Completely Bromsgrove issue 40 May 22

Issue 40

Completely

May 2022

Bromsgrove

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3

Welcome to the May issue of Completely Bromsgrove

H

asn’t it been great to see the sun shining? Let’s hope this is the start of a long, warm summer.

I’m sure I’m not alone in being shocked by the news that the iconic 144 bus route is being cut short at Catshill and from the start of this month is no longer continuing to Birmingham. I remember catching the 144 to and from school and we have family who live in Longbridge so the ramifications of this decision for our community are very close to my heart. Completely Bromsgrove have been given authority to reprint extracts from an ar ticle on the history of the bus and its route. Turn to page 28 to find out more.

Looking forward to July, the Hanbury Countryside Show will be celebrating its 75th anniversary. The organisers have generously offered Completely Bromsgrove readers the opportunity to win VIP

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Contents

6 10 12 14 16 20 24 28 30

Lib Dems Appeal Houseman Celebration Citizens Advice New Post North Worcs Water WTP / B’grove Flower Gardening Worcs WildlifeTrust 144 Bus - end of the road MP in the driving seat

32 33 34 35 36 38 40 42 44

As always, the team at Completely Bromsgrove hope you enjoy this packed edition. We would like to thank you for your continued support as, without our advertisers and readers, the magazine wouldn’t be as popular as it has become over the past four years.

Very best wishes,

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

Completely Bromsgrove

Here in Bromsgrove and the outlying villages, there are always things to do and join in with. If you turn to page 45 there are a further seven pages of events and activities so make sure you and your family don’t miss out by getting those dates firmly marked in the diary.

Michele Ford

30 36 46

Completely

4

tickets to this year’s family fun-filled show. Head to page 32 for details on how to enter our competition.

46 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 55

Royal Jubilee Event FeckenOdeon Fairfield Flicks Party in the Park B’grove Arts Alive Lickey Arts / Words Alvechurch legal Avoncroft Cricket B’grove Sporting F.C.

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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5

Use old library funds to improve High Street say Lib Dems F

ollowing years of lack of investment, the Bromsgrove Liberal Democrats are calling on Worcestershire County Council to use the one-off windfall from the sale of the old library to benefit Bromsgrove High Street.

Bromsgrove District Council are looking to buy the Windsor Street site from Worcestershire County Council as part of their wider regeneration plans and the town’s Lib Dems would like to see the money used to completely regenerate the High Street to make it a more appealing place to shop and in turn help local businesses, instead of being spent in other parts of Worcestershire.

and lights that do not work, the list is long. By using the money from the sale of the old library we could make our town look nice and attractive for visitors and ensure our High Street thrives in the future.”

Councillor Josh Robinson, whose county council division of Bromsgrove Central covers the High Street, said: “‘Since being elected last May, the High Street has been a top priority for me. I receive letters, emails and have conversations on a weekly basis with residents who are concerned about it.

“With news of Government money, we are now not only in a place to redevelop that site, but we will also have further money we could use on our town centre.

“The issues are varied. From utility companies ripping up the stones to Tarmac being put in drains

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Completely Bromsgrove

Cllr Siobhan Robinson, whose ward covers the old library at Bromsgrove District Council, added: “For years the site on Windsor Street has been an eyesore and we have struggled to get someone to redevelop it.

“Working with Josh Robinson and the wider Lib Dem team, I am glad to see since being elected we have seen some improvements to the town we have been lobbying for, like improved recycling bins and the series of lights on the Worcester Road.”

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9

Housman celebration returns to High Street

A

fter a gap of two years, members of the Housman Society met in Bromsgrove for their annual commemoration of the poet’s birth in 1859.

A E Housman, author of A Shropshire Lad, lived as a child in the family home at Perry Hall and was a pupil at Bromsgrove School. After studying at Oxford, he went on to become Professor of Latin at University College, London and published his famous collection of poems in 1896. It has not been out of print since.

Housman moved to Cambridge in 1911 and spent the rest of his life there as Professor of Latin and a Fellow of Trinity College. He was recognised as the outstanding classical scholar of his age but published one more collection of poetry in 1922.

As society members gathered around Housman’s statue in the High Street, they were marking not only his bir thday but the centenary of this second

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Completely Bromsgrove

volume which was titled simply Last Poems. A E Housman died in Cambridge in 1936.

The society’s special guest for the event on March 25 was Jo Slade, latterly Bailiff of Bromsgrove.

Jo read her choice of Housman’s poems at the statue before joining members and other guests, including County Councillor Adrian Kriss, for lunch at Bromsgrove School.

Society chairman, Peter Waine, expressed his pleasure at being back in Bromsgrove after the twoyear gap resulting from the Covid pandemic.

Mr Waine said: “I am delighted that we can once again celebrate Bromsgrove’s most famous son. We are especially pleased to be here in this centenary year of his second poetry collection.”

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Local Citizens Advice welcomes experienced new chief officer

C

itizens Advice Bromsgrove & Redditch’s new chief officer has now taken up his post.

Chris Roberts previously worked in various Citizens Advice Bureaux across the Midlands, went to work for another charity for 15 years, but has now returned to a sector he loves.

Mr Roberts said: “People don’t tend to think about Citizens Advice until they, or a family member, needs us, but then the difference we can make is life changing.

Last year almost 5,000 people across Bromsgrove and Redditch received advice from us, despite all the restrictions of lockdown.”

Citizens Advice Bromsgrove & Redditch is now moving back to full capacity as volunteers return from isolation. One lesson learnt during the pandemic is that by using the telephone as the gateway to the service, they are not only able to support more people but it allows them to ensure that people are advised as quickly as possible and in the most effective way.

Mr Roberts added: “We are very aware that with

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Completely Bromsgrove

the withdrawals of the Universal Credit top up, the removal of protection from eviction for renters, fuel bill increases and the end of furlough, that our communities may be heading for a perfect storm of problems. We would encourage anyone who is affected and in need of support to reach out to us by calling 0808 2787890 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

“We are also recruiting volunteers to join our team supporting clients with issues. Full training is provided and it is a wonderful way to give something back and make a real difference to your community.

“If you are interested, please head to our website www.cabr.org.uk/volunteering/ to see if this might just be what you have been looking for.”

Completely Bromsgrove

13

The wildlife friendly Marl Brook gets new lease of life

Before

During

After

Today

I

t has been seven years since the completion of the flood alleviation scheme on the Marl Brook in Catshill.

On June 28th 2012, an intense band of rain caused flooding to a number of properties across Bromsgrove district. In response, the Nor th Worcestershire Water Management (NWWM) team at Bromsgrove District Council worked in par tnership with Bromsgrove District Housing Trust to create a flood alleviation scheme on the Marl Brook in Catshill in order to reduce the risk of flooding to around 30 homes in the area.

In spring 2015, work started to replace an area of unutilised land with a balancing area, capable of holding over 4,500 cubic metres of flood water.

On completion, the NWWM team planted a variety of native wetland plant species, and over the subsequent years the balancing area quickly established with further vegetation.

The Marl Brook flows through the balancing area, with a permanent shallow depth of water creating a pool at the downstream end. This provides a wonderful wetland habitat which is frequented by

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Completely Bromsgrove

ducks and other wildlife, as well as helping to filter out sediments to improve water quality downstream.

Maintenance of balancing areas is not required on a frequent basis, but over the next few years the NWWM team will be looking at thinning out some of the self-set saplings from the balancing area and removing some of the sediment from the base of the pool to retain flood storage capacity.

The Marl Brook balancing area was the first major flood alleviation scheme designed by the NWWM team in Bromsgrove district and was followed in late 2015 by a scheme on the Callow Brook in Rubery, with plans for another balancing area on the Shaw Brook in Wythall later this year.

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15

Dress up your fence this spring A

Advertisement Feature

s spring begins to bloom, you might well be looking to freshen up your garden. There are quick wins to be made in terms of planting, weeding, and cutting the lawn, but have you also thought about replacing your garden fencing?

Most people only think about their garden fence when it blows down in a storm or starts to split or rot but think again. A fence can also offer a quicky, stylish update to your outdoor space.

Use a fence not just around the perimeter of your garden but also to create zones. Get creative and look at some alternatives that can freshen things up. There are many decorative fencing styles available to enhance and unlock the potential of your garden.

The ver tical orientation on feather edge panels mixes up the usual horizontal boards seen on basic panels and still maintains the height needed for privacy in a back garden.

Add a curved top panel for a softer look.

For a contemporary look, horizontal slatted panels are popular : they have a lengthening effect as they draw the eye away, and along the fencing so can be useful for making your space feel larger. Choose from narrower or wider slats: both make a style statement.

In your front garden or to zone off different areas of

your back garden, a lower height with decorative features still gives privacy but adds flow of light, again to create the illusion of space which is useful if you are zoning off the patio or allotment area or shielding a shed or bins, also stating clear boundaries at the front of a proper ty.

Trellis patterns are varied and can be angular or curved, with open designs or rather more obscured. Some will be enhanced by some fence paint or stain or by trailing plants growing around and up – the choice is yours.

To star t a conversation with Worcester Timber Products about your springtime garden transformation, Visit www.worcestertimberproducts.co.uk or call 01299 250744 for more information.

Some of our favourite things E

veryone has their own favourite things, varied and precious to them.

On Thursday 19th May 2022 at 2pm Dawn Keitley will interpret her favourite things, with her beautiful floral designs.

After the demonstration all the arrangements will be raffled.

Competitions for members are, Flower of the Month and a Flower Arrangement, entitled “Baskets of Delights” “Friendship through flowers” is our motto, so come and meet new people and relax with a cuppa whilst being transported into a world of foliage and flowers.

Bromsgrove Flower Club meets every third Thursday in the month at All Saints Church Hall, Burcot Lane,Bromsgrove B60 1AF Visitors and new members warmly welcomed.

Entrance fee Members £3.00 Visitors £7.00

Visit our website www.bromsgroveflowerclub.org.uk Facebook www.facebook.com/BromsgroveFlowerClub

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Completely Bromsgrove

Arrangements designed by Janet James

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19

GARDENING

The benefits of companion planting A

s a species we thrive when we are surrounded by good friends and family, especially those that we know have our back; the same applies to the plant world who need good bedfellows to help them survive enemy attacks.

Companion planting creates a friendly community where plants support each other in various ways, either steering pests away from delicate growth to limit the need for harmful pesticides or by acting as a mulch to keep the ground moist for the host plant. It can also help to improve pollination of vegetable and fruit plants.

white butterfly to lay their eggs on the flowers instead of on your brassicas. The poor old carrot is easy fodder for the carrot fly who can smell carrots from a great distance and will lay several generations of eggs in one season. This will leave burrowing brown tunnels through your carrots and can also do damage to parsnips and celeriac.

I’m sure you have all heard of the magic partnership of tomato plants and marigolds and how the flowers lure the whitefly away allowing the tomatoes to thrive. Did you know that planting mint or chives has the same effect? Be warned though about the invasiveness of mint.

Sow spring onions amongst your carrots - the smell of onion deters carrot root fly whilst the smell of the carrots deters onion fly from the spring onions, two for the price of one! Plant flowers such as calendula or cornflowers amongst your crops to attract pollinating insects, which will help the flowers set fruit.

I have been told that if you plant basil amongst your tomato plants it will improve the flavour of your tomatoes; and the strong scent of their leaves also deters aphids. A perfect partnership in the kitchen too!

Cabbage, cauliflowers and broccoli can be decimated by pests so planting a sacrificial crop like nasturtium flowers will encourage the cabbage

Use tall plants such as peas or sweet corn to create partially shaded conditions for crops prone to bolting, such as coriander, lettuce and spinach.

Plant herbs throughout the garden and vegetable plot, as most have strongly scented leaves which help repel insects.

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

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

Tidy up tulips by snipping off fading Sow seeds of French beans, cabbage, heads. Lift out the bulbs in summer, runner beans, kale, carrots and dry on sheets of newspaper and cauliflowers outside. For summer salads, store in a cool, dry place before try radish, salad leaves and spring onions. planting again in autumn.

Enjoy being in the garden on those lighter nights. No excuse to get your jobs completed.

By Suzi M, Plotter and plant lover from Roundhill Allotments

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Completely Bromsgrove

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Completely Bromsgrove

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House martins by James Rogerson

Swallow by Karen Summers

House martin by Dawn Monrose

Swift by Martyn Crookston

House martin artifical nest by Jonathan Cartwright

by Wendy Carter, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust House martin by Wendy Carter

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Completely Bromsgrove

Swallow by Julie Hunt

High-fliers A

re you lucky enough to have welcomed back house martins to their nests under your eaves? Together with swallows and swifts, these harbingers of summer are the focus of a nationwide campaign to help reverse the decline in their populations.

Wild About Gardens, a partnership between The Wildlife Trusts and Royal Horticultural Society, is encouraging everyone to do their bit for these amazing high-flying birds. Whilst swallows make a summer and swifts scream through our skies, house martins are our friendly neighbours; shiny blue-black and white birds that chitter-chatter as they raise their young.

Did you know that it takes more than 1000 beaksized pellets of mud to create their nest high up on your wall, under an overhang or under the peak of a gable end? Surveys show that birds who repair old nests or who move into artificial nests have more young so one of the easiest ways to help is to leave up the old nest cup or erect a new one for them.

They like to live around other families so artificial nests often come in pairs. Another easy offering is to provide mud so they don’t have so far to fly – a boggy pond would be ideal but wetting some of your flower beds would also do the trick.

You may notice that house martins arrive in April but then disappear. This isn’t unusual and gives them time to build up their strength and condition for breeding after arriving here from their mammoth migration from Africa. Which brings us neatly to another way of helping them. Along with swifts and swallows, these are birds that need plenty of insects to eat so anything you can do to help insects where you live will also make a difference to the survival of these aerial acrobats.

Whether it’s planting pollen and nectar rich flowers, creating log piles in shady areas, leaving patches of your lawn or community green space (and the daisies and

clover) uncut or building a bug mansion, every little action makes a difference to our wildlife.

If you’re not lucky enough to have house martins in your area but you see fast-moving birds when you’re out and about, how do you know what you’re looking at?

House martins can be difficult to separate from swallows but you’re looking for the white rump of house martins or the long tail streamers of swallows. Sand martins are close relatives but they’re a chocolatey-brown with no white rump and with a thin brown ‘chin strap’. Swifts are bigger and shaped like scimitars (or the less-aerodynamic croissants) that cut through the sky, twisting and turning in their hunt for insect prey.

You can learn more about these amazing birds and how you can help them in a free booklet available on our website www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/ blog/seasonal-spot/saving-our-high-fliers If you’ve got house martins nesting on your house, we’d love to know about it – just take a picture of their nest/s and upload it to www.worcswildlifetrust. co.uk/wildlife-sightings

Follow us on Twitter @WorcsWT www.facebook.com/worcestershirewildlifetrust www.youtube.com/c/worcswildlifetrustUK1 Completely Bromsgrove

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27

The end of the road B

us users were rocked by the decision by operator First Worcester to terminate the iconic 144 service at Catshill from the start of May.

The service ran from Worcester to Birmingham via Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa and Rubery for more than 100 years and was used by a wide crosssection of the community including commuters, shoppers, and schoolchildren.

First Worcester said that the service now carried very few people between Catshill and Birmingham and that the changes would help improve reliability between locations along the route from Worcester and Bromsgrove.

Many Completely Bromsgrove readers will have travelled on the 144 over the years and to mark

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Completely Bromsgrove

the end of an era our friends at Bus & Coach Buyer have kindly allowed us to share extracts from an article written by Stuart Jones to celebrate the route’s centenary in 2014.

Midland Red first offered a through service from Birmingham to Malvern three times daily from August 29th 1914, though in reality passengers were required to change buses at Bromsgrove. The service, then numbered the 25, was initially jointly operated with Worcestershire Motor Transport though it had to sell out after the War Department commandeered its buses and declined to take Midland Red’s Tilling Stevens vehicles.

for the mighty 144 From November 7th that year Midland Red began operating direct from Birmingham to Great Malvern and from 1916, when another operator stopped running because of a lack of vehicles, on to Malvern Wells, a total distance of 38.5 miles – no mean feat for buses of that era.

the allocations of Digbeth, Bromsgrove, Worcester and Malvern depots.

Double deckers were used on the route from 1922. In May 1925 it was renumbered the 125 and eventually, from 11 May 1928, became the 144. By 1935 the entire length of the route enjoyed a 20 minute frequency from Sunday to Friday, with a 15 minute frequency on Saturdays, a timetable that stayed the same for the following 28 years.

In October 1976 when the Malvern depot closed, the 144 was cut back to Worcester and Leyland Nationals replaced the double deckers. Apart from a brief period in 1979, the 144 has run only as far as Worcester.

From 1954 to 1971 a total of 15 buses were required for the route on every day except Saturday when 20 were needed, these coming from

Bank Holidays saw additional buses drafted in from other depots. A round trip took five hours.

After 1971, Saturday services were cut to every 20 minutes and Sundays to every 30 minutes.

The complete article with photos of the buses which operated on the route can be read at: www. busandcoachbuyer.com/celebrating-100years-144-route/

Completely Bromsgrove

29

MP in the driving seat ahead of Community Jobs Fair

B

romsgrove MP Sajid Javid was put in the driving seat at the training and construction company, RMF Group, as he tried out an excavator at the Hollywood site.

RMF Group, who deliver construction and rail projects, exper t training and supply socially inclusive labour were among the companies attending the Bromsgrove Jobs Fair at North Bromsgrove High School on April 22.

The MP toured the site, speaking with staff and trainees, and tried his hand on some of the training equipment.

RMF Group was founded in 2000, and are a leading employment support provider, working collaboratively to provide opportunities for people, in particular those with barriers into work, to develop the skills, ability, and aptitude necessary for current and future roles.

Based in the hear t of the West Midlands, their main staff headquar ters are in central Birmingham, with an accompanying 22-acre training site and several site-based training hubs for rail and construction programmes in Hollywood.

The training facility is the main base for practical learning and boasts top of the range equipment and machinery for groundworks, rail and both small and large plant qualifications.

“I was delighted to visit RMF Group to meet with the management team and tour the site. I was incredibly impressed by the facilities and opportunities

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Completely Bromsgrove

they had on offer and look forward to welcoming them to my Jobs Fair on April 22,” said the MP. A spokesperson for RMF Group said: “It was great to welcome Sajid to site and be able to showcase our facilities, as well as all the work we are doing to support the locally unemployed and those who are underrepresented in the community.

“The training we deliver is life-changing and provides hard to reach learners with a chance to gain new skills and get the suppor t that they need to progress onto sustainable work.”

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Completely Bromsgrove

31

Win VIP tickets to the 75th Hanbury Show

C

elebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the Hanbury Countryside Show returns on Saturday, July 2 and will showcase the very best of Worcestershire with a great day out for all the family.

The ETG Civil Engineering Main Arena is packed with exciting acts and displays including the spectacular Broke FMX motorcycle display, the impressive parade of livestock, steam engines, show jumping and, to celebrate its inclusion in the first show held in 1947, a mounted games display from local pony clubs.

To celebrate British agriculture and rural life, there are more than 1,000 competitions across the show in horses, sheep, cattle, pigs, poultry, goats, crafts, cookery, floral art and gardening. The Fun Dog Show also returns with extra classes due to its popularity and there are lots of opportunities to get close to the animals in The Farmyard.

In the new Carter Jonas Theatre, join special guests including Trevor Harrison who plays Eddie Grundy in The Archers. Gardeners’ Question Time will provide an opportunity for visitors to ask those burning questions to expert Reg Moule from BBC Hereford & Worcester’s Sunday Gardening Show.

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Completely Bromsgrove

The large shopping area includes more than 200 stands selling a great range of food, drink, crafts and products from local producers. With children’s activities and a full day of music on the bandstand, it’s truly a fun day out, run by the community for the community.

Tickets are limited and are available in advance at £14 for adults (£18 on gate if still available). Children under 16 have free entry and car parking is free too.

Membership opportunities are available. Please see www.hanburyshow.co.uk for fur ther details.

To be in with a chance of winning one of the two special hospitality packages for two people to include free entry to the show, forward parking and access to the exclusive members enclosure next to the ETG Civil Engineering Main Arena, just answer the following question: What anniversary is Hanbury Show celebrating this year?

Send your entry to showmanager@hanburyshow.co.uk and please indicate if you are happy to receive ticket offers. The closing date is Monday, June 20th.

Only one entry per household please.

Celebrating �� years of British Agriculture & Rural Life

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Attractions: Craft, Food & Horticultural Marquees, Livestock & Horse Classes, Children’s Amusements, Countryside Area, Fun Dog Show, Poultry Show, Steam Engines, Gun Dogs, Heavy Horses, Public Bar, Pig Show, Stone Carving, Pony Rides, Farrier Competitions, Live Music & Much More

Enjoy the very best of Worcestershire Food & Drink

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Tel: 01527 874526 149 Golden Cross Lane, Catshill, Bromsgrove, Worcs. B61 0JZ

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With one month free trial, why not pop along and give it a go? If you are interested please contact one of the following members for more information: Jenny Adams 01527 522109, Harry Hill 01527 831257 or David Durose 01527 832986 A friendly club with next year being our 100th anniversary. Come and help us celebrate.

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Completely Bromsgrove

33

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Why do we need glutathione?

G

lutathione is in every cell in your body. It is a master antioxidant and powerful immune booster as well as an excellent detoxifier and aid to the anti-aging process.

The level of glutathione in our cells is predictive of how long we will live. We need this miraculous antioxidant to survive and without it our liver would soon become overwhelmed by the accumulation of toxins, resulting in organ failure.

Glutathione is manufactured by every one of our trillions of cells and is one of the most important healing and cleansing agents we have.

Every day our bodies are exposed to factors that drain our levels of glutathione such as stress, pollution, radiation, infections, drugs, poor diet, aging, injury, and fatigue.

All these factors contribute to glutathione depletion which in turn, leads to cellular aging, disease, and eventually death.

The importance of glutathione has been validated by more than 92,000 scientific articles. In fact, nutritional experts believe it is just as necessary for our health as oxygen, food, and water.

Glutathione is an important antioxidant that prevents damage to important cellular components caused by free radicals especially during exercise. We need to supplement this glutathione with antioxidant supplements and eating superfoods such as blueberries, strawberries, artichokes, Goji berries, raspberries, kale, dark chocolate, prunes, raisins, red grapes and beans to name just a few.

However, the strongest antioxidant is what our own cells provide but those cells need to be in

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Completely Bromsgrove

tip-top condition for this process to be effective.

That’s why we need to supplement with Redox Signaling Molecules because these molecules decrease as we age.

When we are born until our mid-teens, we are producing 100% Redox Molecules then by the time we are 40 years of age production of these molecules has depleted by 50%. By 70 years of age, we are at the stage of only producing 10% of these molecules and we see signs of aging, not recovering as quickly as when we were younger.

Most universities specialising in health have departments researching Redox. These molecules have also been independently tested at North Carolina Research Institute, a collaborative entity involving seven universities (Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, UNC Charlotte, NC Central, NC A&T State, UNC Greensboro, Appalachian State).

The research was led by the Appalachian State University’s human performance laboratory under the direction of Dr David Nieman. The doctor and his PhD team are renowned for their rigorous research into the effects of supplementation on exercise and exertion.

Watch on YouTube www.facebook.com/ watch/?v=808143039813128 Contact me for more information. Colette@

by Colette Garside need4change.com

Glasses in a class of their own!

L

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isa and Julie are the proud owners of VIP Eye Wear located in Tardebigge Court.

They have been in business for 10 years this year and have now decided to expand due to popular demand. Having moved premises to a bigger shop they are now offering private eye tests.

Eye tests can be booked with their highly qualified optician using the latest technology. If you already have an up to date prescription, VIP Eyewear can use this for your new glasses and lenses.

Why are VIP Eyewear different?

Lisa and Julie explain, “In our Glasses Style appointments we work with you to discover your most flattering colours, style and shape, enabling you to always look and feel your best!, you’ll have fun and above all you’ll finally LOVE wearing glasses.”

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Lisa and Julie would love to welcome you to the NEW VIP Eye Wear.

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For an appointment: call 01527757343 or book online www.vipeyewear.co.uk Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am till 5pm

Completely Bromsgrove

35

Noteworthy performances to end The Bromsgrove 2022 M

usicians from several nations across the globe, including Scotland, Hong Kong, Poland and Ukraine, competed in The Bromsgrove International Young Musicians’ Competition (known locally as ‘The Bromsgrove’) earlier this month.

The general public watched in awe as 22-year-old Scottish accordionist, Ryan Corbett performed pieces by Liszt and Scarlatti, and two original works

by Angelis and Semionov, to scoop the top prize of £6,000. Ryan is currently studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under the internationally acclaimed accordionist Djordje Gajic. Ryan’s performances have taken him all over the world, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Perth Concert Hall, Edinburgh Festival and Lagrasse Festival. Kinga Wojdalska (viola) and Shing-Ho Lau (piano) were awarded finalists’ prizes of £3,000 each.

term in 2023. The event will again be hosted in Routh Concert Hall at Bromsgrove School, with the preliminary rounds starting on 30 May, the semi-final on 2 June and the finalists’ concert on Saturday, 3 June, with the added bonus of the final of its sister competition, the Young Musicians’ Platform, taking place on the same afternoon. The general public can keep up to date with all the latest news on The Bromsgrove’s website at www.bromsgrovecompetition.com

Hosted annually, the Competition is open to talented instrumentalists and singers of any nationality aged between 18 and 25 (age up to 28 for singers). The adjudicators for 2022 comprised of Meurig Bowen (Chairman of Adjudicators), Sarah Bruce and Noriko Ogawa.

The 2022 winner, Ryan Corbett says, “The experience has been wonderful. It was great to spend so much time with the other competitors, and it was just a very positive experience. It’s never very easy for adjudicators to judge musicians on different instruments because music is a subjective thing, but it feels good to win.”

Preparations for next year’s competition are already underway, which will move to the May half

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Completely Bromsgrove

2022 winner, Ryan Corbett

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RECIPE

Squash stuffed with bulgur wheat

Preparation: Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Cut the pumpkins lengthwise, remove and discard the pips, put them on a baking tray and pour over the olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the bulgur wheat in 300 ml of water until it absorbs all the water. When cooked, mix with soy sauce, chopped cherry tomatoes and feta cheese. Fill the pumpkin cavities with the filling and continue baking for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the finished dish with parsley and pepper and then serve.

Ingredients for 4 portions: • 2 butternut squash (about 600g) • 1 tablespoon of olive oil • 100g of bulgur wheat • 300ml of water • 150g of cherry tomatoes • 60g of feta cheese

• 1 tablespoon of Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce • 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli pepper • 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley Prep. time: 55 minutes

Caloric value per portion: 211 kcals

www.lovebritishfood.co.uk

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Completely Bromsgrove

Butcher’s Block unveils fresh look for spring A

Advertisement Feature

fter four years of ownership by the Holsey family, Butcher’s Block in Bromsgrove town centre has a fresh new look.

“The whole place was looking a bit tired,” said Michelle, head butcher and co-owner.

“We’ve just had a rent review and managed to significantly lower the rent.

This is why we’ve had to wait so long to truly make the shop our own as there simply weren’t the funds available until now.”

The family have done a lot of work throughout the premises with rewiring, lowered ceilings and re-tiling from front to back. There’s also an improved, fully functioning kitchen too.

“This has been a long time in the making for me,” said Lilith, head chef of Lil’s Baps.

“People of the town really seem to enjoy my food and I want to give them more great options that are made in store. We’re keen to extend our current range of ready meals as well as adding some home-made pies and gluten free options too.”

If this wasn’t enough, they will be adding a dry aging cabinet for those who like something a little extra special.

“We’ve been aging meat for a while and love talking through the process with customers,” explained Michelle.

“By installing the cabinet people will be able to see the process for themselves, it’s really quite exciting.”

Butcher’s Block will be celebrating the shop refurbishment at their annual charity event on the first Saturday in August.

This year’s nominated charities are SOBS (Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide) and Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer.

Follow the Facebook page @ butchersblockbromsgrove to keep up to date with the new look, product information and charity event news.

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Completely

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39

The Genesis GV80 F

or those in the market for a luxury seven seat SUV that stands out in the crowd for all the right reasons, there is one car that calls out for serious consideration.

The £74,615 ‘Luxury Line specification’ (with the innovation pack, comfor t pack and nappa leather seats pack) Genesis GV80 is a wonderfully equipped, powerful and prestigious vehicle that is plenty and more for your money. Available with petrol or diesel power and designed to appeal to those buyers appreciative of tried and tested vir tues, the GV80 makes plenty of sense.

Family motorists will relish the roomy seven seat interior with its sophisticated blend of style, functionality, and sense of opulence. Safety and security are paramount too. This Genesis flagship is protective of driver and passengers for the simple reason that it was made that way. The result is comfort and relaxation all round.

In this car, family arguments regarding ambient temperatures simply just don’t arise. That’s because rear seat passengers have total control over personalised heating controls. You might, however, fall into disputations regarding opening and closing windows because no manufacturer - not even Genesis - has designed a car window that can be both open and closed at the same time.

Very useful too, is the facility to electrically adjust the seats from switches in the luggage area. This is ideal for quietly moving seats without disturbing snoozing passengers. All controls, however, are cleverly designed - resulting in a pleasing and

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Completely Bromsgrove

practical combination of traditional and touchscreen switch operation.

There’s plenty of up-to-the-minute stuff to hand but it’s all user friendly. Even my restrained capacity for intuitive understanding of technology was up to it. For instance, what could be better than the reassurance offered by a stern ‘driver attention warning’ telling you to ‘sit up straight and pay attention’. Necessary, perhaps, because the super comfort is enough to encourage the most restless soul to have a nap.

For those new to the Genesis - a premium brand owned by Hyundai - philosophy it may come as a surprise that customer service is at the hear t of it all.

You buy directly and no dealers are involved.

The Genesis deal doesn’t end with delivery.

Owners get continuing bespoke service. For instance, five years car service comes as standard.

It’s as though you simply whisper ‘Genesis’ to your appointed assistant and your wish is their command.

In today’s market that’s a refreshing change.

Speaking of the marketplace, you might have heard that the secondhand (or pre-loved as dealers prefer to say) market is booming. That means it’s good news all round surely. Buy a Genesis now and you will get a good return on your investment when it’s time to sell.

DRIVE TIME

exquisite & exciting But the real return comes from the pleasure of ownership. For a roomy car the GV80 conveys a look of smooth and compact determination. Pride of ownership of such a stylish machine might encourage a ready willingness to share the experience with friends and neighbours.

A GV80 owner wouldn’t baulk at the request from someone for a lift to Bognor Regis for a touch of sea air : not even if you lived in Bromsgrove. What is a journey like that to a car like this? Merely an exercise to indulge in the delights of luxury motoring with the accoutrements: power, poise, pin-point control and comfort. Even a traffic jam longer than the tail of the most prodigious mythological beast that ever featured in the fantasies of our forebears could never dim the light of Genesis-induced euphoria.

Responding accurately to the slightest driver input, bends across The Downs were negotiated with effortless ease and the smooth and fairly economical (you get around 38mpg) 3.0 278PS diesel engine driving all four wheels through an eight speed auto

transmission, reacted to the most delicate throttle adjustment.

If I had been crazily disposed, I could have explored performance more, for this Genesis can reach nearly 145mph. Here was pleasurable motoring, exquisitely delivered.

As you might have guessed, I was on the road to Bognor. As to the identity of my neighbour passenger desirous of breezing into Bognor, I have to tell you that throughout the journey I hardly noticed him.

That he spent most of the journey asleep, lulled into sybaritic somnolence by the enveloping comfor t might have had something to do with it. As for me, my attention was held throughout by a rewarding experience of driving a car deserving to be driven.

For those of an enquiring nature my passenger suffered from gout and he had read that Bognor brine offers the best cure. Frankly the cure-all prescription for good living, good driving and wellbeing has to be the Genesis GV80.

by Syd Taylor Completely Bromsgrove

41

HISTORY

The rise and fall of Bromsgrove Brewery B

romsgrove has always been famous for its pubs but craft beer connoisseurs might be surprised to learn that the town once had its own brewery as well.

The origins of the Bromsgrove Brewery were a large malthouse to the west of Worcester Road. In the early 19th century it was owned by Philemon Baylis Heynes, a farmer, butcher and maltster, who lived at the house which later became the Dog and Pheasant Inn. Maltsters often developed their malthouses into breweries by buying out independent innkeepers, publicans and beersellers and adding their premises to the brewery’s estate of tied houses. Instead of the publicans brewing their own beer with malt purchased from a maltster, they would now be supplied with beer brewed on a large scale by the maltster at his own brewery.

The more outlets the brewery owned, the greater the quantity of beer that could be sold. It is not clear whether Philemon Baylis Heynes embarked on this process, but the malthouse is mentioned in his will of 1828.

Over the next 80 years Heynes’s malthouse passed through several hands. Thomas Bolding leased the premises in the 1840s and was later joined in the business by his son William. In 1872 they bought 23 cottages in St John’s Street to extend the brewery across the Spadesbourne.

After Thomas’s death, William Bolding took his son-inlaw, Joseph William Fitch, into partnership. By 1881, Fitch employed seven men and a boy at the brewery behind the Dog and Pheasant. Fitch gradually bought more public houses after Bolding’s death in 1884, including the White Hart in Hanover Street, the Cattle Market Tavern in Church Street, the Greyhound at Rock Hill, the Duke

The Dog & Pheasant, Worcester Street 1913

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Completely Bromsgrove

of York in Broad Street, Sidemoor, and the Square and Compass, Hanbury. With such a small estate, however, Bromsgrove Brewery lacked the economies of scale enjoyed by the bigger breweries.

When Joseph William Fitch died in 1906, William Bolding’s family sold the Dog and Pheasant and the Bromsgrove Brewery for £4,600 to Lewis Fortescue. He came from Barnack in Northamptonshire and must have seen the small Bromsgrove estate as a good investment.

In 1922, the Bromsgrove Brewery and its 11 tied houses were bought by Philip Alan Simpson of Lamberhurst, Kent for £29,000. He only kept the business for four years and in 1926 sold out to Flower & Sons Ltd. of Stratford on Avon for £50,000. They were only interested in the tied houses and had no use for the brewery itself which was sold on by Temple Estates of Birmingham.

During the Second World War, the brewery premises were a dispersal factory for the British Small Arms Company from Birmingham. Later, the premises were used for packing equipment for the RAF, activities that were recorded in an information film made by the Ministry of Supply in 1948.

The brewery was eventually bought by Bromsgrove Urban District Council in 1957 and demolished the following year.

To read more about the town’s public houses, and Bromsgrove history in general, see the Bromsgrove Society’s new book Bromsgrove: The Story of a Market Town, available at www.bsoc.co.uk

by Mike Sharpe

Avoid the new car delivery delays, Neales Garage have plenty of used stock available to drive away today!

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43

11/02/2022 15:35 Completely Bromsgrove

Concert for Ukraine raises more than £1,000 for DEC charities T

he Bromsgrove community has responded to the harrowing events in Ukraine with typical generosity with much needed emergency supplies donated and homes offered to fleeing refugees.

For one Bromsgrove resident, news of the Ukrainians hiding in bomb shelters brought back memories of her parents who lived through the Blitz during their own childhood.

Rosie Deakin, who is originally from London, said: “My parents spent much of their teenage years in bomb shelters during World War Two so the Ukrainian conflict triggered these collective memories. Like many others, I felt I needed to do something to help the Ukrainians, especially the children.”

Rosie suggested the idea of a fundraising concert to Ray Khan, vicar of St John’s Church.

The idea immediately took shape with support from Ruth Henley and Steve Cowperthwaite, both leading figures in Bromsgrove’s musical community.

Members of Bromsgrove Community Choir, of which Rosie is a member, were keen to take part and they were then joined by St John’s Church Choirs, Barnt Green Choral Society, the Orchestra and Choir of St John and students from North Bromsgrove High School.

The hour-long concert which was held at St John’s Church on Saturday, March 26th was a thought-provoking and emotional evening.The programme included Love Changes Everything from Aspects of Love by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Streets of London by Ralph McTell

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Completely Bromsgrove

performed by Bromsgrove Community Choir.

Barnt Green Choir sang a medley of songs from King of Swing and students from Nor th Bromsgrove High School gave beautiful renditions of Clair de Lune by Debussy and A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman.

Orchestra of St John performed Benedictus from the Armed Man and Prayer for Ukraine.

The evening closed with a prayer for peace and lighting of candles accompanied by St John’s Church Choir singing Let There Be Peace on Earth and Steve Cowper thwaite played the Ukrainian National Anthem on the organ.

Entry to the event was free but donations were collected for the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian appeal.

The 13 DEC charities are working to meet the immediate needs of people fleeing with food, water and medical assistance and trauma care. The total raised on the night itself amounted to £1355.97 and donations are still coming in.

Rosie said: “I was delighted with this result and want to thank all the performers, all who helped organise the concert and to everyone who has donated.”

Anyone who would like to donate can do so at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ stjohnschurchbromsgrove

A TALE OF TWO MONARCHS Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings Friday 3, Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 June

Celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at Avoncroft Museum this bank holiday.

Witness a 17th Century King’s Army & forces of Parliament clash on the fields of Avoncroft.

Or enjoy a picnic in the grounds during a Garden Party to remember!

www.avoncroft.org.uk The museum is located 2 miles south of Bromsgrove off the A38, Sat Nav B60 4JR Now open Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays in term �me as well Mondays & Fridays in school holidays.

Completely Bromsgrove

45

Save the date to celebrate Platinum Jubilee B

romsgrove residents can commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a fantastic free community event in Sanders Park on Thursday, June 2 from 5pm until 10pm.

The district council are working alongside partners and community organisations to hold a celebratory event with food, street entertainment, and music, concluding with the ceremonial lighting of the beacons in the park accompanied by local choirs at 9.45pm.

Leisure portfolio holder, Councillor Michael Thompson, said: “Communities up and down the country will be coming together to celebrate this unique occasion and I am proud that Bromsgrove will share a special part in the Platinum Jubilee by being one of only 1,500 events to take part in lighting the beacons.

“We’re planning lots of fun activities, entertainment and music, so put the date in your diary and watch this space for more details closer to the time.”

Thousands of town criers, along with Pearly Kings and Queens, traditional and Northumberland pipers, buglers, and choirs from communities across the four corners of the nation and the Commonwealth will lift up their voices and play and sing specially commissioned music prior to the lighting of over 1,500 Platinum Jubilee Beacons.

Bruno Peek LVO OBE OPR, Pageantmaster of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons, said: “Building on a long tradition of lighting beacons to mark significant royal celebrations, over 1,500 Platinum Jubilee Beacons will be lit across the UK and Commonwealth on the first evening of the four-day Jubilee Weekend.

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Completely Bromsgrove

The beacons will enable local communities to come together and pay tribute to Her Majesty as part of the official programme of events.

“For the first time town criers, pipers, buglers and choirs from the UK and the Commonwealth will come together to join in the celebrations in their own individual and special way. It is wonderful to see the range of support for beacon lighting which will highlight both the diversity and the unity of the nation.

“The Queen has lit up our lives for 70 years through her dedicated service and commitment.

We would like to light up the nation and the Commonwealth in her honour.”

For more information or to get involved in the Jubilee Event, contact the parks and events Team at events@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk

Showing in May at FeckenOdeon Cinema Society in Feckenham Saturday, 21st May at 7.30pm: LOCAL HERO (PG)

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spike in local Covid-19 infections put paid to the planned Christmas showing of “Local Hero”. Now it’s back - tacked neatly onto the tail end of the FeckenOdeon’s season.

Members can enjoy it as part of their subscription and non-members can book seats for just a fiver as usual.

In this warm hearted British comedy Texan oil magnate Felix Happer (Burt Lancaster) gets the idea that a small Scottish fishing village would be a marvellous acquisition for his sorich-it-makes-you-sick company, Knox Oil and Gas. Not surprisingly the locals don’t share his vision. A lovely, quirky, funny film. Bill Forsyth directs Peter Capaldi, Fulton Mackay and Denis Lawson - and the beauty of the Scottish countryside is the real star. (UK 1983)

Tickets for all FeckenOdeon films can be booked online through www.feckenodeon.co.uk, by phone on 0333 666 3366 or in person at The Rose & Crown and The Village Shop in Feckenham.

The FeckenOdeon is Feckenham’s community cinema based at Feckenham Village Hall, High Street, Feckenham. B96 6HN Completely Bromsgrove

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May blossoms top movies at Fairfield Flicks I

t’s High-Octane Girl Power on Sunday 8th May 7.30pm with the screening of The 355 (12A). When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild-card CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain) joins forces with rival German agent Marie (Diane Kruger), former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o), and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela (Penélope Cruz) on a lethal mission to retrieve it. The unlikely team must also stay one step ahead of a mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan), who is tracking their every move as the action rockets across the globe.

On Saturday 14th May it is the Eurovision Song Contest, come enjoy this annual musical battle with your friends, 7.30pm. It will be FREE ADMISSION. The fractious Irish border is the scene for Wildfire (15) on Wednesday 18th May 7.30pm.

Inseparable sisters raised in a small town on the Irish border, Lauren and Kelly’s lives were shattered with the mysterious death of their mother.

Left to pick up the pieces after her sister abruptly disappeared, Lauren is suddenly confronted with the family’s dark and traumatic past when Kelly returns home after being reported missing for a whole year. With the intense sisterhood reignited, Kelly’s desire to unearth their history is not welcomed by all in the small town, as rumours and malice spread like wildfire, threatening to push them over the edge.

Award-winning director Joe Wright envelops moviegoers in a symphony of emotions with music, romance, and beauty in Cyrano on Wednesday 25th May 2.15pm, the timeless tale of a heartbreaking love triangle. The film tells the story of a poet who struggles to reveal his true feelings to the woman he loves due to his perceived unattractive appearance.

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The Modern Folk Show Three talented acts take to the stage on Saturday 7th May, with an evening of Modern Folk, and a touch of the Blues, with, a smidgen of punk.

Opening the show will be Karen Swan who has been described as an enigma. Her distinctive sweeping vocal style and haunting insightful songs transport the listener to her creative wonderland.

Her songs tend to wander between genres being referred to as a punky Joni Mitchell or a grungy Kate Bush with a touch of avant-garde and eccentric contemporary folk. She is also an actor writer and clown and has performed worldwide, spending her time between her native Birmingham and adopted Bristol. Karen will be accompanied by Jack Goodall, David Rees-Jones, Emma Reading and Adele Preece.

The Twiddlers will also be performing. Described, once, as ‘the next folk super-group’, The Twiddlers are a lockdown project gone wild. Based in the West Midlands, The Twiddlers consist of Kate Akers and Karl Merrick alongside their talented friends Steph Bubb and Stephen Calt.You can expect beautiful vocal harmonies, multi-instrumental carnage and traditional songs and tunes given a new lease of life with a lively and raucous performance. Already receiving plenty of festival bookings and becoming favourites of their regular folk clubs, The Twiddlers are definitely worth looking out for.

To end the evening. songwriter - guitarist - time traveller - Beatlemaniac - Sister Rosetta devotee and self-confessed Country Blues anorak Abi Budgen. Abi aspires to make music that is honest, witty, sometimes surreal and always groovy.

Scene Not Heard described Abi as “effervescent…esoteric… energetic…and (occasionally) off-the-wall...” and Tower of Song described her talent as “...absolute musical bliss.” Abi will be accompanied by Dan Wilkins on drums.

For information and advanced tickets for all Fairfield Flicks events visit www.fairfieldflicks.org.uk

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FOR TICKETS AND INFO VISIT: WWW.SOLIHULLSUMMERFEST.CO.UK49 Completely Bromsgrove

Show your creative side at Party in the Park A new fun and family oriented creative event for Bromsgrove is being held on Saturday June 18th 10.00am - 4.00pm.

Organised by Creative Art Showcase, Party in the Park will be promoting art, craft and creative opportunities for the entertainment, amusement and pure enjoyment of the community. The event will be held at the newly refurbished recreation site next to Asda in Bromsgrove town centre.

There will be lots of free, fun activities and many opportunities to get involved, whether you want to paint, craft, sing or dance, tuck into a tasty snack or enjoy the atmosphere with existing friends and make new ones. Bring the whole family, a picnic and an open mind.

Activities include: • Craft stalls – with ‘hands on’ free and low-cost opportunities to create an item and take it away with you Try things you’ve never done before, without it costing the Earth!

• Art Stalls, with opportunities to view artists demos, or sign up to classes.

• Large Mobile screen showing ‘Our Earth Matters’ Young Creators Exhibition entries and much more…

• Face painting.

• Children’s dance and performance • Market stalls, pop up restaurant and street food.

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• Games and fun dress up as a young Queen Elizabeth (or pirate) with photo opportunities – prizes morning and afternoon for the most audacious performance.

• Community paint - large canvas, pick up a brush and just do it. Canvas to be displayed at Creative Art Showcase event at Bromsgrove School on 29th & 30th October 2022.

• Nature inspired stalls – find out about our local wildlife and beautiful places to go with the family • Adult performance – pop up style, with street style and celebrity content – all free This event is kindly receiving grant aid from NEW - North East Worcester Recovery through Creativity Fund, Bromsgrove Council and Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.

Community groups who want to join in and help us create even more fun please email Claire at info@ creativeartshowcase.org Further information contact: Michelle Parry 07818 830988 www.creativeartshowcase.org info@creativeartshowcase.org

BAA welcomes Fairfield Flicks F

airfield Flicks is the latest organisation to join Bromsgrove Ar ts Alive, which has around 50 member groups representing Ar ts and Culture in the Bromsgrove area.

Based at Fairfield Village Hall, Fairfield Flicks is a voluntary run cinema and live entertainment experience showing top films and great acts for you to enjoy. Do check them out at fairfieldflicks. org.uk to see their current programme. The Spring Newsletter for BAA is now available on the website www.bromsgroveartsalive.co.uk

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rimary age children from local first and middle schools are being invited to a “singing day” workshop as par t of Bromsgrove Festival on Tuesday June 28th at St John’s Church.

Alexander L’Estrange

Alexander L’Estrange is an award-winning British composer, arranger, jazz musician and choral animateur of international acclaim. A Master of Arts graduate of Oxford University, he has been dubbed “the added 9th of choral music” due to his consummate fusion of the English choral tradition with jazz.

L’Estrange is best known for his popular series of 40-minute choral works for SATB choir, unison children and jazz quintet which began with “Zimbe!

Come, sing the songs of Africa!” The piece took the choral world by storm, firmly establishing L’Estrange as one of the most popular choral composers of our age; Zimbe!’s 10th anniversary concert, conducted by the composer, took place at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Some Bromsgrove children and adults enjoyed performing this during the 2019 Bromsgrove Festival.

The music: Alexander composed a piece 10 years ago for the queen’s diamond Jubilee called ‘Zadok Rules Hallelujah!’ for an adult choir and children to perform together. It is a witty whistle-stop tribute to kings and queens, royal music through the ages and the works of Handel. A Children’s choir bundle will be sent to participating schools if they find they have a bit of time to look at it in advance.This contains a pdf of the children’s part, MP3 tracks and a video for children to sing to.

Provisional structure of the day: Star t at 9.45am.

Alexander will teach and rehearse with the children in the morning. After a packed lunch we will be joined by adult singers (who will have prepared in advance). The day is provisionally planned to end with a performance of the piece (which lasts around 8 minutes) for an audience of parents and conclude by 4pm. Any adults wishing to sing should contact Ruth Henley - r.g.henley@btinterntet.com

Completely Bromsgrove

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Worcestershire Beacon from North Hill by Ivan Maxwell Jones

British Camp from Black Hill Ridge by Ivan Maxwell Jones

Lickey Hills Art Society C alling all artists however new or experienced, expand your skills by meeting up with like-minded artists, in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.

Our next meeting is on Saturday 7th May at Longbridge Methodist church, 1654/8 Bristol Road South, Rednal, Birmingham B45 9TY, star ting at 7.30pm until 9.30pm. Annual Membership costs only £20.00 per annum or visitors fee of £5.00 which includes refreshments.

Our guest demonstrator will be Malvern artist, Ivan Maxwell Jones, The Contemporary Landscape Painter.

For more information about LHAS please email lyndasharp2010@yahoo.com

Ivan Maxwell Jones

Acclaimed broadcaster Steve shares reflections on leadership

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edia headlines about those at the top of government make the subject of the next event at WORDS - Reflections on Leadership - very apposite.

Steve Richards is a long-standing broadcaster, commentator and journalist of high repute on political matters. He writes columns for The Guardian, The Independent, The Sunday Times and The Financial Times, is a presenter on BBC Radio 4’s The Week in Westminster, appears regularly on BBC and Sky TV and writes and produces his own podcasts.

His most recent books are The Prime Ministers We Never Had - From Butler to Corbyn and Reflections on Leadership - from Wilson to Johnson.

The WORDS team heard Steve speak at an event last year and were so impressed that they approached him immediately about addressing a WORDS audience.

Steve will be speaking on Wednesday, May 11th at 7.30pm at the Learning and Resource Centre in Bromsgrove School. Access is via the Worcester Road entrance and car park (B61 7HP). A buggy will be available.

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Tickets, priced at £15, are available via the Ticket Source website - www. ticketsource.co.uk Simply type either Bromsgrove WORDS or Reflections on Leadership into the find event search bar.

If you are interested in modern politics, this is a not to be missed event.

Advertisement Feature

The Perfect OXO Family?

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aura Hawkins from Alvechurch Legal explores the problems faced by Lynda Bellingham’s family after her death.

When actress Lynda Bellingham died in 2014, her sons were left an unexpected nightmare.

Lynda and her husband, Michael, made Mirror Wills, in which Lynda left her entire estate to her third husband, expecting him to leave her share of their combined assets to her sons on his death.

“We both wrote wills as a married couple and they mirrored each other in how we would leave our estate.” admitted Michael.

Lynda will undoubtedly have felt, that she could trust her husband to carry out her wishes and provide for her sons. But, it turns out that her trust was misplaced. What actually followed, was a very public dispute between Lynda’s husband and her sons…

Michael decided to re-write his own Will, disinheriting them altogether and leaving everything to his own children.

“I have re-written the will and they

(Lynda’s Sons) will get nothing from me.”

Michael told the Daily Mail.

Can Michael do that?

In a word: yes. Having executed Mirror Wills, Lynda passed all her assets to Michael when she died. His promise to look after her sons was never legally enforceable. Lynda’s assets are now Michael’s to do with as he wishes. There is nothing in law to prevent Michael going back on his promise and re-writing his earlier Will.

Can this be prevented?

Sadly, these types of disputes are common amongst families, but they are preventable.

Proper ty Protection Wills could have been set up to safeguard her proper ties for both her husband and her sons.

Estate planning is complicated. This is why it is important you speak to someone like Laura from Alvechurch Legal Services who specialises in offering sound advice.

This would have protected her son’s inheritance, whilst ensuring that Michael had somewhere to live for the rest of his life

If you would like to discuss updating your Wills, you can contact Alvechurch Legal Services on 0121 445 3307 or email laura@alvechurchlegal.co.uk Or visit their website at www.alvechurchlegal.co.uk

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AVONCROFT CRICKET CLUB

Croft’s cricketers brush off the cobwebs in Easter fixtures

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fter a long winter break, Avoncroft CC’s players finally got back out onto the cricket field over the Easter weekend as the First XI kicked off their season with a narrow defeat against Old Elizabethans.

While the result went against Croft, spirits were high as the players brushed off the cobwebs with some excellent individual performances. Fifties for openers Josh Cound and Dan Elliott helped Avoncroft to a first innings score of 246-7 but, despite four wickets for leg-spinner Alex Richardson, Old Es edged home with 11 balls to spare in a tight run chase.

Over the next couple of weeks, the Seconds and Thirds get the chance to launch their league campaigns, whilst the Sunday XI begin their programme of friendly fixtures.

Croft are on the lookout for new players to bolster their numbers, so anyone interested in getting involved can get in touch with the club via the

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website www.avoncroftcc.co.uk or pop along to the ground for adult training on a Thursday evening from 6pm.

Junior training has started on Friday evening with softball training for under eights to under tens from 5.30pm to 6.30pm and hardball training for under 11s to under 14s from 6.45pm to 8pm. The club is also running the popular ECB All Stars programme this year.

Again, anyone interested in signing up can contact the club through the website or are welcome to come along on a Friday evening and speak to one of the club coaches for more information.

by Paul Athey

Difficult season for Sporting FC A

t the time of writing, Sporting have just one more Southern League match to play and in their last seven matches picked up 11 points which will be enough to avoid relegation.

The turnaround came at Barwell with a useful 3-2 win then an unexpected draw away to second-placed Peterborough Sports coming back from 2-0 behind.

Home wins against Redditch United and Needham Market along with other teams’ results going their way saw The Rouslers climb out of the drop zone.

Planning now starts for next season to ensure that they do not find themselves in the same situation this time next year.

The Veterans (over 35s) team though had a successful season winning their league and gaining promotion.

Bromsgrove Sporting Ladies also had a good season but not enough to get promoted and with five matches still to play should remain fourth in their league.

The Under 16s Colts team won their league for the second successive season whilst the Under 9s have a league sup final at the end of May. Any enquiries about Bromsgrove Sporting can be sent to hello@ bromsgrovesporting.co.uk. Otherwise check out the web site, www. bromsgrovesporting.co.uk which has plenty of information about the Club.

by Phil Baker

Photos by Chris Jepson Completely Bromsgrove

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