Chronicle Week Sandwell-Halesowen - 8-Dec-2022

MOTORING

PARKSTOGET £4.5mUPDATE

Sandwell Councilisspending nearly£4.5millionimprovingparks andgreen spaces across thebor ough’ssixtowns

Theinvestmentincludes40play areas,10majorgreenspaceprojects, 10 nature reserves, sevenBMX/ skateparksandnineoutdoorgyms Newplayfacilitieshavealsoopened atLaybourneParkinTipton.

Twomulti-usegamesareasand gatesatmorethan40playareasare benefitingfromrefurbishment,with 60 bins in parksand open spaces alsobeingrepairedandrefurbished.

In June,the council’scabinet approvedathree-yearGreenSpac es Strategy,includingaplanned programmefor workstobecom pleted by theend of March. The £4.45million programmeismade

up of £2.11m of councilfunding £700,000morethanoriginallyout lined–and £2.34m from external fundingstreams

CouncillorLauraRollins,cabinet member forculture andtourism, said:“We’recommitted to invest inginourfabulousparksandgreen spacesacrossSandwell’ssixtowns

“It’sgreattoseetheprogressbe ingmadeontheprogramme–and thatwe’reexpectingtomakeeven moreimprovementsthisyearthan initiallyplanned

“Iamparticularlypleasedwe’re improvingour existing play areas, providingnewplayequipmentand creatingonebrand-newplayarea.”

Sheadded:“Withsomanygreen

spaces andfacilitiestolookafter, ourannualprogrammeofworksisa waytosharewithresidentswhatwe cancommittoeachyearformain tenance, improvementsand major projects

“Ourworksprogrammeissup portedbycouncilfundingandavarietyofexternalfunding streams. We’realsoworking closelywith residents,volunteerFriendsgroups, community groups, businesses, schoolsandcolleges,developingim provementplansforallgreenspaces inSandwell.”

Thisyear’sprogrammealsoincludesworkbeingdeliveredaspart of ongoingprojectsfor Britannia Park,Hateley Cross, West Smeth wick Park,BlackPatch Park and LightwoodsHouseandPark

Mayorindonations plea fortoy appeal

BlackCountry.Councillor

Moredetailsaboutthecampaign canbefoundontheSandwellCouncilwebsiteatsandwell.gov.uk/black countrytoyappeal

‘Shero’Ameenapraised

or thanks. Ameena,who started LetsTalkHopewiththesupportof hermotherCaroleand herbroth erRagih,said:“Welostdad,Saleh, tostomachcancerinJuly2019,my motherhadcancerin2016andIama cancersurvivor.Cancerhashadsuch astrongholdoverourfamily

“Winning this award, it gives everyoneaplatformtomaketalk ingaboutcanceraneverydaypartof theirconversations.”

To join asession,call0121 5253909orfollowthe Let’sTalk HopeFacebookgroup

Report by Adam Smith

Pals’rough nightfor cause

Twofundraiserswereegged byyobsandabusedbygroupsof peopleleavingbarsastheyslept roughoutsideachurchforchar ity.

Michael Goughand Craig TimminssleptoutinfrontofSt Peter’sChurchinBloxwichHigh Streettoraisemoneyforfood banks.Thepaircameupwith

thefundraisingschemewhen theywitnessedtheimpactthat foodbankswerehavingintheir localcommunities.Butitwasn’t justthecoldtheyhadtocontend with –theyalsoexperienced someoftheotherharshrealities forthosesleepingonthestreets Michael,e-commerceman agerofTileChoiceUK,said:“We

hadeggsthrownatusfroma passing car, andwhenpeople startedleavingthebars,wehad people shouting abuseatus–butwedidhavesuchnicepeople comeuptousaswell.”

They have now raised £7,000.Donateatwww.justgiv ing.com/crowdfunding/sleep out-to-help-out Michael andCraig

£1mcashboost forcouncils

in blitzonrogue landlords

Twocouncilshavereceived ashareofmorethan£1million toimprovethequalityofsup portedaccommodation

WolverhamptonandWalsall havereceivedthecashfromthe Government’s£20millionSup ported HousingImprovement Programme,whichaimstostop roguelandlordsfromexploiting vulnerablepeoplethroughlow qualityhousing.Wolverhamp tonCouncilhasbeenawarded £555,250andWalsall£284,300

Some £319,334 has also been awardedtoCoventryCouncil. ItcomesafterLevellingUp Secretary Michael Gove wrote tocouncilsandhousingassocia tions,orderingthemtoraisethe baronstandardsandtakeur gentactionwherepeoplecom plainaboutdampandmould

Theschemeinvolves26lo cal authoritiesand drawson theoutcomesofanearlierpilot, whichsawBirminghamCouncil handedmorethan£3m.Wol verhamptonhasalsobeenallo cated£200,000fromtheRough Sleeping Accommodation Pro gramme

WolverhamptonSouthWest MPStuartAndersonsaid:“We aresendingaclearmessagethat timeisupforroguelandlords whotakemoneyfromthetax payerwhileexploitingvulnera blepeople.”

Ikea storenamed world’sbest

Report by Peter Madeley

Potofjoy fortrust as work recognised

Awoodland trustenjoyed a rightroyalcelebrationafterbeing givenaspecialpotfromBucking hamPalaceinrecognition of its work.

ThepotwasawardedtoWar leyWoodTrust,LightwoodsHill, Smethwick,inrecognitionofthe park’sworkinpromotingnature conservation

Thewoodsisoneofthreepub licparksintheareatoreceivethe speciallydesigned pot, andwill alsobegiftedapieceoftheTrees

of Treesdisplay putupinfront of Buckingham Palace forthe Queen’sJubilee.

VivCole, trustmanager for WarleyWoods,said:“It’sabeau tifulthing.Itwasacompletesur prise,thelettercameinviaemail tellingus.Knowingsomeoneout thereisthinkingofyouenoughto nominateyouisveryspecial.”

Thepotismadeoutofcrafted aluminium andembossedwith thecommemorativeTreeofTrees seal.Thecommemorativeplanters

aregivenouttocelebrateatrust’s orgroup’seffortsinpromotingna tureconservation

Vivadded:“Thenominations areanonymoussowedon’tknow whovotedforus.Thisshowspeo pleappreciatethatthesegrounds arebeingsustainedandthatwe don’ttakethemforgranted.”

Thepotwillnowtakebeplaced intheofficesofthetrustatWarley Woods,whereitwillbejoinedbya pieceoftheTreeofTreesdisplay

Schoolallowed to stay

Aformerpolicestation will stayasanindependentschoolaf teraheadteacherwasgrantedret rospectiveplanningpermission despiteobjectionsfromresidents

Theindependent school in CradleyHeath,calledImpactEdu cation&TrainingLtd,providesan additionalteachingfacilityfor60 disadvantagedpupilswho“would benefit from aplacement away from theirmainstreamsetting,”

accordingtothe planning appli cation.Sevenobjectionswerere ceivedbySandwellCouncilabout theeducationcentre,mainlyrelat edtoanti-socialbehaviour.

ButTerenceBreen,headteach eratImpactEducation&Training Ltd, said whilesome of his stu dentshadbeenbannedfromlocal shops,hebelievedpartsoftheob jectionswereunfounded“because they’veneverbeenintheschool

toseewhatwedoinside”.Labour councillor Liam Preecesaidhe “resonated”withtheheadteacher overyoungpeople’seducation.

Hesaid:“Ithinkthepointthat theapplicant made didresonate withmewhichisthatifwereject theapplication,dowesendames sagetoyoungpeoplewhoattend herethatsociety doesn’t want themorthey’renotwelcomeinthe community?”

Deputy Lieutenant GurpreetBhatiahands overtheroyal pottotreasurer David Read

Family’scampaign

Thefamilyofaninsurance workerwhowasstabbedrepeat edlybyacustomerhavelaunched acampaignfollowing his killer’s manslaughterconviction

Abdi Mohamed, 26,was at tacked outside Easy4insurance, inUpperHighStreet,Wednesbury, onJune8lastyear

MosesSmith,38, of Lindon Road,Brownhills,deniedmurder butpleadedguiltytomanslaugh teronthegroundsofdiminished responsibility

WolverhamptonCrown Court heardtheCrownProsecutionSer-

vicehasacceptedhisguiltyplea HewillbesentencedinJanuary.

MrMohamed’sfamilybelieve theattackwasraciallymotivated andare unhappywiththe outcome.TheyhavelaunchedtheJusticeforAbdifahacampaign.

MrMohamedwasattackedaf terSmithwenttotheofficetoin quireaboutmakingaclaimabout scratcheson hisvan. When the victimwenttocheckthevehicle parkednearby,Smithstabbedhim multipletimesinanincidentcapturedbyCCTV.Hesufferedserious neckinjuriesanddiedinhospital.

Councillor backstrial of ‘noise’detectors

By James Vukmirovic

Boyracerscould soon be caughtoutbytheirrevved-upenginesasnoise-detectingcameras aretrialledintheregion

Councillor BobPiper,deputy leader of Sandwell Council, has backedthepilotinitiative,which useavideocamerainconjunction withmicrophonestopinpointex cessivelynoisyvehicles

ThetrialofthecamerasinRu beryispartofanationwidetrialto helptacklethecontinuedproblem ofcarcruising.Itwillcrackdown onboyracersrevvingenginesand usingillegalexhausts

LibertyCharris,16,fromGor naland19-year-oldBenCorfield ofDudleywerekilledafterablue Nissan Skylinehit acrowd of spectatorsiontheA457BirminghamRoad, Oldbury, on Novem ber20.Theirdeathsbroughtthe focusbackoncarcruising,with Sandwellamongtheareasworst affectedintheBlackCountry

Thenewtechnologybeingpilotedwouldmeanthatifdrivers revtheir enginesunnecessarily oruseillegalexhauststheywillbe automaticallydetected

AbbeyWardrepresentative CouncillorPipersaidhehadspent sometimelearningwhatthecamerasdidandsaidhefeltanything whichcouldreducethenumberof speedingincidentsinthe region shouldbeencouraged

Storytimea booster

Alibrary played host to the ghostsofChristmaspast,present andfutureasitputonafreeinter activeperformanceofAChristmas Carol.

WednesburyLibraryheldthe performance,playedbyone-man theatreactor Phil Sherman, of BoostCushionTheatreCompany. ItwaspartoftheWarmSpaces Projecttoofferfreeentertainment forfamiliesduringthecost-of-livingcrisis. Jackie Hawkins, man-

ageroftheWalsallStreetfacility, said:“Wehadareallygreatevent We hadaround70parents and childrenturnoutaltogether

“Thefeedbackthatwehad wasamazing,kidswereaskingfor moreeventsjustlikethisone.”

Thelibrary’snexteventtakes placeonDecember17,AJollyBol ly Christmas, whichwill feature BhangradancingasSanta’smagicalelvesattempttoreturnhislost presents.

Trouble-hitbar canreopen

Abarwithahistoryofviolence hasreopenedaftercouncilchiefs approvedatemporarylicence

SevenBarinWednesburywas givenpermission to open up on four weekends overthe festive perioddespiteanobjectionfrom WestMidlandsPolice

Theforce hadopposedthe temporarylicence forthe LowerHighStreetvenue,whichwas shutdownearlierthisyearafter aseriesofviolent incidents.LicensingchiefsatSandwellCouncil hadpreviouslythrownoutabidto

fullyreopenduetoconcernsover violence.Butapanelofthreecoun cillorslastweekvotedtwo-to-one

Thevenue wasopenlast weekendand will operateagain from December 9-11;16-18,and 23-24. with alcohol served from 10am-10pm. Mr Meliapreviouslymanagedthebarin2016and in18yearsasapublicanhasalso runTheForgeTaverninWednesbury,TheJunctioninHillTopand TheWhy NotinDarlaston.He

haspledgedtoturnthebarintoa “trouble-free”venuebylayingon musicand karaokefor an older crowd.

Hesaid:“I’mgoingtomakeit anunwelcomingplaceforthesort ofclientèlethathavecausedallthe trouble.”

Hesaidheplannedtorevertto theformername,TheTurk’sHead andhopedanappealhearingover afulllicenceapplicationcouldbe delayeduntilafterthetemporary events–sohecanprovethepub canbe“trouble-free”.

PhilSherman,ofBoost CushionTheatre,atWednesburyLibrary

VictimAbdi Mohamed

Planting foragreener future

Arotaryclubhas worked alongside membersofapark groupinWednesburytopledgefor agreenerfuturebyplantingatree.

Wednesbury Rotary Club joined theFriendsofBrunswick Parktoplantmorethan20sap lingstospreadthemessageofgiv ingbacktothecommunityandthe importanceofcreatingagreener future

RotaryclubmemberMalcolm Johnsonlentahand.Hesaidthe grouphadplantedonetreewith theFriendsofBrunswickParkasa showofcommunityspirit.

“Ourselves andmostofthe groupswhoareherepayforthis outoftheirownpocket,butthe community hasbeengenerous withusandthisisachance,asa club,togivesomethingbacktothe community,”hesaid MalcolmwasjoinedbymembersoftheFriendsgroupandRotaryclubmembers,includingpresidentJasSingh

Residentscould go on scrutiny panels

Residentscould be placed on scrutiny panels to highlight theirexperiencesindealingwith SandwellCouncil.

Themove hasbeenput forwardaspartofplanstoimprove how theLabour-ledauthority dealswiththepublic Itcomesamidclaimsacouple wantingtochangebankingdetails fortheircounciltaxdirectdebit were “sent around theWrekin” andissuedwithcourtaction

Thecouncil agreed an im provementplanwithgovernment commissioners in June aftera damning auditor’sreportcit ed poor valuefor money anda “breakdown in trust” between councillorsandofficers.Theplan

lookstoimprovehowthecouncil isrunandhighlightedanumber ofareasofimprovement.Abudget andcorporatemanagementscru tinyboardmeetingheardthatde spiteimprovementsinsomeareas, theplanhadhitaseriesofdelays

Key

Bristnallwardmember,LabourcouncillorEllenFenton,who sitsontheboard,saidakeyissue that needed to be urgently ad dressedwastheneedforgreater scrutinyofhowthecouncildeals withresidents’inquiries.

Meanwhile,asaferneighbour hoodandactivecommunitiesscrutinyboardmeetingheardatenant waitedupto54minutestophone

uptheirlocalhousingdepartment Councillorsquestionedthe value formoneyofthe ‘Housing Hub’ pilotscheme,whichisaimedatdivertingresidents’callstoofficers fromlocalhousingteams.

TheTenants’and Leasehold ers’ Scrutiny Group (TLSG) –a collectionoflocalcounciltenants andcouncil leaseholderswhich scrutinisetheauthority’shousing services–testedhowaccessible thecouncil’shousingserviceisvia telephone.

Itreportedonetenantwason thephoneforupto54minutesand notedonly14percentofresidents’ calls made from Sandwell’s call centrehadbeendealtwithbythe ‘HousingHub’

Front,presidentJas Singh withWednesbury Rotary members andFriends ofBrunswickPark

Basicqueue theoryis what ourhealthservice requires

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

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

contentionforlimitedresources Haveyounoticedhowbankqueues aremuchshorterthantheyusedto be,asaresupermarketqueues?

Asyouwaitforabankorsu permarketqueuetoclearyouwill notwaitverylong.That’squeue theoryworking.

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

Helpinghomeless at Christmastime

Thousandsofpeopleacross thecountryarefacingadistress inganduncertainChristmaswithoutasafeplacetocallhome.

As therisingcostofliving pilesmoreandmorepressureon people,homelessnesscharityCrisisisseeingtheconsequencesin itsfrontlineservices.Andascost pressuresintensify,it’sonlygoing togetworse

Now’sthetimetostandwith peoplefacinghomelessness

Crisis at Christmaswill be openingitsdoorstopeoplewho wouldotherwisebespendingDecemberandJanuaryonthestreets.

InthreehotelsacrossLondon andcentres around thecountry, peoplewillbeprovidedwithfood

andwarmthaswellas tailored helpincludinghealthcare,training andsupportwithhousing.Andthis isjustthebeginning–Crisiswill alsobeprovidingallitsChristmas guestswithakeyworkerwhowill giveongoingsupporttohelpthem startonajourneyoutofhomeless nessforgood.

ThesupportCrisisprovidesis onlypossiblebecauseofthegener osityoftheBritishpublic.

PleasegivethegiftofaCrisis Christmasandhelpsomeoneleave thetraumaandhardshipofhomelessnessbehind.

Tofindoutmoreortodonate toCrisisthisChristmas,pleasevisitwww.crisis.org.uk/support CrisisAmbassadors

ofrelevantalgorithms.Imaybe wrongandifIam,thenstartagain NHSbecauseyouhavenotaclue abouteventhemostbasicuseof mathematicalanalysis

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

Nameandaddresssupplied

Toomany left hungry

Nutritionistshavelongknown thatthefirstmealofthedayis themostimportant.Yetformany peoplestrugglingwiththesoaring costofliving,thereisnotenough foodonthetableatanytime.

With so many goinghungry eachmorningbeingchildren,the consequencesaffectnotjusttheir health,butlong-termlearning.

It is asad indictment of our modernwaysandeconomictimes facingourlocalcommunities,that howtofeedhungrychildrenhas becomesuchapressingissue

Theprovision of free school mealsareappreciatedbypupils, parentsand staffalike.Clearly, such vitalsupportisneededall yearround,asfartoomanychil drenarestartingtheirdayhungry.

DougJames,Walsall

Whyare doctorsvanishing?

Imanagedtogetanappoint mentatmyGPsurgeryafterabout sixweeksoftrying,andsawalocumdoctor.

He told me he wasthe only doctortherethatday,atasurgery thatusuallyhassixdoctorsworkingthere.

Iaskedhimwherewereallthe otherdoctors,hesaidoffdoingdifferentthings.Thiswasjustabout twomonthsago.Why,innewsbul

letinsandarticlesinnewspapers, doesitsayGPsaresnowedunder withwork?

WhenIwentformyappoint mentallthechairsweretapedup sonoonecouldsitdown,notone personcameinoroutinthe15 minutesIwaited.

Whyisnoone lookinginto this?Whenare we goingtoget themback?

Everyone is working now,

whatexcuseistheirabsencego ingtobe?Iworkedallthroughthe pandemicinhospital,whatistheir excuse?Whenwillweallfindout?

Thehospitals aremanic,no ambulancesareavailable,A&Eis permanentlyfull.

Whenwillsomeonedecideitis timetodosomethingaboutthese vanishingdoctors?

Nameandaddresssupplied

reach aresolution contact Ipso at complaints@ipso. co.uk or by post at Ipso, c/o Gate House, 1Farringdon Street, London, EC4M 7LG.

Motorbike-riding thugssmashed thedoorsofacommunitycentreinthe latestanti-socialbehaviourincidentto plagueahousingestate

Callsfor action have been made afterpolicewerecalledtoBeechdale Community Centre in Stephenson Square,Walsall,ataround6.30pmlast Tuesday.Thelatestincidentfollowsthe defacingofamuch-lovedmuralpainted onthesideofthebuilding,runbyFrank FHarrisonCommunityAssociation

Thereare number of furtherissues–whichlocalssayareontherise –includingproblemswithoff-roadand quadbikersaswellasgeneralanti-so cialbehaviourhasalsobeencited.

WardcouncillorTinaJukessaidshe waslookingtoarrangemeetingswith police,the police andcrime commis sioner,housingassociationsandcommunityprotectionofficers.

Structuraldamagewascausedto theentranceatthecentreonTuesday withoneofthedoorsnowoutofaction Thecostofclearingobscenitiesfrom themuralisestimatedataround£350

CouncillorJukessaid:“Thisisun acceptablebehaviour.Iamarranging ameetingwiththepolice,community protection,thepoliceandcrimecom-

missionerand Longhurst.This has beengoingonfartolongandweneed this to stop.Somethingneedstobe done.

“Weneedmorepoliceonthe streets.Youcan’tblamethemforalack ofnumbersbutresidentsaregetting angry. ”

ChrisJones,chairmanoftheFrank FHarrisonCommunity Association, added: “It’sveryconcerningbecause weareseeingthingsonaweeklybasis now.Wehaveissueswithpeopleon bikes,graffitionthemural.

“Ifeelsorryfortheresidentsand theshopkeepers,whosetrademustbe sufferingasit’sallcentredonthatarea It’sworryingforeveryone.”

AspokesmanforWestMidlandsPolicesaidTuesday’sincidentwascaused byagroupofyouthsonmotorbikesand quadbikes.InspectorPhilUpton,from WalsallNPU,said:“Weareawareofincidentsofanti-socialbehaviourinvolv ingyouthsintheBeechdaleareaand weareinvestigating.”

Anyone with anyinformation shouldcancontactpolice

Aldi plan forfootball groundgiven redcard

AbidtobuildanAldiandcarehome onthesiteofacrumblingpubandfor merfootballgroundhasbeenrefused.

WalsallCouncil’s planning committeethrewoutaproposalfromthe supermarketchaintotakeovertheformerPelsallVillaFootballClubground andtheadjoininghistoricOldBushInn offWalsallRoad

Thecompany,alongwithjointap plicantJohnRobertssaidthepubhad beenbadlydamagedbyfireandvan dalism andwould be demolishedto makewayforthenewstorewiththe69 careapartmentsbuiltonthefootball pitchbehind.

Butplanningofficersrecommend ed refusalfor reasonsincludingthe impactonthehighwayandtheharm

toheritageassets.Residentstoldmembersatlastweek’smeetingthestore wouldhaveanegativeimpactonexist ingbusinessesandthecommitteevotedtorefusetheapplication

Aldi,however,didseeplansfora newstoreinplaceofRavensCourtin Brownhillsgiventhethumbs-up.Aldi representatives said they were confidenttheywouldsucceediftheyap pealedagainstthePelsalldecision

Aldi’s property director Robin Williams said:“This application site is crying outfor redevelopment.The footballpitchisredundantandinpoor condition.TheproposedAldistoreand carehomecombinedoffersasolution Thestorewillgeneratearound40new jobs.”

Report by Gurdip Thandi

CouncillorTinaJukes atthecommunity centreonthe Beechdale

M6 work to continue

Thelong-runningrevampofamajorbottleneckwillcontinueintonext yearafter“unexpectedchallenges”de layedwork.

National Highways is in the final stagesofimprovingthejunctionwhere theA454BlackCountryRoute/WolverhamptonRoadmeetstheM6atJunction10.Bossesbehindthe£78million projectwerehopingitwouldbecompletedthisautumn

However,theagencyhassaidthat workershave“encounteredsomenew andunexpectedchallenges”thathave “significantlyimpacted”theschedule.

Programme leader Ashfaq Hussainsaid:“Workontheupgradeofthe junctionhasbeenimpactedinrecent

weeksbyanumberofunexpected,ex ternalfactors.Weexpectthemajority oftheworkstobecompletedinthenew yearwiththeupgradedlayoutsforthe Junction10roundabout,BlackCountry RouteandBloxwichLanejunctionset toopeninJanuary.

”Weappreciate people’s patience whilewecompletethesemuch-needed improvements.”

Although conesare duetobe clearedawayontheroundaboutand BlackCountry Route/Wolverhampton RoadinJanuary,conesandthetempo rary 60mphspeed limit will remain ontheM6beyondthatdatewhilethe agencymovestothe“technologycommissioningphase”oftheproject.

Radiostationis rulingairwaves

Acommunityradiostationisrulingtheairwavesafterbeingofficially crownednumberone

BlackCountry Radiowas named StationoftheYearatthe2022CommunityRadioAwardsinBedford

Thestation waspresented with thecoveted awardatthe end of the evening.Judgesdescribeditasan“up beat,engagingandinformativeservice whichistobehighlycommendedfor theirworkbothonairandoffair”

Thesportsteamwon theGold awardforSportsShowoftheYearfor itsSaturdaySportsShow,whileFriday NightClive,presentedbyClivePayne andproducedbyAndyCaddick,picked

up asilveraward inthe Speechand Journalismcategory.

Finally, technical director Tom Walker,who volunteerscountless hoursbehindthescenes,withhisteam ofspecialisttechnicalvolunteers,keep ingthestationonairanddeveloping newstate-of-the-artservices,wonasilverawardintheVolunteeroftheYear category

Station chairman KeithHorsfall said:“Fromworkingatthebackofa church andhavingequipmentnicked andbeingmovedaroundandnothav ingaproperhome,we’vebeenthrough alot.We’reveryproudofwhatweand the140volunteershaveachieved.”

Oldschool up at auction

Anex-schoolusedasanillegalcan

TheEdwardian

The1.33-acre

Covidpandemicandthenmovedtonew premisesinQueenMaryStreet.

Thepropertywaspreviouslypart oftheNorthWalsallJuniorandInfants School,builtin1904

IanTudor,jointmanagingdirector auctionsatBondWolfe,said:“Thesite sits in awell-establishedresidential area,makingitaprimeopportunityfor adeveloperabletosecuretheappropriateplanningpermission.”

Police discoveredthe cannabis farmattheboardedupschoolinJune

Chairman Keith Horsfall, presenterClive Payne,sportspresenter Adam Parkes, directorAlexTotneyandtechnicaldirectorTom Walker

Raisingissue of mandatoryID

The Best of Peter Rhodes

IfindmyselfinAdventinsome painandwithveryfeweventsinmy diary.Thisprovesanancientadage: you know you’re gettingold when yourbackgoesoutmorethanyoudo nnn

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

nnn

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

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

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

Threeformeremployeesofthe

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

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

nnn

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

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

nn n

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

nn n

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

PollyToynbee –IDdiscriminatory andunnecessary

Norman StanleyFletcher

Batterysite plan refused

Plansforahugebatterystorage siteongreenbeltland–whichwould havebeenan“unwelcomeintrusion” tothearea–havebeenrefused

WalsallCouncil’splanningcommitteethrewoutAnescoLtd’sproposaltocreateabatteryenergystoragesystem(BESS)onafieldadjacent toTheDuckeryinChapelLane,Great Barrbecauseoftheharmitwould havecausedtheConservationArea

Haditbeenapproved,itwould havebeencapableofimportingand exportingaround49.35megawatts ofelectricityandfeatured28stor ageunits,14transformersandother equipmentonthesite.

Anesco said thedevelopment wouldbethereforaround40years andprovide arenewable energy storagefacilitywhichwouldbesen sitively accommodated.Theycited the“very special circumstances” neededtodevelopongreenbeltland, includingWalsall’sbidtobecarbon neutralby2050,limitedimpacton thelandscapeandminimalharmto thearea

Planning committee members went aheadwithofficers’ recom mendationofrefusalonthegrounds ofinappropriategreenbeltuse

ResidentBobWinklesaid:“We welcometherefusalforwhatwould be an unwelcome intrusion in the greenbeltandconservationarea.”

dressedtothecharity.Buttheracket wasbustedaftertheNationalCrime AgencyandBorderForceswooped tostoptheconsignmentsatBirming hamAirport

DaltonAnderson,50,andSinclair OryTucker, 64,bothofGroveland Road,Tipton,andAlvinRussell,45, ofWoodLane,WestBromwich,are facingprison.Allthreewerecharged andconvictedaftertrialofconspir-

acytoimportclassBdrugs–canna bis, with Anderson also convicted ofpossessionwithintenttosupply classBdrugs

AssistantdirectorInlandBor derCommandforBorderForcePaul Harpersaid:“Thiswasoutstanding worktostop£2m worthofdrugs reachingBritain’sstreetsandcaus ingfurtherharmtoourcommuni ties.”

Churchset for nursery

Achurchwill be transformed intoanurserydespiteconcernsover parking.

MacefieldsMissionHall,inClare montStreet, CradleyHeath,will caterfor50childrenbetweentwo andfouryearsold.SandwellCouncil plannersapprovedtheapplication

Itwouldoperate8am-8pmweekdays,withsevenfull-timestaffmembers.Arequestforathree-yearconsentwasvoteddowntotwoyears.

MrFaizRasoolsaidhisnursery companyoperatedacrossthe UK with“averygoodtrackrecord”.He said:“Theimpactofparking will be nowherenearwhatyou would haveseeninitsprevioususage.The nurserywilloperateduringworking hours,thereforenoiseisn’tgoingto beanissue.”

Aparking survey in November conducted by thecouncil’s high waysdepartmentshowedthatfrom 7-10amand3-6pm,within150mof thebuilding,therewerebetween30 and50spacesavailable

HeadofhighwaysSimonChadwicksaid:“Duetoconcernsrelated totrafficandparkingwedosupport theimplementationofatemporary permissiontomakesurethereare noparkingproblems.”

LabourcouncillorJulieWebbdis missedthesurveyandsaiditwasa “verydangerousroad”.

AlvinRussell

DaltonAnderson

SinclairOryTucker

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’

Branagh’sin role of Poirot

SATURDAY

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

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

SUNDAY

Casino Royale (2006) (ITV, 8pm)

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

90shitmakers in test of musicknowledge

The Hit List (BBC1, 5.30pm, Saturday)

OnTheHitList,itprobablyhelps tohaveagoodbondwithyourteam mate,butisitpossibletoknoweach otheralittlebittoowell?

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

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

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

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

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

Square bids Dotfarewell

EastEnders (BBC1)

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

Coronation Street (ITV)

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

Emmerdale (ITV)

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

Editor’s weekend pick

Films for the weekend

Your guide to the soaps

Rochelle and MarvinHumes arethe hosts ofTheHitList 90sspecial

OrientExpress

Shane Richie

Caribbeanislandgem’s deep blue skiesand sapphire seas

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

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

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

By Lauren Taylor

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

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

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

Ahitforhoneymooners,there’sa realairofexclusivity,withoutahint ofpretentiousness.Whileontheho

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

Withunlimitedalacartedining, thereareeightrestaurantstoeatat andeightpoolstoswimin,including someguestscanstepstraightinto fromtheirprivateterrace.

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

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

wreckofanshipfromthe1980sand adilapidatedweather-beatenlighthouse standlikeeerie beaconson theotherwiseempty,smallsliceof Caribbeanparadise.

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

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

The17thcenturyoldtowncen trePunda with thepicturesque Handelskade–acolourfulstretchof

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

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

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

Christmas film sets to visit

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

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

Fanscanvisittheiconicscene

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

671Lincoln Avenue,Winnetka,Illinois–HomeAlone2

ThehomeoftheMcCallistersisa veryimpressivered-brickhomethat attractsfansfromallovertheworld Andtheneighbourhoodisdecorated withlotsoflightsforthefestivesea son.

TheIce Rink at Rockefeller Center,NYC–Elf

Themajorityoffilmingforthis festivefavouritetookplaceinNew YorkCity–andoneofthemostfestive things to do is go skatingon

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

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

Oakville, Canada –The Santa Clause

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

The 17thcentury town of Pundawithitscolourfulbuildings

The double infinitypool at SandalsRoyal Curaçao

Cooking course– LaurenTaylor

SandalsRoyalCuraçaoresort

Shere, Surrey,setting for The Holiday

Treatyourselftosomething forthe home thisChristmas

LookingforChristmasshopping inspiration?Prettymucheveryone lovessomethingnewforthehome andtheoptionsareendless

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

Andtohelpyoubeatthecrowds, we’veplucked thebestpresents fromthepile…

1. LowesGreen wine glasses setoffour,£32.50,OliverBonas

Withribbeddetailing,acurved silhouette andfashionable sage greenbase,theseelegantwineglasseswillsitbeautifullyagainstfreshor fauxfoliageforatimelesstablescape.

2. RussellHobbsRHMD714BL 17L700WScandibluedigitalmi crowave,£84.99,Amazon

Microwaves arehavingamoment–usingasoupçonoftheener-

By Sam Wylie-Harris

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

3. Retro television planter, £15,RedCandy

Switch up succulent hourwith thiscuteplanter.

4.AbigailAhernsetof3rattan handledcheeseknives,£35,Free mans

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

5. Pomegranatepillar candle, £22,TheWhiteCompany

Ifyouscentsurroundwithonly onecandlethisChristmas,theentic

ingexotictopnotesofpomegranate, muskypatchouliandtouchofamber alwaysfeelsrichandfestive.

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

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

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

This chic tablelamp, finished withgoldleavesandneutralshade, isabrightchoiceforafastdesigner update

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

Rustling up acocktailismade easy with this elegantshakerand

bartenderguideinone.Simplyrotate thebaseforfavouriteclassicrecipes tocheeraspiritedChristmas

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

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

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

Bodyvases aretrendingbig time…surelythemostseductiveway to displaydried flowers andfresh blooms

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

‘Tistheseasonfortrinkets–and theseopulentvelvetboxes will do afinejobofstoringthoseprecious piecesinstyle.

12.Helen MooreArcticleopardfauxfurhotwaterbottle,£49, Luxdeco

Anobjectofdesire,thisfauxfur leopardprinthotwaterbottlewill warmtoesandtinglestylebuds.

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

This luxurious-lookingthrow hascosywrittenalloverit

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

This sumptuousthrow in light greyisboundtoplease.

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

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

Terrariums canadd atouch of festivemagic

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

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

Awidevarietyofplantscanbe usedinyourterrarium.

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

overgrowing,”saysBishop.“Succu lentsareperfectforthis.”

Terrariumsaretypicallyhumid environmentssoanyfernswillmake agreataddition,saysBishop.

Whileterrariumsarelow-main tenance, Bishop notestheydorequiresomeattentionwhenplanting tokeepthemhealthyandhappy.

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

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

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

Method:

1.Startbyliningyourterrarium orcontainerwithcompostmixand giveitagoodmistwithwater

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

3.Addsomemossovertheex posedsoil,andgivethisamistwith water.

4. Decorate with smallpine cones, Christmastreetrimmings andanyotherfestiveaccessories.

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

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

Pomegranate pillarcandle

Trinity velvet trinket boxes

Dobbies’ senior houseplantexpertClaireBishop

Succulentmeat foryourfeast

Whetheryou liketokeepthings traditionalatChristmas with turkey, or fancyachangewithduck, then Gressingham hasall yourbas es covered.

Producingturkeys andducks to high welfarestandards,Gressinghamcan ensure that you find the perfectand most succulentbirdfor yourfestive table.

AllofGressingham’s turkeys come from RedTractor assured Britishfarms acrossSuffolk, Norfolk andEssex.Gressingham offers both free rangeturkeys andturkeys that have been reared free to roam in largeairybarns with natural daylightand good ventilation.The turkeysare given perches andpeckingobjects to encourage them to in teract andbeactive during theday andatnight they areencouragedto roostand sleep. They eatamix of wheatand soya with vitamins and minerals to ensuretheyare given a balanced diet to meet theirneeds.

If you fancyhavingduckfor Christmas lunch, then Gressing hamoffersdeliciouswhole ducks or crowns that servethree to four people. Perfectfor asmaller crowd, butstill special andsomething a bitdifferent,Gressingham breeds, hatches, rearsand then prepares theducks by hand

Gressingham turkeysare availa blefromCostco andbutchers/farm shops. Prices vary.Gressingham ducksare availablefromSains bury’s,Tesco, Asda,Morrisons, Waitroseand Ocadoall year round. Prices vary

Festiveslice is back in stores

Iconic pastry brandGinsters hasannounced that itslimited-edition Festive Chicken& Stuffing Slicewill return to supermarket shelves,following aTwitter campaign wherehun dredsoffansofthe comforting treat lobbiedtosee itsreturn.

Onefan commented“BRING IT BACK”, whileanother Twitter user said,“C’mon lads getto work!”.

Theperfect lunchtoget into theChristmas spirit,the GinstersFestive Chicken&StuffingSlice includes 100% British chickenand smoked baconina creamy sauce, bakedwithpotato,and asageand onionstuffing made from locallysourced veg (where possible)– allwrapped up in alightpuffpastryand topped with acrispysage crumb.

Forthose whosimplycan’t wait untilthe bigday fortheir festivelunch,the sliceisenjoyed best afterbeing heated in the oven for20minutes (evenquick er in an airfryer)–Christmas musicoptional.

What’s more,costingjust £1.65, notonlydoesitmakea warmingand satisfying lunch, it does so withoutbreakingthe bank.

TheGinstersFestive Slice is availablefromTesco, Asda, Morrisons, Coop, andSains burys.

Truffles combinetangy marmaladeand chocolate

1tbsplight brownsugar

Forthe toppings: BucksFizzMarmalade 15gcocoa powder,sifted 100g roasted, chopped hazelnuts

Method: In asmall saucepan, bringthe cream, butter andsugar to just belowboiling point, stirring over agentleheat. AddBucks Fizz Marmaladeand stir throughuntil melted.Zestthe orange into the mixture.

Pour thehot creammixture over thechocolate chipsand stir gently

untilmeltedand smooth.Pourinto ashallow dish or tray to cool,then coverand chill in thefridge forat least3hours,oruntil firmed up Putthe marmalade, cocoapow der, andhazelnutsin separate bowls.

Remove trufflemixture from thefridge. Usingaspoon, scrape from thedish, thenuse yourhands to shapethe chocolateintosmall balls.

Starting with themarmalade, then thecocoa powder andlastly thehazelnuts, roll thetruffles in thedifferent toppings untilevenly coated.Chill againto firm up.Pop into mini papercases, if you like.

Tastytreatstofeed allthe familyduringthe festivities

ANDY RICHARDSON andy.richardson@mnamedia.co.uk

Ingredients: Serves 8

Forthe trifle:

1x340gjar CottageDelight

MagicalMulled Wine Jam

2oranges,peeled andslicedin halves

420g sponge swiss roll

480mlcustard

360mldoublecream,whipped to soft peaks

500mlmulled wine (ready-made or usingrecipebelow)

135g pack raspberryjelly

Fresh/frozen berries,to decorate

Ground cinnamon,todecorate

Forthe mulled wine jelly:

Forhome-made mulled wine:

500mlred wine

2bay leaves

1staranise

1orange, thinly sliced

8cloves, whole

2tbspsugar

2cinnamon sticks

1packetraspberry jelly

Method formulledwinejelly:

Combineall ingredients(notincludingraspberry jelly) in saucepan andheatgently. Do not boil.Holdat gentle simmer foratleast 10 minutes.Remove from heat andstrain theliquid.

Return liquid to panand dissolveinjelly cubes. If usingbottled mulled wine,heataccordingtobot tleinstructionsbeforedissolvingin thejelly cubes.

To assemble thetrifle: Make your mulled wine jelly in advance, using recipe andmethodstatedabove Pour jelly mixtureintoasmall rectangleorsquarebakingtin,soit’s roughly1 inch high.Leave it in the fridge to set.

To assemble,linethe bottom of atriflebowlwithhalfofyourcake slices.Press slices half wayup alongthe sidesofthe bowl.Arrange halved orange slices around side of bowl.Arrange half of thejelly squaresover thecakemixture.Pour over half of thecustard.Spoon over half of theMagical Mulled Wine Jamevenly.Repeatsteps twotosix Cover thetop with plasticwrap andleave in thefridge foratleast four to sixhours.Whenyou’re readytoserve,add whippedcream andfresh or frozen berriestodecorate before dustingwithcinnamon.

CHRISTMAS MORNINGMARMALADE BUNS

Ingredients: Makes12buns

Fordough: 240mlwhole milk

135g dark brownsoftsugar 2tsp mixedspice

½tsp ground cinnamon

2sachets instant yeast(7g) 115g unsalted butter,softened, cutintofourpieces

2large eggs,lightly beatenat room temperature ½tsp salt

563g strong whitebread flour, plus more forsurfaces

2tsp oilfor bowl

Formarmalade filling: 1x340gjar CottageDelight Winter WarmingThinCut

Marmalade, room temperature

100g unsalted butter,verysoft

Forcream cheese frosting: 55gfullfat creamcheese

250g icingsugar

2tbspdoublecream

2-3tsp orange extract

Method: Grease alarge bowl using 2tsp of oil, setaside.Heatmilkto justbelow boiling pointtoscald

Remove from heat andcooltoroom temperature.

In astand mixer,using thedough hook attachment,combineall dry dough ingredients. Addeggs, followedbythe warm milk.Mix at a medium speedfor 10 minutes be fore tippingontoalightly floured surface.

Kneaddough into aballand place into alarge,greased bowl.Cover tightly with cling film andmoveto awarmspottoprove fortwo hours

Once proved, knockbackthe dough.Tip onto alightly floured surface. Gather into aneatball andusing alightly flouredrolling pin, roll dough into a50x35cmrec tangle,makingsurethe dough is smooth andevenlythick as possible

Placethe rectangleofdough with alongedge facing you.Spreadthe softened butter alloverrightto theedges. Spoonover jarofWin terWarming Thin CutMarmalade (reserve 1tbspfor dressing)and spread over thetop of thebutter.

Starting from thelongedgefur thestaway, roll thepastrytowards you,keeping thedough as tightas possible as you roll (makesurethe seal is on thebottom).Takeasharp knifeand trim theends(roughly1-2 inches each side).

Cutthe rolled doughinhalf, then halveyourtwo halves again. Slice each quarterintothree equalslic es andplace on theircut side into agreased andlined 20x30cmbak ingtin.Cover therolls tightlywith cling film andallow to rise until doubled in size.

Pre-heat theoven to 200°/180°C fan/gas6.Oncedoubled,remove cling film andplaceinoven for2530 minutes,oruntil lightlygolden on top. Placetin on wire rack to cool

In amediumbowl, beat the creamcheeseona medium speed untilsmoothand creamy.Add dou blecream andsifted icingsugar Switch to high andbeatfor amin ute. Addorangeextract andbeaton high to combine. Spread theicing over warm rollsinswirlsand serve immediately.

Dust with cinnamon anddecorate with reserved marmalade.

MAGICAL MULLEDWINE JAMTRIFLE

BucksFizzDarkChocolate and Marmalade Truffles

Budgeting advice to make surenothing is wasted

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thinkcarefully before cutting back on your pensionsavings

VICKYSHAW PressAssociation

Rising billsmeanpeople

are findingitstressful to plan forthe future.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mackenzie, whosaves into aLife

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some people mayalso benefitin thelongertermbypayingfor finan cialadvice.

Alwaysbeon your guardfor scams andlook outfor red flags

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

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

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

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

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

ThetextFox received waspur portingtobefromatrusted deliv eryservice,askingfor asmall pay ment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pension providershave free onlineretirement planners

Interest will growonfundsovertime

Notthe time cut pension budgets

JasonFox of SAS: WhoDaresWins

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

Hassocialmedia helped make self-improvement atoxic trend?

IMYBRIGHTY-POTTS PressAssociation

TikTok is full of tips

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

and

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOCIAL MEDIACAN MAKE US FEEL INFERIOR

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

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

Andthisconstantbombardment of self-improvementcontent canbecome exhausting

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

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

WE ONLY SEETHE BEST BITS

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

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

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

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

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

THEBUSINESS OF BEING PERFECT

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

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

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

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

Change in routinecan help beat themorning blues

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

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

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

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

oranges anddairy products

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

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

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

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

forself-improvement, helping

self-compassionate

well-roundedevery

Theconstant bombardmentofself-improvement contentonsocial mediaplatforms canbecome exhausting

Adaptyour bedtime routine

The first1,000 days arecrucial

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

Howtoprolong theshelf life of thefresh food in your fridge

Nine ideasfor attracting more wildlife into your backgarden

HEATHER LARGE heather.large@mnamedia.co.uk

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

Areyourvegetablesgoing offafterjustafew days?

Throwing away freshfood be fore you’vehad achancetoeat it?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shelter

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

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

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

AVOIDCUTTING HEDGES

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

LEAVEIVY GROWING

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

garden when everything else is dy ingoff

DRYPLANT STEMS

Leavethese standing in thegar denratherthanpulling up and throwing away.

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

LEAVEOUT FOOD

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

MAKEA BUGHOTEL

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

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

PROVIDE WATER

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

CLEANOUT THE POND

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

CLEARING LEAVES

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

PUTUPA BIRDBOX

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

Nowisnot thetimetoneglectyourgardenplants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

rootsfromthe cold,and keepsoil from beingwashedawaybyharsh weatherconditions.

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

Protecttenderplantsfromwin terdamagebyrelocatingtheminside or into agreenhouse.

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

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

Thereare many ways to encouragewildlifeinto ourgardens during the colder months.

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

NOTICE TO READERS

Pleasebeaware that when purchasing apuppy there are some simple guidelines you can follow to ensurethat you are not purchasing from a Puppy Farmer:

1. Try to ensureyou visit the puppy whilst it is stillwith its Mother.

2. Do not arrange to collect a puppy from any other location than that of the breeder 3. Ensure that you are given any KC documentation, if pedigree

WhilstMidland News Association publications take great care to avoid publication of advertisements from Puppy Farmers we cannot acceptany liability should readers purchase from this kind of establishment.

ADVERTISERS

HENRYBATE Deceased

Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of 12 DoveyGrove,RowleyRegis, West Midlands, B65 8BT,who died on 06/10/2022, must send written particulars to the address below by 09/02/2023,after which datethe Estate will be distributed having regardonlytoclaims and interests notified.

c/o Jordans Solicitors, 1Summer Hill, Halesowen, B63 3BU Ref: BKS/BATE/5587

JOYCEMCGOWAN (Deceased)

Pursuant to the Trustee Act1925 anypersons having aclaim against or an interest in the Estate of the above named, lateof15Starkie Drive, Oldbury, West Midlands,B68 9NX, who died on 05/05/2022, arerequired to sendwritten particulars thereof to the undersigned on or before 10/02/2023, afterwhich datethe Estate will be distributed having regard onlytothe

Higgs LLP 3 Waterfront Business Park,BrierleyHill, West Midlands,DY5 1LX

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Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone having a claim againstoraninterest in the Estate of the deceased,late of 15 Rossendale Close,Halesowen, West Midlands, B63 2BJ, who died on 30/09/2022, must send written particulars to the address below by 09/02/2023, after which date the Estate will be distributed havingregardonlytoclaims and interests notified.

Jordans Solicitors, 1Summer Hill, Halesowen, B63 3BU.Ref:BKS/5564

STEPHEN CHARLESWOOD Deceased

Pursuant to the Trustee Act1925 anyone having a claim against or an interest in the Estateofthe deceased,late of 82 Dunstall Road, Halesowen, West Midlands, B63 1BE, who died on 05/11/2022, must send written particulars to the address below by 09/02/2023, after which date the Estate will be distributed havingregardonlytoclaims and interests notified.

Jordans Solicitors,1 Summer Hill, Halesowen, B63 3BU.Ref:BKS/WOOD/5634

ARTHUR

FirstDrive: Peugeot408

TEDWELFORD PressAssociation

Againstthe vast swathes of SUVs,manufacturers areincreasinglyhav ingtothinkoutside the boxwhenitcomes to designs– whichequates to increasingly bolder op tionsfor customers. The latest exampleofthis comes from Peugeot, with itsnew 408.

Designed to sitbetween thecon ventional308 hatchbackand 508 saloon in theline–up,Peugeot’s calling it a‘fastback’and is targeting buyerslooking to escapean SUV, yetwantsomething more ex citing than atraditional hatchback.

The408 is anew addition to Peugeot’srange andarrives with astrikingnew look.Highlights are itscolour-coded, framelessgrille alongwiththe popularSUV clad ding foramorerugged appearance

Electrification is core to the408 too,withhybridversionspredicted to accountfor thebulk of sales, whilethere’s thenew versionof Peugeot’si-Cockpit system,bring ingthe latest in-car technology.

Thereare threepowertrainswith the408 –a128bhp 1.2-litre turbocharged petrolenginethatserves as theonlynon-electrified version, andachoiceoftwo plug-inhybrids

Both these hybridsuse a1.6-litre turbocharged petrolengine, and arepairedtothe same electric mo torand a12.4kWh battery.

Peugeotclaimsupto40miles of electric rangeispossible, with Peugeotsayingmorethan200mpgand CO2emissions of 26g/km.Itwill take threehours and25minutes to charge the408,thoughyou can reduce this to an hour and40min utes with afaster7.4kW onboard charger.

Peugeotwon’t admitit, butthe 408isessentially asibling model to theCitroen C5 X– amodel with aparticularfocus on comfortwith itssoftersuspension. Buthere, Peugeothas managedtoliven up the experienceatouch,withthe 408

feeling flatterthrough thecorners, andfeeling moresecureifyou put yourfootdowna bit.It’snosporting model, butitsticks to theroadwell, whilethe hybrid set-up deliversa decent amount of punchwhenthe ‘Sport’driving mode is selected

The408’s design couldreallydivide opinion.It’sPeugeot’sboldest modelinsome time –and that’s coming from abrand that hasbeen pushingthe boundaries anyway

If you like aclean,fuss-free look, it mightnot be thecar foryou as there’sanawful lotgoing on There’stoo much plasticcladding at therear, whilethe 20-inchalloy wheels (optional) arechallenging Inside,the 408reallydeliverson thepromise of feelinglargerthan

aregular hatchback. The471-litre boot (536 litresonnon-plug-inmod els),isagreat size,whilethere’s a decent amount of room in therear seats. Headroomisslightly impeded by asloping rooflineand panoramic sunroof, but6ft adults will stillbe able to sitcomfortably

Standard equipment on theentry-levelAllureincludes10-inch touchscreen,which offers widgets that make it farless fiddly to useon themove,along with a10-inch digi talinstrumentcluster,17-inch alloy wheels andareversing camera

Mid-spec Allure Premiumbrings 19-inchalloy wheels, keylessentry andadaptive cruise control. If you want allthe bellsand whistles,the GT packsevenmorespec

FACTFILE

PEUGEOT 408GTHYBRID225 E-EAT

Price as tested: £43,200

Engine: 1.6-litreplug-inhybrid

Power: 222bhp

0-60mph: 7.6seconds

Topspeed: 145mph

Economy: 211.3-269.5mpg

CO2emissions: 24-30g/km

Electricrange: 39-40miles

NewAussiestar Zach backed to Cook up storm

Wolverhamptonhaveaddeda brandnew face to theirsidewith Australian prospect Zach Cook joiningfor 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

Whowas recently sacked as managerofScottish giants Rangers?

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

Who became the firstplayer to scorein five WorldCup tournaments?

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

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

Which countryrecently won theBillieJeanKingCup for the first time?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ambitions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scoringrunsfor funisthe keyfor rising star Davina

my head when Iwentout to bat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

gapwhich Ididn’tknowwas miss ingbefore.

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

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

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

“Thatis theonlyreason ythe game and sonIwantto

eed to remember is,”addsMaeed to give her

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

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

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

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

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

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

Perrin hopestohelpdrive it

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

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

ChevyGreen andRecordoGor don, theformerWarwickshire seamer andacoa scheme

Davina Perrinshows off thestyle that hashelped fire herup throughthe cricketing ranks

Pic: Stuart Leggett

BRANDONADMITS TO HARD STEP UP

have made it really positive forme andallowed me to improve

The23-year-old hasbeenabright spark in adifficult campaign forthe Baggiesand hasimpressed support erswithhis willing work-rate since checking in from SalfordCity.

Thestriker wasawayinSpain last week with hisHawthorns col leaguesasAlbion’sWorld Cupbreak nearsits end.

Thomas-Asante, signed by for merbossSteve Brucefor £300,000, admitted he hadno shortage in be lief of hisability to step up twodi visionswithAlbion –but theadap tation,due to tempoand unfamiliar settings,has been achallenge

“It’sbeenalot of adaptation but I’ve been hoping forthisopportu nity forawhileand I’ve believed I could do my best at this level,” said Thomas-Asante, whoplayedthe firsthalfofAlbion’s1-0 defeat to La Liga side ElcheinSpain last week

“Ithas definitely takentimeto getusedtothingsand thetempo of play,the environmentisdifferent as well,but more than anything, allthe players andstaff at theclub

“I know thereisalot to do butI’m grateful andit’sbeenalright.”

Former MK Dons academygrad uate Thomas-Asantehas three Albion goalstohis name sincehis late August arrival–including the team’smostrecent competitive goal,astunningbicycle effort to sign offfor theinternational break in stylewithacomprehensive win over Stoke.

He also enjoyed astunningdebut, coming from thebench to poacha dramatic stoppage-timeequaliser at home to Burnley, whichwas fol lowedupbyaconverted penaltyin the3-2 defeat to Blues

Thomas-Asantehas been compet ingwithKarlanGrant foraplace up frontunder Bruceand Carlos Corberan butcompetition forplaces is settoheatupdue to DarylDike’s return to fitnessfollowing alongterm muscle lay-off.

Meanwhile, young Albion for ward Mo Faal,has joined National NorthAFC Fyldeonaone-month loan.The 19-year-oldpreviously hadastint at AFCTelford

Brother: Villa’sArcherneedsmatches

just sevencameo appearancesfrom thebench this campaign

The20-year-old scored seven goalsfor 19 appearanceswhileon loan at Deepdalelastseasonand stayedatVilla to fightfor hisplace –despite seriousinterested from Championship clubs, includingAl bion

However,hehas been limitedto

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

“Itwas exactlywhatheneeded, andIdon’t thinkitcould’vegone anybetter. Last week aPreston fan came down to Southport, andhe wasaskingmeifthere wasachance of Camerongoing back

“Hewould love to return.The fans know what he thinks of the club.It’sa brilliantplaceand he playedsomeofhis best football there.”

AndJordanbelievesCameron wouldbenefitfromplaying every week

“The only wayheisgoing to de velopisbyplaying matches,”he said.“Having himbeing on the benchisnogood foranyone.”

Joss continues road to recovery

WalsallmidfielderJossLabadie is spending time at FA headquarters in Burton as part of hisrehabilita tion

Labadiewas theclubcaptain when he wasforced offduringawin againstPortValeinApril with an anterior cruciate ligament injury Hiscomeback is progressingwell butthe club have sent himtoSt George’s Park foraweekofassess ment andlight training.

WalsallbossMichael Flynnsaid: “Itwilldohim good thechangeof sceneand thechancefor otherdoc tors andmedical stafftohavea look at him. He canthencome back here andwewillanalyse theresults when they come back butweare pleasedwithhis progress.”

Butlin rejoins leadersWood

Joey Butlin hasreturned‘back home’afterleaving Chasetown forpromotion-chasing neigh boursWalsall Wood

Butlin spent five yearsatOak Park before joiningthe Schol arsinJuly2020and having two spells there, having left the first time to go to Hereford wherehe made an FA Trophy finalap pearance

Butlin –who hadscored five goalsfor Chasetownhis sea son–drops down alevel to re join Wood, whoneverthelessare eightpointsclear at thetop of theMidland Football League halfway throughthe season

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

VillayoungsterCameron Archer

Albion striker Brandon Thomas-Asanterevealed the period of adaptation from League Twohas beenachallenge.

LEWISCOX lewis.cox@mnamedia.co.uk

BrandonThomas-Asante andKyleBartley battlefor theballintraining