Completely Bromsgrove issue 41 June '22

Issue 41

June 2022

Completely

Bromsgrove

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Welcome to the June issue of Completely Bromsgrove

T

he beginning of this month will see Bromsgrove celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The party starts with the first event organised by Bromsgrove District Council on Thursday, June 2nd at Sanders Park at 5pm and ends with the ceremonial lighting of the beacons in the park at 9.45pm.

On Sunday, June 5th, everyone is invited to the Jubilee Street Par ty with an official opening by Bromsgrove Cour t Leet and the chairman of the town’s Royal British Legion.

Continuing with the music theme, Bromsgrove Festival makes a welcome return in 2022 and gets

Contents

6 10 14 16 18 22 23 26 30 31

Footpath Restored David Keep Photo’s Raffled KSH’s New Showroom Gardening Worcs WildlifeTrust Town Criers Celebration Jubilee Street Party Council/ The Cross Recipe Alvechurch Legal

32 34 36 38 39 40 42 44 48 50 51

Very best of wishes,

Acorn Dental Health & Wellbeing 50 Years Married St Johns Restoration History St Michael’s Craft Fair Bloodwise Fun Run Avoncroft Museum on TV Drive Time Primrose Yellow Week!

B’grove Flower Club

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

Completely Bromsgrove

The team at Completely Bromsgrove would like to wish Her Majesty the Queen and all the good folk of the district a very happy Platinum Jubilee. It is such an amazing and tremendous milestone to be par t of.

Michele Ford

22 50 56

Completely

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Another great day is in store on June 25th when Bromsgrove High Street hosts the annual Fair Day in celebration of the 1199 Royal Char ter being granted to the town. Read all about it on page 53.

What a fun-packed month June is going to be with so much to be proud of.

There’ll be live music in the events space on the High Street outside Argos so bring tables and chairs for the ten-hour extravaganza. Turn to page 23 for full details.

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underway on June 24th. Turn to page 54 for more information.

52 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 61 62

Wolf Run Restored Poles Fair Day B’grove Festival The Queens Knickers Charity Ball Returns Fairfield Flicks Feckenham Wake Avoncroft Cricket B’grove Sporting FC B’grove Cricket

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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Footpath restored to former glory

A

historic right of way in Lickey End that is believed to have been used by the Romans is being restored by Worcestershire County Council.

Liberal Democrat councillors Josh Robinson and Rob Hunter have lobbied for years for facilities on the ancient public right of way between Alcester Road and A38 Birmingham Road to be improved and their efforts finally paid off when new facilities were installed.

The route, which starts opposite the Recreation Ground in Lickey End and passes through farmland and woods before meeting the A38 Birmingham Road opposite Roman Way, is believed to have its origins in the Worcester to Lickey Roman Road after excavations in the 1950s identified historic road deposits.

Although it has been a recognised public right of way for a long time, it had fallen into a state of disrepair.

Stiles had been broken, signs were missing and parts of the right of way were completely overgrown.

Now after a successful campaign by the local councillors, and interventions from the police, the right of way is being restored with new signs, stiles and a bridge. The investment in new facilities is intended to make the right of way more accessible to residents.

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Walkers are encouraged to make use of the new facilities but are also reminded that the right of way is through private land, which must be respected. Anyone using it must keep pets on a lead and must not stray beyond the route that is indicated on the signs. Walking outside of a designated public right of way is a form of trespassing.

Councillor Rob Hunter, who started the campaign to restore the route, said: “It has been a long time coming but I am absolutely delighted that residents will now have safe access to this beautiful and historic public right of way. We are doing everything we can to try and encourage people out of their cars and this provides a great opportunity to explore the local area on foot.”

Councillor Josh Robinson, who secured the funding for the works, added: “I’d like to say a big thank you to local police officers, council officers and the landowners who have all worked together to make this possible. It really is an improvement, and we must ensure we use it responsibly to ensure it stays that way.”

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Photographic journey from sea lions to sharks

B

romsgrove Photographic Society welcomed amateur photographer David Keep to Avoncroft Art Centre on May 3 for his presentation From Sea Lions to Sharks.

The audience saw some incredible images and attention-grabbing videos that David had filmed while taking his photographs.

This offered his audience the chance to understand the lengths David went to in order to get the perfect shot. The presentation lasted for three hours and was a wonderful evening.

The society would like to say a big thank you to the hard-working volunteers who arranged publicity for the evening, organised car parking, prepared refreshments which included some delicious home-made cakes and biscuits and set up the room.

With the winter programme almost at an end, the society are looking forward to their summer programme, where they will be out and about at pre-arranged locations on their regular Tuesday evening club night, with cameras at the ready.

Julie Bridgewater being presented with the framed print that David Keep donated as a prize

Members will have the chance to take more excellent images ready for competitions, both club and external, for exhibitions throughout the region.

This year BPS had a static display in premises on Bromsgrove High Street and an exhibition in the library. They are hoping to do this again with a fresh display of images.

Anyone aged over 18 who would like to find out more about the club or develop their photographic skills are welcome to get in touch.

For more information please go to www.bromsgroveps.com or email bpscontact1@gmail.com

David Keep with the second raffle winner, Mike Norton, Summer Programme Organiser, with one of David’s prints Photos: Richard Chapman,Vice Chair BPS

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GARDENING

The dizzy delights of dahlias S

ummer wouldn’t be the same without dahlias. From pale pastels to vibrant shades, these beautiful flowers come in almost every colour in the spectrum.

Tiny small tight pom-poms to blooms the size of dinner plates; what a range of shapes and sizes.

The dwarf varieties can be grown as bedding, while more compact varieties grow very well in pots. They’re perfect for adding summer colour to borders from July through to October and make great cut flowers, the more you cut them, the more flowers they produce.

at the garden centre, check that they are large and plump, with no signs of rot or mould.

A fertile, moist but well-drained soil will make them very happy with a sheltered spot and as much sun as possible. Enrich your soil with some organic matter, such as well rotted manure. Be warned as the taller varieties will need serious staking.

Most dahlias are not attractive to pollinators due to their flouncy, showy flowers which make it almost impossible for access to the pollen.

If you are going to grow dahlias try to include some single-flowered varieties if you can as these are popular with bees and butterflies which will guarantee a mass of insect life.

In autumn, dig up the tubers and overwinter them in a frost-free place, such as a greenhouse or a shed. Bring them back into growth in March, then plant out in the garden from May onwards when the risk of frost has passed. They can be left in the ground to overwinter if your soil is well drained but must be mulched before the frosts to protect the tubers.

Dahlias hail from Central America and were brought to Europe by the Spanish, along with potatoes and tomatoes, initially for eating. Dahlia plants can be found in garden centres during summer months, but many gardeners grow them from tubers as well as seed. If you’re buying tubers

Take cuttings throughout the growing year, you really don’t want to risk losing any of these precious flowers. If anything, you get to increase your stock and it is always great to pass on your dahlias to friends and family.

Some jobs to keep you busy in June Pinch out side-shoots from tomatoes and feed them once a week when fruits are visible Keep hoeing your borders/plot to keep those weeds down Harvest early potatoes, lettuce and radish Tie in climbing plants

Tender summer bedding can go outside now Cover developing and ripening fruit with netting to protect them from birds Keep water supplies for birds topped up

Enjoy the summer solstice and make the most of the light nights.

By Suzi M plotter, gardener and flower lover

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Hairy shieldbug adult by Wendy Carter

Woundwort shieldbug nymph by Wendy Carter

Woundwort shieldbug adult

by Wendy Carter

Hairy shieldbug nymph

by Wendy Carter

by Wendy Carter, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust

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Completely Bromsgrove

Parent bug and offspring by Rosemary Winnall

Green shieldbug adult and nymph by Wendy Carter

Stunning shieldbugs B

ugs. We call all sor ts of things ‘bugs’. But did you know that bugs are a par ticular kind of insect? True bugs belong to the order Hemiptera, which means half-wings, and have mouthpar ts that are shaped like a straw, perfect for sucking the sap from plants or the juices from their prey. If you spot an insect, look for those half-wings – wings that are hard and leathery near the shoulders but delicate and membranous near the bottom.

Perhaps the most stunning of the bugs, and cer tainly my favourites, are the shieldbugs. So-called because of their shield-shaped bodies, these insects have a habit of basking in the sunshine, which you’d think makes them easy to spot. Except they’re usually well camouflaged, which means they’re often harder to spot than you’d like!

Take green shieldbugs, for example. They’re our most commonly seen shieldbug, partly because they’re often found in gardens. The adults are bright green – perfect for blending into the background foliage – with a dark area where the wing membranes overlap. As we trundle through June there will be fewer adults around but the youngsters will soon start appearing. True bugs hatch as mini versions of their parents and shed their skin several times before finally becoming adults.

Talking of which. If you’ve got birch or alder in your garden, keep a look out for parent bugs. The female lays her eggs on a leaf and then incubates them. Even when the young hatch, mum sticks around to protect them. The adults are a beautiful reddy-orange colour but the kids look like they’re wearing striped pyjamas!

Hairy shieldbugs are easy to recognise because they’re, well, hairy. The adults are a wonderful mix of metallic maroon and yellowy-green, edged with a black and white chequered pattern that’s matched by black and white striped antennae. You might think

this makes them very conspicuous but their habit of hanging around on seedheads can make it trickier than you’d think.

Perhaps my favourite is the woundwor t shieldbug.

They’re smaller than the others and bring a bit of bling to vegetation. I’ve got a wild patch in my garden that’s full of hedge woundwor t at this time of year and their shining metallic bodies are obvious even at a glance. Look for them now and again in August when you might be lucky enough to spot all generations as the little ones hatch and develop to maturity within the month.

I’ll be looking for shieldbugs in my garden as par t of 30 Days Wild – the annual celebration that encourages everyone to reconnect to nature each day throughout June. Sign up and receive lots of inspiration to keep you wild www. worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/30DaysWild

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

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Join Town Crier Kevin for musical celebration M

usic lovers are invited to join Bromsgrove’s popular Town Crier Kevin Ward for a free extravaganza in St John’s Church on Sunday, June 26th at 7.30pm.

The Celebration Concert, which will be held on the opening weekend of the 2022 Bromsgrove Festival, features the Orchestra of St John and family duo Charlotte and Alastair Moseley for an evening to celebrate the legacy of Kevin’s parents.

Kevin said: “I am so lucky that I was brought up in a family who suppor ted and encouraged music making and having fun.

My parents were patrons of Birmingham Conservatoire and they would have been delighted that their legacy suppor ts this concert in its entirety.

“The Celebration Concert includes some of their favourite pieces and it will be wonderful if as many people as possible can come along and dance with enthusiasm in the pews and aisles.

“I’m hoping the audience brings their voices too so that we can sing lustily and enjoy the well-known choruses together to really raise the roof in celebration. Everyone can go with the version they sing along to on Classic FM, and not worry if it’s not quite what was written in the score. I can’t wait to see a packed church singing and dancing and having fun.”

The audience will be encouraged to join in for the opening piece and the finale. The concert will kick off with Zadok the Priest, the coronation anthem included to celebrate the Queen in the 70th year of her reign and conclude with the rousing Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. It is hoped that there will be dancing in the pews and the aisles when the Orchestra plays the Blue Danube Waltz – a favourite with Kevin’s mother and father.

The concert is being held to raise funds for two local charities - the Friends of St John’s and the Norton Collection Museum. The Friends raise funds for the ongoing maintenance of Bromsgrove’s ancient church building and the museum, which is currently being renovated to improve access, houses a large collection of items celebrating Bromsgrove’s past. While tickets and interval drinks are free, donations will be gratefully accepted.

Visit www.a-celebration-26june.eventbrite. co.uk for more information and to reserve free tickets.

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Jubilee street party

C

ome along to the Jubilee street par ty on 5th June 2022 High Street Bromsgrove hosted by Bromsgrove Royal British Legion & Bromsgrove District Council.

FREE street party on Bromsgrove High Street.

Bring a chair and picnic; join in the fun from 12.00 noon. Dress to impress in clothes from your favourite decade from the Queen’s reign and take part in the fashion parade at 4pm. Enjoy music through the decades to dance and sing along to. Enjoy arts and craft activities with Taylor’d Crafts and bring your flags for waving during the classical proms style finale.

Running Order for Musical Performances: 12.00pm Official Opening and welcome by Bromsgrove Cour t Leet and Bromsgrove Royal British Legion Chairman 12.05pm Vintage Class Singers start the fun with music from the 1950’s 12.30pm Joe James Thomas Music 1950’s – Get ready to Rock and Roll 1.15pm Bryan James BB Discos Karaoke and Cabaret classic hits from The Rat Pack

4.00pm Bryan James’ hosts the parade of fashion across the decades to classic hits 4.45pm Skabucks bringing us those Ska classics from the 1980’s 5.45pm Catherine Tabberner delivering some classic 80’s hits 6.00pm Vintage Class & Bryan James to get you all 80’d out 6.30pm Jack Read and The Shaders with some 90’s belters 7.15pm Billy Smith performing 90’s hits 7.30pm V4 have the stage for a tribute to the Boy Bands 8.15pm Our Proms style finale where Orchestra of St John Bromsgrove perform Music from the Movies 8.45pm Bryan James playing hits from the musicals

2.00pm The Reflections – classic 60’s hits at their best

9.00pm Orchestra of St John with Last Night of the Proms classics for everyone to join in with – flags are a must!! They will be joined by Kevin Ward, our wonderful Tenor for proms’ favourites.

2.45pm Bryan James & Vintage Class with smooth 70’s hits

Come along and join Bromsgrove Street Party fun for the Jubilee!

3.15pm Vaseline bringing alive some 1970’s punk classics

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1.30pm Bryan James & Vintage Class head into the 1960’s

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Town centre car park makes switch to online payment M otorists parking in Bromsgrove now have an all-digital car park following the last round of upgrades to parking systems.

Ageing ‘pay on foot’ barriers and pay machines have been removed from service at the Churchfields and Recreation Road car parks and while they will be replaced by new ‘pay and stay’ machines in Recreation Road, Churchfields will go online-only.

Drivers using the four-floor, 300-space multi-storey behind Asda will use the online MiPermit parking service exclusively in a digital approach that is a first for councils in Worcestershire.

It will also mean that for the first time, drivers will be able to go online and skip using pay machines or displaying tickets at any council car park in Bromsgrove. Alternatively, they can use upgraded machines that take card and contactless payments as well as cash, except at the digital-only Churchfields.

About one in four car park users in Bromsgrove already manage their parking, including for cheaper quar terly and annual permits, online using MiPermit since it was first introduced in selected car parks in 2020.

Leader of Bromsgrove District Council, Councillor Karen May, said: “Ensuring people have access to good, safe parking is par t of the lifeblood of any town. In Bromsgrove parking is now top quality after a lot of work to update it.

“Improvements across the board have removed the need to always have to juggle coins and notes, remember tickets, deal with window stickers, and so on. It all helps to make life easier and cut waste.”

The changes follow a 2020 consultation by the council that revealed more than 60% of respondents wanted card payments, an outcome that required old pay on foot systems to be replaced. Responses against the idea of eliminating cash payments also prompted the council to retain some cash options.

Uniquely, the Churchfields multi-storey will need no physical infrastructure like barriers or pay machines – cutting plastic and paper use from tickets and permits there to zero, as well as reducing energy usage.

Drivers with legacy paper permits for Churchfields are being advised that they must continue to display any existing permits until those permits expire.

It is all part of a programme of upgrades to the town’s parking service that includes LED lighting and other improvements in efficiency, environmental impact, and quality. Resurfacing works are coming soon.

For parking customer service queries please contact bdcparking@bromsgrove.gov.uk

The Cross lifts CAMRA crown C

ongratulations are in order for The Cross at Finstall, which was awarded the coveted pub of the year prize by the Bromsgrove and Redditch District branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).

Black Country Ales reopened the pub four years ago with Ryan Fessey at the helm. This is not the first time Ryan and his team have been rewarded for all their hard work and dedication, with the pub winning on three previous occasions.

From left to right Emma Groves Assistant Manager, Ryan Fessey Licensee and Tracey Buckley (Ryan’s Mum) Head of Housekeeping and Catering

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Completely Bromsgrove

The Cross will now go on to compete against other pubs across the county for the title of Worcestershire Pub of the Year in a competition that leads to the ultimate award of National Pub of the Year. This will be announced later in the year.

Here at Completely Bromsgrove, we would like to wish Ryan and his team all the best of luck for the next round.

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29

RECIPE

Grilled pork chops in a rum and apple marinade

Preparation: Bring the apple juice to the boil in a saucepan with balsamic vinegar, Kikkoman soy sauce, sugar, chilli flakes, garlic and rum. Let the rum and apple marinade cool down, then marinate the meat with the rosemary in it for a minimum of 2-6 hours. After this time, remove the meat and bring the marinade to the boil in a saucepan with tomato puree. Mix the cornflour with water and use it to thicken the marinade to make a sauce.

Grill or barbecue the pork chops until cooked.

Serve the pork chops with apple slices and the rum and apple sauce.

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Completely Bromsgrove

Ingredients for 4 portions: • 4 pork chops • 300 ml apple juice • 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar • 3 tbsp Kikkoman naturally brewed soy sauce • 2 tsp sugar • 2 pinches chilli flakes • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 80 ml rum

• 1 sprig rosemary • 1 tbsp tomato puree • 2 tsp cornflour • 2 tbsp water • 1 apple, sliced

Prep. time: 10 minutes plus 2-6 hours marinating

Cook time: 20 minutes

www.lovebritishfood.co.uk

Advertisement Feature

The Perfect OXO Family?

L

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.

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Michael told the Daily Mail.

Can Michael do that?

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

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31

Invisalign® - The World’s No.1 Clear Aligner Treatment Get Straight White Teeth at Acorn Dental Barnt Green What is Invisalign?

Invisalign involves a series of clear, removable aligners each one being worn for 1-2 weeks then swapped for the next aligner in the series, gradually moving your teeth to the desired end goal. The number of aligners varies from patient to patient according to the severity of the case, however, the average is about 18 to 30 aligners meaning that many treatments can be completed between 6 to 15 months! Each set of aligners are custom made for each patient to achieve a beautiful natural smile.

The Benefits of Invisalign (

Comfort – No braces, wires or train tracks

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32

Clean – They are removable allowing you to clean your teeth properly Confidence – Smile and speak with no visible wires and brackets

Completely Bromsgrove

What can be corrected with Invisalign?

Crowded Teeth: Overlapping teeth can get worse with time and result in severely crooked teeth. Crowding can lead to plaque build up, decay and gum disease.

Gappy Teeth: Gaps between teeth can be unsightly and can lead to unwanted tooth movements, along with potential gum problems.

Crossbite: Crossbite happen when one or more upper teeth bite behind the lower teeth. This can cause wear of the teeth, gum disease and bone loss.

Deep Bite: Deep bite can lead to gum problems or irritation, and/or wear on the lower teeth, and can cause painful jaw joint problems.

Open Bite: Open bite can cause poor or painful chewing and even speech impairment. It can also lead to greater issues like TMJD. Underbite: Underbite can prevent normal functioning of front teeth or molars, which can lead to wear. It can also cause painful jaw joint problems.

Why choose Acorn Dental for your Invisalign Treatment?

Many dentists offer Invisalign treatment, however much fewer dentists can do traditional fixed braces. There are even fewer dentists that can provide both.

Similarly, many cases can be treated with Invisalign, however, some cases are too complex and need to be treated using a more traditional fixed brace approach.

The key to success in treatment is choosing the correct appliance for the individual case.

Our worldrenowned Dentist, Dr Dipesh Parmar, has a Masters Degree in Orthodontics and is highly trained in both Invisalign and fixed braces.

Without bias, Dr Parmar will advise you on what is best for your teeth, smile and health.

To start your Invisalign journey simply call the practice on 0121 447 7300 or book online at www.acorndental.co.uk The consultation fee is £60 which is payable upon booking.

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www.acorndental.co.uk Completely Bromsgrove

33

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

H.R.T. from a different perspective

W

atching and listening to recent TV and radio reports about the shortage of HRT products got me thinking.

Having been put into the menopause by having a hysterectomy quite a few years ago, I can say that it is not a pleasant experience. When it happened to me, we did not have the products that are available now.

Being someone who is aware of what I put on my body and what I take I began to research alternatives to HRT. Research was difficult because it was a nightmare trying to formulate just what you appeared to be experiencing.

Guided by my gynaecologist, I tried HRT patches, but unfortunately, I was allergic to them. They caused uncomfortable welts on my body that became very sore. I then started taking tablets for about three months without success. After extensive tests my gynaecologist concluded that I could not take any form of HRT, so it was back to the drawing board.

I was suffering with brain fog, fatigue, and hot flushes during the day and at night I wasn’t sleeping well. I gained weight and felt incredibly depressed.

I started to take Black Cohosh, extra vitamins and St. John’s Wort but nothing was really helping with the brain fog, 15 to 20 hot flushes per day and waking up in the night every few hours.

Eventually I found Progessence Plus Serum which is thoughtfully designed specifically for women. As an aromatherapist I knew it was natural. Made with natural, bioidentical progesterone from wild yam, this product promotes well-being and feelings of relaxation, harmony, and balance. Featuring some of Young Living’s premium essential oils, including frankincense, bergamot, and peppermint, this plantbased serum was just what I was looking for.

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Completely Bromsgrove

Benefits of the serum are: • Designed especially for women • Promotes well-being and feelings of relaxation, harmony, and balance • Easily absorbs and contains skin-nourishing premium essential oils and vitamin E • 100 percent plant-based and naturally derived vegan formula • Formulated without parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, synthetic preservatives, synthetic fragrances, or synthetic dyes.

The Progessence Plus Serum was helping but not completely, I needed something more. I was then introduced to Redox signalling molecules. I started taking these molecules and within days I was sleeping through the night. Hot flushes dropped from around 15 a day to none at night and down to about seven a day and gradually they stopped completely. After about a month, my brain fog was lifting, I had more energy and pains in my joints were beginning to disappear.

My daily routine was as soon as I awoke, I would drink 4oz of Redox molecules, shower and from head to toe I would cover my body with Redox gel Renu 28. When I was dressed, I would use the Progessence Plus Serum around my throat twice a day.

If you want to know where to buy these products, I can certainly help you. Contact me on the details below.

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35

Fifty years together W

illiam Shakespeare’s enduring line from Twelfth Night: “If music be the food of love, play on” could easily apply to a harmonious Bromsgrove couple who are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary this summer.

Music has always played an important role in the lives of composer Roger Jones and his wife Mary, and the pair will be celebrating in style with a performance of Roger’s musical Saints Alive! at Bromsgrove Baptist Church on July 9.

“I wrote Saints Alive! in 1981 and we’re rerecording it with an orchestra and choir comprising family and friends from all over the country,” Roger told Completely Bromsgrove.

“We’re not party people and this is how we want to celebrate.”

The pair first met at Grenfell Baptist Church in Ward End, Birmingham when Mary was the soloist on a traditional African American spiritual called There Is A Balm in Gilead.

Half a century on, Roger and Mary, a former nurse, have been blessed with four children and six grandchildren.

Eldest son Tim helps his dad with musical arrangements, sales and administration at Christian Music Ministries (CMM) while graphic designer Andrew is responsible for cover design.

The family’s passion for music extends to Tim’s son Michael, a music and theology student and talented rhythm guitarist and composer.

Formerly a music teacher and head of lower school at Aston Manor School in Birmingham, Roger penned the first of 24 musicals, Jerusalem Joy, in 1973. It was featured on BBC Birmingham, now BBC WM, and BBC Radio 2 before hitting the nation’s TV screens on Songs of Praise.

Since then, the musical has been performed by thousands of children all over the world, including in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in 1981.

Three years later, Roger made the bold step to leave teaching and concentrate on working full time as director of CMM. This gave him the time he needed both to compose and to develop his ministry to the churches he encountered through the musicals.

Writing musicals has also given Roger and Mary the opportunity to travel.

“We’ve made 20 trips to Israel and have also been to Cyprus, the USA and Canada,” he said.

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Completely Bromsgrove

“One woman I spoke to said that when she was a child, she used to sing my songs while standing on the doorstep waiting for her drunken father to come home.”

Roger said that he has no plans to retire – “you don’t retire from something that you love doing.”

During lockdown he wrote a new musical entitled Three Wise Camels and for the past four years he has presented a weekly two-hour radio show called Heart and Soul on Brumside Radio.

Among the high points of Roger’s career was receiving the Cranmer Award for Worship from Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 2017.

Named after Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1533 to 1555, the award recognises outstanding contributions to all aspects of worship in the Church of England, including both words and music.

“The award was a real team effort, and I was honoured to receive it in the library of Lambeth Palace where Cranmer wrote the Book of Common Prayer,” he said.

Everyone at Completely Bromsgrove would like to wish Roger and Mary a very happy 50th anniversary and every success with their future musical endeavours.

in perfect harmony Still singing from the same hymn sheet 50 years on

Married in 1972

by Teresa Green Completely Bromsgrove

37

Showcasing St John’s ancient building

T

he Friends of St John’s are opening the doors of the church and the doors to the tower, for a Showcase Day on Saturday 18th June

The Showcase Day will be used to launch a new website and give details about the next fundraising project for the Friends of St John’s – the Save Our Spire Appeal.

Running alongside the website development will be a competition to encourage art submissions in any media, por traying St John’s. A digital version of the submission will be requested to populate the new website and encourage engagement.

The submissions will be displayed in church in an exhibition at the Showcase Day. On Saturday 18th June the day begins with the last in the popular Cake and Coffee Concert series.

At 10.30am The Singing Villeins will perform a selection of folk songs, madrigals and a modern vocal arrangement for a summer morning. The concerts are free to attend, but donations are always welcome.

The Showcase Day will continue after the cake and refreshments and will include: • Open the Tower to have a go on the bells and enjoy the views from the top • Local craft traders and producers inside and outside the church selling handmade gifts and goodies.

• Outdoors food and refreshments in the churchyard • A Bromsgrove Society history area with a book stall supported by church historian Simon Henderson who will give talks and tours.

• Musical interludes during the afternoon • A creative crafts area for children and adults to get inspired • Information about how to “Save our Spire” and join Friends.

Full details will be available on www.facebook.com/friendsstjohnsbromsgrove and we hope to see lots of people – feel free to come and explore the church and get a birds eye view of the town from the top of the tower.

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Completely Bromsgrove

HISTORY

Dodford’s Chartist experiment

W

ith summer on the horizon, Rosedene Cottage at Dodford – Bromsgrove’s only National Trust property – offers fascinating insights into social history.

Chartism was a political movement of the 1830s and 40s which aimed to secure greater political and social rights for working people. One of its leaders was an Irishman named Feargus O’Connor. He was a moderate who advocated peaceful social reform rather than violence, an aim he actively promoted through his newspaper, The Nor thern Star.

O’Connor became interested in the redistribution of land and came up with the idea for a Char tist Land Company, to bring working class people from the industrial cities and towns into the countryside.

Each family would have their own house and enough land to be self-sufficient. As proper ty owners the new settlers would get the vote, and because they were self-sufficient the movement would alleviate unemployment and pover ty at the same time.

The idea was that people would put 26 shillings into a special bank, which would use the accumulated funds to purchase land and found a community. Then the actual plots of land, varying in size from one to four acres, would be assigned by lottery to those who had contributed.

This lottery practice was eventually declared illegal, so at Dodford O’Connor’s group needed a new scheme to allocate property. To resolve the legal issue, they asked for a premium deposit, or bonus payment, with the top bidder getting the first choice. The top premium paid for a Dodford cottage was £150, a large

sum in the mid-19th century, especially for the working class city-dwellers the scheme was hoping to attract.

Dodford was the last of five Chartist communities established by O’Connor and his supporters. The land was purchased in May 1848, on the site of a former priory, and was split into 40 plots of four acres each, laid out on a grid. Kilns were established to make bricks from clay dug on the site. The settlers worked quickly, with the first cottages being occupied by July 1849.

The best preserved cottage is Rosedene. Originally called Rose Cottage, it was purchased by William Hodgkiss, an Irish pensioner and former employee of the East India Company. The Crisp family moved in in 1912 and retained the cottage until it was bought by the National Trust in 1997.

Rosedene is of simple design. A pair of bedrooms flanks a combined living room and kitchen at the front of the house. Each bedroom has its own small fireplace and original wooden floors, and the kitchen area is floored with large clay tiles and heated by a coal-fired range. From the kitchen, a passage leads to a rear vestibule with a water pump and well, and to one side is a dairy or cool room set down into the floor. Behind the cottage is a small barn which gives way to a large orchard area where bees are kept.

Admission to Rosedene is by guided tours only and booking is essential. See the National Trust website for details.

by Mike Sharpe Completely Bromsgrove

39

Craft fair raises £900 S

t Michael’s and All Angels Church in Stoke Prior held a Craft Fair weekend on May 7 and 8 to help raise awareness and necessary funds for the church’s continued restoration projects.

The event, which raised £900, comprised of 15 indoor and 7 outdoor stalls, all run by local crafters from Stoke Prior and Bromsgrove.

Stallholders included beekeeper Tim Vivian, who sold honey and his newest venture honey cider, Marina Davies promoting art and soul, Horsefair Vintage Upcycling, glassmaker Liz Browning and artists Paddi and Megan Hayes.

Stoke Prior PTA, represented by Katie Edwards, offered face painting, the chance to grow a sunflower and a treasure trail.

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Completely Bromsgrove

for church restoration A cake stall run by Jo Till and Sue Able made more than £300 in donations and refreshments were also available on both days.

Hundreds of visitors attended the event, and feedback has been excellent. The next event is being held on Saturday, June 18.

Funds are currently being raised to restore the Bier House, a moveable frame on which a coffin or corpse is placed before burial, in the cemetery grounds which is in desperate need of repair.

If you would like to know more about St Michaels and All Angels Church’s fundraising programme, please contact group vice-chairman Julie Hill via email: julie.hill@aptos.com or call 07519 371588.

Tarantara Choir Concert To be held at St Michael and All Angels Church, Stoke Prior Saturday 18th June 7.00pm for 7.30pm start Raffle & Refreshments available Ticket price £12.50 Lighting by Geoff Hawkesworth Tickets available from June Crofts 01527 832913 Jill Howe 07821 589766

Completely Bromsgrove

41

Fun run boosts Blood A

fter a two-year break due to the pandemic, Bromsgrove Fun Run returned to test participants of all ages.

Natash Thomas and Paul Danks

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Completely Bromsgrove

First held in 1989, the run is held at Finstall Park, home of Bromsgrove Rugby Club. The 10K and 5K courses start in Walnut Lane, moving on to quiet country lanes and along the canal.

At the time of going to print, Nicole Harris, chair of the Bromsgrove branch of Blood Cancer UK, told Completely Bromsgrove that the charity had already exceeded its target of £9,000 and hit the £10,000 mark.

Around 250 runners took part, including many who have tackled the popular event on previous occasions.

One newcomer to the race was Natasha Thomas, who hit a milestone birthday in March this year.

Natasha has never run a 5K before and finished in a respectable time of 33 minutes to be placed 21st.

Natasha’s running partner Paul Danks encouraged her throughout and helped her pace her race.

The weather on the day offered perfect running conditions. Spectators supported the stalls at the event and listened to the ukelele band as well as Bromsgrove’s own station BRMG, with Phil Jones Hammerley at the decks and Sophia interviewing the runners and their supporters.

Nicole Harris would like to thank all those who helped on the day as well as the runners and their family and friends who contributed sponsorship money. Funds raised go directly to Blood Cancer UK to help find a cure for 137 blood cancers as well as provide advice to patients. A great deal of the research is done here in the Midlands.

Race results were as follows: 10K men: First Tom Bristowe, second Patrick Mackie, third Gavin Moorhead. Over 35s men: First Mike Hanson. 10k women: First Sarah Richardson, second Natasha Tandy, third Millie Flynn. Over 35s women: First Emily Powell.

5K men: First Nick Hitchings, second Tristan Day, third Fletcher Howard. 5K women: First Alison Hitchings, second Lucy Ward, third Steph Jones.

Over 35s women: First Ruth Small. Overall under 16: First Lucy Cattell.

Full results are available on www.tempoevents. co.uk under results and Bromsgrove Fun Run. Next year’s race is planned for May 14, 2023.

Cancer UK by £10,000

All photos on this page by Simon Brown

by Teresa Green

Completely Bromsgrove

43

TV experts share their Christina Trevanion and Will Kirk photo

Will Kirk photo by Phil Nokes

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Completely Bromsgrove

by Phil Nokes

knowledge at Avoncroft P

opular Bromsgrove visitor attraction Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings is poised for TV fame as the backdrop for the new series The Travelling Auctioneers.

Restoration maestro Will Kirk from the popular BBC series The Repair Shop and auctioneer Christina Trevanion from Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt have joined forces for a new series to be aired on BBC later this year.

Creators of the series STV Studios, who also produce Antiques Road Trip and The Yorkshire Auction House, descended on Avoncroft last month to film two of the 15 episodes.

The talented pair are taking their auction house and workshop on the road across the UK, unearthing hidden gems and turning unwanted items into winning lots that could sell across the globe.

Sifting through one family home at a time, Will and Christina first need to identify the items that will sell best at a bespoke auction. Christina will call upon her auctioneer contacts and expertise, while Will uses his incredible craft and restoration skills to bring new life to neglected treasures – ready for a thrilling on-site auction.

Throughout the series, the dynamic duo will arm the British public with all the tricks of the trade, to help viewers across the UK cash in on their unwanted belongings.

Thomas and Caroline Loveday

The two lucky families whose items were auctioned off were Thomas Loveday and his mother Caroline, who had travelled to Worcestershire from Marlborough in Wiltshire and the Evans family - Carol, Keith, Thomas and Natasha - who hail from Corby in Nor thamptonshire.

Avoncroft opened its doors to the public who were able to watch the filming take place and chat to Will and Christina.

After filming, Completely Bromsgrove spoke to Neil Dimmock, series producer, who said: “We are trying to buck the throwaway culture.

The whole idea of the show is to offer antiques and pre-loved items which are sustainable a new lease of life. (Continued on next page...)

, From left Natasha Evans, Keith Evans Carol Evans and Thomas Evans

Completely Bromsgrove

45

(Continued from previous page) “We’re travelling the length and breadth of the country helping to find new homes for these items, so they don’t end up in landfill.

“To enhance the show, we’re filming at sites with a historical background, like Avoncroft which saves and restores buildings of historical interest, and this gives us the perfect backdrop for the series.”

The Travelling Auctioneers will air on BBC One later this year.

Jo Slade Chair of Bromsgrove Society, Will Kirk and Michele Ford Completely s Bromsgrove Editor photo by Phil Noke

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Completely Bromsgrove

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Completely Bromsgrove

47

The Jaguar E-Pace N

ow as never before, car buyers crave certainty. Leaving aside prognostications, politicisations, determinations, vacillations, oscillations and all the rest, one thing is clear. Pedigree persists. You simply can’t knock the rock when the stuff of legend continues to rock and roll.

Of all great motoring manufacturers, few can match the hit parade of Jaguar successes. They own an enviable reputation when it comes to combining speed, safety and luxury into irresistibly attractively designed packages. Jaguars have a reputation for beguiling the eye while delivering every promise that smooth-contoured elegance suggests. That for me is why the new E Pace is a kind of progressive SUV that banishes all doubt.

Wrapped up in one road-hungry epitome of practical dynamism, the £42,610 E-Pace P 250 is an urgent reminder that, despite everything else, there is nothing more important than the here and now.

Here is a capacious, luxurious, practical and economical vehicle: a versatile all-rounder if ever there was. The Jaguar E-Pace proves capable of zesty performance that doesn’t so much blow away cobwebs as shatter every mind-forged manacle that a cohort of pusillanimous poets and nail-chewing Cassandras might ever have contrived in the heyday of romantic literature.

In a word, the E-Pace strikes a decisive blow for liberty. The 2.0 litre 249 PS engine is ably assisted by mild electric power and all four wheels are driven through the most delightful of delightful automatic transmission systems - and

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Completely Bromsgrove

yet on test it returned around 35/40 mpg despite Jaguar’s modest claim of 31.8mpg. Of course, I didn’t take it to the 142mph claimed top speed.

Suffice it to say the whole package is beautifully smooth and fast enough for all but criminals.

In attempting to express some of these emotions following my first ‘behind-the-wheel’ acquaintance with the E-Pace, I lapsed into prose of the very deep purple kind. My audience of one - an unimaginative neighbour caught in the act of trimming his hedge - enquired ‘had I swallowed a dictionary’.

“Certainly not,” I responded in jocular mode. “You have been listening to someone who, in Coleridge’s immortal words, has fed on honeydew and ‘drunk the milk of Paradise’.” (From Kubla Khan). I gestured theatrically towards the E-Pace.

“Behold!” I exclaimed. “A veritable chariot of the Gods.”

DRIVE TIME

- it’s a real cool cat!

I opened the passenger door and continued. “You have been trimming your hedge. I ask you now to edge closer and feast your eyes on the trim.

R-Dynamic branding on the leather steering wheel, ebony suede cloth headlining, lovely ebony grained leather covered electrically adjustable and heated front sports seating with a memory function and an assemblance of quality features like the Meridian sound system, the heated steering wheel and the air purification system.”

To cut a long story short, I was pressed to drive my neighbour to a big horticultural show. It was a green-fingered friend’s delight: an annual exhibition of all that is green and good.

Enough of that. To the road in the E-Pace! For me and many others, such a prospect is more than enticing. This roomy car, deftly styled so as to deflect from unseemly bulkiness, is a competent assertion that whatever the future might hold in store, you can set store by Jaguar’s brand reputation. It’s as though they have a mission to inject

positivity into the process of living for the day. It rides and drives beautifully, with sharp responses to wheel and throttle as you travel smoothly over the poorest of surfaces.

Car critics fail to convince that they are possessed of sensible solutions to the problems they perceive. A true answer to these critics is a car like the E-Pace which drives like a dream, is as safe as houses and promotes energy efficiency to a hitherto unprecedented degree. It seems that more and more people are coming to recognise the senselessness of replacing proven and tested technologies with inefficient and costly alternatives.

This is a clean mild hybrid with combined CO2 emissions of just 200-218 g/km and as such harms no-one.

As I commented to my passenger, enjoying your motoring is a true endorsement of technological democracy. To this end one should relish the open road for as long as one can. For now and tomorrow the E-Pace speaks up in no uncertain terms for the virtues of excitement, excellence, economy and accessible elitism. And don’t forget it’s a Jaguar.

by Syd Taylor Completely Bromsgrove

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Join us to turn North East Worcestershire YELLOW for Primrose Hospice F

rom 13th-17th June come together with friends, family or colleagues to help turn North East Worcestershire YELLOW for Primrose Hospice’s YELLOW WEEK! You could hold a yellow fancy dress day, host a yellow talent show or perhaps someone you know would sit in a bath of custard! The options are endless.

Last year Yellow Week raised over £9000 for Primrose Hospice. One of the schools that got involved with Yellow Week 2021 was Charford First School and Nursery who raised an incredible £1093 by dressing up in all their bright yellow clothes!

Rebecca Stone, Fundraising Manager at Primrose Hospice said: “We are so grateful to all our community who get involved with Yellow Week. It is a great week for us to be able to raise awareness of the suppor t Primrose Hospice & Family Support Centre can provide to our local community.

We’d love for anyone and everyone to get involved with Yellow Week, we’ve got lots of ideas on our website but feel free to be as whacky and creative as you like!”

Don’t forget Primrose Hospice’s Summer Fayre celebrating the end of Yellow Week being held at the Hospice on Saturday 18th June.

If you would like to download a fundraising pack or find out more please visit: www.

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primrosehospice.org/events/yellowweek or contact their fundraising team: 01527 889796 Primrose Hospice & Family Suppor t Centre offer care and advice to patients living with a life-limiting condition and suppor t families in the Nor theast Worcestershire area.

As an independent charity, they rely on the suppor t of individuals and businesses to help them to raise the £1.75 million needed each year for them to provide our services free to our local community.

T: 01527 871051 W:www.primrosehospice.org

Singing florist will hit the right note at Bromsgrove Flower Club

J

ane Pugh the singing florist will certainly hit the right note with her demonstration entitled “Make Do and Mend” at the June meeting of Bromsgrove Flower Club.

An exceptionally talented florist from Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire, Jane has demonstrated and sung throughout the country.

Bromsgrove Flower Club will once again welcome her back on Thursday 16th June at 2pm and all of Jane’s arrangements will be raffled. The club will mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a cream tea. The Committee, members and visitors are delighted to be sending a card to her Majesty, designed by the Chairman’s husband.

The meeting will be held at All Saints Church Hall, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove, B60 1AF. Visitors and new members are welcome to attend. The entrance fee is £3 for members and £7 for visitors, which includes tea and biscuits.

Congratulations

Ma’am

For more details, visit www.bromsgroveflowerclub.org.uk or www.facebook.com/bromsgroveflowerclub

THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE BRICK EXHIBITION

PHOTO EXHIBITION ‘FROM RAILWAYS TO ROYALTY’

HERITAGE RAF FLYPAST LIVE MUSIC

VINTAGE FAIRGROUND RIDE

Copyright © Brick Live Group Limited. All rights reserved. Brick Live Group Limited is an independent producer of BRICKLIVE and is not associated with The LEGO Group. LEGO® is a trademark of LEGO Juris A/S.

JOIN IN THE CELEBRATIONS 2nd–5th JUNE Starring ‘Elizabeth II’ in purple and ‘Lady of Legend’ SVR.CO.UK

Completely Bromsgrove

51

Fostering agency rise to WOLF Run challenge

M

embers of the staff team from Burcot-based fostering agency Children Always First took part in their first WOLF Run in Offchurch, Warwickshire.

The unique 10k run saw the CAF team successfully claw their way across mud runs, trail runs and 25 obstacles to raise vital funds for The Basement Project in Bromsgrove.

A local, independent charity, The Basement Project supports young people under 25 with any issues or challenges they are experiencing. Support for a wide variety of issues is provided via a dropin service or home visits by a support worker.

The aim of the charity is to support young people with homelessness, maintain a home and to live independently while considering their future. Every penny donated goes directly to supporting young people and that’s why Children Always First were keen to get involved.

Children Always First is a local fostering agency dedicated to supporting children and young people living in care. Its therapeutic parenting approach, which helps children to grow and flourish, ensures that they make a real and lasting difference to children who have experienced trauma.

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The agency is committed to supporting and enabling foster carers to grow and achieve through a robust and comprehensive learning and development programme, support from dedicated staff and ensuring that all foster carers are valued and supported to parent the most vulnerable children.

Part of the agency’s commitment is to connect with and support like-minded organisations and raising money for a worthwhile cause supporting young people was the driving force behind the recent Wolf Run activity.

In total, the team raised more than £600 for The Basement Project and would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated, cheered them on and helped support such an amazing cause.

Anyone wishing to donate can do so via: www. totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/cafwolfpack For more information about joining Children Always First’s team of dedicated foster carers, email info@ childrenalwaysfirst.co.uk or call 01527 917888.

Restored ceremonial poles take centre stage

B

romsgrove Court Leet will return to Bromsgrove High Street on Saturday, June 25th for the annual Fair Day and celebration of the 1199 Royal Charter granted to the town.

In full robes and regalia, Court Leet members will process from Housman Hall on Kidderminster Road to the Housman Statue in the High Street. At the statue the Bailiff, Neil Beaumont, will proclaim the Royal Charter of 1199 granted to Bromsgrove to allow a market and annual fair to be held on the feast of St John, midsummer’s day.

Following the proclamation, officers of the Court will give the assizes of ale, meat and leather.

Traditionally the officers operated like trading standards officials and checked the quality of the goods and services offered for sale in the town. The assizes are a report on the findings of the Ale Taster, Carnitor and Search & Sealer of Leather. The Court’s Brooklooker will report on the condition of the town’s waterways.

The Tythingmen of the Court traditionally bear the ceremonial poles in the procession. The poles carry the names of the people who have held the high

offices within the Court. Over the past winter, the poles were expertly restored and updated by local carpenter Tony Hawkesworth.

The Headborough, Charlie Ayres, who has coordinated the project, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the restoration work which Tony has done on our processional poles. He has skilfully restored them to a very high standard, and we will be proud to carry them in the Fair Day procession. The Court is enormously grateful to Tony for the care and dedication he has given to the project.”

Protective sleeves for all the poles have been made

by Tythingman Sue Norton, who works at the Sewing Studio in Bromsgrove, so that they are safe when in transit between events and in storage.

Local crafters and charity groups will join the regular markets on June 25th to sell home-made goods, items and produce to raise funds. Many of the stall holders will be in traditional costume to complement the theme of Fair Day. There will also be fairground rides in town on the recreation ground – so do look out for the Bailiff on the waltzer!

Local residents and visitors are encouraged to be in the High Street for the parade in the morning and the assizes which will take place at 11am. The markets will run throughout the day until 4pm.

There are only a few active Courts Leet left in the country. We are fortunate in Bromsgrove to have a surviving and enthusiastic Court which celebrates the ancient traditions of the town and supports local charities and the Bromsgrove community.

For more information about the Bromsgrove Court Leet visit the website: www.bromsgrovecourtleet.co.uk or www.facebook.com/courtleetbromsgrove

Completely Bromsgrove

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Try something new on your doorstep at Bromsgrove Festival S

ince its rejuvenation in 2014, Bromsgrove Festival has gone from strength to strength, halted only by the pandemic which resulted in the complete cancellation in 2020 and a reduction to three street events in summer 2021.

The 2022 festival, which returns to its summer time slot, will continue to focus on arts, culture and heritage activities in Bromsgrove.

It will sponsor free events including three family days on Bromsgrove High Street, the popular Bite Sized Classics concer ts and, in addition, will be promoting events inspired by the Tell Me What You Want survey and repor t which was concluded immediately before the pandemic struck. At the time of going to press, some of these events are still in the planning stage or awaiting grants.

The High Street will also be the setting for Bromsgrove Cour t Leet Fair Day and Street Market on June 25th, Bromsgrove Pride on July 9th and Bromsgrove Carnival on July 16th.

Among many highlights this year are Bromsgrove Annual Folk Festival which runs from July 7th to 10th and two special concerts at Bromsgrove Folk Club - War Horse Songman, Bob Fox on June 30 and TV personality, comedian, singer and Countdown wordsmith Richard Digance on July 14th.

For classical music fans there are concer ts by The Orchestra of St John and the ever-popular Wednesday lunchtime Festive Classics concerts at Avoncroft Museum of Buildings. Avoncroft will also be hosting Oddsocks Theatre Company’s open air production of Hamlet the Comedy on July 24th.

The Sanders Park Bandstand Concerts on Sunday afternoon will again be in full swing, just bring a picnic

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and a chair, and Bromsgrove’s bluegrass community will be holding jam sessions and charity pickathons.

Add heritage walks, The Bromsgrove Society Summer School, creative exhibitions from Avoncroft Arts and the South Birmingham Guild of Silk Painters into the mix and you have something for everyone.

For more details of the programme, visit www. bromsgrovefestival.co.uk The festival brochure is currently with the printers and several thousand copies will be distributed throughout the district over the coming weeks.

Readers are urged to keep in contact with events via Facebook at Bromsgrove Festival, Twitter @ bromsgrovefestival and Instagram @bromsgrovefestival. The festival has a mailing list which can be subscribed to by visiting the website.

Organisers hope that you will find something to enjoy in this exciting programme and encourage residents to try something new right here on their doorstep in Bromsgrove.

Richard Digance

www.bromsgrove festival.co.uk

Bromsgrove Festival

2022 24th June to 24th July

Bromsgrove Festival

Pick up a brochure at Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove library and other community venues, or visit our website

Completely Bromsgrove

55

See ‘The Queen’s Knickers’ this Platinum Jubilee year!

F amilies are invited to attend a royal romp of a musical celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, based on the children’s book ‘The Queen’s Knickers’.

TaleGate Theatre Productions are working with Bafta-winning author, Nicholas Allan, on a new musical adaptation of his best-selling book The Queen’s Knickers, which is touring UK theatres this year. The musical will be visiting the Swan Theatre, Worcester on June 1 and Malvern Theatres on August 2.

The company are known for their bouncy and colourful children’s musicals having previously found success with Allan’s books. Work includes a West End run of The Giant’s Loo Roll and annual UK tours of Father Christmas Needs a Wee! The original, award-winning book explores the Queen’s fashions with a cheeky wink to childish humour: “Everyone can see the Queen’s smart coats and dresses, but what does she wear under- neath? Through the eyes of a little girl hoping for a school visit by the Queen, the range of royal underwear is revealed, in all its regal glory.”

This new adaptation, by permission of Nicholas Allan, will see the same creative team come together including artistic director James Worthington directing and writing the book, Kate Lindsey on lyrics, Justine Lee as choreographer, Jason Burns working on orchestration, Steve Boyce creating the colourful costumes and David Law as scenic designer.

Nicholas Allan said: “A musical of The Queen’s Knickers should be sheer fun”.

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The book has been a big seller for nearly 30 years and the combined subjects of royalty and underwear are of great curiosity to young children.”

Tickets are available from the Swan Theatre on 01905 611427 and Malvern Theatres on 01684 892277

Charity ball and auction returns after seven year absence

I

t has been seven years since Bromsgrove Court Leet last held its Summer Ball in the marquee at Bromsgrove School, but on American Independence Day, July 4, it’s back and it’s bigger than ever.

Celebrity antiques expert and auctioneer, Philip Serrell, will be on hand to bring down the gavel on a variety of auction lots, from holiday cottage stays to cases of wine and from vintage car trips to family passes for Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings.

Music will be provided by brilliant local band, Skabucks, who are guaranteed to get you up on the dance floor, or at least foot-tapping in the aisles, and the multi-talented Tim Balnaves is to provide keyboard entertainment, while the catering team at Bromsgrove School serve up a delicious buffet.

Each year, the Bailiff of the Court chooses to support a small number of local charities. The current Bailiff, Neil Beaumont, is staging this event in support of Jerry Robinson and his team at Bromsgrove’s fantastic Basement Project, a charity that supports young people up to the age of 25 at risk of becoming homeless, who are homeless or are in crisis.

Neil and Jerry would love to see you at the ball, but there are other ways to support the event.

Local businesses are invited to view the various sponsorship packages and everyone is welcome to donate further auction prizes.

All the ticketing, sponsorship and donation details are available on the Court Leet and Basement Project Facebook pages or speak to Kelly at the charity’s office on 01527 832993.

Completely Bromsgrove

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Sensational movies for sizzling June R

eleased earlier this year, the action-adventure film Unchartered (12A), based on the Uncharted video game franchise, will be screened 12th June 7.30pm. Street-smart thief Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune lost by Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago.

What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs. If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the world’s oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nate’s long-lost brother... but only if they can learn to work together.

Unchartered

We will have flamboyant flair and great musical hits on 15th June 7.30pm as we screen Rocketman (15). Young Reginald Dwight changes his name to Elton John and collaborates with singer-songwriter Bernie Taupin to become one of the most iconic figures in pop history. Set to his most beloved songs, it’s the epic musical story of Elton John, his breakthrough years in the 1970s and his fantastical transformation from shy piano prodigy to international superstar.

Rocketma n

John Patrick Shanley, who created the classic Moonstruck, brings his sweeping romantic vision to Ireland with Wild Mountain Thyme (12A) on 22nd June 7.30pm. The headstrong farmer Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt) has her heart set on winning her neighbour Anthony Reilly’s love. The problem is Anthony (Jamie Dornan) seems to have inherited a family curse, and remains oblivious to his beautiful admirer. Stung by his father Tony’s (Christopher Walken) plans to sell the family farm to his American nephew (Jon Hamm), Anthony is jolted into pursuing his dreams in this comedic, moving and wildly romantic tale.

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Wild Mountain Thyme

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

Feckenham Wake promises summer fun for all ages I

n 1237 King Henry III ordered that a market and fair should be held in Feckenham on “the eve and day of St John the Baptist”.

Since that time, with shor t breaks during two World Wars and for the Covid pandemic, the village has obeyed Henry’s instruction and used The Wake as an excuse for all sorts of merriment and frivolity. This year is no exception.

In Feckenham Square on Saturday, June 25 from 1pm to 5pm, locals and visitors alike are welcome to enjoy what’s grown to be the biggest village fete in the country.

Activities include a climbing wall for the young and energetic, crazy golf for the less agile and an enormous classic car show with more than 150 vintage vehicles.

There will be performances from amazing ar tistes like the Interstellar Cake Ladies, the Puddleducks, Professor Chandler’s Punch and Judy, the Arrow Valley Brass Band and jugglers.

Pampered pooches will also be catered for at the fun dog show and stalls and displays will offer crafts, cakes, and other delights. Who can resist the thrills of a flutter on the duck race or a dip into the tombola drum?

Visitors won’t go unfed or watered thanks to a pig roast, a pizza oven, a samosa specialist, a licenced real ale bar and a prosecco saloon. Both village pubs and the Village Shop’s coffee bar will be open all day too.

The Wake doesn’t seek to make a profit and isn’t in aid of anything apar t from a good summer afternoon out in the middle of a lovely village.

Entry is free. If you’re arriving by car, please follow the car park signs in the village. Sat nav users should enter B96 6HQ.

Completely Bromsgrove

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AVONCROFT CRICKET CLUB

Encouraging start across all Avoncroft age groups A voncroft Cricket Club have started the season in positive fashion, with a range of impressive performances across league, friendly and junior cricket.

Topping the individual performances is Alex Brunt, who smashed 200 not out for the First XI against Redditch; the second highest individual score in Croft’s 75-year history.

Brunt’s brutal knock helped his side chase a massive target of 307 against Redditch with 15 overs still to spare!

Dan Elliot has also started the season well for the Firsts, with 317 runs and nine wickets in the first five games of the season, contributing 95 against Old Hill which brought the First XI their second win of the season.

The Second XI find themselves in fourth place in Division Nine with two wins out of three games. With five regular bowlers under 16 years of age, Croft’s youthful line-up has taken a big step forward this season, more than holding their own against more experienced opponents. The highlight of the season so far in the Second XI was a five wicket haul for 14-year-old Ben Huxley against Hagley, which went a long way to forcing a seven wicket victory for Croft.

The Third XI have outperformed expectations to date and currently sit at the top of Division 10 with three wins out of three. Individual highlights are led by two under 13s;

Pete Smith has taken the bowling plaudits with 7 wickets in his first three games of adult cricket, whilst Callum Hooper hit 50 in just his second adult game.

These positive junior performances have tipped over into Sunday cricket as well, with 12-year-old Ben Athey picking up his first five wicket haul in adult cricket against Himbleton, followed just days later with another five wickets, this time for the club’s under 15s side.

Not to be outdone, possibly the most incredible individual performance of the season came in an under 13s game where Jonny Hill delivered unbelievable figures of two overs, two maidens, six wickets for no runs.

Jonny’s amazing spell included four wickets in four balls!

All in all, the first month of the season has set high standards for the club to live up to, with an exciting brand of cricket spreading across all the sides.

For anyone at a loss of what to do as the sun starts to shine over the summer, there are worse ways of spending a couple of hours than popping over to Croft’s Stoke Heath ground and taking in the picturesque sight of village cricket at its best.

by Paul Athey

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End of a disappointing season for Sporting FC B

romsgrove Sporting’s season finished at the end of April with another disheartening 1 - 0 defeat, this time at Hitchin Town but they did manage to avoid relegation coming 18th out of 21 teams in the Southern League Premier Division Central.

Unfortunately, the club and manager Gavin Hurren parted company soon after and at the time of writing, interviews are taking place for a new manager.

Sporting will continue to play in the same division in season 2022/3 after the FA announced league allocations for the next campaign.

The annual presentation evening was held in the middle of May with Nathan Hayward receiving the supporters’ player of the season award along with being the top goal scorer. Josh Quaynor was voted players’ player and goalkeeper Ollie Taylor received the directors’ award whilst team captain Joel Kettle accepted the manager’s trophy on behalf of the whole team. Chairman Mike Burke made a special presentation to long-serving director Joe Amess along with making volunteers Brian Poole and Steve Smith vice-presidents of the Club.

After gaining the league title, The Veterans (over 35s) team completed a successful season by also winning the league cup in style overcoming an Aston Rangers side 7 - 0 that included Mark Bellingham, father of England international Jude.

The Veterans

The Colts

Not to be outdone, The Under 16s Colts team also won their league cup after securing the league title.

Bromsgrove Sporting Ladies recently won their penultimate game 14 - 0 and will gain third place in the league if they can win their last match.

It is now close season at the Victoria Ground with pitch renovation and maintenance taking place but enquiries can still be sent to hello@ bromsgrovesporting.co.uk. The web site, www. bromsgrovesporting.co.uk continues to be updated with all information about the club.

by Phil Baker The Ladies

Photos by Chris Jepson Completely Bromsgrove

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Jubilee weekend challenge for England’s disability cricketers O nce again Bromsgrove Cricket Club has the pleasure of hosting the England Cricket Physical Disability Squad, as, on Sunday, June 5th, it plays two T20 matches against an Army Development XI.

The fixture will give the England head coach, Ben Silver, an opportunity to see his team in action as it embarks on a summer of fixtures designed to give the squad maximum opportunities.

Speaking about the challenges ahead, Ben told Completely Bromsgrove: “It is great to see the PD Squad returning to Bromsgrove CC, a club which has shown great support to the disability programme. The welcome that the team receives is always first class.”

2022 is an exciting year for Disability Cricket with two England Squads heading to Australia to compete for their respective Ashes Series. August sees the official launch of the ECB’s flagship Disability Premier League, which promises to take the game to the next level in terms of quality and professionalism.

Opportunities are plentiful for Disability cricketers, with more than 100 Disability Champion Clubs now registered and more than 72,000 disabled people now playing the game regularly, including more women and girls than ever before.

The two matches start at 10.30am and 2.15pm respectively.

Entrance to and parking at the family friendly ground in St Godwald’s Road, Aston Fields, are free but please bring

your own chairs. The bar will be open after 12 midday for beer, wine, soft drinks, tea and coffee.

Watching cricket at “Bromsgrove’s hidden oasis” will be an ideal way for everyone of all ages to enjoy the Sunday of the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

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