Archive

  • Twelve seconds all it took to end man's life

    FROM the moment renowned hangman Albert Pierrepoint entered the cell, to the end of William Watkins' life, was just 12 seconds. The after-effect of the execution at Birmingham's Winson Green Prison lasted much longer. More than 50 years later, Watkins

  • Getting to the point of soldiering

    DRESSING up as a Royalist soldier for a day of living history is what one Malvern man will be doing tomorrow (Saturday). The historical re-enactment day in Worcester is will show people something of the lives of soldiers from the Middle Ages to the Second

  • Gallery exhibition is a first for Veronique

    Paintings of landscapes close to the heart of a Bosbury artist are on display at the Foal Yard Gallery in Bransford. Veronique Yapp is one of seven artists displaying work in the gallery's latest exhibition, See the Wood from the Trees. Veronique moved

  • Saint inspires musical mix

    MUSIC from three continents, two choirs and a soloist will all feature in a concert at Link Top next weekend. The After St David concert at Holy Trinity Church on March 5 - so called because it falls after St David's Day - includes performances from Malvern

  • Pair have fulfilled their high hopes

    MALVERN Concert Club has high hopes of another noteworthy concert on Thursday, March 3, when Alice Neary (cello) and Gretel Dowdeswell (piano) perform at the Forum. The duo first performed for the club back in 1999 as part of its Young Artists series,

  • Shedding light on Elgar

    AN Elgar Choral Day on Saturday, March 5, from 10.30am to 6pm at the Elgar Birthplace Museum, Lower Broadheath, would welcome all singers with some choral experience to study and sing Elgar's first oratorio The Light of Life. Dr Donald Hunt, conductor

  • Places to visit in and around Worcester

    Almonry Heritage Centre, Abbey Gate, Evesham. Local history. Contact for opening times (01386 446944). Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings, Stoke Heath, Bromsgrove. Restored buildings including working windmill, agricultural buildings, industrial buildings

  • Events in and around Worcester

    Feb 25 and every Friday: Country Western Partner Dancing at Whitbourne Village Hall all levels welcome including beginners, for further details please telephone Jeff and Thelma on 01886 821772. Feb 25: Worcestershire Industrial Archaeology and Local History

  • Exhibitions in and around Worcester

    Until Mar 12: Open Exhibition. Amateur or professional. To apply send sae to Artistree, Church Lane, Ledbury. The Barber's Baroque masterpiece, The Marriage Feast at Cana, by Bartolom Esteban Murillo has just gone back on the walls of the main gallery

  • All the loal gigs and where to find them

    Feb 25: The Haunted, Carling Academy 2, Birmingham; The X Factor, NEC Arena, Birmingham; Tsunami Appeal Concert feat Rainmaker, Cum Up & See Me, Velvet Wall, The Answer and the Sean Sheldon Band, Evolution, Lowesmoor, Worcester; Medford, Marrs Bar

  • Cinemas

    Malvern Cinema: Alexander (15) 7.45pm, Sat, Sun & Thurs 4pm. Weds only - Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter ... and Spring (15) 8.15pm in the Forum, Malvern Theatres. Odeon Worcester: Hide and Seek (15) 2.40, 4.50, 6.55, 9.00; Coach Carter (12A) 1.05,

  • One woman's view of love

    FAITH Brook stars in the one-woman play The Colour of Poppies at Tewkesbury's Roses Theatre. She plays a woman in love for the first time at the age of 75. The play can be seen at 8pm on Wednesday, March 2. Tickets are £10 (£9 concs). A variety showcase

  • Puppet version

    A PUPPET theatre version of Rumpelstiltskin is being staged at Hereford's Courtyard arts centre. The family show is at the venue's Studio at 2.30pm tomorrow (Saturday). Tickets are £5. Hereford Gilbert and Sullivan Society will perform The Pirates of

  • More to denim than jeans and jackets

    THE Costires de Nmes is one of those wine-growing areas in the south of France that few people can accurately place. It lies in the south of the Rhne Valley between Provence and the Languadoc and is perhaps better known to us for the strong cotton sailcloth

  • Still got religion

    ROCK and roll rule number one - don't turn your back on your past. Admittedly, in the case of American greats REM, while this doesn't mean performing the by-now embarrassing tune Shiny Happy People, it does mean that a score of their tunes generations

  • Blend it up and pour out of musical juicer

    PUT tunes from the likes of The Kinks, Super Furry Animals and Johnny Cash in a musical blender and what do you get? The answer is The Cuban Heels and audiences can find out for themselves what they make of the band when they hit Worcester's Marr's Bar

  • Blues, jazz and more

    IF BLUESY country jazzy roots music is your cup of tea then you would be well advised to head down to Worcester's Marr's Bar this Sunday. The Pierpoint Street venue plays host to 3 Man Jam! - an acoustic trio formed by Backdoor Blues Corporation's vocalist

  • Medford will cover it all...

    TUNES from the likes of Travis, Paul Weller, The Kinks, Reef and Britney Spears are set for an airing in Worcester tonight as lively cover band Medford play a city gig at Worcester's Marr's Bar. The band consist of Richard Webb, on vocals, Scott Baldwin

  • Car crash

    EMERGENCY services were called to a crash involving three cars in Worcester last night. The accident happened at 6.40pm on the Worcester to Tenbury road in Holt Heath. A man sustained head injuries but did not go to hospital.

  • Returned to sender

    TRADERS in Evesham have welcomed plans for the return of the town's post office to the High Street. Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff was told of the proposals in a letter from Simon Smith, retail line manager for the Post Office Ltd, who said that with

  • The man who'd bend over backwards to entertain us

    IF the person sitting on the right hand side of St Peter today has his left foot behind his right ear, then it must be Marcel Callow. Because the contortionist known as The Rubber Man, one of Worcester's most fascinating and best-known characters, has

  • Boots made for running!

    Richard's Hospice supporters who are gearing up to run more over 180 miles between them are hoping their efforts will raise over £15,000 for the Worcester-based charity. Two members of the hospice's staff, along with five plucky volunteers, have been

  • Leaving no stone unturned!

    A ROCK and Fossil Roadshow will be rolling into Worcestershire to bring geology to life. Herefordshire and Worcestershire's Earth Heritage Trust, based at University College Worcester, are delivering the natural world to the "doorstep". From expert analysis

  • Police name dead man

    POLICE have named a Worcester man found dead at a school in Stourport-on-Severn earlier this week. The body of security guard Thomas Crichton Campbell was discovered by a teacher in the changing rooms of the sports department of Stourport High School

  • Go-ahead for £1.3m new sports hall

    A NEW £1.3m sports centre to promote health and exercise in Malvern will be built thanks to a National Lottery grant. The sports hall, for Dyson Perrins CE High School, received the go-ahead after a Worcestershire County Council bid for £466,000 of National

  • Twelve seconds all it took to end man's life

    FROM the moment renowned hangman Albert Pierrepoint entered the cell, to the end of William Watkins' life, was just 12 seconds. The after-effect of the execution at Birmingham's Winson Green Prison lasted much longer. More than 50 years later, Watkins

  • Gallery exhibition is a first for Veronique

    Paintings of landscapes close to the heart of a Bosbury artist are on display at the Foal Yard Gallery in Bransford. Veronique Yapp is one of seven artists displaying work in the gallery's latest exhibition, See the Wood from the Trees. Veronique moved

  • Top Tory praises green centre

    A CLEAN, green Worcester was the theme of a visit to a Worcester environment centre by the shadow minister for environment and transport. Conservative MP Tim Yeo paid a visit to The Pump House Environment Centre in Lyttleton Street, Barbourne, with Worcester's

  • Minister's backing for Lea & Perrins

    LEA & Perrins Worcestershire sauce has been given a ringing endorsement by a senior Government minister. Leader of the House of Commons, Peter Hain, appealed for people to keep buying the "wonderful" Worcester-made sauce amid a "national health scare

  • Ann in city to talk of Batman

    A PACKED audience enjoyed an evening with author and politician Ann Widdecombe last night. At the event, in Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, the former shadow home secretary spoke of when she met Fathers 4 Justice members at the book signing for her novel

  • CCTV cameras fail to cut crime

    Nearly all CCTV systems fail to cut crime, a study claimed today - just as the council prepares to vote on whether to spend £123,000 on upgrading cameras in Worcester. The Home Office study, by researchers from the University of Leicester, has revealed

  • Fans to have say on the City ground

    WORCESTER City fans will be able to have their input into plans to level the St George's Lane ground next month. Public consultation will be held in March, when football club bosses will reveal the name of the housing developer they have signed an "exclusivity

  • Who will be top of the tots?

    THERE are only a few days to go before proud parents line up to have their babies photographed for the Evening News Baby of the Year 2005 competition. The eleventh competition will be launched on Monday and organisers hope to smash last year's target

  • Blessing for boat bid

    THE Bishop of Gloucester has become patron of an appeal by the Disabled Afloat Riverboats Trust to re-fit its boat. The Upton-based charity was set up in 1992 and provides holidays and educational trips for people with disabilities on its boat Gloucestershire

  • Park all set to reopen

    CROOME Park reopens for the new season on Friday, March 4. The National Trust site is in the final stage of a 10-year restoration project and visitors will now be able to take advantage of new pathways, view the restored Wyatt Urn and enjoy a new wild

  • Fair offers flood help

    A FLOOD fair takes place in Tewkesbury on Sunday (February 27). It will feature displays of flood protection products, ranging from flood doors to free-standing temporary defences. The event takes place at Tewkesbury School Sports Centre, in Ashchurch

  • High Street trio sell up

    THREE familiar Upton faces are set to retire and are selling their shops. Snip Harold and Pippa Sharp of PS Presents, Peter and Sylvia Dawson of The Flower Ring and Margaret Dovey of Gifted have all put the businesses up for sale.

  • Sale date switched

    A SALE due to take place at The Hill Centre in Upton has been rescheduled. The fundraising event, organised by Upton Youth Band, was to take place on Sunday (February 27), but will now take place on March 6, from 10am to 1pm.

  • 25/2/05 - Champions climb back to top spot

    LAST Sunday saw the reigning Soccer Site Malvern League division one champions Bishops Frome visit Bell Inn 98 knowing that a victory would see them regain top spot. Bell Inn 98 performed better than they have for several weeks and made a good contest

  • Hard act to follow

    UPTON Parish Church is still seeking a new organist and choirmaster after the departure of Paul Derrett in January. An organist is currently covering services but this is a temporary measure and a permanent replacement is needed by Easter. Anyone interested

  • Talk by BBC presenter

    A TALK by Nathan Turvey, of BBC Hereford and Worcester, takes place at Hanley Swan Village Hall tonight (Friday), at 7.30pm. An indoor sale takes place at the hall in Saturday, March 5, from 10am to noon.

  • An easy answer

    WHAT about the river? The local transport questionnaire asks about reducing congestion, getting people on their bike, better public transport but says not a word about the obvious link running north to south through Worcestershire, the River Severn. It

  • High price to pay

    Alec Wall (Your Letters, February 4) is mistaken when he suggests that Malvern Hills District Council should decriminalise parking so the council can penalise people who park in our towns. This policy would reduce the number of visitors to towns such

  • Encroachment not conservation

    I WRITE to voice the anger of many people who live on and around Castlemorton Common about the slaughter of oak trees. When I rang the Conservators to complain, I was told they were only thinning out trees that were close to one another, to give the other

  • School gets £3.8m boost

    Funding has been secured for a new science block at The Chase high school in Malvern. It will be built on the exist- ing Geraldine Road site, after Worcestershire County Council announced it would provide the £3.8 million needed. The new building, to

  • Money clearly not the issue!

    GREAT news in last week's Malvern Gazette that the speed camera at Leigh Sinton caught 200 drivers in its first fortnight in operation. With such a good result, I see Mr Trevor McAvoy, chairman of the Safety Camera Partnership, now wants to install a

  • Doesn't justify more cameras

    YOUR emotive headline regarding the Leigh Sinton speed camera needs to be put into perspective. Given the volume of traffic on the A4103, an average of 22 a day (now reduced to 12) would be less than half of one per cent. If that inappropriately named

  • Lottery grant for sports hall

    A sports hall will be built at Dyson Perrins CE High School in Malvern after a lottery bid was accepted. The hall will be used by pupils during the day and will be available for public use at evenings and weekends. Malvern Hills District Council has put

  • 25/2/05 - Junior Soccer Scene

    NEWTOWN hosted Mostyn for the second time in recent weeks giving the management team a headache with a fully-fit squad to pick from. NEWTOWN SPORTS U16s 4, MOSTYN U16s 2 Newtown were dominant for the first ten minutes but failed to convert chances. Mostyn

  • How about a local call centre?

    REGARDING the article on police seeking a better image (Ledbury Reporter, February 18), why don't we have a local call centre, we might get an instant response? As regards the statement by the mayor Mrs Roberts that the police get 10,000 calls a day,

  • Bridge traffic to be limited to one lane

    TRAFFIC over Colwall Railway Bridge will be reduced to a single lane in a bid to delay its deterioration. Following a structural survey, Herefordshire Council has decided to install traffic lights at either end of the bridge and put a metal barrier down

  • 1,200 cheer in support

    MORE than 1,200 people turned out to cheer on Croome and West Warwickshire Hunt at its first meet after the hunting ban. Crowds of supporters greeted 80 hunt members on Saturday at Croome Court. Joint master Pat Allen said the hunt acted within the law

  • Council risks being left without a home

    A decision on the future of Bromyard Town Council's offices must be made by the end of March. The council has to decide whether to renew the lease on the Rowberry Street building or to buy the town's Old Library and Magistrates' Courts from Herefordshire

  • Opinion

    WHILE it's clear South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust has been needled by the criticism it has taken over its conduct of the public consultation on a new Malvern hospital, what was also clear from this week's public meetings is that it has learnt from

  • Sixways pack worries Jones

    KINGSLEY Jones believes tonight's Sixways showdown (8pm) is Sale's "toughest of the season." The former Worcester skipper makes his first return since his exit almost three years ago and freely admits -- he's not looking forward to it. Jones, who played

  • Pub flats bid still in limbo

    A FORMER pub in Malvern Link remains empty and boarded up, despite planning permission being granted for redevelopment more than a year ago. The Portobello, on Albert Park Road, has been sealed up with metal sheeting across its doors and windows since

  • Troubled Droitwich targeting an upset

    DROITWICH Rugby Club will be bidding to put a spanner in Hereford's works when the two clash at The Glyn Mitchell Memorial Ground. The two clubs are enduring very different fortunes in Midlands Three West (South) with the Wyesiders on a great run while

  • Bulls are pitched into test at Town

    GRAHAM Turner is adamant his Hereford United players won't get stuck in the mud when they lock horns at lowly Eastwood Town in the FA Trophy fifth round tomorrow. The Bulls chief believes the biggest hurdle to United's chances of progressing to the competition's

  • Stay positive says Watkiss

    STUART Watkiss will urge his beleaguered Kidderminster Harriers players to get out of their latest bad habit -- throwing away leads. Harriers can ill afford many more slip-ups in their Coca-Cola League Two relegation fight, especially if Rushden and Diamonds

  • Changing lives at home and abroad

    AS the Rotary Club celebrates its centenary, clubs in Ledbury and Colwall are looking back at their achievements. With fundraising for charity and work in the community and overseas, each club has a lot to be proud of. The Rotary Club of Ledbury is 50

  • Mullen taking on clinical Clevedon

    JIMMY Mullen is wary of the formidable goalscoring threat facing Bromsgrove Rovers in tomorrow's top-of-the-table meeting at Clevedon Town (3pm). Promotion-chasing Rovers can close the gap on second-placed Clevedon to two points at the top of Southern

  • Harkaway try again

    THE Harkaway Club make a second attempt to hold their point-to-point fixture tomorrow at Chaddesley Corbett following the postponement two weeks ago. An 11.30am start is planned for the ten-race card where the highlight could be the Men's Open race which

  • 25/2/05 - Malvern chess team back in stride

    MALVERN Chess Club's form had dipped in recent matches, with a draw against Droitwich in Division One of the Worcester and District League and a disappointing exit from the cup at the hands of Kidderminster Rooks. They got back into their stride with

  • 25/2/05 - Fixtures ...

    SATURDAY FOOTBALL TRAVEL FACTORY MIDLAND FOOTBALL ALLIANCE Rushall Olympic v Malvern Town (3.00). WEST MIDLANDS LEAGUE Premier Division: Ledbury Town v Wolverhampton Casuals (2.45); Tividale v Bromyard Town (2.45). Division One: Malvern Town Reserves

  • 25/2/05 - Teams

    MALVERN RFC Saturday, February 26 1st XV v Kenilworth (Home). Meet Railway 1pm, kick off 2.15pm. No 1 dress code, maroon shorts. M Richardson, A Wenden, S Lancett, A Ruddock, C Smith, N Smith, A Thomas, N Richardson, J Davis, D King, T Green, N Major,

  • Shedding light on Elgar

    AN Elgar Choral Day on Saturday, March 5, from 10.30am to 6pm at the Elgar Birthplace Museum, Lower Broadheath, would welcome all singers with some choral experience to study and sing Elgar's first oratorio The Light of Life. Dr Donald Hunt, conductor

  • A week of music and dance

    MULTI-instrumentalist Phil Beer will be bringing his band to Worcester's Huntingdon Hall on Friday, March 4. Phil made his name as one half of Show of Hands and has worked with the likes of Mike Oldfield, the Rolling Stones and Steve Harley. His Phil

  • A disturbing true story

    A "DISTURBING" film based on the real-life story of young Irish women who were abused by nuns up until less than a decade ago is to be screened in Worcester. The Magdalene Sisters will be shown at the Swan Theatre, on Monday, February 28, at 7.30pm, in

  • 25/2/05 - Crucial game at Spring Lane

    MALVERN Rugby Club kept pressure on the two leading Midlands Two West teams with the best league victory of the day at basement-club Nuneaton Old Boys on Saturday. Although leaders Burton and Hinckley both also won, Malvern have now scored the most points

  • Places to visit in and around Worcester

    Almonry Heritage Centre, Abbey Gate, Evesham. Local history. Contact for opening times (01386 446944). Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings, Stoke Heath, Bromsgrove. Restored buildings including working windmill, agricultural buildings, industrial buildings

  • 25/2/05 - Poor display is punished

    MALVERN Town played hosts to seventh-from-the-bottom Boldmere St Michaels on Saturday at Langland Stadium and came off second best after a dismal performance. MALVERN TOWN 1, BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS 3 Manager Neil Hunt introduced new signing Ian Stevenson

  • 25/2/05 - Malvern cruise to easy win

    ON a tacky pitch, against the league's winless bottom club, Malvern never really got out of third gear for most of the game, yet still coasted to another two crucial points. NUNEATON OLD BOYS 8PTS, MALVERN 37 PTS The hapless Nuneaton pack felt the full

  • What's on at your local theatre

    Feb 25: West End Stars, in concert at Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham. Box office: 0870 607 7544. Until Feb 26: The Who's Tommy at Birmingham Hippodrome. Ticket sales: 0870 730 1234. Until Feb 26: Veronica's Room at The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster. Box

  • I'm proud to stand

    I AM delighted to have been selected to represent the Liberal Democrats in the forthcoming General Election. Since being chosen, I have been overwhelmed at the amount of support I already have. I am the first to hold my hands up and say that I am new

  • Thirty years of ruining children

    THE old Christian view of this country was that children are born sinful and are morally accountable for their actions. Then, around 30 years ago, we sold out to the trendy liberals who thought that children are born naturally good, but not morally accountable

  • 25/2/05 - Championships on this Sunday

    THE Malvern Table Tennis League championships take place on Sunday (February 27) at the Forum, Malvern Theatres. More than 60 players will be chasing the main and divisional singles and doubles titles. Play gets underway at 9am and will continue throughout

  • 25/2/05 - Russian trip for Lords

    MALVERN-based Lords frisbee team took part in their first European tournament earlier this month. Nine players flew out to spend a week in Russia and take part in Lord Novgorod, a three-day tournament held by the State University Novgorod in Russia. There

  • Rumpus leads to royal duo

    MALVERN would have two carnival queens, the Gazette reported 50 years ago. There was an outcry because a girl from Hereford had been appointed as Malvern's Carnival Queen. The RRE School of Electronics, which was arranging the carnival to raise money

  • 25/2/05 - Pirates double at Finstall

    THE Malvern U16 Pirates maintained their winning run on a bitterly cold morning against a Bromsgrove side, who were desperate make good the reversal they suffered at the hands of the Spring Lane side earlier in the season. BROMSGROVE U16S 15pts, MALVERN

  • What's on

    Theatre February 25-Soul presented by the Alma Flamenco Dance Company at the Forum, Malvern Theatres. 7.30pm.£12-£16. Box Office (01684) 892277. Until 26-Drowning on Dry Land by Alan Ayckbourn at the Festival Theatre, Malvern Theatres. 2.30pm & 8pm

  • Law firm cares for sufferers

    LEGAL eagles from solicitors firm Harrison Clark have selected Leukaemia CARE as their chosen charity for 2005. The firm, which has offices in Worcester and Birmingham, has decided to support one charity for the whole year rather than a number of difference

  • Workers at bank dig into their pay packets

    STAFF at the Worcester branches of NatWest and the Royal Bank of Scotland have decided to support local and national charities by donating directly from their pay packet. NatWest is also helping out by "double matching" any contribution its staff make

  • Wheel firm drives up sales

    A firm that makes wheels for earthmovers and tractors has revealed that sales rose by 20 per cent last year. Titan Europe, which is based in Cookley, near Wolverley, also recorded a 77 per cent increase in operating profit last year as the company announced

  • Still got religion

    ROCK and roll rule number one - don't turn your back on your past. Admittedly, in the case of American greats REM, while this doesn't mean performing the by-now embarrassing tune Shiny Happy People, it does mean that a score of their tunes generations

  • Blues, jazz and more

    IF BLUESY country jazzy roots music is your cup of tea then you would be well advised to head down to Worcester's Marr's Bar this Sunday. The Pierpoint Street venue plays host to 3 Man Jam! - an acoustic trio formed by Backdoor Blues Corporation's vocalist

  • Medford will cover it all...

    TUNES from the likes of Travis, Paul Weller, The Kinks, Reef and Britney Spears are set for an airing in Worcester tonight as lively cover band Medford play a city gig at Worcester's Marr's Bar. The band consist of Richard Webb, on vocals, Scott Baldwin

  • It's eat, drink and be Mary

    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 known as Davina said it was estimated that 50 per cent of the population, both men and women,

  • Spa jobs set to be transferred

    JOBS at Droitwich's Customs and Excise office will be transferred elsewhere, it has been confirmed. More than 100 workers will be affected by the move, which has come about following the sale of the Worcester Road site by the Ministry of Defence. Staff

  • Shoot wild side of city

    CASH prizes are on offer for amateur photographers who capture Worcester's wildlife on film. The Wild in Worcester competition entries will be judged at a Family Fun Day to be held in Tolladine Woods in April. Worcester City Council ranger Richard Clarke

  • 25/2/05 - Upton first XV show new resolve

    ANOTHER large band of loyal Upton supporters were treated to a feast of 'end to end' rugby on a day when the wind blew strongly across the field of play but with a bright sun trying to warm things up. UPTON 31pts, WOODRUSH 6pts Upton had designated this

  • 25/2/05 - Upton Seconds in season's top performance

    FOLLOWING encouraging signs of improvement over the last month, this was the best performance by the Upton second XV this season. UPTON II 43PTS, WOODRUSH II 29PTS Where in previous weeks either the backs or forwards have performed well, this week both

  • Stand up and walk out... just for once

    IT'S 8pm, you rub your neck in a useless attempt to unwind the growing tension knot and your eye twitches as you stare at the computer, trying to desperately finish that dreaded report so you can get home in time to kiss the kids goodnight. You've been

  • Stars dance two classics

    The magic of the Russian State Ballet of Siberia comes to Malvern with two productions at the Malvern Theatres. Siberia's leading ballet company and orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky's ballet, Swan Lake, from Monday to Wednesday, March 7 to 9. This will

  • Getting to the point of soldiering

    DRESSING up as a Royalist soldier for a day of living history is what one Malvern man will be doing tomorrow (Saturday). The historical re-enactment day in Worcester is will show people something of the lives of soldiers from the Middle Ages to the Second

  • Life is sweet for Tilly

    AFTER a lifetime of being fed through a tube, it turns out eight-year-old Tilly Merrell has absolutely nothing wrong with her. The discovery by American doctors that Tilly's "isolated bulbar palsy" was nothing more than swollen tonsils has, quite rightly

  • 25/2/05 - No England call for me: Horsman

    CHRIS Horsman has rejected the suggestion he's turned his back on England. Worcester Rugby Club's tight-head prop, who has enjoyed an impressive debut season at Sixways, looks set to become a Welsh international later this year. The English-born forward

  • 25/2/05 - Preece claims City can improve

    ANDY Preece believes improvements can still be made to Worcester City's defence despite his side not conceding a goal in three games. Following Ryan Mallon's late winner for Gainsborough at St George's Lane on February 7, revitalised City have been on

  • TILLY: THE DOCS GOT IT WRONG

    AN EIGHT-year-old girl has eaten her first meal in seven-and-a-half years after US doctors solved a medical mystery. Tilly Merrell, from Borrowdale Drive, Warndon, Worcester, tucked into a burger with bacon, egg, cheese and ham followed by ice cream yesterday

  • New look for the city on a plate

    LUXURY waterfront homes, pleasant tree-lined boulevards, a hotel, restaurants and pubs within a public square... these are the plans for the regeneration of a historic area of Worcester which have gone on public display. The Berkeley Group plc wants to

  • Why I have got a miracle mummy

    CHILDREN of all ages have shown pride in their mums in our Evening News Mother's Day competition. On Monday, we offered readers the opportunity to have a very special hand-tied spring posy delivered to five of Worcester's finest mums. Four-year-old Thomas

  • Horror of dying junkie

    A MANAGER at McDonald's has told of her horror at discovering a dying drug-user in the toilets of her restaurant in Gloucester. Jeremy Furber, aged 32, of Forge Bank, Bosbury, Ledbury, Herefordshire, died on Friday, November 19 at Gloucestershire Royal

  • Drowning on Dry Land n Review: Malvern Theatres

    A STAR famous for being a failure has his life shattered when he's caught in a compromising position with a woman dressed as a clown. Alan Ayckbourn's imagination runs wild in his new comedy Drowning on Dry Land, a wry look at the world of celebrity.

  • Safety tests label 150 graves unsafe

    THE relatives of more than 150 people buried at Upton Cemetery are being asked to pay for repairs to gravestones. This follows tests carried out over the past few months which concluded they were unsafe. The town council is hoping to trace relatives to

  • Charity queen hangs up her crown

    AN Upton pensioner who has been organising charity fairs for more than 20 years is to call it a day after one last event. Daisy Souzer, of Gardens Walk, has raised thousands of pounds for charities including Acorns, St Richards Hospice and Worcestershire

  • Fundraising branch comes of age

    The Upton branch of the Arthritis Research Campaign celebrated 21 years of fundraising with a coffee morning last Saturday. Mayor Mark Kerrigan presented 11 people with certificates for 21 years' membership and seven with 10-year certificates. Branch

  • Award for brave Sophie

    UPTON'S Sophie Thornton, who hit the headlines last week after saving her brother's life, has been given an award by her school. The five-year-old pupil at Upton CE Primary was presented with the Head Teacher's Award at an assembly on Monday. Sophie,

  • RNLI event

    A FUNDRAISING social evening will be held by Upton RNLI at the Memorial Hall on Friday, March 4, at 7.30pm. A crew member from the Penarth Lifeboat Station will give a talk, followed by a fish and chip supper. There will also be a bar, raffle and RNLI

  • Women unite

    A WOMEN'S World Day of Prayer service takes place at Upton Parish Church on Friday, March 4, at 2pm. The speaker will be Veronica Sprason of Upton Primary School Choir.

  • Dance date

    A LITTLE Party People Disco takes place at the Hill Centre tonight (Friday), from 7pm to 9pm. Entry is £2. Call 01684 594461.

  • 25/2/05 - First time goalless all season

    MALVERN Rangers travelled to sixth-placed Shenstone Pathfinder on Saturday and on probably the worst pitch encountered for a very long time gave their worst performance for some time. SHENSTONE PATHFINDER 2, MALVERN RANGERS 0 They also failed to score

  • Bishop makes it official

    THE Bishop of Dudley will visit Upton Parish Church on Sunday, at 9.30am, to license the local ministry team. Members have been training for more than two years, meeting fortnightly to study and worship together.

  • 25/2/05 - West Malvern lose out in semi-final

    WEST Malvern travelled to Martley on Saturday to play a semi-final of the Martley Cup. MARTLEY SPURS 5, WEST MALVERN 0 On a cold and blustery day West Malvern failed to lift their game for the occasion. They made a sloppy start and were a goal down inside

  • They don't wallpaper barns!

    The building on Rose Farm (Your Letters, February 18) was a house not a barn. The barn had big double doors, so horses and wagons loaded with hay and corn could go inside. It also never had windows in it. The photograph (right) was taken in 1910; note

  • Let us speak for ourselves

    I AM writing with regard to last week's article about the Runnings Park development. I have lived in West Malvern for 32 years and do not object to the current plans for a 15-home development on the Runnings Park site. I do, however object to Dierdre

  • Deplorable? Not us

    WHICH aspect of dentistry is actually "deplorable"? Deplorable the Malvern Gazette (February 11) failed to convey that as a family dental practice we were encouraging new families to join our practice. Deplorable that there was no £39.45 consultation

  • It is our right

    THE people of Malvern want a new hospital at Seaford Court. Malvern Town Council, Malvern Hills District Council and MP Sir Michael Spicer all want it as well. We are entitled to have the same level of health provision that other local towns receive.

  • Only on the net

    I absolutely agree with Mr Bill Layland (Your Letters, February 11) about using Seaford Court for the new hospital. Seaford Court is a beautiful period house and a part of Malvern heritage. Malvern is known for its Victorian period buildings, why was

  • Many not happy

    ON reading Michael Townson's letter under the heading 'Cultural Change' (Your Letters, February 11), I was reminded of an article I read in View from the Hills, a Malvern Hills District Council publication, informing us of the results of a local survey

  • New hospital could be open in 2008

    MALVERN should get a new hospital by 2008 if all goes to plan, primary care trust chief executive Mike Ridley said this week. The promise was made to audiences at two public meetings in the Forum, on Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon. Up to 800 people

  • Minor injuries unit a must, public tells PCT

    Health executives fielded dozens of questions from Malvern people at this week's public meetings to discuss plans for a new Malvern hospital. The threat of snowfalls did not deter hundreds from turning up at the Forum on Monday and Tuesday to make their

  • Single site bid for services

    PLANS are being made to extend the mental health facilities at Osborne Court in Malvern Link. A proposed two-storey extension to Rowan House would provide facilities and a day hospital for adults with mental health problems. This would bring together

  • Stock job kept 'in-house'

    A SHEPHERD is no longer employed to look after sheep and other livestock on the Malvern Hills. The Malvern Hills Conservators decided not to renew shepherd Barry Evans' six-month contract when it expired in November. Instead, field warden Matt Rouse is

  • Give schools back power to improve behaviour

    With reference to last week's front page article, teaching in today's much more hostile climate makes many people 'sick', however, many potential teachers see the warning signs, and head off into other employment. Throughout some 40 years of teaching,

  • Fine is a tax on stupidity

    ONE cannot reasonably object to the speed camera in Leigh Sinton, its installation has, after all, shortened the journey time along the A4103. For the last two years there has been a speed camera sign at the start of the Leigh Sinton 30mph limit - but

  • Funds offered for warden

    MALVERN Hills District Council could get together with police to provide a traffic warden for the town. The idea was announced at Tuesday's executive committee meeting by council leader Tom Wells. "I've been getting a lot of complaints about the parking

  • Job to enforce the law

    AS a hunt monitor for the past 10 years, I have witnessed the cruelty involved in hunting foxes with packs of dogs. However, what shocks me now is the police attitude as voiced on newscasts leading up to the ban. Quite unashamedly they have stated that

  • Bills left unpaid in shop closure shock

    The sudden closure of a Malvern Link dress agency has left a number of people out of pocket. Over to You, in Richmond Road, shared the profits from the sale of second-hand clothes with their owners. Customers and donors were shocked to find that the shop

  • Parents told flats plan is no threat to nursery

    A nursery owner who has submitted a plan to develop the site for housing has assured parents she has no immediate plans to close. Hilary Murray wants to build eight apartments at Grassendale House Nursery School, in Victoria Road, Malvern. This would

  • Staff stand to lose pensions

    WORKERS at a long-established Malvern company have been warned they are likely to lose their pensions. A letter by financial advisers LEBC Group has been sent to all members of the LGG Charlesworth final salary pension scheme. It says the scheme, which

  • Jet and air ambulance in near miss

    AN investigation has been launched into a near collision between an RAF Harrier jet and a County Air Ambulance helicopter. The incident happened on Wednesday, February 9, above the air ambulance's Strensham heliport. West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael

  • Hidden screen goes on show

    VOLUNTEERS at Malvern Museum have uncovered a hidden part of the building's past. While refurbishing the ground floor of the museum, they removed layers of plasterboard above the inner entrance and found a large Victorian leaded glass screen. Brian Iles

  • Hunt rides out as hounds head home

    LEDBURY Hunt was out and chasing a fox last Saturday. But before anyone dials 999, it should be pointed out that no hounds were involved. The meet at Hurst Farm, Welland, was very much a public relations exercise with supporters and the media in mind.

  • Exploding meteor lights up the sky

    TWO physicists were among those who saw a suspected meteor explode in the sky above Malvern. Husband-and-wife Howard Wright and Maria Pavlidou, of Bosbury Road, witnessed the phenomenon at about 9.55am on Sunday. Mr Wright said it was a "small brightly

  • Miracle of co-operation

    Miracles do happen according to the manager of the Lyttelton Well in Malvern. Despite a major complication, a new kitchen has been completed at the venue in two weeks. A number of local firms and scores of volunteers worked around the clock to create

  • Preece claims City can improve

    ANDY Preece believes improvements can still be made to Worcester City's defence despite his side not conceding a goal in three games. Following Ryan Mallon's late winner for Gainsborough at St George's Lane on February 7, revitalised City have been on

  • Gift of dovecote too costly a burden

    An historic dovecote in Leigh faces an uncertain future after it was offered to the Malvern Hills Conservators. The Conservators have declined to accept responsibility for the 18th Century listed structure and have have written to the executors of the

  • Rethink call on laptop bid

    A PLAN to provide all Malvern Hills district councillors with laptop computers has been put on hold. Officers will be told to take another look at the scheme and find out what other local authorities are doing. Under the council's e-government strategy

  • Centre puts world at your fingertips

    A NEW computer centre for people in the Pickersleigh area of Malvern was opened on Saturday. The room at the Pickersleigh Centre, Baxter's Walk, has five computers with internet access, which can be booked for special sessions. Centre manager Jennette

  • Busst sets a 10-win promotion target

    TEN victories will rubber-stamp Evesham United's passport out of Southern League Division One West, according to manager Dave Busst. The Robins have 12 games left this season, starting with tomorrow's clash at Thame United (3pm), and a formidable winning

  • 25/2/05 - Player short but the side earns draw

    ABBEYDOWNE were a player short when they played X-Police in division three of the Malvern League but Roy Holland won three sets and Bill Lucas two to earn them two points for the draw. Steve Mulka won one and paired with Ralph Cook to win the doubles.

  • 25/2/05 - Fine boost for county squad

    AHEAD of the main county championship events this coming month the Ledbury & District county squad were given a great confidence boost by superb performances from four of their top swimmers. In the long distance events held at Hereford over the past

  • 25/2/05 - Sixways pack worries Jones

    KINGSLEY Jones believes tonight's Sixways showdown (8pm) is Sale's "toughest of the season." The former Worcester skipper makes his first return since his exit almost three years ago and freely admits -- he's not looking forward to it. Jones, who played

  • Sorry, but it's no way, Jose!

    Did you see the sporting headline of the week? WORCESTERSHIRE DENY LINK WITH MOURINHO. Now, I suspect you didn't see it because nobody reported it, but it happened and I was there. At the County Cricket Club AGM on Monday the chairman John Elliott stated

  • 25/2/05 - Stay positive says Watkiss

    STUART Watkiss will urge his beleaguered Kidderminster Harriers players to get out of their latest bad habit -- throwing away leads. Harriers can ill afford many more slip-ups in their Coca-Cola League Two relegation fight, especially if Rushden and Diamonds

  • Piano tribute to Beethoven

    Malvern will host two classical concerts as part of a massive international music event. The performance of Beethoven's complete piano sonatas will involve a series of concerts at venues throughout the UK, Europe and North America over the next two years

  • Saint inspires musical mix

    MUSIC from three continents, two choirs and a soloist will all feature in a concert at Link Top next weekend. The After St David concert at Holy Trinity Church on March 5 - so called because it falls after St David's Day - includes performances from Malvern

  • Pair have fulfilled their high hopes

    MALVERN Concert Club has high hopes of another noteworthy concert on Thursday, March 3, when Alice Neary (cello) and Gretel Dowdeswell (piano) perform at the Forum. The duo first performed for the club back in 1999 as part of its Young Artists series,

  • Trio are proud to be Back to Back

    COMEDY and music legends Don Maclean, Malcolm Stent and Dave Sealey are bursting to the brim with excitement as they take a break from rehearsing to tell the Evening News why they can't wait to perform in Worcestershire. For Sealey, of Redditch, and Maclean

  • Events in and around Worcester

    Feb 25 and every Friday: Country Western Partner Dancing at Whitbourne Village Hall all levels welcome including beginners, for further details please telephone Jeff and Thelma on 01886 821772. Feb 25: Worcestershire Industrial Archaeology and Local History

  • Exhibitions in and around Worcester

    Until Mar 12: Open Exhibition. Amateur or professional. To apply send sae to Artistree, Church Lane, Ledbury. The Barber's Baroque masterpiece, The Marriage Feast at Cana, by Bartolom Esteban Murillo has just gone back on the walls of the main gallery

  • 25/2/05 - Anna regains world title

    HANLEY Swan athlete Anna Bailey, aged 53, regained her title at the World Indoor Rowing Championships held in Boston, USA. The gold medallist could not reproduce her standing world record time of 7.06.6 or break the championship record of 7.14.07, but

  • All the loal gigs and where to find them

    Feb 25: The Haunted, Carling Academy 2, Birmingham; The X Factor, NEC Arena, Birmingham; Tsunami Appeal Concert feat Rainmaker, Cum Up & See Me, Velvet Wall, The Answer and the Sean Sheldon Band, Evolution, Lowesmoor, Worcester; Medford, Marrs Bar

  • Classy and easy listening music

    Feb 25: Charity fund-raising event for Alzheimer's Society dementia care and research. Ceilidh with the Organ Grinders and Alan Ferguson at The Coppertops, Oldbury Road, Worcester. For further details telephone Lin Tinton on 01905 722241. Mar 11: English

  • Why it's now impossible to have a realistic debate

    THE differing views of Worcester Mayor Allah Ditta and racial equality chief Mohammed Aslam reminds us that race and culture do not change the fact that however similar our background, we can disagree strongly, and yet respect each other as people. There

  • Water reputation was under threat

    MALVERN is known across the world for its pure spring water, but it was the town's supply of domestic water that was making headlines 100 years ago. It seems that the water supply was less than reliable, as a report of a meeting held in the town shows

  • Echoes from the Past

    100 years ago In a London contemporary last week, Malvern appeared amongst the towns mentioned on a map of England above which was the title "Where you may live to be 100". The map, compiled from figures of the Royal Geographical Society, shows a number

  • Cinemas

    Malvern Cinema: Alexander (15) 7.45pm, Sat, Sun & Thurs 4pm. Weds only - Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter ... and Spring (15) 8.15pm in the Forum, Malvern Theatres. Odeon Worcester: Hide and Seek (15) 2.40, 4.50, 6.55, 9.00; Coach Carter (12A) 1.05,

  • One woman's view of love

    FAITH Brook stars in the one-woman play The Colour of Poppies at Tewkesbury's Roses Theatre. She plays a woman in love for the first time at the age of 75. The play can be seen at 8pm on Wednesday, March 2. Tickets are £10 (£9 concs). A variety showcase

  • Puppet version

    A PUPPET theatre version of Rumpelstiltskin is being staged at Hereford's Courtyard arts centre. The family show is at the venue's Studio at 2.30pm tomorrow (Saturday). Tickets are £5. Hereford Gilbert and Sullivan Society will perform The Pirates of

  • 25/2/05 - Fleming seals victory

    ANOTHER battling performance from Malvern's seconds saw the Spring Lane side notch up a fine win against higher-ranked opposition on a breezy afternoon last Saturday. MALVERN II 23pts, CINDERFORD II 22pts The boys from the forest arrived at Malvern with

  • 25/2/05 - Town visit leaders

    MALVERN Town's midweek Midland Alliance fixture at Coalville Town was postponed due to the weather conditions. Town will need to be at their best tomorrow (Saturday) when they visit runaway league leaders Rushall Olympic (3pm). Rushall, the league's team

  • More to denim than jeans and jackets

    THE Costires de Nmes is one of those wine-growing areas in the south of France that few people can accurately place. It lies in the south of the Rhne Valley between Provence and the Languadoc and is perhaps better known to us for the strong cotton sailcloth

  • Now you can have your own Carole Caplin...

    CHERIE Blair famously had one, and a whole host of other celebrities are hiring them - now the people of Worcester can also take advantage of a lifestyle coach. Lifeskills, a new firm in Blackpole Road, Worcester, is offering people who want to make the

  • Show of hands for these lads

    THE two halves of one of England's most successful acoustic roots duos will be showing their individual talents at two Worcester gigs next month. Show of Hands is made up of singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer, and they

  • Blend it up and pour out of musical juicer

    PUT tunes from the likes of The Kinks, Super Furry Animals and Johnny Cash in a musical blender and what do you get? The answer is The Cuban Heels and audiences can find out for themselves what they make of the band when they hit Worcester's Marr's Bar

  • World of wit live on stage

    AUDIENCES can expect a barrel of laughs with an international flavour as comedians from all corners of the world descend on Worcester for a regular comedy night in the city. The Marr's Bar's Comedy Zone is held on the first Thursday and this month sees

  • Number one for the little lady with big voice

    AT A MERE 4ft 10ins, talented singer Hollie Bourne is living proof appearances can be deceptive. The Worcester-born musician - dubbed the "little lady with the big voice" - began singing as a child and is now living the high life touring the cabaret circuit

  • 25/2/05 - High-flyers prove too strong

    TOWN Reserves visited high-flying Bewdley Town on Saturday and met a side very much on top of their game. BEWDLEY TOWN 4, MALVERN TOWN RESERVES 0 Bewdley attacked from the first whistle and had Town chasing shadows for the first 15 minutes. Bewdley won

  • Stars dance two classics

    The magic of the Russian State Ballet of Siberia comes to Malvern with two productions at the Malvern Theatres. Siberia's leading ballet company and orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky's ballet, Swan Lake, from Monday to Wednesday, March 7 to 9. This will

  • Drowning on Dry Land n Review: Malvern Theatres

    A STAR famous for being a failure has his life shattered when he's caught in a compromising position with a woman dressed as a clown. Alan Ayckbourn's imagination runs wild in his new comedy Drowning on Dry Land, a wry look at the world of celebrity.

  • Piano tribute to Beethoven

    Malvern will host two classical concerts as part of a massive international music event. The performance of Beethoven's complete piano sonatas will involve a series of concerts at venues throughout the UK, Europe and North America over the next two years

  • A week of music and dance

    MULTI-instrumentalist Phil Beer will be bringing his band to Worcester's Huntingdon Hall on Friday, March 4. Phil made his name as one half of Show of Hands and has worked with the likes of Mike Oldfield, the Rolling Stones and Steve Harley. His Phil

  • A disturbing true story

    A "DISTURBING" film based on the real-life story of young Irish women who were abused by nuns up until less than a decade ago is to be screened in Worcester. The Magdalene Sisters will be shown at the Swan Theatre, on Monday, February 28, at 7.30pm, in

  • Trio are proud to be Back to Back

    COMEDY and music legends Don Maclean, Malcolm Stent and Dave Sealey are bursting to the brim with excitement as they take a break from rehearsing to tell the Evening News why they can't wait to perform in Worcestershire. For Sealey, of Redditch, and Maclean

  • Classy and easy listening music

    Feb 25: Charity fund-raising event for Alzheimer's Society dementia care and research. Ceilidh with the Organ Grinders and Alan Ferguson at The Coppertops, Oldbury Road, Worcester. For further details telephone Lin Tinton on 01905 722241. Mar 11: English

  • What's on at your local theatre

    Feb 25: West End Stars, in concert at Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham. Box office: 0870 607 7544. Until Feb 26: The Who's Tommy at Birmingham Hippodrome. Ticket sales: 0870 730 1234. Until Feb 26: Veronica's Room at The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster. Box

  • What's on

    Theatre February 25-Soul presented by the Alma Flamenco Dance Company at the Forum, Malvern Theatres. 7.30pm.£12-£16. Box Office (01684) 892277. Until 26-Drowning on Dry Land by Alan Ayckbourn at the Festival Theatre, Malvern Theatres. 2.30pm & 8pm

  • Show of hands for these lads

    THE two halves of one of England's most successful acoustic roots duos will be showing their individual talents at two Worcester gigs next month. Show of Hands is made up of singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer, and they

  • World of wit live on stage

    AUDIENCES can expect a barrel of laughs with an international flavour as comedians from all corners of the world descend on Worcester for a regular comedy night in the city. The Marr's Bar's Comedy Zone is held on the first Thursday and this month sees

  • Number one for the little lady with big voice

    AT A MERE 4ft 10ins, talented singer Hollie Bourne is living proof appearances can be deceptive. The Worcester-born musician - dubbed the "little lady with the big voice" - began singing as a child and is now living the high life touring the cabaret circuit