Mercury Newspaper Issue 1497

The Region’s Number One Entertainment & Classifieds Newspaper

Are you driving home for ChristmAs?

With industrial action affecting plans, adverse weather creating added risks and the countdown to the Christmas break underway, road users are being urged to check their vehicles before travelling.

Roadside recovery companies are currently reporting a surge in call outs, with a combination of factors bringing major disruption to the UK’s transport network.

And with days to go before South Yorkshire schools break up for the Christmas holidays, South

Yorkshire Safer Roads

Partnership (SYSRP) is urging people to make sure their vehicles are roadworthy to avoid preventable breakdowns.

A spokeswoman for the partnership said: “With the current icy conditions, planned disruption on the rail network and more freezing temperatures forecast, our roads pose even more risks than usual in the run up to one of the busiest times of year.

“Making sure your car is fully fit for your journey could not only save you

and your family a lot of heartache, but ensure that you, your occupants and other road users are as safe as possible.

“The main things to check are fuel, tyres, water, oil and lights. You should also check that your vehicle has an up-to-date MOT certificate and has been serviced.”

Motorists are advised to keep a breakdown kit in their boot, including a blanket, torch, hi-viz jacket, water and puncture repair kit.

Also, make sure that you have de-icer and an ice-

scraper to hand to ensure that your windscreen and rear window clear are fully clear of ice or snow before setting off to ensure good all-round vision.

For those planning a long journey to see family or friends, think about the time you are setting off and avoid drinking alcohol the night before.

“Simple things like avoiding rush hour and having a good night’s sleep will increase your chances of a smooth and safe journey,” added the spokeswoman.

“No-one wants to be stuck at the roadside when they should be in a warm house surrounded by loved ones at such a special time of year.

“Don’t take extra risks –please play your part in helping everyone getting to see their family as safely as possible during the travel window.

“The team here at Safer Roads wishes everyone a safe and happy Christmas.”

For a full travel checklist visit sysrp.co.uk/vehiclechecks

CLEAN AIR ZONE: FINANCIAL SUPPORT

NOW LIVE TO UPGRADE YOUR VEHICLE

From this week, people can apply to upgrade their vehicle and receive financial support ahead of the introduction of the Clean Air Zone (CAZ). Information on when charging starts and which vehicles will be charged is online.

If you own a vehicle that would be charged, you might be eligible for support. Private vehicles will not be charged. People will need to check online to see if their vehicle will be charged when the zone goes live on 27 February 2023. The financial support will be available in the form of a grant, an interest subsidised loan or a mix of the two, details of the financial support packages are available on the Sheffield City Council Clean Air Zone website.

Councillor Julie Grocutt, Co-Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “I want to encourage everyone to check their eligibility online and apply for the financial support wherever they can. There is a pot of money for people to apply for and we want people to use these funds whilst they are available.

“The Clean Air Zone is there to protect people in Sheffield from the effects of exposure of NO2 emissions. We know this is vital going forward for our current and future generations. We are committed to doing all we can to limit the public health implications that the effects of NO2 create such as lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. I

know the Clean Air Zone will benefit our city hugely, we are thinking about the now and long-term benefits which I know we will all be very grateful for.

“The financial package available is one of the best of any local authority, and I want Sheffield residents and businesses to use it.”

Government have set some exemptions that apply nationally, in some cases you may be eligible for a local exemption which you would need to apply for, please check details of the exemptions and application requirements online.

If you or your business is based in Sheffield or Rotherham and runs LGVs then you could be eligible to apply for a temporary exemption until midnight on the 4th of June 2023 Please visit www. sheffield.gov.uk before driving into the Clean Air Zone to apply.

If you own a Hackney Carriage taxi licensed with Sheffield City Council exemption will be in place until midnight on the 4 June, you will not be charged until 5 June 2023 – this will be set up automatically and you won’t need to apply.

For full information, please visit the dedicated Clean Air Zone website at www.sheffield.gov.uk/ campaigns/clean-air-zone-sheffield#Charges

DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS DREAm BIg SKATES IN TO THE ARENA

From this Wednesday the 14th until sunday 18th December 2022 at

Arena Sheffield, courage leads the way for Disney’s most

adventurous heroes when Disney on Ice presents Dream Big comes to Sheffield for nine performances over the festive period,

continuing a multi-city tour.

Dream Big features favorite Disney friends such as Mickey, Minnie, Miguel, Moana, Elsa,

Belle, Genie, and more highlighting all the magic and adventure of Disney’s tales through world-class figure skating. Audiences will be transported to exciting worlds where heroes of every kind seek to fulfill their dreams at a live experience families will never forget! While delivering the same magical experiences guests expect from Disney On Ice, Feld Entertainment is continuing Guest Wellness Enhancements to help keep families safe at its live events. Feld

Entertainment is working closely with venue partners to establish and

follow COVID-19 health and safety standards in accordance with all federal, state and local guidelines. Please monitor the venue website for health and safety policies, including face covering and entry requirements, which are subject to change. Full details on Feld Entertainment Guest Wellness Enhancements can be found here. Join the fearless Moana and the greatest demigod that ever lived, Maui, on an action-packed voyage to restore the stolen heart of Te Fiti. Explore the Land of the Dead as Miguel from

Disney Pixar’s Coco brings the festivities of Día de los Muertos to the ice. Get tangled up in Rapunzel’s hair-raising quest to see the floating lights. Travel to the kingdom of Arendelle with Anna, Elsa and Olaf in a dramatic retelling of the sisterly love that saved a kingdom. And discover the strength, bravery and kindness that inspired generation after generation with Jasmine, Ariel, Aurora, Belle and Cinderella.

Tickets are available now from www. utilitaarenasheffield. co.uk/events

Crossword Clues

across 7) Disappear (6) 8) Rubber (6) 9) Prison room (4) 10) Course subjects (8) 11) One alone (6) 13) Fall (4) 14) Fish eggs (3) 16) Canteen (4) 17) Garment closer (6) 19) Holiday (8) 21) Flat fish (4) 22) Show (6) 23) Create (6)

DoWN 1) Throwing spear (7) 2) Testament (4) 3) Facial hairs (8) 4) Enthusiasm (4) 5) Flit around (3, 5) 6) Location (5) 12) Undefined situation (4, 4) 13) Urbane (8) 15) Direct phone link (3, 4) 18) Hammer (5) 20) Indolent (4) 21) Rescue (4)

Last Week’s Solution across: 1) Socks, 4) Resting, 8) Almanac, 9) Maori, 10) Etch, 11) Demerara, 13) Chef, 14) Free, 16) Hen party, 17) Haze, 20) Adorn, 21) Equator, 22) Torment, 23) First DoWN: 1) State of the art, 2) Comic, 3) Sane, 4) Racket, 5) Symmetry, 6) Isolate, 7) Grin and bear it, 12) Detainee, 13) Candour, 15) Street, 18)

What do you call a row of men waiting for a hair cut?

A Barbercue.

Cop pulled me over and said: “PAPERS.” I yelled “scissors” and drove off.

What’s big and grey and doesn’t matter? It’s irrelephant.

What do you call a kid who doesn’t believe in Santa?

A rebel without a Claus.

How do you make a waterbed more bouncy? Add spring water.

I can’t believe I was arrested for impersonating a politician!

I was just sitting there doing nothing.

If I had to rate our solar system. I’d give it one star.

My friends claim I’m the cheapest guy I know... I’m not buying it.

The recipe said, “Set the oven to 180 degrees.” Now I can’t open the oven as the door faces the wall.

What do you call an explosive monkey? A baboom.

I accidentally rubbed ketchup in my eyes. Now I have Heinzsight.

What’s the difference between ignorance and indifference?

I don’t know and I don’t care.

Unfortunately, Superman won’t be able to fight Dracula this evening...

He won’t go near the crypt tonight.

Weekly Quiz

Dec

20th

14/12/557 - Constantinople is severely damaged by an earthquake. 15/12/1890 - The first Sheffield Derby was played at Olive Grove 16/12/1431 - Henry VI of England is crowned King of France at Notre Dame in Paris. 17/12/1718 - Great Britain declares war on Spain.

18/12/1958 - Project SCORE, the world’s first communications satellite, is launched. 19/12/1154 - Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey. 20/12/2007 - Elizabeth II becomes the oldest ever monarch of the United Kingdom, surpassing Queen Victoria, who lived for 81 years, 7 months and 29 days.

Born this week

14/12/1503 Nostradamus

15/12/1956 William Orbit

16/12/1485 Catherine of Aragon

17/12/1973 Paula Radcliffe

18/12/1964 Robson Green

19/12/1918 Professor Longhair 20/12/1957 Billy Bragg

Utilita

Has YOUR bOIlER sTOppEd wORkING?

As the cold and icy winter weather settles in, you may have noticed that your boiler has stopped working; one very common cause could be that your condensate pipe has frozen. The condensate pipe leads waste water away from the boiler and down a drain. Most are fitted internally but, in some cases, they have to be fitted outside, which can cause the pipe to freeze. Education experts outline the best way to thaw a condensate pipe and how to prevent it from freezing in the first place so that you can stay warm and cosy this winter.

How to thaw your condensate pipe

Step one Find your condensate pipe. A white pipe should protrude from the wall portion located directly behind your boiler. You’ll know you have the right pipe if it runs right out from the boiler to an exterior drain.

Step two Boil your kettle and let the water cool for approximately 15 minutes — you want the water to be warm rather than boiling hot. Starting at the top of the kettle and making your way down the pipe, pour the warm water over your frozen condensate pipe until the ice blocking it has thawed.

Step three Reset your boiler. Wait a few minutes and check that is working properly. If you have fully thawed your frozen condensate pipe, everything should be working as normal.

How to prevent a frozen condensate pipe

Now that you have thawed your frozen condensate pipe, you will want to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.

To do that, you’re going to want to follow our

preventative tips: Install a large pipe

The best way to lower your chances of dealing with another frozen condensate pipe is to install a pipe that is as large as possible. Before doing this, you should take a look at the manufacturer’s instructions to see what they recommend. Usually, manufacturers will recommend pipes in the range of 32-40mm, but it is possible to have an engineer install a thicker pipe if you have to deal with extremely cool temperatures, where thinner pipes might not cut it.

Add insulation

Insulating your condensate pipe will help to protect it from the elements. It’ll be kept warmer, which means that it will be far less likely to end up frozen. In order to insulate your boiler condensate pipe, simply wrap it with foam pipe insulation and secure it with strong tape or cable ties.

Reduce external piping

It stands to reason that the less condensate pipe you have outside your home, the less opportunity there is for your pipes to freeze over. So, if it is possible for you to do so, you might want to move the pipes to minimise exposure to the elements. Usually, you will need to call a heating engineer to help you with this.

Reduce exposure

Placing your condensate pipe in the optimum position so that it gets plenty of sun and isn’t particularly exposed to the elements is a good way to minimise the risk of freezing.

Gravity Ensuring that waste falls from your pipe as quickly and from as great a height as possible will help to keep the pipe

clear so that it is unlikely to become blocked. Ensuring that your pipes have as few bends as possible will also help to this end.

Get a siphon trap

If you’re in the process of purchasing a new boiler, try to choose one that features a siphon trap.

This type of condensate release flushes out the water in one go, thus lowering the risk of freezing. Most boilers release the water in long drawn-out drips, meaning more water is present for longer, making it more likely that a freeze will occur.

Trace

A trace is an electrical element that can be bonded to the area below your condensate pipe. It can warm the pipe when the temperature drops below 5°C. If you install it, you must also add lagging to the pipe to ensure that it is insulated.

If you live in an area where temperatures regularly drop below 0°C for a prolonged period of time, this could be a useful addition to your boiler setup because it really is the only way that you can guarantee your pipe will not freeze. It should be noted that the only way to add a trace to your boiler condensate pipe is by calling a GasSafe engineer to do the job for you.

A spokesperson commented: “A frozen condensate pipe is usually the result of ice or other debris getting into the pipe and freezing, thus blocking it so that it cannot do its job.

When your condensate pipe cannot do its job, your boiler shuts down to ensure you and your family are kept safe; however, you will need to get the boiler up and running again so that your family can stay warm. Using this guide, you can thaw frozen condensate pipes with a few changes and ingenuity and prevent them from freezing again.”

CHRIsTMas EvE slEEp

With Christmas just around the corner, little ones around the world are counting down the days until Santa and his elves pays them a visit.

However, the excitement can come at a cost when the kids struggle to sleep as they wait for the big day ahead. Here are some tips to get the children to sleep well on Christmas Eve.

Fill the morning with exercise

Whether it’s a family walk or perhaps their favourite sport, taking the little ones for some morning exercise will promote better sleep at night by burning off energy.

Keep them away from sugary foods after midday While it may seem a tricky task, it will prove much more of a challenge trying to get the children to sleep if they’ve had high-sugar foods near bedtime

Keeping them up late will prevent a good night’s sleep

While it may seem like a later bedtime will help your child to sleep better at night, it will in fact do the opposite.

Give them a sleep-inducing snack before bed

It’s a must to make sure your child isn’t going to sleep on an empty stomach .

Keep things calm on the evening

Having an earlier dinner than usual will not only help the little ones prepare for bedtime, but it’s one way to keep them occupied without having to get them too excited Don’t alter their night-time routine

Your children will be aware that something is missing if you alter their night-time routine.

Avoid using technology too close to bedtime

If you plan on watching a Christmas film together to keep things calm, it’s best to switch the screens off around two hours before your children’s bedtime.

Don’t forget to countdown before bedtime

Counting down until bedtime allows your kids to prepare for sleep.

MaYOR slaMs faREs HIkE

Passengers in South Yorkshire are set to be hit by further costof-living pressures, following imminent fare hike plans from public transport companies. Politicians blasted the blow to communities today – as TravelMaster shared plans for a near 10% increase on tickets across the region’s bus, tram and train passes and Supertram announced an 8% increase on some tickets from 2 January. It comes as the £2 fare cap introduced by Mayor Coppard and fellow South Yorkshire leaders has saved passengers a combined £500,000 over more than one million journeys since its roll out in November. Regional leaders have called the plans ‘hugely disappointing’ for South Yorkshire families in the current cost-of-living crisis:

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “Across our region this winter, all too many people are worrying about the cost-of-living crisis. At the same time we’re trying to cut congestion and air pollution. That’s why this decision is both short sighted and hugely disappointing. It flies in the face of everything we are collectively trying to achieve; a public transport system that our communities can have faith in. I understand every business has to balance its books. But if these companies do want to get people back on public transport we need affordable, simpler fares. Plans to hike bus fares

by nearly 10%, at a time when public transport reliability is still so poor, and when bus companies just cut 15% of the network, are simply not good enough. This is yet more evidence that our public transport system is broken, and we need to see transformational change here in South Yorkshire. That’s exactly what I intend to deliver.”

Earlier this year, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) stepped in with a £12.3m rescue package to protect bus routes and school services from cuts by operators. A boost to save passengers up to 50% on some trips and reduce the cost of journeys that cost more than £2 followed under the Mayor’s fare cap scheme.Cllr Chris Read, Co-Chair of the SYMCA Transport and the Environment Board, added: “For many people across the region, public transport is a lifeline to work, to school, and to other services including hospital and doctors appointments. To make our buses sustainable in the long term they must be affordable, with fares that are simple enough for people to understand. That was the plan we agreed with the bus operators and that’s the plan I expect them to stick to. If we can’t make progress on that, it only strengthens the case for re-regulation across South Yorkshire.”

SYMCA authorised the assessment of a proposed bus franchising scheme in South Yorkshire in March 2022.

blUEbEll wOOd REOpENs

Families being supported by Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice have received good news which will bring them festive joy.

The hospice has announced it is about to welcome back children and young people needing respite care from 19th December 2022. A phased return of clinical services comes after a ‘determined and focused’ recruitment drive by senior management to fill key care roles. The muchneeded South Yorkshire charity has been providing specialist care and support to children living with life-shortening and life-threatening illnesses in South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and North Lincolnshire since opening in 2008.

The difficult decision to temporarily suspend clinical services had to be made on May 31 this year, after its North Anston base was affected by national staff shortages hitting the care sector. “We are over the moon to be able to offer clinical respite care again. It is one of the most important and valued ways in which we can support families who have children and young adults with life-threatening and life-shortening illnesses,” said David Wilkin, Chair of Trustees “Respite care can literally be a lifeline to families experiencing continual worry, fear and

stress. The decision to suspend it was made with great sadness and after every effort had been made to prevent it. Our priorities will always be a high level of care and safe services with the right level of expertise and the correct staff framework to comply with regulations. We had to be pragmatic and put the safety of children and young people first. We are confident we now have the right team in place to give the best possible respite care and support. Initially will be offering families two-night overnight stays at the hospice, or community short breaks at home. We will be expanding this service as soon as possible. Our approach to re-opening clinical care is phased to make sure we can safely deliver all services and we hope to resume our expert end-of-life care in the very near future.” Children and young people coming for care will find a refreshed and updated hospice environment. A makeover using autism-friendly muted colour schemes has refreshed the main lounge, sensory room, bedrooms and bathrooms. New, app-controlled lighting, which runs from soft and soothing to energising disco, has been installed to modernise the hospice.

GyMNASTICS SUpERSTAR OpENS NEw vENUE IN SHEFFIELD

Children’s gymnastics in Sheffield continues to grow in popularity with the opening of a new venue based at Rainbow Forge Primary School, Hackenthorpe.

The UK’s largest provider of recreational gymnastics, Beth Tweddle Gymnastics aim is to help as many children as possible learn the basic fundamentals of gymnastics or improve their current gymnastic skill level and improve a child’s fitness and well-being. Coaches will support every budding gymnast as they learn the skills, grow in confidence, collect awards, have fun and make new friends along the way!

Everyone is welcome to come and try a free taster and with a special launch offer in December with nothing to pay until January it could be a creative Christmas present that makes a difference to a child fitness, helps make new friends and builds confidence!

Fro more information visit www. bethtweddlegymnastics.co.uk/academies-syorkshire

High visibility crackdown on robbery begins this week

A new high-visibility operation tackling robbery begins across South Yorkshire this week.

Operation Calibre is a national campaign focusing on reducing robbery crime and identifying key offenders and locations in South Yorkshire.

The week-long campaign will see increased patrols, in addition to engagement and enforcement action.

Superintendent Jamie Henderson, leading Op Calibre said: “I know the devastating impacts robbery can have and I want people to be reassured that we are striving to keep the people of South Yorkshire safe.

“As we approach Christmas and the towns and cities become busier, we have been working to identify areas that see higher numbers of robberies, deter people from committing them and apprehend those who do.

“We understand that these incidents happen all year round, and it remains a priority to the force to crack down and identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

“We will have officers deployed across the county and there will be engagement as well as working with partners offering advice and guidance on protecting yourself while you’re out and about especially during these darker nights and Christmas shopping.”

SHEFFIELD CHARIT y CADS ANNOUNCE DEAL AGREED FOR THE pURCHASE OF ABBEyDALE pICTURE HOUSE

As the CADS team ramp up their efforts to ensure the future of the Abbeydale Picture House and secure its future as an asset of community value, they have announced that an agreement is in place for the purchase of the building!

2022 has been a dramatic year for the Abbeydale Picture House. Local charity CADS (Creative Arts Development Space) are nearly six years into a 25 year lease of the building. A dispute with the landlord earlier this year over roof repairs for the main auditorium roof led to an unexpected eviction. The CADS team were able to reach a temporary agreement with the landlord to regain entry to the building and have now decided that the best route forward is to take the significant step of making an offer to purchase the building. A price has been agreed and whilst fine details are still under negotiation the CADS team, with the help of the local community and civic organisations, are determined to acquire the building. Public support for this purchase will be vital - possibilities being explored including

Steve Rimmer from CADS said; ‘Following a turbulent year at the Abbeydale Picture House we were faced with a decision on how to proceed with our long term goal of ensuring the building remains open for the community. Exactly one year ago we discovered that the roof was in a dangerous state. This led to the immediate halt of all events in the main auditorium as we awaited urgent repairs to the roof exterior so that the listed ‘barrel vaulted’ ceiling could be repaired. The impact of this was huge, we simply couldn’t use enough of the building to meet ongoing maintenance and running costs, never mind paying for the restoration. It’s poignant and heartening that exactly one year later we have had a purchase price agreed with the landlord. This is a vital step in our long term mission.

We have funding agreed for a commercial mortgage and deposit and are awaiting a final decision from the UK Government on our Community Ownership Fund (COF) application. If this is not successful then we will look to the many fans and supporters of the building

Union President George Smith has urged clubs to ensure that they are up to date on payment of their annual CIU membership fees which were due on November 1.

Mr Smith also underlined the importance of the sale of Pass Cards to members to the overall financial health of the Union and its ability to give support to clubs.

“Our clubs are living through some very challenging economic times,” he said.

“It’s clear that the rise in energy costs, combined with the continuing high levels of inflation, are major concerns for clubs, many of which are still recovering from the blow to trade caused by the pandemic.

“As we have been since 1862, the Union is here to help our member clubs, whatever regulatory, licensing,

HR or financial problems they may be facing.

President urges clubs to Pay overdue union annual fees friday nigHt at tHe city Hall

“Expert advice and business support are on hand from branch offices and Head Office whenever required, including help from our dedicated Rules Department. We also continue to give our clubs a collective voice at Governmental level as a key part of the Committee of Registered Clubs’ Association (CORCA) which lobbies politicians on regulatory areas which affect members’ clubs.

“Amongst the many other benefits that being a member of the CIU brings is the discounted CIU tariff rate for the PRS For Music licence and access to the Union’s Education Programme. But to continue to do our job in helping clubs across the land, we need

our clubs to support the Union through paying their annual fees as well as selling Pass Cards to their members. These are our two main sources of income as an organisation and therefore the absolute lifeblood of the CIU.

It is worth pointing out that 50 per cent of the annual fees collected from our clubs is returned to the branches to ensure that the local support is there for clubs when they need it. “So, if you haven’t done so already, please pay your overdue fees as well as encouraging your members to buy Pass Cards.

“This will help ensure that the Union has a sustainable financial model and can continue to support our clubs which are absolutely vital to their members and local communities.”

The Drifters are the longest running singing group in pop history still performing live, having enjoyed over 50 hits worldwide and its your chance to catch them live at Sheffield City Hall on Friday, 16 June 2023. Tickets for the show are on sale now via www. sheffieldcityhall.co.uk

The Drifters were created in 1953 by George Treadwell and Clyde McPhatter. George Treadwell managed the group and laid the

foundation of what would make The Drifters one of the greatest groups of all time. Clyde McPhatter was the lead Singer of the group that also saw numerous members over the years, but two stood out above the rest Johnny Moore and Ben E King. The Legendary group have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, performed for the President of The United States and are listed among the greatest artists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Performing all the hits ‘Saturday Night At the Movies’, ’You’re More Than a Number’, ’Come on Over to My Place’, ’Up On the Roof’, ‘Under the Board Walk’, ’Kissin in the Back Row’, ’Save the Last Dance for Me’, ’Down on the Beach’, ‘Stand By Me’, ’Like Sister and Brother’ and many many more.

George and Faye’s daughter Tina Treadwell has been in the entertainment industry all her life. She oversaw the careers of the new generation of stars coming through such as Britney Spears

and Justin Timberlake, Tina also produced Michael Jacksons birthday party in Los Angeles in 2003 and today spearheads The Treadwell Entertainment group.

No other vocal group has achieved as much success artistically or commercially as The Drifters and they remain among the best selling acts of all time.

Tickets for the show are on sale now via www.sheffieldcityhall. co.uk.

Coronation Street: Daniel is concerned as Daisy finds a lump in her breast - will he lose another to cancer? As he drowns his sorrows, he staggers drunk into the doctor’s. Summer concocts a scheme to raise £10k to pay back Mike & Esther - but they have a surprise for her. Ken secures the bistro for the play - but Martha & Wendy get their heads together - will it spell trouble for Ken? Nick & Leanne fret over their finances. Fiz discovers Gemma being fitted for a wedding dress. Simon starts his new job in the factory, and works with Jacob to stop someone stealing the factory van. Griff present max with a new laptop to help him run the gang’s social media.

Emmerdale: Kyle visit Cain in prison but unravels before their eyes. The nanny interviews get under way at Home Farm - will Kim, Dawn & Gabby agree on the best applicant? Marlon begins work and plans to hire a new kitchen assistant - who turns out to be Naomi. Belle makes an alarming discovery about the night that Faith died. Marcus calms Ethan as he invites his boss to lunch - but does Greg have a hidden agenda? David plans to win Victoria back - but is he wrong to get his hopes up? Moira rushes to se Cain in jail - what is so urgent?

Eastenders: Alfie is determined to get Kat to play his leading lady in the panto, as part of his plan to win her back. But his plans go awry as Honey smashes the audition. Sonia worries about Dot’s will, and whether she will be homeless. But Dotty is excited about getting her hands on Dot’s money and going travelling. Ben is upbeat as Lola prepares to see a specialist, but Callum is worried about him. Janine has a demand for Mick, but in turn he has a bombshell for her.

A hard-fought but deserved three points saw United return to the top of the table.

Billy Sharp’s first goal of the season proved the difference as the Blades produced a professional display to see off dogged opposition in the first game back following the World Cup break.

Boss Heckingbottom made three changes for the resumption of second tier action, following a fourweek break. Ahmedhodžić, Clark and McAtee all started against the Terriers, with the bench boosted by the returns of Berge, McBurnie, Lowe and Bogle.

Having received a warm hand prior to kick-off, unsurprisingly, Ndiaye was instrumental in the Blades play in the opening exchanges, with both him and then McAtee having shots blocked. But on 15 minutes, Ndiaye shook off the attentions of both Boyle and Rudoni, the Senegalese star picked out

the run of SHARP, with the skipper expertly lifting the ball over the advancing Nicholls for his first of the campaign.

United continued the majority of the ball and territory and the frustrations of the visitors were visible as Thomas was cautioned for a hack at Osborn on the left touchline. McAtee then took aim on the angle, from the right, but his shot was headed behind by the retreating Helik.

The Blades upped the tempo again before halftime, but Town managed to see the game through to the interval without any further concession, despite the best efforts of Sharp and Baldock amongst others who had half chances.

After a lacklustre first half showing, Town were much more forceful in the second period, pushing United back, with Holmes having a shot saved, prior to Kesler-Hayden firing wide

OVER £9,000 RAISED FOR ROyAL BRITISH LEGION

at the back post. Hogg, a half-time substitute for the visitors, was cautioned for a nasty tackle on Norwood, before Berge replaced the lively McAtee.

Baldock had to take a booking for the team, as Thomas threatened to break, but Ndiaye then looked to add a game clinching second, cutting in from the right only for Nicholls to deny him.

McBurnie and Khadra replaced Ndiaye and skipper Sharp respectively,

before Ahmedhodžić was booked for apparent timewasting.

United continued to look for that decisive second, but Egan could only head Norwood’s corner wide, then Berge fired over, meaning the five minutes of added time had their share of worries, namely when Helik just failed to connect with a recycled ball back into the box, but it mattered not in the end as United saw the game out.

A REAL FIGHTING ATTITUDE - DM

Darren Moore was pleased with the Owls’ resilience as we came from behind to earn a point against Exeter at St James’ Park.

Callum Paterson levelled with the last kick of the game in Devon to cancel out Jake Caprice’s second half opener.

Despite disappointment from our second half display, the Wednesday boss praised the fighting spirit of his team.

Moore said: “It’s a good point earned. I said to the lads that they’re showing

a doggedness and a resilience, a real fighting attitude.

“Last year, we lose that game, it’s as simple as that because we don’t find the impetuous to get back into it. Today, we found a way and won a point.

“What we’re asking ourselves is, why did we perform as poorly as that in the second half and sit off them and allow them to build?

“As a manager and with my staff, we were looking at the game to see how

THE SECOND HALF NEEDED TO LOOK MORE LIKE THE FIRST - TAyLOR

“The simplicity and basic nature of the goals was a real kick in the teeth. We got back in the game in terms of the equaliser and for it to happen again was even worse.

“Their front two caused us a problem all afternoon and as much as I tried to fix it, we couldn’t quite get the platform from that back line.

“We were forced to chase the game off the back of the first half errors. Then our quality let us down and it let us down in pressure moments when we were trying to force it.

“We were set up three versus two, that’s why the simplicity of the goals was disappointing. But that’s uncharacteristic. I said to the group we’ve spent so much time this season deep as a team, defending our 18-yard box. It wasn’t that type of game today but we’ve conceded three really poor goals.

COMPETITIVENESS

we could change it, we had to get back into the game somehow, and we did that.

“But the second half compared to the first was chalk and cheese. The first was us, the second half was not.

“We finished the game on a positive note by getting the goal, so we head back up to Yorkshire with the feeling of not getting beat and I always think when you have that feeling of resilience it adds to what we’re about this season.”

Barry Bannan left the

field through injury in the first half and the Owls boss is hoping for positive news on his skipper in the coming days.

Moore added: “It’s too early to say with Baz “We took no chances with him, he wanted to stay on but there was no way he was going to when it comes to a muscle injury like that.

“We will assess him in the week and hopefully the scans will come back and be kind to us.”

“It’s a shame because we were playing some nice stuff, we were in the game and get whacked in the jaw twice. They’re big blows and that allows them in the second half to take away any attacking space.

“You have to put the ball in certain areas of the pitch. We worked our way up the pitch and got two crosses in the box in the second half through Jamie McCart.

“The discussion point from today is that first half because we were more than in the game. There have been times this season where we’re not in the game, but still in the game because we’re hanging on, today we were in the game and where we wanted to be but suffered killer blows.”

Wednesday’s match-worn jerseys from our FA Cup victory over Morecambe on Friday 4 November went up for

following the tie, with all proceeds benefitting the Armed Forces charity.

Darren Moore’s side beat the Shrimps 2-0 at Hillsborough, with Josh Windass and Alex Mighten sending the Owls into round two of the competition.

A total of £9,229 was raised from the auction on matchwornshirt.com, with bids coming in from all over the world.

The

PLEASES SCHOFIELD

IN NEwPORT wIN

Danny Schofield praised the battling qualities of his Rovers side as they emerged from a trip to Newport County with three points.

Kyle Knoyle’s second half strike set Rovers on their way to a 1-0 triumph that was built on a bedrock of resolve and organisation.

And while admitting he expects even better from his side in possession, Schofield was pleased with how competitive they were in off-the-ball moments.

Schofield on how the game played out:

“It was fantastic. You come a long way from home and to travel back with the three points is excellent.

“There was a few changes, a few illnesses in there and a few knocks we took on the Friday. The lads who came in did really well.

“It was disappointing to go in at 0-0. We had three big chances and a couple of really good chances in the second half.

“Overall, I think the performance deserved the win.

“I don’t think it was the best football that we’ve played but we showed another side to our game where we can be competitive and win duels. I always speak about the fundamentals and I thought we were good at those.

“It was pleasing to come away from home and restrict them to very few chances. Their only threats were the balls dropping from set plays and we dealt with that very well.

“I said at half time what would win us the game would be how physical they wanted to be in their duels and that whatever their size, be really competitive, attack with aggression and our quality moments would take care of themselves.”

On Kyle Knoyle’s goal:

“It was excellent. He recognised the space was there, strolled into it and struck it really well. I’m pleased for him.”

On ending a difficult run of results:

“You go back to back defeats and feel don’t lose a third. It’s important you get to winning ways.

“On the flip side, you win back to back games and you’re in a better place.

“It was imperative that we put the performance on to really go for the victory and stop that losing run.

“I try to stay balanced as possible but it’s difficult. I’m in football because I love it and it’s all I know. The pressure you create on yourself, you have to control it and channel it in the right way.

“I think we all did that as a group of staff and the players did that as well.

“To stop the little run of defeats was pleasing.

“Hopefully we get the players back that we didn’t have in this one and it gives me a headache when picking the team to face Harrogate next week.”

On Charlie Seaman:

“Charlie has been excellent in training and deserved that start.

“I was concerned with how many minutes we could give him because he’s not played a lot of football. I was thinking about changing it after 60 minutes but he was good to go and I think he played well.”

Owls Supporters raised over £9,000 for the Royal British Legion when bidding on our recent poppy shirt auction!

auction

Royal British Legion aid serving and ex-serving

members of the Armed Forces and their families by offering support, guidance and rehabilitation. Each year, the organisation leads the nation with their Poppy Appeal, as we remember the men and women of the British Armed Forces who have passed away in service of their country.