A PRIMARY school in Malvern is to get a £45,000 facelift to its entrance, reception area and bathroom facilities. Plans to give the Grove Primary School, Picker-sleigh Grove, a bright and welcoming entrance have been approved by Malvern Hills District
A LONG-established butcher’s business in Eve-sham has been reinvented to become a booming national online retailer, after a year of being hit by floods, the credit crunch and competition from supermarket giants. Clare Lusted and her father Barry realised
THERE are two ways of looking at the legendary Reading festival which takes over Berkshire every August bank holiday. On the one hand there is always superb music, with the discovery of new bands and the chance to see some old favourites doing
HOT weather, good grub and plenty of plums combined to make a recipe for festival success, according to its organisers. Thousands packed Pershore’s streets for the 13th annual Plum Fayre on Bank Holiday Monday, taking advantage of the juicy fruit for
A COUPLE who decided to sue Worcestershire Royal Hospital after being wrongly told their baby was dead have the sympathy of a mother who also had problems with her birth. We reported in your Worcester News how mother-of-three Nadia Jones and her husband
WORCESTER City manager Richard Dryden must be cursing his luck at the referees he has endured this Bank Holiday weekend. Upset by the performance of Anthony Coggin at Weston on Saturday, he must have been fuming at the display of Steve Phipps
KIDDERMINSTER Harriers twice fought back from a goal behind to secure an impressive Blue Square Premier 2-2 draw against Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium. Greg Pearson gave Nigel Clough’s men the lead in the 31st minute, before Matthew Barnes-Homer
WORCESTER speedster Kat Merchant was among the try-scorers as England Women beat Canada 43-9 to add the Nations Cup crown to their already-bulging silverware cabinet. The Sixways wing came off the bench to round off a fine team move for the sixth try
THE harsh reality of life in the Premier Division of the Southern League kicked in as Evesham lost their unbeaten record. There was no disgrace in defeat, but the manner of the loss will leave Evesham boss Paul West with plenty to ponder ahead of Saturday
A FINE bowling performance by Old Vigornians produced maximum points and kept the pressure on Dominies and Burghill and Tillington at the top of Worcestershire League Division Four South. An outstanding throw from the deep by Steve Poole sealed the game
Birmingham Cricket League First XI Premier Division Walsall (20 points) 62-6 (A Khan 6-22) defeated Kidderminster Victoria (2 points) 57 by four wickets. Division One Bromsgrove (20 points) 154-5 (J Levitt 45) defeated Cannock (3 points) 152-9
WESTFIELDS’ poor start to the new Midland Alliance season continued when they were beaten 3-2 away at Tipton Town. Again without key players Terry Green, Tom Sparey, Gareth Thomas and Alex Hunt, Fields found themselves a goal down in the fourth minute
ARCHDALES 73 made hard work of their 2-0 Midland Combination Division One victory over Brentwood Town. Several Dales players were guity of missing easy chances in the first-half. It was not until mid-way through the second-half that the Worcester side
MOTORISTS faced long bank holiday tailbacks this afternoon after a road accident forced the closure of one of Worcester’s key routes. A car collided with a motorbike on the A4440 Crookbarrow Way, Whittington, near Worcester, shortly before
WORCESTER’S new sports centre has been given permission to put on live gigs, screen films and serve alcohol. There are, however, no plans for St John’s Leisure Centre to host such entertainment events. The state-of-the-art site, due to open in Malvern
A FORTNIGHT of events held to commemorate the Battle of Worcester have now swung into action. To celebrate the anniversary of the battle, the last of the English Civil War, the Commandery has organised a number of activities to enjoy around
ANIMAL carcasses could end up being cut up with electrical saws just yards away from a war memorial and cemetery in Pershore, a councillor has warned. Wychavon district councillor John Grantham said he was concerned meat processing at a business called
90+3 mins: Paul booked for time wasting. 90+2mins: Free-kick from Barnes hits long but Bath clear. 85 mins: SUB Paul (Bath) replaces Carey-Bertram. 81 mins: Foul on Wilding his shirt pulled in the area by Steve Jones. Penalty!
POYNER David Formerly of Cinderella Shoe Works and Kays. Passed away peacefully in hospital on August 16th, 2008, aged 75 years. Beloved husband of Pat, devoted dad of Stephen and Susan, father in law to Eira and Keith and a loving grandad of Paul, Jennifer
BICK Pauline Ann You were taken from our lives five years ago. We think about you every day and remember what you used to say. You will always be in our thoughts. Love Jeff, Mark, Alice, Carol, Lyn and Amanda. Published in paper 25/08/2008
SIR – I agree with Tom Wareing (August 20), teachers should be put back in control of schools. You only have to mention the Sats fiasco, which has made us educationally the laughing stock of the world. What politically stinks is that Ed Balls
SIR – Before we tidy up scruffy buildings in Worcester (Comment, August 11), we should first do more to help our “scruffy people” – the homeless, drug addicts, and above all young single women with one or more children. These people deserve
SIR – With reference to John Phillpott’s excellent column (August 16). There is a legitimate answer to unwanted travellers occupying land, more so if it’s farmland. The police tell your Worcester News they must consider the impact on travellers
100 YEARS AGO: AN inquest was held at Worcester Guildhall on Thursday into the death of a two-month-old child, the son of William Henry Phelps, a hawker of 2 Group Lane, Worcester, who said that on Tuesday night the baby slept between him and
THIS WEEK IN 1988: ONLY a third river bridge and other drastic measures can now prevent traffic in Worcester from totally clogging up by the year 2000, warn city councillors. They are desperately concerned by official forecasts that local traffic
SIR – So, Mike Foster thinks there is “widespread support” for the proposed polyclinic for Worcester does he? Since when does the opinions of just 541 people represent “overwhelming levels”? I would also like to know who these 541 people were
SIR – I heard recently that a woman went to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for a scan and was asked to sign a form giving her permission for the scan to be read abroad. Was someone pulling her leg? If not, are there no qualified medics in this
BRETFORTON is best known for the Fleece Inn, a picturesque pub which stands at The Cross in the village centre. It was built in about 1400 as a longhouse by a prosperous yeoman farmer called Byrd. A longhouse is an early type of farmhouse
A PLUM job. To speak with a plum in your mouth. Plum crazy. Plums have been a part of British society for so long, that they have entered our language in a way like no other fruit. Plums are even in our nursery rhymes – what did Little Jack Horner
SIR – Once again our elected representative of the Labour government is behaving like his cabinet colleagues, blinded by their lack of success and “they are listening” quotes. Regarding ‘Widespread support for health centre’ (August 19), Mike
SIR – I count myself as being very fortunate being born in the Barbourne area of Worcester, which boasts a wealth of many fine Georgian and Victorian buildings reflecting an age when craftsmanship took pride of place. St George’s Square springs
If you’ve planted onions earlier in the year they should be ready for harvesting any time now. You can tell they are ready when the foliage collapses. The old leaves at the neck of the onion should feel dry and thin, not soft and sappy. Use a
THE sheer depth of tone in the voices of Richard Quine and Philip James Glenister made this concert what it was, though accompanied by John Wilderspin only on an upright piano. The three performers created a wide-ranging display of poetic and
AS a National Service posting in the 1950s, the island of British Guyana in the West Indies had some merit. So long as you didn’t tread on anything, get stung by anything or catch anything. The weather was warm, if occasionally rather wet, and
SIR – Referring to Terry James’ letter (August 13). If the EU is so good to member states why did France, Netherlands and Ireland reject the construction treaty? JOHN NORWOOD, Kidderminster.
These cottage garden favourites add a valuable element of height to planting schemes, their impressive flower spikes reaching up to 1.5m (5ft). All are biennial or shortlived perennials, flowering in the first or second summer after sowing. They
MY first sowing of climbing french beans did not come to much this year. Most of those that did appear produced just a pair of scabbylooking leaves and their growing points appeared to be missing. I bought new seeds so is there something wrong
SIR – I watched the Olympic marathon and was overawed by the scenery in Beijing. No road works or patchwork quilt road repairs, no uneven paving slabs, not a blade of grass out of place, just magnificent buildings and parkland. When London
* NINETY-FOUR years ago this morning, the soldiers of the Worcestershire Regiment were about to collide head-on with an immense German host near the Belgian town of Mons. The British Army’s first action in the war to end wars is one of the
SIR – Your columns suggest that public opinion is in support of the disabled motorist recently penalised for parking across the boundary line of a disabled parking space. Is this not because the public expects rules to be applied in a reasonable
A JUNGLE paradise awaits visitors to a garden in the heart of Astley, near Stourport-on- Severn. It has proved particularly popular with children, who like exploring among the bananas and palms and along the overgrown pathways of Tim and Lesley
THE Government wants to impose targets on doctors – as if they haven’t got enough work on their hands. Not surprisingly, Worcester’s New Labour MP is all in favour. One of the problems with our rulers is they are stuck in a 1980sstyle management
ODD happenings… number one in an occasional series. As many of you know, I have many hideouts along the Severn between Kempsey and Grimley, and one of them is next to a fisherman’s platform. Whenever an angler is not drowning a maggot on this flimsy
SIR – Having received the bus rapid transport consultation report I was not surprised that despite opinion the council intend to proceed. It must be said that asking bus users if a bus lane is a good idea is rather like asking turkeys if they
A COUPLE of centuries ago, when the lords and ladies in their country houses wanted drinks for their guests, they didn’t send the butler galloping on his horse down to the pub. Neither did they despatch a pair of footmen in a carriage with instructions
SUMMERTIME, when the living is easy… yes, thank you very much George Gershwin, we’ll let you know. Actually, it’s all right for you waxing lyrical about the ambience of the American south where the noisiest thing is probably a catfish cavorting
SIR – I am amused by Peter Luff MP who thinks that the history of British regulations on the postal service is relevant to the current closures situation. The British invented the first postage stamp, but this cuts no ice in the EU parliament
SIR – Regarding John Shearon’s letter ‘Brown is the ideal man for the job’ (August 15). Gordon Brown will be known for all time as the (Scottish) politician who finally destroyed England and the United Kingdom. He won’t honour the referendum promised
BEIJING has staged a remarkable Olympic Games. From the astounding opening ceremony, though a fortnight of fantastically well organised sport, to yesterday’s closing event it has been a Games to remember. China has a long way to go to meet
EVESHAM’S Simon Andrews admitted he will be heading into the unknown when he takes his injury-ridden body to Cadwell Park for round nine of the British Superbikes. The 25-year-old is still nursing a broken hand and torn knee ligaments sustained during
ONE of Worcester’s most eagerly-anticipated regeneration projects starts this week when work gets underway on the city’s £1 million waterfront enhancement. The first phase of Worcester City Council’s ambitious project to revive the waterside between
KIDDERMINSTER Harriers’ Blue Square Premier campaign heads to the Pirelli Stadium today with a tricky clash with Burton Albion (3pm). Only one point from their opening three games prior to Saturday’s clash with Altrincham was hardly what manager Mark
FORGET the protracted saga of Gareth Barry’s will he, won’t he move to Liverpool, which feels like it’s been running longer than Coronation Street, it has been whether Stephen Moore will stay or go that has been the main drama down at New Road. Well
It’s been a while since the end of the season and I have tried to give myself some rugby free weeks so as to appreciate the resumption of the Rugby season all the more. I have spent some time watching cricket, both on TV and live at New Road. How Kabir
WORCESTER City manager Richard Dryden has leapt to the defence of Craig Wilding following his sending off in the 1-1 draw at Weston-super-Mare. The skipper was shown red in the first minute of the second-half after a clash with the Seagulls’ Mark Mc-Keever
IT was a bit of shock when Steve Harmison announced that he was going to dust off his England one-day boots. Two years ago the once world’s number one quick decided to retire from international limited overs cricket but, with a new regime pestering him
WORCESTER’S controversial wheelie bins are proving a surprise hit with city binmen, who are picking up far fewer injuries at work since their introduction. Worcester City Council says that while the plastic bins may have received a mixed reaction from
WORCESTERSHIRE scholar batsman Dave Wheeldon has signed a new one-year contract with the county. The 19-year-old academy graduate has impressed in the second XI this term to earn himself his first professional contract. The left-hander from Staffordshire
A DROITWICH mother is backing a British Heart Foundation appeal to raise money for life-saving equipment after she almost died during childbirth. Sheryl Duffy’s life was saved by an Intra Aortic Balloon Pump when she suffered heart failure following
A COUNTY man will take the trip of a lifetime driving all the way from South Korea to Britain to raise money for charity. The epic journey will see Chris Barrett, aged 24, and friend Rob Sutcliffe, 27, spend four months travelling through 18 different
