Chronicle Week Dudley-Stourbridge - 8-Dec-2022

INTERCHANGE PLAN DELAYED

Dudley’s new£24million interchangehasbeendelayedascouncil chiefsbattletothrashoutdealsfor morethanaquarterofthesite

Thescheme, whichproposes demolition of the36-year-old bus stationandreplacingitwithanew sitelinkingbusandMetroservices, wasgranted full planning permis sioninSeptember.Buttheworkhas yettogetunderwayafteritemerged DudleyCouncilwasstrugglingtosecuretherightstoaround27percent ofthesite.

Pockets

Theauthorityhasnowengaged compulsory purchase order(CPO) powersinabidtotakecontrolof28 pocketsoflandintheareaaround Birmingham Street,BourneStreet, Fisher Street,StJoseph Street and TrindleRoad.

TheyincludeFarmfoods,which hasaleaseonitsFisherStreetstore until2027,andplotsonBirmingham StreetownedbyCastleviewLtd CouncilleaderCouncillor PatrickHarleysaidhewasconfidentthe landwouldbesecured“quitequick ly”andthatworkwasexpectedto startearlynextyear Astatement accompanying the noticeofCPO,saidthecouncilhad

been“unabletoacquireallofthein terests”inthelanddespitenegotia tionsstartingin2020.

Itsaysthatincludingtheexistingbusstation,thecouncilcurrently ownsapproximately73percentof thefreeholdlandrequiredtodeliver thescheme.Itadds:“Whereinterestscannotbeacquiredbyprivate treaty,itistheintentionofthecounciltoacquirethemusingitscompul sorypurchasepowers.

“Privatetreatynegotiationswith theholdersofthoseinterestsareat astagewhereoffershavebeenmade butagreementhasnotbeenreached, suchthatnorealprogressisnowbeingmade.

“Thecouncilhas,andwillcontinuetoconsultandnegotiatewith allthirdpartiesthathaveinterests in theorder land to acquire their interestsandnewrightsbyagree ment,butitisclearthatcompulsorypurchasepowerswillneedtobe employedtoensurethatvacantpos sessioncanbeachieved,andthatthe schemecanbedelivered.”

Councillor Harley said:“Iam confidentwecanconcludethisquite quickly.”

Santarun suitscharity

Crewstackle factoryblaze

Morethan100firefighterstack led a huge blaze close to Wolver hamptonrailwaystation

Thefirebrokeoutataderelict factoryatLower Horseley Fields justafter9pmonMonday.Thefire engulfedtheentirefactoryandama jorincidentwasdeclaredaroundan hourlater

Morethan20appliancesattend ed.By11.10pm,thefireservicecon firmed:“Allnearbytrainshavebeen stopped,andafullevacuationofthe sitehastakenplace.”

Roadswereclosedandaftermid night,therewasconfirmationthat nearbyresidentscouldalsobeevac uatedduetotheamountofsmoke.

Teen killed in M6 pile-up

A19-year-oldwomanhasbeen killedinamulti-vehiclecrashinvolvingalorryandthreecarsontheM6.

Theteenager,fromDudley,wasa passengerinaVolkswagenPolo.

Thepile-up happened north boundbetween Junctions16, for Crewe,and17,forSandbach,atabout 5.15pmonFriday.The Polo driver andanotherpassenger,bothmenin their20s,remaininhospitalwithseriousinjuries.AnHGV,Peugeot107 andaBMWwerealsoinvolved.

TheHGV driver,a 27-year-old manfromRossendale, Lancashire, wasarrestedonsuspicionofcausing deathbydangerousdrivingandhas beenbailed

Report by Peter Madeley

Hero postman alife-saver

Apostmanhasbeenhailed asaheroaftersavingthelifeof amanwhocollapsedoutsidea sortingoffice.

DanHowellsleapt into ac tionoutsideStourbridgesorting officeonNovember23, after Darryl Taylor collapsedafter sufferingcardiac arrest while collectingapackage.MrHowells

administeredCPRforaround10 minutestoMrTaylor,78,who hadhithisheadduringthefall andstoppedbreathing.Hewas takentoRussellsHallHospital andisnowonthemend

MrHowellssaid:“I’mthank fulDarryl’scome through. It’s niceforthisheart-warmingsto rytocomeoutandtomakepeo

plemoreawarethatCPRtrain ingisreallyimportant.”

Mr Taylor’s daughter Lynn Wilkesofferedherownthanks onTwittertoDanandWestMid landsAmbulanceService.

TheAmbulanceServicesaid: “Thisistheperfectexampleof howcruciallearningCPRisin helpingtosavealife.”

£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 hasalsobeen awardedtoCoventryCouncil.

ItcomesafterLevellingUp Secretary Michael Gove wrote tocouncilsandhousingassocia tions,orderingthemtoraisethe baronstandardsandtakeur gentactionwherepeoplecom plainaboutdampandmould

Theschemeinvolves26lo cal authorities and draws on theoutcomesofanearlierpilot, whichsawBirminghamCouncil handedmorethan£3m.Wol verhamptonhasalsobeenallo cated£200,000fromtheRough Sleeping Accommodation Pro gramme

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

Glittering totalraisedatball

charitywhilenetworkingwith

TheDudleyGroupNHSChar

Theeventinviteslocalbusi

Report by Peter Madeley

Postman DanHowells

Pantostarlauncheszoo grotto

Apantomime star welcomed Santaatapopularattractionand declareditsChristmasgrottooffi ciallyopen

SantawaswelcomedatDud leyZooandCastlebysingerand actressZoeBirkett,whoisstar ringinAladdinatWolverhampton Grand Theatre. The pantomime

openedlastweekendandrunsun tilJanuary7.Itisthefirsttimethe grotto at Dudley Zooand Castle hasbeenabletoopenfortwoyears followingtheCovidoutbreak.

DZCmarketing manager An dreaHalessaid:“It’sfantasticto beabletowelcomeFatherChrist masbacktohisDudleyZoogrotto.

WeweredelightedZoewasableto taketimeoutofherbusyschedule to come andhelpuslaunchour Christmasfestivities.”

Ticketsfor Santa’sgrottoin cludesatripontheSantaExpress landtrainaswellaszooadmis sion.Visitdudleyzoo.org.ukorcall 01384215313.

Hallsrevampvalue formoneyreviewed

Expertssaythereisa“riskof significantweakness”inWolver hamptonCouncil’sbidtoachieve valueformoneyinthe£48million CivicHallsrefurbishment.

TheNorthStreetvenueisset toreopenin2023afteradelayed refurbishment costing fivetimes itsoriginalbudget.

Butinanewreport,thecoun cil’sexternalauditors, Grant Thornton,havequestionedtheau thority’s“arrangementstoachieve valueformoney”.Thevenue,now knownasTheHallsWolverhamp

tonandrunbyAEGPresents,is scheduledtoopennextJuneafter aneight-yearrevampdoggedbya seriesofdelays Thereport, presented to the council’sauditandriskcommittee, says:“Wehaveidentifiedariskof significantweaknessinrelationto thearrangementstoachievevalue formoneyduringtheCivicHalls refurbishment due to thechal lengesithasfacedandtheoverall cost.Thisriskimpactsourassess ment of theeconomy,efficiency andeffectivenessofthecouncil’s

arrangements.”Acouncilspokes mansaid: “Grant Thornton pub liclyexpressedconfidenceinthe council’s finances,stating plans togivean‘unqualifiedopinion’on thefinancialstatementinthelat estpublishedaccounts.Italsocon firmeditwill,aspartofitsstatu toryvalueformoneywork,review inmoredetailhowthecouncilhas managedtheCivicHallsproject.”

Afullreportisexpectedtobe presented at thenextaudit and riskcommitteemeetingonJanu ary23.

Santaiswelcomed toDudleyZoo by Grand pantostar Zoe Birkett

M6 work to continue

Thelong-runningrevampofama jorbottleneckwillcontinueintonext yearafter“unexpectedchallenges”de layedwork.

National Highways is in the final stagesofimprovingthejunctionwhere theA454BlackCountryRoute/Wolver hamptonRoadmeetstheM6atJunc tion10.Bossesbehindthe£78million projectwerehopingitwouldbecom pletedthisautumn

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

Programme leader Ashfaq Hus sainsaid:“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 limitwill remain ontheM6beyondthatdatewhilethe agencymovestothe“technologycom missioningphase”oftheproject.

Radiostation is ruling airwaves

up asilveraward inthe Speechand Journalismcategory.

Finally, technical director Tom Walker,who volunteerscountless hoursbehindthesceneswithhisteam ofspecialisttechnicalvolunteers,keep ingthestationonairanddeveloping newstate-of-the-artservices,wonasil verawardintheVolunteeroftheYear category

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

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

Bumper yearfor trees

AChristmas tree business is giv ingawarmwelcometocustomersthis festiveseasonandishopingitwillbea bumperyear

BradshawsChristmas Treesin Wrottesley Park Road,Perton, has morethan400treesinitsshop,while thereare more than 3,500trees for peopletochoosefrominthefieldbe hind.BusinessandsitemanagerAlex Sedgleysaid:“Thetreesintheshopare

fresh,nomorethanaweeksincethey werecut,orpeoplecancutdownthe treesinthefieldorchoosethemandwe willcutthem

“We’vehadafewmorethisyear. Theyhavebeensellingreallywell.We willbesellingwreathstoo,allmade withfoliagehereonthefarm.”

Christmastreepricesstartat£20 Bradshawsisopenfrom9amto5pm eachday.

Chairman Keith Horsfall, presenterClivePayne, sportspresenter Adam Parkes, director AlexTotney and technical director TomWalker

Crowds getinthe festivespirit

Crowds got into thefestive spirit to watchChristmas lights beingswitchedoninDudleyand BrierleyHill.

In Dudley,the lights were switched on on Saturday by the mayor,CouncillorSueGreenaway andBBCWM’sKathStanczyszyn. European welterweight boxing

champKirstieBavingtonensured BrierleyHill’seventwasaknock outsuccesswhenshejoinedFather Christmastopressthebutton.

Familiesatbotheventswere able to enjoyfree pantoperfor mancesofSleepingBeauty,funded by Dudley Business First.Black CountryRadiobroadcastlivefrom

Dudley,whileinBrierleyHillthere wasliveentertainment andfun fairrides.

Theeventscoincidedwith SmallBusinessSaturday,anation alcampaigntoencouragepeople toshoplocal.Freecarparkingwas availablefortwohoursonDudley Council-ownedcarparks

cy (UKHSA)saysstaff errors at Immensa’ssiteatthecity’sScience Parkmayhaveledtoanextra23 Coviddeaths. Areportintothe blunderssaysasmanyas39,000 positiveresultswerewronglyre portedasnegativeinSeptember andOctober2021.Themistakes ledto“increasednumbersofhos

pitaladmissionsanddeaths”,the reportconcluded,whilethousands ofpeople,manyinthesouthwest, werewronglytoldtostoptesting aftertheirresultswereprocessed.

Thelabwasusedforadditional testingcapacityforNHSTestand TracefromearlySeptember2021 TestingwassuspendedonOctober 12followingreportsofinaccurate results.

RichardGleave,UKHSAdirec torandleadinvestigator,said:“We have concluded that stafferrors withinImmensa’sWolverhampton

laboratory were theimmediate causeoftheincorrectreportingof Covid-19PCRtestresultsinSep temberandOctober2021

“Itisourviewthattherewas nosingleactionthatNHSTestand Tracecouldhavetakendifferently topreventthiserrorarisinginthe privatelaboratory.

“However,ourreportsetsout clearrecommendationstobothre ducetheriskofincidentslikethis happeningagainandensurethat concernsareaddressedandinves tigatedrapidly.”

Funtime Theatre’s WillPhippsand Rachel Chadwick,KathStancyszynand CouncillorGreenaway

Basicqueue theoryis what ourhealthservice requires

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

Thewholebusiness 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 inganduncertainChristmaswith outasafeplacetocallhome.

Astherisingcostoflivingpiles moreandmorepressureonpeo ple, homelessness charityCrisis isseeingtheconsequencesinits frontlineservices.Ascostpres suresintensify,it’sonlygoingto getworsewithmorepeopleatrisk oflosingtheirhome

Now’sthetimetostandwith peoplefacinghomelessness

Crisis at Christmaswill be openingitsdoorstopeoplewho wouldotherwisebespendingDe cemberandJanuaryonthestreets.

InthreehotelsacrossLondon andcentres around thecountry, peoplewillbeprovidedwithfood

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

ThesupportCrisisprovidesis onlypossiblebecauseofthegener osityoftheBritishpublic

PleasegivethegiftofaCrisis Christmasandhelpsomeoneleave thetraumaandhardshipofhome lessnessbehind

Tofindoutmoreortodonate toCrisisthisChristmas,pleasevis itwww.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

Local firms’ saddemise

Livingallmylifeinthelocal area,I’veseenthedemiseofbig companieslikeGoodyear,Chubb’s andYaleetcandamsaddenedto seethelossesoflocaljobsandloss tothelocaleconomyandallthe hardshipsthatfollows.

IamveryconcernedthatRoy alMailcouldfollowsuitandjobs areatriskinthelocalareadueto afailureofmanagement.Thecom pany made record profitsearly thisyear,butnowtheyaresaying theyarelosingonemillionpounds aday?Where’sthemoneygone?

Nowtheyarethreateningjob losses to RoyalMailemployees whohavegivenloyalservicesome 20-40years,whileapparentlystill employingagencystaff on zero hourcontracts

Whyare doctorsvanishing?

Imanagedtogetanappoint mentatmyGPsurgeryafterabout sixweeksoftrying,andsawalo cumdoctor.

He told mehewas theonly doctortherethatday,atasurgery thatusuallyhassixdoctorswork ingthere.

Iaskedhimwherewereallthe otherdoctors,hesaidoffdoingdif ferentthings.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

MLinforth,Wolverhampton

AstarofNetflixoriginalTheWitch ersurprisedstudentsinWolverhamp tonwithaspecialShareYourStoryses sionfortheBBC’s100thanniversary.

Aldersley High School students weredelightedtomeetspecialguest andactor,Wolverhampton-bornAnya Charlotra, whoplayedheadwitch YenneferofVengerberginthefantasy dramaprogramme.

SheattendedStDominic’sGram marSchoolinBrewood,beforestud yingattheLondonAcademyofMusic andDramaticArt

Aspokemanfor AldersleyHigh Schoolsaid:“TheBBCandAnyawere verycomplimentaryoftheattitudeand behaviourofthestudentsatAldersley HighSchool

Opportunity

“Theschoolwouldliketoexpress theirgratitudeforthiswonderfulop portunityand insightintothe world ofstorytelling.”Duringthevisittothe BarnhurstRoadschool,thepupilswere alsogiventhechancetotalktotheBBC productionteam,wherethepowerof storytellingwasdiscussedandlinksto futurecareerswereshared

Students were also treatedtoan

hoursession whereAnyawas ques tionedbyBBCRadio1Xtrahostpre senterNickBright.Theywerealsogiv enthechancetoaskquestionsabout Anya’s childhood in Wolverhampton andhercareerinacting

The‘ShareYourStory’BBCevent bringsmorethan100diversestorytell ersintoschoolsacrosstheUKtoshare personalstoriesoftheirjourneys,set backsandsuccesses

ThestorytellersincludewellknownBBC stars from such as Greg James, Stacey Dooley, Alex Scott and LauraKuenssberg.

Freshgraffiti crackdown as cases on theincrease

TheformerBeattiesstoreinWol verhampton is amongsites being plaguedbyariseingraffiti.

BetweenJanuaryandOctoberthis year,WolverhamptonCouncilreceived 303requeststoremovegraffitifrom variouslocationsinthecitywhichre sultedin244clean-ups.

Most recently,the environmental teamhasbeenremovinggraffitifrom theformerBeattiesbuilding,whichis waitingtobeturnedintoapartments.

Inareporttoscrutinyboardmem bersaheadofameetingthisweek,en vironmentalplacebaseddevelopment manager Claire Walterssaid: “The councilwillremovealloffensivegraf fitiandgraffitionourownproperty.

Inadditiontothis–whereresources

allow–wewillsupporttheremovalof graffitiatkeylocationsaslongaswe havethebuildingowner’spermission

“Forexample,wearecurrentlyre movinggraffitifromBeattiesas we havehadasignedindemnityformfrom theowners.Wecannotremovegraffiti fromprivatepropertyunlesswehave expresspermission

“Inorder to address theissue of graffitiacrossthecitywecannotwork alone.Keystakeholdersmustworkto gether,”sheadded.

“This includesthe prevention of graffitihappeningbypresentingfewer ‘blankcanvasses’acrossthewholecity Forexample,communityengagement, theuseofstreetarttodiscourage‘tag ging’,anduseofanti-graffitipaint.”

StudentsofAldersleyHigh SchoolmeetTheWitcherstarAnya Chalotra

Anya,left,inTheWitcher

Councillor is deselected

AWolverhampton councillor sayssheis“gobsmacked”afterbe ingdeselectedfromstandinginher wardatnextyear’slocalelections.

BarbaraMcGarrity was first electedasaLabourcouncillor for SpringValeinMay2018andretained herseatthisyearwithareducedma jority.However,shehasbeendese lectedbylocalLabourmembersand willnotbeabletostandintheward atthecity-wideelectionsinMay

Councillor McGarrity,who has livedinWolverhampton formore than20years,isatrainedclinical nursespecialistandhastwogrownupchildren,oneofwhomisTVpre senterRadziChinyanganya

Aswellasbeingthecouncil’scli mate change champion,she chairs theresidents,housingandcommunitiesscrutinypanelandsitsonthe corporateparentingboard,scrutiny boardandselectcommittee.

CouncillorMcGarritysaid:“Iwas actually chairing ascrutinypanel meetingatthetimeIwasdeselected, soIdidn’tfindoutuntilmuchlater asitwasdoneinmyabsence.Iwas gobsmackedwhenIwastold.No-one hasgivenmeanyreasonwhy.Idon’t wanttobeforcedout.IfandwhenI dogo,Iwanttodoitinmyowntime.”

Acouncil spokesmansaidthe matterwasawardissueandnothing todowiththeLabourgroup

Principalremembers ‘resilient’ pupilRuby

School rated inadequate

Astrugglingcityschoolhasbeen ratedinadequateaftergovernment inspectorsslammedpoorleadership andsafeguardingstandards

Smestow Academy in Wolver hamptonwasgiventhebottomrung gradingfollowingavisitfromOfsted inSeptember–itsfirstinspection sincethepandemic.

TheWindmill Crescent school hasundergone acontinual decline sincejoiningtheUniversityofWolverhampton Multi-Academy Trust (UWMAT)– nowknown as the GreenheartLearningPartnership andhashadasuccessionofheads.

Tributes have been paid to a “compassionate, caring andresilient”15-year-oldgirlafterherdeath onabusyroadinDudley.

RubyDaviesdiedonNovember 28,threedaysafterbeinghitbyacar onPedmoreRoad,BrierleyHill,near MerryHillshoppingcentre

Tributes,includingballoons, flowersandateddybear–aswellas messagesrememberingRuby–have been placed close to theaccident site.AtLinkAcademyinNetherton, whichRuby attended, flowers and

scentedcandleshavebeenleftout sidetheschoolgates

PrincipalEmmaEdwards-Mor gan,sentoutalettertoallparents andcarerstoinformthemofRuby’s deathandletthemknowthatalltrib uteswouldbecollectedandtransferredtoamemorytree.

Shewrote:“It is ourintention withherfamily’spermissiontohave aplace of reflection in theschool groundsthatwill give learners a placetogotopaytheirrespectsand signabookofcondolence.”

Paying tribute,she said:“Ruby wasaquietlydeterminedyounglady withawonderfulsenseofhumour. Shegave100percentinherstud iesandwascompassionate,caring andresilient.Theabsenceofherwill leaveahugegapinourschoolcommunity.Shewillbesadlymissed.”

Family friend Lindsey Forsyth haslaunchedanonlineappeal–www.gofundme.com/f/funeral -costs-and-memorials–towardsthe teenager’s funeraland memorials. Some£2,395hassofarbeenraised.

Inspectorsfoundtherewaspoor attendancefromasignificantnum berofpupils.Theyaddedsafeguard ing arrangementswere“noteffec tive”, with recordsnot up to date andstaffsaidto“notalwaysknow” whether absent vulnerable pupils weresafe

Schoolbossessaidtheyweredisappointedwiththegradingandthe inspectors’commentsaboutattend ance levels,but that safeguarding training hadbeenstepped up and strategiesputinplacetoensurespe cialneedspupilsweresucceeding.

Smestow is in theprocess of transferring to MatrixAcademy Trust.CurrentheadJessieChahalis understoodtobeleavinginthenew year

Tributes including flowersand ateddy bearwere leftatthe scene

VictimRubyDavies

Level42inCivic concert

Level42haveannounced astopoffshowatWolverhamptonCivicHall nextyearaspartoftheirLivingItUp OnTour

The80sband,bestknownfortheir hitsongsLessonsInLoveandRunning In TheFamily,will be supportedby TheChristianswhentheyvisitWolver hamptononOctober8

They arethefirst big-name band announcedforthevenuewithsinger Gabrielleand dancegroup Diversity alsolineduptoperform.

TherefurbishmentoftheCivicHall hastakenmorethansevenyearsandis settocost£48m,almostfivetimesits original budget. It is understoodthe firstshowswilltakeplaceinJunenext

yearfollowingtesteventsbeingheld, withchiefshopingtoattractsomestar names.

TheLevel42showwillfeatureas partoftheLivingituponTour2023, whereitwillbethefirststopbefore movingonto21otherlocationsaround theUK.Thebandwillbesupportedby Gospel group TheChristians, which hadthehighestsellingdebutalbumat IslandRecordsandhadseveralinternationalcharthitsinthelate80sandearly90s,includingHarvestForTheWorld andIdealWorld.

TheWolverhampton date will be followedbyaconcertatVictoriaHall, Stoke-on-Trent.Tickets areavailable viatheAXSwebsite

Athree-bedroompropertyinWol-

Currently vacant,the property is listedonZooplabyBondWolfe.Itisin aprimelocationforprimaryschools, withtwolocatedjust0.3milesaway

Onthegroundfloor,thehallways leadstoareception/loungeroom, kitchenand toilet,withalobby and storageatthebackofthehouse.Onthe firstfloor,thelandingleadstothree bedroomsandabathroom.

Thelistingreads:“Thereisafront

andbacklawnwithdrivewayparking Thepropertybenefitsfromhavingagas firedcentralheatingsystem,themajor ityofthewindowsaredoubleglazed units.However,thepropertyisinneed ofimprovementworksthroughout.”

Viewingcanbearrangedbetween1 and1.15pmtoday(Thursday)andfrom 11.45amtonoononMonday.

Thepropertywillbesoldatauction nextWednesday.Theauctionwillbe live-streamedand anyone interested mustpre-registertobidviatheBond Wolfewebsite,withremotebiddingonline,bytelephoneorproxy

Formoreinformation aboutthe propertyandsalevisitZoopla.co.uk

Walkinggroup invitation

Awalkinggrouphasanewname

“Wehaveanopeninvitation

The semi-detached house inWolverhampton. Photo:BondWolfe

Reindeer bringhospital cheer

Wolverhampton’sNew CrossHos pitalturnedfestiveasreindeervisited patientsandaspecialguestswitched onitsChristmaslights

Reindeer George andMistletoe greetedpatientsandpaidaspecialvisit tothechildren’sward.

Meanwhile, patientswerealso visitedbyFather Christmasand the hospitalheldafestivefairbeforeex WolvescaptainKarlHenry,helpedby youngfundraisersLoganMundayand AlfieHinks,switchedontheChristmas

lights.OrganisedbyTheRoyalWolver hamptonNHS TrustCharity,visitors couldenjoy seasonal stalls whilethe trust’schoir, TheRWT Singers, sere nadedthecrowdwithChristmassongs andcarols.

Seven-year-old RileyWeaver-Har risonisbattlingleukaemiaandspends alotoftimeonthechildren’swardbut wasexcitedtoseeSantaandhisrein deer.Riley’s mother Sara said:“It’s brillianttohaveSantaandhisreindeer here.It’sbroughtasmiletohisface.”

AnnaStrasser,Richard Dawes andTanyaTayloratNewCrossHospital withreindeerGeorge and Mistletoe

Homeless shelteropposed

WestMidlandsPolicehasobjected toplansbyasoupkitchentoprovidea placetostaysevendaysaweek.

Catrescue charitymakes plea

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’

Gobackintime at museumto Christmaspast

Carolsingers,chimneysweepsand cheerful postieshavebeenspotted doingtheroundsforthe‘Unwrapping Christmas’eventattheBlackCountry LivingMuseum

TheDudleyattraction hasbeen preparingforthebiggestChristmasyet –updatingthegroundswithtreesand lights.Specialguestappearancesfrom aChristmas postmandeliveringSan taletters,ajollychimneysweep,anda seasonalbakerareamongthecharac terstojoininthefestivefun.

TomDipple,programme anddevelopmentmanagerattheTiptonRoad museum,said:“We’reverymuchlook ingforwardtohavingabostin’Black CountryChristmas

“Ourdaytimeprogramme‘UnwrappingChristmas’celebratesthechang ingofChristmas throughtime. The eventwillrununtilJanuary1.”

Newdecorationswillformalarge partofthemuseum’sChristmasactivi ties,withafantasyeventshowingelves andtoyworkshops,carolsbythefire andaSantahunt

Newadditions tothe museum’s regularcharactersincludeaChristmas treesalesman,amothermakingcakes forherfamily’sdinner,andthenew lydecoratedElephantandCastlepub. Thepubhasalsobeenfullydecorated tomatchthefestivefeelofthegrounds

Theanticipated ‘GladTidings’ event,whichrunsfromtomorrow(Friday)untilDecember18,from6.30to 10pm,willgivevisitorstheopportuni tytostaylaterinthemuseum,sitbythe hearthsandbraziers,andenjoytheseasonalatmosphereandcarolsallwhile

enjoyingsomehotchocolate.The‘UnwrappingChristmas’eventwillalsobe joinedbyanewinteractive,audio-descriptivetour,whichwillexplorehow communities throughthe ages have cometogethertocelebratethefestive period

Aspokesmansaid:“Christmashas returned onceagain to themuseum, andwecan’twaittoinviteourvisitors backtoenjoyafestivedayout.”

Thisyearalsofeaturesa‘Christmas attheLocksmiths’,takingguestsonan intimate tour throughanuntouched Edwardianhome to find outwhat ChristmaswaslikeforthefamousWil lenhalllock-making family,the Hodsons

Seebclm.comformoredetails

Free lunchfor homeless

Avolunteerwhoprovidesfoodfor thehungryisthrowingaChristmas dinnerforupto100people.

MariaMcKellar, whohas become afamiliarfaceinWolverhamptonfor dishingoutfoodtothehomeless,will beholdingtheChristmasdinneratSt

MaryandStJohn’sChurchinSnowHill from1.30pmto4pmonDecember17

The60-year-old IT consultant foundedAFutureForAll,whichoperatesanoutdoorsoupkitchennextto thePrinceAlbertstatueinthecity’s QueenSquarefournightsaweek

Chimneysweep MattRobinsonwillbe among thefacesaroundthesite

LucyThorpeinaperiodhouse

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role of Poirot

SATURDAY

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

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

SUNDAY

Casino Royale (2006) (ITV, 8pm)

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

90shitmakers in test of musicknowledge

The Hit List (BBC1, 5.30pm, Saturday)

OnTheHitList,itprobablyhelps tohaveagoodbondwithyourteam mate,butisitpossibletoknoweach otheralittlebittoowell?

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

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

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

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

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

EastEnders (BBC1)

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

Coronation Street (ITV)

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

Emmerdale (ITV)

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

Editor’s weekend pick

Films for the weekend

Your guide to the soaps

Rochelle and MarvinHumes arethe hosts ofTheHitList 90sspecial

OrientExpress

Shane Richie

Frank left joint partly (5)

Impudence adds piquancy,itwould seem (5)

The rubbish dump is mine when put back (3)

Trace amop which may be taken to pieces (4,5)

Yes, rag is oily (6)

Does he hang around the bakery? (6)

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

It is put in by someone wanting arow (3)

Consumed in cafe at English resort (5)

This proposal can’tbeon (5)

Composing dissertation needed by 6 (7,5)

Co-operate, as Jacob did for Rachel (4,8)

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

She let ham become ruined (6)

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

One can easily get steamed up in it (5)

He is correspondingly active (6-6)

The fruit of temptation? (5)

Cuts when akernel is produced (6,3)

The speaker has it and dancers take it (5)

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

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

NOTICE TO READERS

Please be awarethat when purchasing apuppy there are some simple guidelines you can follow to ensure that you are not purchasing from

JOURNALISTS

Britain’slargest independentregional news companyislookingto recruit senior reporters.

The Midland News Association, publisher of the Express &Star and Shropshire Star,islooking forpeople with experience and enthusiasm to join its team.

We areparticularly looking for:

•SpecialistCrime and Courts Correspondent– Achance to work one of Britain’snewsiestregions, offering an understanding and insightinto the challenges facing police as well as covering major court cases.

•SeniorNewsCorrespondents –Reporterswith relish who will bring in hardnewsstoriesand human interest features, bringing in frontpageleads and substantial onlinetrafficand able to take on lively and interesting background news features.

These areroles forambitious, dedicatedand enthusiastic journalistswith aproventrack record

As amulti-mediajournalist,you must be comfortable producing contentfor all of our printand digital platforms–fromin-depth news features forour newspapers, to breaking news articles for our websites, as well as covering stories as theyhappen on live blogs.

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

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

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

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

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

Thebest Christmas marketsto visitinanEV

ThebestChristmas

Manchester Christmas Market topped therank ings of thesurveyconducted by PeugeotUK, which looked at thenumberofpublicchargepointsthat were offeredwithinathree-mileradiusof14ofVisit England’s most-popular Christmasmarkets.

They also looked at charging speedsavailable,and accommodationwithfreechargingwas also scored.

Theresearch also investigated how many of the marketscould be reachedusing the225-milerange of thePeugeote-208 from 15 of themostpopulated cities in theUK.

Alltop 10 Christmasmarkets–savefor Padstow’s eventinCornwall–wereaccessible from at leastnine of theUK’smostpopulated cities.

Rapid

Manchester’s Christmasmarket came outontop, with 14 cities in theUKwithina225-mileradius. It also hadthe highestnumberofchargingstations, with 69 availablewithinathree-mileradius.

This included 16 rapid chargers offering speeds of over50kW.

Birmingham Frankfurt Christmasmarket came in second place, with Leedsplaced thirdwithits 62 charging stations –including 17 rapid units. The Yorkshirecitycould also be reachedfrom13ofthe UK’s most populatedcitieswithinthe e-208’s225 milerange

JulieDavid,managingdirector, PeugeotUK, said: “Christmas marketsare apopular destination to vis it during Novemberand December andPeugeot’slat estresearch hasrevealedthe marketsand cities that best caterfor electric drivers.

“Withmorethanamillion electric driversonUK roadstoday,thingslikedistanceand charging infra structurewill play an importantroleindetermining wheredriversheadtothisChristmas.”

Yorktopped thetablesinterms of EV-focused ac commodationoptions, with 19 differenthotelsand B&Bs offering free charging forcustomers

APeugeot wasusedinthe survey

FirstDrive: Peugeot408

TEDWELFORD PressAssociation

Againstthe vast swathes of SUVs,manufacturers areincreasinglyhavingtothinkoutside the boxwhenitcomes to de signs– whichequates to increasingly bolder optionsfor customers. The latest exampleofthis comesfromPeugeot, 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.A fewhigh lights areits fantasticcolour-coded, framelessgrillealong with thepop ular SUVcladding.

Electrification is core to the408 too,withhybridversionspredicted to accountfor thebulk of sales, whilethere’s thenew version of 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.

Peugeotclaimsup to 40 miles of electric rangeispossible, with Peugeotsayingmorethan200mpg andCO2 emissionsof26g/km. It will take threeand ahalfhours to charge the408, though you canreduce this to an hour and40witha faster 7.4kWonboard charger.

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

At thesametime, it rideswell with comfortableleather andAlcantaraseats helpingout with this, whilethe refinement on motorways wasparticularlyimpressive.

The408’s design couldreallydivide opinion.It’sPeugeot’sboldest modelinsome time –and that’s coming from abrand that hasbeen pushingthe boundaries anyway 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-levelAlluretrimincludesPeu geot’slatest10-inch touchscreen, whichofferseasywidgetsthatmake it farless fiddly to useonthe move.

Mid-spec Allure Premiumbrings much more visually-pleasing19inch alloywheels, alongwithkey less entryand adaptive cruise control. If you want allthe bellsand whistles,the GT packsfullMatrix LEDheadlights, aheated steering wheeland electric boot,along with thecolour-codedgrille.

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

£8,695 1818SEATARONA1.6TDIXCELLENCE5drSUVAuto,Grey,21,338miles £14,995 £14,495 1969VOLKSWAGENTRANSPORTER2.0TDIBMT150HIGHLINEVANBlue,25,945miles £29,995+VAT £28,995+VAT

1363MINIPACEMAN1.6COOPERS3drConvertible,AbsoluteBlack,78,694miles £9,250 £8,495

1363SMARTFORTWOBRABUSXCLUSIVESOFTOUCHAUTO[102]2drConvertible,Silver,46,834miles................................£8,995 £8,795

1363VAUXHALLCORSA1.216VLIMITEDEDITION3dr,White,53,268miles..................................................................................£5,995 £5,695

1868VAUXHALLMOKKAX1.4TELITE5drAUTOMineralBlack,27,417miles £16,995 £15,995

2171VAUXHALLCORSA1.2SE5dr,WhiteJade,8,220miles £15,995 £15,495

2171VAUXHALLCORSA100KWSRINAVPREMIUM50KWH5drAUTO,VoltaicBlue,5,658miles. £27,495 £25,995

2020VAUXHALLVIVARO29001.5D100PSDYNAMICH1VANWhite,19,886miles......................................................................£18,495+VAT £17,995+VAT

1969KIASORENTO2.2CRDiGT-LINESAUTOAWD5drSUV,BlazeBlue,33,066miles..................................................................£31,395 £30,995

1969MAZDAMX-52.0SKYACTIV-GSPORTNAV+2drConvertible,Blue,11,365miles £21,995 £21,495

1565VAUXHALLVIVA1.0iSL5dr,Black,8,492miles £7,995 £7,750

1717FIATTIPO1.4MPIEASY5dr,Silver,41,585miles. £8,495 £7,995

1969KIAPICANTO1.2535drAuto,Blue,6,618miles £15,995 £14,995

5dr,Silver,25,484miles..................................................................

MG picksupthe pace

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

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

Price, well it speaks foritselfand starts at justover £31k andstill comeswiththe market leadingor matching seven-yearwarrantyand features MG Pilot,araftofsafety measures usuallyseenasanoptional extra on rivalbrands.

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

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

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

BILLMcCARTHY

Theeye-catchingdesignfeatures theiconicMGbadge dominating the deep grille, flankedbyLED head lightclustersand largeair scoop.

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

Thelarge interior hasgood head andlegroom allround andthismod el hascomfortable electrically oper ated leatherseats giving thedriver acommandingviewofthe road.It features an arrayofsoft-touch fin ishtodashand sports seats, with fewerofthe harshersolid plastics Standard kitincludeskeyless entrywithpushbuttonstart,a10.1 inch colour touchscreen with Ap pleCarPlay andAndroid Auto and electric foldingand heated door mirrors and360-degreecamera. Thereisalso aleather finish to the steering wheel. Thegoodiesget better as youmove up therange and this range-topper adds frontand rear LEDsequentialindicators, dual-zoneclimate control, ambient lighting andpanoramic sunroofand electronicopening tailgate.

Rear seat passengers arecatered fortoo with thereclining seats.

Therideiscomfortable while handling is decent apart from the

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

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

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

FACTFILE

MG HS EXCLUSIVE PHEV

Price: £33.595

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

Maxspeed: 118mph 0-62mph: 6.9seconds

Combined mpg: 155.8 CO2 emissions: 43g/km Warranty: 7yrs/80,000 miles

NewAussiestar Zach backed to Cook up storm

Wolverhamptonhaveaddeda brandnew face to theirsidewith Australian prospect Zach Cook joiningfor 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

Whowas recently sacked as managerofScottish giants Rangers?

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

Who became the firstplayer to scorein five WorldCup tournaments?

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

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

Which countryrecently won theBillieJeanKingCup for the first time?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ambitions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scoringrunsfor funisthe keyfor rising star Davina

my head when Iwentout to bat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

gapwhich Ididn’tknowwas miss ingbefore.

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

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

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

“Thatis theonlyreason ythe game and sonIwantto

eed to remember is,”addsMaeed to give her

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

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

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

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

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

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

Perrin hopestohelpdrive it

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

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

ChevyGreen andRecordoGor don, theformerWarwickshire seamer andacoa scheme

Davina Perrinshows off thestyle that hashelped fire herup throughthe cricketing ranks

Pic: Stuart Leggett

KING JOHN:LOP NEEDSBACKING

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

Richards,scorerof194 Wolves goals–the second most in theclub’s history, is confident Lopeteguican guidethe side clearofthe Premier League mirewithone or twoJanu aryadditions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lopeteguiistotakehis Wolves on amid-seasontrainingcampto Marbella

HisPremier League reignkicks off at Everton on Boxing Day with Wolves four points adrift of safety

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

NewAussiestartoCookupastorm

crownedChampionshipchampions

last month

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

Cook madehis debutwithPlym outh in 2021 before making the switch to Poole– whereheplayed akey role as thePirates were

Hisprogression hasnow earned himareserveberth in thetop flight andcomesheavily recommended by some of hisnew Parrys Internation al Wolves team-mates Club promoterChris VanStraat en said:“We’vegot afairfew Aus traliansalready back in ourline-up andwhenwewerediscussingthe team fornextseason, Zach’s name

wasone whichwas mentionedbya couple of theexistingWolverhamp tonriders.

“A fewofthemknowhim well and spokeabout hispedigree,his pro fessionalism andhis will to succeed whichall fits in very nicely with us at Wolverhampton.

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

Brother: Archer needs matches

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

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

However,hehas been limited to just seven cameoappearances from thebench this campaign

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

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

“Hewould lovetoreturn. The fans know what he thinks.”

O’Neillbackat Boro aftermove

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

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

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

“Jimmyisrelocatingbackup to theareaand expressedanim mediateinterestin returning.”

Wolverhamptonhaveaddedabrand

newfacetotheir side with Austral ianprospect Zach Cook joiningfor 2023

Zach Cook Pic: AnthonyBurchell

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

Askedifhesees Lopetegui’s

LEWISCOX lewis.cox@mnamedia.co.uk

JulenLopetegui must be allowedtomakeadditions to theWolvessquad