10.30am-3.30pm there will be

A REDDITCH couple ran a loan shark racket which targeted vulnerable people, Worcester Crown Court heard. Kim Cornfield offered £100 loans for repayments of £150 and made threats to secure them. He also offered female customers the chance to "pay off"

STATE-of the art X-ray equipment recently unveiled at the Alexandra Hospital has been given the thumbs up. Clinicians at the hospital say they are already reaping the benefits of the new Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS). The equipment, which

WHEN the Kashmir earthquake struck last October, it wasn't long before the people of Worcestershire started to put their hands in their pockets to help out. Touched by the heart-rending tales of destroyed villages and broken lives, groups, individuals

TOP Redditch Tory Karen Lumley has joined the opposition to plans to merge West Mercia Police with neighbouring forces. The Parliamentary spokeswoman for the Conservatives has called on Jacqui Smith MP to help fight plans to amalgamate West Mercia with

PUPILS at Studley High School are using word power to raise money for charity. The youngsters have been taking part in Readathon, a national sponsored reading event between CLIC Sargent and The Roald Dahl Foundation. So far students have raised £1,025

A MINIBUS service for residents in Wythall is being axed after failing to attract enough regular users. The Wythall Local Link, a community transport service, will cease at the end of March. The service, which has been running for two years, was initially

FUNDRAISERS Lyn Winters and Gill Dawson prepare for a St George's Day walk in aid of Primrose Hospice. The hospice is inviting people to dust off their walking boots for a series of patriotic strolls on April 23. Lyn and her small army of volunteers have

ENVIRONMENT chiefs are hoping to clear the air in Studley. A recent survey carried out by Stratford District Council revealed part of the Alcester Road, including the Barley Mow island, has the most polluted air in the area. The report also showed the

CHILDREN with problems at schools in Redditch have been giving something back to the community by taking part in Dream Scheme. The Manchester-based charity, which helps youngsters get back on track, has been running for nearly a year in Redditch under

MATCHBOROUGH youngsters are celebrating a year of involvement in the community. Matchborough Youth Forum recently celebrated its first birthday and is now looking forward to another 12 months of helping out in the area. Councillor Juliet Brunner, who

HOME, away (Southern League Division One West fixtures unless stated) JULY Wed 13 KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS (friendly) 2-4 (Blakemore, Hadland). Sat 16 HEDNESFORD TOWN 0-3 (friendly). Tue 19 MOOR GREEN 0-1 (friendly). Sat 23 BRISTOL ROVERS 3-4 (friendly)

A DAZZLING night of entertainment featuring music from the war years raised £700 for Studley Village Hall. Residents flocked to the Music Hall event held at the High Street hall, which featured performances from pianist John Parker and compere Bill Owen

OUR AGM took place in December when it was reported that society membership had hit an all-time high of 60 members. This was great news and we hope to welcome back all our members and visitors for another year of interesting and entertaining demonstrations