Chronicle Week Walsall - 20-Oct-2022

MOTORING SPORT Miners’ fight forrightsretold

Taigo’sa sleek VW newcomer

‘Almost’ is not enough –Flynn Back page

Theregion’s biggest

PLANROW COSTS£1m

Afall-outbetweenBlackCountrycouncilshascosttaxpayersmore than£1million,ithasbeenclaimed Neighbouringcouncilssaythatis theestimatedcostofDudleyCoun cil’sdecisiontowithdrawfromthe BlackCountryPlan.

Themoneyhasbeenspenttoput togethertheplan,whichisaimedat decidingwherehousingshouldgoin futureyearsandwhatareasofgreen beltshouldbeprotected.

LeadersofSandwell, Wolver hamptonandWalsallallhitoutat Dudley Councillor PatrickHarley’s “sudden”decisiontopulltheplugon thecombinedplan,whichhasnow beensplitintofour,afterconcernsits greenbeltwouldbebuilton.Walsall

Report by Thomas Parkes

leaderCouncillorMikeBirdsaidhe andotherleadersweretryingtoclaw backthefigureafterthemajorpro posalsfellthrough.And,callingfora rethinkasthefall-outcontinues,he hasvowedtonolongersupportthe ongoingWednesburytoBrierleyHill MidlandMetroextension.

TheWalsallchiefsaidsiteswould havetobereviewedandcostscould increase movingforward.Hesaid: “We’retryingtorecoversomeofour costsfromDudleyandthat’sacom monthingthroughWolverhampton, SandwellandWalsall,becausewe’ve beenthrustintothisposition–and

it’snotonlythemoneywe’vespent it’sthecostsincurrednowandmov ingforward.I’msadtosaywe’velost alot of trustwithDudley. There’s beencollaborativeworkbetweenus fordecadesandPatrickhasblowna holeinthat.”

MrBirdsaidhewouldnow“paddlemyowncanoe”afterthethreeremainingauthoritieswenttheirown waysonthescheme.CouncillorIan Brookfield,leaderofWolverhamp tonCouncil,saidDudley’swithdrawal would leadto“delays and extracost”.Councillor KerrieCar michael,SandwellCouncil’s leader, said they weareall “disappointed” thejoint-approachtakenbythefour authoritieshadfallenthrough.

Rethink call on Metrolineexpansion

Shockwavesfromthecollapseof theBlackCountryPlanareescalat ingfollowingthewithdrawalofsup portforamajortransportproject.

WalsallCouncil leader Coun cillorMikeBirdsaidhewouldnot supporttheWednesburytoBrierley HillMetroextensionandcalledfora “rethink”.Hesaid:“Iwouldnotsup

portit,certainly.Iwentouttobatfor theBrierleyHill andWednesbury extensionandtherewasnobenefit toWalsall,butIinsteadlookedatthe benefitsitwouldhavefortheregion

“I thinkmyself, Sandwell and Wolverhamptonare having second thoughts on that –it’smoneywe haven’tgot.Isupportedthe cause

originallybuttheprojectnowneeds arethink.”

Theproject,whichhasspiralled incost,willstallifthemajorityof leadersoftheWestMidlandsCombinedAuthority –theheadsofBir mingham, Coventry, Solihull and Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell andDudley–voteagainstit.

Double deckersreunited

Atransport museum reunit ed “twin” busesfor the first time in58years,allowingthepublicto taketripsonthemaroundtheBlack Country.

Aldridge Transport Museum showcasedtworedD9busesover theweekend,onefromitsowncollection,andonefromtheBlackCountryLivingMuseuminDudley.

Thedoubledeckerbuses, fleet numbers5370and5342,werereu nitedforthefirsttimesinceentering servicein1964.AldridgeTransport Museum’s5370spentitsworkinglife

inLeicester,carryingoutlocalservices,butmaywellhavebeenusedin itsprimeontheX68toBirmingham –whereitcouldhavemetthe5342.

TheBlackCountryLivingMuseum’s5342wasbasedinStourbridge andspentafairamountofitstimeon service130toBirmingham,whichis nowservicenumber9

Passengersgottoenjoytripson thetwovintagedoubledeckersatan eventonSunday,takinginthesights ofLichfield,WalsallandBarrBeacon asthepairhittheroadonceagainfor oldtimes’sake

DavidGoodwin,RichardGrayand

Tim Shieldswiththe buses

By George! –Page

Bravingshave forcharity

AcouplehaveraisedthousandsofpoundsforMacmillan cancer charityby‘bravingthe shave’

George Buller,65, from Palfrey, whoworks fora local pharmacy delivering medica tion across Walsall, was first diagnosedwithcancerin2019, andhassincehadhisstomach

removedashecontinues his battle.Hiswife,JillBolton,has supportedhimalltheway,and thepairhavecometogetherto organiseandcompleteacharity headshave

ThepairbothwenttoJo sephLeckieAcademyandhave been together for20years, marryinglastmonthbutkeep-

ingtheir surnames.Following George’sdiagnosis,Jill,aflorist, decidedtohaveherhairshaved forcharityandhasnowdonated ittoTheLittlePrincessTrust.

Jillsaid:“Weraised£723on thedaybutthetotaliscoming upto£4,000now.”

Donate at justgiving.com/ fundraising/jill-bolton1 George, Jill, FrankAgatiello

Buschiefsinsistnoone will be left behind amid changes

By Thomas Parkes

Buschiefssayensuringpeoplearen’tcutofffromservices isa“priority”amidaseriesof changestoroutesintheBlack Country

Some20routes–runbyNa tional Express West Midlands andother operators– face ei therbeingcutbackoraxedin January.Leadershavecommittedtoensurenooneisleftbe hindorharshlyimpactedbythe movemadenecessaryduetothe impactofCovid-19,withbosses citing fewerpassengers–as morepeopleworkfromhome–alongside increasedcosts and fewerdrivers.

Pete Bond,Transport for WestMidlands’(TfWM)directorofintegratedtransportservices,said:“Thereisnodoubt theindustryisstruggling.”

Councillorson theWest Midlands Combined Authority lastweekvotedforanoptionto safeguardthe majority of bus services.Sandwellisexpected tobehitthehardestbythecuts

ANationalExpress spokes mansaid:“Weknowourservic es arevital lifelines formany customersandcommunitiesso wearedoingeverythingwecan toavoidchangingroutes

“A particular priorityisto ensureplacesremainservedby busesandnobodyiscutofffrom busprovision.”

Supportgroup on baby loss

Awoman haslauncheda groupfor parentswho have facedanytypeofbabyorchild loss –after struggling to find supportherself

Nicola Browning,28, from Tipton,saidshefelttherewas “nosupport” in theareaafter shehad amiscarriageeight weeksintoherpregnancy.

Itledhertosettingupthe supportgroupthroughOurAn gelBears,acharity whichofferedhermuch-neededsupport overthelossin2019.

Nicolasaid:“MywifeandI went throughthe IVFprocess andthenwehadamiscarriage anditbrokeme.Becauseofit beingsuchanearlyloss,itgets

overlookedand theimpactit hasonpeople–IendedupleavingworkandthisiswhyIreally wantedmygrouptobetherefor others.”

Thegroup,whichispartof OurAngelBears,meetsonthe second Friday each monthat JubileeParkCommunityCentre, Tiptonfromnoon-1pm.

ESTABLISHED

NicolaBrowning,frontcentre,whoruns

the Our AngelBearssupport group

Excitementgrows forHalloween

Acommunitygardenissetto bringpeopletogethertoenjoyan afternoonofHalloweenfun.

GoscoteGreenacresCommuni tyGardeninBlakenallHeath,Wal sall,willbeholdingthefreeevent atthegardenonOctober30and isinvitingpeoplefromacrossthe boroughtotakepart.Itwillfea-

turepumpkincarving,musicand entertainment,aswellasfoodand drink.

Organiser Paul Masonsaid: “It’sagreat chance to bringthe communitytogether.Wedogrowa lotofthepumpkinshere,aswellas otherfruitandvegetables,andsell themtothecommunityastheyare

grownwithoutchemicalsandwe trytokeepthepricesdowntoen surepeoplegetvalueformoney.”

Viistorscanbuyapumpkinfor £2totakehomeandcarve.

Formoredetails aboutthe event,gotofacebook.com/ GoscoteGreenacresCommuni tyGarden

Teaching blockplan at landmark offices

Anew seven-storeyteaching blockwithclassrooms,studios andacafehavebeenunveiled

ThedevelopmentatHalesowen Collegewill be at theTrinity Pointbuilding,NewRoad,andwill providefacilitiesforupto700studentswhocouldmoveinnextyear HalesowenCollegehasagreed adealtobuythebuilding,which is currently functioningas a half-emptyofficespace Aspartoftheplans,thefirst floorwillberippedouttomake wayforareceptionandacafe,fol-

lowedbyclassroomsandITfacilitiesontheremainingsixfloors.

Astatement from Halesowen Collegesaid:“Fromreviewingthe HalesowenAreaActionPlan,the buildingandlayoutoffersasuitable opportunity forHalesowen Collegetocreateastrongpresence onentranceintoHalesowentown centreandredevelopanexisting buildingthatsuitstheopportunity identifiedwithinthelocalplan.

“Thecollegedeliversteaching overthreesites–themainWhit tinghamRoadCampus,Shenstone

HouseonDudleyRoad,Halesowen andaunitontheCoombsWood Business park.Recruitment has beenonasteadilyupwardtrajectoryformanyyears.

“Theprovisionofnewteaching resourcesatTrinityPointwillal lowthecollegetodecantlearners fromtheWhittinghamRoadcampustoTrinityPoint.”

Developerssay they hope to startworkontheproject,subject toplanningpermission,inthenew yearandhopetomovesomeofthe studentsinbySeptember2023

PaulMason isgetting ready for the big day tocelebrate Halloween

Ground’s woodland plan

Adisused footballpitch will be transformedintoawoodlandoasisin anefforttorootoutanti-socialbehaviouratthesite CityGround–thehistoricformer homeofDarlastonTown(1874)Foot ballClub–willbegivenanewleaseof life.

Thepitch,offthejunctionofSlater StreetandWaverleyRoad,hasnotbeen occupiedsince theMidland Football LeaguePremierDivisionclubrelocated toBentleynineyearsago.

Sincethenresidentshaveledacam paignforanewpurposefortheground, whichhasbecomerundown.Thespectatorstandhasbeensubjecttoanum beroffiresandvandalism.Darlaston

SouthwardrepresentativeCouncillor PaulBottsaidtalkswithWalsallCoun cilleaderMikeBirdandofficershad paidoffandtheboroughwasworking withForestofMerciateamstoorganise asaplingprogrammeforthesite Hesaid:“Wecarriedoutsomecon sultationwiththeresidentsaboutwhat shouldbedonetothefootballground.

“Theoutcomewasthattheywantedtoseetreesplantedontheentiresite includingwherethepitchwas.TheFor estofMerciawillbecarryingoutthe treeplantingfromnextmonth

“Fencingwillalsobeinstalledatthe front.Anoldbuildingthereonceused forweightsandmeasureswillalsobe demolishedinduecourse.”

Hospiceappeal reaches£550k

AnappealtohelprefurbishAcorns children’shospicecontinuestogrow andiswithintouchingdistanceofits target

Some£550,519.32hasbeenraised forthecharity’sRoomtoGrowAppeal, whichlaunchedinFebruary.

TheamountmeansAcornsisalmost threequartersofthewaytoreaching the£750,000 target to refurbishits WalsallhospiceinWalsteadRoad.

Addingtothetotalwasanimpressive£1,317.82,raisedataspecialchar itymatchdaytakeoveratWalsallFC. Joining Acorns andSaddlersplayers, first team captainDonervon Daniels, defenderMannyMontheandforward

ConorWilkinson,and staffatthe PoundlandBescotStadiumtocelebrate themilestone wasmum Leah Ainge fromWednesbury,whosedaughterIs la-RaeusedtheBlackCountryhospice beforeshediedinMay,agedthree Leahsaid:“I’mjustsooverjoyedat thislatesttotal,andthankfultoevery one whohas donated. Isla-Rae loved Acorns andspent many happyhours there.

“Whilstwe’resosadthatIsla-Rae won’t be here seethe hospicewhen theworkhasfinished,it’swonderfulto thinkthatlocalchildrenandfamilies justlikeherwillseethebenefitsfor manyyearstocome.”

Ride in star’s memory

Aschoolgirlrelatedtolatepopstar TomParkeristakingonafundraising challengeinhismemorythisweekend

RosieParker,fromHalesowen,will joinalmostadozenofherfriendsfrom ManorWayPrimarySchoolforachari tybikerideatHalesowenCyclingClub onSunday

Moneyraisedfromthe fivekilo metrejourneywillgotoBrainTumour Research

Tom, asingerwithpopular boybandTheWanted,diedfromaglioblas-

tomaonMarch30thisyear,aged33 Rosie’smotherLeanne,38,whoisTom’s cousin,said:“RosiewasincrediblyupsetwhenTomdied–weallwere–but shewasinspiredbyhisstrength.”

Rosie,whohasalreadyraisedmore than£2,000forthecharity,ishopingto hithergoalof£2,740–theequivalent oftheamountneededtofundadayof researchatoneofthecharity’scentres ofexcellencewhichTomsupported.

Donateatjustgiving.com/fundrais ing/Rosie-Parker2

SaddlersplayersConorWilkinsonandJoeRileywithClaireAinge,Anna Terry, LeahAinge, EmmaRolinson and Claire Snape

Head’s on fundraisingmission

Pupils aregivingtheir head teacherahelping hand with his fundraisingchallenge to raise awarenessofyoungliveslost.

OldburyAcademy head Phil Shackleton is embarking on 12-monthsoflongdistancerun ning,cyclingandswimminginaid ofnationalcharityPreventionof

YoungSuicideandtocreateame moriallegacyafterapupilatthe school in PoundRoad, Bristnall, diedtwoyearsago.

MrShackleton,50,hasalready completedahalfdistancetriath lonandraised£520.OnSundayhe willruntheCannockChasehalf marathon,followedbyanotherin

SuttonColdfieldandtheOldbury Academy5krun.

Hesaid:“Thepupilwhodied wouldhavebeeninhislastyear atschoolandIwantedtodosome thingtorecognisehimandtocre atealegacy.”

Donate viajustgiving.com/ fundraising/philip-shackleton

Former park andcemetery lodges couldbeusedtohouse homelesspeopleinWalsall.

Housingbossesare bracing themselvesfortheimpactthecost oflivingcrisiscouldhaveonhome lessnessacrosstheborough.

Despitethe success of pro grammessupportingroughsleep ersWalsallHousingGroup(whg) saiditwouldbe“naive”tothink therisingcostoffuel,energyand foodwon’thaveanimpact

MeanwhileWalsall Council bosses said they arelooking at

transformingoldparkandceme terylodgesintohomesforhome lesspeopletohelp Deputy councilleaderCoun cillor Adrian Andrew said:“We have facilities foryoung people andfamilieswhofindthemselves homeless.We’re lookingtotry andreinventthesystemandhave placementsoutincommunitiesso peoplehaveabitmoresenseofthe normratherthanfeelinglikethey areinaninstitution

“A lotofour old park and cemetery lodges,we’re looking

atchangingthoseintohomesfor homelesspeople,(andthat)willbe goingthroughplanning.”

FayShanahan, corporatedi rectorofoperationsatwhg,who chairstheHomelessnessStrategic PartnershipinWalsall,said:“More than100peoplehavebeenaccom modatedinWalsallandwehaven’t hadanytenancyfailures.

“Nowweneedtomoveonto themorehiddenhomelessness–to thosewhoaretechnicallyroofless butnotonthestreets.Thisiswhere weneedtofocusourattention.”

Noah Tarhan,ZahraZaffar,Eisha Gill,and KieraWoodgiveheadteacherPhil Shackleton apush

Barriersput in placetostop people from donatingblood

It comesasnosurprisethat NHS Blood andTransplantsay bloodstocksareatsuchcritically lowlevelstheyhaveissuedanam beralert

ForyearsIwasablooddonor, attendingsessionstwice,thenfour timesayearwhentheyincreased theamount of timesyou could give.Igavemorethan50unitsand wasoncoursefor100.Butover theseyearsIsawfewerpeopleat

tending.Thenaroundeightyears agoorsotheystartedimplement inganappointmentsystemwhere youhadtobookratherthanjust attend.Itwasasthoughtheywere tryingtoputbarriersinplaceto dissuadeyoufromattending.

Thefinalstrawformecame whenIwenttoBrownhillstodo nate,onlytobetoldterselythat walk-inswerenotpermitted.Such attitude ledmetodecide notto

Appeal forphotos of late servicemen

Iamacting on behalf of the authoritiesattheUnitedNations MemorialCemeteryBusanSouth Korea,wheremorethan800Brit ishservicemenareburied

Theauthoritiestherewishto obtainphotographsofthoseser vicemeninterredthere,andalso the200-pluswhodiedbuthaveno knowngrave

Copiesofthephotographswill beplacedintheman’srecords,and willalsobedisplayedonthewalls of thecemeteryHallofRemem brance,foralltime

Thefollowingnamesarejust someoftheyoungmenfromthe WestMidlandsareawhogavetheir livesintheKoreanWar1950/53

PteGordonRMinton,PteDen

nisSNicholls,PteFrederickGill, FusFrancisHRoberts,2ndLtJohn AGodfrey.L/CplReginaldASmith, RfnSamuelFPlant,FusRaymond GFord,L/CplThomasEOwen,Pte JohnCain.MajPeterBStephenson, MneWilliamLJJauncey(RM),Pte JamesRogers,PteDerekAllman, GnrVernonBayley.

Anyfamilyorfriendwholost alovedoneintheKoreanWarand wishestotakepartinthisproject cansendthephotographto:Bri anHough,116FieldsFarmRoad, Hyde,Greater Manchester,SK14 3NP.Ifmoredetailsarerequired pleasecall01613685622or07467 037742 or email bhough116@ gmail.com

BrianHough,Hyde

botheranymore.IftheNHStrans fusion servicehad been more agreeableand takenonpeople whowereonlytoowillingtoturn upyearonyearthenmaybethey wouldnotbeinsuchcrisis.Ibe lievetheyshouldgobacktothis system,butIcan’tseeithappening assomuchofourNHSismixedup withbureaucracyandsillyrules implementedatwhateverthecost.

MarkDabbs,Walsall

No backing for police

How canour police forcedo theirjobwithallthisstupiditygo ingon?Theyhavebasicallybeen robbed of anybacking from the government

Thelawitselfisashamandthe lawbreakersdon’t give adamn thankstotheout-of-touchgovern mentandtheirHumanRightsAct.

Everything hasbeentaken outofcontext,whichhasleftthe countryindismay.Decentpeople don’tfeelsafeandthatisthegov ernment’sfaultcompletely

Giveourpolicehebackingand respecttheydeserveandstartto reassesswhotovaluemore;the policewhoputtheirlivesonthe lineeverydayorthelawbreakers whoatthemomentcalltheshots.

JudithFisher,Tividale

Putstamp on competition

Weareagroupofvolunteers whocollectusedandnewpostage stampsfromtheUKandoverseas, horizon labels,collections, post cards,firstdaycoversandobsolete andunwantedcurrencyfromany wherearoundtheworldaswellas runningfundraisesforBoneCan cerResearchTrust(BCRT)

To raise awareness of our fundraiser,wearerunningacol ouringcompetitionandwouldlike

youngsterstodesign theirown A4-sizepostagestamp.Templates canbedownloadedfromtheinter net.Thethemeis‘Whatmakesyou happy?’

Thefinaldateforthecompe titionisDecember2.Youcansend stampsandotherrequireditems with your designs, butplease checkthe postagecosts before posting.

Sendinyourentrywithyour

name,age,abrief descriptionof yourartworkandacontactemail or telephone number to:Colour ingCompetition,20BowersRoad, Benfleet,Essex,SS75PZ.

We runa Facebook group called‘FriendsOfBCRT–Postage StampAppeal&More! andthis willshowyoumoreofthefantas ticworkourvoluntarygroupdoes TerriBush,FriendsofBCRT

Code of Practice:

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write to

Week, Midland

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verhampton, WV1 1ES. If we cannot reach aresolution contact Ipso at complaints@ ipso.co.uk or by post at Ipso, c/o Gate House, 1Farring don Street, London, EC4M 7LG.

freephone 0800 146540 Monday to Friday

GEORGE

“He’s six-years-old andalthough he’s ahorse hedefinitelydoesn’t act like one,” she says.“He’s more likeabigpuppythat follows you around and tries tosit on you tohave acuddle.” Send inyourPet of the Week submissions tochronicleweek@mnamedia.co.uk

Cloudy2Clear,

As aleadingdomesticgla replacementcompany formorethan16years, Cloudy2Clearwindows arethe leadingnameinthe industry. Thereisnoneedfor you to riskyourwindows by using the dreadeddoubleglazing cowboydownthe street.You canjoinover336,000 happy customersand replace your glass ethicallyand affordably. If youhaveafailedglass unit, it maynot provide youwith the protection youneedorbe as energy-efficient as it once was.

Take aminuteto check your home to seeifany double glazinghas failed?Taking action nowcan prevent future financial problems. When talking to theManager of Cloudy2Clear windowsJames Stanleyitbecameclear that thesevalues have been held dear foranumberofyears Sincestartingthe business some yearsago Cloudy2Clear have remained true to their core values of supporting the localcommunity by providing aservice that savesthe public money.

TheCloudy2Clearservice only requires theglass to be replaced andnot thewhole window once theunithas failed.James commented“Cloudy2Clear were abletoassistour community throughthe last financial crisis in 2008 duetothe savings that canbemade in usingour service.Unfortunately we might be goingthrough something similaragain soonand the public canrestassuredthatwe will be theretohelponceagain”.

Forafreequotation please call 0800 61 21 118 or visit:www.cloudy2clear.co.uk

OwnerLeahFarmerdescribes‘gorgeous’George as her‘pride andjoy’.

More strikesmisery

Yetmorestrikesmiseryloomsfor commuterswithtrainandtramstaff poisedforfurtherwalkouts

Strikesare goingahead on West Midlands Metro, whileAvantiWest Coaststaffwillalsowalkoutagain.

TheRail,MaritimeandTransport union(RMT)saidtrainmanagerson AvantiWestCoastwillwalkouttomor row(Saturday)andagainonNovember 6inarowoverrosters.

Meanwhileworkers on theMetro willstrikefor53daysbetweenOctober andJanuary,andalmostcontinuously throughoutNovemberandDecember

Unitegeneral secretarySharon Grahamsaid:“Itisdisgracefuldespite ourmembersundertaking extremely

demandingand responsiblejobsand ensuring that Birmingham andthe BlackCountrykeepsmoving,theyare paidpovertywages.”

MeanwhileanAvanti West Coast spokesmansaid: “We’re disappointed bytheRMT’sdecisiontogoonstrikein thecomingweeks.Thisiscompletely unfaironourcustomerswhowillagain bear thebrunt of moreunnecessary disruptiontotheirplans

“WewouldurgetheRMTtorecon siderthis course of action andwork withustoresolvethisdispute.”

Therowisseparatefromdisputes overpay,jobsandconditionsacrossthe railwayindustrywhichhasledtoaseriesofstrikesalreadythisyear

Union bosses have accusedRoyal Mailofusing‘scaretactics’after the companyannounceditwillconsulton upto6,000redundancies

RoyalMailblamedindustrialaction formammothfinanciallossesandboss esurgedunionchiefstocallofftheir lateststrikeactionandcometothetableoveradeal.However,itstressedthe jobcutplanscouldnotbeavoided.

Picketlinesweremountedoutside RoyalMailofficeslastThursday,includ ingattheSunStreetdepotinWolver hampton.TheCommunicationWorkers Union(CWU)saidits115,000members acrosstheUKjoinedthestoppage.

RoyalMailchief executiveSimon

Thompson said on Friday that the plannedredundanciesare a“mini mum”andmorecouldtakeplaceifcur rentstrikeactionisextended

ButDaveJones, secretaryofthe Wolverhamptonand district branch oftheCommunicationWorkersUnion (CWU),said:“It’sjustanothertacticof RoyalMailtoscareandintimidatethe workerswhoareparticipatinginstrike action.The staffwon’t be scared by thosetactics.

“Wedon’twanttoloseanyjobsout oftheindustrybutwewillmovewith thetimes.Wearepreparedtoembrace technology.Wewanttodothatforthe rightpay,termsandconditions.”

Investmentzone hopes

TheLevellingUpSecretary has backedtheWestMidlandstohostat least one of theGovernment’s new investment zoneswhentheyare an nouncednextmonth

Theregionhasputforwardanum berofpotentialsites forinvestment zonestatus,whichwillseetaxescutfor businessesandplanninglawsrelaxed inabidtodrivegrowth.

SimonClarke MP said theregion wouldserveasan“idealhome”.Hesaid: “Iwouldabsolutelylovetoseesomein

theWestMidlandsandI’msurethere willbesomehere.Thisisanareaatthe heartoflevellingupwithalotofun tappedpotential.”

TheTreasuryissettoannouncethe first trancheofinvestment zoneson November2.

TheWestMidlandsCombined Authorityisbiddingforfoursites,in cludingthe Wolverhampton-Walsall corridorandanareaalongtheroute oftheWednesbury-BrierleyHillMetro extension

The postalstrikeoutside Sun StreetdepotinWolverhampton

Councillor settostepdown

town baths

DennisGlenn, Russ Bevin andNeilMitchell, ofWednesburyParanormal

Hope of lessonslearned

Amotherwants lessonsto belearnedafteraninvestigation foundmedicsmissedopportuni tiestorecognisethedistressher babywasinbeforeshediedinthe womb.

ZoeWall’sdaughterLily-Ann waspronounceddeadaround20 hoursaftertheexpectantmother hadbeenadmittedtoWalsallManor Hospital on July 19 last year, complainingofreduced movementsfromherbaby.Zoe,35,was classedasahighriskpregnancy andwasbookedtoundergoacae sareansectiononJuly22,2021.

An NHS investigation report revealedthatmidwiferystaffcarriedoutseveralscanstomonitor Lily-Ann’sheartrate,butmisinterpretedreadingsandwerefalsely assuredshewasnotindistress

Theseriousincident investigation report by WalsallHealthcare NHS Trust, whichruns the hospital,concluded the“root

Zoe and herson Joshua,10

cause”“wasasaresultofmultiple successive misinterpretations of warningsignsandalerts”inread ingscansofLily-Ann’sheartrate Itsaidstaffdidnotidentifysigns that Lily-Anncould be in “fetal compromise”.Afterherbabywas foundtohavediedinthewomb,

Zoehadtodeliverher.Shewasinduced,spendingnearly29hours in labour.But followingcompli cations,anaturaldeliveryhadto be abandonedand Lily-Annwas deliveredbycaesareansection duringwhichZoe,ofWalsall,lost nearlyfourpintsofblood

Zoe,whohasason,Joshua,10, iscallingforlessonstobelearned toimprovematernitycare.FollowingLily-Ann’sdeath,sheinstruct ed lawyersatIrwin Mitchell to investigatehercareandhelpher accessspecialistsupport.

Theinvestigation report recommendedall doctorsand midwivesworkinginobstetrics“must have aclear understanding”of howtointerpretacomputerised cardiotocography(CTG)scan

CarlaJones-Charles,directorof midwifery, gynaecologyand sexualhealthatWalsall Healthcare NHSTrust,offered“sincerecondo lences”

Tributes left at thescene of fatalcrash

Movingtributeshavebeenleft atthesceneofacrashwhichleft a23-year-oldmandeadandfour othersinhospital AMercedesdriverwaskilled afteracarcrashedintoawallin RowleyRegisjustbefore1amon

Thursday.Bouquetsof flowers andmessageshavepiledupatthe sceneinPowkeLane.Thevictim wasnamedintributesasMorgan. Police areappealing forwit nesses.Call101 andquote log number92of October13.Inspec

torStephenRadford,fromtheSeriousCollisionInvestigationUnit said:“Ourthoughtsremainwith thefamily.

“Wehavespecialistfamilyliaisonofficerssupportingthemat thisverysadtime.”

Nevada PetiteFabric Electric Riser Recliner

Keswick Petite

Recliner

Leather Recliner

Keswick PetiteFabric Electric Riser Recliner

The Best of Peter Rhodes

Twomenwhorobbedashopin CatshillnearBromsgroveweresaid tohave“thick”Birminghamaccents. Asopposedtowhat?ArefinedBir minghamaccent?

Thankstoafrost-freespringand blazingsummer,Englandishavinga vintageseasonforapples.Theyare crisp,juicyandstuffedfullofsugar TheapplesfromouroldLordDerby tree,usuallyusedincooking,are nowsweet enough to eatstraight fromthebranch.

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Now,Iamawarethattheabove itemisnotexactlyriveting.However, havingtrawledthroughthepapers andfollowedtheTVandradiobul letinscarefully,thenewsaboutthis year’sbumperappleharvestisjust abouttheonlygoodnewsIcanfind.

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NHS Blood andTransplanthas triggeredan“amberalert”because of ashortageofblood.Anappeal

hasbeenlaunchedformoredonors. Goodluckwiththat.Likeanycon sideratecitizenIrespondedtothis news by visiting theNHS website tobetold:“We’vegotalotofpeople usingourwebsiterightnow.. your estimatedwaittimeisabout28min utes.Youcancontinuetowaitortry againlater.” Youdon’t exactlyfeel likeanhonouredguest.Weareused tobeingputonholdbybanksanden ergycompanies.ButtheNHS ?

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As things standI am precisely inbalanceontheblood-transfusion front.Ihavereceivedonepint(ton sils,1963)anddonatedonepint(fea

ture,1983).LikeAnthonyAloysiusSt JohnHancock,I’vedonemybit. nnn

Incidentally,ifyouareover60 andnotthinking:“Apint?That’svery nearlyanarmful,”there’sprobably somethingwrongwithyou nnn

PrivateEyemagazine’sitemon thefinancialArmageddonfollowing themini-budgetwas spot-on. The economy?It’sgonedowntheKwasi Khazi.

Mr Kwarteng's ill-starred mi

ni-budgetwasbasedonthetheoryof trickle-downeconomicswhichtells usifyoumaketherichricherthey willspendtheirmoney,whichwill alsomakethepoorricher.Thesnag isthatmoneyisextremelyglutinous andtendstostickratherthantrickle.

Whichexplainsoneoftheclev erestT-shirt slogansI’ve seen for awhile:“Ihaveagreatjokeabout trickle-downeconomics. Unfortu nately,99percentofyouwon’tget it.”

thatAI(artificialintelligence)soft ware used by some companiesto interviewjob applicants maydis criminateagainst some unfairly, onthegroundsoftheirdécor,dress senseorspectacles. This confirms whatsomeofushavesuspectedfor awhile,thatAIsometimesstandsfor artificialidiocy.

nn n

TheonlyinterviewtipIcanoffer comesfrommanyyearsago,shortly afteranill-advisedparachutejump. Theinterviewpanelwereverypo litebutIsuspectedthingswerego ingthewrongwaythemomentthey spottedmyplastercast

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Thisisbigjabweek.Tuesdaywas myflujabandThursdaytheCovid jab.UntilrecentlyIdoubtifI’dhave botheredwitheither,neverhaving beentroubledwithchestinfections. Thistimeround,likemillionsofoth ersofacertainage,I’llbegrabbing anythingtheNHSseesfittochuckat us

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Ihavehadmorejabsinthepast twoyearsthanintheprecedingtwo decades.It’sastrangefactoflifethat theolderyouget,themoreyouwant toliveforever.Nowonderthisplanet issocrowded.

FormerChancellor ofthe ExchequerKwasiKwarteng

Comedian Tony Hancock

CambridgeUniversityreports

Miners’ fightfor rightstoldinbook

Anewbooktellsthestoryofthose whofoughtforworkers’rightsinthe Victorianera

“TheBlackCountryMiners:AStrug gleforJustice1850-1926”byKeithRobinsontellsofcolliers’strugglesacross theareaintheirfightforbettercondi tionsandwagesattheendofthe19th andstartofthe20thcentury.Itrecords theindividualstories of hundreds of menfromWestBromwich,Tipton,Old bury,Coseley,Bilston,Darlaston,Kingswinford,Dudleyandbeyond.

Packed with information on local pits,itlaysbaretheinjusticesofthe timeandthelengthsthattheminers’ leaderswenttoinanefforttochange people’slivesforthebetter.

Mr Robinson is amember of the BlackCountrySocietyandworkedwith membersofthegrouptohelpdevelop thebook,withBlackCountrySociety chairmanMalcolmDickdescribinghow thebookcameabout

Hesaid:“Thispublicationwasstim ulatedbyKeith’sfortuitousdiscovery ofthe1879rulebookofaminers’associationbasedinWestBromwich,alocal branchoftheradicalAmalgamatedAs sociationofMiners.Itinspiredawider explorationofoneofthemostimpor

Report by James Vukmirovic

tantgroupofworkersintheregionas booksaboutcoalminersarenotnew, butweknowmoreaboutmineowners, mineralgeologyandindividualmines thantheexperiencesandimpactofthe menwhoworkedunderground

“Theaccessible andinformative chaptersexploreindividualandfamily lives,whatwasachievedthroughunion activityandthesignificanceofmajor eventssuchas mining disastersand strikes,”headded.

“Thiswell-referencedpublicationis repletewithprimarymaterialsuchas prints,photographs, poems,newspaperaccountsandstatisticswhichmake itusefulfor teachers,schoolchildren andotherstudentswhoarestudying industrialorlocalhistory.

“Themoststrikingfeaturesofthe book, though areits humanstories TheBlackCountryMiners’Strugglefor Justiceaddstoourknowledgeandun derstandingofthesocialhistoryofan importantregion.”

Foracopyofthebook,priced£9.99, contactKeith at netcord9@hotmail. comorcall01743873348.

Buscompany boss pays tributetopopular driver

Tributeshavebeenpaidtoa“much loved”busdriverwhodiedaftersuffer ingamedicalepisodeatthewheelofhis double-decker.

Emergencyserviceswerecalledto Oldburyatabout7.40amonSaturday afterreceivingreportsofabushittinga wallatthejunctionofTitfordRoadand WolverhamptonRoad.

ThedriverhasbeennamedasDean Jones, whohad recently marked 20 yearswithNationalExpress

David Bradford,managingdirec toratNationalExpressWestMidlands, said:“Weareallextremelysaddened bythedeathofDeanJones.Deanwasa

much-lovedbusdriverworkingoutof ourWestBromwichgarageandhadre centlycelebratedhis20thanniversary withNationalExpress.Hewasafriend ly,well-knowncolleaguewithexcellent networkknowledgeandgreatcustom erservice.

“Heenjoyedbus driving andwas fantastic at his job, always speaking with passengers and colleagues with careandconsideration

“Hewas oneofour top-performingdriversandtookgreatprideinhis role.Deanwill be sorelymissed and ourthoughtsarewithhisfamilyand friendsduringthissadtime.”

Keith Robinson shows off his newbookonworkers’ rightsforminers

Ex-MPset to enterLords

Former BlackCountry MP and LabourdeputyleaderTomWatson willentertheHouseofLords.

Atotalof26figureshavebeen mademembersoftheHouseofLords aspartofthelatesthonourslist.

Mr Watson represented West BromwichEastfor18yearsbefore standing down aheadofthe 2019 generalelection.Heservedingov ernmentpositionsunderTonyBlair andGordonBrown,beforebeing electedasdeputyleaderunderJere myCorbynin2015

Post-politics, Mr Watson has writtenabest-sellingautobiography, titledDownsizing,documentinghis experienceoflosingsevenstonein lessthan12monthsandputtinghis ‘type2’diabetesintoremission.Mr Watsonwasrejectedforpeeragein 2020bytheHouseofLordsAppoint mentsCommission,duetobelieved concernsoverhisroleinOperation Midland,apoliceprobeoverclaims ofhistoricchildabusewhichturned outtobefalse

His2022nominationbyLabour leaderSirKeirStarmerwasopposed forthesamereasonbyformerTory MPHarveyProctor,whowasamong thosetobefalselyaccused.

He said:“Nothinghas changed since2020whenWatson’speerage wasrejectedduetohismeddlingin OperationMidland.”

Accident verdicton father foundincanal

Amanwhodrownedinacanal wasbehavinginabizarremanner shortlybeforehisbodywasdiscov ered,aninquestheard

HarrySteanewasfoundinthe DawEnd Branch Canalbehindan industrialestateoffBrickyardRoad, inWalsallWood,Walsall,nearBoatman’sLanebyapasserbyonJuly1at about4.30pm.

Atlastweek’shearing,Assistant BlackCountry CoronerMissFiona Butlerreadaloudthestatementof anumberofeyewitnessesincluding Robert Hodgetts whohad earlier seenMrSteanealive,butbehaving “oddly”onthetowpath.

HesaidMrSteanehadraisedhis rightlegasiftosteponsomething, buttherewasnothingthereandhe fellover.Hethendidaforwardroll towardsthewater’sedgebeforesit tingupwithhisfeetdanglinginthe water.

MrHodgettssaidhethoughtMr Steanewas“undertheinfluenceof drugsordrinkashewasactingex tremelystrangely”andthathecould seecutsonhisupperarmsandonhis T-shirt.HesaidheaskedMrSteaneif hewas“allright”butgotnoreply.He

addedashewalkedawayheheard asplashingsoundfrombehindand turnedroundandsawtheMrSteane pushinghimselfuptothebank

MissButlersaidacyclist,Stuart Pember,reportedthathebrieflysaw MrSteane,ofShireOakClose,Shire Oak,aheadofhimonthetowpath

atabout2.35pmanddescribedhow the26-year-oldthenjumpedintothe bushesoutofsight

ShesaidaWestMidlandsPolice investigation foundtherewas no suspiciouscircumstances andthat thefather-of-one hadbeenwith friendsinanearbypubbeforeleav ingatabout2pm.Theinquestheard that hiscompanionstried in vain tocontacthimafterheleft.Hewas foundfloatinginthewaterbywalk erMartinHillwhodialled999.Miss Butlersaidthecauseofdeathwas givenasdrowningandthatatoxicol ogyreportfoundthatMrSteanehad 154millilitresofalcoholinhisblood, just under twicethe drivinglimit andhehadtracesofcocaineinhis system.Shesaidthatapostmortem foundscratchesonhisneck,andcuts onhisarmsandchestwhichwere attributedtohimmovingaboutin vegetation

Recordingaconclusionofacci dental death, shesaid: “Itappears thatasMrSteanewaswalkingalong thecanalhewasundertheinfluence ofalcoholandcocaineandthetoxici tyhadaneffectonhisbehaviourand hisactions.”

museum

A£30mtourismprojecttotake peoplebackintimehasbeengiven a£711,000investmentboostbythe WestMidlandsCombinedAuthority.

TheBlackCountryLivingMuse umisbuildingarangeofnewattrac tionsatitssiteinDudleyaspartofits ForgingAheadprogramme,offering visitorsachancetoexperiencewhat lifewaslikeinthe1940s,50sand 60s

TheWMCA’sinvestmentishelp ingtomeetthechallengesofclean ingupderelictpartsofthesite.Once finished,itwillcreatemorethan140 jobs,30oftheseasadirectresultof theWMCA’sinvestment

Thecompletedproject will in cludeanewvisitorwelcomecentre, learning spaces,industrial quar ter,andhistorichighstreet.Itwill expand thevisitor experience by aroundathirdandallowthemuseumtocaterforaroundhalfamillion visitorsayear.

AndyStreet,MayoroftheWest Midlands andWMCAchairman said:“I’mextremelypleasedthatthe WMCAwasabletohelpmakethis excitingnewdevelopmentareality.”

MuseumchiefexecutiveAndrew Lovettsaid:“Thisinvestmentfrom theWMCAcementsourambitionto bringthe museum’s storyintothe 1940s,50sand60sandstepintoliv ingmemory.”

HarrySteane

THURSFORD

CHRISTMASSPECTACULAR

Departing Fri 2Dec ‘22

Get intothe festivespiritwith the fabulous ThursfordChristmas Spectacular,adelightful extravaganza set in asparkling Winter Wonderland. Perfect forall ages, this unforgettable celebration of all things Christmas guarantees atruly special experience!

Your breakincludes

Return coach travel from Dudley&Walsall

Overnight stay at the 3-star HolidayInn Express,

the ThursfordChristmas

Admission

2Days by Coach only

SCARBOROUGH

WHITBY&YORK -TURKEY &TINSEL

Departing Mon 5Dec ‘22

Our five-dayTurkey and Tinsel getaway to Scarborough is the perfect way to get intothe Christmas spirit! Enjoyapeaceful stroll on aquiet beach, takeinthe beauty of Whitby without the crowds and toasttothe festiveseason with amulled beverage in historic York!

Your breakincludes

Return coach travel from Dudley &Walsall

4nights at the 2-star Grand hotel in Scarborough with dinner &breakfast(includestraditional ‘Christmas’ dinner and ‘Hogmanay’ buffet dinner)

After-dinner tea&coffeeonsome evenings

2for 1bar (6pm-9pm)

159

Metroworkchaos

Partofabusyroadwillclosenext week as worktoinstall abridgefor theWednesburytoBrierleyHillMetro routegetsunderway.

Asection of Sedgley Road East, Tipton will closefromMondayuntil mid-December.Throughoutthisperiod,roadusersarebeingaskedtoleave moretimefortheirjourneysandtofollowclearlysigneddiversionroutes

Public transportusers are also beingadvisedthatbusservicesinthe areamayrunonamendedroutes.Pedestriandiversionswillbeputinplace asfootpathsbeneaththestructureare temporarilyclosed

Itisanticipatedtheclosureswillbe liftedbymid-December.TomMapletho-

rpe, projectdirectoratthe Midland MetroAlliance,said:“Theworkstoin stallthenewbridgefollowactivityin thesummerof2020toremovetheold structureoverSedgleyRoad.”

Mark Corbin,director of network resilienceatTransportforWestMidlands,said:“Theclosurewillbeinplace throughouttheautumnandduringthis time,delaysarepossiblesoweareask ingpeopletoconsidertheirjourneys wherevertheycan.”

TheWestMidlandsCombinedAuthorityannouncedinJulythe6.8-mile routewillbesplitintotwophaseswith theWednesburytoDudleyrouteproceedingand therestofthe routeto BrierleyHillonhold

Awardshonour ‘stars’of NHS

Morethan100healthcareworkers werehonouredatanNHStrust’sstaff awards

TheStarAwards,hostedbyformer EastEndersactorandITVweatherman DesColemanatVillaPark,sawahostof stafffromSandwellandWestBirminghamNHS Trustrecognised fortheir dedicationoverthepastyear

Andy Churm, matronfor district nursing,tooktheEmployeeoftheYear crownfor his work in mobilising a Covid-19homevaccinationservicefor houseboundpatientsinSandwell. He said:“It’sfantastictoberecognisedfor mycontributionbymycolleagues.”

ThetrustrunsSandwell,Cityand

RowleyRegisHospitals, LeasowesIntermediateCareCentreandGPpractice YourHealthPartnership,whichcovers sixsitesacrossSandwell.

Therewere14categoriesintotal, includingaSpecialRecognitionAward forthe emergencydepartment.Mid wifeAfrahMuflihipickeduptheEqual ity,DiversityandInclusionawardfor herworkinensuringmaternityserviceswereaccessibletothewidercommu nity,especiallythosewhosefirstlan guageisn’tEnglish.MichaelReaywas VolunteeroftheYearandthevaccina tionteamtheClinicalTeamoftheYear.

Seewww.swbh.nhs.uk/media/nhs heroes-take-home-the-trophies-2/

Mosque plansextension

Amosquecould undergoamajor transformation.The Muslim Welfare Societylodged planswithWalsall Counciltoextend Masjid-e-Umar on BillsStreet,Darlastonandprovidein creasedspacesforactivities

Charityrepresentatives said the existingbuildingwasnolongerfit-for purpose.Theplanswillseetheheight of thepropertyincreased to provide roof spaceand twonew minarets builtonthefront.Itwillalsofeature twonewmainentrancesfrontingBills

Streetandawayfromotherresidential properties

AgentsCatalystDesignLtd said: “Theexistingbuildingisnolongeradequateforthesocietytoprovidethe servicesthattheywouldlike

“Thereisonlyasinglestaircase whichlimitstheuseoftheupperfloor andnodisabledaccess.Theaccessfor womenandgirlsislimitedwithoutsep aratetoiletfacilities.Themainpurpose oftheextensionistoprovideseparate spacesfortheactivitiesofthesociety.”

Your Chronicle

Andy Churm whotookthe Employee oftheYearaccolade

Secret family is discovered

SATURDAY

Host (2020) (BBC3, 9.30pm)

Haley(HaleyBishop)organisesa Zoomvideocallwithfivefriends,in cludingJemma(JemmaMoore)and invitesherpalSeylan(SeylanBax ter)intothechatroomtoconduct anonlineseance.Thecastoperate theirown camerasand afrenetic finaleengineers acouple of truly gob-smackingmoments.

SUNDAY

After Love (2020) (BBC2, 10.50pm)

Awidowdiscoversasecretabout herlatehusband that propelsher onajourneyofself-discovery.Mary Hussein(JoannaScanlan)converted toIslammanyyearsagotomarry Ahmed(NasserMemarzia)andwhen he dies suddenly, shegoesthrough hisbelongingsand discoversmessag es on his mobile phone,whichindi catehehadasec ondfamilyacross theChannel

Look Who’sback, but timerunsoutforJodie

Doctor Who (BBC One, 7.30pm, Sunday)

“It’stheend.Butthemomenthas beenpreparedfor…”

With those words, thefourth Doctor,playedfor seven years by TomBaker,bowedoutbeforeregen eratingintoPeterDavison

NowJodieWhittakerisaboutto leavetoo.Andinawayit’salmostas momentousas Baker’sdecision to quit–afterall,Whittakeristhefirst womantoplaytheTimeLord,and DoctorNo14willbeNcutiGatwa,the firstblackactortotackletherole

Butthere’safairbittohappen beforetheRwandan-bornSexEdu cationstarmakeshisofficialdebut

Gatwawon’tappearinhisfirst adventurefor overayear– David Tennant’smuch-vauntedreturnas the10thDoctorcomesfirsttotiein with theshow’s60thanniversary nextNovemberinepisodesdevised by RussellTDavies, whomaster mindedthesci-fiepic’sreturntoour screensin2005.

Tennantwillbejoinedonscreen

byCatherineTateaspopularcom panionDonnaNoble

And,ofcourse,there’sWhittak er’sswansongtoenjoytoo.It’safea ture-lengthtalebeingbroadcastto tieinwiththeBBC’scentenarycel ebrations,areflectionofitsimpor tancetothecorporation–theshow

isnowoneofitsbiggestandmosten duringinternationalsuccesses

Fansoftheclassicseriesarealso inforatreat–JanetFieldingandSo phieAldredarereprisingtheirroles as former companionsTegan and Ace.We’vebeentoldtoexpectafew othersurprisesalongthewaytoo

foundto have tumour

EastEnders (BBC1)

Lola(DanielleHarold)passesout in thebathroomatLexi’spageant –and doctorsrevealthatthey’ve foundatumourwhichcouldbecan cerous.Whitneyisshockedtolearn shehas twonew housemates, and HarveyaccusesDottyofstealinghis wallet.

Coronation Street (ITV)

Daniel asks Daisytomovein withhim.Butamix-upmeansthe fledglingfamily enduphomeless andKenstepsintohelp.Summeris horrifiedbyBilly’sreactiontoher proposedabortionandEileenhasa near-deathexperiencethatchanges herpersonality.Fiz learns thelo calnewspaperisserialisingastory aboutJohnStape

Emmerdale (ITV)

Chas triestostopAaronfrom exposingheraffairwithAl.Macken zieisalsofretting abouthis fling becoming public knowledge. Da vidreturns–and feelsthethepres sure to attract morecustomers.

HalesowenChronicle

Editor’sweekend pick

Films for the weekend

Your guide to the soaps

Jodie Whittaker is set to bowout from her role as Doctor Who

Jemma Moore

Danielle Harold

Checkout thesepatternsfor giving interior aclassic look

Trendscomeandgo.Butifyou’re afterlastingappeal,it’salwaysadvisabletostickwiththeclassics.

Combiningtraditional tartan andgingham into aschemecan strikeaharmoniousbalance–especiallyatthistimeofyear,asweyearn forthosecalmandsnugvibes.

Thesestrongrepeatpatterns providevisualinterestandcanhelp warmaroomwithcolourandtexture

Here’showtosoftentheedges andintroduce some checkedcontrastasthenightsdrawin…

1. Carnoustie check grey blackout lined eyelet curtains, from£40,JulianCharles

Winter warmth within easy reach,thesedappercheckcurtains arefully lined,featuring easy to hangeyelets.Bestofall,they’llreducedraughtsfromwindows and preventtheheatfromescaping.

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2. Mustardhouse pink weave setof4placemats–multi,£32,and setof4coasters,£16,MADE.com

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Foraquickie fabric fix,take an existing cushion padand swap outthe coverfor one of these

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Withitssoftcurvesandsumptu ouspadding,this vintage-inspired accentchaircertainlylooksthepart, especiallyifyou’vegotyourheartset on creating acomfortable seating areatosinkintoattheendofalong day.Availablewithachoiceofoak andantiquefeetand12colourways.

12.Berry ginghamlinen bedtime bundle,from£297(duvet cover, sheets pillowcases;items also available separately), Piglet InBed

Apalateofberry-red gingham checksalwaysfeelsrightthistime ofyear–thisset’smadefromstone washedEuropeanflax,pre-washed forsoftbedtimebliss.

Gardenerscan stilldotheirbit to help bees

If you’vespotted bees in your gardenduringsunny days in au tumn,safetosaytheyarestillforagingfornectartoseethemthrough winter.

“Myhiveisstill active,” says farmer andTVpresenter Jimmy Doherty, conservation expert for RowseHoney.“Whilethere is sun andflowers,therearebeesaround.”

As part of Rowse’sHives For Livesinitiatives(rowsehoney.co.uk/ hives-for-lives)toprotectbees,Do hertyissupportingthebrand’spart nershipwithBlenheimEstate–a five-yearconservationprojectwhich willseemorethan50acresofwild flowerseeds sown throughoutthe estateand124milesofhedgerowsto replenishnectarsourcesandcreate newhabitatsforpollinators.

So,howcangardenersdotheir bittohelpbeesthisseason?

“It’snotjustourdomesticbees

butourwildbeepopulationsandall ourpollinatorsweneedtolookout for,”saysDoherty.

Onlytheyoungqueensofbumblebeesliveover thewinter(old bumblebeecoloniesdie whilethe newly-mated queenhibernates) Honeybeesneedtocollect enough nectartofeedandmaintainthecolony throughout thewinter, he ex plains

“Themostimportant thingfor bees is thecontinuation of food throughoutthe year.Wealways thinkofspringflowersandsummer flowers,butwhatwecandoaswe comeintoautumnisalsoimportant Therearestilllotsofinsectsflying aroundandtheyallneedourhelp,” headds

Dohertyoffersthefollowingtips tohelpbeesasautumnprogresses

Plantivy

“Ivyisagreatgiveratthistime

ofyearandthehoneyproducedfrom thatnectarofivyisdarkandrich.”

Chooselong-floweringspecies

“Thinkaboutthingslikeverbe na,asters, dahlias andsedums,as wellashoneysuckle.Youfinditnat urallyintheUKgrowinginwood landsandhedgerowsbutthereare

manyvarietiesyoucanbuyinthe gardencentre.”

Selectopenfloweredvarieties

“Whenyouarechoosingvarie tieswhicharebeneficialtoinsects, openfloweredtypesareamustso that thenectarcan be easily ac cessed.Often,flowerbreederswill breedforbeauty,notfornectar,so you getthese amazing, beautiful flowerswithlotsofpetalsfoldedon tothemselves,butthebeecan’tget tothenectarbecausethereareso manypetalstogetthrough

“Ornate,convolutedrosesaren’t thatvaluabletopollinatinginsects, whereasthingslikebuddleiaorver bena,whereallthefloretsarevery apparent,add alot of value. The morewechangeournativeflorato appeaseouraestheticstandards,the morewelosethatforagingabilityfor ourinsects.

“Ifyouhaveenoughspace,create

areasofwildflowersandhedgerows Earlyspring-flowering plants such ashawthornarealsoveryimportant forbeesandotherinsects.”

Createhibernatingareas

“Havinghibernatingareasisimportant.Honeybeesdon’tneedthat muchattentionbecausetheyareof tenlookedafterbyabeekeeper,or willhavetheirfoodsourcesifthey arewild.Buthibernatinginsectslike roughareas,suchastallgrassesand logpiles.Don’tbetemptedtoclean outyourshedinthewinter,because butterflieshibernatethere.”

Avoidpesticides

“Trynottousepesticidesbecause thatcanhavealethaleffect–itmay killtheminstantly–orasublethal effect,whereyoumaysprayaplant whichthebeefeedsfrom,whichcan makeitbecomedisorientated.Itmay notbeabletofinditswaybacktothe hiveorforageproperly.”

Heritage tartan wallpaperinEgyptian blue andmineral

Katie Alice vintage indigo gingham sideplatesandteapot

Balmoral checkcushion covers

Carnoustie eyeletcurtains

JimmyDoherty

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GREYHOUNDS MAKE WONDERFUL PETS All neutered, innoculated and microchipped. Call 01902 291080 or visit www.gtwolverhampton.co.uk Greyhound Trust Wolverhampton @gtwolverhampton

LICENSING ACT2003- APPLICATION FOR APREMISES LICENCE

Aldridge Social Club Management Committee have applied fora premises licence at Aldridge Social Club,High Street, Walsall WS9 8LZ for the sale of alcohol (on and offsales) 10:00-01:00 hrs daily, recorded and livemusic,indoor

BOROUGH COUNCIL

BUSINESSFOR SALE

FORD FIESTA ZETEC

2010, 81,450 miles, Black, abs, E/W, air bag, air conditioning, full service history, alarm, MOT, central locking, power steering, alloys, stereo, 5door hatchback, petrol, 1242cc, 4 new tyres £2,250 ono 07821 928732.

NISSAN QASHQAI 1400 59 reg., blue, manual, service, long MoT, HPi clear, one owner from new, CD player, electric windows, air con, alloy wheels,

SUZUKI CELERIO 1.0SZ 2 5-dr, 65 plate, 21,500 miles, full dealer service history, blue, manual, one lady owner. £5,800 ono 07854 594419.

in Smethwick: a) A4030 High Street (Roslyn Close –Crocketts Lane) other than in anortherly direction. b) Regent Street –atthe point of its junction with A4030 High Street. c) Piddock Road –atthe pointofits junction with A4030 High Street. The existing one-way operation of Piddock Road made under the provisions of The County Borough of Warley (Traffic Regulation) (No.33) Order 1973 will be revoked and two-way operation introduced for the duration of the works. The gapinthe dual carriageway on Tollhouse Wayenabling traffic to right turn from TollhouseWay to A4030HighStreetwill alsobeclosedfor the duration of the works. Diversion routes will be signed for as follows: vehicles travelling in asouth easterly direction on the B4169 High Street (from the Oldbury direction) will be diverted via the A4030 High Street, Tollhouse Way(towardsOldbury), Rolfe Street, Hill Street and Crocketts Lane. Vehicles travelling towards Birmingham will be diverted via Tollhouse Way(eastbound), Soho Way(eastbound),Soho Way(westbound) towards Oldburyand Crocketts Lane. The maximum duration is 18 months, but the work is expected to be completed by 20/11/2022 effective from 31/10/2022. Purpose to facilitate agas main renewal scheme by Cadent Gas Ltd.

The Borough Council of Sandwell (Sedgley Road East, Tipton) (TemporaryRoad Closure) Order 2022 has made an order to temporarily prohibit vehicles from proceeding along Sedgley Road East, between Mayfair Gardens and Sacred Heart PrimarySchool. Traffic

Widowed, seeks agenuine lady for Friendship and romance, keen motorcyclist and car owner, good sense of humour.

Box Number P22274 , Express and Star, Queen Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES

Box Number P22272

Express and Star, Queen Street, Wolverhampton, WV1

KIND AND CARING GENTLEMAN

Very

LADY AGED 72 non-smoker, 5ft 7in, would like to meet Gentleman, up to 75 years, non smoker, for friendship /relationship. Car owner preferred, Stourbridge and surrounding areas. Please provide phone number. Box Number P22267 , Express and Star, Queen Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES

GENUINE SINCERE LADY

GENTLEMAN 62

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VW Taigoscoreshighin toughmarket

BILLMcCARTHY

TheVWrange,justlike siblingAudi, is wide,not leastwithits rangeof SUVs.

It’s atough market as it is not only up againstsimilar VW modelsbut others likeNissan, Peugeot, Mini,Skoda andSEAT.

VW describesthe Taigonewcomer as an SUVCoupe,because of its sleeksilhouette

It scores with itseye-catching styling, choice of twoengines,three trim styles andgenerousstowage areas. It certainlyhas individual styling, acrossoverwithadesign aimedat younger buyers.Itisbuilt

on VW’s MQB platform andmaintainsastreamlinedprofile despite sitting higher offthe ground.It featuresadramaticslopingroofdesign andwill wide lightbar to therear, whichisall nicelyset offwithroofbars andsmart alloywheels, Despite beingthe entrylevel,still not cheapat£21,960,specification includes thenow familiarcusto misabledigital cockpitand central screen,which controls thethird generation of ModularInfotainment Toolkit(MIB3).

This enablesthe useofa variety of online-based functions and ac cess to streamingservices. Move up thegradestoStyle andR-Lineand thegoodypackgetsbigger.

Despite beingthe base model, the

Lifeincludesfront foglights, LED headlights, inductivesmartphone charging,amultifunction steering wheeland electric foldingand heat ed door mirrors

Theinterioritselfistypical VW solidlybuilt andreassuringlydurablewitha mixtureofsofttouch and some admittedly harsherplastics. Controls andswitchesare logically placed anddespite modest proportions, four adults areseated in comfort. It also features aone-litre, 95PS threecylinderpetrolengine. A110ps version is also available, as is amoresportyfour-cylinder 1.5-li tre 150PSengine.

Thegutsy threepot onelitre engine is notexactly designed for pace,moreeconomy anddelivers that in spadeswitharealistic 50 mpgachievable.

Despiteits relatively modest power,itstill deliversthe throatygrowl associatedwiththree cylinder enginesand,mated with a five speed manual box, pullswellthrough the gears.The sprint to 60mphismore of arapid jog at around 11 seconds, butstill adequate enough formost circumstances.

It performs particularly well around town andthe otherhalfwas particularly impressedwithhow easy it wastodrive,she lovedthe slickgearchanges andthe manoeu vrability

That’s nottosay it is not acapablemotorwaycruiser. Whichitis.

Despite sittingrelativelyhighoff theroad, it handles well andfeels well plantedenoughoncorners, whilethe suspensionrides well over even theworst of ourroads

SUVs arepractical beasts and despiteits modest dimensions, the Taigooffersplentyofstowage space with an impressive 440litre available,which opensupsubstantially with thesplit rear seatsfolded.

Having achieved theEuroNCAP five star safety rating,featuresin cludeafull rangeofairbags,front andrearparkingsensors, emergency brakefunction, andthe lane de parturewarning system as standard.

FACTFILE

VOLKSWAGEN TAIGO LIFE

Price: £22,275

Mechanical: 95PS,999cc three cylinder engine drivingfront wheels via five speedmanual gearbox

MaxSpeed: 114mph

0-62mph: 11.1sec

Combined MPG: 50.5 InsuranceGroup: 13 C02 emissions: 124g/km

Warranty: 3years/60,000 miles

Car finalesthatwentout with abang

JACK EVANS PressAssociation

Bonfire Nightisa bigoc casion in theUK. It’s a dayembeddedwithhis tory andone in which people up anddownthe countryeitherwatch or setoff fireworks, light ingupthe skiesand kickingoff November with abang.

Buta number of cars were also celebrated with a firecrackerofa finaledition

Here,we’re goingtotakea look at some of themostfamousmodelsto go outwitha bang

BugattiVeyronLaFinale

TheVeyronwas oneofthe all-time greats of themotoringworld.Estab lishingawhole newlevel of perfor mance, Bugatti’sfamoushypercar broughtrecord-smashing capabili ty,aswellasthe kind of technology that thefour-wheeledworld hadn’t seen before

Fittingly,itneeded averyspecial send-off,which came in theform of theVeyronLaFinale.Ending thetotal production runof450 models, La Finale was finished in an eye-catchingred colour with matching alloys

LamborghiniAventador Ultimae

Lamborghini’sAventadorshow casedabrand newage forthe Ital iansupercarmaker.Itarrived with ahugelypowerfulV12 engine when firstdisplayed at the2011Geneva Motor Show andwould go on to be come even more powerful as itslifetime went on

The finalchapter in theAventa dorstory wasthe Ultimae. As you mighthaveguessed,it’sthe ulti mate evolutionofthe Aventador,

bringing 769bhp andarange of ex terior tweaks

Audi R8 RWDGT

TheR8has been acorepartofthe supercar segmentfor some time Combiningsurprisingeveryday usability with huge V10-powered performance, theR8provedtobea real hitfor Audi.Needless to say, it needed asignificant farewell when it wasannounced that production wouldbeendingrecently.

Limitedto333 cars worldwide,

theAudiR8RWD GT getsmore powerthanthe standard R8,aswell as aseriesofnew drivingmodes It’s slightly lighterthanthe regular car, too.

Ferrari 458Speciale Aperta

Ferrari’s458 will go down in history as oneofthe firm’s greats.It encompassedeverything people ex pected from theItalian company, with razor-sharp handling combinedwithone of thebestengines

ever made.Infact, the458 would use thelastnaturally-aspirated V8 engine to come from Ferrari.

A finaledition –calledSpeciale Aperta –would celebratethe 458’s life,bringingawidevariety of tweaks andchanges to take the458 experience up anotch

LotusElise Sport240

Final Edition

TheLotus Elise is oneofthose cars that is synonymous with enthusiastdriving.It’sacar that hasbeen around foralongtime, too, whichis whyitwas quitea sadpoint when Lotusannouncedthatitwould be ending itsproductionrun

TheSport 240 FinalEdition cel ebratedthe Elise,bringingslightly morepower andanevenmorelight weightdesignthanthe standard car.

Mercedes SLSAMG GT Final Edition

TheSLS hadbeenatrueposterstar forMercedes.Utilising an iconic ‘Gullwing’design, this V8-powered muscle carwas theperfect celebration of thepartnership between Mercedes andfamed performance armAMG

To celebrate, theFinalEdition wascreated.Limited to just 350 units, it gotaneye-catchingdesign with aparticularlynoticeablecar bon fibrebonnet.

Revisedlookfor thelatestA-Class

TherevisedMercedesA-Class hasarrived, bringing asubtleexterior rede sign alongsidemorestandardequip ment than before

It remainsavailable in both hatchback andsaloonlayouts, with thedesign of each cargaining aredesigned radiator grilleand four newalloy wheeldesigns, availableinsizes of up to 19-inches. At therear, there’sanew diffuser andstandard-fitLED lights

Inside,all cars geta dual-screen setupcombiningaseven-and 10.25inch display. There’salso theoption to upgradethistoapairof10.25-inch screensfor atruly wraparound experi ence.It’srunningthe latest Mercedes MBUX system,too,providing satellite navigation,media functionsand smartphone connectivity

Theturbine-style airvents remain in place, whilea revisedsteering wheel hasbeen fitted andwrapped in nappa leatheras standard

As before,anumberofspecifications areavailable with theA-Class,with AMGLinebringingaparticularlydy namicappearancethrough the fitment of brushedaluminium trim andred contrast stitchingfor thesport seats.

Progressivetrim, meanwhile, offers threeinterior colour options–black, beigeand grey –whilea carbon fibre look trim is appliedtoboththe instru ment paneland door cards. Thecom fort seatsalso featurecentresmade from 100per cent recycled materials,

whilethe upgraded Artico-Microcut seatsget 65 percentrecycledmaterialsfor thesurface of theseatand 85 percentinthe material underneath.

Allcarsget plenty of standard equipment too, with areversing cameraand afull setofUSB connectors included on allmodels, alongsideoth er features.Progressive-specification cars addtothiswithLED headlights, lumbar supportfor theseats andan upgraded parkingcamerasetup Mercedes hasbrought electrification through therange of enginesavailable with theA-Class,too,withmild-hy brid technologyincludedfromthe off. Allcarsget either aseven-oreight speedautomatic gearbox as standard, whileplug-inhybridmodelsbring even greaterefficiency andanimproved electric rangeofupto50miles

Mercedes SLS

Lamborghini Aventador

Audi R8

BugattiVeyron

LotusElise

Ferrari 458

Blue, 34,021

5dr,Black,25,522

25,014

SUV,Sovereign

32,670

43,758

55,192

Mansellties for37th place in Andalucia

Burntwood’s RichardMansell fin ishedtiedfor 37th afteradisap pointing roundof76onSaturday hithis chancesofatop 10 spot in theAndalucia Masters.

The27-year-old,who is basedat Beau DesertGoldClub, near Can nock,ended Sunday’s finalround with alevel par71for a finalthree overtotal of 287.

Spain’sAdrianOtaegui,who successfullychallengedsanctions imposedbythe DP WorldTour forcompeting in LIVGolfevents, cruisedtoacommandingvictory

Otaeguitooka six-shot lead into the finalround at Valderrama andwas never in danger of being caught,aclosing 68 giving hima tournament-recordtotal of 19 un derpar.

Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren also shot 68 to finish sixshots behind, with Australia’sMin WooLee an otherthree strokesbackinthird.

Otaeguiwas oneofthree play ersaddedtothe fieldfor July’s GenesisScottish Open afterap pealingagainst theirsuspensions forplaying in theinaugural LIV eventinHertfordshire.DPWorld Tour memberswho playedonthe Saudi-funded rebelcircuit without permission were banned from the Scottish Open andhit with individ ual finesof£100,000

THEQUIZ

1MaxVerstappen wonhis second FormulaOne world titlewith avictory in which GrandPrix?

Whobecame just the second ManchesterCity playertoscore in seven consecutive PremierLeague appearances?

Whowas namedthe Professional Cricketers’ Association women’s Playerof theYear?

Former Albion boss Slaven Bilic got offtoa sensational winningstart Watfordmanage as they beat which club 4-0?

Whoisthe GreatBritain captainwho announced his retirementfromprofessional basketball?

LeicesterCityrecorded their first PremierLeague victoryofthe season against whichclub?

Whichsnooker playerbeat NorthernIreland’s Mark Allen10-7toclinchthe British Opentitle in Milton Keynes?

Whichclub became the first side to win100 Premier Leaguegames in whichthey conceded the firstgoal?

Whichjockey rode dean,pictured t, to victoryin eDewhurst Stakes?

Which striker scored alate winneras Spainbeat Portugalto qualifyfor theNations LeagueFinals?

Which tennis playerclaimed his first titlesince winning Wimbledon in July at theTel Aviv Open?

With 17 Serie Agoals in a single season, whoisthe most prolificEnglishmaninthe league’s history?

Whobecame only the fifthquarterback in NFL

historytothrow 500touchdown passes?

Whichclub recently sacked managerChris Wilder, insetleft?

WhichItalian cyclistset a newhour worldrecord?

Which Argentinaforward is to retireat theend of InterMiami’s 2022Major LeagueSoccercampaign?

WhichNew York Yankees playerset anew American League record with his62nd home run of theseason?

Which 40 year old scored forStoke City in their 3-1win over hisformerclub Sheffield United?

Whowas England’stop runscorerinthe recent T20seriesagainstPakistan?

(Guernsey)

-Portsmouth

John

-Invergordon

-Portree (IsleofSkye) -Tobermory (IsleofMull) -Belfast (Northern

-Liverpool

Whichfour countries will Englandfacein theirqualifyinggroup for Euro 2024? k,arClan5Dy,iteCokSt,4erivScat,3NndlaaagHrlin2Ee,esanap1J i,orttDeienkra,9FeditUntereschan8My,DaanRy,7streFohamngtiot6N s,gerRodonar3A,1amahbryAamm2T,1icovokDjakov1N,1taraMorovaAl10 e,dgJuonar7A,1inuaigoHalnzGo16a,nnGapoipil5F,1ghoubrsleddMi14 taal,MiaonedachMrtNoe,ainkr,Ulyta0I,2okroyBrrHa19a,elkgiJailPh18

ANSWERS

NorthCape, Norway

Route39are specialists in thepub quizmarketsupplying weekly generalknowledge quizzes to hundredsofpubsthroughoutthe UK

Wolves arenot in agood place rightnow.The immediate require ment is to pickupsome points on thepitch

That is in thehands of Steve Davisand JamesCollins

It wouldbereassuringtodiscov er that theplayers were accepting some responsibility,too,and unit ingbehindacommon cause at the training ground where a sense of calm hasremaineddespite the increasing angstamong thefan base

Butwhatabout thenew head coach?

Lightningclearly only strikes twiceifyou aretryingtopersuade JulenLopetegui to become manag er

Whereasthe Spaniard’s head was turned by anotherjob back in the summer of 2016,thistimefamilyis –rightly –far more importantthan anyfootballmatter.

Jeff Shi’s decision to fly to Spain earlierthisweekwas awarning that allwas notsignedand sealed with aman whoalready hadagood relationship with the Wolves owner ship andhad expressedakeenin terest in theproject

Yet, thechairmanwould not have bothered boarding theplane if he hadnot been assuredthatLo peteguiremainedfavourable to a move to England.

Therejectionwas amassive set back

With allhopes on Lopeteguithis time last week, a fresh set of cir cumstances is beingaddressed

Anynew candidateknows he is notthe firstoptionbut that is not aproblem forapostlikethis, which remainshugelyattractivedespite thecurrent upheaval

WhileLopetegui wasnumberone choice by some distance,Shi had metothersprior to histriptoSpain

Historyoften throws up notewor thystorylinesofpastmistakesand thereisone that theclubwill not want to repeat

Wolves’current form,their form since last spring in fact, is leading to only oneoutcome

Thelasttimethe team wasrel egated from thePremier League it wassignificant that decisionsat boardlevel were unabletoprevent that badoutcome from getting worse

Thereare parallels to what is happeningnow

ThetimingofMickMcCarthy’s sackinginFebruary2012was ques tionable

Thefailure to land thenumber onetargettoreplace him, Alan Curbishley,leftavoidthatcould not be adequately filled

Anditled to an entirely unsuit able appointmentin TerryConnor

Thechain of events –decisions at boardlevel –had disastrous con sequences as Wolves, with asquad whose spirit wasunravelling by the week,sufferedadoublerelegation.

Thereisacrucialdifferencehere, adecadeonfromthatturmoil.

Theseasonisrelativelyyoung andthere is time to turn theship.

Butstrong leadership andde cision-makingisneeded nowif Wolves aretopull clearofchoppy waters

Although therewas no clearand preferredPlanBbeforeLopetegui declined therole, thepathhas now been opened up foragenuine re cruitmentprocess

Shiand hislieutenants have not been completely blindsided by this second knockbackfromLopetegui andthere is an opportunitytoprove this to supporters with theirulti mate appointment.

Therewill by now be astrategy in placestatingthe requirementsof theroleand identifyingthe neces sary targets.

Theownersshouldnot be putoff by releaseclauses if they arecon ductingathorough recruitment process.

Thebestcan be costly

Nothingshouldbeoff thetable: apermanent appointmentoran in terimboss.

But, as we sawwithManchester United’s experience of Ralf Rang nick,temporary solutionscan cause as many problems as they solveand theindications arethatthisisnot a preferredroute

What canberuled outisaSean Dyche-styleappointment or a fire fighterwiththe remitsimplyto avoidrelegation.

Wolves underFosunhavealways sought dynamic, forward-thinking coacheswho offeraprogressive

Wolves are at apivotal moment... now’sthe time forreal leadership

bosa.

He is picking up an astonishing wage andenjoyingastress-free ex istenceinthe landscapeofa pitiful standard of football

Hisinteresthas been piqued by theevents of thelastfortnight, and Shiisnot ruling anything outat this stage.

It wouldbethe approach to the firstminuteofthe game andthen thesecondone andthenthe next one. Breaking it alldownintomo ments; apersonaldueltobewon, aforward move to be completed,a defensiveset-uptoorganise.Action by action

styleeveniftheyhaven’t always foundthem.

That wasthe intentionwithBru no Lage. Inside thedressingroom thereisanother issue.

Thereare no naturalleaders emerging in theabsence of some big personalitieswho left during the summer

Thereare also several play erswho know they have no long term future here,bethatdownto theirage,lengthofcontract or like ly sale

Whichmakes it that littlebit harder to envisage anytub-thump ingspeechesfromthe trenches.

Thesquad demands leadership anditrequires a figure whowill be quicklyrespected Do notunderestimate playerpow er in these times.

Managerial careerscan be over in weeksifthere is no buy-in from thedressingroom.

Thereare some seriouslytalent ed individualsinthisgroup anda strong team ethicmustbeaprior ity.

Nuno Espirito Santo, in his first threeseasons at least, fostered that team spirit before thecracks emerged during thepandemic.

Nuno is currentlyemployedin SaudiArabia,withassistantsIan Cathro,Antonio Dias andRui Bar

Therewill have to be acompro mising walk on both sidesofthe divide before Nuno canmeetinthe middle with hisformerchairman to strike adeal, afterthe deteriora tion of theirrelationshipduringthe 2020/21season.

Football throws up unlikelysce narios, though.Thatisthe beauty of this game

Thefactthatthe twoparties are even in advanced discussionsshows how quicklyeventscan turn on theirhead.

Clarityofthought at timeslike this canbehard.

Thecalmest figure to walk the corridorsofthe SirJackHayward Training Ground andMolineuxin recent yearsisa mancalledJulio Figueroa.

He wasamentortomanyofthe players andcoaches, an unobtru sive but hugely significant member of Nuno’s backroom staff.

He came into hisown when the chipsweredownand theteamwas goingthrough toughtimes collec tively andindividually.

Oneofhis keytenetswas thecon cept of confrontingchallenges ‘ac tion by action’.

Over thecourse of afootball matchthatwould not be apreoccu pation with theresultorastyle of play

On amuchgrander scaleitfeels likeWolveshavereached theposi tion wheretheyneedtoadopt this approach of deconstruction

To calmly dealwithwhatisin frontofthem, stagebystage

What is thescenariothatthe club wantstoachieve by thefollowing weekend?

Anotherchallenge is to identify astronglistofmanagerialtargets

Then take controlofthe head-hunting andthe interview process. Thereisaneedtomentally startafreshinthe dressing room. Identify what theseplayers need andhow best they cantakethe team forward.

Tackle each scenario in ameas ured andconsideredway

Thecurrent situation, however bleakitappears, is farfroma lost causeand thepotential forthe new head coachtoturnthisaroundis apparent with asquad of players whocan performbetter, anda firstclasstrainingfacility as awork place.

October2022atWolvesmay turn outtobeacasestudy in crisis man agement– forbetterorworse

Supporters fear that theclubis on theedgeofaprecipice.

It is to be hopedthat, actionby action,the leadershipherecan en sure thereisapositivestory to tell by theend of this testingperiod.

Thesecretofcrisis management is notjust acaseofachieving a good outcomefroma badsituation.Itoften involvespreventingthe badfromgetting worse.

Crisismanagement: Wolves executive chairman Jeff Shi facesthe biggest test of histenureyet

View from thetouchline with SkySportsSoccerSaturday’s JOHNNYPHILLIPS

SkySports

on thebig sports stories–inside

TAYLOR MADEFOR CENTRE –BEALE

AlbioninterimbossRichardBeale hasadmitted he didnot need asecond thoughtwhenitcameto starting match-winner Taylor Gardner-Hick manatReading.

Gardner-Hickman, 20,was se lected in midfieldinthe league for the firsttimethisseasonbyBeale as Albion’s post-Steve Bruceera be ganwithamuch-needed 2-0win at Reading.

TheBaggies academygraduate stolethe show,amidateamof fine performances,withhis firstsenior goal andanexquisite assist forMat ty Phillips’opener.

Former bossBruce hadmainly usedGardner-Hickman at rightback or wing-back this season, though theTelford-bornyoungster hasoften foundleaguestartshard to come by.Under-21s bossBeale, though,knewimmediately he would be selected in theheart of midfield.

“I thinkTaylor is areally, really good player,”Beale said.“He’s got so many attributes

“Again,likealot of players in the changing room, he’s areallygood ladthatwants to do well.Ithink he’s gota really bigfuture.

LEWISCOX lewis.cox@mnamedia.co.uk

“His energy wasexcellent on top of hisassistand hisgoal.

“AssoonasI hadtostart think ingabout theteam, whichI suppose is as soonasyou gettoldyou’retak ingthe team on Saturday,Iwanted Taylor to play in there.

“Hebringsenergytothe team andIthought he complemented Jake (Livermore)verywell.”

TheBaggies were deserved win ners in Berkshirefor a firstwin in nine and firstawaywin sinceApril –alsoatReading

It wasa memorable afternoonfor theclub’sacademy,withgoalkeeper Alex Palmer vitaltothe win, Gard ner-Hickmanand DaraO’Shea thriving as well as aleaguedebut from thebench for18-year-old Rey es Cleary

“He(Gardner-Hickman) did(de liver), they alldid,” Bealeadded.

“WhenItalkedthe otherday about thetrainingweekgoing really well –Iwas quiterelaxed,Ididn’thave sleepless nights but you’re con stantlyworrying, thinking ‘I’ve said that,isitgoing to translate to aperformance to getusawin’.

“I’m just so relieved that it did.”

Flynnfrustrated by Saddlersdefeat

WalsallbossMichael Flynnhas urged hisplayers to stop letting teamsoff,insistingtheyare almost agood teambut that isn’tenough.

TheSaddlershad alot ofthe ball andgoodspellsofpressureat Mansfield, buttwo soft goalscost them notjustapoint butthree Mansfieldcut throughFlynn’s menfor the firstand allowedthe Stags attack toomuchspace in the box-beforeLucas Akinswas eas

Flynnadmitted he hada ‘right go’athis players afterthe game,but notbecause of theperformance lev els-and insisted they are‘almost’ agoodteam“It wasa good per formance,itwas solid, we worked hard,” said Flynn. “Itisbitingus on thebackside, we can’tkeeplet ting teams off. We arealmostagood

team,but almost ain’tgood enough

“The fans clappedusoff,they know it wasbetterthanStockport andthatiswhattheywant.

“I just hada rightgoatthemin there, not because Iwanttoscream andshout,because Idon’t like los ing, Ican’t standit. It hasgot to hurt andI am notsayingitdoesn’t butlet it hurt on thepitch,stopthe cross, make sure thereisn’t afree header.”

Sa demandsa warriorspirit

Jose Sa insistshis Wolves teammatesmustplaylike‘warriors’af terhis penaltysavehelpedthemto awin over NottinghamForest– as he playsonwitha fracturedwrist

Theshot-stopperdeniedBrennan Johnsonwitha superb left-handed save to ensure Wolves pickedupall threepoints, despiteplaying with a fracture of hisrightwrist

When askedabout hiswrist,Sa said:“Nowit’sbetter. Butafter I diditagainst Fulham we played Tottenhamand it wasdifficult

“Butthisisour life –wehaveto be likewarriorstohelpthe team.

“Yes it hurt andyes Ineeded painkillers. ButIcameout fora punchafter thepenalty andused my right fist anditwas okay.”

Gerrardaimsto silencecritics

Steven Gerrardvowed to win over theboo boys afterdefeatto Chelseaincreased theheaton theVillaboss.

Villawerebeaten2-0 despite amuch-improvedperformance as MasonMount profited from errors by Tyrone Mingsand Emi Martinez

Gerrardwas booedoff the pitchbyasection of supporters

Thebosssaid: “You canun derstand thefrustration because theyhaveseentheir team per form really well foranhourbut not scoreany goals.

“I hearda groupsinging from theHolte End. It is what it is.”

ilyabletoput in acrossfor Will Swan to head thewinner home un marked

Boss Michael Flynn

Albion’s Taylor Gradner-Hickmanstarred in thecentreofmidfield