WORCESTER can stun the rugby world by retaining their Premiership status. The Sixways club, who were most pundits' tips to make a swift return to National One after their promotion, have already exceeded expectations with their 11th place in the table
Barnt Green Spartak 1 Bromsgrove Rovers Reserves 2 PAUL FOOTES grabbed a late winner to book Rovers' second string in the final of the Worcestershire Senior Urn on February 23. With the game going towards extra time at Lye Meadow the substitute striker
ORGANISERS of Malvern's annual May Day Parade are appealing for stewards to enable the event to go ahead. The parade, organised by Malvern Fringe, has been a regular feature of the town's calendar for several years. It involves brief closures of some
WALKERS on the Malvern Hills are set to be greeted by a new friendly face as another warden has been taken on. Forty-one-year-old Richard Vale joined the Malvern Hills Conservators - which manages the slopes - earlier this month and will be responsible
CONCERNED residents are hopeful that measures to catch speeding motorists in Welland will highlight the problem of vehicles haring through their nearby village. Trevor McAvoy, West Mercia Safety Camera Partnership project manager, said a survey was undertaken
A GOLF-mad Droitwich student is following in the footsteps of Nick Faldo after being offered a place at two of the country's top golf academies. Sixteen-year-old Ben Hodgetts, a pupil at Droitwich Spa High School, won a competition at Bristol's Filton
A FOOTBRIDGE should be built over the Westlands roundabout to provide a safer route for pedestrians and cyclists travelling between the Westlands estate and Droitwich town centre, according to councillors. Councillors on Droitwich Town Council are writing
TEACHERS in Worcestershire are being urged to nominate inspirational pupils for two prestigious awards - the Diana Memorial Award and the Diana Anti-Bullying Award. The Diana Award exists to celebrate the inspirational qualities - courage, compassion,
THE behaviour of drunken young women out in Kidderminster on Saturday nights was "absolutely appalling", according to a leading councillor who spent a fact-finding evening among revellers. Abusive language and urinating in the street by some rowdy femle
TRADERS ordered out of a Kidderminster shopping centre have been given two weeks longer after a florist pleaded to the managing agents to allow her to stay until Mother's Day. Rebecca Todd, of Becky's Florist in the Rowland Hill Centre was featured in
PUPILS were turned away from Stourport High School after the body of a security guard was found in a changing room by a member of staff. The find was made at 7.40am on Tuesday. The death of the man, believed to be in his 50s and from Worcester, was being
A MOTHER whose baby's death contributed to an independent inquiry into Wyre Forest Birth Centre has made a heartfelt plea for health campaigners to understand the agony she has suffered. As she marks the fourth anniversary of her son, Connor's, stillbirth
A STATEMENT issued by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed Mrs Shurmer had brought a clinical negligence claim against them in respect of antenatal care provided in February, 2001. It said the trust had accepted responsibility for the claim
THE second phase of a determined mother's campaign to see postnatal services return to Kidderminster Hospital will kick off on Monday. Less than two weeks after handing a petition containing 3,202 names to health chiefs, mother-turned-campaigner, Elizabeth
THE award-winning Kidderminster Shuttle is in the running for a top prize for the fifth year running. Wyre Forest's leading weekly newspaper has been shortlisted for the Newsquest Media Group's Free Newspaper of the Year Award 2005. The Shuttle won the
A MOTORIST is furious after a golf ball was hit into her car as she drove down a public road which runs through Wyre Forest Golf Centre. Despite her stopping her car the three golfers believed to be the culprits ignored the calls of the driver, Julie
GREAT Witley Playgroup has been given top marks from Ofsted inspectors who found all areas of learning were "very good." The 24 children, aged from two, were judged to be receiving very good nursery education and to be eager to learn, interested in the
HUNTERS in Kidderminster have decided to call a halt to their season after staging a show of defiance on Saturday. Around 500 supporters backed 50 riders with the Hurcott Lane-based Albrighton Woodland Hunt as they rode out from Stourton the day after
THREE host households have been recruited by a new support group to give shelter to homeless young people in Wyre Forest. They will provide emergency accommodation for 16 to 25-year-olds who find themselves homeless. Project co-ordinator of Nightstop,
COUNTY Museum staff at Hartlebury are knee deep in bubble wrap and tissue paper as they carry out the delicate operation of packing items away to make way for the builders. Many hundreds of historic artefacts are being put into storage as several galleries
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY: The February meeting was attended by 60 members. There was an interesting Any Questions evening with the chairman, George Sloggett, in the chair and Martin Fox and Ray Fardon the panel. After more than an hour of having to think
GOOD LUNCH CLUB: The February lunch in the Lifford Hall produced a capacity crowd. The proceeds of £180 were donated to the Barn Close surgery. The next event will be a tea dance on March 18, starting at 3.30pm for £4 a person. No formal invitations will
DEBATING SOCIETY: The February meeting of the society will be held in the St James's church rooms at 8pm on February 26, when the motion will be this house believes that the national obsession with gardening keeps the British sane. The motion will be
GARDENING CLUB: The chairman welcomed members to the meeting and remarked on the wonderful display of snowdrops submitted for the monthly competition. Good luck wishes were given to the quiz team for the forthcoming inter-club gardening quiz. Updates
INTEREST AND LEISURE GROUP: The mystery tour proved to be interesting with an extra bonus was the beautiful day with lots of sunshine and blue skies. The coach started out by going through Shipston and crossed through different counties travelling on
PARISH COUNCIL: Fish and Anchor Bank: Repair work is due to begin on Monday, February 21. Vandalism: The Police have informed the parish council that five youths have been issued with Anti-Social Behaviour Orders. Wooden seats have been damaged. Street
INNER WHEEL: The February meeting was held at the Railway Inn, Defford, and after the meal, members were treated to the history of Anstey Cheese by Colin Anstey, learning how to go about making cheese and then finding a market in which to sell it. A seat
FRIDAY: noon for 12.45pm, Mayor and Mayoress to attend Showmen's Guild annual luncheon at The Ramada Hotel, Birmingham. Evening, Mayor and Mayoress to attend Evesham Twinning Association dinner at Evesham Golf Club. MONDAY: 6.30pm, planning and general
FRIDAY: noon, Deputy Mayor and Mayoress to attend Showmen's Guild of Great Britain Midland Section annual luncheon at The Ramada Hotel and Resort, Sutton Coldfield. 7pm, Mayor's Ball at Civic Hall. SUNDAY: 3pm, Chairman, Stratford District Council's civic
SATURDAY: Worcester Ramblers - The Leadon Valley, part 3, meet at Ledbury market hall at 9.20am to catch 9.34am bus to Dymock returning on 3.50pm bus from High Leadon, the walk is a continuation of the journey along the Leadon Valley between Dymock and
A GO-GETTING granddad is preparing to jump 15,000ft out of an aeroplane to raise money for Acorns Children's Hospice. Bob Eaton is due to do his tandem free-fall jump on Saturday, March 19, in Shropshire. The 66-year-old retired civil engineer from Bewdley
IT would have been easy for the narrow boat owners faced with eviction from Diglis Basin to kick up a fuss. The basin must be emptied - and stay empty - for up to a year during building work. As a result, about 50 boats which have been moored in the basin
THE action has started on two new-look football forums this week. Fans of Kidderminster Harriers and Stourport Swifts can now have their say on all the latest issues at Aggborough and Walshes Meadow on newly designed message boards as part of the Shuttle
THE story of an astronaut who never goes into space is coming to Malvern. Astronaut is about a young man called X who is chosen to be the token ordinary person on NASA's new moon mission. His life changes over night and he feels he has been reborn - his
A LITTLE comic relief is on the cards for RSC audiences this year. After last year's season of Shakespeare's tragedies, the 2005 season is focusing on The Comedies, with actors preparing now for four of the Bard's favourite classics - A Midsummer Night's
Harriers 1, Bristol Rovers 1 Mat Kendrick reports from Aggborough THE agitated figure of Stuart Watkiss told the story as Kidderminster Harriers picked up a point that in the final reckoning could be completely pointless because of results elsewhere.
LATVIAN midfielder Alex Volosanovs could be the talismanic figure needed to rekindle Stourport's ailing Southern League Division One West season. The midfielder signed up for the Walshes Meadow side following a brief stint at Worcester City and inside
STOURPORT earned their first ever away win at Doncaster on Sunday to stay in touch with safety in Division One of the National Hockey League. The 1-0 success was dominated by midfield exchanges and a solid defensive performance by the Stourport back line
Fixtures Stourport 1sts v Nottingham; Stourport seconds v Edgbaston; Stourport thirds v Leek; Cannock v Stourport fourths; Stourport fifths v West Bridgford; Kings Heath v Stourport sixths; Stourport sevenths v Harborne. Kidderminster v Old Halesonians
KEVIN Phillips and Mike Woods have been among the winners at Little Lakes Golf Club recently. Phillips pipped Paul Bedford to the Men's January Stableford division one competition with 37 points. January Stableford Division one: 1 Phillips 37pts, 2 Bedford
MYSTERY surrounds the reason why a popular and successful teacher - who revealed he had "dark thoughts" - jumped to his death from the top of a multi-storey car park. Ian Campbell, of Warndon, Worcester, was just 37 and deputy head at Hagley RC High School
BOAT owners have been warned that parts of Diglis Basin will be emptied for up to a year during building work. A total of 421 homes are being created around the historic moorings with contractors likely to start in the spring or early summer. But British
ALMOST 40 jobs are to be axed as a result of the merger of two branches of a Government-funded organisation providing support to businesses in Wyre Forest and Shropshire. Business Link's combined Worcestershire and Herefordshire branch will unite with
A SEVENTY-year-old cyclist battled gale-force winds and horizontal rain when he pedalled 1,000 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats on a tricycle. But it paid off as former Worcester fireman Gordon Chamberlain raised £4,000 for charity on his mammoth
A WORCESTER man who was told he would have to pay £10,000 for surgery to correct his serious heart problem is celebrating after health officials have agreed it can be paid for on the NHS. Tony Cox who suffers from cardiomyopathy - a serious disease in
ONE Kidderminster firm sailed to the assistance of another by organising an in-house training programme. Hewett Recruitment customised a training package for boatbuilder, Sealine International. It was the latest collaboration between the companies, as
HUNDREDS of people are coming out of a Worcester health surgery feeling sick - after finding their car has been clamped. Despite several warning signs, dozens of drivers a day are being fined £95 for parking on private land by the Vicarage Court flats
l POLICE chiefs have come out of a "very tough budget-making" process to hike the council tax for West Mercia Constabulary by four per cent. After putting up its share of the final tax bill by 14.9 per cent last year, the authority found it hard to keep
BEWDLEY Town kept the pressure on the West Midland Regional league division 1 leaders with a comfortable 4-0 win over Malvern Town Reserves. Early domination from Bewdley saw a shot from Hart touched over the top by Malvern keeper Mark Hooper. Continued
THE average council tax payer looks set to fork out £47 more in the coming year, far less than last year's rise as local authority bills finally begin to fall. With a general election looming, police, fire and councils have taken on board extra Government
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a disturbance involving three adults and a teenage girl near the Bull Ring Chippy in the St John's area of Worcester. A Worcester Police spokesman said the incident happened between 5pm and 5.15pm on Wednesday,
NEW signing Peter Begley is backing Chaddesley Corbett's blend of youth and experience to come good - despite a 5-2 defeat to Dudley United in West Midlands Regional League division two. The new striker scored twice for Chaddesley but was unable to prevent
TALBOTS Solicitors, which has an office in Kidderminster, has appointed Alison Hill to its family law team. She will head up the firm's family department, bringing with her nine years' experience dealing with family matters. She joins from Blakemore Solicitors
IN women's football, Kidderminster Harriers Ladies' county cup run came to an end when they suffered a 5-1 semi final defeat at the hands of holders Headless Cross. Harriers got off to the perfect start when a poor goal kick was intercepted by Emma Purslow
A MOTHER says her youngest children have been left devastated after two owls were let out of a pen in the family's back garden by vandals. Fran Sillitto said she thought the aviary at the back of their Kidderminster home had been cut open deliberately
BROADCASTING industry regulator, Ofcom, has announced which organisation has been awarded the licence to provide a new FM commercial radio service for Kidderminster and the surrounding area. Out of three applicants, ACE FM was chosen by Ofcom's radio
A HARLEY Davidson motorcycle and specialist mountain bike worth a combined £11,200 were stolen during a burglary in Kidderminster. The £8,000 red FXLR Lowrider Custom motorbike and £3,200 Santa Cruz bicycle were taken from the garage of a house in Mill
A FORUM for Kidderminster retailers to discuss issues of crime and public safety is holding its annual meeting next week. Members of the Kidderminster Retail Initiative and Safety Programme - KRISP - will gather at Kidderminster College for the meeting
Results from Round 6: Ian Tetsall 8/6, Brian Hill 5/12, John Moon 3/14, Stan James 3/2. The final will be fished at Woodland View on Wednesday Draw 9am Fish 10/3pm.
Result of contest fished on the Lyttelton (pegs 44-79) on Sunday: Paul Wilson 02-13-08; 2. Reg Bastable 01-02-08; 3. Jerry Bartlett 00-14-00; 4. Fred Penn 00-11-00; 5. Keith Bunce 00-04-12; 6. Frank Timms 00-00-12.
WHAT sort of world and what sort of government is it which says foxhunting is cruel and should be banned but animal testing is fine and companies can go on making millions out of animal testing. At a rough guess I would say about 90 per cent of consumers
100 Years Ago February 25, 1905 The little contretemps which occurred at the Pershore Board of Guardians on Tuesday will perhaps have the effect of making some of the members of that and other similar bodies more attentive for the future. A motion for
Haye Farm Contest: 1 Barry Chesson 41-1-0; 2 Mark Edwards 31-7-0; 3 Shaun Pearce 28-3-0; 4 Kevin Driver 26-4-0 Silver Fish Winner: Alex Cohen 5-14-0. Next contest March 6 at Sion Farm Top Pool.
Masters John Davis from Welshpool caught a 9lb 8oz brown trout and a 10lb 3oz rainbow on welsh witch. The Troutmasters fish off will be held on Sunday March 20, 2005. Stella Ted Woodley from Bridgnorth caught 2 rainbows to 3lb 12oz on a goldhead. Wyre
COUNCIL tax payers in the Vale are having to stump up an average of £50 more a year on a D band property This represents an overall council tax increase of 3.6 per cent. Last year owners of a band D property paid £1,146 - this year it will be about £1,190
I CONSTANTLY read in this newspaper people complaining about Kidderminster as a shopping centre. But we are very lucky. It is one of the few places where you can buy everything you could possibly want within half-a-mile of the bus station. At Christmas
A VALE grandmother died within days of receiving a routine vitamin injection at her doctors' surgery, an inquest heard. Rita Mary Whitehouse, aged 71, from Bredon Mews, Broadway, collapsed and died at her home on May 24, last year. Four days earlier,
Erics: Russell Keen from Kidderminster took a super 21lb mirror on a curry boilie. Jim Sneddon from Stourbridge took 2 carp to 20lb on a squid pop up. Gainsborough: Steve Talbot from Wednesbury took two carp to 17lb on cut down lobworms popped up of the
FEBRUARY 22 was the birthday of Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, the founders of Girlguiding. To celebrate, this date became World Thinking Day, a great time to remember that we are part of a global movement of 10 million girls and women, and to reflect on
Wednesday open - 12 Fished - Moors: 1 Paul Dicks (Bristol Angling Centre) 13-9-0; 2 George Leitch 12-4-0; 3 Ralph Baxter (Gloucester) 11-15-0. Thursday Costcotter - 23 fished - Meadow: 1 Mal Watson (Daiwa Gordon) 53-13-0; 2 Colin Pace (Bilston) 49-3-0
SHOPS around the Vale have been pulling products off the shelves since news broke about an illegal food dye entering the food chain. They were informed last week that Sudan 1, linked to cancer, was present in a whole host of products including Crosse
I READ with interest Dr Richard Taylor's regular column in last week's Shuttle/Times & News. In it, he raises an interesting point regarding the advantage of being an independent MP when it comes to voting in the House of Commons. He quite rightly
EVESHAM is to get its first club for cross dressers. The group will meet once a month in the town and will be open to men and women. The man behind the group Davina said it is estimated that 50 per cent of the population, both men and women, had cross
SATURDAY PREMIER P W D F A P Cradley Hth 14 10 3 38 13 33 Kinver 15 10 1 43 25 31 Wyre For 15 9 3 38 25 30 Brintons 13 8 2 38 14 26 Two Gates 16 8 2 52 32 26 Areley King 15 7 3 34 20 24 Norton Cel 15 6 3 26 26 21 George & Dr 14 5 5 37 26 20 Quarr
A MAN who carried out an £800 raid on an isolated social club near Evesham has been jailed for four and half years at Worcester Crown Court. Alan Beamish took part in "an orgy of destruction" at the Badsey premises, smashing open slot machines with an
INVESTIGATIONS are still ongoing into the suspected arson attack that destroyed more than 2,000 straw bales in an Evesham field. The incident happened in Red Lane, Hampton on Saturday, February 12. The fire was thought to have started at around 5.30pm
EVESHAM is set to become a key centre in the country for the collection of vital school equipment for victims of the tsunami. Samaritan's Purse, the charity behind the annual shoebox Christmas appeal, is using Evesham as a base from which to help children
KIDDERMINSTER Harriers were not the only town team to come unstuck in Shrewsbury as Kidderminster Carolians' recent revival shuddered to a halt in Shropshire. In a performance described by director of rugby Phil Knowles as the worst of the season, KCs
ANDY Keast has warned his Worcester side -- we're not safe yet. The Warriors head coach has seen the Zurich Premiership new boys climb up to ninth in the table after two successive wins. However, he's anxious to hammer home the message that Worcester
BROMSGROVE Rovers have given their Southern League Division One West promotion chances a boost by signing former Tottenham and Portsmouth winger Andy Turner. The 29-year-old made the switch from Banbury United and could make his debut in Saturday's clash
WORCESTER Ladies Firsts are on a roll after their second English League Premier Two win in a row. A Kate Draper double followed Rebecca Adams' fifth-minute strike as the city triumphed 3-2 at Sunderland. The second-from-bottom side showed great spirit
ON Sunday, the field trip will be to Draycote Water Country Park. The minibus will leave Broadwaters car park at 9am. Due to Easter, the March indoor meeting will be held on the fifth Wednesday of the month, March 30. At this meeting the fourth annual
THE speaker at the February meeting, held at Baxter College, Kidderminster, was Mike Dickins. After 34 years in motor manufacturing, Mr Dickins joined the local Talking Newspaper group in 1980. He is particularly interested in interviewing and outside
CHAIRMAN Bill Every, reported on the number of entries in the two video competitions. For the first, the documentary for the Evergreen Cup, George Johns had entered 'Spring Is Here', Doug Barnes was about dry ski slopes 'Telford 050', Roy Rowles had been
THE club met at The Lion Inn on Tuesday, February 2 when a Mitchell movement was played. The North South winners were Philip Morgan and Wendy Duly with 64.58 per cent, second Charles and Vera Smith 53.27 per cent. East West winners were Julian Taylor
BOOKING for the fourth Chipping Campden Music Festival in June has opened for a programme which comprises almost every form of classical music. There will be piano, instrumental and song recitals as well as chamber music, an orchestral concert and a massive
MRS Margaret Dams supplied the spring flower arrangement for the president's table. Mrs Jan Jones told members about a forthcoming visit to the Grand Theatre to see Summer Holiday. Mrs Catherine Clark will host a jewellery party on March 16. All profits
MEMBERS voted in favour of reducing the County Executive to 12 members, and approved the committee's recommendation of candidates for the National Executive. Members also voted on the Institute Bursary, agreeing that any member who had been awarded the
TEWKESBURY MP Laurence Robertson has raised the question of farm-gate milk prices with agriculture minister Alun Michael in the House of Commons. Mr Robertson said he knew of two main farmers who had given up milk production because it was no longer profitable
THE Worcestershire Gun Dog Society is staging its workings tests at Church Lench, Evesham, on Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and 20. The first day will be for any variety retrievers competing for the WGDS Open Retriever Shield in the Open Test and the
THE Upper River Windrush in the Cotswolds is one of the few places where water vole populations have expanded. It is one of the few good news stories for the water vole in a report published by the Wildlife Trust which revealed that numbers generally
WALES look set to win the race for Chris Horsman. Worcester's tight-head prop, who has enjoyed a superb debut season at Sixways, will qualify for Wales on May 1 despite being English-born. However, after England failed to make any contact with the 27-
PERSHORE residents' appeal for the removal of parking restrictions along High Street has failed to win the support of town councillors. Members voted against backing the proposed removal of a two-hour parking restriction between 106 to 126 High Street
WHAT is the most common form of discrimination in the V ale of Evesham? Fred Kaler has no doubt that it's not race, gender or sexual orientation. It's a form of discrimination, which there is no law to protect against, and yet which everyone if they live
IT was recently announced that Foregate Street station was to be refurbished. Part of the refurbishment was the replacing of the cycle racks - which frankly were in need of improvement, being too cramped and too few in number. I would like to express
RETIRING at 65 in 1989, my state pension was £43.60 per week. Now, in 2005, it is £79.60 per week. An extra £36 a week given to me for surviving 15 retirement years. Well done, thou good and faithful servant! Forget the Second World War, five lost years
I THINK it's really sad, in an effort to speak to the Prime Minister, Helen Donovan is reduced to standing outside a sports centre in the cold. Branded a security risk and shunned by Labour Party activists, Helen was only given the time of day when she
A FORMER Pershore man is urging residents to bid for a special poster and football from Manchester United's clash with Danish team Vejle in 1987 to aid the tsunami disaster. Ex-pat Colin Shearer, who now lives in Vejle, is hoping to raise money for the
WORLD darts champion Phil Taylor will be playing in front of a sell-out audience in Kidderminster in April. He will be joining six other top professionals at the Glades Arena for the seventh round of the 888.com Premier League Darts tournament, which
A TREE surgeon who received stolen fishing tackle worth £1,500 was warned by a judge at Worcester Crown Court he could have been jailed. Julian Brighton claimed to police that a "lad" from a travellers group just turned up on his doorstep and sold the
THE district-wide litter crackdown comes a week after the Save Our Streets campaign was launched in Stourport to tackle issues including littering. The Shuttle/Times & News is working with Stourport Civic Society to highlight grot spots. Questionnaires
LITTER louts are being targeted in a crackdown to clean up the streets of Wyre Forest. More than a dozen enforcement officers will be patrolling Bewdley tomorrow and Kidder-minster on Saturday, following a similar blitz of Stourport last Friday. Offenders
STAFF at a Kidderminster fish and chip shop are celebrating after earning an award recognising their commitment to cleanliness. Foley Fish Bar, Stourport Road, has been given a Clean Food Award by Wyre Forest District Council for high standards of food
AN anxious mum is desperately searching for other Wyre Forest families affected by the neurological disorder Tourette Syndrome, characterised by tics - repeated involuntary, rapid, sudden movements. The condition causes considerable distress to the sufferers
GLASSES were raised as the Royal British Legion officially opened the revamped lounge at its Stourport club. The £16,000 refurbishment includes new carpets, seating and a sound system for the 270 members at the Lichfield Street building. Stourport mayor
SHOULD smoking be banned in Wyre Forest's public places is the question members of a council watchdog are to put to residents. Smokers and non-smokers should tell councillors whether they want the district to be a smoke-free zone, members of Wyre Forest
A GREAT Witley man who spent many years helping restore a rundown church has died at home aged 98. Francis John Somers, of Camp Farm, earned the nickname Jack the Wall due to his love of building paths and walls. He was a driving force behind the refurbishment
FROM rescuing a baby hippo to tackling a blazing building - it has all been in more than a day's work over more than 30 years for Kidderminster retained firefighter, Graham Moran. The 57-year-old is about to retire after 31 years on standby to back up
GOOD hygiene practice is being highlighted at Kidderminster Hospital as part of a national campaign. Staff at the hospital's 20-bed intermediate care unit, in particular, have been putting up public displays and promoting the use of alcohol hand-held
ROTARIANS across Wyre Forest are celebrating a century this week. The first rotary club was founded in Chicago, Illinois, on February 23, 1905 and members will be marking the occasion with a centenary dinner at the Ramada Hotel, Bewdley, tonight. It will
HARTLEBURY'S new priest-in-charge has taken up his duties. The Rev Andrew White was licensed on February 6. His new post includes being chaplain to the Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Rev Dr Peter Selby. Mr White, 39, was previously with the Droitwich Spa
LECTURES at Kidderminster College face disruption today with members of a teaching union due to strike. The National Association for Teachers in Further and Higher Education - NATFHE - voted for the national one-day action over pay. Kidderminster College's
LANDOWNERS are appealing for permission to build a massive housing estate on countryside near Astley Cross but a planning chief believes the bid is unlikely to succeed. A Government inspector will consider objections to the land not being allocated for
RELIEF is at hand for Wyre Forest residents plagued by junk mail and telephone cold calls. Trading standards officers from Worcestershire County Council have issued a reminder that there are ways to reduce the nuisances. For unwanted post, people can
EVERYONE has their 15 minutes of fame, as Andy Warhol said but for some people, in this case Charlie Conrad, it lasts for seven years. Alan Ayckbourn's Drowning on Dry Land, at Malvern Theatres this week explores the world of the celebrity, the man to
TEAMS of raft racers are being invited to make a splash in this year's silver jubilee event in Wyre Forest. Kidderminster and District Lions have been organising the annual race for 25 years and have set this year's date as Sunday, May 15. They are trying
ONE of the candidates expected to battle Wyre Forest MP Dr Richard Taylor at the next general election has put forward her vision for Britain and the district. The Liberal Party's prospective parliamentary candidate, Fran Oborski, has cast herself as
A COLLECTION of woodcuts and etched prints inspired by the world of stage and screen in the 1920s and 1930s are on display at Bewdley library this month. That's Entertainment is a celebration by artist, Frank Martin, of what he describes as the "weird
THE grandmother, aunts and uncles of one of the youngest victims of the Boxing Day tsunami are to raise cash for the recovery effort in Sri Lanka. Bewdley mum-of-two, Julie Ree, whose five-year-old niece, Isobella Peatfield, died in the disaster, said
A CARE industry support association for managers has been re-launched. Hallow-based National Care Mangers Forum is reviving its old name of the National Care Managers Association (NCMA) to raise its profile. "Managers are at the sharp end of the industry
DELIVERY drivers and their passengers are being warned they must wear their seatbelts, except on very short journeys. From Tuesday, March 1, it will be compulsory for them to belt up when making deliveries or collections if they travel over 50 metres
A "HIT Squad" is to visit businesses in Herefordshire and Worcestershire to make sure workers have the right skills for their job. The Skills Station, a one-stop training advice shop for firms in the two counties, will be starting its new active campaign
BIDFORD councillors have given a conditional go-ahead for a housing development on the site of the village's old school. The old schoolmaster's house will stay and be converted but the 100-year-old school building in Victoria Road will be demolished.
WITH a stage and screen career spanning six decades Petula Clark's status as a showbusiness legend is hard to dispute. The singer, who got her first break as a child star on a Forces radio show during the Second World War, is bringing her latest show
MORE than 70 people who skipped bail in south Warwickshire have discovered there is no escape from the criminal justice system. The 73 defendants, who failed to turn up at court, are among more than 180 so-called bail bandits in Warwickshire, who were
MYSTERY surrounds the reason why a popular and successful teacher - who revealed he had "dark thoughts" - jumped to his death from the top of a multi-storey car park. Ian Campbell, of Warndon, Worcester, was just 37 and deputy head at Hagley RC High School
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY: The February meeting was attended by 60 members. There was an interesting Any Questions evening with the chairman, George Sloggett, in the chair and Martin Fox and Ray Fardon the panel. After more than an hour of having to think
GOOD LUNCH CLUB: The February lunch in the Lifford Hall produced a capacity crowd. The proceeds of £180 were donated to the Barn Close surgery. The next event will be a tea dance on March 18, starting at 3.30pm for £4 a person. No formal invitations will
ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY: The speaker for February 15 was Mrs Jill Wilson, who gave a talk with slides on The Art of Sundials. She told of the long history of this most ancient time keeper of the planetary influences of the sun and moon and the winter
LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY: At its recent meeting members were treated to a stimulating lecture by Glenn Foard, project officer of the Battlefields Trust. He is managing the Edgehill Battlefield Project and spoke about new discoveries concerning the first
FRIDAY: noon, Deputy Mayor and Mayoress to attend Showmen's Guild of Great Britain Midland Section annual luncheon at The Ramada Hotel and Resort, Sutton Coldfield. 7pm, Mayor's Ball at Civic Hall. SUNDAY: 3pm, Chairman, Stratford District Council's civic
SATURDAY: Worcester Ramblers - The Leadon Valley, part 3, meet at Ledbury market hall at 9.20am to catch 9.34am bus to Dymock returning on 3.50pm bus from High Leadon, the walk is a continuation of the journey along the Leadon Valley between Dymock and
THE story of an astronaut who never goes into space is coming to Malvern. Astronaut is about a young man called X who is chosen to be the token ordinary person on NASA's new moon mission. His life changes over night and he feels he has been reborn - his
A LITTLE comic relief is on the cards for RSC audiences this year. After last year's season of Shakespeare's tragedies, the 2005 season is focusing on The Comedies, with actors preparing now for four of the Bard's favourite classics - A Midsummer Night's
THREE generations of boxers are punching their weight in a new area this month - film-making. British featherweight champion Dazzo Williams, rising 14-year-old star Joe Maggs and Viv Bennetts, secretary of Hereford Amateur Boxing Club, all feature in
MALVERN Theatres plays host to two enlightening dance performances this week. Shobana Jeyasingh dance company presents the world premiere of Flicker, featuring a new piece of music commissioned from Michael Nyman, tonight (Thursday) and the Alma Flamenco
AS I took my seat in the auditorium at the Courtyard I overheard another member of the audience saying that she hadn't seen so many children at a concert in years. It was indeed very heartening to see so many young people experiencing such high-quality
HUNTINGDON Arts has lined up a packed programme for music-lovers and theatre-goers Worcester bound in March. The group runs Huntingdon Hall and The Swan Theatre and its new spring programme contains the usual mix of events audiences have come to expect
BOOKING for the fourth Chipping Campden Music Festival in June has opened for a programme which comprises almost every form of classical music. There will be piano, instrumental and song recitals as well as chamber music, an orchestral concert and a massive
MONTHLY tips to help gardeners plan their gardening needs are included on a new website www.procultureplantcentre.co.uk set up at Proculture Plant Centre, Knowle Hill, Badsey. Regular offers will be posted on the website and gardeners can receive them
THE Worcestershire Gun Dog Society is staging its workings tests at Church Lench, Evesham, on Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and 20. The first day will be for any variety retrievers competing for the WGDS Open Retriever Shield in the Open Test and the
THE Upper River Windrush in the Cotswolds is one of the few places where water vole populations have expanded. It is one of the few good news stories for the water vole in a report published by the Wildlife Trust which revealed that numbers generally
WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER: The Christian women of Poland invite people to join them in prayer on the theme of Let Our Light Shine. A local service will be held at St James's Church, Badsey, on Friday, March 4 at 7.30pm. Everyone welcome.
HAY Festival extends its reach to the starry firmament of Hollywood this summer. The draft programme includes appearances by Goldie Hawn, Jane Fonda and top director Spike Lee, as well as the usual literary highfliers, including Ian McEwan and Kazuo Ishiguro
MONMOUTH'S second Women's Festival, which opens on March 3, will see former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dame Margaret Anstee, who lives at Knill, near Presteigne, speak about women and peace-building. Other highlights include the peer
SOMEWHAT in the shadow of its illustrious big brother in Hay-on-Wye, the second book festival in Blaenafon whirs into action next Tuesday. Featuring local writers Barbara Erskine, Phil Rickman, Jasper Fforde and Rebecca Tope, this year's programme offers
MUSIC lovers turned out in droves to support a jazz club after its promoter warned it was facing the axe in last week's Shuttle/Times & News. Alan Biggs said it was "brilliant" that 80 people attended Monday night's Aggborough Jazz concert by New
Good rock music is timeless as was proved at the Birmingham Hippodrome where Tommy, a classic musical, stunned audiences. Tommy is a deaf, dumb and blind boy who is ridiculed by children until he plays a pinball machine to become a Pinball Wizard. Tommy
A COLLECTION of woodcuts and etched prints inspired by the world of stage and screen in the 1920s and 1930s are on display at Bewdley library this month. That's Entertainment is a celebration by artist, Frank Martin, of what he describes as the "weird
A BRUMMIE historian who has made a name for himself as a radio presenter and author is visiting Kidderminster Town Hall in one of a host of events marking the building's 150th anniversary. Professor Carl Chinn is giving a lecture, entitled Workshop of
ARE you baffled by the purpose of unusual objects lurking in your attic? If so, the assistant manager of Kidderminster Library, James Rose, believes that he can help. This is because a team of historians from Worcestershire County Museum in Hartlebury
MANY people have watched - and fallen in love - with the much-loved classic movie Bambi, but how many have had the chance to see deer feeding in the wild? Animal lovers have the opportunity to do just that on Saturday at a deer watch starting at 4pm at
MOTORISTS are to be prevented from using a Droitwich street for turning round. Councillors are requesting that an "Access Only" sign be put up at the entrance to North Street to prevent cars from using the street. There are three businesses using the
NEIL Grinnall Homes is appealing against the rejection of plans for 18 flats in Bath Road, Worcester. The council turned the plans down as they only included two affordable housing units.
A GLOBE-trotting Pershore woman has been pounding streets across the world in preparation to run her first London Marathon in April. Laura Robertson, a British Airways long-haul flight stewardess, has been busy training for the 26-mile race since September
KEEN choristers are all set to pack into a crammed church for a Come and Sing event to support Save the Children. The Silurian Consort, a Tewkesbury based choir, is inviting members of the public to join them at St Martin's Church, London Road, Worcester
ORGANISERS behind Pershore's first bid for Britain in Bloom success are hoping town councillors will back their plans. Project manager Jill Liley and fellow organiser Linda Davies, who both trained in horticulture at the town's college, met with members
WOLVERLEY householders are being given the chance to have their say on a range of issues affecting village life. A questionnaire is to be sent to 150 homes as a "taster" to establish priority areas of concern to help organisers draw up a second survey
GARDENING SOCIETY: Members met on February 17 at the Crawford Hall. The evening started with a bring-and-buy sale, followed by a talk on hellebores by Ursula Key-Davies from Fibrex Nurseries, Honeybourne Road, Pebworth. She had brought with her a colourful
PARISH COUNCIL: The monthly meeting of the parish council took place last Wednesday with district and county councillor Clive Holt present. Among the items of business was further news about the proposed building in Leys Road; a letter from Rooftop Housing
ORGANIC gardener Graham Gooderham, of Pershore, has produced the first three books of what he hopes will be a series for children about the creatures that will visit gardens where no poisons are used. "It seems important to me that we tell our children
ARTS AND CRAFTS SOCIETY: The speaker for February 15 was Mrs Jill Wilson, who gave a talk with slides on The Art of Sundials. She told of the long history of this most ancient time keeper of the planetary influences of the sun and moon and the winter
LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY: At its recent meeting members were treated to a stimulating lecture by Glenn Foard, project officer of the Battlefields Trust. He is managing the Edgehill Battlefield Project and spoke about new discoveries concerning the first
Barnt Green Spartak 1 Bromsgrove Rovers Reserves 2 PAUL FOOTES grabbed a late winner to book Rovers' second string in the final of the Worcestershire Senior Urn on February 23. With the game going towards extra time at Lye Meadow the substitute striker
STUART Watkiss has made an impassioned plea for Kidderminster Harriers fans not to turn their backs on the club as an air of resignation descends on Aggb-orough. The first murmurs of discontent of Watkiss's reign were heard after Tuesday's 1-1 draw with
SUPER stopper John Danby has been backed to get even better by boss Stuart Watkiss after receiving specialist coaching at Coventry City. The Harriers number one is favourite for a clean sweep of the club's player of the year awards this season after outshining
TWO world premieres of new works are lined up for the Other Place. Solstice is written and directed by Zinnie Harris, who presented her play, Midwinter, at last year's RSC New Works Festival. A prequel to Midwinter, it is about a family coming into conflict
Shrewsbury 4, Harriers 2 Mat Kendrick reports from Gay Meadow TWO years ago Shrewsbury Town were relegated from the Football League with the worst defensive record of all the 92 clubs after shooting themselves in the foot time and time again. And the
THE Shuttle/Times and News sportsdesk is looking for line-ups from our local teams in the Kidderminster and District League and the Stourport and District Junior Football League. To put your youth or adult team in the picture send a good quality team
Kidderminster maintained their presence in the top four of the West Midlands Premier League after a 5-1 victory at Bloxwich. Their relegation-threatened hosts were straight out of the blocks and with Kidderminster starting slowly, captain Chris Pocknell's
A BOOKING for either Jermaine Clarke or Richard Ball at Thame United on Saturday will rule them out of the Division One West title clash at Yate on March 12. Should Ball receive a tenth caution of the campaign at the Windmill Stadium then he will miss
WYRE Forest cycle racing club veteran Bill Picton stole the show at the annual presentation awards at Briars Hotel, in Kidderminster. The 74-year-old rider received his National Veterans time trial association 100 miles Champion trophy. It followed his
ASTLEY Cross brought their long Trivia League losing sequence to an end with a narrow victory over Wyre Forest rivals Angel. The three top teams Rising Sun A, Red Man BCC and Hare & Hounds all had convincing victories. Results: Bird in Hand 59, Rising
HARRIERS A kept up the pressure on Kidderminster Table Tennis league division one leaders Jims Gym A with a comfortable win over lowly Wordsley. Division One results: Harriers A 8, Wordsley 2; RB Iron 7, Bewdley 3; Baggeridge 8, Falcons 2; Harriers B
SECOND Division Kidderm-inster Rooks pulled off the chess shock of the season by eliminating Worcester and District League Cup holders Malvern. Given the vast difference in gradings between Rooks and their Division One opponents, Malvern were expected
KIDDERMINSTER Cobras were left ruing a late collapse after losing 73-70 in a West Midlands Basketball League game they had dominated at Black Country Bears. They opened up a lead by winning the first and second periods before throwing their good work
THE battle for the Gilt Edge Short Mat Bowling League title is hotting up with just three games remaining. Realistically it should be either Tornadoes or Telly Tubbies who are crowned champions. But with 18 points plus any hot shots up for grabs it could
Evesham Utd 3, Paulton Rvrs 1 THE top three sides in Division One West boast the section's most potent dual strike forces and Richard Ball and Jermaine Clarke certainly gave their attacking pedigree another boost last Saturday, writes Mervyn Collins.
WORCESTERSHIRE golden boy Leslie Law has picked up his latest medal - his MBE. The 39-year-old Olympic gold medallist received the honour from the Queen at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace yesterday. "It was a super day," he said. "The Queen shook my hand
HEALTH Secretary John Reid is being urged to sort out Worcestershire's shortage of hospital beds. Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has demanded action as GPs faced new pleas not to refer patients to Worcestershire Royal Hospital. South Worcestershire
A WOMAN with alcohol problems who was sent to jail to prevent her from attempting suicide by setting fire to herself died in a house blaze she may have started deliberately. Stephanie Locke, aged 24, died from 60 per cent burns in Selly Oak Hospital,
KILLER dogs are believed to be on the rampage around Evesham after sheep were found ripped to pieces. Motorists jammed police lines when they reported scores of sheep running amok on the A46 at the edge of town on Monday night. The sheep belonged to a
ALMOST 8,000 people were found jobs ranging from office work to driving by a Kidderminster recruitment agency during the past year. Backup Staff secured employment for a record 1,500 people a week across the Midlands during 2004, with nearly 50,000 people
MASKED men escaped with thousands of pounds of cash, and caused around £5,000 worth of damage in a matter of minutes, after raiding a Stourport amusement arcade in the early hours of yesterday morning. A spokesman for the arcade said staff were "devastated
VOLUNTEERS have said they are "cautiously optimistic" Cripplegate Park's car park will not have to be enlarged. Worcester City Council announced on Tuesday that it was looking into buying existing car parking space off nearby businesses rather than eating
THE development of the former Royal Worcester Porcelain site must overcome several hurdles before planning permission is granted. Developer Berkeley Homes announced last week it planned to build 460 houses on the former Severn Street site. Offices, a
A RECRUITMENT agency which has an office in Kidderminster is organising a charity auction evening to raise money for breast cancer research in the UK and children in Thailand. Trinity Personnel is holding the event at Wharton Park Gold Club, Bewdley on
COMMUNITY leaders were treated to a sneak peak at work on Tolladine's new £500,000 Tolly Centre. Worcester MP Mike Foster and the vicar of Christ Church, Father Nduna Mpunzi, were among those given a guided tour yesterday. The eagerly anticipated centre
BEWDLEY entrepreneur, David Howorth, has won a business competition after testing the water with his sculpted pond covers. The 34-year-old had the idea for the safety products when he became a father and it has now earned him £5,000 worth of consultancy
POLICE are seeking the owners of three vehicles believed to have had their badges stolen in Stourport. They were a gold-coloured Suzuki, parked in Longboat Lane, a green Skoda parked outside the Rock Tavern, Wilden Lane and a Nissan Micra, parked outside
TOTS are queuing up to take part in Worcester Evening News' Baby of the Year 2005 competition. This year organisers hope to make the competition bigger and better. Eager parents will be lining up to have pictures taken of their babies and toddlers when
OBJECTORS hoping to bulldoze a retired couple's modern-style home because it does not fit in with the village setting are taking their case all the way to Whitehall. Controversy has surrounded doctors Michael and Marjorie Cox's "dream" home in the pretty
NEARLY 800 people joined the family of Barrie Heath, the farmer who died after a tractor accident in the village of Hanbury, near Droitwich, for a service to commemorate his life. Mr Heath was killed a fortnight ago when a tractor he was driving fell
TWO daytime burglaries were carried out on Stourport businesses in the same street during an afternoon. At one of the Bridge Street businesses, the back doors were forced and a wooden wall smashed down, causing £300 damage, on Thursday, February 10. A
A MAN was injured when he was assaulted in the toilets of a Kidderminster wine bar. It is not known whether a weapon was used in the attack, which was carried out by another male at Redwoods, in Dixon Street, at around 1pm on January 30. The victim, who
ON Wednesday evening, February 16, as dusk fell, I got off my horse for the last time after an activity that I have been conducting for the last 40 years, ever since I was a small child. My daughter, aged 11, was with me. One day she might be one of the
LIVING on Stagborough Way, Stourport, I see people on Tuesdays putting out their bins for the recycling of their bottles, waste paper and plastic. It is grand to know that each ton we save helps the world's resources. It also helps Wyre Forest District
TRADERS in Evesham High Street are set to get a boost with the return of the Post Office to its original home. Evesham MP Peter Luff was told of the plans in a letter from Simon Smith, retail line manager for the Post Office Ltd, who explained that the
supporters turned out in force at the first meets conducted under the shadow of the hunt ban. An estimated crowd of 3,000 at the North Cotswold's meet in Broadway on Saturday heard messages of defiance from hunt masters and Mid Worcestershire MP Peter
ARTISTIC youngsters from the Vale of Evesham could clean up in a competition organised by Wychavon District Council aimed to make a difference in Poop Scoop Week. Pupils aged between five and 16 are being asked to design a poster which will urge dog owners
WYRE Forest missed the chance to close the gap on Kidderm-inster and District League Saturday Premier pacesetters Cradley Heath and Kinver when they could only manage a 2-2 draw at home to struggling Parkdale Rovers. Saturday results Premier: Cookley
PROTESTORS of a controversial housing development in Wick have accused Wychavon district councillors of attempting to silence them. Members voted to award leading campaigner Edward McMillan-Scott £500 in compensation on Tuesday. But the MEP claims the
BURLISH Olympic under-16s were in seventh heaven as they breezed to a convinicing 7-1 victory over Wilden Village Youth. Tom Wassell led the way with a hat-trick, with Sam Booth bagging a brace and Joe Pearson and Alex Lavery also on target. Dan Walters
LONG Lartin prison is leading the way in protecting both prisoners and staff from the effects of second-hand smoke. The jail is the first in the country to be given a special recognition award under the National Clean Air Award, the scheme that acknowledges
UNDER-8s DIVISION ONE P W D F A P Ferndle Fly 19 14 1 55 25 43 Nunnery Ls 17 14 0 62 16 42 Areley Kgs 21 11 2 46 39 35 Warndon L 18 9 3 28 33 30 Kidder Lion 20 6 6 25 26 24 W For Panth 18 6 2 20 36 20 Nunnery Spts 20 5 3 23 39 18 Mostyn Rng 19 2 1 9 54
A FORMER Vale prison officer who won a landmark employment tribunal has criticised the Prison Service for not accepting an appeal upholding the decision. Carol Saunders, aged 41, resigned from her post at Long Lartin Prison, South Littleton last December
A 26-PAGE questionnaire is set to be distributed to every household in Honeybourne to find out what people want in the village. It started some months ago when Angela Herbert attended a parish council meeting and heard about an action plan initiative.
WYCHAVON district councillors have been accused of treating Vale pensioners as a 'political football' after rejecting plans to reintroduce concessionary travel tokens. The proposal to restart the subsidised transport scheme, scrapped last February to
CLEOBURY Mortimer have stormed to the top of North Mids One after a hard-fought win over previous leaders Kings Norton. A Julian Harding penalty and Colin Todd's try were enough to secure a vital 8-5 victory over their fellow high-fliers. Having been
STOURPORT continued their run of improving performances with a solid display away to Stourbridge Lions, but were unable to prevent their hosts recording a 28-20 victory. Richard Gough opened the scoring for Stourport, touching down a rolling forwards
CHADDESLEY Corbett admit their hopes of promotion from North Mids South Two are fading after their 10-3 defeat to Dudley Kingswinford Wasps. The setback sees Chaddesley slip to fifth and spokesman Nigel Evans admits their chances of nabbing one of the
ON the junior rugby scene, Chaddesley Corbett under-nines celebrated two comfortable victories over rivals Kidderminster Carolians. Ross Westwood ran in four tries with Zach Walker (2) and Sam Needham also on target as they won 35-10. Tom Mayall crossed
WALES look set to win the race for Chris Horsman. Worcester's tight-head prop, who has enjoyed a superb debut season at Sixways, will qualify for Wales on May 1 despite being English-born. However, after England failed to make any contact with the 27-
ANDY Keast column Complacency certainly won't be tolerated at Sixways. Saturday's 15-9 win at the Stoop was justifiably lauded by the press over the weekend. The players certainly deserved the credit for such a hard-fought victory in a vital game. However
THE Elmbridge, near Droitwich, Gracelands Equestrian Centre proved a magnet for show jumpers when nearly 100 riders from several counties took part in a national show jumping qualifier. The Equenox Novice qualifier was for horses making a start to their
KING'S Hawford under 10 and under 11 rugby teams have both qualified for the finals of the national schools rugby tournament after coming through the regional round at King Ed-ward School, Camphill. Both Worcester teams lost in the regional final to Queen
ROB Allen's first English League Men's Premier Two goal proved priceless as Stourport won 1-0 at Doncaster on Sunday. Allen struck on 66 minutes to decide the match at ninth-placed Stourport's fellow strugglers who are now four points below them. Fran
JOSEPH and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 'a sparkling rainbow mix of music, song and dance', is coming to the Malvern stage next week. The Bill Kenwright production of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber family musical has gone into the Guinness
A WEBSITE providing information about Broadway's parish plan is already proving a hit just a week after being launched. Members of the steering committee for the parish plan are producing and writing the site, which went live last Tuesday. Organisers
BILL Every, joint leader, announced that the programme was a selection of members' new digital sequences, and would be projected on two new digital projectors brought along by members. The March meeting will be the annual general meeting followed by a
HUNTINGDON Arts has lined up a packed programme for music-lovers and theatre-goers Worcester bound in March. The group runs Huntingdon Hall and The Swan Theatre and its new spring programme contains the usual mix of events audiences have come to expect
THE club met at The Lion Inn on Tuesday, February 2 when a Mitchell movement was played. The North South winners were Philip Morgan and Wendy Duly with 64.58 per cent, second Charles and Vera Smith 53.27 per cent. East West winners were Julian Taylor
THE February meeting was the annual general meeting. Mr Robinson gave a talk and slide show on how the farming community are sending cows to Uganda. The recipient farmer then passes on the calves from these cows to another family to help them get started
MONTHLY tips to help gardeners plan their gardening needs are included on a new website www.procultureplantcentre.co.uk set up at Proculture Plant Centre, Knowle Hill, Badsey. Regular offers will be posted on the website and gardeners can receive them
ANDY Keast has warned his Worcester side -- we're not safe yet. The Warriors head coach has seen the Zurich Premiership new boys climb up to ninth in the table after two successive wins. However, he's anxious to hammer home the message that Worcester
WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER: The Christian women of Poland invite people to join them in prayer on the theme of Let Our Light Shine. A local service will be held at St James's Church, Badsey, on Friday, March 4 at 7.30pm. Everyone welcome.
BEING a human living in England, you may rightly think that we are at the top of the food chain and have little to fear from any natural predator. This is indeed mostly the case. There used to be a few wild animals in Britain that if desperation threw
WYRE Forest county councillors have demonstrated their views about the changes imposed on our schools by representatives from other parts of the county. Because of the heartfelt campaigns to save our threatened schools I wrote to the Local Education Authority
A MOTHER whose baby's death contributed to an independent inquiry into Wyre Forest Birth Centre has made a heartfelt plea for health campaigners to understand the agony she has suffered. As she marks the fourth anniversary of her son, Connor's, stillbirth
IT IS the "end of an era" said grandmother Jenny Kitching on the demise of the original Smartie tube. After nearly 70 years, the much-loved tube will be replaced with a six-sided cardboard package designed to catch the eye of modern youngsters. The plastic
COMPLACENCY certainly won't be tolerated at Sixways. Saturday's 15-9 win at the Stoop was justifiably lauded by the press over the weekend. The players certainly deserved the credit for such a hard-fought victory in a vital game. However, they know that
READERS of the Shuttle/Times & News are being offered another fantastic sports prize that will be raffled in aid of Operation Covert. Visitors to an April tournament of the world's best darts players - including world champion and number one player
THE action has started on two new-look football forums this week. Fans of Kidderminster Harriers and Stourport Swifts can now have their say on all the latest issues at Aggborough and Walshes Meadow on newly designed message boards as part of the Shuttle
I AM writing about the abuse of Jess the Rottweiler. I cannot believe anyone could be so cruel to any animal. This poor dog must have been so scared. I think you were right to show the picture of Jess, upsetting as it was. I think the law should be changed
A PERSHORE grandfather who paid for child porn from an American website was branded as having "a dirty mind" by a judge. John Huntley, the boss of an aerial erection firm, subscribed to Landslide Productions, whose owner was jailed for 1,335 years in
IN reply to Eve Freer (Letters, Thursday, February 17) the report that I received on the visit by Malcolm Wickes Minister for Pensions, to County Hall, was that he said very little, and promised even less. However, what he did not discuss was the continuing
FOR a group that was supposed to be wiped out at midnight on Thursday, February 17, there were an awful lot of us around on Saturday. I refer, of course, to the hunting ban which went off like a damp squib with thousands of people locally turning out
BROADWAY minister Ruth Mitchell is looking forward to fresh challenges and closer family ties in her new posting. Ruth, who has headed Broadway's United Reformed Church for the past 10 years, will leave the parish in May. The minister is set to take up
KILLER dogs are believed to be on the rampage around Evesham after sheep were found ripped to pieces. Motorists jammed police lines when they reported scores of sheep running amok on the A46 at the edge of town on Monday night. The sheep belonged to a
NATHAN Dixon has been getting acquainted with some of the residents of West Midland Safari Park, where he has been appointed head of grounds. The 25-year-old met up with the park's African hunting dog puppies as he got his bearings, having completed his
WYRE Forest's district council leader has pledged that a theatre/civic hall will be retained in Stourport - whether or not the existing building is bulldozed. Councillor Stephen Clee said the Conservative-run administration was committed to maintaining
A BOWLING club official has been told Oldington Sports Ground could be developed for engineering or industrial use any time between now and 2008. Owner, Brintons Carpets, has renewed the site's planning permission - first given in 1988 - and is paying
A QUARTER of sweets a day could have helped Bayton Common resident, Lily Clements, reach her 100th birthday tomorrow. The great-great-grandmother, who moved to the village with her daughter, Jacqueline Clarke and family three years ago, enjoyed her four
A DOCTOR who downloaded child porn and was then allowed to observe clinics at Kidderminster Hospital has again failed to get back on to the medical register. Dr John Rumbold will remain struck off for a further 12 months after a standards board ruled
THE focus will be on a campaign to improve the prices paid for goods made by producers in poorer countries during a coffee morning in Kidderminster. Baxter United Reformed Church, in the Bullring, will host the event, on March 12 between 10am and 12noon
WORKMEN will be engaged in refurbishing public toilets in Bewdley from today. The upgrade to the facilities, in Load Street car park, is expected to take up to a month. It involves replacing and repairing internal fittings and redecorating the buildings
A STOURPORT mother who was sacked after leaving her hotel receptionist's job for 75 minutes to attend to her sick daughter has been awarded £2,159 for unfair dismissal. The owners of the Swan Hotel at Stourport, who were criticised at a Birmingham employment
MUSIC lovers turned out in droves to support a jazz club after its promoter warned it was facing the axe in last week's Shuttle/Times & News. Alan Biggs said it was "brilliant" that 80 people attended Monday night's Aggborough Jazz concert by New
THE usual request for silence will not be observed in Kidderminster Library next month when it hosts a charity concert by a singer who recently took part in an American documentary watched by millions. King Rich is performing a concert in aid of the Asian
