Telford Journal 27-10-2022

WARM SPACES

Councilofficialshaveannounced newgrantfundingtosupportcom munitygroupsintheboroughwho offerwarmsocialspacesforstrug glingresidents.

Telford&WrekinCouncil has announcedthe‘CostofLivingCom munityGrants’schemeisopentoap plicationsfromvoluntaryandcom munity groups, town councils and schools.Groupscanapplyforgrants ofupto£5,000tokeepfacilitiesopen throughoutthewintermonthsand helptoprovidewarmspaceswhere peoplecanvisit,getamealandtake partinactivities

Itcomesinadditiontoothersup portmeasures,approvedatarecent cabinetmeetingofTelford&Wre kinCouncil,whichincludeafurther £90,000 fundingtosupportfood banksand£128,000forthecouncil’s emergencywelfarefund

CouncillorPaulWatling,Telford &WrekinCouncil’scabinetmember forsaferandstrongercommunities, said:“With rising living costs, in cludingfuelbills,manyhouseholds inwillbefacingfinancialchallenges anddifficultdecisionsthiswinter andwe’reontheirside

“Asacouncil,wecan’tinfluence thecostofenergy,butbyworking with partners,wecan help make

sure that thereare warm spaces open to all, around ourborough. Thesegrantsaimtosupportalocal networkofcommunity hubs that offerawarmandwelcomingspace thatpeoplecanvisit,haveamealand takepartinsocialactivitiestoo.

“We’re inviting local organisa tions,includingcommunityandvol untary groups, schools, andtown andparishcouncils, to applyfor grantsofupto£5,000tohelpkeep facilities open,orextend opening hours,overthewinter.

“Sothatwecangetthegrants outtoorganisationsassoonaspos sible, in time forthemtomakea difference,theclosingdateforap plicationsis6November.Ifyouare involvedinacommunitygroupand wouldliketofindoutmore,please checkout www.telford.gov.uk/col communitygrant.

“Oncethegrantshavebeenap proved,we’llbelettingpeopleknow wheretheselocationsareandwhen theyareopen,solookoutformore information soon.” More informa tionaboutcostoflivingadvicecan befoundonlineatwww.telford.gov uk/costofliving

Digginglifeasgardener

Youngpolicecadetshavebeen out and about in their local com munitydelivering‘notrickortreat’ posterstoresidents.

TheWestMerciacadetsvisited homesinBrookside,Telford,deliver ingtheposterstoelderlyresidents. Whilemanychildrenand families willbelookingforwardtotrickor treatingonOctober31,theoccasion cancauseconcernforsomeelderly residentsorpeoplewholiveontheir own.

Thecadetswillbeoutagainin otherareas of Telfordacrossthe weekend.

Todownloadapostervisitwest mercia.police.uk

‘Notrick or treat’ signs Awardgiven to ex-mayor

Aformermayor haswon the YoungCouncilloroftheYearaward CouncillorStefanHeighway,who wasmayorofGreatDawleyinTel fordbetween2020and 2022,was firstelectedtothetowncouncilin 2015agedjust26

Hewasgiventheawardbythe NationalAssociationofLocalCoun cilsinanonlineceremony

GreatDawleyTownCouncilhas praisedtheformermayorforhisef fortsduringthepandemic,wherehe helpeddeliverbreakfastparcelsfor familiesandfreeschoolmealsand hotmeals.Hesaid:“Iwouldliketo thankeveryonewhohashelpedme throughouttheyears.”

Report by Megan Howe

FriendsofTelfordTownPark

Warningoverfraudsters

Fraudsters aretargeting membersofthepublicbyposing as courtenforcementofficers andbailiffs viaphone calls to residentsandbusinesses

They claim to be acting onbehalf of Telford&Wrekin Council–andeventhosewith outadebtarebeingtargeted Thecouncilsaysithashad

reports of thecrime actively takingplacelocallyandduring calls,thefraudstersclaimthat thepersonorbusiness owes money,anddemandtheytrans ferfunds directlyintoabank account.

Councillor RaeEvans, Cab inet Member forFinance,Gov ernanceandCustomerServices,

warned:“Scammersarebecom ingmoreand more sophisti catedandcomingupwithnew waystostealmoneyfromhon estpeopleallthetime,soit’svi talyoustayvigilant.”Peopleare advisediftheygetasuspicious calltoendtheconversationand contactTelford&WrekinCoun cilon01952383838 Telford &WrekinCouncilHQ

County patients issued with nearly 90,000 GP sick notes

Report by David Tooley

Nearly 90,000 sick notes weregiventopatientsinShropshire, Telfordand Wrekin last year,newfiguresshow

The figures come as a healthcharitywarnslong-term ill health is having profound consequencesonworkers,em ployersand theGovernment’s finances.

Since2012GPs have been abletogivepatientselectronic ‘fitnotes’whichsaywhetherthe patientistoosicktoreturnto work,orgiveotherrecommen dations,suchasaphasedreturn towork.NHSDigitaldatashows 88,964ofthesenotesweregiven to patientsinthe former NHS Shropshire,Telford and WrekinCCGareaintheyearto June–equivalentto30,993for every100,000registeredwork ing-agedpatients.

These figures coverthe numberofindividualnotesis suedandpatientsmayhavere ceivedmultiplenotesoverthe courseoftheyear.

AcrossEngland,thenumber offitnotesroseto10.4millionin theyeartoJune,up8.6percent from9.5millionintheyearto June2019.Therehasalsobeena significantnationalincreasein fitnotesgivenforlongdurations –132,000fitnoteswereissued forleaveof20weeksorlonger intheyeartoJune.

Exhibitionhailedasa success

Anexhibitiontohonourthe

TheWindrushExhibition

held at

lastFriday,opentomembersof

bers of theWindrushgenera tion.Itwasoriginallylaunched atTelfordCollegelastyear,created

rebuild BritainaftertheSecondWorld War.

TelfordAfrican&Afro-Car-

hasspent thelast fewweeks touringTelford’sschoolsspeak ingtopupils on thetheme of ‘UnityinDiversity’

NatalieHeadley,founderof TARCsaid:“Webelieveitwent reallywell–wehadquiteafew of theWindrushgeneration withusanditwasgoodtosee thattheywereexcited.”

NatalieHeadley andJamie DunnwithFlora Quest,78,andKenneth Quest,84

Children werelitterpicking

Pupils’lessonabout litter

Pupils at aTelford primary schoolhavebeenlitterpickingto raiseawarenessoftheimportance ofthenaturalenvironment.

ItcomesaspartofEarthDay whichwasheldatNewdalePrima rySchool,MarlboroughWay,last Thursday,whereyoungstersspent thedaylearningmoreaboutthe naturalworld

Theaimofthedaywastooffer pupilsthetruthaboutwhatishap peningtotheclimateandnatural environment,sotheycanfaceit withhopeanddetermination

NewdalePrimarySchoolpart neredwithVeolia,TelfordStreet champions, ShropshireWildlife TrustandGreenpeacefortheday.

KerryPablos,ofNewdalePri mary,said:“Thechildrenhadareallysuccessfulmorningandthey werereallydisgustedinhowmuch littertheyfoundontheroad.”

Shesaidthatthetask‘opened thechildren’seyes’tothereality ofhowmuchlitterpeoplethrow away.Inaddition to litter picking,thechildrenalsolistenedtoa GreenpeaceexpertonZoom.

unveiled onWrekin

ThetrigpointatthetopofThe Wrekinhasbeentransformedinto aworkofart.

TheSkyBeginsAtMyFeethas

structuresatthesummitaspartof HerMajestytheQueen’sPlatinum Jubilee2022legacy.

Wellington Arts Collective,a collection of Wellington andTel ford-based artists, designed and produced community-inspired pieces of work whichwereoffi ciallyunveiledbytheLord-Lieu tenantofShropshireAnnaTurner andthemayoroftheboroughof Telford&WrekinCouncillor Raj

MehtaonthetopofTheWrekin. Theartwork wascreated using stonewareclay‘relieftiles’placed aroundeachoftheexistingstruc turesonTheWrekintofitintothe historiclandscape

Theclaytilesweremadeus ingtwodesignthemes.Thefirst themeincludes seven individualreliefportraitsmadebyartist SharonGriffin.Theseportraitsac knowledge,identifyandcelebrate localheroesandheroines.

Thesecondthemeincludes highly decorative smaller relief tilesmadebythe public looking atmodern-daystoriesofeveryday

people commemorating personal andgroupachievementsandcele brations.

CouncillorCarolynHealy,Tel ford &WrekinCouncil cabinet memberforclimatechange,green spaces,naturaland historicenvironment andculturalservices, said:“Thecommissionedpiecefeatureshighqualityartpiecescreatedbythelocalcommunity,captur ingthesignificanceofthismoment aswecelebratedHerMajestyThe Queen’sPlatinumJubilee.”More detailsontheartistscanbefound at www.wellingtonartscollective co.uk

Bikesstolenfromshop

Staffata cycleshopinthe county have been devastated by thetheftofthousandsofpounds’ worthofbikes.

Saturday Cycles, in Wellington, wasbrokenintoovernight lastMondayandthetheftwasdis coveredwhenownerDaveTaylor openedupthefollowingmorning

Twelve bikesweretaken –a mixtureofnewstockandcustom ers’bikesthatwereintoberepaired.Thevalueisthoughttobe

about£10,000. Amongthe items takenwereaBianchiImpulsoroad bike,aFocus(White)MTBlarge framebikeandaspecialisedchil dren’sMTBwithfrontsuspension and20inchwheels.Theshoponly openedearlierthisyearataunitat MarketApproachafterpreviously tradingfromthemarketitself

OwnerDavepreviouslyonly openedonaSaturday,hencethe shop’sname.Buthefounddemand washugeandtookontheunitnext

tothemarketinJanuary.Hepro videsrepairs,servicingandmaintenanceofalltypesofbikeaswell assellingthem

Davesaid:“Theygotinthrough aside passagedoorbecause we haveabigfrontwindowwithsteel shuttersbehinditsoevenifthey managed to smash thewindow theywouldn’thavegotin

“Iamdevastated,moreforthe customerswho have hadbikes taken.”

The workwasunveiled by Lord-LieutenantAnnaTurnerand CouncillorRaj Mehta

Newparklighting

Solar-poweredstreetlightinghasbeen unveiledinaparkaspartofacouncil’s£1m investmentprogramme.

Telford&WrekinCouncilhasinstalled aseriesof‘nextgeneration’solar-powered street lights alongpaths running through HartshillParkinOakengates

Officerssay it is part of thecouncil’s ‘PrideinourParks’programmeandcouncillorStephenReynolds,said:“I’mthrilled we’vebeenabletoinstallthisnewtechnologyinHartshill Park.” Councillor Carolyn Healy,cabinetmemberforclimatechange, greenspaces,naturalandhistoricenviron-

mentand culturalservices, added: “Asa council,we’recommittedtomaintainingand enhancingTelfordandWrekin’swonderful parksandgreenspacesaspartofourvision toprotect,careandinvesttocreateabetter borough.

“InHartshillParkyoucanseethatvision in action.We’re protecting native wildlife andsupporting biodiversity throughour wildflowerareasand meadow-cutpolicy andbyintroducingthesenewstreetlights that reducelight pollution.We’re caring abouttheneedsofourresidents,makingthe spacefeelsaferandbrighterafterdark.”

Cash is raised for asuicidecharity

HousebuildinggroupVistryraised£7,690forsuicidepreventioncharityPapyrusatagolftournament Eightmembersofstafffromthehousebuilder’s Merciaregiontookuptheirclubsforthe18-holeevent heldatTheShropshireGolfCourseinTelford.

TheeventwasheldinthesameweekatWorldSuicidePreventionDay.PapyrusisVistry’snationalchosencharitythisyear.Theorganisationisdedicatedto thepreventionofsuicide,whichisthebiggestkillerof peopleaged35andunderintheUK.Itprovidesconfi dentialsupportandadvicetoyoungpeoplestruggling withthoughtsofsuicideandanyoneworriedabouta youngperson,throughitshelplineHOPELINEUK

FreyaHalsall,marketingmanagerforVistryMer cia,said:“Papyrusissuchadeservingcharitywhich isworkingtirelesslytosupportyoungpeople.Itwas greattoseecolleaguestakingpart.”

Jobs in care are unfilled

OneinnineadultsocialcarejobsinShropshire wereunfilledlastyear,accordingtonewfigures,as vacantpostsacrossthecountryhitarecordhigh. SkillsforCarecharity,whichestimatesthereare 165,000vacantpostsacrossEngland,saidthesocial caresectorisfacingcomplexchallengeswithasurge indemandimpactingrecruitmentandretention

Thecharity’sannualreportfoundEngland’ssocial carevacancyratehitarecordhighofnearly11per centintheyeartoSeptember

Figuresprovidedbythecharity,whichareround edtothenearesthundred,showtherewerearound 9,900jobsavailableinShropshire’sadultsocialcare sectorin2021to2022–withroughly9,300ofthese postsfilled.

It meansthe area’s vacancyratewas equalto thenationalaverageat11percent.Therewasasig nificantlevelofvacanciesforsocialworkerandcare workerroles.

WestMidlandshadthefifthhighestvacancyrate acrossEngland’sregions,at10percent

CarolineAbrahams,charitydirectorofAgeUK andco-chairoftheCareandSupportAlliance,said: “Recruitmentandretentioninsocialcarehavebeen difficultforsomeyearsbutbothnowappeartobeget tingmarkedlyworse

“Themainproblemispay:cash-starvedcaresimplycan’tcompetewiththebigsupermarketsandonlineretailersonwagessocommittedstaffarelured elsewhere.”

MsAbrahamsadded“there’snoavoiding”theneed forimprovedpayandconditionswithinsocialcare.

Meanwhile,SkillsforCare’sreportfoundabout 400,000peopleleftjobsin2021to2022,withanaver ageturnoverrateof29percent

9,296comparedwiththepreviousquarter Jaguarsaccountedfor17,340andLandRovers 70,781.Saleswereup38percentinChinaand27 percentinNorthAmerica.

HartshillParkwill nowbebrighter

Councillor givenhonour

Acouncillor whohas served hercommunityformorethan35 yearshasbeenrecognisedwitha lifetimeachievementaward.

Telford& Wrekin’s Labour Councillor forOakengatesand Ketley Bank,Hilda Rhodes,was awardedthehonourfromtheLocalGovernmentinformationUnit (LGiU)

Recognisingherachievements theLGiUsaid: “Councillor Hilda Rhodeshasbeenselectedforthe Lifetime Achievement Awardfor theextraordinary wayshe has

servicedherlocalcommunityas acouncillorforthepast35years.”

Judges were also impressed byherworktoensuretheWakes CommunityCentreremainsavibrantandwelcomingcommunity hublongintothefuture.Shewas recognisedforprovidingastrong voiceonthecouncilforthewhole community.Councillor Rhodes was first electedin1987. Dur ingthattimeshehasbeenmayor twice. Councillor Rhodes is also deputymayoratOakengatesTown Council.

Museumshows itis asoarawaysuccess

TheRAF Museum at Cosford haswonagoldawardinanational tourismcompetition

TheShropshireattractionhas achievedthehighestaccreditation awardedbytheVisitEnglandVisitorAttractionQualityAssessment Scheme

Thehonours are designed to celebrateexcellencewithin thevisitor attraction sector and areavailable to membersofthe scheme whorepresent awide rangeoftourism experiences in England

RAFCosford’s museum in Shifnalisone ofonly30visitor

experiencestoreceivethehighest

whereatotal of 97 businesses

thecountry were recognisedforgoingtheextramileto provideahigh-qualitydayout.

Accoladesare givenfor five categories:Welcome,BestTold Story,QualityFood&Drink,Hid denGem,andGoldfortheoverall winners.

Toachievethenewgoldstatus, theRAFMuseumscoredconsistentlyhighlevelsofvisitorexperienceacrossawiderangeofareas,

orientation,followingtheannual

VisitEngland Visitor Attraction QualitySchemeassessment

Alan Edwards, RAFMuseum Midlands operationsmanager said:“Wearethrilledtohavebeen presented with theprestigious gold awardinthe VisitEngland VisitorAttractionAccolade2021 22

“It’shugelygratifyingtohave thisendorsementandrecognition oftheeffortswemaketoprovidea first-classdayoutforourvisitors.”

He added: “This awardwill spurusontocontinuemakingim provementstotheoverallmuseum experience.”

Ecograntsfor businesses

High street businesses can benefitfromanewecograntto helpthembecomemoresustaina bleandreducecosts

Theecograntisoneofanum berofgrantsavailable to high streetbusinessesthroughTelford &WrekinCouncil’sPrideinOur HighStreetprogramme.

Theauthoritysaidithasbeen repackagedtooffergreatersupportduringthecostoflivingcrisis –andisnowsplitintotwogrants.

The first fund will support businessestoacquireenergy-sav ingproducts,helpingthemtoreducetheirworkplaceoverheads

Grantsofupto£1,500willhelp businesses purchase energy-sav ingproductsfromalistoflocal suppliersthathavebeenchecked for‘bestvalue’

Thesecondfundwillprovide grantsofupto£5,000towardsthe costofceilingorwallinsulationto theapplicants’ business premise

tohelpkeepenergycostsdown. AlistofrecommendedlocalsuppliersinTelfordandWrekinwill bemadeavailabletoeligiblebusi nesses

Energy-savingproducts can includeenergy-efficientdishwash ers, fridges, freezersand coffee machinesandwater-savingtoilets

More information on the grantsisavailableattelford.gov. uk/info/20715/pride_in_our_ high_street/4043/grants

AlanEdwards withteam members

Louise Hammondand CharlieCooper

Hilda Rhodes

Exciting chapter

WORKINGFORYOU

Education is constantly evolving,and here at Telford Collegewe’reproudtohaveunveiled twoexcitingnew initia tives.

Thefirstiscalled‘FutureIV’ –asuiteofcoursesforstudents aged16-18whichhasbeenspe cificallydesignedforthosewith aninterestinenvironmentaled ucationandaction

ItincludesanewAlevelge ologycurriculum,plustwoother A-levelsand an extended project,allwithafocusongaining abetterunderstanding of the manyfactorswhicharedriving climatechange.

AtourOctoberopenevent, we also showcasedour first waveofT-levels.EachT-levelis equivalenttothreeA-levelsfrom auniversitypointsperspective, withstudentsspendingaround 20%oftheirtimeonplacement withalocalemployer

Ournextopeneventisonthe eveningofNovember30

Earlybirdperks

Gettingupand aboutearly everySaturdayisoneofthose virtuoushabitsyou tryand convinceyourselfyou’regoingto getinto,tellingyourselfthatit’s goingtobethecatalystthatkick startsyourtransformationinto ahappier,healthierperson

That is,right up untilthat well-intentioned alarmgoes offbrightand earlyonSatur daymorning,younoticewitha groanthatit’sstilltoodarkto seeanythingoutsideyourwin dowandyoudecideyou’dreally rathergetbackunderthecovers untilitwarmsupabitoutthere. Oh well,there’salwaysnext weekend

I’ve longadmired people with thekindofwillpowerto resistthaturgetojusttakethe lazy option,evenwhenwinter is loomingand there’snothing reallyonthelineotherthanyour ownself-satisfaction.Mytrick when gearingmyselfuptodo somethingdifficultbutentirely optional(running5kearlyona Saturdayforexample)istohave atangibletargettoaimfor–a

newpersonalbestmaybe.Even ifI’mnowherenearmybesttime, Icantrackmeaningfulprogress andhavesomethingtoshootat

So as Idragged myself throughthe centre of Telford totheparkrunstartlinebright andearlylastweekend,itwas thoughtsofshavingoffminutes andseconds that stopped me feigningastrainorpulledmus cleandretiringtoacoffeeshop forthemorning.

ButinTelford,the views alongthe routeare reward enough forthe run. Theroute circlesthelakeinthemiddleof thetownparkand passes the

historicStirchleyChimneyplus thedoubletake-inducing dino saursofnearbyWonderland

Thescenery wasauseful distraction formeatleast –a fewweeks offhad takentheir tollandtheemotionIfeltmost strongly at the finish line was relief.NowherenearmyPB,but I’ddoneit

Walkingbacktothecarpark Inoticed,almostasiftohelp mefeelevenmoresmugabout myminorachievement,thesun glinting offthe Southwater li brarybuildinginaverypleasing way.Maybethereareperksto theseearlymorningsafterall.

SouthwatershiningintheSaturday morning sun

Graham Guest

TALKINGTELFORD

WithRob Smith

Herdsofgrazingdeer, rustic Georgianmansionsandcrispautum nalnaturescenesare some of the sights availablethisseasonatNationalTrustpropertiesintheWest Midlands

TheTrustishighlightingsomeof its‘mostInstagrammable’photogenicspotsforautumncolourinShropshire andStaffordshire,including AttinghamParkoutsideShrewsbury andthe Shugboroughestatenear Stafford

TheNational Trustsaid: “As wellastreesputtingontheirannualdisplayofautumncolour,there’s weirdandwonderfulfungitospot, fruit-ladenhedgerowsandlonglin geringlightthatmakesthisoneof themostphotogenicseasonsofthe year.Tocelebrate theseasonand inspiredaysoutthisautumn,theNationalTrusthaspulledtogetheralist ofthebestplacestodiscoveradash ofcolour.Besuretoshareyourview withus[usingthehashtag]#EveryoneNeedsNature.” AttinghamPark liestotheeastofShrewsbury.Ade scription reads: “Withwoodland,

By Rob Smith

parkland,pleasuregrounds,walled gardenandorchard,autumnisimpressiveatAttinghamPark.Assummercomestoanendtheautumncoloursofgoldenyellows,ambers,red, deepgreensandrichbrownssweep acrosstheestateandmakeabeautifulsettingforexploringwithfriends orfamily

“A stroll alongthe Mile Walk takesinviewsacrosstheRiverTern tothechangingcoloursofthewoodlandbeyond.”

TheShugboroughEstateisjust outside GreatHaywood,nearStafford.Adescriptionsays:“Arichblend of landscape, monuments, gardens andarchitecturewitha Georgian mansionatitsheart,Shugborough comesalivewithcolourintheautumn.Takeastrollalongtheriver wherethelime,tulipandoaktrees transformwithautumnalshadesof red,orangeandyellow,inastriking contrastwiththeevergreensdotted alongthepaths.CrossovertheBlue

Bridge to explorethe arboretum andseeoaksfromaroundtheworld astheyputonanautumnalshowof changingcolour.”

DudmastonEstateisnearQuatt, ashortdrivesouthofBridgnorth.A descriptionsays:“There’splentyto enjoyatDudmastonthistimeofyear with stunning displays of autumn colouracrossBigPool.IntheAmer ican Garden,trees turn into beau tifulshadesoforangeandgoldand theorchardisaparticularautumn highlight, producinganabundant andhealthyharvest.Nowistheper fecttimetotakeastrollthroughthe trees.”

WightwickManor andGardens liestothewestofWolverhampton Andthe NationalTrust says:“The brightautumnaltonesinthegardens at Wightwickreflect thejewelled colours within themanor –from stainedglass to oilpaintings,the Pre-Raphaeliteartistsknewhowto usenaturalcoloursforinspiration.”

ChecktheopeningtimesofNational Trustsites at nationaltrust. org.uk/midlands

DeerareacommonsightatAttinghamParknear Shrewsbury

DudmastonHall and WightwickManorandGardensare popularlocations

WightwickManornearWolverhampton

Plansnot inplace forthe children

Almosttwothirdsofparentsintheregionhave notnamed aguardianfor theirchildren,research fromacharitywill-writingcampaignhasfound

Thepoll,commissionedbyWillAid,revealedthe majorityofparentsdonothaveofficialplansinplace fortheirchildrenunder18iftheyweretodie.

Accordingtotheresults,62percentofparentsin theregionhaven’tnamedaguardian,whichisbelow thenationalrateof65percentwhohaven’tnamed one.DeborahPerry,directoratAconveyancing,which istakingbookingsforWillAidthisNovember,said: “Thereare many important reasonswhy people shouldhaveawill,especiallywhenchildrenunderthe ageof18areinvolved

“Awillcanbeusedtoofficiallynameaguardian foryourchildrenwhowouldberesponsibleforlookingafterthemuntiladulthood.”

Experts celebrate success

Expertshavecelebratedthesuccessofaprojectto improvetheexperiencesofpeoplelivingwithcancer.

MacmillanCancerSupporthascelebratedthesuc cessofitsCommunityCareProject,almostoneyear onfromwhenitwasfirstlaunchedinlater2021.

TheschemeinvolvesMacmillancommunitycare co-ordinatorsworkingcloselywithselectedGPsur geriesacrosstheregion,toimproveCancerCareRe viewscompletedinPrimaryCare

Sincetheprojectbegan,a£284,000supportgrant hasbeenprovidedbyMacmillan Cancer Support, whichaimstoincreasethenumberandqualityofre views.

CancerCareReviewsareconversationsbetweena patientandtheirGPorpracticenurseabouttheircan cerjourney–completedwithinthe12-monthperiod followingdiagnosis

DrIanChan,fromNHSShropshire,Telfordand Wrekin,said:“Thisnewlyformedserviceallowsour patientstoreceiverealwrap-aroundcarefromtheir GPpracticeatatimewhentheywillneedourcareand supportthemost

“Iamdelightedthattheprojecthasbeensucha successsofarandhashelpedsomanypeople.

“Iwouldencourageanyonelivingwithcancer,or whoiscaringforalovedone,tospeakwiththeirGP practicetofindoutmoreabouttheMacmillancom munitycareco-ordinators(MCCC’s)andhowtheycan help.”

JeremyRoberts,Macmillancommunitycarepro jectmanageratNHSShropshire,TelfordandWrekin said:“Theprojecthasalreadymadeadifferencetothe livesofpeoplewithcancerinShropshire,Telfordand Wrekin,andwearelookingforwardtocontinuingits growth.”

‘Unflushable’ items

SevernTrenturgespeopletothinkbe foretheyflushasitshowcasestheamount of‘unflushable’itemsthatendupinsewer treatmentsinShropshire.

Everyweek,aroundtwoandahalftonnes ofwipesandotheritemswhichshouldnot beflushedarepulledoutofoursewers,the watercompanysays–thesameweightasa RangeRover

Iftheitemsmanagetoreachthesewage treatmentworkswithoutcausingablockage inthenetwork,theyareremovedthrougha screeningprocess.

GrantMitchell, from Severn Trent,

said:“Unflushablessuchaswetwipescause hugeproblemsonournetwork–theydon’t breakupanddissolvethesamewaytoilet paperdoes.

“Theycanattachtootheritemswhich areincorrectlyflusheddownthetoilet,such assanitaryproductsandnappies,aswellas fats,oilsandgreasesthathaveincorrectly beenpoureddownthedrain,andquickly causeablockage.”

MrMitchelladded:“Thesefullskipsare theresultofeveryoneflushingjustonewipe hereandthere,andnotrealisingtheimpact thatit’shaving.”

Sewersare beingclogged

Ahighstreetvoucherschemehasprovento beaneffectivewaytohelpwomenstopsmoking duringpregnancy,accordingtoarecentuniversi tystudy.

UptooneinfivepregnantwomenintheWest Midlandscontinue to smoke,accordingtoestimates.Morethanaquarterofpregnantwomen withthevouchersquitsmokingbytheendoftheir pregnancy,researchersfound

Refurb forski centre

Asportingvenuewhichiscelebratingitsgoldenanniversaryisgettinga £750,000 investment into therefur bishmentofthecentre

TelfordSnowboardandSkiCentre ismarkingits50thbirthdaythisyear andTelford&WrekinCouncilhasannounced it will refurbishthe centre, with work taking placefromspring 2023

Theinvestmentcomesasapartof thecouncil’s widercommitment for leisureserviceswhichwasannounced last year to help make theborough cleaner,greener,saferandmoreenjoy able

Councillor KellyMiddleton(Lab) CabinetMember forLeisure,public

health andwell-being, equalitiesand partnerships,said:“Weareextremely proudofallofourcouncil-ownedlei surefacilitiesacrosstheboroughand we will continue to invest to ensure theyarethebesttheycanbeforresi dents

“Telford Snowboard andSki Centreisabrilliantfacility,ahiddenjewel tucked away in Madeleyand we are veryproudpeopletravelfromafarto usetheskislope.”

During ahalf-term celebration eventduetotakeplacetoday(Thursday),allactivitiesweresettobebased on1970spricing

Activitiesplannedincludeda1970s fancydresscompetition

PensionerKen says thankyou

Apensionerhassaidthankyouto

KenMason,79, washelpedby 13-year-oldsMarkHindley andTyler Tunnicliffafterhetrippedonhisway fromTelfordTownCentretoMalinslee

Thetwoschoolfriendswerecycling

Marksaid:“Irang999andTylerran

justdrivingpast

“Hewasbleedingquitebadlyonhis noseandthesideofhishead.Westayed withhimuntilhisfamilyandthepolice

Report by Sue Austin

arrived.” So grateful were Mr Mason andhiswife,Chris,thattheytracked downthetwoboystosaythankyou –andlastweekthecouple,ofTelford, wereabletogivethemcardsandgifts.

“Wewantedtheiractionstoberec ognised,”MrsMasonsaid.

“Too oftenyoung people getthe blameforalotofnegativethingsand wewantedtoshowjusthowwonderful youngpeoplecanbe.Theyimmediate lyjumpedintoaction–goingtoKen, phoningthe emergencyservicesand then reassuring himthateverything wasgoingtobealright.”

Connection scheme piloted

Apilotschemeisaimingtohelpresidentslivingathometostayconnected withcareprovidersthrougheasy-tousedigitaldevices.

Telford& Wrekin Councilsays itispilotingtheschemeaspartofa £368,000“OnYourSide”investment

Digitaldevices called‘Ethel’ are currently beingpiloted by thecouncilwithacoupleofcareprovidersin theborough,beforebeing expanded to more providersoverthe coming months.

CouncillorAndyBurford(Labour), CabinetMemberforAdultsocialcare andhealth, integration andtransformation,said:“Weareonthesideofour residents, we want as many of them aspossibletoenjoylifelongerinthe comfortoftheirownhome.Assuch,we areamongahandfulofcouncilsinthe countryworkingwithcareprovidesto pilottheuseofEtheldigitaldevices

“Thesedevices help residentsrecoveringfromanillnesstogetthecare theyneedathome.”

Improvements forpub

Apub will be

TheBellInn at Tong,aMar

tiling.Anewhomely‘snug’section willbeaddedtothebar,featuring cosyChesterfieldseating.

Additionally,therewillbeup datestothealfrescodiningarea

Thepub’stransformationwill alsoseemajorchangestothefood offerasitmovestoamorepremi ummenu

ThepubwillreopenonMon-

SittingintheShropshirecoun tryside,yetclosetotheM54,The BellInnishousedina250-year-old listedbuilding,markedbyan18th centuryobelisk.

Writeyour will for free

Ken Mason, 79,with13-year-oldsMarkHindleyand TylerTunnicliff

The BellInn at Tong

Nastyreminderofamount that is owed to suppliers

Ihavebeena long-standing criticofbothsmartmetertechnol ogyandthetechniquesusedtoget energycustomerstoagreetohav ingthistechnologyintheirhomes

Energy customers face pres surefromenergysupplierstohave asmartmeter.Thesecompanies seemtouse‘nudgetheory’(arath er primitiveformofbehaviour modification)

Overuseofthistechniquecan

havetheoppositeeffectwitheach ‘nudge’resultinginanincreasing lyangryandinpoliteresponse

Theonlypeopletobenefit from theroll-outare theenergysuppliersthemselves,whono longerneedtosendsomeone to readthemeter

Indesperation,theTVadver tisingcampaignnowseemstobe resortingtoflatterytogetpeople to have asmart meter, implying

Landlordsfacea huge risk of loss

ThehugeBuytoLetmarketin manyofourlocalandmostdes peratecommunitiesisheadingfor trouble.

Astarkchoicebetweeneither increasingrentsagain,orselling uploomsfortheBuytoLetland lords

Awholegenerationofpoten tial local first time buyers had beenlosttohouseownershipas theyhadbeenoutbidbyBuytoLet Landlords.

Therearenow2.7millionBuy toLetlandlordsintheUKhousing market. Lowinterest ratesand asevenpercenttoninepercent returnoncapitalhasallowedthe BuytoLetPrivatesectortoboom

Now,withinterestratespre

dictedtorisetosixpercentbyear ly2023,BuytoLetlandlordsareat hugeriskofdamaginglossesand, thereareveryworryingrepercus sionsfortenantsandpublicsector housingproviders.

Should Buy to Letlandlords increaserentsmore,tenantsmay notbeabletoaffordtherisesand evictionswouldincrease

Thousandsoflocal tenants wouldhavetoturntopublichous ingproviders or face homeless ness

Theprivate rental market is estimatedtobeworth£1.4trillion AcollapsewilldrivetheUKecono mydeepintorecession.Homeless nesswouldincrease.

Nameandaddresssupplied

that you aresuper-intelligent if yougetasmartmeter

With ever-increasingenergy prices, those customers with a smartmeterwillfindthemselves withanastylittleboxinthecorner whichisaconstantreminderof theamountthattheyowetotheir supplier.So,isitsmarttohavea smartmeter?

Nameandaddresssupplied

Voicewas just perfect

Thereare many mega-stars fromtheglorydaysofHollywood, andamongstthemwasourvery ownAngelaLansbury

ThefirstfilmwhichIremem berseeingher in wasSamson andDelilahwithVictorMature,a trueclassicwithVictorasSamson pushingthepillarsoftheamphi theatreapart

Angelahasalwaysbeenareal favourite,notjustformyself,but IexpectmanyBrits as beinga womanwhoknewherownmind anddeveloped into awonderful successineverythingwhichshe accomplished

Angela’svoicewastrulyper fectfortheDisneyfilmsinwhich sheparticipated.

MartinEddies,Shropshire

Help combatovariancancer

Womenare still beingover lookedasovariancancercontin uestodevastateandclaimlives.

Progress is notbeing made quickenough,andasoneofthose diagnosedwiththedeadliestgy naecologicalcancer,Iknowwede servemore.

To getfaster diagnoses, we need widespread awareness and moresupportforGPsandhealth careprofessionals.Rightnow,over

GETINTOUCH

By email: daniel.morris@mnamedia.co.uk

By post: Readers’

Midland

Wolverhampton WV1

Letters

aquarterofwomenmakethreeor morevisitstotheirGPbeforebe ingreferredfortestsandnearly athird wait over threemonths fromfirstvisitingtheirGPforthe correctdiagnosis.NoGPwantsto missadiagnosisofovariancancer TogetherwithTargetOvarian Cancer,we’re calling fora com bination of national symptoms awarenesscampaigns,moretrain ingandsupportforGPsandurgent

investment in theClinical Nurse Specialistworkforce

We’recallingon readersto help us.Email yourMP telling themthaturgentactionisneeded toraisetheprofileofovariancan cerandthedevastatingimpactit’s havingonpeople’slives.Pleasedo thistoday.

DianeBoothby on behalf of TargetOvarianCancer

Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES.

reach aresolution contact Ipso at complaints@ipso.co.uk or by post at Ipso, c/o Gate House, 1Farringdon Street, London, EC4M 7LG

Helpingduring themenopause

Many women believemenopause wasafactorintheirrelationshipbreakdown,accordingtoanewstudy.

Sevenoutof10womenquestined blamed themenopause fortheirdivorceormaritalproblems,withsome sayingitincreasedargumentsordomesticabuse.

Onlyathirdofrespondentspolled bytheFamilyLawMenopauseProject andNewsonHealthsaidtheyhadbeen offeredtreatment,withmanybelieving it couldhavepotentially savedtheir marriage.

“Menopause canbe such achallengingtimefortwopeopleinarelationship,” says psychotherapistCathy Press.Shelistsmoodswings,physical changes, disruptedsleep andnight sweatsasjustsomeofthepotentialeffectsofmenopause,whichusuallyhap pensbetweentheagesof45and55,and perimenopausecanstartuptoadecade before

“Allofthesesymptomscanleavea personwithlittleenergy,enthusiasm andhope,andsomeexperienceasense ofgriefatthelossofthepersonthey werepre-menopause.”

Theeffectoncoupleswhoareexperiencing ongoingdifficulties can be even worse, shecontinues:“The onsetofmenopausecanbeacatalyst formanywomentorecognisethereis somethingwrongintherelationship.”

Everywomanexperiencesthemen opause differently,but having asup portivepartnercanmakeahugedifference,andcouldpreventrelationship problems

Here,expertsexplainsomeofthe waysyoucanhelpifyourpartnerisgo ingthroughthemenopause

Learnaboutthemenopause

“Educationisthekey,andnormalis ingtheconversationhelpsnotjustpart ners,butallofus,”sayspsychologist andauthorDrAudreyTang.Thefirst stepistoreaduponthesymptoms, butrememberthattheyvarygreatly: “Somewomenmayexperiencesymp tomssimilartoPMS,othersoftenre

porta‘flat’moodwhichcanalltooeas ilybedismissedasstressoroverwork.”

If yourpartner is struggling, en couragethemtoseekhelpfromadoc tororonlineresources

“Menopausesupport.ukisanexcellentwebsiteforresourcesandinforma tion,includingasymptomcheckerand afactsheetforpartners,”Tangcontinues.

“GPsarenotalltrainedtodealwith menopauseanditmaybethatyouneed toaskandaskagaintospeaktosome onewhomightbeabletodiagnoseyour symptomsasmenopause.”

Beunderstanding

Whileeducatingyourselfisagood idea,bemindfulthatnoteveryemo tionalmomentorargumentisneces sarilyduetohormonalchanges.

“Don’tattributeallproblemstothe menopause,mockthesymptomsoruse menopauseasagetoutofjailfreecard,” says BACP accredited therapist Cate Campbell.Whathelpsthemostwhen itcomestorelationshipsisopencommunication,”saysTang.“Askquestions suchas,‘Whatdoyouneedmetodo?’”

Listento yourpartner andshow themthatyouunderstandthey’regoing throughadifficulttime,whetherthat’s throughwords or actions. Ms Press says:“Itmaybeacuddleorreassuring themthateverythingwillbeOKand, mostimportantly,thattheyareloved.

“Affectionandremainingphysically close,lovingandattentivewillsupport yourpartnertofeeldesiredandaccept edbyyou.”

Worktogetherasateam

“Forbothpartners,it’simportant toseethistimeasanopportunity,ratherthanaproblem,”saysMsCampbell “Seeingmenopauseasaffectingthem both,albeitindifferentways,canhelp couplestonavigatethroughthistime, workingoutwhattheycandotogether

“Thereare pharmaceutical and naturalremediesformanymenopause issues,andpartnerscanhelpbybeing supportiveandinterestedintheprocessoffindingoutaboutthese.”

Menopause canbring on many difficultsymptoms

Housepricessee slight summer drop

Houseprices edgeddownin theregionduringthesummer,accordingtoGovernmentdata

ThesituationinShropshireis notseparatedfromtheotherparts of theWestMidlandsinthe UK HousePriceIndexforAugust2022

buttheregionasawholesawwhat isdescribedasthe“lowestmonth lypricegrowth”,withamovement of(minus)-0.2percent IntheyearfromAugust2021, however, homeowners across theregion have seen anear14

percentincreaseintheaverage valueoftheirhomes,toapriceof £255,202.Asfarasrepossessions go,there were sixinthe region inAugust2022.InWalesaverage housepricesroseby0.2percentin themonthfromJuly2022.

Athleticscompetition

More than 70 school teams fromacrosstheboroughdescend edonTelfordCollegetotakepart inathree-daysportshallathletics competition.

Thesportshallatthecollege’s WellingtoncampushostedcompetitionsforYearsFiveandSixand YearsSeven andEight,plusKey StageOneandTwopupils–with collegestudentsonhandtoensure everythingwentsmoothly

Aselectionofchallengeswere laidonduringthesessionsinclud ingrelay races,sprints,obstacle coursesandskills-basedactivities such as throwing,jumping,and co-ordinatingactivities.

Theeventisdesignedtogive pupilsthechancetotakepartina blendofcompetitiveandnon-competitiveevents–puttingphysical activityandcompetitivesportat theheartofschools.Itwaspart

oftheTelfordandWrekinSchool Sports Partnershipprogramme MelanieNewbrook,learnerman agerforsportandpublicservices, said:“Wehavehostedthiseventin oursportshallforseveralyears.

Notonlyisitafantasticoccasion forthepupilstakingpart,itisalso awonderful opportunity forour ownstudentstogainvaluableex perience helping to organisethe activities.”

StaffandparticipantsattheeventatTelfordCollege

Coin expert is talk of atown

Darren Burgess is always in the money,butwon’tbecomeamillionaire fromit

TheexiledBridgnorthladisoneof themostin-demandnumismatists–or coinandcurrencyexperts–andisre nownedworldwideforhisworkinthe field.Numismaticsisdefined as the studyorcollectionofcurrencyinclud ingcoins,tokens,papermoneyorrelat edobjects

Darreniscurrentlypresidentofthe NumismaticAssociationofVictoria,as helivesinMelbourne,havingemigratedtoAustraliain2005andhascome acrosscurrencyfromBridgnorthwhen pursuinghishobbydownunder.Hehas anumberofsuchitemsinhiscollec tionandproducedexampleswhenhe gaveatalktoarecentmeetingofthe BridgnorthHistoricalSociety,entitled “PintsPiesandProvisions–abriefnumismatisthistoryofBridgnorth”.

HewasvisitingtheUKtoseefamily andtravelthecountrytogivetalksand attendconferencesonnumismatics

ButitisBridgnorththatisinhis heartandathistalkhetookhisaudi ence backtothe time afterthe 17th

centurycivilwarwhengoldandsilver coinswereissuedbythe RoyalMint butthere wasa shortage of pennies andfarthings that thepublicneeded topurchaseeverydayitemslikebread andmilk

He referenced significant Bridgnorth historical figures such as JamesMilner,JohnHigginsoftheGrocersArmsandshowedapictureofa farthingissuedbySimonBeauchamp whowas abailiffwhenthe current townhallwasbuilt.

Therewasalsoonereferencingthe SingfamilyofBridgnorthwithJoshua Singbeingthefirstmayorofthetown in1836

Hethentooktheaudienceona‘Pub tour’ofthetownasanumberofthe coinshereferencedwereusedascur rencywithinthe hostelries,someof whicharestilltrading

Amongstotheritemsheproduced wasoneofhisfavourites–a16thcenturytokenfoundinthebackgardenofa propertyinListleyStreet–andabeatupchequeusedattheShakespeareInn in Bridgnorth,which is still open in WestCastleStreet

Pubbackafter revamp

Customers poured into arural pubnearBridgnorthforthefirsttime inmorethantwomonthswhenitrelaunchedunderitsnewowners.

TheBoycottArmsinUpper Lud stone,nearClaverley,hasbeengiven anewlooksincebeingtakenoverby CharlotteJonesonOctober4.Chang eshaveincludedinstallingSkySports andBTSporttotherevampedbararea, whilethechildren’splayareahasbeen movedfromthe oppositeside of the roadoutsidetotherearofthepub.

Forthe openingnight,Wolverhampton-based band Fruitmachines performedaliveshow.

Writingonsocialmediaafterthe event,Charlottesaid:“Tosayouropen ingnightwasasuccessisanunderstatement.Thankyoutoeverysingleoneof youthatwalkedthroughthedoorsto supportusandforeveryonewhohas beenworkingbehindthescenes.

“Thankyou to my amazingstaff Youallworkedsohard!Here’stomany morefunfillednights.”

Topcoinandcurrency expertDarrenBurgess,who grew up inBridgnorth

town

Youngsters

Alargerangeofshopsinthetown

Theeventhasbeensponsoredby

ley,whohavedonatedthepumpkins.

“I’mreallypleasedtobeproviding thepumpkinsforthisgreatLoveMadeleyPumpkin

said Andy Coxill, ManagerofTesco.

very much

of the

Tesco manager AndyCoxill, CarolRussell and SamMiddleton

(5)

&4Dn. Foolish tradition based on story from women married ages ago (3,5,4)

Tackle selected in driving (4)

See 2 Down

Imply no great blaze (7)

Atrial from one side to the other (6)

Reserve for later attention –after the holiday perhaps (5,4)

Post for the landlord? (6)

Methodical hospital attendant (7)

Anumber observed about five (5)

Made up cheese (4)

&22Ac. Evil-doer out of gear: he can’tcope very well (3,7)

Willissenses boy’strust

SATURDAY

The Sixth Sense (1999) (Channel 5, 10.05pm)

DrMalcolmCrowe(BruceWillis) isattackedinhishomebyanex-pa tient(DonnieWahlberg)whothen turnsthegunonhimself.Ayearlater Crowetracksdowneight-year-old ColeSears(HaleyJoelOsment)who bearsalltheclassictell-talesignsof childabuse.Crowesensesthatthere ismoretotheboythanmeetstheeye andsetsaboutwinninghistrust.

SUNDAY

Beetlejuice (1988) (Channel 5, 5.05pm)

Afterdyinginacarcrash,Adam (AlecBaldwin)and BarbaraMaitland(GeenaDavis)discovertheywill bestuckhauntingtheiroldhome boughtbyanobnoxiousreal-estate developerandhis family –for 125 years. When the Maitlandsfailto scarethe interlopersaway, they turn to ‘bio-exor cist’Beetlejuice (MichaelKeaton)

PeakywriterKnight’s backtotellSAS story

SAS Rogue Heroes (BBC1, 9pm, Sunday)

PeakyBlinderswriterandcreatorStevenKnightisbackwithanew drama, SASRogue Heroes,which tellsthestoryofthecreationofthe specialforcesunitduringtheSecond WorldWar

Knighthasattractedanimpres sive cast,includingConnorSwindells,JackO’Connell,AlfieAllen,So fiaBoutellaandDominicWest.

Knightsays:“I’mreallyexcitedto begatheringthebestofanewgenerationofBritishandinternational talenttotellthisremarkablestory.”

ThestorybeginsinNorthAfricain1941,wheretheBritishArmy appearstobelosingthewaragainst GermanyandtheAxispowers.

Eccentricyoung officer Lieu tenant David Stirling (Swindells) is growingincreasinglyfrustrated with themilitaryauthoritiesand theircurrent strategies.LtJohn ‘Jock’Lewes(Allen)fightingunder heavybombardmentinthebesieged cityofTobruk,andLtRobertBlair

‘Paddy’Mayne(O’Connell),currently ‘detained’inamilitaryprison,share hismisgivings.

However,LewesthinkstheBrits aren’t theonlyonesmakingmis takes.HesaysRommelhasmoved toofarandfast,leavingcoastalairfieldsvulnerabletoattack,andwhile

theGermansmaybeexpectingan attackfromthesea,anyonecoming fromthedesertwouldhavetheele mentofsurprise

So,aplanformstoparachutein unitsofmen–butfirst,they’llhave toproveaparachutedropinthede sertcouldactuallywork.

Cain andAl in guntussle

EastEnders (BBC1)

RavirevealstoSukithatthepo licehavefoundRanveer’sbody.Suki iscalledintospeaktothepolice,and thecopsalsowantsawordwithRavi abouthis connection to thePanesars.LindastepsintohelpwhenKat refusestoletAlfiehavetheboysfor theweekend,butmayhaveherown extodealwith

Coronation Street (ITV)

Aaron’sdadneedstogotorehab,butitwillcost£10,000.Summer agreestoletMikeandEstheradopt herbabybut says sheneedsten grandupfront.TheGazettestarts publishing extracts from theJohn Stapebook,butTyroneandFizwon derwherethejournalistisgetting theirinfofrom.

Emmerdale (ITV)

Cainturnsupwithwithashot gunaftertrickingAlintoameeting They getintoa scuffle andthe gungoesoff Harriet’s funeral promisestobean emotional occasionandKimand WillkidnapAlex

Editor’s weekend pick

Films for the weekend

Your guide to the soaps

AlfieAllen, ConnorSwindellsandJack

O’Connell –SAS Rogue Heroes

Beetlejuice Emmerdale

statement

Tilesare timeless, andago-to choice whenyou’relookingtoinvestinanewback splash,orkitchenandbathroomflooring Especiallyifyou’refeelingcreative.

Theyprovidevisualimpact,arepleasant tothetouch,andcanmakeafeatureoutof aforgottenoroverlookedspace.Fromtex turedsurfacestorippledfinishesandfluted designs,here’swhat’strendingintheworld oftiles…

Natureinspired

“Natureprovidesthe perfectplace to draw interiorsinspiration from,thanks toitsrestorativeproperties,”saysHarriet GoodacreofToppsTiles

Shesaysthenaturetrendisallabout findingjoyinthenaturalenvironment,us ingitstexturesandcolourpalettetocon nectwiththeoutsideworld,andenhance yourspaceandwellbeing

“Thismeansusingtilesinmuted,soft shadessuchasashgrey,earthybrownand sagegreentogroundyouandevokefeelings oftheworldoutside,”suggestsGoodacre “Pairwithhintsoftealorbabypinktoen liventhesenses,whilstconjuringupimages

By Sam Wylie-Harris

ofwarmsunsets.Texturedsurfaces,suchas naturalstone,terrazzoandwoodeffecttiles areperfectforthis.”Shecontinues.“Creat ingdepthandtextureinawaythatfeelsau thentictothisstyle.”

CoastalContentment

“Youdon’tneedtobelivingbesidethe seasidetobenefitfromthisinteriorsstyle,” notesGoodacre.“Byusingasophisticated andmutedcolourpalette,alookinspiredby theBritishcoastlinecanbeupdatedwithan autumnalfeel.”

Ifyou’renotsurewheretostart,shesays tocomplementcooltones,suchaspowder blue,withcopperypink,vibrantinkyblues andmuskyolive-greentiles.“Buildonthe lookbychoosingtexturedtiles,andsurfac esthatareweatheredoragedwithanatu ralpatina.Locally-sourcedrusticorartisan objectswilladdfurtherpersonalitytoyour space. ”

Sheadds:“Yourchoiceintheshapeoftile canalsoaddapointofinteresttoyourinte rior.Forexample,usingascallopedshape

tilegivesasubtlenodtotheseaandcreates afocalpoint,whereasalightlyflutedtile evokesthelookofcalmingrollingwaves.”

Flutedandlayered

“Flutedinteriorsaregoingtobeoneof thebiggesttrendsof2023,andasautumn getsunderway,we’regoingtostarttosee morehomeownersplayingaroundwiththis distinctivefinish,”saysAbbasYoussefiof PorcelainSuperstore.

InfluencedbytheArtDecomovement, Youssefisaysflutedtileswillnotonlyadda reallyinterestingtexturetowalls,butthey also play with naturallight beautifully–addinganewdimensiontointeriorschemes.

Whenyou’vemadeyourcolourchoice, it’salsoworththinkingabouthowyouwant tolaythetilestoenhancetheirappearance; similartofittingthemtogetherlikeajigsaw puzzle,tocreatedifferentillusions.

Patterned,classicalmosaic

“Patterned, classical mosaic tiling for both floor andwallapplicationsare on trendrightnow,duetotheirabilitytocreate abeautifulfocalpoint,”saysChrisKettellof BenchmarxKitchensandJoinery

Halloweenpumpkin alternatives

If yourefforts to grow aHalloween pumpkinhavebeenanightmare because ofthesummerdrought,fearnot.Thereare otherfruitandvegyoumayhaveharvested whichcanaddmagictoyourscarydisplay

Turnips

Accordingtothe charityEnglishHer itage,peopleacrosstheBritishIslesonce carvedscaryfacesintoturnipsandplaced themneardoorwaystofrightenawayevil spirits.Thecustomoriginatedfromafolk taleaboutamannamedJackwho,aftertry ingtotrickthedevil,wascursedtoroam theearthwithaburningcoalinsideahol lowed-outturniptolighttheway–theorigi nalJack-o’-lantern

Swedes

Oftenmashedwithcarrotasawinter warmer,swedescanalsobecarvedintosin isterfacesforHalloween.Theyareeasyto grow,ifyousowtheminanopenspot

Butternutsquash

They’refromthe same family as the pumpkin,andifyou’vegrownacropwhich hasmaturedwellit’sprettyeasytocutthe lidoff,scoopoutthefleshandcarvethem intoJack-o’-lanterns

Onions

Theymayseemlikeaverypoorsubsti tuteforpumpkins,butifyouhaveplenty spare–mosttypescanbestoredtousefrom SeptembertoFebruary–haveagoatdeco ratingthemwithghostlyfacesandaddthem toyourindoordecorations.OnceHalloween isover,youcanpeeloffthefacesanduse themincooking.

Apples

If yourtrees areheaving with apples oryouhaveenoughstoredinacoolshed tokeepyougoingallwinter,youcoulduse someofthecroptomaketastytreatsforthe kidsindoors.

ATTRILL Barbara

Formerly of Wellington.

Passed away at home Naarden, Netherlands on October18, 2022, aged 79.

Loving Mother to Lupa and Gijs, Mother-in-law to Marjaline, dearly loved Sister to David, Rosemary, Roger and Susan, loving Aunt to 14 Nephews and Nieces.

Will be dearly missed by us all.

FuneralOctober26, 3.30pm, Naarden, Netherlands.

BAILEY Patricia Ann

Of St. Georges.

Passed away peacefully at BirkdaleResidential Home on October 11, 2022. Aged 78 years.

Loving Wife of the late Bill. Dear Mom to Jane.

Beloved Nan to Adam, Tom, Jack and Amy

Loving Great-Grandma to Parker,Finley,Brodie and Sophie.

Funeral Service to be held at St. Georges Parish Church on Wednesday,November 9, 2022 at 10.30am,followed by aCommittal at Telford Crematorium.

Family flowers only please.

Donations if desire d for TheBritishHeart Foundation for which purpose acollection boxwill be provided in Church.

Inquiries to

FREER Colin

Of Oakengates,formerly of Muxton.

Passed away suddenly at The Princess Royal Hospital on September30, 2022, aged 80 years.

Devo ted Fa ther of Christopher and Matthew and extended African Family

Colin will be deeply missed by all.

Funeral Service 3.30pm Monday,November 7at Telford Crematorium.

Family flowers only by requestbut if desired, donationsfor Great Ormond StreetHospitalwould be appreciated.

Inquiries to

PARKER Christine Joyce (Chris)

Of Brands Farm Way, Randlay,Telford.

Passed away peacefully after along illness with her Family by her side on October 12, 2022, aged 73 years.

Loving Wife of Alan, much loved Mum to Denise and the late Mark, devotedNan to Dan and Ash.

Funeral Service, 2pm, Friday, November 4, 2022 at Emstrey Crematorium, Shrewsbury.

Donations if desired for the Swan Scheme at The Princess Royal Hospital would be appreciated.

All inquiries to

THOMAS

Edna May

Passed away peacefully at Royal ShrewsburyHospital on Octo ber 10 ,2 02 2. Aged 78 years.

Dear Mum to Caroline.

Loving NantoChris and Great little Nan to Rhys.

Funeral Service to be held at Telford Crematorium on Wednesday,November2, 2022 at 3.30pm.

Family flowers only please, donationifdesired to be divided betweenCancer Research UK and Motor NeuroneDisease for which purpose acollection box willbeprovided at the Crematorium.

All inquiries to

Paul

Wayne

Mark

BROWN Doreen Anne

Of Madeley,Telford.

Passed away peacefully at her home on September23, 2022, aged, 70 years.

She will be sadly missedby her Brother,Wilfred and his Family along with her many Friends.

Funeral Service,4.30pm, Friday,November 4at Telford Crematorium.

Familyflowers by request but if desired donations for the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society would be appreciated via acollection after the Service.

Inquiries to

HAYWARD Helen

Of Hadley Park Road, Hadley

Passed away peacefully, surrounded by her Family on October 10, 2022 aged 72 years.

Much loved Wife of the lateAnthony (Tony). Cher ished Mum of Andy,Neil, Ann, Elaine, Dave and Michael. Dearly lovedNan, Mother-in-law and Friend.

Fu neral Ser vice will take place at Leegomery Methodist Church, Hadley Park Road, TF1 6QG on Friday, November 4, 2022 at 10.30am, followed by Int erment at Ha dl ey Cemetery.

Family flowers only please Donations if desired for Parkinson’s UK.

All inquiries to

PLIMMER

Douglas Cyril

Of St. Georges.

Passedawaypeacefully at The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on October 9, 2022, aged 82 years.

AlovingHusband,Dad and Grandad and acherished Brother

Funeral Service to take place at Telford Crematorium on Wednesday, November 2at 12.30pm.

Family flowers only please.

Donations if desired for the Air Ambulance for which purpose acollection boxwill be provided at the Crematorium.

Inquiries to

G.J.WrightMonumentalMason

www.wrightsmemorials.co.uk Email:guy@wrightsmemorials.co.uk 01743623621

Gwyneth

Gwenneth

Kevin

Frederick

HILL

Patricia Eileen (Trish)

Of Meadow Road, Newport formerly of Kemberton Drive, Madeley

Passed away peacefully at

The Princess Royal Hospital on October 18, 2022, aged 84 years.

Adearly loved Wife, Mum, Nan and Great-Nan who will be sadly missed by all those who knew her

Funeral Service 2.30pm Wednesday,November 9, 2022 at Telford Crematorium.

Family flowers only by request donations if desired for the British Legion would be appreciated.

All inquiries to

ROBERTS Doreen

Of Malvern Crescent, Little Dawley,Telford.

Passed away in the presence of her Family on October 7, 2022, aged 86 years.

Wife of the late Paul, Mum of Paula and Judith, Nan of Laura and Luke, Great-Nana of Emmie and Eva.

Funeral Service1.30pm Tuesday,November 1, 2022 at Telford Crematorium.

Donations if desired for the British Heart Foundation would be appreciated.

All inquiries to

Monumental Masons

Doreen Bevan Jean Castle

Anthea Lowe,AssociateDirector: Policy&Governance. TemporaryRoadClosureNoticeTCB-11427/10/22 TWCLP03774

Borough of Telford& Wrekin

Upgraded S-Crossis high-speccomfort

Suzuki’s latest SUVonly arrivedinthiscountry earlierthisyear– butit hasalready hadamajor upgrade.

Full hybrid versionsofthe S-Crosswentonsalethismonth, with extraelectricalpower for smoother performancewhile cut ting fuel consumptionand emis sions.

It sits betweenthe slightlysmall buthugelypopular Vitara,and theA-Crossand comesintwo ver sions–the £28,749Motionand the £31,549Ultra whichcomeswithex tra equipment,mostprominent of whichisSuzuki’sproven ALLGRIP automaticfour-wheeldrive system

Given itshigh equipment levels, economyand theoptionoffourwheeldrive with automatedmanu al transmission, theS-Crosslooks particularly good valueincompar isontosimilarly-sized SUVrivals.

Like thelatestVitarahybrids,the newS-Crosscomeswitha1.5 litre petrolengineplusa 140-volt elec trical powersystem(as compared to 48-volts in mild hybrid systems), butit’sstill self-chargingsothere’s no plugging in required Themotor-generator system

JOHN GRIFFITHS

(MGU)assists thepetrolengine when moving off, acceleratingand even on theopenroadwhen, under lightload, thecar canrun on elec trical poweronly.

My test caraveraged50mpg even includinganhouroftacklingmud dy tracksinlow gear

TheMGU also helpssmoothout electrically actuated gearchanges –theyare virtuallyimperceptible –aswellascontributingtofuelsav ings.While theS-Crossprobably wouldn’tbea firstchoicefor serious off-road forays,itdid prove itself ca pableonthisexercise on standard road tyres, with theALLGRIP sys teminstantly diverting torque to therearwheelswhennecessary.

It’s primarilyareassuringsafety system forwinterroads

TheALLGRIP system is best left in ‘auto’ mode forbesteconomy and smoothestprogress, butthe driver cansimplyturnaswitchtosharp en performancein‘sport’ mode There’salso asetting forsnowand ‘lock’ forpermanent four-wheel drivewhenconditionsget really slippery

TheS-Cross hasroomfor five with nearly 300litresofluggage

BMW’s first‘M’ to useelectrification

BMWhas unveiled thenew XM as its performanceSUV flagship,using a newplug-inhybridset-upthatmakes it the firstBMW ‘M’model to feature electrification

Unveiled in theyearBMW marks 50 yearsofits ‘M’models, this SUV is abespoke modelthatwill purely be offeredasan‘M’ car, rather than a tuned versionofanexistingcar

Thestarofthe show is itsnew ‘M Hybrid V8’setup,which pairsan ‘extensively updated’4.4-litre tur bocharged V8 petrolenginewitha 194bhp electric motor, with thecombi nation developing 645bhp and800Nm of torque.Thatmakes it themostpow erfulBMW made to date,and allows a 0-60mph time of 4.3secondsand atop speed of up to 168mph when theop tional MDriver’sPackageisspecified

TheXM also packsa 25.7kWhbat tery,allowingupto55miles of electric rangewhenfullycharged.BMW says this allows forclaimed 188.3mpg and CO2emissions of 33g/km

Driverscan flickbetween Hybrid, Comfortand Electric drivingmodes, whilea48-volt electrical system is usedfor ‘activerollstabilisation’, help ingtoimprove agility andhandling. TheXMisalso the firstBMW ‘M’ modeltofeature rear-wheel steering, helpingtoimprove manoeuvrability at lowspeeds andagility at higher ones

At 5.11minlength, theXMisslight ly smallerthanthe BMWX7 SUV, though,atmorethan2minwidth, it’s

space in amuchimprovedand updatedcabin,plusroofbarsas standard.Comfortable andquiet, allmodelscome with dual zone air conditioning,heated frontseats, full iphone/smartphone connectivi ty,parking sensors andarearview camera,recliningrearseats, LED lights andelectricwindowand door mirrors.There isafullrange of safety features from blindspotmon itoringtoadpative cruise control with speedlimiter Ultra models,inadditiontoall wheeldrive,also getsatnavin tegrated into thecentralcontrol screen,apanoramic slidingsunroof anda360-degree‘birdseye view’ camera whichisusefulwhenma noeuvringin tightspots.

FACTFILE

SUZUKI S-CROSS

Power: 115PSplus140velectric motor

0-62mph: 12.7secs (13.5secs AWD)

Economy: 54.3mpg (48.7AWD)

CO2: 118g/km(132g/kmAWD)

Price: £26,749-£31,549

the firm’s widest cartodate. Thefront gets a‘freshinterpretation’ of BMW’s grilledesign, finished in agoldcolour theXMgetsaparticularlyboldlook, with largefront airintakes

Asloping rooflinehelps to give the XM acoupe-likeappearance. At the same time,aBMW badgelaser en graved into therearwindowisanod to theroundelspositionedin theoriginal M1 –BMW’s original ‘M’model,and theonlybespoke modelfromthe divi sion.The XM is itssecond Moving inside,the XM is equipped with BMW’slarge Curved Displayinte rior,while ahead-up displayisinclud ed as standard too. Massaging, heated andventilatedfront seatsare also fit tedasstandard.

Despite itssize, theXM only has five seats, though BMWsaysthe rear of thecar offers an ‘exclusive Mlounge’ Highlights includequilted Alcantara cushions anda3DAlcantara headlin inghousing 100LEDs.

TheBMW XM is availabletoorder, with prices starting from £144,980

in

It looksthe part andthe novel number plate, VW51EEP,also provokedcuriosity

Thereare twoversions, theCoast andOcean driven here.The Ocean also features a grille embellished with four chrome strips andis framed with newLED daytimerun ning lights

Poweredbyaneconomicaltwo litre diesel unit that pumpsout nearly 200bhp,thismodel also featuresVW’s4Motionall-wheel drive system,perfect forextra traction when campinginpotentially muddy areas.

ownhotel California

Theinterior features anew touchscreen in theroofconsole whichmanages campervanfunctions. It controls theopening and closingofthe electric pop-up roof, andmonitorsfridge operationand waterlevels.

At firstglance, It never seems likethere is enough space to store allyourholiday paraphernalia, but with ingenioushiddencubby holes, cupboardsand storageareas,an awfullot canbestored.

It even includes acleverlycon cealed mini wardrobe

Spaceisat apremium butthe rear seatsfoldtocreateadouble bed, whichfeaturesindividual lights, whilethe twofront chairs arecaptain style, whichmeans they swivel around

Also theelectrically-operated fabric roofcan be raisedtoaccommodate acouple of children in the sleeping area above themainbed

The kitchen facilities offer a two-burner cooker anddeepfridge, andatinybowlwithanelectricwaterpump. Weatherpermitting, an awning is availableasanoption.

On theroad, thepowerful diesel matedwiththe seven-speedDSG automaticgearbox offers plenty of pulling powerand quiteaturnof speedwhenrequired.Italso proved extremely economical, with economy at onepoint showingatnearly 40mpgagainst theofficial34.9. Im pressive consideringthe amount of weightinvolved.

Acentral‘DigitalCockpit’is standard on this is modeland it of fers an excellentinfotainmentsys temand smartphoneconnectivity.

Therideiscomfortable andthe vanalwaysfeels stable,and the CrossWindAssistsystemautomat ically stabilises thecamperwhen buffeted by high windsonthe motorway

Safety systemsare also impres sive,withafull rangeofstability functionsand airbags,plusLane Assist,ParkAssist, asideprotec tion function (warns of obstacles when manoeuvring) andTrailer As sist (simplifies manoeuvringwitha trailer).

TheOceanisa superefficient descendant of theoriginalcamper-

FACTFILE

CALIFORNIA 6.1OCEAN SWB2.0

TDi

Price: From £76,172

Mechanical: 204PS, 1968cc four cylinderdieselengine driving allwheels viaseven speedauto gearbox

MaxSpeed: 126mph 0-62mph: 11.9 seconds

Combined MPG: 34.9

C02 emissions: 213-225g/km

Warranty: 3years/100,000 miles

75 bids farewell to theJaguarF-Type

Jaguar hasannounced that production of itsF-Typesportscar is coming to a close with aspecial editionversion the75. Introduced as part of ‘model year 2023’, this will be thelastyear theF-Typeissold, as themodel bows outtoclear theway forthe British firm’s switch to electrification

Called the‘75’ as it marksthree quarters of acentury of Jaguar sports cars, thespecial editionmodel is available in both coupeand convertible bodystyles,and comessuppliedwith Jaguar’s legendary5.0-litre V8 engine underthe bonnet

Twoguises areavailable forthisengine –the P450,which gets444bhp, andthe P575 ‘R’model,which produc es 567bhp

These areabletoaccelerate from 0-60mph in 4.4and 3.5seconds re spectively.The P450 getsthe choice of rear-orall-wheel-drive,withthe P575 coming exclusivelywiththe latter.

The‘75’editionsget model-specif-

ic 20-inchalloy wheels anddiscreet badging, whileinsideeachalso getting auniquemotif on thecentre console andstainlesssteeltread plates,along with agloss blackinterior package.

AstandardF-TypeR-Dynamic will also be availablein2023, usinga 296bhp2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine

MatthewBeaven,JaguarLandRov er chiefexterior designer,said: “For 75 years, Jaguar hasbeenrenownedfor producingextraordinary sports cars that deliver performance, agility and maximumdriverreward.

“The F-Type special editions hold true to theseprinciples, adding unique interior andexterior design detailsto celebratethislineage before Jaguar becomesanall-electricbrand from 2025.”

TheF-Typehas served as Jaguar’s sole sports carsinceits introductionin 2013,withthe modellastreceivinga majorupdatein2019.

van. It’s notcheap,withthismod el toppingout at morethan£80k with addedbit andpieces. Greatfor thoseshorterbreaksand apleasure to drive.

Pook hits thegravel runningwithimpressivetitle win

Shrewsbury’s ChrisPookhas claimedaprestigious national bikingtitle at the firstattempt

Pook battledhis waytogloryin theBritish MastersGravelCycling 35-39yearage groupchampionship at theKings CupinSuffolk

Thesuccess is even more noteworthygiven that he haslessthan 12 monthsexperiencein gravel racingunder hisbeltafterswitching from road racing to therougher terrainin2022.

TheKings Cup is considered to be theultimatebikingfestivalfor gravel cycling. Increasing in popu larity,the sportisperformed on a varietyofoff-roadterrain ranging from root strewn singletrack,gravel fire roads, hard packed mudand even sand

Pook claimedvictory over the fi nalfew metresonthe 15.6km track in KingsForest, near Bury-St-Ed munds, Suffolk, racingfor approx imatelytwo hours

Pook,who hasbeentrainingfor thecompetition in theShropshire Hills andraces forHolohan CoachingRaceTeam, wasdelightedat hissuccess in Suffolkand knew go ingintothe eventwhattoexpect.

“It’saverytechnical sport, you are making calculations allthe time, regardingthe terrainand youropponents, you need to remain very alert,”hesaid. “Withseven kilo metrestogoanother competitor took thefront andheldahigh pace whichwas perfectas it stoppedoth er competitorsattacking

“The endofthe race wasvery close andknowing thatthe sprint wouldbeintoa headwind Ilet two guys pastgoing into thelasttechnicalsection as Iwanted to come off thewheel in thesprinttothe line, only catching thelastone with me trestogo.

“I usedtoonlydoroadcycling but have movedtograveland mountain biking likealot of otherpeople. You canraceonlotsofdifferent terrains, generallyoff roadssoaway from cars andyou will struggle to find abettertraininggroundthan theShropshireHills.

“Gravelridingisreallytakingoff in popularity because there’sjust so much you candofromendur ance challenges,singleday races or just getting offthe beaten track andenjoyingthe countrysidewith friends.”

Golden girl Alison proving agereallyisjustanumber

When Alison Salthouse startedcycling at 53 to improveher health,she didnot expect to be a BritishMasters Cycling championintwo events 10 yearslater.

The63-year-old claimedasuperb double success in the500mTime Trailand the200mMatch Sprint at theBritish Mastersin Newport, SouthWales

TheTelford-based cyclisttrains sixdaysaweek, oftenatthe velo dromesinManchesterorDerby, paying herown coachand working full-timeasanITproject manager in ordertofundher racing.

AndSalthouse,who is originally from Preston, cannot believehow good shehas become

“I wanted to do somethingtoimprove my health.Iplayedfootball in my late teens, butIdid nothing then untilIwas in my mid-50s,”she said,whenasked what it wasthat made hertakeupracing.

“I thought‘Ineedtostart doing something. Idon’t want to become a couchpotato’

“I started riding just athree-mile routefromhome,and Iwas outof breath.Who wouldbelieve Iwould gethookedonthe velodrome riding abikeatthatspeed with no gears andnobrakesand find that youare actually good at it.”

In the500mTimeTrial,one of theeventswhere shewon gold,she explainedthatshe started from a standstill andbeather competition by more than twoseconds,which is

abig margin in aracethatshort, with a finishingtimeof43.992 sec onds

TheMatch Sprint wasamuch closeraffair, andshe just pipped Kathleen McCormac to thegold, heropponenthas been cyclingsince shewas nine

This eventincludedthree-and-a half laps to gain speed before going foranall-out sprint on the finallap to find awinner.

Salthousealso came runner-up in theIndividualPursuit whereshe wasbeatenbyLindsay Clarke, who smashedthe Britishrecordbyalmost sixseconds

Shesaysshe wishes shehad discovered thesport earlierin lifeand also revealed how sherubsshoul ders with some of Britain’sOlympic champions when shetrains.

Shecontinued:“IwishI hadfound it when Iwas younger.Ididn’t. But Iamsoglad that Ihavenow

“You justnever know untilyou have agoatit.

“I am still gettingpersonalbests in my 60s

“I train on thesametrack as Ka tieArchibald andLaura Kenny, and they thinkI am fascinating

“I will be in thechanging, and they saytome, ‘I hope we arestill riding likeyou when we areyour age’.”

Next year,Salthouse is hoping to wingoldatthe WorldChampionshipswhentheycome to Manchester.

Hales sealsHill Climbsuccess forthe first time

TomosHales hasclinchedthe The BBR Opticians HillClimb Series

Halesled from thefront in round10– thePropelCCclimb of SwayneyCliff,Coalport–totake thewin in twominutes 20 seconds,but he waspushedclose by MidShropshireWheelers’ John Woodward

Hales’ victoryput theShropshire Hill ClimbChampionship beyond doubt,asheclaimed thetitle forthe firsttime.

SwayneyCliff offers asignifi cant challengetoridersdue to an undulating gradient –tough over thebridgenearthe start, rising to 17 percentinthe middle and tricky around thehairpin near the top.

This wasreflected in Hales’ post race comments:“I’ve always found SwayneyCliff climbhardtopace duetoits constant gradient changes.I’m happytotakethe winand seal theSeries.”

Woodward wasmakinga belated entranceintothe Series and stoppedthe watchjustfourseconds behind Hales.

It wasaclose call forthe finalpo dium spot with Oswestry Paragon’s Jack Youngjustbeating ChrisRiley by onesecond in 2:41

With Haleshavingsealedthe Series,Young isone of theriders hominginonatightcontest forthe remainingmedals

Rileytightened hisgriponthe Veterans’Championship,although that is stillverymuchinplay.

In theBBR Women’sSeries, HayleyWells cannolongerbeovertak en with a60-pointleadand just40 points maximumavailable from the finaltwo events.Thisisthe Para mountrider’s firstseasonand she hascertainly made an immediate impact

Alex Hart wasinasimilar posi tion in theBBR Junior Series and his44-pointadvantage with 40 maximumavailable makeshim Junior champion. TheVeterans’ Championship wasdecidedinthe 11th andpenultimateround of theBBR Op ticians HillClimb Series

Princecrowned vets’champion

Over-40s riders winning events is ararity, butthatonly made Steven Prince allthe more determined to finallyget thebetterofoverallSerieswin nerTomosHales by atwo secondmargin, afterchargingup thethree-quarter mile Station Road,Ironbridgecourseinthree minutes 34 secondstosealglory in style.

Princehad extra cause forcelebration as that winalso meant he went home with theoverall silver

It wasaclose race in thewom en’s competitionasvisitingrider HannahHavelock-Allenbeatthe championHayleyWells by asin glesecond.

Theonlyother medaldecided on theday wenttoa junior,with BenSouthgatebagging silver.

Alison Salthouse in action at theBritish MastersinNewport,South Wales

Chris Pook crossesthe finish linejustahead of hisrivalstoclaim glory

Windsofchange blowingatthe PremierLeague

A2023seasonfull of changeshas alreadystarted forShropshire’stop bowlingleague.

TheShropshirePremier League hasanew main sponsorand the14 member clubswill voteonaraftof proposalsatthe AGMonJanuary 17 at MeoleBrace BC League chiefRob Burroughs confirmed:“Theleagueisproud to announce anew sponsorinTaylor Supportfor an initialtwo yearsfor £750 peryear.

“Aspartofthe agreement, the league will facilitate access forTay lor Supportservice users at multiple crowngreen bowlstasterses sionsacrossthe county

“Thiswillprovide opportunities to access afun,social, health activityfor people of allages andabili ties whilst also promoting inclusion within thesport

“Weare incredibly excitedto workwithTaylor Supportand their owners Hollyand Mark Taylor,with Mark having playedin ourleague forStGeorges,Bowring andCas tlefields

“Webelieve this is an excellent opportunitytopromote more inclu-

Shifnal’sVasecampaign

Shifnal Town’s FA Vase campaigncametoanend as they conceded four at StourportSwifts.

BenTilbury scored twice, includ ingafourthminuteopener, as the hoststookadvantage of some lax defendingtowin the firstround tie.

Shifnalfound themselves two down at thebreak when BenJevons divertedhome LeeChilton’s corner andthenhad amountaintoclimb when Tilbury smashedhome again within threeminutes of therestart. Thevisitors finallybegan to

exertsome pressureand pulled one back when MaxChimenesdrove a shot beyond Stourportgoalkeeper Josh Bishop.

Yetany hope of acomeback was quicklyextinguishedwhenChiltonhit home to restorethe home team’s three-goal cushion.

Shifnal, to theircredit, kept pushing. JoeThompsonwentclose to pullingagoalbackjustpastthe hourmarkand then didreducethe deficitfromthe penaltyspotafter Jevons hadbundled over Chimenes

Butitprovedonlyaconsolation Jayden Hunter marked hisdebut for Whitchurch Alport with the goal whichset them on course fora 3-0win over Uttoxeterinthe Midland League PremierDivision.

Hunter,who joined last week on loan from NewcastleTown, fired home just before thehalf-hour mark.Second-halfgoals from Sam Yeardley andNicky Parker completed avictory whichsaw Alport move up to ninthinthe table.

“It’supthere certainlywithsome

of ourbestperformances. Definite ly in thetop three,”saidassistant bossAdamShillcock

Wimbledon star signsup forclub’sbesteverevent

sion in oursport andshow it canbe accessed by all.”

TheTaylors were guests at theleague’srecentpresentation eveningatBurwaywhentheypre sented some of theprizes.

Thebig changesfor 2023 include theformatofthe presentation eveningalteringasthe Pool Aand Bknockouts areplayedasa one-day competitionat thestart of thesea son, with theMerit qualifiersand finals beingmovedtobeplayedon FridaysinSeptember

“There will be aproposaltothe AGMabout theremoval of rule about having aplay-offifteams finish levelonpointsatthe topor bottom of theleague,”addedBur roughs.“Andwewanttointroduce aruleabout players in theAlan Mayhew Trophy finalhavingto have playedfourgames fortheir club

“The 2023 league season will startonFriday, April7,and we arelooking at doinganInter-Area competitioninvolving SouthShrop shire, NorthShropshire, Telford andShrewsburyas an eight-a-side knockout on aSaturdayevening.”

Oneofthisyear’sWim bledonladies’ singles semi finalistsisset to play at TheShrewsbury Club when theWorld Tennis Tour returnsto Shropshirethisweek.

German star TatjanaMaria is amonganimpressivenumberof players currentlyrankedinthe world’s top100 on theentry list for theBudgenMotorsW100tournament.The prestigious eventispart of theLTA’s PerformanceCom petitionsCalendar, whichaimsto provideenhancedplaying oppor tunitiesfor players throughout the country.

It is also thebiggest indoor women’s tennis tournament in theUK sincethe 1990sand takesplace at theSundorneRoadvenue between October30and November6 Maria, currentlyranked71in theworld,enjoyedabrilliantrun at SW19 earlierthisyear, reaching the last four before eventually losing in threesetstoOns Jabeur

HeatherWatson, HarrietDart, KatieSwan, KatieBoulter and JodieBurrage lead astrong British

STUART DUNN sports@mnamedia.co.uk

challengeinShrewsbury,ahead of theBillieJeanKingCup Finals, whereGreat Britainare oneof12 nationscompeting to be thebestin theworld

Thehighest-rankedplayeronthe entrylistisUkrainian Anhelina Kalinina,currently 45 in theworld

TheShrewsburyevent is setto featureMarketa Vondrousova, who wasrunner-uptoAshleighBartyin the2019FrenchOpen finalinPar is, andlastyearwon asilvermedal forthe CzechRepublicatthe Olym picsinTokyo Karolina Muchova, another Czech star,isalsoonthe entrylist. Asemi-finalist at last year’s Aus tralian Open,she reachedthe quar ter-finals at Wimbledonin both 2019 and2021.

TheShrewsbury line-upalsoincludes ViktorijaGolubic –who won adoubles silver medalrepresent ingSwitzerland,alongside Belinda Bencic,atlastyear’sOlympics–andwas a2021Wimbledon singles quarter-finalist

Dave Courteen, TheShrewsbury Club’s managing director,said:

“Wehavetalkedalot in thebuild up to this eventabout thecalibre of players that will take part in this high-profile tournament

“Now that theentry list hasbeen confirmed,it’sprobablybeyondour best expectations

“Whilethere’s still apossibility that playersmay withdraw through injury,the qualityofplayers to have enteredthistournamentisfantastic.

“Tohaveplayers that have reachedthe latter stages of Grand Slamsinthe last twoorthree years, as well as anumberofcurrent top 100players headingtoShrewsbury is so exciting

“Wehopethiseventwill attract biggercrowdsasaresultand we really encouragepeopletomake sure they reservetickets, so they areguaranteed theirseats to enjoy what’s goingtobesome trulyexcep tional tennis.”

Reflecting on thestrong British challengeinShrewsbury, Dave added:“With theexception of Emma Raducanu,all thetop Britishplayerswill be here,which is greatnews, with this eventheldthe week before theBillieJeanKingCup Finals take placeinGlasgow.Wehavere-

cently enjoyedsome Britishsuccess at Shrewsbury tournamentsand it wouldbeniceifthatcontinues

“The qualityofthe international opposition meansit’sgoing to be much tougherthistime, butthe Britishplayers areplaying well and they aresuretoreceivelotsofsup port.Welookforward to watching them play.”

Ticket prices forthe tourna ment,which includea40-page programme,start from £7.50.

Finals Daytickets to enjoy thesingles anddoubles finals on Sunday, November6,are priced £17.50

Aday earlier, forthe semi finals on Saturday,November5,there will be aFamilyDay,which will provide many offcourt activities forjuniors, with free admissionfor under-16s accompaniedbyanadult

Atournamentpasstowatch all matchesthroughoutthe week from court-side stands is availablefor £49, with anumberofspecialhospitality events also to be held at The Shrewsbury Club

Ticketscan be purchasedonline at www.worldtennistourshrewsbury.com/tickets-and-events/#tickets

Tatjana Maria –aladies’ singles semi finalist at Wimbledon thisyear– is one ofthe starsplaying in Shropshire next week,alongside Britain’sHarrietDart

Alport enterthe FA Vaseinthe second round, having reached last season’s quarter-finals, andhave been drawnawaytoWolverhamp tonCasuals

In NorthWestCountiesLeague FirstDivision South, third-placed EllesmereRangers were 4-0 winnersatRocesterthanks to CallumGraybrook, Jordan Davies, Jack Sweeney andSteven Hole

Champion night: Rob Jones, skipperofrecord-breaking Wrockwardine Wood,receives the trophyfromHolly andMark Taylor

Charliecomes Home to lead Shropshire in 2023

STUART DUNN sports@mnamedia.co.uk

CharlieHomewilllead Shropshireinthe Na

tional Counties Cricket AssociationChampionship afterbeing appointed captain.

Home replaces SamWhitney, Shropshireskipper in thethree-day format forthe last twoyears, after he decidedtostepdownfromthe role at theend of the2022season.

All-rounderHome,23, atop or derbatterand off-spinner, made his firstteamdebut forShropshire aged 16

He previously representedShrop shire’sjunior sidesfromthe ageof nine,playing in ayeargroup which included Dillon Pennington and GeorgeHargrave, before he joined NorthamptonshireCCC’s Academy.

Home comesfroma bigcricketing familyand many of them have also represented Shropshire Hisdad,Ed, played forthe coun ty,asdid Jim, hisgrandfather. Guy, Charlie’suncle,isaformerShrop shirecaptain,whilecousinTom also playedfor theclub.

Younger brotherJackmade hisShropshire first-team debut againstCornwallin July,while Charlie’ssister, Milly, represented theShropshirewomen’s team and nowplays forWorcestershireand CentralSparks.

Newcountycaptain Homesaid: “Itwas ahonourtoreceive the phone call aboutbecomingcaptain andIwas verypleasantlysurprised.

“Havinghad numerous family membersrepresent Shropshire over theyears,tonow be askedtobe captainisanamazing honour and somethingI’m so proudof.

“Tobebrought up in afamily that’s Shropshire cricket through

andthrough,itmeans so much to me andthe wholefamily.

“Thankstothe committee forbestowingthe honouronme. Iwould also liketothank SamWhitney for hisleadershipofthe Championship side over thelasttwo years. He’s done abrilliantjob forShropshire cricket.”

Home’s studiesinqualifying to become an accountant meanthe wasnot availabletoplayfor Shropshireduringthe 2022 season,but he keptaclose eyeonresults andis nowexcited aboutleading the team

He said:“Theexams have been quitefull on,soIdidn’tplaythis

year,but I’msoeager to getback involved.Iwas keen to be involved before thecaptaincy news,soI can’t wait to play

“I’veplayedfor Shropshiresince theage of 16 andhavealso played in theBirmingham League,soI’ve playedafairamountofcricket fora 23-year-old.”

Home,who livesinNewport, added: “I’m lookingtowards anew era andanew chapterin theclub’s greathistory

“The plan is to energise theundoubted talent within thecounty andperhaps persuadeafew of the olderhands to getbackinvolved.

“I’m very heartenedbythe conversationsI’vealready hadand I’m optimistic aboutthe 2023 season within allthree formatsthatwe’re goingtoplay.

“The goal is to make it funfor everyone that playsand to entertain ourveryloyal supporters and followers.

“Ifweare entertaining them andenjoyingourselves,we’re go ingalongway towardsdoing good things.”

Home is in theShropshirerecord booksaftertaking7-52, the best bowling figuresbyany player forthe county in one-daycricket, againstWales at Oswestry in 2017 He will be playinghis club cricket in Shropshire in the2023season afterdeciding to return to Shifnal from Wolverhampton.

Home helped Wolverhampton gain promotion to theBirmingham League’s topdivisionlastseasonas PremierDivisionTwo champions ShropshirechairmanJohn Hulmesaid: “Weare delightedthat Charliehas accepted ourinvitation to captainthe side

“His return to theteamiswarmly welcomed. He will strengthen both thebatting andbowling and, likehis predecessorSam,playan importantrolein encouragingand supporting theyounger players lookingtobridge thegap between league andNationalCountiescrick et

“Still only 23, Charlieisalready an experiencedcricketer with a good insightand soundknowledge of thegame, as to be expected given hisfamily’slongplaying association andinvolvementwiththe county club

“Hehas aclear vision as to what he wantsfor both theteamand the county club goingforward andas with othersinthe past,weshall do ourverybesttosupport himand theteam.”

Dominant Dawley hitWoodfor sixtostayclear at top

Dawley Town continue to stretch theirlegsatthe topofthe Salop LeisureLeague.

They hit Wrockwardine Wood Juniors forsix on Saturday as they racked up theireighthwin from eightPremier Division matches this season

Daniel Beddows wasatthe dou blefor Dawley in their6-0 victory,whileKieranBuckley,Jordan Jones,GeorgeLeesand substitute Samuel RayRigbywerealsoon target

Church Stretton Town re main twopointsbehindDawley, having played agamemore, after thrashingsecond-bottom SAHA 7-2thanks to apairofhat-tricks from JamesHill andDeanRichards –whileAlexander Ryderwas also on target.

Hodnet arethird, butdid not play at theweekend,with Ludlow

taking thechancetomovea point behind them in fourth thanks to a4-0 successagainst bottom club

WemTown

Fifth-placed Morda United were also home winners– 3-0over St Martins–whilea five-point gap hasopenedupbetween them and sixth-placed Madeley Sports af terSportsconceded alateequaliser to Broseley

Joshua Clifford had firedMade leyahead just before half-time, only forMichael Smithtosnatch ashare of thespoilsfor Brose leytwo minutes into stoppage time

Andthere wasaseven-goal thriller between Shrewsbury Up &Comers and GobowenCeltic JamieHands andLewis Jones fired Gobowenintoa2-0 lead at half time,but Shrewsbury hadturned thematch on itsheadbythe hour

mark with threegoals in eightmin utes

DeclanJohnson gotone back,before AblaySowe’s doubleput them aheadfor the firsttime.

LewisBloor bagged afourthin the71stminute, anditwas important he didasJones grabbedone morefor Celtic to leaveUp&Com ersas4-3 winners.

Division Oneleaders WellingtonAmateursDevelopment needed twogoals in the final10 minutes from apairofsubstitutes to preventthemfrombeing held to asurprise draw by Llanymynech BenWalkerhad scored a 42nd-minuteopenerfor Welling ton, butitwas notuntil super-subs Hayden Norryand Joshua Harveynetted in the final10minutes that they finallymadethe points safe

AFCBridgnorthDevelop

ment arefourpointsbehind, but with agamein hand,afterhaving theweekend off.

Thereisthenasix-point gap back to thirdplace, whichisnow occupiedby Shrewsbury Juniors Development aftertheyedgedout bottom side Ercall ColtsJuniors Revolution 2-1thankstogoals from JamesAstleyand Archie Perkins And EllesmereRangers Reserves occupy fourth placeafter overcoming BrownClee 2-0.

■ TheShropshireSaturday ChallengeCup takescentre stage this weekend, with anumberof fix tures, includingWem Town trying to climboff thebottomwhenthey host St Martins.

AFCBridgnorth Development couldtakethe opportunitytoclose in on leadersWellingtonAmateurs DevelopmentinDivisionOne

Maddocksbeat championsto reachsummit

Thematch of thenightdid not disappoint in theBridgnorth &DistrictAmateur Snooker League as Maddocksfought back to down defendingchampionsChelmarsh Band move to thetop of thetable

Chelmarshgot offtoa fly ingstart with wins from Gary Smithand SimonThomas

Smithrecordeda34break whilecomfortably beatingTom Maxfieldand Thomas,inaclos er-foughtframe,got thebetterof JamesBrennan despiteamodest 27 breakfromthe latter

However,Maddockscame back with strong performances from Neil Pearsonand DanMor ris.

Pearson, in particular,did extremely well –knockingina breakof39and a25-pointclear ance to beat Paul Manningon the finalblack

Morris’swin over ChrisLewis wasalso aclose-run frame

However,there couldbeno doubtsabout theclosing frame wonby Paul Harper that completed theMaddocks’ turnaround.

Includinga modest 31 break by hisstandards,Harpereased past MikeRogerstoput his team back on topofthe tableby asinglepoint

Nowjoining ChelmarshB in second spot areBroseley B, who completedahard-earned yo-yo 3-2win againstWoodfield.

Pete Thompson, Mick Brezwyn andNickCarson–winners of frames one, threeand five gave Broseley theirvictory,with Dwyer Evansand JasonMorris taking thetwo even-numbered frames forWoodfield.

Also,inthe hunt forhonours arefourth-placed Chelmarsh SC,who nowtrail theleague leadersbyjustthree points af terawell-earned 4-1win overSt John’sA

Reasonably comfortablewins forCarlWalker, ChrisPetford andBeamerJones andone less so from IanPostans, whojust managedtopip KevinHawkins on theblack,was more than enough to confirm Chelmarsh’s superiorityonthe night.Josh Summerssaved St John’sfroma whitewash, convincinglybeating Matt Judd in the finalframe

St John’sBare provingtobe oneofthe surprise teams of the season,havingnow wonthree of their first five outings.

They beat Broseley A3-2 thanks to hard-foughtwinsfor Mike Crawley, JasonBrown and KevinSmith

Neil Caswellwas on song, putting Mark Worsdelltothe sword, andBrian Edwardswon acliff-hangingdeciding frame againstMarkJones to earn Broseleytwo valuable points

In theall-Alveley showdown, theresultwentverymuchasexpected –the Bteamhavingfar more in theirarsenal than theC team thanks to framewinsfrom TomWeaver, Arek Ziemkiewicz, Martin Coffey andDaveJones SteveColdecott gotone back

Charlie Home hasbeen appointed thenew Shropshire captain

WILKIN SEES THE EFFORTISTHERE

RICH WORTON sports@mnamedia.co.uk

NewAFC TelfordUnited managerKevin Wilk in knowsmuchhard work remains, butwas pleasedwithhis side’s commitment in their1-0 defeat at Scarborough.

TheBucks slippedtodeadlastin National League Norththanksto Kieran Burton’s ninth-minutewin nerand avictory forBradford(Park Avenue)overHereford.

Wilkin gave amuted response to an improvedperformance that yieldednoreward.

“We’ve gottostart picking up points,”hesaid. “There were effort levels there, whichwas positive,but certainlythe intensitythatweneed to workatand theconcentration levels whichweneedtoshow need to continue to improve

“Scarborough have probably given as much as they’vegot there today. Whetherwecan continue to getanimprovementissomething that they’vegot to go andshowover these coming weeks.”

Wilkin’s cautionand hisadher ence to theneedtominimise errors through consistent applicationiseffectivelyachallenge to hissquad to show they canmeasure up,and the managerwas unapologetic about having exacting standards.

He said:“It’s very demandingfor players to workat that consistent level, andtocontinuetostriveto improve themselves,develop themselves anddevelop as agroup

“Ittakes acertain person to be abletodothat, andhopefullythe groupisstrong enough to be able to do that andtodrive us forward.”

Wilkin leadsTelford at theNew BucksHeadfor the firsttimeon Saturday when they host Alfreton

Sloppy Tigershave toomuchtodo

Collinsisfeeling

Nathan Collins

to Leicesteras‘embarrassing’ in abrutallyhonestassessmentof theclub’sdesperate

GoalsfromYouri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes, JamesMaddison andJamie VardyleavesWolvesin real danger of slipping outofthe

on aday thefans turned on theclub’shierarchy.

Collins wasone of only four play erstoacknowledge thefansatfull time,asheraisedhis handsinapology, andthe summer signinghas nowcondemned theteam’sdisplay on adismalday at Molineux

He said:“It’s not goodenough. Endof. It’s nowherenearwhere we need to be.It’sa shambles,apoor performance. It wasembarrassing.”

Hornets beaten on ownpatch

TelfordHornets slippedtotheir second defeat in arow afterbeingbeaten32-14 at home by Stafford in rugbyunion’s Coun ties OneMidlandsWest(North). Afrantic first15minutes saw Stafford scoretwo tries, one converted, to open up a12-point lead.But Hornets’ pack then startedtogainsome control, re sultingintry forJoshBall, converted by Nathan Decalmer.

Stafford extended theirlead furtherin thesecondhalf, but thetry of thematch went to De calmer,who racedthe lengthof the field–chippingthe ball over thedefence –totouch down

Head coachTom Watkinsconceded hisTelford Tigers gave themselves toomuchofa mountain to climbin their6-5 defeatbyRaiders on Sun daynight.

TheTigersfoughtback to lose 6-5 at TelfordIce Rink,but only after aterriblesecondperiodhad seem them fall well behind

FinHowells hita hat-trickinthe defeat,while ScottMcKenzieand SamWatkins were also on target

butasloppysecondperiodsaw Ti gers concede five times.

Watkinssaid: “A disappointing middle period cost us thegame–we madesome poordecisions, we didn’t winenoughofthe keybattles andwecould have been down 8-1or more aftergivingupgrade Ascoringchances allperiod. If it wasn’t forBradDay,I’m sure we would have been

“Wecan’t lose ourway likethat

andwhenit’stough we have stick together as ateamand workbetter as agroup to getout of thosesituations

“Wehad astrong thirdperiod, butultimatelygaveourselves too much of amountaintoclimb.”

Telfordsaw CoreyGoodisonreturn to theline-up aftermissing the previous game –a6-1 victoryon a firstever visittoBristol Pitbulls on Saturday

FinHowells findsagap to scramble thepuckhome forone of histhree Tigers goals on SundayPic:Steve Brodie