Chronicle Week Dudley-Stourbridge - 1-Dec-2022

TRUSTS MISS KEYTARGETS

Keytargetsarebeingmissedby hospitaltrustsintheBlackCountry, latestfiguresshow

TheRoyalWolverhamptonNHS Trust,whichrunsNewCrossHos pital,hasbeenranked105thoutof 120inEnglandforitsoverallperformanceagainstkeydutiesofcareto itspatients.

SandwellAndWestBirmingham HospitalsNHSTrustranks86th,The DudleyGroupNHSFoundationTrust 42nd andWalsall Healthcare NHS Trust41st.

Thetargetforpatientstostart anytypeoftreatmentforanewpri marycancerwithinonemonth(31 days)fromthedecisiontotreatis 96percent.Butlatestfiguresshow

theWolverhampton trustachieved 70percent,Dudley85percentand Sandwell 90 percent.The Walsall trustmetthetargetwith99percent

Theoperational standard for A&Ewaiting timesisthat95per centofpatientsshouldbeadmitted, transferredordischargedwithin fourhours.ThelatestfigureforWal sallwas71percent,73percentat Sandwell,77percentatDudleyand 80percentatWolverhampton

NoBlackCountrytrustmetthe 90percenttargetforpatientswait imgsixweeksorlongerforadiag nostic test.The NHS constitution setsastandardthat92percentof

peopleshouldwaitnolongerthan 18weeksfromtheirreferraltotheir firsttreatmentforelectivesurgery. At theDudleytrust it was65per cent,60percentatWolverhampton, 59percentatWalsalland60percent atSandwell

DianeWake,electivecareleadfor theBlack CountryIntegratedCare System,said:“Weknowpatientsare waitinglongerthanwewouldlike, andNHSstaffareworkingextremely hardtoaddressthebacklogs.

“Despite exceptionally high de mand forservices, we aremaking significantprogress, with almost 200,000 procedures beingcarried outevery monthacrossthe Black Country.”

Gold medal-winning boxer De liciousOriewasamongthespecial guestsastheChristmaslightswere switchedoninBilston.

Crowdsofpeoplebravedthecold andtooktoChurchStreetinthetown toseethelightsgoonlastFriday

CouncillorSandraSamuels,mayor of Wolverhampton, flicked the switch,withspecialguestsincluding boxerOrie,whowonagoldmedalat theCommonwealth GamesinBir minghamearlierthisyear.

DickyDoddgotfestivitiesunder waywhileSantamadeaspecialap pearanceatagrottosetupnearthe Horse&Jockeypubwithafairrun ningatStLeonard’sChurchinthe town

Report by Lisa O’Brien

Killer sonisjailed forlife

Adrunkensonwhomurderedhisfatherafterafamily rowinWolverhampton has beensentencedtolifewitha minimumtermof15years

DawidArent,33, head butted,punchedandkickedhis father Marek, 73,on Horden Road,WhitmoreReans,on September18lastyear.Marek

diedthenextdayfromagroin injury.

Thevictimwas visiting EnglandfromPolandtoseehis newgrandchild butenraged hissonwhenhedemandedhe lookafterhisyoungersibling inPoland.

Thisledtoablazingrow aboutthe father’s parenting

record,thecourtheard.Arent, of Horden Road,was found guiltyofmurderafteratrialat WolverhamptonCrownCourt. Hedeniedmurder,butpleaded guiltytomanslaughter JudgeMichael Chambers KCsaidthefrailfatherwasno matchforhissonwholaunched the“sustainedassault”.

‘Lackofbondingtime’ with colleagues is Boris’sregret

BorisJohnsonhasrevealed hisbiggestregretfromhistime inNumber10–thelackofbond ingsessionswithToryMPs

TheformerPrimeMinister saidthepandemichadstopped himfromspendingqualitytime with his colleagues in parlia ment

MrJohnsonvisitedHolden’s BreweryinWoodsetton,Dud ley,asaguestofDudleyNorth MPMarcoLonghi.Hewentona tourofthefamily-runbrewery, beforeposingforpicturesand chatting with drinkers at The ParkInn,wherehewentbehind thebartopourapintofthefa mousGoldenGlow.

Retrospect

InaninterviewwithChronicle Week’s sister publication theExpress&Star,MrJohnson spokeofhisnumberoneregret fromaspellinofficethatwas largelytaken up by the fight againstCovid.Hesaid: “The thingIwishinretrospect I’d beenabletodomoreofisjust to spendmoretimewithcol leaguesinparliament

“Wewerealllockedup.We spenttwoyearsbasicallyunabletotalktoeachotherface-toface.Idon’tthinkinthreeyears beingPrimeMinisterIhadasin glebondingweekendwithTory MPs.”

Followinghis departure fromNumber10MrJohnsonwas liningupanunlikelycomeback, butpulledthe plugonaleadership challengeagainstRishi Sunakafterclaiminghewould notbeabletogovernwithouta “unitedpartyinparliament”.

Reflecting on his time as PM,hesaid“ahugeamount was achieved” and pointed to thevaccine roll-out,delivering Brexitandthecountry’ssupport forUkraine.Buthesaidhisfocus

nowwasfirmlyonsupporting theGovernmenttotakethe“dif ficultdecisions” necessaryto takethecountryforward.

Mr Johnson calledfor pa tienceonBrexit,sayingbenefits were“comingdownthetrack” andsaiditwasvitaltheGovern mentcontinuedtofocusonlevellingup

HesaidhebelievedMrSu nakcouldleadtheToriestovic toryatthenextgeneralelection, providinghefocusesonkeypol-

iciesfromthe2019manifesto And,headded:“I’mveryproud ofwhatI’vebeenabletodo.I’m veryhappilyoccupiedatthemomenttryingtosupportmyparty andtheGovernment

“IthinkI’vesaidbeforemy chances of becomingPrime Ministerwereaboutasgoodas beingblindedbyachampagne cork,lockedinadisusedfridge ordecapitatedbyafrisbee.Itdid cometopass,butI’mfocusedon helpingtheGovernment.”

Report by Peter Madeley

Former PM BorisJohnsonpullsapintofGoldenGlowwithDudleyNorthMP MarcoLonghi

Life sentence– DawidArent

Ale’swellfor winter beerfestival

Thedrinkswereflowingatthe DudleyWinterAlesFestivalwith morethan60alesandcidersto ticklethetastebuds.

Theevent’sfuturewasinitially cloudyafterthegroupstruggled tofindanorganiser.Butstaffing

officerMatthewSparkssaid:“We hadareallybigturnout.Wehad ahugerange of availabilityfor everyone. ”

TakingplacefromThursdayto Saturday,theWinterAleFestival showcasedmorethan60unique

ales,beersandciders–andalso featuredthisyear’schampionale BruhaXO.

Food wasserved, liveenter tainmentwasprovidedandmoney wasraisedfortheBlackCountry WellbeingCentreinUpperGornal

city’s £50m scheme

Constructionofanew£50mil lion“learningquarter”inWolverhamptonwillstartinspringnext yearafteraconstructionfirmwas chosen,councilchiefshavesaid.

McLaughlin&Harveyhasbeen awardedapre-constructioncontractandwilldevelopthedetailed designs–andcarryoutsomemi norpreparatoryworkonthema jorscheme.

Construction will startupin spring next year,withthe City Learning Quarter taking shape aroundtheOldHallStreetandSt George’s Parade area of thecity centre.Itwill incorporateasite

on thecornerofGarrick Street andBilstonStreetwheretheformerFacesnightclubbuildingonce stood,adjacenttotheWestMid landsMetrostop CouncilleaderCouncillor Ian Brookfield said:“Theappoint ment of ourpreferred construc tionpartnernowbringsuswithin touchingdistanceofbeingableto startworksonthisgame-chang ingscheme–2023isgoingtobe ahugeyearfortheCityLearning Quarter

“Alotofhardworkhasbeen putinbycouncilandcollegerepresentatives,supportedbyourlocal

MPsandWestMidlandsCombined Authority,tosecurevitalfunding andgetustothepointwherewe canmakeourvisionareality

“Thenewfacilitieswillprovide avital facelift as we re-imagine ourcitycentre,whichisbenefiting from£1billionofinvestmentoverall.TheCityLearningQuarterwill be an inspirational environment forpeopletolearninandwilloffer excellentconnectivitytorail,bus, tramandcycle.”

Theproject hasbeenbacked bya£6.2minvestmentfromthe authorityand theBlack Country LEP.

Gary Foley andAndy Rexatthe WinterAles Festival atDudleyTownHall

HQ revamp

More than £4 million is being spent on revampingacouncil HQ whichcouncillorssaywillimprove disabledaccess

Theworks,settobecompleted byAugust2024,aresaidtoinclude automateddoors,anupgradetothe existingpassengerliftandimproved generalaccessinsidethecorridorsof DudleyCouncilHouse

Some £130,000 hasbeenear markedtoimprovethesoundsys temwithinthe councilchambers. Residentshavevoicedconcernsover beingunabletohearcouncillorsat meetings–commentswhichrecent ly sparkedaheatedexchangebetweentwomembers.

Inall,£4,081,718willbespent onimprovementstothemaininterior,roof,mechanicalandengineering,thesoundsystemandasbestos removal.Duetobudgetrestraintsa newaccessible passengerliftfrom therearmembers’carparktoaccess thegroundandfirstfloorlevelsand possiblythepublicgallery,aswell asnewplatformliftsfromthebasementtothefirstfloorwillnotbein cluded.

Cabinetmember Councillor Si monPhippssaid:“Wearecurrently prioritisingthose works that are necessaryforthedisabilityadaptationstoensurethiscouncilhouseis accessible.”

Cancer fighterLogan hasaballwithBully

Ayoungster whofoughtback from an ultra-rare form of cancer mingledwiththestarsatacharity ballwhichraised£26,000tomake children’sdreamscometrue

Morethan200gueststurnedout forthe event attended by ex-footballstarsSteveBullandDonGood man,aswellastelevisionpresenter SuziPerryatMolineux.Thedinner washeldtomarkthe21stbirthday of PromiseDreams,which helps children with seriousorterminal illnessesachievetheirdreams.

Amongthe specialguestswas 11-year-oldLoganEvans,whowas agedjustsevenwhenhewasdiag nosedwithB-celllymphoblastic lymphomainMay,2019.

Logan,wholivesinHimley,had to endurethree yearsofgruelling treatments,includingdailychemo therapyandsteroids

PromiseDreamsprovidedLogan withaPS5gamesconsole,whichen abledhimtocommunicatewithhis friendswhilstreceiving treatment andunabletogotoschool

Bull andGoodmanhaveboth

beeninvolvedwiththecharitysince itslaunch,alongwithformerWol verhamptonschoolgirlSuzi,hostof theBBC’ssportscoverageandChannel5’sTheGadgetShow

Theevent wasthe first to be heldsincetheoutbreakofthecoronaviruspandemic.Charitymanager

NikkiYeomanssaidshewasamazed bytheamountofmoneyraisedina singleevening.

“PromiseDreamsisabout puttingsmilesonchildren’sfacesand helpingtomakespecialmemories. Wesimplycouldn’tdothiswithout thiskindofsupport,”shesaid

Climbraises hospital cash

Abreastcancerpatient raised almost£3,500fortwowardsatNew CrossHospitalafterclimbingupThe Wrekinwithhelpfromfriends

SunnyMohindra-Paynetookon thehill–whichhasapeakat1,335 feet–despitebeingunabletowalk just twoweeks beforehand.She raised£3,455.11fortheRoyalWolverhamptonNHSTrustCharity,the charitable armofthe trustwhich runsthecityhospital.

Thechallenge by the48-year oldwastothankthosewholooked afterherontheSnowdropMillenni umChemotherapySuiteinDeanesly Centre,andDurnallUnit.

Sunnywasjoinedby35ofher family,friendsandworkcolleagues, includinghusbandTrevor,52,daughtersYasmine,27,andAnisa,26and sonKyan,14,onthetwo-milewalk, whichtookaroundanhourand20 minutestocomplete

Sunny,wholivesinWolverhamp tonandmanagestheNextclothing storeinBentleyBridge,wasjoined by hercounterpartatthe Telford ForgebranchNicolaBarding,who helpedorganisetheeventandmade itareal‘worksocial’

Sunnysaid:“Ididn’tthinkI’dbe abletodoitbecausetwoweeksbe foreit,Icouldn’twalk,butwiththe aidofsticksandwithTrevor’sarm aroundme,Imanagedit.”

Report by Mark Andrews

WolveslegendSteve Bullwith 11-year-old LoganEvans

Brownie’sPoppyDay fundraiser

ABrownie calledPoppy has keptherpromisebyraisingalmost £200tohelpmilitaryveterans

PoppyCresswell,seven,sin gle-handedlysold dozens of red poppiestoherfriendsincludingat Kingswinsford’s1stDawleybrook Brownies, relativesand neigh bourstoraiseatotalof£194.86

Poppy’sgreat-grandfather

NormanCresswell served in the 109SquadronRAFBomberCom mand in theSecond WorldWar andher greatgreat-grandfather HaroldDentonfoughtatPasschen daele,Belgium,intheGreatWar. Shedecidedtosellthefloraltrib utestogainherBrowniecharity

badge.Hersumhasbeenhanded overtoKingswinfordRoyalBrit ishLegion’spoppyorganiserBob Townsend Poppy’smotherSarah said: “Poppysoldtwoboxesofpoppies. ThenIcrochetedabout20andshe soldthosetoo.She’soverthemoon tohaveraisedsomuch.”

thejunction with School Street, issettoberedevelopedintoresi dentialapartments,withtheGor

geousnightclubtoberelocatedas partoftheplans

In astatement submitted alongside theapplication,Dave CarrollPlanning–theagentsact ingonbehalfofapplicantsSSYS BeattiesLtd–said:“Theproposal istodemolishthecarpark,adda carparkingbasementwithacom mercialgroundfloorandalsosix fullfloorsofbetween19and21 flatsperfloor

“Therewill also be seventh andeighthresidentialfloorswith sharedamenityspace

“TheGorgeousnightclubwill be replaced by commercial floor spaceandrelocatedtoadifferent sitewithintheBeatties‘estate’.In termsofthecarpark,thepropos alnowistokeep45spacesonthe ground floor with asinglelevel basementcarparkof82further cars,providing127spaces.

“Theproposednew Beatties carparkreplacementbuildingwill be comprisedofeight storiesof residentialuseoveracommercial ground floor,” addedthe state ment

PoppyCresswell,agedseven,withPoppy AppealorganiserBobTownsend

Allpromisesmadepostand pre-Brexit have been broken

AsChristmasapproaches,it’s timetothinkofwhatwewould likeasapresent.Perhapsabookor two,forexampleTheToryBookof Lies–volumesonetoeightorThe PlumbersBookofToryU-turns

Both couldbecome essen tial readingoncethe pennyhas droppedastothestatethegovern menthaslefttheUKinafterallthe preandpost-Brexitpromises.

Forget the£350m forNHS, lowerfood prices,easiertravel, andimport/exportboomingonce

thedrawbridgewiththeEUhas beenpulledup.Thiswaswhatwe werepromisedbythegovernment duringpre-Brexitandduringthe supposednegotiationsafter OurthenPMpromisedto“Get BrexitDone”whileTrusstoured theglobetrying,andfailingtoget inferiorandveryexpensivedeals done whichwould badlyaffect theUKfarmers.Thegovernment’s ownestimatewasanincreaseof UKGDPby0.02percentafter15 years,possibly.Fortunately,these

Don’tturna blind eyetoaccusations

Thereisanundeniable fact aboutwar that everyone should faceupto

Ukraineand thewesthave been building up evidenceofallegedwar crimes carried outby Russianforces

TherehavealsobeenallegationsofUkrainian soldiers committingactsthatcould be construed as warcrimes. To some peopleinthewesttheywillnot wanttobelievethattheUkrainian forceswouldcarryoutwarcrimes

Theneedforthiswartobedepictedasastrugglebetweengood andevilisfeltand propagated

duringeverymajorconflict.Asall wars,thiswarwillbeconducted inabrutalandsavageway,brutal andinhumaneactshaveapropen sitytoleadopponentsinawarto carryout theirown brutal and criminalacts

Asimportantasitistonotlose sightofthefactthatRussiaisresponsibleforthiswar,wecannot andshouldnotturnablindeyeat accusationsofwarcrimescarried outbytheUkrainianforces

As always thevictors will writethehistory.

JohnGreen,Sedgley

dealshavesincebeenprovenuselessandcancelled.Truss,during hershortestreignofanyPM,managed to crashanalreadyfragile post-Brexiteconomy in record timebeforethelettucedeteriorat edbutafterthegravedamagehad beeninflictedontheUK.

Thisbudgetwaswatchedwith horrorastheUKbecamealaugh ingstockandconditionsheredeterioratedandwearetoldtoreduce heatingcooking,eatingetc

Nameandaddresssupplied

Enlightenus on freedom

BackinSeptember,youprintedaletterfromRonGoodallfrom Wordsley,headlined“Leavevoters areenjoyingtheirfreedom”.

Praytellwhatarethesefree domsthatleavevotersareenjoy ing?Wehavealreadylostourfree domtolive,work,studyandretire whenwewereintheEU.

Theletterdoesnot sayany thingaboutthebenefitsofBrexit andthosesunnyuplands

PerhapsMrGoodallcouldenlightenusaboutthefreedomswe havegained.

DavidMarsh, Wolverhampton

We have worked andplanned ourlife

Buyingahouseasayoungman meantneededtoplanhowIspent myincome.Atthattimetheinter estratesonamortgagewassixper cent

ButIshoppedaroundandopt edtopayhalfapercentmoreas thereturnwouldbemuchbetter Itwasafixedrateforthewhole25 years.

Within abouttwo to three months,theratehadrisentoabout eight-to-ninepercent.Rateswere

alsopayabletothelocalcouncilon theproperty. National Insurance costmeninepercentofmywages.ThisIpaidforoverhalfacenturytoensureIwouldhaveafull national pension on retirement –pensionstousarenotabenefit butareturnonourinsurancecontribution–andhavetreatmenton theNHS

Iamingoodhealthandonly takeonetabletaweek.Ionlyvisit mymedicalpracticewhenasked

to,don’tcosttheservicemuch.My selfandmywifewereextremely carefulinhowwespentourmon eyandproducedmanythingsourselves

Isupposelifehasbeengoodto me.Howeverlikemanyofmygen eration we workedand planned life,it’snotbeeneasy.Yes,Ihave livedtheimpossibledream,some thingyouhavetoworkat

DWinterborn,BrierleyHill

Twothugswhocarriedouta“roll ingcampaign”ofattacksonthesame nighthavebeenlockedupforatotalof almostsixyearsfortheir“appalling” behaviour.

Sevenpeoplewerehurt,threese riously, when Mark Harris, 20,and JardelFaure,24,wentontherampage inStourbridgeandBrierleyHillonOc tober21.

WolverhamptonCrownCourtwas toldviolencestartedataround6.30pm, inStourbridgeHighStreetwhenaman wastargeted, kicked andbittenina fightnearapubwheretheduohadbeen drinking

MrDanielOscroft,prosecuting,said ashorttimelaterthepair,fromCradley Heath,madetheirwaytoBrierleyHill, whereHarrisapproachedawoman standingoutsideherhome,inDudley Road

Whenshetoldhimto“getlost”,he struckheracrosstheheadwithavodka bottle,resultinginsignificantstitches. Herpartnerandanothermanwerealso attackedwhentheycametoheraid.

About30minuteslatera16-year oldboywasbittenandkickedtothe ground before beingstamped on at MerryHillbusstationafterhewaspur

By Deborah Hardiman

suedforhisgoldchainbyFaure,who haspreviousconvictions.

Imagesoftheinjuriessufferedby fivepeoplewereshownincourtalong with security camera footageofthe incidentsinStourbridgeandatMerry Hill.

JudgeMichael Chambers KC said thepair,hadbehavedappallinglyina “rollingcampaign”ofunprovokedat tacksonmembersofthepublic

BlondelleThompson, mitigating forFaure,saidthepairwereyoungand couldberehabilitated.“Theybothlost theirheads.Theyhavebehavedbadly,” MissThompsonsaid.

Harris, of TheParade,Cradley Heath, whoadmitted twocountsof woundingand twocountsofaffray, wassentencedto33monthsatayoung offenders’ institution.Faure,ofThe Terrace,CradleyHeath,admittedone countofwoundingandtwocountsof affrayandwasjailedforthreeyears.

They must each servehalftheir termbeforebeingreleasedonlicence Theymustalsopaythevictims’sur charge.

‘Inadequate’ care agency putinspecial measures

Acareagencyhasbeenrated‘inad equate’andplacedinspecialmeasures byahealthwatchdog.

CareQualityCommission(CQC)in spectorsfoundtherewerelimitedorno riskassessmentsinplaceatHibiscus DomiciliaryCareAgency, whichpro videspersonalcaretopeopleintheir ownhomesand supportedlivingac commodationinWolverhampton,and limitedornodetailsinpeople’scare plansaboutriskstopeople’ssafety.

Otherconcernsincludedstafftrain ing,checksnotalwaysbeingcompleted ofpeople’semploymenthistory,identi tyandreferencesandinspectorswere notassuredthattheproviderwasus ingPPE effectively andsafely. Issues stillremainedwithapreviousconcern

aboutmedicines notbeing managed safely.Inspectorsdidnotethatequali tyanddiversityneedswererespected andsupported, they were supported toavoidsocialisolationandprotected from abusebystaff whounderstood theirsafeguardingresponsibilitiesand howtoreportconcerns

Theservice’soverallratingdropped from‘requiresimprovement’to‘inade quate’.The servicewas rated‘inade quate’forbeingsafe,effective,andwell led,andrated‘requiresimprovement’ forbeingcaringandresponsive

KeithRawlings,chiefofficerHibis cusHousing Association,which runs theservice,said:“Wehavebeenwork ingwithanumberoforganisationsto makeimprovementsasrequired.”

keeping older people safe and well

Winter can be ahardseason for us all and especially for older people.Dudley Council’s Winter Wellbeing scheme offers a whole range of support to help older people.

From help picking up food or medicines if the weather is bad, help with the rising cost of living or with heating your home to stay warm and well, support to stop you feeling lonely or isolated, to help with staying active,well, safe and secureat home.There’s lots on offer to support you this winter

Visit www.dudley.gov.uk/winterwellbeing to find out more.

Mark Harris,20, of The Parade JardelFaure,24, of The Terrace

‘Nopayback’ on plan

Dudley’sCouncilleadersaystheau thorityhasnointentionofcompensat ingitsneighboursfollowingthescrap pingofaBlackCountry-widehousing masterplan.

TheBlackCountryPlanwasdrawn upjointlybyfourcouncils,butDudley CouncilwithdrewinOctober

Leader Councillor PatrickHarley saidthedecisionwas“regrettable”but necessaryinordertoprotectthegreen belt.Other councilleaders expressed theirdisappointment.Walsall Coun cilleaderMikeBirdsaidtheauthority wasnowlookingtorecoversomeofthe costsfromDudleyCouncil,although notallofithadbeenwastedbecause someofthedatawasstillrelevant

CouncillorPeterHughes,Sandwell’s cabinetmemberforregenerationand growth,saidsofar thecouncil had spent£472,438.78onworkconnected with theBlack CountryPlanbut not allofitwasabortivecosts.Herecently saidtheauthoritywas“exploringop tionswithregardstoessentialrecov erycostsincurredasaresultofDudley Council’sactions.”

ButCouncillorHarleysaidtheau thorityhadnointentionofproviding anycompensation.“Thereisnolegal obligationforustocompensatethem,” hesaid

“Thatdataintheirreportsisstill relevant.We’ve helped contribute to thecostofthat.”

Raisingapint toThree Lions

SantaScores...withanewfestive WorldCupbeerproducedbyaBlack Countrybrewery

ItisthelatestbeerbyDudley-based Holden’sand thenewestaddition of ‘WorldCupbeers’tohitthepubs.

Holden’sBreweryonGeorgeStreet, Woodsetton,decidedtodeveloptheale toshowsupportfortheEnglandteam andtoaddtotheirfestiverange

JonathanHolden,managingdirec torofHolden’sBrewery,said:“Thebeer isdoingverywell,it’stastinggood,it’s anicelightandeasydrink,goodfor watchingthefootball.”

Thebeeris4.33percent,andfea turesamixofmarisotterpalemaltand

wholeflowerhopstocreateaspiced aromaandbitterfinish.MrHoldensaid: “Wewentformaterialsthatweknow wouldworkwellandmakeagoodcom bination.”

Headded:“Sofarwehaveonlygot onefullbrewofthebeer.Thisacom pletelylimited-timedeal, we really wanttokeepthisgoingaslongasEng landkeepsscoring.”

SantaScoresisfeaturedatThePark inWoodsetton,TheGreatWestern,in WolverhamptonandthepubatCodsall Station.ItwillbeproduceduntilEng land’sparticipationintheWorldCupis overandwillbereplacedwithafestive brewcreatedbyHolden’sbrewers.

Metropay deal revealed

Freshdetails have been revealed ofthepaydealreachedbetweenMetro bossesandworkersafterlong-running strikeactionended.

Some 170Unite membersbegan strike action in mid-October, butthe newpaydealwasofferedaftertheun ionannouncedthatworkerswouldtake all-outindustrialactionfromtheendof November,potentiallycausingchaosto festivetravellers.

Thenewpaydeal,whichmembers ofUnitehaveaccepted,willseeexisting

tramcrewwith12monthsofserviceor longerhavetheirpayincreasedby20.1 percentbyApril2023,with15percent oftheincreasebackdatedtoJune2022. Unitegeneral secretarySharonGra hamsaid:“Thisisawell-deservedwin forworkerswhowerepreparedtotake astandagainstlowpay.”

Newtramcrewwillseetheirwages increaseby13.7percentbyApril2023 andallothergradesontheWestMid landsMetrowillseetheirpayincrease by10.25percent

Charlotte Holdenwiththe beer produced for theWorldCup

Bidto save busservices

Acouncillorsayssheisdoingher besttopreventanessentialbusservice frombeingcutinDudley

JudyFoster,deputyLabourgroup leader,saidshehadmetwithTransport forWestMidlandsand otherDudley councillorstodiscusspotentialchang estotransportservicesinthearea.

Inthelasttwoweeks,ithasbeen revealedthattheX10busservicewhich currently runs from Gornal Wood to BirminghamColmoreRow,withstops at Pensnett TradingEstate, Russells HallHospitalandMerryHillalongthe route,ispotentiallyfacingtheaxe.

Itisclaimedtheservicewillinstead runfromMerryHilltoBirminghamCol moreRow,meaningthatGornalWood,

PensnettTradingEstateandRussells HallHospitalwouldbeaxedfromthe route.CouncillorFostersaiditwasvital thatlocalshadaservicerunning

Shesaid:“Iambeingproactiveand makingacasewithTransportforWest MidlandswhoworkwithNationalEx press,becausethereisaneedforthese services

“InPensnettinparticular,thereis alowcarownershipandwithoutthe rightbusservice,peoplearegoingto havetorelyontaxis,whichiscostly.”

Aspokesmansaid:“Weareexpe riencingashortageofdrivers,chang estotheschooldayandlifestylesand fewerpassengers;sowearecurrently reviewingournetwork.”

Bev‘chuffed’ at musical award

WolverhamptonsingerBeverley Knighthasbeenleft“chuffedandhum bled”afterbeinghandedaprestigious awardinhonourofher outstanding contributiontomusicaltheatre.

Shewas handed asilverheart awardattheVarietyClubShowbusi nessAwards,attendedbyawholehost offamousfaces,includingGaryBarlow, KatherineJenkinsandNaomiCampbell, whowerealsohonouredfortheircon tributionintheirfields

Beverley,whocalleditanight“that willstayinmyheart”,wasgiventhe accoladefollowingherstarringrolein TheDriftersGirlmusicalshowasFaye Treadwell.Shepostedonsocialmedia:

“Icouldnotbemorechuffedandhum bled.MelanieCandKTTunstallpre sentedmewiththesilverheart.Even thoughIknewitwascoming,Iwasstill takenabackwhenmynamewasan nouncedbyAmandaHolden.

“I got to performHarlemChild (hadtodigdeep,I’mgettingoverflu) andthenjoinedfellowawardeeGary BarlowforRelightMyFire.Astunning nightthatwillstayinmyheart.”

Musicmogul Simon Cowell was amongthefamousfacesinattendance attheeventlastMonday

The2022Variety Showbusiness awardsmarkstheevent’s70thanni versary.

Tackling school traffic

Morethan£100,000couldbespent onanewschemetotackletrafficout sidethreeprimaryschoolsinDudley.

TheSchoolStreets Initiative will seeroadsturnedintopedestrianand cyclezonesoutsidetheschoolsduring peaktimes.

Thethree schoolsbeing putfor wardarePetersHillPrimary,Brierley Hill,Brook PrimaryinWordsleyand SledmerePrimary,Dudley

Fundingfor thescheme– which worksoutatabout£36,000perschool

–willcomefromTransportforWest Midlands

Councillor Shaz Saleem,Dudley Council’scabinetmemberforhighways andpublicrealm,said:“Wehavecho senthesethreeschoolsbytakinginto accountanumberoffactorsincluding thelocationoftheschool,knownpark ingissues,thetypeofroaditisonand thelevelofsupportwehavefromthe schoolitself.Wewillbelookingtoroll itouttomoreschoolsifitprovesasuc cess. ”

Singer Beverley Knight with theOutstandingAchievement award

Twocriticalinaccidents

A15-year-oldgirlandawomanin her40swereleftinacriticalcondition inhospitalafterbeingknockedoverby carsintwoseparateincidents.

Theteenagerwashitbyacaron PedmoreRoadoutsidetheMerryHill shopping centre inBrierleyHill at around6pmonFriday

Meanwhilepoliceareappealingfor witnessesafterawomanwasbadlyin juredafterbeinghitbyaToyotaYaris onMaughanStreet,Dudley,onThurs dayatabout 5.30pm.WestMidlands Policeisappealingforwitnessesorany onewhohasdash-camfootageforboth incidentstogetintouch.

Aspokesmanfor West Midlands Police said:“Thewoman,inher late

40s,wasonMaughanStreetjustafter 5.30pmwhenshewashitbyaToyota Yaris.

“Thedriverofthecarstoppedat thesceneandisassistingwithouren quiries,butwestillneedtohearfrom anyonewhocantelluswhattheysaw.”

On theteenager,policesaid: “A 15-year-oldgirlwastakentohospital afterbeing hitbya caronPedmore Road around 6pm. Sheremains ina criticalcondition.

“OurSeriousCollisionInvestigation UnitcanbecontactedbyemailonFL COLLISION_INVEST@westmidlands police.ukorviaLiveChatonourweb sitequotinglog3241of24/11.”

School friends’ WorldCup goal

Fourpupilsarepreparingtorun32 lapsoftheirschoolfield,onetorepre senteachWorldCupteam,tobuymore sportskitforclassmates.

Thefourfriends,fromCotwallPri marySchoolonCotwallEnd,Dudley, willruntherelaytomorrow(Friday). AlfiSilvester,eight,cameupwiththe ideawithcousinGeorgeDownes,nine, bothfromSedgley,andtheyrecruited friendsJacobKing,nine,andOscarWil liams,eight

Alfi’sparentsSarahandMatthew Silvestersaidtheywere‘extremely proud’ofthegroup.MsSilvestersaid: “Theyjustwantedtoraisesomemoney forsomeschoolfootballssoeveryone

canplay.Peoplehavebeenreallysup portiveofthemall.”

Theboysstartedacrowdfunding pageandhavenearlydoubledtheirtar getof£250–sofarraisingmorethan £480.Donationscanbemadeatjust giving.com/crowdfunding/footballs forschool

MsSilvestersaid:“Theheadteach erandschoolhassupportedthemin everythingtheyneed.Theboyswent andaskedtheheadteacheriftheycan do this fundraiser andshe said she wouldlovethattohappenandshe’sgiv enthemfullsupport.

“Alloftheparents,mysisterand ourselvesarereallyproudofthem.”

Shopsdemolitionplan

Anapplicationtodemolishaparade ofemptyformershopsinWolverhamp toncitycentrehasbeenmadetothe council.

Thevacantretail unitsonCleve landStreetoccupythestretchbetween ClevelandPassageandBellStreet,with atotalofsevenshopsearmarkedfor demolition.Ifapproved,anapplication foranewdevelopmentatthesitewill followinthespring.

Inawrittenstatementtocityplan ners,MarkMcVicar,director of re

generation consultantsPlace Change Limited, said:“Theapplication is to demolishthevacantparadeofshops, includingtheremovalofthebuilding foundationsandanybasementareas, althoughsurveyshavesuggestedthere arenoexistingbasements.

“Following demolition works, temporaryhoardings will be erected aroundthesitetoensureitssecurityin theinterimperiod,pendingthefuture redevelopment in approximatelyone year’stime,”headded.

From left,Alfi Silvester, OscarWilliams,George Downes and Jacob King

Disabled spacepenalty

Amother-of-twohasbeenordered topaymorethan£750byacourtaf terbeingcaughtparkinginadisabled spacewithoutavalidbluebadge.

Dudley MagistratesCourt heard AyeshaCaanparkedherMercedesina disabledbayinStoneStreetinthetown in December last year before going shoppingforanhour.

Whenshereturnedtothecaralone, shewasconfrontedbyafraudinvesti gatorfromDudleyCouncil.Enquiries revealedabluebadgeondisplayinthe carwasregisteredwithWolverhamp tonCityCounciltoamanCaanclaimed washerfather.Thecourtheardfurther

enquiriesrevealedtheapplicantnamed onthebadgehadreporteditasnotbe ingsent,andithadbeencancelledby thelocalauthority.

Thecourt heardthe 43-year-old misledtheinvestigatorbyprovidinga falsenameandaddressbutwastracked downandclaimedthebadgebelonged toheruncle

Caan,ofTheBroadway,Dudley,had initiallydeniedfraudbutchangedher plea to guilty when sheappearedat court.Magistratesimposeda£225fine, a£34 victimsurcharge andordered Caantopay£495costs,alltobepaid within28daysorfacefurtheraction

Dunkirkveteran ‘Jack’ turns103

AveteranevacuatedfromDunkirk duringtheSecondWorldWarhascele bratedhis103rdbirthday.

JohnBeavon–alsoknownasJack wasborninWolverhamptononNovem ber10,191.HemovedtoStourbridgeat theageoftwoandattendedschoolin Oldswinford.

HenowlivesatBrookCourtcare homeinOldnallRoad,Kidderminster, with his wife Winifred.Their family joinedthemforthecelebrationsanda pieceofhisspecialbirthdaycake

Jack served in the7th Battalion WorcestershireRegiment andsigned upinJune1939,trainingatMarlbor ough before headingoff to fight in France

Hewasoneofthe338,000Allied soldiers evacuatedfromDunkirk be tweenMay26andJune4,1940,andis nowoneoffewsurvivorsleft.Heserved forsixyears,from1939to1945,and hadachievedtherankofSergeant.He wastransferredin1945toNorthern Irelandbeforebeingbroughtbackto Ashford,Kent

There,hemetwifeWinifredandhe laterservedatHellsCornerintheDev onarea.Thepair wouldlaterreturn toStourbridge.Jacksaidhehad“some wonderful pals”and loved thequote

usedwhileheservedwhichwas“let’s gettotheotherside”.Thecouplehave twodaughters,JanisandChristine,and threegrandchildren, Adam,Alexand Becky,aswellasfourgreat-grandchil dren

Hesaid:“Don’ttakethingstoose riously–getyourselfagoodfamilyto shareyourmemorieswith.”

NirmalaRattu,manager at Brook Court,said:“Jackhasbeenlivingwith hiswifeWinifredatBrookCourtfor just overayearnow,and thehome wouldn’tbethesamewithoutthem.”

John‘Jack’ Beavon is presentedwithacaketomark his103rdbirthday

Dunkirk veteranJack

Children’s rave crimefears

Achildren’sChristmas rave has beenrefusedpermissiontogoahead inSandwellduetofearsofcrimechaos –butitwillbeheldinWolverhampton.

Theunder-16s rave,hostedby eventsmanagementgroupReload,was settotakeplaceatMJ’sBarandVenue,

in Wednesbury,onDecember 20 but wasrefusedafterpoliceobjectedsay ingpreviouseventshadcausedhavoc.

Reloadarenowadvertisingthatthe eventwillgoaheadatTheHangarin PearsonStreet,Wolverhamptononthe samedateinstead.

Firewalk earnsknockoutsum

Aboxingcoach hot-footedit throughburningcoalstoraisemoney forcharity

KevDillon,38,headcoachatBrierleyHill’s LionsBoxingClub, raised nearly£400forBlackCountryWomen’s Aidbytakingpartinthefirewalkatthe DudleyArms,Kingswinford.

Hesigneduptothechallengeafter

hostingrepresentativesfromthecharityonhisweeklyBlackCountryBlokes podcast,whichhebeganin2019with friend LeeCadmanand is regularly usedtopromotegoodcauses.

“BeforeIhadeventhoughtabout it,Ihadagreedtoit,”hesaid.“Butonce youhaveagreedtoit,youdoit.Thereis nobackingout.”

Companyofferscare andsupport at home

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Anne’s Angels is adomiciliarycarecompany with adifferenceset up by two sisters with over 30 years of experience workingin theNHS.

Anne’s Angels providehighquali ty personalisedcaretocater forthe needsofclients.Its main aimistobe themostsought-afterdomiciliarycare companywithinthe Dudley Borough.

Carers arespeciallyselected for theircaringpersonalities andspecific abilities,theyhaveall passed intense trainingand have full background and DBSchecksbeforestartingworking forAnne’sAngels.

Anne Houghton, manager, said:“My sister andIopenedthe homeservice as anew business in 2022.I am aqualified nurse,withthe last nine years working as an elderlycaresister, and my sister Sueisanexperienced carer in complex care.Wehaveover 30 years’ experience betweenusofworkingwithinthe NHS.

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KevDillon with SaraWardCEO of Black Country Women’s Aid

Grinch turnsonthe lights

Staroftheshowthe

SpecialguestTheGrinchturnedon theChristmaslightsinStourbridge. AlargecrowdturnedoutforSatur day’sswitch-on.DeputyMayorofDud ley, Councillor AndreaGoddard,was alsoinattendance Theeventfeaturedentertainment

fromchoirs,musicians,dancegroups andlocalbands,acraftandfoodmarket andchildren’sfairgroundrides. Dudley andBrierleyHill lightup theirdecorationsonSaturday.Festiv itieswill include live entertainment, Christmasmarketsandpantomimes

senthadpreviouslybeengrantedfor16 dwellingsonthesiteinFebruary2016 Chontell Buchanan,ofproperty consultantsFirst City Limited, act ingonbehalfofapplicantsKarynand Martin Howell, said: ”It will provide much-neededhousinginthearea.”

Grinchswitchedonthe lights inStourbridge

Hoping forstability undernew PM

SinceIlastwrote an arti clefor this newspaper the worldhas changedsomewhat, writes Nick Berriman of BerrimanEaton.

LizTruss andKwasi Kwarteng launched theirnow infamous mini-budgetwhich caused mayhem,but now both areno longer in theirposts

The(hopefully!)safer handsofRishi Su nakand Jeremy Hunt seem to be bringing some semblanceofstability to theeconomy in theUKand this canonlybeagood thing forthe housing market

Oneofthe keyissuesthatalwaysaffects

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

thehousing market is thelevel of interest ratesand theimpactonthe affordability of mortgages. Theglobal economic problems andthe mini-budgetcausedinterestrates to rise sharply.

Themortgagemarket is certainlynot what it was. However,itmustbesaid, that this wasalwaysgoing to happen andweare nowseeing fixedratemortgagedeals begin ning to come down followingthe spikeafter themini-budget. We have been used to the cost of borrowingbeing incredibly lowfor a long time,and this wasnever goingtocon tinueindefinitely

Aclientofminereflected last week that, when he boughtthe househecurrently livesin, hismortgageratewas 18%! We are nowherenearthatposition now, anditis incredibly unlikelythatwewillsee that level of rate return,somaybe nowisthe time to reassess ourspendinghabitsand accept that mortgages,whilstnot as cheapasthey were,are notasbad as they couldbe!

2023 is nearly upon us anditremains to be seen how theyearwill unfold.Will the cost of living continue to rise andhow will theeconomy fare?Wealsoneed to seewhat occurs within thehousing market

Whatever happensIhopethat2023 treatsyou well andIwishyou,and yours, allofthe best forthe year ahead!

Freya, Kylaand Lyla.

NickBerriman,ofBerriman Eaton, is seeing fixedratemortgagedealsbeginning to come down following thespike afterthe mini-budget

‘Baby’ gets dancinglift Jack waiting on jobnews

SATURDAY

Dirty Dancing (1987) (Channel 5, 6.20pm)

Frances ‘Baby’Houseman(JenniferGrey)goestoasummercamp with herwell-heeled parentsand stepsinwhenresident danceinstructor JohnnyCastle(Patrick Swayze)needssomeonetofillinfor hispartner(CynthiaRhodes).Soon, sheisreceiving lessonsinlove as wellaslifts.

SUNDAY

Cow(2021) (BBC2, 10.30pm)

Cowisthedebutfeaturedocumentaryofaward-winningBritish director AndreaArnold, exploring theday-to-daylifeofadairyanimal calledLuma.

Workingwithcinematographer Robbie Ryan,ArnoldfollowsLuma asshefulfilsdaily demands, punctu ated by moments whensheandthe herd arereleased on to greenpas turestograze.

Paneltakes achance on ErasurestarAndy

ICan Hear Your Voice (BBC One, 9.15pm, Saturday

Stop!Givealittlerespect,break those chains of love andtakea chanceonICanHearYourVoice.

Sometimestheshowfeaturesa surprisingbutwonderfulguest,and that’scertainlythecasewiththelat estepisode–bonafide1980spop superstar Andy Bell,frontmanof Erasure,isjoininginthefun.

He’llbeassistingregularcelebrity investigatorsJimmyCarr, AlisonHammondandAmandaHolden when they trytohelptwo sisters fromLeedsfigureoutwhichsingers havethevoiceofanangel,andwhois tonedeaf–simplybywatchingthem lip-synctoawell-knowntune.

LikeTheMaskedSinger,theformatstartedlifeinSouthKoreaand hassincebeenremadearoundthe world.The BBC version is givena down-to-earthBritishfeelbyitshost PaddyMcGuinness.

Helovestheseries–butit’snot necessarily thecompetition itself that promptedhim to take on the

presenter’s role.Hesaid: “WhenI heardtheformatandwatchedthe Americanpilot,Iinstantly knew I hadabitoffreerein.ThereasonI loved Take Me Outwas becauseI hadthatelement.Thereisthescript butafterthatyoucanhavefunwith it,andthat’swhatIcandowiththis

Anew life

WhenformerspecialistnurseSheila Haycock finally found asolution for her failing teeth she quite literally receivedaprescriptionforanewlife... andsodidherhusband,Dave.

Emotionally broken by acatalogue of dental disasters, for awhole year she suffered pain every day and her confidence plummeted.“Eachdaywasanightmare

“Every day I’d have anew ulcerinmy mouth.Icouldn’teatproperly,stoppedgoingoutandcouldn’tfacelookingatmyself inamirror–infact,I’dcoverthemup.

“I’d speak and laugh with my hand in front of my mouth,avoid having my picture taken and couldn’t chewproperly –if Ididgoout,I’dalwayshavetoorderlasa gnebecauseitwassoftfood,”sherecalls

Sheila’s problemsbegan when her natural teeth became mobile and braved her worstfears,having afull clearanceto makewayforanupperandlowerdenture.

Terrified of the dentist, she adds: “I thoughtitwas impossible for things to get worse, but nothing could haveprepared meforthenext12months.ThefirsttimeI tookmyteethoutandlookedinthemirror, psychologically,Iwasbesidemyself

“I’d been so preoccupied with master ingmyfearofthedentist,Ihadn’tworked through the impactoflosingmyteeth wouldhaveonme.Itwasdevastating.”

Initially,Daveconfessesto“notbeing that helpful,” explaining her native teeth “neededtogoandtodealwithit.”

“I know, Itoldhim,” says Sheila, “but theyweremine!”

Even the loss of asingle tooth is now

show.Thereisalotofsingingand dancing,allnon-scripted–muchto theproducer’sdisapproval–butIgo withit!”

Let’shopetheproducerisparticularlyannoyedthisweek,because thoseimpromptumomentsareoften whatmaketheentireshow.

EastEnders (BBC1)

Jack(ScottMaslen)waitstofind outifhecankeephisjob,whileAmy blamesherselfforhispredicament WhitneyandStaceyboththinkthey mightbepregnantandendupdoing theirteststogether.Whitneydiscov ersshe’s carrying Zack’s baby but wondersifhe’sreallydadmaterial. Janinecontinuestostrugglewithher paranoiaoverMickandLinda.

Coronation Street (ITV)

ElaineandStephengrowcloser butGailsmellsaratandTimwants to know what Stephen’s intentions towardshismotherare.Hopeisback inclassandplanningtocontactJohn Stapevia aseance. Sean’splanto inviteLaurenceforChristmasgoes downlikealeadballoonwithTodd

Emmerdale (ITV)

Chloereveals she’spregnant. Gabbyfindsshehasarivalforthe Home Farm job andKylemakes hisownmemorial toAl.Cathybreaks down when she andAprilgohead to-headforaspot inCharles’choir.

Retired nurse Sheila got anew smile after ayeaarofdental misery,husband Dave admits he too is now enjoying the e esit’sbrought about.

My experience with Steven and his team was the best. Getting the implants really is money well spent.

-Roy Phillpott

Steven’sprofessionalism gave me the confidence and assurance that they could resolve my problem.

-Norma Aston

When Ifirst saw my teeth Ithought they looked just like my realteeth.

-Vicki Ball

’ ’ ’

clinicallyrecognisedasapotentialprecur sorforamourningprocess.

Adds Dave: “She was upsetand Ifelt utterlyhelpless. The guilt of it all ...I wanted to help, but couldn’t. Icould eat what ever Iwanted, but she couldn’tand everyday –every day–there was anew problemtoaddress.”

Sheila, who specialised in wound dress ings, admits she felt trapped, having been

assured her jawbone density would be too poortosupportimplants.

“My dentures seemed to be rotating and rolling around and Ihated the denture glue. I’d use it and as soon as I’d try to eatsomething,within15minutesmyteeth would be unstable again.Iwas mortified by having to use it over and over again. I wasnotcoping.”

Taking advicefromher daughter,who

had received a recommendation from a work colleague that North Street Dental and Implant Clinic could help, Sheila headedforDudley

“Within 15 minutes of walking in to the surgery Steven [practice principal Steven BurchellDipCDTRCS(Eng)]washelping me,”shesays.

Asatemporarymeasure,anoralimpres sion was taken and her painful dentures lined with asoft material that would help easethediscomfortandimprovefit.

Sheila was prescribed atraditional top prosthetic and alower over-denture, retained on two implants. The sur gery was carried out under sedation by North Street’sclinical lead, Owain Rees BDSDGDP(UK) Dip Imp Dent (UCL) GDC61576.

“All Ican say is that it has completely changed my life. There’s nothing Ican’t eat and the implantprosthetic doesn’tfeel false. It’scomparable for me to my own teeth.WhenIfirstsawmynewteethinthe mirror, Ithought who’sthis person?They looked natural, just like real teeth,” says Sheila.

Dave, aformer civil engineer,adds: “She’scompletely different. It’sbeenlifechanging for me too and we can now get onwithourretirement.”

Both keen gardeners, they agreethe financial investment is in aquality life choice.“It’sthe best thing she’sever had done,”addsDave.

Editor’s weekend pick

Films for the weekend

Your guide to the soaps

Andy BelljoinsPaddyMcGuinnessand the panellists

Dirty Dancing Scott Maslen

We

clean drivinglicence is required.

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

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

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

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

4The Broadway,Dudley, DY1 4AR.

premises MondaytoSunday06.00 to

Hours. Licensing authority: Licensing Team, DudleyMBC,Unit 1Hurst Business Park,Narrow Boat Way, BrierleyHill, DY5 1UF (liquor.licensing@dudley.gov.uk) (wherearecord of the application maybe inspected during normal office hoursor on the Council’s website at www.dudley.gov.uk). Anyperson or responsible authoritymay makerepresentations to the icensing authoritynolater than 20th December2022. Anyrepresentationsmust beinwriting.It is an offence to knowinglyorrecklesslymake a false statement in connection with this application.The maximum fine forwhich a person is liable on summary conviction for this offence is unlimited.

HuracanSterrato: Lamborghini’soff-road supercar

Lamborghinihas given a firstof ficial look at its upcoming Hura canSterratoahead of theofficial reveal this month

Designed ‘for maximumdriv ingpleasureevenawayfromthe asphalt’,the Sterrato is aversion of Lamborghini’spopular Hura cancapable of heading off-road andontosurfacesthatthe regular carwould struggle to deal with Thecar’s increasedrideheight is visiblefromthe images,asare some more off-road focuseddesign tweaks such as chunky wheelarch trim piecesand LEDlights in tegrated intothe frontgrille.

There’salso aroofair scoop–something seen on the range-top ping HuracanSTO –which helps to cool theenginemoreeffectively Smallroofrails arealso fitted to thetop of theSterrato, which suggests that it mightbecompat ible with accessoriessuchastop boxesorbikeracks

Underneath theSterratowill be poweredbya5.2-litre natu rally-aspiratedV10 engine,which is predicted to be thelasttime such an engine will be used in a Lamborghiniasthe firm move to wardselectrification Though Lamborghinihas yet

to announce anyperformance figures for the Sterrato, in the HuracanSTO this setupdelivers 631bhp and565Nm of torque, equating to azeroto60mph time of 2.8seconds andatop speedof 193mph

It’s likelythatthe Sterrato’s top speed will be slightlylower,how ever,owing to theincreased ride height

Theinitial teaser videos show case thecar beingpushedtothe limitindifferent environments, with Lamborghinistatingthat theSterratowas duetobeun veiled in fullinMiami this week

Wolves on Red alertinthe third roundofFACup

Wolves will traveltoAnfieldtotake on Liverpool in thethird roundof theFACup

Thedrawechoesthe Cupclash of 2017 when then Championshipside Wolves pulled offa stunning2-1 victory on Merseyside RichardStearmanand Andi WiemannscoredWolvesgoals that silenced theKop

Wolves repeated thefeattwo yearslater,whentheydownedthe Reds againinthe Cupin2019, this time at Molineux.RaulJimenez andRuben Nevesstruckfor Wolves on that occasion.

Albion will be lookingtoavoid an FA Cupgiant-killing afterbeing drawnatnon-leagueChesterfieldin thethirdround of thecompetition

TheBaggies will traveltothe Spireitetotakeona side whoare currently thirdinthe National League, with 12 wins from their19games this season

Meanwhile, Villaalso face apotentialbananaskinwhentheytake on League Twohigh-flyers Stevenage at VillaPark.

Saddlers will traveltoeither Charlton Athletic or Stockport County –those sidesdrew2-2 at TheValleyonSaturday.

Thethird roundtiesare duetobe playedonthe weekendofSaturday January7

time in theirhistory by ascore of 13 12?

Whowas recently appointed as themanager of Southampton?

Which playerstunned defendingchampionNovak Djokovic in theParisMasters finaltoclaimhis first ATP Masterstitle?

Whichisthe onlyclub to have defeated Bayern Munich in theBundesligaso farthi eason?

Whichgolfer recently claimeda third DP WorldTour Championship titleinDubai?

Which club named Rob Edwards, pictured inset. as theirnew managerona imumthree a-half year”deal?

WhichformerPremier Leaguestriker,pictured right, scored the first goal of theWorld Cup?

Buccaneers beat theSeattle Seahawks 21-16inthe NFL’s first everregular season game in whichcountry?

will Liverpool face in theround of 16 in this season’sChampions League?

ANSWERS

Ronaldoalwayshas to be frontand centre stage

Thereisanunmistaka ble tell whichgivesCristiano Ronaldoawayon thefootballpitch.

He never manages to focusentirely on thegame, conscious of his ownimage at alltimes

At majortournaments thereare bigscreens in thecornerofstadia, showingall theaction, thereplays andclose-ups.Ronaldo cannever resist glancing up at thescreens when aclose-upofhim is projected

He diditahead of thepenalty whichopenedthe scoringfor PortugalatthisWorld Cup.

Therehewas waitingfor theref eree to clearthe protesting Ghanaians from thepenalty area and blow hiswhistle.And as soonasa close-upofhis face appeared on the screen,Ronaldo glanced up,justto checkhow he waslooking

It is this self-obsession that has been at theheart of Ronaldoasan eliteplayeronthe pitch, aglobal brandoff it andacareerthathas nowspanned five WorldCups.

Through it allhetends to gethis ownway.Mostrecentlythathas been adistraction to hiscluband histeam-mates. As we enterthe second week of theWorld Cup, the storywill continue with Portugal’s talisman forsome time yet–afree agentnow that he hasextricated himself from that Manchester Unit ed contract

Ronaldohas acquired an almost cult-likefollowing,particularly amongyoung malesover theyears, worshipping himlikeadeity He hasover 500million Instagram followers. When he left Real

Madrid forJuventusin2018, the Spanishclublosttwo million Twitterfollowers overnightwhilehis newclubgainedsix millionnew usersacrosstheir social mediaplatforms.

Ronaldo’sreturntoManchester United broughtan army of new young fans andthe player’smarket ability hasbecome akey facetofhis persona.

He needs to be frontand centre of anystage,which is whyhis increasinglyperipheralroleunder Erik ten HagatOld Trafford wasalwaysgoingtocause problems

Ronaldo’spowersonthe pitchare diminishingand most fair-minded observershavecome to theconclusion that United areabetterteam with himout of thestartingline-up, wherehis impact wouldbesaved as asubstituteenteringthe fieldlater in thegame.

YetRonaldo’s army of fans would never countenancethis.

When Ronaldotookdrastic action last week andbroke theterms of his contract by making an unscheduled appearanceonPiers Morgan’stelevision show therewerestill plenty of sympatheticvoicestohis cause to be foundfromfansand pundits.

Ronaldoknows that he carriesa weightofsupport behind himno matter how selfishly he behaves.

“I don’thavetoworry what othersthink,” he said,atthe startof this week.“ItalkwhenIwantto. Everyone knowswho Iam.”Ronal do playsfor Ronaldo.

Yethereisthe paradox, because there canbenodoubt that hisimpact on theteams he hasappeared in over aglitteringcareerhas been phenomenal. Hisdedicationtohis profession oftendragginguplesser players around him.

On Thursday afternooninQatar therewereglimpsesofbothRonal do thefadingforce andRonaldo the talisman

A first-half characterisedby missed opportunitieswas followed by asecond whereheprovidedthe spark whichignited thematch, winningand scoringthe penalty whichput Portugal on theway to an openingvictory

In doingsohe hasnow scored at five WorldCups, theonlyplayerto achievethis.

That is an incredible milestone anditwill have delightedthose in thestadium whowerethere just to witnessRonaldo play.There were many,wearing Ronaldomasks and Ronaldot-shirts, hangingonhis everystep.

TheFIFAmarketingmachine wasnever goingtolet themoment pass.Despite some more wholesome

performances from histeam-mates, particularly BrunoFernandes,the man-of-the matchaward went to thePortugalcaptain

In many ways,anopening match againstateamrankedoutside the top60inthe world wasthe perfect wayfor the37-year-old to ease his wayintothisWorld Cup.

On Tuesday, he will find amuch tougherchallenge in theformof Uruguay.

At opposite ends of thepitch an El Classico rivalrywillresumewith former Barcelonastriker Luis Su arez keen to getone over hisold foe. Uruguay’sdefence will notbe as accommodatingasGhana’s and Ronaldo’sresolveand temperament will be tested to thefull

In theinterveningperiodthe playerwill continue to occupy the back pages,withSaudi Arabian club Al Hilal alreadylinkedwitha move forhim

In some ways thecircussur rounding theplayercan only benefithis internationalteam-mates, taking thefocus offthemwhilethey go abouttheir ownpreparationson thebiggest stage

It was1986, inMexico, when a footballer last turned outfor his countryasafreeagent.Bruce Wilson, aCanadianfull-back,cap tained hiscountry to threedefeats He wasapproaching his35thbirth dayand theWorld Cupmarkedthe endofhis career

Twoyears olderthanWilson, Ronaldohas no intentionofmak ingthisWorld Cuphis swansong Theshowwill go on untilhe alone decidestobring down the finalcur tain

Fans,stars and aBaggiejoinin fora greatnight

It wasgreat to be involvedin theMolineuxSleepout, which is settoraise over £50,000 for localcharities.All fundsraised will be shared betweenWolves Foundation andthe Good Shep herd,which is situated opposite Molineux andprovidesfood and support services for the most vulnerable in theWolverhampton community.

Around 150supportersjoined former players JohnRichards, Steve Daley, Carl Ikemeand Karl Henryinthe Stan CullisStand forthe event. Therewas acameo appearancefromSteve Bull and hisfamily, too, suited andbooted foracharity ball taking place in theBillyWrightStand.Bully certainlyhelpedliftspirits as the temperatures droppedduringthe evening.

Singer Jackie Graham,television presenter Mark Rhodes,radiohostNatalie Graham,boxer NiallFarrell,Radio WM’s Daz Hale andcomedian Gary Powndland allattendedthe event, with theclubbeing represented from theboardroom by Wolves director JohnBowman, taking part with hisdaughters, andcommercial managerVinny Clark.

Ready forthe MolineuxSleepout

Head of Foundation Will Clow es andhis dedicated team, includ ingmanyvolunteers,did abrilliantjob organising the Sleepout, whichisnow into itsfourthyear includingthe virtualevent which took placeduringlockdownin 2020

Thereisarealsense of community andcamaraderie amongthe participants, whichwas helped by such asupportive team of staff andvolunteers on thenight

This year’s eventwas fewdegreescolderthanlastyear’s but, judgingby theintermittent snoringaudible acrossthe rows of seatinginthe lowertierofthe Stan CullisStand,itdidn’tpre venteveryone from getting to sleep.

It is notlostonanyoneatthe club that we areinacostofliv ingcrisisand thesupport from fans forthe Sleepout washugely appreciated.Itwasn’tjustWolves supporters,too.Whisper it,but therewas at leastone Albion fan in enemyterritory andyou have to admirethatwillingness to crossthe divide in thenameof such agreat cause!

If youstill want to supportthe Sleepout andthe charitieswho benefit, then It’s nottoo late to make adonation, just head along to https://www.justgiving.com/ campaign/MolineuxSleepout2022

Portugal’s CristianoRonaldo celebrates with team-mateJoao Felixafter scoring from thepenalty spot againstGhana View from thetouchline with

DOCEXITS AMID CLUB SHAKE-UP

hasleftWolvesafter two yearsatMolineux, the club have confirmed.

TheformerEngland nation al teamdoctorjoinedWolvesina lead role during theearly part of thepandemic andisnoted to have helped theclubthrough football’s return underformerheaddoctor Matt Perry.

It is thelatestchangeatWolves amid ashake-upofstaff at Mo lineux andCompton on thebackof newsportingdirectorMattHobbs andheadcoachJulen Lopetegui.

ExecutivechairmanJeffShi ad mitted theclubhas undergonea review andanalysedrecentfailing, leadingtoa‘shake-up’and ‘fresh start’

Chakraverty movedtoWolvesin 2020,where he initiallyworkedto wardsProject Restart, wasviewed as acoupand came afteraftera controversial exit from aroleat theFootballAssociation,where findings hadbeenuncoveredina BBCPanoramainvestigation look ingintodisgraced former athletics coachAlberto Salazar.

Thedoctorfaced scrutiny fornot recordingthe amount of legalsup plement,L-Carnitine,administered

to Farahinthe 2014 LondonMar athon. It wasreported by theBBC Chakraverty carriedout injections despiteexpressingreservations aboutpossible‘side effects’

Having admitted to notrecording thequantity, Chakravertyinsisted it was“well below” thelegal limitof 50ml during asix-hour period

He held theroles of first-team doctor andheadofperformance and medicine at Molineux andCompton followingthe departureoflong term medicalchief Perry.

Chairman Shisaid: “DrRob joined Wolves at adifficult time during thepandemic,but hisex perience andknowledge helped us massivelythrough atough period.

“He’s also developedthe medi calteamduringhis time here and workedhardtotry andmove things forward. On behalf of everyone at Wolves,I’d liketowishRob thevery best of luck forthe future.”

Chakraverty added: “Duringmy time at Wolves I have had the pleas ureofworking with so many good people whoseworkethic,desireto improve andprofessionalism have been acredittothe club.”

Corberan relishingextra training time

Carlos Corberan is enjoying‘every singleday’inchargeatAlbionand insiststhe WorldCup breakcameat theperfect moment forhis players.

Corberan took overfromSteve Brucelastmonth andaftera dis appointing 2-0defeattoSheffield United in his firstgameincharge, he hasoverseen athree-gamewin ning runthathas liftedAlbionout of theChampionshipdropzone.

In that time,the Baggieshave

also kept threeclean sheets in a rowand went into theinternational breakinthe best form in months

AndCorberanbelievesthe break came at theideal time forhim and hisstaff to gettoworkonthe pitch with Albion’s players –muchlikea pre-season campaign, He said:“It hasbeenfantastic to spendtimehere, at this amazing club,and Iamenjoyingeverysingle day.

“For me,itwas agreat opportu nity to come here andIhavetried to give my best.Whenyou areata bigclub, with bigsupporters, abig stadiumand big players,everything is positive

“Thisbreak is agreat opportu nity because when you don’tdoa pre-season with thesquad,itisa perfectmoment to workwiththe players.To nowhavethisperiodof time is fantastic”

Boss glad to see Wilkinsonback

WalsallbossMichelFlynn haspaid tributetoConor Wilkinsonwho re turned to trainingthisweek.

WilkinsonsufferedatornACL in agameagainst Rochdale in April andwas expected to be outfor up to ayear, buthas recovered in time for thepre-Christmas games.

Flynn, whoknowsWilkinson from theirmutualtimeatNewport, said said:“He is averytalented playerand hasworkedextremely hard to come back stronger than he wasbeforethe injury.I have alot of time forhim andI have seen him grow as ahuman in thelasteight yearsorso.

“I am lookingforward to him coming back and firing on all cylinders.”

Villaleading the race to bag Cole

Villaare settowin theraceto sign teenage LinfieldstarCole Brannigan

TheNorthernIreland Un der-16 winger hasbeenlinked with PremierLeaguechampi onsManchesterCity, Liverpool, Chelseaand Leeds United but Villaare believed to have moved into pole position to land the talented youngster.Linfieldwill receiveafee forBrannigan,who came throughtheir academy, with suggestionsVillawillpay around £150,000 plus adds on for aplayermanyatWindsor Park feel hasthe ability andattitude to be ahit in England.

Albion bossCarlosCorberan

Doctor Rob Chakraverty

LEWISCOX lewis.cox@mnamedia.co.uk

DoctorRob Chakravertyduring histwo-year stintatWolves.