RAMBLERS in Worcestershire can now roam over areas of the county where access was previously restricted. Worcestershire is one of the last areas in Britain where the new Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 is to apply - allowing the public to wander
EXCITING plans for a million-pound centre where the people of a Worcester suburb can play sports and meet are moving closer to reality. Members of the St Peter's Village Hall Association have joined forces with architects to draw up plans for the land
TUCKED away in a corner of St John's, the curtain fell on a unique Worcester venue at the weekend. Positioned just behind the Worcester News building, the Westside club's success over the past 19 years was certainly not because of the views it commanded
A TALENTED young musician joined Rotarians and Inner Wheelers in Worcester on Saturday to collect cash for St Richard's Hospice. Thirteen-year-old Sam Pagett, who is a regular performer around Worcestershire, offered his services to support Worcester
COURAGE over caution. Adventure over restraint. Youth over experience. Andy Preece deserved praise for masterminding the stunning FA Cup downfall of Accrington Stanley with a depleted squad at his disposal. And Worcester City's boss warrants even more
YEARS ago, groups of youths congregating on street corners would invariably be told to move on by the police. It was a foolish lad who questioned the wisdom of the diligent constable or barrel-chested sergeant when ordered to "hop it, sonny." Sadly for
STEVE Rhodes is backing Vikram Solanki to emerge as a "great" Worcestershire captain. Solanki endured a testing first summer as skipper, overseeing the County's totesport League relegation and failure to clinch promotion in the Frizzell Championship.
GRAHAM Turner believes Hereford United can be a force to be reckoned with when a string of players return to the fold. The Bulls have limped to ninth in the Nationwide Conference table but are still in touch with the leading pack, despite a number of
THE Worcester League was largely confined to a full Sunday programme with some surprising performances. The two matches played in the Saturday Premier Division resulted in wins for Lamb & Flag and Martley Spurs. There were hat-tricks for Paul Cole
MALVERN'S winless start to the Midlands Two (West) season continued with a 14-11 defeat at home to Stafford. Skipper Matt Richardson had to move to the unfamiliar position of hooker and line-out specialist Chris Smith was again missing from the second
A FINE first-half performance saw Droitwich record an excellent 27-21 victory over Midlands Four West (South) table-topping Edwardians. Droitwich were helped by a strong wind in the first period and immediately established forward supremacy. A line-out
THE 'comfort zone': a place where we are all told not to fall, but the place where, inevitably, many of us end up. Apparently schools have this problem too. One in four is mediocre and far too many are coasting, according to the Office for Standards in
PUZZLED Stuart Watkiss is unsure whether to expect Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde for Kidderminster Harriers' next match. Harriers' players have been frustrating their manager with a string of in-consistent displays that have left them 11th in the Nationwide Conference
SIR - A friend bought me a microwave bed. I get eight hours sleep in 10 minutes. GEORGE COWLEY, Warndon, Worcester.
SIR - 'Wheelie bins for all' seems to be the slogan for Worcester residents. My mother is 90 years old, disabled and lives in Worcester. She is expected to wheel her bin up three steps and up a steep garden path to place her bin out for the dustmen. It
SIR -At a meeting of Worcestershire County Council on May 18, 2000, I put the following question to the so-called Liberal Democrat/Labour controlled council. "Corporate management means a more moral, intelligent and economic utilisation of scarce resources
SIR -I was very sorry to read a criticism of St John Ambulance in your columns. While knowing nothing of the individual circumstances, it is clear to me your correspondent has little understanding of the organisation he criticises. St John Ambulance is
BAA axe 700 ABOUT 700 job losses were announced today at the three biggest airports operated by BAA as part of plans to save £45m a year. BAA said back office and management roles would be removed at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. But it insisted there
TWO million women face the prospect of poverty in old age because they are failing to accrue a state pension, it has emerged. The women are either not working, often because they have taken a career break to care for children or elderly relatives, or
FRESH job losses in manufacturing firms were predicted as higher energy prices and falling demand made life tough for the industry. Small and medium-sized companies predicted that worse was to come, with just one in eight more optimistic about the business
BUTCHER Craig Saunders is celebrating sizzling success after his sausages won a top honour at an award ceremony. And it wasn't just his prize pork that won an award at the British Pig Executive's event. His company, H Dayus, of St John's, Worcester, was
ANTI-social behaviour has been halved in one area of Worcester and reduced by a third in another thanks to tough enforcement measures. But residents of Nunnery Wood and St Peter's hope that the end of a six-month Section 30 dispersal order will not mark
ANGRY football fans have hit out at West Mercia Police for using CS spray on crowds penned in at a city train station this weekend. Spray was used by at least one officer when about 200 Hereford United supporters were taken off a train to change at Foregate
A MASSIVE mushroom the size of a football has been credited for curing a Kempsey man of a health affliction he has suffered for years. Colin Bunn, of The Limes, was on his way to post a letter on Friday morning when he came across the curious fungus alongside
JET skis developed to rescue surfers in Australia could be used to save people drowning in the River Severn. The Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service is considering whether to buy the sleek 'personal water craft' as part of its year-long study
BATTLING Des Lyttle has ordered his Worcester City colleagues to "fight fire with fire" during Saturday's crunch FA Cup clash at Chippenham Town. The veteran defender is expecting a rocky ride when the two sides collide in the first round showdown. Despite
PEOPLE throughout the county can today get behind a heritage project in Droitwich bidding for lottery funds. The scheme to build a replica Wych barge in Vines Park is one of eight across the country in line to scoop £50,000 in the Big Lottery Fund vote
A CEREMONY to celebrate Worcester's new status as a university city was due to fill the Cathedral this afternoon. Former students of the university were joining current staff for the grand event at 4pm. The institution, formerly University College Worc-ester
FANS of international rock star Van Morrison have begun snapping up tickets for a rare concert at Worcester's Huntingdon Hall. The singer, who usually plays at 1,000-seater venues such as the NEC, is performing two shows at Huntingdon Hall on Sunday December
PEOPLE who are interested in tracing their ancestors through records of births, marriages and deaths may be interested in a talk that is being given in Worcester. The speaker will be John Newbold, who was superintendent registrar in the Birmingham Register
WANTED: Bubbly females aged 15 or older; dance or gymnastics training preferable, but not essential. These are the qualities been sought by the Worcester Wolverines - the cheerleaders for the successful Worcester Wolves basketball team, based at the University
A CONTROVERSIAL business park that would create up to 2,000 jobs on the edge of Worcester is being discussed by councillors this week. Plans for the 44,000sq m site on open land beside Worcestershire Royal Hospital were first submitted to the city council
BATTLING Des Lyttle has ordered his Worcester City colleagues to "fight fire with fire" during Saturday's crunch FA Cup clash at Chippenham Town. The veteran defender is expecting a rocky ride when the two sides collide in the first round showdown. Despite
PUZZLED Stuart Watkiss is unsure whether to expect Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde for Kidderminster Harriers' next match. Harriers' players have been frustrating their manager with a string of in-consistent displays that have left them 11th in the Nationwide Conference
WORCESTER Wanderers got revenge for last season's defeat with a 39-8 victory over Berkswell and Balsall at Sixways. In the corresponding fixture last term, Worcester went down 22-6 in a match that scotched their hopes of promotion. Ryan Henshaw weighed
STEVE Rhodes is backing Vikram Solanki to emerge as a "great" Worcestershire captain. Solanki endured a testing first summer as skipper, overseeing the County's totesport League relegation and failure to clinch promotion in the Frizzell Championship.
SIR - I just thought I would write to all the dog owners who let their dogs foul in the grass at Madresfield. I went conker-picking in Madresfield every year as a child and now take my children there each year. We live in Worcester and went to Madresfield
SIR - May I appeal to readers to vote WODS in the forthcoming Big Lottery Fund People's Millions competition to be televised by ITV News tomorrow? Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society has reached the local area final and will be one of two projects
A HOSPITAL boss turned muck into brass when his entry coupon for a green waste contest was found in a sack he put out for recycling. The chairman of South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust was the lucky recipient of £100 in a scheme to encourage more
PROPOSALS have been unveiled for the development of a third passenger terminal at Birmingham International Airport. Expansion plans also include an extension to the existing runway and construction of a second runway. Airport bosses said the number of
HUMBERTS, one of the leading firms of Chartered Surveyors, Estate Agents and Valuers in Worcestershire has recently appointed two new members of staff. George Pickard is to join the agency's country homes division, while Alan Metcalf will assist with
