Bridgnorth Journal - 24-Nov-2022

Cancer

survivor,61, told hefacesadelay of 900daysbeforehecan

DOMINICROBERTSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

Agrandfather wholives near Bridgnorth has beentoldhe facesa near three-year wait fora hospital appointment.

Andrew Jones,61, from Ditton Priors, said he was“gobsmacked” at thedateofthe urologyappoint ment with Shrewsbury &Telford NHSTrust (SaTH) –in June 2025

It comesafter it wasrevealedat theweekend that a16-year-old boy hadalso been given an appointment forJune2025, some 951daysaway.

Mr Jones,acancersurvivor,said that when theletterarrived on Saturdayhethought thedatewas a mistake, butlater that afternoonhe read anewspaperreportdetailing the similarwaitfor the16-year-old at thesamedepartment.

Mr Jones, who five yearsago un derwentmajor treatment forcan cerand is nowrecovered,saidthat hisappointment wasnot fora ‘life threateningproblem’, butthathe does suffer discomfort.Hesaid: “It is beyond belief really.Iknewthe NHSisinastate butIdid not think it wasthatbad.”

Gill George from Shropshire De fend OurNHS said theextreme de lays were amajor concern.

Shesaid: “Itisclearly absolutely appalling.The trustleaders should hang theirheads in shamebut so should localMPs because accountability forthe NHSlieswiththem.”

SaTH hasblamedrecruitment challenges in urologyand thecon tinuingeffects of Covidfor theproblemand said it wasdoing allitcould to tackle thedelays.

l Unacceptable –Page12

seespecialist

Family’sterroras armedgangstrikes

Afamilytoldoftheir terror when armedrobbers violentlyrammed down thegates to theirfarm, near Bridgnorth, late at night.

CCTV images show thevehicle repeatedlyramming into thegates untiltheyare smasheddown, andit is evidentthatthere is also agun in thevehicle

They quicklygot spooked, howev er,and left theproperty, leavingbehind theremains of thenew £3,000 metalgate.

Oneofthe owners of thefarm said:“It washorrible. They hada gun.”

l Smashed–Page2

Dogshop ownerin appeal forsupport

Theowner of ashopselling items fordog owners hasurged the Bridgnorth publictoshoplocally this Christmasand supportthe high street during thecostofliving crisis

CharlieButlerset up Pamper That Poochin Bridgnorth in 2019 andhas battled through thepan demictokeepthe tailsoflocal dogs wagging.

As energy billsand petrolprices soar,peoplemight be tempted to shop online forthe products they need,but 61-year-oldCharlie is askingpeopletolookclosertohome l Story–Page3

Countdownstarts forlightsswitch-on

Chance to back festivecharity tractorrun

to travelthrough Bridgnorth High StreettoLow Town andsurroundingareas

Thecountdown is on untilthe Christmas lights areswitchedonin Bridgnorth, with anight of festive funpromisedfor residentstomor rowevening (Friday)

OrganiserTom

Festive CharityTractor Runand turn outtoenjoy theevent as theilluminated vehicles travel around theareaonthe eveningof December 11.Money raisedisbeing donatedtoHopeHouse Children’s

Theconvoywillmeetat Bridgnorth LivestockMarket at 3pmwhere raffles will take place forfarmmachinery donated by dealerships. Therewill also be a prizefor thebestdecorated tractor Driverswillenjoy food anddrinks before settingoff in convoy at 5pm

Tomsaid: “The tractorswill bringatouch of Christmastolocalareas as they travel to Quatt, Alveley, Shatterford, Kinver,Enville, SixAshes,and Stanmorein thedark, creating amagical festive scenefor familiestoenjoy “Wewould love thepublictocome andsupport us.”

Live music, stiltwalkers andFather Christmas himself will entertain guests in thetowncentre as they wait with anticipation to see thelights come on Entertainmentwill runfrom 4pmuntil 8pm, with the lights be ingswitchedonat 6pm. Allbar,catering andstall pitcheshavebeen filled.There will also be afood do nation pointunder thetownhallfor theBridgnorth Food Bank

A78-year-old cyclistdiedaftera collision on theA41 near Albright on andpoliceare appealingfor dashcamfootage that mayhelp with theirinvestigations

Theincident, whichinvolved amini-SUVtookplaceatabout 11.20am on Sunday.

AWestMercia Police spokesman said:“AminiSUV (SuzukiJimny) collidedwithacyclist at thecrossroadswithShackerleyLaneand RectoryRoad

“The cyclist, a78-year-old man from Penkridge, sadlydiedfromhis injuries.No otherinjurieswerereported.”

Family’s terror as gang smashgates to farm

Armedraiders causethousandsofpoundsofdamagetoproperty

ELEANOR LAWSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

Afamilytoldoftheirterrorwhenarmed intrudersattempted to force theirway onto their farm near Bridgnorth late at night.

Organisers of theRAF Cosford AirShow have made thedeci sion to freeze standard ticket prices fornextyear, acknowledging “timesare hard”for everyone

Theannouncement wasmade by organisers, whoconfirmed thepopular family-funday out will return on Sunday,June11 next year

Morethan51,000 people at tended theevent this year and organisers have promisedeven more excitement in theair and on thegroundfor 2023

Theownersofthe farm in Bridgnorth,who have askedto remain anonymous, were settled down forthe nightear when avehiclecameontotheir property shortly before midnight on Mondaylast week

CCTV footageshowsthe vehicle repeatedly rammingintothe gates untiltheyweresmashed down,and it appearsthata gunisinsidethe vehicle.

However,itseems that theraiders became spookedabout something andleftthe property,leaving be hind theremains of thenew £3,000 metalgates they haddestroyed.

Oneofthe owners of thefarm said:“Thevehicle came on to our property andsmashed allour gates down.Theywerequite violent about it

“Itwas horrible.Theyhad agun Obviously we just wanted to protect ourchildren

“Thankfullytheygot scared,but they trashed allour gateswhich we’d justhad.Theycost£3,000 and nowwe’ll have to getthemre-done.”

GeoffPrice of ChelmarshParish Hall said:“This is the updatedver sion of theshow they firstbrought to Chelmarshin 2016

“Itwas so popularthattheywere invitedback, andhaveperformed to sell-out audienceseversince.”

Ticket prices arebeing held at 2020 levels–£9for adults, and£5 forchildren. They must be booked from Geoffon01746 862104

Whiletheir farm hasnever been burgledbefore, theownersbelieve thefarmwas targeted as it haslots of machinery,aswellascattleon thepremises.

Aspokespersonfor West Mercia Police said:“We were called to apropertyinthe Bridgnorth area followingreports of adisturbance on Monday November14ataround 11.50pm.

“Officers attended thescene and thesuspectshad fled.Anyonewho hasany informationrelatingtothis incident is askedtocontact police.”

Airportcaféinpleafor alift

An airportcafénearBridgnorth is crowd-fundingfor donationstohelp buildamuch-needed disability lift.

TheTower Cafe,atHalfpenny GreenAirport,Bobbington, is ap pealingfor £42,000tohelpbuild awheelchairaccessible liftsothat everyone canenjoy thecafeand the planes

OrganiserMichelleTaylor said:“ Iwas talkingtoanelderlymember of ProjectPropeller,agroup of re tired pilots, andhesaidhewould have lovedtosit in thetower to have

some food andwatch theplanes, but thereisnoaccessible lift. It really affected us.”

Thecaféisinanold reformed controltower on theairport groundsand boasts aclear view of allincomingand outgoing planes andhelicopters

Sheadded: “Weare hostingnumerous events on theairfieldto raise fundsfor this lift includinga vinylrevival nightonDecember 3.”

To help visitcrowdfunder.co.uk/p/ tower-cafe-disability-lift#start

West Mercia Police aretargetingdangerous driversgetting behind thewheel nowthatthe WorldCup haskickedoff

With some driversmaybe tempted to drinkmorethan usual, police arereminding themthere is no safe amount of alcoholordrugs to consumebefore driving.

Supt StephBrightonsaid: “Withthe football WorldCup taking placeand therun-upto Christmas therewill be dedi catedoperations taking place acrossall areasofWestMercia.”

Buses diverted duetoclosure

Abus companyhad to temporarily diverttwo of itsbus services in the Bridgnorth andTelford areasthis week

Arriva Midlands West confirmed that duetoa road closure of Wolver hamptonRoad, Bridgnorth, from Monday to Wednesdayits service 114had to divertvia theA454, A458 Stourbridge Road andthe A442 Thecompany said itsservice number 7was continuing to serve Hadley BusStation in Telfordbut will be divertingvia BritanniaWay andHighStreet passingHadley MethodistChurchuntil tomorrow (Friday)

Policewarning overWorld Cup Councillors hold advice surgery

TwoShropshirecouncillorsrep resentingthe Bridgnorth East andAstleyAbbotts division will hold an advice surgerythis weekend.

CouncillorsKirstie HurstKnightand ChristianLea will be in placeat Bridgnorth Li brarybetween 10.30amand 12pm on Saturday to deal with anyissuesofconcern

No priorappointment is necessary

Thecouncillorssay they will take up mattersarising with theappropriate officeratShrop shireCouncil

ApantomimeproductionofRobin Hood is returningtoavillage hall near Bridgnorth GerryGrahamPantomimeswill reprise RobinHood at Chelmarsh Parish Hall on January8

Pictured,left, BrianFirmstone,Kevi‘Ralph’Taylor andKarenMontana

Ukuleleclub tunesuptosupport Children in Need

Aukulelebandwhich hasraised nearly £40,000for charityhas pulled in another£750withits latest performance–and that sum couldstill rise

MembersofBridgnorth Ukulele Club playedtwo sets at theCorn Exchange in Much WenlockonFri daytoraise moneyfor Children in Need.Morethan30members of the club were in attendance

Sincethe groupwas foundedin 2010,the musicians have raised thousandsfor charityand Friday’s performancesaw thegroup sur-

pass the£38,000 figure,withmore donationsstill coming in Oneofthe club’s leaders, Christina Wall,said: “Bridgnorth Ukulele Band wasformedin2010and beganfundraising throughgigsfor Cancer Research UK.

“Whenthe band folded in 2018, club memberswerekeenfor sessionsand gigs to continuesowe formed Bridgnorth UkuleleClub andhavecontinued since.

“Some of us were membersofthe originalbandtoo andhavemany memories of playinginthe high

street outsidethe Cancer Research shop.Nowadayswecontinueto fundraise at gigs in Bridgnorth and surroundingarealiaisingwiththe cancer research shop with buckets forpeopletocontribute.

“Where we gigfor afee we do nate it alltothe charity. We are self-funding as aclub. We have continued to supportCancerResearch as so many areaffected by it

“Through club linksinMuch Wenlockwealso supportChildren in Need everyyear. It’s ahighlight on ourgig calendar.”

Dogshopowner Charlietakes theleadwithfestive appeal

ELEANOR LAWSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

economyonline,ifthe products aren’t rightyou have to repost them backwardsand forwards.”

As thecostoflivingbites,the 61-year-oldiskeeping an eyeon prices andhas seen thecostofdog food soaring.

“It’sjustgoing up weekly.Iused to know thepricesofall theprod ucts Iboughtoff by heartbut now I have to check. There’saparticular bone Ibuy that cost £1.25 last year, andnow it costs£2.25.”

CharlieButlerset up Pamper That PoochinBridgnorth in 2019 andbattled throughthe pandemic to keep thetails of localdogswag ging.Withenergybillsand petrol prices soaring, people mightbe tempted to save afew pounds by shopping online forproducts, but 61-year-oldCharlie is asking people to look closer to home.Hesaysheis “battling” larger petretailers,but is confident in theservice that he offers forpoochesand theirowners.

“It’sabout experience,” theshop ownersaid. “I’m an old-fashioned retailer,Ioffer amorepersonalised service. Ioffer one-on-one fittings so people cantry theharnesses and coatsontheir dogs

“Online retailersand bigger shopsdon’t do that.Alot of my re peattradeisthrough customer service andwordofmouth.It’safalse

Andwhile Charlieisona fixed tariff forhis energy bills, he will of tenturnthe lights offwhencustomersaren’tinthe shop to save money.

“I have to watch everypenny Everypenny counts,”headmitted “I have a fixedtariffsomybills aren’t toobad,but it’s on my mind.”

WhilePamperThatPoochisstill delighting customers,other busi nesses in Bridgnorth have not been so lucky.

“There’s alot of emptyshops in thetown,”the 61-year-oldsaid. “Some have been emptyfor years. It’s extremely difficult at themo ment.”

Charlieisthe only member of staffatPamperThatPooch. He makesa five-hourround trip to West Bromwich everyweektoget thebestsuppliespossible, andman ages theshopand itssocialmedia.

BY CLLR KIRSTIEHURST KNIGHT,BRIDGNORTH EAST &ASTLEYABBOTTS

Autumn really haskeptme busy.I am particularly proud that Councillor Lezley Picton, leader of Shropshire Council, came to Bridgnorth forArmisticeDay this year.Itwas avery moving shortceremonyand I wassopleased to seethisimpor tant historic daymarkedinour communityonceagain

OnRemembranceSunday Iwas proudtoonceagain lay awreathinBridgnorth. Iwas particularly movedtosee so many young people in attend ance within theCastlegrounds andonparade. As ArmedForces championfor ShropshireCouncilit’ssogoodtosee so much go ingonfor allthose whoserved andare stillcurrently serving.

Thankyou to allthe contributed to thePoppy Appeal.Councillor ChristianLea andIdid a couple of sessions at Sainsburys andcouldn’tbelieve your generosity.ThankstoCatherine and Jaynewho do so much forthe RoyalBritishLegion’s Poppy Appeal locally.

LocallyinBridgnorth East, Christianand Ihavebeenengaging with residents on a number of issues includingtree works andlight repairs. We know that we areawaitinga deliveryoflantern stockto fix some streetlights

As amemberofthe Health andWellbeing Boardweare working hard to pull together allsupport currentlyoffered with regarding to thecostof living.The localauthorityhas teamedup with volunteerpart ners to produceasupporting leaflet whichisavailable in digi taland paperform.

And finally, Monday Decem ber5 sees the firstmeeting of theMen Walkingand Talking Bridgnorth initiative to getmen together,supportingeachother andgetting fit. JamesGittins hasorganisedthis, so go along at 7pmunder thetownhall.

Tel: 01746 765255 www.perryandphillipsfunerals.com Email: enquiries@perryandphillipsfunerals.com

4Underhill Street, Bridgnorth, Shrophire. WV16 4BB Tel: (01746) 765255 CowleyHouse, High Street, Highley,Shropshire. WV16 6LF Tel: (01746) 862225

Shop ownerCharlie Butler with localcustomerRupert

Bridgnorthukulele performers

Leadingclinician says Future Fit will cutdelays

Aleading cliniciansaysthe trans formationofthe Princess Royal Hospital to specialise in thedeliv eryofplanned care is akey element of planstoupgrade acutehospital services acrossthe county.

Dr SteveMcKew,divisionalmed ical director forsurgery,anaesthet icsand cancer at theShrewsbury andTelford Hospital NHSTrust, said that thechanges wouldbring genuineimprovements to services andreducehospitalwaitingtimes

“Theywill modernise ourservices andsignificantly reduce delays to plannedsurgery andcancertreat ment whilealso making theser vicesmuchmoreresilient to future pressures,”hesaid.

Detailsofthe dedicatedplanned care site have been revealed

Dr McKewsaidoperationsand procedures couldtakeplaceall year round, utilisingdedicated theatres andwards

Shorterwaiting timeswill mean peoplecan have treatment sooner, improvingtheir recovery andthe services wouldbeabletooperate moreeffectively,ensuringthatthe rightstaff,equipmentand facilities areavailable at theright time,he said

“These plansbuild on ourexcit ingrecentannouncementthat£24 million is beinginvested in anew, purpose-built, plannedcarehub at thePrincess RoyalHospitalsitein Telford, whichwill providegreat er access to theatresand recoverybeds andincreasethe number of same-day operations allyear round,”hesaid.

Bodies of dead geeseintownspark bird flufears

Thediscoveryofseveral dead geese near abridge in Bridgnorth has fuelledfears that bird flucould have arrivedinthe town

In asmall area surroundingthe bridge, some nine dead geesehave been found.

It comesamidadevastatingwave of avian fluhitting thenationwhich hasled to birdsdying alloverthe

country. Last month abird flupre vention zone wasdeclaredacross GreatBritain.Birdkeepers must nowfollowstrictlegal measures to protecttheir flocks from bird flu, in cludingkeeping free rangebirds in fenced areasand stringentbiosecu rity forstaff on farms.

Aspokespersonfor Bridgnorth Town Councilsaid: “Wehavere-

ceived notification aboutthe geese andthe relevant bodies have been notified

“Itiscurrently with APHA (Ani maland PlantHealthAgency).”

APHA wasdue to attend the sceneand take thebirds away to be tested

Dr JamesChipwete,consultant in health protection with theUKH

SA (UKHealthSecurityAgency) West Midlands,said: “The A(H5N1) strain is currentlythe mostcom monstrain of bird fluinthiscoun tryand is highly pathogenic to other birds. As aprecaution, anyone whohas been in direct contactwith asickordying bird in an area where theinfection hasbeenconfirmed, will requireclose monitoring.”

John’s bereavementawareness campaign gets Royalrecognition

Agroup of youngridersfrom an Alveleyridingcentre proved that team spirit wasthe secret of successata majordressage competitionthisyear.

Riders at KA Horses Equestrianhavecompetedincompe titions throughoutthe country, includingthe Team Questevent held recently at Tushingham, Wrexham.

At theevent,the under-21 teamcameawaywitheighth andtenth place.

OneKAteammember,Hollie Davies,also came second with theWestMidlandsDressage Groupwhilst adultrider Heather Smithcametenth in thesep arateMyQuest event. Hollie also came thirdinthe My Quest competition.

In Team Questeachteam member ridestheir dressage test as an individual with the best threescoresgoing towards to theoverallteamtotal

“I am so proudofthe four KA Team Questteams, they have allworkedsohardall year and they were amazing,” said KA Horses Equestrian ownerKerry Parker Davies

“Mostimportantly,their teamspiritand turnoutwere outstandingand we look forward to future competitionsuc cess in 2023.”

Afourth-generation funeraldirec torfromBridgnorth hasbeenrec ognisedbythe King at Buckingham Palace forhis work in business

JohnAdams,ofthe family-run Perry&Phillips FuneralDirectors in thetown, metKingCharles last week andwas “honoured” to meet thenew monarch

Thefuneral director wasinvited to theprestigious receptiontorec ognise “the contribution of small businesses to theeconomy of the United Kingdom.”

“Itwas adream nightreally,”said 36-year-oldJohn. “Going through thefront gates, it wasquite surreal. It wasfull of tourists, andIthought –thatusedtobeme. It stillisme.”

Johnspoke to theKingabout Perry &Phillips, as well as theworkof theNationalAssociation of Funeral Directors, whereheisthe second

ELEANOR LAWSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

youngestpresidentinits history.

TheBridgnorth businessman also spokeabout hiscampaign forbereavement awarenesstobe taught in schoolsaspartofthe na tional curriculum

Isolated

Speaking aboutthe importance of thecampaign, Johnsaid: “I want to help young peoplewhentheysuf fera closeloss. Ilostmymum Ma ria, at theage of 12,and Ifeltvery isolated.

“Peoplewerenot surewhatto saytome, whichisunderstanda ble. From this experience andwhat Ihavelearntwhilst arrangingand conducting funerals,Ibelieve there is aneed forbereavement aware-

ness to be addedintothe national curriculum.Iwanttogivechildren toolsofsupport andoffer advice,in thesameway pupils learnabout sex educationinschool.

“Itisabout helpingthemunder standemotionsand feelings when someone dies,exploringthose things associatedwithlossbut in a gentle way.

“It’sabout offering supportto achild,compassiontofriends and supportfor teachers on how they cancommunicate andspeak

“I trulybelieve by having be reavementawareness discussions at school,wecan help in providing future generationswiththe right toolswhensuffering alosswhether it be as achildorintheir adultlife.

“Discussing theemotionsand feelings involvedwhenwesuffera loss also highlights theimportance

of whywehaveafuneral;withan increaseindirectcremation,this educationcould also be critical in demonstratingthe importance of saying goodbye.”

He added: “Itwas an absolute honour to be able to talk to the King aboutthis. HerMajesty The Queen’srecentdeath wasvery much at theforefront of my mind when talkingtohim aboutbereave ment awareness–he’sbeenthere

“I spoketohim aboutthe petition forbereavement awarenessand he wasveryengaged andsupportive about it.”

John added: “Itwas incredible,a really amazing, fascinating night. It wasahugehonour.”

To sign JohnAdams’petitionto addbereavementawareness to the national curriculum,gotopetition. parliament.uk/petitions/624185/.

Domesticabuse campaign launched

Traf

AcrewfromWellingtonattend-

West Mercia Police have launched a campaign tackling domestic abuse during theWorld Cup.

Fire

Meanwhile, therewas slow trafficonthe A5 near Junction 7of theM54 afteranother crashinvolvingasinglevehicle.Itisnot knownifthere were anyinjuries.

Thecampaigntargetingdomesticviolencefollows freshdatathat showed callstoNSPCC helplines soared by athird during the2018 WorldCup.The charitywarned “hundreds of thousandsofchildren couldbeatrisk” as theQatar World

Cupkicks off. It said emotional stress,alcohol andbetting on foot ball matchescould allact as trig gers to incidents at home

West Mercia DetSuptJon Roberts said: “Domestic abuseisa force-wide priorityall year-round butsadly we know that thereisan increase in domestic incidentsdur ingmajor football tournaments.”

Team spirit was outstanding

John with hisinvitation to Buckingham Palace

John Adamsmeeting King Charles.Photo:British CeremonialArtsLtd

Travel in vintage styleonSVR for festive lights switch-onevent

Aspecialtrain service will be giving passengers alifttothisweekend’sBewdley Christmas lights switch-onevent.

Theservice will be provided by Severn Valley Railway forthe event on Saturday

Passengers will be abletotravel from SVR’sKidderminster town stationhauledbyone of therailway’sheritagediesellocomotives, with on-siteparking availablefor a smallextra charge

Return ticketsare £5

Thejourney takes15minutes from Kidderminster to Bewdley, anddepartsat4.30pm,witha choice of tworeturntrips at 7.30pm and8.45pm.

Ticketsare availableonlyfrom thebooking office at Kidderminster stationonthe afternoonofNovem ber26.

TheSevernValleyRailway’s events manager LewisMaddox workedwithBewdley Town Council to putonthe special servicefor the event.

Mr Maddoxsaid: “The Severn Valley Railwayisanimportant part of thelocal communityand we want to play ourpart to supportour local partners throughout theyear.

“Parking is limitedin Bewdley and, with road closures acrossthe town forthe duration of theevent, so we’resupportingthe councilto avoid congestion,and making sure peoplecan welcome in thefestive season at Bewdleyin style,”headd ed

Corporal scoops army sports team honour

ABridgnorthsoldier andher wife have scoopedthe teamofthe year honour at this year’s Army Sports Awards

Corporal HeidiJelleyisa memberofthe victorious Army Women’s Hockey teamwhich wasnamed team of theyear-and is coachedby Heidi’swife, Helen.

The29-year-old,who serves with theAdjutantGeneral’s Corpsattached to theGrenadier Guards, hasbeenplaying hockey sinceshe wasjustfouryears old.

Sheevenmet herwifethrough thegame. Having amarried cou-

LAWSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

pleonthe teamisquite unusual so when askedhow they met, Helen said:“We playedagainst each other when we were on under18s region al teams.Wemet againatacharity eventand that wasus.”

Theteamwerehonouredatthe glittering gala dinner eventheld amidst thegrandeurofthe Royal Military AcademySandhurst’s Old CollegeDiningRoom.

In frontofanaudience of thear-

my’s topperformingathletes, team players,coaches andsportsstaff, Heidistepped forwardtoreceive thesportsteamofthe year award from DefenceServicesSecretary MajorGeneral EldonMillar MBE.

Hockey runs in Heidi’sfamily,asHeidi was firstattracted to thesport because herfatherand brotherbothplayed, so sheattended trainingwiththemfromavery young age.

Shealso joined thearmytofollow in hergrandfather’sfootsteps, who hadservedfor five yearsand loved it

MP says villagehas chance to improveits GP services

Avillage GP practice’s decision to endits NHS contract couldprovide “a real opportunity” to improve services,accordinglocal MP Philip Dunne.

Thedecision,bythe owners of HighleyMedical Practice,has raisedconcernsabout continuing GP services in thevillage

LocalNHS bosseshavesaidthey areworking to make sure thesitua tion is resolved before thenoticeperiod expiresonMarch 31 next year

NowBridgnorth’s MP Mr Dunne hasurged health chiefs to make sure patients do notlose out.

He said:“Ihavelongbeencon cerned that Highley’sprimary care provisionrequired significant re form to catertoits growingpopulation.Inmyview, thecurrent prac tice,housedinaformerdomestic setting, haslimited opportunityto

DOMINICROBERTSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

improve or expand services.”

He added: “I have campaigned andsoughttoworkwiththe NHS in Shropshire forseveral yearsto come up with alternatives. Resi dentswill be understandably concerned at this news of thecurrent practice ending theircontract

“I am urging theNHS in Shropshiretoensurealternative provision is availableinHighleywhen thecurrent contract ends

“ButIamalso of theviewthis should providearealopportunity to improve GP services forHighley residents.”

Mr Dunnesaidhe haddiscussed theissue with thelocal NHS, addingthatalasting solution is re quired

He said:“Whilethismay take some time to providealasting solu tion,Ihavebeenreassured by NHS Shropshire,Telford andWrekin

Integrated Care Board(ICB) that measures will be putinplace to en sure asmoothtransferofcover for patients andstaff when thecurrent contract ends

“I shallworkclosely with theICB andShropshireCouncil andwill engage with HighleyParishCouncilto find alasting solution.This must ensure localpeopleinHighleyreceive goodlocal access to high qualityprimary care.”

Speaking when thenewswas confirmed,ClaireParker, director of partnerships andplaceatNHS Shropshire, Telfordand Wrekin, said:“Iwould like to reassure our patients andresidents of Highley that extensiveworkisunder wayto find atimelyand sustainable solu tion to this situation. Ourworkwill prioritise access to generalpractice services forthose people affected by this announcement andtry to secure an option whichremains in Highley. We will be working close ly with thepractice, andour part

Philip

ners,toconsiderall optionssowe cannavigatethissituation as best we can. Underthe termsofthe GP contract,Highley MedicalCentre is required to provideatleast three months’ notice,however they will be extendingthe notice period to March 31 2023, giving us more time to find aresolution

“Wewill be sharingregular up datesasworkprogresses to provide as much reassuranceas possible.”

Fearsexpressed over crossings

Acouncil hasraisedconcernsabout safety at newtowncentre zebra crossingsfollowing worries from thegeneral public

ShifnalTownCouncil haswrittentoShropshireCouncil to high lightconcernsabout anew zebra crossing on Market Placeand an otheronVictoriaRoad.

In response ShropshireCouncil says it hasalready askedfor an in dependentassessmentofthe crossings.The crossingshavebeenadded as part of a£3.6million Shropshire Councilproject to improve pave mentsand roadsinShifnal’stown centre.Concernshavebeenvoiced that thecrossingsare beingignored or missed by drivers.

Asocialmedia post discussing the situationsaysthere have been anumberofnear-misses forpeople crossing theroad.

OneShifnalmum said:“At the moment,driversaren’tusedtothe newlayout anditfeels dangerous

“I walk my sontoschooldaily and we have alreadyhad multiple occa sionswhendrivershavenot stopped at thenew crossing on Victoria Road in particular.”

RichardMarshall, Cabinet memberfor highways, said:“We can confirm that thecrossingsconform to theappropriate highwaydesign standards, arewithina signed 20mphzoneand on araisedtable whichextends acrossthe wholeof thejunction. Thecrossingswereinstalledas perthe design supported by thetowncouncil.”

He addedanassessmentwas be ingcarried out. Acouncil leader haswarned that some localauthoritiesin theWestMidlandsare ‘fearful’ of goingbankrupt over thenext fewyears

Financefears forcouncils

Councillor ShaunDavies, theleaderofTelford &Wre kinCouncil,saidhe is hearing “every single day” of well-run councils having to declarethe equivalent of bankruptcy be causeofa cash crisis

Councillor Davies,who is senior vice chairofthe Local GovernmentAssociation,spoke followingthe Chancellor’s au tumn statement,where councils were told they couldincrease next year’s council taxby five percent.

He said:“We areatapoint wherethiscountry hasnever been before,where localgovern ment,the thingthatprovides some real frontlinecriticalser vices, is on thebrink of going bankrupt andthatisabsolutely terrifying forpeoplewho rely on thoseservices.”

Councillor Davies said in creasing council taxesby five percentwould not fill projected blackholes forcouncils.

He added: “Peoplewill be payingmorebut gettingless.”

BirminghamNorthfieldMP Gary Sambrook said councils were wastingmoneyand they couldtacklethat.

MarriedcoupleHeidi,left, andHelen Jelley collecttheir prizesasmembers of thevictorious Army Team of theYear

ELEANOR

MP

Dunne

Driver is sought as crossing hit

Adriver whowas seen speeding in aresidential area smashedintothe lights on azebra crossing before fleeingthe scene.

Police have appealed forinforma tion andany dashcamfootage about thecollision whichhappenedon Haybridge Road, Hadley,inTelford, on Saturday evening.

Telford&WrekinPoliceissued aphoto of thecar’s wreckedfront endaswellasdebrisfromthe zebra crossing whichappearedtoshow thelightpoleonthe road PC RobHughessaidthe crash happened at 9.30pm

He said:“Thedriver of asilver Vauxhall collidedwiththe zebra crossing lights and fled thescene

“Prior to thecollision thevehicle wasseenspeedingonHaybridge Road.Doyou have dashcamfootage or didyou witnessthe driver leave thescene?” West Mercia Police say anyinformation should be given via thepolicewebsite

Museum items canbeadopted

TheRAF Museum is offering supporters thechanceto‘adopt’ some of itsartefacts to celebrate theirgolden anniversary

In celebrationofthe Royal AirForce Museum’s 50th Anni versary, five artefactsspanning five decadeshavebeenmade availablefor adoption

Aremarkablepiece of foot ageshowingHer Late Majesty QueenElizabeth II officially openingthe London museum is in theadoptable collection

Thepen used by HerMajesty to sign thevisitor book on the museum’s openingday is also availablefor adoption.The pen wasput in themuseum’s re servecollection, at Stafford,and neverusedagain

Also availablefor adoption is aBoulton Paul Defiantaircraft, thesolesurviving exampleofits type

Ticketsonsale forpioneer’sgig

Apioneer from theearly days of rock ‘n’rollisset to performata venueinthe southShropshirearea next year.

MartyWilde &The Wildcats will be at theRegal in TenburyWells on September 16 next year andtickets areonsalenow

Martybegan hiscareerin1957 –and wasone of the firstBritish singerstoplayaleading part in the earlyformative andground-break ingyearsofrock‘n’ roll years.

He is celebratinganincredible eightdecades as ahit recordingart istand songwriter.His hits include Teenager In Love,Endless Sleep, Donna,Sea Of Love,Bad Boy, Rub berBalland Jezebel plus ahostof songsfromthatera

He also collaboratedonmaterial forhis daughter Kim, such as her hitKidsInAmerica

Formoreinformation andtobook ticketsvisit regaltenbury.co.uk/ events/marty-wilde

Honouringlostlives of workers whobuiltrailway

Thememoryofthose whodied building avital railwaylinkare set to be honoured

Acentury andahalfafterthey perished during the construction of theSevernValleyRailway line runningbetween Bridgnorth and Kidderminster,10‘navvies’ have been honoured with acommemo rative blue plaque

Theinstallationofthe blue plaque marksthe completion of aproject to restorethe railway’s Falling SandsViaduct

The£1.3millionFalling Sands projectnot only sawthe restoration of avital pieceofthe SVR’sinfrastructure butalso thecreation

of twopermanent exhibitions tell ingthe storyofthe construction of theoriginallineand themorethan-1,000 navvieswho builtit.

Victorianrailway construction wasextremely hard anddangerous work, whichresultedinmanyaccidents, andsignificant numbersof peoplelosing theirlives.

Serious

TheSevernValleyRailway was no exceptionasatleast 10 navvies areknown to have died andthere were countless reportsofserious accidents during the twophasesof construction

Severn Valley Railway’s managingdirectorHelen Smithsaid: “Unliketoday,healthand safety measures were not considered im portant.

“For theVictorian navvy,dan gerwas just an occupational hazard.

“Itis fitting that we’renow com memoratingthese forgottenheroes,who constructedmostofour rail system by hand.”

Falling SandsViaduct is located next to thenew Silverwoods mixed-usedevelopment, approximately half-a-milefromthe SVR’s Kidderminster Town station.

Police issueurgentwarning aboutcriminals’‘cruel’ scam

ELEANOR LAWSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

Police areurgingpeopletobe awareofanongoing scamcalled ‘courier fraud’ whichhas been re ported in theregion. Thefraudu lent callsare made by scammers pretending to be from theMet Po lice,telling people that afamily member hasbeendefrauded or a credit card hasbeencompromised

Thefraudstersthenask victims to withdraw largeamounts of mon ey from theirbank. DetectiveIn spectorEmma Wright from West Mercia Police said:“No police of ficerfromany forceordepartment will ever askyou to make apay ment,withdrawortransfermoney or askfor yourbankaccountdetails.

“Thisscamcan be veryelaborate andconvincingbut it’s extremely cruel, oftenbut notalways, targeting older, vulnerable people.We arecurrently investigatingthese scams

“Ifyou receivea call that you’re not sure about, please simply terminate thecalland also pass on the informationtofriends,relatives andneighboursand advise them what to do.”

TV crew on hunt forhidden gemsatcentre

Member of aproductioncrewfrom apopular television show were in Bridgnorth recently,onthe look outfor hiddenvintage gems

TheSalvage Huntersteamspent aday at theOld Mill Antiques Cen tre in LowTownlooking foritems to featurein aforthcoming episode of theQuest programme.

Old Mill ownerJohnRidgway

Caronsideafter motorway crash

Avehicle endeduponits side in acrash at thejunctionsix roundabout on theM54 over theweekend.

Tworescue crewsand an op erations officerwerescrambled from TelfordCentralFireStation on Sundaymorning followingreportsofacrash Thecallout time wasshortly after6.15amand police were also

alertedand attended thescene Fire crewsusedsmall gearand winchestodealwiththe incident andmakethe scenesafe.

Aspokesman forShropshire Fire &RescueService said:“This incidentinvolvedone vehicle whichwas on itssidewhencrews gotthere

Thespokesman added: “No-one wastrapped.”

andcentre staffmembers were on hand to help presenterDrew Pritchardand hiscrewasthey searched foritems that mightfea ture on theshow

“Drewand hisfamousassistant Teewerelooking forunusual vin-

tage piecesand ourstorage ware house provedtobeideal,” John said.

“The teamwerewithusfor a wholeday andtheyseemedvery pleasedwiththe itemstheyfound “Theyweregreat funtowork with andwereallylookforward to seeing theepisodewewill feature in next year.”

Familiessee spendingpower ‘shrink’

Familiessaw their“spending power”shrinkby£35.57per week in Octobercomparedwiththe same monthayearearlier,accordingto an income tracker

Afterpayingtax andessential billsinOctober,the averagehouse hold had£203per week left –the lowest amount sinceAugust 2018 –the report from Asda found. The indexmeasuresthe amount of discretionary income UK households

have left over to spendafteressen tial billssuchasgroceries,energy, mortgages or rent,and taxare subtracted. Theincometracker is pro duced by theCentre forEconomics andBusiness Research

Theunder-30s sawthe biggest annual fall in theirspendingpower in October, whilethose aged 50 to 64 tended to be themostresilient –althoughall agegroupssaw their spending powershrink.

Criminalsclaimingto be police officers have been scamming people in Shropshirebyasking them to withdraw large amountsofcashfrom theirbank.

TheSVR blue plaque

OldMillAntiquesCentreowner John Ridgway, centre, with Drew Pritchard and‘Tee’

ELEANOR LAWSON

Santavisiting to raise funds for cancer sufferer

ELEANOR LAWSON Community News Reporter

Chance to learnhow to make Christmaswreath

Residents can find outhow to make a Christmas wreath at an eventnearLudlow.

Attendeeswill also be able to go on a shortguidedwalkand find outabout win terplant identification with KimRalph, akaThe Ludlow Flower Farmer

Saturday’s eventatWhitcliffe is being organisedbythe FriendsofMortimerFor estwho will give prioritybooking to signed up members. Butspacesfor the10amto 1.30pm eventare limitedto20.

Thereisa£10 pricefor theclass to covers materialsfor thewreaths

Attendeeswill have to bringtheir own secateurs, abag or basket forforaging, and a flaskofhot drink.

Potterystudiohas got itsfestive grotto ready

Apaint-your-ownpottery studio is getting readytotransform into amagical Santa’s Grotto in time forChristmas

TheGlaZe Studio Bridgnorth is opening itsannualgrottoonSaturday, December 3, so everychild cantellSanta what they want forChristmas

Accompanyingadultsget in forfreebut pay£10 fortheir childorpoochtomeetFa ther Christmas.

Thereare giftsfor everychild,and even presentsfor petdogswho gettomeetSanta.

Ticketscan be booked online on Bookeo com

Formoreinformation,email theglazestu dio@outlook.comorcall07706 890123

Diversitygroup revealed as latest actfor Civic

Dancegroup Diversitywill be headingto Wolverhamptonintwo yearsafter thecity wasnamed in thegroup’s latest UK and IrelandtourSupernova

Thedancers –who wonBritain’s GotTal entin2009–will performatthe CivicHalls on April6,2024, andissofar thesecondact namedfor thevenue

The firstwas Gabrielle whowill play at thevenue –now knownasThe Civicat TheHalls Wolverhampton– on October28, 2023

Diversity have confirmed that they will be supporting anti-poverty charitythe TrussellTrust,which provides emergency food andsupport to people in poverty.

Jake KnowlesfromNeenton wasrushedtoA&E earlierthismonth with suspected appendicitis, but afteranX-ray andanultrasound, he wasdiagnosed with neuroblastoma. Sincehis diagnosis, hiscom munity hasrallied around hisfamilytogivetheir supportand areraising moneytomaketheir experi ence as stress-freeaspossible.

Oneofthe fundraisingeventsplanned is avisit from SantatoDittonPriors, near Bridgnorth, at 4.30pm on December 11

Children andfamiliesare welcome to follow Santa singingand dancingaroundthe village.

Oneofthe organisers, CarlaEvans, said:“Myself andafew friendshavecome together to help fund raisingfor Jake,a littleboy whoattends school with ourchildren, to help hisfamilyout as he hasrecently been diagnosedwithcancer.

“Theyhavea long road aheadand we want to make it as stress-freeaswecan.”

Thefundraising events hope to make thejourney easier forJake’sfamily, accommodatingfor taking time offwork, drivingtothe hospital,and support ingJake’stwo brothers

Anotherfundraising eventisplanned forDecem ber17, with detailstoberevealedsoon.

To supportthe fundraising, go to justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/carla-bow?utm_term=n8PPbrpQq.

Serious crashsees roadsshutfor hours

TheincidenthappenedaroundmiddayonFri dayatthe junction of Shackerley Lane andRec tory Road, notfar from Junction 3ofthe M54, in Albrighton Shifnaland AlbrightonPolicesaid: “A41 road closure in placedue to seriousRTC,please find alternateroute down NewportRoadand Station Road andavoid thescene.”

Paynothing

fora year. No deposit. Interest free.

Black

Parentsataschoolhaveorganised ameet-and-greetwithSanta Claus to raisemoney forasix-year-old boy with cancer.

Six-year-old JakeKnowles is battling cancer

Amajor crashled to roadsbeing closed “for anum berofhours”withpeoplebeing urged to avoidthe scene.

COMMENT

Thefestive season is near ly upon us andChristmas lights arebeing switched on at townsacrossthe county.

Hopefullythe festivitieswill providesomerelief– albeit temporary–fromthe economic woes whichare continuing to batter thecountry

Uniquely this year,there is anotherdiversion in theformof theWorld Cup.

TheLionesses showed the menhow to do it in thesummer andthe national teamgot off to afantastic startagainst an Iranianteamwho were notpre paredtosingtheir ownnational anthem.Wecan only hope this actofbraverydoesnot lead to repercussionsafter thetournament has finished

It hasproveddifficult to keep politics outofthe competition.Controversy hasmired theevent,withthe number of migrantworkerdeathsatan eye-wateringlevel,withissues surroundinghumansrights abuses andwithquestions aboutthe ill-treatment of the LGBT community

Qatarisdogged by human rights issues andthe WorldCup should clearlyhavegonetoa differentnation.

It is not the firstsuchtour nament to go to acountry with questionable integrity, of course.FIFAhavein thepast embracedthe juntain Argentina andPutin in Russia.

Theorganisationseems to be driven by moneyand profitabili ty,ratherthantakingthe game to people around theworld

ButEngland arethere and nowisthe time to getbehind theteam. We canonlyhopethe experience will be auniting force, just as theEuros andthe last WorldCup were

It maybepeculiartofollow thetournamentinthe deep of winter,but we hope England’s menwill brighten thedark nights over thenextcoupleof weeksorso.

Christmas adsare away of life from earlyNovember, likethem or not.

This year many aretaking on asocial message,embracingthe cost of living or helping outcharitablecauses.Beinno doubt,however,thatthe bottom line continuestobefor them to persuadeustopartwithour well-earnedmoney.

WhileJohnLewis, by wayof example,has provided social commentary,the organisation is lookingtoprofitatkey time of year that candefine annual success or failurefor retailers.

It is heartening,however, that bigbusinessesare at least reflecting thereality of lifein anationthathas been through economic meltdown andpolit ical upheaval.Thiswill be a toughChristmas formanyas living standardscontinueto fall

We wouldalsoinviteour read erstoconsidersupportingtheir localtradersratherthanworry ingtoo much aboutwhatthe big boys areupto.

Deadlydangers to be found on ruralroads

“We’re living alife sentence,” says John McSherry.

“Every time Igointomy kitchen, Ithink what wouldhavehappened if Ihad turned left,insteadofturningright,whenIwenttoget that takeaway.”

Mr McSherry,70, andhis wife Michelle,58, sawtheir liveschange forever in 2009 when they were involved in acrash on thebusy countryroadclose to theirhome in Claverley, near Bridgnorth

Thecrash left them both depend entoncrutchestowalk, sometimes they need awheelchair.

They hadtoclose therestaurant they hadbeenrunningfor thepast four years, andneed help forbasic householdchores

“I have to have somebody in to help with thegardening, whichI usedtolove,” he says.

It comesaslittlesurprise to Mr McSherry that newresearchshows therewere78per cent more deaths on ruralroads in theMidlandscom paredtourban highways

Areportpublished this week by insurerNFU Mutualreveals there were 71 fatalitiesonrural roads acrossthe West Midlands last year

Increase

Thenumberoffatalitiesshowed a37per cent increase compared to 2020,withthe number of seriousinjuries also increasing by seven per cent

Theinsurer foundthat23per cent of people hadbeeninvolved in acollision or accident on arural road

Jade Devlin,rural roadsspecialist at NFU Mutual, says: “These latest figuresconfirm ourfears that an increase in ruralroadtraffichas resulted inanincreaseinthe numberoffatalitiesand casualtieson countryside roads–withvulnerable road usersgenerally bearingthe bruntofit.

“NFU Mutualanalysisalso showsthatinthe past four years, over 4,000peoplehavebeenkilled on ruralroads,comparedtojustunder2,500 on urbanroads.”

It is asimilar picture acrossthe country.

Nationally,there were more than 10,471 fatalities or seriousinjuries on ruralroads in2021, up by more than 1,000– or 12 percent–com paredtothe previous year

Within that figure,the number killed hadseenaseven percentincrease to 981, more than two-thirds higher than thosekilled on urban roadsduringthe same period

This wasdespite atypical rural road seeing just 11,700 vehiclesin a24-hour period, 38 percentfew er than the18,100seenonurban roadseachday.

Ironically,MrMcSherryhad been campaigningfor road safety

improvements in theareaaround hishome forthree yearsbefore thefateful nighthewenttonearby Worfieldtocollect atakeawaymeal in July 2009

Before thecrash, theMcSherrys’ Poplar TeaRooms business had just turned aprofitfor the firsttime sincetheystarted outfouryears earlier.

Mr McSherry hadpreviously workedasanentertainer at Pontin’sholiday camps, andhad built up afollowing with hisentertain ment,which included impersona tionsoftelevisioncharacter Frank Spencer.

theirmum anddad were goingto die, andithas also badlyaffected thefamilyofthe otherguy whowas killed,” he says.

Five months before thecolli sion,MrMcSherryhad presented a1,000-signature petition to ShropshireCouncil andMPPhilip Dunne.

It called forsafetymeasures alongthe B4176‘Rabbit Run’ from TelfordtoDudley, whichpasseshis home

Theroadhas been thesubject of seven deaths over thepast18years, themostrecent beingfatherand sonPhil andJakeTaylor, whowere killed on Bank HolidayMondayin August Phil,60, andJake, 28,diedafter theirFordFiestacollidedwitha whiteSkoda on theB4176 near Up perAston.Fourchildrenwerealso takentohospitalasa resultofthe collision

TheUKeconomyisentering recession, butthere is politi caldisagreementonits cause. TheLabourParty claimthat theeconomiccrisiswas ‘made in Downing Street’,attributingittothe nowinfamousmini-budget,addingthatConserv atives have been in powerfor 12 years.

Theunfundedtax measures were toorapid adashfor growth, whichthe newChancellor Jeremy Hunt quickly corrected.Onlyopposition politicians purporttobelieve it wasthe causeofthe current crisis.The Government acted decisively to restorecalm, and theBankofEngland’sGover nor wasunequivocal last week: themini-budgethad no lasting consequences on theeconomy or mortgagerates

Since2010, we have hadaseries of shattering economic crises unprecedentedin history. The financialcrisisof2008hap penedunder Labour’s watchbut lead to aprolonged anddeeprecessiontakinga decade to repair thedamage. National borrowing shot up by an extraordinary8% of GDPasLabourlostcontrolof spending.Few readerswill have forgottenthe infamous note left by Labour:“thereisnomoney left”. Successive Conservative governments have steadily re paired thenation’s finances, re storinggrowthand confidence Between2010and 2019, theUK hadthe thirdfastest growing economyofthe G7

In 2020 theworld suffered a once-in-a-centurypandemic, quicklyfollowedbyaonce-in fifty-yearsenergyprice shock. Thereare clearly lessonstobe learnedfromthe pandemic,but ourCovid deaths were fewer than theinternational average andthe £400bn financialsup port kepthouseholdsand busi nesses from bankruptcy.This increasednationaldebtfurther, whilecompounding global supplychain shocks

Thecoupleweredriving alongthe A454 Bridgnorth to Wolverhamp tonroadin Hiltonwhentheywere in collision with aVauxhallAstra travellinginthe opposite direction.

Thedriver of theVauxhall, 37-year-oldTonyGordon, died at thescene.Hewas foundtohave been over thedrink-drive limit.

At thetimeMrMcSherrywas given a10per cent chance of survival, andbothheand hiswifewere temporarilywheelchair-boundimmediatelyafter thecrash

“Ithas left us both disabled,it hasaffectedmykids.

“Theywereleftwondering if

Mr McSherry succeeded in getting amobilespeed camera in stalledalong thestretch,but the Rabbit Run’sstatusasaB-roadhad provedan obstacle to getting the speed limitreduced.The routemay have aclassification lowerthanan A-road,but it remainsasbusyas ever as acommutershort-cut.

Thosewho campaign forfurther measures say thespeed patrols have littlerealeffectbecause driversjust slow down when they seethem, and increase theirspeed afterwards

Mr McSherry says thereneeds to be achangeofpolicyallowing theuse of hidden camerasthatwill prove amoreeffective deterrent.

“Carsare biggerand morepower ful, andthe speedlimits aresimply ignored,” says Mr McSherry

“These days people drivebigger cars, andrural roadsweren’t de signed forthem.”

Putin’sinvasionofUkraine drove internationalenergy prices up eightfold, as well as increasing prices of otherstaple goods such as wheat. As amajor importer of energy,UKinflation rosetoa40-year high.Weare notalone;inflationhas risen globally,withthe Netherlands facing 14.3%and Germany 10.4%inflation. Interest rates arerisingaroundthe world as onethird of theglobaleconomy enters recession. We have taken thetough action necessary to tackle this.Manyofthe meas ures in theAutumn Statement aredifficult,but it hasbeen done in afairway with the wealthiest paying most andpro tecting pensioners andthe most vulnerable

PHILIP DUNNE MP

‘Carsare more powerful and speedlimitsare simply ignored’

Beforethe accident –Michelleand John McSherry ran PoplarCottage Tearooms

2010’s austerity mistakes should notberepeated

ThePrime Minister’s talk of “difficult decisions” will re mind many in localauthori ties of similar comments made back in 2010 when austerity wasunleashed.Government cannot repeat themistakesof austerity. During thedecade of cuts after2010, it wasthe poorest andmostvulnerable in ourcommunities whosuffered most

Some of thepoorest areas hadlesstospend than their huge levelofneed.Funding systemstolocal authoritiesare not fitfor purpose andtheir or thodox moneysystemdoesn’t workfor all.

Public sector spending is abig part of alocal economy wages, capitalinvestmentand development projects support localtowns andcommunities Vitalworkmusttakeplace on significant health inequal ities. TheCovid pandemic has massiveimplications forpoorer areas. Waitinglists aregrow ingand stagnating forlocal services.Cutting important preventative services pass es problems down thelineto acuteservices, whereworse outcomesfor localpeopleare more deadly andcostly. Local authoritiesare verydifferent places to 2010,thanks to aus terity anddisastrouspolitical incompetencefrombothmain parties.

We must have greaterinvest ment in poorer areasand stop uneven fundingallocations once andfor all. Grantfunding to thepoorest localauthorities must increase in theupcoming settlement forlocal authorities.

Doug James, West Midlands

PICTURE FROMTHE ARCHIVE

theirdedicationand

My daughter felt part of this importantevent;withwhom all we spoketomakingher feel ex tremely welcome

We especially lovedthe mil itarybandand felt part of the experience.Wefeltsohumbled to attend such alovely service in theCastlegrounds

Mr Whitty’s speechwas both extremely heartfeltand very informative,whatRe membranceSundayshouldbe; thankyou forplanningsuch an importantevent whichwill continue to reachthe young er generationsand reminding them of thesacrificesmadefor ourtoday

situation? Or is it because of the lack of spending duetothe Covid-19 outbreak?

Mr Cameronand hischums introduced austerityuponus becauseofso-calledmis-man agementofthe economybypre viousGovernment(s).The same politicalparty repeatsitself.

Andy Chetwood,Telford

Awonderful dayatparade

We wouldliketoexpress our appreciationfor theexcellent RemembranceParadeand Ser vice in theCastleGrounds that we attended in Bridgnorth the previous Sunday.

It wasour eight-year-old daughter’s firstparade, it was awonderful,touchingexperi ence,insuchabeautiful set ting

Thewhole serviceran like clockwork, with compliments to theRoyal BritishLegionon

Theparty is repeatingitself

Here we go again. “Tighten yourbelts”. Accordingtothe propaganda thereare an awful lotofjob vacancies. Arethey full-timejobs? Do they pay well?Are they in ‘unemploy ment black-spots’?

Taxesare to rise.Is it allbe cause of theRussia/Ukraine

So,atlast, thefactthatelectric vehiclescostmoretobuy than petrolordieselones, andslight ly moretorun duetopricesof electricityspiralling outofcon trolhas been revealed

Unless you have alarge solar panelarray andspare batteries to charge yourEVathome,free of charge,don’t even thinkof buying one!

As forelectriccommercials, they cost twiceasmuchtorun as diesel vans or trucks andare uneven forhillsordistances

Rebuilding coal firedpower stations wouldsolve thecrisis, butitcould take yearsand we don’thaveyears with winter only weeksaway.

WFKerswell, Shropshire

In thelastweekwehave kept Remembrancewhich in fact beganwithAll Saints andAll Soulsatthe begin ning of November.

Memoryisindeedapow erfulthing

Wronglyuseditbrings death.

Rightlyuseditbringslife andisaformofimmortality It keepsthe past alive.

Therefore, we pray:

“LordJesus youare the Resurrection andthe Life.

“Wethank you forall thosewho have gone before us in this Remembrance MonthofNovember

“Wethank you forall that ourloved ones meanttous in theirlifehereonearth.

“Wedoindeed remember them andprayfor them that they wouldknowofour love andwould be enjoyingall thejoysofheaven

“And we rejoicein the hope that oneday we shall walk with them in paradise “Amen.

or amend letters

EVsdon’t seem worth it to me

Alorry hadbecomeembeddedinacottage in ShinetonStreet, MuchWenlock,whenthis photograph wastaken in May, 1967

organisa tion on such amovingexperi ence

Nicola Cooper,West Midlands

BY REVPREBMATTHEW STAFFORD,TEAMRECTOR, WENLOCKTEAMMINISTRY

PRAYER OF THEWEEK

AChristmas fair whichhas been runningfor over60years is re turningtoBridgnorth, afterthree yearsawaydue to Covid.

St John’sCatholicChurch in Northgate, Bridgnorth isbring ingbackits Christmasfairthis Saturday at 1pm.

Stalls will includecakes,raf fles,books,and bric-a-brac, anda Santa’sgrotto.

Aspokeswoman forthe church said:“Thefairhas been running

ELEANOR LAWSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

forover 60 yearssoit’sgreat to have this Christmassocialoccasion back

“Everyone is welcome.Santa will also be therein hisgrotto.”

AparishChristmas meal is also taking placeatthe Down Inn on December 15 at 7pm, with tickets costing£16.95.

Warningsavings to be hitby‘stealthtax’

Alawyersayshundreds of families in Shropshire couldbehit by thefreeze on theinheritance tax

JonathanEdwards,an associate with TelfordsolicitorsFBC Manby Bowdler, said rising inflation andthe increase in property prices post-pandemicmeant thefreeze waseffectively astealthtax on the hard-earnedsavings andassetsof families in thecounty.

MATTHEWPANTER matthew.panter@mnamedia.co.uk

He said:“We anticipate a flurry of inquiriesabout how people canbet terprotecttheir assets forthe next generation such as by using trusts or lifetimeand charitable giving “Inheritance taxhas already been frozen foranumberofyears and, by not addressing it now, JeremyHunthas penalisedthousands of UK familieswho will nowhave less to pass on to theirchildren and

grandchildren unless they actto protecttheir hard-won assets.”

BrianEvans, managing partner at Lanyon BowdlerSolicitors, added:“Theconfirmationthatthe UK is in arecession is concerning but not particularly surprising,and we have to be encouraged by thepre dictionoflower inflationrates next year

“Businesses need stability above allelse, andwenow hope that af teratumultuousyearwecan look aheadtoanimproving economic situation over thecomingyears.”

MPslineuptoblast HS2‘disaster’and call fora rethink

Tory MPsin theWestMidlands have urged ministerstoscrap “national disgrace”HS2 to ease the growing financialcrisis.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed HS2willgoahead as he announced araftoftax rises in his Autumn Statementamiddirepre dictions overthe country’s finances ButsomeConservativeMPs say theburden couldbereduced by

ditching thecontroversial high speed rail line,which cuts through swathesofthe Staffordshirecountryside andisestimated to cost £155billion

LichfieldMPMichael Fabricant, along-standing opponent of the line,said: “It’snow time to scrap what’s left of HS2.”

He urgedMrHuntto“reconsid er hissupport”for theline, saying

it “neither linkswithHS1 andthe continent, as wasthe originalintention, nor connects with mainline stations such as Birmingham New Street”

StoneMPSir Bill Cash, another outspokenopponentofthe line, brandeditan“economic disaster” andcalledfor allworktostopimmediately“before it spiralsfurther outofcontrol”

threshold announcedby theChancellor.

County MP says Putinmusttake blamefor missile in Polish village

Shrewsbury’s Polish-bornMPhas said Vladimir Putinistoblame for amissile that killed twopeoplein hishomeland Daniel Kawczynski,Conservative MP forShrewsbury&Atcham, and chairman of theAll-Party Parlia mentaryGroup on Poland,spoke aftera missilehit thePolishvillage of Przewodow

Theincidentwas metwithinitial confusion, with investigations still attempting to confirm whetherit wasastrayUkrainian defencemis sile,oraRussian weapon targeted at Ukraine

Thevillage is only four kilometres from Poland’s border with Ukraine.

Mr Kawczynski said that the RussianPresidentwould bear the ultimate responsibility forthe deaths –regardless of whohad fired themissile

TheShrewsbury MP also said that supportfor Poland –asitsup portsthousands of Ukrainians flee ingthe Russianinvasion–mustbe assured.

He said:“As thechair of the All-PartyParliamentary Groupon Poland,mydeepest condolencesare with thetwo Polish civilianskilled by amissile that landed in Prze wodow, avillage near Ukraine’s border

“Althoughthe investigationis ongoing, it is understood that the missilewas part of theUkrainian defencesystemprotecting critical infrastructure from abarrage of 80 Russianrockets launched that day. We must be clear– Vladimir Putin bearsfull responsibility forthese twodeathsand forthiswar of ag gression.”

Findingnew home forcherished royal tree

Ahousing grouphas been joined by thecounty’sLordLieutenantfor theplantingofatreedonated from theQueen’s GreenCanopy.

Shropshire Townsand Rural Housing (STAR) said it wasdelighted to have receivedthe treefrom theQueen’s GreenCanopy(QGC) ‘TreeofTrees’.

Theorganisationsaidthe initia tive stood tall as amessage of hope andoptimism to thenation, andthe world,aspartofthe Platinum Jubi leecelebrations.

STARHousing joined more than 300organisations from across the

UK whowererecentlyannounced by theQGC as recipientsofthe specialtrees in TheQueen’s name

Eachhas been gifted in apot embossedwithHer Majesty’scypher. Presented by HisMajesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, Anna Turner,the treewas plantedatOak Street in Highley.

Thetreewill become part of the living legacy in honour of HerMaj esty,joining morethanamillion

trees alreadyplanted across the UK as part of TheQueen’s Green Canopy.

Angela SimpsonfromSTAR Housing, said:“We arethrilled to be chosen forour commitment to improvingour greenspaceswhich we have donebyplanting35trees underthe QGCand forour contri bution to ourcommunities

“Asalocal housingprovider, we feel so proudtobeabletohonour theQueen andshowour dedication to sustainability.Ittruly is beauti fuland we hope will be verymuch cherishedbyour residents.”

Some 200countychildrenat risk of criminal exploitation

Theriskofchildrenbeingexploitedisstill rife despitethe number of county linesgangs op eratinginShropshire goingdowninthe last 12 months,councillors have heard.

Apartnership includingShrop shireCouncil,policeand others have been working with around 200 Shropshire children this year at risk of criminal exploitationorwho arebeing exploited.

Theaim to help stop them becomingvictims of this crimeor, if they arealready are, to supportthemto exit exploitation.

Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnershipsaidthatcriminalexploitationofchildren in the county tookavariety of forms, includingforcingchildrentosell drugs, become part of county lines gangsorchildsexualexploitation.

SUEAUSTIN sue.austin@mnamedia.co.uk

Theforms of exploitation areoften interlinked.

Councillorsreceivedanupdate from partners on how theworkwas progressing. Partners report that thenumberofcountylines gangs operatinginthe county hasreduced over thelastyearbut thereare still 10 beinginvestigated by police with linkstoMerseyside,Bristol andthe West Midlands.Hotspotsstill in the county includeOswestryand the Harlescottand Sundorneareas of Shrewsbury

“Wemade177 arrestsbetween March 2021 andMarch 2022,” apolice spokesperson said

Police said that whilehousesbelieved to be bases forthe gangswere watched,other agencies maywell alreadybeworking with children whomay be at risk

Themeetingheard that,since the startof2022, therehad beenare-

visedpathway approach to theexploitationofchildren in Shropshire, with agenciesworking closely to help identify children whomay be at risk andtoreducethatriskby stepping in to disruptand stop contact with thoseexploitingthe child, andtogive thechild thesupport they need.AnOfsted children’s servicesinspectionthisyearsaidthat thepartnership working in Shropshirewas effectiveatidentifying children at risk

SonyaMiller,ShropshireCouncil’sassistant director forchildren’s socialcareand safeguarding,said that experience in Shropshire showsthatone form of exploitation oftenleadstofurther risk of exploitation, andduring2022the partnershiphas seen 121new chil dren referred to it because they may be at risk.Thistriggered aseriesof actionsfor partners working with thechild andtheir familytoreduce theriskofexploitation.

Thepartnership, throughthe

newlyformedTREES team–Together Reducing andEndingExploitation in Shropshire–was also working to raise awarenessamong professionals, schools, familiesand thewider communityofthe risks surroundingexploitation,and to recognise thesigns so thatchildren at risk canbehelped. This hasfocusedoneventsinOswestryand Shifnal, with afurther eventin Ellesmereplanned

“Our approach andunderstandingofcriminalexploitation of chil dren hasdeveloped considerably,to combat thebreadth of exploitation that children areexposedto, and this is one of theprioritiesfor the SSCP andall itspartners,”Sonya said.“Exploitationofchildrenis happeninginShropshire. No one agency cantacklethisalone.We must allworktogethertoensurewe aredoing allwecan to raise awareness,identify thoseat risk,and disrupt theactivitythatcan lead to exploitation.”

£10,000 start-up boostfor venture

Telford& Wrekin Councilhas given a£10,000 cash boosttohelpa hampers gift shop to be setup.

HomeofHampers haslaunched at MadeleyMalls, RussellSquare, afterreceiving abusinessstart-up grantthrough thecouncil’s Pridein OurHigh Streetprogramme

OwnerCarlCattislaunching the business whichhehopes will be popularwithshoppersinMadeley andacrossthe borough.

Theshopwill stocka largevarie ty of hamperswhich areideal gifts forChristmas,babyshowers,birth days, retirement presents, as well as year-round treats. In theUK, the hampersgift market is expected to increase by 7.7per cent by 2027 and is currentlyworth £19billion but most salesare completed online in steadofinhigh street shops.

Carl,who also runs severalother businesses,had beensearchingfor alocationfor hisbusinessfor some time in Telford&Wrekin.

Intimate focus on singer’s life

Take That legend Gary Barlowiswowingaudiences with hislatestventure,ADifferent Stage.

Anditwas adelighttohear from“alittlebirdinthe know” that theWolverhamptonGrand Theatre is Mr B’sfavourite ven ue on hisUKtoursofar

Andwho canargue?The Grandhas theperfect ambi ence forthisintimatelookat thestar’slifestory.The look of theshowispuresimplicity; just Gary,his instrumentsand some cases,but superb lighting effectsdrawyou into hisspace It’s as if youare in hisrecording studio at home

This new, one-manshow –on till tomorrow–isthe perfectvehicletoset Mr Barlow on anew phaseofhis journey–asanactor, if that’s what he wantstodo next

Volunteer callout to planthedges

Volunteers arebeing sought to help with aproject to plant five anda half kilometresofhedgesinthe county.

The Shropshire branch of the Campaign to ProtectRural England (CPRE) will be planting the hedges in sitesacrossShropshire –fromthe south, up to theareas around Shrewsbury andTelford

Thegroup’s firstplantingsession takesplaceonSaturday(26), and theworkwill continue throughto February

It said theworkwould seenew native species plantedonamix of sitesincluding farms, smallholdings,cemeteries, andvisitor centres.

Aspokesman said that al hedge plants beingusedare beingbought locallyincountynurseries.

Allthe datesand furtherinfor mation aboutthe projectisavailableatwww.cpreshropshire.org.uk/ hedgerow-project.

Neil Horton, Gerard Anslow, Richard Anslow, John Marshall, Anna Turner, MarkWilliams andRobert Bland

DOMINIC ROBERTSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

Mistletoeevent to make return

Tenbury’sfamousMistletoe Festivalisbackonand will take placeon Saturday December 3.

Thetowncrier will announce the crowning of theMistletoe Queen andthere will be arange of mu sicand danceperformancesinthe town centre in theafternoon.

ThePumpRooms will house Tenbury’slocal guitar andukule le groups andthere will be stories about NorsegodsfromAndyHar rop-Smith.

BlackadderMorriswill be danc ingintheir coloursofred,goldand blackand ‘mistletoe maidens’ will be locatedaroundthe town

Therewill be opportunitiesto craftChristmas decorationsout of willow with localartisit ZoeDisley in thelibrary

Mistletoesales will be locatedat Temeside HouseonTemeStreet, theheadquartersofTenbury Mistletoe Association

AMistletoe Ceremony performed by druids will honour theplant and itsharvest

Musicwillcome from Broseley BeatsDrummers.

Crewsbusyat vehicle callouts

The fire serviceserving Bewd leyand Kidderminster hasanswered almost 12,000 call outs involvingvehiclesina10-year period

Morethanhalfofthe 11,917 incidentshandled by Hereford &Worcester Fire andRescue Service involvedacar

During theperiodJanuary 2012 andDecember 2021 there were also 155fatalitiesinthese incidents, and3,183 injuries

Figurespublished by thebri gade showed that incidents in cluded 1,061false alarms and 2,886 fires, 6,944involveda car, 2,461multiplevehiclesand 3,342rescuing trapped persons, while2,614 involved leaking fuel

Thedatawas released as part of Road Safety Week to high lightissuescausedbyinconsiderateparking thatmay prevent emergencyvehiclesfromparkingsafely.

Thebrigade said most inci dentshappenedduringmorning andevening rush hours.

Boy’shospitalappointment delay‘unacceptable’

Acouncillor hassaidasituation where a16-year-old boyreferred forhospitalcheckshas been given an appointmentin June 2025 is “unacceptable”.

Theboy’s fathersaidhewas as tonished afterShrewsbury &Telford Hospital NHSTrust (SaTH) confirmed that thedategiven in theletterwas nota mistake.

Shrewsbury LiberalDemocrat Councillor forBowbrookAlex

Wagner said:“This is possiblythe worst case of theNHS backlog failing apatient that Ihaveseen in alongtime. To asksomeone in need of care to wait forthree years is simplyunacceptable,and is a damningexampleofthe qualityof theservice in Shropshire “Peopledeservegoodquality NHScarewhentheyneed it,and quickly–not 951dayslate. We cannot go on likethis. It is let-

ting patients down,letting our hard-working staffdownasthey workinimpossibleconditions, anditcasts shameonthe Government.”

Sheila Fryer, interimdeputy chiefoperating officeratthe Shrewsbury andTelford HospitalNHS Trust, said:“We would liketoapologise forthe wait fora urologyappointment.Thislength of delayisrareand we wouldlike

to reassureyou that we aredoingeverything we can, alongside partners, to reduce theamountof time patients arewaiting foran appointment.

“Recruitment challenges in urologyand thesignificant pres sure duetothe continuedimpact of Covidhaveled to thedelays. We areworking to recover as quickly as we can–weare in theprocess of contacting patients.”

Thousands of ticketssnapped up forBestivalevent at park

MARK ANDREWS mark.andrews@mnamedia.co.uk

More than 10,000 tickets have alreadybeensold fornextyear’sCamp Bestival at WestonPark, says theorganiser.

Former Radio1 star RobdaBank, whoorganisesthe four-day family festival with hiswifeJosie,saiddemand hadbeenhugefollowing the success of theWestMidlands’ first Camp Bestival whichwas staged in August

Theline-up fornextyear’sevent wasannounced this week,with Eurovision runner-upSam Ryder, Scottish rockersPrimalScream and80synth-pop legendsThe Hu manLeaguetopping thebill,along with charttoppers East 17,Sophie Ellis-Bextor andformerSpiceGirl MelanieC

As well as music, Camp Bestival features activities forchildren,fam ilyentertainmentand areasdedicatedtowellbeing

Da Bank said this year’s event hadbeenasuperbsuccess,and hoped that next year’s eventwould be bigger andbetter.

“WestonParkhas excellent transport links,and it wasgood to seesomanypeoplefromthe north andthe West Midlands whomight otherwise notbeabletoget to enjoy Camp Bestival,” he said

McFlyhave been named as headliners forAlderfestnextyear

McFlytobe

headlineact at county festival

Popstars McFlyhavebeenrevealed as headliners at aShrop shirefestivalnextyear.

Alderfest, held at AlderfordLake near Whitchurch, provedsopopularfor its firstevent this summer that it is returningin2023for not onebut twoyears

News that thefour-piece band, celebratingtwo decadesonthe mu sicscene,will take to thestage in July hasthrilled both staffand fes-

SUEAUSTIN

sue.austin@mnamedia.co.uk

tival-goers.

Scores of ticketshavebeen snappedupalready McFly, namedafterMarty Mc Flyfromblockbuster, Back to the Future,burst on to thepop scene in 2003 andreturnedtotourafter 2020.The membershavebranched

outwithsolocareers andalsotook part in amashup‘McBusted’tour with Busted

ZoeWatson, marketingmanag er at Alderfordsaid: “Weare just thrilled that McFlyagreed to take part in Alderfest. It’s amazing that they cansee just how bigthe festivalhas become andwanttoget involved

“Weput feelersout to theband andtheycamebackand said yes.”

Huntmaster fined£600for failing to call dogs offfox

Ahunting master whofailed to call offdogswhenthey“disturbed”afox hasbeen fined morethan£600.

SouthShropshireHuntmas terDanielCherriman,aged 37, wasinchargeofahuntonNational Trustlandin theLong Mynd area of Church Stretton when thedogscaughtthe scent of an animal.The foxwas not killed,accordingtoCherriman’s legalrepresentative.

TelfordMagistrates’ Court heardthatfootage of Cherriman wastaken by witnesses, showing himmakingnoisestodisturb

foxes. He then didnothing as the hounds hunted

Thecourt wastoldCherriman

Cherriman, of EatonMascott, CrossHouses, near Shrewsbury, pleadedguiltytohunting awild mammal with dogs,contrary to theHunting Act2004.

Mr StephenBelford,mitigat ing, said that Cherrimanwould likely“be subjected to adverse comments forweeks,months andprobablyyears”fromhunt saboteurswho would“rejoice”

in hisguilty plea. “It’snot acase wherethere wasakill,” he said “On this occasionafox wasdis turbed.”

Thecasehad been duetogo to trialinDecember,withCherriman’s“whipper-in”orassis tant also duetoappearincourt However,Cherriman told his legalrepresentative he wanted to pleadguilty at thebeginning of October. Thecaseagainst his co-defendant wasdiscontinued Magistrates finedCherriman £607, as well as ordering himto pay£135in courtcosts anda£61 victim surcharge

wasresponsible forthe hounds on that day, andheshouldhave takenreasonableaction.

Daniel Cherriman

Communitythanked forthe return of monkey puzzle tree

DAVIDTOOLEY david.tooley@mnamedia.co.uk

PatriceMaiklem,56, of Avenue Road, Newport, shared herplight on Facebook groups afterthe 18-year-oldtreedisappeared from thedrive of her home followinga move from Ditton Priors, wherethe family hadlived formanyyears

Thetreewas given thenamePedantic Pete as he hasa spikycharacter,she said

Sudden

Itsreturnafew days agowas just as suddenasits disappearance, as it materialisedinthe same spot on herdrive.

“Everybodyhas been so amaz ing,”saidMrs Maiklem.

“Itwentviral.Peoplesaidthey hadseenit, andIhad people knockingonmydoorofferingtohelp.”

“I washeartbroken.Pedantic Pete hasbeena part of thefamily for18years andmydad Tommy Knightand my threechildren all

Charitystresses

importance of keepingmoving

AShropshirecharity has launched acampaigntohighlightthe importance of staying active throughout thewinter months

Shrewsbury-basedCommuni ty Resource is urging people to ‘KeepMoving, Keep Warm’to fightoff thewintergloom and maintain theirstrength and fit ness throughout theyear.

CommunityResourceruns events acrossthe county to help peoplewiththeir fitnessand wellbeing. It also supports the Association of ShropshireExer cise Teachers (ASET),agroup of teachers whodeliver classes forolder people andfor those whoneedadditionalguidance duetomobility issues

SusieHancock,Develop ment Officerfor Community Resource,said: “Asthe days areshorterand we head into winter,itcan be difficult to feel motivatedtodoexercises, butit is more importantthanever to keep active.

“For olderpeoplein particularitisvital to practise strength andbalance exercises to reduce theriskoffalling.”

Sheadded: “There arecom munity classesfor over 60s acrossShropshire.”

grew up with him. My daddied10 yearsago.Plantsdonot like me.I love them buttheytendtodie.Pete didnot die!”

Mumpublishes book on cold waterswimming with help of Dutch‘IceMan’Wim Hof

SUEAUSTIN

sue.austin@mnamedia.co.uk

ATelford mother whofellinlove with cold water swimming in lock down haspublished anew book on thesubject with thesupport of aTV celebrity.

JayCharltontookupcoldwater swimming in thesummer lockdown of 2021 inspired by aRussell Brand podcastabout thebenefits of cold exposurefor both thebodyand mind

Sheloved it so much sheencouraged herfamilytojoinher includ ingher son, Idan

Nowthe fashiondesignerhas writtenachildren’sbook, Wim’sIce Odyssey, to show them how to enjoy thehobby in asafeway

Andthe forewordtoher book has been writtenbynoneother than TV’s Dutch‘IceMan’Wim Hof.

Jay says teachingchildrenhow to swim safely in open waterisanimportantlifeskill andpropereduca tion is as vitalasteachingchildren about road safety

Sheovercame herfears about wild swimmingwithagroup of friendsatSimpsonsPoolinHorse hay, Telford.

Town will have newpermanent home forpost office in store

Anew permanenthome hasbeen foundfor apostoffice whichwill open afterChristmas

Dawley Post Office in Telfordwill nowbebased at Lifestyle Express on High Street.

Thepostoffice had been based at theCo-oponHighStreet,but its future wasput in doubt when the firm announced it wasleaving the premises

Long-standingDawleybusiness manGurjinder Singh will become thepostmasteratthe post office, whichwillbehousedinpartof hisLifestyle Expressconvenience store.

Telford&WrekinCouncil said it hasworkedwithGreat Dawley Town Counciland localcouncillors to secure apermanent home forthe post office

Theauthority said it will support Mr Singhwiththe fitout of thenew post office at hisstore

Mr Singh said:“I’mthrilled that adealhas been agreed andI’m lookingforward to runningthe post office whichwill be housed within my store.

“I thinkthisisreallypositive news forDawleyand hopefullyit will give residents theservicesthey need.”

In October, Telford& Wrekin Councilagreedadealtobring Tesco ExpresstoDawley High Street, in part of theformerCo-op. The newstore is settoopeninspring

Providingexpertadvicewhenyouneeditmost

Please meet our FamilyLaw Specialists, Ian Yatesand Samantha Hoyle.

Ian and Samantha have more than 55 combined years’ experience and specialise in all areas of familylaw, including preand post nuptial agreements; the separation and/or divorce of married couples; cohabitation agreements; disputes arising between cohabiting parties; thedissolution of civil partnerships and all aspects of thelaw surrounding arrangements forchildren.

Forthe remainder of 2022 of this year,Ian and Samantha will be offering an initial 60 minuteconsultation without charge, foranyone who mayneed advice in this particular area of law

Please do not hesitatetomake an appointment by calling 01746 761000.

in BRIDGNORTH &HEREFORD www.mortimers-solicitors.co.uk

Jayand herson,Idanand her newbook

‘PedanticPete’ themonkeypuzzletreehas been returned to itsthankful Shropshire ownerafter herappealfor itsreturn went viralonline.

Patrice Maiklem, formerly of DittonPriors, makesadonation to NestaJones of NewportinBloomasa thankyou

MrsMaiklem,who works in mentalhealthand hasahobby alongside otherfamilymembersfor rescuing animalsinGreece,saidshe wasso

grateful that shehas made adonation of £100 to NewportinBloom as away of thanking the community forthe tree’sreturn.

Gota health

I

fyou’refeelingunwellorhaveno ticedahealthissue,don’twaitforit togetworsebeforeyouseekhelp. TheNHSwantstoseeyouandhelp yougetthecareyouneed Formoreminorproblems,goingto nhs.ukwill help you find your best nextstep.Ifit’smoreurgent,goto111 nhs.ukorcall111(seebelow).

Youcanalsovisitapharmacy.The highlytrainedteamswhoworkinphar maciescanprovidereassurance,treat commonillnessesandgivehealthcare advice.Itsservicesarefree,andmany areopenlateandatweekends.

Pharmacyteamscangiveadviceon minorillnessessuchascoughs,colds andstomachaches Theyalsoknowif youneedtobereferred to your GP practice–andcanevenhelpyouget anappointment

It’sgoodtoknowwhichserviceyou needandhowtoaccessit

NHS 111 ONLINE

If youhaveanurgentbut notlifethreateningmedical problem, NHS 111onlinecanhelp.Accessitonlineat 111.nhs.ukorvia alinkonthe NHS app.Dependingonthesituation,the servicewillreferyoutoalocalservice thatcanassistyou:connectyoutoa nurse,pharmacistordoctor;tellyou howtoget anymedicineyou need; provide self-careadviceor, if severe, askyoutoheadtoin-personurgent caresuchasA&E.

PHARMACY

Apharmacist can give advice on aches,pains,coughsandcoldsaswell ascheckingsymptomsandproviding servicessuchasbloodpressuretests. There’snoappointmentneeded,soif you’refeelingundertheweather,don’t waitforittogetworse–walkin.

GP PRACTICE

When youcontactyour surgery, the receptionistteamwillassessyouand ensure youget help from theright medicalprofessional.Mostsurgeries have ateam of otherhealth professionals,includingnursesandphysios, toensureyougettherightcarequickly

Reena Barai, 44,has been runningher family business, SG BaraiPharmacyinSutton, for18 years, andshe is always happy to helpanyone who comesinfor adviceabout ahealthissue

“Wesee awide rangeof illnesses: coughs,colds,eye infections… but alsoother things that people areworried about, likemoles andunusual bowel symptoms,” Reena explains

“Pharmacists areexperts in minorillnesses andrecognising what we call ‘red flags’ormore serious symptoms.Our family have be in pharmacyfor andwe’ve built linkswithour GP practices an thehospital. So someone come in and Ithink th really need to A&Ethatday, Ican advise them about that.”

“Our team are trainedto respond to symptoms,” Reena adds

“Theyknowhow to askthe right questions and refertoGPs if necessary.

“Wealsospend alot of time talking to our patients about self care, becauseoften you don’t need to seeadoctor and youcan just look after yourself by doing simplemeasures at home –whether that’s drinking lots of fluids,resting or taking paracetamol.”

Communitypharmacies alsooffer services such as bloodpressurechecks, andthe morning-after pill, which is free in s.

in and see sfreeand on’t need appointment,” Reena. st pharmacies aprivate nsultation room, you’re worried out discussing something embarrassing, youcan always asktospeak to one of the pharmacy team in private.”

“Alotofhealthissuesareseasonal, sowemightseecoughsandcolds throughthewinter,andhayfever relatedissuesin thespringorsummer. Otherwise, thethingswedeal withcouldbeany thingfromsportsrelatedinjuriesto diarrhoea, dental problems,earache andissueswith eyesight. It’s so varied,and could relatetoanything fromheadtotoe.

“Patients are oftenunaware of theservices you can getfroma pharmacy That’s whyweare keen toeducatepeople about thewhole

healthcaresystem. Pharmacists haveregularcontactwithpatients and,inaway,weareajackofall trades.Wedeal with so many issues that we know when we need to direct someoneto,say,a doctororanoptician,orwhenwe can deal with it ourselves.

“Patientsoften gototheirGPinitially,butinmany casestheir issue couldbedealt withbyapharmacist There’sno need to make an appointment.

“It’squick,easy and accessible andwewillbe

‘Our team are trained to respond to symptoms’

We deal with so many issues that we know whentodirect someoneto, say,a doctor or dentist, or when we can deal with it ourselves

‘Patients are often unaware of the services we provide’

Sanjeev Panesar, 36, from Pan Pharmacy in Sheldon, Birmingham, is keen to spread the word

able to advise very quicklywhetherwecan helpyou.Ifwecan’t,we willpointyou in the direction of theright person

This

article is part of apaid-forpartnershipwith

BenTuffour owns England’s oldest pharmacy,Reavley ChemistinBurford, Oxfordshire, which openedin1734.

“I would always encourage people to seek adviceattheir pharmacy,”saysBen.“So many of thepeople whocome here formedical advicealready come to us forother things, so they arefamiliar withusand feel comfortableasking

“Patients mayalsoget referred to their pharmacyvia their GP.Theyget aprivate one-to-one meetingwiththe pharmacist, andtheydon’t have to wait foranappointment.

“We’ll always go the extra mile to ensure we’regiving therightcare– and in some ruralareas pharmacieseven provide adelivery serviceto housebound patients

“Ifpeople getintothe habit of coming to the pharmacywith minor illnesses, notonlycan it can save themtime,but it could also mean thattheyget

treatmentbeforethe problem becomesmoreserious.

Seeking advice at apharmacy for minor illnesses couldsave youtime

NECshowfor fans of caravans

TheCaravan,Camping andMotorhome Show is returningtothe Birmingham National Exhibition Centre in February

Theshow wasasellout this year andwillfeature 14 percentmore tentsand trailer tentsand brand newfeaturesin2023.

It will be runningfromFebru ary21to26inhalls one to five and will also featurea displayofcamp er vans.Visitors will also be able to discoverthe best cycleroutes, walk ingtrails, wild-swimmingspots andoff thebeatentrack staycation destinations. Newfor 2023 will be a tent andcamping hall

Hamperstobe woninraffle

TheFriends of Market Drayton Librarygroup haslaunchedits firsteverChristmas raffle, with threehampers to be won

Each oneis filled with goods, includingdonations from local supplierssuchasJoule’s Brew ery, Fordhall OrganicFarm, Maynard’sFarmShopand Billington’sGingerbread

Allproceedswill go towards events in thelibrary next year

Therafflewill be drawnon Friday,December 16

Ticketsare £1 each

Author Chrisputsspotlight on ancientchurchesofcounty

MEGANHOWE Community News Reporter

Author ChristopherWinn runs asocialmedia page dedicatedto ‘Wandering Britain’ andisthe au thor of the‘INever Knew That’series of books. Despite hailing from Surrey,Christopher hasexplored much of theShropshirelandscape andhistory during hisvisitstothe county.Hesaid: “I love Shrewsbury, Ilovethe Long Mynd andthe Clee Hills. Shropshire is well-blessed with churches in verywell-blessed hills,”hesaid.

St Peter’s, Melverley

Thechurchis‘beautifully’ posi tioned on theRiver Vyrnwy whereit joinsthe River Severn,Christopher said.Built in 1406,Christopher has labelled it theoldestofBritain’s unalteredblack-and-white half timberedchurches, with only 27 left in England

He said thechurchhas been a

placeofChristian worship forabout 1,000 yearsand itsfontmostlikely datesbacktoSaxon times.

In 1401,the original church wasburneddownbyWelsh prince OwainGlyndwr, whofoughtagainst theEnglish monarch in thelate

MEETTHEWINNERS

features whichholdawealthofhis tory,including aJacobeanpulpit andalectern holdinga chainBible from 1727

HeathChapel, Ludlow

In hisbook, ChristopherdescribesHeath Chapel as:“Just a simple,unpretentious Norman church of nave andchancel,where thefarming communitycould wor ship,havetheir children christened andprayfor goodharvest.”

On hisvisit to Shropshire, Christopher said it wasa chapel that was quitedifficult to find,located in an isolated position on a fieldinthe former civilparishofHeath

It is aGradeIlisted building datingbacktothe 1100sormid 12th century, with amendments made in the16thor17thcentury,tothe chapel’s centralnave.

Christophersaidthere is little ornamentationtothe chapel,but if you want to experience true Normanarchitecture then track down thekey whichhangs on thenoticeboardorthe porchofthe nearby farm

Visitchristopherwinn.co.uk or follow himonTwitter

Therehas been an overwhelming responsetothe Shropshire Star Pawtrait Pets competition2022.

With 453petsshowcased,the hunt wason to find this year’s most popular pet. Nearly 204,000votes were received andcounted, proving ittobeanextremely popular competition

Thewinner, takingthe crownofthe Shropshire Star Pawtrait Petof theYear2022 is Milo thecat,who liveswithSophieDeanin Shawbury.She receives thetop prize of £500 Congratulations!

In second place, taking home £300 is Lynne SmithfromChurchstoke whonominatedher catAlice

Finally,inthird place, winning £200 is Indie Pugh the proudowner of TerryArthurPugh thehamster from Shrewsbury

Thank youtoallthe participantsinthis year’s competition andcongratulations again to our top threewinners, Milo, Aliceand Terry.

An author hasunveiled some of Shropshire’s most extraordinary churches.

Middle Ages.Workbegan quickly to restorethe church andwithin five yearsithad been completed.In 1406 Christianworship resumedin thechurch

Accordingtothe National Churches Trust, St Peter’shas key

HeathChapel,Ludlow–‘asimple,unpretentious Norman church’

Vandeliverscanceradvice

DOMINIC ROBERTSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

“Weare working with health partners to recruitcancerchampion volunteers in Telfordand Shropshiretospreadthe message about theimportanceofattending health screeninginvitations

Chance to see theWizardofOz

Atheatre school on theborder of Shropshireisgetting readyfor its upcoming production of TheWiz ardofOz.

on

disease –anew £95,000 vanto spread themessage of awarenessand prevention around thecounty.

Themoneyfor theLingenDavies vanwas donatedbyTelford Plaza UK,and thevehicle wasofficially unveiled by thecounty’sHigh Sher iff, Selina Graham,and theMayor ofTelford Councillor RajMehta outsidethe company’soffices. The charityhas been supporting and enhancingservicesfor patients at theRoyal Shrewsbury Hospital’s Lingen Davies Cancer Centre for morethan40years

It is also nowworking on rais ingawareness about thesignsand symptoms of cancer in communities throughout Shropshire, Telford,and MidWales.The LiveLife service, whichwill be promotedby thenew van, hasthree membersof staffwho attend large-scalecom munity events , summer fairs, and corporatenetworking, sharinginformationabout cancer andencouragingpeopletoseekhelpfromGPs with anyconcerns.

NaomiAtkin,CEO of Lingen Davies,saidthe LiveLifeService is

acriticalpart of theworktoassist with cancer prevention andimprove earlydiagnosis ratesacrossthe re gion

Shesaidthe vanwill allowthe team to reachmorepeople,helping supportand advise them to seek earlydiagnosis whererelevant

Shesaid: “The Lingen Davies Centre sees morethan4,000 newly diagnosedpatientseachyear, and with currentstatisticsstating one in twopeoplewill getcancerintheir lifetime, thenumberofpatientswe seewill only continue to rise

“Thisverygenerousdonation from TelfordPlaza UK Ltdhas en abledustopurchaseabrand-new, multi-purpose,and fully-branded vehicle. We will be able to access more communities, moreevents, andmorepeopleacrossour large, predominantly rural, geographical patch.

“Itwill also boostour Cancer Champions work–being done as part of anationalNHS England projecttoaddress health inequali ties in the20per cent most deprived areasofthe country.

“Weknowpeoplewho maynot speakEnglish as a firstlanguage, notunderstandthe screeningpro cess,orbeotherwise disengaged from local health services,are fail ingtotakeupcancerscreening in vites.

“Thisvan will form part of the worktoaccess thosecommunities andmakea difference throughout ourregion.”

MandyThorn MBEDL, Chairof Trustees forLingenDaviesCancer Fund,said: “The launch of this van is ahugeachievementfor thechari ty at acriticallyexcitingtimefor us as we grow ourservice delivery, and celebratereachingthe £1,000,000 annual income mark forthe first time in our44-year history.

“Clearly it is also agreat thing forour region as awhole –raising awarenessabout cancer,whatpeo plecan do to help themselves live well,and what they should be on thelookout for, arevital methods to bringabout more earlydiagnoses whichbring about increasedtreat ment optionsand outcomes.”

Formoredetails or to invite the vantoattendacommunity event contactthe LiveLifeteamon01743 492396.

Children at theRegal School of Creative Arts will present theirpro ductionofthe classicmusical at the Regal, TenburyWells on Sundayat 6.30pm

Writtenand directed by the school principalDrMia Gordon, this original production features new music, composed specifically for the company by composer and musicaldirectorPeteThorogood To find outmorevisit regal schoolofcreativearts.co.uk

TV duototurn on town lights

StarsofThe Voiceare setto startthe countdown to Christ masthisweekend as they take to thestage in Shifnal.

Alex andRio Mitcham, otherwise knownasSmokiecoco, made it through to thesecond roundafterturning the chairof American rapper,singer-song writer Will.i.am on ITV’sThe Voice.

Thetown’sChristmas Market will startonSaturday, Novem ber26at 2pm, with street entertainmentuntil 8pm.

Thelights will be switched on at 6.45pm

Showcasinglatest in home interiors

Over thepast12months, thelocal family-runbusinesshas been busy building inspirationalnew depart ments, introducing many exciting new brands,whilstcontinuingtoshowcase theverylatestcollections in home in teriorsand innovation.

In living,Cousins hasenhancedits collectionswithfamousbrand names such as GPlanand Parker Knoll, to complywithmodernliving. The newHurst rangefromGPlanoffers eye-catchingdesignand adds sophis tication to anyspace.Withclean lines andgeometric detailing,Hurst embodies pure elegance.Withmodular options, Hurstoffersthe opportunity to buildyourperfect combination creatinga bespokesofafor yourspace Recliner optionsare availableacross therange

Indining, recent trendsfor open plan, flexible living,has ledtoa signif icantincreaseinkitchen dining.Cousinsisproud to displaynew collections from world-leadingItalian brandCal ligaris acrossdiningtables, sideboards andevenaccessories. Knownfor their modern design,everyCalligarisdin

ingtable hasthe potentialtoenhance theaestheticsofthe dining space.For thoselooking forspace-savingoptions, Calligaris also offers dining tables with innovativeextending mechanismsthatallow you to accommodate as many as tenpeople.

Forthe bedroom, they have intro duced newcollections from Ercol, showcased in brandnew galleries. The Monzabedroom rangeisacontemporary updateofclassicmid-century design.Chestsare constructed with mitredcornerjointsand arounded undercut detail,framing the chevron veneer drawer fronts.Taperingturned legs andangled plinth railsare painted blacktohighlighttheir elegantshapes andcreateasense of lightness.

Acancercharity has unveiled itslatestweap-

againstthe

Lingen Davies launch theircancer awareness vanafter amajor donation

CousinsFurnitureisinvitingyou to asneak peekof theirnew Winter Collection forthe launch of their Winter Sale whichstarts next month.

Cousins’ Winter Collection

CommercialFeature

Newcategories forbusiness awards event

Ahostofnew categories will be addedtoShropshireChamber of Commerce’s business awards next year.The chamberwillof ficiallylaunchits 2023 business awards in January–withnew look categories andnew criteria

SalopLeisure in Shrewsbury will host thelaunchevent for the2023competition at 5.30pm on January26. It will include detailsofall theawardstobe handed outatthe business celebration,which will be held on June 23 at Telford’sInterna tional Centre

The2023competition will in cludethe return of long-running categories includingCompany of theYear, Best NewBusiness, Best SmallBusiness,and Outstanding CustomerService Therewillalsobenew-look categories forGlobalBusiness, recognisinginternational trade, anda return of theBusinessIn TheCommunity award.

“The Shropshire Chamber Business Awards are firmly establishedamong thelargest events of theirkindinthe coun try,”saidchief executiveRich ardSheehan.“Shropshire busi nesses aregoing to be facing significant challenges over the coming year,soit’smoreimpor tant than ever to celebrateand recognise oursuccess stories.”

Satisfaction over thestateof roadsisrising

Shropshireresidents areincreas inglysatisfied with thecondition of thecounty’sroads,and thework carriedout to repair andimprove them,according to theresults of a national annual survey

TheNationalHighways and Transport(NHT) Public Satisfac tion Survey 2022 foundthatpublic satisfaction with the wayShrop shireCouncildeals with potholes rosebyseven percentage points last year,withasix-point increase in satisfaction with thecondition of thecounty’sroadsurfaces.

Therewas also aseven percent agepoint increase in satisfaction with thecondition of thecounty’s roadsgenerally.Respondents also indicatedthattheyfeltthatthe council wasdoing moretorepair localroads compared to ayearago Eachyearthe NHTsurveyasksa random sample of at least3300res idents in 111 council areasfor their viewsonhighwaysand transport services in theirarea.

Responses enable each councilto know what localpeoplethink about theirservices–and theresults are also compared with theviews of peopleacrossEngland andScotland

RichardMarshall, cabinetmemberfor highways,said: “Wewelcome the findings of this year’s NHTsur vey, whichprovide evidencethata newapproachtohow Shropshire Councilmaintains itshighwaysis alreadyhavingan impact.”

Pullingtogetherfor cracking Christmasfun

Avillageisset to be transformed into amagical Christmaswonder land of music, fun, crafts andgreat food this weekend.

Morethan20local traders and theParishCouncil have joined forc es to host theAlbrightonChristmas Extravaganza on Saturday,with theofficialfestive lights switch-on settotakeplaceoutside theRed Houseat6pm

Thousandsofpeopleare expected to descendonHigh Street andSta tion Road andwillbegreeted with asnowmachine,gluhwein, roast chestnuts, giantpaella, authentic

HEATHERLARGE

Italiancuisine from Al Sorriso and lots of sweettreatsfromthe Load aWaffledessert pod

Santawillalso take afew hours away from making toys in the NorthPoletovisit thevillage,with children able to meet himinhis special grotto held at TheCrown pub –raising valuable proceedsfor nearbyAlbrightonTrust,Moat& Gardensin theprocess.Thisyear’s extravaganzaispromising to be

thebiggest yetand is beingorgan isedbya newcommittee featur ingStephanie French (Albrighton Parish Counciland theOld Bush), Amanda Potter (Number7), Tina Hodgkins(TheCrown pub), Sarah Glynn(Petals by SarahLouise) andSally Hall,MichelleSmith and VickyShepherd(allNextDoorBar).

“Asavillagewehavesomuchto offerand Christmas givesusthe perfectopportunitytopullitall together andadd lots of yuletide treatsfor people to enjoy too,”ex plainedSally Hall,owner of Next Door Bar.

Families prepare forChristmas magicasresort eventisbackon

Staffordshire-basedfamilyattraction,Drayton Manor Resort, is gettingready forthe return of itsmuch-lovedMagical Christmas event.

It launches on Saturday andruns through untilChristmas Eveand guestscan expect aworld of fes tive cheerwithlive entertainment, dazzling decorations, falling snow, amagical Grotto experience and an all-newgingerbread decorating workshop.

Father Christmas will be on hand to grantChristmas wishes during the Grotto Experience at theCas tleofDreams, giving littleonesthe chance to writeaspecialletterto send to theNorth Pole

They will join Mrs. Clausfor a magicalstory time,and even getthe chance to choose atoy from Father Christmas’Toy Shop,withahot drinkatthe readytotreat adults

Guestswill be abletodustoff theirdecoratingskillsinanepic Gingerbread DecoratingWorkshop at MrsKyndley’s TeaRoom, ledby MrsClaus’magical elves –also in cluded in this year’s Grotto Experi encetickets.

Thomas fans canenjoy ahostof festiveentertainment in theIsland of Sodor, with live showsfromSir Topham Hatt andhis mischievous sidekicks, Rustyand Dusty, as well as thechancetomeetand greetthe playfulcharactersafter each show

Victoria Lynn,managingdirec toratDrayton Manor Resort,said: “Christmas trulyis themostwon derful time of theyearhereatDray tonManor,and this year we’reeven moredeterminedtomakeitone to remember.”

Bakery gettingslice of action as 10krun’s headline sponsor

Abakeryhas been an

MEGANHOWE Community News Reporter

Therewill also be aFun Runfor children,which takesplaceonthe Grove School Field.

PalethorpesBakery, part of lead ingfood groupThe Compleat Food Group, will sponsorthe Market Drayton10k taking placeonSun day, May7nextyear.

Nowinits 20thyear, theMD10k is amajor annual eventinthe town’s calendar,withupto3,000 runners taking part in theevent each year

Akey advocate of theevent, PalethorpesBakeryhas been do nating bakedgoodstothe MD10k forseven yearsand sponsoredthe FunRun in 2022

Runnerswillbegin theirjourney at theGrove School field, before fol lowing aroute that takesinMarket Drayton’shighlights

Commenting on thesponsorship, Leanne Massey,senior HR manager forThe Compleat Food Group, said:“We’reveryproud of ourMar ket Draytonroots at Palethorpes Bakery andare always lookingat newwayswecan getinvolvedinthe localcommunity

“We’re thrilled to be sponsoring themainracethisyear, especially afterseveral membersofour team ranthe MD10kin2022and gotto experience thejoy andsense of com munity in this veryspecial event.

“The race received such positive feedback from runnersin2022, complimentingthe route, support, organisation andmostimportantly thepost-race pastry andwe’re look ingforward to building on this suc cess.What’smore, as newheadline

TimBeckett,deputyMayor of Market Draytonand race director of theMD10k, added: “Palethorpes Bakery hasbeena huge supporter of theMarket Drayton10k formany

years. ThePalethorpes teamhas donatedmorethan20,000products acrossthe yearsand joined thecom mittee in 2022 to help organise last yearsrace, so we couldn’t be happi er that they areheadlinesponsors forour upcoming 20thanniversary race.”

Traders andparish councillors have joinedforces to host theChristmasExtravaganza in thevillagethisweekend

sponsors, we’recreatingabrand newmedal andT-shirt design for the2023race.”

Runners gathered for theMarket Drayton 10Kthisyear

Knives arebeing takenoff streets in operationby county officers

Police have been taking to the streetstotackleknife crimeaspart of anationwideoperation

West Mercia Police’s SaferNeigh bourhood Teamshavebeentaking part in OperationSceptre,anationwide scheme to getknivesofthe streets.

Alongsidethe anti-violencebee tour andaprogramme of education, police have been outonthe streets conducting ‘knifesweeps’

West Mercia Police’s knifecrime lead, ChiefInspector HelenKin rade,said: “Whenitcomestoknife crimeweknowearly intervention is vital.

“For thepastthree yearsour successful‘SteerClear’programme hashelpedyoung people involved in,oronthe peripheryofbeing in volved in,knifecrime find an alter native route.

“Thisalong with initiativeslike theanti-violence beesculpture currentlytouring ourregion, help educateand raise awarenessofthe dangersofcarryingweapons

“Wetakea robust approach to anyone foundtobeillegally in pos session of aknife on thestreetsand I’dencourage everyone to take the opportunitytorid yourselves of anyunwanted or illegal weaponsby taking them to ourknife surrender bins

“Carryingknivesorother weap onsdonot keep you safe.Bycarry ingaknife you areputting yourself in much greaterdanger, andmore likelytobecome involvedinavio lentsituation andget injuredyourself.”

Aknife amnestyisalsorunning at Malinsgate police station.

Secretlife of maid is revealed in newbook

Anew book hasbeenpublished,detailing theintimatelifeofaShrop shire-born Victoriandiarist

HannahCullwickwas born in 1833 in Shifnal. Raisedinpoverty, at just eightyears oldshe entered serviceasamaidand during her life worked at Woodcote Hall in Sherriffhales, RytonRectory and Aqualate Hall in Forton

This wasuntil achancemeeting with writer,photographerand barrister,ArthurMunby

After18years of courtship, the twomarried in secret in 1873,and theirrelationshipallowed them

megan.jones@mnamedia.co.uk

both to explore Victoriantaboos such as class, gender,raceand power

Thecouplekeptupanappearance of servantand master through most of theirrelationship.

In laterlife, Hannah livedon Trench Road in Hadley,before movingbacktoShifnalwhere she is nowburied. Herdiaries,which were published in 1984,tomuch controversy,contained scandalous

revelations. Author,and Hannah’s first-cousin threetimes removed, JohnCullwick, hasrecentlypub lished ‘Our Hannah’. John, orig inallyfromWolverhampton,has spent30years researchingthe book

On Saturday morning, Shifnal LocalHistory Groupwelcomedthe author to theOld Fire Stationin Shifnal, to celebrate thelaunchof ‘Our Hannah’.

Copiesofthe book are£20 and availabletobuy from theOld Fire StationinShifnaloronline from: lewissinclairassociates.cymru.

Victimsofcrime facing long waitstosee justice served

Victimsofcrime arebeingforcedtowaita long time forjustice as the court system faces“the worstbacklog”inthe re gion.

Shrewsbury CrownCourt is now holdingsessionsatTelford Magistrates’Court to tryand ease the pressure in thesystem, meaning victimsofcrime in thecountyare forced to wait thelongestofany re gion forjustice.

Convicts

Thesituation wasexacerbated by therecentbarrister strikes, but thecourt system wasalready strugglingtodealwiththe case load, with theCovid pandemic asignifi cant factor

Judge PeterBarriebemoanedthe circumstancesasheadjourned the sentencesofthree convicts involved in aserious County Linesdrugs

NICK HUMPHREYS nick.humphreys@mnamedia.co.uk

case at Shrewsbury CrownCourt this week.“We have by farthe larg estbacklog of anycourt centre in theregion,”Judge Barrie said,explaining whythe case hadtaken so long to gettocourt

He added: “Wewill re-listitas soonaspossible.”

AMinistryofJustice spokes woman said that acrown courtis runningatTelford Magistratesto “assistwithrecovery”,relatingto thebacklog

Thecourt system wasalready struggling to deal with thecase load before thebarrister strikes, whichstarted on June 27

Legaladvocates took action after yearsofcomplaintsthatthe system of legalaid,which makesupthe bulk of theirpay,had been slashed, resultingincutstotheir income of 35 percentinthe last decade

It meantthattrials, sentences

andother hearings at Shrewsbury CrownCourt andother courts acrossthe countryhad to be ad journed, with victimsleftwaiting forjustice anddefendantshavingto awaittheir fate

It started with advocatesstriking on certaindaysofthe week,graduallyincreasinguntil September 5, when barristers escalatedthe ac tion by striking everyday

Funding

When thestrikes started,Ste phen Scully, acriminalbarrister forShropshire firm Lanyon Bowd ler, said:“Therewas alreadyasig nificant backloginthe courts be fore Covid, andweare nowinthe positionwhere it is getting worse because of thelackoffunding and people areleaving in theirdroves.”

Barristers voted to endthe strikesonOctober 17 afteradeal wasstruckfor them to accept a15 percentpay rise

Michelle Heeley KC,leaderofthe

Midlands Circuitwhich represents Shrewsbury CrownCourt,and a barristerat No5Barristers’ Cham bers, warned that thebackloghad existedbeforethe coronaviruspan demicand addedthatthe govern ment needs to invest more in the courts

ThemostrecentMinistryof Justicedatashowsthere were 547 outstandingcases at Shrewsbury CrownCourt at theend of June That wasupfrom521 at theend of March, and515 at thesamepoint in 2021

Uncompletedcasenumbers are 90 percenthigher than they were prior to thecoronavirus pandemic in June 2019, therewere288 cases outstandingatShrewsburyCrown Court.

Of thecases outstandingatthe endofJune, 143–26 percent, related to alleged violentattacks,and 75 –14per cent,werefor sexoffences, including17alleged rapes.

Gang whostole 100carsgiven custodialterms

Agangofteenagers whostole up to 100carslastyearhavebeenjailed aftertheywerelinkedtoastringof burglaries andviolent carjackings.

Police used ahelicopterand trafficunits to box-in andarrestfourof thegroup followinga40-milepur suit that reachedspeedsof132mph.

They were amongagroup of seven thievesresponsible fordozensof high-performance cartheftsinthe West Midlands,WestMerciaand Warwickshirebetween December 2020 andlastDecember

During thechase Jordan Jones, from ShelfieldRoad, KingsHeath, dumped an Audi in single-lane roadworks in abid to block officers as allfourmadeoff in theirgetaway car.

However,a police helicopterkept tabs on them from aboveand after thecar’s tyreswerestungpolice surrounded thecar on theA435towardsWythall

Police linked thegangtoanas ty car-jackinginGilmortonClose, Harborne on November12, when aman wasattackedafterpulling onto hisdriveway.

Allseven pleadedguiltyat Birmingham CrownCourt in October andonWednesday Jones andSimpsonalong with threeteenagers were sentenced

Jamoye Simpson, 19,pleaded guilty to robberyand conspiracy to burgle andsentenced to nine years andsix months.

Jordan Jones,19, pleadedguilty toconspiracytoburgleand was sentenced to four yearsand two months.

A17-year-old boy, whocannot be namedfor legalreasons,pleaded guilty to robberyand conspiracy to burgle andwas sentencedtofour yearsand 11 months. A16-year-old boy, pleadedguiltytorobbery and conspiracy to burgle andwas sentenced to four yearsand sixmonths.

A16-year-old boy, pleadedguilty andwas sentence to 12 monthsin prison(released duetotimeserved) Twofurther 16-year-oldboyswill be sentenced on December 1. No West Midlands trainswillbe runningonSaturdaywhenworkers walk outamidthe latest roundof strike action in theregion.

Latest strikes to hitrailservice

West Midlands Railway advised passengers to make alternative arrangements duetothe planned industrial action by train drivers’ unionAslef

Theremay also beamendments to late services on Friday andearly services on Sunday.

It comesasitwas revealed rail wayworkers aretostage aseriesof 48-hourstrikes in December and January.

Morethan40,000 membersof theRail, Maritime andTransport unionwillstrikeonDecember 13, 14,16and 17 andonJanuary 3, 4, 6and 7.

Therewill also be an overtime banacrossthe railways from De cember 18 to January2,meaning RMTbetakingindustrialactionfor four weeks.

Author John Cullwick with hisbook OurHannahthatrevealsthe secret life of hisdistant relative

MEGANJONES

DogDay boost forgoodcauses

Charitytails arewagging with de lightafter chequestotalling thou sandsofpoundswerehandedover by theorganisers of this year’s hugely successfulLudlow DogDay Ludlow Rotary Club handed chequestotalling £8,000 to twoof thebeneficiaries of this year’s Dog Dayevent–HopeHouse Children’s Hospices andStMichael’s Hospice at thegroup’s meetingonTuesday

HillaryDelaney Hall,the Rotary club presidentsaid: “This eveningmakes allthe time andeffort involvedinrunningDog Dayso worthwhile.

“It’swonderful to hold afun event whichpeople clearlyenjoy “Butthe real icingonthe cake is to be able to make seriousdonations to such worthwhilecauses.

“One hasonlytovisit ahospiceto seethe high-quality care and, dare Isay it,love whichstaff give to people,young andold,approaching the endoftheir lives.”

Ludlow Rotary Club wassupport ed by Church StrettonRotaryClub in itsefforts this summer andboth organisationswereproud to be able to make these grants

Theeventwas so successful de spitethe wetweather that thelocal communitygrantsscheme, Ludlow Rotary Cares,has been topped up with £4,000 andthose grants are settobedisbursedearly next year

TheLudlow DogDay eventin July wasthe firsttobeheldafter a twoyearbreak duetocovid restrictions. Theclubhas confirmed that planning isalready underway for the2023Dog Day.

Sleep outevent to raisemoney

Acharity whichprovideshousingand supportservicestovul nerable people in Shropshire is holdingits 10th annual spon soredsleep out.

Since1990, Stay Telfordhas helped tens of thousandsof youngpeopletoget theirlives back on track, supporting them throughany issues relevant in theirlives at that time

Workingwithvulnerable people,charity volunteers help them gain thenecessary life skillstolive independentlyand realise theirpotential Now, it is abouttoholdits 10th annual sponsoredsleep outonFriday, November25 from 7pm, to raise fundsfor the services it provides.Peopleare encouraged to getinvolve in the eventwhich will take placeout side MeetingPoint Houseinthe Southwater area

Stay’s chiefexecutive Terry Geesaid: “The principlebehind Stay’s SleepOut is simple:peo plegivinguptheir beds forthe nightand sleeping outsideso sponsormoneycan be raised to supportStay’sworkwithhome less andvulnerable people

“Any money raisedwillhelp us to purchaseessential items such as tents, sleeping bags.”

To find outmoreabout the sleepout,visit staytelford.co.uk/ get-involved/stay-sleep-out/.

Shares in Darwin’s masterpiece offeredfor sale

Membersofthe publichavebeen given thechancetoown ashare of a firstedition of CharlesDarwin’s ‘Onthe Origin of Species’.

Forthe firsttime, CharlesDar win’sworld-famousbookhas been made availabletothe public for shared ownership.

It comesduringthe same month theShrewsbury-bornpioneer of bi ologypublished his firstedition of thework163 yearsago

Valued at £275,000 at auction, it is popularlyknown to be themost influentialacademicbookever written– anditcould be partly yoursfor £50.

Showpiece,the collectables plat

form,has dividedownership of ‘On theOriginofSpecies’into5,500 portions whichpeoplewillbeable to purchasefor £50.

DanCarter, co-founder of Show piece.com,said: “Thisbookliteral ly changedthe world as we know it so it’s been unsurprising that earlyownership hasbeenstrong throughoutthe UK butwealso have seen interest from as faras Australiaand Canada. If thecur rent momentum continuesthenwe expect allremaining piecestobe snappedupinthe coming days.”

This firstedition is oneofonly 1,250copies ever printed,withits originalmid-Victorian erabinding

intact,and in pristine condition.

The firstedition boastsanum beroffeatureswhich aremissing in latereditions, includingahalf titleonthe cover page,abinder’s ticket and32pages of advertise ment that name ‘Murray’s’ the originalpublishers.

Oliver Bayliss, founderofBayliss RareBooks,dealers of first-edi tionsfromaroundthe world,said: “Itisrareto find acopyinsuch condition. This is up therewiththe best I’ve seen,an absolutelystun ning example.”

To find outmorevisit showpiece. com/origin-of-species

‘Green corridor’inborough to geta spruce-upfromcouncil

DAVIDTOOLEY david.tooley@mnamedia.co.uk

Newsigns,benches and bike parkingstations arebeing installed along a14-mile ‘green corridor’ in Telford.

Telford&WrekinCouncil is also carrying outrepairs to thesurfaces andgivingSilkin Wayageneral tidy-upand faceliftto“make the routeeven more appealingtoresidentsand visitors”.

Theinvestment, whichforms part of thecouncil’s widerstrategytoimprove things forcyclists andwalkers acrossthe borough, amountsto£800,000

Theworks aretakingfourmonths to carryout andthe councilsaysit couldbeonlythe start, with the possibility of improvedroadcrossingpointsand newsolar-powered street lighting

Councillor RichardOverton,dep utyleader andcabinet member for housing,enforcement andtrans port,said: “Not only is theSilkin Wayaremarkableroute packed with heritage andecologicalinterest,it’salsoanimportant link betweenour majoremployment, leisure, tourism, commercialand residential sitesinthe borough, andassuchisakey focusfor invest ment

“We’re keen to promote this route andtochampion‘active travel’ ditching thecar to walk or cycle whenever possible.It’sall part of

ourLocal Cyclingand WalkingInfrastructure Plan.We’ve listened to users’ feedback andhopethatthese improvements encouragemorepeo pletouse this fantasticroute

“Commutingorsimplygetting around ourborough on foot or by bike offers significant health and wellbeingbenefits forindividuals It also reducesthe borough’scarbon

emissionsand keepsour airclean er,not to mentionthe savingsto be made by not visiting thepetrol station.

“I’m delightedthatresidents will feel saferusing theSilkin Way thanks to thesafetymeasures we’re putting in place, andthatcyclists andwalkers will be able to geteven more enjoyment outofthisincredi

bleroute.” Theinvestmentwill see newsigns provided alongthe whole routeand newway markersadded to improve informationfor those lookingtoexplore.

Longer term,the councilwillbe lookingatcreatingimprovedroad crossing points to help make pedestrians andcyclistsmoreofa prior ity.

County’s fringe festivaloffersearly-birdtickets as part of friends scheme

Shropshire’s fringe festival is offeringearly-birdticketsaspartofa newfriends scheme.

Ludlow Fringe Festival,which is settorun next year on Saturday, June 17 to Sunday, July 2, is allowingsupporterstoget theirhands on ticketstothe eventmonthsahead of release.

TheFringerunseveryyearinthe southShropshiretown, attracting

thousandsofvisitorsfor thefortnight filled with comedy andmusic Organisers have announceda newfriends scheme that will entitle supporters to early-bird ticketsand 10 percentoff ticketspurchased throughoutthe year Comic, actorand fringe patron Alistair McGowansaid: “I’m so pleasedtobeabletosupport the Ludlow Fringe;thisyear’spro

gramme hasawidevariety of excitingevents many of which, I’msure, will be must-sees!

“The Fringealwaysgives aboost to Ludlow –givingthe wholetown aheavy andwelcome dose of things to go to andeventakepart in.It also brings people to thetownfrom furtherafield, boosting business forthe myriad of fine,independent shops, restaurants andhotels.

“Getting involvedand supportingyourFringe, in anysmall way, will ensureitcan keepevolvingand bringing excitement,expression, thoughtand unforgettablemomentstoLudlow.”

AnitaBigsby,founder of Ludlow Fringesaid: “Wefelta Friends Scheme wasagood optionfor the Ludlow Fringe.” Detailscan be foundonline at ludlowfringe.co.uk

Silkin Wayisbeing givenatidy-up andfacelifttomakethe route even more appealing to residents andvisitors

Pioneer –scientist CharlesDarwin

Howone wrong turn took my life in awhole newdirection

MATTHEWPANTER matthew.panter@mnamedia.co.uk

Youknow, what’s it like. Acon fusedsat-nav,oryourown misguided sense of direction, meansyou enduphavingtotakea diversion, delaying your journeyand causing anything from mildannoyance to downrightpanic.But forJulieDar by,takinga wrongturnin hercar wasalife-changingmoment

It started alove affair with Shropshireand an appreciation of thecountryside whichled to herbecoming asuccessfulbusinesswom an within thehospitality industry SherunsHeritageViewGuest House–which once housedCaptain Webb –inthe beautifulsurround ings of Ironbridge

Thesightsyou seewhenlooking outofthe house’swindows on a crispautumnal morning, shesays, areajoy to behold

AndJuliehas gone further, tak ingonasecondhistorichome,Hum bugCottage,inMuchWenlock.De mand forbothpropertiesishigh

And, it allstarted fromthat wrongturnin2011.

“I wasaprofessionalDJfor 10 years,”Julie recalls. “Ibecamea commercialDJ, doinglongersets. I woulddoseven-hoursetsatplaces likeLloydsBar

“One night, Iwas headingtoa giginOakengatesand Itookthe wrongturnand it said ‘Coalport’. Ithought ‘I wonder what’s down here then?’ So Istarted drivinginto Coalport,heading down some wind ingroads

“I drove throughand endedupin Ironbridge andIjusthad an immediatefeeling of ‘wow,I’d love to live here’.

“It’sfunnybecause I’dbeenlookingfor somewheretolive in the countryside

“I’d livedinBirmingham for21 years, butI started doingalot of walkingand wanted somewherea littlequieter

“MyDJ-inghad takenits toll abit to be honest andI’d be goinghome with ahumminginmyheadmost nights.Iwasn’thavinggood sleep.

“SowhenIeventuallygot to my gig, Iasked people what Ironbridge waslikeand Iwas told it wasa greatplace. Ithought ‘I’llget a placeinIronbridge andanicejob

in ashopand have thequiet life’.” That’s what happened

Ironbridge made such apositive impression that shewenttoanestate agents on theMondayafter that weekend.

“The next thingI waslooking around this houseand thinking it wasamazing,” sherecalls

“The viewsofIronbridge inevery room –itwas just beautifuland I endedupbuyingit!”

Once settled, sheturnedher home into aguest house–Heritage View to be precise

“I started with oneroomand it wasfullybookedall thetime,”Julie reflects.“Ithenopenedmorerooms up as aBed andBreakfast andit just took offand went mad.

“It’sbecome one of thebusiest around here andaproperbusiness.”

Amongthe attractions areHerit ageView’shistory –“CaptainWebb, the firstman whoswamthe chan nel, livedherefor atimein 1870,” shesays. “That’ssomething that fascinates people

“Butanother greatthing isI trytogive people areal flavourof Shropshire.

“Weuse localproductsbecause I really believeinhelping fellow busi

nesses in thecounty. So thejams andchutneys Iuse forthe guests areall locallysourced,fromNancy HelenRelishes.

“Cakes Iprovide arelocally made,byaladycalledDawn, and fresh flowersare from Nettie of the Gorge, Ironbridge

“And Iget HogRoast sausages from Broseley Butchers

“I have hadguestswho have come here,tried thosesausages andthe next time they have come,theyhave broughtice packssotheycan visit thebutcher to buymore!”

Julieissomeone wholoves to chat andsoyou cansee whyshe enjoys welcomingguestsintoher home She’spersonableand interested in them.She says making sure they have agood experience of Shropshireisimportant to her.

“I do trytobeniceand happyand make people relaxed,”she says.“I geta lotofpeoplereturning which is acompliment.

“Somepeoplemight come here abit stressed,but when they come in,gototheir roomsand seethe views, they changecompletely. Thescenery is absolutelyamazing and, when peoplewalkdowntothe gardens, they always say‘thisis

stunning’.It’sa placewhere people canlosethemselves andItry to go above andbeyondtohelpguests.

“I want them to have areallynice time.Idolove it

“I getpeoplefromall over the world –the USA, Canada,China, Japanand then you getvisitors from Wolverhampton!

“Everyonewants to come andsee thefamousIronBridgeand howit is litupeverynight.

“Ironbridge is alovelybasetoexplorethe county,Ludlow,Church Stretton,MuchWenlock andall.”

Julie’sgamblewithaguest house paid offtothe fact that shehas now become quitethe entrepreneur.

Shepurchased Humbug Cottage in Much Wenlockearlier this year andhas now madethatintoa home forpeoplewantingastaycation.

Twopropertiesinand Julieisal readylooking towardsher next project.Anextension at Heritage View is on thehorizon,withplans fora building sheownsatthe bottom of hergardenstobeturnedintoacot tage

Sincethatinitial wrongturnat thestart of herjourney,she’s been headinginthe rightdirection to happiness.

Callsfor help forfarmers during bird flu

Bridgnorth’s MP hascalledon ministerstodomoretosupport poultryfarmers whohavebeen devastated by outbreaks of bird fluintheir flocks

Ludlow MP PhilipDunne says farmersare able to claim compensation forstock culled as aresultofthe influenzabut they haven’t received compensation if thebirds diedirectlybecause of thepandemic

Mr Dunnesaysfarmers in his constituency have been affected by theoutbreakwhich is killing both keptand wild birdsinthe UK butposes“no food safety risk”for UK consumers.

TheMPalsourged thefood minister,MarkHarper, to re view regulationsaroundeggs to ensure that free rangeeggs cancontinuetobelabelledas free-range when farmersare compelledtokeeptheir flocks indoorsduringthe influenza outbreakbeyondthe normalperiod permitted underthe regu lations.

He also encouraged themin istertoapply similarurgency to deliveryofaneffective Avian Influenzavaccine as that ap pliedtothe Covid-19 vaccina tion during thepandemic.

Keepersofbirds have to keep them inside andcomplywith strict hygienerules

Councilextends free school mealssupport

Children in receiptoffreeschool mealsinthe Shropshire Council area will continue to receivesup port with food costsduringthe school holidays untilthe endofthe 2023 spring term,ithas been confirmed

ShropshireCouncil said that each childwho receives free school mealswill get£15 aweektowards thecostofa school meal equivalent throughout thetwo-weekChristmasschoolholidays, andthe February2023half-term holiday.

Supportwas provided forthe Oc toberhalf-term holiday, giving four weeksofsupport in total.

Most of thesupport will be throughavoucher to spendata localsupermarket,distributed via thechildren’searly yearssetting, schoolorcollege

It is estimatedthataround7,500 children in Shropshire getfree school mealsand thecouncil hasdecidedtouse around £450,000 from the£2.1million of HouseholdSup port Fund money from theGovernment forthe period October2022to March 2023 forthe initiative Councils canchoosehow to spend this money to supportlow income familiesinneed

Gwilym Butler,ShropshireCouncil’scabinet member for finance, whoisoverseeing thecouncil’s re sponse to thecostofliving, said: “It’sonlyright that we have chosen to usethisfunding to help those children whoare most in need.”

We’veall takenawrong turn in ourcars, haven’t we?

JulieDarby hascreated anew life and business for herself in Ironbridge afterdiscovering Shropshire by accident

Thequiet streetsofIronbridge

Theguest house is situatedinthe historictownofIronbridge

Theviewfromthe window

BRIDGNORTH

from 179p/kgto318p/kg

261p/kgonthe

Small

entriessoldtoahigh of 285p/kgwithheavier bullocksto£1,770 in thelump. Very strong heifer numberssoldtoahigh of 318p/kgwith elevenfemales300p/kg or above. Heavyfemalessold to atop of £1,776 Asharp tradeonBlack andWhite bulls whichlooked better sold than thecontinentals in general.Few bestshapessold to ahigh of 244p/kg with Blackand Whites selling to 215p/kg. Only four cows forward, with twomeatier andtwo ultra-plaintypes,saw thebestselling to 148p/kg for Anguscrossesat762kg. Therewere750 lambs–the smallestentry of lambsfor many months, possiblyaresultofMonday’sbiblical rain! Tradewould be around 2p/kguponlastweek,quite remarkablewith almost allthe lambspresented wet. Bestlambs to 286p/kgfor 40kg Beltex from Pete Morris with retail butchers lookingtopurchasequality finished lambs. Heavierlambsto£140.80 for55kgTexelsfromSarah Levi and53kgTexelsfromPeter Kirton at 257p/kg. Thegeneral quality of lighter lambswould be varied mostlyWelsh whichsold to 220p/kg. Continentalsired lambsunder 40kgto260p/kg for38kg.Morelambs required everyweek.Therewere522 ewes.Asimilar entrytolastweek and trademuch firmer with Suffolk xewesto£141fromMarkLloyd and Continentaleweslacking size to £134 fora small butverycurvy Texel. Strong ewes continue to be sought afterwithmeatedeverindemand.

North CountryMuleewesshowedremarkable improvementto£116.50 for MulesfromGaz Daviesand severalpenstrading around £100.Hill ewes to £46.50 improvedWelsh, smallCheviot typesto£62.50and small WelshMountain£30.FiveBeltex/TexelRamsat£140and smal plain Continentals to £91. More ewes required everyweek with very strong buying supportfor allclassesofstock.

Tanker applicators offer saferspreadingofslurry

Tramspread haslaunchedarange of tanker applicators that reduce theweightstressonthe rear door for saferslurryspreading.The SuffolkRange of dribble barapplicators usesimilar technologytothe company’s umbilicalsystems butare attached to atanker with auniquemount method

TerryBaker,managingdirector, said:“Theclamp ingontankerdoors canoften fail duetothe stress of largebooms beingmounted on fixingsattached to thedoors.Toavoid environmentallycostlytanker failures,Tramspreadwelds fixing points on therear of thetankerthatthe boom frameworkattachesto usingtelescopicarms. This balances theloadmore safely andalsomakes thebooms more stable.”

Usingthe Tramspread frameworkand fixing meth od, largerbooms canbe fitted to smallertankers, withoutsignificant modifications, to speed up appli cation rate andimprove accuracy.The design also createsadditionalspace to enable a flow metertobe incorporated into theapplication system “Operators canapply more accurately by testing slurry andusing aslurrymeter.Tramspread’sSuf folk Rangetankerbooms canalsobeusedwiththird partysystems because theframe provides enough space to integratethe technologyintothe application system,” Mr Bakersaid.

Higheststandards formilkproductionlaunched

Arla says itsfarmer-owners have launched thehighest standards ever in theUKdairy industry to reassure shoppers responsibleand sustainable milkproduction is at theheart of what they do

Theindustry first, C.A.R.E. accreditationisanextensive setofcriteriatoreassurecon sumers theirbiggest concerns when it comestodairy productionare beingaddressed Amongthe concerns arehow thecowsare being looked after andthe impact of farmingon theenvironment Thenew stampofapproval

formilkproductionwill feature as astamp on bottles of Arla’s majorbrandsCraven dale,Big Milk andB.O.B,mak ingiteasyfor shoppers to spot milk that hasbeenproduced by farmerswho care andina waytheycan trust.

Arla Shropshire farmer JamesThompsonisjustone of theArlafarmers whoare investinginseveral on-farm initiativestoensurehe’spro ducing thetastiestmilk, whilst keepinghis cows happy. The newstandards introduce “Free to Graze” whichensuresall Arla cows have free access to

lush, nutritiouspasture when it is in thebestinterestoftheir welfare.

Andfromgivingthe bees theirbuzzbacktoinviting newspecies of wildlifetotheir farms, thefarmers aredoing their part in restoringand supportingnatural ecosystems

Arla says as well as animal welfare, 78 percentofpeo ple areconcerned aboutthe environmentalimpactofthe products they purchase, with renewableenergyand mini mising waste,and supporting Britishfarmers next on con sumerminds

‘Stalwarts arelikelytodowell in thespring varietychoices’

DAVIDBANNER newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

Thebarley, wheat and oat varieties whichare proven on farm areset to come outontop as growers consider spring va riety options, with a couple of notable ex ceptions,an industry expert hassaid.

Wynnstay’s combinableseed productspecialist, DannyRichardson,saidalthoughthere are some newoptions on theRec ommended List,it’sthe stal wartsofthe market andsome of therecent optionswhich are anticipatedtobefavouredfor spring sowing choices.

Driver

“End use is thebiggest driv er when selectingspringbarley varieties. RGTPlanetisanex cellentall-round varietywhich canbesoldfor brewingorfor feed.Ithas arobustdisease packageand strong straw,”he said.“Similarly,Laureateis likelytobeanother popular option as it’s effectively triple use, as it cangointothe brewing, distilling or feed markets. It hasbeenaroundfor along time butremains consistent for customers.”

Mr Richardson also high lights Skyway,which wasadd ed to theRecommendedListin 2021,and gained P2 Approval forBrewing in spring 2022 “There is moreSkywayseed availablethisyear, so Iantic ipateitbeing popularcome spring.It’sveryhighyielding, hasahighspecificweight, is strong strawedand provides good bracklingresistance.”

“Kelim is astrong option forfarmers growingfor their ownuse,asitdeliversplenty of strong,stiff strawand bold

grain, making it idealfor feed,” he added.

With wheatpricesremaining high,MrRichardsonanticipatesitbeing worth putting spring wheatinwhere there’s opportunityto.

“Escape, agroup 4feed wheat, hasthe best overallagronomic packagefor disease, andisvery high yielding,” he said.“Wynn stay will also be marketingthe latest millingand feed varieties from KWS, Ladumand Fixum, respectively “Ladum inthe highestyield

ingUKFMGroup 1milling wheat, naturallyofferingthe grainquality expected fora Group1.Fixum hasastrong diseasepackage andisthe high estyieldinggroup 4option.”

Finally, he notedthatthere areafew optionsfor spring oats

He said:“Canyon is themost consistently performing feed oat, having been on theRecommended List since2011.”

Mr Richardson added: “For growerslooking to progress theircrops,Merlinisahigh yielding spring oatoption.”

Company launches newwebsite forthose interested in ‘smart’fertilisers

Britishgrowers’increased interest in ‘smart’fertilisers andnitrogen-useefficiency has prompted thelaunchofanew UK-focusedwebsite forLevity Crop Science.

Thewebsite increases the informationand domestic technicalsupport availablefor its unique rangeoffoliarnutrient products.Exportsales have historicallyaccounted formore than 75 percentofthe firm’s revenue,but productusage in theUKtodatehas largelybeen

focusedonpotatoes, topfruit androotcrops

“That’schanged quitedra maticallyinthe last couple of years,”saidfounder andman agingdirectorDrDavid Marks.

“The combined effect of in putprice pressure,interestin more responsiblefarming prac tices, andagrowing acceptance of the‘bio’ prefix, hasseenour enhanced nutrition products receivingmuchgreater interest from agronomistsand growers here in theUK, particularly

in cereals.“Ourwebsite has always hadamuchmorediverse,international crop focus –South American blueberries, US rice,MiddleEastern vege tables,South Africanavocados andNew Zealandpotatoes–so theUK website will allowusto provideUK growerswithadvice andcropcasestudies more alignedtotheir needs, helping them usethe Levity portfolio more effectively andmoreex tensivelyondomestic crops,” Dr Marksexplained

Thenew websiteisatlevitycrop science.co.ukcontains thelatestlabels, MSDS and compatibilities forthe whole productrange,and shortvideo explainers of thescience in volved in each technology.

UK-specificactivitywill also expand to involve anew Twitter account, whichwill featureobservationsfromthe field, research news from the company’sglasshouses anddevelopmentsiteand atechnical supportfunction.

Wynnstay’s combinable seed productspecialistDanny Richardson

Shropshire farmer James Thompson

Grants will go towardsgiving greatermentalhealth

Ruralinsurance broker Lycetts andparentcompany theBenefact Grouphaveawarded £30,000 to charitiestosupport themental health of agricultural workers

TheRoyal AgriculturalBenev olentInstitution (RABI) andYou AreNot Alone(YANA)werecho senbyapanel of judges to receive ashare of £500,000 in theMove

ment ForGood Awards.Lycetts’ Charlie Douglassaid: “The work of these twocharities is vitalto thementalhealthand wellbeing of thoseinthe farmingand rural communities. We aredelightedto help supporttheir very worthwhile ambitions.”

Theimportanceofsupporting ruralworkers’mentalhealthwas

highlightedearlier this year when asurveyofmorethan15,000 peopleworking in agriculturerevealed that almost athirdsuffer from anxietyand depression RABI will useits £20,000grant to provideacounselling serviceto help preventthose in thefarming sector reaching apoint of crisis, andtohelpthembecome more re

silientand better able to cope with future challenges.The £10,000 YANA received will help train 108 mental health firstaiders forfarm workers.

TheCountry Trustwas also an awardwinner.The charitywill use its£10,000 to supportlandowners whowelcome disadvantaged young children onto theirfarms

Programme hoping to break down barrierstoagriculture

DAVIDBANNER newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

TheOxfordFarmingConference(OFC), in partnershipwith McDonald’s,has an nouncedthe recipients of theBreakingBarriers Scholarship.

Theschemeissupporting five peopleagedunder 30 yearsold,who identify as BlackorPersonofColour (BPOC),toattendthe conference in January. Morethandoublingin intake, the2023cohortseesrep resentationfromeducational institutionsHarper AdamsUniversity, TheRoyal Agricultural University (RAU)and Hartpury University,as well as industry

Thesuccessfulcandidatesinclude AhsanAhmad Awan,aMasters studentatthe RoyalAgricultural University,currently conducting research on migrantfarming communities in theUK, andWonga Matubatuba,a finalyearstudent studying BScinAgriculture at Hartpury University

Also amongthe scholars are FaithMohammed, aMasters studentstudyingAgriculturalScience andProductionSystems at Harper AdamsUniversity,and Kandarp Joshiwho is studying aBSc.Hons in Business andManagementat Brunel University

The finalsuccessfulcandidate is Hakeem-AbdulOjo,who is working as aprocurement analystbased in

London,havingcompleted aMSc InternationalAgribusinessand Food ChainManagementatHarper AdamsUniversity.

Thescholarship lookstosupport diversity andinclusion within the agricultural industry by offering candidates theopportunitytoattend theOxfordFarming Confer ence as well as participateina pre-

eventprogramme with mentoring, bespokeeventsand materialssuch as books, to supporttheir future ca reer journey.

They also benefitfromthe Schol arsProgramme more broadly, whichincludesatwo-day in-person trainingforum,aseriesoftailored online webinars andaone-off celebratory eventtomarka 10-year

partnershipbetween McDonald’s andOFC

OFCdirectorand facilitator Navaratnam Partheeban said: “Havinganagriculturalsectorthat attracts andretains arichmix of people is vitalifweare to future proofour changing industry,but as it stands,itisthe leastdiverse in theUK.

Agroforestry rise ‘can help reachclimate targets’

Anew report from theWoodland Trustshowshow amajor increase in agroforestry in Englandisessentialifthe countryistomeetnature andclimate targets, whilst at thesametimesecuringlongterm food production

Thereportdraws on newanalysiscommissionedfromCranfield University andreveals arable farmswhich adoptsilvoarable sys tems –integrating trees into arablefarming –could lock up eight tonnes of CO2per hectareper year over 30 years. EighttonnesofCO2 is equivalent to theannualemis sionsofanUKcitizen It explains agricultureisrespon-

siblefor 10 percentofUKterrito rial greenhouse gasemissionswith thenet effect of “landuse,landuse change andforestry” responsible foranother oneper cent.Estab lishingagroforestryon10per cent of arable land and30per cent of grasslandcould enable agriculture-related emissionstoreach net zero by 2050 whilst maintaining high levels of food production

Integratingtrees into farming systemswill enable farmstobecome moreresilient both econom ically as well as environmentally.

Thereportalsoshowsagrofor estrywould help addressthe biodiversity crisis by increasing the

abundanceand richness of farm land species,and birds andinver tebrates in particular

It is estimatedthe totalnumber of breedingbirds in theUKfellby 44 million between1967and 2009, andmanyonce-commonfarmland birdsare continuing to decline.

Agroforestry is not only good for supporting wildlifebut enhances soil health by improvingsoilstruc ture andmicrobial diversity.It mayalsoleadtopassive benefits in otherecosystemsservicessuchas pollination,pestcontrol, nutrient cyclingand decomposition, allof whichare essentialfor long-term sustainable food production

AbiBunker, director of conservation andexternalaffairs at the Woodland Trust, said:“This new research showsjusthow much goodthathavingmanymoretrees within ourfarmedlandscapes couldbring,not just in termsof making importantcontributionto tackling climatechange, butalso in supporting farm businesses to adapttoclimate change andbecome moreresilient to thetypes of financial, socialand environmen talshocksthatare likelytobea part of thefuture.

“Thisisabout making trees workfor farm businesses andthe localenvironment.”

BY LAURAYATES

Just amiledownthe road from wherewefarmat Allscott, I spottedanintriguingdishadvertisedonthe HundredHouse’s specialsmenuthisweek. Topof theSundaylunch choiceswas a phrase I’ve never seen before homemade rabbitfaggots.One waytocatch theattention of prospectivecustomers

To be honest Ihavenoidea what’s even in faggots, it sounds likesomethingMattHancock mightbecoerced to chew on in thejungle. Butthe ciderand mustardcreamysauce,roast parsnips andsmoked bacon braisedcabbage it comeswith soundright up my street.The couple of timesI’vevisited the HundredHouse have been fan tastic,and I’mall for‘don’t knockituntil you’ve triedit’ Ibetterbookatable andreport back.After all, rabbitmeatis a plentiful, sustainablesourceof protein, sourcedfromcountry side on thedoorstep… so why should we turn ournoses up? It maynot be thatpopular with my generation,but I’ve definite ly heardmygrandparents talk fondly aboutthe dish

Over theweekend,Ibrought thesubject up with Grandma andone of her dearestfriends, whohappens to be thedaugh terofabutcher whoonceran athrivingshoponWhitburn Street.Theybothreminisced about thetaste of rabbitliver, ap parently aforgotten treat from days gone by.But oneofthem, whoIknowwill blushreading this, admitted shehadn’tever triedaChinese takeaway!

Growingup, Ilistenedto many reminiscencesabout the yearswhenfood rationingwas afamiliarity,following the wartime.You hadtomakethe most of accessible sources of food, and Iimagine were probably much more gratefulfor what wason theplate in frontofyou

Isuppose we getusedtowhat we’vebeenraisedon, andus millennials have been verypriv ileged to grow up surrounded by aplethoraofglobalcuisines. Perhapsthe furtheryou getin life,the moreofa challengeit becomestotry somethingcom pletely ‘foreign’toyou

At home we were used to hav ingpheasantfor ourSunday dinner,fresh during theseason or outofthe freezerduringthe rest of theyear. Aftera pleasantlysurprising firstshoot day at home,we’ve shared theboun ty with neighbours around the village. It never goes to waste!

As thecostoflivingcrisis bitesthiswinter,perhaps the less fashionable, andless pricey, cuts of meat will seeanupliftin sales. Foruslivestock farmers, the worry is peoplewill leave themeatonthe shelfaltogether. Visityourlocal butcherand they will always be willing to recommend differentoptions

2023 Breaking Barriers Scholarswith OFCDirector,Navaratnam Partheeban

Timeoutsaiding on mental health

Aworldwidewellbeing campaign which firstlaunchedinShropshire hasthe supportofMentalHealth FirstAid England chiefexecutive Simon Blakeahead of itsthird event, taking placenextweek. techtimeoutTuesday wasintro duced in 2020 by Shrewsbury-based techtimeoutand fallsonthe Tues dayfollowing BlackFridayand Cy berMonday. This year’s eventwill be Tuesday(29).

Hundreds of businesses including Mental Health FirstAid England have signed up to thecampaign.

Nowinits thirdyear, techtime outfounder StephanieHensonsays this year’s techtimeout Tuesdayis expected to be themostsuccessful yet. “Hundreds of businesses,or ganisationsand thousandsofindi vidualshavesignedup already,”she added.

It is free forall to take part in To register ansittechtimeout.co.uk/ techtimeout-tuesday

Over-50s suffer ageism at work

Anew studyfound that twothirdofworkers over 50-years oldin theMidlandsbelieve they have experiencedageisminthe workplace

TheUnretirementUprising report by ageactivismplatform 55/Redefinedand recruitment companyReed Talent Solutions looked at theexperiences of more than 4,000 over-50s across theUK. In theWestMidlands, 56 percentsaidtheir current employersupportstheir career advancementwithtraining.

Despite therebeing 1.2mil lion jobadverts between July andSeptember 2022 alone, twothirds of over-50s nationally believetheir agewould work againstthemwhenlooking to startanew role.Also70per cent feel that it is difficult to pursue newcareeropportunitiesover theage of 50

JLRrecruitment drivefor workers

Jaguar Land Roverhas announced arecruitment drivefor skilled workers from thedigital tech sec torfollowing large-scalejob cuts at Meta,Twitter,and othertech firms.

Thecar firm,which hasmajor factoriesalong theM54 near Wol verhamptonand in Solihull,saidit hadalmost800 newjobsavailable in theUK, Ireland, USA, India, China andHungary

It is part of plansfor thecompa ny to become moredata-driven and workonvehiclesofthe future

Thecompany said theavailable rolesare in areasincluding autono mousdriving,artificialintelligence, electrification,datascience,and machinelearning–all areasitsaid were crucialtobuilding itsnext generation of cars

AnthonyBattleofJLR said:“We arefurther strengtheningour data anddigital skillsbasesowecan de liver ourReimagine strategy and become an electric firstbusiness.”

Awardfor weightlossconsultant

ATelford-based consultant has been recognisedfor her workin providingone-to-one supportto help guidepeoplethrough weight loss andmaintenance

HayleyWhite wasrecognised in herrolefor The1:1 Diet by Cam bridge WeightPlanatits annual convention.She waspresented with theChampion Award, which acknowledges consultantswho

have achieved salesover acertain leveland growntheir team, sup portingfurther consultantsand slimmers to achievetheir weight loss or business goals.

Theannualcelebration brings together consultantsfromacross theUK, Irelandand Germany.

Hayley said:“It really is an amazingbusinessaccolade.It ends an amazingyearfor myself.”

Emma’s joywithexams success

An employeeofShrewsbury-based MorrisGroup hasbecome an asso ciate solicitor.

Emma Powell joined in 2018 as a charteredlegal executiveworking with companysecretaryand group solicitorLyndsey O’Loughlin. Lastyearshe decidedtounder take theSolicitorsQualifying Ex aminations, studying in herown time To qualify, Emma hadtounder

take twodaysofwritten examina tionsinBirmingham in November 2021 and five days of both written andoralexaminationsinManches terinApril this year

“I am thrilled to have qualified, although Iwon’t be changing my currentrolewhich Ilove, justmyti tle. Ithink oneofthe hardestparts of thewhole processfor me was waitingafterthe examsfor the fi nalresults,”she said

Business confidenceacross region hasfallenevenfurther

JOHN CORSER john.corser@mnamedia.co.uk

Business confidence in theWestMidlands hasfallenfurtherinto negative territoryas companiesbrace fora toughyearahead amid difficult economic conditions, asurveyofac countantshas found.

Sentimenttracked by theInsti tute of CharteredAccountants in England andWales’businesscon fidence monitor forthe West Mid landsfor thefourthquarter of 2022 foundconfidenceat –19.9onthe quarterlysurvey, down from the previous quarterand belowthe na tional average.

Starkeconomicconditionsand recent politicalturmoillikelycon tributed to thedropin optimism, despiteastrongsales performance in theregion. Companieswerealso exposedtorisingcosts,customer demand issues anda challenging labour market

As theChancellorconsiders the difficult jobofbalancingBritain’s books, he attemptedtouse Thurs day’sAutumn Statementtorestore confidence, credibility andlongterm environmentallysustainable growth to theUK economy, the institutesaid. Companiesinthe region achieved strong growth in domestic salesand exports, despite thedip in confidence

O’Loughlin is branching outintowindows

Accreditationtoopendoortofurther success

Acompany hasopenedthe door to furthersuccess by winninginter national environmentalaccredi tation –afterjustfouryears in business

Doorsand window special istComposite Doors 2You was launched by Mathew O’Loughlin from hishome butreached the pointwhere thecompany outgrew twocommercialpremises andnow occupiestwo unitsonthe Heath

JAMESPUGH james.pugh@mnamedia.co.uk

HillIndustrialEstateinDawley, Telford. Thecompany is nowcel ebrating furthersuccess with the news that it hasbeenawarded theISO 9001and 14001Quality andEnvironmental International Standardsinrecognitionofthe outstandingservice the firm pro

vides. Mr O’Loughlinsaid: “We aredelightedtoreceive theaccred itation–something whichrecog nises ourenvironmental commit ment.Our overriding emphasis as acompany is providingquality products andcustomerservice whilst maintainingawatchfuleye on anyenvironmental impacts.”

“The awardofISO compliance standardsprovidesclear recogni tion of oursuccessfuljourney.”

Internationalaward forfounderofabuse charity

AShropshirecampaignersupport ingthousands of parentsimpacted by abusehas wonaninternational award.

Michelle John, founderofthe socialenterprisePEGS, hasbeen awardedgoldinthe Womanofthe Year –GovernmentorNon Profit category –atthe Stevie Awards for WomeninBusiness2022.

Theresults were announced in LasVegas over theweekend –each winner is categorisedas agold, silver or bronze recipientbased on theamountofpointsawarded by a panelofesteemedjudges.

Michelle attracted theiratten tion forthe workshe’s been un

dertakingtoraise awarenessof ChildtoParentAbuse,aswellas supporting impacted parentsand caregivers, training professionals, andhelping developregionaland national policies.

Having registeredthe social enterprise,which hasofficesin Shropshireand Derbyshirebut op erates across theUK, in November 2019, Michelle launched its first services thefollowing March.

Theteamhas nowhelpedmore than 3,000 parentsaswellas working with statutory, voluntary andprivate organisationstohelp upskill,share knowledge andraise theprofile of this little-known

form of abuse. Michelle said:“Win ning this awardsees ChildtoPar entAbuse being highlightedonthe global stage, andI’m thrilled that this potentiallymeans more pro fessionals beingaware of CPAand conscious of how they cansupport families experiencingit. It also hopefullymeans fewerparents feel aloneand isolated, because they know thereare organisationsout thereset up to supportthem.”

Onejudge highlightedthat PEGS wasan‘excellentinitiative’, namedMichelleas a‘biginfluenc er’, called herwork‘outstanding’ andbranded heraccomplishments as ‘extraordinary’.

Michelle John haswon an award

Mathew

ACROSS

1&11A Informal name for the crane fly (5,8)

4. Luxury British liner that struck an icebergin April 1912 (7)

8. See 5Down

9. Mr.Fudd, cartoon adversary of Bugs Bunny (5)

10. Soft white French cheese similar to Camembert (4) 11. See 1Across

13. Irwin, author of The Young Lions (4) 14. Creatures which live in aformicary (4) 16. The young of an antelope between one and two years of age (8)

17. Johann Sebastian, musical director forthe city of Leipzig 172850 (4) 20. Willow tree such as Salix viminalis whose twigs areused for making baskets (5) 21. Element of the rare earth metal group, symbol Tb (7) 22. Green mineral common in metamorphic rocks (7) 23. Broom used in curling (5)

DOWN

1. Actress who played Gertie in the film E.T.the Extra Terrestrial (4,9)

2. Morarji, prime minister of India 1977-79 (5)

3. Period of twelve months (4)

4. Zachary,12th president of the US (6) 5&15D, 8A. Irving Stone novel about Michelangelo (3,5,3,3,7)

6. Fourth book of the Old Testament (7)

7. Genus of plants with brightly coloured flower heads (13) 12. Large stocky Australian kangaroo of rocky regions (8) 13. Language of E. Africa originally spoken in Zanzibar (7) 15. See 5Down 18. Zodiac sign represented by the ram (5) 19. Small lively intelligent breed of horse (4)

WORD WISE

SUDRA

A Chinese temple

B Floating vegetable matter

C Amember of the lowest Hindu caste

(7)

Ian ......., Canadian golfer who won the 2002 Touchstone Energy Tucson Open (7)

Arsène ......, former Monaco and Arsenal manager (6)

Single oar moved from side to side over the sternofa boat for propulsion (5)

Nicolas ....., Team Sunweb cyclist and son of former Tour de France winner Stephen (5)

Brian ...., West Indies cricketer who hit 400 n.o. against England in 2004 at Antigua to break the record for the highest individual Test innings (4)

QUIZ

Writer Lauraraisesaglass to ourbeerand food

An award-winningfreelance food anddrink writer andphotographer hasbeenshortlistedfor three national awards

LauraHadland is putting the spotlightonsome of Shropshire’s fantasticbeerand food culturein herwriting

Laura, whomoved to Telford threemonthsago,has been shortlisted forthree national trophies by theGuildofBritishBeerWriters.

Herworkisinthe runningto winBestCommunication about Pubs,BestCommunication about No andLow Alcohol Beer andBest Self PublishedWork.

It’s been agreat yearsofar for Laurawhose first book about 50 yearsofthe Campaign forReal Alewas namedthe Best Beer Book in theWorld by theGourmand Awards.Italso bagged second placefor Best Business Writingat theNorth American GuildofBeer WritersAwardsinSeptember

Thecompetition in theGuild’s awards will pitLaura against some of the finest beer writersin theworld when thewinnerswere duetobeannounced at aglittering ceremony in London this week “I couldn’t feel more proud,”said Laura.

“Inparticularhavingmywork

about pubsrecognisedfeels real ly special,because that industry needs allthe supportitcan getin these tougheconomictimes

“I have interviewedsome amazingpeople, whoare passionate and selflessinserving their localcom munities

“I hope that my nomination will help to encouragemorepeopleto visittheir localpubsand make the most of what they have to offer.”

Laurahas alreadybegun featur ingsomeofShropshire’sfantastic beer andfood culturein herwriting. Shewritesa column forthe Campaign forRealAle’s What’s Brewingmagazine.

Raisingawareness andsaving livesislittleMargot’slegacy

HEATHER LARGE heather.large@mnamedia.co.uk

Little Margot Martini captured theheartsof thenationwhenher familymounted aworldwide campaign to find hera bone marrow donor.

Nowacharity launched in the toddler’smemorybyher family and friendsisdoing allitcan to help raise awarenessand save lives.

Margot wasdiagnosed with an extremely rare dual lineageleu kaemia inOctober 2013,aged 14 months.Her father, Yaser, and mother,Vicki,who hailsfromEssington,along with theirfamilyand friendscametogetherasTeam Margot to raise awarenessofher plightand others desperatelyseekingablood stem cell donor match.

Swab

Within the firstsix weeksof launchingthe campaign,the char ity, Delete Blood Cancer UK,now knownasDKMSUK, received more than50,000 requests forswabkits in theUK.

Thelikes of SteveBull, Martin Clunes andGaryBarlow backed the appeal andhundreds of people came forwardtotakeaswabtesttohelp find herperfect matchatan event in Tettenhall

Theworldwidesearchfor adonor wassuccessfuland abonemarrow transplant went aheadin February 2014.But tragicallyher leukaemia wasjusttoo aggressive andshe re lapsedinthe summer,passing away aged twoyears andtwo months,on October27, 2014

TheTeamMargotFoundation wasset up in January2015and hasbeenfocusedonincreasingthe number of people on thestemcell register,specificallytargetingpeo ple from black, Asian, ethnic mi noritiesand mixedheritagebackgroundssuchasMargot.

“Duringthe search forMargot’s donor,my wife Vickigavealivetel evisioninterview whereshe said:‘If

you wouldbeprepared to accept a donation of blood, an organorstem cellsthenyou should be prepared to give also’. Ilikepeopletothink about that,” says charity co-founder Yaser.

Thecharity haslaunchedasuc cessfuleducational programmefor primaryschoolpupilswhich has been createdinpartnership with NHSBlood andTransplant. The free,curriculum-linkedresources aimtohelpchildrenunderstand whyand howpeoplegivetohelpoth ers, with blood, stem cell andbone marrow donations.

Yaserbelievesteachingchildren about theconcept of donation will encouragethemtobecome donors when they areolder

“The hopeisthatyoung people grow up to be consideratecitizensin society andtheywillthink it’s the normtogive blood andregisterasa stem cell or organdonor,” says Yas-

er,who wasawarded aBritish Em pire Medalinthe Queen’sBirthday Honours2022for services to Stem Cell Donation

He wouldliketosee mandatory teaching aboutblood, organs, stem cellsand bone marrow characteristics introduced to thenationalcur riculum forprimary schools.

Anothervital part of thecharity’s workisproviding supporttofam ilies of children receivingcancer treatment.While Margot wasbeing treatedinhospital, Yaserand Vicki, wholivein London,saw first-hand thedifficultiessome familiesfaced “Vicki andIsaw many families struggling to make ends meet so since2016 we’vebeengivinggrants to familiescaringfor cancer pa tients.Itdoesn’tsolve alltheir prob lems, buthopefullyithelps,”says Yaser.

Sincelaunching thescheme, Team Margot hashas issued more

than 250grantsof£1,000, viaits networkofhospitals.The application processhas been designed to be as simple as possible

Team Margot is also in thepro cess of settingupa newAll-Party ParliamentaryGroup (APPG) for EthnicityTransplantation and Transfusion (ETT).

It aims to highlightthisurgent need fordonorsfromethnicallydiverse communitiesand to advocate therequired change

Yasersaidithad been inspired by theissuestheyfaced whiletrying to find stem cell donor forMargot as hermixed family heritage was an obstacle to findingher perfect match.

Thegroup is calling formanda tory accurate recordingofNHS pa tientand donor ethnicity.

It also wantsasinglerecruitment criterionfor potentialdonorsof stem cellsorbonemarrow.

Confusing

Yasersaysat themoment potential donorsfacebeing putoff be causeofaconfusing processwith differentorganisations settingdif ferent criteria

“Peopleare bewildered by all thesechoices.Right at thepoint wherepeoplewanttosignup, we make it difficult.”

He believes asingleset of criteria would“cast awider net” increasing thenumberofdonations andensuring people aren’t deterred at the firststep.

Thegroup is also calling fora re quirementthatall adults in theUK actively make an expressdecision on theirdonor status forblood, or gans,stemcells andbonemarrow–andregular affirmationinlinewith census thereafter.

Yasersaysheisverygratefulfor thesupport Team Margot continues to receivefromwell-wishersinthe Midland.

“We’ve hadlong-standing,phe nomenalsupport from theMid lands. They areTeamMargot.”

n Formoreinformation about the charity’swork, seewww.teammar got.com

WITH JOHN RIDGWAYOF OLDMILLANTIQUESCENTRE

Many of us will be doingour best to make ourhomeslook cosy forthe winter months and sometimesthiscan be achieved with theadditionofafew vintage bitsand pieces. We tend to associate brassitems with pub fireplaces buttheylookgreat in almost anysetting anddefi nitely addawarming gleamon thosecoldnights|

Andthe good news is thatit is affordable andwidelyavail able in numerous guises, hav ingbeenaroundfor averylong time.Ausefulalloy of copper andzinc, brasshas been in use formorethan3,000 yearsand hasnever really lost itsappeal.

Ourancient ancestorsmade allkindofessential things with brassand morerecent forebears usedittomakea huge varietyof domestic items.

TheVictoriansweregreat fans of brass, they useditfor everything from kettles and lampstocandlesticks,bells andbird-cages!You canalso find some lovely Victoriandoor knockers in theshapesoflions andfoxes, they wouldcertainly

addauniquetouch to yourfront door.And look outfor Victorian coal scuttles andspill holders, these look greatinamodern home andare stillusefulifyou have an open fire

TheArt Decoand ArtNou veau eras also sawgood use of brass, you can find some beautifullamps, mirrors, pic ture frames andvases, andits popularitycontinued throughoutthe decadesintothe 1950s and1960s.Traditional pubs andcafes have always been avid users of decorative brass, oldhorse-brasses beinga firm favourite –the genuine oldhorse-brasses areusually smooth on thebackfromwear.

It is only in more recent yearsthatbrass has waned alittle, perhapsbecause we have become toobusytoclean it andthatis ashame because it doesn’ttakethatlongtoget brassgleaming. So don’tbeput offifyou seea vintagebrass item that looksabit green, it won’ttakelongtoget it shining!

Wolves star SteveBullwith Margot’s parentsVicki Martini andYaser Martini

Food anddrink writer Laura Hadland

Ashiningvintage kettle

Comforting winter warmerswillmake youlookforward to your lunchbreak

MATTHEWPANTER matthew.panter@mnamedia.co.uk

ThePaulHollywood ReadytoBakerange has createdsomenew reci pesfor youtoenjoy as we enterthe colder months.

From Loaded Crusty Rollswith Cheese,Bacon &SpringOnion to ItalianFennelSausage andRed Pepper Rustic Rolls, andQuick Blackberryand AppleCompote on Warm Multi-Seed Rolls, these comfortingdisheswill help you to elevate yourlunchtime this winter

LOADED CRUSTY ROLLSWITH CHEESE, BACON&SPRING ONION

Ingredients: Makeseight 1packPaul Hollywood Ready To Bake Crusty Rolls

6rashers good qualitystreaky bacon(smoked or un-smoked)

100g cheddarcheese, grated 2springonions, thinly sliced 4tbs reduced fat creamcheese

Black pepper 1tbs butter,melted Fewchives, chopped Salsaand sour creamtoserve

Method: Preheatthe oven to 200°C fan. Placethe rollsontoa baking tray andbakeinthe oven forfour minutes then take outand allowto cool forafew minutes

Meanwhilechopthe baconinto smallpiecesand fryin apan for afew minutesuntil just turning brownand crispy,thentip into a bowl

When therolls arecoolenoughto handle,slice them in half anduse aserratedknifetocarefullycut around theedges about6-8 mm in from theedgeofthe crust. Scoop outthe breadfromthe middle and crumbleintothe bowl with thebacon.

Addthe grated cheese, spring on ion andcream cheese to thebowl, season well with blackpepper(but no salt)and mixwell.

Brushthe insidesofthe rollsand around theedges with themelted butter andplacewithscooped out sidesfacingup on abakingtray.

Divide themixture betweenthe rollsthenpop in theovenfor eight to 10 minutes untilgolden.Sprinkle with chives before servingwithpots of salsaand sour creamfor dipping into.

ITALIAN FENNEL SAUSAGEAND RED PEPPERRUSTICROLLS

Ingredients: Makesfour 1packPaul Hollywood Ready

(approx. 300g in total)

2clovesgarlic,unpeeledand gently smashed

1large redpepper, sliced ½tsp driedoregano(or afew freshleaves, roughlychopped)

Pinchsea salt andblackpepper

1tbspextravirginolive oil

3-4tbsplight mayonnaise

Handfulbasil leaves, chopped, plus extrafor garnish

2handfuls baby spinach, washed

Rocket leaves

Parmesan cheese

Oliveoil andbalsamicvinegar

Method: Preheatthe oven to 180°C fan. Placethe sausages onto anon stickbakingtrayoroven dish with theunpeeledgarlicclovesand roast in theoven for20minutes

Addthe pepperstothe side of thesausages on thesametrayand sprinkle on theoregano.Season with alittlesea salt andblack pepperand drizzlewithalittleolive oil. Popthe traybackinthe ovenfor 15 minutes untilthe sausages are cooked andthe peppersare golden

Lift outofthe oven

Increase theoventemperature to 200°Cfan andcookthe rollsfor 10 minutes accordingtothe pack in structions

Meanwhile, squeezethe roasted garlic outofits skin into asmall bowl andmashit. Addthe mayonnaise,apinch of blackpepperand choppedbasil.Mix andset aside.

When therolls arecooked, leave forafew minutestocoolslightly. Slicetheminhalfand spread some of thegarlicand basilmayo on the base.Add some spinach leaves then topwithasausageand some of the roastedpeppers. Scatter over afew torn basilleavesand servewitha rocket saladonthe side,dressed with oil, vinegarand alittleshaved parmesan.

SESAME ANDGINGERCHICKEN AND GOCHUJANGMAYOCRUSTYROLLS

Ingredients: Makesfour 1packPaul Hollywood Ready

To Bake Crusty Rolls 250g skinless andboneless chickenthighs, bite-sized pieces 3-4cmpiece freshginger, peeled andgrated 1clove garlic, grated 2tbspsoy sauce

1tsp sesameoil

1tsp rice vinegar(or lime juice)

1tsp honey

1tsp tomato puree

1tsp chilli pasteorfew crushed driedchillies(optional)

2tsp sesameseeds

3tbsplight mayonnaise

1-2tsp Korean gochujangchilli paste

1or2pak choi

Method: Placethe ginger,garlic, soysauce,sesameoil,ricevinegar (orlimejuice), honey, tomato puree andchilli pasteintoabowland mix well.Add thediced chickenand stir then cover andplaceinthe fridge foratleast half an hour butprefera blyanhourortwo.

Mixtogether themayonnaise and gochujang chilli pasteinasmall bowl.Cover andpop in thefridge.

When you’re readytocook, preheat theoven to 200°Cfan and cook therolls for10minutes accordingto thepack instructions.Preheat the grill

Whilethe rollsare cooking, re move thechicken from themarinade andspreadthe pieces onto a baking traylined with oiledfoil. Sprinkle with thesesameseeds and

grill forabout five minutes then turn andgrill theother sidesfor anotherfew minutesuntil cooked through. Setaside

Slicethe bottom offthe pakchoi andseparatethe leaves.Washwell andplaceina largefryingpan with asprinkleofwater.Wiltovermedium heat foracoupleofminutes then lift onto apiece of kitchenpaper

Splitthe rollsand spread some spicymayo onto each of thebases Addsomewilted pakchoi then pile on some chickenpiecesand popon thelids.

QUICK BLACKBERRY ANDAPPLE COMPOTEONWARM MULTI-SEED ROLLS

Ingredients: Makesfour

1packPaul HollywoodReady

To Bake Multi-Seed Rolls

2eatingapples, peeled,cored andchopped

2tbspbrown sugar

2tbsp flaked almonds

2-3pieces of lemonpeel

150g blackberries,washed

1pear, peeled,cored and chopped

1tsp vanillaextract

4tbspthick Greekyogurt

Runnyhoney

Method: Addthe choppedapplesto alarge saucepan with 2-3tbs water andthe brown sugar.Pop on thelid andcookover medium high heat for about five minutes untiljuststart ingtosoften(thetimewill depend on thetypeofapplesyou areusing butdon’t fullycookthem).

Toastthe almondsinasmall frying panovermediumheatfor a couple of minutes untillight gold en brown. Watchthemcarefully so they don’tburn, then tipontoa platetocool.

Preheatthe ovento200°C fan andcookthe rollsaccordingtothe pack instructions

Useaspeed peelerorsmall knife to remove 2or3large strips of lemon peel andadd to thepan along with theblackberries, pear andvanillaextract.Cookfor another five to 10 minutes, removing the lidfor thelast five minutes or so to allow thecompote to reduce andthicken.

Tastethe compoteand addalit tlemoresugar or asplashoflemon juiceifyou like. Remove thepeel anddiscard.

Allowthe rollstocoolfor afew minutes then cutinhalfand place onto aboard. Spread aspoonful of yogurt over both topand bottom halves then addsomecompote Drizzleoveralittlehoney andscatterover afew flaked almondsthen servewhile stillwarm.

Anyleftover compotecan be stored in thefridgefor acouple of days andmay be eatencoldor warmed up

QuickBlackberryand apple compoteonwarmmulti-seedrolls

Sesame andgingerchicken crusty rolls

ItalianFennelSausage andred pepperrusticrolls

Rolls with cheeseand bacon

Bittersweetbiscuits just rightfor your teabreak

“The name amaretti comesfrom amaro, literally‘bitter’ in Italian, aftertheir unmistakablebittersweettaste,” explains Giuseppe Dell’Anno.

AMARETTI

Ingredients: Makesabout 50 250g icingsugar 90gunblanched wholealmonds 10gbitterapricot kernels 1/8tsp salt 35gegg white 1tsp vanillabeanpaste ¼tsp naturalalmondextract

Method: Place150 gramsofthe icingsugar in afood processor, add

thealmondsand apricotkernels, then blitzathighspeed forabout 40 seconds. Addthe remaining100 gramsicing sugarand thesalt, then blitzagain forafurther 40 seconds. Addthe eggwhite,vanilla

andalmond extract,thenblitz one finaltimeuntil themixture comes together in asmooth, doughy mass.Turnthe doughontoaclean anddry worktop,press it down and fold it in half afew times. Wrap the dough in cling film andleave it to rest in thefridge overnight.

Thefollowing day, placethe shelf in themiddle of theoven andpre heat it to 160°C(325°F/Gasmark 3).Lineabakingsheet with baking paper.

Take thedough outofthe fridge, unwrap it andworkitwiththe pressing andfolding action again forafew times. Divide thedough into smallchunks, aboutseven gramseach.

Roll each lump of dough between thepalms of yourhands to shape it into asmall ball,thenarrange them on thelined baking sheet,

leavingatleast five centimetres betweenthem. Form only enough biscuits to fill onebaking sheet.

Slightly flattenthe topofeach ball with yourthumb.Use aspray bottle filled with water to spray waterontothe biscuits untiltheir surfaceiscompletelywet:some droplets will drip down thebiscuits andpossiblypoolonthe baking pa per. This is perfectlyacceptable, anditwill notbeaproblem.Quick ly dust thetop of thewet biscuits with athinlayeroficing sugar andimmediately placethe baking sheetinthe oven.Bakefor 17–18 minutes untilthe biscuits area lightcaramel colour.

Remove thebiscuits from the oven,slide thebakingpaper on to acooling rack andleave thebak ingtraytocoolwhileyou shapethe next batch.

Bake offstarGiuseppeshares hisfavouritechildhood recipes

PRUDENCE WADE PressAssociation

Despitewhippingup an admirable arrayof cakes, cookies andpastriesonlastyear’sseries of TheGreat British Bake Off–impressing thejudgessomuchhe wascrowned thewinner –GiuseppeDell’Anno doesn’thavemuchofa sweettooth.

“I don’tusually getcravingsfor sweetbakes,”the 46-year-oldadmits.Instead, he’s allabout thesavoury treats. “Veryfew things give me as much pleasure as thesmell of bakedsavoury goods,likeawarm loaf of bread, or some warm focaccia.Baked focaccia. That to me is heaven on aplate.”

TheItalian baker–who is now basedinBristol –has writtenhis firstcookbook,dedicatingittothe bakesofhis homeland.Hemight nothavea sweettooth,but he still says:“Ienjoy theprocess of baking –and most crucially, thejoy of shar ingthe bakedgoodswithothers, more than stuffing my face.Idon’t dislikeanicelumpofcake–inthe processofwriting that book,Iput on 13 kilosinless than ayear… I’ve literally‘proved’!”

Many of therecipes in thebook areonesDell’Anno ategrowing up, made forhim by hisfather. “Mydad wasaprofessionalchefand baker by passion. He’s always done it with apassion –for him, it’s never been work–and he didn’t stop at work.

“Beforeleaving thehouse in the morning, he wouldprepare lunch foreverybody, then he wouldgoto work, cook andbakethe wholeday, then come back anddothe same for familyand friends. It’s been hislife effectively, sincehestarted working in hisearly teens

“I wasbornintothatenviron ment –Iremember vividlySunday mornings, waking up relatively late andmydad wasalready folding tortellini forlunch,and putting to gether thecakefor afterlunch –becauseinItaly back in theday,Sun daycakeorpastrieswereathing afterlunch.”

Butthatdoesn’t necessarily mean Dell’Annowas helpinghis dadinthe kitchenfromayoung age. “Funnilyenough, having allofthat readilyservedtome, Inever needed to learnhow to bake –because Iwas surrounded by allthatstuff every single day,”heconfesses.“It’s only when Ilefthome at 18 andIrealised it wasnot thesamefor everybody, that I’dbeenverylucky to have

allofthat– then Istarted to learn things myself.”

Hisheritagewasn’tthe only thing that made baking come easily.Before winningBakeOff,Dell’Anno workedasan engineer.“Baking is allabout beingaccurateand precise, weighingyouringredients, followingbakingtemperatures and recipes.Accuracyisa bigpart of baking,and engineersare by trade accurate people.Inmycaseeven more so,because I’mamaterials engineer –soIbakematerials.”

Dell’Annoadds: “I used to deal with very largeovenstobakeaeroplanewings –now I’mjustmaking cakesorbiscuits.”

Despite alreadybeing an excellent home baker, Dell’Annoisquick

to stress justhow much he learned from theshow

“Going on Bake Off– this applies foreverybaker on theshow –you’ve gottolearn things you’venever done before.Regardlessofhow good ahome bakeryou are, home bakersusuallyhavetheir ownskills, they’regood at afew things,but they’renot goodateverything.

“Whereas on theshow,you’vegot to do pretty much everything –from icecream to friedgoods to yeasted bakedcakes to mousses, andmany elaborate things.”

Dell’Annoaddswithalaugh: “Undeniably, alot of thosethings Ihad never seen before.It’salmost atrite thingtosay,but you geta boostinconfidence becauseeffec tively you’re forced to do things you wouldn’t even touchwitha stickotherwise.And at theend of theday,you realisetheyare not as difficult as they mightlookorthey mightseem.”

Dell’Annoaccepts he wasextremely “privileged” to havethis experience,saying: “For me,it’s been amassive form of therapy,goingonBakeOff.”

n Giuseppe’sItalian Bakesby GiuseppeDell’Anno is published by Quadrille, priced £20.

IN SEASON

by Andy Richardson

Addceleriac to your winter repertoire

We’reheading into thehardmonths of winter.The endofthe autumn glut will soon turn to nature’s toughest season as we look towards winteryrootvegetablesover De cember,January andFebruary.

Thereisstill goodfood available, however,withapples, cranberries, elderberries,and pearsall in season. There’splentyofvegetables, too.

Celeriac is adelicious addition to thetable andisarealunsung hero Its flavourissomewherebetween apotatoand celery,withnutty overtones, anditisideal mashed or addedtostews.Celeriac is easy to preparebyusing asharp knife. Just topand tail theceleriac, then useapotatopeelertoremove the rhino-toughskin. Expecttodiscard abouta quarterofthe celeriac by thetimeyou’vedonethat. It boils in 20 minutesorroastsinaround 40 minutes when cutintorough shaped chunks.Celeriac discolours quicklyoncepeeledorchopped,so

Celeriacisveryversatile

immerse in abowlofwater,after choppingtosize, with asqueeze of lemonjuice or asplashofwhite wine vinegaradded. It’s at itsbest from September to April–and now is theprime time to buyit.

Celeriac soup is agreat winter staple,ortry celeriac ovenchips fora healthiertwist.Thisrootveg works well in creamy dishes,and with cheese –try aceleriac bake with parmesancrumbsfor your next roastdinner,orkeepthings simple with atwist on mash pota toes,likeceleriacchamp.Classic remouladeistraditionally served with cold cuts of meat andcrusty bread.

Theeasiest dish of allisawhole roastedceleriac.It’sacosy, hearty recipe that screamswinter and cooksslowly fora couple of hours–andisdefinitely worth thewait.

Whileit’scooking you canmake agravy,allowingittosimmer and become rich andfull of body.Pan friedseasonalgreensand aglass of wine areperfect with it

Raw, celeriac hasfantastic crunch andanutty,celery-like fla vourthatmakes it perfectfor saladsand slaws. Cooked, it takeson aslightsweetness that works well mashed,baked, roasted or boiled It’s extraordinarilyversatile

GreatBritish Bake OffwinnerGiuseppeDell’Anno

Giuseppe’s ItalianBakes

Amaretti biscuits

Planning ahead vitaltoavoid costlymistakes when moving

Expertsshare tips to cutcosts nowtofootbillfor Christmas

KATIEWRIGHT PressAssociation

With thecost-of-living crisis settoworsenas we head into thecolder months andenergybills go up,itcan be tempting to bury your head in the sand andworry about Christmascosts later.

Moving costscan sometimesbe abit of an afterthought when buying or rentinganew proper ty –but withoutsufficientprep, theexpenses canadd up

With living costsonthe rise, nowmorethanever,moverswill want theprocess be as cost-effectiveaspossible.

To help,deliveryand remov als firm AnyVan haspartnered with TV presenter Phil Spencer to create aseriesreleasedonhis Moveiq.co.uk YouTubechannel andpodcast.

Keen to avoid costly moving mistakes?Spencer shares the followingtipsfor steering clear of expensivepitfalls…

1. Startsorting andpackingyourbelongingsearly Firstly, once you’vedecidedto move,havingamajor clear-out is key–soyou’renot paying to transport itemsyou no longer need

When it comestopacking, he adds:“Theearlier you start packing, theeasieryourmove will be,and will help you avoid rushingaroundatthe last minutefeeling stressed.”

2. Measureitems correctly –Whenitcomestomoving, failing to take precise measurementscan also turn outtobe acostlymistake.“If you’vegot anylarge piecesoffurniture you’removingwithyou,you really will need to thinkahead aboutwhere it’s goingand will you getitin, either througha door,windoworupany awk ward stairs,”saysSpencer

3. Make sure youand the moving team areprepped –Makingsureyou aredealing with amoving firm you can trustwillalsohelpyou to avoid anycostlydamagetocherished items.

4. Be mindfulofcosts kittingout thenew place –While decluttering maybe an issuefor some,particularly thosedownsizing, others may have theoppositeproblem –per haps if they’rerenting or own ingtheir ownhome forthe first time,and suddenlyneed lots of things they don’tcurrently own.

5. Factorinadditional short-term costsifyou’re planning renovations –If yournew home is a‘doer-upper’ whichneedswork, Spencer adds:“It’s importanttopriori tise whereyou aregoing to live whileyou do up theproperty.

In reality, making aplannow forhow you’regoing to fund festive socialising,gifts andgroceries is amuchmoresensibleapproach–helpingyou save cash andcut back on thestress of over-spending.

We asked financeexperts for theirtop tips on how to budgetand find thebestdeals aheadofthe fes tive season…

1. SETA BUDGET

The firststeptomakingsureyou stay within yourmeans thisChristmasistocreateabudgetand stick to it

“Whether you prefer jotting the figuresdownonpaper or creating a spreadsheetonline,write down all of thecosts you’llneedtocover over thefestive season,suchasfood, pre sents, decorationsand travel,”says BreanHorne,personal financeex pert at comparisonsiteNerdWallet (nerdwallet.com).“Remember to includeany events or outingsyou mightattend.”

Aftereachpurchaseorevent, make suretolisthow much it cost.

“Manypeopleget whiskedaway by thebuzzofthe festive season andforgettocheck in with their budget,”saysSalmanHaqqi,per sonal financeeditorfromMoney co.uk. “Futureyou wouldbemuch happierifyou trackyourexpenses as you go.”

2. PRIORITISE YOUR EXPENSES

It’s not always easy to estimate exactlyhow much each present or experience will cost in advance, but it canhelptoprioritise theitems on yourbudgetintoessential and non-essential.

“For example, groceriesare a high priority,whilegoing iceskat ingmay be lower down thelist,” says Horne.“Wherepossible, try to find cheaperalternativesorcut down on yournon-essentialcosts.”

3. TAKE ADVANTAGEOFAUTUMN OFFERS

If you wait untilDecember to startyourshopping, you maymiss outonsome of thebiggest discounts retailersoffer allyear.

“Black Friday (November25) andCyber Monday (November28) aresales periods whereyou can take advantageofcheaper prices foryourChristmas shopping,” says Haqqi, with some offers continuing acrossthe long weekend.

Horneadds: “Setting up price

alerts online canhelpyou track thecostofyourgiftsand buythem when they reachyourideal price.”

4. CHRISTMASCASHBACK

Cashback sitesmay be agreat waytoget extra savingsongifts from bignamebrands. “The site will getpaidfor sendingtrafficto thestore andyou’llget some of it back,[potentially] saving many people £100sontheir Christmas shopping bill,” Haqqisays. “It’s a goodideatosearchfor thecheapest deal,and then checktomakesure that cashback isavailable.”

5. SETAGIFTLIMIT

time to chat to friendsand family about cutting back on unnecessary presents.

“Why not tryafamilySecret San ta this year?” saysHaqqi.“Simply popall thenames into ahat and have everyone pick outone person to buyfor.” Horne suggestssetting aspendinglimit forgifts

6. USEVOUCHER CODES

Before you buyanything, checkif thereare anydiscount codesavailablefor that brandorretailer.

“WebsitessuchasSuperSav vyMe (supersavvyme.co.uk) offera wide rangeofvoucher codes,”says Horne. “It’salso worth lookingfor discountsinsupermarket maga zines, promotional packetsand oth er online discount sites.”

Couldusing cash more help youtobudget better?

Swipingacardatthe till canbe very convenient –but when we’re notdealing with physicalcash, it cansometimesbehardertokeep track of exactlyhow much we’re spending

Recently,it’sbeensuggested that some people areturning back to banknotesand coinstohelp them balancetheir budgets.

ThePostOffice,which handled arecord£3.45 billion in cash in August,suggestedpeoplemay be increasingly turningtocashto manage theirbudget.

Onetrend whichhas been pop ular on socialmedia is ‘cashstuff ing’ –which goesbacktotradi

tional methodsofusing physical moneytobudget.

People usingthismethodlabel envelopes with differentbudget categories,suchasmoneyfor bills, socialising,birthdays or new clothes–and thesecan be keptsep arateinafolderorwallet.

If youare handling physical cash,itmay make you more aware of how much you arespending, and how much you need to keep back to getyou throughtonextpay-day However,there arepotential downsidesand riskstohandling pilesofcashtoo.Ifthe moneyis beingkeptin envelopes, it’s not earninginterestasitcould be if

kept in abankaccount.There is also thedangerofmoneybeing lost or stolen –and if you arekeeping significant sums of moneyathome

Theremay be otherwaysyou canuse cash to buildupsavings, however.For example, there’sthe pennysavings challenge, where peoplesave1ponthe firstday of themonth, 2p on thesecondday, andsoon– whichcould be done in cash or within yourbanking app.

If cash isn’tfor you,itcould paytomakethe most of savings toolsinapps. Youcould try‘round ups’,for instance,todepositsmall amountsofchangeintoyoursav ings accounteachtimeyou spend.

Moving homeiscostly

Spot thesigns your lovedone is strugglingto hear

In therun-uptoChristmas,people arelikelytobespendingmoretime with theirlovedonesand maynotice that some relatives’ hearingis abit off.

We oftendon’t notice thegradu al changes in ourselves andthose we seeall thetime, butwhenwedo it’s importanttoknowearly signs as thereare awealthoftreatments andhearing aidoptions outthere

KatieOgden,the Training ManagerofReSound North-West Europe,has outlined sixsigns of hearinglosstolookout forin yourself or lovedonesthatsuggest hearingaidscould help.

n Asking youtorepeatyour-

self –Ifyou or your lovedone are constantly asking forthingstobe repeated or muttering thephrase “whatdid you say?”thiscould be a sign you’relacking thesoundsand signalsneededtoprocessspeech properly

n Complainingabout mumbling –Thiscan be duetopeople not beingabletohearhigh-pitched speechfrequencies,hearing the vowels whichisthe soundofthe word, butnot theconsonants whichisthe clarityand meaning of theword.

n Difficultywithphone con versations –Ifyourloved onehas theirmobilephonevolumeset to

themax volume possible or is havingtouse thespeakerphone, this couldbeasignthattheycould benefitfromhearing aids

n Listening to theTVata loud volume –Televisionshows with fast paced dialogue or asub stantial amount of background noise canbehardfor thosewith hearinglosstofollow, as crucial dialogue canoftenbedrowned out, leadingtopeople listeningtothe TV at amuchhigher volume

n Appearing withdrawn, or becoming quiet –Individuals with hearinglossoften become quieterorcan appear to become withdrawninsocialsituations

Winter-proof your health to fightoff coughs andsneezes

HEATHERLARGE heather.large@mnamedia.co.uk

It’s that time of the year. Everyone around you seemstohavea sniffle, a slight coughand an outrageouslyloudsneeze.

Nobodywants to getsick, andthe usualdefence is to putyourguard up and runawayfromeveryone.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a prac ticalway to getby in real life. So Dr QianXu, an A&Edoctorand medicalDirectoratREDjuvenate Medical, hassharedhis guideto winter-proofing your health

STARTWITH SLEEP

When we sleep, virtuallyevery part of ourbodygoesthrough changes. Your neuronsswitchfrom awaketosleep andstart sending signalstoyourorgansthatit’stime forrest. In this sleepstate,your body begins itsprocess of recovery, clearing outthe toxins that have builtupinyourbodythrough the day.

Alackofsleep makesyourbody moresusceptible to illness andincreases thetimeittakes foryou to recover.Somakesureyou sleepfor at leastseven to nine hoursanight in winter

DRINK PLENTY

During winter,itcan be hard to drink enough fluids.Thisisabio logicalimpactofwinter; yourthirst reducestohelpthe body conserve heat.Our bodies were designed withoutthe comfortofextra warm clothesand centralheating sodrink at leasttwo litresofwater aday, even if you don’tfeelthirsty.Hydra tion is keyto fighting offinfections.

EATTHE RIGHTFOODS

Winter is hard.The idea of eatinga saladcan feel so alienwhen outsideisgreyand rainy, butnutri ents become even moreimportant

It’s that time of theyear wheneveryonearound youseemstohaveasniffle

to yourbodyasyou tryand stave offcolds and flu. Thebestapproach is to shift yourdietwiththe seasons.Chooseseasonalproduce They tend to be grownlocally and arenaturally rich in thevitamins andmineralsyourbodyneedsin theseason. Localproduce mirrors theenvironment youare living in andworks best forwhatyourbody needs

MOVE MORE

Exercise is akey to good health no matter what time of theyear. We aremeant to move,but ourlives have become relatively sedentary. We often find ourselves stucksit tingatadesk, barely moving for hoursonend –it’snot thebestfor a healthylifestyle

In winter,you must stay active When we exercise,our body re leases cytokinesthathelpregulate inflammation.Inflammation is not always bad; it playsahugepartin regulating theimmuneresponse that enablesyou to fightoff disease andillness

VITALVITAMINS

Alittle-knownfactabout vita mins, theessential micronutrients, is that they cannot be created in ourbodies, either at allorenough to provide what we need.Wehaveto obtain ourvitaminsfromour diet to help ourbodyfunctionnormally andprotectourselves from the threatsofgerms andillness Theremay be supplementsthat canhelpyou fightoff thewinter flu.

VitaminD:thisisthe sunshine vitamin. Your body produces Vita minDwhenyourskinisexposed to sunlight. Quitehardin winter when thereisnosun!Takinga VitaminDsupplementhas been showntohelpkeepyourbody healthyand improve yourresistance to certaindiseases

VitaminC:Vitamin Cstrengthensyourbody’s immunesystem. It won’thelpyou keep an immunity againstthe dreadedcoldand flu, butitwill reduce theseverityof anycoldyou maycatch

Vitamin B:There aremanyB vitamins, each bringing your body differentbenefits, from maintain ingyourcellhealthtomakingyou feel energised. VitaminB-12isthe most beneficialfor you in thewin termonthsasitplays apartinreg ulatingyournervoussystem.

Iron:Ironisan oftenoverlooked mineral. It is responsible forproducing haemoglobinthat, is responsible forcarryingoxygen around your body.Italsoplays a role in helpingtoregulateyour body temperature, andstaying warm will help you stay healthy throughwinter

SEETHE LIGHT

Thenightsbegin to draw in, theclocksturnback, andday lightsuddenlybecomesadistant memory.You should trytospend as much time outsideinthe fewlighter hoursaspossible, whetherthisisa walk at lunchorjustaquick dash outside. It allhelps to keep your body healthierinwinter

Even with awalkatlunch,you mightnot be gettingenoughofthe lightyourbodyneedstofunction optimally. We have allheard that SADlamps help fightthe winter blues, butsunlightisformedof many differentwavelengths.Red light, thelongestlight wavelength foundin thesun,iswhatyourbody takesintothe mitochondriatoboost yourenergy. This energy boostcan be essentialtokeeping yourbody working at an optimallevel.Look forfull-bodyred lighttherapy to get thebesteffects of this redlight

Keep yourself safe when you ventureoutside as darknessfalls

With daylighthours nowreducing, it’s importantfor people whospend time walkingoutdoorstotake measures to stay safe andalert

This is especially importantfor hearingimpairedindividuals who rely more heavilyontheir sightdur ingincreased periodsofdarkness andlimited visibility

KatieOgden,audiologist and trainingmanager of ReSound North-West Europe,has compiled alistofadvicefor stayingsafefor thosewho take regularwalks,com mutesorexercise during periodsof darkness across theautumn and winter months

Avoidusing headphones–Whilst it maybeenjoyable to listen to musicwhilst walking, it canoftenbedistractingand means you lose sense of yoursurroundingsor yourability to sense anymovement or noise around you.

On darker evenings when your vision is limited, it is importantto avoidusing headphones, or at the veryleast keep thevolumetoas lowasetting as possible, to ensure you have full concentration andare awareofany external noises from pedestrians, street traffic, or other potentialhazards

Plan your route –Choosing yourroute wisely is anotherimpor tant measureyou cantaketokeep safe during periodsofdarkness. By picking aroute that is busier likea main road or streetsthatare well litwithstreet lamps, you will have abetterviewofthe road ahead andalso feel safersurroundedbya number of otherpedestrians.Walkingonthe path at thesideofthe road with trafficcomingtowards you also givesyou thebestvisibility of trafficapproaching

Change yourexerciseroutine –Outdoor exercise such as running canoften become difficult in the winter months, duetothe hoursof daylightdecreasing, andadverse weatherconditionslikeheavy rain, wind or even iceimpacting how en joyable it canbe.

Consider moving your evening runtothe morningorduringyour lunchbreak if darkness is akey factor. Alternatively, if you work from home or you have access to agym near yourplaceofwork, consider switchingtoindoorexercise when outdoorconditionsaren’tsuitedto yourneeds

Wear reflective clothing

Wearingreflective clothing whether that be acoat, bagorevenbeltcan make you much more visibletodriversand otherpedestrians

Walk with afriend –Ifafriend or colleaguelivesclose by to your home,itcan be agoodideatopair up foryourdaily commutetoand from theoffice

Ensure your vision andhearingare of agoodstandard –With visibility beingreduced during the darker months, it is vitalthatboth yourvisionand yourhearing areat theirbesttoavoid anyunnecessary dangersorrisks.It’sworth using thistimeofyearasareminderto checkyourgeneral health

n Foradvicesee www.resound. com/en-gb/hearing-aids/digital

Chance to see heroexplorer’s legacy in the Antarctic

Regarded as oneofBritain’s greatest explorers, Ernest Shackleton hasinspiredmil lionsofpeopletovisit Antarc tica andthe island of South Georgia.

Famously, oneofhis ownexpeditionsended in near disaster when hisship, theEndurance, wasstuck in theice, writes Sa rahMarshall

Foralmosttwo years, the charismaticleaderand hismen were stranded,remarkablysur viving andeventuallyreturning to safety

Earlierthisyear, Shackleton’sshipwas finallydiscov ered as part of an expedition launched forthe centenaryyear of hisdeath

Aheadofher ownguest lecturing trip in theicy south, his closestsurviving relative,AlexandraShackleton, shares her thoughts on thediscoveryand thelegacyofher grandfather.

How didyou feel when the Endurancewas discovered?

“I wasthrilled.It wasthe second attemptto find her. She’s3,000 metresdeepinthe Weddell Sea. Because icehas preservedher,she’s in excellent condition.”

Whoownsthe ship now?

“She belongstome. Shewas originallyinsured for£15,000, so when shesank, it went to the insurancecompanies.Theyhad no interest.Soshe nowbelongs to myself andmy firstcousin. She’s also protected underThe AntarcticTreaty.”

How else have you been commemorating thecentenary of yourgrandfather’s death?

“I’vebeenmakinga film in Irelandabout thecabin where he died.A replicaofthatcabin will be part of the firstdedicat ed polarShackletonmuseum in theworld at Athy Heritage Centre.Areplica boat will also be there. It will open in 2023.”

What areyourlasting memories of Antarctica?

“It’sawonderful placeworth preserving.WhenIwentthe firsttime, Iwentintohis hut on my ownand therewas thesmell of wood andleather.Itwas asif he hadstepped out.”

n Alexandrawill be joininga 22-day voyage with PolarLatitudestoAntarctica, theFalklandsand SouthGeorgia,departingUshuaia inArgentina

Affordable andexoticwinter sunatoffbeat Africanlocation

SENEGAL

By Sarah Marshall

Switchingoff themotor of ourrough andweath ered wooden boat,Senegalese guideSogui Wade invitesustolisten care fully.

Glidingsilentlythrough amaze of mangrovesinthe Saloum Delta, ourattention is drawntoanunusu al snapping sound, akintoembers cracklingina fire

Thestrangesyncopation,Sogui insists, is thesound of oysters breathing. Clinging to exposed rootsofmangroves, stringsofshell fish performasymphony that’s sur prisinglysoothing. It’s oneofthe many newdiscoveriesImakeona week’s holidaytoSenegal

Wedgedbetween theemerald rainforestsofthe Gambia andorange desert dunesofMauritania, this coastalcountry bulges into the Atlantic Oceanat themostwesterly pointofthe Africancontinent

It’s an offbeatholiday option,although it’s settobecome one of the most affordable,easilyaccessible andexcitingwintersun destina tions, thanks to newdirect flights launched by TUIearlier this month

Connecting London Gatwickwith Senegal’scapital Dakar, in just over sixhours,weekly flightswill run betweenNovember andMay,start ingataround£800for seven nights all-inclusive. Hovering between2935C, temperatures aremuchhigher than theCanaries, there’s11.5 hoursofdaylightduringwinterand no time difference

Promisingsun,sea,sandand a touchofsafari, here’s thelow-down on what to expect

A75-minutedrive from Dakar’s Blaise Diagne InternationalAir port,the new522-roomRIU Ba obab on Pointe Sarene is TUI’s main hotelpartner,and wasone of thekey driversfor persuadingthe packagetouroperatortoinvestin this region.Large,luxurious rooms with ocean-facing balconies(anda fewsuiteswithprivate pools)line

thelengthofagoldenbeach,strewn with palmsand thatched cabanas. Aspa andmoderngym areset alongsidepools andaswim-upbar, whereDutch,French, Britishand Senegalese familiesbathe with flutes of Prosecco or glassesofcrisp rose wine

Acolossalbuffetisaccompanied by specialitysushi andItalian restaurants, both pre-bookable butincluded in theprice Awaterpark with slides andchil dren’s entertainmentattractsfamilies,but thehotel manages to main tain asmart,upscale atmosphere Goingonsafarican be eye-wa teringly expensive. ButinSenegal, there’sanopportunitytosee some of Africa’s most charismaticspecies in oneofthe country’ssix national parks. Admittedly,the best,Nioko lo-Koba, is a500km drivesouth Privately-ownedBandiaReserve is areasonablecompromise –although notall animalsare native

to Senegal. Seegiraffes, elands, zebrasand even rhinos on simple game drives throughacacia andbaobab forests, finishingatavisitor centre overlookingalakeheaving with crocodiles

Moreinteresting from aconservation perspective is theTortoise VillageinNoflaye.Run by theAf ricanChelonian InstituteNGO, theproject focuses on breeding endangered sulcatatortoises, to be released into thewild. Many of the hard-shelled residentshavebeen rescuedfroma pettrade fuelledby traditionalbeliefs theseanimals cancureasthmaand bringgood luck

DailylifeinSenegal is as bright, bold andcolourful as thepatterned kitengefabrics hangingfromcraft stalls.Walking around avillage market givesasharp insightinto localliving. Menwearing floaty tu nics andconical hats sell livestock, whilewomen in peplum dresses and

oversizeddesignersunglasses sit behind mountainsofmelting shea butter andsacks overflowingwith peanuts.

Moreaffrontingare medicinal stalls covered in lizard skins, pig tusksand driedmonkeyheads

Visiting aformerslave house mightseemmorbid,but atriptothe House of Slaves museum on Unesco WorldHeritageSiteGoree island is both apoignantexperience and importantlessoninunderstanding Africa’s past

A20-minuteferry ride from Da kar, theprettyislandis filled with artist studios, seasiderestaurants andcafes.But betweenthe mid15th andmid-18thcenturies,20 million slaves were loaded onto shipsfromhereand sent acrossthe Atlantic

Anyupset, however,isbalanced by thesightofsomanySenegalese people visiting the site to better un derstand theirown history.

Vendor in aSenegalese market

GoreeIsland in Senegal,which houses theHouse of SlavesmuseumThe swim-uppool baratthe RIUBaobab

Tourists on theAntarctic

Illuminating Christmasideas to make your garden glow

BY HANNAH STEPHENSON PressAssociation

Glow events at RHSgar dens,Kew andother outside spaces whichpro vide spectacularlight festivalsinwintermake foragreat eveningout buthow aboutbringing alittlebit of that spar klehome?

Thereare lots of ways to make yourown garden glow,using outdoor fairylights, lanterns anduplighting in warm,welcoming tones, to cheerthe cold nights andget you into thefestive spirit Here aresome expertstips…

“Ratherthanthink decoration, thinkatmosphere first, andthe mood andthe feelingyou want when youare in thegarden,” suggestsdesigner Andrew Duff (andrewduff gardendesign.com),co-chair of the councilofthe SocietyofGarden De signersand director of theInchbald School of Design.

“Ifyou areafterarelaxed,fes tive,softlook, howare you going to achievethat? It mightnot necessarily be coveringatreewithfairy lights.You mightwanttodoitina moresubtleway.”

KevinMartin,headoftreecol lections at Kew, says:“Oneofthe best ways to addfestive lights to yourgarden is to wrap pealight LEDs around thetrunk andbranch structureofany trees in yourgar den.Thiswill bringinterestinto yourgarden throughthe long dark nights of winter.Itwill also accentuatethe lovely structureofthe tree.

“Anotherway is to useuplighters on theground, pointing directly up throughthe canopy andhighlighting thetrunk.Again,besure touse LEDs,as halogenbulbs give offheatwhich cancause damage to bark in thecoldermonths,”Martin adds.”

“Good trees to lightupinthe

winter

subtle.Ratherthanover-illumi nate,you just want theareasubtle andsoft. Youmightbeusing candles in lanterns.You couldevenuse ascented candle with aChristmas fragrance.”

highlightedbeautifullywithlight ing, such as an arbour,seatorfea ture tree, butjustgobacktoatmos phereratherthandecoration. Less is more is keyin creating amagical space,” says Duff

Whyyou need to consider refreshing all your bedding

Duff suggests:“Rolling up aball of fairylightsand sticking anum berofthose in atreesotheylook likehugesnowflakes canbereal ly effective.You canalso getlarge snowflake-shaped lights, which areoften solar-panelled,charging throughthe dayand then coming on at night, whichcan be agoodalternatives.”

Duff adds:“Lanterns areanex cellentidea. “Considerwhere the lightisgoing to fall.Ifyou aregoing to be outsidefor aglass of mulled wine,maybe it’s just aboutilluminating thetable area,which you couldalso decorate.Keepitsoftand

Thinkwarmcolours,suggests MatthewPottage,curator of RHS Garden Wisley (rhs.org.uk).“Select awarmwhite lightwithaslighthue of yellow in it fora warm andtra ditional look,”he says.“Pure white lights have acolderand more stark appearance, whichcan say‘winter’ as opposedto‘Christmas’.”

Duff adds:“I’magreat fanof sticking to one colour,whether it’s whites or offwhites, butnothing says Christmaslikered outside. Maybeyou make allthe lights in yourtrees red, whichcan producea beautifulred glow.”

“Anythingstructuralcan be

Netlights –fairy lights on anet cablesystem– arethe quickest andeasiest wayoflightingclipped shrubs,hedgesand topiary, says Pottage. “Use LEDlights, which have come on in leapsand bounds in recent years, andare powerful with lowenergyuptake, whichhelps the environmentand your energy bill,” he notes.

As well as lighting up trees,bau bles canbehungonthe stemsofdeciduoustrees

“Nothing says Christmas likea bauble,and we need to have fun, butmaybe just stick to oneortwo coloursonatree,”Duffsuggests.

Accordingtothe experts, you mightwanttorefresh yourbed ding more oftenthanyou think, writes SamWylie-Harris

“Generally,you will be able to tell when it’s time to replace yourpillow,however Ialways recommendreplacing them everyone to twoyears,”says ChrisTattersall, sleepexpert andmanagingdirectoratWoolroom (thewoolroom.com).

“Theyget wornout surprisinglyquickly,asonaverage, thepillow does itsjob for2,500 hoursayear(around 100days).”

He says certaintypes of pillows last longer than others, duetothe materialsusedin production.For instance,antimicrobialtextileslikelinen, wool,and hemp offernatural de fenceagainst bacteria,mildew, mould, andother microbes.

FabioPerrotta, director of buying at Dreams (dreams. co.uk),agrees:“To getthe most outofyourpillows, it’s advised to replacethematleast once everytwo years.

“Thisisbecause over time therewill be abuild up of dust mitesand thepillow is most likelytohavelosta lotofits elasticity,meaning it won’t provide adequate support.”

Perrotta says duvets should be replaced everytwo to five years. Thereare ways to tryand extend thelengthofa duvet’s life –suchasusing aprotector, whichcan be washed to protect from stains anddustmites

Tattersall says:“Duvets should be replaced roughly every fiveyears.Likepillows, if they are filled with more natu ral fibres,theyneedn’t require replacingsooften, eg.woolis self-cleaning. Moreover, having awashableduvet will save the need forregular replacing.”

How do you know when it’s time forachange? Thereare several ways to tell it’s time for anew pillow,suggestsTattersall.“Theobvious traitsinclude it starting to smell, turning yellowand stains on thepillow –thiswill be from sweat. Alternatively,yourpillow maybegin to cause youdiscomfort with neck or shoulder aches, leading to headaches.”

He says you cantestifit’s time foranew pillow by folding it in half andletting go –ifitremainsfolded, replaceit.

months arebirches,with theirstrikingwhite bark.Another greattreetohighlightwithlights is Tibetancherry, with itsstriking redbark. Acers, especially snakebark maples,can also workwell.”

An

Lanterns and star lightsadd atmosphere

Tryputting baublesonanoutdoor tree

Bedding mightneed to be changedmoreoften than you think

AGATHA CHRISTIE: LUCY WORSLEY AND THE MYSTERYQUEEN

BBC Two, 9.00pm

She’s known as the First Lady of Crime, but what was Agatha Christie really like?

Despite writing an autobiography,which was published in 1977, ayear afterher death, little is known about writer In fact, her life is shrouded in almost as much mystery as one of her best-selling novels, although it’s believed she did leave clues to her personality in many of her stories. Publicly,she cultivated an image similar to that of one of her most famous creations, Miss Marple. But she was far from being adowdy spinster like the ageing female detective –she led an exciting life, which included being a surfing pioneer

Born in Devon in 1890, she was the daughter of Frederick Alvah Miller,anAmerican with aprivate income, and his wife Clarissa. Her father died when she was a little girl; her devoted mother encouraged her daughter to write, although Agatha herselforiginally dreamed of becoming aprofessional musician –until stage fright got the better of her Later,during atrip to Cairo with her mother,she wrote anovel and, on her return home, enjoyed her first literary success when she had several short stories published.

In 1914, she married her first husband, Archibald Christie, with whom she had adaughter.Archibald became aFirst World Warhero, and during the conflict, Agatha worked as anurse which enabled her to learn all about poisons –something which came in handy when she began penning detective novels.

Her first, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in 1920, and introduced the fastidious Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot. He went on to feature in 32 morenovels. Miss Marple didn’t appear until 1930 in The Sleeping Murder,and she only plied her trade in atotal of 12 cases.

Agatha’s first marriage ended in 1926 when her husband fell in love with ayounger woman. The writer then notoriously disappeared for three weeks and is

believed to have spent time at The Old Swan hotel in Harrogate, which is now home of ahugely popular annual crime writing festival. What she got up to and why she did it remains unknown.

Asubsequent marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan proved happier,and their travels to sites around the world inspired some of her greatest stories, including Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile.

The writer continues to be hugely popular,with adaptations of her work popping up all the time. Earlier this year,Lucy Worsley published anew biography of her and now,onthe 70th anniversary of the opening of Agatha’s long-running play The Mousetrap, the historian presents the first in athree-part insight into her life and career

She examines key moments in Agatha’s life, and meets up with fellow fans and relatives, including her great grandson James Pritchard, expert Jamie Bernthal and Sarah Phelps, ascreenwriter who has adaptedseveral of Agatha’s tales for the small screen in recent years.

Whether we’ll know the real woman behind the image after tuning in remains to be seen,but whatever happens, as her life straddled some of the 20th centuries most momentous events, it should at thevery least be entertaining –like Agatha’s books continue to be.

6.00 Breakfast (S). 9.15 MOTD Live: Fifa World Cup 2022 Wales vs Iran. Kick-off is at 10am (S). 12.25 BBC News; Weather (S). 12.40 BBC Regional News; Weather (S). 12.45 MOTD Live: Fifa World Cup 2022 Qatar vs Senegal. Kick-off is at 1pm (S). 3.15 Doctors (S). 3.45 The Bidding Room (R) (S). 4.30 The Repair Shop (R) (S). 5.15 Pointless (R) (S).

6.30 Bargain Hunt (R) (S). 7.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) (S). 8.15 Sign Zone: Trawlermen: Hunting The Catch (R) (S). 9.15 Animal Park Summer (R) (S). 10.00 The Farmers’ Country Showdown (R) (S). 10.30 Dom Does America (R) (S). 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) (S). 12.15 Bargain Hunt (R) (S).

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FILM: Christmas In Toyland (Bill Corcoran 2022) (S). 3.40 FILM: Baking All The Way (Yannick Bisson 2022) Premiere. Romantic drama, starring CoryLee (S). 5.00 Beechgrove Repotted (R) (S). 5.15 Flog It! (R) (S).

6.00 Good Morning Britain (S). 9.00 Lorraine (S). 10.00 This Morning (S). 12.30 Loose Women (S). 1.30 ITV News; Weather (S). 1.55 ITV Regional News; Weather (S). 2.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal (R) (S). 3.00 Fifa World Cup 2022 Netherlands vs Ecuador.Kick-off is at 4pm (S).

THE HEAT (ITV2,

9.00pm)

Ladies can be everybit as politically incorrect as the lads in Paul Feig’s oestrogen-fuelled buddy movie, which pairs Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as astrait-laced FBI Special Agent and agung-ho Boston police detective who join forces to bring down acriminal mastermind. The lead actresses spark offeach other brilliantly,milking belly laughs from Katie Dippold’s script. Everytime the pace flags, Bullock and McCarthy crank up the slapstick and verbal one-upwomanship.

THE FOOTBALL FACTORY (Channel

5, 11.05pm)

Tommy Johnson (Danny Dyer) is adirectionless twentysomething whose sole pleasures in life are drugs and booze with the lads, casual sex, and

apunch-up with his fellow Chelsea football fans. With his best pal Rod, Tommy belongs to aposse led by Billy Bright, who is always spoiling for a fight. An FA Cup showdown with Millwall sets in motion achain of events that will change Tommy’s life forever

Cheers (R) (S). 7.10 Cheers (R) (S). 7.35 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 8.00

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4News Summary (S). 11.30

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Countdown (S). 3.00 APlace In The Sun (R) (S). 4.00 Sun, Sea And Selling Houses (R) (S). 5.00

Four In ABed (R) (S). 5.30 Come Dine With Me (R) (S).

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6.30 Hollyoaks (R) (S).

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8.00 The Scottish Island That WonThe Lottery The residents of an island in the Outer Hebrides who won the lottery(R) (S). 9.00 Gogglebox Theamateur critics share their thoughts on the week’s telly (S). 10.00 The Last Leg Acomic review of the past seven days (S). 11.05 The Big Narstie Show (S).

6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine (S). 12.30 Bargain-Loving Brits In The Sun (S). 1.20 5 News At Lunchtime (S). 1.30

FILM: The Christmas House (Michael Grossman 2020) Drama, starring RobertBuckley (S). 3.15

FILM: The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls (Rich Newey 2021) Premiere. Festive comedy sequel, starring RobertBuckley and Brad Harder (S). 5.00 5News At 5 (S).

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The Early Rundown (R).

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Nothing To Declare (R) (S). 9.30

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Five-0 (R) (S). 2.00 S.W.A.T (R) (S). 3.00 Shark Squad (R) (S). 4.00 Will &Grace (R) (S). 4.30 Will &Grace (R) (S). 5.00 The Simpsons (R) (S). 5.30 Futurama (R) (S).

6.00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records (S). 6.35 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records (S). 7.00 The Cabins (S). 8.00 Love Bites (S). 9.00 Love Bites (S). 10.00 Dress To Impress (S). 11.00 Dress To Impress (S). 12.00 I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 1.30 In ForAPenny (S). 2.00 Supermarket Sweep (S). 3.05 One Tree Hill (S). 4.00 HartOf Dixie (S). 5.00 I’m ACelebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! (S).

6.00 Futurama Part four of four.The aliens command all human beings to leave Earth (R) (S). 6.30 The Simpsons (R) (S).

7.00 The Simpsons Lisa is moved up agrade (R) (S). 7.30 Young Rock

8.00 The Simpsons (R) (S). 8.25 The Simpsons Homer becomes the target of a murderer (R) (S). 8.50 The Simpsons (R) (S).

9.15 Rob&Romesh vs The Three Lions Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan meet the England men’s football team (R).

10.15 Resident Alien Harry tries to infiltrate a militarybase.

11.15 Late Late Show Best Of The Week Highlights of the talk show

12.15 The Russell Howard Hour (R). 1.00 The Force: North East (R) (S). 2.00 Road Wars (R) (S). 3.00 Hawaii Five-0 (R) (S). 4.00 S.W.A.T (R) (S). 5.00 Motorway Patrol (R). 5.30 Motorway Patrol (R).

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4.30 Bleak Expectations. 5.00 Romance And Adventure. 5.30 November25 NETHERLANDS V ECUADOR ITV,3.00pm Seema Jaswal presents coverage from Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.

8.00 Bob’s Burgers Linda’s new diet leads to her committing apublic indecency offence (S). 8.30 Bob’s Burgers Tina is suffering from crippling boredom (S). 9.00 FILM: The Heat (2013) Action comedy,starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy (S). 11.25 Family Guy The Griffins are stranded near an Amish community (S). 11.55 Family Guy Bonnie and Lois visit Paris (S). 12.25 American Dad! (S). 12.50 American Dad! (S). 1.20 Bob’s

an

under surveillance (S).

FRIDAY 41

6.55 Escape To The Chateau Dick and Angel tryto turnthe coach house into acafe (S).

7.55 Grand Designs A contemporarymansion built on an exclusive estate (S).

Murder In Paris Aman is found to have acontagious and virulent disease. In French (S).

24 Hours In A&E Cameras follow a 47-year-old man with critical injuries to his armand leg (S).

24 Hours In A&E A cancer patient develops aswelling in her throat (S). 12.25 8Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (S). 1.30 8Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (S). 2.35 24 Hours In A&E (S). 3.30 Food Unwrapped (S). 4.00 Close

8.55 Kirstie’s Handmade Treasures (S). 9.15 APlace In The Sun (S). 10.05 APlace In The Sun (S). 11.05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (S). 12.05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (S). 1.10 Heir Hunters (S). 2.10 Four In ABed (S). 2.40 Four In ABed (S). 3.15 Four In ABed (S). 3.50 Four In ABed (S). 4.20 Four In ABed (S). 4.50 Kirstie And Phil’s Love It Or List It (S). 5.55 Escape To The Chateau: DIY (S). Cup 2022. 3.00 World Cup 2022. 4.00 World Cup 2022 6.00 WorldCup 2022 7.00 WorldCup 2022. 9.00 World Cup 2022. 10.00 6-0-6. 11.00 Stephen Nolan. 1am Anna Jameson. 5.00 5LiveBoxing. BBC 6MUSIC 7.30am Lauren Laverne. 10.30 MaryAnne Hobbs 1pm Craig Charles. 4.00 SteveLamacq. 7.00 ThePeople’sParty WithDJPaulette 9.00 Tom Ravenscroft. 11.00 The Ravers Hour 12mdn’t 6 Music’s Indie Forever 1.00 6Music’sEmo Forever 2.00 Focus Beats. 4.00 Ambient Focus. CLASSIC FM 6am More MusicBreakfast. 9.00 Alexander Armstrong 12noon Anne-MarieMinhall. 4.00 Sam Pittis. 7.00 Smooth Classics At Seven. 10.00 Smooth Classics. 1am KatieBreathwick. 4.00 Sam Pittis ABSOLUTE RADIO 6am Dave Berry 10.00 LeonaGraham. 1pm Ben Burrell. 4.00 BushAnd Richie. 7.00 Absolute 80s Greatest Hits With ClaireSturgess. 10.00 SophieK 4am Ross Buchanan.

JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE: MUSIC, MONEY,MADNESS IN MAUI

BBC2, 9.00pm

Saturday night is once again music night on BBC2 and tonight it’s dedicated to one of rock’s most iconic figures, Jimi Hendrix.

Before his death in 1970 at the age of just 27,he’d proved that in addition to being an incredible and massively influential guitarist, he was also ahugely charismatic presence.

So, in theory adding him to a film about the counterculture,especially one that was being made in the wake of Easy Rider,should have been arecipe for success –oratthe very least, cult status. However,that’s not quite what happened with the ill-fated movie Rainbow Bridge.

The documentary Jimi Hendrix Experience: Music, Money,Madness in Maui, which kicks off atrio of programmes, looks at the story behind the film.

Rainbow Bridge was produced by Hendrix’s manager Michael Jeffery,who raised the moneyfor the film on the promise that the guitarist would provide the soundtrack.

Understandably,the filmmakers were also keen for him to appear on camera. The plot, if you can call it that, concerns aNew York model who experiences the hippy lifestyle on the island of Maui, Hawaii, where afree Hendrix concert is taking place.

Although Rainbow Bridge would be panned by critics, the consensus is that Hendrix, who really did play a concert in Maui for the cameras, was on great form on stage.

Unfortunately,it turned out to be awindy day,which played havoc with the sound recording. In fact,despite Hendrix and the Experience playing two full 50-minute sets, only 17 minutes of film footage were deemed useable for the movie’s release. Any hopes thatthe guitarist could add ascore later were dashed by Hendrix’s death shortly afterwards.

Despite all that, Rainbow Bridge was released in 1971 to scathing reviews, and remains mainly of interest to

Hendrix completists. But the making of it is much more interesting than what ended up on screen as this eyeopening documentary makes clear

It combines footage of performances by the band with interviews with key players such as Billy Cox, Eddie Kramer,Warner Brothers executives and several Rainbow Bridge cast members, as well as director Chuck Wein.

If that whets your appetite for more Hendrix, it’s followed by Voodoo Child, which takes alook back over his life and career,from his childhood in Seattle, through his spellin the army,tohis early music career,when he backed acts including the Isley Brothers and Little Richard.

It wasn’t long before he was themain attraction, and the documentary takes in his iconic appearancesatMonterery and Woodstock, before his tragic death in Notting Hill in 1970.

His death is also in the spotlight in The Misinvestigations of Romesh Ranganathan. Although Hendrix officially died of died of asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates, rumours of foul play have continued to circulate –the theories have involved everything from amysterious German figure skater to theCIA

Despite his self-confessed lack of detective experience, Ranganathan hopes he can finally get to the bottom of what really happened.

6.00 Breakfast (S). 9.45 MOTD

Live: Fifa World Cup 2022 Tunisia vs Australia. Kick-off is at 10am (S). 12.15 BBC News; Weather (S). 12.30 MOTD Live: The FA Cup King’s Lynn Town vs Stevenage. Kick-off is at 12.45pm (S). 2.45 MOTD Live: The FA Cup Forest Green Rovers vs Alvechurch. Kick-off is at 3pm (S). 5.10 BBC News (S). 5.20 BBC Regional News; Weather (S). 5.30 Pointless Celebrities (S).

6.45 Go Jetters (R) (S). 7.00 Go Jetters (R) (S). 7.10 Hey Duggee (R) (S). 7.20 Hey Duggee (R) (S). 7.30 Shaun The Sheep (R) (S). 7.35 Dennis &Gnasher Unleashed! (R) (S). 7.50 Ninja Express (R) (S). 8.00 The Deep (R) (S). 8.25 Odd Squad (R) (S). 8.35 One Zoo Three (R) (S). 9.00 Newsround (S). 9.05 Nova Jones (R) (S). 9.30 Blue Peter (R) (S).

10.00 Saturday Kitchen Live (S).

11.30 TopOfThe Shop With Tom Kerridge (R) (S). 12.30 Britain’s Secret Seas (R) (S). 1.30 Omar Sharif: Talking Pictures (R) (S). 2.00 FILM: Doctor Zhivago (David Lean 1965) (S). 5.10

Triathlon: World Series Final Highlights (S).

6.00 CITV 9.25 ITV News (S). 9.30 James Martin’s Saturday Morning (S). 11.40 ITV News; Weather (S). 12.00 Fifa World Cup 2022 Poland vs Saudi Arabia. Kick-off is at 1pm (S). 3.05 Fifa World Cup 2022 France vs Denmark. Kick-off is at 4pm (S).

END OF WATCH (BBC1,

11.50pm)

Crime thriller,following officers Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal, pictured) and Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) as they patrol the mean streets. An opening car chase ends in bloodshed and the duo are re-assigned to another partof the city and told mock-seriously “not to kill anybody by the end of the week”. Like Sarge and fellow cops VanHauser, Orozco and Davis, the buddies accept that their beat is riddled with drugs and the killing will never cease. When Brian and Mike uncover atrafficking operation runbya local cartel, they are marked for death.

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (BBC2,

2.00pm)

This epic romantic drama is set during the Russian Revolution and follows Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif), amarried doctor who falls for Lara (Julie

Christie), the beautiful wife of apolitical activist. He’s tornbetween his commitment to his wife and his passion for his mistress. Of course, the path of true love doesn’t runsmooth. Despitebeing mauled by the critics, the film earned 10 Oscar nominations, winning five.

Sport

6.00 The King Of Queens (R) (S). 6.25 The King Of Queens (R) (S). 6.50 The King Of Queens (R) (S). 7.15 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 7.40 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 8.05

Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 8.30 The Simpsons (R) (S).

9.00 The Simpsons (R) (S). 9.25

The Simpsons (R) (S). 9.55 The Simpsons (R) (S). 10.25 The Simpsons (R) (S). 10.55 The Simpsons (R) (S). 11.20 The Simpsons (R) (S). 11.50 Couples

Come Dine With Me (R) (S).

12.50 Four In ABed (R) (S). 3.30

George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces (R) (S). 4.35 Huge Homes

With Hugh Dennis (R) (S). 5.35

Channel 4News (S).

6.00 Milkshake! 10.00

The Smurfs (R) (S). 10.15

SpongeBob SquarePants (S).

10.25 Entertainment News On 5 (S). 10.30 Friends (R) (S).

11.00 Friends (R) (S). 11.30 Friends (R) (S). 12.00 FILM: AGingerbread Christmas (Pat Kiley 2022) Premiere. Romantic drama. starring Tiya Sircar (S). 1.50 FILM: AChristmas Open House (Emily Moss Wilson 2022) (S). 3.40 FILM: Christmas Movie Magic (RobertVaughn 2021) Premiere. Romantic comedy,starring Holly Deveaux (S). 5.30 FILM: One Delicious Christmas (Stacey NHarding 2022) Premiere. Romantic drama, starring Vanessa Marano (S).

6.00 Hope ForWildlife (R) (S). 7.00 Hope ForWildlife (R) (S). 8.00 Futurama (R) (S). 8.30 Futurama (R) (S). 9.00 Futurama (R) (S). 9.30 Futurama (R) (S). 10.00 Futurama (R) (S). 10.30 Soccer AM With John Fendley and Jimmy Bullard. 12.00 The Simpsons (R) (S). 12.30 The Simpsons (R) (S). 1.00 The Simpsons (R). 1.30 The Simpsons (R) (S). 2.00 The Simpsons (R) (S). 2.30 The Simpsons (R) (S). 3.00 The Simpsons (R). 3.30 Big Cats: An Amazing Animal Family (R) (S). 4.30 Big Cats: An Amazing Animal Family (R) (S). 5.30 Legends Of The Pharaohs (R).

6.00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records (S). 6.35 Coronation Street Omnibus (S). 8.30 Love Bites (S). 9.35 Dress To Impress (S). 10.35 Dress To Impress (S). 11.35 I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 12.40 Family Fortunes (S). 1.40

FILM: Johnny English Reborn (Oliver Parker 2011) Spy comedy sequel, starring Rowan Atkinson (S). 3.45 I’m ACelebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! (S). 4.50 FILM: Legally Blonde (RobertLuketic 2001) Comedy,starring Reese Witherspoon (S). 6.45 FILM: Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) Comedy sequel, starring Anna Kendrick (S).

6.00 Bless This House (S). 6.40 Bless This House (S). 7.10

FILM: Man About The House (John Robins 1974) Television comedy spin-off,starring Richard O’Sullivan (S). 8.55 ATouch Of Frost (S). 10.55 ATouch Of Frost (S). 1.00 ITV Racing: Live From Newbury Ed Chamberlin presents coverage of racing from Newbury and Newcastle (S). 4.00 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S). 5.05 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S).

8.55 APlace In The Sun (S). 9.55

APlace In The Sun (S). 11.00

APlace In The Sun (S). 12.00

Location, Location, Location (S). 1.00 Come Dine With Me (S).

1.35 Come Dine With Me (S).

2.05 Come Dine With Me (S).

2.40 Come Dine With Me (S).

3.10 Come Dine With Me (S). 3.40 Four In ABed (S). 4.10 Four In ABed (S). 4.45 Four In ABed (S). 5.15 Four In ABed (S). 5.50 Four In ABed (S).

Me (S).

7.15

7.00 Raiders Of The Lost Past With Janina Ramirez Ayoung explorer who found the world’s oldest city.Last in the series (S).

7.30 FILM: Apollo 11 (2019) Documentaryabout the moon landings (R) (S).

7.00 Midsomer Murders Barnaby and Winter investigate a mysterious club for geniuses (S).

7.25 Come Dine With Me (S). 7.55 Come Dine With Me Triathlete Tula serves up aSpanish-themed menu in Swansea (S).

9.25 FILM: The Equalizer 2 (2018) Action thriller,starring Denzel Washington (S).

9.50 When PopStars Go Horribly Wrong The fall from grace suffered by some top artists (R) (S).

9.00 Señorita 89 The girls trytostick to their version of what happened (S). 9.55 Señorita 89 (S).

9.15 FILM: The Italian Job (2003) Crime thriller remake, starring Mark Wahlberg (R) (S).

9.00 FILM: Wedding Crashers (2005) Comedy,starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn (S).

9.00 Midsomer Murders Aformer supermodel is murdered duringa comic convention (S).

9.00 24 Hours In A&E A woman is brought in after crashing her car into atree (S).

11.45 FILM: The Last Witch Hunter (2015) Fantasy adventure, starring Vin Diesel (S).

11.15 Ever Decreasing Circles Martin’s work space is cut in half (S). 11.50 The Great Game: Iran vs USA (S).

11.20 Resident Alien Harry tries to infiltrate a militarybase (R).

11.25 Family Guy Lois searches for a retirement community for her father (S). 11.55 Family Guy (S).

11.00 Jane Austen’s Sanditon Charlotte and Colbourne reach an understanding(S).

11.10 8Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown Lee Mack and Joe Wilkinson take on Jon Richardson and Jessica Knappett (S).

SIMON SCHAMA’S HISTORYOFNOW

BBC Two, 9.15pm

As well as writing about history,Sir Simon Schama has lived afair bit of it too.

Born in 1945, on the nightofthe bombing of Dresden, Simon grew up as part of ageneration determined to rebuild the world from the ashes of war

In 1956, he wonascholarship to the private Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in Cricklewood before studying history at Christ’s College, Cambridge.

Schama then worked for short periods as alecturer in history at Cambridge, and wrote his first book, Patriots and Liberators, which won the Wolfson History Prize.

In 1980, Schama took up achair at Harvard University, before returning to the UK 20 years later,having been commissioned by the BBCtoproduce a15-part series of TV programmes as part of their Millennium celebrations.

The result was AHistory of Britain, the work for which Simon is probably still best known for Since then, he has made several other acclaimed documentary programmes for the BBC, including Power of Art, The American Future: AHistory,The Story of the Jews, Schama on Rembrandt: Masterpieces of the Late Years, The Face of Britain, Civilisations and The Romantics and Us.

The historian’s latest project is apparently his most personal project to date, as Simon looks back at the dramatic history that has played out in his lifetime.

In the first of three programmes, he reveals the stories of artists and writers who have been at the forefront of the fight for truth and democracy,often at great personal cost.

In December 1936,a young Englishman headed to Spain to join those risking their lives for freedom. His name was Eric Blair,but he was better known as George Orwell. We join his son, Richard Blair,inBarcelona, to tell the story of how acampaign of misinformation waged on the Spanish left by Stalin cost the lives of many of Orwell’s friends and comrades.

The experience fed into the creation of his literary masterpiece, 1984.

As the Cold Warconfrontation between freedom and totalitarian oppression intensified, Simon shows how the most powerful plea for the necessity of afree life came from inside the Soviet Union –inBoris Pasternak’s epic novel Dr

Zhivago.

Pasternak’s grandson Pyotr takes us to his grandfather’s house on the outskirts of Moscow and tells of the risk he took in writing Dr Zhivago.

Simon also meets Nadya Tolokonnikova, founding member of the punk collective Pussy Riot.

Now living in exile, she shares her enduring belief in art’s ability to speak truth to power

Travelling to Prague, Simon explores how artists and writers in Czechoslovakia provided apowerful blueprint for cultural resistance in 1960s and 70s.

Writer Vaclav Havel was jolted into action by the treatment of his friends in the rock band The Plastic People of the Universe.

We meet band members Vratislav Brabenec and Josef Janicek, whose imprisonment inspired Havel to create Charter 77 –amanifesto calling on the government to respect international human rights agreements.

Simon visits Havel’s prison cell and reads from his The Power of the Powerless, abook Nadya Tolokonnikova credits with saving her from despair when she found herself imprisoned in 2012.

Tonight’s programme ends with an encounter with Ai Weiwei, who reveals his deeply personal journey towards becoming one of the world’s most famous dissident artists –and the heavy price he has paid for acareer dedicated to speaking the truth.

6.00 Breakfast (S). 9.00 Sunday

With Laura Kuenssberg (S). 10.00 Politics England (S). 10.30 Homes Under The Hammer (R) (S). 11.00 Bargain Hunt (R) (S). 11.35 Songs Of Praise (S). 12.15 BBC News; Weather (S). 12.30 MOTD Live: Fifa World Cup 2022 Belgium vs Morocco. Kick-off is at 1pm (S). 3.15 BBC News (S). 3.30 BBC Regional News; Weather (S). 3.40 MOTD Live: Fifa World Cup 2022 Croatia vs Canada. Kick-off is at 4pm (S).

6.15 Countryfile (R) (S). 7.00 The Wild Gardener (R) (S).

8.00 Beechgrove Gardens In Winter (S). 8.30 Landward (S). 9.00 This Farming Life (R) (S).

10.00 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites (S). 11.30 MaryBerry’s CountryHouse Secrets (R) (S).

12.30 Recipes That Made Me: Bangladesh (R) (S). 1.00 FILM: School ForScoundrels (Robert Hamer 1960) Comedy,starring Ian Carmichael (S). 2.30 FILM: The Titfield Thunderbolt (Charles Crichton 1953) Ealing comedy, starring Stanley Holloway (S).

3.50 Locomotion: Dan Snow’s HistoryOfRailways (R) (S). 4.50 Flog It! (R) (S). 5.30 This Farming Life (S).

6.00 Emmerdale Victoria is furious with David (S).

Coronation Street Harvey offers Nick cash to buy the bistro (S).

I’m ACelebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Final The winner is announced. Last in the series (S).

Highlights

THE TITFIELD THUNDERBOLT (BBC2, 2.30pm) The inhabitants of asmall English village attempt to save their unprofitable local railway fromclosure by taking it over as apublic company.However, they face opposition from the owners of the local bus company,forcing them to resorttodevious measures. This enjoyable Ealing comedy is all the more welcome nearly 70 years after its release. Stanley Holloway,George Relph and Sid James are among the cast. JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (Channel 4, 11.05pm) Kenneth Branagh directs the fifthmovie in thebig screen Jack Ryan saga. Chris Pine (pictured) takes over from Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck as the CIA analyst who uncovers aRussian plot to crash the US economy with aterrorist attack. Branagh has agreat time as the sinister Viktor Cherevin, but it’s apity Keira Knightley doesn’t have much to do as Ryan’s girlfriend. Good supportcomes from Kevin Costner,and the action scenes by legendarystuntman Vic Armstrong keep things ticking over TV GUIDE 44

Sport

6.20 The King Of Queens (R) (S). 6.45 The King Of Queens (R) (S). 7.10 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 7.35 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 8.00 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 8.30 The Simpsons (R) (S). 9.00 The Simpsons (R) (S). 9.30 Sunday Brunch (S). 12.30 The Simpsons (R) (S). 12.55 The Simpsons (R) (S). 1.20 The Secret Life Of The Zoo (R) (S). 2.25 FILM:

Failure To Launch (Tom Dey 2006) Romantic comedy, with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughey (S). 4.15 Christmas At Holkham Hall (R) (S). 5.15 Channel 4News (S). 5.45 The Andrew Neil Show (S).

The Smurfs (R) (S). 10.15 SpongeBob SquarePants (S). 10.25 Entertainment News On 5 (S). 10.30 NFL End Zone (S). 11.00 Friends (R) (S). 11.30 Friends (R) (S). 12.00

Friends (R) (S). 12.30 Friends (R) (S). 1.00 FILM: AGift Shop Christmas (Jody Margolin Hahn 2021) Premiere. Romantic comedy,starring Mario Lopez (S). 2.50 FILM: AReservation ForChristmas (Deanne Foley 2019) Premiere. Romantic drama, starring Melissa Joan Hart(S). 4.40 FILM: Jingle Bell Princess (Don McBrearty 2021) Premiere. Drama, starring Merritt Patterson (S).

6.00 Croods Family Tree 6.25

Croods Family Tree 6.50 Croods

Family Tree 7.15 Croods Family Tree 7.40 Croods Family Tree 8.05 Hope ForWildlife (R) (S). 9.05 Hope ForWildlife (R) (S). 10.05 The Simpsons (R). 10.30

The Simpsons (R) (S). 11.00

The Simpsons (R) (S). 11.30 The Simpsons (R) (S). 12.00

The Simpsons (R) (S). 12.30 The Simpsons (R) (S). 1.00 UFO (R) (S). 2.00 David Attenborough’s Conquest Of The Skies (R) (S). 3.00 Live Fight Night Mikael Lawal vs Deion Jumah (R).

6.00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records (S). 6.35 Love Bites (S). 7.35 Love Bites (S). 8.25 Dress To Impress (S). 9.25 Dress To Impress (S). 10.25 Dress To Impress (S). 11.25 Celebrity Catchphrase (S). 12.25 Family Fortunes (S). 1.30 In ForAPenny (S). 2.00 I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 3.05 FILM: Flushed Away (David Bowers, Sam Fell 2006) Animated comedy,featuring the voice of Hugh Jackman (S). 4.50 FILM: Legally Blonde 2: Red, White And Blonde (Charles HermanWurmfeld 2003) Comedy sequel, starring Reese Witherspoon (S).

6.00 Bless This House (S). 6.35 Emmerdale Omnibus (S). 9.25

Bless This House (S). 10.00 Bless This House (S). 10.30 A

Touch Of Frost (S). 12.40 Foyle’s War (S). 2.35 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S). 4.50 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S).

8.55 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces (S). 9.55 Ugly House

To Lovely House With George Clarke (S). 11.00 George Clarke’s Old House, New Home (S). 12.00 Come Dine With Me (S). 12.35 Come Dine With Me (S). 1.05 Come Dine With Me (S). 1.40 Come Dine With Me (S). 2.10 Come Dine With Me (S). 2.40 Four In ABed (S). 3.10 Four In ABed (S). 3.45 Four In ABed (S). 4.15 Four In ABed (S). 4.50 Four In ABed (S). 5.20 Come Dine With Me (S). 5.50 Come Dine With Me (S).

7.00 The Magic Roundabout Dougal seeks afour leafed clover (S). 7.05 Rentaghost (S). 7.30 Vision On (S).

10.45

12.10

In

1.10

8.00 David Attenborough’s Global Adventure: The Rise Of Nature The broadcaster explores the rise of life on Earth (R) (S). 9.00 FILM: Senna (2010) Documentaryabout Formula One driver Ayrton Senna (R) (S). 11.00 Italia 90: Four Weeks That Changed The World The latter stages of the tournament. Last in the series. 12.05 Never Mind The Buzzcocks (R) (S). 12.50 The Force: North East (R) (S). 1.55 TheForce: North East (R) (S). 3.00 Nothing To Declare (R) (S). 5.00 The Early Rundown (R). 5.30 The Early Rundown (R).

6.55 FILM: Coyote Ugly (2000) Comedy drama, starring Piper Perabo (S). 9.00 Vera The

7.25 Come Dine With Me Pilot James plans a high-flying menu (S).

twist

8.00 Emergency

detective investigates a suspicious suicide in an army barracks (S).

Vera Aphysiotherapist is murdered at aluxury countryretreat (S).

Christie’s Poirot (S).

BBC RADIO 1 6am Radio 1’s Chillout Anthems. 7.00 AdeleRoberts. 10.00 Radio 1Anthems. 10.30 Newsbeat. 10.32 Radio 1Anthems 11.02 Radio 100s WithNat O’Leary. 1pm Matt AndJamie. 4.00 Radio 1’sLife Hacks. 6.00 TheOfficial Chart: First Look On Radio 1. 7.00 Radio 1’s Chillest Show 9.00 Radio 1’s Indie Show With Jack Saunders. 11.00 BBCIntroducingOn Radio 1. 12mdn’t Radio 1’sFuture Soul WithVictoria Jane. 1.30 Radio 1’s UK R&BMix 2.00 Radio 1’s DecompressionSession. 3.00 Radio 1’sChill Mix. 3.30 Radio 1’s Motivate Me Mix. 4.00 Radio 1Dance 5.00 Radio 1Early Breakfast With Arielle Free. BBC RADIO 2 6am Good MorningSunday 9.00 SteveWright’s Sunday LoveSongs 11.00 TheMichael Ball Show 1pm Elaine Paige On Sunday 3.00 Sounds Of The70s With Johnnie Walker. 5.00 RobBeckett 7.00 Tony Blackburn’s Golden Hour 8.00 Sunday Night Is Music Night. 10.00 Radio 2Unwinds WithAngela Griffin 11.00 Radio 2Unwinds WithAngela Griffin. 12mdn’t OJ Borg. 2.30 One HitWonders With OJ Borg. 3.00 Alternative Sounds Of The 90s With DermotO’Leary. 4.00 EarlyBreakfast Show BBC RADIO 3 7am Breakfast. 9.00 Sunday Morning 12noon Private Passions 1.00 Radio 3Lunchtime Concert. 2.00 The Early Music Show 3.00 Choral Evensong. 4.30 JazzRecordRequests. 5.30 Words And Music. 6.45 SundayFeature: Briggflatts –ANorthernPoetic Odyssey. 7.30 Drama On 3: The Age Of Anxiety 9.10 RecordReview Extra. 11.30 SlowRadio:A Moving Home. 12mdn’t ClassicalFix 12.30 Through The Night. BBC RADIO 4 6am News Headlines. 6.05 SomethingUnderstood. 6.35 On Your Farm 6.57 Weather 7.00 News;Sunday Papers 7.10 Sunday 7.54 Radio 4Appeal 7.57 Weather. 8.00 News; Sunday Papers. 8.10 Sunday Worship 8.48 APoint Of View. 8.58 Tweet Of The Day 9.00 Broadcasting House. 10.00 The Archers. 11.15 DesertIsland Discs. 12noon News. 12.01 (LW) Shipping Forecast 12.04 I’mSorry IHaven’t A Clue. 12.30 TheFood Programme 12.57 Weather. 1.00 The World ThisWeekend. 1.30 FaithInMusic 2.00 Gardeners’ Question Time. 2.45 What Really Happened In The Nineties? 3.00 Drama: Working Titles: Microserfs. 4.00 Open Book. 4.30 ThePoetry Detective 5.00 TheToday Debate 5.40 Profile. 5.54 ShippingForecast 5.57 Weather 6.00 SixO’Clock News. 6.15 Pick Of The Week. 7.00 TheArchers. 7.15 Now You’re Asking With Marian KeyesAnd Tara Flynn 7.45 VoicesIn The Valley 8.00 Feedback. 8.30 Last Word 9.00 MoneyBox. 9.25 Radio 4Appeal. 9.30 Analysis. 10.00 TheWestminster Hour 11.00 Loose Ends 11.30 Something Understood. 12mdn’t News AndWeather 12.15 Sideways. 12.45 Bells On Sunday 12.48 ShippingForecast. 1.00 As BBC WorldService. 5.20 ShippingForecast 5.30 News Briefing 5.43 Prayer ForThe Day. 5.45 FarmingToday. 5.58 Tweet Of The Day BBC RADIO 4EXTRA 6am Feel Free Omnibus. 7.10 InheritanceTracks. 7.20 Maya Angelou: Singin’ And Swingin’ AndGettin’ Merry LikeChristmas Omnibus 8.30 Stilgoe’s Around. 9.00 SomethingToShoutAbout 9.30 Clare In The Community 10.00 DesertIslandDiscs 10.30 Oh No It Isn’t 11.00 TheMoth Radio Hour 11.50 Inheritance Tracks 12noon PoetryExtra. 12.30 Angstrom. 1.00 TheVital Spark:A FarCry From KensingtonOmnibus –PartOne 2.10 Inheritance Tracks 2.20 Holmes AndWatfordOmnibus 3.30 GarethGwynn’s Little Book Of Welsh Rock 4.00 Toytown 5.00 Poetry Extra. 5.30 Angstrom. 6.00 TheFemale Ghost 6.30 Ancient Sorceries. 7.00 The Moth Radio Hour 7.50 InheritanceTracks 8.00 Toytown. 9.00 DesertIsland Discs. 9.30 Oh No It Isn’t 10.00 Comedy Club. 10.00 Comedy Club:Angstrom. 10.30 Comedy Club: Son Of Cliche. 10.55 ComedyClub: The Comedy Club Interview. 11.00 Comedy Club: Detective Sergeant Nick Mohammed 11.30 ComedyClub: At Home With TheSnails. 12mdn’t TheFemale Ghost. 12.30 Ancient Sorceries. 1.00 The VitalSpark: AFar CryFrom Kensington Omnibus– Part One. 2.10 Inheritance Tracks. 2.20 Holmes AndWatford Omnibus. 3.30 Gareth Gwynn’s Little BookOfWelsh Rock. 4.00 Toytown. 5.00 PoetryExtra 5.30 Angstrom. BBC 5LIVE 6am 5LiveScience 7.00 Sunday Breakfast. 9.00 WorldCup 2022 10.00 World Cup 2022 12noon WorldCup 2022 1.00 WorldCup 2022. 3.00 World Cup 2022. 4.00 World Cup 2022. 6.00 World Cup 2022. 7.00 World Cup 2022 9.00 WorldCup 2022 10.00 Stephen Nolan 12mdn’t MomentOfTruth 12.45 If BlackburnSignedZidane. 12.55 5Minutes On 1.00 Dotun Adebayo. 5.00 Wake Up To Money BBC 6MUSIC 6am Amy Lamé. 8.00 Stuart Maconie. 10.00 Cerys Matthews 1pm The First Time With. 2.00 Guy Garvey’sFinestHour 4.00 Iggy Pop. 6.00 NowPlaying @6Music 8.00 StuartMaconie’s Freak Zone. 10.00 Don Letts’ CultureClash Radio 12mdn’t TheHuey Show Presents The HipHop Mixtape. 1.00 6Music’s Rave Forever. 2.00 Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour. 4.00 The BBC IntroducingMixtape. 5.00 Chris Hawkins. CLASSIC FM 7am Aled Jones. 10.00 Zeb Soanes. 1pm Catherine Bott 4.00 John Humphrys. 7.00 Smooth Classics At Seven. 9.00 Mo raStuartMeets–RanulphFiennes 10.00 Smooth Classics. 1am BillOverton. 4.00 Early Breakfast. ABSOLUTE RADIO 8am Jason Manford. 11.00 SarahChampion. 2pm Emil Franchi. 6.00 Request Show WithClaireSturgess. 8.00 SundayNight Music Club 12mdn’t EmilFranchi. November27 BELGIUM V MOROCCO BBC One, 12.30pm Coverage of both sides’ second Group F fixture. SUNDAY 45

TRAILBLAZERS: AROCKYMOUNTAIN ROAD TRIP

BBC Two, 9.00pm

Did you watch the most recent episode of Celebrity Gogglebox?

If so, you may have spotted that Melanie Brown was paired up with Ruby Wax. Many viewers thought it was an odd duo and couldn’t figure out how they had become friends. However,all is about to be revealed.

The former Spice Girl and the comedian-turned-mental health crusader got to know each other while taking part in Trailblazers: ARocky Mountain Road Trip, part of anew raft of factual programmes from the BBCheading our way Joining them on their adventure is comedian, presenter and actor Emily Atack.

“Factual entertainment at the BBCis in fantastic shape with an inspirational, distinctive slate of programming that speaks to the broadest possible audience,” says Catherine Catton, the broadcaster’s head of commissioning, popular factual and factual entertainment.

“Asweemerge from the pandemic and are able to start travelling again, I’m delighted that we’re setting off to the Rocky Mountains with the brilliant Ruby Wax, Melanie Brown and Emily Atack in arevealing new travel series.”

The three-part programme isn’t your regular celebrity driven travelogue, in which apresenterismerely chauffeured around various well-known sites. Instead, the trio –who have all enjoyed hugely successful careers are following in the footsteps of another female pioneer Isabella Bird is now largely forgotten, but her exploits should not be. Born in Boroughbridge in 1831, she was regarded as frail due to aspinal problem, headaches and insomnia. She also never went to school, but was taught at home by her clergyman father.After having a tumour removed, doctors suggested asea voyage might be beneficial, so Bird made her first journey to the US in 1856; she wrote about her adventure in the book An Englishwoman in America.

After that, there was no stopping her.She undertook

journeys to Australia, Hawaii (then known as the Sandwich Islands) and various places across Asia. But it was a second visit to the States in the 1870s thatinterests fellow Yorkshirewoman Mel Band her co-travellers.

Bird spent time in Colorado, hitting the headlines while there with her decision not to ride side-saddle, but facing forwards like aman (she threatenedtosue The Times for suggesting she dressed like one too). The letters she sent home to her sister became the basis for her most famous book, ALady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains.

It’s that tomethat acts as aguide to Melanie, Ruby and Emily when they arrive in Cheyenne, just north of the Colorado border.They immediately immerse themselves in the Wild West lifestyle while trying to emulate Bird’s superb horse riding skills. However,asRuby hasn’t ridden since an accident some years ago and Emily’s never been on ahorse before, it seems unlikely they’re going to be much good at wrangling cattle.

Undaunted, they head off further into themountains their heroine described as “exceeding all my dreams”, where they hearabout Mountain Jim, aone-eyed outlaw Bird once met before settling down to tell stories arounda campfire –it’s certainly afar cry from watching TV

6.00 Breakfast (S). 9.15 Morning Live (S). 10.00 ExpertWitness (S). 10.30 Claimed And Shamed (R) (S). 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) (S). 12.00 BBC News; Weather (S). 12.30 BBC Regional News; Weather (S). 12.45 MOTD Live: Fifa World Cup 2022 South Korea vs Ghana. Kick-off is at 1pm (S). 3.15 Escape To The Country (R) (S). 3.45 The Bidding Room (R) (S). 4.30 The Repair Shop (R) (S). 5.15 Pointless (R) (S).

6.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) (S). 7.15 Bargain Hunt (R) (S). 8.00 Sign Zone: MasterChef: The Professionals (R) (S). 9.00 BBC News (S). 10.00 BBC News (S). 12.00 Bargain Hunt (R) (S).

12.45 Politics Live (S). 1.30

The AToZOfTVCooking (R) (S). 1.45 Eggheads (R) (S). 2.15 Eggheads (R) (S). 2.45 Fish Town (R) (S). 3.15 The Great British Sewing Bee (R) (S). 4.15

Locomotion: Dan Snow’s History Of Railways (R) (S). 5.15 Flog It! (S).

6.00 Good Morning Britain (S). 9.00 Fifa World Cup 2022 Cameroon vs Serbia. Kick-off is at 10am (S). 12.30 Loose Women (S). 1.30 ITV News; Weather (S). 1.55 ITV Regional News; Weather (S). 2.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal (R) (S). 3.00 Fifa World Cup 2022 Brazil vs Switzerland. Kickoff is at 4pm (S).

THE WIFE (BBC2, 11.15pm)

3rd

draw (S).

of

Mastermind (S). 8.00 Only Connect Mothers Ruined take on the Cryptics (S). 8.30 University Challenge RobertGordon takes on Roehampton (S). 9.00 Trailblazers: ARocky Mountain Road Trip (S). 10.00 Motherland Julia, Liz and Meg accompany their kids on aschool trip (R) (S). 10.30 Newsnight (S). 11.15 FILM: The Wife (2017) Drama, starring Glenn Close (S).

Simon Schama’s History Of Now (R) (S). 1.50 Sign Zone: Countryfile (R) (S). 2.35 Sign Zone: The Secret Genius Of ModernLife (R) (S). 3.35 This Is BBC Two (S).

6.10 Fifa World Cup 2022 Portugal vs Uruguay Kick-off is at 7pm (S). 9.15 Coronation Street Nick contemplates using Sam’s inheritance to fund the bistro’s repairs (S). 10.15 ITV News; Weather (S). 10.45 ITV Regional News; Weather (S). 11.05 Peston Political magazine show,hosted by RobertPeston(S). 12.00 DNA Journey (R) (S). 1.15 Shop: Ideal World 3.00 Cooking With The Stars (R) (S). 3.50 Unwind With ITV1 (S). 5.00 The Cube (R) (S).

In 1992 Connecticut, celebrated writer Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce, pictured) receives atelephone call to confirm he has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Joe’s wife Joan (Glenn Close) celebrates with her spouse yet there is unspoken tension. The Castlemans travel to Sweden on Concorde and, mid-flight, they are pestered by muck-raking journalist Nathaniel Bone (Christian Slater). He is keen to pen abiography on Joe and hopes that he can get to his unwilling subject via Joan.

FANNY LYEDELIVER’D

(Film4, 11.20pm)

Premiere. On an isolated Shropshire farm, during Oliver Cromwell’s reign, Fanny Lye, ahardworking farmer’s wife, learns how

to transcend her oppressive marriage to a brutal Puritan ex-soldier.She also discovers anew world of possibility.Writer/Director Thomas Clay’s drama, starring Maxine Peake, Charles Dance, Freddie Fox, Tanya Reynolds and Zak Adams.

Sport 6.05 Countdown (R) (S). 6.45 Cheers (R) (S). 7.10 Cheers (R) (S). 7.35 Everybody

Loves Raymond (R) (S). 8.00

Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) (S). 11.25 Channel

4News Summary (S). 11.30

Chateau DIY (R) (S). 12.30

Steph’s Packed Lunch (S). 2.10

Countdown (S). 3.00 APlace In The Sun (R) (S). 4.00 Sun, Sea And Selling Houses (R) (S). 5.00

Four In ABed (R) (S). 5.30 Come Dine With Me (R) (S).

6.00 The Simpsons The family goes on holiday to Niagara Falls (S).

6.30 Hollyoaks (R) (S).

7.00 Channel 4News (S). 8.00 Secrets Of The Middle Aisle Part one of two. The strategies behind “bargain” aisles of supermarkets (S). 9.00 24 Hours In Police Custody New series. A devastating high-speed crash that followed an apparentbreak-in (S). 10.00 Secrets Of Playboy New series. Documentaryexploring the complex world of the men’s lifestyle brand (S). 11.00 Moors Murders: The Witness Analysis of never-before-seen prison letters from Ian Brady and Myra Hindley (R) (S).

6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine (S). 12.30 Bargain-Loving Brits In The Sun (R) (S). 1.25

5News At Lunchtime (S). 1.30

FILM: The Christmas Radio (Jeff Beesley 2019) Premiere.

Romantic drama, starring Keshia Knight Pulliam (S). 3.15 FILM: Christmas On The Lake (Stacey Brodie 2021) Premiere. Festive drama, starring Katee Sackhoff (S). 5.00 5News At 5 (S).

AndPosy (R)(S).

7.00 Great American Railroad Journeys (S). 7.30 Canal Boat Diaries Robbie Cumming navigates the River Severn(S).

8.00 What We Were Watching: Song And Dance Spectaculars (S). 9.00 The Real Doctor Zhivago Documentary tracing the revolutionary beginnings of Boris Pasternak’s novel (S). 10.00 FILM: Doctor Zhivago (1965) Epic drama, starring Omar Sharif and Julie Christie (S). 1.05 Great American Railroad Journeys (S). 1.35 Canal Boat Diaries (S). 2.05 What We Were Watching: Song AndDance Spectaculars (S). 3.05 Close

6.00 The Early Rundown (R). 6.30 The Early Rundown (R). 7.00 Kay Burley (R). 7.30 Kay Burley (R). 8.00 Hope For Wildlife (R) (S). 9.00 Nothing To Declare (R) (S). 9.30 Nothing To Declare (R) (S). 10.00 Supergirl (R) (S). 11.00 NCIS: New Orleans (R) (S). 12.00 NCIS: New Orleans (R) (S). 1.00 Hawaii Five-0 (R) (S). 2.00 S.W.A.T (R) (S). 3.00 Dogs: An Amazing Animal Family (R) (S). 4.00 Will &Grace (R) (S). 4.30 Will &Grace (R) (S). 5.00 The Simpsons (R) (S). 5.30 Futurama (R) (S).

6.00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records (S). 6.35 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records (S). 7.00 The Cabins (S). 8.00 Love Bites (S). 9.00 Love Bites (S). 10.00 Dress To Impress (S). 11.00 Dress To Impress (S). 12.00 I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Final 1.40 In ForAPenny (S). 2.05 Supermarket Sweep (S). 3.05 One Tree Hill (S). 4.00 HartOfDixie (S). 5.00 I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Final (S).

6.00 Futurama Part two of four.Bender is inducted into the League of Robots (R) (S). 6.30 The Simpsons (R) (S). 8.00 Bob’s Burgers Tina is asked to look into a secret craze that has swept the school (S). 8.30 Bob’s Burgers (S). 9.00 Ekin-Su &Davide: Homecomings Part one of two. The Love Island winners go to Italy and Turkey (S).

8.00 David Attenborough’s Conquest Of The Skies Creatures that dominate today’s skies (R) (S) 9.00The Great Debate Trevor Phillips hosts the live discussion programme. 10.00 Royal Mob Docudrama about Queen Victoria’s four favourite granddaughters. Last in the series (S).

11.00 The Russell Howard Hour Topical comedy and entertainment show (R). 11.45 Sex And The City (R) (S).

10.00 Olivia Attwood: Getting Filthy Rich Exploring the world of selling sex online, beginning with OnlyFans (S). 11.00 Family Guy Brian dates ablind girl (S). 11.30 Family Guy (S). 11.55 American Dad! Roger and Stan witness a grisly accident (S).

American Dad! (S). 12.55 TheStand Up Sketch Show (S). 1.25 The StandUpSketch Show (S). 1.55 The

6.00 Classic Coronation Street (S). 6.35 Classic Emmerdale (S). 7.00 Classic Emmerdale (S). 8.05 Bless This House (S). 8.35 Bless This House (S). 9.10 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S). 11.30 Heartbeat (S). 12.35 Heartbeat (S). 1.40 Classic Emmerdale (S). 2.15 Classic Emmerdale (S). 2.50 Classic Coronation Street (S). 3.25 Classic Coronation Street (S). 3.50 ATouch Of Frost (S).

Heartbeat Anew bobby arrives (S).

6.55 Escape To The Chateau Dick and Angel harvest their pumpkins in the autumn (S).

Highclere: Behind The Scenes New series. Documentaryproviding access to the real-life Downton Abbey (S).

Deck The Halls: The LuxuryChristmas Decorators (S).

24 Hours In A&E A man who fell out of bed is suspected of having astroke (S).

Rescue: Extreme Medics (S). 1.15 8Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (S). 2.15 24 Hours In A&E (S). 3.20 Food Unwrapped (S). 3.50 Close

FM 6am More Music Breakfast 9.00 Alexander Armstrong 12noon Anne-Marie Minhall. 4.00 John Brunning 7.00 Smooth ClassicsAtSeven. 10.00 Smooth Classics. Myleene Klasspresents aselection of music for thelate evening. 1am BillOverton. 4.00 Early Breakfast.

ABSOLUTE RADIO

BBC RADIO 1 6.57am Newsbeat. 7.00 Radio 1BreakfastWithGreg James. 10.30 Newsbeat. 10.32 Rickie,Melvin And Charlie 12.45pm Newsbeat 1.00 DeanAnd Vicky 3.30 Newsbeat 3.32 Going Home With Jordan And Katie. 5.45 Newsbeat 6.00 Radio 1’s Future Sounds With Clara Amfo 7.00 Radio 1’sHottest RecordsOf The Week. 8.00 Radio 1’s Future Artists With Jack Saunders. 10.00 Radio 1’sPower Down Playlist With Sian Eleri. 11.00 Rock Show With Daniel PCarter 1am BBC Introducing Rock On Radio 1With Alyx Holcombe. 2.00 Radio 1’s Future Alternative. 3.00 Radio 1’sWorkout Anthems. 4.00 Radio 1Dance. 5.00 Radio 1Early Breakfast With ArielleFree BBC RADIO 2 6.30am The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show 9.30 KenBruce 12noon Jeremy Vine. 2.00 Scott Mills. 4.00 SaraCox 6.30 SaraCox’sHalf Wower 7.00 Jo Whiley’sShiny HappyPlaylist. Jo plays her favourite album tracks and musical gems rarely heard on Radio 2. 7.30 Jo Whiley. Musicand chat. 9.00 The Blues Show WithCerys Matthews.New andclassicblues tracks. 10.00 Trevor Nelson’s Magnificent 7. 10.30 Trevor Nelson’s Rhythm Nation. 12mdn’t OJ Borg 3.00 IWill Always Love You: The BodyguardAt30. 4.00 Early Breakfast Show BBC RADIO 3 6.30am Breakfast. 9.00 Essential Classics. 12noon Composer Of The Week: Chopin. 1.00 Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert. 2.00 Afternoon Concert. 4.30 NewGeneration Artists. 5.00 In Tune 7.00 In Tune Mixtape. 7.30 Radio 3InConcert. OrchestreNational de France playsMendelssohn, Bizetand Respighi. 9.00 UltimateCalm. Aselection of soothing music inspiredbythe body 10.00 MusicMatters. 10.45 The Essay: Listen Harder 11.00 Night Tracks. 12.30am Through The Night BBC RADIO 4 6am Today 9.00 Start The Week. 9.45 (LW) Daily Service 9.45 (FM)Book Of TheWeek:How To Stand Up To ADictator. 10.00 Woman’sHour 11.00 The Untold. 11.30 Michael Morpurgo’s Folk Journeys. 12noon News 12.01 (LW) ShippingForecast. 12.04 YouAnd Yours. 12.57 Weather. 1.00 TheWorld At One. 1.45 Understand: TheEconomy. 2.00 The Archers. 2.15 Drama: TheOtherTchaikovsky 3.00 Nature Table 3.30 TheFood Programme. 4.00 The Norwegian Hancock. 4.30 BadBlood: The Story Of Eugenics 5.00 PM. 5.54 (LW) ShippingForecast. 5.57 Weather 6.00 Six O’Clock News. 6.30 I’m Sorry IHaven’t AClue. 7.00 TheArchers 7.15 Front Row. Arts programme 8.00 The NewAge Of Autarky? 8.30 Crossing Continents. 9.00 WhenReality Breaks: Demystifying Paranoid Schizophrenia 9.30 Start TheWeek. 10.00 TheWorld Tonight. 10.45 Book At Bedtime:BeautifulWorld, Where Are You. 11.00 The WitchFarm. 11.30 TodayIn Parliament. 12mdn’t NewsAnd Weather 12.30 BookOfThe Week: How To Stand Up To ADictator 12.48 Shipping Forecast. 1.00 As BBC World Service. 5.20 Shipping Forecast. 5.30 News Briefing. 5.43 Prayer ForThe Day 5.45 Farming Today 5.58 Tweet Of The Day BBC RADIO 4EXTRA 6am High Table,Lower Orders 6.30 Bulldog Drummond. 7.00 Dot. 7.30 I’m SorryIHaven’t AClue 8.00 Round The Horne 8.30 Anything Legal 9.00 Dilemma 9.30 RomanticFriction. 10.00 ThePilgrim’s Progress. 11.00 TED Radio Hour 11.50 Inheritance Tracks. 12noon Round The Horne. 12.30 Anything Legal 1.00 HighTable, Lower Orders. 1.30 Bulldog Drummond 2.00 PackingMyLibrary. 2.15 Ordinary Heroes. 2.30 Ancient Ways With Bettany Hughes. 3.00 The Pilgrim’s Progress. 4.00 Dilemma 4.30 Romantic Friction. 5.00 Dot. 5.30 I’m SorryIHaven’t AClue 6.00 Psycho. 6.15 TheHaunting Of Hill House. 6.30 AGood Read. 7.00 RoundThe Horne. 7.30 Anything Legal. 8.00 High Table, Lower Orders. 8.30 Bulldog Drummond. 9.00 TEDRadioHour 9.50 Inheritance Tracks. 10.00 ComedyClub 10.00 Comedy Club: I’m SorryIHaven’t AClue 10.30 Comedy Club:Dave Podmore’s WorldOfCricket. 11.00 Comedy Club:The Now Show 11.30 ComedyClub: Sorry AboutLast Night. 12mdn’t Psycho. 12.15 The HauntingOfHill House. 12.30 AGood Read. 1.00 High Table, Lower Orders 1.30 Bulldog Drummond. 2.00 Packing My Library. 2.15 OrdinaryHeroes. 2.30 Ancient Ways WithBettany Hughes 3.00 ThePilgrim’s Progress 4.00 Dilemma. 4.30 RomanticFriction. 5.00 Dot. 5.30 I’m SorryIHaven’t AClue. BBC 5LIVE 6am 5LiveBreakfast. 9.00 WorldCup 2022. 10.00 World Cup 2022. 12noon World Cup 2022. 1.00 World Cup 2022. 3.00 World Cup 2022 4.00 WorldCup 2022 6.00 WorldCup 2022. 7.00 World Cup 2022. Portugal vs Uruguay.Kick-off is at 7pm 9.00 World Cup 2022 10.00 Colin Murray 1am Dotun Adebayo 5.00 Wake Up To Money BBC 6MUSIC 7.30am Lauren Laverne. 10.30 MaryAnne Hobbs 1pm Craig Charles. 4.00 SteveLamacq. 7.00 Marc Riley 9.00 Gideon Coe 12mdn’t In Their Own Words: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. 1.00 John LennonAt The BBC. 3.00 IHope We Passed The Audition 4.00 The John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Playlist. 5.00 Chris Hawkins.

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EVANS

Gerald Edward

Mrs Ann Evans andthe Family of the late Mr Gerald Evans wish to thank everyone for the cards and kind messages received at thissad time, and for your attendance at his Funeral Service.

Thank you to The Revd. Mark Daborn for leading the Service, to all at Brown Clee Medical Practice for your care, and to Steve and all at The Down Inn for your hospitality afterwards.

BROWN Sandra

Previously Jennison nee Brown

On November 8, 2022, peacefully in Hospital at Telford, in the presenceof her Family,Sandra Brown, of Cartway,Bridgnorth,aged 80 years.

The devoted Mother of Mark, Sam and Gemma, Mother-in-law of Belinda, the dear Nanny of Josie, Daisy, Ollie, Robyn, Evie and Rudy, Great-Nanny of Oscar,Belle and Emmie, and Sister of John.

Much loved, Sandra will be sadly missed by all her Family and Friends.

ACivil Funeral Servicewill be conducted at Telford Crematorium, TF2 9NJ on Wednesday,November 30 at 4.30pm.

No mourningdress, please wear an item of bright clothing to reflect Sandras’ bright personality

Apost Funeral reception, to be hosted at Cafe Zero, Faraday Drive, Bridgnorth, will follow the Funeral Service.

Fa mily flowers only by request please but donations,which are to be dividedbetweenDiabetes U.K. and The British Heart Fo und atio na re bei ng gratefully received, for which purpose acollection boxwillbeprovided at the Church, or online at www.perr yand philli ps funerals.com

All inquiries to

SHAKESPEARE

Cherry

Passed away peacefully on November 3, 2022, aged 81 years, formerlyofMarket Drayton.

Beloved Wife of the late Clive. Dear Mum of Peter, Steve and Patand aloving Nan and Great-Nan.

Funeral Service 11.30am on Wednesday,November 30, 2022 at Christ Church Little Drayton followed by Interment in the Cemetery.

Family flowers only but donations if so desired to be divided between the Midlands Air Ambulance and Severn Hospice for which purpose acollection plate will be provided in Church.

All inquiries please to

WARD Marjorie (Marj)

On Oc tober 29, 202 2, peacefully in her sleep, at her home, MarjorieWard, of Ash Street, Highley, Nr Bridgnorth, aged 96 years.

The beloved Wife of Dan, the loving Mother of Rogerand Adrian, Mother-in-law of Paula and Tracy and avery dear Nan, Great-Nan, Sister and Aunt.

Muchloved, Marjoriewill be sadly missed by all her Family and Friends.

Fu ner al Ser vic ea nd Interment at The Parish Church of St. Mary, Highley, on Friday,November25, at 1pm.

Fa mily flowers only by request please but donations for Esme’s Umbrella (a Charity to raise awa ren ess of Ch arl es Bonnet Syndrome) are being gratefully received, for which purpose acollection boxwill be provided at the Church, or onlineatwww.perryand phillipsfunerals.com

SMITH

Derek George

On November 8, 2022, peacefully at his home in Highley,inthe presence of his Family,Derek Smith, aged 85 years.

The loving Dad of Sallyann and Louise,dear Father in-law of Tim and Dave, and aspecial Grandad of Nicola, Danny,Grace, Tomand Molly

Much loved, Derek will be sadly missed by all his Family and Friends.

Funeral Ser vice at the Wyre Forest Crematorium, StourportonSevern, DY13 8DE on Wednesday, December 7at11.30am.

Family flowers only by request please but donations for Highley First Responders for which purpose acollection box willbeprovided at the Crematorium, or online at www.perr yand philli ps funerals.com

Forthose unable to attend the Funeral Service, you are more than welcome to attend the post Funeral Reception.

All inquiries to Mr J. C. Adams

All inquiries to

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NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS

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What is VolvoEX90going up against?

TEDWELFORD PressAssociation

TheVolvo XC90 hasbecome oneofthe most popularlarge SUVs around,gaining arep utationfor outstand ingsafety, vast interior spaceand impressive levels of comfort.

Butthe time hascome to move it into thefuture, with theEX90 ar riving as theelectricreplacement forthislarge SUV.

Though notset to arrive in the UK untilearly 2024, it will go up againstsometough competition. Let’ssee what it lookslike.

BMWiX

BMWnow hasatrioofelectric SUVs that buyers canchoose, but it’s theiXthatactsasthe flagship –and adirectcompetitortothe EX90.Thoughthere’s no seven-seat option,thisBMW offers outstand ingdriving dynamics andasublime interior that is oneofthe brand’s best yet. Achoiceofpowertrainsare availableonthe iX,too.Ifrange is important, the‘xDrive50’offersup to 380miles on acharge, whichis slightlyabove that of theBMW.A sporty ‘M60’version sits at thetop of therange,serving up aremarka ble616bhp.

Audi Q8 e-tron

TheAudie-tronarrived as the brand’s firstEV, andthe German firm hasrecentlyrenamed it to the Q8 e-tron, reflecting itsposition as itsrange-topping electric SUV. At thesametime, Audi hasalso fit tedupgradedbatteries,meaning themodel cannow travel up to 343 miles on acharge.

Like theBMW iX,it’sonlyavail able as a five-seater, andisn’t as largeasthe EX90

Butits combination of quality, refinement andtechnologymakes it oneofthe best electric SUVs on the market

Ordersopenfor newPeugeot 408

Peugeothas announced that itsnew 408fastback is nowavailable to order, with prices starting from £31,050.

The408,which brings asharp newdesignwith SUV-influenced styling, slotsbetween the308 and 508inthe Peugeotline-up Whilethe manufacturer previously announced the FirstEdition trim,Peu geotisnow openinguporders forthe full selection.

Theengineline-up consistsofa 128bhp 1.2-litre turbocharged petroland twoplug-inhybridmod els–the latter twousing aturbocharged 1.6-litre petrolengine paired with an electric motor, with outputsof178bhpand 222bhp on offer.

Peugeotsaysthese cantravelfor up to 40 milesonacharge, andare there fore placed in an 8% Benefit-in-Kind bracket forcompany cartax users.

The408 rangestartsfrom£31,050 with theAlluretrim, with standard equipment including17-inch alloy wheels, LEDheadlights with high beam assist plus anew touchscreen anddigital instrument cluster, both measuring10inches.

Up next is theAllurePremium model,which adds 19-inchalloy wheels, keylessentry plus adaptive cruise con-

Range Rover

Whilethe RangeRover mighthave traditionallysat in theclassabove theXC90, theexpected priceofthe EX90putsitclose to this latest generationofRange Rover

Admittedly thereisnoelectric RangeRover on offeryet,but one is duein2024, andmay arrive soon afterthe EX90.Offeringoutstandingbuild quality, theRange Rover is thebestit’sever been

LexusRX

Tesla Model X

TheModel Xwas the firsttrueelec tric SUV, andthoughitmightbe theModel 3and ModelYthatgrab thelimelightthese days,the Xis certainlyworth alook. Forstarters, it’s oneoffew seven-seatSUVson themarket–until theEX90arrives anyway –and it’s packed with cool touches, notleast its‘Falcon’rear doorsthatopenupwards

Theinterior is dominatedbya main centraltouchscreen,while thereare vast levels of interior space on offer. There’scurrently quiteawaitfor theupdated Model Xtobebrought to theUK, however

Mercedes EQSSUV

Mercedes’‘EQ’line-up of EVsis growingatquite arate, andthe latestadditionisthe EQSSUV

It will actasthe brand’s electric flagship.

It’s priced accordingly, too, with models starting from asteep £129,000

Itsinterioraimstooffer amore luxuriousfeelthanother electric SUVs on themarket, whileyou can getitwithanoptionofa ‘Hyper screen’, whichabsolutelydominates thecabin

Arange of up to 365miles is providedwiththe EQSSUV

Whilethe LexusRXwon’t appeal to those fixatedonhavinganEV, this SUVissoldpurelywithelectrified powertrains, with achoice of self-chargingand plug-inhybrids available. Whilethe RX mightnot be as sporty as otherlarge SUVs on themarket,its focusonquality, comfort and refinement areclosely alignedtoVolvo’s.First deliver iesofthisnew generation of SUV aren’t expected until2023.

Jaguar I-Pace

Though theI-Paceisn’t as pricey or as practical as the EX90,if space isn’ta priority, this electric SUVis worth alook. It wasJaguar’s first electric car, andwhile you mightexpect it to be showing its age, it’s still more than able to hold itsown.The I-Pacelooks thepart, is greatto drive, andisroomy fora five-seater. Its 292-mile claimed electric range is notthatfar behind newerrivals.

trol, andcomesinfrom£32,175.For a sportier look,the GT brings revised 19-inchalloy wheels andaredesigned grille, alongwitha heated steering wheeland ambientinterior lighting

TheGTstartsfrom£34,650.

At thetop ofthe range, theFirst Editionisavailable exclusivelywitha 222bhp hybrid powertrain,withprices starting from £45,000as aresult.

Additional equipment on topofthe GT includes 20-inchalloy wheels plus electric andmassaging frontseats

ThePeugeot408 canbeordered on line viathe firm’s website or at one of thebrand’s dealers, with firstdeliver iesexpected at thestart of 2023

MOTS • REPAIRS

01746 764200

StanleyLane, Bridgnorth. WV16 4SF

2017(17)Mercedes-BenzCClassC63Premium2drAuto

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2019(19)MitsubishiL2002.4DI-D178Titan4WD

Grey,Diesel,Manual,33,432miles £20,995+VAT

2020(70)FordPuma1.0EcoBoostHybridMHEVST-Line5dr

White,Petrol,Manual,17,841miles £20,650

2020(69)NissanJuke1.0DiG-TTekna5drDCT

Red,Petrol,S-Auto,7,953miles £20,495

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Blue,Diesel,Manual,27,313miles £17,995

2016(66)BMWX3xDrive20dSE5drStepAuto

Black,Diesel,Auto,47,785miles £17,950

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Silver,Petrol,Manual,33,158miles £16,995

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Red,Petrol,Auto,38,560miles £16,995

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Silver,Petrol,Manual,28,382miles £16,295

2015(65)Mercedes-BenzGlaGLA200CDIAMGLine5dr. £15,795

2016(66)AudiA42.0TdiS-lineAvant(190)

Grey,Diesel,Manual,33,134milesBlue,Diesel,Manual,71,167miles £15,895

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Grey,Diesel,Auto,49,516miles £14,495

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2015(65)AudiA4Allroad2.0TDI190QuattroSport5dr Blue,Diesel,Manual,82,993miles £13,795

2018(68)VolvoV40T2MomentumNavPlus5dr Silver,Petrol,Manual,31,331miles £13,495

2017(17)FordEcosport1.5Zetec5drPowershift £12,495

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2017(67)FordMondeo2.0TDCiTitanium5dr PowershiftWhite,Diesel,Auto,111,704miles £9,595

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3drWhite,Diesel,Manual,78,327miles. £5,995

Smallchanges arekey to Corolla’scontinued success

BILLMcCARTHY

Estate cars or tour ershaveevolvedfrom largebargestothe sleekand stylish.

They marrycoupe-likestyling, with littlecompromiseon interior space, with eye-catch ingprofiles.

Recently upgraded,itseems hard to believeCorolla has been around since1966and has been thebest-sellingcar in the world

So incrementalchangehas been thekey to itssuccess

It nowfeaturesthe newToy otaSmart Connect+ multimediasystem, newtrims, colours andaspecial newversion of the CorollaTrekTouring Sports, a pumped-upmoremuscular ver sion of theestate.

It looksgood with aswoop ing, coupe-likeprofile andlarge lowset grillecomplementedby slim headlightclusters. The rear features amoresteeply rakedrearscreenand on this model, twin exhaustpipes

Theinterior features the upgraded ToyotaSmart Connect+which provides much faster response andprovides new functionsand operates 2.4 timesfasterthanthe previous system

It is operated viathe eightinch centraltouchscreen to give instantaccess to aseries of smartconnected services, in cludingcloud-basednavigation with continuous,“always on” trafficinformation

The“HeyToyota” voicecon trolrequestscan operatethe multimedia andnavigation.

Software updatesare made seamlessly over theair,and easy smartphoneintegration

is provided viaApple CarPlay, with wireless connection,and AndroidAutobyconnector

Allspecs come with auto maticrearcamera, LEDheadlights,heated frontseats with thisrange-topperall kindsof bellsand whistles like 18-inch alloywheelsBi-LEDheadlights andpart-leatherseatuphol stery. Thesoft-touch finish, satinchrome trim andpiano black finish give thecar apre mium feel andisacomfortable placetobe.

Boot capacity is 581litres with theseats in place, which expandsdramaticallyintrue estate fashionwiththe rear seatsfolded.

Theone-touch remote lever foldsthe rear seatstocreatea fully flat floor, whilesidewall storagepocketsbehindthe rear wheelhousingsadd extra ca pacity

Expertsin hybrid technologywiththe introductionof thePrius, thetwo-litre petrol

engine/electricmotor hybrid set-up deliversgoodpaceand economydelivered viaa CVT transmission.

Engine andmotor combineto deliver180bhp, whichpropels thecar to 60mphin around eightseconds with claimed economyofbetween 50 and 60mpg.

Ride andhandlingare good forabig car, with theride firm feelingcomposedand capable of dealingcomfortably with all butthe worst surfaces

Toyotahas stuckwith self-charginghybrids,which meansthere is no need to wor ry over findingchargingpoints. They complementother plug in andfullelectricmodelswith allofferingthe benefitoflower taxation andbenefit-in-kind taxation

AllToyotas provideextensive safety kitand theCorolla of fers driver andfront passenger frontand side airbags,driver’s knee airbags andfull-length

curtainshieldairbags.Other features includePre-Collision System,adaptive cruise control, lane departurewarning andRoadSignAssist, which recognises road signsand commandsand showsthemonthe centraldisplay

FACTFILE

TOYOTA COROLLASPORTS

TOURER EXCEL2.0 HYBRID

Price: £36,260

Mechanical: 180bhp,1,987cc, 4-cylinderpetrol engine and electric motor driving front wheels viaa CVTautomatic gearbox

Maxspeed: 112mph

0-62mph: 8.1seconds

Combined mpg: 50-53

CO2emissions:118g/km

Warranty: 5yrs/100,000 miles

Porscheaddstoits 718range

Porschehas introduced astrik ingnew StyleEdition to its718 Cayman andBoxster models

Setapart from therestof therange throughits Rubystar Neoexterior colour –which harksbacktothe 964-genera tion 911Carrera RS –the Style Editionincorporates20-inch glossblack alloywheelsand blacksport tailpipes. ThePor sche name is emblazoned at the back in high-gloss silver, too.

On theconvertible718 Boxster StyleEdition,the Boxster letteringisembossedabove the side windows

Buyersoptingfor the718 StyleEdition canchoosefrom oneoftwo no-costpackages onewhite andone black. Both featuredecorative stripes on

Allcarscome with an up graded level of standard equipment,too,including Bi-Xenon headlights with LEDdaytime runninglights, AppleCarPlay andcruise control.

Dual-zone climatecontrolis included as standard too, as is aheated multifunction steering wheel.

TheStyle Editionisbased upon entry-levelversionsofthe Boxsterand Cayman,which uses afour-cylinder turbocharged petrolenginewith 295bhp and380Nm of torque, driven to therearwheels througha standard fitsix speed manual gearbox

Porsche’sPDK automaticcan be fitted as an optional extra, too.

Leonie is making amark in themiddleofthe park

JOEEDWARDS

Having takenuprefer eeingonawhim, Leonie Pryorisnow thriving in theworld of rugbyand hopes many others will follow suit.

Pryor,fromBurwarton,admits shewas ‘quite late’torugby and afteran injury forced hertostep away from playing, sheturnedto officiating

What wasonlyoriginallyintended to be ahobby to keepher involved in thesport hasnow turned into a full-timerolewiththe RFUand the chance to be involved in elite-level fixtures –havingservedasan as sistantreferee forthe rugbysevens at theCommonwealthGames in the summer

“I wasquite late to rugby. Istart ed playinginmyearly 30s, got smashedabout afew times, and then decidedtoget into refereeing afterakneeoperation –thanksto an injury on therugby pitch,”ex plainedPryor

“WhenIdid thecoursein2015, Ionlythought I’dgo anddoafew kids gamesatthe localclub.

“I didn’t have anyambitions to do anything else.The chairman of the NorthMidlandssociety,though, just said ‘why wouldn’t you do senior rugby?’

“I kind of shrugged my shoulders andwentwiththe flow, andit’sgone onfromthere

“I’vehad four Women’sPremier ship Cupgames whichI’vebeen refereefor,and I’ve been thefourth officialfor theEngland/Ireland women’s fixturein theSix Nations.

“Lastyear, Iwas assistantref eree at theRed Bull Sevens at St George’s Park,which wasunder Covidrestrictionsand awarm-up eventfor theOlympics.

“I’vebeenassistant refereeing at men’sNationalLeague2.Ilove

beingpartofthe team of matchofficials forthese fixtures,it’sa fan tastic opportunitytoworkwithand learnfromrefereesoperatingat higher levelsofthe sport.”

Pryor’srise from grassroots rugby to refereeing professional fix tureshas seen herentrusted with thedevelopment of young match officials

TheRFU areaimingtoboost participationin women’s rugbyand developmorereferees, with various courses availableacrossthe coun try.

“I runthe YoungMatch Official

programmeat theNorth Midlands society,” said Pryor. “It’sopento anyone.There’s ayoung girl I’ve coachedthrough that programme whonever playedrugby

“She’d been told by aboy at school that ‘girls can’treferee’, andnow sherefereessenior men’sgames.So, that’s pretty cool. She’sdefinitely provedhim wrong.

“Wecoach andmentorthose youngsterscomingthrough,and I also work forthe RFUas aMatch OfficialDeveloper

“I started that in Januaryofthis year.Sodoing aref’s course on a

whim to stay in thegamehas led to aprofession, beinginvolvedin coaching andmentoring refereesat alllevelsofthe community game.”

Pryor callsherself the‘weeref eree’and is awell-respected figure amongfellowofficials andplayers alike.

The five foot (not your stereotyp ical referee) 40-year-oldevenspent herlastbirthdayrefereeinga Wolverhampton first-team matchand lovesthe camaraderiethatcomes with it

“That’swhy Igiveupalot of my free time to go anddoit,”saidPry or

“There wasa game last season at Ludlow wheretheywereplayingHereford, so it couldhavebeen quiteaclash.

“Ludlow won24-0 andIhad both teamspraisingme. Iwentintothe clubhouseafterwards andhad three oldboysfromHerefordtelling me what agreat game I’dhad and how much they enjoyedit.

“That’sjustthe icingonthe cake if you canget praise from thelosing team

“I’vehad agood laughand made some amazingfriends alongthe wayhad greatexperiences both and offthe pitch, despitegetting into it quitelate.

“I have to thankNeilReid-Warrilow, whoisalso from Shropshire, forhis help.Hehas takenmeunder hiswingand coachedmefor thelast fewyears, Iwouldn’tbewhere Iam withouthis guidance andencouragement.”

On otherspotentially followingin herfootsteps, sheadded: “There’ll be massiveopportunitiescoming down thelineand thegrowthofthe women’sgameis farexceeding any otherpart of thegame. Especially nowthe RFUhavewon thebid to host WorldCup 2025

“It’sgrown exponentially, really, andit’samazing to seewhatgetting into refereeing does foryoung wom en’s personal growth anddevelop ment,asithas done forme.”

Champions are playingcatch up in thetitle race

ChelmarshBare in danger of finishingoutside thetop two of theBridgnorth &District SnookerLeaguefor the first time in 34 years.

Acrushing4-1 defeat at the handsofleaders Broseley B, leaves thereigningchampions five points offthe pace andneed ingtoplaycatch up in orderto keep theiruniquerecordintact.

Andonthisoccasionthe 4-1 windid not flatterBroseley.It wouldhavebeen5-0 if it hadnot been fora blackballwin from Gary Smithagainst Andy Car son.

Pete Thompson, Mick Bre zwyn,Eddie Mullardand Paul Lloyd allcruisedtovictory as Broseley Bextendedtheir lead at thetop ofthe tabletothree points whileChelmarsh B slippedtofourth.

Chelmarsh’sdefeatallowed ChelmarshSc andMaddocksto move up in to second andthird positions –bothteams also win ning 4-1against Broseley Aand Woodfieldrespectively.

ForChelmarsh, Carl Walker wasincruise controlagain as he beat Andy Garbett. Meanwhile, ChrisPetford, IanPostans and TerryAskew didnot find it quite so easy when playingagainst BrianEdwards,NeilCaswell andGaryWatson.

Matt Smout, whohas been in fine form of late,earnedBrose leytheir consolation by beating Matt Judd.

Maddocks’sDan Morris, Tom Maxfieldand JamesBrennan were never troubledintheir threeframesagainst Woodfield’s RichardCastle, JasonMor risand Luis Ferraro. Maxfield knockedinthe highestbreak of thenight, 48

Paul Harper knew that he wasinagameplaying against Callum Drewettbut managedto pull through, whileNeilPearson wasMaddocks’sonlycasualty, losing to Pete Hyland

St.John’sAcontinued their recent return to topformwitha 5-0 cruise againstAlveley C. Dave Summers,MartinLip pitt andTim Steele were never troubled; thebestperformance coming from Summerswho re corded a33break when beating SteveColdecott

ShifnalTownFCLadieshavebeen

Football fever is currently sweeping thenationwiththe World Cupunder wayand Veezu– which operates acrossthe SouthWest of Englandand as Go Carz in the Midlands as well as AmberCarsin Leedsand Dragon TaxisinWales hasalwayschampionedfootballat alllevels.

Although theWomen’sWorld Cupdoesn’t take placeuntil 2023, ShifnalTownFCLadies, whoplay in West Midlands Regional Women’s Football League,are looking forwardtotheir ownfuture fix turesin theirnew Go Carz-spon soredawaykit

Fans visiting ShifnalTown’s AcoustafoamStadium home ground mayalsospotGoCarz’s brandedbanner.

MariaBell, captainofShifnal FC Ladies said:“Thenew kitspon soredbyGoCarzhas helped boost morale afteratough fewyears for sport.

“We’re really grateful to have a biglocal brandonboard andhope thekit brings us luck at this season’sawaygames.”

Graham Hoof, Go Carz Regional Director,said: “We’re delightedto have been able to supportShifnal Town FC Ladies with newkit.It’s importanttousthatwegive back to thelocal community, andhope ourefforts help theteamhave everysuccess.”

AndalthoughRob Powell’s game wasalittlescrappy at the start, a31break from himend ed anythreatfromReg Burton KevinHawkins completedthe St.John’sroutbybeating Chris Jepson.

St.John’sBclimbed twoplac es afterbeatingAlveley B4-1

On song forthe away team were JasonBrown andKevin Smith, whoonlyallowed their opponentsacombined totalof just seven points

Wins forMikeCrawley and Pete Williamswerealittlemore challenging. Mark Jones put up agood fight andmighthave made it 5-0 hadthe finalblack gone hisway.Thatwas potted by Martin Coffey JnrtoearnAlveleytheir consolation

RefereeLeonie Pryorismaking impressivestrides in therugbyworld

handed aliftafteragreeingasponsorshipdealwithprivate hiretaxi firm Go Carz

Daviesaimsto rule theworld afterEurowin

Liam Davies hasset hissight on world domination afterbeing crownedEBU EuropeanSuper Bantamweightchampionin his home town of Telford.

TheBCB Promotions-man aged boxer whotrainswithhis fatherTristan,alsoaddedthe WBCInternational titletohis collection with aunanimous de cision victoryagainst Romanian Ionut Baluta.

Davies headlinedFrank War ren’sBTSport show at theTel ford InternationalCentre in frontofa raucoushome crowd andfollowing anotherimpres sive victoryheisready foran otherstepup.

“Itisamazing andanother step up in my career,” said the newdoublechampion.“Iam13 fights in andI’vewon theEng lish,the WBC, Britishand Euro peantitles.

Control

“I’vegot to give myself cred it,but Iwill be back in thegym soonand I’ve conqueredBritain, I’ve conqueredEuropeand now let’sgofor theworld.WithBT behind me,why not?”

The26-year-old dominated theearly rounds as he used his heightand reachtomaintain control.

Thelefthook-uppercut com bination continuedtohavesuc cess forDaviesashewalkedthe shorterBalutaontoshort,sharp shots.

Davies didhavetodealwith alateonslaught from hisoppo nent,but executed hisgameplan to perfection to claima 116-112, 117-111,118-110 decision

“I felt comfortableall theway Ihurtmyhands on hishead, andIhad ablister that bloody hurt moving about,” said Davies “ButI gotthe jobdone, Idoneit in my home town as main event andI’vegot FrankWarrenand allthe teamgetting behind me

“Lookatall thepeoplesup portingme. Moneycan’t buy that,memoriesfor life.

“I wastoo comfortableat timesand Icruised through the fightagain.Idon’t thinkI’ve really been tested yetand Iam readyfor anotherstep-up.Iam readytogoupand up andup.

“I am levels aboveeveryone else,I’vedusted everyone in the Britishrankingsand European rankings andIwantthese big fights.The sky’sthe limitand Iwanttotouch thestars.Iam readyfor whatever.”

Shifnalseeingdoubleafter successful year on course

Shifnal golferssnatched thedouble in theLadies County ScratchLeague andMinileagueinwhat wasa fittingend to a successfulyear.

Overcoming Llanymynechin the County ScratchLeague final, Shif naltravelled to Ludlow Golf Club forthe clashand returned home victorious with a2-1 success.

TheMinileagueteamalsore turned home with atitle,having beaten Market Draytoninthe final of thecompetition

Both sidescompleted theday with twowins, leaving thematch to be decidedbythe aggregatenumber of holes –which went Shifnal’sway by one.

nnn n

Stafffroma Shropshire insur ance companyare celebratingafter winningacharity golf challenge namedinmemoryofa much-loved former colleague.

TheteamfromHenshalls Insur ance Grouptookonateamfrom ThrogmortonAssociatesWealth Management to competefor The BryanCutterCup at Shrewsbury Golf Club

Andthisyear, it wasthe Hen shalls teamthatwas victorious, bringing home thecup that’s named forBryan Cutter –adirectorofthe firm whodiedafteralongand cou rageous battle with cancer

ThrogmortonAssociatescovered thecosts of theevent andHenshalls have madeadonationof£250to SevernHospiceinBryan’s memory on behalf of everyone taking part Martin Pitchford, forHenshalls, said:“TheBryan Cutter Cupisa wonderfulway to honourBryan’s life andhis memory andithas now become an annual eventthatweall look forwardtoand whichcreates

GOLF

sports@mnamedia.co.uk

some really positive friendly rivalry.

“We’dliketothank everyone whotookpart this year,and we’re delightedtohavepippedthe Throg mortonAssociatestothe postby just asinglepoint in theend

“The daywas playedingreat spirit with lots of laughs andban ter, andwe’dliketothink that Bry an waslooking down on us as we broughthis cuphome forthe first time ever.”

Nick Jones,fromThrogmor tonAssociates, said:“It’s always apleasuretojoinour friendsfrom Henshallsfor such an enjoyableand positive day.

“Weweredisappointed to have missed outona hat-trickofwinsas we hadwon both thepreviouschal lenges,but we’llbebackstronger andwell-prepared fornextyearand determined to getour handsback on thecup.”

Golf returns

Arscott Club Captain’sDrive-In: 1 RichardSaunders(17)40pts;2 JohnBunting (10) 39pts; 3Patrick Cudmore(5) 39pts; 4Peter Oakley (21) 39pts.

Ladies’fourclubs anda putter: 1JaneO’Brien (10) 18pts; 2AnneHill (12) 15pts; 3Liz Grif fiths(15)14pts.

Llanymynech

Ladies’12-Hole Stableford: 1Tanya Cook 26pts; 2Ruthie Lockyer 25pts(on countback)

Wrekin

Seniors’ Winter Stableford 2 (9 Hole). Division One: 1Allan Rogers 21/7;2 Phil Fulloway 19/7; 3DaveRobinson19/7. Division Two: 1Keith Gray 22/11; 2Neil McLeod 19/11; 3David Rogerson 18/11.

Scottreaches topofParks association

Shropshirebowls supremoPhil Scotthas nowreached thetop of thetreeinthe BritishParks asso ciation

He waselected presidentofthe body foraminimum term of one year at itsAGM on Saturday AndMalpas-basedScott is al readyBritish Parks’ generalsecre tary,chief executiveand junior or ganiser, whilehis wife Marieisits registrarand ladies secretary.

Having aserving BritishPresi dent meansNorth Shropshire will host theBarlows-backed Senior Merit finals on August 27,inad dition to theJunior andUnder-25 Merits on July 23, thejunior five-a side teamevent in September and an open pairsonOctober 1. Scott, whoisalso chairman of theShropshireassociation and Whitchurch League amongstmany

things,said: “There’s nota lottore port from theBritishParks’annual meeting.

“The only rule change that passed wasthe veterans inter-coun ty will be moving to atwo-day event rather than averylongone dayer. Honararia wasincreased by 10 per cent in line with CPIand allofficers were re-elected,althoughchairman CraigMcGuiganwishestostand down duetoworkcommitments but will carryonuntil areplacementis found.”

n Shropshire bowlskingCallum Wright hasnot enjoyed themost successfultrips up theM6since the main season finished Butthe 36-year-oldreigning BritishSenior Meritchampionhas signed up foranother journeynorth next month to play in aspecial pro motion

TheShrewsburystarwill

many

“It’san11amstart with afan tastic fieldof16and thedrawto be made on theday,” said aPanel spokesman.

Wraight’slatestventure to the Winter Sweeps at Cleckheatonlast week endedwithanagonising 21-20 firstround loss to Ross Ingham,the eventual winner of the£160 first prizebeing Yorkshirecountyman Stuart King

Shifnal’stitle-winningScratch League team of RosMoore, Alex Peters,Ann Peters andFernClark gettheir hands on theleague champions’shield

Henshallscelebrate, from left:Mitch Gough,Adrian Burton,Simon Burdon, Neil Atkinson,MartinPitchford,Mark Freeman andPeter Richardson

play in theChristmas Handicap Invitation 16 at theRed Lion,Westhoughton, Bolton –the home of theBritish Professional Panelwhere he played so

timeslastwinter.Wraight will be joined by step-fatherRich GoddardonSaturday, December 17, in aline-up that includes fellow big guns SimonCoupe,Wayne Ditch field, Noel Burrows, Mike Leach andJoshMordue.

Presidentrole for Phil Scott

Liam Davies celebrateshis win Pic: QueensberryPromotions

Morris is themainman forfree-scoringStretton

Church StrettonTownled the wayasthe goals flowed inthe lat estround of SalopLeisure League games.

PremierDivisiontitle hopefuls Strettonfound theirshootingboots to record aresounding 11-0 win againstErcallColtsJuniorsEvo lution

HarryMorristookthe individual plaudits with afour-goal salvo JamesHillwas also in fine form ashebagged ahat-trick whileDean Richards struck twice. Benjamin Hartshorne andMatthew Cole roundedoff thescoring

Butdespite hittingthe goal trail, second-placed Strettonare still playingcatch-upinthe titlerace.

That’s because leadersDawley Town made it aperfect 10 wins from 10 league games.

PreesUnitedwerethe latest side to be sweptaside as they were beat en 5-0

Daniel Beddows andCharlie Knowlessharedtop billing for Dawley with twogoals each.Jeff Watkinswas also on target Ludlow movedupintothe top threeonthe back of a4-0 triumph at home to Broseley

MorganMillardand RyanClarke both foundthe netin firsthalfwith HarryJones andJames Byattadd ingfurther goalsafter thebreak

GobowenCelticcontinued their recent free-scoring form with a comfortablesuccess away to MadeleySports.

They took theirgoaltally to 22 in theirlastthree outingsthanks to a7-2 win.

LewisJones bagged a first-half trickand then addedafourthafterthe break.EdRogers(two) and LouisMorrisjoinedhim on the scoresheet,whileCraig Picken and

Luke Hester repliedfor Madeley.

TomGalewas ahat-trick hero forMorda United in theirvictory againstShrewsburyUp&Comers Jordan Gerrard also foundthe nettocompletea4-0 win.

MatthewStuartand JatonVer nonwereontargettoearnWrock wardineWood Juniorsa2-0 suc cess at home to St Martins.

Therewas just onematch in Division Oneand that sawBrown Clee bagtheir firstthree-point haul of theseasoncourtesy of ahard fought 2-1win on theroadatLla nymynech

Shrewsbury Club Tour eventproved to be asmash hit

TheITF WorldTennisTourevent held at TheShrewsburyClub–thebiggest indoor women’s tennis tournament staged inthe UK since 1995 –has been hailed an outstand ingsuccess

TheBudgenMotorsW100tour nament featured five players cur rently ranked in theworld’s top 100and waswellsupported by local tennis fans,withacapacitycrowd of more than 500peopleenjoying finals day.

Theeventalsoattracted excellent backingfromthe Shropshirebusiness community.

Dave Courteen, TheShrewsbury Club’s managing director,saidit’s only possible to bringsuchhigh-profile events to thetownbecause of thesupport theclubreceives from around thecounty.

Thetournament, part of the Lawn Tennis Association’s Performance Competitions Calendar, whichaimstoprovide enhanced playingopportunities forBritish players,featured five playerscur rently ranked in theBritish wom en’s top10.

Courteensaid: “The LTA’sdelighted with how thetournament wasstaged. Ithink it exceeded theirexpectationsinterms of all theinteraction andthe events we held around thetennisinthe hospitality marquee opposite themain entrancetothe club

Sportshall League action is finallybackontrack

afterafalltocompletethe twolap race then laterreturning to the tracktowin the five-lap event.

“That’skey in why they wanted to bringthe eventtoShrewsbury becausetheyknowthe local community really respond, including thebusinesscommunity with their excellentsupport

“Itwas agreat eventfromour perspectiveand we aregratefulfor allthe supportfromthe sponsors Withoutthem, theevent wouldnot have happened

“Wehavehad greatfeedback from theLTA andtheyare really keen to come back to Shrewsbury with anotherevent.”

MarketaVondrousova wonboth thetournament’ssingles anddou bles titles

TheShropshireYoung

Athletes Sportshall League returned aftera two-year breakwithalmost 80 athletes compet ingagainst each otherat WilliamBrookesSchool, Much Wenlock.

Theleaguehas traditionallyinvolved four competingclubs hosting one meetingwhere under11, 13 and 15 youngsterscompletein indoor runningand fieldcompetitions.

Covidprevented theleaguefrom functioningfor thelasttwo years, whileachangeofleagueorganiser also presented several challenges to theevents returning.

However,great co-operation betweenthe clubsensured asuc cessfulreturntoaction. Oswestry Olympiansheadcoach ChrisTid ridge took on themantleofco-ordi nating theleaguewhileBrankaSukara-FieldingofTelford AC agreed to organise the firstmeeting.Wen lock Olympiansprovidedthe appro priate equipment

Shropshireisfortunateinhav

ingseveral experienced athletics officials whoare regularlyselected to officiate at national events and they made themselves availableensuring thechildren benefitted from having ahigh qualitystarter,timekeepersand track judges to explain theprocedurestothem.

Themeeting startedwithrun ning events both on the flat and over hurdlesbeforethe hall was transformedfor fieldevents. These preparechildrenfor thetradition al outdoortrack and fieldseason andthismeetingincludedvertical jump,standinglongjump, standing

triplejump, chestpushand speed bounce.Other events such as shot put, soft javelin throw&balance testwill featureinfuturemeetings

Therewas no doubtingthe enthusiasminthe hall with tremendous vocalsupport from parents, coaches andother athletes.Thisroseto acrescendoduringthe finalevents whichwerethe fiercely contested relays

Theoutstanding performeron theday wasTelford’s KadishaNwa chukwa,who wonall of her events, whileDulcieRoach of Oswestry showed greatbraverygetting up

Speaking afterthe meeting, co-ordinatorTidridge expressed hisdelight at seeing theevent re turn aftertwo years. He said “The atmosphere in theSportshallalone made allthe effort organising the meetingworthwhile. It wasgreat to seealmost80athletesparticipating in arange of events and, above all, enjoying themselves

“Manyhavestakedclaimsfor se lectionfor theShropshireCounty team forthe West Midlands Cham pionshipstobeheldonMarch 19, though we hopetoarrange further meetingsbeforeteams are final ised.”

Tidridge waskeentothank everyone involvedin theorganis ingand onthe dayand thespirit of co-operation betweenthe clubs whichenabled it to take place.

Though theleaguedid not run last year,itwas possible to fielda county team at theWestMidlands Championshipswhere Oswestry Olympians’ Elliot O’Connor was thetop under-15 athleteacrossthe West Midlands

“Itwould be greattosee aShrop shireathlete follow in hisfootsteps thisyear”,concluded Tidridge

Vondrousova,who reachedthe 2019 French Open final, beat Eva Lysinthe singles final, before part nering Miriam Kolodziejova to vic tory in thedoubles final.

Vondrousova then went straight from ShrewsburytoGlasgow to represent theCzech Republicinthe BillieJeanKingCup Finals

Courteenadded: “The tourna ment wasabig step up from anythingwe’re organisedbefore, both in termsofthe organisation and also thequality of theplay.

“Weshouldn’t underestimatethe qualityofthe tennis we saw. Anum berofplayers competingherewill be in thetop 40 in theworld within thenextyear.

“Wehad aWimbledon semi final istfromearlier this year,Tatjana Maria, playinginShrewsbury, so thetenniswas incredible andthe levelofsupport wasamazing

“We’ve never hadsuchbig attend ancesthroughoutthe week and fi nals daysoldout when we also put in extra seating.

“I am grateful to theteamhereat TheShrewsburyClubfor how hard they worked. We also really appreci atethe supportfrommembers.”

TheTelfordACteam lineup alongsidetheir coachesatWilliamBrookes School and,right, Telford’sKadishaNwachukwa whowon allofher events

TheOswestryOlympiansSportshall squadlineup for aphotograph

Whistlehappy RefLeoniecalling the shots –Inside

ALLBLACKSLOOK FOR HOME BOOST

NICK ELWELL nick.elwell@mnamedia.co.uk

Bridgnorthduo claimOpenspoils

TheAll Blacks host Stokeinrug by’s Regional 1Midlandsonthe back of successivedefeats on away to Nuneaton andOundle.

Thosesetbackshaveseen Bridgnorth slip to fourth in the standingsand head coachBryan Smallman will be lookingfor his side to make themostofhome ad vantageand gettheir promotion push back on track.

Afteraweekend off, Smallman hasenjoyedsome time on thetrain inggroundlooking to resolveafew issues.

“Wehavehad three gamesonthe bounce away from home andIthink theladsare lookingforward to play ingahome game,” said Smallman

“Weare notplaying thestyle of rugbywewanttoplayatthe mo ment

“Myselfand theother coaches will bounce afew ideasaroundand relaythe best messages to thethe players

“Weare letting in at leastone sloppy tryagameatthe moment

“Hopefullywecan give ourselves better opportunitiestoget some good results.

“Weare notsee thepictureswe want on thepitch at themoment.

“Butweare notfar away at all. Theladsare so eagerand hungry to play well andwin

“Theyare notdowninthe dumps. They arealsosearchingfor solutionsand notsulking.

“Hopefullywecan turn this around aftertwo defeats

“Ifweget theperformance right then theresultwilltakecareofitself.”

TheMixed Open Competitionat Bridgnorth Golf Club provedtobe ahugehit –and served up ahome win.

Alisonand Andy Morgandefied thechallenging autumnal conditionsastheyteameduptotop the standings.

TheMixed Open is well known forits fabulous prizeboxes, which containwine, beer,chocolate,bis cuitsand cakes, andalsothe on course refreshments. This year wasnoexception with mulled wine, mincepiesand Stollenbeing served

to players in TheHalfway House.

Atotal 88 golferstookpartand theMorgans came home firstwith 40 points

Second placewenttoClaireand SteveHull(Bridgnorth andHagley) with 38 points

Twomorehome couplesfollowed with Rachel andMarkWren(37 points)takingthird placeoncount back aheadofPauletteand Bill Morris.

Shifnalduo Claire andBen Gilg hadtosettlefor fifthafteralso carding37points.

Bridgnorth’s BridgetKempand PeterMoreton scored 36 to com plete thetop six.

Hagley’s JohnnyWhalinand SteveHulltookthe nearestthe pinaward on thethirdholewith Penn’s NigelRidgway andMalcolm Hughes claiming theaccolade at the ninth.

Themen’s longestdrives(seventh)wenttoJohnnyWhalinand Rhodri WilliamsfromEnville with theladies’ honoursgoing to Stourbridge duoSue Burrowsand Jean Brayshay

Biggamefor Meadowmen

AFCBridgnorthheadtothe East Midlands fora crunch Midland League clashonSaturday.

TheCrown Meadow menface fellow Division Onestrugglers Ingles lookingtosnapa four game losing streak –three of whichhavecome in theleague.

Ingles sitone placeoutside the relegation zone,level on points with Bridgnorth whoare one spot higher buthaveplayedone moregame.

Bridgnorth putinaspirited displayonhome soil last Saturdayagainst second-placedAsh by Ivanhoe. They hadplayer/ bossJason Pike sent-off midway through the firsthalfbut more than matchedtheir high flying opponentsbeforebeing undone by astunningstrikelateinthe game

That displayedfollowedan encouragingshowing the week before in a2-1 loss to leaders Dudley Town andsecretary Steve Groome believes thesidecan take heartfromtheir recent displays.

“Itwas anothergoodper formance on Saturday,” said Groome.“At timesduringthe second half you would have thoughtwehad theextra player “Wewereunlucky notget anythingfromthe game butwehave to take thepositivesout of that displayand theone againstDud leyintoSaturday’sgame.”

Amuch-changedBridgnorth side lost 4-0toOJM BlackCountryinthe JW Hunt CuponTuesday.

Bridgnorth aimtoget back to winningways when they return home this weekend.

Winners of BridgnorthGolfClub’sMixed Open competition Andy andAlison Morgan alongsideclubpresident Vivien Catteralland organisersLynneAndreae andSuzanne Huxley.Picture: Mike Purnell