Telford Journal 08-Dec-2022

Apolicebossinsists working backwardstotakeoutthose“driving thebusiness”ofcountylinescrimein Shropshireiskey

SinceMay last year,policesay knowndruglinesinthecountyhave beenreducedfrom23toseven.West Mercia Police in Shropshire have beenworkingwithofficersinMer seysideandotherareasofthecoun trytodisruptdrugringsandattack theproblematitssource.

Officersrecentlycrackeddown andclosedtwocountylines,arresting38peopleacrosstheWestMercia forceareaaswellasseizingdrugs worth more than £7,000,weapons includingknivesandmachetesplus £15,000 in cash.Thatwas part of theNationalCrimeAgency’sCounty LinesIntensificationWeek

Duringtheweekofficersvisited 110propertiesand18safeguarding referralsweremadeasaresult

Countylinesisthenamegivento theprocessandoperationofdrugs transportedfrompredominately largerurbanareastosmallertowns, ofteninruralareas,withthe‘line’ referringtothemobilenumberused toorderthedrugs.

SuperintendentStuartBill de scribeditasan“absolutely awful crime”whichtargetsthoseinperil,

andsaidthattacklingtherootcause isanimportantpartoffightingthe issue.“Weknowthatthecriminals attheheartofthemaredetermined totryandselltheirproduct,”hesaid “It’sabusinesstothem.Ittargetsthe mostvulnerableinthecommunity Peoplefromdeprivedbackgrounds, givingthemtheincentivetomake money

“Therealityis,thereisrealharm beingcausedtothembothphysical lyandpsychologically,especiallyin termsofaddictionsthatcanstartup asaresult.It’sanabsolutelyawful crime.”Headded:“Whatisreallyimportantistoworkbackwardtotry andtakeouttheline.Thatwayyou aredealingwiththerealcriminals thataredrivingthebusiness.

“That’snottosaywewon’toffer interventionswithstreetdealers. Butoftenthereisamorecomplex storywiththem.”Anyonewithsuspicionsthatapropertyisbeingused toselldrugs,orthatayoungorvulnerableindividual maybegetting involved with county lines drug dealingcanreportthisonlineunder theTellUsAboutsectionofthepolice websitewestmercia.police.uk

Santaarrivesatthe zoo

Turkey farm supply fears

Turkeysuppliershavespoken ofthe‘nervouswait’andhighcosts ofbattlingtoensuretheydon’tsuccumbtothedevastatingimpactof birdfluintherunuptoChristmas.

Consumershavebeenwarnedof a“big,bigshortage”ofBritishfreerangeturkeysoverthefestiveperiod andhalfofthe free-rangeturkeys produced forChristmas in theUK havealreadybeenkilledinthebird fluepidemic.

Aspokesmanfor one supplier, WrekinTurkeys,saidithasbeena challengingtime.“Wehaveacouple moreweeks to stay safe andthat meansit’sevenmorenerve-wrack ing,”hesaid.

Stolen horse ledtomarket

Policeareinvestigatingafteran elderlyhorsewasstolenfromafield andledthroughabusyGermanmar ket.

Dollar,athoroughbred cross warmblood horse, went missing fromhisfieldinHinkshayonSatur dayafternoon.Policesaidtheyreceived subsequentreports that he hadbeenled throughthe German MarketatTelfordtowncentre,and thattwomenhadtriedtotakehim uptheescalatorintothenearbyAsda store.A19-year-oldmalewaslater arrested on suspicion of theftand criminaldamage.Hehassincebeen released on bail as investigations intotheincidentcontinue

Report by Nick Humphreys

Charityofferinga caravan

Achildren’scancerchari tyhasraised£70,000tofunda staticcaravantoofferbreaksto localfamilies

TheHarry Johnson Trust hasboughtthecaravanforthe familiesofchildrenbeingcared forbythe Children’s Oncology WardatThePrincessRoyalHos pital,Telford.Itcanalsobeused

bybereavedparents,aswellas stafffromthewardwhoarein needofrespite.

TheTrust helpschildren andteenagersreceiving care fromtheOncologyTeamatThe ShrewsburyandTelfordHospitalNHSTrust(SaTH),providing whatever they need to make thingsthatlittlebiteasier.Itwas

foundedinNovember2014,followingthedeathofseven-yearold HarryJohnson whodied aftera nine-month fight with DoubleHitNon-HodgkinsLymphoma

Harry’sparents, Sallyand Stephen,feltastrongdesireto helpothersgoingthroughsimi larexperiencestotheirs.

Number of children seeking asylum alone is on therise

By Megan Jones

Thenumberofunaccompanied asylum-seekingchildren beinglookedafterinShropshire is up from last year, figures show

Data from theDepartment ofEducation shows31lone asylum-seekingchildrenwere incareinShropshireonMarch 31,upfrom24theyearbefore. Meanwhile,15wereincarein Telford&Wrekin,upfromseven theyearbefore.

TheChildren’sSociety is warningthatlocal authorities, alreadystretched to capacity andstrugglingto findplace mentsforchildrenincare,are leavingyoungpeopleatrisk.

Thefiguresshowthatasy lum-seekingchildrenrepresent asmallfractionofthoseincare intheregion–just0.37percent

Overall,7,411childrenwere beinglookedafter in ShropshireattheendofMarchinthe areawith426placedinfoster care.5,067childrenwerebeing lookedafterinTelford&Wre kin, with 320placedinfoster care

MariekeWidmann,Children’sSocietypolicyandprac tice advisorsaid: “Children arriveherealone,afteratraumaticand dangerousjourney, separatedfromtheir families andlovedones–somemayeven havebeentraffickedtotheUK.”

Jonbowledoverby£10kprize

Abowlingalleyhasmadeit aChristmastorememberfora Telfordfamilywithacoolcash prize.

Jon Gidney struck lucky whenhediscoveredhehadwon theultimateprize from Tenpin–a£10,000cheque.Tenpin hadbeenofferingitscustomers acrossthecountryachanceto

wincashprizesasathankyou fortheircustom

Mr Gidney posted a heart-warmingvideoofhim andhissonplanningatripto Tenpin in Telfordtowin him thegiveaway. To be in with a chanceofwinningthegenerous cashprize,bowlingfansacross thecountry visitedtheir local

Tenpin,createdavideoorphoto oftheirtimeinthevenue,and posteditontheirsocialmedia

Jon said:“I’msoproud to havewonthiscompetitionwith myson.Ralphisthreeyearsold, lovesbowlingandwe’vebeento Tenpinmanytimes.Thankyou, Tenpinforcreatingthisunique competition.”

Stephen andSallyJohnson

Jon and his son,three-year-old Ralph,receiving the chequefromTenpin employees

DozensofNHS“traf

Domestic abuser is jailed

This is thefaceofa domes ticabuserwhowasjailedforfive yearsforattackingwomen,later sendingoneofhisvictim’sletters whileawaitingtrial

Connor Buchanan,fromTel ford,was foundguiltyand sen tenced at Shrewsbury Crown Courtforhiscrimes

Thecourtheardhowbetween MaylastyearandJunethisyear, Buchanan hadseriouslyassault ed twowomenon twoseparate occasions.Hewaslaterarrested andcharged.Buchanan, now21,

continuedtointimidateoneofthe victimswhileincustodybysend ingherlettersregardinghisup comingtrial.

Buchanan,ofWallettDrivein Muxton,wasfoundguiltyofcaus inggrievousbodilyharm,assault occasioningactualbodilyharm, controllingand coercive behav iourandtwocountsofwitnessin timidation

Allofthe sentences will run consecutively,totalling60months. He wasalsogiven a10-year re strainingorder

Atotal

withtheaimofmanagingdemand.

Thedatawillbeusedbystaff whowilldivertambulancesaway from full hospitalstooneswith morespace

Onesuchcentre,alsodubbed a“winterwarroom”,hasbeenim

plementedbyNHSShropshire,Tel fordandWrekin.

Itwillrunsevendaysaweek, fullymannedduringdaytime hourswithon-callarrangements overnight.

SamTilley,directorofurgent andemergencycareandemergen cy planning forNHS Shropshire, Telfordand Wrekin,said: “For thelastcoupleofyears,sincethe Covidpandemic,wehavebeenex periencingpressuresonservices acrossthewholehealthandsocial caresystem

“Thesepressures canstrike differentpartsofthesystematdif

ferenttimesorintandem.

“This couldbedemandfor ambulances, increasesinpeople walkingintoA&E,demandforcare homebeds,orforprimarycareap pointments.

“This newcontrol centre is apositivestepforwardandwill allowstafftosee‘real-time’data fromacrosshealthandsocialcare enablingustosee whereambu lancequeuesarebuildingup,wait ingtimesareincreasing,bedoccu pancyischallengedforinstance, andtoworktogetheracrossthe systeminajoined-upwaytoad dresstheseissuesquickly.”

Worstfor 999 wait times

Shropshireand Telfordhave thelongestambulancewaittimes intheregion,newresearchhasre vealed FiguresuncoveredbytheLib eral Democratshaverevealeda postcode lotteryofambulance waittimesacrosstheWestMid lands,withpatientsinShropshire waitingonaveragemorethanfive minuteslongerforlife-savinghelp thanthoseinBirmingham Theresearch, uncoveredby

theLibDemsthroughFreedomof Informationrequests,revealshow patientswhoselivesareinimme diatedangerarewaitingtwiceas longinsomeruralpartsofthere gionasinurbanones.

Category twocalls,including potentialheart attack or stroke patients,inShropshireandTelford &Wrekinarewaitingforanaver ageof49minutesforparamedics toarrive–morethanhalfanhour overthetargetresponsetime(18

minutes).For themostserious calls,patientsinthecountywaited foranaverageof11minutesand 31 secondsfor category onere sponses,comparedtosixminutes and20secondsintheBlackCoun try.AspokespersonfromtheWest MidlandsAmbulanceServicesaid: “Sadly,thepressureswearesee inginhealthandsocialcarelead tolonghospitalhandoverdelays “Theresultisthatourcrews aredelayedinreachingpatients.”

One of the42‘winter warrooms’ hasbeen launched by NHS Shropshire,Telfordand Wrekin

Connor Buchanan

Firmsbattleto find thestaff that theyneedtostayalive

It’satoughtimeformanybusinesses.Oftheissuestheyface,find ingthe rightkindofstaff is now amongthebiggest.

Brexitbroughtchallengesasdid negotiatingapandemic.Andfirms alsofacerisingenergypricesanda cost-of-livingcrisis

Now,ontopofallthat,firmsare wrestlingwithhiringchallengesset togointo2023andbeyond.

ArecentShropshire Chamber of Commerce survey revealed that 76percentofthosebusinesseswho respondedarestrugglingtorecruit. Anotherfromthe Federation of SmallBusinessesreinforcedthat–in fact78percentsaidtheywerefind ingithardtobringinnewstaff

RichardSheehan,thechiefexec utiveofficeroftheShropshireCham ber,saysrecruitmentisnowa“major issue”inthecountyandbelievesthe pandemic hasplayeda significant roleintherecruitmentchallenge.

He believes thewholeethos of

By MatthewPanter

recruitmenthaschangedasaresult ofpeoplebeingforcedtoworkfrom homeduringlockdowns

“Thepandemic haschanged people’srelationshipwiththework placeinmanycases,”hesaid.“There arealotofvacanciesthatcompanies arestrugglingtofillsimplybecause they can’taccommodateaworkfrom-homeenvironment

“The‘workingfromhome’factor issomethingwhichhasbecomealot moreimportanttoalotmorepeo ple.It’stakenbusinessesalongtime to realisethat, actually,theyhave tosellthemselvesnowbecauseitis suchatightlabourmarket

“It’salmostareversalofthepast We areinasituation nowwhere nolongerdopeopleapplyforajob andit’sjustabout them having to sell themselves.Businesseshave todothesame.Thepandemichas

changedpeople’swholeattitudeto wardsworkandtheworkplace.The migrantlabourissue hasaffected ushereinShropshiretoo,especial lywiththesectorswehavesuchas thosesurroundingagriculture,tour ism,leisureandhospitality.

“Theyhavebeenhitreallyhard bythelossofthatlabour,there’sno question,andwehavebeenflagging thatupformorethanayearandpro gressneedstohappen.”

HollieWhittles,humanresourc esdirectoratTelford-basedPurple FrogSystems,isaleadingfigurein theFederationofSmallBusinesses andhas also reflected on recruit mentasa“massiveproblem”

“FromthediscussionsIamhav inginShropshire,businesses just can’t findthe rightstaff with the rightskills,intherightplaceatthe righttime,”shesaid.“Wearearural areaandbusinessesarebeinghitby allmannerofrisingcosts,sorecruitmentontopofthatisamassiveprob

lem. We have anever-before-seen situationwherethenumberofjob vacanciesishigherthanthenumber ofpeopleunemployedorlookingto changecareer.

“Thepandemicledtonewwork practices and flexibilities, which manypeoplearereluctanttoleave behind.Manyofthosewhoarelook ingforworkareholdingoutformuch higherpayandmuchmoreflexible workingarrangements.

“Manyworkers in traditionally lowerpay,high-stress industries, havedecidedtochangecareeralto gether,creatingevengreatershortagesinareassuchascare,hospitality andretail.”Holliesaysthat,moving forward,astrongerrelationshipis neededbetweenbusinessesanded ucationinordertotrytopromote opportunitiesandcareers.

“Wefound in oursurveythat only17percentofbusinessesare engagingwithschoolsandcolleges,” Holliesaid. “Sometimes, insteadof

leavingittothebigbusinesses,we needtoencouragesmallerbusiness estospeakupandcommunicate.”

GrahamGuest,principalofTel fordCollegeandskillschampionof theMarchesLEP,saysthatlinkbe tweeneducationandbusinessisvi tal,movingforward

“Asacollege,wehaveseenthe challenges,” he said.“We recruit teachingstaffbut,withregardsto otherstaff,itbeenastrugglesowe feeleveryone’spain

“Whatwearebeginningtosee isbusinesseswithalong-termplan, lookingtoworkwithschoolsandcol legestocreateapipelineofrecruits andthat’sreallypositive.Withwork experience andapprenticeships there’sa plethoraofopportunities foremployerstogetinvolved.There arelotsofinitiativesandhopefully business andeducation canwork togethertomeetthechallenges.The morebusinessesthatengagethebet ter.”

Successofknife campaign

Apoliceoperation to prevent knifecrimehasbeenhailedasasuc

cess.

Operation Sceptre, anational week of intensiveaction to tackle knifecrime,ranfromMonday,No vember14to20

Forthe scheme,WestMercia Policeranaseriesofeducationand engagement activities,designed to raiseawareness of thedangers of carrying aknife. This included 28 community events, reaching over 12,000people,and74schoolvisits reaching over 18,000 children and youngpeople

Thetouring anti-violencebee alsoprovedtobeaparticularlypop ularattraction.Asidefromtheedu cationinitiatives,policeofficerscon ducted82weaponsweepsandrana

knifeamnesty.Asaresult,thepolice say,105knivesandbladedweapons havebeensafelycollected,prevent ingthemfromreachingthestreets

Policeofficers,alongsideTrading Standardsofficers,alsoworkclosely withlocalretailers.Duringtheweek, policevisited85retailersandcar riedout50testpurchases

WestMerciaPolice’sknifecrime lead,ChiefInspectorHelenKinrade, said:“Operation Sceptreisanim portantweekofactionthathelpsus raiseawareness of thedangers of carryingaknifeandtohavereached over30,000peoplewithourearlyin terventionandengagementworkisa fantasticresult

“However,it’simportanttonote thatourworkcontinuesbeyondthis nationalweekofactionandourof

ficersareworkingeverydaytore ducethenumberofknivesbeingcar riedandthenumberofpeoplebeing hurtbythem

“Asalwaysthepublichasavery importantparttoplayinhelpingto keepknivesoffourstreets.Theycan helpusasextraeyesandearsinour fight againstserious violenceand knifecrime,andbymakingareport tousyoucouldhelpsavealife

“Ifyouareworriedthatsomeone youknowiscarryingaknife,please reportit.Wecanthentaketheneces sarystepstosafeguardthem.”

Knife-related crimecan be re portedtothepoliceonlineorbycall ing101.Youngpeoplecanalsoaccess non-judgmental information and advice throughthe Crimestoppers charity,fearless.org

GrahamGuest saysfirms mustworkcloser withcolleges

infuture Hollie Whittles has reflected onrecruitment asa‘massiveproblem’ RichardSheehan

Theissues arediscussed

Awarmwelcome is alwayssoimportant

You’re welcome.It’ssomething weoftensaywithoutthinkingabout it

Afriendthanksusforacupof teaoralifthome.You’rewelcome Sometimeswesayitwithabitofan edge,evensarcasm.Wehelpoutand there’snogratitude.You’rewelcome, andaflounce.

Ifwestoptothinkaboutitfora moment,helpingsomeonefeellike theyreallyarewelcomeisoneofthe mostimportantthingsthatwecan doforthem

Makingsomeonefeelunwelcome canhaveamassiveimpact,justask LadySusanHussey.

Iwonderwhathelpsyoufeelwel comeinanewplace,withnewpeo ple.

Iwonderhoweasyyoufinditto welcomenewpeopleintoyourspace.

Ithinkthatthechurchneedsto faceuptothefactthatwehaven’tal waysbeenverygoodathelpingpeo plefeelwelcome

Perhapsifwe’dbeenbetterat it,thenthe latest Census returns wouldn’thaveshown that forthe firsttimeinseveralcenturies,less thanhalfthepeopleintheUKidenti fythemselvesasChristian

Wedon’thaveanyexcuse.When wereadtheaccountsofJesus’life intheBible,hewasalwayshelping

WORKINGFOR YOU

With RevTim Carter

peopletofeelwelcome.Hegotangry withhisfriendswhentheytriedto stopparentsbringingtheirchildren toJesusforablessing.Hespenttime withthoseontheedgeofsociety

Hecametobringaradicalinvita tionofwelcometoeveryonetogetto knowhim,andtoenjoylifeinallits fullness

That’s what we celebrateat Christmas.

Aswereadthefamiliaraccounts ofthefirstChristmas,wehearthe themeofwelcomerunningthrough them

Mary’swelcomeofJesusintoher womb.Joseph’swelcomeofJesusas hisadoptedson.Theshepherd’swel comeofJesusasthefulfilmentofthe promisesofGod.

ThisyeartheChurchofEngland’s publicityfeaturesthe line, “You’re verywelcomeatchurchthisChrist mas. ”

Ihopethatyouwillexperience that welcome this Christmas, and thatyouwillknowthewelcomethat Jesusoffersusall.

Clinician supporting hospitalsshake-up

Moving with times

TALKINGTELFORD

WithRob Smith

There’sawelcomenewdevelop mentinWellington–anditmightbe justintimeforanexcitingChrist mas.

Thescaffolding at thenarrow endofMarketStreethasfinallydis appeared,so(mostof)theglorious newroadsurfaceisavailabletosee atlast.Theworkgoingonatthatcor nerofthemarketsquarehasbeen noisyandtookitstime,buttolookat itnowistoseesomethingmoreakin toareallymoderntowncentre

It’sashametheviewispartially blightedbythederelict,boarded-up unitbehindCaprino’spizza.Andof course thereisstill work ongoing furtherdownMarketStreetsothe sceneisn’tquitecompleteyet.Tel ford&WrekinCouncil’sroadworks teamthinkitshouldallbedoneby February9nextyear,bywhichtime thecentreofWellingtonmayhavea verydifferentlookaltogether

MarketStreetitselfhasalready beenthroughalotofchangesinthe last 60 years –looking at theat tachedpicture,it’sstrangetothink thattheseoldunitsthatoncehoused traditionalbrandsarenowhometo vapeshopsandphonerepaircentres

(notthatI’mcomplaining–asaper petuallyclumsypersonI’vehadto callonthatverysamephonerepair shopmorethanonce)

Therewas plentyofoptimism atarecentmeetingofmindsinthe townorganisedbyLoveWellington todiscussideasforfuturegrowth. Traderscameandsharedtheirplans, concernsandtheirideas-including anelectricbikedeliveryscheme

Amongtheideasdiscussedwas moreopportunities forlatenight shoppinginthetown–hardlysur prisingafter thesuccessful recent introductionoftheSaturdayevening marketexperiences, whichfrom allaccountshavegonedownlikea

houseonfire.Livemusicandquality streetfoodinacoveredmarket?In Digbethmaybe,butsurelynotWel lington?

Iwenttothemarketonlyrecent lyforthefirsttimeinyearsandwas veryimpressedbythecoveredsec tionwithallkindsofpurveyorsof streetfoodcrammedintogether

Wellingtonhasanabundanceof freeparking,anhistoricmarketthat managestomovewiththetimesand anextremelyswitched-oncohortof business owners whoseemdeter minedtomakethemostofwhatthey have.CouldWellingtonsoonbechal lengingShrewsbury’sreputationfor aqualitymarketdayexperience?

Atopclinicianinthecountyhassaid thecontroversialhospitalstransforma tionprogrammewilladdressdelaysin urgentandemergencycare

SubramanianKumaran says the currentset-upattheRoyalShrewsbury andPrincessRoyalhospitalsisbecom ingincreasinglydifficultfor patients andstaffalike.

Akeycomponentofplanstoshake upacutehospitalservicesacrossShrop shire,Telford&WrekinandMidWales involveschangingtheShrewsburysite tospecialiseinthedeliveryofemergen cycareandthedevelopmentof24/7 enhancedurgentcareservicesatboth hospitalsites.

MrKumaran,clinicalleadforemer gencycarefortheHospitalsTransfor mation Programmeand emergency

medicineconsultant,saidthechanges wouldbringtogetherspecialistteams sothatpatientsareseenfasterandin therightplace,leadingtoaquickerdi agnosisandshorterhospitalstays

Hesaid:“Istrivetodeliverthebest careforpatientsandwithourcurrent serviceset-upthisisbecomingincreas inglydifficult.

“Weneedtochangethe wayour servicesaredeliveredsothatwecan addressthedelaysthatourpatientsare facingandthechallengingconditionsin whichourstaffwork.

“Theplannedservicechangeswill deliverrealimprovementstoboththe urgent andemergency care received byourpatientsandwillassistusinat tractingandretainingmoreofthespe cialiststaffweneed.”

Wellington’s MarketStreet haschanged alot in the last 60 years

Mr Kumaran supportsthe planstorestructure thehospitals

Aldiistriallingclearcapsonmilk bottlesinitsShropshirestoresina bidtofurtherimprovetherecycla bilityofitsproducts

Thesupermarket is scrapping thegreenbottletopsonitsBritish SemiSkimmedStandardMilkprod uctsinfavourofclearcaps,which areeasiertorecycle

Thetrial,whichisinpartnership withmilksupplierMüller,wasintroducedlastmonth

If successfuland rolled outto allMüller-suppliedstores,anadditional60tonnesperyearofrecycled High-Density Polythene(rHDPE) couldbeturnedbackintofoodgrade packaging.RichardGorman,plastics andpackagingdirectoratAldi,said: “Weknowit’sbecomingincreasinglyimportanttoourcustomersthat theireverydayproductsareenvironmentally-friendly, andwe areconstantlyreviewingwaystobecomea moresustainablesupermarket.”

Clearcaps forAldimilk Driversstay outof lane

Nearly half of driverssay they frequentlyoroccasionallyavoidus inglaneone on smart motorways withoutahardshoulder,anewsur veysuggests.

TheRAC,which commissioned thepollof1,904motorists,claimed theresearch“completely under mines”themainreasonforturning hardshouldersintorunninglanes, whichwastoboostroadcapacity

Afifthofrespondentswhohave driven on theseall-lanerunning smart motorwayssaidtheyfrequentlystayoutoftheleft-handinsidelane,while28percentsaidthey dosooccasionally.Askedwhythey deliberately avoid drivinginlane one,77percentsaidtheyarewor riedtheymayencounterastationary vehicle.Almostthreeinfourpeople questionedsaidtheywouldfeelsafer ifthereweremoreemergencyrefuge areas.

Robots set to spot UTIs

Residentsincarehomescould besomeofthefirsttobenefitfrom aprojectwhichaimstouseartificial intelligenceandrobotstodetecturi narytractinfections(UTIs).

ResearchersfromboththeUniversityofEdinburghandthecity’s Heriot-WattUniversityareworking together on theFeather initiative, whichseekstoreducesomeofthe negativeconsequencesoflatediag nosisofUTIs.

Theexpertleadingthescheme, Professor KiaNazarpour from the University of Edinburgh, said it couldeventuallyreducethe numberofpeopleattendingaccidentand emergencywithinfections,aswell as helping to tackle theover-prescription of antibiotics. Some 150 millionpeopleayearworldwidecan sufferfromUTIs,makingthemone ofthemostcommontypesoninfection.Whendetectedearly,UTIscan betreatedwithantibiotics.

Offering dementia help

Anewnursingservicehasbeen launched to help supportfamilies livingacrossShropshireaffectedby dementia

Theservicewillconsistofateam of four specialist dementia nurses calledAdmiralNurseswhowillprovidelife-changingsupporttofamiliesaffectedbyallformsofdementia

Theirexpertisecanhelppeople livingwithdementiastayindepend entforlonger–andsupportthepeoplecaringforthemsothattheywill havethestrengthtocopewiththe baddaysand theenergytoenjoy

thegooddays.Theservicewillbe launchedaspartoftheShropshire, Telfordand Wrekin’s Dementia Transformation Programme andis hosted by Shropshire, Telfordand WrekinIntegratedCareBoardincollaborationwithShropshirePrimary Care Networks (PCNs),Shropshire Community Health NHS Trustand DementiaUK

Clinical lead formental health, DrPriyaGeorge,said:“Gettingadementiadiagnosiscanbeahugeshock topatientsandtheirfamilies,who oftenstruggletoacceptwhatishap-

peningandthedifficultiesitbrings

“This smallteamcan make a bigimpact,notjustforpatientsbut forcarerswhocanbecomeisolated andhighlystressed.AdmiralNursesmakearealdifference,offering adviceandlinkingfamiliesupwith respitecareandotherservices.”

Emma Butler,ShropshireAdmiralNurseteamleader,said:“The ShropshireAdmiralNursesareex tremelyexcitedtolaunchthisserviceforfamiliesinthecountywho areexperiencingdifficultiesdueto theimpactandeffectsofdementia.”

Airman’s lost warmedalswing theirway back to family again

Remarkabledetectiveworkand afundraisingcampaignhadseenthe medalsofaWorldWarTwoairman returnedtohisfamily.

SteveTaylorfromMarketDraytonwasdeterminedtotrytofindthe medalsofhiscousin’sfather,Godfrey DennisThomas,soldafterhisdeath in 1982.Theyincluded theDistinguishedFlyingmedal.

Afterpainstaking research he foundthattherewerebeing auctionedinthesouthofEnglandbut, whenhecontactedtheauctionhouse discovered they hadalreadybeen sold.Hethenmanagedtotrackdown thenewownerofthemedalswho agreetosellthemtoSteve.“Ican notthankthispersonenough,”Steve said.“WhenIexplainedhewashap pytoletmehavethemedalsforthe marketprice.”

Steve,69,raisedthemoney,more than£3,000withasponsoredswim clockingup6,194lengthsatMarket Draytonswimmingandfitnesscen tre. Thesenumbers represent an amalgamation of Godfrey’sSecond WorldWarflyingrecord.

Steve,whohimselfservedfrom 1973to2000intheAircraftAvionics branchretiringasachieftechnician wasabletopassonthemedalstohis cousin,IrisThomasattheRoyalAir ForceMuseumatCosford

“I metupwithmycousin, Iris Thomas;herdaughter,Nadine;her

granddaughter, Meghan andher greatgranddaughter,Charlotte.It wasquiteanemotionaleventmade allthemorespecialbecausethecu ratoroftheMidlandsbranchofthe RAFMuseumatCosford,DarrenPri day,allowedusaprivateviewingof themuseum’sHandleyPageHamp denbomber.Itwasthisaircrafttype thatGodfreycompletedallofhis32

missionsfromwhichheearnedhis DistinguishedFlyingMedal.”Infact theaircraft wasfromasquadron thatGodfreywasattachedtofora time.Hemayevenhaveflowninthat aircraft.” Attached to themedals wasagoldCaterpillerClip,givento thoseintheairforcewhohadhadto bailoutanduseanIrvinparachute, somethingthatGodreyhad to do

“Godfrey hadkeptthe D-ring and thestringthatwasattachedtothe parachutethatsavedhislifeandthe familystillhaveit,”Stevesaid.“That andalotofphotosandothermemorabiliawiththemedalscannowbe keptforgenerationstocome.”

Moneyleftoverafterbuyingthe medals will be giventothe Royal BritishLegion.

Plea over keepingbirdfeedersclean

Nearly9,000callstotheRSPCA aboutsickorweakgardenbirdshave prompted apleafor bird-lovers to cleantheirfeedersregularly

Asautumnturnstowinterand bird-lovers step up supplementary feeding,datafromtheRSPCAhigh lights just howvulnerablegarden birdscanbetoillhealth.

Thecharityreceived8,750calls aboutsickorweakgardenbirdslast year,andwiththehelplinestruggling withanunprecedentedhighvolume ofcalls,itisaskingthepublictohelp maintainthehealthofgardenbirds

Whilstonly52ofthosecallscame from Shropshire,a spokesperson fromthecharitysaidthatthisyear’s birdfluscareisatimelyreminderof thedevastationthatcanoccurfrom contagiousdiseases.

Whilebird flu doesn’t tend to affect gardenbirds, stepstopreventhighlyinfectiousdiseasesfrom spreadingthrough abird popula tionareessentialwhateverthespecies.Thecharityhasrecommended cleaningfeedersweeklyandwater containerseveryday

Feedersshould also be rotat-

edaroundthegardentokeepbird droppingsandbacteriafrombuildingup,andfeedingareasshouldbe keptraisedabovethegroundtodetermice.

RSPCAscientific officer Evie Buttonsaid:“Birdscandiefromdis easescaughtfromdirtyfeedersand waterbowlssoit’sreallyimportant tokeepgardenbirdfeedersclean.”

“Lastyear,wetookalmost9,000 callsfrompeoplereportingsickor weakgardenbirds

“That’salreadyfartoomany,but sadly,thatfigureislikelytobejust

thetipoftheiceberg;manybirdswill becomesickandwilldieunseenby humans

“It’sreallyheart-warmingthatso manypeople–aroundhalfthepopu lation–wanttohelpgardenbirdsby feedingthem.Butthisdatasuggests thatbirdsarenotashealthyasthey shouldbeandonewaywecanmake adifferenceisgoodhygiene

“While bird flu thankfully doesn’ttendtoaffectgardenbirds veryoften,it’satimelyreminderof thedevastationthatcanoccurfrom ahighlycontagiousdisease.”

Report by Sue Austin

IrisThomasallsmiles afterbeingreunitedwithherfather’swar medals

AdmiralNurses willprovide life-changing support

Couldwelcome returntohigh streets be onthecards aswe tire ofclicking?

Is ourlove affairwithonline shoppingonthewayout?

Thesignsareshoppersarebe cominglessclick-happyastheylook totakecareoftheirfinances

Andwiththatmorehesitantapproachcomesadesiretotravelback toshopsagain,tophysicallycheckon goodsandensurequalityandvalue formoneyisright.

Accordingtoexperts,almost halfofgiftshoppingbypeopleinthe WestMidlandswillbedoneinstores andhighstreetsthismonth

That signalsa welcomereturn tothehighstreetandwithitaboost fortownandcitycentresthathave increasingly struggledtocompete withtheconvenienceofonlineshop ping,especiallyafteraCovidlock downinwhichpeoplegotoutofthe habitof‘goingshopping’.

PricewaterhouseCoopers’annual FestivePredictionsreport, publishedlastweek,hasfoundthatwhile thepandemicacceleratedtheshiftto

onlineshoppingforChristmaspre sents,therehasbeenarecoveryin thepreferenceforshoppinginphys icalstores

FollowingBlack Friday,where PwCresearchfound that 43 per cent of West Midlands consumers wereinterestedinspendingonthe day,itispredictedthatconsumers areplanningtoslightlyreducetheir festivespendingthisyear,withan averagespendof£393peradultin theUK,eightpercentlessthanlast year’s£426.Butmoreofthemoney beingspentwillbehandedoverat tillsratherthanthroughthemobile phoneorcomputerscreen.

SarahPhillips,PwC consumer leaderfortheMidlands,saidmajor shoppingcentres,suchastheBullring,MerryHill,TelfordandShrews buryshouldseeabenefit

Shesaid: “Footfallshouldin-

creaseacrosshighstreetsinthere gionthisChristmas.Bigeventslike thereturnoftheBirminghamGermanMarket,aswellasotherfestive attractionsputonagainintownand city centresacrossthe West Midlandswillbringpeopleinandthat willhaveapositiveimpact.

“Whilstaveragespendperconsumerinthe UK is predictedto slightlydecline,45percentofthose intheWestMidlandsareplanningto headinstorefortheirfestiveshop ping,providingaboosttoretailers andhospitalityvenues.”

PwCresearchshows that this year many consumersusedBlack Friday as an opportunity to start Christmasshopping,looking to make useofdiscounts when look ingforgiftsasthecost-of-livingputs pressureondisposableincome

MsPhillipsadded:“Thismeans that spending during December is likely to be lowerand retailers shouldhelptheircustomersecono

mise,whilekeepingChristmasspe cial.Christmas dinner –and food anddrinkmoregenerally–remain thekey spending priorities, with almostasmanypeoplesayingthey willspendmoreasspendless

“Ourresearchshowsalmosttwo thirdsofpeopleinthe West Midlandswill be hostinganextended orimmediatefamilygathering,the highestproportionintheUK,showingthataftertwoyears’ofrestric tions,spendingtimewithlovedones isapriority.”

Retail experts also pointtoa growingcynicismamongshoppers atthelevelofdiscountavailableon lineandwhetherthesavingsbeing advertisedaregenuine Pricecomparison websitePriceSpysurveyedthetrendsinprices intheperiodaheadofBlackFriday andnoticedthatonlinepriceswere artificiallyincreased in theweeks aheadoftheeventsothattheycould then be advertised as discounted

whenthesalesstarted.Thistactic ofpreparingfor‘fakesales’ispart of an increasing trend. Around 14 percentofproductstrackedbyPriceSpyincreasedintheweeksaheadof BlackFridayandthenweresuddenly ‘reduced’.

Figuresfor2021showthatbeau ty wasthe worst-affectedsector, with22percentofallperfumesand 21percentofallskincareproducts featuringinfakesales.Othersin cludedcomputercomponents(18 percentofallproducts),hikingand trekkingfootwear(16percent)and kitchenappliances(15percent).

“Our data indicatesfakesales onBlackFridayin2022mayhave been much morewidespread than inrecentyears,”saysLiisaMatinv esi-Bassett,thewebsite’smanager Consumer magazineWhich? goesfurther–itfoundthat99.5per centofproductsinsupposedBlack Friday ‘deals’ were cheaperorthe samepriceatothertimesoftheyear

By John Corser

Shrewsbury’s town centrecouldsee abenefitinthe runuptoChristmasAccording toexperts,almosthalfofgiftshoppingwillbedone instores

Collegeoffersaworld of possibilities

TelfordCollege offers alively andsupportive campus that hasbeen purpose-builttooffer awiderange of course choices, includingaca demic, vocational,apprenticeshipsand more.

Tlevel courseswill be offeredin September 2023.The newvocation-

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

al qualificationsare the equivalent to threeA-levelsin UCAS points andrecognisedbyall universities

Initially, thecollege will be offeringT levels in health, scienceand digital.

TelfordCollege’s apprenticeship team is continuouslynetworking with localemployerstogivestu

dentsachancetogainvaluable qualificationsalongside real-world workexperience

Part-timeadult learning courses areoffered forthose whofancy a career change or maynot have had theopportunitytodo so when they finished school

Coursesrange from level 2-5, and includeaccounting, education, hair dressing,healthand socialcareand humanresources.

If you can’tordon’t want to phys ically go to college, thereare several shortcoursesthatcan be done on line whereyou will gain alevel 2or 3qualification

Thecollege’s next open eventis on Wednesday,November 30 from 5pmuntil 7.30pm

Theadult open eventisonSatur day,December 10 from 10am until 12.30pm,where TelfordCollege are offering free flujabstoany adult

whoattends theSaturdayopen event.

To book on either open eventsee www.telfordcollege.ac.uk/join-us/ open-events/our-open-events/

If you’dpreferamorein-depth look at thefacilities TelfordCol lege hastooffer,orifyou’refeeling anxiousabout starting college, you canalso booka1:1 tour by emailing marketing@telfordcollege.ac.uk or by calling 01952642200.

ThecampusatTelfordCollege offers state-of-the-artfacilities andhas been purpose-builttooffer awiderange of course choices, including academic,vocational andadult learning courses

Building safer communities

With Julie Phillips

Thereare anumberofcam paignsrunningthroughoutthewinterseason,runbyWestMerciaPolice,NeighbourhoodWatchandlocal councilsacrossTelfordandWrekin

Thesefocus on stamping out violenceagainstwomen andgirls, avoidingfraud when purchasing Christmasgifts on line,keeping yourselfsafewiththenightsdrawingin,waystokeepsafeinthedark andthe dangersand oftentragic consequencesofdrinkdriving

It’s allabout building stronger andsafer communities,which you canplayabigpartin:bybeingan activebystander,interveningifitis safetodoso,bycontactingthepoliceandcaringforthepersonwho hashadacrimecommittedagainst them

Letthosewhomaybevulnerable inyourcommunityknowthatthey arenotaloneandyouasanindividualandcommunityarelookingoutfor themandeachother,tolendahelpinghandwhereit’sneeded

PartoftheremitofNeighbourhoodWatchisbeingabetterneigh bourandthisisallthemoreimpor tantoverthewintermonths.

Formoreinformation on how youcangetinvolved,visitwww.our watch.org.uk

Prideforsolicitorover anationalaward win

Report by Sue Austin

Asolicitorwhohasbeenaleadingvoiceincasesinvolvingmater nity services at Shrewsbury and Telfordhospitalshaswonanational award.

Beth Heath, of Lanyon Bowdler,hasbeennamedastheClinical NegligenceLawyeroftheYearatthe PersonalInjuryAwards,whichrecognisethe excellence of law firms andindividualsinthepersonalinju ryandmedicalnegligencesectorsall overtheUK.

Judgessaidthelawyerwasaris ingtalentinclinicalnegligenceprac tice,achievingbigthingsinashort spaceoftime. Shewas also know forherthoroughandorganisedap proach,andcaringandcompassion ateattitude

BrianEvans,managingpartner atLanyonBowdler,saidBeth’saward wasrichlydeservedandatestament tothestrengthandcommitmentof thewholeclinicalnegligenceteam

Hesaid:“Ourcongratulationsgo toBethonagreatwinagainstsome stiffcompetition,includingthechief assessoroftheLawSociety’sClinicalNegligencePanel,andthehead of medical negligence from Slater &Gordon’sLondonoffice.Thisisa

brilliantachievementandiswellde served.IknowBethwouldsaythat shecouldnothavewonthisaward withoutthe supportofher team, sowithoutwishingtodetractfrom Beth’sstellarpersonalachievement, everyoneintheteamisawinnerfor thesupporttheygivewhichenables Beth andour otherclinicalnegli gencepartnersandseniorlawyers todowhattheydo.”Bethsaid:“Be

ingnamed as Clinical Negligence LawyeroftheYearisamajorhonour, whichI hopewill give ourclients evenmorereassurancethatLanyon Bowdlercan be trustedwithsuch sensitivecases.”

“Clinical negligence cases, particularlyonesinvolvingmaternity services,are understandablydis tressingandwealwaystakecareto supportourclients.”

Warningon drinkdriving

DriversinShropshirearebeing warnedtheyare50percentmore likely to be breath tested this De cemberthananyothermonth.

Analysis of HomeOfficedata by personal breathalyser firmAl coSenseshowsthatinDecemberlast year,WestMerciaPolicestopped721 motoristssuspectedofdrinkdriving.Thatcomparedwith486inan averagemonth

Atotal of 64 motoristsinthe WestMerciaareatestedlastDecemberwerefoundtobeoverthelimit Thefailurerateofninepercentwas justbelowthenationalaverageof10 percent

Policearenowsteppinguptheir campaignagainthisyear,targeting anyonetemptedtodriveunderthe influenceafterwatchingtheWorld CuporcelebratingChristmas

“Enjoyinganevening game, whetherathomewithfamily or downthepub,increasesthelikelihood of drivingthe next morning with alcohol still in yoursystem,” saysHunterAbbott,managingdirectorofAlcoSense

“Ifyoudrinkfourpintsofmedium-strongbeerorfourlargeglasses ofwineduringthefootball,itcould takeaslongas14hoursforthealco holtoclearyoursystem.

“Theruleissimple.Ifyou’vebeen drinking,don’t driveand if you’re driving,don’tdrink.Ifinanydoubt, self-testwithapersonalbreathalys ertoensureyou’reclearofalcohol.”

Firmsasked tohelp withUkrainemission

Twomenwhohavetakenpartinaid missionstoUkraineareurgingShropshirebusinessestohelpsupporttheir latestjourneytothewar-ravagedcountry.

Gary Fear and David Perryhave travelledtothe devastated country threetimes sinceRussianpresident VladimirPutinlaunchedabarbaricinvasioninFebruary.Thepair,delivering food,medicineandothersupplies,have witnessedall manner of devastation andaresettoreturnearlyinthenew year,aswinterkicksin

They hopetoraise fundstohelp supporttheirlatestmissionandhope businesses andindividuals mightbe abletohelp.“Itmightbegettingcolder

herebutimagineit’sbelowzeroandyou havenoelectricity,noheating,nowater andnofood,”saidGary.

“ManypeopleinUkraine areliv inginoralongsidetheremainsoftheir homes.Othersare living in disused schools, sometimescramped with 20 bedstoaroom–livingwithstrangers butsurvivingasbesttheycan.

“Thesepeoplearebrave,upstandingandproudoftheircountryanddon’t deservethis

“Theyfacetheprospectofanappallingwinterwheremanywilldiefrom thecoldandfromhungerandwereally needtohelp.”Anyonewhocansupport thepair’smission,candonateatjustgiv ing.com/crowdfunding/gfukraine

LanyonBowdlersolicitorBethHeathwiththeprestigious award

Gary Fear and Dave Perry withIgorBodnarchuk

NEIGHBOURHOODWATCH

Drone

AneweventiscomingtoTelford TownParkinDecemberwithTelford &WrekinCouncil’s We AreTelford FestiveDroneShowonWednesday,De cember21

Theeventwillfeaturea15-minute displayofover400dronescreatingim agesintheskyrelatingtolandmarks andeventsinTelfordandWrekinand willbeaccompaniedbyasoundtrack writtenbyTelford-bornrapperTrade markBlud,specificallyforthisshow.

Therewillbetwoshowingsofthe eventonWednesday,December21,one at5pmandthesecondat9pm.

Theeventisfreetoattend,buttick etsmustbepre-bookedinadvanceas therewillbenoentrywithoutaticket Telfordresidentsarebeinggivenprior itybookingforwhatisexpectedtobea verypopularevent

Residentslivinginthe Telford& Wrekinboroughwillhavepriorityac cesstobookinguntil10amThursday, December 15,after whichtimethe bookinglinkwillbeopenforall.

Thebookinglinkwillbeavailable ontheTelford&WrekinCouncilFace bookpage@TelfordWrekin

Celebrating

Aspokesmansaid:“Telford&Wre kinCouncil commissionedCelestial, adrone artcompany, to create the 15-minuteshowcelebratingallthatis Telfordaswellaslocalartist Trade mark Bludtowrite andproducethe soundtracktoaccompanytheshow

“Theresultwill be avisualfeast thatwillhighlightthelandmarksand eventsthathavemadeTelfordandWre kintheboroughitistoday

“Thestoryspansthehistoryofthe regionaswellasreferencingfeatures thatarerelevantandrecognisableto alltoday

“Theshowpromises to deliver somethingforallagesandasharedex perienceintherun-uptoChristmas.”

TrademarkBludisalocalmusician bornandbredinTelford,amulti-award winningrapperandwellknownforan electricliveperformance.Earlierthis yearhewasgreetedwitharapturous welcomewhenhetooktothestageat TelfordBalloon Fiesta as part of the ShropshireMusicAwardsline-up

This eventisbrought to you by Telford&WrekinCouncil as part of theeventsprogramme,providing a calendarofeventsand activities for residentsandtoattractvisitorstothe region

Telford&WrekinCouncil lead er,Councillor ShaunDavies(Labour) said:“This newevent will really be somethingforalltolookforwardto,a fantasticlightshowandaccompanying soundtrackthatwillresonateIamsure withsomanyofourresidentsasthey hearshout-outsofthemanylandmarks andeventsthatmakeupourborough.

“Iamdelightedtobebringingthis eventtoTelfordandWrekinandatthis specialtimeofyear,it’smoreimpor tantthaneverforfamiliestobeable toenjoytimeouttogetherandsharing festiveexperiences

“Wewantyoutoenjoythisevent asmuchaspossiblesopleasedressap propriatelyfortheweatherandcondi tionsandensurethatyouhaveaticket bookedtoattendtheevent

“Welookforward to seeing you there!”

Festivefundraising day forAlzheimer’scharity

Staffatatowncouncilchannelled theirinnerBuddyanddressedupas elvestoraisemoneyforanimportant cause.

NewportTownCouncildecidedto dressupaselvesforElfDay,aninitia tiveledbytheAlzheimer’sSociety

Councilmembersdonnedtheir elvishcostumeslastweek,takingpic tureswithmembersofthepublicwho donatedtothecause

Aspokespersonforthecouncilsaid: “Todayourstaffdressedupaselvesfor ElfDaytoraiseawarenessandmoney fortheAlzheimer’sSociety

“NewportTownCouncilisademen tia-friendlycouncil,andproudtobea memberoftheNewportDementiaAc tionAllianceandiscommittedtohelp

ingpeopleinourcommunitywhoare affectedbydementia

“Manyofourstaffhavefirst-hand experienceofcaringforsomeonewith dementia,sothisisacauseclosetoour hearts

“Pleasesupportthisworthycause.”

TheAlzheimer’sSocietysaysthat £10raisedforthecharityprovidesthe firstconversationwithoneoftheirex pert dementia advisers,which turns four ordinary citizens into so-called superherodementiafriends.

And£50 raised forthe charity means312peoplecanaccesstheirhelp fulonlinecommunity,TalkingPoint.To donatetotheAlzheimer’sSociety,call 03303330804orgotoalzheimers.org. uk/get-involved/make-a-donation

MusicianTrademarkBlud

Basicqueue theoryis what the NHSdesperately needs

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

Thewhole business seemed monumentallyinefficient.Isawno signsofbasic“queuetheory”use “Queue theory”providesarich andusefulset of mathematical modelsfortheanalysisanddesign ofserviceprocessfordealingwith

contentionforlimitedresources

Have you noticedhow bank queues aremuchshorterthan theyusedtobe,asaresupermar ketqueues?Asyouwaitforabank or supermarketqueue to clear youwillnotwaitverylong.That’s queuetheoryworking

Have you waited in an am bulanceoutsideA&Eorwaiteda monthtoseeadoctor?Idonotsee thesequeuesshiftingwiththeuse

Resentment over pensiontriplelock

Thereseems to be acertain amountofresentmentinsomesectionsofourcommunitiesregardingthe statepension triplelock guarantee.

Letmeclarifyafewareas.

1) Although thetriplelock pensionguaranteewasoneofthe Conservatives’manifestopromis es,itwasn’tpaidlastyeardueto the£70billionpaidintothefur loughscheme.Idon’tknowmany pensionerswhohadfurloughpayments,perhapsrecipientsshould paythatbacksopensioners can havewhattheywerepromised?

2)Nextyear,mostpensioners willhavea£14aweekrise.Bythe timetheincreasedtaxonanyoth er earnings hasbeenpaid, most

willonlybe£11.20aweekbetter off.

3)It’ssaidifyou’vegotapri vate pension youdon’t need the rise.Unlikethe tax andNIpay mentswe’vemadethathelpsfund thestatepension,privatepension contributionsweren’tcompulsory Youshouldnotbepenalisedfordecidingtoinvestinyourretirement

4)It’sassumedthatourgenerationhaditeasyastherewasplentyofjobsabout.Jobswerethere, butnotalwaysthejobsyouwant ed, you took thebestavailable Therearemorethanonemillion unemployedintheUKandthere aremorethanamillionvacancies

Nameandaddress supplied

ofrelevantalgorithms.Imaybe wrongandifIam,thenstartagain NHSbecauseyouhavenotaclue abouteventhemostbasicuseof mathematicalanalysis

Ilookforward to thedays when medial queuesare shifted seamlesslybyclinicaldemandand notbytradeunion“negotiation”as theyseemtoberightnow

RobinLloyd,Shropshire

Living with less money

Don’tthe workers whoare striking realisethatthere are many wholiveonfar lower in comesthantheyhave,andthatif wagedemandsaremet,thenpricesandcostswillsimplyincrease?

Ifyoustandatasupermarket checkout andsee theunneces saryandexpensiveitemspeople buy;crisps,tinymorselsofready meals, andprettytinsofbeans costingthreetimesasmuchasthe ownbrandthenyourealisethat mostshopperscouldliveonhalf thewagesquitecomfortably

Also charities– allbegging formoremoney,foroverseasaid, tigerrescue,donkeys,apes,catrehoming.Bettertogiveapoundor sotoabeggarinthestreet

Better worldwas alla dream

Onenight as Ilay dreaming during thehot,dry period,my dreamcametrue.

1.Thatwatercompanieswould seewhatwasneededandactim mediatelytoinvestandcombatthe longperiodofneglect.Theywould joinwithothercompaniestoensurethattheUKhadthebestfacilitiesinthedevelopedcountries.

2. They broughtinexperts frommanyfieldsandskilledwork

erstoensurethatall pipework supplyoffresh,and disposal of pollutedandcontaminatedwater wouldnotleak,toensureourtaps always gave freshwater andno wastefloodedorleakedtopollute ourhomes,streets,naturalwater suppliesorseas.

3. Wasteofrainfallwas stoppedbycreatingstorageareas belowgroundatfrequentinter vals,sothewaterstoredcouldbe

fedaftercleaning,intoourfresh watersupply

4.OurWatercompaniesused cheaperwaysofdisposingofour wastewatertogointoourwater supply

5. More employment,asafer environment,moreenjoyment, a betterworldforall.

ThenIwokeup.

BrendaFlowers,Shropshire

Nameandaddresssupplied

Dobby

With Dogs Trust

Name:Dobby Age:4 Breed: Rhodesian Ridgeback Cross

Dobbyisabeautifulboywhothe team have nicknamedBFGB–Big FriendlyGoodBoy!Heloveslifeand greetseverydaywiththeenthusiasm ofapuppy

Helovesbeingoutdoorssowould likeownerswhoenjoyheadingouton walksandadventuresasmuchashe does,particularlyexploringfieldsand woods.Heloveshistastytreatsand worksreallyhardathistraininginre turnforone,ortwo!Heisveryplayful,

likesasofttoyandlovesagameoftug

Duetohimbeingaboisterous,big boy, Dobbywould best be suited to an adult-only home,preferablywith ownerswhoareusedtolookingafter bigger,livelydogs.Hewouldpreferto bewalkedinquieterareasashereacts tootherdogsandsohecanrelaxin hisgardenhewillneedtolivesome wherewithoutneighbouringdogs.He willneedtallfencingtoo,preferably sixfoot,sothat,givenhisadventurous nature,hecan’theadoffonadaytrip onhisown.

If you canoffer Dobbya loving home,andarewillingtocarryonwith funtrainingsessionswithhim,please gotowww.dogstrust.org.uk

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

“FluandCovid-19areunpredictable butthere arestrong indicationswe couldbefacingthethreatofwidelycir culatingflu,lowerlevelsofnaturalimmunityduetolessexposureoverthe last twowinters,and an increase in Covid-19 circulatingwith lots of variantsthatcanevadetheimmune response,”saysDrSusan Hopkins, chiefmedicaladvisoratUKHSA.“This combinationposes aseriousriskto ourhealth,particularlythoseinhigh riskgroups.TheH3N2flustraincan causeparticularlysevereillness.Ifyou areelderlyorvulnerablebecause of otherconditionsyou areatgreater risk,sogettingthefluvaccineisasensible,potentiallylife-savingthingtodo.

Weareextremelyfortunatetohave vaccinesagainst thesetwo diseases. Most eligiblegroupshavebeenselectedbecausetheyareathigherrisk ofsevereillness.”

Manyadultsand childrenalready getafreefluvaccination,whichisimportanttokeepuptodateasthevirus canchangeeachyear(findoutifyou’re eligibleatnhs.uk/wintervaccinations) Similartoprimary school 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’reinan eligible groupandnothadyourfirstorsecond dose of theCovid vaccine, or first boosterdose–bookanappointment onlineorvisitawalk-incentre

Mum of two Nicole,41, has lived with ulcerativecolitis since she 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,and if I have aflare-up Ican 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 Ihave regular doses of immunosuppressants

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

Nicole waswaiting foramessage

–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 Icaught Covid 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,itwas atotal shockto

me,andIkeptitto myselfand close family andfriends foracoupleof years.Ididn’thave anyongoinghealth issuesandhadfull bloodstaken six months prior to di

SkySports presenter Adam Smith, 37,was shocked by his diabetes diagnosis –but it’s encouragedhim to be extra-careful whenthere areviruses about

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

from her GPtocall her forthe Covid vaccine

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

ureact to thenews? challengingtoget round. I’dbeenin beforefor 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

“Duringthe pandemic I’dbeen isolating along with my mother, whois also immunocompromised. My neurologistput me forward foranew treatment called HSCT –it’sa week of intense chemo in an isolation room

“Theycollect your stem cells, freeze them, then wipeout your immune system completely and giveyou the stem cells back to create anew immunesystemin you. It meant my immunesystemwas pretty much that of anewborn “I then spentamonth in a hospitalroom. When doctors enteredtheywould be fully masked-up and my room was

disinfected everyday as I wassovulnerable.

“After 100 days Icould start gettingrevaccinated– all my childhoodjabs, thefluvaccine and my first Covid vaccine earlier his year

“That wasa hugemilestone –I wasnow on a ourneybackto normallife’.

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

vitalfor him

moreyou’restuck indoorswith an increased risk –especially with immunitywaning over time –soitwas critical Igot thelatest Covidjab andthe flu vaccine.

“It means Ican do regular activities: I’mgoingona work trip abroad, andifitwasn’tfor the newbooster,I’m notsure Iwould have been going.”

‘Vaccinations help me lead anormal life’

CROSSTALK

With Reg Wilford

Thereisastateofanticipationin myfamilyasmygrand-daughteris abouttohaveababyboy

Preparationsare well in hand andthe local maternityunitwell awarethatthebirthisimminent.I haveeveryconfidencethatshewill be well looked afterbyqualified midwives,who will ensure sheis giveneverybitofhelpfuladviceand careinacleanandsafeenvironment

WithChristmasaroundthecorner,IreflectthatMaryandJoseph hadnosuchwellorganised plans. TheyturnedupinBethlehemfora Census with nowhere to stay, fin ishedupinanareaprovidedforan imalswhereJesuswasbornandlaid inabedofstraw.Wedon’tevenknow iftherewasalocalmidwifeavailable tohelpthem

It wouldhavebeenastressful timeforMary(andJoseph)butalso oneofjoyandthanksgiving.Ifyou arefacingfinancialstressdon’tlet Christmasmakeitworse.UseChrist masasatimetorelaxinthecompanyoffriendsandfamilybygetting agreementtokeepitsimpleandletit beajoyfulday

Cherishedpopular pets

ONTHEWILDSIDE

By Ben Waddams

Foraspecieswhichisnon-native andinvasiveandwhichalsoeatsits owndroppings, rabbits arerather popular.

Thethird most cherishedpet apparentlyandalongwithsquirrels andrats,probablythewildmammal youaremostlikelytosee.

Butasidesfromtheirfluffyap pearanceandappealinglooks,what isthestorybehindtheirnaturalhis tory?Wehavehadagoodchanceto gettoknowthemastheyhavebeen hereforaverylongtime.It’sthought theyarrivednotlongaftertheNor manConquestin1066.Theywere initiallyspreadthroughoutEurope fromtheIberianPeninsularbythe Romans,althoughtheyappearnotto havereachedBritainuntil700years aftertheRomansleft

Rabbitsweredomesticatedfor meatintheearlymiddleagesand werekeptinextensivewalledenclo surescalledwarrens.AtoneChrist masfeastinthemid1200sheldby HenryIII,500haresand200rabbits were eaten. Theirmainpredators are foxes, weasels, stoats,polecats andbirdsofprey,specificallybuz

zardsandgoldeneaglesinScotland. Thisisaverygoodreasonfortheir habitof‘refection’.Inordertogetfull nutritionalvalueoutofitsgrassand herbfood,arabbitorharemustpass itthroughitssystemtwice,eatingits owndroppings.Butapartfromthe nutritionalvalueofdoingthis,italso meansthattheanimalsspendless timeoutintheopengrazingandcan

dosomeoftheirsecondary‘eating’ insafehideaways,hiddenfromthose aforementionedpredators. We allknowwhattolookfor whenscanningthecountrysidefor thisspecies,beittheanimalitselfor theirpilesofdroppings,footprintsin thesnoworwarrenentrances.But lesswell-knownarethesoundsthat rabbitscanmake.Althoughrelative

lyquiet,itdoeshaveatleasttwovocalisations.Thebest-knownisahigh treble scream or squeal.Thisdis tresscallhasbeenlikenedtothecry ofapiglet.Duringthespring,bucks express contentment by emitting gruntingsounds.

n Ben’snew paintingsare on showinCallaghan’sandRowlesGallery,Shropshire.

Festiveshoppers to rein in thespending

Almosthalfofconsumerssaythey plantocutbackonfestivespendingthis yearasanestimated2.2millionhouse holdsdefaultedonavitalpayment.

Some46percentofconsumersare cuttingbackthisChristmasduetothe risingcostofliving,Which?found,with 41percentplanningtobuyfewergifts, 30percentsayingtheywillbuycheaper orlessfoodanddrinkand23percent planningtostayathomemoretosave money.

Evenamongthe8percentofpeople whosaidtheywouldbespendingmore, thiswasdriveninmanycasesbyprice increases.

Which?’sconsumerinsighttracker alsoshowedanestimated2.2million householdsmissedordefaulted on a vitalpaymentsuchasamortgage,rent, creditcardorbillpaymentinthelast

month,upfrom1.8millionlastNovem ber.Justundersixin10people(57per cent)madeatleastonefinancialadjust mentsuchascuttingbackonessentials, sellingitemsordippingintosavingsin thelastmonthtocoveressentialspend ing.

Thisisasignificantincreasefrom thealmosthalf(46percent)makingfi nancialadjustmentsthistimelastyear butlowerthanthepeakof65percent inSeptember

Some90percentareworriedabout energypricesand86percentarewor riedaboutfoodprices,84percentare concernedaboutfuelcostsand66per centabouthousingcosts.

Foreachconcern, theproportion worriedhasincreasedbymorethan10 percentagepointscomparedwiththis timelastyear

Rabbitshave been partof Britain’s wildlife for avery long time

Keep it simple, keep it joyful

Some46percentof consumersarecutting backthisChristmas

By Sam Wylie-Harris

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. RussellHobbsRHMD714BL 17L700WScandibluedigitalmi crowave,£84.99,Amazon

Microwaves arehavingamoment–usingasoupçonofaconventionaloven’senergy–andthisone’s especiallysought-after.Welovethe attractive Scandi-style,plusitfea tureseight auto cook menus, five powerlevelsandmulti-stagecooking.

2. Pomegranatepillar candle, £22,TheWhiteCompany

Ifyouscentsurroundwithonly onecandlethisChristmas,theentic ingexotictopnotesofpomegranate,

muskypatchouliandtouchofamber alwaysfeelsrichandfestive.

4. I’mDreamingOfAWine

Christmasreversiblecushion, £45,Neonimo

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

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

Pomegranate

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

Hassocialmedia helped make self-improvement toxictrend?

IMYBRIGHTY-POTTS PressAssociation

TikTok is full of tips

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

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

and well-roundedevery 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 andready to getout of bed.

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

Theconstant bombardmentofself-improvement contentonsocial mediaplatforms canbecome exhausting

Adaptyour bedtime routine

The first1,000 days arecrucial

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

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

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

Branagh’sin role of Poirot Square bids Dotfarewell

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

4,000 namesrememberedasTreeof Lightappealpasses£25kmilestone

By Daniel Morris

Thisisourfifthlistofnamesthat arebeingrememberedaspartofthis year’sTelfordTreeofLightAppeal.

RunbythefourRotaryClubsof Telford&District,theTreeofLight enablesthecommunitytoremember theirlovedonesandsupportlocal charitiesoverthefestiveperiod.

Inreturnforaminimum£5do nation,namesaredisplayedaround thetreeinTelfordShoppingCentre TheyarealsoprintedintheTelford Journalinbatcheseachweek.

So farinthisyear’scampaign, 1,600applicationshavebeenpro cessed, with 4,000 loved ones re membered anddonationsamount ingto£25,500

SevernHospiceandHopeHouse Children’s Hospices will receive themajorportion of fundsraised. Theremainder will be shared by ShropshireProstateCancerSupport Group,2nd WellingtonScouts,Tel fordAfterCareTeam,Telford&Wre kinYoungCarersServiceandJayne SargentFoundation

Amongthenamesremembered are:

MarionSans;WilliamSans;Bri an Sargent;Dennis Sargent;Eddie Sargent;Baden Savage;Veronica Seabrook;AndrewRichardSeager; MorningtonS.Seager;BrettSham bley;Gib Shambley;Kit Shambley; Richard&HazelShaw;HenryShep pard;FrankShingler;William(Bill) &MaryShore;AdrianSimmill;Terry Simmill;GeraldSimmonds;David& KarenSimmons;Kevin Simmons; TerrySimmons;Grace&BillSkelton; VeraSkitt;Eva&JackSmith;Patricia Smith;LiamSnailham

Eric &JeanSpicer;Loraine Sproson;Chris&AlfStanley;Dawn Stephan;JohnStevens;SidStevens; DorisStockin;FrankStockin;Ernest Storie;James(Jim)Sumnall;Donald Sutherland;AdaSykes;EddieSykes

JimTait;MavisTalbot;Bryan& NormaTaylor;Darkie&DaveTay lor;HarveyTaylor;LeslieJohnTay lor;WendyTelfer; Dennis &Joyce Thomas;HenriettaThompson;John Thompson;DoreenTinsley;William (Billy)Todd;GeorgeTomkinson;Vic Tonks; Victor Tonks; Ann(Lizzie) Traylor;Sue Trickett;Harry Turn bull;Lillian Turnbull;Julie Turner; Ray&KarenTurner;LawrieTurrell; NoraTwyford;SamuelTwyford;Ada Tyrer;TedTyrer

Elsie &Ted Vaughan; Price Vaughan;FrankVickers;IreneVick ers;JennieVines

Elsie Wade;RonaldWade; GeorgeWakeley;Margaret&Moses Wakeley;CliffWallace;MurielWal lace;ValerieWallace;BernieWalsh; Joan Walsh; ColinWalster;Shirley Walster; KennethWalters;Marion Walters;KimWardle;Alfred&Una Watkins;RebeccaNicoleWeaver.

Evelyn &NormanWedge;Dick &MaryWellings;Lewis Wheaver; DorothyWhite;GordonWhite;Ro salind Whitney; WilliamWhitney; Joyce Whittaker; DerekWild; Enid Wilkes;FredWilkes;TraceyWilkes; AliceWillard;FrankWillard;Richie Willard; DavidS.Williams;Edna Williams;EstelleWilliams;JohnWil

liams;MartinWilliams

Violet Williams;WilliamWil liams;Gilbert&MargaretWinwood; AndrewWood;BarbaraWood;En ochWood;JeanWood;LilianWood; CarlD.J.Woolley;TinaWootton;Wil liamThomas&MargaretWootton; FrancisJamesWorrall;JackWorrall; JohnWright;AlbertWyton

John Yarnold; AnnYates;Ann Yeo;ColinYorke;CraigYoung;Gay norYoung;MissyYoung;Rose&Vic Young.

EricAdams;KathAdams;Ellen Allan; HarryAllan;StuartAmbro se;EricAnderson; Gordon Archer; BettyArrowsmith; George Ar rowsmith;JamesArrowsmith;John Arrowsmith;MichaelAtkinson;So phieVictoriaAtkinson;Harry&Joan Avery;CarolAvis.

JessicaBailey;Julie Bakarania; Jackie Ball;Richard Barker; John Barnes;AlanBarnett;AndrewMi chael Barrass; TomBarrett;David Barsby;PaulBarsby;DennisRonald Bates;IvyMurielBates;RolandStan leyBates;MartinBauld;MaryBeach; TrevorBeal;Maud&LenBeard;Da vidBeardsmore; Herbert Becker; ChristopherBeckett;Sylvia&Peter Beddall;NigelBeddoes;SylviaBes sant;Raymond&EvelynBiddulph; StevenBiddulph.

WinifredBiddulph;Douglas Billinge;NormanBinnersley; Paul Binnersley;DaveBinsley;PaulAdri an Birch; Tony Blackham;George Blagbrough;RosealeenBlagbrough;

MalcolmBlair;KeithBlower;Edith Boden;JohnBoden;Lillian &John Boden;PeterBoden;RonBoden;Wil liam Boughey; JoeBradburn; John Bridge;MaudBridge;DerrickBrittle.

BarrieBroomhall;Maureen Broomhall; DerekBrown;Roy Brown; Sid Brown; Steven Brown; WendyBrown;Bert&OliveBullock; GeorgeBurn

AlfCallaghan;GarethCamp bell;Michael Campbell;Catherine Carey; JohnCarey;Michael Carey; GeorgeCarline;BettyCarr;Sophia Catt; Gwen &Bill Chapman; Mick Chapman;JohnRichardChilds;Enid Clarke;TimClews;JenniferCloete; Reginald Cloete;TraceyColes;Mi chelle Colley;Pat Colley;PaulCol ley; PearlColley; ElizabethCooke; VictorCooke;Diane&PeterCooper; BarryJohnCorbett;George&Hilda Corbett;AnnaCostin-Carey; Allan Critcher;NancyCrutchley;William Crutchley.

ClaudiaDavies; GillianDavies; LeonardDavies; Leslie &Myra Davies; NaomiDavies; Patrick Davies; PriscillaDavies; Rhys John Davies; Tom&Dorothy Davies; ValerieDavies;JohnDavis;Leonard Davis;DaphneDawson;SylviaDaw son;AliceDayus;BillDayus;Stan& NoraDeakin;Coulson&JeanDenton; Jeevan SinghDhanda; HazelDiss; Patricia Dixon;Roger Dodd; Irene Doley; Jenett Donaldson-Wood;Ian Drummond;ElizabethDuffin;Irvine Duffin;PeggyDunham.

RegEaton;EliseEdmunds;Wil liam Edmunds; EmilyEdwards; Graham Edwards; HarryEdwards; LouisaEdwards;MargaretEdwards; Thomas Edwards; TomEdwards; Alan Elcocks; Gerald &Olive Ellis; HildaEmery;JuneEmery;FredC.V.F Evans;NoraEvansneeBarnes;Ju dithEverill;RobertEwings;Lorraine Eynon

PeterFarrelly; Phyllis Farrelly; Andrew Faulkner;EnidFinn; Ray mondFinney;DarrenMFlack;Olive &RayFletcher;MichaelFlynn;Mar garetFollows;RoyFollows;Bernard JamesFord;DorothyFord;JohnFord; MaddieFord;SteveFord;GillianFos kett;PatriciaFoster;HarryandSyl viaFox;BernieFrost;GeofFrost

ChrisGallier;JayneGallier;John Garbett; Ronald Michael Garbett; HildaGardner;JackGarmson;Mavis Garmson;AlisonGater;AnnGater; Martin &Margaret Gaughan; Nev Gaut;AlbertGibbons;RoseElizabeth Gibbons;DorisGiles;MichaelGlaze; SusanGlaze;JeanetteGoldring;Jack &DoreenGraham;JanetGreenwood; Pearlene Greenwood;Barbara & JoeGriffiths;MichaelJohnGriffiths; DollyGroucott; Andrew Growcott; JosephGrowcott;BettyGulliver;Jack Gulliver;GeorgeBenjaminGumsley; EthelGwyther.

June Haden; PaulineHaines; LewisHall;MargaretHarman;Kath leen Harris;Olive Harris; Audrey Harrison;Jack&HazelHatton;Annie Hayward; KennethHayward;Ted

Hayward;MarjHealey;MaryHicks; HaroldHiggins;BarbaraHill;Charles Hill;EileenHinton;NeilHinton;Ben jaminHipkiss;ElsieHipkiss;Rupert &Ivy Hockenhull;AlfredHocking; LilianHocking;Jim Hodson;Kath Holding.

RayHolland;StuartHollins; Grace&JohnHolt; Ronald Hope; Lynn Houghton;Alistair Houlton; IntombizodwaHove;GavinHughes; Hazel&TerryHughes;RobHughes; Tom&BettyHughes;ChristineHum phreyson;Harry Humphreyson; MarionHumphreyson;NeilHunter HildaJackson;JacquelineJack son;VerityJackson;EvaJarvis;June Jarvis;PhilipJarvis; AddisonJohn; AlanJones;ArthurAlanJones;Clive Jones;DavidJones;ElizabethJones; EthelJones; Florence Jones; Gor donJones;JohnRobertJones;Kevin Jones;LindaJones;MargaretJones; MayJones; MichealLeslie(Mick) Jones; NancyJones; Nancy &Les Jones;RonJones;StanleyJones;Sean Jordan;IreneJukes;JackJukes

KuzmaKaczmarczyk; Pawlina Kaczmarczyk; PeterKaroly; Par kashoKaur; Gertrude &Kenneth Kearton;AliceKelly;ReivleyKenne dy;BarryKerr;NormanKirton;John Knight;LeslieKnott;AngelaKrneta; MasonKrneta;MilanKrneta;Ashok Kumar.

GordonLamb;GwenLamb;Gwen Lampard; Joseph Lampard; Danny Lane;LisaLane;SusanLatham;Irene andDennisLavender;BillLaw;Peter Lawrie;PeterLecouteur;AlanLee; BerylLee;TonyLeigh;JoanLesueur; BerylLewis;Frank&AudreyLew is;GordonLewis;NancyLewis;Ray Lewis;Robert(Bob)Lewis;ViLewis; Arthur Lowe;Matilda &Frederick Lowe;RoyLowe;AllanLuter;Marga retLuter;SimonLyttle

MaiMacKenzie;Craig Mansell; LilyMarkland; Andrew Martin; James Martin; Mick Masefield; CharlesMason;LilyMason;Fred Massey;SandraMatthews;JeanMay bin;JimMaybin;KatrinaMccormick; WilliamMcGladdery;Hazel McK ee;Sam McKee; Claire Mellinship; MargeryMerrington;WilliamMer rington;Barbara&GeorgeMiddle; George&VioletMiddle;GarethMi nards; WilliamMoir; BettyMoore; GordonMoore;FredMorgan;Isabel Morgan;LuckyMorrell;AlbertMor ris;Cis&DoraMorris;MurielMorris; NicolaMorris;JudyMortimer;Sally AnnMorton.

CeciliaNewbrook;KennethNew brook;Robert&MargaretNiblock; DerrickNicholas;MargaretNicholl; Robert James& MargaretNicholl; DerekNipe;JoanNoel;KennyNow bath

SusanO’Hara; Elizabeth &Ar thur Oakes; Lesley &JeffO’Cal laghan;RoyOrton.

BrianPaddock;EvelynPad dock;JeanPaddock;KathleenPad dock;Kevin Parkes;JuneParkins; John Parry; CecilParton; Peter Parton;Roxyanna Parton;Gerald CharlesRobertPass; DorisPeake; FrederickPeake;Eva &Bill Perry; Kathleen Joan Perry; BrianPheby; MarionPhillips;PeterPhillips;John Pierpoint;Phyllis&CecilPierpoint; PaulRaymondPitcher

Musiciansentertained atthelaunchoftheTreeofLightinTelfordShopping Centre

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.Todaythough,

Just37milesfromtheVenezuelancoastline, betweenAruba and Bonaire–makingupwhat’sknown astheABCislands–Curaçao,with itsdiverse cultural history is the 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 world heritage site, Willemstad.HereIfindstrikingcor alstonebuildingsinEuropeanneoclassical styleadorned in vibrant 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

Andthatclassicliqueurthatfea turesinmanyholidaycocktailsand 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 around Oakville–Ontario’s larg esttown.ThehomeofScottCalvin is locatedat17ChisholmStreet OakvillehostsanannualSantaClaus parade,whichexploressomeofthe iconiclocationsfromthefilm.

The 17thcentury town of Pundawithitscolourfulbuildings

The double infinitypool at SandalsRoyal Curacao

Cooking course– LaurenTaylor

SandalsRoyalCuracaoresort

Shere, Surrey,setting for The Holiday

ARROWSMITH

Edna

Of Cord ingl ey Wa y, Donnington, Telford.

Passed away peacefully at the Princess Royal Hospital on November 26,2022,aged 79 years.

Loving Wife of Graham and a much loved Sister and Aunt.

Funeral Service to be held at Telford Crematorium on Thursday,December 15, 2022 at 10.30am.

Family flowers only please, donations if desired for the Severn Hospice for which purpose acollection boxwillbeprovided at the Crematorium.

All inquiries

LINNING

Martha Of Dawley

Sadly passed awayatThe UplandsNursing Home on November 25, 2022, aged 74 years.

Beloved Wife of the late Ian, devoted Mum andGranny who will be deeply missed by all.

Funeral Service 2.30pm Thursday,December 15 at St Johns Church, Lawley

Family flowers only by request, but if desired, donations which will be dividedbetweenthe Severn Hospice andThe Uplands Nursing Home would be appreciated.

All inquiries to

MACERA

Italia Maria (Maria)

Passed away peacefully at the Princess Royal Hospital on November25, aged 92 years.

Beloved Wife of Michele (Mike),adored and much loved Mum of Tina, Carol, John, Tony and Aldo, Mother-in-law of Stephanie, Tanya, Lorraine, Martin and the late David.

PreciousNan of Ashley, Hayley, Ben,Liam, Alex, Cole,Paige, Max andElla, Great-Nan of Isaac, Mason, Lewie, Hudson, Conorand Harper

Maria will be greatly missed and neverforgotten by all her Family and Friends.

‘A bright shininglight has gone out of our lives’.

Funeral Service 1.45pm Tuesday,December13, at St Patricks Roman Catholic Church, Wellington.

Please weara splash of colour

OSMAN

Ali

Of Wellington Gasworks.

Fell asleep peacefully on November 22, 2022.

Aged 27 years.

Beautiful Son of Clare and Ali.

Loving Brother to Charlotte and Jack.

Loving Partner to Kerry.

Daddy to McKenzie, Alfieand Sienna.

Uncle to Ameera, Rahman, Raheem,Kaleem, Baby Shahzeer,Aliyah and Jack Ali Osman. Brother-in-law to Shahzeer and Chick.

Funeral Service to take place at Wellington Cemeteryon Tuesday,December 13 at 10.30am.

Floral tributes welcome. Donationsifdesired to be put towards amemorial for Ali

Asplash of navy can be worn.

Inquiries to

TomEvans

Vera Evans

Patricia

Julie Fowler

Michael Gorman

Elisabeth Green

Anne Griffiths

Tony Hancox

ValHughes

Peter Humphreys

Ray Johnson

Carl Kendalll

Robin Kinvig

David Lea

Brian Lewis

Jack Matthews

GaryMitchell

Shirley Moore

Edith Morris

Julia Mortimer

Carole Mott

Irene

Of Pool View CaravanPark, Buildwas.

Passed away withher Daughters by her side on November 19, 2022.

Aged 83 years.

LovingWifeofthe late Reg, much loved Mum to Susan, Karen and Dawn. Aproud Gran and Great-Gran.

Funeral Service 2.45pm Monday,December 12, 2022 at Emstrey Crematorium, Shrewsbury.

Donations, if desired, would be appreciated for The Midlands Air Ambulance.

All inquiries to

JONES

Joan

Formerly of Wellington.

Passed away at Briarfields Re sidential Home on November 24, 2022, aged 92 years.

Devoted Wife of the late Noel, Mum, Grandma and Great-Grandma.

She will be sadly missed.

Funeral Service. 2.45pm, Thursday,December 15 at Emstrey Crematorium, Shrewsbury.

Flowers welcome or if desi red, do nati ons to Briarfields Residential Home would be appreciated.

All inquiries to

Family flowers only by request, donations if desired for Hope House would be appreciated.

Inquiries to

Passed

PROUDLEY

Aged 79 years.

Devoted Husband of Christine.

Loving Father of Steve and Linda.

Much loved Grandfather of Sarah, Michael and Tom.

Funeral Service to be held at Telford Crematorium on Monday,December 19 at 11.30am.

Family flowers only please.

Donations if desired for Cancer Research UK for which purpose acollection boxwillbeprovided at the Crematorium.

All welcome.

Inquiries to

Malcolm Peel

Phillip Ralphs

Natasha Raynes

Clive Reynolds

Brian Richie

Marian Sayer

Gregg Scott

John Seddon

Daphne Smewing

Carolyn Smith

Brenda Turner

Gillian Wheal

Ron Williams

DAVIES

Christopher John

away peacefully at The Princess Royal Hospital on November 26, 2022.

Barbara Arthur Trevor Bishop Don Boyling

Glenys Breeze

Amy Chapman

Brian Clayton Josephine Cook

‘Anne’ Evans

WANTED EXPERIENCED GARDENER

NOTICE TO READERS

Please be aware that when purchasing apuppy there are somesimple guidelines you canfollow to ensure that you are not purchasing from a Puppy Farmer:

1. Try to ensure you visitthe puppy whilst it is still withits Mother.

2. Do not arrangetocollect a puppy from anyother location than that of the breeder.

3. Ensure that you are given any KC documentation,if pedigree WhilstMidland News Association publicationstake great care to avoidpublication of advertisements fromPuppy Farmers we cannotaccept any liability shouldreaders purchase from this kind of establishment.

for our websites, as well as covering stories as theyhappen on live blogs.

We arelooking forNCTJ-trained journalists, able to deliver accurate,entertaining copy to meetstrict deadlines. Afull, clean driving licence is required.

We will also consider NCTJ Diploma trained journalists who are working towardstheir NQJ.

This is abrilliantopportunity to join our newsroom, covering a diverse, vibrantand busypatch.

Benefitsinclude acompetitive salary, 25 days’annual holidayand the chance to develop your career at Britain’slargest independent regional news company.

If youare interestedinthis role, please send acopyofyour CV and covering letter forthe attention of theeditor-in-chief, MartinWrightbyDecember 19, to:hr@claverleygroup.co.uk

MG picksupthe pace

Is therea better value SUVonthe road than this plug-inhybrid?

It’s aserious question,and yes thereare some brilliantcandidates, butin termsofsheer valuefor money,HStakes some beating.

Price, well it speaks foritself and starts at just over £31k andstill comes with themarket leading or matching seven-yearwarrantyand features MG Pilot,araftofsafety measures usuallyseenasanoptional extra on rivalbrands.

TheHSisthe largestofthe SUVs coming in just above theequally stylishZS. Thereare twomodels, theExciteand theExclusive,driven here.MG’s firstplug-inhybrid, it combines a90kWelectricmotor with a1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.Thisdeliversacombined poweroutputof258PS andanelectric-onlyrange of 32 miles.

Thepower unit is matedwitha 10-speed auto transmission to deliver rapid pace,allowingittohit the 60mphmarkin6.9 seconds. Econo my is atheoretical 155.8mpg,but I foundittobequite thirstywhenthe electric rangewas exhausted,with an estimatedmid-40s mpg.

At just over £33k forthe range-topper,ithas thrown down thegauntlettomoreestablished andmuchmoreexpensive compet itors.

Theeye-catchingdesignfeatures theiconicMGbadge dominating the

BILLMcCARTHY

deep grille, flankedbyLED head lightclustersand largeair scoop.

Sitting on smart, 18-inchalloys, themuscular linesslope to therear wherethe twin tailpipes andan aluminiumlower bumper give it a sporty finish

Thelarge interior hasgood head andlegroom allround andthismod el hascomfortable electrically oper ated leatherseats giving thedriver acommandingviewofthe road.It features an arrayofsoft-touch fin ishtodashand sports seats, with fewerofthe harshersolid plastics Standard kitincludeskeyless entrywithpushbuttonstart,a10.1 inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlayand AndroidAutoand elec tric foldingand heated door mirrors and360-degreecamera.

Thereisalsoa leather finish to themulti-functionsteering wheel, whilethe centraltouchscreen info tainmentsystemcontrols satnav, DABradio/CD/auxand phonecon nectivity.

Thegoodies getbetterasyou move up therange andthisrange-topper adds frontand rear LEDsequential indicators,dual-zone climate control, ambientlightingand panoramic sunroofand electronicopeningtailgate.

Rear seat passengers arecatered fortoo with the recliningseats Therideiscomfortable while

handling isdecentapart from the occasional wallow on corners. The modeldeliversplentyofpacefor itssize, whileemissions of 43g/km make it cheaptotax

Thesizeofthe carismatched by thebootspace with an impressive 448litresofluggage space. Folding therearseats flat extendsthe total capacity to 1,375litres. There’salso adualheightboot floor.

Safety kitisimpressivewiththe MG Pilotset-upofferingsafetyaids, includingActive EmergencyBraking, Lane Assist,Adaptive Cruise Control, ForwardCollision Warn ing, BlindSpotDetection,LaneDepartureWarning System andRear CrossTrafficalert

FACTFILE

MG HS EXCLUSIVEPHEV

Price: £33.595

Mechanical: Combined 258PS 1,498cc, 4cyl petrol engine and electric motor driving front wheels via10-speedautogearbox

Maxspeed: 118mph

0-62mph: 6.9seconds

Combined mpg: 155.8

CO2emissions: 43g/km

Warranty: 7yrs/80,000 miles

Christmasmarkets to visitinanEV

ThebestChristmas marketsin England to visitifyou’redriving an elec tric carhavebeenrevealedinanew study.

Manchester Christmas Market topped therankingsofthe survey conducted by PeugeotUK, whichlookedat thenumberofpublicchargepointsthat were offeredwithinathree-mileradius of 14 of VisitEngland’smost-popular Christmas markets. They also looked at charging speedsavailable,and ac commodationwithfreechargingwas also scored

Theresearch also investigated how many of themarketscould be reached usingthe 225-mile rangeofthe Peugeot e-208from15ofthe most populated cities in theUK.

Alltop 10 Christmasmarkets– save forPadstow’s eventinCornwall– were accessible from at leastnineofthe UK’s most populatedcities. Manchester’sChristmas market came outon top, with 14 cities in theUKwithina 225-mileradius. It also hadthe highest number of charging stations, with 69 availablewithina three-mileradius. This included 16 rapid chargers offeringspeedsofover50kW.

Birmingham FrankfurtChristmas market came in second place, with Leedsplaced thirdwithits 62 charging stations –including 17 rapid units. The Yorkshirecitycould also be reached from 13 of theUK’smostpopulated cit ieswithinthe e-208’s225-milerange

JulieDavid,managingdirector, PeugeotUK, said:“Christmasmar ketsare apopular destination to visit during Novemberand December and Peugeot’slatestresearch hasrevealed themarketsand cities that best cater forelectricdrivers.

“Withmorethana million electric driversonUKroads today, things like distance andcharginginfrastructure will play an important role in determining wheredriversheadtothis Christmas.”

York topped thetablesinterms of EV-focusedaccommodation options, with 19 differenthotelsand B&Bs of fering free charging forcustomers

APeugeot wasusedinthe survey

Sittingvolleyballonthe up as TelfordEagles flyhigh

PAUL JENKINS paul.jenkins@mnamedia.co.uk

TelfordEaglessitting volleyball team is alive andkicking as thesport goes from strength to strength.

Theteamwas formed in 2018 when coachPaulTwitchell re turned from watching the Invictus Gamesin Australia, amulti-sport eventcreated by Prince Harry for wounded, injuredorsickarmed forces personnel.

He wasinspiredbythe inclusive nature of thesport andbrought it to thealready existing TelfordVol leyballClubwhere he trainedand played.

In England, sitting volleyball is playedbetween mixed-sexteams of disabled andnon-disabledplayers, with theemphasis on itsinclusive nature

Thehighest competitiveoutlet at themomentisthe Paralympics wherethe sportisplayedbetween same-sex teams of athletes with qualifying disabilities

On theinternational scene, Great Britainhas amen’s andwomen’s sitting volleyball team plus ateam that goes to theInvictusGames

TheEaglescompetedintheir firstnationalGrand Prix series in 2019 with Twitchellastheir coach, managerand captain.

He hasstepped down nowbut theclubcontinues andtrainsevery Wednesdaywiththe supportof coachesand players from Telford Volleyball Club’s standing teamand thecommitmentfroma fewofthe originalEaglesmembers

RichardLewis from TelfordVol leyballClubsaidthe sportgeneral ly is growingall thetimebut with publicity generatedbythe Invictus Games, thesitting versionisgoing from strength to strength

He said:“Sincelockdownwe

have seen amassive interest from theyounger generation wishingto participatein volleyball,including my ownson whowas committed to football at one pointbut joined the Telfordcluband nowlovesplaying thesport

“Over thelastyearinparticular

we have seen teenagers improve so much we have enteredsecondteams in both themen’s andladies’ senior league on topofour successful first teams.”

TheEaglestrain everyWednesdayatOak Tree Centre,Light moor Village(6.15-7.15pm) with

thesessionsofferingvolleyball accessible forall ages, abilities or disabilities

They welcome newcomersorexperiencedplayers andto find out more,gotothe TelfordVolleyball Facebook page or www.telford volleyballclub.weebly.com

Stretton in seventhheavenastheyreach thesummit

Church Stretton Town took ad vantageofleaders DawleyTown not playingtomovetothe topof theSalop LeisureLeague.

WhileDawley’s clashwith SAHA FC waspostponed,Stretton put seven past hosts MadeleySports, whomissedthe chance togo fifth in thePremier Division table.

ShaunDaviesmay have scored in the28thminutefor Madeley, butthatwas asgood as it gotfor them as bagged sevenoftheir own to take theirgoaltally to 62 in just 12 league gamesthisseason.

Jack Briscoe andHarry Morris each bagged abrace,whileJames Hill, AlexanderRyder andsubstitute Dean Richards were also on target

Hodnet sitinthird –six points behind Stretton,but likeDawley,

with twogames in hand.Their latest victorywas a5-1 success at WemTown,thanks in part to ahat-trick by Macauley Clifton Marcus Dillon andCameron Dour ishalsohit thenet

Fourth-placed Ludlow and fifth-placed MordaUnited were involved in ShropshireChallenge Cupaction, with Ryan Clarke scor ingfourofLudlow’s eightgoals in a huge victory.

Josh Bull,Harry Jones,Ryan Lewisand Stefan Varsi-Hirons were also on target,whileMorda couldnot respond.

While PreesUnited couldnot quitematch their14-0 triumph from thepreviousweek, they hit thegoaltrail once more to down St Martins 8-1.

Last week’s four-goalheroSam

uelFlory hadtosettlefor just abrace on this occasion –afeat matchedbyChris Owen

Theother Preesgoalscorerswere DannyBeirne, TomClive,Ollie Sumner andJacob Freely Eric Mensah andMartinMensah each notchedsecond-half doubles as Ercall ColtsEvolution sawoff GobowenCeltic5-1

AgoalfromMatthew Stuart andapenalty by JamiePortersaw Wrockwardine Wood edgeout Shrewsbury Up &Comers 2-1, with AblaySowe on target forthe county town team.

Just onematch took placeinDivision One, butitsaw Ercall Colts Revolution climbaplacethanks to a5-1 victoryat Shrewsbury Juniors Marc Wardle,Westley Weston,

Dillon Robb, DominicUdohand Alistair Heighway scored forErcall

Andinthe Division OneLeague Cup, BrownClee were 2-1win ners at bottom club Ercall Colts Rangers

Saturday’s fixtures (2pm kick-offs)

PremierDivision: Broseley v Church StrettonTown; Gobowen Celtic vWem Town;Hodnetv MadeleySports; PreesUnitedv Wrockwardine Wood;SAHA FC vMorda United;Shrewsbury Up &ComersvDawleyTown; Ercall ColtsEvolution vLudlow.

Division One: AFCBridgnorth DevelopmentvLlanymynech; BrownCleevShrewsburyJun iors; Wellington Amateurs vErcall ColtsRangers

Alportleave it late forathrilling victoryoverCity

Whitchurch Alport pulled off an extraordinarylatecomeback to take allthree pointsinaninegoal thriller againstWorcester City

Worcester, whoare struggling just outsidethe MidlandLeague PremierDivisionrelegation zone,tookthe lead through Dy lanHart andReiss Taylor-Ran dle. JamesRowland notched for Whitchurch before the break, as they enteredhalf-time losing 2-1.

Thevisitorsmadealightning fast starttothe second half as Hart scored againwithinamin utetomakeit3-1,beforeSam Yeardley pulled onebackfor Whitchurch just twominutes later. Then,justtwo minutes af terthatgoal, Whitchurch equalisedthrough Alex Hughes.

In what wasafrantic fixture, Taylor-Randlescoredhis seconddirectlyfromafree-kick to restoreWorcester’s lead, before thehosts edged thecontest Whitchurch hadtowaituntilthe 80th minutefor another equaliserwhenJordanEvans pulled them levelbeforeHughes notched hissecondofthe game in the90thminutetogivethe hosts adramatic5-4 lead.Joe Care wasgiven asecondyellow card in the95thminute, but they held on Elsewhereinthe league,anotherhigh-scoringaffairsaw Market DraytonTownlose 5-2toStudley

JamieHands andHarvey Lewisscoredthe goalsfor the hostsbut it wasnot enough as theleague’sbottomclubfellto their17thlossfrom18games

Meanwhile, Shifnal Town were held to agoallessdraw away at LichfieldCity. Kane Lewiscameclose forthe visitors, whileKeanu Cooper wasdenied by thecrossbar in atight contest

In MidlandLeagueDivision One, Shawbury United picked up acrucialwin with a1-0 victory away at Ingles

Despite theLeicestershire club complainingonsocialmediaabout theofficials, claim ingthe free-kickthatled tothe Shawbury goal was‘soft’and that they were denieda‘blatant penalty’,the Shropshire outfit returned home with allthree points

Elsewhereinthe league, AFC Bridgnorth threwawaya lead to lose 5-2athome to Hinckley

AKarlGriffithscornerwas turned into hisown netbya Hinckley defender aftersev en minutes to putBridgnorth ahead, butthe visitors turned on thestyle to take a4-1 advantage. Griffithsscoredasecondhalf consolation before the visitors addedanother,as Bridgnorth fell to defeat

Bottom club Haughmond also lost 6-3toOJM BlackCountry, whileinthe NorthWest Counties League Division One South, EllesmereRangers lost 3-1toleagueleaders Stockport Town

TelfordSitting Volleyball Clubhas been buoyedbythe Invictus Games

Roll of honour

Junior Boy: MatthewMorris

Junior Girl: MillieParry

YouthMale: Oliver Parton

YouthFemale: Lauren Kenvyn

GerryGladwellAward(wicketkeeping): Charlie Ward

Disability Awards

S9sPlayer: OliHarrison

D40Player: Shaun Rigby

Disability Champion of the Year: Dave Hassall

CoachingAwards

YoungCoach of theYear: Josh Anders

Coachofthe Year: Naomi Payne

Outstanding Contribution, Services to Coaching: Andrew Leggatt

Outstanding Contribution, Services to Coaching Development: Rod Jones

Schools Awards

Primary School of the Year: OldParkPrimary

SecondarySchoolofthe Year: HLC

PrimarySchoolTeacher of theYear: Andy Parton,Old Park

Primary

SecondarySchoolTeacher of theYear: SophieJones,HLC

SEND School of theYear: Southall School,Dawley

SEND Teacherofthe Year: Rob Davies,SouthallSchool–Women& Girls’ Awards

Women’sCricket Champion: NaomiPayne

Women’sUpand Coming Club of theYear: ChelmarshCC

Women’sTrailblazers: Shel tonCC

Women’sClub of theYear: WemCC

Women’sTeamofthe Year: Frankton CC

Girls’ Club of theYear: WellingtonCC Shropshire Star Awards

AllStars Champion Club: AlveleyCC

DynamosClub: WilleyCC

InspireAward: Whittington WitchesCC

Beyond theBoundaryHub: Sutton HillHub on theHill Beyond theBoundaryCom munity Champion: MarvynJoseph Development Club of the Year: Sentinel CC

ECBGrassrootsAwards

ConnectingCommunities: WellingtonCC

Inspired to Play: Matt Earley

Rising Star: GriffDavies

Game Changer: Chloe Green

UnsungHero: TimBarber

Growingthe Game: Neil and

Acelebration of

Theachievementsof clubs, players, schools, communitiesand volunteersincricket across Shropshirewerecele bratedatthe Board’s annual Presentation Evening.

Morethan250 people were at theSovereignSuite at Shrewsbury Town’s Montogmery Waters Mead ow forthe event– the firsttimeit hasbeenheldatthe venue.

BoardChair Adrian Collins paid tributetoall whoreceivedawards on theevening

He said:“It wasgreat to seeso many people in attendance on the nightcelebrating theachievements of people acrossthe cricket community in Shropshire

“There issomuchgoodworkbeingdonetopromote andgrowthe game,and it is brilliantthatweget thechancetohighlightthe achievementsofsomanydifferent people whohelpmakecricket thegreat game it is in thecounty.”

Anew sectionwas introduced to theevening to recognise theimpor tanceofthe growinglinkthe Board andschools in thecounty.

Sixawardsweresplit between Primary, Secondaryand SEND (SpecialEducational Needs) schools.

ThePrimary Teacherofthe Year awardwenttoAndyPartonfrom Old Park PrimarySchoolinTelford CommunityCoach RyanLockley said:“Andy couldn’t have made us feel more comfortableeachtimewe enteredthe school,his welcoming stylewas extremely reassuring

“His excellentknowledge and willingness to help wasshownin theway they supported with deliveryinschool.

“His dedication wasextended furtherasthe school enteredboth theKS1&2 Chance to Shineprima ry school competitions

“Heisasuperstar at dishingout flyers forlocal club links,promoting summer events at Malinsleefor our communityprojectsand is also very engaging forthe children of Old Park Primary.

“Heisanabsoluteinspiration to cricket in thecommunity and school.”

Old Park School were named Chance to ShinePrimary School of theYear

AlbrightonCC, Allscott Heath CC,Alveley CC,Bomere Heath CC,BridgnorthCC, Chelmarsh CC,Claverley CC,Condover CC, Cound CC,Ellesmere CC,Forton CC,FranktonCC, Knockin &Kin nerley CC,LilleshallCC, Ludlow CC,Madeley CC,Newport CC, Oswestry CC,Pontesbury CC, QuattCC, Sentinel CC,Shelton CC,Shifnal CC,Shrewsbury CC, St Georges CC,WellingtonCC, WemCC, WhitchurchCC, Woore CC,WorfieldCC.

Lockleysaid: “Thisschoolset the standard extremely high with great attainmentand 100per cent effort from allstudents within theclasses that we delivered to

“The staffengagementwas also fantastic, theirwillingness to get stuckinand supportcontributed to thehugesuccess.”

Hadley Learning Communityhad doublecause forcelebration after landingThe SecondarySchoolof theYearaward whileSophieJones collected TheSecondarySchool Teacherofthe Year accolade

Southall School in Dawley also landed awinningdouble, picking up TheSENDSchoolofthe Year award

whileRob Davies took TheSEND Teacherofthe Year award.

Theeveningalsocelebratedanothergreat yearfor Women& Girls’ cricket in Shropshire with more teams gettinginvolvedatall levels of thegame.

Womenand GirlsRecreational Cricket OfficerKatie Rushtonsaid: “There hasbeenplentyofaction throughoutthe year.

“The autumn andwintersaw the

Indoor leaguesreturnat Wrekin Collegepreceded by theadditional league at Shrewsbury School Cricket Centre

“Spring sawtastersessionsat AllscottHeath CC as they look to re-engageand encouragenew la dies to join theirset up

“SoftballFestivals were in full swingwithlastyear’strailblazers NewportCCand Albrighton CC continuing to thrive

“The indoor season also proved successfulfor ourhardball teams with more involved this year than ever before

“Following this severalnew teamsjoinedsummer hardball ac tivity, includingthe Pontesbury ladies findingtheir feet in themid week league andKnockin &Kin nerley striding into thenew Shropshire8sLeagueFinals Dayduring their firstseasons of hardball.”

Jennie Good –Safehands Award

Disability Champion Dave HassallVolunteer AwardwinnerKeithYapp

Lifetime Achiever Dave Ralphs

Manny andJuliefromHub on theHillPictures: BrianClarke/Kidz in Focus

WemCCare allsmilesafter winning theWomen’s Club of theYear award

Andy Parton from OldPark Primary

agolden summer

Pace aceDillon presents awards to thefab four

Four Shropshirecricket coaches were honoured on thenightand were presented with theirawards by Worcestershire andShropshire fast bowler Dillon Pennington

TheYoung Coachofthe Year awardwenttoJoshAndersfrom Shrewsbury CC.

Ed Ashlin, whoissecretary of the ShropshireCricket CoachesAssociation, said:“Josh hasbeeninstru mental in thedevelopment of both of youngpeopleand more recently the ladies at theirclub.

“Hehas demonstrated excellent commitment to theclub.”

TheCoach of theYearaward went to NaomiPayne from Oswestry CC Ashlinsaid: “The nomination for Naomiwas impressive,there is no doubtshe hasgonethe extra mile to extend thereach of cricket in and around theirclub.”

TheOutstanding Contribution Services to Coaching Awardwentto Andrew LeggattfromOswestryCC.

Ashlinsaid: “Andrewhas had ahugeimpactonjunior cricketat theirclubfor over 20 years. With outhis dedication,the club would nothavethe junior sectionthatit continuestoproduce.”

TheOutstanding Services to CoachDevelopmentaward went to RodJones

Ed said:“Rodhas hadahugeim pact on coaching andcoach develop ment within Shropshire over along period of time,” said Ashlin

“Hewas one of theearly ECB ‘tu tors’and hasworkedextensivelyon ECBcertificatedcourses, enabling coachestopassthrough andhave apositive impact in the fieldwith theirclubs andschools.”

Furber appeals fornew players

An appeal to find more disabili ty cricketers in Shropshire was made during theevening

Eveleads theway into Hall of Fame

TheCricket ShropshireHallof Fame waslaunchedatthe annual PresentationEvening–withCen tralSparksand Birmingham Phoe nixstarEve Jones the firstcricket er to be inducted Shewas presentedwithaframed copy of thecitationwhich will hang on thewallatboard’s officesas part of theHallofFame.

Cricket Shropshire Lead Of ficerSteve Reesesaid: “Wehave arecordofproducingtop quality cricketersinShropshire, andwe decideditwas time to startrecog nising theirachievements through theHallofFame.

“Eve wasanobvious choice to be the firstasshe hasbeenatrailblaz er sinceshe wasayoungster and hasbeenagreat ambassadorfor Shropshire.”

Jones started hercricket jour neyatWhitchurchand wasone of the firstplayers on theShropshire Girls’ AgeGroup pathway. She

made herfull Shropshiredebut in 2008 againstNorthamptonshire andtop scored with ahalfcentu ry.Overthe next four yearsshe became establishedinthe side and wasthe leading runscorerinboth 2010 and2011.

From 2012 shemovedupa level to Staffordshirefor four years, leadingthe runscoring charts therein threesuccessiveseasons

Hernextmovewas to Lancashire whereshe wasamember of theside whichwon theCountyChampionship andTwenty20Cup doublein 2017.In2018she became captain and2019led them to second in the County Championship.

Sheplayedinthe Women’sSu perLeaguefor both Loughborough Lightningand then Lancashire Thunderbeforebecoming oneof the firstplayers to sign aregion al professional contract with West Midlands Cricketin2020.

That sawher switch to play for

Warwickshire, CentralSparksand Birmingham Phoenixin thenewly createdHundred

Shewas namedasCentral Sparksskipper in 2020 andina stellarcampaignin2021, shewas thethird topscorerinthe Rachel HeyhoeFlint Trophy in thecountry, andled therun scoringcharts in theCharlotte Edwards Cup.

In theinaugural Hundredfor Birmingham Phoenixshe was fourth in therun scoringchartsfor thewhole tournament –including the overseas stars.

Thoseperformancessaw herrat ed as the first-ever PCAWomen’s OverallDomestic MVP, andthen votedas thePCA Playerofthe Year by herpeers

Sheearnedacontract forthe MelbourneRenegades in theWom en’s BigBashLeaguefor 2021/22 andthenselection as theEngland Acaptain fortheir tour of Australia.

It came from coachGraham Furber as he highlightedthe successes of the2022season before presentingthe Disability Awards sectionofthe evening.

He said:“ArecentSCB au ditindicated that clubsdo have players in thecountywho could be considered forselection

“Welookforward to working with TylerIbbotsonasour first dedicatedDisability Officerand thenew Disability Hubclubs like St Georges,Shelton andWel lingtonindeveloping disability cricket in thecountyand hopefully findingsome morecounty standard players of both sexes to take thesquadsforward.

“Pleasebeassured that this is not‘Mickey Mouse’cricket –we areoften playingsides containingplayers whoplaySaturday cricket fortheir clubs, andeven in PremierLeagues throughout thecountry.Pleaseget in touch with us, we do need yourhelp!”

Thereare twodisability County squads. TheS9s play in crdiball cricketwithaminimum of nine players-a-sidewith30over gamesand theD40 which playsconventional 11-a-side cricket with 40-over games.

TheGrowing theGameaward recipientswereSally andNeilOwen

MembersfromShelton CricketClubwith theWomen’s Trailblazers awardRepresentativesfromWilleyCricketClubwith their Dynamos Club award

CentralSparks star Eve Jones

Chloe Green –GameChanger

S9saward

winner OliHarrison

WE AREGETTING BETTER –WILKIN

Hornetsleave it late to snatch win

AFCTelford United are taking stridesinthe rightdirection despite anotherawaydefeatat Bradford Park Avenue on Monday.

TheBucks have not won agame away from home formorethantwo years, andthe 1-0defeathas made theposition in theNationalLeague Northevenmoreperilous–being 11 points adrift of 20th-placed Buxton Wilkin’s side went into thegame buoyed by their firstleaguewin un derthe bossonSaturdaywhenthey beat Banbury2-1,and they putin agoodshowinginYorkshiredespite thedefeat.

He said:“We really felt therewas an opportunitytobuild on what we didonSaturday, andwhenyou don’t, andyou lose by an oddmo ment in thegameitisdisappoint ing. Ifeelthatweare getting clos er to wherewewanttobe, clearly thereare stillstrides to make

“Butinthe firsthalf, we were ex cellent, so it is akickinthe teeth, buttheykeptgoing andforcedis sues

“Itisdisappointingwehavenot takensomethingout of thegame.

“I thoughtwewereworth at least adraw, andweshouldreallyhave wonthe game if we wouldhavetak en ourchances

“Wecreated lots of chancesin that firsthalfand some good half chances.

“Welookedreallycomfortable in thegame-wewerethe dominant side in the firsthalf.

“Wepassedthe ball really well, andIthink it wasthe best 45 min utes of football we have played since Ihavebeenatthe club.”

Tigerslose five gamesinarow

Twomoredefeats at theweekendsaw TelfordTigers’ losing streak extended to five matches.

ThereigningNIHLNational League champions were beat en 6-3atBasingstoke Bisonon Saturday andthenagain by the same scorelinetoSheffieldSteel dogs at TelfordIce Rink on Sun day.

AndheadcoachTom Watkins wantstosee hissidetighten up particularly on home ice

“Itwas anothertough night forusasa team,” he said.“You won’twin many gamesgivingup sixgoals at home

“Defensively,weweren’t good enough.Wesimplycan’t defend at themoment,nomatterwhat we do andeven when weget pos itives or momentum goingour way, we kick ourselves in the backside by continuallymaking thesameerrors.

“Thisisabig challengefor us to overcome as ateamand these arethe timesyou need thefans behind you.It’seasytosupport awinningteambut it’s when a team is struggling you seethe peoplewho really care

“Rightnow we have to em bracethe challengeas ateam andas afan base.”

Tigers have hadabad habit of conceding firstingames this season andthiscontinued in both matches.

They look to endtheir losing runatHullSeahawksonSatur day(5.30pm)and at home to MK LightningonSunday(6pm)

Longtonin

Counties OneMidlandsWest(North) thanks to alatepenalty from BenLewis Hornetstookanearly lead thanks to abreak by DanRobinsonfrom halfway.Hewas finallytackled just shortofthe tryline, butHornets retained possession andspreadthe ball to theleftfor Nathan Decalmer to go over in thecorner.

Longtonreduced thedeficitto5-3

with apenalty,but Telfordextend ed theirleadoncemorewhenthey counter-attacked from open space andJackHowse burstthrough tacklestotouch down andmakeit 10-3

Longton’s pack then gained a measureofcontroltoturnthe matcharoundbyscoring twoun converted tries, taking a13-10 lead into half-time Hornets levelled thescoreswith

apenalty by Lewison53minutes, only forLongton to counter-attack andscore their thirdtry –leaving Hornetstrailing 18-13.

This wasquickly reduced with a second successful penaltybyLewis Hornetscontinued to step up the pressure on Longton, forcinger rors, andthenon78minutes came thewinningkickbyLewis –alongrangeeffortfromwideonthe right that sailed throughthe posts.

KevinWilkinbelieves

TelfordHornetssurge forward duringtheir dramatic victoryoverLongton on Saturday

Picture: John Cutts

TelfordHornets climbedabove

rugbyunion’s