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Remembering lost lovedones

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FAMILY PLEA ON TRIBUTES

Thefamilyoftwo boys whowerekilledina crashhavemadeadesperate plea forthe return of tributes that have disappearedfrom thescene.

Flowers, tributes,teddy bears andabannerhaveadorned thespot on thecornerofLawnswood Avenue andBirmingham NewRoadinWolverhamptonsinceSanjaySingh,10, andPawanveer Singh, 23 months old, were killed in adevastatingcar crashinMarch 2019

Thefamilywereshocked to find thememorialitems hadgone –some hadbeenput thereonlydaysbefore to mark Pawanveer’sbirthdayon March 23

Now, closefamilyofthe boys are asking forthe return of theme-

DANIEL WALTON

daniel.walton@mnamedia.co.uk

morialitems.Kam NickyMattu, brother-in-law of theboys’ mother Arathi Nahar, said:“At firstitwas justthe banner,but noweverything hascome down.Wehad only just visitedthe site to placesomemore changestothe teddies that hadbecome weatheredwithnew ones

“Itwould have been Pawanveer’s birthday on March 23, that’s why we took some more teddies down andstuff.I gotamessage from a family member saying that thebannerhad gone,and when we visitedit hadall gone.”

Followingthe tragedy, thefamily endureda drawn-out fightfor justice before Mohammed Sullaiman Singh, 27,ofPershoreRoad, Edgbaston,was jailed almost three

yearslater in September 2023 Kamadded: “Weare just thinking aboutwhy it wouldhavebeentaken down now– you know like, wasit stolen,was it blownaroundbythe wind,was it removedbythe council, we aren’t really sure.Weactually hadaclean-upthere afew weeks agotomakeitlooknicer,changed outthe weatheredteddies andthe picturesand flowers, butwearen’t sure when it wastaken.”

Thefamilysaidtheywould liketo seethe itemsreturnedsotheycan remember theirlovedones’ memories Kamsaid: “Wereallydon’t know whyitwould have been takendown. It wouldbeniceifwecould getthe stuffback as it’s really special to us.”

WolverhamptonCouncilhas been contactedfor commentabout the tributes

Organisers confirm city’s 10krun will return

Organisers of theWolverhampton 10Ksay theracewill return next year

Therun,which begins andends inside Molineux, will take placeon March 23

Lastmonth’s eventsaw hundreds of runnerstakeonthe course while

spectators awaitedtheir return in thestadium’s stands

Organisers said the2025Wolverhampton10k course wouldshowcase thecity, with flat,closedroads providinganideal backdrop for runnerstopushtheir limits

Matt Wood, co-founder of organ-

BILSTON’S BEST FOR BRAND NEW APPLIANCES SINCE 1926

isers RunThrough,said: “Weare thrilled to bringback theWolverhampton10k in 2025,offeringrunners theopportunitytoexperience theexcitementofracingthrough theheart of Wolverhampton.

“Thisevent promises to be an unforgettableexperience.”

Adance teacher hasbeencrowned Miss Wolverhamptonand will be the firstpersontorepresent the city at Miss England. The finals will also be held in thecityshe’s representing Sophie Dickson, 22,who was born in Burntwood butgrewupin

CheslynHay,was oneofseven girls attendingthe glamorousceremony at theGrand Stationlastmonth Afterinterviewsand judges’votes –aswellthe cheers from theaudience –she wascrowned

TheMissEngland finals areat thesamevenue on May16and 17

Miss Wolverhampton SophieDickson could nowwin Miss England

Former pubconversionplanthrownout

Councillorshavethrownout a scheme to convertaformerpub into ahome for12residents

SimpaticoTownPlanning appliedtoDudleyCouncil to transformthe former Crown pub in Holloway Street, Lower Gornal,intoa houseofmultipleoccupation(HMO).

Simpaticosaiditwould ‘bring back into use alocally valued building whichcontinues, followinga prolongedpe-

riod of vacancyand neglect, to fall into furtherdilapidation’ Butobjectors claimedthe developmentwould cause traffic congestion andput pressure on local amenities. Therewere also concerns of apotential increaseinanti-socialbehaviour Apetitionagainst theproposals gathered morethan200 signatures,whiledozensofletters of objectionwerereceived Dudley Councilrefused the

plansonthe groundsthatinsufficientinformation had been provided to demonstrate an outsideamenity area could be sufficientlymanaged to avoidincreased noise anddisturbance.Itaddedthere was insufficientinformation providedtodemonstrate that enough parkingspaceshad been allocatedand that there wouldbenoadverse impact on highwaysafety.

Campaigners‘fighton’ to seeCrooked Houserebuilt

LISA O’BRIEN lisa.obrien@mnamedia.co.uk

Campaigners who want theCrooked Houserebuilt‘brick by brick’ saytheywill keep on fighting after theownersappealed againstanorder to resurrectthe wonky pub.

SouthStaffordshire Council served an enforcementnotice on theownersofthe former pub in Himley followingits unlawful demolition

Thenoticeordered thebuildingtoberebuilt to thestate it wasinprior to a fire which destroyeditinAugustoflast year.Itwas demolished less than 48 hourslater

Theownershad 30 days to appeal thenoticeand didsoat the11thhour.

Adatefor theappealhearing is yettobeset andaplanning inspectorneeds to be appointed,but campaignerssay they areready to fighton.

Paul Turner,fromthe Save theCrooked House(Let’sGet it Rebuilt) Facebook group, said:

“I wasn’t sureiftheywould appeal at all. I’mnot massively surprisedtheyleftituntil the

last day. People aredisappointed,thisisanother delay, another hurdle.Weare notgivingup. We aredeterminedand we will keep fighting.”

Meanwhile, Camrapub and club campaignsdirectorGary Timminssaidthe appeal was amockery of allthe hard work putin by campaigners. He added: “Tohearthatthe

ownersofthe CrookedHouse in Himley have appealed against SouthStaffordshire Council’s enforcementnoticetorebuild thedemolishedpub is concerningalbeitfullyexpected news. Theappealisamockery of all thehardworkput in by dedicatedcampaigners whochampionedfor thepub’s future.”

ASouth StaffordshireCoun-

cilspokesman said:“The councilservedanenforcement noticefor theunlawfuldemolitionofthe CrookedHouse on theownersonFebruary27. Theownershad 30 days to appeal andwehavebeenadvised an appeal hasnow been lodged.

“Weare nowawaitinga date forthe appeal andthe appointment of aplanninginspector.”

Pets of the Week –Page 13

Abba night –Page 21

Paul Turner with Crooked Housecampaigners wishing to se thepub rebuilt

Celebrations forschool’s50thanniversary

Hundreds of peopleturnedout to celebratethe 50th anniversary of aKingswinfordschoolwith singing, cake andplentyofreminiscing from down theyears

Amongstthe contributions from Crestwood Park Primary pupils wasamemoryroomset

up by thereception classwitha journeythrough thedecades and news from throughout theyear.

Therewas aphoto book with memoriesof50years to look at, 50 balloons were released and thewhole school joined in asong to celebrate. HeadteacherLiz

Kennedywelcomedthree former incumbents as well as teachers from down theyears Shesaid: “The celebrations notonlygaveusachancetohave aparty andasing-song,itwas a goodopportunitytolookback at thehistory of theschool.”

Ambulancedelaysasroad shut fordamaged building

Acouncil is facing calls foractionafter emergencycrews suffered delaysgetting onto a housingestatethree timesinone week.

Themainroute into theColley Gate estate in Dudley viaHighfieldRoadwas closed afterapolice chaseresultedina carcrashingintoa building at itsjunction with WindmillHill on March3

Thestructure wassobadly damageditwas deemed unsafe andstrutswereput in placeto shoreitup, forcingthe closureof HighfieldRoad.Accesstoaround

MARTYNSMITH LocalDemocracy Reporter

200homesisnow limited to a single-track route, andpeople sayambulanceswereheldup on March 21,23and 25 DanWheatley, wholives on the estate,said: “All theresidents were waitingfor somethinglike this to happen.Unfortunately it’s happened threetimes in aweek.”

Theonlycurrently open alternative is alengthy diversionvia anarrowlanebetween Coleman Hilland HighfieldCrescent. Thereisashort sectionofprivate road on ForedraftStreetblocked

by bollards.Residents sayissues with gettingthe bollards unlocked hasalso causeddelays. In alettertocouncillors, Andrew Summer,DudleyCouncil’s networkmanagementand co-ordination lead officer, said theprivate sectionofForedraft Street couldonlybeopenedwiththe consent of allrelevant landowners. He addedevenifpermission wasgranted thecouncil would have to issuea temporaryorder lifting theban on trafficand pay to bringthe roaduptostandard.

An ambulanceservice spokesmansaid: “Access forambulances,and allemergency vehicles, is of theupmost importance.”

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Chains Earrings Wedding Rings Silver

Chair of GovernorsJoshua Davies andheadLiz Kennedy,with pupils,staff andparentspast andpresent

Petition demandingpause to ‘major rule change’onrecycle bins

Acitycouncillor haslauncheda petition demandinganimmediate pause to the ‘major rule change’onrecycling bins after thousandswentuncollected UnderWolverhamptonCouncil’snew policy,bin collectors reject householdwaste if thecorrect procedurehas notbeenfollowed. This hasled to thousandsofhomes’ refuse notbeing collected andangry residents confusedabout whichbitsofwaste should be washed before beingbinned

Residents have also complainedthe new strict recyclingbin rulesare leadingto more fly-tipping.

Penn Councillor CeliaHibbert,who claims thenew ‘check before you chuck’ represents amajor rule change,has now launched apetitionatchange.org/p/dem and-for-the-immediate-pause-to-the-ma jor-rule-change-on-recycling-bins

It demandsthe immediate pause to the ‘major rule change’onrecycling bins and

hasalready been signed by morethan150 people.

Thecouncil claims thecity’srecycling isless contaminated afterthe ruleswere more strictly implementedbut denied the ruleshad changed.Councillor CraigCollingswood, cabinetmemberfor environment andclimate change,saidthe list of what is acceptable to putinarecycling bin hadnot changed andmorethan90 percent of householdshad complied with it

Newera dawnswithfresh look forlandmarkbuilding

Anew erahas dawned fora building whichhad seen betterdays, buthas nowbeen givenamodernlook.

ThebuildingonTettenhallHighStreet hasbeengiven afull renovation andrefurbishment,havingnot been updated in 30 yearsasasweet shop andmasonry building.

Sincetakingitover,Raj Hothihas completed atotal refurbishment, splitting the building into several roomsaspartofher, hair,make-up,beautyand fashionbusiness,withsix localbusinesses nowtrading fromthe building.Itwas officiallyopened by theMayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor DrMichael Hardacre

Ms Hothisaidithad been an honourto have themayorthere at theopening and said thebusinesseswereworking together to ensure thecommunity knew they were there. Shesaid: “I’vebeeninthe business of hair andmake-up andbeautyand to have themayorherewas great.

“Wewanted to be basednearthe centre of Wolverhamptonand hispresenceonthe launch daywas amazing

Sheadded: “I’vehad people just come in from thewalking down thestreetand say how nice it wastosee thebuilding andhow differenttowhatwas here before

“We’ve hadrenderingworkdonesoit

“Between myself andthe businesses here,we’ve gotquite agood client base in thearea, so it wasall about making people awarethatwewereworking together as ateamand thebusinesses kind of fitinto each other.” Ms Hothisaidthe localcommunity hadbeenveryreceptive to thework done on thebuilding.

Alison

looksmorepleasanttothe eyeand we spent alot of time andmoneyonthe signage, so thathas helped to attract people

“We’ve hadalot offootfalland passing trade. There’ssomethingfor everyone, we’vegot tutoring forchildren andadults, thetailoringservices, aesthetics,beauty, hair andmake-up.”

shares cancer storystory to raiseawareness

Awoman recovering from ovariancancer hassharedher storyto‘raiseawareness’ of thepotential symptoms of thedisease.

AlisonJones,whose care hasbeen through TheRoyal WolverhamptonNHS Trust(RWT),was diagnosed with stage oneovarian cancer in 2023

The44-year-old sought medicaladvice aftershe startedneeding to go to thetoiletmorefrequently anddeveloped constantabdominaland pelvic pain

Shewas required to have emergency surgerytoremove herleftovary andfallopian tube,and is nowsharing herstory during OvarianCancerMonth to ‘educate others’about itspotential symptoms

Alison, from Wolverhampton, received five rounds of chemotherapy afterher diagnosis, andlastweekunderwent afull hysterectomy andremoval of heromentum,afoldofperitoneumconnectingthe stomachwithother abdominalorgans.

“I’m relieved Ihavenow gotmymajorsurgery outofthe way,”Alisonsaid.

having to tell my family that Ihad cancerwas devastating. Ithink you go into a bubble of emotions of disbelief.

“I’m thankful it hasbeenfound and treated.The thoughtofchemotherapy andsurgery wasquite worrying, butthe doctorsand nurses in gynaecologyand theSnowdropUnitatNew CrossHospital have been amazing.”

Although Alisoniswaitingtosee if thecancerhas been removed, duetothe amount of people having cancer in her family sheisalso waitingfor genetictestingtobecarried out.

AlisonCooke,gynae-oncologyclinical nurse specialist, said:“Over thepastfew yearsmoretreatment optionsfor ovarian cancer have evolvedand areavailable for patients.Asaresult, survival figuresfor peoplewithovarian cancer arecontinuouslyimproving.”

Alison, an office administrator, said she was‘extremely shocked’ afterher diagnosisas she‘didn’t know anyofthe potential symptoms’. Shesaid: “The thoughtof

“I spentsix nights in hospital feeling drainedphysicallyand mentally. Iam nowwaiting on theresults forthe biopsies to seewhathappens next.Ihavebeentold Iwillbeunder theGynaecology Service forat least five years.”

Alisonishoping herstory will help raise awareness. Shesaid: “I wouldadvise womentonever neglectany kind of symptoms that they have or anything thatis abnormalfor them.Pleaseseekmedical advice,nomatteryourage.”

RajHothi saidthere wassomethingfor everyone at thestudio

Alison JonesfromWolverhampton

Swimmers make abig splash in fundraiser

Morethan20swimmersdived into apooltohelpraise cash for goodcauses.

YoungmembersofBilston Swimming Club joined Rotary Club membersatthe town’s annual ‘swimathon’event which aims to raise sponsorcashfor

charities. Sixteenchildren,aged sixupwards,and five adults took part in theevent at Bilston’s Bert WilliamsCentre Participants were cheered on by mayorCouncillor Dr MichaelHardacre, mayoress Lynn Plantand BilstonRotaryClub

vice-presidentBobby Singh

They included rotarian andbusinessmanAndyBaker,53, who said:“Imanaged 20 lengths We’redoing this to contribute to localprojectsand to raiseawareness of both theRotaryand the swimmingclubs.”

59,000 sick days takenin ayearbycouncil workers

Stress andmental health areamong the causes of acouncil’s workerstaking59,142 days offdue to sickness last year.

Thestatistics were discussed at ameetingofDudleyCouncil’s overview andscrutinycommittee, whichalsoheard 35,842 of thosemisseddayswerepartof long-termsicknessabsencesof more than 28 days at atime.

In areporttothe committee, DanieleBrennan,Dudley’s equality,diversity andinclusion manager, said:“Thepositionat

MARTYNSMITH LocalDemocracy Reporter

Dudley Councilreflects thenational trend with mental health/ anxiety/depressionidentified as thetop reason forsicknessinthe latest figures, theareas identified as having thehighest levels of mental health relatedsickness beinghousing,regenerationand enterprise,children’sservices andadult socialcare.”

Areviewofhow theauthority handlesstaff mental health issues foundpocketsofgood practice were not joined up andinformation forstaff wasnot easy to

access,out of date or duplicated Thereviewalso foundemployeeswereunaware of what help is availableand reluctanttouse mental health firstaiders

Theauthority has2,852 employeesand absencerates,at 5.48 days peremployee, arelower than thenationalaverage.But thenumbers were stilla concern forcommittee members.

Councillor Adam Davies believes cutting thedayslostto mental health should be considered in theTotal OperatingModel review.“It’s oneofthe mostimportantthingsseenat scrutiny, it needstobepart of therestructure that’s goingon,”hesaid.

BilstonSwimmingClubmembers with mayorDrMichael Hardacre andmayoress Lynn Plant

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Newchieffor housinggroup

NHStrustneeds £6mforrepairs

Village’spoppy tributetofallen

stalls.

Garden wastechargejustanother cash cow

Inow seeDudleyCouncil has joined therip-off Britainscheme by charging forthe removalof garden waste.

Although it is not astatutory servicechargingfor garden wasteisjustanother glorified cash cowscheme.

Firefighters were able to lift wife up afterfallathome

Ireadwithinterestlastweek, a letter from one of yourreaders regardingthe lack of help from theemergency services when his sister unfortunately fell at home

Ithought Ishouldredress the balancebysharing my ownexperience

My wife sufferswithMultiple Sclerosis, andone nighthad a fall whilevisitingthe bathroom during thenight

Usually Ican pickher up myself,even though Iam68, but on this occasion as shefellina verysmall spaceIcould not lift herup.

AftermanyfailedattemptsI called theemergency services asking foran ambulancebut was told it couldtakeseveral hoursto find theresources

Theoperatorasked if my wife wasinjured,which shewasn’t

Councils in Britainhavemade awhopping£74mfromgarden waste, so imaginehow many jollies they can have with that amount of money Will Dudley councillorsbe goingtoMiami this year fora bondingextravaganza, complimentsofthe residents of Dudley? Iwill not be contributing to this scheme,I’lljusthavemorebonfireswhich arenot illegal.

andoffered to contactthe fire servicetoask if they couldhelp. Thinking that twoorthree firefighters maycome in asmall van, Iwas surprisedwhenjust10 minutes latera fullycrewed fire engine arrivedonbluelights!

They lifted herupwithvery littletrouble,wererespectful to hersituation,discreet andstayed to make sure shewas safe and uninjured.

Icannotpraisethemenough. Thegentleman last week is absolutely correcttoquestion theresponse he gotfromthe services, surelyall firefighters are trainedinkineticsasamatterof course

Ican only saythatthe men and womenwho came to help us had no hesitation in lifting andwere only to willing to help.

Graham Hall,Cradley Heath

Recyclebin policynonsense

Is it anywonderlocal councils aregoing bust?

On collection day, Isaw arefuse workerput ayellowtag on my recyclingbin

Iasked himwhy andhesaid that therewas film in thebin

IsaidI washappy to remove it,but wastoldI couldnot do so as he hadwritten thetag andattachedittothe bin, butifI called theoffice they wouldsendavan

to fetchmy rubbishincluding the offendingitem.

This to me defies alllogic and common sense.Thisisaprime exampleoflocal authoritynonsensical policy –nowondercounciltax hastoberaisedtofund such unnecessarywaste of public money.

Does this sort of thingnot encourageillegal dumping?

John Heminsley, Penn

So well done Dudley Council formakingair qualityworse and fly-tippingmoreprevalent CLloyd, Dudley

Theargumentabout Simon Foster’s role as West Midlands Police &Crime Commissioner’s role beingsubsumed into Andy Street’smayoralty reachesthe High Court.

What does theLabour Party have to sayabout this?Not much it seems.

Labour didn’t kick up afuss when GreaterManchester PCC’soffice became part of themayor’sportfolio

Thereare no criesfromLabour aboutSadiq Khan having controlofLondon’spolicing.

Whyisthat, Iwonder?Is that because Khan andAndy BurnhamofManchesterare both Labour members?

Trevor Howard, Wolverhampton

post:

Code of Practice:

Our policy is to correct errors as soon as we can. Chronicle Week adheres to the Editors’ Code of Practice, which can be seen at www.ipso.co.uk

After50years of paying tax andNationalInsurance,plus taking outprivate pensions,I nowamtaxed on my pensions, Icannot claimfor afreeTVlicenceand cannot getfull state pension/benefits as aresultof having private pensions

Where’sthe justice?

Iknowofpeopleclaiming thathavenever paid any National Insurance,which is what thebenefits arebased on

Ithink it wasMarkTwain that said thebesttwo days in yourlifeare when youwere born,and theother is why!

Iwonderabout both DerekGriffiths, Parkfields

If you are unhappy with the accuracy of astory, write to The Editor, Chronicle Week, 8th Floor, Mander House, Mander Centre, Wolverhampton, WV1 3NH.

If we cannot reach a resolution contact Ipso at complaints@ipso.co.uk or by post at Ipso, c/o Gate House, 1Farringdon Street, London, EC4M 7LG

RichardGuttridge

DanielleOum

Tree pays tribute to lost lovedones

Anew anduniqueway of paying tributetothose whohavelostloved ones hasbeenunveiledata BlackCountry NHStrust.

TheMemoryTreehas been unveiled at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley in tributetopatientsand staff whohavesadly passed away

Theornamentalmetal treecontainsleaveswhich canbeengraved anddedicated in celebration, recognition,orremembranceofpatientsand staffatThe Dudley GroupNHS Foundation Trust.

Funded by theDudleyGroup NHS Charity, thetreehas been placed in thecentre of thehospital’smainwalkway, near themainreception,and will be accessible to allvisitors, patients andstaff

Thehandmadesculpture wascreated by Hemel-basedartistand sculptorClaudia Ashley-Brown,who used arange of mixedmetalstocreatethe eye-catchingdesign.

Unveiling thetree, chiefexecutive forThe Dudley GroupDiane Wake

said:“Iamdelighted that theMemory Tree has come to fruition

“It’sastunningpiece of artand each leaf will notonlyprovide a unique andmeaningfulway forpeopletoremember aloved one butwill also help ourtrust grow furtherina very symbolic way.”

Head of patientexperience Jill Faulkner said:“It is apleasureto have madethishappenand to be able to recognise patients we have sadly lost,as well as ourfabulousstaff and theirdedicationtothe trust.”

Thepubliccan getintouch with the trust’scharity to dedicate aleafin memoryofapatient or lovedone fora donation of £65.

To dedicate aleaftoapatient,contact thetrust charityteambyemailingdgft.fundraising@nhs.netorcall 01384456111 extension3349.

To dedicate aleafinmemoryofa truststaff member whohas passed away whilst in serviceafter January 12018, emailjill.faulkner1@nhs.net

Brotherssoldillegal vapesand ‘threatened’ councilofficers

Twobrothershavebeenordered to payahefty fine after“threatening” tradingstandards officers investigating theirDudleyshopfor theillegalsaleofvapes

Zahimand Saif Sharif,who both workatRussellsHallRoadPostOffice andConvenienceStore,appeared before Dudley Magistrates’ Courton March 22 wheretheyweretoldto payatotal of more than£11,000.The courtheard how atradingstandards childvolunteerwas sold awatermelon-flavoureddisposablevapeinOctober2022. When theaccompanying tradingstandards officerentered the storetocarry outaninvestigation, he wasprevented fromgoing behind thecounter or into thestoreroomby Zahim.

The21-year-old pushed theofficer andthe inspection wasabandoned,

thecourt wastold. When asecond officermadeafollow-up visit, he witnessed Saif selling illegaldisposable vapes to acustomer.

Saif,20, became “verballyaggressive”, accusing theofficerofstealing thevapes from him.

ZahimSharif, of Denewood Road, Birmingham,admitted selling a disposable vapetoachildand was foundguilty aftertrial of obstructinga tradingstandards officerinthe course of theirduty. He wasordered to payatotal of £6,121 in finesand courtcosts.SaifSharif, also of Denewood Road, deniedselling illegaldisposablevapes andobstructiona tradingstandards officerin thecourse of theirduty. He wasfound guilty on both counts aftertrial andordered to payatotal of £5,189 in finesand courtcosts

Aleaf canbededicated in memoryofapatient or lovedone for adonation

Storegoing from strength to strength

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Theseare exciting timesfor Bowjangles in Wednesbury.

Thebusiness, whichpridesitself on quality, originality,integrity andheart,has been undergoing a totalrefurbishment

Theincrediblemakeover,at15 Market Place, signifies both the growth of Bowjangles butalso Wednesbury as amarket town with abrightfuture, companydirector AaronSheldon says

Amongstworkbeing carriedout by jewellery storedesignspecialists Nicholas Interiors(Liverpool) at Bowjangles hasbeenthe building of anew roof, with aspecial,colour-changing lighting system installed. Thedesign firm hasworked on many topjewellers around Londonand even in Europe

Thereare specially designed fitted cabinets andwindowdisplays, also specially lit. Thereare also corian tops throughout thecabinets, allhandbuilt by craftsmen. The revamp hasalsoseennew flooring andanilluminated sign

“The shop hasbeencompletely redesigned from scratch,”saysAaron.“It hasbeenpurpose builtand we arereallyproud.Wehavetaken real attentiontodetailtomakethe

wholeexperienceofcominghere special.”

Ensuring itssurroundingscontinuetoreflectthe high quality of itsjewellery andmaintaining a strong presenceonthe high street in Wednesbury were keyreasons behind therevamp

“Weare seeing growth andwe have become what we have because of theintegrity andheart behind us,”saidAaron.“Ourretailbusiness,BowjanglesAUthentic,isgoingfromstrength to strength.As

thebusinesshas grownIhavealways sourced jewellery from originalmakers.

“Fromthatwehavedeveloped a national customer base,and regularlywehavepeoplefromWales and London come to us.Weevenhave people flyover from Irelandtocome to Bowjangles

“Wealso design andmanufacture ourown products,sothe time felt rightfor arefitbecause theshop hastorepresent thequality andthe heartofthe jewellery that we sell.”

Andheadds: “Weare thrilled to be doingour part forWednesburyat an exciting timefor thetown, with theinvestmentcomingin.

“There is some phenomenalwork that is beingdonelocally andif businesses here continue to invest andput in somethingunique, peoplewillcome andshop. Thepublic still want thetouchyfeely experience andtoenjoy thesurroundings through aphysicalshoppingexperience andthatiswhatweare startingtosee in Wednesbury.”

Bowjangles hasalsogainedareputationasone of theUK’sleading buyers of gold from thepublic. Gold prices massivelyincreased in 2023, andBowjanglesispayingrecord ratesfor thepreciousmetal

Aaronadded: “Bowjanglesisa trustedestablished brand– particularlylocally in theBlack Country–withover 300,000 localhappy customers whoreceivedthe guaranteed true market valuepaid.”

Thepricesoffered areupdated dailyonthe Bowjangles website andtransactionstakeplaceina safe andsecureenvironment.Payment is made easily by either cash or bank transfer.

From itshumblebeginningsand smallshopinWednesburytown centre,by2011Bowjangles had grownand opened twogoldbuying centresinBirmingham’s Jewellery Quarterwithits head office still in Wednesbury.Duringthisperiod, thecompany acquired itsbureau exchange licencefromHMRCand also started supplyingEuros,Dollars andmostforeign currencies at market ratestothe generalpublic.

In 2015,itwas decidedtomove alloperationstoalargerpremises in Wednesbury,and thecompany also started to retail gold jewellery anddiamonds. This brings us to the present day, whereBowjanglesnow operates from thetowncentre

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Bowjangles,based inWednesbury towncentre, hasrecentlyundergone atotal refurbishment

Sapphiresogood forhappy couple

Acouplewereshowered with flowers, chocolates andcards –including one from King Charlesand QueenCamilla –tocelebrate their65thwedding anniversary.

Geoffand GlendaBowkley celebrated theirsapphireanniversary at their home in Henwood Close, Compton. Thecouplemet over thebacon slicer at George Colman’s groceryshop in Penn Road, anditwas love at first sightwhen16-year-old Glenda Andersonmet deliverydriverGeoff.The couple andgot engaged thefollowing year

Geoff, 89,and Glenda, 83,wed at AllSaintsChurch, Wolverhampton, in 1959,followedbya receptionatthe Steelhouse Tavern, Steelhouse Lane, whichwas runbyGeoff’s proudparents.The couple went on to havefour daughtersElaine,Velma,Jayne and Lisa Geoffsaid: “Our firstdaughter, Elaine,was disabled,soitwas tough goingbut we gotthrough it andhavea

wonderfulfamily. Elaine died in 2014 butwehavewonderful memories of her. Glenda is crippled with arthritis nowsoIamher full-timecarer but hopefullywewill have alot moreanniversariesafterthis.”

Glenda said:“We hadlotsof flowers, cardsand chocolates forour anniversary.Wedon’t getout much butwe have goteachother andthat’swhat counts.”

£35k funding boost to improve charity’ssafeaccommodation

Acitycharity helpingsupport women andchildren domestic abusevictims hasreceived amajor funding boostasitpreparestobolster itssafe accommodation.

TheHaven Wolverhamptonhas been awardedalmost£35,000 in fundingfromthe SevernTrent Community Fund andwill usethe funds to fitnew flooring and fire doors, ensuring itsaccommodationissafe, homely,and welcomingtowomen andchildren whoneed support.

It wasin1973thatThe Haven opened itsdoors with provisions for only asmall number of women. It nowprovidessafeaccommodation forup to 77 womenand 100children at anyone time andsupportswomen andchildren in thecommunity It also offers arange of holistic servicesincluding counselling,therapy

andwomen’s programmes,lifeskills, children andyoung people services, substance usesupport,court advocacy,and resettlement

SarahAbbiss, TheHaven Wolverhampton’sgrantsmanager,said:

“We’re delighted that theSevern TrentCommunity Fund hasrecognisedour workinthisway.We’re thankful to theSevernTrent Customer Panelfor selectingusfor fundingsothatwe’ll be able to improve ouraccommodation forwomen and children fleeingabuse

“Weknowthe adjustment to communalaccommodation is incredibly difficult.Not only have they left their perpetrator, buttheyhavelefttheir home andcomfortsbehind.

“Atsuchastressfultime, it is critical women’s firstimpressions of our accommodationare wholly positive.”

Geoff andGlendaBowkleywith theirframed card from theKing andQueen

Thecoupleontheir bigday in 1959

Textilerecycling firm enters into administration

ABilston-basedtextile recycling companythatoperatessubsidiariesacrossthe UK hasentered administration

TextileRecycling International of BeldrayRoadisthe parent of theTextile RecyclingInternational Group, whichincludes JMPWilcox, also basedatthe Bilstonsite.

Thereare also businesses at Gatwick, Manchesterand in Scotland andNorthernIreland SarahO’Toole andZelfHussain of PricewaterhouseCoopers were appointed as jointadministratorsonMarch 21.Theyare seekingtosecureits long-term future andthe group’stradingsubsidiaries, whichemploy about 1,000people, arecontinuingtooperate

The five tradingsites collect andsortusedclothing, shoes andtextilesand export to customers across theUK, Europe andAfrica.

TRIwas incorporated in 2016 andhad groupturnover of £66.3 million in 2021

TheJMP Wilcox operationcollects900 tonnes of clothing and textiles aweekand about 46,000 tonnes annually

We’vehad enough dithering from Tories, declares SirKeir

SOPHIE WINGATE PoliticalCorrespondent

Labour’s SirKeirStarmer told supporters in the BlackCountry he was fedupwith“dithering” andwantedageneral election.

He wasinthe region to launch Labour’s localelectioncampaign alongsidedeputyparty leader Angela Rayner by criticisingthe Governmentfor failing working people on levelling up,and affirmingtheir party’scommitmentto“full-fat devolution”.

SirKeirsaid: “I washoping we’d be launchinga differentelection campaign here today. Butunfortunately thePrime Minister hasbottled it

“Hewants one last drawn-out summer with hisbeloved helicopter So,we’re goingtohavetouse these localelections to send himanother messageand show hisparty –once again–thattheir time is up

we give powerawayand putcommunities in control.

“A newTakeBackControlAct that sets apresumption towards devolution,and newpowersfor mayorsovertransport,skills, energy,and planning,sotheycan rejuvenateour high streetsand generategrowthfor everytownand city –afull-fat approach to devolution.”

SirKeiralso outlined “whatvotingLabour meansthisyear”

He said:“Aplanthatstarts, as it must,witheconomicstability. Look at theToriesnow,onceagain in desperation, committingtothe madnessofunfundedtax cuts –£46 billion to abolishnationalinsurance,withnoway of fundingitother than riskyborrowing or cutting yourpension andour NHS.”

Voters will go to thepolls on May 2toelect localcouncillorsand mayors.

Speaking in theDudleyarea, Sir Keir accusedthe Tories of “preying on thehopes”ofworking people by

“The ditheringmuststop, the date must be set, becauseBritain wantschange, andit’stimefor change with Labour.”

failingtodeliveronits flagshiplevelling up policy

SirKeirand Ms Rayner launched theparty’scampaigndocument whichincludesdetailonLabour’s plansfor regional devolution SirKeirsaid“As well as deployingthe full powerofgovernment to deliver security forworking people,

Ms Rayner,who visitedthe region to launch theparty’s mayoral election campaign,accused theTories of emptypromises Shesaid: “Today in Tory Britain, ourregions andnations aremore dividedthanever.Livingstandards arestagnatingand thefoundations of agood lifeare crumbling. More of thesamejustisn’t good enough.”

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Deputy Labour PartyleaderAngela Rayner with mayoralcandidates

National Trustmansion is provided with newWilliam Morris wallpaper

WightwickManor is celebrating renowned Britishartistand designer WilliamMorristomark his190th birthday.

TheNationalTrust manor house in Wolverhamptonisunveiling a meticulous restoration project to preserveMorris’slegacy.

Morriswas aprominent figure in theBritishartsand crafts movement of thelate19thcentury and renownedasatextile designer, poet, novelist,translatorand socialist activist.

He also ranarenownedcompany Morris&Cowhich stillhand-prints wallpaperfromhis original pearwood blocks at itsfactory in Loughborough

Damage to thehistoricMorris wallpaperschemeatWightwick led to conservationexperts revertingto thetraditionalhand-printingprocesses,withthe affected sections at thehouse replaced with newly printed sheets createdbytraditional methods.Playing apivotal role in theproject wasAnsteyWallpaper Companyand Morris&Cowhich hasafactory in Loughborough

Master craftsmenundertook the

PAUL JENKINS

paul.jenkins@mnamedia.co.uk

skilled processofhand-printingthe wallpaperbyexpertlylayering the design using five separate blocks to captureeverydetail.

Morris&Co. produced asamplethatprecisely matched theoriginalwallp allowing forthe co missioning of five rollsofbespoke

‘Willow Bough’ wallpaperespeciallyfor Wightwick Manor

Senior collectionsmanager at Wightwick,Helen Bratt-Wyton,said:

“Weare so fortunat Morris& Co cans producethe iconic prints usingthe originalprintingblocks. Thedamagetothe wallpaperat Wightwick wascausedovertime, by saltsseeping through theplaster in thediningroomlobby.

“Weare thrilled to celebrateWilliam Morris’s190th birthday with thecompletionofthisexcitingrestoration project.”

Work to putinnew play equipmentat popularsitestarts

Work to transformthe site of aonce popularplayareain Brierley Hill hasbegun Newplayequipmentisbeing installedat LawyersField,near Delph Road andChurch Street.

Thesite, also referred to as Silver EndPark, waspreviouslyapopularspot, renowned forits tall slide, swings andpadding poolwhich were removedaround40years ago.

Councillor AdamDavies, who serves Brierley Hill andWordsley South, beganworktosecurethe newparkafterhearing feedback from residents during hisbid to seek election in 2021

He said:“Afterwhathas felt like an incredibly lengthy processofsecuring theinvestment, seekingresidents’views,feedingthisbackto thecouncil’s parksteam, then the tenderingprocess andwaittime forthe equipment to be built–itis fantastictosee work finallybegin.”

Councillor WayneLittlejoined the fightfor thenew play area and helped to gather ideasfromresidents. He added: “Weare so pleased workisnow underway andthatin just afew weeks’ time,local kids will have play equipment on their doorstep forthe firsttimeinmore than 40 years.”

Newplayequipmentisalsoset to be installedonthe fieldbetween Swan Lane andHarrisonRoadin thetownthissummer.

Craftsmancreating wallpaperfor Wightwickand,inset,William Morris

Five-year term forhistoricsex offences

Aman from Wolverhampton hasbeenjailedfor five yearsfor historic sexoffences.

BrianBottley wasfound guilty of theoffences, which happened when he wasateenager andthe girl he abusedwas ayoung child.

WolverhamptonCrown Court heardhow Bottley carriedout theabuse in thelate1970s and early1980s in Dudley Police beganinvestigating Bottley,ofNavigationStreet, when thesurvivorbravely came forwardyears later to tell

them aboutthe abuse. He was arrested in 2020,but denied everything in interview, calling theallegations lies andtrying to suggesthis victim couldn’t possiblyremember what happened.

Case

However,detectivesmanaged to buildastrongcase againstthe 61-year-old, andhe wasjailedonMarch 19.Hewas also placed on thesex offenders register forlife. Apolicespokes-

mansaidthe forcewould urge anyone whoknows or thinks they have suffered sexual abuse in thepasttocontact them and tell theirstory They have adedicated team of officers whoinvestigate non-recent sexual offences, treat allcases seriouslyand investigateany reportsthey receive.

Anyone whowishestoreport such acrime cangotowest-mid lands.police.uk/your-options/ child-sexual-abuse to find out more about theiroptions

£78m

revamp of M6 junction finally finished

DANIEL WALTON

A£78 millionoverhaulofthe M6

Junction 10 is finally finished as the finaltemporary trafficmeasuresin placewerelifted.

Driverswill nowbeabletouse alllanes following thecompletionofthe four-yearupgrade

Theproject hasseenanumberofmajor changes in theformoftrafficlightmanagement, lane creation andchanges to thesliproads

Theworks were carriedout to ease congestion on theA454BlackCountry RouteWolverhampton Road, andother roadslinking to themajor junction

Theproject also looked to reduce queuingtrafficon themotorwayslip-roadsand reduce ‘rat-running’ trafficonnearbyroutes.

WalsallCouncil leader Mike Bird said:“Ithink it’s afantastic engineeringproject andithas improvedthe area dramatically.It’sa majorinvestment forthe area andweshouldall be gratefulthat it has finished on time andwithinbudget.”

WalsallCouncil says it planstocontinuetowork on theroute with the authorityhavinga responsibility forthe trafficlightmanagementand future landscapingworkaroundthe junction

Aspokesman said:“WalsallCouncil hasresponsibility foroperating thetrafficlights throughthe junction.Minor adjustmentsmight need to be made to ensure trafficisrunningas smoothly as possible. National Highways will also be reviewingthe junction’s performanceand taking remedial action where necessary.”

A fire caused significant damage at an industrial estate in Coseley.

Five appliances andahydraulicaerialplatform from Bilston, Dudley,Tipton, Wednesbury and Wolverhamptontackled theblaze on March25 at avacantareaatthe industrial estate on Webb Street.Nocasualtieswerereported It involvedsix shipping containers whichhad been used as office space.About 25 firefighters workedtotacklethe blaze.

The fire wasconfirmed as extinguishedby around 5amthe next day, with onecrewremainingatthe scenetodampendownand extinguish hotspots

Renovation worksofJunction 10 of theM6

Five-year term –BrianBottley

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Newchief nurseappointedbyNHS trust

Anew chiefnurse hasbeen appointed to help lead aBlack Countryhealthtrust

TheDudleyGroup NHS Foundation Trusthas welcomednew chiefnurse Martina Morris, taking over from interimchief nurseHelen Blanchard Martina joined thetrust in earlyMarch andbringstothe role herexpertise in operational andstrategicnursing and midwiferyagendas,practice development,quality improvement,patient safety andpatient

experience andengagement. OriginallyfromSlovakia, Ms Morrisqualified as an adult nurse in 1994 before working in intensivecareand theatres. Shesettled in theUnitedKingdomand securedher firstregisterednursing postin2000 in critical at theWrexham Maelor Hospital

In 2005,she relocatedtothe Midlands anddeveloped her career focusing on practice development, quality, safety andstandards,underpinned by robust governance. Shehas

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Trustchief executiveDiane Wake said:“I’mdelightedthat Martina hasjoinedour boardof directors.

“Her expertise in quality improvementand passion to empowerstaff to deliver high-quality care forpatients will play avital role in thetrust delivering continuous improvementsinnursing,midwifery andAlliedHealthProfessions.”

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An animal welfare charityisurgingpeopletoseekhelpifthey find themselvesstrugglingtolookafter theirpetsafter sixcatswereabandonedinWolverhampton.

Thecats, includingapregnantmum,wererescued by theRSPCA afterbeing left in cardboard boxesand catcarriersin KitchenLaneonMarch 12

They were allcoveredin fleasand hadbeenleft withoutfood or water.

“It’sdistressing forthe cats to have been dumped in this way. It must have been so frightening for them.Thankfullytheyhavebeengiven thehelp andcaretheyneeded,”saidRSPCA animal welfare officerCharlotte Holder

andtransformyourkitchen.

“Sadly thecostoflivingcrisisisone of thesingle biggestchallenges facing animal welfare. Unfortunately,we’re seeing theimpactonthe frontline–with reportsofabandoned animalssoaring as ownersresorttodesperate measures

“Our Animal Kindness Indexfound that agrowingnumberofpeopleare findingkeeping pets more expensive, andworried aboutthe costsoffeeding theiranimals

“We’re encouragingpeopletoreach outfor supportiftheyare struggling.We’ve committed £1.5 million of extra fundingtocrisismeasures; launched anew cost of living hub, adedicated telephonehelplineand ourpet food bank partnerships continue to go from strength to strength.”

Anumberofredundancieshavebeenmadeata Wolverhampton-basedbrewing group.

It followsa review of theoffice operationat CarlsbergMarston’s BrewingCompany in Marston’s House,Brewery Road

ACMBCspokesman said:“As abusiness, we regularlyreviewthe structures required to effectively servicethe needs of ourcustomers

“A recent review hasled to asmall number of redundancies from ourcustomerservice managementteam. We areworking closely with the employeesaffected to supportthemwiththe process andtohelpthemthrough what we know is a difficult time.”

Chiefnurse Martina Morris

Brunel’s viaductto take on anew life forMidland Metro

Themulti-million pound restorationofthe historic Parkhead Viaductisnearingcompletion,withthe finalscaffoldingabout to be removed.

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Themajor project, delivered by the MidlandMetro Alliance on behalf of Transportfor West Midlands,marks asignificant milestonefor thesecond phaseofthe Wednesbury to Brierley HillMetro extension, as it is the first permanentstructure delivered forthe next part of thelight rail scheme Originallyconstructed in the1880s, Parkhead Viaduct is avital piece of Dudley’s railwayheritage. Designed by therenownedengineerIsambard KingdomBrunel, theviaduct playeda crucialroleinconnectingthe town to thewider railwaynet rk butfellintodisuse afte heavyrailserviceswere halted on this line in the middle of thelastcentury Therestoration project haspreserved the viaduct’shistoriccharacterand also strengthened it from within,mitigatingany requirementt change themuch-lovedstructure’s external appearance

thrilled to seeitbecome visibletothe publiconcemore, offering afantastic locallandmarktoonce-againfor residents andvisitorsalike.”

By employingcutting-edge techniques, designersand construction professionalsatthe MMAhaveensured thestructure canintegrate with themoderndemands of atram system,guaranteeingits usefor generationstocome Andy Street,Mayor of theWestMidlands, said:“TheParkheadViaduct restorationisafantastic exampleof how vitalinfrastructureprojectscan go hand-in-hand with preserving our heritage.Thisrestoredviaduct will notonlyserve as acrucialtransport link butwill also standas atestament to Dudley’s rich industrial past.I’m

Councillor PatrickHarley, leader of Dudley Council, added: “Thanks to theexpertise of thedeliveryteam, this workhas ensuredthisimrtantpiece of Dudley’s historyispreserved for future generations. It’s fantasticthatlocal peoplewill be abletoenjoy seeing this landmark once more,now that theworks arecomingto an end. Thecompletion of this phaseisanother ysteptowards theMetro coming to Brierley Hill.”

Theviaduct restorationisjust oneofseveral developments forthe Wednesbury to Brierley HillMetro extension, andthe deliveryofanumber of keystructuresneededfor the11km tramway

The finalreplacement structurefor the firstphase of theschemetoDudleywill be installedonBirmingham NewRoadover anumberofweekends in June,following the removalofthe aged bridge last December

TheMetro is currentlyonlyrunning betweenWolverhamptonand Wednesbury as construction continues. The full servicetoBirmingham is dueto restartonApril 9.

Flying from Birmingham orEast Midlands

TheParkhead Viaductdates backtothe 1880s andisnow part of thetram line

Scaffolding at Parkhead Viaduct

Brunel

Schoolsseeking headteachers

Threeschools in Dudley arelooking to recruitnew headteachers.

BromleyPensnettPrimary in Brierley Hill,partofDRB Ignite MultiAcademy Trust, is offering up to £77,195ayear. It wantsto appointa“talented andexceptional individual”. Emailjhill@drbignite mat.orgbeforenoononApril 4.

Old Park School,ThornsRoad, Brierley Hill,isalsolooking fora newhead, offering an annual salary of up to £98,616.

Ajob advertsaysthe governing boardwants to appointan“exceptional, dynamicand successful leader to maintain theexcellent qualityofeducation in theschool”

Applybefore8am on April15. Call Martin Blairon07736 791138 or emailmartin.blair@hays.com

Also lookingfor aheadisHurst GreenPrimary,NarrowLane, Halesowen. Theannualsalaryisup to £83,081.

Applyby10amonMay 13 on 01384818210oremail rwhite house@hurst-green.dudley.sch.uk

Council’s£223k agency fees bill

Dudley Councilspent nearly aquarterofamillion pounds on four agency staffin just four months.

Theauthorityiscurrently battlingtosave£37 million in three yearstoget its finances back on trackand hasintroduced ruleslimitingspendingonservicesitisnot required by lawtoprovide

Restrictions started in October but, by theend of January, thebill forfourtemporary consultants working on regeneration andestateswas £223,518.

Thequartet,who were doing non-statutorywork, were supplied from twoagenciesand theirday ratesrangedfrom£429to£1,020.

In Januarythe councilstumped up thelowest figure of £47,207for thefourwhileinDecember they received atotal of £75,611.

CouncilleaderCouncillor Patrick Harley said they played avital role in securing some bigregeneration projects, adding thecashhad come from theWestMidlandsCombined Authority.

Gameslegacyfundprovides boost forwater safety lessons

Communitygroupshave beguntofeelthe benefits of theCommonwealth Gameslegacy funding.

The firstgrantshavebeenawarded from theWestMidlandsCombinedAuthority’s (WMCA) Inclusive CommunitiesFundwith150 projects sharingalmost£5million

Andy Street, Mayorofthe West Midlands andchair of theWMCA, hasannounced that an extra £3 million is beingput into theFund so even more communitiesacross theregioncan benefitfromCommonwealthGames legacy money

It meansthe biggest amount of Gameslegacymoneytobegiven out in publicgrantsisnow even bigger–increasing from £9m to £12m Oneofthe firstgrantstobe awardedis£200,000 to Active Black Countryfor water safety lessonsfor thousandsofschoolchildren, teachingthemhow to stay safe around water andvital survival skills if they getintodifficulty.

Survey

TheWMCAisfunding thescheme in response to an annual school swimming survey by Active Black Countrythatshowed last year justhalfofprimary school leavers acrossDudley, Sandwell,Walsall andWolverhamptonwereunableto self-rescue in water, despitenearly allchildrenlivingwithinwalking distance of open water

Beingabletoself-rescue is definedbyswimmingorganisations as theability to floatonthe back for aminute, tread waterwhilewaving andshoutingfor help,and swim for at least15m

Acrossthe West Midlands,there were 63 accidental drowningsbetween2018and 2022 –aroundone in five were underthe ageof18 yearsold,which is doublethe national average.

Active BlackCountry will work

alongsidelocal authorities, leisure operatorsand aquaticspartnersincludingafPE, theCanal andRiver Trust, RLSS andSwimEnglandto developaprogramme of lessonsin andout of thewater for80schools alongsidecommunity family sessions.

Thousandsmoreinthe area will getaccesstoanew water safety websitewhich will have resources forteachers, parentsand community groups.

Themayormet theActive Black Countryteamand others involved in theprogramme at Sandwell ValleyCountry Park

Themayorsaid: “Rightfromthe moment theWestMidlandswas chosentohostthe Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Iwas veryclear that theGames must leavealastinglegacyat grassroots

level. That’s whyI’m delightedto be announcingthatwe’ve added another£3million to theInclusive CommunitiesFundtoensureas many people as possible canbenefit.

“Almost£5m is alreadymakingits wayintothe handsoflocal people,including this £200,000 to teachvital watersafetyskillsto thousandsofschoolchildrenacross theBlack Country.

“Too many young people tragically dieeachyearfromdrowning, so this vitaltrainingwillnot only help save livesbut also teach youngpeoplehow to enjoythe watersafely.”

Amanda Tomlinson, chairof Active BlackCountry,said: “We aredelighted to receivethisfundingwhich will enable Active Black Countryand partners to deliver this keylifesaving programmeto children acrossthe BlackCountry

“The fundingwill enhancethe excellentworkalready beingundertakenbyafPE, theCanal andRiver Trust, RLSS andSwimEngland ensuring we areabletocreatea future generationsorchildrenwho not only aresafebut enjoy beingin andaroundwater.”

Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, WMCA portfolioleadfor inclusive communitiesand leader of Sandwell Council, said:“It’s exciting to see the firstgrantsbeing awardedfrom this very special fund that will make positive changes to ourcommunities formanygenerations.”

Sheadded: “The water safety lessonsthatthe programmewill providetoschoolchildrenacross Sandwell area greatexample, with thepotential to have asignificant impact over thecourse of their lives.”

MayorAndyStreet joins officials,includingthose from Active BlackCountry,tomark thesafetyfundingboost

Work on town’s

‘vital’ pedestrian link is underway

LISA O’BRIEN

Work hasstarted on the creation of a“vital” pedestrian link offBrierley Hill High Street.

When complete,the walkwaywill create alinkbetween High Street and LittleCottage Street, thesiteofthe plannedMidland Metro terminus

Thelinkwaywill be called Lions Way.

It will notonlyconnect High Street to LittleCottage Streetand to theplanned Metro extensionfrom Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, butit will also bringwhatiscurrently an unsightlyvacantgap site back into positive use.

Morethan£5million hasalready been invested in Brierley Hillthrough theFutureHigh StreetFundand Brierley HillHigh StreetHeritageAction Zone

Therehavebeenmajor improvementstothe CivicHallGreen,BrierleyHillWar Memorial andsignificant refurbishmentworktoBrierleyHill Libraryand therecentlyreopened publictoilets in Little CottageStreet.

This latestinvestmentwill seeLionsWay open in thesummer Councillor PatrickHarley, leader of Dudley Council, said:“This is the latest in alistofinvestments we have made in Brierley Hill andweare startingtosee thepositive benefits of that

“Lions Wayisa vitalconnectionbetweentwo importantareas of thehigh street whichwill be opened up forthe firsttimein years.

“Whenitiscompletethe linkway will provideahugeboost to localbusinesses,students, residents andshoppers accessingvital transport linksin thefuture.”

Thesite, betweenshops, iscurrently overgrownafterdemolitionaround24 yearsago,and hassincebecome atargetfor fly-tipping.

TheWestMidlandsCombined Authorityprovided£145,000 to fund the

acquisitionofthe land anddemolition on site

Dudley Council, through theFuture High Street Fund,isproviding theremaining£350,000tolay outnew permeable paving,erectionofnew boundarytreatment,installationofplanters andlighting

Andy Street, Mayorofthe West Midlandsand WMCA chair, said:“Thefuture islooking brightfor Brierley Hill High Street with fundingnow secured to bringMetro tramstoits doorstep as well as thecouncil’s ongoing£5m regeneration scheme

“I’m pleasedwehavealsobeenable to make moneyavailable forthisconvenient andquick walkingroute betweenthe forthcomingMetro stop and High Street.It’sgreat news forvisitors andtradersalike

“It’sno secret that ourhigh streets have been throughsome challenging timesoverthe last fewyears butby backingprojectslikethisone we can breathenew lifeintothese important locations, helpingthemmaintaintheir traditionalroleasthe beatingheart of ourlocal communities.”

ThenameLions Wayisnod to the Brierley Hill Alliance football club ground whichusedtobeinLittleCottage Street whichhas alionasits club emblem

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Departing Mon 29 Jul ‘24

With its tranquil valleys,windswept moors and undulating hills, the beauty of the YorkshireDales is bestexplored by train! On this break we aretreated to nostalgic experiences aboardthe preserved Embsay&Bolton AbbeySteam Railway and the Settle-Carlisle Railway

Your breakincludes

 Return coach travel from Dudley & Wolverhampton

 4nights at the Leonardo Hotel, Bradford(JG3+rating) with dinner &breakfast

 Heritage train journeys on the Embsay&Bolton AbbeySteam Railway &the Settle-Carlisle Railway

 ExcursionstoYork,National Railway Museum &Grassington

Thelinkway will be called Lions Way

Work hasstarted on thecreation ofthe linkway in BrierleyHall

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TheStGeorge’ssiteinWolverhampton

Architects’teams shortlistedtodraw up neighbourhood

Four teamsofaward-winningarchitectshavebeen shortlisted to design a newneighbourhood at the brownfieldStGeorge’s site in Wolverhampton city centre.

Therewas a flood of expressionsof interest in adesigncompetition,led by City of WolverhamptonCounciland socialimpactdevelopersCapital&Centric in collaboration with theRoyal InstituteofBritish Architects

It resulted in 11 practicesbeing chosentoformteams moving through to thenextstage

Each will have eightweeks to put together an inspiringvisionfor the site,withabrief to deliver an inclusive andsustainable neighbourhood that reflects both thecity’sheritageand diversity.

Theshortlistedteams are: Ash Sakula, Turner Worksand Archio (three practices);HenleyHalebrown, Studio Weaveand APPARATA (three practices);MetropolitanWorkshop, Studio Bark andMole(threepractices); MikhailRichesand Periscope(two practices)

Thearchitectural competitionis part of apushbythe counciland Capital&Centric to deliver an exemplar neighbourhood on the10-acre site,

whichsetsanew high barfor regenerationinthe city.Itisbeing overseen by Angela Brady, apastpresidentof RIBA,who will advise thecouncil and apanel of judges on whichschemeto be selected as winner andtaken forward

Councillor StephenSimkins,leader of WolverhamptonCouncil,said: “Thisapproachisabout securing inspiringdesigns that seta newdesign benchmarkfor brownfieldregeneration in Wolverhampton. Thelevel of interest in thecompetition hasbeen really encouragingand we’relooking forwardtoseeinghow theshortlisted teams interpretthe brief

“St George’s is afantastic opportunitytocreatea game-changing neighbourhood of whichthe city can be proud. It’s acriticalpartofour citywideplantounlockinvestmentin considered development that delivers much-needed homesand newopportunities forour communities.”

Angela Bradysaid: “Weset outto getthe verybestideas foran exciting, futuristic neighbourhood that will draw in peopleofall generationsto live andworkinthe city as acommunity.Collaboration is critical to deliveringdiverse andinclusive design.”

Positive talksoveropening of icerink

Positive discussionsare “ongoing” with adeveloper to bringanice rink Dudley,the council’sleaderhas said Localauthoritybosses areincontinued talkswithPlanetIce regardinga site in Flood Street,close to Duncan EdwardsLeisure Centre Planet Iceoperates14ice rinks acrossthe UK,including a4,000-seat arenainCoventry.

CouncilleaderCouncillorPatrick Harley said discussionshad beenpositiveand theauthority waslooking forwardtoprogresstalks with theice

rink operator.Headded: “Weare in ongoingdiscussionswithPlanetIce, whoremainverykeentobuildanice rink in Dudley

“The discussionshavebeenvery positive,and we will be lookingto progress thosetalks overthe next fewmonths.

“The feasibility work that we have carriedout so farispositive andtells usanice rink couldbeviableinDudleytowncentre.Itwould be afantasticasset forthe town,bringingjobs andmoreleisure opportunities.”

Hankshandles pirate stand-off

Films for the weekend

Saturday

CaptainPhillips(2013) (BBC1, 11.55pm)

CaptainRichard Phillips (Tom Hanks) kisses hiswifeAndrea (Catherine Keener)goodbyeand takeschargeofhis cargovessel, theMaerskAlabama,bound for Mombasa. Somali piratesboard thevesseland Phillips conceals hiscrewbelow deck in theengine room whilehe takescharge of thesituation.Phillips puts himself in harm’s waytoensure thesafetyofevery manon board, butthe stand-offspirals outofcontrol.

Sunday Tinker Tailor SoldierSpy (2011) (BBC1, 11.30pm)

This labyrinthine dramacentresonthe deputy to theheadof Britishintelligencewho is forced into retirement afteran operation ends in disaster.Heislater recruitedbythe governmentto return to duty andinvestigate thepossibility of aSovietmolein ahigh-rankingposition in MI6.

Gary Oldman, KathyBurke, ColinFirth, TomHardy,John Hurt,BenedictCumberbatch, Mark Strongand Toby Jones all star

Take achanceonnight to rememberAbbatriumph

Editor’s weekend pick

Abba Night(BBC2,from 8.35pm,Saturday)

My my,in1974atBrighton Dome,Britain did surrendertothe charms of Abba.

It’s 50 yearssince theSwedish groupscoredahistoricEurovision Song Contestvictory with Waterloo. Therewereprobablyquite a fewUKviewers whoimaginedthat wouldbethe firstand last they saw of Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Bennyand Björn. Buttheywentontobecome global popsensations.

So,tomarkthe 50th anniversary of theEurovision triumphthat helped pave theway forworld domination,BBC2isturning theschedules over to much-loved quartet.

TheeveningbeginswithMore Abba at theBBC,which rounds up theirappearances on everything from TheMikeYarwood ChristmasShow to theThe Late,Late BreakfastShow. This programme is followed by thenew documentary When Abba Came to Britain, whichexploresthe group’sspecial

ANDRÉRIEU- LIVE IN

hisHomeTownofMaastricht

Departing Thu4Jul ‘24

Armed withhis 60-piece Johann StraussOrchestra, the KingofWaltz is returning to Maastricht in summer 2024 forhis nowlegendary hometownconcert! Come and discoverwhatmakes the violin maestro’sconcerts so magical, liveinthe picturesque Vrijthof Square.

Your breakincludes

 Return coach travel &ferrycrossings from Dudley & Wolverhampton

 3nights at aselected hotel in Belgium/Germany/the Netherlands (JG3 or JG4 rating) with breakfast

 Ticket to AndréRieuconcert at Vrijthof Square, Maastricht (cat 4)

 Free time in Maastricht

 Excursion to Amsterdam/Brussels/Cologne (depending on your hotel location)

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of archivefootage,including what wasthought to be theirlastever TV appearance,and theirdecision to stagetheir virtualcomeback,Abba Voyage,inLondon. Thedocumentary is followed by thecompilation Abba at theBBC,the 1979 special Abba in Switzerland, whichwas recorded on location in theAlpsand features guestappearancefrom Kate Bushand Roxy Music, and thedocumentary TheJoy of Abba, whichchartstheir rise to fame.

HEVERCASTLE

TheGardenofEngland

Departing Mon 22 Jul ‘24

We delveintoKent’s heritageonthisfive-day break with avisit to the beautifulHever Castle &Gardens and ajourneyonthe quaint Kent &EastSussexRailway.Wealsoexplorethe historic town of Ryefor aholidaytoremember in Britain’s oldest county.

Your breakincludes

 Return coachtravel from Dudley, Halesowen & Stourbridge

 4nights at theKingCharles Hotel,Gillingham(JG2+ rating) with dinner &breakfast

 Heritagetrain journeyonthe Kent &EastSussexRailway

 Excursions to Rye& HeverCastle& Gardens

Optional excursion to Canterbury (£14pp)

5Days by Coach

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Royisfacinga murder charge

Your guide to the soaps

EastEnders (BBC1)

Sharon continuestostickto herstory as she’squestioned by police,but she’sbrought up shortwhenpresented with new evidence.Bernadetteheads to Spaintobreak thenewsabout KeanutoKaren,and Phil sticks up forSharoninfront of thegossips.Elaine andCindy put their differencesaside to support George before he takesthe stand in Eddie’strial,but there’smore heartache as Gloriacollapses Coronation Street(ITV1)

Royischarged over Lauren’s murder andleftalone andterrified in apolicecell. Liam and Dylanare supposedtobeheadingtocourt,but do arunner.As Maria’sobsessive questtokeep Liam safe intensifies,Gary finds supportfromSarah,littlerealisinghis wife is listeningin. Emmerdale(ITV1)

Rhona’strial gets offtoaworryingstart as sheloses hertemper on thestand.Meanwhile, Cain makesitclear theDingles aren’t forsalebytakingasledgehammertoRuby’s airfryersand Calebcomestoher defence. Elsewhere, Manpreet feelsunder pressure to sayyes when Charles proposes

SCARBOROUGH

&North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Departing Mon 29 Jul ‘24

Scarborough provides theperfect base forthisexciting five-day holidayasweexplorethe highlights of Yorkshire’siconiccoast.

We include excursions to Whitby, Bridlingtonand charming Filey, as well as thehighlightofthe break,aleisurelyjourneyonthe heritage NorthYorkshire MoorsRailway

Your breakincludes

 Return coachtravel from Dudley & Wolverhampton

 4nights at the DelmontHotel, Scarborough with dinner &breakfast

 Heritagetrain journeyonthe NorthYorkshireMoors Railway

 Excursions to Whitby,Bridlington& Filey

Optional excursion to York (£13pp)

5Days by Coach only £399

Single Supplement £75

relationship with theUK. As well as exploringAbba’sBritish influences, thedocumentary takesinawealth

Benny, Bjorn,Agnethaand FridaLyngstadonTop of thePopsinthe 1970s

BRAIN GYM No.782

Codeword

Sudoku Double Crossword

Choose either quick or cryptic clues –both fitthe same grid.

Across Down Cryptic Clues:

7. Is frank, but not cutting (4,2,7)

8. Introduced the new resident (8)

9. Imposed duty (4)

10. Ameeting place in the suburban street? (6)

12. One is right to have them (6)

14. Fancy becoming atenor maybe (6)

16. One who cares, relatively speaking (6)

18. Thrash in the returngame (4)

20. Basically it’s intended to make one’spile last longer (8)

22. Determination an heir doesn’treally need (4,2,7)

Quiz

1. At which weight wasRockyMarciano world champion1952-56?

2. In which country would you find akibbutz?

3. Which 1994 film focused on the fifth Beatle’ Stuart Sutcliffe?

4. By what nameisthe city ofConstantinople now known?

5. Oscar-winning film The Last Emperor was set in whichcountry?

1. Amount of business produced by a cook (8)

2. Plant has point in being backward (6)

3. Reader’splea for original expression (4)

4. They’reslow but sure (8)

5. Quickly take afew notes, maybe (6)

6. Very popular winter sports range (4)

11. He has the will to settle things (8)

13. Made about a thousand to be burned (8)

15. High spirits? (6)

17. Hit apole with a goods vehicle (6)

19. Put down face up (4)

21. It takes alot of beating (4)

6. Whatisthe scientificstudy of celestial bodies and theuniverse called?

7. Which former US president died aged 81 in 1994?

8. Which book of theOld Testamentincludesthe flight of theIsraelites from Egypt?

9. Which part of Londonisfamous for aformer power station and adogs and cats home?

10. Basque and Catalanare spoken in which country?

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AndréRieuin MaastrichtbyAir

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Digthese toptipstoensure garden is readyfor thespring

SAMWYLIE-HARRIS PressAssociation

With springtime signalling buds coming into bloom, your patchof greenery is nowa hubof activity…

“Makingsureyourgarden is ‘springready’isawonderful wayto getyourself outsideand enjoy the earlyspringsunshine,”encourages DavidDomoney, gardenerand charteredhorticulturist.

“I always look forwardtothe early spring months,asthere areso many excusestoget outside– and in thegarden.”

Weeding

Oneofthe most importantoverallgardeningjobsyou should focus on,regardlessofwhether it’s your floweringbedsoryourvegetable patch, is weeding, says Domoney.

“Makingsureyou areontop of perennialand annual weedsisessentialtoguaranteeingahealthy garden patch.

“Hoeingalargerareawill be ideal fordislodgingsmall andannual garden weeds,whilstweeding by hand will help you to remove more establishedweeds,” he advises

“You coulduse adigging or borderforkfor this, or amoredirected approach,using ahandforkto wrestlethose weeds outfromthe root.”

How to havethe perfectvegetable patch

Thereare plenty of gardening tasksyou canstart this time of the year in yourvegetable patch, suggestsDomoney. “Now is theperfect time to plantonions, shallots and garlic sets –you cando this successionally to producebatches of this crop throughout theyear.” Starting now,hesaysyou cando this everyfew weeks, throughto April, whichwill extend your cropping season.Also,you canplant yoursecond-earlyand main crop potatoes at this time,afterany risk of frosthas passed,notes Domoney.

“The second earlies, ‘new’potatoes,will be readytoharvest in July andAugust, andthe main crop potatoes canbeenjoyed from August to October.”

“Additionally, earlyApril is ideal forsowing floweringcompanions foryourvegetable plots,suchas potmarigolds,whose fragrant foliagecan detersomepests from your crops,”headds.

Consistent flowering

With flowersstartingtomake theirappearance, thereare several ways you canensure consistent flowering, advises Domoney.

“Ifyou wouldliketoproduce apollinator-friendly wildflower meadow,get startedearly by sowingseeds in trays.Then, once any risk of frosthas passed,these can be sown outsidefor theperfect treat foryourlocal pollinatorpop-

ulation.”You canalso usethistime to plantyourroses,shrubs, and climbers, whichgives them plenty of time to establishbefore flowering in thecomingmonths, highlights Domoney. He also suggests sowing sunflowers, too. Domoney’sspring gardeningcheck list

Create aplantingcalendar: So youcan make sure your garden beds arefullypreparedfor sowing seeds, what time of theyeartosow them,and when youcan expect to harvest.

Prep before yousow: Ensure yourgarden is readytocultivate thehealthiestand most productive plants by improvingyoursoilbefore sowing andplanting. Organic matter dugintothe soil,any compost you have produced last year, or even composted leaves you have been saving from last autumn will

Fragrances that will make scents of the seasonalair

Oneofthe highlights of this time of year is sensingachange in theair…the feelingofnew beginnings andthe scentof bouquets

“Spring provides theperfect opportunityfor rejuvenation andbreathing anew leaseoflife into thehome,withfragrance playingavital role,” says Jennifer Genson, WoodWick andR&D director of fragranceand sensory scienceatNewellBrands.

“Asthe days grow warmer andlighter,it’simportant for this to be echoed throughout thehome usingfresh, floral and brightfragrancesthatreflect theseason’sbeauty–and evoke afeeling of tranquillity.”

Entrancehalland kitchen

With theart of hostingand tablescapingbecomingincreasinglypopular,she says it works well to fill thehome’s entryway with bold scents to welcome guests– andannouncethe long-awaitedarrival of spring

To setthe tone,she suggests afruit-forward fragrancewith notes of freshpeach,warmvanillaand soft florals.

Dining area

Moving to theheart of the home,Gensonsaystolet the dining tablebecome ahaven of springtime enchantment.

Shesuggeststhe scentoflavender andcypress,which providesanaromaticFrenchlavender fragrancewoven with the scents of lemon, cedarwood and cypressessential oils

Living area

alladd wonderfulnutrients to the soil

Startseedsindoors: Sowsome long-seasonseeds indoors, which arebettersuitedtomoreconsistentlywarmsoiltostart them off. Some greatexamplesinclude broccoli,cauliflower,and tomatoes

Collectrainwater: Make sure you have awater butt or asimilar alternativetocollect rainwater

Sharpen your tools: Make sure yourgarden toolsare spring-ready Give them agoodclean,making sure to putthemawaydry to avoid rusting. Sharpensecateurs and checkthe edges of spadesand hand toolsliketrowels,incasetheycould do with some attentiontoo

DavidDomoneywill be at theIdeal HomeShowatOlympia London, Kensington untilSundaytooffer tips,liveQ&Asand demonstrations.

By adapting your home to the season,Robin Fisher,ARRAN Sense of Scotland’s head of fragrance,suggestscreatingan atmosphere to reflectthe month –“Spring haslighter andlonger days,and bringing theoutdoors in canhelpmirrorthis.

“Removestrongwinter scents andreplace with delightful floralfragrancesofjasmine and rose. Combiningcitrus, fruity andherbaceous notes such as grapefruit, figand philadelphus canalso help refreshyourhome as thetemperature warmsup.”

Bedroom

Fisher says thebestfragrances forthe bedroominclude lavender,chamomileand jasmine –“they areall synonymous with sleepaidingqualities,creating apeaceful andtranquil space to unwind.”

Prep beforeyou sow–ensureyourgardenisready to cultivate themostproductive plants

Follow David’stipsfor theperfect vegetable patch

Somelong-season seedsare betteroff planted indoors

WhiteCompanyspring candle

There’smagic andsoultobe foundinthis reinvented city

Once upon atime, Dubaiwas littlemorethanasmall fishing villagebackedbyendless dunes andmiles of desert wilderness

Thosehumblebeginnings barely seem possible giventhe futuristic metropolisthatstands today: gleaming seafront promenades,the tallestskyscrapers in theworld andshoppingcentres filled with everything from countlessstorestolarger-thanlifeaquariums –evenski slopes

Dubai’sboldreinvention oftendivides opinionwithmany dismissing it as allstyle and no substance. Butdespite the glitzy façade andthe popular belief that it’s nothing butInstagram fodderand retail therapy,there’s real soul andmagic to be discovered

Thenatural starting pointis Al Fahidi,the historic neighbourhood in Old Dubaithatoffers afascinating glimpse into a bygone time andthe commercial originsthatsparked thecity’s growth.Centredaroundthe DubaiCreek,where oldabras (wooden water taxis) plythe waterway, theatmospheric alleys andfragrantmarketsare a world away from thesterile and sometimessoullessmalls found elsewherein thecity.

There’sculture,too.Meaning ‘meeting place’ in Arabic,the Majlis Galleryhouses paintings, ceramics,glassworkand photography,while theCoins Museum houses ararecollectionof 500coins from as farbackasthe 7thcentury.Moremodern-day jewelsare on displayinthe glittering Gold Souk locatednearby.Trade ofthispreciousmetal beganinDubai in the1940s andremains oneofthe world’s biggest andmostimportant gold markets. Othermuch-loved shopping hotspots in Old Dubai includesouks specialisingin spices,perfumesand fabrics. This is primepeople-watching territory. Amongthe shopsand stalls, this historiccoveredarcade is abubblingmeltingpot of localculture,withmen hauling cartsand womenintraditional dressbrowsingfor bargains

Stop offfor atangy glassof mint andlimejuice or cupof gahwa(traditionalcoffee) at the ArabianTea House, wherebillowing lace curtains, turquoise benchesand whiterattanchairs create aworld away from Starbucks.

Enjoying wild adventures and wine in Canadianwilderness

KIRSTY MASTERMAN PressAssociation

“Don’t

take youfootoff thebrake!”I hear my instructor’s firm command ringinginmyears. But howonearth am Isupposedtoget thesedogs to move if my

foot is on thebrake?

“Mush, Mush!” Ishout,persistingwithmy efforts, and finally we’reoff

I’mout in theforests of Muskoka,tryingmyhandat dogsledding. My partnerin crimesitsbackand enjoysthe ride as Istrugglewitha pack of dogs

Thesledgenearlytopples over, butsomehow,probablydue to extensivebraking,Imanagetomake afull recovery. Butit’snoeasyfeat. Muskoka, alakesideretreat,is just atwo-hour drivenorth of Toronto.

Knownas Canada’s answer to the Hamptons duetothe high number of holidayhomesinthe area,it’s easy to seewhy peopleheadhereto getawayfromitall.

Nestled

Thewintermonthsproduce scenes to rivalNarnia, whilesummers arelaidbackand glorious

My shortstayinFebruaryisat Falcon’s Nest,aholiday home sold through theVrborentalsite.

This lakeside cottage, nestled amongtoweringpinetrees in a secluded cove overlooking Lake Muskoka, boasts sixbedrooms.

Thereisalso achef’skitchen,two brightlivingspacesand sixbathrooms, allspreadover three floors, making it theperfect location fora get-together with familyorfriends

Shortfor ‘VacationRentals By Owner’,Vrbohas more thantwo million properties worldwide.

As Ienter thecottage,Iamimmediatelystruckbythe relaxed, calmingspace,withits neutral colour scheme, wooden floors and oak-panelled staircases Ichoosea room on thelower floor,

whereI canlookout overthe water andsee thesunrise.Outside,there is alarge seatingarea, setaround a fire pit, whileawood-burning hot tubisnot faraway.

Ashortwalkdownastoned pathwaybringsmetoadelightful boathouse, featuringalounging area with barand gamesspace,and wraparound deck

During thesummer months, it’s possible to borrow kayaks or standup paddle boards to explorethe lake.It’salso an ideallocationto practise yoga or have massages –both of whichcan be arranged by thehome host

When rentingthe property,afully customised, tailor-madeitinerarycan be arranged forfree.

My programmestartswithdog sledding at NorthRidge Ranch, an hour’s driveawayfromour lodgings

We aregiven an extremely detailed lesson,primarily consisting

of rememberingto“keep yourfoot on thebrake”, before we areset free with ourmushers to experience thetwists, turnsand hillsofthe snow-covered forest

At first, Irideupfront,cocooned in thesledge as we bump alongthe paths, admiringthe scenery.

Halfway throughour 10km journey, I’mgiven thechanceto‘steer’

It’s atruly exhilarating–ifsomewhat challenging–experience,endingina‘hold on andhopefor the best’downhill race to the finishing post

Back at thecottage,weare greeted by localcountry musicianTy Baynton, whoprovidesour evening entertainment. He performs many of hisown songsaswellastaking requests, interspersed with hisstories of thelocal area

Theperformance is followed by an excellentgourmet dinner preparedbyprivate chef DavidFriesen whorustles up adecadentsev-

en-course menu with wine pairing. Duetothe unseasonably warm time of year,and themeltingsnow, our snowmobiling tour turnsintoa waterfallchasing experience

This enablesustosee more of the localareaaswetravelfromtownto town,admiringthe rushingwater up close.

We roundoff themorning at Ontario’soldestcranberry marsh, MuskokaLakes Farm &Winery.

Thereweenjoy alunch of cranberrychilli,withs’mores around thecampfire before embarkingon theBog to BottleTourand wine tastingexperience

With activities such as cooking classes, ice fishing, snow shoeing, iceskating andsnowmobiling,there areplentyofoptions to keep guests entertainedin thelakes andforests of Muskoka.

ButatFalcon’sNestit’sjustas easy to curl up by the fire with a good book

Kirsty relaxing in front of a fire pitatFalcon’sNestafter ahardday dog sledding

TheFalcon’sNestresort, sold throughthe Vrbo websiteMuskoka Lake region in Canada,atwo-hour drivefromToronto

Al Fahidiinthe old town

Chargeyourglasses ladies andgentlemen –it’s pubquiztime.

Youcan still getyourweeklybrain training fixrighthere,and in true pubquizstyle,we’ve gatheredtogether aselection of chin-scratching questions that will test your knowledge on arange of subjects,givingeverybody both achallenge anda chancetoshine.

Splitintoten-question roundswitha fivequestion picture round,our quiz canbeenjoyedin bitesize sections or as awhole for one mammoth sessionofquizzing.

Will youbeaknowledge knight,orthe court jester of Quiztown?It’stime to getthosethinking caps outofthe cupboardand find out

ANSWERS

ROUND ONE –GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1: Amember of whichof thearmed forces wouldwearwhatis knownasa‘green lid’?

2: By what name is thejollybrand mascotBibendumbetter known?

3: What name is giventoa dessert madebycurdling sweet cream or milk with wine or cider?

4: Howare Aventine,Caelian,Capitoline, Esquiline,Palatine, Quirinal andViminalcollectively known?

5: .siisthe nternetdomainfor whichcountry?

6: What is themorecommonname of the flowerwiththe scientific name ranunculus?

7: WhichwordprecedesWorton, Wallop andWasdale to give the name of threeEnglish villages?

8: Whichday of theweek is namedafter theNorse godof thunder?

9: Whichgirls’name canalsomeanamilitary sortie or afastraid?

10: Whichspecies of treeisalsoknown as agum tree?

ROUND 2–ENTERTAINMENT

1: In children’s TV,whatisthe name of Blueythe dog’s sister?

2: Tapestrywas afamous1971album by Carole King.But an albumofthe same name wasre-released in thesame year,having originally come outin1970.Whichartistrecorded it?

3: ‘I guess he’s an Xbox andI’m moreAtari.But the way youplay your game ain’tfair’ is aline from which2010number one hit?

4: What wasthe name of theJazzClubpresenter portrayedbyJohn ThomsononThe FastShow?

5: Theband EmeraldExpress collaboratedonwhich1982UKcharttopper?

6: Luke Hemmingshas this month released asolo single called Shakes.But he is bestknown asthe lead singerof whichboyband?

7: In themovie franchise, whichof theminionshas only oneeye?

8: Whichactor had aregularrole inNoel’s House Partyasthe dimwitted windowcleaner Sammythe chamois?

9: Whichsurname connects the familyinthe 60ssci-fi programme LostInSpace andthe one shipwreckedonadeserted tropical island in a film based on abookbyJohann David Wyss?

10: ‘The storyof aman whowas too proudtorun’isthe tagline to whichclassicwestern?

ROUND 3–THAT’SGRAND

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T:ECBJSU 1. neoliaroCdiRa 2. ulSo 3. oplePe stJu Do g4nihotN eTh atBo atTh edckRo 5. ginamreSc rdLo ean-S-oonntri.Fh6tcSu

6119 397.110

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:GEEDWLNOLKRANEGE

1: Whichanimated duotravelledtothe mooninA Grand Day Out?

2: Whouttered theline‘Iwanttobealone’inthe classic film Grand Hotel?

3: Canyou name either of thehorses that have wonback-to-back GrandNationals?

4: What name is giventothe principalwaterway between London andthe Midlands?

5: GrandRapidsisa city in whichUSstate?

6: What is thename of theshowbroadcast from Nashville that is said to have ‘madecountry musicfamous’?

7: Theareas of SanAndreas, Liberty City andViceCityfeature in whichvideo game franchise?

8: Whichcharacter,created by RoaldDahl, hasbeenportrayed in filmsbyAnjelicaHuston andAnne Hathaway?

9: WhichUSstate is knownasThe GrandCanyonState?

10: Whoisthe host of theChannel 4renovation series Grand Designs?

ROUND 4–NAMETHE YEAR

1: Canyou name theyearthatRonaldReaganwas sworn in for a second time as US President, theborder between Gibraltarand Spainwas opened for the firsttime since1969and theLiveAid concerts were held?

2: NancyPelosi became the firstfemale speaker in theHouse of Representatives, Diaryof aWimpyKid was firstpublished and Gordon Browntook over from Tony Blairas Prime Minister.Inwhich year?

3: TheQueen announced that Buckingham Palace wouldopen to thepublic in this year,whichalsosaw tennisplayerMonicaSeles stabbed in thebackwhile on courtand theNobelPeace Prizewas jointlyawarded to Nelson Mandelaand FW De Klerk. When was this?

4: Thorpe Park theme park wasopened,the firstSonyWalkman went on sale andThe Life Of Brianpremiered in theUK, allinwhich year?

5: Whichyearsaw TheBeatles’lastliveperformance in theUnited StatesatCandlestick Park,San Francisco? It wasalsothe year Walt Disney died andThe Soundof Music wonThe Best Picture Oscar?

6: This year sawthe releaseof Minecraft andAdele’s second album 21,aswell as theTVdebutofGame Of Thrones. Name theyear.

7: Theheadlinesfromwhich year included Marilyn Monroe’s wedding to Arthur Miller,the firsteverEurovision Song Contestand theOlympic Games, with theexception of theequestrianevents in Stockholm,being held in Melbourne?

8: When did theBerlin Wall come down?Itwas also theyearthe poll taxwas introducedinScotlandand protests were held in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

9: In this year,aKen doll wasproduced to accompanyBarbie, while thefarthingceased to be legal tender in theUKand theMiniCooper waslaunched. When wasit?

10: Queen Elizabeth II openedboththe modern-dayLondonBridge andSydneyOperaHouse in whichyear? It also sawBillie Jean King beat BobbyRiggs in theso-calledBattleof theSexes tennismatch

SPECIALISTSUBJECT –PIRATERADIO

1: What wasthe firstpirateradio station to broadcast across the UK?

2: Radio Invictawas the firstpiratestation to play musicofwhich genre?

3: Thepiratestation Kurupt FM features in whichBBC sitcom?

4: What wasthe name of the2009 film aboutpirateradio loosely basedonRadio Caroline?

5: City Radio,launchedin1964, beganasapublicity stunt after originally beingset up by whichsingerand madcappolitician,who initiallynamedthe station afterhimself?

6: BigLRadio London wasapiratestation that broadcast offthe coast of whichEssex resort?

7: Also in Essex,inwhichtownisthe PirateRadio Museum?

8: Whichwell-known DJ,who beganhis careeronpirateships, was once askedtochangehis name to Mark Romaninorder to present ashowcalledthe RomanEmpire?

9: Whopresentedashowcalled ThePerfumed Garden on Radio Londonbeforebecoming afounding member of theRadio 1team when thepiratestation closed?

10: WhichBirmingham-bornDJ’s firstpresenting jobwas asixhourstint on thepiratestation Swinging Radio England?

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Reanne finally gets herTVjoy in WorldMixed

Dudley snookerstarReanneEvansteamedup with reigning men’s world championLucaBreceltowin theWorld MixedDoubles titlein Manchester

Evansand Brecel beat Mark Selby andRebecca Kenna4-2 to win thetrophy– much to thedelight of record 12-timewomen’s world championEvans

“It’staken 22 yearstowin a final on television,” shesaid. “I know Luca carriedmealittlebit,but I’ve been playingalongtimeand it is fantastictolift atrophyand play in a finallikethis, alongsideall of thesegreat players

“The crowdhavebeenfantastic andI’vereallyenjoyed myself

Sheadded: “Playing in these sort of events andgetting therecognition that thewomen deserveand thesupport from these topplayers is only goingtohelpthe womenand help thegame.

“Hopefullythere is alot more to come.Biggerand better andalways hoping andbelieving in thefuture.”

Brecel made twohalf-centuries in theopening frameofthe final, despiteonlyarrivingshortlybefore play wasdue to getunder way.

“I parked my carinthe wrong placeand it gottaken away so Ihad to go andget it just before the final,”Brecelexplained

Reader Travel

THEQUIZ

1Whichclubenteredthe relegation zoneafter beingdocked four points for breachingPremier League profitand sustainabilityrules?

2Which LosAngeles Rams defensivetackleannounced hisretirementatthe age of 32?

3Birmingham City brought back which former manageras interim boss untilthe endofthe season?

4Whosaid, “I’vewaited 20 yearsand n hadtwo winne 40 minutes,”after twoof hishorses wonatCheltenham?

Route39are specialists in thepub quizmarketsupplying weekly generalknowledge quizzes to hundredsofpubsthroughoutthe UK

7Whichcompanyisto replace Adidas asthe officialkit suppliertothe Germanynationalfootballteam after70years?

8Which tennis player clinched hersecond Indian Wellstitle?

Whichcountry defeated Kazakhstan 5-0 in theirEuro 2024 playoff?

10Which team wonthe Pakistan Super League final Karachi?

11Michail Antonio, pictured inset, plays internationalfootballfor which country?

5Walesconvincingly defeated which countryin theirEuro 2024 play-offsemifinal?

6WhoisBritain’s most successful female Olympian, whoannounced her retirementfromcycling?

14Which golfer,pictured right, became the first to winthe Players Championship in consecutiveseasons?

15Wholed outaLiverpool legendsteamagainst a side of formerAjaxgreatsat Anfieldrecently?

16Which team lost alltheir games in this year’s Six Nations Championship?

17WhoscoredManchester United’s extratimewinner in theirFACup quarter-final against Liverpool?

18Which NFLfranchise released quarterback RussellWilson?

19Whobecame the youngestWalesplayerto reach50international caps?

20Whichhorse wonthe Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter?

12Whowas the first cricketertoscore tentest centuriesagainst India?

13WhichChelsea player scored an owngoalin their4-2 FA Cup quarterfinal victoryoverLeicester City?

ANSWERS

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Anumberofpundits andex-players have been quicktodismiss OllieWatkins’chances

It’s fartoo earlytosay Olliewon’t make thecut

If OllieWatkins hasbeen awareofsomemedia coverage these past few days,hemight be forgiven forstartingtoconsider summer holidaydestinations.

Aprevailing view appearsthe Villastriker hasnot only been surpassed by Ivan Toneyinthe battle to make England’s Euro 2024 squad butdefinitively beaten “I thinkhe(Toney) hasbooked hisplace on theplane,” remarked former England internationalJill Scottafterthe Brentfordforward hadnetted his firstinternational goal in Tuesdaynight’s 2-2draw with Belgium. HerfellowpunditJoe Cole concurred, alongwithmany others whohavespokenorwritten on thesubject since.

With twomonthsofthe season still to play andGarethSouthgate notrequired to name his finalsquad untilJune8,after England will have played twowarm-up matches againstBosniaand Iceland,itisan opinion whichfeels just alittlebit premature.

That is nottosay Toneydid not deliver themoreeye-catchingmomentsover theinternational fortnight, with Watkinsfrustratedand starvedofservice having started last Friday’s 1-0defeattoBrazil.

Yetitwasn’tasthoughthe Villa manhad acompletedisaster. It washis determination to keep the ball in play whichled to Jude Bellingham scoringa last-gaspequaliseragainst Belgium, whilehealso came closetosetting up theReal Madrid star againstBrazilwitha crosswhich whistled across theface of goal

Behindthe headlineswithchief sports writer andsports journali of theyear MATT MAHER

Either way, making a finaljudgement on either ToneyorWatkins on thebasis of twofriendlymatches wouldbecruel andmisguided.

Southgatewill surely look deeper,assessing how both interact with othermembersofthe squad,their form in training andofcoursetheir exploitsatclublevel,where over the past seven monthsWatkins hashit levels rarely seen in recent yearsby an Englishstriker notnamed Harry Kane

Should he go on to finish theseasonhavingscoredmorethan30 goalsinall competitions forVilla, atargetwhich remainsquite possible, it wouldbeaverybrave call forSouthgate to omit aplayerwho is also likely to be on theshortlist forthe PremierLeague’splayerof theyearaward

Perhapsthe biggestquestionis whetherthe Englandmanager really hastomakeadecision at all?

TheToney-Watkins rivalryhas been establishedonanassumption only onerecognisedstriker will be chosentoback-up Kane in Germany

Butthere is surely an argument fortakingall three, even if Southgate andhis fellow international bossesare unsuccessfulinlobbyingUefatoexpandthe size of Euro 2024 squadsto26from23(anysuccess on that front, of course,means thedebatebecomesnulland void). Whatever happened to thecliched

Premier chiefs forget about thefansagain

It wasstill less than threeyears agoPremier League football matcheswerestill beingplayed behind closed doors.

Back then youcouldn’tgoone matchwithout hearinghow much supporters were beingmissed. “Footballisnothing without fans,” was the most prominent slogan.“We can’twaittohaveyou back,” wasanother

Pity then,suchwords were not followed by goodwill sincesupporterswereallowed back into thestadiums.

On thecontrary,the latest roundofmatches selected forlive broadcastaddstoasense respect levels formatch-going fans have never been lower.

Once again, thePremier League missed thepromised deadline of providing five weeks’ noticeofmatches movedfor television.Worse,the revisedschedulefor thesecondhalfofApril includes gamesthe precise date of whichwon’t be knownuntil less than afortnight in advance, dependingonthe resultsofEuropean fixtures

Manchester City’s trip to Brighton is currentlypencilled in forThursday,April 25 after

butcorrect view youcan neverhave toomanygoalscorers?

It is not as though thetrioare identicalinplaying style. Toney, with hisability to play with back to goal,isclearly themostsimilar to Kane.Yet Watkinsishardlya slouch when it comestoleading the line andwhilehis finishing, though considerably improved, mightbe anotch loweronthe clinical scale than theother pair,anyonewho has watchedVilla this season will tell you hiscontributionhas been far morethanjustscoring goals.

No player hascreated more in this season’s PremierLeaguethan the28-year-old,who sits levelwith Brighton’sPascalGrossand Newcastle’s Kieran Trippieron10assists, allfromopenplay.

AndmuchasWatkins’success hascome in part throughthe insistence of Unai Emerythatheremain in acentralposition, neitherishe afraid to runthe channels

Whilethe viewpointhewas a naturalwingerattemptingtoplay as astriker hasbeenemphatically disproved, it is also true Watkins possesses qualitiesrequired to play theformerposition. In addition to offering apoint of difference to Kane andToney,hemight also offeramoreproductive threat than theinconsistentMarcusRashford, or even thetoo-often-injuredJack Grealish

Theseare thearguments South-

gate must weigh up over thenext twomonthsand PremierLeague form will obviously be an influence.

Anyattacking playerwho hits ahot streak is goingtohelptheir cause, just as thosewho go offthe boil maybeatgreater risk of missingout

Itisdifficult not to view this tournament as adefining one for Southgate, whoboastsarecordonly bettered by SirAlf Ramsey butwho still hastoconvincethe criticshe haswhatittakes to getEngland over thelinewhenitmatters

Thosewho believehis tenure has runits course pointtothe perceived qualityofthe currentThree Lions crop

When it comestoattacking options, therecan be littledispute Southgateisblessed butthe same cannot be said abouta defence whichisagain likely to have Harry Maguire, oftenunfairlymaligned butnot withoutobvious faults, starting at itsheart

It is possibleGermany will represent Southgate’slasthurrahregardless of theoutcome.Certainly, anything less than reaching the semi-finaland expected date with co-favouritesFrancewould be seen as afailure

YetevenshouldEngland be triumphantand claimjusttheir secondmajor trophy, Southgatemay seeitasthe chance to go outona high.Eight yearsisa long time to spendinthe nation’s topjob

He will notbeblind to theimportanceofthe months aheadand decisionsonwho makesthe squad are unlikelytoberushed. Regardless of medianarrative,itwould be a surprise if either ToneyorWatkins couldbeguaranteedofanything yet.

ManchesterCityfansfacealong trip,but don’tknowquite when

beingselected by Skybut could be movedbacktoWednesday 24 if PepGuardiola’smen getpast Real Madrid in theChampions League andare required to play thefollowing Tuesday.

Such ascenariowould also seeCity’sgameatForest, picked forlivebroadcastonSunday28, movedforward 24 hours, while EvertonvBrentford, currently pencilled in for5.30pmonSaturday27, wouldgothe otherway

So that is five clubswhose supportersmustdecide whetherto hold back on finalising plansuntil theresultofaEuropean fixture in whichonlyone is participating. Coming up with aschedule notimpacted by City’s ChampionsLeagueprogresswould presumablyhavebeentoo easy or, morelikely, it never crossedanyone’smindatSky or thePremier League

Afterall,itisonlya 520-mile round-trip betweenBrightonand Manchester andnodoubt those rail companiescan be trustedto keep thepriceslow

Speaking of trains, good luck to anyChelsea fans attending theirmatch at VillaPark, which kicksoff at 8pmonSaturday27, attempting to make thelastdeparturebacktoLondonoff New Streetshortlyafter 10

FOSUNCUT BACK BUTWOLVESKEY

LIAM KEEN liam.keen@mnamedia.co.uk

FosunremaincommittedtoWolvesdespite the companysheddingbusiness interests, it is understood.

TheChinese groupismovingto ‘hastenits exitsfromnon-corebusinesses’tolower debt andbecome more sustainable, accordingtoreportsinChina

As aresult, anumberofWolves fans have become concernedover Wolves’futurewiththeir overseas owners,who bought theclub in 2016 for£30million andhave helped propel them into thePremier League and, previously,the Europa League

However,Wolvesand subsidiary companyFosunSportsremaina keypartofthe FosunInternational portfolio.

E-sports andother Wolves-relatedendeavours, includingfashion, come underthe FosunSports umbrella,while in 2021 Fosun Sports invested in NorthAmerican E-sports brandEvilGeniusesand laterthatyeartheyreceivedinvestment from U.S. financeand technology firm,PEAK6 Investments.

FosunInternational ownbusiness acrossavariety of industries,includingtourism,pharmaceuticals, real estate and financialservices, andthe companyisnow aiming to cutits debt by more than £1billion annually ‘inthe next twotothree yearsand improve its financialprofile’, accordingtoreports Co-chairmanWangQunbintold an earnings briefing last week:“We will exit some non-corebusinesses whilefocusingonassetsthatare sustainable andpredictable “Fosunplanstodevelop itself into amore(financiallyhealthy) andsustainable company.”

Iwas willing to take apunch –Ben

BenWhittaker insistshelet Leon Willingslandsome cleanshots to prove he hasa‘verygood chin’in hispointsdecision victory.

During adominanteight-round display, theDarlaston fightertook acoupleheavy shotsfromhis opponent late in the fight, yetWhittaker barely blinked.

Afterthe fight, ‘The Surgeon’ wasadamant that he allowedthose punchestoland, in ordertoprove

thedoubterswrong.“No,Ikind of lethim hitmeifI’m honest,” Whittakersaidwhenasked if there wasany concernoverthe shotshe took

“I have averygood chin andpeoplethink becauseI dancearound andmakethemmissthatI can’t take ashot.

“ButIcan take shotsand Ijust wanted to show that

“I’m injury free andready to go

“Thank youtoeveryonethat came out. HappyEasterand 2024 is TheSurgeon’syear.”

Whittakerbegan the fightin ferociousstyle onhis waytoa 78-73 points victory. He attacked thebody with intent andworkedtirelessly behind hisjab

TheOlympic silver medallist continued to attack thebodytotakehis professional career to 7-0withhis second points win.

Carlos:Baggies up forthe fight

Carlos Corberan waspleased his Albion side showed supporters their never-say-die mentalityinathrillingWatford comeback as they bidto “achieve somethingspecial”

DarnellFurlong’s 25-yardstoppage-timescreamercappeda2-2 draw at TheHawthorns as theBaggies clawed back atwo-goaldeficit forapotential crucialpoint

Corberan said:“It wasimportant to show to ourfansthatwewanted moreand to show that we want to make somethingspecial this year We need to understand– theplayers, staff, thefans–thingsaren’t goingtoworkhow we’d likethem to work. When thefanssee that we aretryingour best,theyare going to supportus.”

Villawaiting for Watkinsupdate

Villafaceananxiouswaitonthe fitnessofOllieWatkins afterthe topscorerwas forced outofSaturday’swin over Wolves with a hamstringproblem.

TheEngland international wasdue to undergoascanaftercomplainingofdiscomfort, whichled to himbeing replaced by Jhon Duranathalf-time VillabossUnaiEmery explainedhow Watkins, whohas scored 16 PremierLeaguegoals this season,was keen to continue before taking theadviceof theclub’smedical team.

Emerysaid: “Hewas feeling something, hishamstring.”

BenWhittaker knocksdownLeonWillings during theirlight heavy weight bout at TheO2, London,onSunday