Chronicle Week Cannock - 08-Dec-2022

Tributeshavebeenpouringinfor a“thoughtful,funnyandhappygirl” whowashitbyacarinCannock

The15-year-old,whowasstruck by ablack RenaultClioatHawks GreenIsland,nearHemlockWay,last Tuesdayhasbeennamedlocallyas Brogen-LeaStorey

Shewastakentohospitalwith criticalinjuriesbutwassadlypronounced deadthefollowingmorn ing.Anonlinefundraisingpagehas nowbeenlaunchedinhermemoryto helpherfamilyandwithin13hours, morethan£10,000hasbeenraised inherhonour.

TheGoFundMepagehasbeenset upbyKerryPlant,whosesongrew up with Brogen,and shesaidthe teenagerwasa“lovely,thoughtful, funnyand happygirlwho always hadasmileonherface”.

Sheinitiallyhopedtoraise£500 withtheintentionofbuyingaspecial ChristmasgiftforBrogen’ssiblings andamemorialtreewithaplaque.

Kerrysaidany fundsleftover wouldbepassedontoherfamilyto helptowardsherfuneralcosts

Withinhoursmorethan£10,600 hadbeenraisedthroughmorethan 600donations.

Kerry,whosoughtapprovalfrom Brogen’s mumbeforesetting the

pageup,said:“Brogenwasalovely thoughtfulfunnyandhappygirlwho alwayshadasmileonherface,the sortofgirlthatwouldgiveyouher lastpenny.

“She leaves behind hertwo youngerbrothersandyoungersister Themoneyraisedwillgotogetting themalittleextrapresentforChristmasthisyear.ForherfriendsIwould liketogetatreeandplaqueinmemo ryofBrogen(anideathatcamefrom herfriends)andanyfundsthatare leftwillbepassedontoherfamilyto helptowardsherfuneral.”

Tributeshavealsofloodedinby thosewhohavedonatedfunds.

NatashaRobinsonsaid:“Ididn’t knowherpersonallybutmydaughterdid.Shewasheart-brokenwhen sheheardthenews.Ourthoughtsare withallthefamilyandherfriends.”

ThedriveroftheCliostayedat thescenefollowingthecollisionand isassistingpolice.StaffordshirePo licearekeentospeaktoanywitness esorthosewhomayhavedash-cam footage.Email CIU@staffordshire. police.ukor contactthem on 101, FacebookorTwitter,quoting inci dent620ofNovember29.

Shop ‘the best’again

Plea made to find suspect

Police have released CCTV im agesofamanfollowingarobberyin Cannocktowncentre

Police were called at around 9.05amonNovember21,afteraman wastrippedupandthenhadhiswal lettaken.Theoffenderisdescribed aswhite,5ft10ins,ofslimbuildand with shortdarkhair. He waslast seenwearingathree-quarterwhite coatandblacktracksuitbottoms

Thevictim,inhis40s,didnotreceiveanyinjuriesbutwasleftvisibly shaken

VisitStaffordshirePolice’swebsitetoseetheimage.Anyonewith informationshould messageStaffordshirePoliceonFacebook.

Have sayon villageplans

Anonlineconsultationisopento gaugeviewsonwhetherlandtothe westofPenkridgecanbeusedforfuturehousingdevelopment

Potentialmeasures includea newroadaroundthevillage,aswell asbetterconnectionsbetweenthe railwaystation andcentre of Penkridge andpedestrianand cycle routes

ThePenkridge2050websiteof ferssomeideasonhowthevillage couldgrowsustainablyandaddress thechallengesand opportunities facing SouthStaffordshire district andtheparishoverthenext30years.

People canhaveasay at penk ridge2050.co.uk

Report by Lisa O’Brien

Plea over stolen weddingring

An appealhas gone outto help findawedding ring that wasstolenfromahome in Burntwood

Theringisdescribedas18 caratgold,onecentimetrewide andcoloureddarkgoldandwas madeintheJewelleryQuarterin Birminghamandhallmarked.

Itwasstolenduringabur

glarylast December andStaffordshirePolicehas askedfor anyonewithanyinformationto getintouch.

Aspokesmanfor theforce said:“Canyouhelpusfindthis weddingring?

“Webelieveitwassoldafterbeingtakenfromahomein Burntwood during aburglary

inDecemberlastyear.Thepersonwhobroughtitlikelydoesn’t knowitwasstolenandweneed yourhelptryingtotraceit.”

Animageoftheringcanalso beseenonthepolicewebsite

Anyonewithinformationis askedtocontactpoliceviaFacebook,Twitter,orcall101,quotingincident216ofDecember31 The weddingring

£250,000 in rate payments

owed to councilwritten off

By Kerry Ashdown

CannockChase Councilis writingoff debtsand benefit overpaymentstotallingalmost aquarterofamillionpoundsaf teritwasunabletorecoverthe funds.

Thewrite-offs, agreed by theauthority’scabinet last month,include10businessrate debtsworth £127,003 and48 “irrecoverable”council tax ar rearstotalling£120,163.

Areporttocabinetsaidthe levelofcounciltaxcollectedfor thecurrentyearbytheendof September was54.1per cent, comparedtothe54.6percent collecteda year earlier. But therewasahigherproportion of business ratescollected by theendofSeptember–56.6per cent–comparedtotheSeptem ber2021levelof47.8percent

Thereportsaid:“Whilstour collectionratesaretraditional lygood,regrettablynotallofthe moniesowedtothecouncilcan becollected.Actionwillcontin ue to collectarrears afterthe endofthefinancialyear,with around99percenttraditionally beingrecovered.”

Thecabinet agreed at its lastmeetingtowriteoff14irrecoverablehousing benefit overpaymentsworth £44,230. Otherwiserecoveryofoverpaid housing benefit “continues to progresswell”,thereportsaid.

Children enjoyfundraising day

nameoftheteddy;atincanal-

Aspokesman forthe GlenthorneDrive school said: “Later in theafternoon,all competition winnerswereannouncedinassembly,andprizes giventothewinners.”

perz,StaffordshireRockChoirand 2Stepdanceacademy,whilethe switch-onalsofeaturedfunfair rides,streetfoodandmobilebars

TherewasalsoavisitfromFa therChristmas. Lastweekenditwastheturnof

Hednesford,whichhadaSleeping Beautytheme.Residentsgathered aroundtheclockinthetowncen tretosingcarolsandwatchedthe lightsgoon,whileschoolsandlo calchoirswerealsoinvolved

HednesfordInPartnershipor ganised theannualevent,which featuredmarketstalls,afunfair andentertainment.

Joules shop to stay open at retail outlet

TroubledfashionbrandJoules hasannounced itsstore at Can nock’sMcArthurGlenDesignerRe tailOutletwillstayopen

Nineteenstoreswillcloseand 133jobscutfollowingthebuyout byfounderTomJoulesandretail rivalNext.

Next said it plannedtocon tinuetorunaround100ofJoules’ 124storesandwilltransferover around 1,450 membersofshop andheadofficestaff

TheOutletVillagestoreisone that will remain open.The deal

willseeNextowna74percent stakeinthe business, with Tom Jouleowningtheremaining26per centshare.

Thecompanydrafted in ad ministratorsfromInterpathAdvi soryafterfailingtosecureemer gencyfundingfollowingasurgein costsandslowdownincustomers demand

Inspiring

Mr Joule said:“Afterthree yearsawayfromtheoperational side,I’mtrulylookingforwardto

inspiringteamswithcleardirec tion to excite andrecapture the imaginationofthecustomeragain.

“I’msopleasedwehavebeen abletostrikeadealthatprotects thefutureofthecompany.”

ItcomesafterNextboughtthe brand, websites andintellectual propertyforonlinefurniturebusi nessMade.comafteritcollapsed

Theadministrationledto320 redundancies,whileafurther79 employeeswhohadresignedand were workingtheirnoticewere forcedtoimmediatelyleave.

Santa andmusical acts entertainedatthe Christmas lights switch-on in Cannock.Pics. John Devey

Torn star on Chase

Soap star-turnedsingerNa talieImbruglia will supportJack Savoretti on his forest concert dates.

Singer-songwriter Savoretti performs on CannockChase on June 11 next year –one of four nightsofconcertsatBirchesValley –withImbruglia,bestknownfor herdebuthitTorn,whichreached numbertwoin1997,assupport.

The47-year-old singer,who madehernameasBethBrennan in Australian soap neighbours, hasgone on to have astringof hitsincludingBigMistake,Shiver

andWishingIWasThereandwon seriesthreeoftheMaskedSinger dressedaspanda.

Savoretti,who hasreleased twochart-toppingalbums,Singing ToStrangersandEuropiana,was thefirstartisttoannouncedates as part of Forest Live 2023,the summerconcertseriespresented byForestryEngland The39-year-oldperformerlast appearedatForestLivein2019 ‘NuttyBoys’Madnesswillalso appear on Cannock Chasenext year.Tickets areavailable from www.forestryengland.uk/music

Family’sbungalows bidapproved again

Afamily’sbid to buildtwo bungalowsonlandatthebackof aCannockhousehaveonceagain beengiventhegreenlight

Plansfor thepropertiesand thedemolition andreplacement oftheexistingOldPenkridgeRoad house hadpreviouslybeenap provedbyCannockChaseCouncil. Buttheconsentforthetwonew homesisduetoexpireinJanuary afterCoviddelayedtheproject.

Afresh application fortwo bungalowsattherearofthead dresswas submittedearlier thisyear,towhichneighbouring householdshadobjected.

Lastweek,thecouncil’splan ning committee approvedthe application. Thecommittee was toldthatapplicanthadrevisedthe planstoreducetheoverallheight.

ColinSutton, whospoke in supportofthe plans, said:“The applicationisaresubmissionofan applicationthatwasapprovedbut unfortunatelyhaslapsed.Itisthe sameasthepreviousapplication andwehavetriedtofacilitatethe requirementsoftheneighbours.”

CouncillorAndreaBeach,who chairedconsiderationoftheappli cation,usedhercastingvote.She said:“Ifeelverysympatheticto wardsneighboursbuttherearen’t anymaterialconsiderationsforus torefusethisapplication.Ithasal readybeenapprovedbefore.”

MP’s call over late rail service

Cannock ChaseMP Amanda Millingisdemandingalate-night trainserviceforRugeley.Shesaid residentswereoftenleftstranded asthelasttrainfromBirmingham didn’tstopinthetown.

Raisingherconcernswiththe TrainsMinisteratTransportQues tionsinParliament,MsMilling saidshewaslookingtogetthisis sueaddressedinfuturetimetable changes.

ShesaidChaseLineuserstrav ellingtoandfromRugeleywere disadvantagedasthelastservice

from Birmingham terminated at Hednesford, leavingpassengers withthechoiceofeithercutting shortanightoutorarrangingon wardtravel

Choice

“Theelectrification of the ChaseLinehasgreatlyimproved theservice overall,” shesaid.

“However,Iam concernedthat Rugeleypassengersremaindis advantaged as thelast service fromBirminghamstilldoesn’tgo throughtothe Rugeleystations.

Idon’twantpassengersfromRu geleyfacedwiththechoiceofhav ingtocutshorttheirnightoutor havingtofindonwardtravelfrom Hednesford,”sheadded.

“Unfortunately,extending thelast trainfromBirmingham throughtotheRugeleystationsis stillnotincludedintheupcoming Decembertimetablechanges

“IamcallingonWestMidlands Trains,NetworkRailandDepart mentforTransporttolookatways tointroducethisserviceinfuture timetableschanges.”

Natalie Imbruglia

Report by Kerry Ashdown

Nursefollows in family footsteps

Anurse makesupthe third generationofherfamilytoworkin healthcare.JulieLaytonsaysher daughterChristina’scaringnature hasbroughthertotears.

Christina,27,isaseniorsister andmanager at Cannock Chase Hospital’s of Fairoak Ward,car ingfortherehabilitationoftrau maandorthopaedicpatientsand elderlycareandstrokepatients. Julie,51,isseniorsisterandward manageratWillenhall’sHollybank HouseStrokeRehabilitationUnit HerownmumJoyHope,78,wasa careratGrangemoorHouseNurs ingHome,Burntwood

ThecareerpathsofChristina andJulieevencrossedwhenthey brieflyworkedtogetheratFairoak andWestParkRehabilitationHospital.Andthattimeworkingto getherprovidedaproud–ifemo tional–momentforJulie

“Ihavewalkedoutofaward cryingbecauseofChristina’scaringnature,”saidJulie

Juliewas formerly asenior care forStaffordshire County CouncilsocialservicesinLichfield –actuallyline-managinghermum Joy–beforeturningtonursingin 2010,qualifyingthreeyearslater.

SheandChristinalivetogetherin BurntwoodwithJulie’syoungest daughter,studentEmillie,17.

“Christinawantedtobe a nursefromprimaryschoolage,” Juliesaid.“Whenshestartedher nursetraining,shewentonplace menttoFairoakanddidsowell, thattheyofferedherajob–even

thoughshestillhadayearofher trainingtogo.I’msoproudofher.”

Christina’swilltocareforpeo plewasreinforcedinsadcircum stancesduringhertraining–she qualifiedin2017–whenherdad Bryan,Julie’shusband,diedatthe ageof57after contracting liver problemsconnectedtodiabetes

Parkingfee method to change on Chase

Aticketlessandcashlesssystemwillbeintroducedinanover haulofparkingatCannockChase

Forest Those parkingatthe Visitor CentreonBirchesValleycurrently payviastandardcoinandcardoperatedmachines,withthemoney raisedfromfeesusedtomanage andmaintainthevisitorfacilities onCannockChase.

FromJanuary,thesemachines willbereplacedwithanewsystem thatrecordsvehiclenumberplates whentheyenterthecarpark,and

thenallowspeopletopayatthe endoftheirvisit.Thenewsystem isalsoticketlessandcashless,with visitorspayingviacardordevice.

Theautomatedsystemwillal lowForestryEnglandtooperate moreefficientlyandensurestaff and fundsare morefocused on theimportantroleofrunningthe forestratherthanadministrative tasks.

Gary Kelsey,forestcentre manager,said:”Aswellasallowingustocontinuetoraise this important revenueinthe best

waypossible, we hopethisnew automatedsystemwillmakethe processofpayingmuchfairerand straight-forward.”

Andy Harvey-Coggins,recreation manager forForestryEng land,said:”Creatingandmanag ingvisitor facilities that arefun yetsafeandecologicallysensitive takesaconsiderableamount of timeandmoney.Withoutthemoneyraisedfromourvisitorspaying topark,wewouldn’tbeabletodo it,whichiswhywewantthefairest andeasiestpaymentsystem.”

NursingduoJulieLaytonanddaughterChristinaofBurntwood

Queuetheoryis required by NHS

Forvarious reasonsIhave madevisitstohospitalswhichin cludedlongwaitsinambulances, hospitals,doctors’surgeries,and soon

Thewholebusinessseemed monumentallyinefficient.Isawno signsofbasic“queuetheory”use “Queuetheory”providesarich andusefulset of mathematical modelsfortheanalysisanddesign ofserviceprocessfordealingwith contention forlimitedresources Haveyounoticedhowbankqueues aremuchshorterthantheyusedto be,asaresupermarketqueues?

Asyouwaitforabankorsu permarketqueuetoclearyouwill

notwaitverylong.That’squeue theoryworking Have youwaitedinanambulanceoutsideA&Eorwaiteda monthtoseeadoctor?Idonotsee thesequeuesshiftingwiththeuse of relevant algorithms.I maybe wrongandifIam,thenstartagain NHSbecauseyouhavenotaclue abouteventhemostbasicuseof mathematicalanalysis

Ilookforward to thedays when medial queues areshifted seamlesslybyclinicaldemandand notbytradeunion“negotiation”as theyseemtoberightnow

Nameandaddresssupplied

Helpingtoget homeless offstreets at Christmas

Thousandsofpeopleacross thecountryarefacingadistressinganduncertainChristmaswithoutasafeplacetocallhome.

Astherisingcostoflivingpiles moreandmorepressureonpeople,homelessnesscharityCrisisis openingitsdoorstopeoplewho wouldotherwisebespendingDecemberandJanuaryonthestreets

InthreehotelsacrossLondon andcentres around thecountry, peoplewillbeprovidedwithfood andwarmthaswellas tailored helpincludinghealthcare,training

andsupportwithhousing.Andthis isjustthebeginning–Crisiswill alsobeprovidingallitsChristmas guestswithakeyworkerwhowill giveongoingsupporttohelpthem startonajourneyoutofhomeless nessforgood.

ThesupportCrisisprovidesis onlypossiblebecauseofthegener osityoftheBritishpublic Tofindoutmoreortodonate toCrisisthisChristmas,pleasevisitwww.crisis.org.uk/support CrisisAmbassadors

Accommodatingcyclists

AsIdrivemycararoundCan nocktowncentreandsurrounding areas, performing apermanent slalom to avoid thehundredsof dangerouspotholes,Ibaskinthe warmglowofselfrighteoussatis factionofknowingthatthethick endofoneandaquartermillion pounds of taxpayers’moneyhas beenwiselyspentontheconstructionofabeautifullysurfacedtwolane cyclepath, complete with

roadmarkingsandsignagetelling everyoneitisforcyclistsonlyand theotherbitofpavementcanbe usedbypedestrians

This is to accommodatethe (allegedly)morethan189cyclist journeysmadeeverydayonthe shortstretchofroadpastWickes andthe trainstation.Makes me

Waterways lifebloodof theregion

On November 22,Iattended Michael Fabricant’s‘UK Canals andWaterways’WestminsterHall debate.

MrFabricant,chairmanofthe All-PartyParliamentaryGroupfor theWaterways,spokeverywell, drawingattentiontohowexten sivetheUK’swaterwaysnetwork is,inadditiontotheworkofthe CanalandRiverTrust

IthankMrFabricantforsecuringthisimportantdebate,butfor alsoemphasisingtheimportance ofthewaterwaysforStone,calling them“thelifebloodoftheecono my”.

He also took theopportuni tytothankconstituents,suchas MichaelHaig,fortheirinvaluable work.

SirBillCash,MP StoneConstituency

Thank to all for support during year

Heavenly Angels Spiritualist Church,HeathHayes,wouldlike tothankalltheircongregationfor theirsupportin2022.Ithasbeen anamazingyear,andwearetruly gratefulforthesupportshown

We will be holdingour last serviceof2022onDecember14, whichwillbeourChristmasservice,where,asathankyoutoyou allwewillbeofferingcomplimentary mincepies, nibbles, mulled wine,andourusualtea,coffeeand chocolate.Thisisjustasmallgesturetoshowourgratitude

WewillreturnonJanuary11 anddetailswillbepostedasusual onourFacebookpage@heavenly angelsspiritualistchurch

Wehopeyouallhaveagood Christmasand wish you avery HappyNewYear!

TheHeavenlyAngelsTeam

Busy runto Christmas

Rotaryclubmembersaresettobe verybusyintheleaduptoChristmas withtheirannualcharitycollections Members,alongwithSantaandhis sleigh,werepartoftheCannocklights switch-on,handingoutsweets,while dozensofyoungstershadtheirphoto graphstakenwithSanta.

Theclubiscollectingatdifferent locationsacrossthearea,atsupermar

ketsandoutdoormarketevents.Some ofthefundsraisedhavealreadybeen used–adonationofChristmasdeco rationsandlightstoWestHillPrimary.

Lastyear,thankstothegenerosi tyofthepublic,morethan£5,000was raisedanddonatedtolocalcauses

ChairmanSheilaBurrowsandThe Lavender Girls Maggie and Sara

Rotary Club of Cannock

C&D Ladies Probus

Friendship cafe launch Remand on drugscharge

CarefirmHomeInsteadCannock haslaunchedanewfreeFriendship CafeinBurntwood.

Theinitiativegives older peo plelivingwithdementiaandtheir lovedonesthechancetomeetwith like-mindedpeopleand reap the benefitsofphysicalandmentalac tivities that help maintain their healthandfitness

As ahomecarecompany that supportsmanypeoplewithdemen tiaintheirown homes,HomeIn steadCannockiskeentopreventso cialisolationforthoseexperiencing thechallengesthatcomefollowinga diagnosis.

Thecafeenablespeopletotake partinactivitiesthathavebeensci entificallyproventoboostcognitive memorysuchaswordsearches,puz zles,boardgames,books,colouring, aquizoftheday,jigsaw,bingoand singing. It will runevery Monday exceptforbankholidaysfrom10am until2pmattheBeaconCommunity Centre,7dBridgeCrossRoad

PetaMandleberg,franchiseown er,said: “Thecafewill provide an opportunityforanyone,theircarers, friendsand family members, and othersjustlookingforcompanyto meetandshareexperiences.”

To getinvolved callKaren on 07376572672orvisithomeinstead. co.uk/cannock

Plansofficiallylodged for33-bedcarehome

Anapplicationhasbeenofficial lylodgedfora33-bedcarehomein Cannock

Thethree-storey development wouldstandonthecornerofAvon RoadandHunterRoadonlandcur rentlyusedforpubliccarparking. Eachfloorwillaccommodateanurs ingfacility, alongside bedrooms,a shareddiningroom,quietroomand lounge.Upto100jobswillbepoten tiallycreated.

CannockChaseCouncil’scabinet agreed in September 2020 to dis poseoflandattheAvonRoadcar parksite.Thesitewasearmarked asadevelopmentopportunityinthe CannockTownCentreDevelopment Prospectus.Thecouncilhasagreed to sell thesitetoMidlands-based developerDeeleyPropertiesandthe saleisconditionalonthesitepur chasersecuringplanningconsentfor theproposedscheme.

Anoutlineapplicationhasnow been submittedtoCannockChase CouncilbyCairnwellDevelopments LtdforExemplarHealthCare

Theapplicationislikelytogobe fore thecouncil’s planning control committeeinearly2023.

Appeal afterteenagerhurt

Amanwasarrestedandcharged with drug offences followinga searchofahomeinCannock

JackHowellwasarrestedbyStaf fordshirePolicefollowingasearchof ahouseonLichfieldRoad.Amobile phoneandcashwererecoveredand the26-year-old wascharged with thesupplyofclassAdrugs

Howellwasremandedincusto dyaheadofanappearanceatNorth StaffordshireJusticeCentre.Hewas remandedagaintoappearatStaf fordCrownCourtonJanuary6

Christmas tree festival

ACheslynHaychurchwillbelit upforthefestiveseasonaspartofa Christmastreefestivalnextweek

Policeareappealingforinforma tionafteracarhitateenageboyand failedtostop

OfficersfromStaffordshire Po licehavereleasedaCCTVimagefol lowingthehit-and-runinGreatWyr leyonNovember15.

Police were calledtoStation Road,nearHallLane, just after

8.30am. Ateenageboy wastaken tohospitalwithleginjuriesandhas sincebeendischarged,theforcesaid

Thecarisbelievedtobeablack FordFiesta,whichfailedtostop Witnessesareaskedtomessage StaffordshirePoliceonFacebook, Twitter,orcall101,quotingincident number301ofNovember15.

ThefestivaltakesplaceatSalem MethodistChurch,inHighStreet.Lo calorganisationsarebeinginvited todecorateatreetorepresenttheir group

Visitorsarewelcometoviewthe treesandgetintothefestivespirit.

Openinghoursare10amto4pm onDecember13to16.CoffeeStop willbeopenforvisitorstoenjoyre freshments.

CCTV footage shows thecarinquestion.Photo:StaffordshirePolice.

Covid-19 and fluspread more easilyinwinterandcancause seriousillness.Sothebestway tostaysafeistoboostyourim munitywithvaccination.Ifyou’re50or over,pregnant,orhavealong-termcon dition you’re eligible foranautumn Covidboosterandfreefluvaccination

“FluandCovid-19areunpredictable butthere arestrong indicationswe couldbefacingthethreatofwidelycirculatingflu,lowerlevelsofnaturalimmunityduetolessexposureoverthe last twowinters,and an increase in Covid-19 circulatingwith lots of variantsthatcanevadetheimmune response,” says Dr SusanHopkins, chiefmedicaladvisoratUKHSA.“This combinationposes aserious risk to ourhealth,particularlythoseinhigh riskgroups.TheH3N2flustraincan causeparticularlysevereillness.Ifyou areelderlyorvulnerablebecause of otherconditionsyou areatgreater risk,sogettingthefluvaccineisasensible,potentiallylife-savingthingtodo.

Weareextremelyfortunatetohave vaccinesagainst thesetwo diseases. Most eligible groups have been selectedbecausetheyareathigherrisk ofsevereillness.”

Many adultsand childrenalready getafreefluvaccination,whichisimportanttokeepuptodateasthevirus canchangeeachyear(findoutifyou’re eligibleatnhs.uk/wintervaccinations) Similartoprimaryschool aged children,two-andthree-year-oldsareeligibleforanasalsprayfluvaccination, providedtheywereagedtwoorthree on August 31, 2022. They gettheflu vaccineattheirGP.Primaryschoolkids usuallyhavethevaccineatschool.

Best protection

ProfessorSteve Powis,NHS England nationalmedicaldirector,warnsofa possible‘twindemic’ofCovidandflu, butsaysvaccinesofferthebestprotectionagainstit.“Withmanypeoplein hospitalwithCovid-19,andfluposing anevengreaterriskthisyear,Iurge everyone eligible to book both vac cines as soonaspossibletoprotect themselvesandtheirlovedones.With thousandsofGPpractices,localphar maciesandotherNHSsitesacrossthe countryofferingbothvaccines,it’snever beeneasiertogetthisprotection.”

Remember,ifyou’reinaneligible groupandnothadyourfirstorsecond dose of theCovid vaccine, or first boosterdose–bookanappointment onlineorvisitawalk-incentre

Mum of two Nicole,41, has lived with ulcerativecolitis sinceshe wasin her20s and, likemanyotherswith aweakenedimmune system, she says keeping up to date with her Covid and flu vaccinations is vital.

“Ulcerativecolitis causes inflammation of the colon, andifI have aflare-upIcan getquitepoorly,with bleeding anda need to go to the toilet around 30 timesa day, which canresult in hospital stays,” says Nicole,fromManchester,mum to Sofia, six, and Alyssia, two.“No one canlivelikethat, so Ihaveregular doses of immunosuppressants

“Running my baby sleep coaching business Baby2Sleep, andhaving twolittle kids,there’s no wayIcan function when I’mpoorly.”

Nicole waswaiting foramessage from her GP to call her forthe Covid vaccine –and when she wasalso offered the flu vaccine nthe same day, she as glad to take both.

“With my weakened mmune system, Iwas orelievedtoget my accinations.Ialways makesureI’m up to ateand have aflu ab every year.

“I wasworried hat if IcaughtCovid I might endupin hospital,unableto ookafter thekids.”

Nicole is glad she canlivelifeto thefull, knowing she’s protected.

“It’s true that the vaccine doesn’t alwaysstopyou getting Covid, but it doesstopyou getting very ill with it, which is what’s importanttome. To dateIhave had Covid twiceafter my vaccinations and been fine.”

Whyisitimportant

Asatype1diabetic,I’m fullyawarethatthepotential sideeffectsofcontracting flu,coldsorCovidcanbe moresevereandcanplay havocwithmybloodsugar levels.Assomeonewhois immunocompromisedand whohasexperiencedthese sideeffectsinthepast,and withmyworkschedule presentingshowsandshoots alloverthecountryduring thePremierLeagueseason andupcomingWorldCup, Idon’twanttotakeanyrisks thiswinter.

Did your diabetes diagnosis come as ashock to you? WhenIwasfirstdiagnosedin 2015, it was atotal shockto

me,andIkeptitto myself andclose family andfriends foracoupleof years.Ididn’thave anyongoinghealth issuesandhadfull bloods takensix monthsprior to di

SkySports presenter Adam Smith, 37,was shocked by his diabetes diagnosis –but it’s encouraged him to be extra-carefulwhenthereare virusesabout

Nicole Ratcliffe lives with along-term condition –but needs to stay healthyto look afterher daughtersand run abusiness

for somethingcompletelydifferent, which showednothingamiss Thatchangedreally rapidlywithinafewmonthswhen ybecameveryill–I ustedand losing witharagingthirst stantneedtogo

ureact to thenews? challengingtoget round. I’dbeenin eforefor minor eeverythinggets youleave.Notthis as told:“Youhave pe1diabetesand willneedtoinject insulinevery day.”Howoften? “Fivetimes a day.”For how long?” Forthe restofyourlife Ifyoudon’t,you won’tsurvive.”

So it’s even more vital youhave the vaccinations? Yes! Ipersonally don’twanttotake chances,which is whyIwillbegetting Covidandfluvaccisthiswinter.

London-based business development director BayanMohajeri, 26,has multiple sclerosis,which makes him vulnerable to infection –sovaccinesare vitalfor

“During the pandemic I’dbeen isolating along with my mother, who is alsoimmunocompromised. My neurologistput me forward foranew treatment called HSCT –it’saweek of intense chemo in an isolation room.

“Theycollect your stem cells, freeze them, then wipe out your immune system completely and giveyou the stem cells back to create anew immune system in you. It meantmy immune system waspretty much that of anewborn “I then spentamonth in a hospital room.When doctors enteredtheywould be fully masked-up and my room was

disinfected every dayasI wassovulnerable.

“After 100 days Icould start getting revaccinated –all my childhood jabs, thefluvaccine and my first Covid vaccine earlier his year

“That wasa huge milestone –Iwas nowona ourneyback to normal life’.

“I had to have three Covid doses, then Iwas able to move back to London and do things –though I still stayed outdoorsjusttobe safe.I had abooster in August, then another booster about three weeksago.It’svital to do everything Ican to protect myself.The colder it gets,the

him

moreyou’re stuck indoorswith an increasedrisk– especially withimmunitywaning overtime –soitwas critical Igot the latest Covid jab and the flu vaccine.

“It means Ican do regular activities: I’mgoing on awork trip abroad, and if it wasn’t for the newbooster,I’m notsure Iwould have been going.”

‘Vaccinations help me lead anormal life’

£30k grant charityboost Inqueston cyclistopens

Children andfamiliesliving withdisabilitiescanaccessspecialistequipmentthankstoagenerous grantof£30,000.

Themoneyhasbeendonatedby Staffordshire Freemasons to Cannock-basedNewlife,theCharityfor DisabledChildren

Newlifeisthe largestcharity providerofspecialistequipmentfor childrenwithdisabilitiesorterminal illnessacrosstheUK,providingfam ilieswithvitalwheelchairs,beds,car seats,walkingandstandingframes andcommunicationaids

It also provides an emergency equipmentloanservice,aplaytherapypodserviceandanurse-ledhelp lineofferinginformationonsubjects includingbenefitsorcondition-spe cificinformationsupport.

The£30,000willsupportNewlife’s equipment grants service, whichprovidesspecialistkit for childrenandyoungpeoplewhichis oftennotavailableontheNHS

HeadofphilanthropySarahSyl vestersaid:“We’reverygratefulto Staffordshire Freemasons fortheir generousgrant,whichwillallowus to provide specialistequipment to 20childrenandtheirfamilies.”

Freemasons’SelwynBurton said:“I’mverypleasedwe’vebeen abletohelpNewlifewiththeirhugelyimportantwork.”

Road operator backs Christmascampaign

M6toll operatorsMidland Ex pressway Ltdhas lent itssupport toNewlife,theCharityforDisabled Children’sChristmascampaign.

Theinitiativeaimstoprovide thegiftofplaytodisabledchildren across theregion –and MEL has provided£1,500towardsthreeplay therapypods.

Playtherapypodsareapackage ofspecialisttoyswhichNewlifeloan tofamiliesfor12weeks.Therearea rangeofpodstosuitdifferentages anddevelopmentalneeds.

CraigStewart,Newlifeheadof corporatefundraising,said: “The toysinourplaytherapypodscanbe justaslife-changingasthedisability equipmentweprovideforchildren throughgrantsandloans

“Findingtherighttoysforachild torespondtocanleadtodevelop mentalleaps,childrenreachingout forthefirsttime,sayingtheirfirst words andevenplaying with siblingsforthefirsttime,creatingmag icalmemoriesmanyfamiliesnever thoughtwouldhappen

“Weurgentlyneedpeopletodo natetotheplaytherapypodservice sowecanhelpmorechildrenreceive

theseamazingpodsandmorefam iliesknowthatjoythisChristmas. Anydonationsmade,nomatterhow small,willmakeahugedifference tothechildrenandfamilieswhoare helpedbythisservice.”

Jo Brett, M6toll charityco-ordinatorsaid:“Wearesopleasedto besupportingNewlife.Havingpreviouslysupportedtheplaytherapy pods we recognisehow important

theyareinensuringchildrenwith disabilities andterminalillnesses canexperiencethe joy of play for themselves

“Wehopethatoursupportena blesNewlifetodistributemorespecialisttoystochildreninneedthis Christmas.”

Moreinformationabouttheap pealcanbefoundatnewlifecharity co.uk/christmasappeal/

Aninquesthasbeenopenedinto thedeathofa78-year-oldcyclistinvolvedinacrashwithamini-SUV.

Hugh Gerald Canning, of Penk ridge,aretiredcivilengineer,was involvedina crashwitha Suzuki JimnyontheA41Albrightonbypass onNovember20

AhearingatShirehall,inShrewsbury,wastoldMrCanningsuffered seriousinjuries.Policearestillin vestigatingthecircumstances

Thefullinquestwasadjourned toMarch7nextyear

Lorrydriver overthe limit

Alorrydriverwasarrestedafter beingfoundtobemorethanthree timesoverthedrink-drivelimit.

Police officersreportedseeing thearticulated truck“weavingbetweenlanes”ontheM6atJunction 12atGaileylastThursday

TheCentralMotorwayPolice Grouptweetedaphotoofthebreath testreadingstakenattheroadside, showingresultsof126and124microgramsofalcoholper100millilitresofbreath.ThelimitinEnglandis 35micrograms

Stephen Dowling,SheenaHawkins, Nicola Shawand Jo Brett

Raisingissue of mandatoryID

Whitehall, it hasnow been taken down.ThatproudprisonerNorman Stanley Fletcher canagainsleep peacefullyinhisgrave

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IfindmyselfinAdventinsome painandwithveryfeweventsinmy diary.Thisprovesanancientadage: you know you’regetting oldwhen yourbackgoesoutmorethanyoudo nnn

Andwhatfestivefollyputoutmy back?Choppingayulelog?Liftinga massiveChristmastree?Nope.Iwas reachingforatowelinthebathroom. Infourbillionyearsofnaturalselec tion,thereisnogreaterevolutionary cock-upthanthehumanspine.

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Allthebestcomedyserieshave runningjokes,fromthegendarme’s studious“Good Moaning” in ‘Allo ‘Allo!totheTrotterbrothers’endur ingbelief,inOnlyFoolsandHorses, that they’llsoonbemillionaires. Enterapilotforanewsci-ficomedy, WeAreNotAlone(Dave)inwhich thealiensledbyTrater(VickiPep perdine)havetakenovertheEarth. Theirrunningjokeisthatthereal namesofthe aliens,whenspoken inEarth’satmosphere,causesucha

pressuredisruptionthatanyhuman bowelsinthevicinityinstantlyemp ty.Inthebesttraditionsofcomedy, theexploding bowels happen just off-camera.Promising.

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Youmightnotbesurprisedwhen twotraditionally machoorgani sationssuchas theMetropolitan Police or LondonFire Brigadeare condemnedforinstitutionalsexism, misogynyandracism.ButtheBBC? Passthesmellingsalts,darling.

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Threeformeremployeesofthe

Beeb have urged Nazir Afzal,the former chiefcrown prosecutor for theNorthWestwhoisfreshfrom shiningalight into dark places at thefirebrigade,toinvestigatetheir complaintsofdiscriminationwithin BroadcastingHouse.How canthis be?TheBeebisanationaltreasure andournationalrepositoryofpro gressive,enlightened group-think withaheadydashofgenderfluidity, preferredpronounsandLGBTQET CETCawareness.Soletusprepareto faceabrutalfact:ifthemicro-man aged andpainfully,squeaky-clean BBCcanbefoundguiltyofinstitu

tionalised sexism, racism or any otherism, then we cansafelyas sumethateveryothercorporation, company,council,board,orgroupof trusteesanywhereintheUKmust alsobeguiltyofsuchthings.Indeed, dependingonhowlowtheysetthe bar,weareprobablyallguilty.This isterriblenewsforourgreatnation but,asissooftenthecase,marvel lousnewsforthelawyers.

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Forsixlongandverysillyweeks, asignatMoorlandPrisoninYork shiredescribedtheinmatesas“res idents.”After aquiet word from

Herewegoagain.Thearmadaof inflatablesintheChannelhasagain raisedthedebateaboutmandatory ID cards. Theneatest put-down of theideacamefromareaderofone ofthenationalnewspapers.Hesays cardswould be pointless because “nothing wouldhappentopeople whohadn’tgot them.” Nine words sayitall.

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That lioness of theLeft, Polly Toynbee,ragesagainsttheGovern ment’s plan forpeopletoproduce IDbeforebeingallowedtovote.She says it discriminates againstthe poor,theyoungandethnicminor ities.Andinanycase,shesays,it’s unnecessarybecause,whenIDwas demandedduringpilottestsin2018 and2019, “of3,000 people turned away,morethanathirdnevercame back.” To Pollythis isevidenceof honest citizens beingunfairlyre jectedandlosingheart.Butmightit notbethatsomeofthe1,000-plus whoneverreturnedtothepolling stationsafterbeingchallengedhad norighttobethereinthefirstplace? MaybeIDworksafterall.

PollyToynbee –IDdiscriminatory andunnecessary Norman StanleyFletcher

The Best of Peter Rhodes

Wherethe cobbler goes till he can go no longer? (2,3,4)

Co-operate, as Jacobdid for Rachel (4,8)

In the main, known to be useful to 6(3)

She let ham become ruined (6)

Be generallyina hurry so a fight doesn’tget its proper time? (4,5)

One can easily get steamed up in it (5)

He is correspondingly active (6-6)

The fruit of temptation? (5)

Cuts when akernel is produced (6,3)

The speaker has it and dancers take it (5)

24 Perfidy.Down: 1Provide; 2Address; 3Beggar; 5Airscrew; 6Affray; 7Linger;13Depraved;14Afflict; 15Illness;16Gauche; 17 Relief; 19 Extort.

role of Poirot

SATURDAY

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) (Channel 4, 9.15pm)

Thelittlegreycellsofmousta chioedsleuthHerculePoirotarerigorouslytestedinKennethBranagh’s handsomereimaginingofthesnowboundmurdermystery.Slippery gangsterSamuelRatchett(Johnny Depp)offerstopaytheBelgianto ensurehissafety.Thedetectivedeclines,butthenamurdererstrikes

SUNDAY

Casino Royale (2006) (ITV, 8pm)

DanielCraigbowedoutasJames BondinNoTimetoDie,buthere’s achancetoremember his debut. ThesecretagentisonthetrailofLe Chiffre(MadsMikkelsen),aninternational criminal planningtousea high-stakespoker gameas ameans offundingterroristorganisations. EvaGreenis007’s loveinterestVes perLynd

90shitmakers in test of musicknowledge

The Hit List (BBC1, 5.30pm, Saturday)

OnTheHitList,itprobablyhelps tohaveagoodbondwithyourteam mate,butisitpossibletoknoweach otheralittlebittoowell?

We could findout tonight, as MarvinandRochelleHumesintroducea1990sspecial.The contestantsareWestlife’sBrianMcFadden andBoyzone’sKeithDuffy,SClub7’s TinaBarrettandBradleyMcIntosh, and911’sLeeBrennan,pairedwith Sonia–andaccordingtothepresent ersit’sclearthatsomeofthemhave servedinthepoptrenchestogether

Marvinsays:“Youcantellthere wasalotofbanterflyingaboutbe tweenWestlife’sBrian McFadden andBoyzone’sKeithDuffywiththe SClubguysandLeefrom911,obviouslythey’vespentalotoftimeon theroadtogethersoIfeellike,as muchastheyloveseeingeachother again,therewasalotofbanter…”

Rochelle adds:“It seemed very friendly–itwasliketheywereback onthetourbustogetheragain.”

Inbetweenthebantering,they willbeansweringquestiononpop music,whichisthepointoftheshow Themarriedcouplearearguably theperfecthostsfortheshow–after alltheyhavebothabackgroundin pop.Rochellewasingirlgroupthe SaturdaysandMarvinfoundfamein

JLS.Rochellesays:“Itwasjustreally importantforustoworkonashow togetherthatwewerebothequally aspassionateabout,andobviously musiciswhatwe’rebothknownfor andit’ssomethingthatwe’vealways reallybondedover,soitwasjustlike anobrainer,really.”

EastEnders (BBC1)

Walfordresidentspast and presentgathertogethertosaytheir goodbyestoDot–Laurenarrivesin timetoreminiscewithRickybefore theceremony,Colin,MaryandDisa arewaitingatthechurch,andLofty putsinalatebutwelcomeappearance.Elsewhere,Alfie(ShaneRichie) planstoplayKat’sPrinceCharming inthepanto

Coronation Street (ITV)

Martha announcesshe’soff to Hulltoappearinanewplayandasks Kentoaccompanyher–untilshedis coversthetruthabouthisrelationshipwithWendy.Summerisforced to tell Mike andEsther aboutthe baby,whileTyroneplansasurprise wedding.

Emmerdale (ITV)

PaddysurprisesChaswitharomanticbreak,butBellecomesclean to Moiraabout what sheknows Kimchallenges Dawn andGab by to finda nan ny,and Mandyis shocked by the stateofVinny

Editor’s weekend pick

Films for the weekend

Your guide to the soaps

Rochelle and MarvinHumes arethe hosts ofTheHitList 90sspecial

OrientExpress

Shane Richie

Caribbeanislandgem’s deep blue skiesand sapphire seas

Liftingthe venomousspikes, I carefullycutalongthestripedpur pleskinofthelionfish.Whenalive, thesesharp spikes candeliver a stingcausingextremepainandeven paralysis.Socatchingthisdelicacyis noeasyfeat

They’realsonotoriouslydifficult tofind,hidingcamouflagedincoral andimpossibletocatchinnets.But hereontheDutchCaribbeanIsland ofCuraçaothesestrikingseacreaturesareaninvasivespecies,nega tivelyimpactingnativefishcolonies andreefs surroundingthe island since2009 afterbeing introduced intoFlorida’swater.Cullingefforts meanhuntingthesefishisnowlegal –andnecessary.

Local chef,Helmi Smeulders, originally from TheNetherlands, liftsahugewoodenspearintothe air, with asharp metalend anda spring,pullingitbackandsendingit forwardtoshowhowshecatchesli onfishwhilediving.Theysellfor$10

By Lauren Taylor

eachwhole,andfourtimesthatfillet ed,sofordiversabletofindthem,it’s lucrative.Plus,thefishisdelicious pan-friedordeepfriedinbatter,she says

Just37milesfromtheVenezuelancoastline, betweenAruba and Bonaire–makingupwhat’sknown astheABCislands–Curaçao,with itsdiverse cultural history,isthe location of thenew SandalsRoyal Curaçao,whichopenedinJune.

A25-minutedrivefromthecap ital Willemstad,the all-inclusive, couples-onlyresortboastsanopenairentrancelobby,leadingoutontoa viewofthedoubleinfinitypool–the firstinthebrand’s17-strongcollec tionacrosstheCaribbean,pool-side gazebos,palmtreesandocean.

Ahitforhoneymooners,there’sa realairofexclusivity,withoutahint ofpretentiousness.Whileontheho

tel’sbeach,crystalclearshallowwa tergentlylapsthesandandguests read bookson floatingplatoons, leavingonlyperhapstoordera‘dirty banana’cocktail(rum,coffeeliquor, bananaandcream)ortheworldfamousBlueCuraçaoliqueur

Withunlimitedalacartedining, thereareeightrestaurantstoeatat andeightpoolstoswimin,including someguestscanstepstraightinto fromtheirprivateterrace.

Ifyouwantevenmorespace,15 milessouthofCuraçao,istheuninhabitedislandofKleinCuraçao.As we glide into thebrightest of turquoise wateron acatamaran tour with Island Routes (islandroutes. com,$138USD/£114pp)beforediv ingintoswimtothelongstretchof emptysand,it’spostcard-perfect

Turtlespottingiscommonhere andreefsofferdiversplentytosee, butalow,flatislandisapparently difficulttospotfromthebridgeofa ship,andasaresultahuge,rusting

wreckofanshipfromthe1980sand adilapidatedweather-beatenlighthouse standlikeeerie beaconson theotherwiseempty,smallsliceof Caribbeanparadise.

Humanhistoryonthisconstitu entcountrywithintheKingdomof theNetherlandscanbetracedback in picturesque worldheritagesite, Willemstad.HereIfindstrikingcor alstonebuildingsinEuropeanneoclassical styleadornedinvibrant Caribbeancolours.Agovernoronce orderedallhomestobepaintedin bright colours becausethe white buildingsweregivinghim aheadache,our guide Maja AtalitaVer vuurtsays.

It transpiredheowned theisland’s biggestpaint company, but thecolourfulhousesstuckandthese dayswallsofthecitycomewithalot ofbeautifulstreetarttoo.

The17thcenturyoldtowncen trePunda with thepicturesque Handelskade–acolourfulstretchof

waterfrontbuildingsgivingserious Amsterdamvibes–andthe19thcen turyOtrobanda(meaning“theother side”inDutch)areseparatedbythe watersofSaintAnnaBayanditsfa mousfloatingpontoonbridge.Andif you’recrossingwhenaboatneedsto pass,itsimplyswingsopenintothe channel,sopedestriansbetterhold ontight.

MuseumKuraHulanda,located at thecity-centre harbour, docu mentstheisland’sdevastatinghis toryofslavetradingfrom1660sto therevoltof1795famouslyledby nationalheroTula,whoDannyGloverportrayedinthe2013filmbythe samename

Andthatclassicliqueurthatfeaturesinmanyholidaycocktailsand hasmadethisislandfamous? It’s namedafter thedried peel of the bitter orange laraha,acitrusfruit grownhere.ButIprefertothinkit’s areferencetothesapphireseasand deeplyblueskies

Christmas film sets to visit

Newresearchhasrevealedthe iconic Christmasmovie locations wherefanscanactuallygoandvisit PhotographyexpertsatParrot Print.comhavefoundfilmingloca tionsfromclassicChristmas films wherevisitorscanwanderaround andexplore.Hereare some iconic filminglocationstogetinthefestive spirit:

Shere,Surrey–TheHoliday Fans of this Christmasclassic willwanttovisitIris’scottage.Un fortunatelyhercosyhomewasaset builtfor filming.However, visitors canexplorethe chocolate-box villagewhereAmandaspendsthefestiveseason St Luke’s Mews, Notting Hill LoveActually

Fanscanvisittheiconicscene

whereMarkexpresses his loveto Julietonherdoorstepwithaseries of handwrittensigns.The pretty streetisStLuke’sMewsinNotting Hill,London–andthepinkhome number27–hasbecomeatourist hotspot.

671Lincoln Avenue,Winnetka,Illinois–HomeAlone2

ThehomeoftheMcCallistersisa veryimpressivered-brickhomethat attractsfansfromallovertheworld Andtheneighbourhoodisdecorated withlotsoflightsforthefestivesea son.

TheIce Rink at Rockefeller Center,NYC–Elf

Themajorityoffilmingforthis festivefavouritetookplaceinNew YorkCity–andoneofthemostfestive things to do is go skatingon

theicerinkattheRockefellerCen tre,whereBuddyandJoviegoona Christmassydateand sharetheir firstkissontheice 3159 W11thSt, Cleveland, Ohio–AChristmasStory

Amuseumdedicated to this comedyfilmhassomeiconicprops as well as behind-the-scenes photosandagiftshop.Theiconichome of RalphieParkerisopenall year round.

Oakville, Canada –The Santa Clause

TheSantaClausewasfilmedall aroundOakville–Ontario’slargest town.ThehomeofScottCalvinislo catedat17ChisholmStreet.Oakville hostsanannualSantaClausparade, whichexploressomeoftheiconiclocationsfromthefilm.

The 17thcentury town of Pundawithitscolourfulbuildings

The double infinitypool at SandalsRoyal Curaçao

Cooking course– LaurenTaylor

SandalsRoyalCuraçaoresort

Shere, Surrey,setting for The Holiday

Treatyourselftosomething forthe home thisChristmas

LookingforChristmasshopping inspiration?Prettymucheveryone lovessomethingnewforthehome andtheoptionsareendless

Whetherit’sanartisan piece toaddinterest,anexcitingkitchen gadget or glitzy deco you’dnever splashoutonyourselfbutwouldlove toreceive,homegiftscantakeohso manyforms.

Andtohelpyoubeatthecrowds, we’veplucked thebestpresents fromthepile…

1. LowesGreen wine glasses setoffour,£32.50,OliverBonas

Withribbeddetailing,acurved silhouette andfashionable sage greenbase,theseelegantwineglasseswillsitbeautifullyagainstfreshor fauxfoliageforatimelesstablescape.

2. RussellHobbsRHMD714BL 17L700WScandibluedigitalmi crowave,£84.99,Amazon

Microwaves arehavingamoment–usingasoupçonoftheener-

By Sam Wylie-Harris

gyofaconventionaloven–andthis one’sespeciallysought-after.Welove theattractiveScandi-styleforstart ers,plusitfeatureseightautocook menus, fivepowerlevelsand mul ti-stagecooking.

3. Retro television planter, £15,RedCandy

Switch up succulent hourwith thiscuteplanter.

4.AbigailAhernsetof3rattan handledcheeseknives,£35,Free mans

Everycheeseboardcriesoutfor therightknifetosliceintoacorner ofStiltonorripebrie.Presentedin agiftbox,thisrattan-handledsetis tailor-madeforseasonalsettings.

5. Pomegranatepillar candle, £22,TheWhiteCompany

Ifyouscentsurroundwithonly onecandlethisChristmas,theentic

ingexotictopnotesofpomegranate, muskypatchouliandtouchofamber alwaysfeelsrichandfestive.

6. Perfumediffuserwood tray andporcelain flowers, £48, Nata liaWillmott

Whenyouwanttorekindlemem oriesofholidaysinthe sun, these prettypetalsareinspiredbyflowers fromtheMaldives.Simplypopafew dropsofperfumeoressentialoilon thepistilandenjoysomecalming andstylish–aromatherapy.

7. STAR By Julien Macdonald glasspineapple lamp,£60,Freemans

This chic tablelamp, finished withgoldleavesandneutralshade, isabrightchoiceforafastdesigner update

8. M&SCollection cocktail shaker with recipes, £19.50, Marks&Spencer

Rustling up acocktailismade easy with this elegantshakerand

bartenderguideinone.Simplyrotate thebaseforfavouriteclassicrecipes tocheeraspiritedChristmas

9. I’mDreaming Of AWine Christmasreversiblecushion, £45,Neonimo

This soft,velvet-feel cushion is sealedwithaheartzippendant.One forthewineloverinyourlife

10 George grey body vase, £12,Direct.asda

Bodyvases aretrendingbig time…surelythemostseductiveway to displaydried flowers andfresh blooms

11.Trinity greenvelvetround trinketbox small, £17.50;Trinity pinkvelvetjewelleryboxmedium, £29.50,and Trinitybluevelvet jewelleryboxlarge,£32.50,Oliver Bonas

‘Tistheseasonfortrinkets–and theseopulentvelvetboxes will do afinejobofstoringthoseprecious piecesinstyle.

12.Helen MooreArcticleopardfauxfurhotwaterbottle,£49, Luxdeco

Anobjectofdesire,thisfauxfur leopardprinthotwaterbottlewill warmtoesandtinglestylebuds.

13.M&Coplumchenille knit tedthrow,£28.80(was£36), M&Co

This luxurious-lookingthrow hascosywrittenalloverit

14.M&S collection supersoft faux furthrow,from£25-£39.50, Marks&Spencer

This sumptuousthrow in light greyisboundtoplease.

15.Gold matt effect 3piece saucepanset,£75,Dunelm

Pots with panache, give meal timesthe Midastouchwiththis glammygoldtriowhichmarriesflair withfunction.Suitableforallhobs, includinginduction,theyare oven safeto180degrees,andcangointhe dishwasher

Terrariums canadd atouch of festivemagic

Addatouchoffestivemagicto yourhomewithalow-maintenance terrariumthatcan be completely personalisedtosuityourstyle–and willlastlongaftertheotherdecorationshavebeenpackedaway.

“Tokeepcostsdown,openter rariumscaneasilybecreatedwith glasswareyoualreadyhaveinyour home,suchasvasesorfishbowls,” says Claire Bishop,senior house plantbuyerforDobbiesGardenCen tres (dobbies.com). “Closedterrariumsusuallyfeatureacorktopper andcomeinalldifferentshapesand sizes,soyoucanchooseastylethat suitsyourspace.”

Awidevarietyofplantscanbe usedinyourterrarium.

“Ideally you want to use slow-growingplants, so you don’t need to cutthembacktoprevent

overgrowing,”saysBishop.“Succu lentsareperfectforthis.”

Terrariumsaretypicallyhumid environmentssoanyfernswillmake agreataddition,saysBishop.

Whileterrariumsarelow-main tenance, Bishop notestheydorequiresomeattentionwhenplanting tokeepthemhealthyandhappy.

“Ifyou’recreatinganopenterrarium,giveitanoccasionalwateror amistviatheopening,”shesays.“If yourterrariumistoppedwithmoss, keepthemossdamp.Ifyouhavea closedterrarium,youonlyneedto waterthiswhenyoufirstcreateit.”

Bishopaddstomakeitfestive, windsomelightsaroundyourdis play–orputLEDlightsinsidean openterrarium.”Youcanalsostyle pineconesinyourdisplay,orsome minifirtrees,”sheadds

To create an open festiveter rarium,youwillneed:Aterrarium orglasscontainer;terrariumcompostmix;moss;mossbranches;‘tot’ plants;lights;decorativeitems.

Method:

1.Startbyliningyourterrarium orcontainerwithcompostmixand giveitagoodmistwithwater

2.Addyour‘tot’plants,ensuring youmulchwellanddon’tovercrowd thecontainer

3.Addsomemossovertheex posedsoil,andgivethisamistwith water.

4. Decorate with smallpine cones, Christmastreetrimmings andanyotherfestiveaccessories.

5. Addsomewired LEDlights andplaceyourterrariuminaspot outofdirect sunlight to ensure it doesn’tdryout.

Russell Hobbs RHMD714BL17L700WScandiblue digital microwaveI’m DreamingOfA Wine Christmas reversiblecushion,Neonimo

Pomegranate pillarcandle

Trinity velvet trinket boxes

Dobbies’ senior houseplantexpertClaireBishop

Howthe first 1,000 days have an impact on your baby

Hassocialmedia helped make self-improvement atoxic trend?

IMYBRIGHTY-POTTS PressAssociation

TikTok is full of tips

us find new ways to be more produc tive,peaceful, efficient,

and

It’s longbeenknown that childhood sets alarge part of the blueprintfor therestofour lives. Butnew research suggests somethingevenmorespecific than that –events during our first1,000 days,fromconcep tion to agetwo,makeuswho we are.

Thenew book,WhatMakes aPerson: SecretsofOur First 1,000 Days,outlinessomesur prisingdiscoveriesthatshow what happensinthe period af terconceptionand birth, and explains howwecontrolour bodies throughprocesses that go waybeyondjustthe geneswe inherit.

So what arethe secretsof thoseveryearly days of life? Co-authors ProfessorMark Hansonand ProfessorLucy Greenshare afew of them

1. Foetuses ‘breathe’inthe womb –Hansonsaysthe latest informationsuggests foetuses make rapid,shallow breathing movements –althoughobvious ly they’renot taking anyair into theirlungs as they’resur roundedbyamniotic fluid.

2. Foetuses sleepand may dream –Green says research hasshown thefoetusgoes throughstatesofsleep,justas we do afterbirth, includinga statesimilar to dreaming

3. Early development in fluences risk of non-com municable diseases –The authorspoint outthatalmost three-quarters of deaths world wide arecausedbynon-commu nicablediseases (NCDs) such as heartdisease, stroke and cancer.Dutch studiesofchil dren born to women whowere near-starvationduringtheir Second WorldWar pregnancies have foundthatthose children whowerefamishedinearly ges tation hadasubstantially high er risk of many NCDs

4. Nutrient balanceeffects howgenes work –Hansonsays thebalance of nutrients, such as proteintocarbohydrate, af fectshow inheritedDNA works by epigenetic processes(small marksonthe DNA)which influ ence how theembryodevelops.

5. Thedigital worldaf fects youngchildren’s brain development –New research foundthatyoung children who spendseveral hoursa dayon screen-basedactivitiessuchas acomputerorTV show altered executivefunctions

time we switch on theapp. Self-helphashtags aregrowing in popularity #WorkOnYourself has119.5 million views, #GetYour LifeTogetherhas over 40 million and#SelfLoveLifestyle hasnearly threemillion.Itseems like every oneisscrolling forself-improve ment,and it’s made so much easier with seemingly countlessvideos at your fingertips –but thepressureto be better allthe time canget over whelming

Surely we can’tall be bettering ourselves allthe time?And at what pointdoesour desire to be better actually become aburden?

SOCIAL MEDIACAN MAKE US FEEL INFERIOR

When it comestoself-help,“Most of us want aquick fix–somebodyto tell us what to do andmakethings better”, suggests Gillian McMi chael, author andfounder of Full CircleGlobal(fullcircleglobal.com)

“Weare in an ageofsocialmedia overload –wecompare andcon trastourselves to others andwe want what they have.Never has therebeenatimelikenow,where keepingupwiththe Joneses hasa wholenew meaning. Socialmedia platformsshowcase how we canget ourgoals, change ourlivesand bet terourselves.But because it is in a short30-second clip,wedon’t know how to applythistoour ownlives.”

Andthisconstantbombardment of self-improvementcontent canbecome exhausting

“Withsocialfeedoverload, it is difficult to decide what toptips or ideasweshouldtakeonand do somethingwith, as thenextday therewillbethousands more reels

telling us to do somethingdifferent –it’sconfusing andunsustainable,” says McMichael. “Quick fixesnever workinany aspect of yourlife, espe ciallyyourwellbeing –Ithink this approach adds pressure andcan give false expectations.”

WE ONLY SEETHE BEST BITS

MaxHoveyisaninfluencer who focuses on empowering theLGBTQ+ communityand promoting body positivity andself-compassion

“The idea of beingyourperfect self hasalwaysbeenapressure from socialmedia,” he says,adding that ourobsession with self-improvementisthe “natural evolu tion”ofthis.

“Everyone hastheir ownstrug gle, andthe pressureconstantly to be ‘getting yourlifetogether’ is

incredibly toxic,”hesuggests.“The idea of ‘havingittogether’ doesn’t exist. I find it unlikelythatthe people creating thiscontent have it together anddon’t have otherstuff goingoninthe background

“Weare showingall thegreat things in life andnot showingany thingelsethatisgoing on,making otherpeoplefeelbad aboutthemselves.”

THEBUSINESS OF BEING PERFECT

Notall self-helponsocialmedia is toxic, with McMichaelsaying: “I thinkthere areahandfulofskilled professionalssharing theirtipsand techniqueswithawider audience Butthere arealot of people jump ingonthe bandwagon because well ness,self-improvementand trans formingyourlifeisinvogue now

morethanever.” In recent years, “The awarenessofmentalhealth hassignificantly grownand every onewants to better themselves,” McMichaelsays. “Hence, we are more informed,meaning these top icsare nowmorerelatable.”

However,McMichael recom mendsbettering yourself forthe rightreasons –and in asustainable way. “The realityissimple, you’d be much happierifyou invested in self-improvementand self-carebecauseyou wanted to find balance rather than theperfectionthatis presented

“Ifyou arelooking to change yourlife, then find aqualified coach to supportyou –ratherthansome body on TikTokwho is not qualified or experiencedenoughtogiveyou advice on whatyou should do.”

Change in routinecan help beat themorning blues

Waking up during thedarkerwin termorningscan become quitea challenge, as thelimited amount of sunshine cansignificantly impact thecircadian rhythm

Adapting thebedtime routine by having thelightsset to turn on automaticallytoaddingmoreVi taminB-12intothe diet canhelp people wake up feelingenergised forthe day. NicShacklock,from Online-Bedrooms.co.uk, shares eightusefultipstouse in yourbed time routinethiswinter:

n Make themostofthe day light– Walksthroughoutthe pre viousday canhelpnot only get enough VitaminD,but it will help keep youramountofcontact with

daylightatahealthy rate before theearly winter nightkicks in n Turn lights on automatically –Setting thelightstoturn on at thetimeyou want to wake up,can make you feel morealert and readytoget outofbed n Hottea in themorning Selectingthe righttea to drink is crucialtofeeling more relaxed andawake in theearly hours. Try greentea or peppermint tea n Vitamin B-12 –Increasing theamountofVitamin B-12 in yourdietcan tremendously help to improve your energy levels and overallmood.Thiscan be done ei ther throughhealthy supplements or throughfoodssuchasapples,

oranges anddairy products

n Change your wake-up sound –Testingout different soundsfromrainfalltoocean wavescan help preventwakingup feelingsluggishbut rathermore peaceful andrelaxed

n Plan thenextday –Having theday plannedout canhelpyou feel motivatedwhenyou wake in thedarkermornings.

n Placealarmsaroundthe room –Place anotheralarm at the othersideofthe room so you have to getout of bedtoturnitoff

n Increase theroomtempat wake up time –Ifthe temperature is chillyitcan make you want to cosy up andstayinbed

forself-improvement, helping

self-compassionate

well-roundedevery

Theconstant bombardmentofself-improvement contentonsocial mediaplatforms canbecome exhausting

Adaptyour bedtime routine

The first1,000 days arecrucial

Budgeting advice to make surenothing is wasted

From budgetingshockstocostof-livingchaos,we’re allkeento save afew quid at themoment,and TikTokissteppingintohelppeo pledojustthat.

Food pricesare through the roof, making it harder to feed our familiesand keepthe cupboards stocked.

Food anddrink inflationsurged to thehighestonrecordagain last month, with Britonswitnessing mammothincreases on everyday items. Prices of food andnon-alco holicdrinks rocketed 16.2%inOc tober. So,manyofusare taking to TikTokto find greatwaystosave, andluckily thereare plentyofbril

liantcreatorstryingtohelp. Gina Zakariahas become ahugename on MoneyTok (the money-saving communitywithinTikTok) and shehelpfullyshowsher audience some incredible food-related hacks.

Oneofher best tips is aboutpro cessingyourown food.Withthings likecheesegoing up in cost,buying it pre-prepared is just notfeasible.

So,Gina suggestsgrating and slicingcheese,and then freezing it forfutureuse.Fewer additives, less money, less waste. Yousee some thingonoffer in thesupermarket, it goesoff tomorrow,but is so well priced.Whatdoyou do?Well, The Gleason Co have theanswertothis

dilemma. They advise taking say, chickendrumsticks, laying them outona covered tray, part freez ingthem(foranhour),thentaking them out, baggingthemupand freezing them fully. Because they arepar-frozen, they won’tall stick together,makingiteasiertotake outexactly what you need Ever opened thefridge andfound somethingyou totallyforgotwas in there? Creating ahandy inventory that you canbuild shopping lists with will save on wasteand cash That way, you canmealplanand look forrecipes basedonwhatyou alreadyhave, not what you will spend.

Thinkcarefully before cutting back on your pensionsavings

VICKYSHAW PressAssociation

Rising billsmeanpeople

are findingitstressful to plan forthe future.

Paying forthe ‘hereand now’ as living costsrise canmakeplanning forlater lifeseemevenmorediffi cult

Around threein five people say they feel stressed when thinking about retirement planning,and seven in 10 areconcerned theirre tirement fundswon’t be enough,ac cordingtonew research from Aviva.

With billsonthe rise,LucyCart er,49, says shecan’t afford to puta lotintoher laterlifesavings right now.

“I can’tput alot into apension pot, as Ineedmostofmywageto live on,” says Carter,who livesin York andhas twoteenage children

“I understandthatpayingmore into yourpension each month is the best idea,but howcan you do this when Ineedmywagetoactually live on?

“I wouldliketostart saving,but thecost-of-livingatthe moment meansIcan’t.”

RosDonaldson,fromEdinburgh, whohas an adultson,isalsocon cerned abouther longer-term fi nances

The55-year-old says:“Ihaven’t checkedmypension recently,so Idon’t know how much Ialready have saved, or how much I’ll have in my pensionpot when Icome to retire.Ishouldprobablycheck

“One thingI do know is that I’ll need to save more over thenextfew yearsifIwanttohavethe lifestyle I desire in retirement

“It’sthat, or I’mgoing to have to worklongerbeforeI canput my feet up.”

Meanwhile, 27-year-oldElleMac kenzie from London,says: “I cur rently have no pensionplan– so I’m worried that Iwillnever startand then nothaveanythingwhenI need it.”

Mackenzie, whosaves into aLife

time Isa(whichcan be used to help buya firsthome or forretirement), says:“I’maprobablystill 40 years offretiringsoI’m nottoo concerned at themoment –Iguess it’s some thingyou always thinkisyears away andyou canstart tomorrow, butifIkeepgoing at this rate,I’m not goingtohavemuchsaved at all.”

Alistair McQueen, head of sav ings andretirementatAviva,says: “Withinflationata41-year high, it is understandable that many are working hard to make ends meet

“Cutting back on ‘non-essentials’ is wherewetypically turn to make savings. Butweshouldthink care

fullybeforeputting ourpension on this list.” Giving some generaltips, he suggests getting afreestate pen sion forecast from Department for Work andPensionsasastarting point(gov.uk/check-state-pension).

Pensionproviders also have free online retirement planners,which couldhelpwithunderstanding the impact that anychanges made now couldhaveonlong-term finances

People couldalsoconsiderdial ling up or down theamounts saved into pensions each month –soif you’re findingsavingtough right now, you couldtemporarily reduce yourcontributions –ratherthan stopping completely.

McQueenemphasises it’s impor tant to remember to increase your pensioncontributions as yoursitu ationimproves.

Younger adults may find that even if they only save smallamounts ini tially,the interest earned will grow significantly overtime.

Forpeopleinmidlife, McQueen suggests possiblyconsidering con solidating pensions in oneplace Over-50s canbookfreeguid ance sessions with theGovern ment-backed PensionWise service (available viamoneyhelper.org.uk).

Some people mayalso benefitin thelongertermbypayingfor finan cialadvice.

Alwaysbeon your guardfor scams andlook outfor red flags

With hisdistinguishedmilitary background,Jason “Foxy” Foxisn’t someone you’d ordinarily expect to make an errorofjudgmentwhile underpressure.

But, showingjusthow easy it can be foranyonetobecaughtout by scams, Fox– whohas foundhimself in many high-pressuresituations during hiscareer–admits he was once caught outbyabogus text whilehewas busy

TheSAS:Who DaresWinsstar hasnow teamedup with online bank Marcus by GoldmanSachs, sharingtop tips to help people com batfraudsters.

“I liketothink I’mpretty switched on –but fraudisevery wherenow andanyonecan get

caught out,”explainsFox,46. “Once, Ifellvictimtoatextscam becauseIwas busy at workand got distracted.”

ThetextFox received waspur portingtobefromatrusted deliv eryservice,askingfor asmall pay ment

He says that,with“amillion oth er things”onhis mind,hepaidit immediately–and it wasn’t until laterwhenhe took astepbackfrom thesituation that he realisedwhat he haddone.

“Now,everytimeI geta text, phone call,orhavetoshare my card details, ImakesureIstop everything else I’mdoing,” says Fox.

“I give it my full attentionand really thinkabout what I’mbeing askedtodo.”

Giving histipstohelpothersstay safe,hesays: “I’d remind people to puttheir guardupiftheyever feel they’reput underpressure.

“Someone mightphone andag gressively tell you to make an im mediatetransfer, or you mightget an emailtelling you you’ll miss a deal if you don’t actnow

“Pressureisatechnique used in the field–and by fraudsters,”he adds.“Take an extra 30 seconds to startthinkingrationally: whyis this person applying this pressure?

“Mostofthe time,it’sa red flag, andyou need to find away to escape thesituation.”

He add: “Ifyou sense danger or areunsureofsomething,recruit thesupport of your friendsorfam ily.

“Ask if it feelsrighttothem. The best operations always come from working as ateam.”

Pension providershave free onlineretirement planners

Interest will growonfundsovertime

Notthe time cut pension budgets

JasonFox of SAS: WhoDaresWins

Howtoprolong theshelf life of thefresh food in your fridge

Nine ideasfor attracting more wildlife into your backgarden

HEATHER LARGE heather.large@mnamedia.co.uk

Theexperts at GardeningEx press.co.ukhaveput together ad vice forgardenerswantingtocreate refuge forfeathered friends,bugs andother wildlife as thetempera ture drops.

Areyourvegetablesgoing offafterjustafew days?

Throwing away freshfood be fore you’vehad achancetoeat it?

TheaverageUKhousehold throws away £800 worth of food each year,thatequates to roughly £66 amonth

Interested in reducing food waste, theteamatMoneyboat co.ukhavecompiledtheir top food hackstomakeyourweekly shop go that littlebit further andprolong theshelf lifeofyour freshfood

n Dependingonthe type of milk you use, once opened it can last anywhere from four to ten days if keptin thefridge However you canstretchthat timeframeabit furtherbyadd ingapinch of salt to thecarton immediately afteropening,this is as salt is apreservative and so deters bacteria from grow ing. Butdo make sure to give thecartonagoodshake and placeitintothe fridge as soon as possible

n It is also best to avoid stor ingyourmilk in thefridge door Thedoorisin fact thewarmestpart of thefridgeasitis furthest away from thecooling system.Soinsteadkeepyour milk at thebackofthe middle or higher shelvesfor maximum cool to lengthen theshelf life.

n Ditchthe plasticpackaging andinsteadwraphardcheesein parchment or baking paper, this allows thecheesetobreathe to avoiddryingout butalsopre vents anyextra moistureand thereforemould from growing. Hard cheesecan usuallylastanywhere up to four weekswhen stored correctlyinthe fridge n Agreat waytodisinfect all of your fruits andveggies is to give them avinegar bath.The vinegarsolutionshouldbea1:3 ratioofvinegar to water in either abowloryourclean sink

Emptyyourproduceintothe solution andlet sitfor 15 minutes.Oncedoneyou canrinse andthoroughly dryyourpro duce

Thevinegar solution disinfects, cleans andremovesany bacteria from theproduce that mightbreak down thefood quicker. Thesolutionshouldnot be strong enough that you can tasteitonthe produceafter wardsand enablesyourveggies to last forup to twoweeks

They suggest holdingbackon some gardeningjobs, likecutting hedges, clearing ivyand removing dryplant stemsasall canprovide refuge or food forwildlife. Other recommendationsinclude leaving outfood, providingashallow dish of water andmakingabug hotel.

Shelter

ChrisBonnett,fromGarde ningExpress.co.uk, said:“Thecolder months canbetough forthe in sects, birdsand wildlifevisitingour gardens, butthere’s lots we cando to make it easier forthem.

“Simplethingslikenot cutting hedges, andpiling leavesintoa cornercreatenatural habitatswhich will provide shelterand warmth. Remember to leave outfood andwater. Food canbesparse during the colder months so anything us gardenerscan do to help is certainly worth doing.”

Here areGardeningExpress. co.uk’stipsfor attractingwildlife into yourgarden:

AVOIDCUTTING HEDGES

If yourgarden hedge needsa trim,leave it untilthe endofwinter Hedges area good habitat fornestingwildlifeand theberries canbe eatenbybirds andother animals.

LEAVEIVY GROWING

If you have ivygrowing along wallsorfences, leaveitthere un tilSpring. Theberries areagreat source of food anditcan create an evergreencoverfor insectsinyour

garden when everything else is dy ingoff

DRYPLANT STEMS

Leavethese standing in thegar denratherthanpulling up and throwing away.

Insectswill crawlintothese duringthe cold weather. When you do cutthemdown, leaveawhile forany nappinginsectstocrawl out.

LEAVEOUT FOOD

Food isn’tasplentiful forwildlifeduringautumn andwinter. Leaveout fat blocks forthe birds Tryleaving outbacon rind,cheese, grainmix andnuts.

MAKEA BUGHOTEL

Abug hotelinasheltered spot is theperfect winter habitat forinsectslikeladybirds.Start by piling up some logsthen fill in thegapsus ingsomedeadwood, this will make it allcosyinside.

Youcan then fill therestofthe bughotel with materialslikestraw, hay, bark andleaves.

PROVIDE WATER

Ashallow dish of water should be left at ground level forwildlife needingadrink.Thisisparticularly importantwhenit’sverycoldand icy–normaldrinkingspots may freeze over

CLEANOUT THE POND

Do clearany debris from your garden pond earlyonand leave a smallball floating on thesurface If it does freeze over,thiswillallow theair to circulate.

CLEARING LEAVES

If you’reclearingleavesfromthe lawn or path, move them to acor nerofthe garden or underhedges so wildlife cancrawl into them for shelter.

PUTUPA BIRDBOX

Thinkabout putting abirdbox up.Onthe really cold nights, it may getafew featheredvisitors.

Nowisnot thetimetoneglectyourgardenplants

When putting thegarden to bedfor winter,there’s plenty to do to avoid harshweather conditions taking atollonyourpreciousplantsand lawn

Preparingthe garden forthe cold months is crucialbecause it will ensurethatthe plants will come outofhibernation beautifully in spring when it’s time to enjoy theoutdoor spaces again.

Themainpre-winter mainte nancejobsinclude protecting the vulnerable plants, clearing leaves andimproving the soil

ChrisBonnett,the founder of GardeningExpress said:“With winter on itsway,now is thelast chance to prepareyourgarden for theupcomingseasonalchanges

Although youmay be tempted to retreat indoorsand letthe garden runits course during the colder months, nowisnot thetimetoneglectyourplot.”

Putthe pesky dead leaves to good usebycollectingthemfrom thelawnand turningtheminto leafmouldwhich makesanexcel lent compost. If youwanttospeed up thecompostingprocessthen make suretoshred theleavesbefore adding themtobin bags or a compostpile.

Theshreddedleavescan be used to mulchsoilbyaddingthemto flower beds andspreading them around trees andshrubsabout 2 to 3inchesthick.Mulchingwill help controlwinter weeds, shield

rootsfromthe cold,and keepsoil from beingwashedawaybyharsh weatherconditions.

Aeratingwill enhancethe soil by improvingair circulationand allowing nutrients andwater to ac cess grassroots.Thiscan be done by usinga lawn aeratororagar den fork to puncture thelawnwith smallholes.

Protecttenderplantsfromwin terdamagebyrelocatingtheminside or into agreenhouse.

If that’s not possible then try placingthemagainst walls, fences or otherplants.

Alternatively, youcan useahor ticultural fleece or newspapers to temporarilycover plants when frosts areexpected

Thereare many ways to encouragewildlifeinto ourgardens during the colder months.

Putting up abird boxorbuilding abug hotelisone waytoattract wildlife into your gardenoverthe winter

Bake OffstarVal sharesher food budgeting tips

Householdbillsare aworry for everyone,but thereare stepsthat canbetaken to cutcosts on your food shopping whilestill making themeals you love

From discoveringdiscountsto prioritisingpurchases,former GreatBritishBakeOff contestant ValStoneshas shared hertop tips

n Is it aluxury or an essential? –Whentempted by apricey purchase, wait afew days before buying.You mayrealise theitem wassomethingyou wanted rather than needed –and you candevelop aplantosavefor it

n Skilluponcooking from scratch –Cookfromscratch (even

better with homegrownproduce) to save money; if you buyready meals, themaincostisn’t theingredients, it’s thepreparation that’s gone into making it.Planning mealsfor theweekahead can cutdowncosts as well as waste.

n Become ayellowlabel connoisseur –Bepreparedtoswitch tosupermarket home brands.I’m a lover of yellow discount labels,soI checkthe sell-bydates andwheth er they canbefrozen.

n Looksaren’teverything –Buying“wonky” vegetables doesn’taffecttaste,and they are oftensoldloose soyou aresaving on packaging.

n Be smartwithingredient choices –Pasta andricedishes areincredibly fillingand make use of low-costingredients– thereare lots of money-saving recipesavail able online andinmagazines

n Your freezerisyourbest friend –Iwill batchcookmeals that will serveenoughportionsfor multiple days,freezingthe lefto verstoheatuplater

n Turn to theinternetfor coupons –Learningtonavigate money-saving websites couldlead to huge discountsatthe supermar ket checkout –signing up to email newsletters oftenresults in discounts beingoffered too.

Cost of living crisis putting pressure on petloverstoo

VICKYSHAW PressAssociation

Pets areanimportant andmuch-lovedpartof thefamily– butfor some owners,the cost of their animal,ontop of other bills, is causingrealcon cern.

Research fordog welfarecharity

Dogs Trustfound more than four fifths (84%)ofdog owners have seen arise in costsrelated to theirpet Sadly, thecharity says itsrehom ingcentreshavebeenseeinga rise in dogs arriving with untreated health conditions.Itbelievesthis is duetosome owners simply being unable to afford treatment

“Weknowdog owners arefacing adifficult time,and eightin10dog owners have seen an increase in theamountitcosts to care fortheir canine companions,”saysPaula Boyden, veterinary director at Dogs Trust

“Manyare lookingat ways they canreducethe amount they are spending on theirdogs, butat Dogs Trust, we areworried that some of thechoices beingmadebyowners couldbedetrimental to thehealth of theirdog,and actually endup costingownersmoreinthe long term.”

Worryingly,one in 10 (10%)dog owners surveyed by thecharity haddelayedseeking treatment fornon-routine procedures dueto costs. Asimilar number (9%) had delayedormissed routineappoint ments. Thecharity emphasises it is notlayingthe blameatthe door of vets, whoare themselves impacted by rising costs.

Boyden says:“Whileskipping yourdog’s annual vaccinationsmay save you some moneyinthe shortterm,you couldbeputting yourdog at risk of seriousillness andeven death.

“Delayingboostersmay also re sult in theneedtorestart yourdog’s vaccinations, whichwill cost more.

“Wealsorecommend that you

keep up with your dog’s flea and worming treatments. Fleasmight seem aminor issuetodealwith, but abad infestationcan causeyourdog intense irritation.”

Delaying worming treatments is also arisk. Some types of worms areapublichealthriskand canbe passed on to humans,saysBoyden

As forfood costs, around in five (22%)dog owners surveyed by Dogs Trusthaveswitchedtheir usualdog food to acheaper version.

Forthose consideringdoing this, Boyden says it’s importanttocheck whetherthe food is “complete”and designed to be used by itself,or “complementary”,which needs to be served with otherfoodstodeliver alloftheir nutritional needs.

“It’salso reallyimportant to checkthe food is suitable foryour breedofdog andthe stageoflife yourdog is at,” sheadds.

“We’dreallyrecommend that dog owners speaktotheir veterinary surgeryfor advice before changing their dog’sfood to ensure it’s right fortheir pet, andtogradually in troduceany newbrand of food, as achangeindietcan cause stomach upsets.”

Senior vetDaveTweedle,who works forthe My FamilyVetsnet workofclinics, says estimatessug gest it cancostasmuchas£30,000 to keepa dogovertheir lifetime, and£24,000 foracat

He says asignificant proportion of dogs andcatsare actually overweight, whichcan lead to costly health conditions, such as arthritis, breathingproblems, heartdisease anddiabetes.

Keepingup-to-datewithparasite prevention,vaccinations, andget ting regular health checks canbe covered as part of monthlyhealth-

care plans, whichmanyvetsoffer, andmay provide valuefor money, he says

Meanwhile, theRSPCA’swebsite cautions that exotic petscan be particularly expensive. Thecharity warnsthatturning down temperaturesorlight sourcesfor exotic pets mayleadtoserious health problems forthem–and potentiallyhighvets’ bills.

It suggests that, forthose strugglingwithcosts, multiple reptiles couldbemovedtothe same room to shareheatsources –but make sure thatanimals do notoverheat

Petinsurance is also amajor considerationfor owners.The Dogs Trustfound 41%ofdog owners claimedthe cost of theirpet insurance hadincreased

Thecharity suggestsshopping around forcoverand always read ingpolicydocuments –asthere will be differencesinthe levellevel of cover,what’scovered andfor how long JonathanPurvis, at theABI, says:“TheUKpet insurancemar ket remainscompetitive despitethe underlying pressures insurers face, with therisingcostfor veterinary treatment,medicines andlabour

“Whenitcomestoour pets, thereis no NHSfor animalsand anyemergency treatment canbe eye-wateringlyexpensive,” he adds “Ifyou areconcerned aboutthe cost of your cover, speaktoyourinsur er to seeifthere areany optionsto manage this.You mayalso benefit from shopping around,but be sure to always chooseapolicythatbest suitsyourneeds.”

Graeme Trudgill,fromthe Brit ishInsurance Brokers’ Association (Biba),sayswithanew policy,it’s importanttocheck whetheritwill cover pre-existing or recurringcon ditions. “Accidentonly” policies will only cover treatment foraccidental injury

Trudgill adds:“Some cover is always better than none –and re member most petinsurancealsoincludes liability that cancoveryou if your petaccidentallyinjures some one throughnofault of yours.”

Howtoorganise your December social calendar andstayrelaxed

With thefestive season almost upon us,how canwestopourselves from burningout,but stillhavefriends left after? writes ImyBrighty-Potts December canbea blur of glitter, booze, familycatch-ups, partiesand secret Santas,which soundsgreat on paperbut in realityoftenends up beingextremely stressful.

But, saying no to invitations–particularly with theaddedpressure to make up forlosttimeafter lockdown –can come with abar rel-load of guilt. Youdon’t want to upsetanyone, butyou definitely can’tsay yestoeverything either

So,how canyou getthe best of both worldswithyoursocialcalendarinDecember?

n Theremay be alot ofpressure to seeeveryoneand join in with everything,but remember that you gettodecide what you sayyes to andhonouring yourlimitsis certainly nota badthing

As clinical psychologist Dr Mari anne Trent(goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk)says: “Itis ok if you have time offoverthe holidaystochoose rest andrecharge, insteadofadditional stressorsthatmay include socialobligations with friendsand familythatcan come with compli cationsaswellasjoy.Itisoktoset boundaries andprioritiseyourself.” n Gettingorganised couldhelp remove some of theoverwhelm Lizzie Grant, professional organiserand founderofDeclutter on Demand (declutterondemand.com), suggests:“Make alistofsocial events and‘must do by’deadlines you have coming up in December Forexample,booking theatre tick ets, restaurants andtravel.

“Thenadd theseevents to your digitalcalendar, with alerts with thecorrect date andtime. Include addresses forevents, so you’renot scrambling around trying to find thoselast-minute. Sync yourdigital calendar electronicallywithrelevant friendsand family,orprint out aphysicalcopyaswelland putitin thehallway or on thefridge where everyone in yourhousehold will see it.”

n It maysound over thetop, but feelingcalmand organisedmeans knowingwhere yourtimeisbeing spent. Time-blockingisagreat way to approach this –basically assign ingaset blockoftimeto each thing you need to do.“Putchunksof time in forsocialengagements and tasks, with astart and finish time, includinghow longitwill take you to getthere,” says Grant. “Thisenablesyou to seeexactly how much time you have availabletocommit to things otherthanthe festive pe riod.Remember,it’salwaysbetter to over-estimatethanunder-estimate how longthingswill take.”

Planning to only be at aparty foracoupleofhours before heading to somethingelse? Allowanextra hour at whichever one you would prefer to be at

n Stop committing to 1,000 things –and leavingnotimeorenergyfor thethingsyou trulylove alongthe way. “Identify what you most enjoydoing andwho you most enjoyseeingat this time of year,to make it special foryou,” says Grant.

Tackling petcarecosts canput pressure on struggling families

Bake Off’sVal Stones

THECOUNCILISTOCONSIDERTHE FOLLOWINGPLANNINGPROPOSALS

CaseO

Location:YouthandCommunityCentre, BurnthillLane,Rugeley,WS152HX

CH/22/0338 -Proposed

FROMTHEDEVELOPMENTPLAN

CaseO

Location:ManagersAccommodation,RedLionInn,19MarketStreet,Rugeley,WS152JH

CH/22/0384-ExternalMetalFireEscapeStairstorearyardarea

CH/22/0385

Details

FIAT QUBO MPV

2011, 27,343 miles, blue, power steering, central locking, long service history, full service history, air bag, MOT, air conditioning, E/W, stereo, one owner, alarm, 5doors very clean inside, sliding door both sides, full v5, drives like new, lovely to drive, no faults £4,500 ono 07914 749663.

Howweuseyourinformation:

ention of theeditor-in-chief, MartinWrightbyDecember 19, to:hr@claverleygroup.co.uk

VW GOLF TDI PLUS S

5-dr hatchback, 55 reg., black with matching interior, very good condition, very economical, MOT. £1,795 ono 07836 204450. deolsuk@hotmail.co.uk

Notice is hereby given that the Staffordshire County Council will makeanOrder on the 6th December 2022 the effect of which will be to prohibit any vehicle from proceeding in those roads in the District of Lichfield that comprise the route of the Lichfield Christmas Food Festival as summarised below.Any vehiclebeing used in connection with the event will be exempt from the restrictions contained in the Order vehicles wishing to enter the area affected by the road closure are guided by our stewards managing the road closures points around to alternative parking sites/roads around the city.During the road closure all emergency vehicles will be allowed access. In addition to this any residents on Dam St will be allowed entry/exit to/from the city by use of aphone call to the control office and then cars will be escorted off site by stewards/security teams.

The restrictions are necessary to maintain the safety of all participants and road users.

No alternative routes are advised for affected traffic as the restrictions will only be effective for so long as is necessary for the participants to pass.

The Order will not at any time prevent access of pedestrians to premises situated on or adjacent to any road to which the order relates or to any premises only accessible to pedestrians from such aroad.

Roads in Lichfield covered by this Order: Dam St, Conduit St, Tamworth St, Bakers Ln, Bore St, Breadmarket St, Market St, Sandford St and Bird St.

IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE ROADS WILL BE CLOSED FROM 06:00HOURS

THE ROAD WILL RE-OPEN ONCE THE EVENT HAS CONCLUDED WHICH IS ANTICIPATED TO BE BY 18:30HOURS

TheOrder willcome into operation on the10th December2022 and willremain in force until theevent has concluded.Itisanticipated the event will conclude on 11th December 2022.

Amap showing all of the roads involved may be inspected during normal working hours at the office of the Director of Economy,Infrastructure and Skills, Highway Network Management, Third Floor,No. 1Staffordshire Place, Tipping Street, Stafford. ST16 2LP

Dated: 8th December 2022

John Tradewell, Director of Corporate Services, No. 2Staffordshire Place, Tipping Street, Stafford ST16 2DH

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT

CLASSIC CAR Iamaretired enthusiast looking for aclassic car, running or not, Triumph, Ford, Jaguar, Mercedes SL, Porsche, TR6, Stag, MG etc or anything interesting considered. Condition not important. Please Telephone Ron 07733 784015.

THECOUNCILISTOCONSIDERTHE FOLLOWINGPLANNINGPROPOSALS

CaseOfficer-AudreyLewis

Location:YouthandCommunityCentre, BurnthillLane,Rugeley,WS152HX

CH/22/0338 -Proposed

FROMTHEDEVELOPMENTPLAN

CaseOfficer-KayleighWilliams

Location:ManagersAccommodation,RedLionInn,19MarketStreet,Rugeley,WS152JH

FirstDrive: Peugeot408

TEDWELFORD PressAssociation

Againstthe vast swathes of SUVs,manufacturers areincreasinglyhavingto thinkoutside thebox when it comestodesigns –which equatestoincreasingly bolder optionsfor custom ers. Thelatestexample of this comesfromPeugeot, with itsnew 408.

Designed to sitbetween theconven tional 308 hatchbackand 508saloonin theline–up,Peugeot’scalling it a‘fast back’and is targetingbuyerslooking to escapeanSUV,yet want something more exciting thanatraditional hatch back

The408 is anew addition to Peuge ot’s rangeand arriveswithastriking newlook. Afew highlights areits fan tastic colour-coded,frameless grille alongwiththe popularSUV cladding foramoreruggedappearance.

Electrification is core to the408 too,withhybridversionspredicted to accountfor thebulk of sales, while there’sthe newversion of Peugeot’s i-Cockpitsystem, bringing thelatest in-car technology.

Thereare threepowertrainswith the408 –a128bhp 1.2-litre turbo charged petrolenginethatservesas theonlynon-electrified version,and a choice of twoplug-inhybrids

Both these hybridsuse a1.6-litre turbocharged petrolengine, andare paired to thesameelectricmotor anda 12.4kWhbattery

Peugeotclaimsupto40miles of electric rangeispossible, with Peu geotsayingmorethan200mpgand CO2emissions of 26g/km.Itwill take threehours and25minutes to charge the408,thoughyou canreducethisto an hour and40minutes with afaster 7.4kWonboard charger

Peugeotwon’t admitit, butthe 408 is essentiallyasibling modeltothe Citroen C5 X– amodel with apar ticularfocus on comfortwithits soft er suspension. Buthere, Peugeothas managedtolivenupthe experience atouch,withthe 408feeling flatter throughthe corners, andfeeling more secure if you putyourfootdownabit It’s no sporting model, butitsticks to theroadwell, whilethe hybrid setup deliversa decent amount of punch

when the‘Sport’driving mode is se lected.Atthe same time,itrides well with comfortableleather andAlcan tara seatshelping outwiththis, while therefinement on motorwayswas par ticularlyimpressive.

The408’s design couldreallydivide opinion. It’s Peugeot’sboldest model in some time –and that’s coming from abrand that hasbeenpushing the boundaries anyway

If you likeaclean,fuss-free look,it mightnot be thecar foryou –asthere’s an awfullot goingon.

We thinkthere’s toomuchplastic cladding goingonatthe rear,while the20-inch alloywheels(optional) are challenging.

Inside,the 408reallydeliversonthe promise of feelinglargerthanaregu larhatchback.The 471-litre boot(536 litresonnon-plug-inmodels),isagreat size,whilethere’s adecentamountof room in therearseats.Headroomis slightlyimpeded by acombination of asloping rooflineand panoramic sun roof, but6ft adults will stillbeableto sitcomfortably

Standard equipment on theen try-levelAlluretrimincludesPeuge ot’s latest 10-inchtouchscreen,which offers quickand easy widgets that make it farless fiddlytouse on the move,along with a10-inch digitalin strument cluster, 17-inchalloy wheels andareversing camera

Mid-spec Allure Premiumbrings much more visually-pleasing 19-inch alloywheels, alongwithkeyless entry andadaptive cruise control. If you want allthe bellsand whistles,the GT packs full Matrix LEDheadlights, aheated steering wheeland electric boot,along with thecolour-codedgrille.

FACTFILE

PEUGEOT408 GT HYBRID225 E-EAT

Price as tested: £43,200

Engine: 1.6-litre plug-inhybrid

Power: 222bhp

0-60mph: 7.6seconds

Topspeed: 145mph

Economy: 211.3-269.5mpg

CO2 emissions: 24-30g/km

Electric range: 39-40miles

NewAussiestar Zach backed to Cook up storm

Wolverhamptonhaveaddeda brandnew face to theirsidewith Australian prospect Zach Cook joiningfor 2023

The23-year-old hasbagged his firstPremiership teamspot afterdeveloping hisracinginthe second tier overthe past couple of seasons.

Cook madehis debutwith Plymouth in 2021 before making the switch to Poole– wherehe playedakey role as thePirates were crownedChampionship champions last month.

Hisprogression hasnow earned hima reserveberth in thetop flightand comesheav ilyrecommendedbysome of hisnew Parrys International Wolves team-mates.

Club promoterChris Van Straaten said:“We’vegot afair fewAustralians alreadybackin ourline-up andwhenwewere discussing theteamfor next season, Zach’s name wasone which wasmentioned by acoupleofthe existing Wolverhamptonriders.

“A fewofthemknowhim well andspoke about hispedigree, hisprofessionalism andhis will to succeed whichall fits in very nicely with us at Wolverhamp ton.”

Whichcountry’sreturn to theFormulaOne schedule will be cancellednextyearas aresult of thecountry’sCovid policies?

Whowas recently sacked as managerofScottish giants Rangers?

Which horse wasretired afterwinning this year’s Breeders’Cup Classic?

Who became the firstplayer to scorein five WorldCup tournaments?

Whichcountr defeated New Zealand as they claimed a record-equalling thirdwomen’s rugbyleagueWorld Cup triumph?

Which former Premier League manager,pictured right, is theoldestcoach at the 2022 WorldCup?

Which countryrecently won theBillieJeanKingCup for the first time?

It wasone afternoon while playing for Staf fordshireunder-11s Davina Perrin firstreal ised shemight be quite good at cricket.

“Itwas the firstgameofthe sea son,”she smiles.“Iremember step ping on to thepitch thinking:‘OK, Iamgoing to scoremy first100 to day’

“ThatiswhatIdid.Itwas just one of thosefeelings. Iended up scoring five more centuriesthatyearand it wasthe pointIthought:‘I’ll tell you what,I’m not badatthis!’.”

Notbad ismaybe somethingofan understatement.Now aged 16,Per rinhas firmly establishedherself as one of the brightest young talents in thesport andthe milestoneskeep coming

Having madeher professional debutlastyear, twodaysafter her 15th birthday,thisyearshe became theyoungestplayerever called up to TheHundred afterbeing signed by Birmingham Phoenix.

Andlastmonth, shebecamethe youngestfemaleplayertoearna professional contract having signed up with CentralSparks, whilein Januaryshe will jetoff to South Africa as part of theEngland squad gunningfor gloryatthe under-19s T20World Cup. No prizes forguess ing sheisthe youngestmember of thesquad

“There wasalwaystalkofthissuperstarfromStaffordshirewho was bossing it andwould score100sfor fun,”saysLaura MacLeod, director of West Midlands Women’sCricket, thebodywhich oversees theSparks anddevelopmentofthe game in the region

Ambitions

“Davina is someone who, when we started ourjourney in 2020,we expected to be with us.She definite ly hasabrightfuture.”

Exciting timesthese mightbebut thereseems littledangerinPerrin, thesecondyoungestofsix children whostill liveswithher parentsin Wednesfield, gettingcarried away Sitting down in acornerofEdg baston’s Indoor School,she speaks about herexperiences andambitionswithamaturityway beyond heryears

“I guessIhavebeenforcedto grow up faster,” shesays. “I entered asenior environmentwithalot of grownwomen whowerebuying theirown houses, or driving.

“I have also always playedwith peoplewho areolder than me,so I’ve hadtoadjust. Whetherthat makesmemoremature, Iamnot sure.ItisjustsomethingI have had to do.”

Perrin’s sporting talentsare not confinedtocricket.Atthe ageof 10 shewon thenational100 metre schoolstitle andfor awhileitlooked as though herfuturemight liein athletics.

Yetitiscricket shehas always enjoyedmost. She firstpickedupa bataged six, desperatetocopyolder sister Danica.At13, shebecamethe youngestplayerand the firstfemale to ever turn outfor Fordhouses first XI

“I wouldlove to be able to sayit wasn’t daunting butthere were a fair amount of nerves,” says Perrin

“I knew nobody wantstoget out to agirl. Nobody wantstoget hit around by agirl. Iknewtheywere goingtocome at me as hard as they couldand ballswould be flying at

Scoringrunsfor funisthe keyfor rising star Davina

my head when Iwentout to bat.

“I wasnervousbut IfeltIjusthad to embracethat. Ihad to embrace thenervesand give it my best shot.”

Perrin played almost exclusively alongsideand againstboysand then menbeforejoining theWest Midlands academy.

“SometimesIwould step outon to thepitch andyou wouldhearpeo plesay:‘Oh,it’sa girl’,”she recalls. “Butitonlyegged me on andgave me that competitivedrive to prove theboyswrong andcompete with physicallystrongerpeople. Inever letitget to me.”

Supporthas come from herfamily,including prouddad Dave, along with ChrisGuest andthe coaching team at Fordhouses

Perrin is also amemberofthe Af rican-CarribeanEngagementPro gramme (ACE), setupin2020to addressthe declineinblack British professional players

It is chairedbyEbony Rainford-Brent,the firstblack woman to play forEngland,who in recent yearshas become amentortoPer rinalong with fellow ACEdirector

“Theyhaveg en me advice an have been ahug help sinceI st ed theprogram says Perrin.“AC hascreated an environmentfor blackyoungsters to come togeth er.Itgivesyou asense of be longing.

“Quite of tenI will en teracricketing environmentand as though ther no-one else whor latestome.

“ACE givesm that andpeopleI canshare my story with.I know they getme. It has filled in a

gapwhich Ididn’tknowwas miss ingbefore.

“Ithas been massivefor me,in termsofbuildingmyconfidence andeverything really.”

Perrin has theair of someone lovingeveryminuteofher work. When not training at Edgbaston,the rest of her week is spentstudyingfor aBTECinsport coaching anddevelopment, having sather GCSEs at Tettenhall Collegeayearearly Weekends arenow occupiedby in preparation up uraged to have ut at themoheavilycricket, ,” says Perrin, she fits herca beinga normal d.

tdoI love about rt?Atthe mo it is simply use Ienjoy it erytimeIpick up abat Iwant to go and whacksome balls. It is purely en joyment

“Thatis theonlyreason ythe game and sonIwantto

eed to remember is,”addsMaeed to give her

thefreedom andability to go and do some things atypical 16-yearoldwould do.Ifyou restrict that toomuch, it will have an impact at some point.”

Thereisabiggerpicture to Perrin’slatestachievement. Herpro fessionalcontract is oneof40across thecountry,withthe number of full-timedomestic players doubling from next season

TheHundred,which Perrin claims opened hereyestothe new opportunitiesavailable,has boosted thepopularityand profile of the women’s game.Ticketsales fornext summer’s women’s AshesTestat Edgbaston arealready beyond re cord levels.

MacLeod, whoplayed89times for England at atimewhenitwas very much amateur, believes something special is afoot.

“I feel we areonthe cusp of some thingwhich is goingtobemagnificent, notjustfor cricket butfor women’s sport,”she says

“You look at what is goingonin football andrugby.The journeywe areonissuperband it is gathering pace.Ithas takenawhiletoget to this pointbut theacceleration is go ingtobegreat.”

Perrin hopestohelpdrive it

“I just want to maximise my po tential, whetherthatbeplaying for England,orwhatever,” shesays.

“I want to play at thehighestlev el possible,tothe best of my ability andindoing so inspireother young girlsand female cricketers.”

ChevyGreen andRecordoGor don, theformerWarwickshire seamer andacoa scheme

Davina Perrinshows off thestyle that hashelped fire herup throughthe cricketing ranks

Pic: Stuart Leggett

KING JOHN:LOP NEEDSBACKING

Wolves struggling withoutthe necessary additions, Richards said: “Yes –because then it’s thesame old.

Richards,scorerof194 Wolves goals–the second most in theclub’s history, is confidentLopetegui can guidethe side clearofthe Premier League mirewithone or twoJanuaryadditions

Thetwo-timeWolvesLeagueCup winner believes theSpanish head coachhas inheritedastrongsquad, butadjustments arerequired up fronttoclimb from thefootofthe PremierLeaguetable

“I wouldthink that would’ve been part of thenegotiations, him (Lopetegui)seeingone or twoplayershewould liketobring in,” Rich ards told theExpress &Star.

“Withhis reputation,he’ll have thecontactswithagentsand play erslooking to move andhecan at tract them

“Hewouldn’thaveeven consid ered coming if unabletobring the playerorplayers in he wanted to “Thatgives me alot more comfort that he will getthatbacking.”

“Wemight thinkRaulcould be fitter and firing,but it’s still the same styleofplaywe’ve had, I’d liketothink thenew managerwill change that styleofplay.

“Hopefullythatwill help create andscore more goals, that’s thekey part of it

“It’snot goingtobeeasy, Ithink we allknowthat. If you’reatthe bottom of thetable things tend to go againstyou

“Butit’salmostlikeafresh start forusand Ijustthink we’vegot a goodsquad of players there, good enough to stay in thePremier League with oneortwo minor ad ditions.”

Lopeteguiistotakehis Wolves on amid-seasontrainingcampto Marbella

HisPremier League reignkicks offatEverton on Boxing Daywith Wolves four points adrift of safety

Brother: Archer needs matches

CameronArcherwould ‘love’toreturn to PrestonNorth Endonloan –accordingtothe Villastriker’s brother.

The20-year-old scored seven goalsfor 19 appearanceswhileon loan at Deepdalelastseasonand stayedatVillato fightfor hisplace

However,hehas been limitedto just seven cameoappearances from thebench this campaign

Andbrother Jordan,who plays forNationalLeagueNorth outfit Southport, said: “Preston helped himmassively

“Itwas exactlywhatheneeded, andIdon’t thinkitcould’vegone anybetter.

“Hewould love to return.The fans know what he thinks.”

O’Neillbackat Boro aftermove

JimmyO’Neill hasreturnedto Stafford Rangersand says he cannot wait to getbackonthe pitchfor them

O’Neill hasre-joined theBoro afterre-locating to theareahe left at theend of last season to join StratfordTown.

Rangersannounced thesigningwithastatement on the club’s website saying:“We are delightedtoconfirm we have reachedanagreement to re-sign JimmyO’Neill followinghis de parturefromStratford Town

“Thetimingwas important, they needed to getitdonewhentheydid at thelatest,”Richardssaid.

NewAussiestartoCookupastorm

“Jimmyisrelocatingbackup to theareaand expressedanimmediateinterestin returning.” Wolverhamptonhaveaddedabrand

crownedChampionshipchampions

last month

The23-year-old hasbagged his firstPremiership teamspotafter developing hisracinginthe second tier over thepastcouple of seasons.

Cook made hisdebut with Plym outh in 2021 before making the switch to Poole– whereheplayed akey role as thePirates were

Hisprogression hasnow earned himareserveberth in thetop flight andcomesheavily recommendedby some of hisnew Parrys International Wolves team-mates Club promoterChris VanStraaten said:“We’vegot afairfew Australiansalready back in ourline-up andwhenwewerediscussing the team fornextseason, Zach’s name

wasone whichwas mentionedbya couple of theexistingWolverhamp tonriders.

“A fewofthemknowhim well and spokeabout hispedigree,his professionalism andhis will to succeed whichall fits in verynicelywithus at Wolverhampton.

“He’sarider we feel canimprove from down in thosereserveberths andheisalso really lookingfor ward to everything that lies ahead.”

Zach Cook Pic: AnthonyBurchell

Wolves legend John Richards hopes to see newbossJulen Lo peteguibackedtobring thenecessary firepower into Molineux.

Askedifhesees Lopetegui’s

LEWISCOX lewis.cox@mnamedia.co.uk

JulenLopetegui must be allowedtomakeadditions to theWolvessquad