Archive

  • He must not be prey to bullies

    A MUM is terrified her son will be bullied if he is forced to attend a mainstream Worcester school. Sharon Jones fears 11-year-old Christopher will suffer the moment he starts his new school after leaving Cliffey House. Worcestershire county councillors

  • Hospital re-siting is opposed

    MEMBERS of Pershore Civic Society have condemned the proposed changes to health services in the town. They hit out at the lack of consultation over the proposals, which include selling Pershore Cottage Hospital and creating a replacement on the Heathlands

  • Wait over for verdict on Ginger

    THE relatives of a man who died in prison while serving a life sentence for murder will hear today whether his name has been cleared. The Court of Appeal was due to deliver a verdict this morning, after hearing how Harold "Ginger" Williams refused parole

  • What's your wish?

    TURNING residents' dreams into reality is the aim of Worcestershire's Community Strategy, after residents outlined their visions for the next decade. A clampdown on crime, better health provision, affordable housing and good educational services topped

  • A sad loss for the city

    THE manager of Worcester's Museum of Local Life has spent her last day at the venue a week before it goes into mothballs. Nicole Burnett has been manager of the Friar Street museum and council social history officer for four-and-a-half years. Six weeks

  • Council staff benefit from saving energy

    WORKERS are set to benefit as Worcestershire County Council starts a new scheme to promote energy efficiency. Do-it-yourself home energy check forms will be given to every member of staff at County Hall and other council buildings, including schools and

  • Controversial homes scheme plans revised

    A PROPERTY developer has revised controversial plans for the site of Powick's New Hing Tai restaurant after consultation with villagers. Two previous plans to demolish the Chinese restaurant and build on the site met a storm of objections. The initial

  • Cider days are Darling moments

    SIPPING cider among the apple blossom in the Herefordshire countryside might sound like a scene from the Darling Buds of May. But cider tasting will be on the menu, along with apple juice and perry, at a blossomtime event in Putley Village Hall, near

  • Officers in favour of houses for Kempsey

    A DEVELOPMENT opposed by Kempsey Parish Council could receive planning permission next week on the recommendation of planning officers. Westbury Homes (Holdings) Ltd want to build four more houses on land adjoining the Old Vicarage between the A38 and

  • Prisoners raise money for crime victims

    PRISONERS and guards at Worcestershire's Long Lartin Prison raised money for victim support, after rowing the equivalent distance of the Atlantic Ocean. Around 20 inmates and staff took to the gymnasium in teams of five in the non-stop marathon challenge

  • Plans for old studio set to go ahead

    A REVISED plan for the site of a Kempsey recording studio looks set to receive approval next week. A previous plan to demolish the studio in Post Office Lane and replace it with three houses and a garage was withdrawn in December. The new outline plan

  • Death of amateur dramatist

    A LEADING amateur dramatist from Worcestershire, who was a member of the Swan Theatre's founding group, has died at the age of 91. Frank Head, who lived in the county for more than 50 years, died in a Redditch hospital on Sunday, March 9, after a short

  • Hallow pupils marvel at rocks from the moon

    PUPILS at Hallow C of E Primary School are ''over the moon'' after having the opportunity to look at lunar dust and moon rock samples. The samples were provided by the UK's Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council and collected during NASA's manned

  • 27/3/03 No American joy for Ian

    IAN Joy's American dream appears to have come to an end after he signed for Conference club Chester City. The left-back had left Kidderminster Harriers earlier this season to pursue a career in the Major League in USA. But Joy, who is bidding for a place

  • Mayor defends an 18% tax rise

    PERSHORE'S Mayor has defended an 18 per cent hike in the town's council tax, saying it is needed for one-off costs, including the new town hall. Councillor Richard Hampton said meeting Government criteria for quality council status had also contributed

  • 27/3/03 Stuttering side sunk by Bradley

    LINCOLN 1 HARRIERS 0 THOUGH some may disagree, Kidderminster Harriers would have been very fortunate to return from Sincil Bank with a point on Tuesday night. Their play-off hopes took a jolt as rivals Lincoln won with a 15th-minute goal from Shayne Bradley

  • Tennis coaching continues despite rift with council

    SATURDAY morning tennis coaching for juniors is to continue despite the on-going row between the tennis club and town council. Disgusted at the stubborn attitude of some councillors over costs of hiring the Burgage courts, coach Eilie Robinson will now

  • Families in fear

    THE parents of two Royal Marine brothers have told of their anxious ordeal as the casualty list grows in the war on Iraq. Jem and Pat Rogers, of Bewdley, are longing to hear from their oldest son Robert, who is with 40 Commando Royal Marines, thought

  • 25 jobs go at printing firm

    TWENTY-FIVE jobs are to go at one of Kidderminster's oldest printing firms, which has been forced to restructure after losing a major order. Works director Alan Watts said the redundancies were across the board covering manufacturing and office staff.

  • Blaze firm staff are all laid off

    BOSSES of a Kidderminster joinery firm have been forced to lay off their entire workforce following a blaze thought to be have been caused by arsonists. The fire, at Wyre Forest Wood Craft's factory in Oldington Lane, destroyed £12,000 worth of stock

  • CCTV bid to crack crime

    BEWDLEY Police have said that the new effort to consider CCTV for the town was "a big step forward." Beat manager Nigel Barter said the grant from Opportunity Bewdley would enable an in-depth study to see where cameras could go and how much the scheme

  • Aiming to ease schools 'pain'

    SCHOOLS have been warned to expect "short-term pain" in the district's biggest education shake-up for 30 years to raise standards and tackle surplus places. In the first of three Wyre Forest public meetings, Stourport teachers, governors and parents were

  • 19/2/03 John Melligan after Torquay

    COMEDY-loving John Melligan revealed his goal celebration on Saturday was inspired by award-winning television show The Office. Melligan's T-shirt, following his stunning opening goal for Kidderminster Harriers against Torquay, contained a message to

  • Carpet firm is fined £5,000

    A CARPET firm has been fined £5,000 following a horrific accident which left an employee with a serious head wound and several broken bones. Tomkinsons Carpets was handed the penalty for failing to prevent the accident in which Pamela Field, 35, fell

  • 6/2/03 Bo Henriksen after Bournemouth

    TOP scorer Bo Henriksen admitted his recent wastefulness in front of goal had been playing on his mind after he grabbed Kidderminster Harriers' winner against Bournemouth on Tuesday. Though he fired a spectacular strike at Darlington, the 12-goal forward

  • 30/1/03 Andy Bishop and Ian Britton after Bury

    ANDY Bishop, Kidderminster Harriers' best player over the last two games, revealed his main goal is to reach the play-offs with his loan club. The 20-year-old from Walsall bagged two goals in the 3-2 weekend win over Bury and then impressed in Tuesday's

  • 23/1/03 Adie Smith and Ian Britton after Darlington

    ADIE Smith admitted Kidderminster Harriers just could not deal with big forward Matt Clarke who sealed their fate on Saturday. Harriers were well set to win the Division Three clash at Darlington until Clarke's two goals sentenced them to an away defeat

  • 16/1/03 Kenny Coleman and Ian Britton after Rushden

    KENNY Coleman admits he is playing for his footballing future at Wolverhampton Wanderers in his season-long loan deal at Kidderminster Harriers. The 20-year-old's contract is up in the summer at Molineux where he has been confined to reserves football

  • 5/12/02 - Ian Britton after Hartlepool

    ANGRY boss Ian Britton warned his players to "shape up or ship out" after Kidderminster Harriers suffered two defeats in a row for the first time at Hartlepool. Harriers followed up Tuesday's FA Cup exit at Rushden and Diamonds with a 2-1 loss at Division

  • 28/11/02 Ian Britton after Rushden

    STRAIGHT-talking Kidderminster Harriers boss Ian Britton admitted Rushden and Diamonds deserved to progress in the FA Cup on Tuesday night. Britton was angered by yet another half-time deficit and is demanding his players shake off the growing problem

  • Preparing for a war with France

    AFTER a gap of a year or so in hostilities, Britain was again preparing to be at war with France around this time two centuries ago. The Worcester Journal of 1803 reported on some of the local consequences of the new military build-up. "His Royal Highness

  • 21/11/02 Drewe Broughton after Rushden

    DREWE Broughton revealed Harriers were working hard on getting to the bottom of their 45-minute displays after Saturday's FA Cup draw with Rushden. The front-man, who has rediscovered his goal touch with three goals in as many weeks, said: "In the second

  • Anthrax story put in print

    A WOOLWORKER from Kidderminster who was one of five to die from anthrax a century ago is to "star" in a fascinating new academic study. The tragic tale of Joseph Turvey, who contracted the deadly bug working with wool imported from the Middle East, is

  • Ingratiating message as assassination bid fails

    A MESSAGE in the most ingratiating terms was sent by the Mayor and Corporation of Worcester to George III at this time exactly 200 years ago. The King had just escaped another assassination attempt. The message was reproduced in full in the Worcester

  • City mourns loss of Queen Mary

    THIS week exactly 50 years ago, the people of Worcester shared in the nation's mourning at the death of Queen Mary, widow of George V and mother of Edward VIII and George VI. Berrow's Journal, under the heading "County's Grief at the Passing of Queen

  • News Items Down the Years

    1803: ON Friday morning last, William Colledge, convicted of horse stealing at the last Worcester Assizes, was executed, pursuant to his sentence, at the gallows on Red Hill near this city. AT the Theatre, Worcester on Thursday evening next, Mr Moritz

  • 31/10/02 John Melligan after Cambridge United

    MAN-of-the-moment John Melligan admitted he would be delighted to extend his loan spell at Harriers if the chance cropped up. The Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, known as JJ, made his comments after Saturday's fine 2-1 win over Cambridge United. Melligan

  • 24/10/02 Ian Britton after Dagenham

    THE temptation to field more fringe players was there at Dagenham in the LDV Trophy but Kidderminster Harriers boss Ian Britton decided changes were not the way to go. Britton explained: "I wanted to get the tie over and done with. I didn't want to risk

  • 24/10/02 Lee Ayres after Shrewsbury

    KIDDERMINSTER Harriers hit the play-off zone for the first time on Saturday and defender Lee Ayres insisted it was a fair indication of how they are playing. The young defender has cemented a place in the Harriers back-line and taken advantage of the

  • Planning those Pitchcroft trees.

    MEASURES to "beautify" Pitchcroft were very much in the minds of Worcester citizens and the City Council at this time 100 years ago. Crowquill, in his Journal comment column for this week of 1903, explained: "When it comes to the question of improving

  • 10/10/02 Mark Clyde after Hull

    MARK Clyde is ready to extend his loan spell with Kidderminster Harriers if Ian Britton can come to an agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers. The defender has made a great impact since signing last month along with Wolves midfield team-mate John Melligan

  • Birlingham

    PARISH COUNCIL: Red Star's appeal to Wychavon DC against the wording used in the Certificate of Lawfulness: The general situation surrounding Red Star's position was discussed. It was noted that it may go to a local inquiry and the appeal was a legal

  • 26/9/02 Drewe Broughton after Rochdale

    MANY strikers may have melted into the background by now in a similar situation but not Harriers' goal-less target-man Drewe Broughton. Not only is the forward an integral part of the attack despite his continued search for a first goal of the season,

  • Eckington

    ECKINGTON UNDER FIVES: Thank you to everyone who supported the fund-raiser, Name The Logo, that was out over the December/January period. More than 400 people bought a copy of the quiz and 70 completed entries were returned. More than £350 was raised

  • Broadway

    GARDEN CLUB: The February meeting was a talk given by Mr Tony Hamblin on Wildlife in Kenya. The competition, vase of snowdrops, was won by Diane Stacey, second Molly Aspinal and third Penny Valender. The next meeting will be on March 31 at the usual venue

  • Flowers that bloom to make a big show

    ORGANISERS of the Spring Gardening Show on the Three Counties Showground from May 9-11 have been coping with a surge in ticket sales, with enthusiasts clamouring to take advantage of advance booking discounts on offer until Wednesday, April 23. The Three

  • Ilmington

    WEDNESDAY CLUB: Look younger, be stronger, last longer, that was the aim at least of Carmel Greenwood's series of gentle exercise sessions especially for club members. Members are very grateful to her, and feel quite rejuvenated. Some damage to members

  • 5/9/02 Andy Ducros after Darlington

    IT has been a frustrating few seasons for the talented Andy Ducros but he returned on Saturday looking like he meant business. Record signing Ducros lasted the full 90 minutes in his first appearance of the season, a rare feat under previous boss Jan

  • Moreton

    GARDENING CLUB: The March meeting held in the Women's Institute Hall was well attended with members keen to learn about Herbaceous Borders. They were not disappointed as the speaker, Mr Hardy from Pershore, gave an informative talk on the subject from

  • 29/8/02 Drewe Broughton after Leyton Orient

    DREWE Broughton will be missed when he is suspended for Saturday's game with Darlington even though he is still searching for a first competitive goal of the season. His failure to take recent chances, including a penalty, have been well documented but

  • 29/8/02 Lee Ayres after Exeter

    DEFENDER Lee Ayres stepped into the limelight after his first two senior goals against Exeter on Saturday but echoed his manager's thoughts on the defending. Ayres, who turned 20 yesterday, said: "It was three points but not the greatest of performances

  • Events guide

    Eight-mile sponsored walk over the Malvern Hills starting at the British Camp car park. Includes a trip to the Obelisk and Gullet Quarry. Starts at 10.30am, Saturday, March 29. For a sponsor form call Evening News reporter Alison Fraser on 01905 742252

  • There's lots on offer at this auction

    THE chance to be serenaded by an authentic Scottish bagpiper or have a website designed free of charge is up for grabs at a Hereford venue tonight. An Auction of Promises and Goods, in aid of Acorns, is taking place at the Left Bank, hosted by local auctioneer

  • The seed of an idea that grew and grew

    WHEN two caring souls told guests to forget presents and bring a few pennies for Acorns to their Golden Wedding celebrations, they never imagined it would generate more than £1,000. Jean and Derek Craske, who married on Valentine's Day 1953, believed

  • Play brings battle of sexes comedy to stage

    Olivier award-winning RSC associate director Gregory Doran directs The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare's hilarious comedy and perhaps the most famous play written about the battle of the sexes. Running in tandem with Shrew will be Fletcher's remarkable

  • Penalty agony in away defeat

    HOCKEY: The game in hand over English League Division One relegation rivals was wasted by Stourport who lost 2-1 at mid-table Chelmsford on Sunday. But the result could have been different in an even contest with Imran Yousaf missing a penalty strike

  • Bottom slot assured by 7-0 defeat

    HOCKEY: Kidderminster's bottom-of-the-table position in DTZ League Midlands One was confirmed with Saturday's 7-0 defeat at high-flying Sikh Union. They have just one game left, at home to second-placed county rivals Worcester Norton on Saturday, but

  • Golden six for swim pair

    SWIMMING: Jonathon Baylie and Amy Smith each took six gold medals at the Worcestershire County Championships in Worcester during the weekend. They were just two of the Wyre Forest Swimming Club successes at the competition where 23 girls and 17 boys prospered

  • Norwegian entry

    ATHLETICS: The most successful Lacon Childe Road Race to date attracted 93 runners, including one from Norway. Telford Athletic Club's Dave Mansbridge shattered the 10km course record of 36 minutes, set in 2000's inaugural race. Mansbridge sprinted round

  • Lakeside run

    ATHLETICS: Several Amazing Feet Running Club members tackled the annual Bala Lake Road Race 11.25-mile race in Wales. John Amos was first home for the club in one hour 11 minutes six seconds to claim 17th place overall. Other times: Eddie Sanders 25th

  • Despair at theft of 200 signs

    RAIDERS who have relieved a Stourport pub of 200 advertising boards over the past two-and-a-half-years are no angels - but the landlord is looking on the funny side. Ray Cox, who runs The Angel on Severn Side, has persisted in putting up the coveted boards

  • Prints trap thief who had change of heart

    A BUNGLING burglar returned stolen goods to his victim - and left his fingerprints on the bag containing them. Alan Dyke had a change of heart after raiding a friend's house in Malham Close, Stourport. Three days later he left a carrier bag by his door

  • Third for Steve

    ATHLETICS: Kidderminster and Stourport Athletic Club's Steve Smith made the most of the fine weather on Saturday to clinch third place overall and third veteran over-40 in the Bala Lake Road Race. He completed the undulating 11.25-mile course in one hour

  • AN EVENING WITH RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN Kidderminster Town Hall

    STOURPORT Choral and Operatic Society's spring concert comprised songs from musicals, such as The King and I, South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Carousel and Oklahoma!. Knowing all these shows well, I could picture the characters when every song was performed

  • Brave effort fails to bring rewards

    VOLLEYBALL: Hard work and commitment paid off for Cleobury Mortimer who put up a good fight at Telford despite losing 3-0 to their county rivals. The relatively new Cleobury Hereford and Worcester League team has improved greatly over the season and the

  • Verdict against Smith

    BOXING: Stourport welterweight boxer Ernie Smith slipped to a 60-56 points defeat at the hands of Chesterfield's unbeaten Darrell Grafton at the Metrodome Centre, Barnsley. Smith made the better start as a busy left jab kept the tall Grafton at bay and

  • Cash boost for website

    The future of a website promoting Stourport has been secured thanks to financial backing from town businesses. Cash from two banks means the www.stourporttown.co.uk site, set up by the town centre forum a year ago, is now safe for at least two years.

  • Liam first home

    CYCLING: Stourport's Liam Preece was the fastest for Wyre Forest Cycle Racing Club at the VC Sevale Malvern 10-mile time trial on Saturday at Severn Stoke. Preece completed the course in 24 minutes two seconds, followed by Rob Holbeche in 24-10, Howard

  • Holy Grail of a choral collection

    Hail! Queen of Heaven. Music in Honour of the Virgin Mary by The Cambridge Singers directed by John Rutter. Collegium Records. Recorded in the acoustically divine Ely Cathedral, this CD offers the opportunity to listen to some of the wealth of unaccompanied

  • Rock champions

    DOMINOES: Sun and Slipper are the Rock and District League champions, having won 15 of their 20 matches. Results: Bridge 6, Cross Keys 5; Blount 5, Live & Let 6; Plough B 6, Talbot 5; Tavern 2, Plough A 9; Bliss 5, Sun & Slipper 6; Plough A 8,

  • Knights' day

    CHESS: Division One team Kidderminster Knights defeated lower-ranked Kidderminster Rooks as expected in Worcester and District League Cup round one. All games ran true to form except on the top board where Rooks' Paul Thomas out-played Jim Friar but had

  • FRASER DIGBY - Goalkeeper. 23/4/67. 6ft 1ins. Squad number 18.

    Digby is a vastly experienced keeper who was signed before the first game of February against Bournemouth in order to add his know-how to a young defence. The Sheffield-born shot-stopper started off as an apprentice at Manchester United but never played

  • DANNY WILLIAMS - Midfield 12/7/79. 6ft 1in. Squad number 4.

    After starting off as a trainee at Liverpool, Williams was released at the age of 19 to return to his native Wrexham. The Wales U-21 international played on-off for the Second Division club but made a good impression with many for his uncompromising style

  • SEAN PARRISH - Midfield. 14/3/72. 5ft 10ins. Squad number 8.

    Summer signing Parrish has enjoyed three promotions before from Division Three, twice with Northampton Town and once with Chesterfield. The competitive left-footed midfielder with an eye for goal turned down a one-year deal with Chesterfield to sign for

  • DREWE BROUGHTON - Forward. 25/10/78. 6ft 3ins. Squad number 9.

    Tall target-man who made an immediate impact with his aggression, spirit and goal-scoring on being signed for £50,000 from Peterborough in January 2001. Despite his disciplinary problems, Broughton is a first choice when fit and wins a lot of aerial challenges

  • Tax rises forced by central control

    I WRITE in response to Councillor Howard Martin's letter (Shuttle/Times and News, March 13) concerning Council Tax increases. I support broadly the sentiments he made and would like to underline one point - that the root cause for this year's 11.9 per

  • Raid on garage

    GARDENING items were taken at a raid in an Arley garage on Monday between 12.45pm and 6.20pm after the garage locks were broken off the doors. Property stolen included two lawn mowers, a chainsaw, two hedge cutters, a generator, a leaf blower, a leaf

  • SHATTERFORD LAKES

    ON the Masters Lake, 21 anglers caught 51 trout between them with an average weight of 5lb as a black minki snared four to 9lb. Nine anglers on the Stella caught 51 trout averaging 2lb each with one landing 20 to 2lb. A Clent angler bagged six trout to

  • To protest or not to protest...

    NOW that "war" has begun we are told we must support our troops. Some say they understand the protests but that they must now stop - a ludicrous argument which could be used to legitimise any attack. The "war" is no less unjust or illegal simply because

  • Police issue drug theft warning

    POLICE are urging people to keep an eye out for nearly 400 prescription tablets which were stolen during a raid at a flat in Kidderminster. The tablets are diazepam which are 5mg, yellow, sedatives and codeine phosphate which are 30mg, white, painkillers

  • Show support - bring troops out

    WE went on the "Stop the War" march in London last month. We went again on Saturday. Now is especially not the time to give up our protest, as requested by several people in last week's Shuttle Times and News. The best way to support our troops is to

  • TOMKINSONS AC

    A CONTEST will be fished on Sunday on the Staffordshire/Worcestershire canal, bridges 12-15. The draw is on the canal, opposite the Watermill pub, at 8am. Members are asked to attend an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday at 8pm in the Chainwire Club.

  • Silent vigils continue

    IN the front page article of the March 20 edition of the Shuttle/Times and News, there is a call for protesters against the war in Iraq to "shut up". In Bewdley there has been a silent peace vigil every Tuesday evening since the immediate aftermath of

  • Insisting on preserving rubbish

    IT really does take the biscuit for our half-baked civic society, in the shape of Nigel Gilbert (Shuttle/Times & News Letters, March 20), to try to blame those of us who fought flat out to get a cinema for Kidderminster for failing, when it was they

  • Double strike from Vicky

    VICKY Roberts scored two goals for Kidderminster Harriers Ladies when they beat Fairfield 3-1 in West Midlands League Division One on Sunday. Emma Bowdler came close to scoring in the eighth minute when her free-kick hit the woodwork. But a defensive

  • Missing out on an asset for an eyesore

    LAST week brought the news that the Government has announced the Grade II listing of the Piano Building. What an incredibly stupid decision. The will of Kidderminster Civic Society, which represents no-one but its handful of members, has prevailed over

  • Villagers angry at inquiry exhibition

    VILLAGERS in and around Wyre Piddle are furious that the county council is staging a traffic management exhibition for the village on Monday, prior to a public inquiry set for May 1. Those who wish to keep the village open to through traffic except for

  • War provokes debate in Vale schools

    THE war in Iraq has provoked debate among Vale school pupils about the rights and wrongs of the conflict and humanitarian issues arising from it. Evesham High School students have looked at a range of related aspects, such as asylum, human rights and

  • Town let down by voice of minority

    IT was with some incredulity and considerable sadness that I read Nigel Gilbert's letter in last week's Shuttle/Times & News. Incredulity that someone in his exalted position could write such a letter, and sadness in that the insignificant minority

  • Two hat-trick heroes for Ferndale

    JOEL Barefoot and Patrick Yarrington each scored a hat-trick to help Ferndale U-13s teams to 6-0 victories in the Stourport and District Youth Football League Cup. Barefoot, aided by Ben Harris, Luke Jimenez and Ben Bates, led Ferndale Youth to a home

  • Blackout at fatal crash

    THE DRIVER of a car in which an 88-year-old woman died may have suffered an epileptic attack an inquest heard on Tuesday. Pauline Rodgers, aged 70, was on her way to the Cotswolds towns of Broadway and Moreton-in-Marsh with her mother-in-law Elsie Rodgers

  • Festival for Vale youth

    YOUNG people will have the chance to share their talents with the public and raise money for the Acorns Children's Hospice Trust at a special Journal-backed event this summer. The Vale of Evesham Round Table is organising the Festival of Youth, which

  • Man jailed after admitting racist incident

    AN Evesham man who admitted two charges of causing aggravation and fear of violence through racist words was sent to prison for four months by magistrates at Worcester. Mark Drinkwater, aged 31, of Albert Road, Evesham, admitted offences in Mayfair, and

  • Artefacts to go under the hammer

    A NUMBER of interesting Evesham town artefacts emerged when George Hillier cleared part of The Mill at Sedgeberrow. They included a large chest marked up Borough of Evesham Muniment Box which, said Mr Hillier, was used in the late 19th Century to collect

  • Man trapped after sofa blaze at home

    A YOUNG Evesham man who fell asleep while smoking a cigarette woke up to find flames roaring around him in his flat. He became trapped in the first floor flat in Maycroft in Hampton after his lit cigarette set fire to the sofa. The noise of the fire was

  • Pupils take to the dance floor after workshop

    PUPILS at Evesham High School took part in a touring dance workshop this week. Five dancers from the Dance Exchange Company visited the school. They performed for a 30-strong group of Year 9 and 10 students in the morning. The children were then asked

  • Spirited draw for new-look line-up

    SKIPPER Eddie Ross was delighted with Kidderminster Carolians after they fought out a 17-17 draw with National League Stourbridge's second string. Dave Allsop and Stuart Such scored the tries with Iain Crockett adding two conversions and a penalty. KCs

  • Numbers game

    KIDDERMINSTER Carolians U-17s were reduced to 13 men for a while as they lost 41-12 at Malvern. They started with 14 players and then saw Laurence Potter leave with an injury shortly before half-time, though he did return later. KCs had made a bright

  • Walsh handed key centre role

    TIM Walsh will be centre of attention at Wakefield as Worcester Warriors play their final game before the showdown with Rotherham. The Australian fly-half has been named at outside centre to play at College Grove on Saturday in the National One clash

  • Shelsley needs £1.5m nest-egg

    SHELSLEY Walsh has set a £1.5 million target to maintain motorsport at the historic Teme Valley hillclimb. The Midland Automobile Club, which runs meetings at the hill, is close to securing a new 99-year-lease on the site after protracted negotiations

  • Duo are desperate for points

    BROMSGROVE and Malvern continue their fight against relegation from Midlands One on Saturday, both desperate for points. The two clubs are fighting tooth and nail to claim as many points as possible with uncertainty still surrounding just how many teams

  • Norton win at double!

    IT was a deeply satisfying final league weekend for Worcester Norton Hockey Club's women with all four teams winning with an aggregate score of 15 goals to 0. There was an historic 'double' for the club with the first and second teams winning their res-pective

  • BEWDLEY AND DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

    Sylvia Sheldon, from Knowles Mill, guest at the March meeting, showed shots of life around the mill. On Wednesday Kim Hurst, of Cottage Nursery, Boraston, will give a talk on Cottage Garden Plants and Herbs at Wribbenhall community centre, Shaw Hedge

  • CLEOBURY MORTIMER BRIDGE CLUB

    The new venue, the Old Lion Inn, Cleobury Mortimer, is proving popular with members. The club still meets on Tuesdays at 6.45pm for a 7pm start, and there is room for more members. Anyone wishing to play who does not have a partner is asked to telephone

  • FRANCHE LADIES

    On Wednesday, April 9, a yoga demonstration will be given in Franche church hall, starting at 8pm. For further details telephone Christine Matthews on 01562 66512.

  • AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY

    An On-Air night took place on March 18, when continental and UK stations were contacted on short wave and VHF. The new venue proved a good site, especially for VHF. Gordon Hall G3LZT and Graham Woolfenden G0TUW put on displays of home-built equipment,

  • MINSTER LADIES

    Joy Pinder will give a talk on They Left Their Mark on Wednesday. The names of anyone wishing to go on the coach trip on June 4, and the money for the outing, must be paid by this meeting. New members are always welcome at meetings on the first Wednesday

  • Actor Rory is keeping memory of dad alive

    ROYAL Shakespeare Company actor Rory Kinnear recently attended a 40th anniversary celebration for That Was The Week That Was, the 1960s TV show acclaimed for single-handedly creating modern British satire. Among such legends as Sir David Frost, Ned Sherrin

  • CLASSICAL MUSIC SOCIETY

    The 29th Young Musicians recital at Kidderminster Library, on March 14, featured Michael Green and Christopher Hall, students of society president Beryl Chempin. Mr Green featured in the first half of the evening, with music by Beethoven, Liszt, Poulenc

  • SOMERLEYTON WI

    A group visited the Rose Theatre to see Half a Sixpence. At the March meeting, arrangements for future events were discussed, also resolutions, and the group meeting at Stone. Joint winners of the competition to guess the site of unusual views were Margaret

  • 27/3/03 - Jubilees are in golden form

    Jubilees hit an away score of 409, inclu-ding seven spares, to beat Crown Jewels by 11 pins in the Worcester and District Ladies Skittle League Division One. Crown Jewels took the first leg by 13 pins, but Jubilees came back with a three-spare leg totalling

  • KIDDERMINSTER SOLO CLUB

    Tuesday is an open night. A spring dance will be held on April 5, at Kidderminster Harriers Social and Supporters Club, dancing to the John Harrison Duo. April 8 is Party Time and an Easter bingo session will be held on April 22. A Red, White and Blue

  • KIDDERMINSTER AND DISTRICT PROBUS CLUB

    Bill Aston was elected chairman and Lloyd Pitt vice-chairman, at the 29th annual meeting. Frank Tschak will continue to arrange speakers. In March Mr Aston gave a talk on My Life. Born in Birmingham, he was evacuated during the Second World War, then

  • STONE WI

    The guest speaker on March 3 was Pauline Slater, who talked about her life in the Sultanate of Oman. She lived there during the 70s, 80s and 90s, and told about changes in social, economic and industrial conditions in that time. The changes were due to

  • BURLISH PARK TG

    At the annual meeting, Pat Wilcox was elected president. The returning officer was Hazel Butt. A picture quiz followed the business matters. Names were taken for visits to the Rose Theatre to see Educating Rita and to Broadhouse Farm for a flower arranging

  • ARELEY KINGS WI

    The group's first meeting in Lickhill community centre, Stourport, was on March . Final preparations were made for the East African curry lunch at Molly Long's home on April 23. Other items discussed included the banner, designed by Brenda Banner, and

  • Top daffodil is Easter treat

    WITH its long tradition of competitive daffodil growing, it is appropriate that the Midlands is once again hosting the National Daffodil Show this year. The annual event takes place at Myton School, Warwick for the second time over the Easter weekend.

  • WOLVERLEY FLORAL ART CLUB

    Janet Woodfield demonstrated The Spice of Life at the meeting on Monday, March 18, in Wolverley church hall. She produced six flower arrangements, all very different, using unusual colour combinations with flowers and foliage. The next meeting will be

  • HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE ASSOCIATION

    A Worcestershire support group has been set up for people affected by the disease, their carers, family, friends and professional workers. Meetings are held on Tuesdays. The next is on Tuesday, June 3 and it aims to reduce feelings of isolation and provide

  • WYRE FOREST FAMILY RAMBLING GROUP

    On Sunday, April 6, a 2.5 mile walk at Ravenshill Wood has been organised. The walk is not suitable for pushchairs. Anyone wanting to take part should meet at 2pm at the Fox and Hounds public house, Lulsey, between Knightwick and Alfrick, OS grid ref

  • Sky-high for cash

    DAREDEVILS with a head for heights are being called upon to abseil down Bewdley's Blackstone Rock to raise much-needed funds for the RSPCA. The event is planned for Sunday, May 11 and companies and individuals are invited to take part and persuade their

  • Booze ban 'by April'

    THE bid to ban booze in Bewdley town centre has been given the green light by councillors and looks set to be put into action by the end of April. The proposal to introduce an exclusion zone that would make carrying open alcohol containers a finable offence

  • Re-living Northern Soul with night of top music

    A BEWDLEY hotel is to give Northern Soul fans the chance to re-live the sounds that made Blackpool Mecca one of the region's top soul venues. The Original West Midland Soul Club, in collaboration with DJs Basil, Steve, and Francis Tee, is presenting Mecca

  • Bidford

    OUT AND ABOUT: A talk was given by Ann Smith last Thursday at the Church Room on God's Golden Acre, the refuge for Zulu orphans in South Africa. A bring-and-buy sale was held at the Methodist Hall on Saturday. Bidford Church men are holding a coffee evening

  • All the latest movies and where to catch them

    THE CORE (12A): Hilary Swank plays Major Rebecca 'Beck' Childs, the navigator of a space shuttle who manages to beat NASA's computers to save an out-of-control space shuttle. Instead of being hailed as heroes, Childs and pilot Commander Robert Iverson

  • From the archives

    100 Years Ago March 28 1903 A meeting of the Broadway Reading Room committee was held on Wednesday week. Mr A. G. Morris was voted to the chair, and after a lengthened discussion on the letter that appeared in the Evesham Journal of last week on the need

  • From the archives March 14 1903

    100 Years Ago March 14 1903 At a meeting of the Pershore Board of Guardians the Master's journal stated complaints had been made about the diet. Pea soup should only be given in the winter; bread should be given as well as vegetables with meat, and the

  • From the archives

    100 Years Ago February 21 1903 On Tuesday evening Mr W J Sheldon, of Avonside, Birlingham, with characteristic kindness, gave a magic lantern exhibition to the inmates of the Pershore Union. The Rev J H Feek presided, and there were other guardians present

  • From the archives

    100 Years Ago February 7 1903 The very large and enthusiastic Liberal meeting held at Evesham on Wednesday shows a notable revival of Liberal feeling in the constituency after a long sleep. Not before since its great defeat in 1895 has the Liberal party

  • Pupils prove they have a voice on war

    TWELVE years ago counselling teams from Worcestershire County Council's education psychology teams prepared to hold sessions in its high schools to help with the effects of the Gulf War. They were primed ahead of any conflict to help pupils deal with

  • Theatre

    Alexandra, Birmingham - Go and Play Up Your Own End, until Saturday. Fiddler on the Roof, Monday until April 5. Hippodrome, Birmingham - Buddy, until Saturday. In Celebration of My Sisters, Sunday. The Rocky Horror Show, Monday until April 5. Grand, Wolverhampton

  • Voters should have their say

    VOTERS are being urged to have their say in this year's Parish and District elections on May 1. Wychavon District Council has been making a big effort to ensure everyone gets involved. Banners have been displayed in Pershore civic centre as well as the

  • Rally round and make Swan a great theatre

    AT last the wrangling over the future of the Swan has reached a conclusion and it is a good deal for the people of Worcestershire and surrounding areas. Chris Jaeger, as I have publicly stated before, is the ideal man to lead the theatre into a time of

  • Civic Society in health bid

    THE row over the loss of health services in Pershore is escalating with Pershore Civic Society urging people to attend public meetings arranged for today and next Monday to voice their dissent at proposals by the new South Worcestershire PCT to close

  • Memories of life at the hands of bullies

    WELL, Mrs June Alexander (You Say, March 19), you have obviously never been bullied, or you would know that lashing out at the bully can make a bad situation worse. Standing up for yourself is good and can help, especially with the backing of teachers

  • Sex shops symptoms of Worcester's decline

    IT was with disbelief that I read of the proposal to open a sex shop in Barbourne. When we moved here in 1975, Worcester was a beautiful city, full of interesting and charming individual shops. Apart from CrownGate, most of the city centre has now gone

  • A right old Navy lark

    AS Territorials mobilised for service in the Gulf, I was reminded of the occasion I was recalled to the Royal Navy - by accident. I arrived home from work to find a buff envelope awaiting me. Heavily printed on it were the ominous words "URGENT.MOBILISATION

  • Last orders for Frank, 76

    THE FUNERAL of a well-known former Pershore landlord was to take place yesterday. Frank Swan, who ran The Star Inn, Pershore for 30 years, died suddenly at his home in the town last Wednesday at the age of 76. His niece Mary McCormack who now runs The

  • Let down by the politicians

    WITH war declared and Britain involved contrary to the principles of International Law and against the wishes of British people, I think that it is appropriate to reflect just how badly both national and local politicians of all political persuasions

  • No one cares about this filthy city of ours

    YOUR correspondent Zillah O'Hara is correct. Rubbish does choke spring flowers, and not only on Pitchcroft. Worcester is a filthy city because people don't care. Our brand new Tallow Hill, as E Hussey says, is now bestrewn with the detritus of gormless

  • Possessive prisoner jailed for attacking unfaithful girlfriend

    A JEALOUS lover attacked his girlfriend after she confessed to being unfaithful while he was serving a prison sentence, Worcester Crown Court was told. Frank Cole completely lost his temper and grabbed her round the throat, said Tariq Shakoor, prosecuting

  • Events lined up to swell coffers

    THIS year's Friends of St Mary's RC School committee has alre-ady raised £1,000 for new school books but now they are setting their sights even higher. The 15-strong comm-ittee, which had a new chairman, vice-chair-man and treasurer at the start of the

  • Thoughts go out to Iraqis

    BETWEEN 15 and 20 people are estimated to have taken part in a vigil in Kidderminster to show solidarity with the people of Iraq during the ongoing conflict. Wyre Forest Amnesty International organised the vigil, held on the steps of Baxter Church on

  • Fun day in the sun...

    SUNNY weather blessed a fun day for families of a Kidderminster community. The special day out was organised by Wyre Forest Community Housing's neighbourhood wardens who patrol the Horsefair area to deter trouble and act as a visible presence at night

  • Cable strike cuts power

    MORE than 1,200 people in Kidderminster lost their electricity supplies for almost one-and-a-half hours after workmen cut through a high voltage underground cable. The power went off at around 12.30pm on Tuesday when workmen struck the cable at the Weavers

  • Problems of climbing up the property ladder

    Just where do people find their deposits or afford their mortgage repayments? AFTER last year's property price surge, I often find myself breathing a huge sigh of relief that I pulled myself up on to the first rung of the ladder last March. Yes, I realise

  • Gas leak hold-up

    FRUSTRATED drivers faced two miles of tailbacks during Kidderminster rush- hour traffic as workmen struggled to get a gas leak on Chester Road under control. Work on the gas escape began on Saturday and finished on Wednesday, holding up traffic with a

  • Weakened Reserves romp to a home win

    Clee Hill Reserves 4 Sun Celtic 0 STRUGGLING to field a team because of injuries and first team calls Clee called up veterans Nick Gatehouse and Chris Tommey for their first appearances of the season. In spite of this the much-changed Hill settled down

  • Rugby- Ludlow battle through to Third Round

    Selly Oak 17 pts Ludlow 21- LUDLOW gave a solid performance against fellow Midlands 4 West (North) opponents Selly Oak to advance to the third round of the North Midlands Shield. The visitors tried to keep the ball tight in the early stages but Selly

  • Volleyball- Cleobury ladies put up a good fight

    Telford 3 Cleobury 0 Cleobury saw their hard work and commitment in this Hereford and Worcester Ladies Volleyball League game pay off after putting up a good fight against county rivals Telford. The relatively new team has improved greatly over the season

  • Dad running to say thank-you

    A FATHER is making a marathon effort for a charity which helped his family cope after baby Jobe was born without the use of a hand. Darren Burgess has wanted to run the London Marathon to help Reach since his son was born 19 months ago with an undeveloped

  • Football- Hillmen back in third spot

    Telford Juniors 1 Clee Hill 2 CLEE Hill rebounded from last week's disappointing Shropshire County League Division One home draw against Dawley to leapfrog third placed Telford in a very competitive and closely contested game. Telford made the early running

  • Hockey- Injuries catch up with Tenbury as they slip at home

    Tenbury Ladies 1 Camp Hill Ladies 3 TENBURY Ladies achieved their aim this season by retaining their status in Division One. Losing two players at the start of the season, then losing six more due to injury, resulted in a disappointing defeat against

  • Running- Lacon Childe run attracts first international entrant

    Blue skies set the scene for the 2003 Lacon Childe Road Race, the most successful race to date attracting 93 runners from across 10 counties for the 10K event. It even had its first international runner, who came all the way from Norway! As usual the

  • Bike day pulls in the cash

    NEARLY £8,000 has been raised at an egg-citing event attended by thousands of bikers from across the country. And Stourport's Mick Worrall, who was dressed up as a chicken, was among the members of Virago Stars Owners Club who helped pull in the cash

  • Football- Town dominate but leave empty handed

    Bridgnorth Town 2 Ludlow Town 1- LUDLOW Town were unfortunate to come away from this very competitive Midland Alliance mid-table battle without any points after dominating much of the game but going down to two controversial goals. Having beaten and drawn

  • Race against time to raise forge cash

    A CHARITABLE trust is racing against time to raise thousands of pounds to renovate its historic village forge. Repairs at Churchill Forge will cost more than £40,000 and English Heritage has offered to pay half. But trust chiefs are finding it tough to

  • Do you know of a young rising star?

    A NEW search is launched today for "rising stars" in the district who deserve public recognition. Following hot on the heels of our Three Cheers! community awards celebrating unsung heroes in our midst, the Shuttle/Times & News has now teamed up with

  • Castle throws open doors

    ANYONE with an interest in local history will get their first chance this year to see inside a historic Kidderm-inster landmark. Caldwell Castle is holding its first open day of 2003 on Saturday, April 5, between 10am and 4pm. Among items on display will

  • Dambusters-style raid... to deliver soap and pyjamas!

    WITH such great concern over our Evesham Community Hospital and its future, says local historian Michael J Barnard, I feel this story is so appropriate at this time and, like the bond between these three pilots, our hospital today has the same bond between

  • Converting to homes

    A group of farm buildings just outside Bluntington can be converted into six homes, planners have decided. Wyre Forest District Council's planning (development control) committee approved the scheme for the "attractive and substantial" structures off

  • Parent on school run is an 'accident waiting to happen'

    VALE parents who drive their children to schools have been warned a serious accident is inevitable unless they leave their cars at home. The warning follows a national plea by the Department of Transport for parents to walk their children to school, and

  • Dry spell sparks spate of fires

    THE recent unseasonably warm weather led to a spate of grass fires on Kidderminster's Rifle Range estate. The outbreaks prompted fire chiefs to warn the public to take extra care over items like discarded cigarettes during extended dry spells. Kidderminster

  • Bid to boost advice service

    AN expanding advice service for disabled people in Wyre Forest has launched a campaign to attract extra volunteers. The Kidderminster-based North Worcestershire Disablement Information Advice Line (DIAL) has two new members of staff who will oversee the

  • New path to open up delights of forest

    WORK has begun on a new section of national cycleway which will run through the Wyre Forest. When it is complete, the stretch will be open to walkers and wheelchair users, as well as cyclists. It will also provide new access points into the forest's nature

  • Approval for homes site in spite of traffic fears

    COUNCIL chiefs have backed a proposal for a housing development in Cleobury Mortimer, despite massive opposition. And work could start at the end of the year if landowner Shropshire County Council can provide about 43 affordable houses as part of the

  • 800 letters support schools - but call goes out for more

    MORE than 800 letters demanding fair and equal funding for schools in Wyre Forest and the rest of Worcestershire have been sent to the House of Commons as a parents' protest gathers momentum. The office of Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has been deluged

  • Talking way to success

    Talking about "open minds" has landed a Kidderminster girl runner-up spot in a regional public speaking contest. Beth Dunn, a pupil at Holy Trinity RC School, spoke eloquently on the topic "Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open" at

  • Site appeal for river safety crew

    THREE crewmen are being trained to man a new "satellite" River Severn rescue service for Wyre Forest. They are the first to be trained by the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) and will operate out of Upton-upon-Severn until a base can be found. SARA

  • KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS FC MATCH FACTS - 2002/2003

    Sat July 13 Stratford Town (a) 1-1 Lewis Mon July 15 Evesham United (a) 4-0 Ducros, Broughton, Corbett, Shilton Fri July 19 Reading (h) 2-4 Broughton, Henriksen Sun July 21 Solihull Borough (a) 3-4 Shilton, Foster (pen), Corbett Wed July 24 Wolverhampton

  • 'Yes' to bungalow

    THREE bungalows are set to be built in Callow Hill after planners gave the scheme the go-ahead in principle even though Rock Parish Council had recommended refusal. The council feared the development would lead to the "over-intensification" of the site

  • Re-living Northern Soul with night of top music

    A BEWDLEY hotel is to give Northern Soul fans the chance to re-live the sounds that made Blackpool Mecca one of the region's top soul venues. The Original West Midland Soul Club, in collaboration with DJs Basil, Steve, and Francis Tee, is presenting Mecca

  • Escaped injury

    THE driver of a car that demolished a road sign in an accident on Kidderminster's ring road escaped injury in the accident. The woman's white Fiat Punto was involved in a collision with the sign, near the B and Q store, at around 8.10am on Monday. Police

  • Gig helps to boost cancer charity

    A HUGE gig by Wyre Forest band Tom The Frop raised an "incredible" £4,700 for Cancer Research UK on Saturday night. The final figure, including song sponsorship and ticket sales, was boosted by more than £900 raised on the night, at Stourport Civic Hall

  • March 27, 2003

    ALTHOUGH we all feel deep sadness for the loss of life and injuries among servicemen and civilians in Iraq and we hope and pray for a rapid resolution to the conflict, life here at home has to go on. We must continue to address our everyday local and

  • Skippers apply

    STUDLEY Blue & White Rope Skippers have applied for £5,000 from Stratford District Council towards the travelling costs of international competition. The money, part of an overall £17,475 expenditure, would also go to hosting the British Team, and

  • Studley grant application

    STUDLEY have applied for a £5,443 grant from Stratford District Council to improve playing facilities at the club. The Club is funding a £21,775 project to weed the main pitch, secondary pitch and two mini pitches as well as improve drainage on all three

  • Kingfishers need at least two points

    REDDITCH Rugby Club's North Midlands One fate is in the balance as the league tables further up the rugby ladder take shape. The regional nature of the game means relegation issues from National Two down have a knock-on effect right down to North Midlands

  • Your firm could win a trip to New York

    A SMALL firm from Worcestershire could win a business trip to New York as the search for the 2003 British Small Business Champion gets underway. The awards, now in their second year, recognise the achievements of entrepreneurs and their valuable contributions

  • Named by mag

    A CAR maintenance firm from the area has scooped an award from a national trade magazine. Auto Safety Centres - a tyre, MOT, servicing and exhaust firm - has been named "Top Depot" after excelling in a mystery shopper survey conducted by Tyre Trade News

  • Elderly miss their outings

    OLDER people living in rural areas around Bidford are being deprived of a weekly get-together with their friends because no volunteers have come forward to drive their minibus. The 15-seater bus was previously used by Age Concern around Stratford but

  • Showcase for talented duo

    SIMON Mayor and Hilary James will show an audience at Huntingdon Hall just how varied their musical talents are when they perform at the venue on Thursday, April 3. The pair combine their array of talents in an entertaining show which combines music,

  • Hospital plan does smack of a panic

    Ref the Primary Care Trusts plans for Pershore. If only in the name of common sense the PCTs desperate last minute idea to shoe horn the cottage hospital into the new Heathlands home for the elderly is ludicrous, and smacks of panic. 1 The home is not

  • Puzzled by such a huge rise in taxation

    THROUGHOUT much of Wychavon there can have been little surprise when council tax demands were opened. Both the County Council and West Mercia Police had forewarned us of their increased demands. On the other hand officials and councillors of the District

  • Who is going to lead tax revolt?

    THE Tories and ex-Independents say that they will lead a tax rise revolt - yet the 58 per cent tax rise for the Stratford District Council was proposed by the Conservatives and supported by the three Independent councillors - but not supported by the

  • OAPs again are hit

    WELCOME to Spring and with it the old age pensioners nightmare known as the council tax demand. A pension increase of 2 per cent against a council tax demand increase of 11.9 per cent means that pensioners will once again have to draw from their savings

  • MPs want showdown with health trust

    A GROUP of MPs is bidding to meet Worcestershire health chiefs and the Government for showdown talks over the crisis facing the county's hospitals. Wyre Forest's representative Dr Richard Taylor and colleagues from neighbouring constituencies agreed to

  • Locks galore in canal walk

    THE journey from Worcester to Birmingham involves a climb of about 122m (400ft) from the Worcestershire plain to the Birmingham plateau. It does not sound much and it does not look much - in fact, most of us probably don't even notice it. Nevertheless

  • Sex confession sparked lover's knife attack

    A JEALOUS lover attacked his girlfriend after she confessed that she had been unfaithful to him while he was serving a prison sentence, Worcester Crown Court was told. The day after he had cut his arm with a knife, Frank Cole completely lost his temper

  • Stainweld start

    HANDBOOKS for this year's Stainweld League season will be available for collection from 7pm on Tuesday at Wilden Club. A committee member will also be present for any queries. All secretaries need to provide a second contact telephone number and an e-mail

  • Mystery gesture in village

    MYSTERY surrounds an ancient tree after a yellow ribbon was found tied to it - a symbol traditionally wishing those away from home a safe return. The ribbon was attached to the giant oak tree that towers above Hallow Green and dominates the Worcestershire

  • Worcester Woman speaks on the Iraq War

    IN her regular column Fran Richman - dubbed Worcester Women during the 1997 General Election - takes a look at the war. Today she looks at issues of trust and deception. "I think what has come to the forefront in the last couple of days is the power of

  • Tune in for a clear broadcast

    HUNDREDS more people will be able to hear BBC Hereford & Worcester loud and clear from next week. In the past, some listeners have been unable to tune into their local radio station. But a new medium wave transmitter, at Woofferton, five miles south

  • £20,000 minibus for the day centre

    NEW horizons have opened up for disabled people at Pershore Day Centre with the delivery of a new minibus. It will mean more freedom for six adults with profound physical and learning disabilities, who have had to rely on an elderly bus. "The big bus

  • Dancers in step to win

    TWO dedicated dancers spun their way to a top title at the United Kingdom freestyle championships. After training seven hours a week for four years, 13-year-old Julia Handley and Holly Clarke, 12, whirled away as overall champions. Dressed in £1,000 costumes

  • Plans to axe boundaries seen as snub

    NEW plans to remove parish boundaries from Ordnance Survey maps are being seen as a snub to Worcestershire parish councils. Parish, civil and national park boundaries will be removed from the maps to make way for additional information about publicly

  • Town artefacts auction

    A NUMBER of interesting Evesham town artefacts emerged when George Hillier cleared part of The Mill, at Sedgeberrow. They included a large chest marked Borough of Evesham Muniment Box which, said Mr Hillier, was used in the late 19th Century to hold the

  • Scheme to patch schools

    CRUMBLING schools in Worcester could be patched up if a Private Finance Initiative in Bromsgrove is approved. Although the £70m PFI project is to refurbish schools in Bromsgrove it will mean more of the council's money is available for other schools.

  • Scaffolder died here

    WORCESTERSHIRE coroner Victor Round has opened an inquest into the death of a Birmingham man who was pronounced dead in the casualty department of Worcestershire Royal Hospital after he became ill in the city last week. Scaffolder David Prosser, aged

  • Men steal cash from woman, 80

    A WOMAN in her 80s had cash and her pension book stolen when two bogus sellers called at her Kidderminster house. Two men, claiming to be selling domestic products door to door, stole from her home in Offmore Road. One of the men said that he needed to

  • Flaw in hospital plan for patients

    ELDERLEY Vale people suffering from dementia are to be left in a Worcester Residential home if Pershore Cottage Hospital moves into Heathlands. The owners of the newly rebuilt Heathlands residential home, to be opened next month, have entered into negotiations

  • 27/3/03 Next for Harriers

    SATURDAY brings Harriers' visit to former Conference rivals Macclesfield who are in danger of dropping back down to non-league football. The Cheshire side have been giving themselves a good chance of avoiding relegation though with only one defeat in

  • Becky cooks up a feast as part of top award

    BECKY Jenner organised a Ready Steady Cook challenge as part of her Baden Powell Award, the ultimate Girl-Guiding UK award. Gillie Hawkwood and Sheila Swarbrick from the Rose and Crown in Tenbury Wells volunteered to do the cooking and produced delicious-sounding

  • 27/03/03 - Focused on high finish

    GARY Hackett wants Bromsgrove Rovers to focus on finishing as high as they can in the Dr Martens Western. The joint manager believes his and Jon Ford's side have turned a corner following a recent run of poor results. He said: "I think we have got over

  • Rex, 100, reveals memories of time under occupation

    A CENTURY of an interesting and successful life was celebrated at Cadmore Lodge last week when family and friends of Guernsey born Rex Trouteaud gathered for a special birthday lunch. Born in 1903, Rex's father was a jeweller, watch maker and maker of

  • Pupils receive Diana awards

    AT a presentation evening for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Awards, held last week at Tenbury High School, parents and friends of award-winners, Sarah Mallard, Al-annah Deakin, Soph-ie Clarke, Patrick Scott and Alice Cos-nett-Durn, enjoyed an

  • Community association plan for the town

    TENBURY residents are being asked to get together to influence public transport issues in the area. Transport officials, community representatives and Worcester County Council, are seeking to establish a community association to help drive a local scheme

  • Youth project cafe fighting for its life

    CAF 27, Tenbury's flagship youth project, launched in 2001 by Teme Rural Challenge and the Single Regeneration Programme, could face closure if more cash cannot be found. The project's initial three-year funding package of £116,000 runs out this month

  • Fixtures and Results - 2002/2003

    20/07/02 Cheltenham Town (Home) PSF 0-3 27/07/02 Kidderminster H (Home) PSF 2-2 30/07/02 Willenhall T (Away) PSF 0-2 01/08/02 Wolves (Home) PSF 0-4 06/08/02 Stourport Swifts (Away) PSF 2-1 09/08/02 Solihull Borough (Away) PSF 2-1 12/08/02 Bedworth United

  • Flood work will 'beat the clock'

    A BID to install flood defences at Severnside South in Bewdley looks set to be given the green light after officials battled against the clock to beat the introduction of strict new funding guidelines. The scheme was to be put on the back burner after

  • Town to benefit from cash grant

    MORE than £40,000 is to be pumped into making Bewdley a better place to live. A series of grants will be used for a wide range of community projects - from looking at installing CCTV in the town to sorting out Bewdley's numerous transport issues. The

  • 27/3/03 Craig Hinton after Lincoln

    DEFENDER Craig Hinton put Lincoln City's vital goal on Tuesday down as an all-round mistake. Former player of the year Hinton, probably Harriers' best man on the night at left-back, refused to lay the blame solely at the door of Fraser Digby. The experienced

  • Switched on by TV switch-off

    A SELF-imposed ban on watching television by a Kidderminster family of seven is reaping huge rewards. Andy and Kate Lane and their five children aged between four and 11 took a unilateral decision to switch off the TV for good on New Year's Eve. Three

  • 13/2/03 Dion Scott after Carlisle

    DION Scott's main priority is to eventually earn a longer deal at Kidderminster Harriers and he will have done his cause no harm in his first two games. The 22-year-old defender helped Harriers to a clean sheet against Bournemouth and secured them Saturday's

  • Bid to solve yob 'blight'

    UP to 200 people attended a public meeting arranged in response to problems caused by youngsters running riot on a Kidderminster estate. Police and district councillors were among people at the meeting, held at Franche Community Centre, to discuss the

  • 31/12/02 Bo Henriksen and Ian Britton after Bury

    BO Henriksen admitted Kidderminster Harriers were "quite happy" after extending their unbeaten Division Three run to three games. Harriers were poised to take all three points at one stage due to Henriksen's 49th-minute penalty. But Bury did enough to

  • 31/12/02 Ian Britton after Leyton Orient

    THE Boxing Day result was far more important than the display, according to relieved boss Ian Britton. Harriers limped to a 3-2 win over 10-man Leyton Orient, thanks to Danish ace Bo Henriksen's excellent late winner. It was their second win in a row,

  • Fears over new youth shelter

    NEWLY approved plans to build a youth shelter on the troubled estate could make matters worse, worried residents have said. Proposals to build an £8,000 shelter on White Wickets sports field would give youths a place to go but, according to Franche district

  • Carnival lottery cash blow

    HOPES this year's Kidderminster Carnival would raise £5,000 for Kemp Hospice have been dashed after a bid for lottery cash was rejected. Awards For All has thrown out the committee's application for £4,705, ruling the event no longer meets its criteria

  • 21/11/02 Andy Bishop after Torquay

    GOAL hero Andrew Bishop has promised to do his best for Kidderminster Harriers after giving fans a spectacular glimpse of his talents on Tuesday. The 20-year-old from Walsall was only signed on loan the day before but went on to play a part in Bo Henriksen's

  • 14/11/02 Drewe Broughton after Swindon

    DREWE Broughton backed boss Ian Britton's battle to improve discipline after scoring his first goal at Aggborough this season in the Swindon victory. Britton has vowed to increase fines to stop the number of bookings for dissent which are threatening

  • New Post Office for city

    WORCESTER'S new Head Post Office in Foregate Street was completed and officially opened at this time exactly half-a-century. The Journal of March 1953 reported: "It is the first new head post office to be opened in the GPO's Midland Region since 1939.

  • 14/11/02 Ian Britton after Carlisle

    IAN Britton blamed his players for letting themselves down after Saturday's disappointing defeat suffered by Kidderminster Harriers' nine men. Harriers played poorly in the first half but were also hampered by the dismissal of Scott Stamps and then Sean

  • 31/10/02 Bo Henriksen after Swansea

    BO Henriksen displayed remarkable honesty by refusing to take the credit for Kidderminster Harriers' second goal at Swansea - even though it had been officially awarded to him. It could have been the Danish striker's seventh goal of the season to keep

  • 17/10/02 Ian Britton after Macclesfield

    THERE were no punches pulled by manager Ian Britton after Saturday's 2-0 defeat against Macclesfield. Angry Britton insisted: "Too many players let themselves and the supporters down. "We didn't do the basics right. We didn't work hard enough, we weren't

  • 3/10/02 Bo Henriksen after Bristol Rovers

    MATCH winner Bo Henriksen is calling on his team-mates to keep reproducing the kind of form they showed at Bristol Rovers. Henriksen swooped for the second goal and did his now trademark bow to the home fans who gave him stick as he was substituted. The

  • Chipping Campden

    DEBATING SOCIETY: The society will be holding its AGM at 8pm on Saturday in the Church Rooms, Chipping Campden. All members of the society are invited to this meeting and to the social event afterwards. After refreshments, there will be a balloon debate

  • 19/9/02 Sean Flynn after Southend

    CAPTAIN Sean Flynn promised Harriers fans they had not seen the best of him or the team despite their cruise control 2-0 win at Southend. Flynn capped a superb individual midfield performance with his first goal for the club. And he said: "This was a

  • Harvington

    FIRST SCHOOL: Harvington First School was visited by a number of residents last Wednesday evening when staff and governors held an open evening to show off the now completed range of facilities which their new school hall offers and to give information

  • 19/9/02 Sam Shilton after Scunthorpe

    SAM Shilton will be hoping the goal at Scunthorpe United has kick-started his Kidderminster Harriers career. Before Saturday, the son of England goalkeeping legend Peter had started just three Division Three games since last October. In the final year

  • 12/9/02 Adie Smith after Boston

    ADIE Smith believes the goals will start flowing for Kidderminster Harriers after their stingy defence kept out Boston on Saturday. Smith's consistency at right-back has been one of the reasons behind Harriers conceding just one goal in the last three

  • Mickleton

    GARDENING CLUB: After a lovely sunny day there was an excellent attendance at the March meeting. Chairman Bridget Maslin congratulated the team of Ann Wall, Peggy Atherton and Lois Joiner, on coming third in the inter-club quiz the previous evening. She

  • Stratford

    CALEDONIAN SOCIETY: Some 50 members and friends nicely filled a tartan-bedecked St Gregory's Hall for a relaxed Ceilidh evening. There was a great variety of turns, sung and spoken, from Glynis Nicol, Angela Short, Moira Tsolakis, Kathleen Winter and

  • 22/8/02 Danny Williams after Rushden

    MIDFIELD hardman Danny Williams was as puzzled as many others at Kidderminster Harriers' defensive jitters in the Rushden defeat. The fact Williams scored only his second goal for the club was mere consolation though he is determined to bag more this

  • 15/8/02 Ian Britton after Bournemouth

    IAN Britton was a cheerful man after Kidderminster Harriers made a good start on their travels at Bournemouth. The boss said: "I'm happy with a point even though we could have stolen all three. "We stifled the midfield as they are a passing side and it

  • 15/8/02 Sean Flynn and Drewe Broughton after Lincoln

    SKIPPER Sean Flynn admitted he was disappointed with his own display as well as the team's after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Lincoln. The experienced 34-year-old went on to miss the game at Bournemouth after apparently tripping over a child's toy at his

  • The rights of the pacifists

    IN a letter in last week's Journal Chris Hall mentions the Jehovah's Witnesses: "a group of so-called conscientious objectors" who, he claims, are "keeping very quiet". He then refers somewhat disdainfully to their refusal to undertake military service

  • Peeking into the crumby life of a rock 'n' roll star

    TOO many ginger biscuits and throwing kettles out of hotel windows are just some of the vices the Counterfeit Stones are prone to. For entertainment value they give the real Stones a run for their money, and they even make spoof movies for their live

  • Spooky return for trio

    PLACEBO appear to be rather strange brew - with arguably the tallest bass player in history and a singer who has been described as sexually ambiguous and androgynous. The band, who have just released their latest album Sleeping with Ghosts, are set to

  • Let's just hope the experts are right

    THE radical plans to change the way Worcestershire children with special educational needs are taught are continuing to cause great concern for parents. The new policy follows Government demands for a more "inclusive" system, stating that children with

  • Goal is to pull in the pounds

    BUDDING David Beckhams can help Acorns to its goal by taking part in a mini soccer tournament. The Lyppard Rangers, who have already raised £500 this month for the charity with a race night and a raffle, are organising the event on Easter Monday, April

  • Charity jailbreak should be a fair cop

    WORCESTER'S police station may have moved house but the cells at Deansway are preparing for a new set of "prisoners". A charity jailbreak is being held on Tuesday, April 1 to raise money for Acorns Children's Hospice Trust. Volunteers will be arrested

  • Midland maestro is Stourport star

    HOCKEY: Midfield marvel Marc Edwards has been dazzling the Dutch while representing Midlands U-14s. The 13-year-old Stourport Hockey Club prospect scored five goals, including a hat-trick, and was voted man-of-the-tour in Holland. Edwards, of Kidderminster