Completely Bromsgrove May issue 29

Issue 29

May 2021

Completely

Bromsgrove

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52

International Women’s Day some of the ladies wrote their advice for the younger generation and shared it on our Facebook page,” says Louise, the home’s Lifestyle Coordinator.

“There were some fantastic tips. Margaret’s advice was to ‘always have a sense of humour’.

Dementia care with the Chandler Court difference

“That’s something we definitely have at Chandler Court. At our 1970s themed day the laughter was nonstop. Fancy dress, a disco, quiz, and yummy food brought back all the colour of the decade. And the residents ended the day with cocktails in the bar!”

“When a person is living with dementia, they can still enjoy a fun and fulfilling life. We’re making that happen at Chandler Court.” So says Dawn, Home Manager, at Care UK’s ‘good’-rated care home in Bromsgrove.

“We see the individual behind the dementia and do everything we can to make them feel special,” she explains. “Often the small things make a big difference. When a Welsh lady recently celebrated her birthday we wrote ‘happy

birthday’ in Welsh on her cake, which she loved.”

Reminiscence is a popular pastime at Chandler Court and great for sparking happy memories. “In just the last few weeks we’ve revisited our favourite childhood books on World Book Day and remembered holidays and trips to the zoo on a virtual safari,” Dawn says.

To find out more about dementia care at Chandler Court, please call 01527 907828 or email paul.chambers@careuk.com

Respect is at the heart of the home’s dementia care: the team understands that residents still have so much to offer. “For

Chandler Court care home Recreation Road Bromsgrove Worcestershire B61 8DT careuk.com/chandler-court Completely Bromsgrove

3

Welcome to the May issue of Completely Bromsgrove.

Bromsgrove will be calling residents to the voting booth on May 6th - who will you be voting for? To help inform your choice, see our four-page election special with input from the four main parties.

You can also read about a truly amazing little girl. Amelia, who is seven, was diagnosed with Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) at birth, a type of brain damage occurring in newborn babies resulting from a shortage of oxygen and blood flow to the brain.

Amelia will become a published author using just her eyes, channelling her creativity through cue cards to curate a mini-saga which is due to be published in an upcoming Young Writers anthology.

Congratulations Amelia.

We also bring you the fascinating tale of EMD, whose gravestone was recently found outside the graveyard of St Michael’s and All Angels Church in Stoke Prior. Who was EMD and why was the stone outside the churchyard? Find out on page 26.

12

Contents

6 8 10 12 14 15 16 18 20 22 24

Very best wishes,

Michele Ford

30 38 54

Our MP’s message Young writer Amelia Women in Business Keep B’grove Beautiful Bromsgrove School Alvechurch Legal Services Gardening Beware of Himalayan Balsam Worcs Wildlife Trust Drainage Report Morrisons Little Sunshines

Completely

26 28 29 30 31 35 36 38 40 42 46

Eliza Mary Dee History Home Instead Court Leet Worcs Local Elections High Sherriff Award Food & Drink Asparagus Festival Recipe Post-Lockdown - The Facts Photography Club

Bromsgrove Tel: 07948 086870 Email: completelybromsgrove@gmail.com

4 Completely Bromsgrove

Here at Completely Bromsgrove, we are always proud to be approached by communities to cover stories celebrating good deeds so when we were contacted by Jim Weaver who, along with his colleague John Shakles, heads up the Morrisons Community Group, we were over the moon to take par t in a recent challenge.

Jim put a callout for nominations for any children who had brightened up somebody’s day or did something above and beyond during the pandemic.

Little Sunshines cer tificates and goodie bags were presented to eight lucky children by Jim and John.

Of course, we are now able to pop down to our local for that long-awaited drink and it’s also great to see the High Street alive again.

We must remain vigilant though. Remember to keep your distance, wash your hands and wear your mask.

48 51 52 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 61

Health Birdbox - Welcome Back!

Avoncroft Museum Dodford Childrens Farm Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards HRH Tribute Online Concert The National Trust Blue Cross Pets B’grove Sporting F.C. Avoncroft Cricket Club

Visit our Instagram or Facebook page and leave a comment, we would love to hear from you. www.facebook.com/completelybromsgrove

Sales: Michele Ford Tel: 07948 086870 Design: Matt Walton Design The contents of Completely Bromsgrove magazine are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of Completely Bromsgrove magazine.

Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, but Completely Bromsgrove magazine cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents, or any consequence thereof.

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A message from our MP

H

RH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh devoted his life to serving the UK and Commonwealth. He made me so incredibly proud to be British. I know the thoughts and prayers of residents in Bromsgrove district, the UK and across the Commonwealth are with Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family. I attended evening prayers at St John’s Church in Bromsgrove, with prayers for Prince Philip. It was an incredibly moving service, as was his funeral at Windsor Castle. May he rest in peace.

In April, we reached the second phase of the cautious easing of lockdown restrictions. This will be a great relief for business owners and residents. I’ve been visiting local businesses across the district whilst campaigning for the Conservative county council candidates ahead of the local elections on May 6th.

There cer tainly is a positive atmosphere and I urge residents to keep shopping locally and safely.

recommendations, including tougher sentencing, a new law to guarantee suppor t for victims and a blueprint for tech companies to better protect children online.

Our incredible progress in the vaccination rollout has made this possible, with more than 33 million people (at the time of writing) having now received their vaccine. Ahead of the target date of April 15th, we hit the significant milestone of offering a vaccine to all adults over 50, the clinically vulnerable and health and social care workers.

As ever, if I can be of any assistance to my constituents, please email sajid.javid.mp@parliament.uk

I recently visited the Ar trix Vaccination Centre and BHI Parkside in Bromsgrove to see the vaccine rollout.

Meeting the frontline staff, volunteers and those working behind the scenes was incredibly inspiring and I thank them for their amazing work.

At the end of March, after a year-long no holds barred investigation - I released a 180-page report into child sexual abuse and exploitation. The report contains uncomfor table findings and hard truths, but impor tantly, it concludes that the problem isn’t insurmountable and there is much more we can do. The repor t makes 96 actionable policy

6 Completely Bromsgrove

I know my colleagues in government – and residents in Bromsgrove district - feel as strongly about protecting children as I do. I hope our findings prove useful as they look to crack down on this appalling form of abuse.

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7

Young writer Amelia’s story is an inspiration to all ages B

romsgrove youngster Amelia will become a published author using just her eyes. The inspirational seven-year-old, who is currently non-verbal, channelled her creativity through cue cards to curate a mini-saga which is due to be published in an upcoming Young Writers anthology.

Amelia was diagnosed with Hypoxicischemic encephalopathy (HIE) at birth, a type of brain damage occurring in newborn babies resulting from a shortage of oxygen and blood flow to the brain. She was in intensive care for six weeks shortly after coming into the world and the prognosis wasn’t hopeful.

“She wouldn’t know who we were and wouldn’t know herself in the world,” Amelia’s mother Natalie explained.

After giving birth to Amelia, Natalie wasn’t able to see her new baby daughter for 17 days, “They told me it was dangerous to hope; at that moment, my world fell apart,” she recalled.

Fast forward to the present day and Amelia is a beacon of light and happiness. She uses a wheelchair to navigate and can communicate with visual cues provided by her parents.

When Amelia entered her story The Woods into the Young Writers’ A Wander in the Woods competition, her parents had no idea.

Beaming with pride, Amelia came home one day with a talent for writing certificate in hand.

“Amelia has shown us there is hope and that it’s not dangerous to have hope,” said Natalie.

“It’s that hope that sparked things in our family to

8 Completely Bromsgrove

encourage Amelia to be the best possible version of herself.”

Amelia’s mini-saga will now be published in an upcoming anthology and therefore kept in The British Library for eternity. Her journey is truly inspirational and symbolises overcoming odds and achieving incredible feats. Everyone at Completely Bromsgrove wishes Amelia and her family well for the future.

A full interview with Amelia’s mum Natalie can be found at: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=G5hi1WO_BAY&t=16s

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9

Creative mum cooks up tasty new career

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

C

hildhood birthday parties are associated with smiles and good memories. Just imagine then how you’d feel when Happy Birthday has been sung and the candles blown out but you’re unable to enjoy a slice of cake with all your friends because you’re allergic to eggs, gluten and dairy products.

Bromsgrove mum Victoria Wilkes grew tired of seeing the disappointment on her daughter Siena’s face and decided to star t making cakes and sweet treats that were non-allergenic and tasted great.

“I didn’t like Siena missing out so I got an old recipe book from my mum and started making cakes that she could take to a par ty,” recalled Victoria.

“Even though it’s relatively easy to buy gluten-free flour and dairy-free butter and use other ingredients such as fruit as a replacement for egg, it was trial and error at first. I was determined that the cake would both look and taste nice, unlike some of the bland ‘free from’ products you see in supermarkets.”

Victoria’s passion for allergy friendly baking moved to a whole new level last year when she was furloughed from her job as a secretary and then made redundant.

“I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give it a go and I registered my business, took a food safety and hygiene course, had a logo designed and set up Facebook and Instagram pages to spread the word about Victoria’s Bakes.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time but had to put it on the back burner. Now that the children are older (Siena is 13 and brother Cameron is 9) I have more time to dedicate to it and I’m delighted to say that it has just snowballed.”

As well as customers who can collect safely from her home, Victoria also delivers items across the UK – she has many loyal fans in Kent and Essex – and to her appreciative sister who lives in the USA. This involved lots of research, patience and persistence in the early days of the business.

All are sent via signed for delivery to ensure they arrive at the right destination and Victoria has learned that “biscuits and flat treats work best. It’s not great for cupcakes.”

If you look at the Facebook and Insta pages, it’s easy to see why Victoria’s lovingly created home-bakes have attracted such a devoted fan base. Her treat boxes were a hit from the word go and she’s now creating afternoon tea and picnic boxes for groups of up to six to share when they meet up.

To find out more and place an order, search Victoria’s Bakes. And a word to the wise, book early to avoid disappointment!

10 Completely Bromsgrove

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11

Tackling litter with local and national support

T

he issue of litter has become a lot worse in the UK during lockdown. The positive outcome of this has been an increase in media coverage of the issue, coupled with an increase in community action.

Local litter picking groups across the UK and solo pickers are using their daily exercise time to fight back against the litterers and show a sense of community pride in their local environment.

The 1100-plus members of Keep Bromsgrove Beautiful (KBB), the local community group set up in 2018, have continued to get out and make a difference during lockdown. As the rules are starting to relax, members are looking forward to carrying out group litter picks again (following Keep Britain Tidy, Council, and Government guidelines).

KBB are very excited to announce the launch of a website! Claire Wood from Spurwing Creative has designed and built the site, much to the delight of the group who invite you to take a look. The website

Please note: this photo was taken before the pandemic

12 Completely Bromsgrove

will enable those not on Facebook to keep up with latest news and find out about upcoming events. www.keepbromsgrovebeautiful.com The monthly group litter picks will be starting up again on the last Saturday of every month, starting on 24 April. Events will be set up on the Facebook Group page where you can sign up to attend. Those not on Facebook are welcome to come along - just check the information on the new website and contact the team through that. There are Area Leads (who have a small set of equipment and organise the monthly picks) in Aston Fields, Sidemoor, Sanders Park, Stoke Prior, Stoke Heath/Rock Hill, Charford and Catshill. If you’d like to set up in your area, get in touch via the website.

KBB are proud to support Hereford Community Clean Up Group and BBC Hereford & Worcester’s #ProudToPick initiative. Four group members took part in a live radio report to launch and promote the initiative. Many community litter picking groups have joined together to spread the message, raise awareness and highlight the plight to our environment, wildlife and marine life caused by litter and fly tipping. Everyone can make a difference if we all chip in. Please help this #ProudToPick campaign and do a litter pick. Once you’ve completed your pick, post a photo or a short video/tik tok on your own social media and nominate five others to take the challenge too.

As a Keep Britain Tidy #LitterHeroes Ambassador, KBB’s founder Sarah Milburn will again be throwing the group’s support behind this year’s Great British Spring Clean which will take place between 28 May and 13 June. There will be extra litter picking events and initiatives during that period and the group hopes to get as much of the community involved as possible. Keep an

BEFORE

eye on the Facebook group page, the website, and local media to see how you can join in.

To all those unsung solo #litterheroes out there, thank you for all you do! Anyone in the Bromsgrove District is welcome to record their litter picking endeavours via the website – just scroll down and click on ‘KBB Litter Pick Record’. Monthly totals are published to show how much positive impact is achieved by volunteers.

KBB’s founder Sarah Millburn said “We are so grateful for the support shown to the group and for the County Councillor funding which has enabled us to support so many projects. We are really looking forward to being able to start up all the exciting initiatives we wanted to put in place pre-COVID. If you are an individual or a business who wants to get involved in some way, just get in touch!”

Residents are encouraged to join the group page www.facebook.com/groups/ KeepBromsgroveBeautiful and get involved, or make contact through the website..

AFTER Completely Bromsgrove

13

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The Beginning of Learning

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romsgrove Pre-Preparatory and Nursery is set in the beautiful grounds of a small mansion, on the edge of Bromsgrove town just a mile away from the main site of Bromsgrove prep and senior schools, to which the majority of pupils continue.

Bromsgrove School prides itself on the continuity of education it provides for all pupils from the age of just 2 up to 18. The beautiful School grounds provide unique outside learning opportunities for all children in the School. There is an accredited Forest School, a wildlife pond and bog garden, an outdoor theatre, an adventure trail and an allweather play lawn, as well as large gardens for play and PE lessons.

The School is always delighted to show prospective parents and their children around, either at a formal open morning or on an individually organised visit.

The Nursery at Bromsgrove Pre-Prep provides a safe, secure, happy and stimulating environment and is set in its own building, within the grounds of the larger Pre-Preparatory School. With full access to Pre-Prep’s amazing facilities and extensive play areas the youngest children enjoy being part of the wider Bromsgrove School community. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are based in the main part of the old house, where the modern facilities sit alongside sympathetically restored period features of the original stately home.

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After Brian Hawkins finally retired in October 2019 (at the age of 82!) after over 40 years with the firm there was a spare seat in the Alvechurch Office and thus the idea Alvechurch Legal Services was born…

Laura Hawkins (the Daughter of Andy and Granddaughter of Brian) and James Raybone made it their mission to fill the large gap left by the retirement of Brian.

James and Laura had both worked for national law firms, working all hours under the sun for little reward. We also both felt we could not offer our clients the service they deserved whilst working in such a pressured environment.

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15

GARDENING

“

Fragrant lilacs are traditional spring favourite W e’ll gather lilacs in the spring again.” That’s how the song goes and nothing says spring like the scent of lilac on the breeze.

Lilac is an old English garden classic. Its white, pink or pale purple flowers are excellent for cutting.

Lilacs can be grown as a shrub or small tree and work well both in pots and in the ground. Miniature bushes are available for the patio but be warned that regular lilacs can scale up to four metres in height.

Lilacs love a sunny, well-drained location, with humus-rich soil that is alkaline to neutral. Your lilac will benefit from a mulch in spring. As the flowers

fade towards midsummer, you can deadhead spent blooms and prune shrubs for height and shape.

Bigger pruning jobs, such as renovating an old tree, should take place when the plant is dormant, in winter. Lilacs do respond well to hard pruning, but because they flower on the previous year’s wood, you will lose the flowers for at least one year. To maintain flowering, remove alternate stems, cutting them back to the ground.

Jobs to keep you busy throughout May Secure wayward stems of clematis, roses, honeysuckle and other climbing plants to prevent them being snapped in a gust of wind, depriving you of a show of summer flowers.

Prune early flowering clematis as the blooms fade - keep them within their space and prune stems just above a leaf joint.

Fill your garden with scent by planting sweet pea seedlings in a sunny spot against a trellis or other supports.

Tidy up tulips by snipping off fading heads. Lift out the bulbs in summer, dry on sheets of newspaper and store in a cool, dry place before planting again in autumn.

Many perennials flop by midsummer, so make sturdier plants by giving them the “Chelsea chop” – a technique carried out at the end of the famous flower show. Plants, such as rudbeckia, helenium and sedum can be cut back by half, resulting in bushier plants that will flower again slightly later.

Keep rows of raspberry canes tidy by pulling up shoots that are too far away to be tied in easily.

Sow sweetcorn seeds in pairs, 2.5cm deep and 45cm apart. Water well and after germination, thin each pair to leave the strongest seedling.

Sow seeds of French beans, cabbage, runner beans, kale, carrots and cauliflowers outside.

For summer salads, try radish, salad leaves and spring onions.

Pinch out tops of broad beans to prevent an infestation of black bean aphid, which is attracted to tender young shoot tips.

Feed tomato plants weekly with a fertiliser high in potash to help the fruit swell. Tie in stems and remove side-shoots as necessary.

There are lots of jobs to be getting on with but remember to take a moment to stop, breathe in and enjoy your space.

By Suzi M, garden lover and plotter at Roundhill Allotments

16 Completely Bromsgrove

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17

Managing highly invasive Himalayan Balsam

H

imalayan Balsam, as the name suggests, is native to the foothills of the Himalayas and was introduced to the UK as a garden plant in the 1800s.

Being highly invasive it quickly escaped and became widespread along rivers and ditches where it is a common feature during the summer months.

It is listed under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which means it is an offence to plant or allow this species to grow in the wild.

The plant is easily identified by its pink-purple sweet-smelling flowers, matt green leaves with finely serrated edges, and tall hollow stems. Germination occurs during early spring and the plant grows rapidly up to three metres high and flowers through the summer. From late spring/early summer seed pods form and these explode seeds over a wide distance, so managing the plant before the pods form is vital.

Himalayan Balsam poses no physical risk or danger to humans or animals, but its vigorous growth outcompetes native plants for light, nutrients, space and pollinators, and when it dies back in the autumn it leaves bare banks which are susceptible to erosion leading to an increase in flood risk and a loss of habitat.

In addition, the plants have very shallow root systems and can easily become washed away during flood conditions, forming blockages in the channel.

Each plant forms many seed pods which each contain thousands of seeds and these can remain viable in the

18 Completely Bromsgrove

soil for up to two years, helping the plant to remain established over subsequent years.

Management of Himalayan Balsam is in theory relatively easy, in that it just needs to be pulled or cut before the seed pods form, but to eradicate the plant completely from an area is difficult as it requires constant and prolonged management over the entire catchment, in areas that are often difficult to reach.

The Environment Agency estimated in 2003 that it would cost £300 million to eradicate this plant from then UK entirely. In 2014 Defra approved the use of a rust fungus which impacts only Himalayan Balsam and weakens the plant during the growing season – it is hoped that over time this fungus will spread nationwide and help to provide a natural control to this invasive plant.

What can you do? Next time you’re walking along a riverbank and spot this flower, if the seed pods haven’t yet formed grasp the stems low down on the plant and pull them out from the roots or snap the stem at the lowest node – the plant can then be composted or burned.

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Aerial acrobats I

250 million years ago dragonflies were as big as sparrowhawks! Dragonflies are the largest insects ever to have flown the earth yet the most impressive UK dragonfly today, the emperor, has a wingspan of about 10cm.

Dragonflies and damselflies belong to the order Odonata, which means ‘toothed jaw’ and refers to their serrated mouthparts - these beautiful creatures are stunningly efficient aerial predators of smaller insects. Their larvae live in waterbodies for anything from six months to six years before emerging as the adults we’re more familiar with. Adult dragonflies are larger and bulkier than damselflies and they tend to perch with their two pairs of wings outstretched rather than closed along the length of their body as damselflies do.

Which species is found where depends on the waterbody. Brown hawkers, for example, prefer slow-flowing water or ponds, emperors need larger bodies of water like lakes and the banded and beautiful demoiselles are happiest with streams and rivers.

As the weather warms and we’re able to wander a little further afield, you’ll spot dragonflies and damselflies around almost any waterbody but what if you want to make a dragon oasis in your garden or local greenspace – what can you expect to see? Large red damselflies and broad-bodied chasers are usually first colonisers of new ponds so if you’ve created a wildlife pond as a lockdown project, keep a look out for these this spring and summer.

Your pond will need vegetation to help them clamber out of the water in order to break out of their larval armour and into the beautiful adult forms. If you’re a keen photographer, you could even add a few perches around the pond to help you capture the perfect image.

Fortunately, the two most common garden pond dragons and damsels are easy to recognise. Large red damselflies are just 3-4cm long and are all red. You can separate male from female by the thickness of the black bands on their body (females have more black) but look for them coupled together in the mating ‘wheel’ when the female is ready to lay eggs. Males and females

Beautiful demoiselle by Guy Edwardes 2020VISION

of broad-bodied chasers are much easier to tell apart – the males are pale blue with yellow spots on the side of their abdomens whereas the females are a golden yellow. These are bigger than the large red damselflies and, as their name suggests, they have broad, flattened bodies.

We’re keen to know where both of these species can be found in Worcestershire so if you’ve seen them in your gardens or on your travels, why not snap a photo and upload it via our website www.worcswildlifetrust. co.uk/wildlife-sightings along with a few details about where and when you saw it.

Large red damselfly male by Pete Cheshire

Large red damselfly female by Bob Tunstall

by Wendy Carter, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust

Broad-bodied chaser female by Nigel Hooton

20 Completely Bromsgrove

Keep up to date with us: www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/worcestershirewildlifetrust Follow us on Twitter @WorcsWT Watch us on YouTube www.youtube.com/c/WorcswildlifetrustUK1

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21

How to report drainage problems

Terraced houses with shared sewers

Flats

Detached house with no shared sewers

Property Boundary Footpath

Public Highway Public Sewer and lateral drains, responsibility of water company Drain, responsibility of home owner

W

hen a problem occurs with drainage you often want or need to speak to someone quickly for help and advice; knowing the right number to call is important to avoid delays and ensure the right organisation is made aware of the issue In some instances, the land or property owner will be responsible – this includes where a watercourse passes through or alongside a private property, regardless of if debris has washed down from another property; or for drains and water supply the homeowner is responsible for the length of pipe between the house and the property curtilage, unless the drain also takes water from another property.

As the water and sewerage undertaker for this area, Severn Trent Ltd are responsible for sewers which serve multiple properties, and they are also responsible for the majority of water supply pipes in the district. To report a water leak or sewer flooding, Severn Trent can be contacted on 0800 783 44 44.

Worcestershire County Council are responsible for draining the public highway and the maintenance of road gullies.

There are over 100,000 road gullies in the county, and so the cleansing vehicles collect data at each drain they visit which helps to determine the

22 Completely Bromsgrove

frequency of future visits. It is normal for gullies to retain some water, as this acts as a trap to reduce bad odours. To report a blocked drain, visit Worcestershire County Council’s website.

Signs of pollution in a watercourse, especially if dead or dying fish are spotted, should be reported to the Environment Agency by calling 0800 80 70 60.

The Environment Agency are also responsible for main river flooding – these are larger watercourses including the River Salwarpe and parts of the Spadesbourne and Battlefield Brooks.

For smaller watercourses, known as ordinary watercourses, the North Worcestershire Water Management team at the district council hold powers under the Land Drainage Act to ensure the proper flow of water is maintained to reduce flood risk; to report flooding or a blocked ditch or watercourse you can visit the council’s website or contact NWWM by calling 01562 732 191. The team will contact the landowner(s) to advise what action is required

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Completely Bromsgrove

23

Little Sunshines light Completely Bromsgrove teamed up with Morrisons in Aston Fields to reward We were happy to help after Jim Weaver and his colleague John Shakles, who head up Morrisons Bromsgrove Community, issued a Facebook appeal.

Here are the eight recipients who have been named as Little Sunshines and who each receive a goodie bag.

Elliott Hulse, six, nominated by Angela Garnett “Elliott helped me so much during lockdown.

Supported by his lovely mum Tracie, he delivered a piece of art, pottery, drawings, paintings, models, lanterns into my porch every day. I first met Tracie when she cared for my husband Pete in her role as a nurse as he died at home. She and her family moved into a house on my road just before Pete died. She is an utterly dedicated frontline NHS worker and teaches her children to be kind and caring.”

Olly Marsden, eight, nominated by Rachel Marsden “Olly and has been litter picking through lockdown every week around Catshill. It’s really helped to give him a purpose at such a hard time for children not in school and has been helping to raise awareness for the Keeping Bromsgrove Beautiful group. He was interviewed

by BBC Hereford and Worcester.”

24 Completely Bromsgrove

Freya Lawley, twelve, and Noah Lawley, seven, nominated by Sam Lawley “My children Freya and Noah were inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore and used their pocket money to buy litter grabbers and challenged themselves to pick up 100 pieces of litter. They now carry out litter picking on a regular basis.”

Hannah Turner, nine, nominated by Catherine Turner “My daughter Hannah was a rainbow painting machine and she put them at the end of our drive for walkers to pick up. She loved spotting them in people’s windows when we went for our walk. She then started The Happy Times, a newspaper with weather, jokes and a puzzle section that she posted through the door of a close neighbour who lives alone.”

up the community eight youngsters who have supported the community during the pandemic.

In the goodie bags were: £10 gift card, maths set or paint brushes, 24 pack of coloured pencils and drawing pad, Cadbury Brunch Bars (pack of six), two packs of jelly sweets (Haribo and Cola bottles), Terry’s Chocolate Orange, bag of popcorn and named certificate.

Jim Weaver and his colleague John Shakles

Maisie Fountain, eight, and Luke Fountain, six, nominated by Di Payne “Inspired by Captain Tom during the first lockdown, two young Catshill children, Maisie and Luke decided to raise money for the local foodbank with a sponsored bounce in their back garden. This was an exceptional achievement, particularly for Maisie as she has cystic fibrosis. They did more than 5,000 bounces and raised more than £2,500.”

Christina De Sousa, fifteen, various nominations Christina has been selling boxes of cream teas with proceeds to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.

Morrisons Bromsgrove Community is a company-led initiative under the banner Make Good Things Happen. The Seeds of Hope campaign saw 2.5 million sunflower seeds donated across stores nationwide.

www.facebook.com/ champion.bromsgrove

Completely Bromsgrove

25

EMD 1842 - 1922 - a detective story H

ere at Completely Bromsgrove we love a good mystery and are fascinated by the story of this grave marker, found outside St Michael and All Angels in Stoke Prior and looked after

by Jonathan and Jo Till, who live in what once was the rectory.

Eliza Mary Dee

Who was EMD and why was the stone outside the churchyard? Gary Stokes takes up the tale.

Both Daisy and Ethel died in Aston in 1886 and Daisy was brought back to Stoke Prior to be with her sister Mary. Were Ethel and George Silver brought back too?

Eliza Mary Dee of Clapham, who died at the age of 80, was buried on August 10th, 1922. The curate from Clapham conducted the service but there is no indication why her grave would be outside the boundary or why her name wouldn’t be on it.

After George, Ethel and Daisy died, Eliza returned to London. She was living in Tottenham at the time of the 1891 census and was at her son William’s house in Clapham in 1901 census when he was 30.

Her husband George, an accountant at the John Corbett Salt Walks, sometimes called himself George Silver Dee and their surname is recorded in the 1881 census as Silverdee. Eliza Mary’s maiden name was Dee so it is possible that she married a cousin.

When the couple married in 1865, George was an orphan and a commercial traveller but at some point he upgraded to accountancy. He was also secretary of Stoke Works School’s Board of Managers in 1879.

Eliza gave birth to William in London in 1871, Charles in London in 1875, Ethel Georgina Mary in Stoke Prior in 1878 and Daisy Hannah in Stoke Prior in 1881. Daisy was baptised in October 1885 in Aston, Warwickshire, where the family were living by April 1881. Alice Mary or May was born in Aston in 1884.

Both Georgina and Daisy died in 1886, aged around eight and five, possibly around the same time as their father. Their deaths were registered in Aston rather than Bromsgrove.

We have been unable to find any reason for the family’s connection to Stoke Prior other than the fact two daughters were born there. The family seem to have lived in Stoke Prior from at least 1878 to January 1881 and are living in Aston by the 1881 census.

George & Eliza Dee with Mary May

26 Completely Bromsgrove

The 1911 census for daughter Alice at Gauden Road, Clapham, gives her relation to head of household as daughter, but Eliza is not present. The same address in the 1922 electoral roll has both mother and daughter.

Eliza’s death was registered in Wandsworth in 1922 and she was survived by four children, George, William, Charles and Alice.

For a family burial plot, Stoke Prior was perhaps the only obvious choice even though the family lived in the area very briefly.

Since this story appeared in the Bromsgrove Standard earlier this year, the church has received an email from Eliza’s family who live in the north of England. Another descendant was reading the paper online in Australia and contacted the family in the UK, who then contacted the church.

There is now contact with another descendant in Perth, Australia who knows about Eliza but was unaware that she was at rest at St Michael and All Angels.

We have now learned that Eliza and her family are all at peace in our churchyard, although no gravestones can be found. It is said that a previous vicar removed loose and damaged stones and placed them in the woodland. At the time, this would have been the church grounds and is now part of Jo and Jonathan’s estate.

St Michael and All Angels

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HISTORY

Additional Bromsgrove Society online talk added to conclude the season T he Bromsgrove Society moved their season of talks online to continue to hold them through the past year, and the move has turned out to be a huge success.

Audience numbers have reached, and exceeded, 120 viewers for the Tuesday night talks which focus on aspects of local history. The varied talks have covered topics such as Milestones and Waymarkers, the history of the Bromsgrove Cour t Leet, the Bromsgrove Guild, Big Ber tha, the development of the Charford housing estate and most recently the Lives and Legacy of Freddy and Mary Charles. Most of the talks are available to view on the Bromsgrove Society’s YouTube channel – so don’t worry if you’ve missed them.

You can join the free talk to discover more about this fascinating character who cared about the preservation of heritage in many different areas. The talk will take place at 7.30pm on Tuesday 18 May online, via the Zoom platform. For details on how to register for a place to watch the talk visit www.bsoc.co.uk LTC Rolt

To conclude the successful season local historian and Bromsgrove Society member Julian Hunt has agreed to give a talk about L T C Rolt, the railway and canal preservation pioneer. Julian has recently undertaken a research project into the author of the famous book Narrow Boat, published in 1944. Rolt penned the book whilst moored at Tardebigge, the flight of locks we covered in the history section of last month’s Completely Bromsgrove.

Although an engineer by trade, Lionel Thomas Caswell Rolt was a prolific author, with biographies of major civil engineering figures Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Thomas Telford in his portfolio of publications. He was also a co-founder of the Vintage Sports Car Club and the Inland Waterways Association and the driving force behind the preservation of the Talyllyn Railway.

28 Completely Bromsgrove

by Jo Slade

Advertisement Feature

Senior Snippets –

The Importance of Staying Hydrated

W

elcome to the latest edition of our monthly advisory column with the older members of our community in mind, brought to you by Annie Dixon-Dunn of Home Instead Redditch & Bromsgrove.

Older people are vulnerable to dehydration due to physiological changes in the ageing process, but this can be complicated by illness, medication, and mental or physical frailty. As we begin to head into the warmer months it is important to remain hydrated.

Thirst is the bodies way of balancing hydration levels but as we age our sensation reduces and with it our ability to rely on it as an indicator. This can be exaggerated in people with dementia or those who have had a stroke.

Let’s take a look a look at the positive health benefits and some simple tips to increase fluid intake.

Why? - On average you can last 10 times longer without food than without water (30-40 days without food, 3-4 days without water). We need it for: regulating body temperature, keeping joints lubricated, prevent/reduce infections, improve organ function (in particular kidney’s), deliver nutrients to cells. Being wellhydrated also improves sleep, cognition, and mood.

Signs of dehydration - Feeling thirsty, dark yellow or strong smelling urine, dizziness, headache, reduced concentration, lethargy, dry skin or eyes, urinating fewer than 4 times per day.

Tips to help hydration: Ensure drinks are readily available. For people with reduced mobility, place drinks within easy reach, and for people with dexterity or swallowing problems use straws, bottles, beakers with lids or whatever works well for that person.

Eat more foods with a high water content like fruits, vegetables, soups, yoghurts, ice creams.

It doesn’t have to be plain water! Drink fruit juice, smoothies, tea, flavoured tea or coffee. Also change the temperature to suit, there’s nothing wrong with a hot Vimto!

Try to avoid high sugar drinks and also alcohol as this is a diuretic and will increase urine output and dehydration.

Water or Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s) are common in older people and although caused by a bacterial infection rather than dehydration, increased fluid intake helps to dilute the bacteria by flushing the system. UTI’s can take hold very quickly, cause severe confusion and lead to hospital admission or further complications if left untreated.

For more information about Home Instead or if you have a suggestion for a future topic, please write to me at annie. dixon-dunn@homeinstead.co.uk. Alternatively, you can also call me on 01564 741620

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29

Bromsgrove Court Leet pays tribute to members in online meeting T

he Ancient Court Leet and Court Baron of the Manor of Bromsgrove held the Great Spring Court meeting online via the Zoom platform as the restrictions in place meant the usual venue, the New Guesten Hall at Avoncroft, couldn’t be used.

During the pandemic, the Court has been keen to carry on with the usual calendar of events in the best way possible under the circumstances. Robes and regalia were worn by those who attended as the business of the Court was heard online.

The Town Crier and Court Leet Bellman Kevin Ward opened the Court and the Chappelyn, Reverend Rayman Khan said a prayer. A moment of silence, accompanied by a presentation, was held in tribute to those members who had passed away in 2021.

This year the Court has said good-bye to four long standing members. Gordon Jones, Bailiff 1982 (22.02.1927 – 26.01.21) aged 93, John Wesley Lock, Tythingman (13.11.1928 – 05.03.2021) aged 91, Michael Leonard Clements, Bailiff 1987 (22.02.1935 – 16.03.2021) aged 83 and Christopher Vandeleur Firminger, Bailiff 2006 and Marshal 2020 (01.12.1963 – 27.02.2021) aged 57. Members of the Court at the meeting raised a glass to toast their absent friends who were all thanked for their service and commitment to the Court and town. Condolences were expressed to the families.

Current Bailiff Joanne Slade said “It has been a very sad start to the year for the Court, and my thoughts are very much with the families who have lost loved ones. I was pleased we were able to hold our Great Spring Court meeting and pay our respects to the

30 Completely Bromsgrove

four members who have passed away this year. I am hopeful that we will be able to return to holding our events in person very soon, and we shall do this in memory of those who are no longer with us.”

The meeting continued with the Foreman of the Jury reporting on the activities of the Jurors and the Headborough called the Tythingmen to the Court and asked them to present their lists. Once all the business of the Court had been heard the Headborough closed the Court.

The traditional day for Court Leet Fair Day where the Royal Charter of 1199 is celebrated in the town falls on 26 June in 2021. The Court hopes to be able to carry out the colourful procession, the proclamation of the Charter and the assizes in the High Street on that day.

Keep an eye on www.facebook.com/ CourtLeetBromsgrove for news and events.

Who gets your vote?

E

lections to Worcestershire County Council will take place on May 6th and the Completely Bromsgrove team would like to urge you to cast your vote to determine the way our district is run.

We asked all four parties fielding candidates in this area – Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Green Party – to submit their local manifestos which you will find in this four-page election special.

?

A

bdul Jilani is the Labour Party’s candidate for Bromsgrove South at May’s local elections.

Abdul lives locally in Bromsgrove and believes our town has had a poor deal from the Conservative-run Worcestershire County Council over recent years.

We need decisions to be made locally, by people that live locally and understand our town.

accommodation treated with dignity without having to change care homes due to lack of funding.

How can it be right that a group of Conservative councillors, most not even living in Bromsgrove, try to push through mass development at Whitford and Perryfields without a thought to the traffic congestion and pollution these schemes risk? What is more, did they secure a penny to help local GP services support thousands more residents? No.

We want education to be enhanced for people throughout life and the use of our libraries with new books and computer facilities at the centre of this learning. This is in contrast to years of Conservative cuts to local services.

Labour has been calling for a Western relief road for Bromsgrove since 2011. It’s just plain wrong to improve the transport on one side of the town whilst stuffing all the development onto the other side of Bromsgrove.

We wish to strengthen and expand our environmental and trading standards team to protect the people of Worcestershire from pollution and dangerous goods. We wish this service to become self-funding.

Labour in Worcestershire will put the environment and a greener county at the centre of everything which we do.

Labour wishes to see people in social care Completely Bromsgrove

31

Mark Boulton – Bromsgrove West Living on the Kidderminster Road right in the heart of the Bromsgrove West Division, helps me to understand the issues that residents are faced with in our local communities. My candidacy is about making a difference to our community by representing your views and supporting your suggestions for improvement in our area.

Kyle Daisley – Bromsgrove South The views of residents and how they will be impacted is always my first consideration when working as your councillor. For example, at a recent planning committee meeting I objected to a commercial building extension in Stoke Prior which I felt would damage the area in many ways.

Kit Taylor – Bromsgrove East Having lived in Bromsgrove all my life, raised two daughters here and run a business, the issues that concern residents concern me. As your current County Councillor, I have the experience to get the most out of the position and have worked with you to solve the problems you have raised with me.You have made it clear what matters to you.

Kashmir Uppal – Bromsgrove Central We have a Conservative run district and county council as well as a Conservative MP, Sajid Javid. Residents would be best served by a Conservative councillor who can be part of the team with the power to deliver for residents rather than someone who is unable to exert any influence.

Karen May – Clent Hills If re-elected, I want to build on the strong foundations already laid. Complete the Superfast Broadband rollout, continue our Highways investment programme into our roads and pavements, transform public transport and connectivity to rail, keep council tax as low as possible and take advantage of the opportunity to further invest into our countryside and Public Rights of Way.

32 Completely Bromsgrove

Shirley Webb - Woodvale I am really looking forward to getting back to meeting you all face to face and working in the community, building on our strong local assets. I am keen to arrange PACT meetings once we are able to, working with our local partners, parish councils and safer neighbourhood team.

Aled Luckman – Alvechurch It is important that we ensure that Alvechurch has a strong voice at County - a voice that is decisive, works collaboratively and delivers the schemes and services Alvechurch deserves.

Adrian Kriss – Beacon I have lived and worked in Bromsgrove, as a health professional, for almost 40 years. Now my plan is continuing to help people in a different way, firstly, in my election as the District Councillor for Rubery South in May 2019.

Adam Kent – Wythall Crime was the main issue faced in 2017 and still is. However, in response we have delivered over 3000 smar t water anti-burglary kits to residents, drastically reducing burglaries. The fight against crime and speeding continues with Hollywood Lane high on the list of priorities.

Sam Evans

Jo Mckenna

Josh Robinson

David Nicholl

F

or too long the residents of Bromsgrove have felt let down and not listened to. Whether that be on the lack of a Western Relief Road to solve the chronic congestion in our town, the state of our roads or the lack of safe and convenient cycle paths.

The Bromsgrove Liberal Democrats have been working hard listening to your concerns and actioning those; from double yellow lines outside Townsend Avenue ensuring a safer exit for residents, campaigning successfully to save the number 202 bus service to enable residents to continue to access a vital bus service or campaigning to ensure our town becomes carbon neutral.

Our candidates are committed to unlocking our town. A vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote for a Western relief road, a vote for putting climate change at the forefront of everything we do, a vote for better cycling and walking infrastructure and a vote for a councillor who will listen to your concerns and be active all year round.

Our candidates in Bromsgrove Central, East, South and West are Joshua Robinson, Samuel Evans, David Nicholl and Joanna McKenna.

Joshua Robinson works and lives in the centre of Bromsgrove and has been active in trying to sor t issues out in the area for years. Josh and the team have managed to implement a safer crossing point on College Road, double yellow lines outside Townsend Avenue and numerous potholes filled, drains emptied and has lobbied hard for

better cycle infrastructure. He is also committed to getting East Road re-surfaced and the pavement on Alcester Road.

Samuel Evans has already started running local surgeries with Janet King, the district councillor for Lickey Hills, to ensure he is listening to all residents. Sam also successfully ran a campaign to save the number 202 bus service, has raised issues with the council about pavement parking and managed to solve a long running safety issue with a utility cover on Marlborough Avenue.

Dr David Nicholl has highlighted the appalling way funds to help those who are forced to self-isolate due to the current pandemic have been distributed, meaning a real choice for some residents between doing the right thing and risking having no money for rent and going into work to afford the rent. David has also highlighted how difficult it is to get issues raised and solved with the county council and has called for greater transparency.

Joanna McKenna, a doctor in the NHS, has campaigned for teachers to be vaccinated as a priority to ensure all those who are working in riskier jobs are protected. Joanna is also campaigning for better electric charging points in the district and against the development at Perryfields without a Western Relief Road.

YOUR LOCAL LIB DEM TEAM ARE CAMPAIGNING… FOR BETTER ACTIVE TRAVEL SCHEMES

Josh Robinson

Bromsgrove Central

TO REBUILD LOCAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES David Nicholl Bromsgrove South @BromsLibDems

FOR LOCAL ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE Sam Evans Bromsgrove East

FOR A WESTERN BYPASS AND BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE Jo McKenna Bromsgrove West @LibDemsBromsgrove A: 53 Bewell Head, Bromsgrove, B61 8HX

Printed by Bromsgrove Printing Co, 14 Worcester Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B61 7AE. Published and promoted by Joshua Robinson, James Clarke and Vanessa Verlinden on behalf of Samuel Evans, Joshua Robinson, David Nicholl and Joanna McKenna (Liberal Democrats) all at 53 Bewell Head, Bromsgrove, B61 8HX. The Liberal Democrats, locally and nationally, may use any information you have provided, including your political views, to further our objectives, share it with our elected representatives and/or contact you in future using any of the means provided. Some contacts may be automated. You may opt out of some or all contacts or exercise your other legal rights by contacting us. Further details are in our Privacy Policy at www.libdems.org.uk/privacy.

Completely Bromsgrove

33

John Smout

Broms Central

Peter Harvey Broms South

Nicola Payne Wythall

Peter Measham Kevin White Broms East

Alvechurch

Jill Harvey Beacon

Julian Gray Woodvale

Jennifer Eccleston Clent Hills

Jake Hughes Broms West

W

e recognise the important work done by local community projects and place value on their understanding of the needs of residents. We pledge to support and work in par tnership with community organisations, to tackle the issues faced by local people and to ensure every person has the best possible chance in life.

We accept the importance that green spaces and natural habitats play in our lives and will ensure that any proposed change of use will undergo thorough public consultation, to ensure a balance between the needs of the local community and our towns in general.

We recommend that any new-build housing should be carbon-neutral; designed to enhance community, create a sense of place, and ensure adequate infrastructure.

There should be a greater provision of affordable homes and opportunities to work with local building firms, with emphasis and support placed on utilising empty buildings as new homes.

We believe now is a perfect opportunity to kick-start a “green recovery”. We would support local businesses to improve ways of working and encourage the towns to plugin to the potential for up and coming “green sector jobs”.

We are calling for “citizens’ panels” to find ways to

34 Completely Bromsgrove

locally tackle the climate emergency, declared by Redditch and Bromsgrove councils in 2019.

Having pledged our support to Worcestershire Active Travel Partnership, we believe that a wide-ranging approach to “getting around” needs to be taken; one that is safe, affordable and efficient, offering a practical alternative to everyday driving.

We would call upon borough and county councils to “divest” their investments from the fossil fuel industry.

We have pledged our support to local libraries, as they provide important vitality to our communities. With the planned re-development for Redditch town centre, we would ensure that facilities at Redditch Library would not be compromised.

Green Party candidates for Bromsgrove seats in the Worcestershire County Council election: (one vote)

Church fundraiser Gary receives prestigious High Sherriff award

A

dedicated member of St Michael and All Angels Church who led the historic Stoke Prior building’s renovation and improvement project has been presented with a prestigious award.

Gary Stokes was given the accolade by Richard Amphlett, the High Sheriff of Worcestershire, for ‘great and valuable services to the community’.

Gary led the team which raised £750,000 through personal donations and grants. The work, which is due to be finished in the coming months, was made possible with the help of charities and trusts, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the LG Harris Trust.

The project will see a new pathway to the west door and a glass vestibule with an automatic door designed to give free unaided level access which will allow visitors to enter and leave the church safely.

The High Sheriff ’s Award recognises the community engagement which has been a key part of the project since the fundraising campaign was launched six years ago.

director for England, Midlands and East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery Players, we are delighted to award St Michael and All Angels with a grant that not only carries out urgent repairs, but will ensure it is preserved for the community to years to come, with work hopefully leading to the church no longer being listed as Heritage at Risk.

“By improving accessibility for the church as well as creating resources aimed at new audiences, we hope that the church will see many new visitors walk through its doors. We have been very proud to invest in Worcestershire’s heritage over the years in order for it to be showcased far and wide.”

Mr Amphlett was joined for the presentation by the Archdeacon of Worcester Nikki Groarke, Rev Canon Wyn Beynon and Rev Paula Honniball.

During a Covid-safe event, Gary and his wife Catherine were also given a cheque and a hamper of cakes baked by several people associated with the Tower Friends. Guests were also given the chance to see how the improvements were progressing.

The church has links to John Corbett, known as the Salt King, who had the building renovated in the 19th century.

When the renovation project was awarded a £330,000 National Lottery grant last summer, Anne Jenkins,

Completely Bromsgrove

35

Food and Drink

36 Completely Bromsgrove

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The Vale’s “Green for the Gras” Season is back!

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rom 23rd April to 21st June, the Vale of Evesham will be turning green to celebrate this year’s English Asparagus Season!

Commencing on St Georges Day, the English Asparagus season is the perfect opportunity for the Vale to celebrate its horticultural history and association with Asparagus. Not only is the local ‘gras’ precious to the locals, it has also proved supreme by achieving its protected food status in 2015.This status positions the Vale of Evesham Asparagus in an elite group of protected food and drinks alongside some of the highest quality European produce.

This year’s season will be slightly different to normal due to the ongoing restrictions…However, there are still plenty of ways to get involved. Whether you support your local farm shop and buy some Vale of Evesham Asparagus to cook and enjoy or even decorate your windows green to celebrate this prestigious vegetable that the vale is so proud of! Also keep an eye out for any appearances on TV or social media of our asparamad mascot Gus and our very own Asparamancer.

Did you know?

Asparagus can grow 10 inches in just 24 hours!

Gus

For more fun facts like this and information about the Vale of Evesham Asparagus and the English Asparagus Season 2021, download our Asparagus Guide from www.britishasparagusfestival.co.uk or call 01386 565373 Facebook-@thebritishasparagusfestival Twitter- @AsparagusFest Instagram- @asparagusfestival

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38 Completely Bromsgrove

Gus and St. George

Farm Shop

Brood Farm Shop, (Formerly known as ‘The Stables’) Astwood Lane, Astwood Bank B96 6PS Tel 01527 868698

RECIPE

Spicy tomato & sausage gnocchi with fennel & spinach

A

real warming comfort dish, this takes flavour-packed sausage meat and boosts it with the flavour of soy sauce. Fresh spaghetti would also work well instead of the gnocchi if you prefer.

Per serving: Per serving 2399kJ / 572kcal 26.3g fat 9.6g saturates 58.8g carbohydrate 14.9g sugars 9.3g fibre 26.1g protein 4.6g salt

Serves 4 Prep: 10 mins Cook: 40 mins

Ingredients: 400g herby sausages 1tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 fennel bulbs, diced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes ½tsp dried chili flakes 2tsp dried oregano 2 bay leaves 1tbsp tomato puree 3tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce 500g pack fresh gnocchi 100g baby spinach Small pack of basil, leaves chopped Grated parmesan, to serve

www.lovebritishfood.co.uk

40 Completely Bromsgrove

Method: Slit open the sausages and remove the sausage meat, discarding the skins. Heat a wide, high-sided frying pan with the oil over a high heat and cook the sausage meat for 8-10 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Once golden brown all over, tip onto a plate and set aside.

Add the onion and fennel to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute then add the tinned tomatoes with 200ml water, the chili flakes, oregano, bay leaves, tomato puree and soy sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes, until reduced slightly and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the gnocchi according to the pack instructions.

While the gnocchi is cooking, stir the spinach through the sauce until it’s just wilted. Drain the gnocchi and stir into the sauce with the basil.

Remove the bay leaves, divide between 4 plates and serve with the parmesan and plenty of fresh black pepper.

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41

What can I do...

...when lockdown eases further on May 17?

F

rom May 17 at the earliest, changes will be made to rules around social contact and meeting others, enabling us to return to a more normal life.

The government from this date “will look to continue easing limits on seeing friends and family wherever possible, allowing people to decide on the appropriate level of risk for their circumstances”.

This means that most legal restrictions on meeting others outdoors will be lifted but gatherings of more than 30 people will remain illegal.

Meeting indoors will be allowed but the rule of six or two households will apply. It is hoped that domestic stays overnight with people not in your household or bubble will also be permitted.

Pubs and restaurants will welcome customers indoors When pubs and restaurants reopened on April 12, customers could only sit outside. However, from May 17 we will be allowed to enjoy drinks and meals inside the pub or restaurant.You will have to be seated. There will be no curfew and you won’t need to have a substantial meal with alcoholic drinks.

Changes to limits on weddings Those who are having events such as weddings will

42 Completely Bromsgrove

see changes from May 17. Up to 30 people will be allowed to attend and these restrictions also apply to other types of significant life events including christenings.

Indoor entertainment venues can reopen Places like museums, theatres, cinemas, and children’s play areas will be allowed to reopen from May 17. Any outdoor entertainment venues that still haven’t reopened will be allowed to do so from this date, which means indoor exercise classes can resume and hotels and B&Bs can also reopen.

Some larger events can take place The government has said “some larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues with a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full (whichever is a lower number), and in outdoor venues with a capacity of 4,000 people or half-full (whichever is a lower number)” can take place. In the largest outdoor seated venues, where crowds can be spread out, up to 10,000 people will be allowed to attend – great news for music venues and sport.

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Completely Bromsgrove

43

THE

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44 Completely Bromsgrove

HANBURY TURN

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Tel: 01527 577187 Completely Bromsgrove 45

Holly Scrivens

Rebecca Boardman

Debbie Ballinger

46 Completely Bromsgrove

Gordon Rogers

Mark Graham

Thriving group promotes mindfulness through photography E

stablished in June 2020, the Photographing Bromsgrove Facebook Group now has more than 150 members and continues to attract interest from local snappers of all ages and abilities.

Initially set up as a platform to share his own images of the local area, group founder Neil MacDonald was keen to get others feeling the health and wellbeing benefits of mindfulness through photography.

“At a time when the COVID-19 lockdown had us in its grip, I was keen to explore more of the local town and countryside on foot,” said Neil.

“Not having to commute to work each day gave me more time, energy and motivation to roam the town and surrounding countryside. Each time I ventured out I was amazed how easy it was to discover new things of interest.

“Old buildings, impressive scenic views, flora and fauna were constantly coming to my attention. Prior to the pandemic, my mind was just too pre-occupied with daily distractions to notice these things.”

People don’t need to be an award-winning photography wizard to experience the wellbeing and health benefits such a hobby brings. Nor do you need the latest top of the range photographic equipment. All you need is a smar t phone and you are good to go.

As well as offering a rewarding hobby, photography encourages us to be more active and contributes to a healthy mind.

Photographing Bromsgrove offers a platform for individuals (of any standard) to share their images or positive moments, communicate learning about photography or the local area.

The group also gives members the oppor tunity to socially engage with others in the local community through personal interests in their local area. More broadly, today is tomorrow’s history and the group offers a potential source of captured history for future generations.

“Photographing Bromsgrove has evolved over the last year to encourage the community to engage with the built, social and natural environment within which they live. Bromsgrove district is packed with natural beauty, history and culture – you just need to take a small moment to stop and look up to observe and experience it,” added Neil.

This month, Completely Bromsgrove has shared just a small selection of the 300+ images submitted to Photographing Bromsgrove in the last month alone. We are confident readers will agree that our local area has a lot to show off and be proud of.

Please enjoy and feel free to check out Photographing Bromsgrove on Facebook if you want to share your own images of the local area or simply enjoy the work of others.

Margaret Rose Davies

“I love these pages. It celebrates the best of Bromsgrove and its surroundings in every season. During the first lockdown, I started walking from my front door and have continued ever since, exploring the diversity of nature in our beautiful park, capturing sunsets and discovering new landscapes. I even made a ‘Beautiful Bromsgrove’ photobook to dip into and remind me of things to be thankful for in these unprecedented current circumstances.”

Rebecca Boardman

Darren Waldron

“I love where I live in Bromsgrove. It’s a beautiful place with great scenery where you can escape and take your photos and great to post them on photographing in bromsgrove and sharing with the community. Thank you” Joanne Lewis Fitton Completely Bromsgrove

47

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Ayurvedic Therapy

A

yurveda is a Sanskrit word meaning “Laws of Health”. Ayurveda originated as part of “Vedic Science”. It was the healing gift of the ancient enlightened Vedic culture in India and has been practiced since before 4000BC. Ayurveda therapy is interested in the whole person that includes, the physical, psychological and spiritual attributes of a person. Its the theory of three elements, air, water and fire which are taken very seriously.

Ayurveda believes that a person must be considered as a body, psyche and soul without separation.

Ayurveda has what they call three Doshas.The body is divided into three areas according to the characteristics of the three doshas, which are Vata, Pitta and Kapha VATA: belongs to the function of the air. This is then connected to the respiratory system the throat and the digestive tract. It controls the movement in the body such as breathing, swallowing etc.

PITTA: belongs to the sun, and connected to fire and earth elements. Related to the liver, spleen, heart and eyes, which is connected to the way food is taken into the body. As we chew our food, saliva is produced the element water which helps when it enters the stomach and starts to produce heat element fire. The transport of the food from the stomach through the liver and other organs produce blood that is carried to the heart, this pitta movement helps our circulation.

KAPHA: belongs to the moon and connected to the water element, which controls the flow of moisture in the body.The secretions in the skull to maintain efficient working of the brain, salivary juices and cardiac fluids and gastric juices are all under the control of the Kapha.

VATA Physique: tall, thin Weight: low Complexion: dull Skin: dry, cold Hair: scanty, dry, wavy Eyes: small, dry, brown

PITTA Physique: medium, moderate Weight: moderate Complexion: red, flushed Skin: warm, moist, freckles Hair: moderate, fine, greys early Eyes: medium, inflame easily, green

In Ayurvedic, diseases are products of disharmony of the three doshas. The biological humors are factors of both physical and psychological disease. They indicate wrong humor, emotional disorders or imbalance in the mind. With Ayurvedic this aims to balance the humors and to neutralise the disease process. It is not interested in the classification of the disease as in Western medicine it is more concerned with what is the underlying cause, so this may be rectified. As you

48 Completely Bromsgrove

Ayuveda is to maintain the balance of all three of these doshas within the body. An example: If we take asthma, an Ayurvedic therapist would observe that the element air was excessively dominant. They would then prescribe a diet that excludes any Vata foods such as rice and spices and then use a remedy, which would stimulate the other two elements. In a chronic condition the physician would first begin with diet before medication, on the assumption that the milder the remedy, the less the danger from side - effects.

Once you know which type you are then you can see if your body is in balance. I was born Pitta but I now have a tendency towards Kapha.

KAPHA Physique: short stout, well developed Weight: heavy Complexion: white and pale Skin: thick, cold, moist Hair: abundant, oily thick and wavy Eyes: wide, prominent, attractive

study Ayurvedic more deeply you find that each dosha is then split into five parts, and each part reflects an area of the body and which foods should or should not be eaten. I have investigated Ayurvedic and it’s combination with aromatherapy which can then take you off into another direction completely!

If you are interested to know more please let me know. colette@need4change.com

by Colette Garside

Mental Health Awareness and Support With May being mental health awareness month, we want to take the opportunity to highlight the wellbeing benefits of leading a creatively and physically active life.

The evidence clearly shows that exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.

What isn’t discussed so much is how the lack of exercise can lead to mental health problems. For example, not getting enough physical activity into your daily routine can actually cause depression, anxiety and even dementia to varying degrees.

The good news is that you really can feel better after taking just five minutes of moderate exercise. The key thing is to get a bit out of breath, so that your body releases chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins that make you feel happy. Not only is your brain releasing feel-good chemicals, it’s also getting rid of ones which make you feel stressed and anxious. Exercising for half an hour (only 2%) of each day can make a massive physical as well as emotional difference to your health.

Do you want to meet new people, share experiences and be part of a group with similar goals? Do you feel the need to exercise but want advice and support to help? Get in touch with us at ‘sd@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk’ about our upcoming C25K and other programmes.

The evidence is equally conclusive that leading a creatively active life is hugely important to emotional wellbeing and mental health.

The arts are some of the most powerful tools we have to connect with one another and explore what matters to us. Many of us have found listening to music, reading and accessing culture online has been vital to our wellbeing during the last year – and as things start to open up again there will, we hope, increasingly be opportunities to come together in-person and share creative experiences with another.

Whatever creative activity you’re interested in, the chances are that Arts in Redditch and Bromsgrove Arts Alive – the two local cultural forums with which we work – will have a member organisation dedicated to it. In relation to mental health awareness, we’d particularly like to highlight our partners the Word Association, who are currently offering a programme of online mental health and LGBTQ+ support creative writing sessions to residents.

For more information visit www.the-word-association.com or contact ‘holly@hollywinterhughes.com’

Completely Bromsgrove

49

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50 Completely Bromsgrove

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Welcome back with Bromsgrove BirdBox

T

he BirdBox has fluffed up its feathers and new signs have been installed to welcome visitors back to Bromsgrove town centre.

With the help of the Government’s Welcome Back fund, and because they needed replacing, the new signs now invite people to perch – but to do so safely. Sadly, the funky BirdBox graphics also need to be replaced due to recent vandalism.

The Birdbox was launched last year as a space to hold events from pop up restaurants and craft markets to youth festivals and multimedia evenings.

In between lockdowns last year the space opened to suppor t local businesses, providing seating and tables for visitors to buy food and drinks from local traders, plus popups. All-weather seating means people can sit down and enjoy a coffee, their lunch, a book and now, since the easing of Covid restrictions, meet with up to five friends.

BirdBox was delivered by North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration on behalf of Bromsgrove District Council.

Bromsgrove centres manager Simon Creed said: “I was very sad to see the vandalism caused over the past few weeks. We need to respect our town centre and its public spaces.

“Birdbox was bustling last year and it was brilliant to see so many people enjoying themselves in the space and benefiting our local businesses who hadn’t been trading for months, at the same time.

“With our Welcome Back campaign, we want to encourage people - now more of our shops and businesses are open to shop local and to enjoy what’s on their doorstep.

“The BirdBox is no exception and while we are quite limited on what we can do there at the moment, I am working with our events team to ensure the BirdBox flies high again soon. In the meantime, please continue to enjoy this wonderful space.”

If you are interested in booking the BirdBox to hold an event visit www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/events

Dipomed stretch mark reduction now available at 3D Body Sculpt

3

D Body Sculpt Bromsgrove is pleased to announce the addition of a revolutionary new stretch mark reduction treatment which is coming to our clinic in May.

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Client’s typically see a reduction of between 30% - 80% improvement in their first session!

A maximum of three treatments can be carried out per area (if needed).

Our launch offer is a 50% DISCOUNT on all early-bird bookings (sessions are normally £275).

If you’d like to take advantage of this new treatment, or would like to find out more give us a call on 01527350401 Natalie Bailey Tel: 01527 350401 Dipomed Stretch Mark Reduction Approved Provider, Bromsgrove *Deposit required to secure your appointment

www.3dbodysculpt.co.uk

Completely Bromsgrove

51

Avoncroft Museum awarded additional £92,000 from Government A

voncroft Museum in Bromsgrove has been awarded £92,000 in the second round of the Government and Arts Council England’s Culture Recovery Fund. This welcome investment will allow the museum to pay for some urgent repairs and open its doors once again to the public in the early summer.

The museum usually relies on public admissions and donations to cover conservation and staff costs, along with profits from the tearoom and shop. It also earns income as a unique venue for weddings and functions. All of these sources of income have of course been severely impacted by the Covid-19 restrictions, and the museum has had to rely on recovery grants to keep its head above water.

Michael Woolley, Chair of Trustees at Avoncroft Museum, said; “After a very difficult twelve months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is very exciting news that the Museum has been awarded a further grant of £92, 000 from the Culture Recovery Fund.

This will make a major contribution towards being able to re-open the Museum safely and under take some of the repairs to the buildings necessitated by the Museum being closed for such a long time. The future is looking much brighter today as a result of this grant.”

Zoe Willems, Director at Avoncroft Museum, said; “I’m delighted that we’ve been successful in this bid for recovery funding. It’s a real boost for the museum, a vote of confidence in our future. With it we can

52 Completely Bromsgrove

press ahead with our plans for reopening and we’re all looking forward to sharing the stories of our Midlands heritage with visitors once again and playing an active and vibrant part in our local community.”

Avoncroft Museum grounds will be open across the Bank Holiday weekend of the 1st to 3rd of May, and every weekend in May from 10am to 5pm. Despite the buildings remaining closed the 19 acres of orchard, fields, meadows, picnic areas and playgrounds will provide a large amount of outdoor space for visitors to explore.

On top of this the museum is also reopening its tea rooms with a takeaway offer on food, drinks and firm favourites for the Spring such as ice-cream.

In order to ensure visitors to Avoncroft remain safe and have an enjoyable day numbers on the site will be limited and tickets for half-hour arrival times will need to be purchased in advance on the website as they won’t be available on the day.

For more information about Avoncroft Museum please visit www.avoncroft.org.uk or email collections@avoncroft.org.uk

Dodford Childrens Farm - A Different World

D

odford Childrens Farm is a small local independent charity, providing residential and day visits to disadvantaged and disabled children and families from across the West Midlands. This has been a difficult year and the farm is looking forward to welcoming families during the summer holiday.

Families need some respite away from the everyday pressure of lockdown where they can relax in the farm’s green spaces which everyone knows is good for children’s mental health and builds confidence.

Before the farm can reopen there is much to be done and the staff are now getting to grips with a programme of decorating and renovating, preparing to take in visitors.

The farm is managed by a management committee and now they need new members, especially a new treasurer and a person to manage the annual appeal for funding. It also needs volunteer drivers. As this is a charity dealing with schools and families all volunteers and committee members must undergo a DBS check paid for by the farm.

If you feel you would like to help this important charity to reopen its doors and continue its work of more than 60 years, contact either Judy Williams (chair of the management committee) on 01527 880097 or Kelly Broadfield (resident warden) on 01527 878245. Visit the website www.dodfordfarm.co.uk Completely Bromsgrove

53

The legacy that lives on at South Bromsgrove High A s the nation mourns the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, staff and students reflect on his impact within the community of South Bromsgrove High School.

In 1956, Prince Phillip introduced the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which is a voluntary non-competitive programme of activities, chosen by the participant, at one of three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

The award has been a central part of the extracurricular provision at South Bromsgrove High since the early 1990s. It grew substantially under the leadership of Paul Copeland, who went on to become the headteacher, and Will Thomas, who still volunteers as an expedition assessor, despite leaving the school in 2002.

In a typical year, approximately 240 students from year 10 participate in the Bronze award. Around 140 enrol in Silver and around 90 in Gold. Completion rates are amongst the best in the region at around 75%, significantly higher than the national average of 50%. The expedition section alone requires the support of over 60 staff members who give their time and expertise voluntarily.

54 Completely Bromsgrove

DofE involves completing three sections independently, plus an Expedition. In the Volunteering section, participants spend at least one hour a week for three months (longer for Silver and Gold) making a difference within their communities. Popular activities are helping with Scouts or Guides, supporting the local Junior Parkrun in Sanders Park, sports coaching, working in a charity shop and litter picking.

In the Skills section, participants spend at least an hour a week learning a new skill or developing an existing one. Cooking and photography are popular, along with coding and playing a musical instrument. At Gold, many participants use their driving lessons for their Skill activity. Within the Physical section, participants spend at least one hour a week doing something active, which could be a team or individual sport or fitness activity.

At Gold, participants must also complete a residential activity of their choice, meeting new people on a collaborative project lasting five days.

For most young people, the Expedition is the most memorable part. Being self-sufficient, resilient and independent, together with six friends, carrying what you need to survive and knowing that you have the training to do so safely, provides a life-changing experience which helps to ensure that the adults of tomorrow have a depth of character and skills which they can draw on for the rest of their lives.

The progression from a two-day Expedition at Bronze within the Worcestershire countryside to a four-day Expedition in the rugged mountains of Snowdonia ensures that the awards remain achievable whilst providing a suitable challenge for students of all backgrounds and physical abilities. We are proud that our staff members have the expertise to support students with learning difficulties and physical disabilities to complete their Expedition sections.

The pandemic has necessitated changes to the way that DofE is run, but students and staff are adapting to this in a way which is appropriate for an award scheme based on determination and dedication.

Previous generations of young people have faced

different national and global challenges, and not just survived but thrived. I am confident that our current participants will realise for many years to come how their involvement in DofE helped them to develop the resilience and confidence to come out on top.

Neil Dixon, Director of DofE at South Bromsgrove High School.

Completely Bromsgrove

55

Bromsgrove pays tribute to His Royal Highness S

t John’s Church and the Bromsgrove Branch of the Royal British Legion worked together to ensure that Bromsgrove marked the passing of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, with tributes, prayers and silence.

On the eve of the Prince’s funeral at 6pm, Evening Prayers at St John’s included prayers of remembrance and condolence to the Royal Family. The prayers were led by Reverend Rayman Khan, Vicar at St John’s, the choir sang Psalm 23 (the Lord’s my shepherd) and the National Anthem, and Bromsgrove’s MP Sajid Javid gave the reading.

Two standard bearers from the Bromsgrove Branch of the Royal British Legion held the RBL Standard and Union flag. Chairman Patrick Smith conducted the parade of standards and the silence which followed the bugle call Last Post.

Due to Covid restrictions the prayers were attended by invitation only, but everyone was able to participate thanks to a live stream on Facebook by the Bromsgrove Standard. The congregation in church included Patricia Bradbury MBE, the Deputy Lieutenant for Worcestershire, Court Leet Bailiff Joanne Slade and Ms McKenzie, Head of DofE Awards Scheme at North Bromsgrove High School along with two students.

On Saturday at 3pm, as the Duke’s coffin was carried into the chapel at Windsor Castle, a small group gathered at the flagpole on Crown Close to hold a short service of remembrance. Town Crier Kevin Ward announced that a notice had been received from Buckingham Palace for a national minute silence to be held. Reverend Rayman Khan said prayers and played the bugle call Sunset before the group fell silent. Patrick Smith saluted the flag which flew at half mast and Bailiff Joanne Slade held a posy of forget-me-nots. Again the Bromsgrove Standard were there to live stream on Facebook.

A few residents stood at a distance to observe the silence and passers by stopped to pay their respects.

Our thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family at this sad time.

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by Jo Slade

A first for Bromsgrove Concerts as recital is live streamed L

ocal classical musicians, father and daughter duo Charlotte and Alastair Moseley gave a one-hour recital on Friday 16 April in Routh Hall at Bromsgrove School.The recital was livestreamed, in the first of what is hoped will be a new format for Bromsgrove Concerts.

The concert ‘Love is in the Air – a selection of romantic music for Spring with the wonderful Moseley Duo’ saw Charlotte performing on violin accompanied by Alastair on piano. The programme included popular works by Elgar, Faure and Mozart and included music by two female composers, Amy Beach and Lili Boulanger.

Charlotte is well known to classical music lovers in Bromsgrove as a talented violinist. Charlotte took her first lesson on violin at the age of five and was hooked! She studied violin at the famous Chethams School of Music in Manchester and went on to graduate from the Royal Northern College of Music. In 2017 Charlotte graduated with a distinction in her Masters degree from the Royal Academy of Music where she was also awarded the prestigious Diploma of the Royal Academy for an outstanding final recital. Locally Charlotte is the leader of the Orchestra of St John where she has delighted audiences in Bromsgrove’s oldest church, and as a professional musician she has performed across the country and internationally.

Charlotte dedicated Mot d’Amour by Edward Elgar to the memory of Bernard Hall-Mancy, past music teacher at Bromsgrove School and avid supporter of local music. Charlotte said that Mr Hall-Mancy had attended whenever she performed in Bromsgrove and had loved the piece when he had heard it on the CD she had recorded in 2018. Mr Hall-Mancy sadly passed away in 2020.

The concert was an experiment for Bromsgrove Concerts, to see if live streaming could be made a permanent feature of concerts going forward, although performers and audiences are both looking forward to returning to venues for live performances in the not too distant future.

Alastair said “There wasn’t an audience present in the hall, so it was a bit of a surreal experience for us, but we were absolutely delighted to perform in what turned out to be a rather emotional recital. I am enormously proud of Charlotte and all she has achieved, and love to accompany her when she plays.

All musicians have missed being able to perform to an audience in the last 12 months, so to be able to give a recital from the wonderful Routh Hall added to the emotion of the occasion. We are enormously grateful to the team at Bromsgrove School who worked hard to make the live streamed concert happen, and we hope the audience enjoyed it from their homes!”

Keep an eye on forthcoming concerts in Bromsgrove on the website www.bromsgrove-concerts.org.uk

Bro m sg ro v e C once r ts

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National Trust celebrates blossom in Worcestershire

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lossom is beginning to bloom across Worcestershire and the National Trust is inviting people to emulate Japan’s Hanami – the ancient tradition of viewing and celebrating blossom - with its #BlossomWatch campaign.

The conservation charity piloted #BlossomWatch last year when the country had just entered lockdown. And, with thousands capturing and sharing images of trees in bloom across social media platforms, and four million views in the first two weeks, the Trust is now making it an annual tradition, asking people to share the joy and hope that the sight of blush-tinted blooms will bring to help lift spirits and enable everyone to celebrate nature together.

Neil Cook, Gardens and Outdoors Manager at Hanbury Hall said: “We’re hopeful that 2021 will provide us with a bountiful display of blossom across our gardens and parklands.The emergence of the blossom is such an important milestone for us, a real indicator that change is taking place and that brighter days are ahead.

“Hedgerow blossom typically kicks off the season with the tiny white, frothy blackthorn flowers crisscrossing the countryside before tree blossom like magnolias start to unfurl and the many varieties of delicately coloured fruit tree blossom take it in turns to bloom – from plum and damson to cherry and apple – before the finale of the white hawthorn coming into flower in May.” They continued: “We’d encourage everyone to get outdoors, safely enjoy the blossom where they live and share their experiences with others.”

A growing body of evidence suggests that moments each day noticing nature are vital for wellbeing and building a closer connection with nature, and further evidence also suggests that people derive many of the benefits from online engagement. Therefore, the Trust is asking people to celebrate blossom, to ‘turn social media pink, white and

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green’ over the coming weeks, to mark one of ‘nature’s greatest spectacles’.

To get involved simply take and share imagery using #BlossomWatch.

The Trust is also launching a blossom map this year to record blossom sightings across the country. For further information, to donate towards our tree planting ambitions, and inspiration visit www.nationaltrust. org.uk/blossom-watch

Pets in need are priority during the pandemic B

lue Cross Bromsgrove has continued to help sick, abandoned and homeless pets throughout the pandemic.

The team at the centre in Catshill helped 420 cats, dogs and small animals in 2020 and so far in 2021 have helped more than 20 pets to find new homes.

The pandemic has meant changes to the way the team operates with checks, appointments and meets with potential owners and pets carried out virtually using video calls.

Many more pets have been taken into the care of the charity’s volunteer foster carers as social distancing has meant smaller teams being able to be on site at the centre on Wildmoor Lane.

The charity is aware that many people are looking to take on a new pet this year and urges them to consider rehoming from a rescue charity like Blue Cross, which rehomes cats, dogs and small animals including rabbits and guinea pigs. Demand for pets remains strong and it advises people to continue to look on the website for all the pets who are looking for new homes: www.bluecross.org.uk Blue Cross would always advise people who are looking to take on a pet to do their research and make sure they can provide the care needed for the lifetime

of that pet. There is lots of advice on the website on different breeds and species and their needs.

The charity can also help people who may be struggling with a pet and need advice and support and can refer you to an animal behaviourist.

If you’re unable to continue to care for your pet, they will do all they can to provide help and support for you and find a new home for them.

Blue Cross offers a pet bereavement support service for those who are going through the loss of a pet. This can also help people who are struggling with being parted from a pet, perhaps they have had to rehome a pet and found this particularly difficult, or their pet is missing. The charity offers confidential support through its helpline 0800 096 6606 or via email at pbssmail@ bluecross.org.uk If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities with Blue Cross then contact the centre as it is often looking to take on new foster carers for pets.You can also help pets by making a donation or buying an item from the Amazon wish list.Visit www.bluecross.org.uk/ bromsgrove for more information.

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Football Returns for Bromsgrove Sporting A

fter over 3 months of lockdown, football has finally returned to the Victoria Ground.

First team manager, Brendan Kelly arranged a practice match against Alcester Town back on Tuesday 13th April but owing to COVID restrictions, spectators had to be excluded.

Sporting gained a 3 - 1 win against gutsy opponents from the Midland Football League Division Two who had the advantage of being a bit more in practice having played a couple of matches. Sporting led 2 - 0 at halftime thanks to strikes by Jason Cowley and Mikey Taylor. Alcester got one back early in the second half but Taylor with his second sealed a victory for the home team.

All being well the unofficial Red Recruitment Cup will get completed at the end of May with Sporting playing Redditch United on Saturday 22nd May and Alvechurch on Bank Holiday Monday (31st May). Both games are away with a 3:00 p.m. kick-off. Admittance to supporters will depend on COVID rules when the matches take place.

Meanwhile Bromsgrove Sporting Colts have also been back in action with teams from the under 7s to under 18s all playing again.

Bromsgrove Sporting Photos by Veterans resumed their Chris Jepson season winning all three matches so far but no such luck for the Ladies team who lost a friendly against Walsall Wood 3 - 1 and went out of the County Cup 3 - 0 to Droitwich Spa. There are vacancies in the women’s squad for next season for anybody interested in playing for the team.

by Phil Baker All the latest news about Bromsgrove Sporting Football Club can be found on website: www.bromsgrovesporting.co.uk Any enquiries can be sent to hello@bromsgrovesporting.co.uk

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AVONCROFT CRICKET CLUB

Avoncroft celebrates the return of cricket

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ricket is finally back at Avoncroft CC with junior training on April 16 followed a day later by the first adult league fixtures.

By the first weekend of May, all adult and junior sides will be kicking off their competitive programme of matches so there will be plenty of cricket for players, members, supporters and casual observers to enjoy.

As in all walks of life, cricket is subject to the requirement to follow the government’s Covid guidelines which means that, until May 17th at the earliest, no spectators are allowed at recreational cricket games other than for safeguarding or caring responsibilities unless they are accessing hospitality offerings.

Luckily for those wishing to visit Avoncroft CC, the club have invested heavily in re-developing our bar and social areas over the winter and, although indoor hospitality is not yet on offer, the club will be offering outdoor bar hospitality in line with government regulations. The club is therefore happy to welcome members and spectators alike to enjoy its hospitality over the coming weeks and months.

A few new members have been welcomed, but the club is always open to players looking for enjoyable cricket. It is also delighted to welcome back into the fold Chris Pitt, who has decided the sylvan Stoke Heath setting is preferable to the seductive siren call of the Cotswolds.

After last year’s floods and difficulty with ground preparation, the picture is now hugely improved. Led enterprisingly by increasingly knowledgeable ground superintendent Mark Taylor, the venue is a pastoral pleasure.

Thanks are also due to the majority of dog walkers who enjoy their exercise with dogs on their leads and respect the needs of the club to keep the ground safe and healthy. The season is welcomed with great pleasure and optimism.

Following a significant demand for junior cricket training, places on junior programmes are filling up fast. There are some spaces still available in most age groups so any new players wishing to join are encouraged to visit www. avoncroftcc.co.uk or the club’s Facebook page for more information.

There is plenty going on off the pitch too. Energetic social secretary Jason Huxley has already set provisional dates for the club’s social calendar including regular Friday night barbecues with our chef Marco Pierre Cound, a grand bar reopening on May 21st, a pig racing night on June 25th and a real ale and jazz weekend on July 2nd and 3rd.

Further July extravaganzas will include bingo, a Paul Athey quiz and a gin tasting night, with September offering a horse racing evening and an all-star comedy show.

The club intends to encourage full member participation in keeping everyone together as an active and social organisation, which is self-sufficient and will not have to rely on grants and handouts to sustain its growth.

by Paul Athey

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HOLIDAY INSPIRATION

ENGLAND Devon and Cornwall are an obvious choice but how about exploring the UNESCO world Heritage Jurrasic Coast.

95 miles of coastline from Devon to Dorset.

Book a sea kayaking trip and explore the limestone stacks or take the kids fossil hunting on the beaches.

WALES

HIRE A CAMPERVAN FOR THE ULTIMATE STAYCATION The pandemic has made many of us realise that the UK has some amazing scenery and places to explore. With the uncertainty about international travel, vaccinations and quarantine rules, why not look closer to home for your next holiday?

Campervans make the perfect self-catering option. Trek Campers hire out VW Transporters which are as easy to drive as a car and come fully equipped with all the camping kit you'd need.

The real bonus with campervanning is the flexibility to cover several places in one week or change your plans as you go (without repacking cases!). Connect with nature and spend quality time with the whole family, including the dog.

The west coast of Wales boats a national park, coastal path and over 50 beaches.

You can even take surfing lessons here.

"Go to Rhosili beach. It makes you feel like you’re in the Caribbean. There’s also a little ferry to take you to Tobacco Island. The views were breath-taking."

SCOTLAND Campervans were made for traveling the NC500 route around Scotland. Although it has become popular it is still quiet out of the main summer season.

You can legally wild camp in Scotland, allowing you to find our own secluded, free campsite along the route.

Hire a campervan from Trek Campers Pick up & return from Droitwich.

All camping kit is included.

They sleep 4 and are dog friendly.

Trek Campers plants a tree for every night away.

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trekcampers.co.uk | info@trekcampers.co.uk | 01905 700 721

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