Chronicle Week Cannock - 03-Nov-2022

Opiniononthe

MOTHER IN DIY BABY DELIVERY

AmothergavebirthtoaDIYbaby –quiteliterally–whenherdaughter wasdeliveredontheB&Qcarparkin Cannock.

LauraMoore,26, from Norton Canes,wentintolabourathome,but wastoldbymidwivesthatherblood pressurewas toohighfor ahome birth.

WhileonherwaytoNewCross Hospital with herpartner Daniel Coppinger,Laura felt theneedto push

DanielpulledoverintotheB&Q carparkinWalkmillLane,wherethe coupleweremetbyparamedicsand community midwives.Havinghad nopainrelief,Lauragavebirthto Millie-RoseCoppinger.

“Icouldn’tbelieveI’ddoneit.Talk aboutDIY,”shelaughed.

Afterarranging childcarefor theirson,thecouplesetouttowards NewCross–buttheirdaughtercould notwaitandarrivedbeforetheygot there.

Laurasaid:“Igotintothecarand somethingchanged “Within10minutes Ifeltthe need to push! My partner

thinkIwasbeingserious.

“Itfeltdifferent.Ihad an epiduralwithmyson,William,soIhadn’t experiencedthispainatall.Bythis point,mybodyhadtakenoverwith wantingtopush.It’samazingreally.”

Daniel,aseniorgraphicdesigner, also26,managedtogettowelsand blanketsoutoftheirhospitalbags, readytodelivertheirbaby.Butjust astheirdaughter’sheadstartedto emerge,two ambulances andthe community midwives arrived, and deliveredMillie-Rose Coppinger at 7.16am.

“IhadnopainreliefsoI’mvery proudofmyself,”Laurasaid.“Iwas just laughing andgigglingstraight away

“I couldn’t believeI’d doneit. We’reallokaynow,andshe’sfitted straightinwiththefamily.”

TheyweretakentoNewCrosson bluelights,withLaurapraisingthe staffatthehospitalwhotookcareof herandMillie-Rose

Laurasaid:“Ourfamiliescouldn’t believeitwhenwetold them.We jokethatwheneverwepassB&Qwe willalwaysrememberourdaughter beingbornthere.”

TheteamatB&QCannockhave arrangedforagiftcardaswellas babyclothingandaccessoriestobe senttothefamily

Appeal over cabletheft

A‘considerable’amountofcoppercablewasstolenfromabusiness

Sometimebetweentheevenings ofOctober7and10,offendersforced entrytoawarehouseonOrbitalWay, Cannock

Policesaytheystoleaconsidera bleamountofcableandareappealingforinformation.Thecablewould havetakennumeroushourstoremoveandrequiredmultiplevehicles orseveraljourneys

Anyonewhomayhavewitnessed anysuspiciousactivity,orvehicles intheareaatthetime,isurgedto contactStaffordshirePoliceonFace bookorTwitter,orcall101,quoting incidentnumber153ofOctober10

Arrests after drugsfound

ABurntwood man, 20,has beenarrestedfordrugoffences.A 27-year-oldfromLichfieldwasalso heldonsuspicionofpossessingclass Bdrugswithintenttosupply

ThearrestscameaspartofOp Bormus,anoperationbetweenStaffordshireandWestMidlandsPolice totacklevehicle-relatedcrimes.

OfficersstoppedacarinWalsall at 12.30amonFriday, seizingsus pectedclassBdrugs,mobilephones andcashfromablackVauxhallAstra.Aftersearchesatpropertiesin Burntwood andLichfield,further suspectedclassBdrugs,cash,mo bilephonesandagascanisterwere recovered.

TIMBER

bags

Report by Eleanor Lawson

LauraMoore, partner DanielCoppinger anddaughterMillie-Rose

Drag queenduo go on tour

Twofamousdragstarsare embarkingontheirdebutthea tretournextyear–andwillper forminLichfield

GinnyLemonandSisterSis ter,whoappearedonseriestwo ofRuPaul’sDragRaceUK,bring theirYouKeepMeHangingOn TourtotheGarrickTheatreon February4,from7.30pm.Lim

itedmeetandgreetticketswill be available,guaranteeinga signed photograph, as well as thechancetomeettheartistes

BothhaveperformedtoselloutaudiencesacrosstheUKand madetelevisionappearancesfor BBC,ITVandChannel4,includingshowssuchasTheXFactor, JoeLycett’sGotYourBack,The

CommonwealthGamesandCe lebrityCoachTrip Standardticketsforthedate at theCastleDykevenue are £23.VIPticketsare£38.Book on01543412121orseelichfield garrick.com Formoreinformation,visit www.ginnylemonandsistersis ter.com

Newroutesand stations are earmarkedin‘rail revolution’

By Thomas Parkes

Newstationscouldbebuilt, linesreopenedandmoreservicesintroducedtoLondonunder majorplanstocreatea“railrevolution”intheregion Transportbosseshaveunveiled theirvisiontodevelop thenetwork up to 2050 with astringofprojectsbeingproposedasthe sector bounces backfromCovid.

Itcomesasrailtravelacross theWestMidlandsisexpected toincreasebytwo-thirds,with pre-pandemiclevelsofpassengersreturningby2026.

Underplans,moreservices betweenLondonand Shrews bury,throughWolverhampton, whilstBirminghamtoCrewe serviceswillberoutedviaWal sallby2026

Also proposedare theextension of Rugeleytrainsto Stafford,the reopeningofthe WalsalltoLichfieldroute–with newstations–andnewservic esbetweentheChaselineand Wolverhamptonbetween2040 to2050

Thedraftstrategyaimsto supportthe region’s recovery from Covid-19,contributeto net-zero carbon targets, support the“levellingup” agenda andmaximisethe benefitsof HS2. It was first launched in 2018buthasbeenrevisedafter Covid-19anddevelopedfurther.

DesertRatsstatueunveiled

Amemorialhas been un veiledattheNationalMemorial Arboretumtomarkthe 80th anniversaryoftheBattleofEl Alamein.

Amemorial dedicatedto thosesoldiers whoserved, foughtanddiedwearingtheJer boaInsigniaoftheDesertRats wasrevealedatthearboretum inAlrewas.

MajorGeneralPatrickCordingley,Commander of the7th ArmouredBrigade duringthe firstGulfWar,said:“Remember ingthoseDesertRatsthathave giventheirlivesinwarsisso veryimportanttousall.”

Theservicewasconducted bypadresfromtheDesertRats Association,4th Infantry Brigadeandthe7thLightMechanisedBrigade Combat Team, thecurrentDesertRats.There weremusicalperformancesby thebandoftheRoyalYeomanry andalonepiperfromtheRoyal ScotsDragoonGuardsplayeda lamentfollowingtheblessing Fighting under thecommandofFieldMarshallBernard Montgomery, theDesertRats defeatedGermanGeneralErwin Rommel’stroopsatElAlamein, whichisseenasthe turning pointoftheSecondWorldWar

Ginny Lemon,SisterSister

Desert Rats memorialatthe NationalMemorialArboretum

Cheers!Pub is listed in GoodBeerGuide

ACannock pubhas been praisedforitsfriendlyatmosphere anddistinctroomsinaguideto theregion’stopalehouses.

TheArcade, Mill Street,has beenlistedinthe2023Campaign forRealAle (Camra)Good Beer Guide–its50thedition.Itwillcelebratewithathree-daybeerfestival,showcasingbreweriesfrom aroundtheMidlands,gettingunderwaytoday(Thursday).

PubdirectorRitchieSieradzki said:“We’rethrilledtobefeatured

intheGoodBeerGuide.Arcadehas alwaysbeenaboutofferinganever-changingrangeofqualitybeer foralltastes,andwe’repassionate abouthowwellwekeepandserve realale.

“ThankstoCamraand our fantasticcustomerswhocontinue tosupportourlittlepub,andabig thankyoutoourlovelycrew,who makesureourbeersarealways fresh,andfortheamazingservice theyoffertoourcustomers.”

Atotalof387pubsarelisted

–75ofthemforthefirsttime,in cludingtheOldeWindmillatGentleshaw.

Elsewhere in Staffordshire, thecanalsideSwanInn–known locally as the‘MuckyDuck’ at FradleyJunctionmakestheguide TheBelgian-themedBeerbohmin Lichfieldreturnsaftera12-month absence.ThePloughatShenstone alsofeatures,alongwiththeRail wayInninCastleStreet,Stafford andtheGeorge&TheDragonin Gnosall.

Search forbestbusiness

ChaseMPAmandaMillinghas launchedherannualcompetition toseekoutthepublic’sfavourite localindependenthighstreetbusinesses

Thecompetition will comprise11categories,includinglocal shops,marketsstallsandcafé/restaurantsacrossthedistrict Thebusinesswith themost voteswillsecurethe“BestofCannockChase”award.Votingcloses

atmidnightonNovember27,with

MsMillingsaid:“Iamthrilled

customerstorecognisethe contribution thesebusinesses make toourlocalcommunitiesandhigh streets.”

“Itisagreatopportunityfor

Thefulllistofcategoriesare forbestindependentshop in Bridgtown,Cannock,HeathHayes, Hednesford,NortonCanesandRu geley.Anothercategoryisbestcafe orrestaurantinCannock,HednesfordandRugeleyandbestmarket stallinCannockandRugeley

Staffatthe Arcade, Mill Street,Cannock,which features intheGood BeerGuide

BONFIRE

Charity’sboostfrom Amazon

Acharitythatsupportswomen andchildren whohavebeen impactedbydomesticabuseand homelessnesshasreceivedadonationof£2,000fromtheAmazon fulfilmentcentreinRugeley.

TheHavenWolverhamptonof fersarangeofservicestosupport women andchildrenwho have faceddomesticabuseandhome lessness.Thisincludes counsel ling,practicalsupportwithhousingapplications,thejusticesystem andemergencyaccommodation

Thecharityalsorunsadomesticabusehelpline24hoursaday,

allyearround.Thedonationfrom theAmazonteamwillhelpTheHa vencontinuetobethereforwomenandchildrentoreassurethem oftheirdecision,helpthemsettle intotheirnewsurroundings,and provideaccesstoarangeofservices to supporttheir emotional healthandwellbeing AnujaBoopathy,generalman ager at Amazon’s fulfilment cen treinRugeley,said: “TheHaven Wolverhamptonmakesarealdif ferencetothelivesofwomenand childrenacrosstheMidlands,and we’repleasedtosupportthechar-

ity’sstaffandvolunteerswiththis donation.”

JadeSecker,fundraisingman ager at TheHaven Wolverhamp ton, said:“We areincredibly gratefultotheteamatAmazonin Rugeleyfortheiramazingsupport.

“Donationslikethisarereally appreciatedandallowustoprovidevitallifelinesandservicesto womenand children across the communityinneedofhelp

“Nooneshouldexperiencedo mesticabuse,andwewantevery womantoknowsheisnotalone, andhelpisavailable.”

Homesplanonhold followingasitevisit

Report by Kerry Ashdown

Planstobuildnew homes at thebackofaCannockhousehave returned to thedistrictcouncil afterCovidandacarcrashmeant buildingworkwasputonhold

Permission to buildtwo de tachedhomestothebackofthe OldPenkridgeRoadpropertywas firstgrantedinthe1980s

InApril2019planstodemolish theexistinghomeandbuildtwo newpropertieswererefused,but in January2020Cannock Chase Councilgranted consent.Asep arateapplication to replacethe existing house with afour-bed detached andvehicle access to therearwaspassedinSeptember 2019andworkrelatingtothishas begun,areporttoCannockChase Council’splanningcommitteesaid

Thepreviousapprovalforthe twopropertiestotherearisdueto expireinJanuary2023andafresh applicationfortwobungalowswas submittedearlierthisyear

Time

Planningcommitteemembers deferredadecisiononthelatest plansforasitevisit,whichtook placelastWednesday.Adecision wasdeferredagain,togivemembersmoretimetoreadthelatest planningofficers’report

Theapplicant movedinwith theirparentsaftertheirgrandfatherdiedin1975

Theirsupporting statement added:”Myfatheralwaysintended todevelopthelandatsomepoint.

“Wefinallygotpermissionin 2018tobuildtwobungalowsand in2020gotpermissiontobuilda five-bedroomhouse on theland andknock down theexisting houseandrebuildanewone.After talkingtotheneighbours,thevast majoritypreferredthebungalows option,soweagreedtogodown thatroute.

“Unfortunately,Covid happenedwhichdisruptedtheplans. Andjustaswewerecomingoutof thatinDecember2020myparents wereinvolvedinaserioushead-on carcrashwhichputallthebuildingplansonholdwhilstwenursed thembacktohealth.”

Chance meetingled to 60 yearsofbliss

Achancemeetingatahouse partyhasledtoaspecialanniversaryforaRugeleycouple Anne,85,andVincentLycett, 86,celebrated60years of mar riagewithapartyattheLeaHall MinersWelfareCentreandSocial Club.Theysaiditwasloveatfirst sightwhentheysaw each other atafriend’shouseinthetownin 1957 Annesaid:“Iwaslivingatthe timeinHednesfordandwasinvit edovertothishousepartyinRugeleyandVincentwasthere,hav ingrecentlyleftthearmy.

“HetoldmethatasIwalkedin, helookedover,sawmeandliked mestraightawayand,I’llbehonest,Ifeltthesame–Isawhimand itwasloveatfirstsight.

“Beforemyfatherdied,hetold me howmuchheliked Vincent andwassohappythatIwaswith him,andI’vefeltthateversincewe met.”

Thecouple,parentstoVeroni

ca,57,andSimon,53,wedonOcto ber27,1962atStPeter’sChurchin Hednesford.Afterahoneymoonin Porthmadogtheysettleddownin theirhomeinRugeley,boughtfor £2,200,andwheretheystilllive Over theyears,Vincent workedasapainteranddecorator, whileAnnemadelampshadesfora living

Thecouplehavebothsuffered from health problems overthe years,withVincenthavinghada stroke andAnnesuffering from spinetrouble andkneereplacements,buttheirloveisstillstrong

Annesaid:“Heturnedmylife aroundandmademehappyand Ihaveneverwantedforanything becauseIhavehim.We’vehada longmarriagebecause we’ve al wayspulledtogether “I’mjusthappytostillbehere toenjoyourweddinganniversary andseeeveryoneattheparty,”she added.

VincentandAnne Lycettmark60yearsofmarriage

Healthcare staffgraduationjoy

Thenextgenerationofhealth care professionalshavegraduat ed aftercompletinga four-week trainingcourse

Twentyeight people were honouredattheceremonyatGTG West Midlands training centre aftercompletingthe four-week Prince’sTrustprogrammeatThe RoyalWolverhamptonNHSTrust.

Inaddition,14ofthe28grad uateshavenow been offereda permanent post,includingNkiru EzeugwuRose,28,fromCannock She said: “I have always been passionatetocareforpeopleand thoughtthisprogrammewouldbe agreatintroductionintotheNHS

“Myplacementwasintheor thopaedicdepartmentatCannock. Ihavenowbeenofferedafull-time roleasahealthcareassistantinthe samedepartment.Iamthrilled.”

ThePrince’sTrust ‘Get Into Hospitals’ programmeisafree four-weekcoursegivingpeople betweentheagesof18and30the opportunity to learnnew skills andcompletequalificationsas they workunder supervision as volunteersinhealthcaresettings.

Itconsistsofoneweekofinter activetrainingfollowedbythree weeks’workexperience,withpro gressionopportunitiestogainem ployment.Placementsareateither NewCross,WestParkorCannock ChaseHospitals

RAFA branch in call fornew members

TheCannockChasebranchof RoyalAirForceAssociationisap pealingfornewmembers. MeetingsareonthethirdSat urdayofthemonthattheEx-Ser vicemen’sClub,WalsallRoad. TreasurerDaveElcocksaid: “Areyouaservingorex-serving memberoftheRoyalAirForce,or areyouarelativeofaservingor ex-servingmemberandwouldlike

tobecomeamemberofTheRoyal AirForceAssociation?Ifsoplease come alongtoone ourmonthly meetings.”

He added: “TheAssociation hasaclearobjective:tohelpsus tain aresilient andempowered RAFcommunity,includingserv ingpersonnel,RAFveteransand theirfamilies.Weworktoreduce lonelinessandisolationbyhelping

allgenerationstoremainactive, thriving andvaluedmembersof theirlocalcommunities.

“Wehelpvulnerableindividu alsintheRAFcommunitytokeep theirfreedom by empowering themandprovidingwiththetools theyneed.”

Thebranch’s Christmasdin nerwillbeheldattheOliveGrove, HednesfordonDecember17

Cloudy2Clear, ALocal Service, Saving You Money.

Asaleading domestic glassreplacement companyformore than16years, Cloudy2Clear windowsarethe leadingname intheindustry. Thereisnoneed foryoutorisk yourwindowsby usingthedreaded doubleglazing cowboydownthe street.Youcan joinover336,000 happycustomers andreplaceyour glassethicallyand affordably.Ifyou haveafailedglass unit,itmaynot provideyouwith theprotection

youneedorbeas energy-efficientas itoncewas.Take aminutetocheck yourhometoseeif anydoubleglazing hasfailed?Taking actionnowcan preventfuture financialproblems. Whentalkingto theManagerof Cloudy2Clear windowsBrian Stanleyitbecame clearthatthesevalues havebeenhelddear foranumberofyears. Sincestartingthe businesssomeyears agoCloudy2Clear haveremainedtrue totheircorevalues ofsupportingthe localcommunityby providingaservice

thatsavesthepublic money

TheCloudy2Clear serviceonlyrequires theglasstobe replacedandnotthe wholewindowonce theunithasfailed. Briancommented “Cloudy2Clearwere abletoassistour communitythrough thelastfinancialcrisis in2008duetothe savingsthatcanbe madeinusingour service.Unfortunately wemightbegoing throughsomething similaragainsoon andthepubliccanrest assuredthatwewill Forafreequotation pleasecall080061 21118orvisitwww. cloudy2clear.co.uk.

NkiruEzeugwuRose ofCannock has been offeredaposition

CINEMA

Howtoensurethe safety of hedgehogsonBonfire Night

TheBritishHedgehogPreser vationSocietyisadvisingonhow besttoreducetheriskofharming hedgehogsthisbonfirenight

MOVE thematerials to clear groundonthedaythey’retobelit, then;CHECKthepilecarefullyjust before striking that match, and finally;OFFERanescaperouteby onlylightingfromoneside

Hedgehogstendtohideinthe centreandbottomtwofeetofthe bonfire,whichshouldbechecked bygentlyliftingthebonfiresec

tion by section with apoleor broom.Neveruseaspadeorfork Usingatorchwillhelptoseeany signsoflife.Alsolistenforahiss ingsound,asthisisthenoisethey makewhendisturbed.

Ifahedgehogisfound,takeas muchofthenestasyoucanwith itandplaceinahigh-sidedcardboardboxwithplentyofnewspa per,oldtowellingorstraw.Ensure thereareairholesinthelidand thatthelidissecuredfirmlytothe box.Weargardeningglovesoruse

Danger of slipping throughthe net

Iamrespondingtotheletter from October27‘It’s so hard to seeaGP’.HaveallGPsretiredand wehaven’tbeentold?Howdoyou actuallygetaface-to-faceappoint mentwithyourownGPinsteadof waitinga monthfor atelephone callwithalocum?

TheGP serviceisabsolutely appallingandweareallseriously atriskuntilitchanges.Inaddition, wearealltotallyfedupofbeing toldtophoneat8amtobookan appointment that doesn’t exist. Covidthankfullyisnotasserious asitwas,thereforeourGPservice shouldbegettingbacktonormal.

AllGPsaredoingisputtingex trapressureonthehospitals,as thisiswherewehavetogowhen wecannotgethelp.Theplotthick ensthen,aswearereferredback toourGP.Iurgeeveryonewhois havingproblemstoreplytothis letterandkeeptheballrolling.The morecomplaintsthebetter.

TheGP system needsurgent attention.Weareallgoingtoslip throughthenetifthiscontinues Extremelyworryingforallofus. Withoutourhealth,wehavenothing.

Nameandaddresssupplied

anoldtoweltohandlethem.Put theboxinasafe,quietplaceaway fromthefestivitiesandofferthe hedgehogsomemeatycatordog foodandwater

Once theembersare totally dampeneddown, releasethe hedgehogunderahedge,bushor behindastackoflogsnearwhere itwasfound,withitsoriginalnest ingmaterials.Formoreinforma tionseebritishhedgehogs.org.uk

FayVass, BritishHedgehog PreservationSociety

Notaware of pitfalls

With regardtoPeter Timlin (October 27), statingthe EU is thefirstdemocraticorganisation Doeshenotknowitisrunbythe unelectedcommissionerswhonot solongbackdecidedtoaddseven unelectedvicepresidents?

Theparliamentcanpasssome thingbutifthecommissionerssay nothennoitis.Ifthat’swhathe callsdemocracyhecancountme out.Alsodoeshenotrealisethe possiblepitfallsofaEuropean armyundertheircontroltheNordicnationswantedtojoinNATO, theorganisation responsiblefor peaceinEurope.

MMarshall,Hednesford

Theelephantinthe room

WeallknowtheUKisinan economiccrisislargelydue to problems we can’tcontrol,e.g Covid,thewarinUkraine,andthe energycrisis

HoweverintheUKthereisan elephantintheroom–thedamage tooureconomyduetoBrexit

Afterthepandemic,alltheoth erG7countriesmadearecovery andtheirtradeincreased.Butthe UK’straderecoveryhasbeenmore orlessflat.UKexportstotheEU

aredown16percent,comparedto theexpectedlevelsiftheUKwas stillintheEU.Smallbusinesses,in particular,findthecustomsdelays andthe huge increase in paperworkinvolvedinexportingtothe EUverydifficulttocopewith.

Clearly,wecankickstartthe Britisheconomybyrejoiningthe SingleMarketandCustomsUnion, removingthebarriersputupby Brexittoamarketofmorethan 400,000,000people. This would

alsoremoveallthedifficultiesre latingtotheNorthernIrelandPro tocol,andleaveusstandingfirmly withourneighboursagainstPutin Canthe averageBritish citi zenaffordourcurrentversionof Brexitinthiscostoflivingcrisis? Thedownsideisthat,likeNorway, wewouldn’thaveanycontrolover therulesoftheSingleMarketand CustomsUnion.Forthat,wewould havetorejointheEU.

J.King,Walsall

ipso.co.uk.

Street, Wolverhamp-

Ipso at complaints@ipso.

by

at Ipso, c/o

House, 1Farringdon

NUGGET

OPINION

Contestopenfor best in business

LastweeksawRishiSunakbecome leader of theConservativeParty and ournewPrimeMinister.Infrontofthe famousblackdooronDowningStreet hesetouthisprioritiesforourgreat country.

Themostimmediatetaskistotack letheeconomiccrisis,resultingfrom theaftermathofCovid-19andPutin’s illegalinvasionofUkraine.

AsthePrimeMinistersetout,the Governmentiscommittedtorestoring economic stability, whiledelivering fairandcompassionatesupportforthe mostvulnerable

TheChancellorwillsetoutfurther plansonNovember17

Iunderstandthatmanyfamilies hereinCannockChasearestruggling with rising prices andhigher energy bills. That is whythe Government is helpingfamilieswiththeEnergyPrice Guarantee,andremainscommittedto supportingthosemostinneed Turningtomorelocal matters, I wouldliketomakereadersawarethatI haverecentlylaunchedmyannual‘Best ofCannockChase’competition,which

Thisisyourchancetoshowyour

communities

Free Valuations at

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Friday 25 March, 10am-3pm

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4EU

Nuggetisaone-year-oldbeardeddragonowned by Zac, 14, and Marlo Davis,10.TheirmotherNatalie saidNugget was‘asweet character’.“She loves acuddle and aswiminawarm bath.She oftencrawlsintothe dog bedtosnuggle upwithourmini schnauzer,” shesaid.Send in yourpet pictures to chronicleweek@mnamedia.co.uk

School puts theneeds of children first

Early Yearsprovision at Landywood continuesto grow.

From January, Landywood will providecontinuousprovision en abling children to attend from the ageoftwo to begintheir primary school journey, participatingin challenging, engaging,progressive andmostimportantly funlearning.

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Headteacher Andrew Clewer said:“We areveryproud of ourEar ly Yearsprovision andare excited at theopportunitywehavetoextend ouroffer to familiesinour community

“Our newnursery indoor and extensiveoutdoor learning envi ronments have received significant

investmenttofurther extend the provisionthatweoffer as aschool.”

Thedevelopment of this onsiteprovision will enable children to starttheir Landywoodjourney soonerand with thejoined-up ap proach will make transition smooth as thechildren developand grow throughthe EarlyYears

TheEarly Yearsstaff at Landywood pride themselves on ensuring

that theneedsofthe children are at thecentre of everything that is planned.

TheLittleAcornsprovision will be open from 7.30am until5.45pm dailyand will also beaccessible during theschoolholidays.

Everyone at Landywood is committed to providinga caring,friendly school,where allchildren achieve theirtruepotential.Atthisimpor

tant time of theyear, wherefamilies arechoosing Nursery andReceptionplaces forSeptember 2023, the school warmly welcomes you to organise atourby contacting 01922 270077 or www.landywoodprimary.co.uk/our-school/open-eveningbookings

Thereare currentlyplaces availa blein otheryeargroups, contactthe school forfurther information.

Landywood’s Little Acorn’s nursery indoor andextensive outdoor learning environmentshavereceived significant investment to furtherextendthe provision that is onoffer at theschool

Fund hasstake in brewerybusiness

TheBritishBusinessBank’sFutureFundnowhas anequitystakeinaStaffordshirebrewery.

LibertyBrewingatBagotsPark,AbbotsBromley, nearRugeley,tradesasFreedomBrewerywhichspecialisesinlager.

Itisoneof67additionalcompaniesinwhichthe fundnowhasastake,takingthetotalto464

ThefundlaunchedinMay2020withthird-party investorsrequiredtoatleastmatchtheFutureFund’s investment

Thesupportedcompaniestypicallyrelyonequity investmenttofundtheirgrowth.

TheFutureFundwasestablishedtosupportthe UK’sinnovativebusinessesthatwerebeingaffected byCovid-19

Thesebusinesseswereunabletoaccessothergov ernmentbusinesssupportprogrammes.

Advice for struggling residents

ResidentsacrossCannockChase,feelingthepinch duetorisingenergypricesandlivingcosts,arebeing offeredahelpinghand

Thedistrictcouncilhasteamedupwithenergy advicecharityBeatTheColdtooffersupporttothose strugglingtoheattheirhomesorfeedfamilies

Acouncilspokesmansaid:“Formanyresidents acrossthedistrict,energycostsareabigconcern. Thecharityhasmanysupportmechanismstohelp inthesechallengingtimes.They’reatrustedpartner withinStaffordshireandhaveover20years’experienceinenergyadviceandsupport.”

Thecharitycanoffersupportonenergydebt,signpostandrefertopartneragenciestomaximisehouse holdincomes,helpclientstoaccessandapplyforwinterfuel/coldweatherpaymentsorfuelandfoodbank vouchersaswellasadviceongovernmentschemesfor insulation,airsourceheatpumpsandsolarpanels.

Councillor Adrienne Fitzgerald,portfolio leader forhousing,heritage,andleisuresaid:“Itisimportant atthistimeofyearthatourtenantsknowwhathelpis availabletothem

“Withtherisingcostofheating,peoplearestrugglingtokeeptheirhomeswarm.BeattheColdwill helpthosewholiveinorareatriskoffuelpoverty.I amsopleasedweareworkingwiththemtohelpour residents.”

ThomasBostock,developmentandpartnerships manager forBeatThe Cold,said: “Weknowmany residentswillbefeelinganxiousaboutrisingenergy costs.Weareheretosupportthemandtheirloved ones. ”

Advicecanbeaccessedviaadedicatedcouncilat www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/council/your-commu nity/help-cost-living-crisis–contactBeattheColdon 01782914915orvisitwww.beatcold.org.uk

Stolen delivery vanisrecovered

Adeliveryvanthatwasstolenafterthedriver lefttheenginerunningwasrecoveredbypolice justanhourafteritwastaken

Thedeliverydriverleftthe vanrunning in GreatWyrleywhilecarryingoutajob–butthe thieveswereunawareithadatrackerfitted.

AspokesmanforStaffordshirePoliceRoads PolicingUnitsaid:“Anotherjobhighlightingthe importanceofhavingatrackerfitted.”

Site boss honoured

Asitemanager working forBarratt HomesonadevelopmentinHednesfordhas wonatopnationalaward.

LukeDarby,34,haswonaPrideinthe JobQualityAwardfromtheNationalHouse BuildingCouncilforhisworkatDeer’sRise Intotal,BarrattHomesDevelopments’ sitemanagershavewon98PrideintheJob QualityAwards.Thisisthe18thyearina rowthatsitemanagersfromBarrattHomes Developmentshavewon more of these awardsthananyotherbuilder.

Having managedDeer’sRisefor 18 months,MrDarby,nowcontractsmanager,

haswonhisfourthPrideintheJobQuality AwardforhisworkatBarrattHomesover thecourseofhissix-and-a-halfyearsassite manager.Hesaid:“It’sbeenachallenging yearandwithmyteamatDeer’sRiseit’s beenaverysatisfyingexperiencetoknow thequalityofourworkhasbeenrecognised.”

Everysitemanager whoisregistered withtheNHBCisautomaticallyenteredinto theawards,withjust450winnersbeingse lectedfrommorethan11,000entrants.Site managersarejudgedoncriteriaincluding healthandsafety,theirtechnicalknowledge, customerserviceandattentiontodetail

FURNITURE

LukeDarbyofBarrattHomes

11,000 have Spaceblast

Almost 11,000young people 4,000morethanlastyear–tookpart in this year’s summer Spacescheme acrossStaffordshire.

Inall,morethan25,000activities wereenjoyedbytheyoungsters,aged fromeightto17,aspartoftheCommis sioner’ssummerprogramme

Sincebeing relaunched in 2016, Spacehasseena75percentreduction inyouthanti-socialbehaviourduring thesummer.Police,Fire&Rescueand

CrimeCommissionerBenAdamssaid: “Afteradifficulttwoyearsforevery oneitwaswonderfultoseesuchavast arrayofactivitiesputonbytheSpace scheme.Thefeedbackhasbeeninspir ingtohear.

“Theseactivitiesareallaboutpro viding an opportunityfor Stafford shire Police andpartnerstoengage withyoungpeoplewhomaybegoing throughadifficulttimetohelpnurture, supportanddevelopthem.”

Be responsible, cyclists urged

MountainbikersonCannockChase arebeingurgedtobemoreresponsible towardswildlife.

CyclistsusingtrailsontheChase followingthesuccessoftheCommon wealthGames mountainbikinghave beenrequestedbemoreconsiderate

Thedistrictcouncil hasreported numerousdamagestofragileground, disturbancestorarenestingbirdsand ridersbuildingtheirownillegaltrails.

AndyCoggins,recreationmanager forCentralEnglandatforestryEngland, said:“CannockChaseisaveryprecious place,butlikeanythingthatisvalued,it doesneedtobeprotected.

“Thisiswhy,followingtheprofile theCommonwealthGameshasgiven, weareaskingallmountainbikersto ride responsiblywhentheycometo thiswonderfularea.”

The2022Commonwealth Games sawthe new, purpose-builtPerry’s

Trail introduced to CannockChase, wherethetraillinksupwiththeregu larDogandMonkeytrack

MrCoggins added: “Wegenerally encouragemountainbikerstousethe dedicatedbuilttrailswithinthemanmadepineforests,andnotrideoffthe trails,especiallyinthesensitiveheart land,whichissuchafragilehabitat.”

CannockChase Councilportfolio leaderforhousing,heritageandleisure Councillor Adrienne Fitzgerald said: “Wewantthisspecial placeserving millionsofpeopletobeenjoyed re sponsiblyandtheveryfauna,flora,and wildlifethatmakesitsoappealingnot tobeneedlesslyharmed.”

Visitorsareadvisedtofollowthe Cannock ChaseCode, whichdetails thedos anddon’tswhenvisitingthe grounds. Seecannock-chase.co.uk/fol low-the-code-and-help-to-protect-can nock-chase/

Land sale forhousing

Aprivate investor hascompleted thepurchaseofa0.15acreplotofland inGreatWyrleyasaresidentialdevel opmentopportunity LandoffAlphaWaywasmarketed by Towler Shaw Roberts (TSR),with offersintheregionof£125,000invit ed.Thesitehasplanningpermission fortwo two-bedroomsemi-detached housestobebuilt.

MartinZaki,whohandledthesale forTSR,said:“It’sanattractiveresi dentialopportunityandsuchwasthe levelofinterest,weagreedasaletoa privateinvestorforinexcessoftheask ingprice.”

Headded:“Itisanillustrationthat opportunities of this type continue togeneratemuchinterestwhenthey cometomarket.”

Mountainbikingonthe Chase

Talk proves captivating

Memberswereutterly captivated byabrillianttalkgivenbyDarrenPri day,headofconservationattheRAF MuseumCosford.Following26yearsas anRAFaircraftmechanicalengineer, hefoundhisdreamjobin2005atthe MichaelBeethamConservationCentre startingon“theshopfloor”withthe task of continuing theHandley Page Hampdenrestorationproject.

Hewaspromotedin2009todepu tymanageroftheConservationCentre andin2013tookoverasmanager

TheMBCC’sprimary function in cludescare, conservation andrestorationoftheNationalCollectionalong with themovement or suspension of aircraftorlargeexhibits.Currentlyem

ployingsixapprenticesonanadvance modernapprenticeship,theschemehas won numerous national andregional awards.TheMBCCandapprenticeship schemeenjoyagreatrelationshipwith WolverhamptonCollege,who provide thecoursesandtheRotaryClubofWolverhampton whohold an annual Ap prenticeoftheYearawarddinner.

ThetalkonNovember7willbeon Cavalier Dogs &Roundhead Rogues AFish&chipsupperwillbeheldon November18,at7for7.30pmatthe Churchill Room,withentertainment fromDavidStJohn

Candleslit for friendship links

Eachyear,closetoUnitedNations Day,CannockSoroptimistsholdaninternational evening, celebratingthe facttheybelongtoaworldwideorganisationwhosememberssupportwomen locally,nationallyandglobally Thisyearmembersitwasfeltap propriatetousetheeventtoraisefunds forUkrainian womenand children. Thereare67familieslivingwithinthe CannockChasearea

TheeventattheBarns,Huntington, wasorganisedbySoroptimistMonica Humphriesand‘leadPresident’Trish SmithandhadanIrishtheme.There were86present,fromCannockSoroptimists,theirfamiliesandfriendsand

supportfromSIStafford,SIBilstonand CannockRotary CandleswerelittorememberwomenandgirlsinallfiveFederationsofthe worldandMidlandChaseRegionpres identJudithCarderlitacandleespe ciallyforCannock’sFriendshipLinks. AfteranexcellentIrishmeal,duoLittle JimmyMclaughlanandIanCaseyentertainedwithafabulouseclecticmixof music.

Araffleforahamperofwinesand Champagneraised£1,100wasraisedto helpandsupportUkrainianrefugees.

Comicduo in spotlight

PatJoneschairedtheOctobermeetingand welcomedspeaker Andrew Frenchforaninterestingtalkandslide showaboutJohnEricBartholomewand ErnestWiseman,whobecameBritain’s most illustriouscomedy doubleact MorecambeandWise

Both Eric andErnie received the OBEin1976.Erichadalifelongpas sion forLuton Town FC,becominga directorin1970andvice-presidentin 1977.In1984,aftersixcurtaincalls,he collapsedwithathirdheartattackin

16yearsanddiedaged58inhospital. Thereisastatueonthepromenadeof hishometownMorecambe,unveiledby theQueenin1999 AfterEric’sdeath,Erniecontinued entertainingandin1993wasthesub jectofThisisYourLifespecial.In1995 aftertwostrokesheretiredfromshowbusinessonhis70thbirthday.Hedied in1999

Soroptimist Monica Humphries andTeam PresidentTrishSmith

C&D Men’s Probus

SI Cannock &District

Great WyrleyTG

Tina captures the heartofbusiness

TinaHartPrieto’sloveofpho tographyhasbeenalong-standing passion.Sowhenshewasmadere dundantfromhergraphicsdesign roleatCarillion,shesnappedup thechance.

Themother-of-two,fromCan nock,founded Capture24Pho tographyandusesherskillsand talent as abrand photographer toshowcasebusinessesandhelp themstandoutfromthecrowd

“I’dalwayslovedphotography, havingstudieditatbothcollege anduni as part of my graphics course,butmytrueloveforitcame whenIgotmarried,”saidTina

Wedding

“Our weddingphotographer, SamanthaCarpenter,inspiredme withherdocumentarystylepho tographyand,afterourwedding, Ispenttimeshadowingherbefore goingitaloneanddoingmyown weddingphotographyforalittle while.

“Butafterhavingmydaughter in2010,Icouldn’tkeepupwiththe weddingphotographyasIwasstill workingfull-timeatCarillion

“So,Iputthecameraawayun tilIhadmysonin2014.OnceI’d gonebacktoworkparttimeinthe commsteam,Iwasaskedtotake photosforthebusiness,soI’dgo onsitecapturingprogressshots, takingheadshotsandtakingany campaignphotosthedesignteam needed.”

Tina workswithbusinesses andorganisationsacrossStaf fordshire, includingthe police andTonicDaySpaandChocolate Treasures, both in Cannock, as

wellasinotherpartsoftheUK such as TheBallanceCollective in Birmingham.“Thephotogra phyIprovideisvarieddepending onwhatthebusinessneedsfrom personalbrandphotography,food photography,commercialpho tographyincludingevents, head shots, Christmasfamily sessions tobranddesign,”shesaid.

ToseemoreofTina’simages andfindoutaboutherChristmas familysessions,whichtakeplace onSaturday,visitcapture24.co.uk

Tina Hart Prieto, from Cannock, runs Capture24Photography

It’s awickedand wiredworld

TheBest of Peter Rhodes

Ourchanginglanguage. ATV supplement recommendsThe In betweenersMoviefor“plentyofhijinks.”Thisisanalternativespelling of“highjinks,”anolddrinkinggame inwhichtheloserhadtochoosebe tweendrinkingmoreboozeorper forming“anundignifiedtask.”Ican findonlyafewdictionaryreferences to“lowjinks”buttheyseemmuch thesameashighjinks,onlylower. Letusmoveon

nnn Tuckedawayinthebusinesssec tionoftheDailyTelegraphwasacol umnthatdeserveswidercoverage. KateAndrews,EconomicsEditorat theSpectator,explainedhowthede miseofLizTruss’s“unsustainable” mini-budget,basedontaxcutsand borrowing, couldspell troublefor Labour Thesamefiscalforcesthat broughtTrusscrashingdownwould also give Keir Starmer’sspending plansa“brutalblow.”Andrewssays: “Labourmayclaimthatallitsspend ingiscosted(but)marketswillknow better.”Youreaditheresecond.

nnn Fewpubsdeserve thetitle of “legendary” butMaPardoes in Netherton,Dudley,isone.Yeteven legendarystatusisnoprotection frommarketforces.Thepub,likeso manyothers,facesrisingcostsand ashortage of “consistent custom ers.”Regularsarenotasregular,or asfree-spendingastheyusedtobe. Guiltyascharged.AfewdaysagoI enjoyedlunchatapubwhichIregard asmylocal.SofarthisyearIhave beentherethreetimes.

nnn

whereAsianfolkcelebratingDiwali wereoverthemoontohaveanAsian primeminister.OneofthoseinterviewedbySkyNewspointedoutthat thatBritainonceruledIndiaandan IndianisnowrulingBritain.Wonder ifhecanprovideuswithtrains

nn n

RishiSunak says his guiding principlesasthenewPrimeMinis terwillbeintegrity,professionalism andaccountability:IPA.I’msurewe canalldrinktothat

nn n

Justasthepopulationisageing,

soarethecarsonBritishroads.Researchsuggeststhatby2027about 15.4millioncarswillbeatleastten yearsold,ariseof3.6millionfrom 2021.I’mnotsurprised.Rustwasthe traditionalkillerofoldbangersbut thebestoftoday’soldcarsaregal vanisedandvirtuallyrust-proof.So carslastlonger.Butisthereanother factor?

nnn

Thecomplexity of today’scars makesthemextremely expensive, morecostlytoservice,easiertosteal andharder to master.Not every driverwantselectronichandbrakes,

parkingassistanceor aTVscreen onthedashboard.Aresomemature driversactuallyseekingoutthesimplicityofsecond-hand cars?Some yearsagoIhadthechoicebetween anoldMercedesandanewerPeu geot.The Peugeothad an all-sing ing, all-dancing, bells-and-whistles dashboardlikesomethingoutofStar Trek.TheMerchadjustaspeedoand arevcounter.Nocontest.

nnn

Number-crunching.Numberof protestersin“RejointheEU”march in London:about 15,000.Number whovotedin2016toleavetheEU: about17.4million.Alongwaytogo, myEurophilechums

nnn

A72-year-oldUSmanholdsjoint Saudi/US citizenshipand livesin Floridawherehepostedsomeon line commentscomplainingabout thedemolitionofancientbuildingin SaudiArabiaandthemurderofthe journalist JamalKhashoggi.Later, hevisitedfamilyinthekingdomand discoveredthatSaudi spooks had been monitoringhis postings.Result:16yearsinprisonfor“harbouringterrorist ideologies.”Moral:If youwouldn’tshoutsomethingfrom therooftops,don’teventhinkofput tingitonline.Theworldoutthereis awicked–andwired-place

Much rejoicinginLeicester

Legendary –MaPardoes pubinNethertonPrime Minister Rishi Sunak

(7)

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of

(10)

(4)

(8)

(7)

Len’supset in America (6)

German

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suit (5)

swelling,

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CRYPTIC

19

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5

Wives’

14 Orderly; 16 Seven; 18 Edam; 20 Bad.

–Across:6 Violent;7 Hardy; 9 Jut; 10 Penitence; 12 Exterminate;15 Incarcerate; 17 Parsimony; 19 Fit; 21 Actor; 22 Larceny.Down: 1 Minus;2 Ale; 3 Once; 4 Maternity;5 Educate; 8 Simmer; 11 Expansion; 13 Encamp; 14 Infancy; 16 Fiend;18 Near; 20 Ace.

Cruise career on theline Summer is on themove

SATURDAY Minority Report (2002) (Channel 4, 11.50pm)

In 2054,cop JohnAnderton (TomCruise)headsupWashington DC’s ‘pre-crime’ division,arresting peoplebeforetheyhaveachanceto offendbasedonthepredictionsof threepsychics,knownaspre-cogs. Heendsupwithmorethanjusthis careeronthelinewhenapre-cog predictsAndertonisgoingtocommitamurderinjust36hours.

SUNDAY

The Addams Family (1991) (Channel 4, 3.45pm)

Comedybasedonthe60sTVse riesandoriginalcartoonsbyCharles Addams.TheexistenceofMorticia (AnjelicaHuston),Gomez(RaulJulia) andtheirchildren,Wednesday (Christina Ricci) andPugsley(Jim myWorkman),is threatenedwhen amanclaimingto beGomez’slonglost brotherFes ter(Christopher Lloyd)turnsup.

Back in thejunglefor I’mA Celebrityreturn

I’m aCelebrity Get Me Out of Here! (ITV, 9pm, Sunday)

Even apandemiccouldn’tstop oneofBritain’smostpopularreality shows–butitcouldkeepitalittle closertohome

In2020,insteadoftakingagroup of famousfaces to theAustralian jungle,I’maCelebrityGetMeOutof Here!putthemupinaWelshcastle. Thefollowingyear,AntandDecre turnedtoGwrychCastle

However,thisyear,theshowis once againfreetogojet-setting andit’smakingupforlosttime.Not onlyisthecurrentrunheadingback toAustraliaforthefirsttimeintwo years,butinSeptember,AntandDec tooktoTwittertorevealtheywerein SouthAfricatofilmanAll-Starver sionoftheshow,whichissettoair earlynextyear.

Now,inits22ndseries,itseems therearestillplentyofcelebswilling toriskeatingbugsorbeingdangled fromgreatheightsinthenameofrealityTV.DJChrisMoyleswasspotted arriving in Australiarecently. Hol

lyoaksactorOwenWarnerhasalso beenseenatBrisbaneairport,along withCoronationStreet’sSueCleaver andrealitystarOliviaAttwood.

CultureClubsingerBoyGeorge iswidelytippedtotakepartandif formerEnglandrugbyplayerMike Tindall(thehusband of Princess

Anne’sdaughterZara)headsDown Under,wecouldbeinforourfirst kingofthejunglewithgenuineroyal connections.

Tonight, Antand Decwill offi ciallyintroducetheline-upandwe’ll findouthowtheysettleinduring theirfirstnightinthecamp

EastEnders (BBC1)

ThepoliceturnuptoarrestSuki forRanveer’smurder.Whennewin formationcomestolight,Kheerat’s determinedtosavehismother.Sam’s moneyproblemscatchupwithher andsodoesherex,Don.Shirleylooks forwaystoruinMickandJanine’s weddingplans

Coronation Street (ITV)

DuringaQ&Asessionaboutthe JohnStapebook,Tyrone(AlanHal sall)slapsthejournalistwhowrote it.Summerleaveshomeandmoves withAaronintothebuilder’syard flatwithJacob andAmy.Sam an nounceshewantstomeetHarvey, BernielearnsthetruthaboutFern, andStu’sconvictionisoverturned.

Emmerdale (ITV)

Nicolagetsherdayincourt,but she’sincreasinglydoubtfulshe’sgo ingtoget justice. Vinnystruggles with the finality of collecting Liv’s ashes, Kimfeels like she’sgot her family back,and Cathytries to bringApril and Arthurtogether

Editor’s weekend pick

Films for the weekend

Your guide to the soaps

Ant&Dec arethe hosts for thenew series ofI’m ACelebrity

AddamsFamily

AlanHalsall

Motoring Property

Family Jobs

Homes& Services Pets

VISIT: BOOKANAD.EXPRESSANDSTAR.CO.UK

GENTLEMAN

Zain signshis first professional cricketcontract

Stourbridge-basedcricketer Zain ul-Hassanhas signed his firstpro fessionalcontractwithGlamorgan The21-year-old,who is aproduct of Worcestershire’s academy, has penned arookiecontract with the Welshside.

Ul-Hassanplayedfor Stourbridge as ayoungster before signing for Birmingham League side Barnards Green. He wasamember of the SouthAsian Cricket Academylast summer,and theall-rounder’s per formancesagainst countysecond XIsthroughoutthe summer have resulted in himreceiving his first contract

Ul-Hassanisa skilful seamer whocan swingitbothways, andis also amiddle-order batsman.

Meanwhile, Worcestershire have announcedtheir academyintake for2022-2023

ThreeBlack Country-based cricketershavebeenre-selected this year

OllieWalker, whostarted his cricket career at Beacon,inStaffordshire, andnow plays forHimley in theBirmingham League,keeps hisspot.

Former Beacon youngster Cameron Jonesand Wolverhampton’s JoeStanely also keep theirplace on theacademy

THEQUIZ

1WhichFrenchfootballer wonthe Ballon d’Or for the first time?

2Whichcountryishosting theeighthmen’s T20 WorldCup?

3Coventry City recorded their first Championship winofthe seasonagainst whichclub?

8Whichcountrydid England face in the quarter-finals of the women’s RugbyWorld Cup?

15WhichNewcastle United playerscored his fifthgoalofthe seasonin their1-0 winoverEverton?

9

WhoscoredNottingham Forest’s goal in their1-0 winoverLiverpool?

10

WhichIndianbatsman scored82not outto helpdefeatPakistanin eT20 WorldCup?

16Whichhorse’s unbeaten runended with defeat in theChampion Stakes as BayBridge, right, triumphedatAscot?

4

Whoknocked outRobert Helenius in the first round as he made a winning return to boxing?

5Whoscored Arsenal’sgoal in their1-0 victor over PSVEindhoven in theEuropa Leagueat the Emirates?

6Which two-time Grand Slam champion was provisionallysuspended from tennis aftertesting positive fora banned substance?

7Lawrence Shankland scored ahat-trick for whichclub in their4-3 defeat to Celtic?

11Which football club playtheir home games at Ewood Park?

12Which boxer wonthe IBO worldlightheavyweight titlewith a knockoutvictory overLeon Bunn of Germany?

13Villa, inset, wontheir firstgame afterthe dismissalofStevenGerrard with a4-0 winagainstwhich club?

14Which golfer wonhis first PGATour titlein more than four yearswitha one-shot victoryat theZOZO Championship?

17Whowas the first player to scorehat-tricksin three consecutivehome PremierLeaguegames?

18Whobecamethe first England bowlertotake five wicketsinaninningsin aT20 international?

19Whichseventhtier team will travel to LeagueOne side Cheltenham Town in the first roundofthe FA Cup next month?

20Which five quarterbacks have thrown over 500touchdown passes in theNFL? ,erldWiaynteo4Dh,ugbroesiddl3Ma,liraust2Aa,emnzBearim1K ,yinioAwwoai9Ta,liraust,8Atsear,7HepalaHonim,6SkahatXnira5G ,rdfontre3B,1ryCroMcigraad2P,1rsveRoburnckBla11i,ohltKraVi10 d,anlaagHrlin7E,1edaeBa16n,romiAlelguMi15y,adleBranegKe14 ntoey,PesrewBre,DdyramBTo20ch,hureclv9A,1anurrmCSa18

s.gerodnRroAae,vrFattre,BngnniMa

AreUncle Jorgeand Wolves nowadysfunctional family?

Sunday marked four weekssince Wolves sacked BrunoLage.

In that time both Albion andVil la have also axed managers and sourcedreplacements, thelatter in thespace of just 96 hourswhen Steven Gerrardwentout of thedoor andUnaiEmery arrived.

YetatWolves, it is questionable we will discover theidentity of La ge’s successor inside 96 days

Though it is true you cannot rush an appointmentsoimportant as this one, neithercan you allow things to driftand rightnow Wolves risk lookinga club lackingleadership anddirection

Frustrations amonganincreas inglyrestlessfanbase won’t have been easedbynotingthe role Jorge Mendes, the agentsoinextricably linked to Molineux sinceFosun’s 2016 takeover throughtheir stake in hisGestifute agency,playedin assistingone of theirrivals.

It wasMendes whofacilitated the meetings betweenVilla’sboard and Emery, at thelatter’srequest,while he is also thoughttohavearranged talks with Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim,thoughtheyultimately didnot take place.

Amorim wasalso of interest to Wolves when they began lookingfor Lage’s successor andMendes, who hassuppliedthree of Fosun’sfour managers,has naturallybeenheavilyinvolvedinthe search,albeitso farwithout success

Initially,thingslookedstraight forward. JulenLopetegui,a Mendes client andthe maninitially pencilled in to replaceKenny Jackett in 2016,was just days from leaving Sevillaand theclear standout.

ButthenLopetegui turned it down in ordertocarefor hisill

fatherand Mendessuggested the return of Nuno,just15monthson from hisMolineuxexit. Wolves in steadapproachedQPR forMichael Bealebut theformerVillaassistant decideditwasn’tfor himand very quicklyWolvesappearedout of ideas

“There arenooutstanding candidatestoappoint on apermanent basis,”claimed chairman Jeff Shi, whileconfirmingDavis wouldre main in post untilthe newyear.

That wasastatement weakened when Villaswooped forEmery Though thereare no guarantees he will be asuccess,itisimpossi bletopaint theappointment of a four-timeEuropaLeaguewinner as anything less than acoupfor aclub whohavenot playedinEuropean competitionfor more thanadecade. Suggesting thetalentisn’t outthere or attainable, as Shidid,isatricky argument forany club operatingin theworld’s richestleaguetomake.

Now, more than at anytimeunderFosun,itfeels fair to question theirrelationshipwithMendesand asktowhatextentitisrestricting Wolves?

Anyassessmentmust firstac knowledge thesuccess theclubhas enjoyed since2016 almost certainly wouldnot have happened without hisinfluence. Certainly, theiras cent from theChampionship to the Europa League couldnot have been so speedy. No otherclubinEng land’s second tier wouldhavebeen

capableofsigning RubenNeves and DiogoJotain 2017.Likewise,with outFosun’s link-upwithMendes therewould have been no Nuno, no RuiPatricio– thelistislengthy Youcannotsay Wolves have not felt thebenefitofthe relationship

Theconcern is whetherthe club’s infrastructure hasevolved suffi cientlytocopewhenMendesisuna bletocome up with thegoods? Tech nicaldirectorScott Sellarswas the chief target of theSouth Bank’s ire as things unravelled againstLeicesterbut thetruth is he hasverylittle real powerand does notmakekey decisions. Recent events wouldsug gest Shi’sdefault position,whenin doubt,isstill simply to askJorge

Thesummer of 2020 always felt instructive. That wasthe point Wolves were at theirpeak, having registered twoconsecutive seventh-placed PremierLeague fin ishesand been narrowly beaten in thequarter finals of theEuropa League.There wasagenuine sense of aclubwiththe potentialtostart selling themselves as an emerging force.

Yettheir recruitmentagain leaned heavilyonGestifute and Mendes, with thebiggestsignings FabioSilva from Portoand Nelson Semedo from Barcelona.

Silva, as we know,has struggled to live up the£35millionfee,of whichMendestooka£6.4m cutfor brokeringthe deal.Semedo, mean while, joined foraninitial £28m and

whilethe finalfee of £37m is hugely dependentonadd-ons andunlikely to be reached, it remainsamassive outlay foraplayerwho is nowstrug glingtoholddownaregular startingplace. That same summer saw Matt Doherty, Semedo’s predeces sor, move to Tottenhamfor around £14m in adealwhere Mendesrep resented theplayerand both managers.

It is difficulttocriticiseMendes forany of this.Hewould simply say he is an agentdoing hisjob

Theissue forWolvesisFosun’s over-dependenceonhim andhis agency.Shi famouslysummed up therelationshipwithMendesas having access to the‘first-class seats’ –but thetrouble is others can always buyaticketand it is hard to escapethe impression Wolves need theagent more than he needs them “Wedon’t rely on anyone agency,” Shiinsisted during thesame 2021 interview. Whiletechnically correct, thenumbers tell thereal tale.Ofthe 67 senior players Wolves have signed either permanentlyor on loan over thelastsix years, 44 have been either been clientsofGes tifute or itsaffiliates,orindeals ne gotiated by Mendes. Theestimated financialoutlayisaround£350mil lion.Shi is righttoclaim Wolves do deal with otheragents. Yetthere is undoubtedly onetheyturntomore than most andfor allthe doorsit hasopened, in otherextents it has been limiting.Thatcertainly feels thecasenow

Of course,there remainsa chance things will work outas first intended should Lopetegui, acou ple of monthsfromnow,decideshe is readytotakethe jobafterall.In themeantime, Wolves have theappearance of aclubinlimbo andthat is never agoodplace to be

Whowill follow Australian lead overQatar?

Sundayalso marksthree weeks to thestart of theWorld Cup. So intense remainsthe focus on thedomestic season,italmost feelssurreal to thinkthe game’s biggesttournamentissoclose

Therewon’t have been another WorldCup subjecttosuchasub dued build-up, for the simple fact so much attentioniscurrently elsewhere.

Gradually, that is starting to change.The next fortnightpromises to be interestingin termsof how theapproaching tournament begins to impact on domestic leagues.

Will thoseplayers whoknow they will be selected forQatar 2022 starttobecome distracted andmanagetheir effort,even subconsciously,totry andavoid therisk of injury?Could some players even asktoberested by theirclubs,toremove thepossi bility entirely?Don’t rule it out.

It will also be interestingand much more importanttosee how many moreteams follow the lead of Australia, whothisweek released acollectivestatement criticisingQatar’s humanrights record,including itstreatment of migrantworkers andpeople from

Weasle words: JamesCleverly theLGBTQ+community.Onthe latter subject, theAustralians called forthe decriminalisation of allsame-sexrelationships, in a countrywhere homosexualitycan be punishable by death.

That is afar stronger message than theone sent by foreign secretaryJames Cleverly, whosuggested anygay England supporters making thetripto Qatartoshow ‘flex andcompro mise’out of ‘respect’for thehost nation

In otherwords,it’sOKtobegay –but don’tbetoo gay, OK?Onlya politiciancould soundsopatheti callyweak.

Thetruth is theWorld Cuphas no business beinginacountry so intolerant as Qatar, just as it should never have been staged in thebackyardofawarmongerfour yearsago

Nothingisgoing to change that now. We arestuck with Fifa’s de cision butwhere adifferencecan be madeisinthe messaging used to combat thewaveofpositive Qa tari PR headingour wayin the coming weeks.

How many teamswillfollow Australia’sleadbycalling for change?Hopefullyall of them

FosunchairmanGuo Guangchangwith JeffShi andJorge MendesatMolineux

sport

DAVISWILLGIVE YOUTH ACHANCE

Interim Wolves boss SteveDavis is relishing hisopportunity tohand PremierLeagueminutes to theclub’sacademy talents during histenurein charge.

Sincetakingover, Davisand fel lowcaretaker JamesCollins have given JoeHodge his firstthree sub stituteappearances,and also hand ed Hugo Buenohis debutoff the benchatMolineuxbeforestarting himin threecrunchclashes

Both playershavedonewellin theirshort stints with the firstteam –alongside winger Chem Campbell –and Davishopes thenew manager will continue to give them opportunities in thefuturewhentheyare eventually appointed Davissaid: “We’re proudofthe academyand want opportunitiesto be giventothe players wherepossi bleand beinginthisposition gives us that opportunity.

“Werecognise talent andplayers that areready,sowe’ve given those players theopportunity.

“The playerstrust Chem nowand they trustJoe within thetraining group. It’s importantfor them to feel part of it

LIAM KEEN liam.keen@mnamedia.co.uk

“Joe hasacceleratedhis develop ment very quickly. Chem andHugo took abit longer, buttheyall have differentpathways.

“Joe hasshownguts, determi nation andcourage to want to play andget on theball. Beyond that,he didn’t disappoint us

“Did he surprise us?Maybe a littlebit,but sometimesyou don’t know how they’lldealwithituntil you putthemin. Goingforward, he’llfeela bitmorepartofithere.

“Hedeserves that opportunity. He’s shownusand thesupporters that he’s capable. He’s an all-round player whocan do abit of everything well,and he hasagreat personality. He’s agreat kidand that goes along way.”

Buenoimpressed in hisfull debut andgot asuperb assist forAdama Traore’s goal againstCrystal Palace, before shiningwhile others floppedinthe defeat to Leicester.

Davisadded: “WeknowHugobet terthanmost, having workedwith himwhenhecameoverfromSpain

“Hewas anumber10orawinger when he came andthenhe wascon verted to awing-back.”

Boxers wininmemorable anniversary

BlackCountry-basedLions Boxing Club hadananniversary to rememberastwo of itsboxersclaimed big titles

WhileOsama Mohamedgaveanotherindicationofhis potentialby winninggoldboxingfor Englandat theBrandenburg Cup, TomJones wasclaimingamaidenMidlandstitle–bothvictories coming on Octo ber1 –22years to theday sincethe Brierley Hillclubwas formed

“Itreallywas theperfect day,” said head coachKev Dillon, who watched Mohamed’striumph in Germanyvia an online stream be fore being in Jones’cornerwhen he claimeda splitdecision over A HasnainofWellingtonABC in the 52kgsjunior development final.

It wasasweet moment for 16-year-oldJones,who wasbeaten in the finaloflastyear’scompe tition,thoughitwas notwithout

drama, theLions boxer claiming victorydespite beingdockeda point forhis gumshieldfalling out. “The gumshieldcameout threetimes and thereferee candisqualifyyou for that,” said Dillon.“Luckilythings went in ourfavourbut in termsof pure boxing,Tom deserved to win.”

Jones is now throughtothe semi finals of thenationalcompe tition, having followed up hisMid landstitle win.

Villaace is given WorldCup hope

Villa’sBoubacarKamaracould go to theWorld CupwithFrance–with hisrecoveryfrominjuryahead of schedule

TheVillasummer signinghas been outsince he suffered knee ligamentdamageinSeptember –and wasset to be ruledout of theQatar WorldCup –however reportshave emerged suggesting the 22-yearoldmay even be fittoreturnfor his club before theWorld Cup.

Themidfielder, whoarrived at VillaParkas afreeagent in the summer,has threecapsfor his countryand with France suffering midfieldproblemsheading into the WorldCup it is likelyKamarawill be included in thesquad if he can prove his fitnessintime.

Wolves givenan errorapology

Speedwaybosses have issued an apologytoWolverhamptonafter ascoring errorled to them fail ingtoqualifyfor thesemi-finals

Calculations forthe scoring last Thursday nightatBelle Vue sawanerror madeonthe countback system afterthe Pairs RoundFive.

Threeteams hadtiedon20 points –however,Wolveswere wronglyadjudgedtobethe team to miss outonthe race-off In astatment, theSpeedway ControlBureausaid: “The SCB wouldliketoapologise “Wolverhampton should have qualified forthe race off.”

TomJones (centre) with KevDillon

Hugo Buenohas been astand-out playerfor Wolves in recent weeks

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