Chronicle Week Cannock - 24-Nov-2022

Tributeshavebeenpaidtoafor merlong-servingmember of CannockChase,Councillor,FrankAllen.

MrAllen,formerwardmember forCannockNorth,servedasacouncillorfor45yearsintotal,acrosstwo termsfrom1976to1994and1995to 2022

Earlierthisyearhewasnamed HonoraryAldermen.HediedonNo vember6surroundedbyhisfamily

During his time on theauthorityhetwice served vice-chairmanandchairman andasdeputyleaderand cabinetmemberforhousingand neighbourhood safetyandpartnerships.

Inthefirstfullcouncil meetingsince thedeath, CannockChasecouncillors paidtheirrespects.Coun cillorsandmembersofthe public held aminute’ssilence.

CouncillorTonyJohnson,Labour groupoppositionleadersaid:“Frank Allen,alovinghusband,alovingfather,grandfatherandgreatgrandfather.Anexceptionalservanttohis communityandevenabetterman,a manofhisword.

“I hadthe pleasure of knowingFrankAllenformostofmylife. WhenIwasfirstelectedtothecoun

cilhewaschairmanbackin1990.He showedmetheropes,headvisedme, hementoredme.HewasamanIwas absolutelydelightedtobeassociated with.”

Labour colleagueCouncillor JacquiePrestwoodsaid:“Frankwas respectedforhishardworkwithhis constituents,healwaysactedwith integrityandhonestytohelp others.”

Deputy leader Coun cillor BryanJones and Councillor Phil Hewitt, vice-chairmanofStaffordshireCountyCouncilpaidtheir respects on behalf of thecouncil to Mr Allen’swife. The Conservative councillors woreblacktothemeeting asasignofrespect

Leader Councillor Olivia Ly ons, told thecouncil:“Inever had theprivilege,Iwasneverfortunate enough to have thoseexperiences, memories andrecollectionswith Frank. His45years of dedicated servicetoeveryoneinthischamber isabsolutelyoutstanding.Weareincrediblygratefulforthat,hewillbe verymuchmissed.”

Pupils cheeronEngland

PM’s vowon school visit

PrimeMinisterRishiSunaksays extrafundingfortheNHSwillhelp thehealthservice“getonwiththe job” of tacklingambulance queues outsidehospitalA&Edepartments.

DuringavisittoErasmusDarwin Academy in Burntwood,MrSunak metpupilsattheschoolandpartic ipatedinalesson,adding:“AsPrime Minister,it’sreallyimportanttome thateveryoneofouryoungpeople hasaworld-classeducation

“That’swhyinspiteofthedif ficultdecisionsthatwedohaveto maketotackleinflation,lastweek we announced significantextra fundingforourschools.”

n Approach –Page5

Learnerhas carseized

Policesayavehiclewasseized andalearnerdriverreportedafter takingtotheroadonaprovisional licencewithnoinsurance

TheredcarwashaltedinHednesfordlastTuesdaynight,withofficerssayingitwasa“dampnightfor awalk”afteritwasconfiscated.

AtweetfromtheStaffordshire Police RoadsPolicingUnit, who sharedanimageofthevehicle,said: “Thedriverofthisvehiclethought itwasacceptabletodriveunsuper visedona provisional licenceand withnoinsuranceinHednesford

“Reportedforthoseoffencesand vehicleseized#oplightning#damp nightforawalk.”

Report by Kerry Ashdown

Parcel business profits fall

Cannock-basedAlterna tiveParcelsCompany,whichis recruitingtofill130jobs,saw profitsfallinitslatestfinancial year

Theparceldeliverynet workmadea pre-tax profit of £6.41millionfor2021-22–30 percentdownonthe previousyear. Turnover wasdown

from£134.6mto£127.4m.The APC,whichtradesasAPCOvernightandhasitsnationalbase at KingswoodLakeside,needs warehouse operatives,forklift truckdriversandHGVdrivers.

Dervla Gallagher, network directoratTheAPC,said:“Aswe came outofCovid we entered intoanewperiodofuncertainty,

reflectedtoanextentacrossour 34,000customers.

“Acrossour networkwe have workedhardtonavigate thechanginghabitsofconsumersandneedsofourcustomers, andquicklyshapeourbusiness to ensure we continue to provideagreatservicetoourcustomers.”

Campaign to ‘showabuse redcard’duringWorld Cup

Football fans arebeing urgedto‘showdomesticabuse theredcard’astheWorldCup getsintofullswing.

Previousnationalresearch hasshownincidentsofdomes ticabusecanrisewhenEngland play in atournament, so CannockChaseCouncil’scommuni tysafetyandpartnershipteam hasjoinedforces with police, domestic abuseservice New Era,theStaffordshireCommis sioner’sOfficeandlocalauthori tiestolaunchthecampaign.

It raisesawareness of the supportavailable forvictims andperpetratorswithuseful contactcardsandpostersbeing distributedtopubsacrossthe districtaswellasarangeofon line messages andadvertising viasocialmedia

Avideoalsohighlightsthe supportavailable,while afull listofdomesticabusesupport services is available to access fromthecouncil’swebsite.

Councillor BryanJones, portfolioleaderforcommunity safety andpartnerships, said: “Itisasad fact that incidents ofdomesticabuserisesharply during majorfootballtournaments.

“Thiscampaigncontinuesto helpraiseawarenessofthesup portservicesavailableaswellas sendingoutaclearmessagethat domesticabuse is completely unacceptable.”

Safety boostfor youngpupils

DominicHarman,managing

TheStaffordshire

Dervla Gallagher

Twofriendsarehelpingscores ofpeopleintheircommunitywith subsidisedfood

TheHeathHayesCommunity Storecharges members£5for a bagoffoodworthuptosixtimes that

Opentwiceweeklyinthecar parkoftheFiveWaysInn,around 50to60ofthegroup’s2,000mem berswillvisiteachtime

FriendsVickyDaviesandLisa Wilsonrunthestore.Afewyears ago,theylaunchedafreefoodin itiativeusingunsoldsupermarket produce,butthenumberofpeople usingitdeclinedquicklybecause oftheembarrassmentattachedto queuingforfreefood

Thistimethepairopenedthe smallstoreandchangedtheirapproach slightly so peoplecould contribute towards theirshopping

Vickysaid: “Theshop offers ashoppingexperienceforpeople whomightnotwanttoaskforhelp.

“Itallowsthem to come and pickwhattheywantand what theyneed,ratherthanbeinggiven abagfromanotherorganisation whichmay include things they don’tneed.Theycanfillupabig bagofshoppingforjust£5which

Community storeco-ownersVickyDavies,left,

cansometimesbeworth£20-25, even£30.Thisreallyhelpspeople inourcommunitytoputfoodin theircupboards,putmealsonthe tableandnotgooutofpocket.”

Councillor Victoria Wilson, countycouncilcabinetmemberfor communities andculture,visited thestoretoseetheworkforherself She is leadingonthe authority’s

‘HeretoHelp’initiative–stafford shire.gov.uk/heretohelp–whichis supportingresidentsthroughthe difficultwintermonths.

Shesaid:“Thisisabrilliantex ampleofpeopleworkingtogether tohelptheircommunitiesandI’m soimpressedbywhatVickyand Lisaaredoingandthewaythey’ve respondedtopeople’sneeds.”

Fearsover‘more for less’

Councilleaders have warned peoplecouldbe“payingmorefor less”nextyearamidloominglocal authorityspendingcuts.

Ministershaveincreased the caponcouncil tax risesto five percent–meaningcouncilscan chargeresidentsextraforservices includingbincollections,libraries andstreetlighting.

Thethreshold increase could mean Band Dhouseholders in Staffordshirepayingaround£100 moreeachyear.Butcouncilbosses

saythismaynotbeenoughtoprotectservicesandfearthecountry’s perilousfinancialpositionwillsee localauthoritybudgetshammered when theannualgovernment fundingsettlementisannounced

Councillor Alan White, ConservativeleaderofStaffordshire County Council, said theauthoritywouldbeexamininghowthe announcement would impact on itsbudgetplanning.Healsourged ministerstofinda“nationalsolu tion”tothebiggestissuefacingthe

council–adultsocialcare.Local Government Associationchair manJamesJamiesonsaid:“Council taxhasneverbeenthesolutionto meetingthelong-termpressures facing services –particularly high-demandserviceslikeadult socialcare, childprotection and homelessnessprevention

“Italsoraisesdifferent amountsofmoneyindifferent partsofthecountryunrelatedto needandaddstothefinancialbur denfacinghouseholds.”

and Lisa Wilson, centre, withCouncillorVictoriaWilson, cabinet member for communities andculture

Councilpost filled

BurntwoodTownCouncilhas co-optedanewmembertofillthe vacancyintheHunsletward.

NormaBacon waschosento takeupthepostandsignedthe council’sdeclarationofacceptance duringameetingonWednesday.

CouncillorBaconrecentlylost outtoLabour’sPaulTaylor in a by-election forthe Chasetown wardonLichfieldDistrictCouncil.

TheConservativecouncillor wasborninBurntwood,andhas previouslyservedon thetown council.Shehasalsospentmore than20yearsonthedistrictcoun

cil,includingaspellaschairman andhasservedasmayorandsher iffatLichfieldCityCouncil.

Shesaidoneofherpriorities wassorting outproblemswith vandalismandburnedoutcarslo cally,adding:“There’slotsofvan dalismandallsortsgoingonatthe momentandIthinkwe’vereally gottodosomethingaboutthat.”

Councillor Baconsaid: “It’s importantthecommunityknows councillorswanttohelpthem

“Communityhasalwaysbeen importanttome.Ishallcarryon givingitaslongasIcan.”

Shareschemecould save councils £1.2m

Slimmers’celebration

About£1.2million couldbe savediftwo councils agreeto sharetheirteamsamidthe“significantfinancialpressures”they bothface,areporthassaid.

BossesatCannockChaseDistrictandStaffordBoroughcouncilswereexpectedtobackthepro posalsatthisweek

Itwillseetheauthoritiesshare itstopteams–apartfromservic es surroundinghousing stockin CannockChaseandtherunningof electionsforbothareas.

Butcouncil chiefs have reas suredpeopleeachcouncil will maintain itsindividualidentity, withcouncillorsstillbeinginfull controlofthedecisionmaking

CannockChaseleaderCouncil lorOliviaLyonssaid:“Ourcouncils have builta good working rela tionship.Inviewofthechallenges webothface,thisisalogicalstep to take.Itremovesduplication, helpstoprotecttheserviceseach councilprovidesandensureswe areworkingefficiently.

“Thatsaid,weare clearitis imperativetopreserveourunique localidentities.Eachcouncilwill continuetosetitsownagendaand ensuredecisionsaretakenatalo callevelforresident’sbenefit.”

Themove couldsaveabout £1.2millionoverallincludingareductionofalmost£90,000inseniormanagementcosts.

Wastecollectioncalendars

The2022/23wasteandrecy clingcalendarsareontheirwayto residentsinCannockChase.

Thecalendars arebeing distributed to morethan45,000 householdsinthedistrictoverthe nextfew weeks. Thecalendars, whichdetailcollection datesfor thegreen,blueand brownbins, also includeinformation about whatcanandcan’tgointothereceptacles.

Councillor Justin Johnson, portfolioleaderfor environment andclimatechange,said:“Werec

ommendyoukeepyourcalendar accessible;inmyhouseit’sonthe fridge.Notonlydoesitremindyou when yourcollection datesare, italsogivesinformationonwhat canandcan’tberecycled.Withthe movetodualstreamdrymixedre

betterqualitynowitiscollected

Find outwhatgoesinwhich binatwww.cannockchasedc.gov. uk/whichbin

Allcalendarswillbedelivered bytheendofNovember

Anyone that doesn’t receive one–orlosesit–candownload andprint replacement calendars at www.cannockchasedc.gov. uk/residents/recycling-waste/ waste-and-recycling-collec tion-calendars.

Report by Thomas Parkes

MarieParsons withSlimmer of theYearJulie Lucas

Councillor Norma Bacon

‘Boldapproach’to NHSpledged by PM

PrimeMinisterRishi Sunak wasaskedabouttheGovernment’s planstotackletheannualwinter pressuresfacedbytheNHSduring avisittoaBurntwoodschool

He said extrafunding would helptheNHS“getonwiththejob” oftacklingambulancequeuesoutsidehospitalA&Edepartments.

ThePM,whopromiseda“bold andradical”approachtotheNHS, acknowledged theproblemsof bed-blocking, with patientsuna bletobedischargedintothecommunity

Hesaidthe£8billionpackage setoutinChancellorJeremyHunt’s autumnstatementfortheNHSand socialcarewould“tacklesomeof theseproblems”

OnavisittoErasmusDarwin Academy,hesaid:“Ithinkweall recognisethatthe NHS is grap plingwithsomeofthechallenges we’restilldealingwithfromCov id,andwaitinglongforambulance timesisoneexample.

“That’swhylastweekwean nounced£8billionofextrafundingfortheNHSandsocialcareto help tackle some of theseproblems.Oneofthemostimportant thingsweneedtodoissupport people to move outofhospitals backintotheirhomes,backinto theircommunities,andthat’swhy themoneywehaveputinisgoing togoandsupportsocialcare.

“Andifwecandothat,andwe

canstartdoingthatveryquickly, thenthatwillreallyhelpalleviate someofthepressureonambulanc eswaitingoutsidehospitals.”

Hesaidhewasdelightedtobe attheschool,tomeetpupilsand takepartinclass.“AsPrimeMinis ter,it’sreallyimportanttomethat everyoneofouryoungpeoplehas aworld-classeducation,”hesaid “That’swhyinspiteofthedifficult decisionsthatwedohavetomake totackleinflation,lastweekwean

nouncedsignificantextrafunding forourschools.”

Onconvincingpeoplethatthe Conservativeswereworth stickingwith,MrSunakadded:“Ithink mostimportantlynowweneedto makesurethatwetackleinflation

“That’s thenumberone prioritythateveryonehas.Theyare lookingatthebillstheyaregetting andwantingthemtocomedown That’swhytheplanweannounced lastweekistherightplan.”

Fire stationofferswarmspace

RugeleyFireStationisopening uptohelpthosestrugglingwith thecostoflivingcrisiskeepwarm duringthewinter.

Ahotdrink,biscuitsandactivitiessuchasdominoes,cardgames andpuzzlebookswillbeoffered, whilstsafetyadvicewillalsobe giventothoseinneed

TheCommunity Fire Station,

inBryansLane,willopenbetween 10amand3pmonaweeklybasis fromtomorrow(Friday)

StaffordshireFireandRescue Service’sheadofpreventandprotectIanReadsaid:“Iampleased weareabletoofferthesefacilities toourcommunitieswhoarefacing considerablechallengesintherun uptothewintermonths.

“Not only will you be welcomedwitha cuppa, you’ll also meetsomefriendlyfacesandfind outmoreabouthowourservice cansupportyou.We’ll be using thesessionsasanopportunityto raiseawarenessofourcampaign, ‘BeWarm.BeSafe’whichisabout encouragingpeopletowarmtheir homessafely.”

Cloudy2Clear ALocal

As aleading domestic glass replacement companyfor more than 16 years,Cloudy2Clear windows arethe leading name in theindustry.

Thereisnoneed for you to risk yourwindows by usingthe dreaded double glazingcowboy down the street.You canjoin over 336,000 happycustomersand replace your glassethicallyand affordably.

If youhavea failedglassunit, it maynot provide you with the protection youneed or be as energy-efficientasitonce was. Take aminute to checkyour home to see if anydouble glazinghas failed? Taking action nowcan preventfuture financial problems.

Whentalkingtothe Managerof Cloudy2Clear windows Brian

Stanleyitbecame clear that these values have beenheld dear for a number of years.Since starting the businesssome years ago Cloudy2Clear have remained true to their corevalues of supportingthe localcommunity by providingaservice that saves the public money.

TheCloudy2Clear service only requires the glasstobereplaced and not the whole window once the unit hasfailed. Brian commented“Cloudy2Clear were able to assistour community through the last financial crisis in 2008 due to the savings that can be made in usingour service

Unfortunately we mightbegoing through somethingsimilar again soon and the public canrest assuredthat we will be thereto help once again” .

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

PM Rishi Sunakwithstudents at Erasmus Darwin Academy

Hope informationisuseful in helpingtobring closure

Iwasveryinterestedtoread theletterfromRobertWestworth (ChronicleWeek,November11).

Severalweeksago,afriendin AustraliasentmeabookbyLaurel andEdwinLloyd-JonescalledThe ElmGroveStory,whichtakesthe readerontheirincrediblejourney fromacomfortablelifestylerun ning theirown business in Aus tralia,togivingupeverythingto workalongside many Aboriginal peopletobuildbridgesofrespect andtrustinordertorestorethe injusticesofthepast

My friend introduced me to

LaurelandEdwinandwearenow intouch.IsentthemRobert’slet terasIfeltifanyonecouldshed anylightonwhatheexperienced, theycould.

Hereistheirreply:“Itdoesbeg thequestionregardingjustwhat happenedtothosepooranimals Itsuggestsperhapssomeformof contaminationcausedthedeathof theanimals.Knowingthatsomeof theearlywhitesettlersinAustral iapoisonedthewaterholestokill theindigenouspeople, this does seemtopointtosuchathing.The factthatthelocalAboriginalpeo

Book your time as readingvolunteer

Thepleasureofreading is a meansofescaping,aboosttomen talhealth,ajoylikenootherbut noteveryonehasaccesstoit.

Currently,oneinfourchildren in England areleaving primary schoolunabletoreadwellandal mostoneinfivefive-to-eight-yearoldsdonotownabook

TheFairEducation Alliance ReportCard2022showsthatre gional disparitiesare widening andthatthedisadvantagegapsto dayarejustaswideastheywerein 2012.AsCEOofchildren’sliteracy

charityBookmarkReading,Iwant toexpressmygratitudetoourlo cal volunteerswho give up one houraweektohelpachildread one-to-one throughour reading programme.

Demandfromschoolsishigher thaneverandwehavehundredsof childrenwaitingforareadingvol unteer.PleasecanIaskyourread erstoconsiderhelpinguschangea child’sstory,andgivethemthegift oftimeasareadingvolunteer?

Graihagh Crawshaw-Sadler, CEO,BookmarkReading

plewarnedabout notventuring intothevalleycouldhavemeant thattheyknewsuchhostilityto wardsthem.Itisaverydarkhis tory that whiteAustralians are nowuncovering.Ahistoryofdeep shame,racismandterribleinjus ticeforourFirstNationpeople notaproudlegacyforsure–and onethatEdwinandIhavesought toaddressworkingwithourIndig enouspeople.”

IdohopethatRobertfindsthis informationhelpshimtobringclo suretohispastexperiences

BBenton,NortonCanes

Haspenny dropped?

Hasthepennyfinallydropped? Arethemillionsofpeoplewhovot edforBrexitbutweretooembar rassedtosayitwasacatastrophic mistakenowpreparedtoadmitit?

It looks very much like it’s startedtohappen.

ButhavesomehardcoreBrex it Tory ministersdoomedthem selveswiththeirBrexitreligion? Untiltheyarewillingtoconfront thetruth aboutBrexittheywill continuetocondemnthecountry toapoorerfutureandthemselves toeventualelectoraldisaster

PeterTimlin,Cannock

HS2isnot aviableprospect

AndyStreetandhisWMRail Executivestatethat“HS2willbe amajorboosttotheregion.”But whowhoisgoingtopaythepre miumtotravelonitinsufficient numberstomakeitviable?

Theoriginalconceptandjus tification,wastoenabletheever increasing numbersofbusiness travellers to gettomeetingsat highspeed.

However, theintroduction of

electronic communications, such asSkype,Zoom,videoconferenc ingetc,hasdecimatedtheneedfor suchbusinesstravel,andthevast majority of thetravellingpublic areonlyinterestedinthecheapest fare,andwouldnotevenconsider payingHS2prices

TheM6Tollisawhiteelephant becausepeoplewillnotpayinsuf ficientnumbers,inthehopeofsav ingtime.Addtothatthefactthat

Curzon Street,the Birmingham stationonlyhadashortpassen gerlifebecauseitwastoofarfrom thecitycentre–nooneisgoingto payextratogettherequickonly tohavetowastetimeonanextra journey!

Also,HS1inthesoutheastwas runninguphugedebtsevenbefore thecurrentdownturn

c/o

House, 1Farringdon Street, London, EC4M 7LG.

Bellway,whichisbuildingatGreen

Theallotmentwillbeusedforinter

BeckyScordis,headteacher,said:

Hollie Rodgers, Bellway’s Ben Taylor, and Poppyfield pupils

Home for over-50s approved

TheformerGreatWyrleyCommu nitySupportUnitistobedemolishedto makewayfora90-bedresidentialcare homefortheover-55s

PlanningpermissionhasbeenapprovedbySouthStaffordshireDistrict Council. Theplanistoerect apart

three-storey,parttwo-and-halfstorey, parttwo-storeyandpartsinglestorey ‘Lshaped’buildingtohousethecare homeinWalsallRoad.

Itwillprovide24-hourcareandofferservicesforresidentssuchasahairdresser,gym,cinemaandbistro

Councilemissions fall by 43pc

StaffordshireCountyCouncil has cutitscarbonemissionsby43percent sinceitdeclaredaclimateemergency.

Theauthorityisworkingtowards becomingcarbonneutralby2050and declaredaclimateemergencyin2019. Ithasproducedanactionplandetailing

howitaimstohelpthecountybecome moresustainableintheyearstocome andthesecondclimatechangeannual report,whichcamebeforecabinetlast week,detaileda“significantreduction” incarbonemissionsof15percentfrom 2019/20to2020/21

South Staffordshire College

Great WyrleyCommunity Support UnitinWalsall Road

Man’swallettaken in distractiontheft

Anelderlymanwasleft“shaken”afterhavinghis walletstolenwhenamaninitiallyaskedtousethevic tim’sphonetobookataxi.

Amanknockedthevictim’sdoornearHillStreet, Rugeley,at11.05pmonNovember15andmadetheenquirybeforehewasinvitedinsidethehome.

Theculpritthenstoletheman’swalletwhilehe wasdistracted.Thebankcardsweretracedandwere foundtohavebeenusedtopurchasegoodsatapetrol stationonWesternSpringsRoad

Thesuspectisdescribedaswhiteandinhis30s, wearingablackjacket.Policehavecarriedoutdoorto-doorchecksandreassuredthevictim,whowasleft shakenbutunhurt.

Anyonewithinformationisaskedtocontactthe forceonFacebook,Twitterorcall101,quotinginci dent853ofNovember15.

Nuisance issues in spotlight

Youthanti-socialbehaviourwasthefocusofaspe cialeventinChasetown

Representatives from Lichfield District Coun cil,StaffordshirePoliceandlocalagenciesmetwith thepublictodiscussthereasonsbehindanti-social behaviourintheBurntwoodareaandhowitcanbe reducedwithaviewtoidentifyingopportunitiesto providemoreactivitiesforyoungpeoplethere.

Theevent,heldatErasmusDarwinAcademy,was conductedontheWorldCaféworkshopmodelwhich seesparticipantsexploreissuesinsmalltablegroups.

Anti-socialbehaviourwasdiscussedbymorethan 40attendeesandtheinformationcollatedwillbeex aminedtoidentifythebestapproachtotakewhile ensuringthatallrelevantpartnersworktogetherto addressissuesofconcerntoBurntwoodresidents.

YvonneJames,principalcommunitysafetyofficer atLichfieldDistrictCouncil,said:“TheWorldCaféwas afantasticopportunityforthecommunityandservicestogettogetheranddiscussopenlyconcernsregardinganti-socialbehaviourinBurntwood “Wewillnowgothroughalltheinformationand suggestionsfromtheeventandworkatputtingthings inplacetoreducethelevelsofanti-socialbehaviour.”

BurntwoodandChasetownPCSOLeonWorden said:“Iwaspleasedandgratefultoseesomanypeo plecometodiscussissuesaroundyouthanti-social behaviourandshareideasandthoughtswithmany agenciesforthearea.”

CouncillorRichardCox,cabinetmemberforcom munityengagement,said:“Workinginpartnership withthepoliceandthecommunitytoresolvethecur rentanti-socialbehaviourtakingplacecanonlybea positivemoveandIlookforwardtoseeingtheout comesofthesessioninduecourse.”

MP’s ‘scrap HS2’ call

Conservative MP Michael Fabricantis callingforwhathecallsthe“nationaldisgrace”HS2tobeaxed.

ChancellorJeremyHunthasannounced taxrisesandspendingcutsamiddirepredic tionsoverthecountry’sfinances.Butsome saytheburdencouldbereducedbyditching thecontroversialhighspeedline,whichcuts throughswathesoftheStaffordshirecoun trysideandisestimatedtocost£155billion

LichfieldMPMrFabricantsaid:“It’snow timetoscrapwhat’sleftofHS2.”Hesaidit “neitherlinkswithHS1andthecontinent,as wastheoriginalintention,norconnectswith

mainlinestationssuchasBirminghamNew Street”.Hesaid:“HS2standsdisconnected anddisjointed.Latestdatashowsthecostis now£155bn,121percentoverbudget,and isrunning12yearslate.Itisanationaldis grace. ”

Headded:“Asaresultoflockdown,more meetingsarebeingheldvirtuallyandrail customhasfallen.WiththeLondontoMidlandsHS2linknownotduetobecompleted untiltheendof2035andtheallimportant linktoManchesternotduenowuntil2046, whocanbeassuredthatthisrailservicewill beneededthen?

Paynothing fora year. No deposit. Interest free.

Black

AStaffordshirePoliceofficerhasbeencharged withaffrayafteranincidentallegedtohavehap penedwhilehewasoff-duty.

StudentofficerPcPaulWeston,29,basedin Cannock, pleaded guilty at NorthStaffordshire JusticeCentretotheOctober28offenceandwas remandedincustody.Hewas suspended from dutyinAugust,duetoanongoinginvestigationby theforce’sProfessionalStandardsDepartment

DUDLEY | BIRMINGHAM | NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME | SHREWSBURY

Michael Fabricant

Busting themyths on equity release

Do youknowthe 10 equity releasemythbusters?

Youmay be oneofthe many folk whohaveseenthe adverts on TV for equity release. Youhaveprobably thoughtthattheyare best avoid ed?Thismay prompt you to think again.

Thereare still many concerns about lifetimemortgages (equity release) than need dispelling

Myth 1: Youwillloseowner ship andcontrol of your prop erty –Withalifetimemortgageyou will be theowner of your home for as longasyou want to live in it.This is in thesameway as you wouldfor aregular mortgageand as with any mortgage providingyou meet the conditionofthe lifetimemortgage.

Myth 2: Youwillowe more than thevalue of you home –As part of theEquityRelease Council statementofprinciples,all lenders must nowfeature a“No Negative Equity Guarantee”

This meansyou will never owe more than what your home is worth once sold,evenifitissoldfor less than theamountowed. This applies upon deathorpermanently moving into long term care

Myth 3: It’s notpossible to reduce theoutstanding debt Thereare products that offeryou theoptiontomakepartial repaymentswithnoearly repayment

charges.There arealso products that allowyou theoptiontopay monthlyinterestsothe debt will not increaseasmuchasitwould if you letthe interest roll up over the life of themortgage.

Myth 4: Youwillhaveto stay in thesamepropertyfor all your life –Withmostlifetime mortgagesyou canmovehome and transfer yourlifetimemortgageto anew property.You canalso use a lifetime mortgage to move home,so if you want to move andyou don’t have enough to completethe purchase, alifetimemortgagecan be usedonapurchaseinthe same way as aregular mortgage

Myth 5: Youwillleave debt to your family andlovedones

Providingthe termsand conditions aremet,nodebtislefttoyourestate andyou will never owemore than thevalue of yourhome once sold or permanentlymovinginto long term care

Myth 6: Youwillnot be able to leaveyourpropertyas an in heritance –Alifetimemortgageis designed to be repaid by selling the property afteryou move into permanent long-termcareoryou die.

Once theloanhas been repaid, anymoneyleftover cangotoyour beneficiaries.Some products let you“ring fence” aportion of your home’s equity to leaveasaninher itance foryourlovedones.

Myth 7: Equity can’tbereleased if thereisanoutstand-

ingmortgage –You canapply fora lifetimemortgageproviding you pay offyourexistingmortgagebalance This canbedoneeitherthrough the equity yourelease or throughyour savings.

Myth 8: It’s unsafe andunreg ulated –Lifetimemortgages are regulatedbythe FinancialConduct Authority(FCA).Asmentioned,the Equity ReleaseCouncil (ECR)was establishedtoprovide consumer protection specificallyfor this mar ket.Membersmustadheretoits standardsofconduct andpractice.

Myth 9: Interest ratesare high andvariable –The interest rate canbe fixedfor thelifetimeof themortgageand is determined by thesizeofthe loan againstthe

valueofyourhome (LTV).Sothe higher theloantovalue (LTV)the higher therateofinterestapplied to theloan.

Myth 10:You canonlytake oneamountout once –You can take outequityrelease to boost yourmonthly income.You can take outaninitial amount to buy acar or help aloved onewiththeir firsthome deposit andreserve an amount forlater drawdown fora dreamholiday

Always look outfor theEquity ReleaseCouncil logo when seeking advice on equity releasetoensure you aredealing with amember TandiFellows,Probity Mortgag es’Later LifeLending specialist, wouldbehappy to discussyour optionswithyou.Ifyou wouldlike to find outabit more about this op tion,weoffer no obligation consul tationsatour owncost. Forfurther informationcallProbityMortgage Services LTDonTelford 01952 263684. ProbityMortgageServices LTDisa member of theEquityRe leaseCouncil.

Pleasenotethattakingout alifetime mortgage will reduce thevalue of your estate;itmay affect your entitlementtostate benefits and consolidating otherdebts couldcost you more in thelongterm. Alllifetime mortgagesare subjecttothe lender’s termsand conditions

Releasing theequityinyour homemightbesomethingyou could consider,but talk to theexperts

Christmasmarketreturning

PenkridgeVictorian ChristmasMarketis

back anditisset to be bigger andbetterthan ever!

TheVictorian Market will be held on Sunday at Penkridge Market.The eventwill also open an hour earlier, runningfrom11am –7pm giving you extra time to en joy thefestivities

Themarket will be bursting with 150stalls, selling awidevarietyofdeliciousfood anddrink plus localcrafts, as well as plenty of entertainment. Local produc erswill be selling everything you need foryourfestive feast, from cheeses, pickles andpreserves to Christmas cakesand mincepies.

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Andifyou’restrugglingtoknow what to buysomeone,whatbetter gift than ahamperfull of deli ciousfood andlocal delicacies?

If you’re feelingpeckish,there will be awidevariety of refreshmentsavailable andThe Old Deanery Farm Café will also be open servinghot drinks andfes tive food, includinga traditional turkey dinner

Therewill be craftstallssellingeverything from handmade jewellery,candles andsoaps to handcrafted wooden gifts, rein deer andtoys. Therewill of course be allofyourChristmas accessories includingdecorations,cards, wrapping andwreaths

Father Christmas will also be making an extra-special appear ance,aswellanElf Craftworkshop,facepainter,donkeyrides andamagician.

Therewill also be plenty of entertainmentfor olderchildren with Arthur’s FunFair, ajuggler andstilt walker

Therewillbelivemusic from concertpianist CatherineNar diello,carolsperformed by the Seighford Singersand uplifting musicfromthe Wolverhampton U3AUkuleleBand.

Entryisfreefor children and just£2.50 peradult.Ticketscan be purchased in cash on thegate. Formoredetails call 01785 714221 or visitwww.penkridge market.co.uk

Enjoyfestive funatthe Penkridge Victorian Christmas Market taking place this Sunday

OPINION

Let’sremember respectmatters

Throughthiscolumn,Ihaveinthe pastreferredtotheneedforatidy-upof Cannocktowncentre,tomakeitmore inviting.Wellitseemsnoteveryoneis happywiththeeffortstodothatjust Backin2015,CannockChaseCoun cil,togetherwithitsleisurecharityarm Inspiringhealthylifestyles,decidedto maketheapproachtoMorrisonsmore welcoming, with an gallery-styleart workadorning theMill Street underpass.Isupposeweshouldbegrateful forsmallmercies–itonlytookseven yearstovandalise.

Passingthroughthereintheweek leadinguptoRemembranceDay,Ino ticedwhite painthad been sprayed acrossmanyofthetiles

Amongtheartworkisapoppyday picture adornedwiththe words: Re spect, Remember.Respond.The artworkalsofeaturesanoldsoldier,Ron Mattison,whofoughtforourcountryin theSecondWorldWar,seeingactionat theBattleoftheRhineaspartofOperationPlunder.Thewhitepaintscrawled across theartworkhad encroached ontobothofthesetiles,amongothers.

Iampleased to report that havingwalkedthroughthereagainatthe weekend,ithasnowbeencleanedup, sothankstothoseconcernedfortheir swiftresponse.Butnothankstothose

CHASEMATTERS

responsiblefor this shameless graffi ti.Respect?–Nonewas shownhere. Remember?–While commemorating thisimportantpartofBritishhistory, let’snotforgettheseoffenders’mind less contribution.Respond?How do theculpritsfeelRonMattison’sfamily wouldrespondtoseeinghisimagedefaced?Andwhatiftheoffenders’own relatives,whofoughtforourfreedomin thewar,hadbeenanintegralpartofthe artwork?Howwouldtheyrespond?

nnn

Twoobservationsfromtravelling bytraintoBirminghamlastweekend. Peoplewerehavingtostandonabusy service.Notbecausethetrainwasfull, butbecauseseatsweretakenupbypassengers’luggage–youknow,withbags bythewindowandthemselvesinthe aisleseat. Frustrating, needless.And anotherlackofrespect

Anddon’t getmestarted on the stateoftheplatformaswealightedat Cannock.Despitethepresenceofabin, thewaitingareawasfilledwithdrinks cansandfastfoodbagsandwrappers.

Reggie is afour-year-old Lakeland Terrierwho enjoysthe outdoors, swimming, climbingrocks and trees andloves hisfamily, said owner Thomas Price. Pet of theWeek submissions canbesent to chronicleweek@mnamedia.co.uk

WithChronicle Week editor Mark Shipp

Gota health

I

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

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

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

It’sgoodtoknowwhichserviceyou needandhowtoaccessit

NHS 111 ONLINE

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

PHARMACY

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

GP PRACTICE

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

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

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

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

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

“Theyknowhow to askthe right questions and refertoGPs if necessary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It’squick,easy and accessible andwewillbe

‘Our team are trained to respond to symptoms’

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

‘Patients are often unaware of the services we provide’

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

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

This

article is part of apaid-forpartnershipwith

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

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

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

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

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

treatmentbeforethe problem becomesmoreserious.

Seeking advice at apharmacy for minor illnesses couldsave youtime

ThesecondannualRemembrance Sundayservicewasheldonabeautiful, sunnyautumnafternoonattheNationalMiners’Memorial.

Theservice began at 2.30pm –a significanttimeasitrepresentedthe changeoverofshifts at coal mines throughouttheUK

Theservice,led by layminister WendyPitt,waswellattendedbyfor merminers;bysomewhohaddonated plaquesonthememorial;byvisitorsto andstaffoftheNationalMemorialAr boretum,wherethememorialissited andbycommitteemembersofChase ArtsforPublicSpaces(Chaps),thebody behindthesculpture

MembersofLeaHallandBrereton Collieries Memorial Societybrought

withthemthreebannerswhilstFriends ofLittletonCollierycamealongwith theirbrandnew,strikingbanner.Three formermembersoftheCorpsofRoyal Engineers–tocommemoratethetun nellingunitsthatoperatedintheFirst WorldWar–broughttheirflag

Chapscommittee member Jackie Princereadthepoem‘ATributetothe CoalMinersofthe UnitedKingdom’, whichhadbeenincludedinthededicationservicelastSeptember.Theevent wasenhancedbypipesplayedbyAndy DeComyn–alamentintroducedthe timeofsilenceandhisplayingaccompaniedthelayingofwreathsbyChaps, LeaHallandBreretonCollieriesMemo rial Society, FriendsofLittleton CollieryandtheRoyalEngineers.

The remembrance service at the miners’ memorial

Showcasinglatest in home interiors

Cousins Furnitureisinvitingyou to asneak peek of theirnew Winter Collectionfor thelaunchoftheir Winter Sale whichstartsnextmonth

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

In living,Cousins hasenhancedits collectionswithfamousbrand names such as GPlanand Parker Knoll, to complywithmodernliving. The newHurst rangefromG Plan offers eye-catchingdesignand adds sophisti cation to anyspace

With cleanlines andgeometric de tailing,Hurst embodiespureelegance. With modularoptions, Hurstoffersthe opportunitytobuild yourperfect combination creating abespoke sofa for yourspace.Reclineroptions areavail able across therange

Indining, recent trendsfor open plan, flexible living,has ledtoasignif icantincreaseinkitchen dining.Cousinsisproud to displaynew collections from world-leadingItalian brandCal ligarisacrossdiningtables, sideboards andevenaccessories.

Knownfor theirmoderndesign,

everyCalligarisdiningtable hasthe potentialtoenhance theaestheticsof thediningspace.For thoselooking for space-savingoptions,Calligarisalso offers dining tables with innovative ex tendingmechanismsthatallow you to accommodateasmanyasten people

Forthe bedroom, they have intro duced newcollections from Ercol, showcased in brandnew galleries.

TheMonza bedroomrange is acon temporaryupdate of classicmid-cen tury design.Chestsare constructed with mitredcornerjointsand around ed undercut detail,framing thechevronveneerdrawerfronts.

Tapering turned legs andangled plinth railsare paintedblack to high lighttheir elegantshapes andcreatea sense of lightness.

Cousins’ Winter Collection

Busy months for group

SinceOctoberthegrouphasbeen remarkablybusywithplannedoutings andactivities

Severalmembersattendedacoffee morningatthevillagehall,organised by Mary Davis,with£600 raised for CancerResearchand£500forMASE.

InNovemberMargaretDeveywelcomedmembersfromRugeley,Gen tleshawandLongdonforthe70than niversarycelebrationoftheRoseand Shamrock group.A cheese andwine partywas arranged.Alsoattending wereStaffsFederationchairmanHelen NewmanandMinnaAndrews.

ProceedsfromafundraisingfashionshowatMansfieldHouse,Rugeley, organisedbyGlenysRichards,willbe

donatedtovariousworthycauses.At November’susualWednesdaymeeting, MargaretDeveyintroducedtwonewla dies,KarenMissenandShonaKingston. SpeakerPetulaHughesgaveaninterestingtalkonthehistoryoflacemakingthroughouttheagesandagreedto judgethe competition forsamples of laceandcrochetingwork.Firstplace wenttoAnnInglebyandChrisStinton.

Theeveningfinishedwithaquizon whichcountry

TheannualChristmasdinnerwill beatBeaudesertGolfClub,withenter tainmentfromRichardParsons

Booksprovide Christmasgift

TheChristmasspiritcamealittle earlythisyearasCannockSoroptimists launchedtheir‘GiveaChildaBookfor Christmas’campaign

In partnershipwiththe Rotary Books4Homecharity they wanted to ensurethatthosechildrenwhowould nototherwiseownabookwillhaveac cesstothejoyofreading,especiallyat Christmastime.

So,tocoincidewithhalf-term,they launchedanappealforpre-lovedbooks tobetakentofourlibrariesinthearea thatkindlyacceptedthemontheirbehalf

Again,thelocalcommunitydidnot disappoint as 1,881books were do

nated.TheseweretakentotheBooks4Homes charitywhere they will be distributedviaschoolstochildrenin timeforChristmas.Ithasalsomeant that thesebooks will be lovedagain ratherthanthrownaway

Thishastakenthetotalbooksdo natedbyCannockSoroptimiststodate tomorethan13,500.

ToknowmoreaboutSICannock& Districtgotowww.sigbi.org/cannock -and-district, www.facebook.com/SI Cannock,see@sicannockonTwitteror emailsoropscannock@gmail.com

Police strike talk topic

ThespeakeronNovember14was CorinneBrazier,heritagemanagerfor theWestMidlandsConstabulary,who gaveatalkonthepolicestrikeof1919.

Atthetimeofthestrikeacommis sion hadalreadybeenestablishedto considerpolicepayandgeneralconditionsofservice,andwasonthepoint ofreportingveryfavourably;support forthe strike wasthereforepatchy anditwasonlyintheMerseysidearea wheresupportwas strong,resulting inthearmedforcesbeingcalledinto

suppressdisturbances.ThePoliceAct of1919sawmostgrievancesbeingre solved,butmadestrikesbymembers ofthepoliceillegal;itresultedinthe foundingofthePoliceFederation

MeetingsareonalternateMonday mornings at theConservativeClub, HighGreen.OnNovember28,SteveAn drewswillgiveatalkonfootballrefer eeingandtherulesofthegame.

Soroptimistswithbooks that have been collected forBooks4Home

SI Cannock &District

Cannock Chase Men’s Probus

Gyllenhaal at endofwatch

SATURDAY

End of Watch (2012) (BBC1, 11.50pm)

An openingcar chase, shot throughapolicewindscreen, ends inbloodshedandofficersBrianTay lor(JakeGyllenhaal)andMikeZav ala(MichaelPena)are re-assigned toanotherpartofthecityandtold mock-seriously“nottokillanybody bytheendoftheweek”.Butwhen BrianandMikeuncoveratrafficking operationrunbyalocalcartel,they aremarkedfordeath.

SUNDAY

Mogul Mowgli (2020) (BBC2, 10.15pm)

BritishPakistanirapperMCZed (RizAhmed)isonthecuspofhisfirst worldtour,butisinvolvedinascuf flewithafanandistakentohospi talanddiagnosed with an autoim mune disease. An experimentalprocedureoffershim alifelinebut the procedurefliesin thefaceofhisfa ther’sbeliefs.

SirSimonlookingback onhistoryofalifetime

Simon Schama’s History of Now(BBC Two, 9.15pm, Sunday)

Aswellaswritingabouthistory, SirSimonSchamahaslivedafairbit ofittoo.Bornin1945,onthenight ofthebombingofDresden,hewon ascholarshiptotheprivateHaber dashers’Aske’sBoys’SchoolinCrick lewoodat11beforestudyinghistory atChrist’sCollege,Cambridge.

Schama then workedfor short periodsas alecturerinhistory at Cambridge,andwrotehisfirstbook, PatriotsandLiberators,whichwon theWolfsonHistoryPrize.

In1980,Schamatookupachair atHarvardUniversity,butreturned totheUK20yearslater,havingbeen commissionedbytheBBCtoproduce a15-partseriesofTVprogrammes TheresultwasAHistoryofBritain.

Sincethen,hehasmadeseveral otheracclaimeddocumentarypro grammes,buthislatestprojectisapparentlyhismostpersonalprojectto date,ashelooksbackatthehistory thathasplayedoutinhislifetime.In

thefirstofthreeprogrammes,here vealsthestoriesofartistsandwrit erswhohavebeenattheforefront ofthefightfortruthanddemocracy, oftenatgreatpersonalcost.

InDecember1936,ayoungEng lishman,EricBlair,betterknown asGeorgeOrwell,headedtoSpain

tojointhoseriskingtheirlivesfor freedom.WejoinhissonRichardin Barcelona,totellthestoryofhowa campaignofmisinformationbySta lincostthelivesofmanyofOrwell’s friendsand comrades. Theexperi encefedintothecreationofhisliterarymasterpiece,1984.

Audrey’s life in danger?

EastEnders (BBC1)

JaninegivesMicksomeupsetting news.KatfindsthatAlfiemovedin duringherabsence–andmanagedto lose£30,000ofPhil’smoney.Rocky, Mitch,BobbyandFreddiestagean intervention when they discover Harvey hasbeensending Sophia money.

Coronation Street (ITV)

Harvey offers Nick themoney tobuyDebbie’sshareofthebistro. He initiallyturns it down,until it becomesclearthecouplehavebeen conned.Stephen(ToddBoyce)lands ajob as adeliverydriverbefore launchingadevious scheme that couldendangerAudrey’slife.Sum merhasamiscarriage.

Emmerdale (ITV)

AftertellingVictoriathe truth about thespeedingticket, David agreestorepeathisconfessiontothe police–butit’stoo late andshe an nounces it’s over.

Bernicestruggles to controlher emotions, leading hertofearshehas dementia

Editor’s weekend pick

Films for the weekend

Your guide to the soaps

SirSimonSchama infrontofPicasso’s GuernicaforHistoryofNow

EndofWatch

Todd Boyce

As theconversation heatsup around thecost-of-livingcrisis, manyofusarelookingfortheeasiest waystostaywarmathome–withoutrunningupthebills.

If you want to keep household costsdownandyourhomeniceand cosy,thereareafewsimplestepsyou cantaketomakeadifference…

Bleedtheradiators

First up,ensureyourheating system is workingefficiently, with theboilerpressureset between oneandtwobars.It’simportantto bleedtheradiatorstogetridofany trappedair

Rearrangethefurniture

It’sunderstandabletowantyour sofaorworkfromhomedesknear theradiator–butmakesurethey’re notpositionedsoclose that heat can’tcirculatearoundtheroom

Keepthedoorsclosed Adoorleftajarisaninvitation forheattoescape–sokeepdoors firmlyclosedtomakethemostofthe warmth

Fitself-adhesivefoamstrips

Wearing awoollyhat at

toapplyself-adhesivefoamstripsto

coldatbay. Drawthecurtainsandblinds Closingthecurtainsandblinds willhelpkeepthewarmthin.Ifpossible,nowisprobablyagoodtimeto removeanyradiatorcoverstomax imisehotaircirculatingaroundthe

Hotbotties aren’tjustfor bedtime Hotwaterbottlesareacheapand cheerfulwaytokeepcosy. Layerup Whetherit’sashaggyrug,fluffy blankets,woollyjumpers or cosy socks –layerscan help keep you

warminside.Hatsarealsoabrilliant waytopreservebodyheat

Thinkthermalcurtains

Thermalcurtainliningscanbe alife-saver. Designed to blockout light,theyarealsospeciallycoated toreducelossofheatandregulate roomtemperature.

Whetheryou’recelebratingaspecia occasionorrememberingaloved one-we’reheretohelp.

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DECEASED

BrendaGlover8OCT 2022

Richard Selwyn Glover 20 OCT2022

Pursuant to theTrustee Act 1925 anypersons having aclaim against or an interest in the Estateofthe above named, late of 46 GorseyLane, Cannock, WS11 1EX, who died as shown above,are required to send written particulars thereof to theundersigned on or before 25/01/2023, afterwhich datethe Estatewill be distributed having regardonlytothe claims and interests of which they have had notice.

The Executor 270A,Wells Road, Malvern WR14 4HD

THECOUNCILISTOCONSIDERTHE FOLLOWINGPLANNINGPROPOSALS

CaseOfficer-DavidO’Connor

Location:LandatthecornerofAvonRoad andHunterRoad,Cannock CH/22/0398-ProposedResidentialCareHomewithassociated landscapingandcarparking

Detailsoftheapplicationsmaybeinspectedelectronicallybetween10am 4pm, MondaytoFriday, by appointmentonly, at theCivic Centre, Beecroft Road,Cannock,orvisithttps://planning.agileapplications.co.uk/cannock

The Council haspublished aService Charter forpublicityand information aboutplanningapplicationsandaCodeofConductforthePlanningProcess bothofwhichareobtainablefromCouncilOfficesfreeofcharge. If youwish to makecomments or representations aboutany of theabove proposals youshould do so in writing to thePlanning Services Manager, Civic Centre, BeecroftRoad, Cannock, WS11 1BG or by emailingto developmentcontrol@cannockchasedc.gov.ukby15.12.22.Pleaseinclude adaytime telephone numberinyour replyand quote theappropriate referencewhencallingorwriting

Howweuseyourinformation:

Pleasenotethatonreceiptofany representationmadein respect of a planningapplicationwewillpublishyourname,addressandanycomments youhave madeonour website.This will enableother agencies, such as statutory andnon-statutory consultees,and individuals interested in viewingand/orcommentingontheapplicationawareofyourrepresentation and theissues that youhave raised. However, we willredact signatures, email addressesand private telephone numbers beforepublishing online in theinterests of dataprotection. Forthosecustomerscommentingon planningapplicationswewillneedyoutoprovideapostaladdresstoenable fair consideration of comments. Cannock Chase District Council is thedata controller. Youcan find informationabout howwehandle your personal informationbyvisitingwww.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/privacynotices.

STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

A50YEAR OLD BRITISH INDIAN MAN

With own home and car, would like to meet awoman 40 plus for stop overs, holidays and invites plus going to pubs and wine bars.

West Midlands area.

Box Number C22292 , Express and Star, Queen Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES

GENTLEMAN 68

looking for lady 60+, for friendship, possible relationship.

Likes days /nights out, holidays, trips to the theatre, genuine replies only.

Write to Box Number P22290 , Express and Star, Queen Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES

GENUINE MALE 60

Attractive, slim to medium build, 6ft 1, blue eyes, caring, very honest, good sense of humour, own house, car and job would like to meet a honest genuine lady, 45- 60 for a loving relationship and to start living life again.

Box Number P22289 , Express and Star, Queen Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES

LADY LATE 50’S recently divorced, looking for new friends and hopefully find her Mr Right.

All letters answered, photo appreciated and returned.

Box Number P22291, Express and Star, Queen Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES

Carlos talksup importance of Albion set-pieces

Head coachCarlosCorberan reck onsAlbion’sJohnSwift andKyle Bartleycombination couldbekey when Championship action re sumes.

Defender Bartleyfoughtback from some dark days to become Al bion’s unlikelygoalherowithtwo goalsintwo gamesbeforethe World Cupbreak

Head coachCorberan,who is this week leadingtrainingfrom theclub’sWalsall base,said: “Yes (hecould have hada hat-trick!)in the firsthalf(againstStoke). The team wasattacking alot with the set-piece situation. With theSwift deliveriesand hispower andskills in this type of situationcan help a lot to unbalancethe games, likehe didlastweekand he didtoday.”

Corberan’s Championshipexperience in charge of Huddersfieldtells theSpaniardthatprowess in both penaltyareas is vitalinthe second tier.“In theChampionshipitis very, veryimportant to be organisedin theset-piecesin defenceand be awareofthem,”hesaid.

“And then of course in attack to use this kind of situations too.”

Albion’s record from set-pieces had beenlargely disappointingbefore Okay Yokuslu’swinner against Blackpool marked thestart of three goalsinthree games.

ANSWERS

Moneytalks –and even the‘fans’are cashingin

Let’snot have fake fans, hey.

If thereisone thingQatar cannot standaccused of falling shorton, it is thedevotiontogivingobserversreasons to be cynicalabout this WorldCup

Therelease of aclipthisweekon Qatari Living’s Tiktokaccount is enough to make even thetourna ment’s biggest cheerleaders wince uneasily

Thefootage purports to show fans’parades in Doha featuring supporters from alloverthe world England,Argentina,Brazil, Spain, Portugal andsoon. What it actually showsisa groupofdemographical ly identicalmen –theyare allmen –dancing around with similar in strumentstosimilar music, decked in thecolours and flags of partici pating countries.

Withoutwantingtocastfurther aspersions on these‘fans’itwould be afairguess that noneofthem have setfootintheir ‘home’countriesorseen‘theirteam’ kick asin glefootball.

Earlierthismonth TheTimes reported that 40 supporters from England andthe same number from WaleshavebeenpaidbyQatar to attend theWorld Cup.

Part of thedealinvolvessigning acodeofconduct requiringthem to deliver positive messages about beinginQatar,singsongs when di rected to and–perhaps most darkly –respondtosocialmedia posts crit ical of theWorld Cup.

This week aDanishtelevision crew washarassedand stopped from filmingafterreporting live from apublicspace in Doha,which mayhavebeenshowingwhatthe streetsactuallylookedlike.

View from thetouchline with SkySportsSoccerSaturday’s JOHNNYPHILLIPS

WorldCup organisers have apol ogisedtothe TV2channel,whose broadcastfroma street in Doha wasinterrupted on-air by Qatari officials whothreatenedtobreak theircameraequipment

Thebroadcasters “weremistak enly interrupted”lateonTuesday evening, theSupreme Committee forDelivery &Legacyacknowl edgedina statement. “Uponinspection of thecrew’svalid tour nament accreditationand filming permit an apologywas made to the broadcasterbyon-site security be fore thecrewresumed theiractivity,” organisers said

Leavingaside thewell-publicised humanrightsissues, thestage managementofthe eventwith stunts likethisisjustone illustra tion of whymanysupportersare strugglingtoget excitedfor this WorldCup

Forthe powerhousesofleague football in Europe,the contrast is stark.

Topleagues acrossthe continent with stadiums packed full of genuinesupporterscreatingtheir ownatmospherehavebeenput on hold

The fixtures in these fewweeks to Christmas, particularly in coun trieslikeEngland andGermany, arewhenthe domestic leaguesget really exciting

Thetentative firststeps in late summer,replaced by thetable tak

ingshape in autumn,beforegiving waytowinter when matchesgather an addedimportance. Football, in this country, should always be a winter sport. To have sixweeks of thecalendaremptied forthe World Cupdoesnot sitwell.

Thenightsare drawinginand formanythatescapetothe match each week provides arealsense of occasion andtogethernessthatwill be missing.

It is whylockdown football dur ingthe pandemic,whilebetterthan nothing,had no real meaning.

Football mightbeaspecta torsport in namefor thoseinthe stands butthe truthisthatweare allparticipatingtothe sport. That sense of belongingand spectacle that makesfootballwhatitis.

Ihaveattendedsix majortour naments, alloftheminEurope, andthe sense of togetherness is still there, albeit in averydifferent sense

Asidefromthe hooliganminority whichhavealwaysaccompanied these events –althoughthey’ll certainly be missingthistime, which maybeone of thefew advantages of stagingthe eventinQatar –the belongingcomesfromsharedexperienceswithsupportersfrommany countries.

I’ve gotsome greatmemoriesof inter-railingthrough France with Norwegians,playing football with Dutchand Spanishfansatcamp

sitesin Germanyand even attend inga FatBoy Slim giginCoimbra, Portugal,withagroup of Latvians back at Euro 2004

Freedom of movementwas rightly takenfor granted andthe wel come waswarmfromall host coun tries, wherethere wassomething foreveryone –evenabit of tear gas from theGendarmerie down at the oldportinMarseillefor therabble rousersbackin 1998

Whilecomingacrossthe occa sional unsavourymoment, thevast majority of thosetrips gave memo ries to last alifetime.

Hostingamajor tournament should be about showcasingthe cultures andcommunities of that countrywhile welcomingthe many nationsthatcome to enjoy the event. Canthe organisers honestly saythatisthe case with this World Cup?

When thehosts kick offtomorrow alot of what hasgoneonbeforewill, temporarily, be consignedtothe back of thememory.

Football fans alloverthe world will sitdownin frontofthe screens andenjoy thedelugeofmatches sometimesfouraday –comingour way.

Even thedisgraced former FIFA presidentSeppBlatter eventual ly admitted that Qatarshouldnot have been awardedthe competition. From afar it hasthe appearance of a floating bubble,where realityhas been suspended andonlymoney talks.

Thefootballwill provide awel come diversion butwhenall is said anddoneitishardtooverlookthe contextthese matchesare being playedin, no matterhow many cheerleaders arewheeled outfor the camerasoverthe next month.

RonaldoisNo.1 when it comesto dividing opinion

What wasthe biggest take away from themuch-hypedCristiano Ronaldointerview with Piers Morganthisweek? Boredom.

Stretchedovertwo nights, I spentthe majority of theinter view wonderingwhy Iwas still watching. Butas each minute passed it felt as if I’d gone too fardownthe rabbitholetoturn around andescape.

Ronaldosplitsopinion.Is he or isn’thethe greatest?Isheateam playerorisitall abouthim?Ishe theproblem at Manchester Unit ed or is it theclubthatisthe prob lem? Hisability to divide is second to none

Morganwas theperfect host fora joblikethiswhere the inter viewer wasrequiredtomassage theinterviewee’s ego. Thehost went much further, fawningand gigglingover thefootballerlikea lovestruck teenager.

Therewas plentyfor Morganto cover anditwould be uncharitabletoignorethe personal tragedy that Ronaldosufferedinhis familylife.

Forthe most part,the football side of thestory seemed to read likealistofreasons whythe play er washarddoneby.

Ronaldoappears to be some body happiest when talkingabout himselfand hisown achievements. If therehavebeenfailings it is generallysomebody else’s fault.

Thepart whereMorganasked Ronaldowhether he hadmore moneyorInstagram followers –its 455million followersand counting–madefor themostill judgedexchangeofthe year.Ron aldo wantstobenumberone in all he does andearns.Itwas tedious television

n It’s greattosee RobEdwards back in management so soonafter theend of hisunfortunatespell with Watford.

Hopefullyhe’ll have better luck with theHornets’arch-rivals Lu tonTown. Edwardshas hadplenty of offers sincehis spellatVic arageRoadended butwantedto make sure he came back in with theright club

It is also somethingofarare step.The rivalrybetween Watford andLuton is intense enough to ensure that rarely does any managerhavebothclubs on his CV.Not sinceNeilMcBain, as farbackas the1930s,has anyone managedbothclubs.

CristianoRonaldo’s interview this week madefor tediousTV

Fans were wheeled in to welcomeEngland on theirarrivalinQatar

SELLARSSET FOR AXEATWOLVES

RUSSELLYOULL sports@mnamedia.co.uk

BrilliantJudehas worldathis feet

Ings is so smart says palMatty

MattyCashreckons DannyIngs’ intelligenceisanasset to Villaafterhailing thestriker as oneofthe smartest playershe’sencountered Ings is Villa’stop scorer with five PremierLeaguegoals despitestart ingjusteight of their15matches so far. The30-year-old,leftout of the starting XI forUnaiEmery’s first league matchin charge,responded by baggingbothgoals in a2-1 win at Brighton prior to theWorld Cup break.

Team-mateCashsaid: “I was delightedfor Danny. He is oneof thesmartestplayers Ihaveplayed with.His movementinfront of goal is brilliant.

The56-year-old hasbeenbeenat Wolves formorethaneight years, having initiallyjoinedthe coaching staffbeforebeing promotedtohead of academyinthe Fosunera and then technical director in January 2021.

However,thingsturnedsourfor theformerBolton andNewcastle midfielderamonth agowhenhebe came thesubject of fans’anger as Wolves were beaten 4-0athome by LeicesterCity.

Claims that he wasinfluencing tactics, teamselection andsubstitutionswererejected by caretaker bossSteve Davis.

ButSellars wasforcedtoendure chants of ‘WewantSellars out’ and ‘Scott Sellars, getout of ourclub’ from thehome faithful as Wolves were thrashed by thethenbot tom-placed Foxes.

Nowitappears fans have gottheir wish followingthe appointmentof newheadcoachJulen Lopetegui, wholastweeksucceeded theaxed BrunoLage.

Many fans hadlongquestioned Sellars’ role in termsofplayerrecruitmentdue to Fosun’sclose links with super-agentJorge Mendes, whowielded major influenceonthe club’s transferdealings.

Others hadclaimed Sellarshad become alightningrod whichhad deflectedcriticism away from Fos un andexecutive chairman Jeff Shi.

ButwithWolvesrockbottomof thePremier

TheThree

“TobehonestI thoughtithad missed andittookages to loop into thegoal,”saidthe Borussia Dort mund andformerBirmingham midfielder.

“I told you Iwanted to scoremore goalsfor Dortmund andEngland. It wasabrilliantballfromShawy andIwas justthere to flickitaway anditwas areallyproud moment forme.”

England face theUnitedStates in theirsecondGroup Bgameon Friday before taking on Waleson November29and Bellingham add ed:“Wins do (takepressureoff), you’reateasefor abit,but we’ll still be at thesamelevel trying to performand gettwo morewinsbecausethat’show we want to be and carrythatmentality into hopefully therestofthe tournament.”

Settlingdown at Saddlers

“Heknows when to runand when to getinthe middle of thegoal.” WalsallmidfielderBrandon Comley feelsthe balanceofthe team is coming together –and with it theresults

TheSaddlerssaw an influx of players –including Comley –but they fieldedthe same starting line-uponSaturdayin thewin over Crawleyasthe weekendbe fore andComleyiscautiousbut optimistic aboutthe waythings aregoing

He said:“At timesweplayed wellwhenwewereona badrun anditseemedthose performanc es deserved better butitproba blytookwhiletosettledownand gettoknoweachother’s game.”

1ES.

TechnicaldirectorScott Sellarsisset to leave Wolvesafter becoming thefocus of fans’anger over theirawful startto theseason.

league,itappears Shi hasdecidedtoact nowonSellars

Jude Bellinghamcelebrateshis opening goalinEngland’s6-2 winoverIranintheir opening World Cup fixture

He’s come alongway sincestarting outat Stourbridge Juniors–but Jude Bellingham litupthe World CupinEngland’sopening game

LionsbeatIran6-2 with 19-year-oldBellingham scor ingthe opener with asuperb header Bellingham admitted he thought hisglancingheaderfromLuke Shaw’s crosswas notgoing in before it nestledinthe farcorner.