Mid Wales Journal Example

Friday,April 5, 2024

DECISION ON AIR BASE IS DELAYED

Further meeting will be held,asone politician describessituation as ‘shambolic’

KARENCOMPTON

karen.compton@mnamedia.co.uk

The finaldecisionover theproposedclosure of WalesAir Ambulance’s base in Welshpoolhas beendelayed again–this time untilApril 23.

Thesituation wasdescribedas “shambolic” by onepolitician.

Adecision wasexpected at a meetingonThursday last week, when allseven of Wales’shealth boards’chief executives were dueto gettogether.

Butafter ameeting of theEmergencyAmbulance Services Committee on March 19,some health boards were not able to discussthe EmergencyMedical Retrievaland Transfer Servicereviewdue to time constraints

Andothers, such as PowysTeachingHealthBoard,wanted further information.

So insteadofameeting on Thursdaylastweektomakea finaldecision,a privatemeetingwas held with membersasked to agreethe wording of therecommendations to be madetothe localhealthboards.

Montgomeryshire’sSeneddmemberRussell George said therehad been an “appalling”lackoftransparencyoverthe process, whichhe describedas“shambolic”

The finaldecision will nowbe takenbythe newNHS WalesJoint CommissioningCommittee at a meetingheldinpubliconApril 23

Thenew committee wasestablished on Monday,replacing the jointcommittee of theEmergency AmbulanceServicesCommittee l Crucial–Page4

Sustainability projectprovedtobebrightidea

Presteigne andNortonTownCouncilhas wonasustainability award. It securedthe best sustainability initiative prizeatthe OneVoice WalesConference.

Town clerkTraceyPrice submitted thetown’sDarkSkies Project forthe award. Presteigne and Norton MayorCouncillor Beverley

Baynhamgavea presentationonit at theconference.

Shesaidthe projectaimed to introduce thelatestLED lighting and controltechnology, enhancethe night-time character, experience andhistoricarchitecture of the town,minimiselight pollution, and enable thetowntoacquireDark

SkyCommunity status.Councillor Baynhamsaid: “Weweredelighted to receivethe award, andthank themanypeopleinvolved, includingLeigh Harling-Bowen, Kerem AsfurogluofDarkSourcefor his time,expertise andhelp, andPowys County Council’shighways department.”

Pubwill

be opening up itsdoors again

Theownersofaclosedpub have announcedthey’re openingupthe doorsagain

TheFforest Inn at LlanfihangelNantMelan closed just overa year ago. Theinn hasbeenowned by Nickyand ColinWilliamsfor almost adecade. Buttheyhad to take theheart-breakingdecision to close it in February 2023 duetoescalatingenergycosts.Now they have announcedtheywill be reopeningon April26.

Nickysaid: “Weowe it to ourselves andthe building to give it anothergo.”

l Determined –Page7

Make big splash at town’s leisurecentre

Youngsters arebeing invitedto make asplashthisweekend in Rhayader

Thetowncouncil hasfunded weekendFun Splash sessionsfor theEasterholidaysatthe leisure centre

Youngsters will be able to enjoy thefun sessionstomorrow (Saturday) from 12.30pm to 1.30pm and on Sundayfrom11amtonoon, free of charge

Therewill be amaximum of 35 people persession

Formoreinformation call 01597 810355 or emailrhayader@free dom-leisure.co.uk

Motown tributeset to take to thestage

TheLegends of Motown, ahigh energy tributeshow,willbeata LlandrindodWells venue tomorrow (Saturday)

Theshowwill be at theAlbert Hall at 7.30pm

Aspokespersonsaid: “Undoubtedly thegoldenera of music, the show pays tributetothe legendary artiststhatappearedonthe Motown label.”

Ticketsare £20for adults and £16for under16s andthere is unreserved seatingsopeoplecan sit wheretheylike.

People canbookat ticketsource co.ukorcall0300102 4255. Price

Presteigne andNortonMayor CouncillorBeverleyBaynham,left, waspresented with theprestigioussustainability awardbyLyn Cadwallader, thechief executive of OneVoice Wales, watchedbytownclerk Tracey Price

Forumcouldbe resurrectedto help community, meeting is told

Agroup whichcarried outprojects in Knighton andsecured grants for workinthe town couldberesurrected

Former mayor Mark Coxill and about sevenother people arekeen to seeKnightonForum brought back to help improve thetown.

He attended atowncouncil meetingand said theforum in itsoriginalincarnation ceasedafterRoger Bright finished on thecouncil, then with othermemberspassing away or moving away,ithas been dormantfor approximatelysix or seven years.

Mr Coxill said:“It never really shut down,itjustran outofsteam.

“Johnand JuliaRoberts arethe twomembersleftfromthe original forumwho arestill keen to seethe forumstart up again.

“There arestill some fundsleftin twoHSBCaccounts, andalthough it isn’tthe main reason forreformingthe forum, themoney, which belongstoKnighton, is an extra incentive to tryagain andhopefully bringanextra source of project management andpotential funding forthe benefitofthe town in variousformats

“Itisverymuchearly days yet andhopefullywecan buildonthe memberswealready have.”

Mr Coxill said if theforum was re-established,memberswould be keen to workalongside other groups.Hesaidthe forumhas about eightmembersatthe moment anditwill trytoholda annual general meetingin thenearfutureto appointofficers andmoveiton.

Councillor Tina Sharpsaidshe felt thetowncouncil should support there-establishment of theforum Shesaid: “Itwould be good to have them working alongsideusbecausetheymay be able to getgrants that thetowncouncil can’tapply for.”She said sheand Councillor BobAndrews wouldbehappy to sit on theforum as town councilrepresentatives.Membersagreedtheir attendance.MrCoxill added: “If anyone hasspare time or apassion to help andimprove thetownand workalongside othergroupsand organisations, theywould be welcome to attend theAGM when adateis announced.”

Data revealslevelsof sewage dumpsinriver

Campaigners call formoreaction over numberofdischarges

Data hasrevealedstorm overflowsinShropshire were dumpingraw sewageintothe RiverSevernfor thousandsof hourslastyear.

Figuresfromthe Environment Agency (EA) show overflows dumped sewage into riversand seas acrossEnglandfor morethan3.6 million hoursin2023–morethan doublethe previous year

SevernTrent figuresshowthere were 440,446hours of sewage spills from monitoredstorm overflows in 2023, up from 249,116hours in 2022

In Shropshire,the data reveals some stormoverflowsdumpedsewageintothe Severnmorethan100 timeslastyear.

Oneoverflow at Greyfriars Bridge in Shrewsbury spilt128 timesin 2023, for2,467 hours.

JamesWallace,chief executiveof thecampaigngroup River Action, said:“Thescale ofthe discharges by water companiesisa finalindictmentofafailing industry.”

EnvironmentAgencydirectorof water HelenWakeham said thedata was“disappointing” but“sadlynot surprising”. “Weare pleasedtosee record investment from thewater sector,” sheadded, “but we know it will take time forthistobereflected in spill data–itisacomplex issuethatwon’t be solved overnight.”

SevernTrent said it wasinvestinginarange of initiativestoimprove riverhealthasitpointed the finger at aparticularlywet 2023

Aspokespersonfor thewater companysaidin2023, thecounty experienced 34 percentmorerain than in 2022

They added: “Our overallimpact on rivershas reduced, as ourinvestment in ourregioncontinues to do ourbit to create healthierrivers.”

Extension is openedathotel

Atown’smayor wasonhandtoopen an extensiontoa350-year-oldhistorichotel

MayorofBishop’sCastleCouncillor Josh Dicken cutthe ribbon for thegrand openingofThe Castle Hotel’sgarden room

Thehotel andpub have undergone several monthsofrenovation to producethe newfeature,which landlordHenry Hunter says wasa “spaciousand welcomingplacefor guests to relaxand enjoy drinks”.

He said:“It’s aproject we have been lookingtodofor 10 years.

“The area usedtobean outdoor, lowerpatio andwas an area where peopleusedtolingerbeforethey went up to thebar,but it wassomethingornothing.”

He said thebusinessundertook extensiveworks followingthe January shutdown to improve and widenthe stairs andaccess to its award-winninghilltopgardensin aproject that took 18 weeks. “We builtanoak timber frametocreate

ThemayorofBishop’s Castle and thetowncrier were amongthose whoattendedthe opening

amuchlargerinteriorareafor us,” said Henry.

“Wedidn’twantastuffy, quiet room wherenobodyever goes,we wanted it to be aintegralpartofthe business here.”

Theopening sawnot only the mayorbut also Bishop’s Castle’s very owntowncrier take part.

In addition,the localcontractors that workedonthe projecthelped celebrateits openingwithcomplimentarydrinks.

A‘Ludlow institution’ of thelast20 yearswill be closinginthe summer

TheChang Thai barand restaurant in Market Street hasbeen amagnetfor loversofeclecticart, greatfood andloads of events –but thebusinessowner hasdecidednot to renewthe lease.

Business ownerAdamTuttsaidit hadbeena“fantasticand agreat 20 years” buthewas feeling“exhausted”bythe 100per cent lifestyle of runningthe business

He said:“It’s saditisgoing,but things change andwedefinitely want to go dancingand high-kickingover thenextfourmonths.”

He addedthathewanted tothank hisloyal staffand customers andto invite them to have a“celebrationof thelast20years”.

Thebusinessemploys15staff andAdamsaidhewas working with them to tryto find jobopportunities forthem.

He said:“Therehas been quitea lotofupsetamongstcustomers, but theend is not untilJulyand we are notshyingawayfromkeeping the business runninguntil then

“Itisabig decision forme. Iwas 33 when Itookitonand abit more of ayoung buck then

“Torun apub likethisyou have gottobeinit100 percent, it is a lifestyle. Perhapsyounger people with more energy will take it on, butIamproud of what we have donehere.

“It’ssad butitisalso acelebration of 20 years. Iamrelievedto have thenewsout now.”

General managerMegan Lewis andowner HenryHunter in thenew garden room extension at TheCastleHotel in Bishop’s Castle

Adam Tutt of theChang Thai bar andrestaurantinLudlow

Charityisinlinefor funding boostfromclubbingevent

Runnerstakeonmarathontohelphospice

Crewscalled out to attend crash andtoassist injured walker

Emergencycrews in SouthShropshireand MidWales have been busy attendingincidents.

Clubbers will be helping outacharity when they take to thedance floor at aMid Walesevent.

The firstClublandeventatthe Strand Hall in Builth Wellswill take placeonApril 13

Theeventwill raise moneyfor the Helpingour Homeless Walescharity.

Theeventisfor allmembers of thepublicand therewill be drinks promotionsonthe barwhich will be runbyPenmaenau Bars

Thenight is beingorganised by SoundPulse Events

It will featureactsincludingnTrace,Scooter,Ultrabeat, Basshunter andDarrenStyles.

Theeveningwillbehosted by DJ SoundPulse from 7pmuntil midnight. Ticketsare £4.50for adults and£2for juniors.

They canbepurchased on the door or from theRoyal BritishLegion in LlandrindodWells.They canalso be boughtatEco Chic Flower Shop next to theStrand Hall or at theburgervan in Builth WellsnexttoJewsons

Theorganisers arelooking to host aClublandeventevery year in Builth Wells.

MEGANJONES

megan.jones@mnamedia.co.uk

Adozen athletes will be running theLondonMarathon forthe charitywhich caredfor theirlovedones in thelastfew weeksoftheir lives.

Amongthose runningfor Severn HospiceisVerityJones from Snailbeach. Shewas diagnosedwith breast cancer in 2020 –exactly a week afterher sister Maxine had been diagnosedwithovarian cancer.

Despiteroundsofchemotherapy andextensive surgeries, Maxine sadlydiedatthe ageof52.

Verity said:“Iamrunningthe London Marathon in memoryof my sister whowelostinSeptember 2022.Somanyworldschanged at this point.

“Maxinewillforever be apartof me.She wasalwayssoproud of the peopleshe hadinher life,taking time to championeverylastperson or even animal.Her heartwas ever growingand herlove endless.”

Verity is nowcancerfreeand is determined to live herlifethe best shecan –alwayswithher sister by herside. Sheadded: “I will challengemyself, never settle andcon-

tinually assessmy lifeand ensure I am living to my potential. Maxine wasmybestfriend, my confidante andmy inspiration. Shealwayshad been

“I will be forevergratefulfor the care shereceivedatSevernHospice.”

Like allthe SevernHospicerunners,Verityhas been pounding the streetsand rackingupthe miles aheadofthe iconic race

Butitisnot just theeffortthe

League of Friendsthanked forsupport

StaffatKnightonCommunity Hospital have praisedits League of Friendsgroup forgivingadonation to coverthe cost of anew sensory garden

Paving andplantershavenow been completedbycontractors andplantingin theraisedbeds is to take placeshortly PowysTeachingHealthBoard’s Christina Creemersaid: “We cannot thankour localLeagueof Friendsenough. Thanks to their donation,we’ve been able to get someone in to make atired lookingareaintoawelcoming place that will be amazingoncethe planters areinbloom.”

League of Friendstrustee Rebe Bricksaid: “Weare really pleased to be able to pass on thedonationsfrommembers of ourcommunity to improve thefacilities at Knighton hospital in this way.”

Thenew garden will be forthe useofpeoplewho arewithinthe

maternityward, usingthe five reablementbeds, living at Cottage View,and forstaff of thehospi-

talaswellaspatientsaccessing outpatientappointmentsat the hospital

Players’ show will be thereeldeal, sayorganisers

Themagic of thesilver screen will be broughttolifeinLlandrindodWells when theAlbert Hall Players putonashow They will present TheReel Dealatthe Albert Hall on Fridaynextweekand on April13at 7.30pm.Aperformance will also take placeonApril 14 at 3pm.

Aspokespersonsaid: “They will bringthe hits of themovies

to thestage in theall-newshow whichwill be afundraiserfor the theatre.The amateurstage show will includeadazzlingarray of songsfrombeloved movies “Fromclassic musicalnumbers to modern hits,the small cast of performers take audiences on acinematic journey, offeringa fun, familyshow filled with energy,emotion,and nostalgia.

“All proceeds from theproduction will go straightbackintothe Albert Hall,toensure bosses can continue theupkeepofthe theatre “Ticketsfor theshow are£6 foradults, £3 forunder 16sand thereisunreservedseatingso people cansit wheretheylike.

“Tobookticketscall0300102 4255.”

runnersput into trainingthat takesits toll,theymustalso organise fundraisers, quizzes, raffles, andballs.Their commitment to the charitywhich caresfor so many localpeoplewho arelivingwith incurableillness is outstanding, accordingtothe charity’scommunity fundraiserPhil Haigh.

He said:“Ourmarathonrunners aresuperb.The care we provideis foreveryoneand we arethere at momentsofheartbreak, when peopleare facing thebiggeststruggles in theirlives.

“Wenever expect anything in return,sowhenpeoplesay they want to thankusfor thecarewegaveto theirloved ones,wefeelincredibly humbled.

“Totakeonthe London Marathonisnomeanfeat– in fact, many people don’trealise it is not just therunningthatisneeded;it’s thementalpreparation,the commitmenttotrainingeveryday no matter theweather or familyand workdemands,fundraising andthe logisticsofjugglingitwitheveryday life.”

To read more about allofSevern Hospice’sLondonMarathonrunners,visit bit.ly/SHMarathon2024

A fire crew wascalledtoacrash on theA49 at Main Road, Dorrington, at around 7.30amonMonday, theShropshireFireand Rescue Servicesaid.

One fire engine wassenttothe scenefromChurch Stretton.

TheAA’strafficwebsite wasnot reportingroadclosuresinthe area Meanwhile, amountainrescue team wascalledintoactiononFridaylastweek.

A70-year-old woman was winchedtosafetybyhelicopterand takentohospitalaftersuffering multipleinjuriesfromfalling 150 metresinthe BreconBeacons

TheBreconMountainRescue Team wascalledtoassistthe CentralBeacons Mountain Rescue Team with thecasualtywho had fallen offthe Neaudd ridge

Thewoman wastreated on scene by casualtycarersand duetothe injuries sustained,Maritimeand Coastguard Agency Rescue 187was called to assist

Aspokespersonfor Brecon Mountain Rescue said:“They dida fantastic winch, saving us alengthy carry-out.

“Also abig thankyou to thefell runner whomanaged to gettothe casualtyand supportthemuntil help arrived.

“Wewishthe casualtyall thebest in theirrecovery.”

Verity Joneswill be taking on this year’s London Marathon

Rebe Brick, left,with the health board’sChristina Creemer

Police federation warnseffortto recruitofficers is beingundone

Shropshire’spolicefederationsays thehardworkofrecruitingthousandsofnew officers is beingundone by aretention crisis

West Mercia Police Federation chairSteve Butler hasurged the Governmenttoimprove police pay andconditions, as newresearchrevealsmorethanone in five officers plan to quit theservice

ThePoliceFederationofEngland andWales’s (PFEW) annual pay andmoralesurveyfound that 22 percentofpoliceofficers areplanning to leave. Of those, 85 percent said moralewas acontributingfactorinwantingtoleave.

Poor treatment from theGovernment –78per cent,their mental health andwellbeing –73per cent, andpay –70per cent,werealso key factors. ThePFEWalso reported that 9,000 officers resignedin the year ending March 2023, thehighestnumberofleaversina financial year sincecomparable recordsbegan. Mr Butler said thesituation meansthe worktoincreaseofficer numbersisbeing undone

West Mercia Police announced last year that it had2,494 officers –the highestnumberinits history, andan increase of 508since 2016 Mr Butler said:“With theupliftin police officers, Iwas hoping to seea bigshift in thenumbers of officers andthe impact of that

“However,whilewe’ve recruited peopletopolicing, we’relosing new andexperienced officers becauseof poor payand morale. Allofthe time andinvestmentinthe upliftprogramme is goingtowaste

“It’sreallydisappointingtohear peoplewanttoleave policing,but it’s notsurprising.

“A decade of cuts, theerosion of payand conditions, beingusedas politicalfootball, it allservestoundermine officers andhit morale

“The Governmentcould helpimprove morale tomorrow with afair paysettlement.

“Butmorethanthat, we need a newmechanism that decidesonpolice payfor thelongterm.

“The currentsystemisunjust andunfairand prevents us from effectivelynegotiating on behalf of members. We need to seek otheroptionstohavethe Governmentlisten to us, whichiswhy PFEW is looking into ballotingmembers on whether they want to seek greaterindustrial rights in theformofcollective bargainingand bindingarbitration in relation to payand conditions.”

ThePFEWpay andmoralesurveyfound that 85 percentofrespondents feel they arenot fairly paid giventhe hazardstheyface within theirjob,upfrom78per cent in 2018.Itcomeswith15per cent reportingtheyhad suffered oneor more injuries that required medical attentionbecause of work-related violence in thelastyear.

Morethanthree quarters, 78 percentofpoliceofficers, disclosed they are‘dissatisfied’or‘very dissatisfied’withtheir overall remuneration –including basicpay andallowances, while18per cent reported ‘never’ or ‘almostnever’ having enough moneytocover all theiressentials.

Just afew places left as walkers step uptotakepartinspringfestival

Thereare justafew places remaininginthisyear’sKington Walks Spring Festival

Thefestivalstartsonthe evening of April19and continuesuntil April21.

As well as walks, thepopular quiz nightwill return on April20 at theSwanHotel at 7.30pm and thereare spaces availablefor it Thereisjustone placelefton

KingtonMillsand Weirswhich takesplace on theSaturdayand is only threemiles andstartsat1pm LedbySheilaHardwickittakes in thesites of eightmills which served variousindustriesincluding corn milling, woollencloth making, iron foundry, tanning, threshing andpumping water.

Thereare 10 places left on the Sunday’sHergestCroft Gardens

in Flower walk.Itisathree-mile ramble ledbyRowan Griffith and it costs£8.50 includingentry to the gardens.

TheVictoriaCrossMemorial Trailhas 12 places left.Itisa fivemilewalkled by KevinRobinson, created to commemoratethe lifeof AllanLeonard LewisVC, whoperformed extraordinaryactsofcourageinthe closing weeksofthe war

andwas killed on theSeptember 21,1918. This circular trailbegins at theBoatInn andlinks significant locationswithinthe parishes of WhitneyonWye andBrilley Viewsduringthe walk include theRiver Wye, theBlack Mountainsand Radnorshirehills. It costs£7. Formoreinformation and to book walks, visitkingtonwalks. org

Future of 999 base up in the airascrucial decision delayed

DOMINICROBERTSON ChiefReporter

Adecisiononwhether aWales AirAmbulance base in MidWales should closehas beendelayed.

Theproposaltoclose thebasein Welshpoolhas sparked concerns in Powysand in SouthShropshire.

Campaignersand councillorsfear theclosure will mean crewswill take longer to reachemergencies in thearea.

WalesAir Ambulancebosses have proposed closing theWelshpool base andanother base in Caernarfon andmovingthe services to a newbasein NorthWales

A finaldecision wasexpected on theproposal on Thursday last week,withthe EmergencyAmbulanceServicesCommittee (EASC) meetingtodiscussthe plan

Butthatmeetingtookplacein secret so detailsofthe discussions were notavailable to thepublic.

However,ithas been revealed that no decision wasmade– andthe finaldecision will nowbepassedto anothercommittee on April23, the NHSWales Joint Commissioning Committee(JCC)

Theissue hasbeenhugelycontroversial forthe people of MidWales, whohavespokenofalossofconfidenceinthe processafter three rounds of consultation didnothing to alterthe recommendation to close theairbase at Welshpool’sairport

An update posted by theEASC provided thereasons behind the delayinthe decision,revealing that some of Wales’shealthboardswantedmoreinformation about recommendations

It said an updated versionwould now be provided to health boards, who“will be required to consider these recommendations at ameetingheldinpublic”

TheEASCadded: “The final decision will then be takenbythe newNHS WalesJoint CommissioningCommittee andwill of course be discussedata meetingheldin public. That decision in turn will depend upon theresponsesfrom health boards.”

Speaking as thelatestdevelopmentsunfolded, Montgomeryshire’s ConservativeSeneddmemberRussell George said therehad beenan “appalling”lackoftransparency overthe process, whichhedescribed

as “shambolic”.Hesaid: “Eversince theplanstoclose Welshpool’sbase were haphazardlyleakedout in August 2022,the ensuingconsultation andprocess hasbeenjustsopoor.

“Thisisanissue of such importance to thepeopleofMid and NorthWales,the lackofinformation andtransparencyisappalling

“There is no strong case that has been presented to closethe Welshpoolbase, andnocasefor change.”

At ameetinglastweek, Powys Teaching Health Boardasked for more informationabout howthe county canretainits road response if Welshpool’sair ambulancebase shuts.

Membersscrutinisedthe reports from theChief AmbulanceServices Commissioner StephenHarrhy and discussedthe proposals in detail

Afterthe boardmeeting,the chiefexecutive of PowysTeachingHealthBoard Hayley Thomas said:“Boardmembers restated our shared strategicgoaltoreduceunmetneed,reaffirmed thevalue and importance of thepartnership betweenEMRTS andthe WalesAir AmbulanceCharity,and agreed the need to providestability anddirection forstaff,the charityand the public, followingaprolonged period of uncertainty.

“The boardalso acknowledged thestrengthoffeeling from the people of Walesincluding here in Powys.

“Following conscientious consid-

erationofthe report andappendices, theboard agreed that further informationisneeded before decisionsare made on thenextsteps.”

Theboard called forfurther work on proposals fora bespokeroadbasedenhancedand/orcriticalcare serviceinrural andremoteareas andfor furtherworktobeundertakenbythe WalesAir Ambulance charityinscoping an appropriately located base in NorthWales

Membersalso noted that further workisbeing undertakentoprovide assurance in relation to issues raisedbyLlais, the body giving Welshpatientsavoice on health services

Memberssaidthe situationwas fast moving andchangingatafast pace

Meanwhile, ajoint letter was signed by anumberofWelsh MPs andSeneddMembersconcerned aboutthe potentialclosure of the Welshpoolbase, includingMontgomeryshireMSRussell George, Powys’sConservativeMPs Craig Williamsand FayJones,and Plaid Cymru’sCeredigionMPBen Lake

Theletterraisedanumberof concerns, includingpointingtothe “vague anduntested” nature of the resourcesbeing used to help areas that wouldbeworse offifthe bases closedand thegreater risk of 50 per cent of thehelicopters beingunavailable in badweather

In another letter,Plaid Cymru said it believed liveswill be putat

risk if planstoclose the base were carriedout andtheycalledon Welshsingers andsportsstars to protectthe bases from closure.

As well as sendingittoSir Bryn Terfel,tenor Rhys Meirionand paralympic cyclistSimon Richardson, theopenletterwas also addressedtoWales rugbystarJames Hook,along-standing airambulancesupporter

Thelettersaid: “The intention to move thehelicopters from Caernarfon andWelshpoolgoesagainst thewishesofthousands of ourconstituents, theverypeoplewho have contributedsogenerouslytosupport thecharity overthe years, and whocontinuetofundthe lifesaving servicethrough fundraisingevents, monthlydonations, andlegaciesin wills.

“Webelieve liveswill be putat risk if theseplans areimplemented “Inadditiontothe widespread publicopposition to this proposal,wehavealso seen communication from frontlineEMRTS clinicians whotellusthatmostoftheir frontlinecolleaguesworking from Welshpooland Caernarfon feel the proposed changesare agrave mistake.

“The viewsofthese frontline medicalstaff must be heeded.

“The uncertaintyand publicanxiety broughtabout by this proposal hascreated significant ill feeling andweare very concernedabout thelong-term effect this will have on thegood relationship that has existedbetween thepublicand the charityoverthe years.”

As well as questioningthe decision to closethe base,the Plaid Cymruletteralsocriticises theconsultationprocess andthe data used to reachthe decision

It adds:“Thereare seriousquestionstobeasked about thetransparencyofthe consultation process.

“Webelieve that theseissues alone arereasonenoughtopreventthe processfromgoing astep further. Consideringsome of the questionsabout thedatabeing used as abasis forthe proposal, it is not unreasonable forpeopletohaveseriousconcernsthatwewill have a significantly inferior serviceifthe Caernarfonand Welshpoolsites are closed.

“Westill have not been provided with compelling evidencethat wouldconvinceusthatthiswon’t lead to apoorerservice.Webelieve that liveswill be putat risk if these plansare implemented.”

Former rugby player tackling leak problems

DOMINIC ROBERTSON newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

Aformeramateur rugbyplayeris tackling newkinds of problems–workingasa‘leak spotter’ forthe region’s watercompany.

Gareth Edwards, 42,was born in Ludlow andenjoyeda successfulamateur rugbycareer, playingfor Ludlow RFCalong with Worcesterand also Droitwich RFC.

Butnow Gareth is working forSevernTrent across theregionto find leaksinthe company’snetwork Gareth, namedafterthe Welshrugby legend,has reported more than 330leaks sincelastApril.The informationgoes to thecompany’s repair teams who head outand fixthem.

Thefather-of-one uses atraditional ‘listening stick’ to detect thetell-tale soundofescapingwater on theunderground pipe network, accessed through boundary boxesdottedacrosspavements andin roads.

Data andelectronicacousticdevices,including correlators, areother devicesinhis armoury.

“You can’tsee theunderground leaks, butyou can definitely hear them,” said Gareth, whoseofficialtitleiswater networktechnician

“Finding them is alittlelikebeing adetective. We use water flow data to identify asuspected leak in a District MeteredArea(DMA) andyou cannarrow down your search with thelistening stick, before usingthe correlatorsto find theexact spot

“Inthe daytimeyou canpickupnoise from road trafficand residential water usage– like flushing toiletsand using washingmachines. So working at 2amissometimesthe best option,particularlyin busy areaslikeacity.”

Gareth joined SevernTrent some 18 months ago, having previously runhis ownbusinessreading commercialwater meters

Before that he hadbeena paintsprayer of fire trucks–ajob that took himtoBotswanatohelprenovatethatcountry’s emergency fleetofvehicles. He said:“Becoming awater networktechnician wasthe perfectjob forme. Ilovebeing outdoors and this jobinvolvesa lotofwalking –Ican cover up to 20,000 stepsaday

“And thereishugesatisfactionwithevery leak recorded.Theymay notbethe biggest leaks, buteach onefound andrepairedreduces theriskofa bigleak –and that’s greatfor customers.”

Gareth’s healthycompetitive nature hasseenhim currentlycompeting forthe most successfulleak spotteracrossthe wholeSevernTrent region –with only one personahead of himinthe company.

“I am competitive, it must come from my rugby playingdays,”helaughed

Mayorgives outawarning to gold hunters

Much Wenlock’smayorhas brandedthe behaviourofgoldhunters whohaveturnedup followingarecentdiscoveryinthe ShropshireHills as “unacceptable”after they were founddigging up alocal beauty spot Metaldetectoristswereordered to leave arecreationgroundinthe town afterthey were discovered diggingholes inasearch forprecious finds.

It followsthe discoveryofagoldnugget inanunknown location in theareareported last month.

RichardBrock,67, from Somerset, discovered a64.8 gramme nuggetonfarmland in WenlockEdge.

The find,named ‘Hiro’sNugget’,isset

to fetchatleast £30,000 at auction as it is believed to be thebiggest find of itskindon Englishsoil.

However,following the record find,the mayor of Much Wenlockhas said they have hadtoorder detectoristsoff GaskellFields recreation ground,which is the recently designated nature reserveonWindmill Hill,aftertheywerecaughtdigging holes.

Andhehas warned othergoldhunters that thepolicewill be called if they are foundusing metaldetectors withoutpermission.

Councillor DavidFeniwicksaid: “Any visitor to Much Wenlockiswelcome to enjoy what ourbeautiful medieval town hasto

offer. Butasfar as metaldetectoristsare concerned, Iwould suggestthattheyshould be membersofbona fide clubsand have the necessarypermissionsfromlandownersbefore starting anysearch

“Wehavehad to asktwo young mento leavebecause they have been caught digging holesinour GaskellFieldsrecreation ground,and on ourrecentlydesignatednature reserveonWindmill Hill, andleaving theholes open andnot filled back in again.

“VeryunacceptablebehaviourI’m sure you will agree, despitenotices saying metal detecting is notallowed

“Iftheyare caught againthe police will be called.”

Former rugbyplayerGarethEdwards,42, is nowa leak finder for water firm Severn Trent

Brickissue will delaythe repair of market hall

Repairstoone of Kington’smost iconic buildingsmay take some time –because some specialist bricks needed aremissing.

Adriver collidedwithThe Market Hall in November, leavingdamagetothe corner of thebuilding.

Town clerkLiz Kelso told ameetingthatalthoughthe bricks that were damagedhavebeenrepaired andreturnedtothe site,someof thespecialist bricks that areneeded aremissing

Shesaidtheywould have to be reformed anditmay take longerthan washoped anditwill probably cost more too.

Meanwhile, awhite framearound theone side of theCoach House on Mill Streetwas putinplacetopreventrooftiles from falling on Place De Marine users, Herefordshire Councilhas said It said theframe will remain in placewhilecapital fundingis sought to repair theroofand it is thoughtthismay take some time

Ms Kelso also confirmed there hasbeennoprogressonthe proposal forthe town counciltoenter into alicence to occupy theMarket Hall building,which wouldincorporate authoritytomanagelettingsofthe space.She confirmed shewould be willing to actasa bookingagent for theHerefordshire Councilbuilding.

Arequest hasalso been made to HerefordshireCouncil forthe glass roof at thePlace De Marinestobe cleaned.

Soft play site on themarket for£70,000

Afamily-runsoftplaycentre with an AliceinWonderland themehas been putupfor sale sixyears afteritwas setup.

MadHatters hasentertained children up to theage of 12 sinceitopenedin2018atMynd Industrial Estate in Church Stretton

Thebusinessisnow on the market for£70,000 with agents, Goodwins Business BrokersLtd of Rotherham.

Thelisting says:“Thebusiness hasauniqueofferingof monthlymemberships, which provideconsistentongoing revenue, whilst providingaddedvalue to theloyal customer base

“Additionally, thereisdrama andworkout workshops being held onsite by aworking partner.

“The centre isideally placed as ahub forfriends andfamilies to meet whilechildrenare fully entertainedina cleanand safe environment.”

Theagentssay othercomplementaryoffersinclude naming ceremonies, baby showers, after hoursrentalfor exercise classes andfamilygatherings.

MadHatters currentlyemploysninepart-time staffalongside thecurrent owner.

Thelisting canbefound at rightmove.co.uk

Smoothie idea fordogswinsoverDragons

Ahusband andwifeteamofentrepreneurs wasoffered a£50,000 investmentfor itspet drinks business on theBBC’sDragons’Den Ianand Louise Toal,fromMuch Wenlock, securedan investmentfor theirrange of smoothie drinks for dogs on last week’s episodeofthe show

Thepairwereoffered £50,000 for a35per cent shareoftheir company by fashionretailentrepreneur, investor,and realitytelevisionpersonality Touker Suleyman

‘FurrBoost’cameabout after Louise’s belovedBeagle, Phoebe,

MEGANJONES megan.jones@mnamedia.co.uk

became unwell with bladderproblems when shewas 18 monthsold

Usingher technicalfood background,Louise started experimentingwithprotein shakes to help flushout Phoebe’s system andto provideher with thehydration that sheneededwhenshe wasrefusing to drinkenoughwater,particularly in thesummer months

Thecoupletoldthe panelthat each of therecipescontainsreal

meat,fruitsand vegetables,along with addedoilsand vitamins, to supportthe dog’swellbeing in areas such as digestion,skinand coat, anxiety, metabolism andimmunity. Thedrinks canbeservedstraight from thecartonorfrozenas an icy treat andare availableinseven tastyvarieties

Commenting on theirtimeinthe Dragons’ Den, Louise said:“It was pretty nerve-wracking having to presentour business to theDragons andtheycertainly putusthrough ourpaces, butweweredelighted with theoutcome.”

Opportunity to enjoythe magic of marmalade at competition

If marmaladeisyourthing,itis time to getcooking

ForKington’s firstmarmalade competition, whichwill coincide with MarmaladeWeek, takes place on April13.

Thosewiththe best preservewill have thechancetobecome The ChampionMarmaladeMaker from Herefordshireand theMarches,organisers said

Thewinner will winafreeentry to theDalemainWorld Marmalade Awards in 2025,kindlygiven by the judge

People cangoalong andtaste or even entertheir ownmarmalade at theeventbefore10am.

Theevent will be held at theOxford Arms

Theentry feeis£2.50,withproceedsgoing to Macmillan Cancer Research

Theevent is beingorganisedby KingtonChamber of Tradewith FestiveFood from theBorders

Vice chairman of thechamber of tradeGarethClark said:“Come andhelpmakethis firstmarmalade competitionasuccess

“Ifyourmarmalade is thebestin show,you couldget free entryinto theDalemainWorld Marmalade Awards.”

Judgingwill take placefrom 1.30pm

Prize-giving will be at 2.30pm, with some excellentprizesfor the best in classfor homemade and commercialmarmalades

Applicationforms andinformation is availablefromMrClark at Bees Knees or Pamatthe Grapevine,oremail info@beesknees. co.uk.

Drive-thru Costa earmarked as petrol stationproject fails

Adrive-thru coffee shop couldbebuilt next to a supermarketinstead of apetrolstation afterno fuel companieswereinterested in thesite.

BlackfriarsDevelopmentshas appliedtoShropshireCouncilfor permission to buildadrive-thru Costa Coffee next to theRocks GreenSainsbury’s on theoutskirts of Ludlow

In 2017,plannersgranted approval forthe supermarket anda filling station. But, aplanningstatement from WSP, on behalf of Blackfriars Developments, hasconfirmed the owners nowwanttoreplace thepetrolstation with acoffeeshop. They said therehas been no interest in taking thesiteonasa petrolstation

Thestatement says:“Sincethe openingofthe Sainsbury’sthere hasnot been anydemandfor apetrol filling stationinthislocation.

DOMINIC ROBERTSON ChiefReporter

“Thismightbebecause of the openingofthe Applegreenpetrol fillingstation afew yearsago at BroomfieldRoad.

“The lackofinterestinthe petrol fillingstation hasled to theparcel of land beingunderutilised.

“The site’s strategiclocation offthe A49, andadjacenttothe Sainsbury’s foodstore, represents an opportunityfor theapplicant to developthe site as adrive-thrufacility whichwill serveSainsbury’s shoppers andpass-by traffic, as well as localresidents andstimulate economicdevelopment in Ludlow

“The applicanthas securedcommitments from well-known coffee shop retailer CostaCoffeetooccupy theClass Eunitwithdrive-thru facility andiskeentoensurethat theinterestinoccupying the unit is fulfilled

“The newcoffeeshopunitwill

be locatedtothe east of theSainsbury’s foodstore, replacingthe approvedpetrol filling station.”

Theproposalsaysthe construction wouldtakearound10months, andwould include30parking spaces –two of whichwill be disabled spacesand twowill be electric vehiclechargingpoints.

Theapplication site will be accessed from thetwo existing access points offDuncowRoad.

WSPsay theplanwould create around 15 jobs and£250,000 ayear forthe localeconomy

Theplanningstatement also seekstopersuadethe council that theproposalwould have no impact on tradersin Ludlow

It states:“Town centre sit-in and walk-incoffeeshops fulfiladifferentfood andbeveragemission to a facility such as this, with drive-thru facilities.Drive-thrus servepeople‘on-the-go’,provide immediacy Thereisno realisticprospect of a user of acoffeeshopinLudlow de-

ciding insteadtovisit RocksGreen It is anticipatedthatmuchofthe coffee shop’s tradewill come from visitors of theadjacentSainsbury’s foodstore, in much thesameway that visitors to TescoinLudlow visit thein-house CostaCoffeethere

“There is currentlynocaféconcessionwithinthe Sainsbury’sand so thenew coffee shop drive-thru will be welcomedand providea food andbeverageoffer forshoppersand employeesofSainsbury’s

“There will also be significant pass-bytradefromdrivers using theA49,who wish to have abreak from driving. In short, thedevelopment of acoffeeshopat Rocks Green, will have anegligibleimpact on Ludlow town centre.”

Ludlow Councillor Andy Boddingtonsaidsomethingneeded to be done with thevacantsite. He addedthatwhilesome wouldbeconcerned abouttraffic, acoffeeshopis likelytoresultinfewer movements than apetrolstation

Ian andLouise Toal securedaninvestment for theirrange of smoothiesfor dogsonthe BBC’sDragons’ Den

Historic pubtoreopen doorsasownersdeterminedto‘give it anothergo’

Ahistoricpub will reopen at the endofApril,after closingjustover ayearago TheFforest Inn at Llanfihangel Nant Melandates back to the16th centuryand is thoughttobeone of Wales’soldestpubs.

It is also associatedwithaninfamous MidWales murder andwas even thesetting of a1940s murder mystery. Theinn hasbeenowned

by Nickyand ColinWilliamsfor almost adecade.

Buttheyhad to take the heart-breaking decision to close it in February 2023 duetoescalating energy costs. Nowtheyhaveannounced they will be reopeningon April26.

Nickysaid: “We’re very nervous about it as theworld haschanged, butweenjoy it so much,and invest-

ed allofour love andemotion into this placefor almost 10 years. We oweittoourselves andthe building to give it anothergo.”

Thepub is also recruiting andis on thesearch forakitchen assistant

TheFforest Inn datesbackto 1548 andispossiblythe highestpub in Powys.

Thepub wasthe settingfor a

1946 novelbyHLV Fletcher called TheForestInn

Thevenue is associatedwiththe murder of ‘Silver’JohnLloyd,alocalsheep farmer,whose body was said to have been discoveredina nearby lake

Anyone interested in thekitchen assistantroleorbooking tables should call 01544350526oremail info@thefforest.co.uk

MP praisesthe progress on movestopromote UK’s food

Acampaigntopromote Britishfood is enjoying continuing success,LudlowMPPhilip Dunne hassaid.

Mr Dunneand 125other cross-partyMPs signed an open letter calling on supermarketsto highlightthe verybestofUKproduce by creating a‘BuyBritish’ section online Waitroseand Co-ophavebecome thelatestsupermarketstolaunch British-only sections on theirwebsites to make it easier for consumerstobuy homegrownproduce Morrisons, Aldi,Sainsbury’s and Ocadohaveall launched online sectionscollating allBritish-sourced food anddrink sinceMrDunne andother MPspublished theopen letter.MrDunnesaid: “It’sgreat to seemomentum building in this campaign,withtwo more supermarketssupportingour campaign fora‘BuyBritish’buttononline, bringing thetotal to sixmajor national supermarkets.

“Consumers want to be able to back Britishfarming,and Icommend Waitroseand Co-opfor makingiteasierfor them to do so when shoppingonline.Thiswas atimely announcement as it coincided with apoint ImadeinParliamentwelcoming thegovernment’s positive action to encourageBritish consumers to buyBritish food.”

Housingassociation celebrates anniversary

TheWrekinHousing Group, which provides affordable homesacross Shropshire, hasmarkedits 25th anniversary.

It wasformedafter alandmark transferofhousing stockfrom Telford& Wrekin Council. At the time,thiswas thelargesttransfer of itskindinthe UK Today, theorganisation provides affordable homesfor 28,000 people acrossTelford andWrekin, Shrop-

RICHARD

richard.williams@mnamedia.co.uk

shireand Staffordshire, andemploysmorethan1,000 membersof staff.

Groupchief executiveWayne Gethings said:“This is afantastic occasion forWrekin, forour staff andcustomers “Wemakea difference topeople’s

liveseveryday.Soit’simportant to reflectondaysliketoday andthink abouteverything we have achieved –including more than 1.2million repairscarried out, almost 6,000 newhomesbuiltand threequarters of abillion pounds invested over 25 years.”

Themilestone anniversary was marked with acelebration event formembersofstaff whojoinedin 1999

Status successmeans newnamefor 999 service

TheWelsh AmbulanceService has been awardedprestigious university truststatus–and nowhas anew name

Thesought-afterstatushas been grantedbythe WelshGovernment in recognitionofthe trust’scommitmenttodevelop itscurrent and future workforceand to “drive research andinnovation”

With effect from Monday this week,the WelshAmbulance ServicesNHS Trust’s(WAST)new name is theWelsh AmbulanceServicesUniversityNHS Trust.

Chiefexecutive JasonKillens said:“We’redelighted to have se-

cureduniversity truststatus, but this is much more than just aname change “It’san exciting opportunityto formally recognise theroleweplay inthe educationand development of ambulanceworkers andthe world classresearchweundertake to improve public health andadvance treatmentsinthe NHS, making a difference to people’s lives.”

Jo Kelso,the trust’sheadof workforce educationand development,said: “Weare committed to ensuring colleagues have thevery best educationand development opportunities, andour partnership

Rulesharming tourismsector says politician

Apoliticianhas voiced concerns aboutwhatcontroversial legislation will mean to theMid Walestourism sector.

Speaking as theregiongeared up forthe main touristseason, Brecon andRadnorshire Senedd Member JamesEvans said hewas worried occupancy ruleswill harm tourism.

TheConservativepolitician said self-cateringholiday providers have been hitwithWelsh Labour legislationthatmeans they nowhavetoachieve 182dayoccupancy ratestoqualify fornon-domestic rate relief

He said failuretomeetthese ratesmeans many businesses arebeing putintocouncil tax, andasthe homes arebusinesses andnot owneroccupied, they are beinghit with thesecond-home council taxpremiums.

Mr Evanssaid: “The changes broughtinbyWelsh Government arehurtingthe tourism sector with many business ownerssayingtheyare no longer viable andclosing forgood

“Whether it is the new182dayoccupancy ruling,the new fire regulations, recycling waste regulations, or theimpending tourismtax,all of thesemeasures areincreasingcosts to businesses at atimewhenthey arestrugglingtomakea living.”

Councillor gives view on finances of county council

HerefordshireCouncil is notina situationwhere it couldbecome insolvent, acountycouncillor has said

KingtonCountyCouncillor Terry Jamessaidbudgetsatthe council were very tight andthe next year will be “difficult”.

Buthesaid: “Weare nottalking aboutinsolvency like some councils.”

He said in setting this year’s counciltax increase at 4.99 per cent,which comprisesa2.99per cent increase in core council tax andatwo percentadult socialcare precept,membershad managed to stop an increase in carparking chargesand thereduction in library hours.

with universities is keytothis. Hundreds of colleagues across the organisation,ineveryareaofthe service, have been supported to expand theircapabilities andknowledge throughthe many andvarious career pathways in place.

“That’snot to mentionthe plethora of clinical colleagues that have been supported to develop theirskills– currently, more than 250studentparamedicsare being trained with more than 100more abouttoenter full-timestudy

“Securinguniversity truststatus will only servetostrengthen our linkswithuniversities in Wales.”

He said thesavings that would have been made were not worth theinconveniencecausedtothe counciland thesuffering caused to residents.But he said Hereford city was“lookingpoor” with lots of emptyshops, although Kingtonis doingbetter. Councillor Jamessaid: “There seemstohavebeenavendetta againstdriversand cars in recent yearsand that hastoend or it will kill Hereford soon andthe market towns.”Kington Town Councillor BobWiddowson said it hadcost him£8inparking to attend aservice at thecathedral recently Councillor Jamessaidpeople were just notabletoaffordthatand so will stop goingintothe city and market towns.

WILLIAMS

JOYCEWATSON

Ihopeyou andyourloved ones hadapeacefulEaster.

Last month VaughanGething became leaderofWelsh Labour andour newFirst Minister of Wales, followingMarkDrakeford’s decision to standdown.

Vaughanhas reshuffled hiscabinet andhas exciting plansto buildWales’s future

This month marks25years sincethe introductionofthe National MinimumWage, one of thegreatestachievements of thelastLabour Government.

Theminimum hourly rate has nowrisento2/3 of median wages,but thereisstill much to be done to tackle poverty andinequality.

After five yearsofconsulting with farmersand otherpartners,weare approachingadecision on thefutureSustainable FarmingScheme. This replaces theEUfunding supportmechanism whichended when we left theEU. HuwIrranca-Davies hasbeenappointed as thenew minister forClimate Change andRural Affairs, andIam lookingforward to working with himonthisand on otherchallenges

Midand West WalesFireand Rescue Serviceisholding an independentreviewintoits workplaceculture,along with the otherWelsh services.

This followsshockingfailings at theSouth Walesforce andreported bullying andharassment in theNorth Walesforce.Ihope this review helpsthe serviceofferan excellentservice to both staffand thepublic.

Arecentopinion poll showsthe Tories wipedout of Walesatthe next GeneralElection, with Labour beingthe only partywhich canbeatthe Conservatives in thenew seat of Brecon,Radnor andCwm Tawe.

Ican testifythatLabour’sMatthew Dorrance wouldworkas hard forthe people of theconstituencyashedoesfor hisward andfor Powys.

Of course,the only voteswhich countwillbethe oneswhich you cast at theGeneral Election, whenever thePrime Minister decidestoholdit.

Finally, thePoliceand Crime Commissioner electionstake placeonThursdayMay 2, and do remember that youmustnow take photo ID when youvote.

City is butt of joke for Clue’s rib-poking crew

REVIEW:I’M SORRY IHAVEN’TACLUE

Mark Drew at Wolverhampton’s GrandTheatre

“Wolverhampton has wonthe Englishheritagemostbeautiful city awardnot once,not twice, not threetimes... notatall.”

So started anightoffrivolity and rib-poking at theGrand Theatre, courtesy of theteambehindRadio 4’siconicshow I’mSorry IHaven’t AClue.

Thehostcitytooka battering, as is thetradition, andwas described by host Jack Dee as “one wrong junction offthe M6” –althoughDee gothis comeuppancewhenhe pronouncedWightwickwrong,tohowls of derisionfromthe audience

Followingeleven sell-out tours from 2007,the multiaward-winning antidotetopanel gameshas been on tour,endingat theGrand Theatre in frontofapackedhouse of adoringfans, averageage just below60.

Notmanyepisodes of theiconic show arerecordedeachyear, so the chance to experience thesilliness hastobecherished

Sinceits inceptionin1972, the show hasseenits success blossom from theimpishson of ‘I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again’ to thebig daddy of allpanel games. Theformatof thegameisverysimple: four playersare given sillythingstodoby Dee,withColin Sell setting some of them to music.

Theshowwas firstbroadcast on April111972and the firstepisode featured regulars TimBrooke-Taylor,Graeme Garden,Bill Oddie andJoKendall.Jazztrumpeter

Humphrey Lytteltonwas appointed chairman,and with thepanellists establishedapattern of daft humour andbad puns thatwon acult followingand several majorradio awards

When BarryCryer andWillieRushton joined Garden and Brooke-Taylor as regulars, I’mSorry IHaven’t aCluedeveloped its owndistinctidentity.Lyttelton’s deadpanstyle provided abrilliant contrast to theidiocyofthe panellists–a stylethatsuits modern-day host Jack Dee perfectly.

This time therewas no recording taking place, although theformat at theGrand wasexactly likethe show.Insteaditwas a‘greatesthits’ presentation, sourcing thevery finestmaterialfromClue’senormous archives (ably, we were told,retrievedbySamanthaand hertwo kindly archivistfriends).

Allthe favouriteswerethere from theradio show and, without theshacklesofa half-hoursloton Radio4,itcould enjoy thechance to breatheoveraglorious twohours and20minutes.And it couldbe much,muchsmuttier Dee wasjoinedbypianist Colin

Sell,who silently became thebutt of many of thejokes as he provided musicfor OneSongtothe Tune of Anotheramongst othergames Rory Bremner, Tony Hawkes, PippaEvans andMarcusBrigstocke drove thejokes on relentlessly,and took part in aglorious improvised musicalonthe subjectofthe Crooked House.Brigstockeput on acreditable BlackCountry accent and Bremnertookonthe role of DonaldTrump,who enteredpromising fundingtorebuild thestrickenpub, on conditionitisnamed afterhim (“Crookedas ****”). Theaudience, whowereallowed

PHILIP DUNNE

This week,weenter thenew taxyear, andwithitanumber of taxand welfarechanges take effect whichwill help people acrossSouth Shropshire with thecostofliving. The2pcut in National Insurance, announced by theChancellor in theBudget last month,sees themainrate of employeeNationalInsurance fall from 10%to8%. Combined with theprevious2pcut which came into effect in January, this will save theaverage worker over £900 ayear. It also setsa cleardirection of travelfor lower personal taxation

In awelcome boostfor thelowestpaid, thisweekalso sees the National Living Wage (NLW) increase by 9.8per cent,from £10.42 to £11.44 an hour.This payrise,worth over £1,800a year forafull-timeworker, is the biggestcashincreaseinthe NLWinmorethanadecade. Also supporting households, this week allworking-age benefits, includingUniversalCredit,will be upratedin line with theSeptember 2023 Consumer PriceIndex Inflation–6.7 per cent.For pensioners,the basic StatePension,new StatePension,and PensionCreditstandardminimum guaranteewill be upratedinlinewithaverage earnings growth of 8.5per cent With inflationhavingfallen from itspeakof11.1% to just 3.4% now, supportthrough the NLW, working agebenefits, and pensions have allbeenuprated at well abovecurrent inflationarylevels. Inflationisforecast to hitthe 2per cent target within months,which should further reduce theimpactofthe cost of living on families here in South Shropshire.

into thefun andgames with asession on thekazoo,lapped it up

This mightbea veteranofour airwaves,but it bouncedalong at a youthfulpace, theold jokesknitting perfectlywithalittlemodernsatire and, of course,the insertionofthe all-importantMorningtonCrescent game show

It washilarious throughout and theI’m SorryIHaven’t aCluedevotees left theGrand happywiththeir fill of silliness as they awaitanew series to land on theirradios.

Fifty twoyears from itsinception,thisantidotetopanel gamesis goingstrong.

Over theEasterweekend,the newenergyprice caponconsumerenergybillstookeffect. Thecap foratypical household hasdropped 12.3%from£1,928 peryearto£1,690, thelowest levelsince Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 whichsent prices soaring. On April1,the government launched therolloutofthe largestever expansion of childcarein England’s history, with eligible working parentsoftwo-year-olds now able to access 15 hoursoffree childcareper week,helping over 100,000 families acrossthe UK. This will be expanded in September,withworking parents whohavechildren aged from nine monthsabletobenefitfrom an additional 15 hoursoffree childcareper week.Byputting £900 back in thepocketsofthe averageworker; freezing business rates; boosting pensions; cutting thecostofchildcare; anddeliveringa record increase to theNationalLivingWage, this governmentis providing welcome relief againstcostof living pressures

DeadpanJackDee is theperfect chairman

Demise of rail service is blow butunsurprising

Thedemise of Shrewsbury and Telford’sdirecttrain serviceto London is notsurprising. It is badnewsfor passengers both in thecountyand thewider West Midlands too.

Theservice is infrequent, unreliable andslow. In short, unattractive.Shropshiredeserves better andanopenaccess servicevia theshortest routerunning non-stop from Birmingham wouldbenefit Wolverhamptontoo.Passengers from Telfordand Newport mightconsiderusing Stafford Stationwitharoundtwo servicesanhour, taking as little as onehour20minutes to Euston (avoid slower trainsthat arerouted viaWolverhampton).Shropshire’sChamber of Commerce is righttolinkthe county’s poorconnectivityto stiflingbusinesspotential

TheShirescontinuetolose outtoMetro areasand the SouthEastwhich aremore business-ready duetoenviable amountsofinfrastructure investment. With an election in thenearfuture, aspiring politicians should make this an issue.

Mike Crump, Bridgnorth

Spendasylum cash on doctors

Thegovernmentisspending£8 million of ourmoneyeveryday on accommodationfor asylum seekers, totalling about£3billion peryear.

Thenumberofjunior doctors on strike is about 50,000 Dividing the first figure by the second givesus£60,000,which couldand should be awarded annually to each of thejunior doctors, in addition to theirexisting annual salary of about £40k,orputting it another way, £3 billion couldfundthe employment of afurther 30,000 doctorsat£100k perannum

So whyisthismoneynot beingspent on incredibly hard-working,underpaid, tax-paying youngpeoplewho arevital to theNHS, rather than on people whocan contributenothing?Maybe thisis aquestiontoask ourprospective MPsahead of theelection.

BWilliams, West Midlands

PICTURE FROMTHE ARCHIVE

Confused by road decisions

It’s allveryconfusing.Onthe onehand£62 million of cuts by ShropshireCouncil aresaidto be needed

Yetonthe other hand ShropshireCouncil is doggedly continuing‘optional’ spending on a road scheme Shrewsbury Town Councildoesn’t want,withonly avague promise of national reimbursement. Andofcourse reimbursementisonlypromised by governmentfor theoriginal costingfromyears ago.

TheShropshireStarisclearly sensibly joiningupthe dots aboutthe immense risksto ShropshireCouncil’s financial stability andIthank them for exposingthe matter.

Thedeteriorationinpothole repairsseemtobegetting less attentionthanawhite elephant newroad.Surelythe council should be focussingits department on lookingafterthe roads we have gotinsteadofplans for aseparateroadwhich seems likelynever to be built?

RevPaulCawthorne, Hadnall

Overseas rules aredamaging

TheGovernment’splans to preventoverseas careworkers from bringing dependants to theUKisshort-sightedand will only servetodamagethe socialcaresectorand exacerbate recruitmentand retention difficulties.

This affectsthe qualityand consistencyofcareand support andthe livesofthose whorely on it.Adult socialcarefaces systemic shortagesinfrontline workers,and even with the 70,000 or more international workers joininglastyear, Skills forCarereported 152,000 vacanciesinthe sector in figures forOctober.Thisdemandfor workers will continue to outpace population growth Policies that furtherdeter peoplefromtakingupcare rolesare illogical Thegovernmentmustbenchmark andfundminimum care workerpay at NHSBand3

RachaelDodgson, Chiefexecutive at care supplier Dimensions

Editorial: 01952242424 iain.stjohn@mnamedia.co.uk

Sport: 01952241473 nick.elwell@mnamedia.co.uk

Advertising: 01952242424 alison.jukes@mnamedia.co.uk

JOIN

Email: editorial.support@mnamedia.co.uk

Writeto: Letters,The Journal, Grosvenor House, Suite3.04, CentralPark,Hollinswood Road, TelfordTF2 9TW

Lettersmustinclude thewriter’sname, address and telephone number.Letters will only be published anonymouslyinexceptional circumstances.The editor reserves therighttocondense or amend letters

Eating better for akinderworld

Britainpridesitselfonbeing a nation of animal lovers.

Butweare not.Takebroiler chickens forexample, these sentient creaturesspend a maximumofsix weeksinovercrowdedindustrialsheds before beingpainfullyshackled by theirlegsfor slaughter.

Allbecause thepublicdemandsmeatwhich oftencosts less than theprice of apintof beer

Watercourseslikethe River Wyeare experiencing severe pollution caused by chicken waste.

Throughcontinuingtopurchasethe ‘cheap meat’weare collectively responsiblefor both theanimalsuffering andenvironmentaldegradation from factoryfarming

Changing eating habitsis never easy,but considering higher qualitywelfare meat couldhelptoproduce akinder world forbothbirds andthe environment.

DavidJohn, Church Stretton

AshotofLudlowrailway station, picturedduring the1960s

Play area and nature site gets readyfor its official opening

AplayareainaMid Walestown will be officiallyopenedwithaspecialeventonMay 4.

TheTremont Park Play andNature Area in LlandrindodWells will be opened at 10.30amand everyone is welcome to attend

Therewillbeaninformalgatheringofeveryoneinvolvedinthe projectand residents andsome final elements of planting will take place on that day.

LlandrindodWells Town Council hasnow takenoverthe ownership of theplayand nature area followingthe transferfromthe Duchyof Lancaster.

Thetowncouncil hasworked with PowysCountyCouncil’s countryaccessand recreation officers to secure theland, play equipment andthe biodiversity area viagrant funding.

Town clerkJaneJohnstonsaid: “The town councilhas committed to thefutureownership andmaintenanceofthisareafor thebenefit of localresidents andtoencourage outdoorplayand recreation.”

Councillor Jackie Charlton,cabinet member foragreener Powys at PowysCountyCouncil, said: “Weare pleasedtohavebeenable to workwithLlandrindod Town Counciltosecurethe future of this greenspace forcommunity enjoyment,through UK Shared Prosperityfunding.”

Agreement

Work on theplayareahas been ongoingsince March 2021 when LlandrindodNorth member Councillor Jake Berriman wasgiven the originallegal agreementonthe land from 2006

That showed theresponsibility forproviding the open spacerested with thedeveloper Aviscoproperties

Butno separate management companywas setuptolookafter the site,nor arequirementtoequip and transfer thelandtoPowys County Council, as residents hadbeenled to believe.

Acheck with CompaniesHouse revealed that Aviscowas subsequentlywound up in 2017 andthe land transferred to theCrown Councillor Berriman said:“Families bought theirhomesonTremont Park in thereasonablebeliefthat aplayareawas duetobeprovided alongsidethisdevelopment of a100 or so houses,and it just never materialised.

“Two years, dozens of emails, and aco-ordinated petition from residentstothe Powyschief executive laterand PowysCountyCouncil agreed to fund thepurchaseofthe play area site from theCrown and thetowncouncil agreed to have it transferredtothemtolookafterfor residents

“Countryside services officers putasuccessfulfunding bidinto theSharedProsperityFundand the£60,000 covered purchase costs, legalfees andthe costsofinstalling theplayequipment, not to mention additional works to create paths andwildlifepatch,for whichacommunity engagement eventwas held in January.”

Councillorsclash over aspectsofRiverside plan

Multi-million poundRiverside redevelopmentplansfor Shrewsbury will proceedafter councillors backed thenextstage –despite opposition from rivalparties

ShropshireCouncil’s full meetingvoted to proceed with theproposals andrecommendations for theproject that will reshapethe Smithfieldareaofthe town

They includethe approval of the wider‘masterplan’for thearea, to progress thedemolitionofthe former Riverside Shopping Centre,move on with changes to the gyratory system next to Shrewsbury RailwayStation andto“enter negotiations with potentialcom-

mercialtenants”for plotsonthe site.But whileopposition Liberal Democratsvoicedtheir supportfor theoverall ambitions, they raised concerns overproceedingwhile residents of ChesterStreet are concernedoverthe gyratory plans –and before theformaldetailof theirconsultationresponses is put together,aswellasover borrowing moneytopay forthe project.

They also questioned theuse of consultantsaspartofthe scheme.

Butthose worries were dismissed by theConservativeadministration,which said it would be ridiculousnot to employ experts forthe project

Councillor NatGreen proposed deferringthe proposalsuntil residents felt theirconcernshad been heardoverchanges to thegyratory He said:“How canwelookour residents in theeye when they are not beinggiven thesamelevel of consultation supportas thoseresponding to Riverside?”

Councillor IanNellins,the council’sdeputyleader, said that the consultation hadtaken placeand that councilofficers were arrangingtomeetwiththe concerned residents.

Councillor RogerEvans, leader of theLiberal Democratssaid:

“The council nowintends to borrowmoremoneyfor moreconsultants to draw up aschemewhen we have a£62 million blackhole.”

Councillor Evanssaidhecould neither supportnor object to the plansdue to theway thereport wasprepared.

Responding,Councillor Dan Morris, Conservativeportfolioholder forhighways, said the scheme wasa“veryexcitingprospect”. He added: “I am personally lookingforward to my children growingupand seeing thistown forwhatitisgoing to be,which is abeautiful placeand afantastic placetolive that is fitfor purpose.”

Councillor compares parking fee rise to cost of asandwich

Controversialparkingfee risesfor Shropshire’scountytown have been defendedbya senior councillor –who compared themtothe increasedcostofanegg mayonnaise sandwich.

Shrewsbury BusinessImprovement District (BID)has called on thecouncil to rethinkits proposals whichinclude hikes of 67 percent forsome carparks

Apetitionset up by theBID gathered more than 1,000signatures–meaningithad to be debatedbythe full council.

During thediscussion,market trader andBID boardmember,DarrenTomkins, warned theproposals wouldbe‘disastrous’for some of the town’s businesses –and couldcost themasmuchas£7million ayear.

ConservativeCouncillor Dan Morris, theauthority’s cabinet member responsiblefor thehikes, defended thedecision,sayingthe council wasnot immunetoinflationarycosts.Hegavethe example of therisingcostofan eggmayonnaise sandwichand acup of coffee He did, however,revealthe council wasconsidering making some changestothe plannedcharges and wouldwrite to theBID with an ‘official’ response to thepetition.

Addressing thechamber atShirehall in Shrewsbury,MrTomkins

said:“Shropshire Council’s proposalstoincreasecharges between50 to 67 percentinthe town’s most affordable carparks hasraisedseriousconcernsabout thepotential lastingeconomicimpactonShrewsbury’s town centre

“Over 750Shrewsburytowncentre businesses relyonShropshire Council as apartner to providedecent andaffordableaccess to their staffand customers,makingShropshireCouncilanintrinsic part of everybusiness’sbusinessplan. It wouldbeunthinkable forany other business to increase prices for theirstaff andmostcustomers from £4.80aday to £8 aday.Would Shropshire Councilconsiderimposingsucha charge on theirown staff working at Shirehall?”

Mr Tomkinssaidthe councilitself hadadmitted publictransport is notgood enoughtoprovide aviable alternative to carparkingin Shrewsbury

Responding, Councillor Morris said:“When these charges were firstproposedweknewtheywould notbeuniversallypopular,but the councilasked peopletounderstand thereasons behind theincreases.”

Thecabinet member said those reasons were to ‘encourage people to park outsidethe loop of theRiver Severn’,‘to encouragealternative modesoftransport into thetown’, ‘toenablethe counciltobetter maintain carparks andbring them up to standard’, andto‘strengthen theShropshireCouncilcar parkingteamtoenablethemtolookat

issues such as on street parkingin residential areas’

He continued: “The councilisnot immune to thesameinflationary pressuresastowncentre businesses have

“For exampleanegg mayonnaise sandwichinawell-knownnational food chainin2020was £1.89.Today it is £2.99–thatisa60per cent increase

“A coffee in anotherwell-known national establishmentthatisin Shrewsbury,inAugust2021was £3.05. Todayitis£4.50.

“Thatisa48per cent increase in cost

“The council hasthe same inflationarypressures as businesses do.”

Councillor Morrisadded: “All that said,and as aresultofthe concernsraisedbythe BIDand some of theproposals beingreferredback to cabinetbythe scrutiny committee, thecouncilhavecarefullybeen consideringthe originalproposals Some changes arebeing looked at andwillbepresented to cabinetfor considerationatits April meeting.”

LiberalDemocratCouncillor forBowbrook in Shrewsbury,Alex Wagner,responded by saying he wasannoyedatthe ‘random’ nature of theprice increasesproposed.

He added: “The priceofitfor town centre workers, whoare generally lower paid,isappalling.”

LiberalDemocratleaderCouncillor RogerEvans said that it was “obvious”the council wasusing the hikes as part of away to fill its £62m budgetshortfall.

He added: “Thatisnot what parkingcharges arefor.”

Councillorsare updatedonplans to make town look bloomingwonderful

An electric water trolley canbe orderedifitiswithin£500ofthe originalprice suggested, Builth WellsTownCouncil hasagreed Thepiece of equipment would make watering thetown’shanging basketseasier, councillorswere told Forthe last couple of yearsthe council hastalkedabout purchasingawater trolley.Councillor Alan

Waller hasbeenlooking into what wasavailable andtoldthe council recently it couldeitherhavean electric oneorafuelone

At ameeting, town clerkLouise Hammondsaidthe price of thewatering machine hadincreased but shedid notknowbyhow much and Councillor Waller wasnot present Membersagreedtoallow theorderofthe machine if thenew price

is within £500 of theoriginalprice, as thecouncil hadalready agreed to purchase thetrolley from the 2024/2025budget.

Meanwhile, councillorsweretold thehanging basketsfor this year wouldcost£21.50plusVAT,makingatotal of £25.50 and100 basketswill be supplied by Nantyderry Nurseries in Abergavenny It hasprovidedthe bloom-

ingbaskets forthe last couple of yearsand membersweretoldthe cost wassimilar last year butthe council ordered120 anditwas too many

Thebracketsthatthe baskets hang from will need to be tested soonbeforethe basketsarrive

Thecouncil will buysome new plantsfor theplantersand it agreed to seta budgetof£100.

Shropshire Councilisbeing urgedtoreconsider itsplans for parking rises

Grantof£208,000 to pool will boost health,saysMP

Agrant of more than £200,000 to aSouth Shropshireswimmingpoolwill allowmorepeoplethe opportunitytotakeadip, thelocal MP hassaid.

AndLudlow MP PhilipDunnesaid thefunding wouldalso allowthe facility to be runinamoreenvironmentally friendly way.

Mr Dunnewelcomedconfirmation Teme LeisureinLudlowwillbenefit from a£208,000 investmenttoimprove itsenergyefficiency

Thefunding is part of thegovernment’s SwimmingPoolSupport Fund, whichhas invested £80million into 442swimmingpools acrossthe countrysince last year

Theinvestmentwill fund energy efficiency measures at Ludlow swimming pool throughPhoto Voltaic(PV) panels andVariableSpeed Pumps, relieving financialpressurebyreducing runningcosts

Underthe newsportsstrategy, theGovernmentisaimingtoget 3.5 million more peopleactive by 2030, meetingthe ChiefMedical Officer’s guidance of 150minutes perweekof exercise foradultsand 60 minutes per dayfor young people

Alongsidethe Swimming Pool Support Fund,the governmentisinvestingover £300 million in grassroots sports facilities includingfootball pitchesand tennis courts

Mr Dunnesaid: “Ludlow’s swimming pool at Teme Leisureisanimportantfacility forthe town,allowing peopleofall ages andabilities to have funinthe pooland derive themental andphysicalbenefits that come with swimming.

“Thatiswhy Iamverypleased Teme Leisurehas received the£208,000 investmentfromthe government.”

He added: “Itwill improve thepool’s energy efficiency,keeping running costsdownand give more people the opportunitytoswimwhilereducing theenvironmental impact of heating thepool.”

Fine is givenfor supervisionbreach

Aman whofailedtocomplywiththe requirements of hispost-custodial supervisionhas been fined.

Simon Stewart Drewry admitted breachinghis supervisionbyfailing to attend appointments on August 3, 2023, November2,2023and February82024previously.

Thecasewas adjournedfor areview of progressand theProbation Service’srecommendationatthe time wasareturntocustody

The45-year-old of Sunningdale, Temple Drive, LlandrindodWells,appearedat LlandrindodWells Magis-

tratesCourt on Wednesday last week to be told thenew recommendation wasnow a fine ProbationofficerGarethJenkins said Drewry hadattendedappointmentsonMarch 14 and21, so he had amendedhis recommendation Mitigating, Mr GeraintParry said Drewry sufferswithseveremigranes andwas visitinghis GP on thedaysof theappointments.

He said Drewry was findingthe ProbationService help beneficial. Magistrates finedDrewry£120for themissedappointments.

Mansentenced againbecause of error

Aman whobreachedacommunity ordergiven by aScottishcourt has been sentencedfor thesecondtimein acoupleofweeks becauseofatechnicalerror

Adam LewisappearedatLlandrindodWells MagistratesCourt on February 28.The 26-year-oldofLlwynbrain Close, Howey,was charged with failing to comply with acommunity ordermadebyEdinburgh Sheriff CourtonJune22byfailing to attend appointments

Magistratesaltered theScottish orderand gave him90hours of unpaid workona12-monthcommunity order.

Thieftook bottlesofvodkafromshop

Awoman whostole threebottles of vodka from ashophas been placed on acommunity order with adrugrehabilitation requirement.

Jade Cambridge admitted taking thealcohol from the Spar shop on High Streetin Presteigne on October15, 2023, when sheappearedatLlandrindodWells MagistratesCourt on Wednesdaylastweek.

The38-year-old,formerlyof LowerCross, Kington, andnow of Mill Bank,Presteignewas seen on CCTV ProsecutingMrJames Sprunkssaida member of staff

Caseagainst man dismissedbycourt

Thecaseagainst aman accusedof drink-drivingand drivingwithout alicence hasbeendismissed TheCrown Prosecution Service decideditwas notinthe public interest to pursue thecaseagainst Harvey RogerPercival.

The20-year-old of no fixed abode attended LlandrindodWells MagistratesCourt on Wednesday last week to standtrial

He previously pleadednot guilty todriving aVauxhallCorsa on July 9whileoverthe drink-drive limit, andtodriving the same vehiclewithout alicence.Prosecuting, Mr JamesSprunks said he didnot believeitwas in thepublic interest to pursue thematter.

ButatLlandrindod WellsMagistratesCourt on Wednesday last week, magistratesweretoldthe courts in England andWales arenot able to alteracourt order made in Scotland

Themagistratesset asidethe last decision andinsteadextendedthe Scottish order by 12 monthswiththe 90 hoursofunpaidwork.

Lewiswas told theorder will be the same forhim andany hourshehas alreadycompleted will be takenoff.He wasalso fined£25 forthe breachbut magistratessaidashehad attended at courttwice within afew weeksabout thematter, they deemed the fine paid

wasworking at theSparwhenhe wastoldsomeonehad beenshoplifting. He watchedthe CCTV footageand sawCambridge with threebottles of vodka walk past thetilland make no attemptto payfor it

Shetookthree bottles of Smirnoffred labelat atotal cost of £48.87 andshe gave ano comment interviewtothe police Thecourt wastoldshe has11 convictionsfor 20 offences

Mitigating, Ms Jess Smithsaid it hadtaken alongtimefor the matter to come to courtand at thetimeCambridge hadbeen struggling with alcohol misuse

Cash andcards are stolen in burglary

Cash andbankcards were stolen during aburglaryinavillage.

Dyfed-Powys Police areinvestigatingthe burglary,which occurred in Llandegley,nearLlandrindodWells, during themiddle of theday on March12.

“Dyfed-Powys Police received a report of aburglaryinLlandegley whichoccurredbetween 10.30am and3pm onMarch 12,” said the forcein astatement

“Anyonewithany information that mayhelpwithenquiriesis encouraged to getintouch,quotingreference DP-20240312-222.”

If anyone hasseenanything suspicious or hasany information, call 101.

Ms Smithsaidthe offencewas committed during the infancyof acommunity order, whichisdue to endinSeptember,but Cambridge hasbeenworking well on theorder.The ProbationService suggestedadrugrehabilitation requirementwould be beneficial to Cambridgeassubstance misuse is connectedtoher offending. Cambridgesaidshe hadnot usedcocaine foramonth and wouldwelcome an order.

Magistratesgaveher asixmonthcommunity orderwitha sixmonth drug rehabilitation requirement. Shewill also have to pay£48.87compensation.

Friendship is the themeofmovie

Thegrowing friendship between twowomen on aroadtripwill be thesubject of a film to be screened at Knighton.

TypistArtistPirateKingwill be shownat thecommunity centre on Friday next week at7pm Aspokespersonsaid: “Typist Artist PirateKingputsforgotten artist AudreyAmiss on themap

“The film weavesrealevents into an imagined journeyas Audrey goes on aroadtripwith herpsychiatric nurse.”

The film runs for108 minutes andthere will be an interval Ticketsare £6 foradults, andto book or forfurther enquiriescall 07964023841.

Philip Dunne at thepool

Warrantissued forman’s arrest

Awarrant withoutbailhas been issued by acourt foraLeominster manwho stolea livestocktrailer from afarm.

Kristian LeeJones Davies admitted stealing aGamic livestock traileratPenybanconDecember 26,2022whenheappearedatLlandrindod WellsMagistratesCourt previously

Thecourt wastoldJones Davies has19convictions for35offences includingthree fortheft,the most recent in 2019

He recently served 16 weeksin prisonfor drivingwhile disqualified andwithout alicence

The33-year-old of Pump Piece wasbailedtoattendthe courtfor sentencing on Wednesday last week buthefailedtoappear.

He contacted themagistrates courttosay he didnot have the moneytotraveltocourt andpublic transportispoor.

Magistratesweretoldthe matter hadpreviouslybeenadjourned for Jones Davies to attend,and he is duetoappearatWorcester Crown CourtonApril 19

They agreed to issueawarrant withoutbailfor Jones Davies

Getdownlegion forlivemusic

Therewill be live musicatthe legion in Llandrindod Wellson April20.

Mark Brownwill be performing‘musicfor all’ therefrom 8pm.

Theeveningofpopular entertainmentwill take placeatthe RoyalBritishLegionClubon TremontRoad

Ticketsfor theshow are£6on thedoorortheycan be booked by contacting thelegionon 01597822558 or by emailing rblclubllandrindodwells@ya hoo.co.uk or visitthe Facebook page at LlandrindodWells-Royal BritishLegion.

Nurseassault case dismissed

Thecaseagainst aman accusedof assaulting astaff nurse at ahospitalhas been dismissed.

Rodney CharlesMcGranaghan, 25,ofWoodville, Temple Street, LlandrindodWells, stoodtrial for assaulting thewoman at Bronllys Hospital on December 1, 2022 last week.Hedeniedthe offence.

Afterthree hoursofjurydeliberationatMerthyr TydfilCrown Court, JudgeChristopher Vosper told jurors he couldaccept amajorityverdict.

Afteranother hour with no verdictdelivered,he called thejuryin andasked if more time wouldhelp. Afterbeing told thejurorswere deadlocked,hedismissed them

Prosecuting, Mr CraigJones later said theCrown wouldnot seek are-trialonthe matter andheofferednoevidence

Judge Vosper entereda formal not guilty verdictonMrMcGranaghan’sbehalf.

Stations busier as trainjourneysonthe increase

Trainjourneysonthe operators that servethe region continue to increase.

Atotal of 32,241,256 journeys on trainsoperatedbyAvantiWest Coast, Transportfor WalesorWest Midlands Railwaywerecompleted betweenOctober andDecember last year

That is up 24 percentonthe same period in 2022 and82per cent on thesameperiodin 2019 –thelastbeforethe pandemic –when thethree operators’ trains carried 39,773,109 passengers.

Theimprovementon2022is aheadofthe national increase. In total417 million journeys were made from October1toDecember 31,up20per cent on the348 million thepreviousyear.

Thelastthree monthsof2023 wasalso the firsttimepassenger journeys in quarterlytimeperiod topped 400million sincethe endof 2019.The Office of Rail andRoad

(ORR), whichreleasedthe numbers, said that in themostrecentquarter, Avanti West Coastrecordeda 38 percentyear-on-yearincrease on passengernumbers

This waspartlyput down to the operator planning at least40per cent more trainscomparedwiththe reduced timetables in placeinthe same quarterinthe previous year

TheORR also highlightedthe reductioninstrikedayscomparedto theautumn of 2022 as helpingpassengernumbers go back up

Acrossthe UK,the number of advance, anytime/peakand off-peak ticket saleswentupby38, 19 and 21 percentrespectively year-onyear,while season ticketsonlywent up by seven percent.

Thenumbers come as agroup commissionedbythe mayorsofthe West Midlands andGreaterManchestertoimprove connections betweenthe twocityregions provisionally concludedthatanew rail

line betweenHandsacreinStaffordshireand Manchester Airport is thepreferred option,following the Government’sdecision to cancel HS2north of Birmingham

Aprivate sector group, chaired by infrastructure expert SirDavid Higgins, hadbeenlooking at three potentialoptions to help tackle the congestion on theWestCoast Main Line andimprove connectivity betweenBirminghamand Manchester. Although more detailed work is stilltobedoneahead of final conclusionsthissummer, thegroup hasprovisionally concludedthata newline, runningapproximately 70 miles betweenHS2 at Handsacre andNorthernPowerhouseRailat High Legh,islikelytooffer thebest combination of costsand benefits Back in December theORR revealed passengernumbers at each of thecountry’s railwaystationsbetweenApril 2022 andMarch 2023 l Shrewsbury –1,848,336

Most popularorigin/destination: Birmingham NewStreet– 219,668 journeys

l TelfordCentral– 882,675. Most popularorigin/destination: Birmingham NewStreet–257,386 journeys

l Ludlow–234,958.Mostpopularorigin/destination: Hereford –73,370 journeys

l Gobowen–194,734. Most popularorigin/destination: Shrewsbury –42,686 journeys

l Shifnal–142,132.Mostpopularorigin/destination: Birmingham NewStreet –33,074

l Whitchurch –116,474.Most popularorigin/destination: Shrewsbury –27,232journeys

l Church Stretton–110,636

Most popularorigin/destination: Shrewsbury –49,056journeys

l Craven Arms –93,000.Most popularorigin/destination: Shrewsbury –23,020journeys

101Charles Darwin lookalikes gather at threatened oaktree

101Charles Darwins gathered at thebaseof thehistoric‘Darwin Oak’ in aprotest aiming to seta worldrecord.

Arecordwas smashedas 101peopledressed as Shrewsbury’s most famous songatheredatthe base of a550-year-oldoak treeclose to the county town.

Well arecordwas made as therehasn’tbeena world record forthe number of people dressedas CharlesDarwin before,asfar as we cantell.

Over 100,000 people have now signed apetitiontosave theancient tree, whichisset forthe chop to make wayfor Shropshire’s North West Relief Road (NWRR)

The550-year-oldtree, so named

duetoitbeing locateduponaroute supposedly followed by thefamous Shrewsbury-bornnaturalist, is amongnineveteran trees that standinthe path of theplanned road

ShropshireCouncilhas said that thelossofthe veterantrees is “extremely regrettable” but84new trees wouldbeplanted to replace them,“whichwill,in time,then reachveteran status also”.

Butthe promise of newtrees has not placated protesters,who still passionately espouse theworth of theveteran trees that have seen the EnglishCivil War, Industrial Revolution andtwo WorldWars.

Shropshire’s‘Tree Hunter’activ-

istRob McBride, said he wasoverwhelmedtosee how many people turned outintheir finest beards, hats andmasks in supportofthe tree.

Robsaid: “I thinkmostofus were expecting10peopleorsomething, so to get over100 people on aSaturdayafternoontocome along dressedasDarwin– it’s amazing It showsthe passionand feelingbehind theproject.”

Theeventincludedatalkfrom Rob, wholaunchedthe petition to save theDarwinOak,aswellas Mike StreetlyfromBetterShrewsbury Transportand Jack Taylor from theWoodland Trust.

The‘tree hunter’toldthe crowd of gathered Darwin-iansabout his owntheoryofevolution

“Those in powerare dinosaurs,”

he said.“We’reinanew century, it’s anew era,it’stimefor freshthinkingfor ourkidsand grandkids. The politicalsystemneedstoevolve.”

In response to concerns raised by theactivists,a Shropshire Council spokesperson said:“Shropshire Councilfullyacknowledgesthe environmentalimpactofbuildingthe NorthWestReliefRoad.

“Fromthe outset, thechosen route has distanced itself wherever possiblefromsensitive areas, butthere have been unavoidable conflicts with certainhabitatsand trees

“The councilhas thereforeproposed, andhad endorsed at planning committee,anonerous and fullyjustifiable approach to mitigation andcompensationwherever required.”

Theevent even featured ababy-Darwin alongsidethe scores of Darwins

101CharlesDarwins gathered at thebaseofthe historic ‘Darwin Oak’

Audience

is givenanother chance to ‘solve’murderduringtheatre fun

Atheatre groupisgivingthe ‘bloodthirsty’ people of SouthShropshire what they really want –another murder mystery.

Clun AmateurDramaticSociety (CADS) is staginga dine-inmurder mystery, Lights, Camera,Murder writtenbyAndrewHull anddirected by Suzanne Surman forone nightonly.

ACADSspokespersonsaid: “Af-

terthe resounding success of their last murder mystery, thegroup have recognisedwhatthe bloodthirstypeopleofSouth Shropshire find entertaining

“The premise is that theaudience have been invitedtowatch a rehearsalfor anew blockbuster film at amajor Hollywood studio.

“Duringthe firstact,one of the starsofthe film is killed –which is

whythere canonlybeone performance. Wasitanaccident, murder or suicidebyproxy?”

During the firstinterval, theaudience will be served supper and canbecome detectives, beingpresented with afolderofbackground notes andmoreinformation

Theactionbeginsat7.30pmon

April13atClunMemorialHall. Therewill be abar,refreshments

andaraffle. Ticketsare £15for adults and£8for children includingsupperand areonlyavailable in advancefromthe Spar shop,Bright FlowersbyClunBridge, TheWhite Horse, TheSun andThe Maltings Cafe

Furtherdetails andarrangementsfor online ticket purchases areavailable by emailing clunam dram@gmail.com

Properties arelet ‘withina week’due to rental demands

DOMINIC ROBERTSON ChiefReporter

Rental demand is so strong that many properties arelet within a week of goingonthe market,accordingtoa regional estate agent.

Halls, whichhas officesacross Shropshire, MidWales and Worcestershire, is respondingto thedemandbyofferinganexclusive spring deal forlandlords who switch to itsfullymanaged lettings service.

Sean EdwardsfromHalls said thedemandwas particularly acute acrossthe border in Wales, where thereisshortageofrentalproperties duetohousing rulesthathave impacted landlords

TheWelsh Governmentintroducedthe newrules in December 2022,requiringlandlords to replace tenancyagreementsinWales with occupation contracts. Landlords must give tenantssix months’notice to endacontract

Having spoken to hiscolleagues in otherHalls offices, Mr Edwards said auniform picture hasemerged of asubstantial imbalanceinthe supply anddemandofrentalproperties.Asaresultofthe ever increasing demand, rental prices arerisingwithaveragemonthly rent rangingfrom£650to£700for two-bedroomedproperties, £750 to £800 forthree bedrooms and£900 to £1,000 forfourbedrooms.

MP meets chamber’schief in Parliament

Ludlow MP PhilipDunnemet membersofShropshireChamber of CommerceinParliamentatthe launch of thegroup’s newmanifesto

DAVIDBANNER

newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

pleasedtomeetmembers of ShropshireChamber of Commerce in Westminster

Paloma,Astley andFaithless to topBestivalbill

Camp Bestival organisers have announcedthe schedule forthe popularfamilymusic andentertainmentfestival.

Theevent, beingheldat Weston Park,runsfromAugust1518.Pop legend Rick Astley will headline theFridayline-up, alongsidepopular boybandMcFlyand dancemusic actOrbital Also appearingonFridaywill be SayShe She,alongwithrock band TheMagic Numbersand northernindie starsThe K’s. Families canalso enjoy visual spectacles from Brainiac Live, Hacker TDog &Katie Thistletonand BigFishLittleFish.

Thepartycontinues on the Saturday with popqueen Paloma Faithtopping the bill alongside Jake Shears from theScissorSisters andglamrockers TheDarkness.

GokWan will also also be spinningthe decksalongside BBCRadio 6DJChris Hawkins. Others performers on Saturday includerisinghip-hopstarHak Baker, TheCuban Brothers andthe AmyWinehouse Band Therewill be familyentertainment throughout theday includingMrTumble, Dick and Domand Mister Makerand musicalrascalsJunior Jungle Faithlesswillbeheadlining the finalday ofthe festival

Film festival’s audience back to pre-Covidlevel

The‘GoingFor Growth’manifestocalls foractionon21specific policy areasspanningtraining, recruitment, infrastructure,internationaltrade, immigration, technologyand sustainability,to drivebusinessprosperity across allcorners of thecounty. Themanifesto sets outthe chamber’svision forthe 2024 to 2026.Moreinformation aboutthe manifesto can be foundat ShropshireChamber of Commerce’s website at shrop shire-chamber.co.uk

Mr Dunnesaid: “I wasvery

“Thismanifesto includes awide rangeofwell-considered proposalstohelplocal businesses across Shropshirethrive. So Ilookforward to doingall Ican to support theseaimswithMinisters,and championSouth Shropshire’s businesses during my remainingtime in Parliament.”

Tributes paid afterdeath of ‘human dynamo’Mar

Tributes have poured infor apopular Shropshirewoman,described as a“powerhouse in themuseum world”.

Marlene‘Mar’ Dixon, from Much Wenlock, died at RoyalShrewsbury Hospital on March 16 afterashort illness,aged53.

Herpartner Paul Hutchinson said:“With aheavy heartIamincredibly sadtoannouncethe passingofmybeautifulpartner and soulmate Mar Dixonfollowing a shortillness

This year’s BorderlinesFilmFestivalattracted excellentaudience figures,organisers have said The22ndedition of thefestival boastedevents across 23 venues in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Malvern andthe Marches Organisers said attendancestotalled 21,426.

Aspokespersonsaid: “This wasa welcome return to pre-Covidlevels andanextraordinaryachievement fora film festival located in avery rural, non-metropolitanarea.

“Staffand boardmembershave been overwhelmed with delighted feedback from festival-goers

Marwas a“powerhouse in themuseum world andone of Shropshire’s very talented museum people who hidbehindthe scenes allowing her actionstospeak”.

“She hadan amazinggiftof making andforging friendships andweare allhit hard by this terriblenews. Shewas ahuman dynamo at herbest. Sheloved to be called atroublemaker, anditwas always goodtrouble.Her reaction to aproblem wasalways‘what can we do about this?’”

PeterReavill,former findsliaisonofficerfor thePortableAntiquities Scheme in Shropshire,said

“Weare overwhelmedbythe astonishingamountoflove. Herlight hasnot dimmed,itwill shineforever in ourhearts.”Formercolleague LindaSpurdle,the head of digital at Birmingham Museums, said on X: “I am struggling to come to termswiththe loss of MarDixon

He said herdeath was“ahuge sector loss”.

Aspokesman forThe National LotteryHeritageFundsaid: “We’re saddenedtohearthe news. MarDixon hadaninspiring passion forthe positive impact social mediahad on museum andheritageorganisations andwas abig supporterofour annual #HeritageTreasures day. Condolencestoher familyand friends.”

“Some travelyearonyearfrom locationsasfar as Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Dorsetand Oxfordshiretowatch a stunningselection of films, many of them availabletosee at Borderlines well before an officialUKrelease date

“Another pleasingelement of this year’s film festival wasthe participation of so many young people

“The CourtyardCinema’sYoung Programmingteamhosted apreview screeningofthe documentary Orlando, My PoliticalBiography, ariffontransgender identification basedonthe novelbyVirginia Woolf. TheYoung Programmersset up adiscussion paneltofollowthe film,whileBA(Hons) Illustration students from Hereford Collegeof Arts produced azineinspiredbythe themes of the film.”

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne meetsrepresentativesofShropshire ChamberofCommerceinParliament

Driver over the cocaine limit

A34-year-old woman hasbeen banned from drivingfor four years afterbeing foundonabusyShropshireA-roadwitheight timesthe legalamountofcocaine in herblood Joanne Griffiths, of Willow Grove,Craven Arms,pleaded guilty to drug driving, drivingwhile disqualified andwithno insuranceon theA49 in thetownonAugust10, 2023

Themagistrateshandeddownan obligatorydriving disqualification of four yearsand finedher £120 aftertakingher guilty plea intoaccount. Shewas also orderedtopay prosecutioncosts of £135

Spring intotop musicaltreats

Amusical spring spectacular concertwill be held in Knighton tomorrow (Saturday)

It will take placeatKnighton CommunityCentre at 6.30pm Aspokespersonsaid: “Join KnightonTownSilverBandand Rhayader Male VoiceChoiras they take you on amusical journey. Ticketsare £10for adults andfreefor children aged 11 andunder.Theyare available from theTower HouseGallery, from thecommunity centre or payonthe door.”

County’s tourism businesses sparkleatregionalceremony

Thestars of theregion’s tourism industry have been crowned– and Shropshire was a dominant force.

The2024WestMidlandsTourism Awards hascelebrated14winners from theregion’svisitor attractions andvenues.

Businesses across accommodation,arts, food anddrink, visitorattraction andheritagesectors were honoured in categories including NewTourism Business andTaste of theWestMidlands.

Love2StayShrewsburywas crownedgoldmedallist in the Camping, Glamping,Holiday Park andSmall Serviced Accommodation of theYearcategory.

Scout’sMeadowtooksilver and RiversideCabinstookbronzein that category

RiversideCabinsscooped the Ethical, Responsibleand Sustainable TourismAward. Broome Park

FantasticTravelOffers –Especiallyfor readers

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DepartsJuly2024

Shrewsbury Food Festival won gold in theTourism Event/Festival of theYearsection whileThe ShropshireDistilleryclaimed silver in the Experience of theYearcategory.

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TelfordInternational Centre securedsilver in theBusiness Events Venueofthe Year sectionwhileAlderford Lake claimedsilver in the LargeVisitorAttractionofthe Year category

There was also a silver for Mar-

6-days nowfrom £785pp

Jersey-Sun-Kissed ChannelIsle

Enjoyrest, relaxation andsome fascinatingexplorationonBritain’s famouslysunnyChannel outpost.

DepartsMay to October2024

ringtonEscapes in theNew TourismBusinessAward category with Ludlow’s KinKitchen taking the bronze.

Fishmore Hall wasthe gold medallist in theSmall Serviced Accommodation of theYearsection with GoldstoneHallHotel &Gardens andBroome Park Farm B&Btakingsilver andbronze.

BurltonCottages &Spa,Ironbridge View Townhouse andPuddleDuckCottages made up thetop threeinthe Self-CateringAccommodation of theYearcategoryat theawards.

BurltonCottages& Spaalsowon abronzeinthe Accessible &Inclusive TourismAward section.

Hosted at TheBearGryllsAdventure in Solihull,the awards celebrated thehardworkand dedication of theWestMidlands’ visitor attractionsand venuestoproviding excellentvisitor experiences.

Theeventwas hosted by Ayo Akinwolere,formerBluePeter presenter andcurrent BBCjournalist andpresenter,withentertainment from Birmingham three-piece band,YungBruddas

Tour Highlights &Inclusions

•Fivenights’bed andbreakfast accommodationatyourchosenhotel (hoteland boardupgradesavailable)

•A guidedislandtour

•A visittothe Jersey WarTunnels

•A boat cruise on theJerseyDuchess

•ReturnflightstoJersey

•Comfortablecoachtraveland transfersthroughout

•Fullyescortedbyafriendly, experienced tour manager

Farm B&B, Cleobury Mortimer, wonbronzein that section.

Thestars of thenight celebrate theirsuccess at theawards

Cheque this out– groups are boostedbycarnival’ssuccess

Organisers arebusy planning this year’s show andcarnivalin Knighton.

It will take placeonBankHolidaySaturday, August 24.The show andcarnivalcommittee hasheldits cheque presentations event. Show chairman Paul Davies presented thecheques FundswenttoTrefy Youth Sports, 1stKnightonScout Group, theFriends of JohnBeddoes School,KnightonMuseum&Gallery Trust, KnightonJunior Football Club,KnightonYouth Project, KnightonFamilyCentre,Knighton Town Silver Band (TrainingBand) andDolau YFC.

Show secretaryLouiseHardwick said:“Thanks againtoeveryone whosupportsour show in anyway

“Thisin turn enablesustoallocate alarge portionofany profitwe make to localyouth groups to further theiraimsand give theiryoung peoplemoreopportunities. This year’s groups each received £200 at apresentationheldatthe RAFA Club andthe RugbyClubintown.” Youthgroupsare invitedtoapply to thefund. Applications arethen reviewed

Louise added: “Thisyear’sshow is beingheldonAugust24and we have listened to thefeedback received last year andare hoping to implementasmanyofthe requested itemsaswecan

“Inorder to do this andcontinue ourshow forfutureyears we do need support. We areall volunteers on thecommittee andwewould love to hear from anyone whohas alittle bit of time to give in helpinguswith varioustasks before,duringand afterthe show

“Thiscould be putting up posters, stewarding, helpingwithprocessions, putting up or dismantling tentsorother roles.

“Anyonewho is able to supportus in this way, even just alittle, please getintouch viaknightonshowsec retary@gmail.com.”

to be transferred in big IT switch

UpgradingShropshire’smajor hospitalswill continue with theintroductionofakey newITsystem –and thetransferofmorethan amillion recordsinthe coming weeks.

Shrewsbury &Telford Hospital NHSTrust (SaTH),which manages both Princess RoyalHospitalin Telford(PRH) andRoyal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH), planstocarry outthe change over theweekendfromApril 19

Thetrust is in themidst of a majormodernisation andreorganisation, andwhileasignificant focushas been on physical buildings andwhere specificservicessuchas

A&Ewillbeprovided, thecomputer systemsalsoneed updating NigelLee,chief operatingofficer, said theIToverhaul wouldbe “replacing some really,reallyfragileindividualsystems”.

Thetrust hasalready upgraded itstheatre system andsystemfor maternitycare. Thechangefrom April19 will seethe introduction of a‘patientadministration system’ (PAS)describedasthe ‘basic andoverall driver of everything that happens’ at thetrust

Thetrust is also replacingthe system forits emergencydepartments– some of themostunder-pressure across theentire

Health board is predicting a budgetdeficit of nearly £25m

Thehealthboard whichcovers MidWales will be settingadeficit budgetofnearly£25 million

That is more than doublethe deficitPowys Teaching Health Board (PTHB)had previously predicted forthe 2024/2025 financialyear.

Thebudgetisset to be £421 million.Board membersweretoldof thegrim financialoutlook while discussing their new five-yearintegrated plan

Reasonsbehindthe financialissues includes thecounty’sageing population whichispredicted to seeone thirdofresidents aged 65 or above in 10 years’ time

Director of financePeteHopgood said:“There’sasignificant financialchallenge andwe’re unable to deliver abalancedplantomeet thethree-yearbreak-even statutory duty.Our plan hasadeficitof £24.95 million andwehavea savings target of £7.9 million.”

He believed theboard wouldneed to find furthersavings opportunities

Boardmember Mick Gianassi askedwhatthe implications of the deficitwould be forPTHB.

He wondered if this wouldmean thehealthboard wouldneed to dip into reservebudgets, borrow money or delayany building or improvement works

Mr Hopgood: “Asahealthboard we cannot borrow,and we do not hold reserves.”

He explainedthatifthe plan was agreed,strategiccashsupport will be receivedfromthe WelshGovernmentand wouldcover thefact theboard’s “outgoings will be more than ourincomings”.

Chiefexecutive Hayley Thomas explainedPTHBalready receives enhanced monitoringfromthe WelshGovernmenton financeand planning.

Ms Thomas said “There could be ascenariowhere we will face escalationasaresultofthisplan, andweneed to be prepared forthat eventuality. I’mnot afraid of increasedescalationbecause it comes with furtherscrutinyand support.”

Sheaddedthatitwould show the government that PTHB was“doingall we can.”MsThomas said thelevel of savingsinthe plan was substantial andthatitneedstofeel achievablefromthe perspective of frontlinestaff

NHS. Furtherimprovements and systemswill follow afterthe PAS hasbeenupgraded.

Mr Leesaidthe newsystems wouldenablethe creation of a‘patientportal’ whichwould have significant benefits forpatients.

He said:“It is very much the core enablerfor ourstrategy and wherewereare goingfroma digitalmaturitypoint of view.”

Currentlyrecords at thetrust arerecordedinamix of electronic andtraditionalpaper reports. Mr Leesaid: “The newsystemwill give much greateraccessibility not justatSaTH, butacrossthe system.”

Ms Thomas addedthatitwould be a“reasonable ask” if theWelsh Governmentexpected PTHB to get back into abalancedpositionquicker than the five-yearperiod. Board chairman Carl Cooper stressed that senior staffand boardmembers had workedtogether on theplanwhich is a“routemap to sustainability.”

Boardmember Ronnie Alexander said:“This is ourbestoffer,and we need to be open andhonestabout that andtomeitsatisfies thepublicduty. It’s better to do that than submit somethingthat’snot based on practicalreality.” He believed it wouldbeimportant next year to show “sustained progress”on achievingimprovements.

Theboard unanimouslyapproved theplanwhich will submitted to the WelshGovernment.

KnightonJuniorFootballClub wasgiven acashboostthankstothe successofthe showand carnival

Achequewent to Knighton Museum andGallery 1stKnighton ScoutGroup geta cheque from showchairmanPaul Davies

TheFriendsofJohnBeddoes School receiving theirgrant

KnightonTownSilverBand(TrainingBand) received agrant

Health chiefrespondstocouncil’s letter

Wales’shealthministerhas told LlandrindodWells Town Council shewas “verygrateful” forthe effortsofGPs andtheir teams to maintain high qualitycare.

Eluned Morganwrote to the council afteritstarted acampaigntosupport thetown’smedical practice.The practice has said it couldbeforcedtoclose overalackoffunding Thetowncouncil askedthe surgeryhow it couldhelp. It raisedconcernswithcounty councillors, Senedd Members, Brecon andRadnorshireMPFay Jones andElunedMorgan.

In herletter, MrsMorgansaid

Club membersare told aboutcruise

Ameeting of theLlanwrtyd Thursday Club washeldwith NancyJones extendinga warm welcome to allpresent

Theguest speaker forthe afternoon wasSarah Jones

Shegavean illustrated talk on theCaribbean cruise whichshe hadbeenoninNovember of last year

Refreshments were then served andenjoyed

Raffleprizeswerewon by Nancy Jones,KathKennett andAinsleyJones

A further meeting of the Llanwrtyd Thursday Club was due to be held at theDrovers Rest,Llanwrtyd yesterday.

overallthe number of GPs practising in Waleshas remained relatively stable,combined with an increase of nurses anddirect patientcarestaff.But shesaid workforce capacity andlevelsof stress were real concerns

Shesaidthe WelshGovernment hastaken practicalsteps to reduce demand

Shewrote:“Recent funding of £5 million forAllied Health Professionalswillincreasethe supportavailable to GPs via communityresource teamsand we have increased therange of services communitypharmacists canprovide.”

MrsMorgansaidthe Primary Care Modelfor Walesemphasises theGPisnot theonly firstpoint of contactand many GP practices nowoffer care from awider groupofprofessionals including practice nurses,physiotherapists andpharmacists

Shesaidthe government’s Help Us,HelpYou campaign to help thepublictounderstand what to expect from theirGP practice wasalsoimportant Thetowncouncil noted the letter Councillorsagreedtosenda copy of it to LlandrindodWells MedicalPractice.

Folk duotoperform at Assembly Rooms Groups lined up for community shop

Four groups will be running Kingtonand District Community Shop throughoutApril

Firsttorun andstock theshop will be Presteigne andBorderFloralArts, whichwill be at theHigh Street venue untilWednesday It will be followed untilApril 16 by TheOld School Community Hub– NewRadnor, followed by KingtonWomen’s Institutefrom April17-23

Open Arms KingtonCiC at the Oxford Puband Hubwillthen stockand staffthe shop from April24-30

Groups interestinginrunning theshop, should emailkington communityshop@outlook.com

Award-winningfolkduo Christina Alden andAlexPatterson will be performing at Ludlow AssemblyRooms this evening(Friday). Christina andAlexare multi-instrumentalistsand songwritersfromNorwich andhavetoured extensivelyinthe UK andEurope, headlining some of theUK’smost prestigious folk festivals.

Aspokespersonsaid: “Their musicisrichwithintertwining harmonyand accomplished musicianshipand acreative songwritingstyle that is both delicate and moving Theperformance starts at 7.30pm andticketsare available from ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk

reader travel

Newevent will give aspringboardtoa host of toptalent

KARENCOMPTON

karen.compton@mnamedia.co.uk

Anew weekendofcreative activities to celebrate the approach of summer will take placeinPresteigne in May.

The firsteverSpringboard event will includetwo days of arts events on May11-12,and it is beingorganised by theteambehindthe Presteigne Festival.

As well as celebratingthe approach of summer it will also give arts lovers thechancetolookforward to theannual Presteigne Festival of Musicand Arts in August

It will includeamix of events, some of whichwill be free of charge

Programme

Contributors to theprogramme includeIan Marchant, TheRadnorshire Wildlife Trust, ThePressgangers, Sue Harris, Nicholas Murray,GeorgeVass andDrTobyDriver,author of The Hillforts of Iron AgeWales Thereisa film explorationofGustav Klimt’siconicpaintingThe Kiss from ExhibitiononScreen.

Pompeii,Capri&TheBayofNaples

Eightdaysfrom£1,509PP

SAVE

Yourtourincludes:

✓ Returnflightsfromaselectionofregionalairportswithhoteltransfers

✓ 7nightsinachoiceofthree-tofour-starsuperioraccommodationinclusiveofalllocal taxes,withbreakfastanddinner*

✓ TheservicesofourexperiencedandinsightfulTourManager

Includedexperiences:

✓ 3guidedtoursincludingNaples,SorrentoandPompeii

✓ 3visitsincludingtheSorrentocountryside,theRufoloGardensandhilltopRavello

✓ TakeaboattriptothestunningislandofCapri

✓ TravelalongtheAmalfiCoast DeparturesMaytoOctober2024and2025

Allholidaysandbreakstobefoundontheholidayfile.comareprovidedandoperatedbyanumberofselectedtouroperators onwhosewebsitetermsandconditionsmaybefound. *StaysattheHotelMichelangeloareonaB&Bbasis.†BookbyApril30th 2024toreceivesavingsof£100pponselectdeparturedates.Discountreflectedintheprice.Firstcomefirstservedbasisand subjecttoavailability.

Theevent will also welcomestar Dutchviolinist Emma Roijackers and exciting young Britishharpist Heather Brooks They will performrecitals of wellknownclassicsatStAndrew’sChurch in thetown.

Educationfunding

Fundingtosupport children with additional needshas been welcomed by aShropshireMP.

Ludlow MP PhilipDunnesaid Shropshirewas to benefitfromalmost £4 million of fundingtoensure children with special educational needsand disabilities (SEND) and alternativeprovision (AP) receivean educationthatmeets theirneeds.

ShropshireCouncilisset to receive £3,947,035

Mr Dunnesaid: “I want each child within theSouth Shropshire constituencytohavethe same opportunity

Therewill be creative events and displays to be enjoyed forthose who drop by Springboardbrochuresare being distributedlocally

Thefull Springboard programme, together with bookingdetails for theevents, areavailable online at presteignefestival.com/2024-spring board-programme

TheSaturdayseesPresteigne’s lively town centre supplemented with BroadStreet Brocante andsomelive harp musicatPresteigneLibrary Throughout theweekend,Ruth Kirkby andPenny Hughes will host ‘Art in theYard’ behind Daphne’s Pizza

welcomed by MP

to meet theirpotential,soitisvital that children with SEND andAlternative Provision getthe supportand resourcestheyneed

“Butthe rising need forprovision, nothelpedbythe impact of thepandemic, meansthisisa growingfundingissue forlocal councils,including Shropshire.

“I am thereforepleased theGovernmentisinvesting almost £4min Shropshire, whichwill help meet the capitalcosts of new school places and deliverthe educationthatmeets the needs of children with SEND.”

Counciltoremainamemberofgroup

LlandrindodWells Town Councilhas agreed to renewits membership of OneVoice Wales.

Butthe mayorwill raise acomplaint from twocouncillorswiththe national organisation

CouncillorsSteve Deeks-D’Silva andCouncillorJamie Jonessaidthey felt they hadbeengiven contradictory advice recently when they approached OneVoice Walesfor help

Mayor Councillor Marcia Morgan said:“IhaveusedOne VoiceWales throughout my year andtheyhavealways come back veryquickly andthey have gotlegal advisers there.”

Butshe said shewould raisethe complaints with theorganisationbefore thecouncil handsover themoney.

Town clerkJaneJohnstonsaidOne VoiceWales wasthe only representative organisation forthe councilasa body.The councilagreed to pay£1,265 forits membership whichisbased on 3,086chargeabledwellingsat arateof 0.41pper dwelling

Chiefexecutive LynCadwallader said in alettertothe councilthe past year hadseenmanypositive developmentstothe organisation’s services andfor thecommunity andtowncouncilsectoringeneral

Emma Roijackers

Town councilis discussing ways to covercuts to vitalservices

Shrewsbury’s town councilisset to consider planstotakeonservices whichare threatened by cuts from thecountycouncil, it says

At present,ShrewsburyTown Council looksafterarange of serviceswithinShrewsbury including themanagementofparks andgreen spaces, andother public facilities includingcommunity centresand some public toilets.

However,the authoritynow says it is lookingintoareas whereit couldtakeonextra responsibilities, or work, in partnershipwiththe unitaryauthoritytoensureservices areprotectedfroma £62m programme of cuts proposed by ShropshireCouncil.

An update from thetowncouncil’sSLA (service level agreement) working groupsaiditwas lookingat anumberofhigh profile non-statutory services in thetown, with areport duetobedelivered next month

That couldinclude areassuchas leisurecentresand litter picking –aswellasthe monitoring of the town’s CCTV system,which is earmarked by thecountycouncil for potentialcostcuts.

“Itisclear that ourworkwith ShropshireCouncil mightinvolve us taking responsibility forsome of theserviceswhich have become at risk as aconsequenceofthe swingeingcutswhich they were consideringinkey areas,”saidShrewsbury Town CouncilleaderAlanMosley.

“Areas currentlybeing considered forcutsatShropshireCouncil includeleisure centresand facilities, greenspaces, litter picking andcollectionand CCTV among others.”

Collegeisrated as outstandinginreport

Staffand students at aspecialist collegefor adults with learning disabilities arecelebrating after receivingtop marksfromOfsted inspectors.

Condover College, aspecialistfurther educationcollege in Shrewsbury,has received an ‘Outstanding’fromOfsted in theirrecent inspection Thereport, publishedthisweek, highlightedthe excellentexperience that students receiveatthe college.

Inspectors saidthat“students flourish in therespectful,openand

MEGANJONES

megan.jones@mnamedia.co.uk

supportive culturethatextends throughoutthe college” and“significantlyimprove theirconfidence,resilience andcommunication skills”.

TracyGillett, director of education,saidthatshe wasbursting with pridefor theamazing achievementsofthe students andstaff at thecollege Shesaid: “I have felt that we have been giving ourstudents an outstandingeducational experience

foranumberofyears now. We have hadastrongsharedvisionfor success andhavenever compromised on quality–eventhroughoutthe pandemic when westayedopenthe wholetime, as we knew that it was theright thingtodofor ourstudents.

“Tohavemyviewratified by Ofsted in such aglowing report is fantasticand we areall immensely proudofour success.”

Ofsted inspectors gave significant praise to theway that thecollege is led, calling theleadership andmanagement“exceptional”

Speed limitthrough village is beingreduced to 20mph

Thespeed limitonparts of roadsgoing througha MidWales villagehave beendropped to 20mph.

Adelegated decision hasbeen made by PowysCountyCouncil’s cabinetmember forhighwaysLiberal Democrat Councillor Jackie Charlton to lowerthe speed limit in Kerry, near Newtown.

Thelimit will change alongparts of theA489and theC2012 road in thevillage centre,and near theprimary school wherethose roadsare currently30mph

Amonth-long consultation on the trafficregulationorder (TRO)proposaltookplace from February 2to March 1.

TrafficengineerChris Lloydsaid that 20 representations hadbeen received by thecouncil during the consultation

Mr Lloyd said:“Of the20representations received, 11 supported theintroductionofthe 20mph

speed limitalong theA489through Kerryeitherover theextentofthe A489 as proposed,oroveralonger extent throughthe village.”

Buttoextendthe TROtocover theroadall throughthe village, the councilwould have to go through thewhole processand startagain

Mr Lloyd said:“From analysing therepresentations received,itis clearthatthe recent WelshGovernment legislationwhich loweredthe speed limitofall restricted roads in Walesfrom30mph to 20mphhas resultedinasignificant number of negative responses to this proposal, with eightbeing opposedtothe general impact andthe costsassociated with theintroductionofthatlegislation.”

However,six of therepresentationssuggested that the20mph should be over theentirelengthof theA489through Kerry.

Mr Lloydsaidthatsomepeople expressedthe opinion that this lowerspeed should have been introduced last September when the 20mphspeed limitlegislation came into force.

PowysCountyCouncillor forKerry ConservativeBenjaminBreeze backsthe proposal

He said:“Having read therepresentations received during the consultation andthe highwaytrafficengineering team’sresponses andrecommendations, Iwould like to continue my supportfor thespeed proposal as originally proposed

“I feel strongly that thebusier centralareaofKerry should be incorporated into theproposed 20mphzonewhich should include theschool, shop,chapel, church, the twopublichousesand thebusy Common Road junction with itsrestricted geometryand visibility

“I’m optimistic that this proposed change will make ourtreasured communitysafer forall.”

MP welcomes inflationratefall

Ludlow MP PhilipDunnehas welcomedafurther fall in therateof inflation.

Latest figuresfromthe Office for National Statistics show UK inflation hasfallento3.4 percent–its lowest levelintwo-and-a-halfyears, down from 11.1 percentsince 2022

Mr Dunnesaid: “The inflation figure is verywelcome news,showingamarkedfallfromfourper cent in Januaryto3.4 percentin February.

“The Chancellor hasbeenclear over thepast12monthsthatbearingdownininflationishis numberone priority. He hastaken the tough, responsibledecisionsnecessary,and nowweare seeing that payoff.

“A fall in inflationwill ease pressure on householdbudgetsinSouth Shropshire. These changes setthe scenefor better economicconditions whichcould allowfurther progress to boostgrowthand cuttaxes.”

Groups’workto be recognised

TwoBuilthWells organisations aretoberecognisedfor their workinthe community

Mayor Councillor Mark Hammond will present awards to Builth WellsHeritageSociety andtoBuilth WellsYoung FarmersClub.

Councillor Hammond said: “I have always beenimpressed by thededicationofBuilth WellsHeritageSociety’s team in preservingthe cultural heritageand historyofthe town.” Regardingthe YFC, Councillor Hammondsaid: “I have been very impressedbythe dedication andachievements of the membersofthe Builth YFCthis year,inrespectofthe arts and ourrural wayoflifeand heritage.”

Both groups will geta ‘Mayor’s Certificate of Achievement’ and£500.

Care home is in line foraward

Councillor Charlton took thedecision on March 21,and it came into forceonFridaylastweek.

Thenationaldefault 20mph speedlimit in built-up areashas provedtobecontroversial.

Signs in Powysand many other partsofWales have been vandalised sinceitcameintoforce on September17.

Nationally therehavebeenprotest marchesand to date just under 470,000 peoplehavesignedapetition calling forthe 20mphlimitto be revoked.

TheWelsh Governmenthas said that having a20mph default speed limitisexpected to result in 40 per cent fewerroadcollisions.

This in turn wouldsaveupto10 livesand stop up to 2,000 people beinginjured everyyear.

Thegovernmenthas accepted that thepolicyneedstobe“finetuned”due to inconsistenciesin approach betweenlocal authorities acrossWales

Acarehome in Shropshireiscelebratingafterbeing namedas a finalist foraprestigious national award.

Care UK’s OxbowManor,onOteleyRoadinShrewsbury,has been nominatedfor the‘Best NewCare Home’in theCareHome Awards OxbowManor,which opened its doorslastyear, hasbeenpraised forits commitment to cultivating strong relationshipswiththe local community.

Emma Tillyer, home manager at OxbowManor,said: “We’re thrilled to have been nominatedfor anational award.

“It’sincrediblyrewarding to have thestrongrelationships we’ve workedhardtobuild with thelocalcommunity,familyand friends recognisednationally, especially so soonafterwe’ve opened.

“I am really proudofthe team andwhattheyachieve on adaily basis.”

Staffand students at CondoverCollege in Shrewsburywhich hasbeen rated as outstandingbyOfsted

Getalong to the library to enjoy an afternoon of storytelling

THESTRETTONS

Storytelling –Anafternoon of storytelling at thelibrarywill take place today(Friday)from1.30pm-3pm.The session will offerbird-themedstoriesand crafts forchildren aged four to nine.Ring 01694722535to bookin.

Book –The high speed thriller Gorgeous andAdorable is thenew book by Meredith Vivian.Itisdue to be launched on Wednesday at7pm in the Healthand Wellbeing Centre.Tobook in,call01694 722077.Proceedsofticketsaleswill go to Mayfair.

Films –Flicksinthe SticksatAll Stretton VillageHall will be screening Sleep FuriouslyonTuesday at 8pm andArchipelagoon Friday next week at 7.30pm.AtHopeBowdler Village Hall Military Wiveswill be shownat7.30pm on Wednesday

Ukraine –Acoffeemorningand short promise auction will be held forUkrainian reliefatAll StrettonVillage Hall tomorrow (Saturday) from 10.30am-noon.For more information aboutraising fundsfor the Stretton Ukrainianreliefeffort, ring 01694 723283

Talk –AtalkbyDavid Andrew of the ClassicalMusic Groupwill take place at theURC on Wednesday at 10am andwill featureWagner’s DieMeistersinger Von Nurnbergwithvideo excerpts from the opera.

Lottery –The luckynumbersinthe Marchlottery forMayfairwere635,389, 400and 465winning £100,£50,£20 and£10 respectively.The lotteryraises much neededextra funds forMayfair Community Centre

Dancing –The Ballroom andSequence DanceClubmeets at theSilvester Horne InstituteonSaturdayeveningsfrom 8pm-10.30pm foraninformalevening of socialising anddance including ballroom, Latinand modernsequence andoccasionallinedance. Theclub welcomes newmembersofall abilities with or withouta partner. Ring 01694 723386 to find outmore. Mondays are for thosewho wish to Learn2Jive at the SilvesterHorne Institute from 7.30pm, with information available by ringing 01989750354and on Tuesdays at theSilvester HorneInstitute onecan learnuplifting Bollywood routines from 10am-11am with information available by ringing07792 872830. If Scottish dancing is for you, tryitatAll Stretton VillageHallonMondaysfrom7.30pm9.30pm

History –Atalkand exhibition at the SilvesterHorne Institute on Thursday next week at 2pmwill also include a book launchand will feature theChurch Stretton Workhouse1881underthe heading CouldbeWorse.The eventhas beenorganisedbyThe Church Stretton LocalHistory Groupand admissionis£4.

Coffee –FieldHouse RetirementHomeis openfor coffee morningsevery Monday from 10am-noon

Crafts –AMacrame workshop at The ProlificCrafter on Mondayisfrom4pm7pmand on April14from10.30am-4pm theworkshop will feature weaving on arigid heddle loom.Book in on 01694 724041

Audio –The Audio Book Group is open to anyone with sightproblems,dyslexia, Parkinson’s, Long Covidand MS.To find outmore, ring 07752427918.

Awards joyfor group’senvironmental work

Acommunity interest companyset up to supportthe climateresponse haswon awards

The9Treesgroup started with its rootsinPowys andnow hasbranches in many UK counties

It wonanhonouratWales’s FederationofSmall Businesses’ MicroBusinessAwards. Theaward wasgiven forthe group’sworkin tackling climatechange, restoring woodland habitats,promoting biodiversity andcreatingjobswithin thecountryside sector

It will nowgoforward to thenational finals on May9inBlackpool

KARENCOMPTON

karen.compton@mnamedia.co.uk

9Trees,based at Erwood Station, Builth Wells, wasset up in 2019 and works with landowners planting, maintainingand conservingnative trees

It offers skillsand experiencesto volunteers andsupporterswho find outdoorenvironmentsbeneficialfor healthand wellbeing Managing director andfounder of 9Trees MichaelCunningham said: “Weare delightedtoberecognised

fortwo awards forsustainability andmicrobusiness of theyear.”Yzabella Hill, 9Trees director from LlandrindodWells,said: “Wehave also wonThe NaturalEnvironment Awardfor thesouth west of England andwehavebeennominated by ConservationOptimism forthe EarthShotPrize.”

TheFSB Walesawardshighlighted andcelebrated firmsand inspiringsmall businesses includingsustainability consultants, pioneering prosthetics,apedigreesheep and flower farm andenvironmental Non-Governmental Organisations.

Action callis made to address ‘crisis’ in road safety in county

Moremustbedonetoimprove road safety in MidWales,anew group haswarned.

TheStrategic Road Safety Group wasestablished by thePowys Community Safety Partnershiplast year.The groupwas given theremit to identify optionsand initiatives forreducingthe amount of peoplekilledand seriouslyinjured on Powysroads

Thegroup consists of representatives from PowysCountyCouncil, Dyfed-Powys Police,Welsh Government andthe police andcrime commissioner. Thegroup’s findings and recommendationswill be shared with theWelsh Government.

County CouncillorsRichard Church andJackieCharltonare both on thesafetygroup.Theysaid: “Inthe last 10 years, nearly 100 people have died on ourroads in Powys.

“Manyhundreds more liveshave been damaged,not just throughseriousinjury, butthrough loss,trauma,and bereavement, leadingtoa huge cost both to ourcommunities andtoour public services

“Thatis whyweare calling this acrisis.

“It’snot anew crisis, it’s been with us formanyyears, anddespite theefforts of allthe public services overthose yearstoimprove the design of ourroads,toeducate road users, andtoenforce measures to stop dangerous driving, thecrisis persists.Weknowwehaveasevere problem, so we have come together to look at what is goingwrong in Powysand what we candotogether to stop thelossoflives on our roads.”

Coach firm kicksoff itsnew season with charityfundraiser

Aluxurycoach company haslaunchedanew programmeofday trips andshort breaks forthe coming season.

CaradocCoaches hasfor years runtours from itsbasenearChurch Stretton from surroundingareas andShrewsbury.

Events last year have caused a gapinthe market,particularlyin theTelford area,initiatingadeluge of newenquiriesfromthe town’s residents wantingdaysout andmini-breaks.

The firm’s programmefor the newseasonstarted with afundraisingday trip to Worcesterwhere allproceedswenttoLingenDavies –Caradoc Coaches’ charityofthe year

Staffand passengers raisedmore than £1,300 with allfeesfrom theticketsgoing to theShrewsbury-basedcharity,along with donationsthrough raffles andgames

DOMINIC ROBERTSON dominic.robertson@mnamedia.

on thetwo busesonthe dayand also pre-trip donationsfrompeople who couldnot make it butwanted to support.

Othereventsduringthe season includeanApril trip to ‘Downton Abbey’,aCoronationStreet tour in November, an exclusiveboattrip on theRiverThames, the Blackpool illuminations, andatriponthe famous Shakespeare ExpressinJune –the country’sfastest steamlocomotive

Thereare avariety of other trips on offerthroughoutthe year to several seasidedestinations, aweekendin York,the ApplebyHorse Fair –the largestgipsy fair in Europe, aLondonChristmas weekend, and a five-day holidaytoLlandudno at theend of July,tonamejustafew CaradocCoaches is ownedby Graham andAlixe Goughand specialises in allforms of grouptravel

including, coachholidays, airport transfers, European travel, corporate andprivate outings, wedding transport as well as theirrenown daytrips

Graham said:“Theeconomicclimate is provingextremely difficult foreveryone,but ourpriorityasalways is to providevalue formoney withoutcompromise to safety or the qualityofour service, andwepride ourselves on our fleetofmodern coachesand experienced,helpful drivers.

“Our WorcesterCharity Day launched our2024seasonwhereby ourdrivers andvolunteers gave theirtimefor free that dayand all proceeds, includingticket revenue, wasdonated to Lingen Davies,our charityofthe year anda cause that is very closetoour hearts

“Weare really excitedtoreveal ournew programmefor the2024 season andwewillnow be including Telfordasapick-up destinationfor allour trips. Increasing ourpick-up

points in Telfordwas theonlylogical step forusand came about by theincreaseindemandfor ourtrips from people in that area. Coach tripsare veryimportant forpeople who do not drive, cannot afford to travelbycar,donot have theconfidencetodrive longer distancesor simply want to enjoy astress-free coachtour.

“Itisalso reassuring formany to know that everything is being organisedfor them andthatmulti-generationalfamilygroupscan go togetherwithout anyone being burdened with thedriving.It is also true that many people discovered thedelights of thestaycation through therestraints of Covid–falling in love once againwithwhat is righthereonoffer in theUK.

“Wehavesome greattrips plannedthisyear, with an easy telephonebooking system.Caradoc will also be picking up in Telfordon itsalready well-established London daytours.”

Someofthe 9Trees team andvolunteerswho were in Brecon duringthe Team Green Away Daylast year

Bidfor solar farm whichcould have powered9,000 homesisturneddown

Asolar farm that couldhaveprovided powerfor morethan9,000 homes hasbeenrefused planning permission TheproposalbyGreen Switch Capitalwas to stationsolar panels on astretchofelevatedlandatOatcroftFarm, Titley near Kington.

The30-megawatt installation wouldhaverequired transformer stations,acontrolbuilding, substa-

tion compound,perimeter palisade fencingand access roads, along with landscapingand biodiversity enhancements

The firm’s bidsaidany visual harm causedbythe scheme would be outweighed by itsenvironmental, economic andsocialbenefits

Butitdrewnearly80objections from membersofthe public, and around 40 also puttheir concerns

forwardatapublicmeetingcalled by Titley andDistrictGroup Parish Councilin mid-January.

Theparishcouncil said thepanels’ “elevatedposition cannot be sufficientlywellscreened”.The councilsaidthe panels wouldimpingeonthe nearby GradeIIlisted Eywood Park

Anditwas worried thescheme coulddiscourage visitors to the

area,with“aknock-oneffectonour touristindustry”

HerefordshireCouncilplanners were persuaded theschemewould have asignificant adverseimpact on thelandscape,which therenewable energy benefits wouldnot outweigh.Theyalso foundinsufficient informationonhow rainwater runoffand construction trafficwould be dealtwith.

Chance to askquestions of councilatresidents’meeting

DAVIDBANNER newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

Ludlow Town Council’s annual residents’ meetingwillbeheldonApril 29.

Themeeting starts at 7pmand will take placeatLudlow Methodist Church

Residents areencouraged to submittheir questionsinadvance to ensure comprehensiveresponses during themeeting.

Thedeadlinefor question submissionisApril 22.Further questionsare welcome during themeeting, however,the response maybe provided afterthe meeting.

During themeeting, theMayor of Ludlow Councillor Glenn Ginger will,withsupport from thecommitteechairs, speakabout thecouncil’s services, finances andprojects.

Therewill be copiesofthe annual report for2023/24 forresidents to take away with them

Councillor Ginger said:“Theannual residents’meeting is important forboththe council andthe community.

“It’san opportunityfor residents to gettoknowthe councillorswho servethe communityofLudlow, andfor thetowncounciltobetter understandthe viewsoflocal residents.”

Residents areencouraged to submittheir questionstotownclerk Gina WildingatThe Guildhallin Mill Streetoremail townclerk@ ludlow.gov.uk

Propertywithpastureland is on themarket

An eye-catchingpropertyinpicturesquecountryside is on themarket foroffersin theregionof£250,000

McCartneys said Ricketts CastleatTitleynearKington is adetached two-bedroomhome of traditional half-timberedblack and whiteconstruction.

The firm said:“Thepropertyis in need of renovation andimprovement

“Itisdelightfully situated in an

DAVIDBANNER

newsroom@mnamedia.co.uk

unspoilt rurallocationwithviews over thesurrounding Herefordshirecountryside closetothe village of Titley andisset within a shortdistanceofthe popularBlack andWhite villages of NorthHerefordshire.

“The property hasawiderange

of nearbyfootpaths providingexcellentwalking routes. Theproperty also offers peaceful cycling routes alongthe surroundingcountrylanes

“The property includes gardens andpastureland extendingtoapproximately5.09acres,which complements thedwelling andgives an excellentopportunityfor smallhold,equestrianand environmentaluse.”

Alcohol abusecosts NHSincounty£12mayear

Hospital admissions relatedto alcoholare costingthe NHSin Shropshire£12.3 milliona year, new figuressuggest AlcoholChangeUKsaidthe number of people affected by alcoholharmisrising.

Thecharity called formorealcoholcareteams acrosshospitals, alongsidefurther preventative measures

Themostrecent figuresfromthe Office forHealthImprovementand Disparities show hospital admissionswithaprimary or secondary alcohol-relateddiagnosisin Shropshirecostthe NHSanestimated

£12,313,000 in theyeartoMarch 2021

Therewere5,862 alcohol-related hospital admissions in Shropshire acrossthisperiod.

It meantthe cost percapitain theareawas about£46 –below the national level of £49per person.

Dr RichardPiper,chief executive of AlcoholChangeUK, said:“Alcoholcareteams arecurrently available in some hospitalsinthe UK

“Butweneed them to be availableineverymajor hospital, workingacrosshospitaldepartments andwithcommunity alcoholservices,toensurethatpeoplestruggling

Thanks given to those who donateitems to town foodbank

THESTRETTONS

Food –The shelvesofthe foodbankare being clearedofmanyitems each week so thanks to thosewho kindlydonate food at theCo-opand Mayfaireachweek Thefoodbank also needscashdonations to buyinfoodand this canbedonated at tinyurl.com/SFBgiveStrettonfoodbank@ strettonparish.org.uk. Thefoodbankis open everyFridayatthe Parish Centre from 2.30pm-4pm Quiz –Aquiznight at Mayfairwillraise fundsfor theSamaritans.Itwilltakeplace tomorrow(Saturday)and starts at 6pm andwillinclude aploughman’s supper with abar also available. To bookin, hand £15inatthe MedicalCentre in an envelope with your name and address. Thecricket club will also be organising aquiznight on Friday next week and invitesparticipantstotaketheir ownfood anddrink.To find outmore, ring 07923 231424

Surgery –Thursdaynextweek is thenext surgeryfor speaking to Councillor Hilary Luff from 9.30am-11amatthe library.

Training –There is atrainingsession on April17from1pm to 3pmatthe Health andWellbeing Centre to help make communities safer. It is ledby Co-creationsSafer Streets 5, andis also called Active BystanderAwareness Training

Golf –Golftastersessionsfor women are on offeratChurchStrettonGolfClubon April20from3pm-4pm andcontinuefor four weeks. Thesessionsoffer teaching in learning to swing,playahole of golf andthere is also aputting competition Talk –Atalkon JohannesKepler 15711630 by MikeBourkeisplanned for April 25 at 2.30pm at Little StrettonVillage Hall.Hearaboutthe man“who fixedMars and flew to themoon”. Book in on 01694 723627 or emailMhaigh3@aol.com. Admission is £5 paid at thedoor and includes light refreshments

Contestentries deadline nears

Time is runningout to getentries in forthe 2024 Shropshire Chamberof Commerce BusinessAwards. Morethan450 ticketshavealreadybeenreservedfor theshowpiece event, whichchampions thelocaleconomy’s vibrancy,innovation andsuccess

with alcoholproblemsreceive the help they need.”

AGovernmentspokesperson said:“Alcohol usecan ruin lives anddestroyfamilieswhich is why we areactingtosupport thosemost at risk

“A record £532 million of additional investment hasbeenmade through to 2024-25toimprove drug andalcoholtreatment andrecovery serviceas part of a10-year strategy

“Weare also fundingspecialist alcoholcareteams at one in four hospitalsin England, basedon thosewiththe greatest need.”

Entriesare nowopenfor this year’s 11 awards,which will be presented at ablack-tie ceremonyat Telford’sInternational Centre on June 21

Theclosing date forawardsentriesisFridaynextweek.

The2024competition,which is free to enter, is open to anybusiness with an operationalbaseinthe countyofShropshireorTelford & Wrekin,whether or nottheyare a chambermember.

It includes thereturnoflong-running categories includingCompany of theYear, Best NewBusiness, Best SmallBusinessand Outstanding CustomerService

Thereare also several new-look categories this year

To entervisit shropshire-cham ber.co.uk

Ricketts Castle at Titleyisatwo-bedroom home of traditionalhalf-timberedblack andwhite construction

Renowned pianist to performatvenueinvillage

Internationallyrenownedpianist

JamesLisneywill be giving arecitalonthe Bechsteinpiano at The HubinNew Radnor on April13.

Doorswillopenat7pm foranintimate recitalofromanticmusic by Schuman, Chopinand Beethoven

Aspokespersonsaid: “James has wonmanyaccoladesfor hisplaying andisaskilled versatileperformer, from solo recitals in largeconcert hallstosongaccompanist

“Hehas been credited as having ‘anenviablerange of articulation andawide, though never exaggerated,dynamic range. He also has theuncanny ability of hitting on

just therighttempo andconjuring up theappropriate mood’.

“The Hubisaquirky venue,situatedinthe oldschoolbuilding in School Lane andmuchlovedbyits patrons

“Itwas opened by oboist Ruth Watsonin response to theRadnor Arms closing as aspace forpeopleinthe villagetogather, and hasaddedmusical evenings to its events sincethe acquisitionofasuperb piano.”

This eventispartofthe Musicin NewRadnor winter concertseries.

Mary Tolhurst forMusic in New Radnor said:“This is the firstcol-

laboration betweenMusic in New Radnor andThe Huband we are lookingforward to it verymuch.

“James believes in the‘smallis beautiful` presentationofchamber music, in intimate settingswith audiencesfeeling thattheyare an integral part of theoccasion.The Bechsteinpiano is arealasset to thevillage andloversofpiano musicwillhaveasplendidevening”. Ticketsare £15for adults and£3 forunder 14s. Forticket reservations, contactAlisonSpaldingon 01544350746or07493 940683

NewRadnor is sevenmiles west of Kingtononthe A44.

£1.3mannual running cost of

‘failing’council HQ revealed

MIKESHERIDAN LocalDemocracy Reporter

Shropshire Councilsays it remainscommitted to building newheadquarters –after revealingits existing Shirehalloffice costsover£1.3million peryeartorun.

Theauthority voted to press aheadwiththe next stageofthe Riversideregenerationschemein Shrewsbury town centre,which will seedemolitionworkcommenceand anew public park builtonRoushill

Anew “multi-agencyhub”building, earmarkedfor part of thedevelopment, is intended to replace theageing1960s-era Shirehall whichthe councilsaysitwants to dispose of

Although it hascommitted to leavingthe site,the fateofShirehall hasnot yetbeenrevealed, with allmeetingsrelatingtoits future taking placebehindcloseddoors duetocommercialsensitivity

However,CornoviiDevelopments, thecouncil’s arms-length housebuilding operation, is currentlydeveloping astrategy forthe future of thesiteinconjunction with the council’sestates team, thecouncil says Councillor DeanCarroll,housing andassetsportfolio holder, told a meetingofthe councilapotential refurbishmentofShirehallwould cost in excess of £30m “Shirehallhas failed technically,

functionally andeconomicallyand, of course,its greencredentials are extremely poor,”hesaid.

“The councilnolongerneeds an administrative base of thescope andscale of theShirehalland due to thecurrent market declineindemand foroffice space, otherinterest hasbeenextremely limited.”

Thenew building couldbeshared

with external partners,withthe authoritylooking to reduce the amount of floorspace it occupiesto reduce itsaccommodationcosts But£1.4million of redevelopment fundingintendedtopay forinitial design andplanningworkfor the building hasnow been “re-profiled” to otherareas of theproject –leadingtospeculation that theauthori-

ty maytemporarily move itsoperationsintothe nearby Guildhall.

“The commitment to deliver a multi-agency hubaspartofthe Riverside redevelopment remains, with asubstantive planning approval nowin placeand recently consultation completedonthe next application,workismovingatpace,”added Councillor Carroll.

Potholesamong theissues on councillor’s agenda

Bidlaunched to save university

AShropshireuniversity graduate haslauncheda petitiontosavethe institutionasits future hangsin thebalance

University Centre Shrewsbury hasbeentolditmustvacateits GuildhallcampusinFrankwell by theautumn by landlordShropshire Council. Thesiteisbeing considered as atemporary newhome for thecouncil when it vacatesthe “expensivetorun”Shirehall.

Nowa graduate is urging people to getbehindhis petition calling for theuniversitytobesaved MaxYates,who graduatedin 2019 andhas remained working in Shrewsbury,saidheis“deeply concerned”about themove. He said: “The Guildhallhas been abeacon forstudents across Shropshire, providingcrucialopportunities andshaping futures.”Toviewthe petition,visit change.org/p/preventthe-closure-of-university-centreshrewsbury-at-the-guildhall

Grants on offer foressentials

ResidentsinWales whoare eligible forthe free school essentialsgrant have been urged to applynow

Children of families on lower incomeswho receivecertain benefits, thoseseeking asylum andchildrenincarecan claim £125 peryeartohelpwith school costs.

Becauseofthe extra cost familiesmightfacewhentheir children startsecondary school, £200 is availablefor eligible pupils goingintoYear7.Itcould also mean extra fundingfor theirschool.

There’sstill time to checkeligibility andapply forthisyear’s fundingnow before applications close on May31.

To find outmoreabout the schoolsessentialsgrant andto checkeligibility,visit gov.wales/ get-help-school-costs

Toilet usersare an honest bunch

People usingthe loos in aMid Wales town have shownhow honest they are.

Honestyboxes at publictoilets in Builth Wellshavenetted thetown council£679.

Town clerkLouiseHammond said it wasaverygoodtotal again andthisyearthe councilhas probably collected about£4,000intotal from theboxes placed in thetoilets on theGroe.

Meanwhile, thetowncouncil has bought anew vaxmachine at acost of £189 andsomecarpettiles for £207

Shesaidshe hasalsoreported potholes,blocked ditchesand other road issues, hadadvocated on behalf of residents on several council housingissuesand hasbeenliaisingwithresidents andpoliceonissues of illegal off-roading.

Faulty street lights,potholes, blockedditches andillegal off-roadingare just some of theissues Rhayader’s county councillor has dealtwiththismonth In areporttothe town council, Councillor Angela Davies said she hadreported several faulty street lights around thetownand dueto some complications some of them will be an ongoingissue

Councillor Davies said shecontinues to chairthe economic regenerationscrutinycommittee andas well as scrutinising thebudgetproposals in January, it also looked at council houserentsetting,the car park review andreceiveda climate report

Councillor Davies also congratulated theorganisers of thevery successful“Rhayader Roundthe Lakes” runningevent, whichattracted800 participants from far andwide.

Spooners Flooring have been contactedtolay the flooring in the kitchenareaofthe StrandHalland will be attendingsoon.

Shesaidmanyofthemstayedin Rhayader forthe weekendand it wasa greatopportunity to showcase thetown.

Thecouncil hasalsoordered a pair of stagecurtainsfor theStrand Hall at acostof£4,989 andthey areawaitinginstallationbyCameo Curtains.The previous curtains were damaged

JamesLisneywill perform in New Radnor.Photo by Suzie Maeder

TheShirehallwas builtinthe 1960sand couldbedemolished with anew councilHQbeing built to replace it

Cash-starved smaller towns being‘ignored’ sayopposition

Opposition councillorshaveclaimed ShropshireCouncilisignoring “cash-starved” smallertowns after theauthorityagreedtopress ahead with aShrewsburyregeneration scheme

Thecouncil’s administration voted to move forwardwithplans to demolish Shrewsbury’s Riverside shopping centre,the firststage of amulti-million poundschemeto regenerate theSmithfieldareaof town

Thevotealso gave thecouncil approval to startnegotiationswith cinema andhotel operatorsfor future leisureuses on theriverside. Conservativecouncillors hailed the scheme as a“cunningand visionary plan”, butopposition memberscriticisedthe administration fortaking on extra borrowingto financethe scheme,and questioned theoverall benefittothe rest of thecounty.

LiberalDemocratleaderRoger Evanssaidthe projectwas “animportantstepfor thecountytownof Shrewsbury”but blastedthe councilfor spending moneyonconsultants to design thescheme, adding thatany increasedborrowing would putstressonthe council’srevenue budget. “Everyhousehold especially in these timesknows that you don’tcontemplate knocking down part of yourhome andrebuildingit when you’re broke,”hesaid.

Borrow

“The councilisnow intendingto borrow even moremoneytoemploy even moreconsultants to draw up a scheme,whenthere’s a£62mblack holecausedbygovernment,but also by theanticsofthe Conservative administration in theyearssince theunitary authoritywas formed “It’stimereallyfor theConservative administration to grow up,and cuttheir clothaccordingtotheir budget.Wecould look at alternative deliverymethods that couldinclude spreadingany spendtoShrewsbury andalso sharingitaroundthe other cash-starved townsofShropshire.”

Butinresponse,Conservative councillorsaccused theopposition of “sitting on thefence”bynot fully backingthe plans, whilehousing andassetsportfolio holder Dean Carrollsaidthe councilwas bringingmillionsofpoundsofinvestment into Shrewsbury –and wasjustified in bringing in outsideexpertise.

“Towns andcitiesacrossthe countrywould welcome thekindof vision andcommitmenttothe future vitality of thetowncentre that we areputting forwards,” he said “Ifyou were building anew house or an extension, you wouldhirean architect… youwouldn’ttry and draw theplans up yourself. You wouldbring in theexperts, and that’s what we areproposing to do.”

Conservativecouncillor Gwilym Butler said theextra business rates andcouncil taxbrought in by regeneration projects in Shrewsbury wouldeventuallyhelptosupport services across thecounty.

Endofanera as retirement ends family’slinkto estate’sgardens

Weston Park’s Martin Geehas spentmany decades working on itsbeautiful grounds

Hisfamilyhavetended thelandand groundsat Weston Park formore than twocenturies.

Butnow Martin Geehas stepped down as head gardener after keepingthe groundsatthe estate blooming for54years

The69-year-old wasthe sixth generation of hisfamilytoworkon theestatesince theirconnection with Weston beganin1803.

The firstofthe Gees to arrive at Weston wasMartin’sgreat,great, great-grandfatherJohn. He was achampion ploughman whocame from WeetinginNorfolk at atime when theBradfordfamilyinherited theestatefromLordMountrath

Next washis son William who served as agamekeeperand was proudwhenhis sonGeorgecontinuedthe traditionbybecomingan agricultural worker.

AfterGeorgecameArthur, Martin’sgrandfather, whosaw theestate switch from horsestotractors.

Hisson,William,Martin’s father,began hiscareerasa gardener before moving into agriculture.

Buthis passionwas forhorticulture andhereturnedtoworkinthe gardenswhenhe wasinhis 50s.

It wasinevitablethatMartin wouldfollowintheir footsteps. A spellofworkexperienceinthe estate’s greenhousesbeforeleaving school convinced himitwas thejob forhim

He began as agardeningapprentice when he wasjust15and startedbyhoninghis horticultural skillsatRadbrookCollege

“I learnedalot during that time butyou never stop learning really.Every dayisaschoolday,” says

Martin,who wasbornonthe estate His firstdutiesweremanagingthe walled garden,producing thefruitsand vegetables forthe family, before progressingtothe formal gardensand thepleasure grounds.

“WhenI firststarted it wasstill verymuchafamilyhome.The Earl of Bradford andhis family lived here.Thenitwas handed over to theWestonParkFoundationin 1986,” he says Untilveryrecently, Martin lived in ahouse on theestatewithhis wife Suzanne andwould start everyday taking hisShetland sheepdog Charliefor awalkaround thegrounds.

Thecouple, whohaveadaughter, Felicity,havemoved to anew-build property afew miles away from Weston

Martin told Shropshire Magazine that hismorning walk with hiscaninecompanion wouldenable himtospotany priorityjobssuch as pruningthatneeded attention.

“I canassesswhatjobsneed doing. Youalwayshavea plan of what needs doingeachweekbut oftenit changesbecause of theweather,” he explains.“No twodaysare ever thesamein this job.”

As head gardener,Martin,workingalongside ateamofseven gardeners andagroup of dedicated volunteers,was responsiblefor nurturingthe formal gardensand 19th centuryItalianateparterre, therosegarden,the Tear Drop gardenand theLancelot‘Capability’ Brown-designed pleasuregrounds

“The pleasuregrounds arevery importanttous.

“Capability Browndesigneda lot of landscapes on Englishestatesbut he only did five pleasure groundsand we’vegot twoofthem –TempleWood andShrewsbury Walk,”saysMartin.

Eachday,one of theteamwill collectthe data from theweather stationwhich hasbeeninoperation on theestatefor centuries.

“Werecordthe weatherevery morning at 9amand therecords go back to 1866.Theymakefor interesting reading,”saysMartin,who hasled guided walks around estate formanyyears

“The seasonsare changing, there’s no doubtabout it.But you can’tcontrolthe weather, youhave to workarounditand draw from experience,” he adds

In recent years, Martin hasled therestoration of thegardensincludingre-establishing thetreelinedwalks,the rosegarden and thedecorative displayareas in frontofthe 17th centuryhouse

“We’ve done alot ofrestoration butwhatever we have triedtodo, wehavetried it to make sure we’re historically correctorasneartoit as possible

“Althoughit’sa Georgian and Victorianlandscape,wehavetried to be sympathetictothe generationsthatfollowedand left their mark on it,” he explains

“The projects have to be achievable andmanageablebecause we have to be able to look afteritand keep it lookinggood.”

Martin is rightlyproud of the restorationwork.

This hasincludedthe southern walled garden,now home to the maze andorchards, andthe northerngarden,which is nowathriving

vegetablegarden with theproduce goingstraighttothe estate’s Granary restaurant’s kitchen.

Theteamalso workedwithrosarian MichaelMarriot,fromDavidAustinRoses in Albrighton, to breath newlifeintothe rosegarden

“It’sbeenchallenging at times butithas been enjoyable,”Martin says.“Oneofmy greatest achievementswas winningProfessional Gardener of theYearaward in 2006.”

He’s spentsuchalongtimecaringfor thegardensthatMartin says it wouldbedifficult to choose hisfavourite spot

“It’sall beautiful. My favourite time of theyearisMay becauseit’s abit quieterand theplantingis all done.You cansit back andenjoy it.”

Nowthathehas retired, Martinisturning hisattention to his owngarden at hisShropshirehome andishopingtodosomevolunteer work.

“Because it’s anew-build,it’sa bit of ablank canvas.I’vegot aplan forthe garden anditwill be nice to startplantingit,”saysMartin.

Although he couldhavestarted hisretirementafew yearsago,he says that,until recently,itnever felt likethe righttime.

“Initially,itwas aharddecision to make because my heart’s in theplace.Ayearago Isuddenly thoughtI’m approaching70, it’s time to hand it over to someone else now.

“I will miss theteam. Icouldn’t have done thejob withoutthe team around me.I’vebeenverylucky,” says Martin

l Martin is featured in the Apriledition of Shropshire Magazine,available in shops now.

Weston Park headgardenerMartinGee,who is hanging up hispruners

Weston Park head gardenerMartinGee

Software firm in acquisition deal

Herdwatch,the market leading Agtechsoftwarecompany,has announced theacquisition of Lilac Technology,renownedfor theirTB Master software in theUK, and ComTag in Irelandinadealbelieved to be worth seven figures.

Herdwatch expectsthe acquisition to accelerate itsplans to provide software solutionsinthe veterinary space.

It will addtoits existing portfolio of veterinary practice management software from anotherrecentacquisition.

Cancer care to be boosted

TheFarming Community Network(FCN) has launched anew UK-wide partnershipwithMacmillan Cancer Support.

As part of this partnership, FCN will be working closely with Macmillan Cancer Support, including raisingawareness in ruralcommunities of thesigns andsymptomsof cancer andbuildingreferralbridges to andfromMacmillan’s services

FATSTOCK MARKETS

Ludlow Tel: 01584 872251 MONDAY

Brecon Tel: 01874 622386 TUESDAY

Worcester Tel: 01905 769770 WEDNESDAY

Knighton Tel: 01547 528621 THURSDAY

Kington Tel: 01544 230316 THURSDAY

STORE SALES

KNIGHTON, FRIDAY 5th APRIL

First sale in the month of Store Cattle together with 700 Store Hoggets. Sale of Sheep at 10.30am, Cattle at 11.00am.

WORCESTER, SATURDAY 6th APRIL

First sale in the month of 150+ Store Cattle, 200+ Store Hoggets, In Lamb Ewes /Ewes and Lambs, Calves & Weanlings and Fodder. Gates open at 6.00am. Store Hoggets at 10.15am, Calves &Weanlings at 10.45am, Fodder in the main ring followed by Store Cattle and Breeding Stock at 11.00am.

LUDLOW, FRIDAY 12th APRIL

Show &Sale of Store Cattle, Store Sheep inc Show &Sale of Ewe &Lambs, Calves &Fodder. Catalogue entries close Friday 5th April at 5.00pm.

WORCESTER, TUESDAY 16th APRIL

Sale of Store Cattle, Store Sheep &Calves and Weanlings. Catalogue entries close Tuesday 9th April at 3.00pm

KNIGHTON, FRIDAY 19th APRIL

Prize Show &Sale of Store Cattle inc. Young Bulls & Cull Cows &Store Sheep. Catalogue entries close Thursday 11th April at 5.00pm.

LUDLOW, FRIDAY 26th APRIL

Sale of Store Cattle inc. Breeding Bulls &Bulling Heifers, Store Sheep inc. Show &Sale of Ewes &Lambs &Calves. Catalogue entries close Friday 19th April at 5.00pm.

BRECON, FRIDAY 26th APRIL

Sale of Store Cattle, Young Feeding Bulls, Cull Cows, Breeding Cattle &Organic Stock plus Fodder. Catalogue entries close Thursday 18th April at 5.00pm

Themove hasbeenmadebecause farmers, farm workers andpeople living in ruralcommunities can have loweraccesstocancerservices andsupport duetothe nature of theirworkand rurallifeinoften isolatedareas Theorganisations said farmers canbeparticularlyatriskofcertain types of cancer –suchas skin

cancer,prostate cancer,orcancers caused by exposuretocarcinogens.

Dr Jude McCann,chief executive officerofThe FarmingCommunity Network, said:“Farmersare an intrinsicpartofrural communities,but long working hoursand a lack of access to supportservices canlimit opportunitiesfor health checks.The soonerpeoplecan access cancer interventionsand support,the soonertheycan starttheir journeytorecoveryand remission.”

ORANGE STORE SALES –TBCATTLE

LUDLOW, FRIDAY 19th APRIL

Sale of Store Cattle from TB Restricted Farms. Sale after the Sale at Knighton. Catalogue entries close Friday 12th April at 5.00pm.

LAND FOR SALE

Upon instructions from TH Williams &Son Ltd (Due to restructuring their business)

At STILDON, MENITH WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE, WR6 6UL

Approx. 91.43 acres of Freehold Accommodation Land suitable for many and varied purposes with good road access.

FOR SALE BY INFORMAL TENDER

As awhole or in lots

TENDERS CLOSE:

FRIDAY 12th APRIL at 5.00pm

All further details from the joint agents

McCartneys, Ludlow Livestock Market, The Ox Pasture, Overton Road, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 4AA

Tel: 01584 872251 Ref: JU

Or Nick Champion Ltd, 16 Teme Street, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, WR15 8BA Tel: 01584 810555 Ref: NC

WELSH BPS ENTITLEMENTS TRADING NOW OPEN

The entitlement trading period is open until 15th May 2024.

If you are looking to buy or sell entitlements, contact our trading offices:

Knighton Office 01547 528621

Kington Office 01544 230316

Brecon Office 01874 610990

Reminder given on parasite risk

Cattleand sheepproducers arebeing encouraged to guard againstcoccidiosisingrowing spring born calves andlambs.

MSD’sDrKat Baxter-Smith said:“Thanks to antibodies gained throughingestingcolostrumearly in life, calves andlambs initiallyacquire some passiveimmunitytothe parasite.But this protection is short-lived, leavingyoung animals particularly susceptible to infectionastheygrow.”

FOR SALE BY FORMAL TENDER

An outstanding livestock rearing and arable Holding in the upper reaches of the unspoilt and beautiful Clun Valley

PENRHIEW LODGE, NEWCASTLE, CRAVEN ARMS, SHROPSHIRE, SY7 8QL

Comprising:

•Excellent Modern Brick 3Bedroomed Bungalow

•Good Range of Modern Buildings

•211.60 Acres of Pasture, Arable &Woodland TO BE SOLD BY FORMAL TENDER

as aWhole or in 6Lots

Lot 1: 6.42 acres of Pasture/Arable land.

Lot 2: 36.52 acres of Pasture/Arable land.

Lot 3: 4.23 acres of Pasture /Arable land together with a Traditional Stone Farm Building.

Lot 4: Modern Farm Bungalow, Modern Farm Buildings together with some 61.46 acres of Pasture/Arable and woodland.

Lot 5: 76.97 acres of Pasture and Woodland

Lot 6: 26 acres of Pasture and Woodland

TENDERS CLOSE:

WEDNESDAY 8th MAY at 12noon

Particulars/enquiries: Knighton Office 01547 528621 Ref: JMLM

Documentaryto look at soil health andregeneration

TheRoyal Agricultural University (RAU)will be one of the firstuniversities in thecountry to screen Six Inches of Soil,a Britishindependentfeature documentaryshining aspotlightonsoilhealthand regenerativefarming

The film followsthree newfarmers on the firstyear of theirregenerative journey.

It hasbeendescribedasaninspiring storyofBritishfarmers standing up againstthe industrial food systemand transforming theway they producefood –tohealthe soil,benefitour health, andprovide for localcommunities

Thescreening,which is open to thepublic, has been organisedbysecondyearRAU students ImmieJones andLaura Finch, whoare both studying foraBSc in Environment, Food andSociety at the Cirencester-baseduniversity.Laura said:“Immie andIwanted to organise this film eventatthe RAU because we arepassionateabout thetransformative potentialofagroecology in developing theknowledge andunderstanding to inspirechange.

“The RAUisleading aculture of change in food andfarming andthisevent will give people theopportunitytoengagewithmuchneededinspiration anddiscussion as to howwecan create aregenerative future.”

SixInchesofSoilwill be screened in theuniversity’s BoutflourHallonthe eveningofApril 19 andwill be followed by aquestion-and-answer session with a panelincluding the film’s producer Immiesaid: “Weare so proudtobehostingthis screeningand to sharethe positive messages inthe film to help shift UK food andfarming towardsmore nature friendly practiceswithina more resilientsystem, told through thestory of thenextgenerationof farmers.

“Weare also really lookingforward to seeing the ideasand thoughts that come from thediscussions in thequestion-and-answer session that will follow the screening.”

TheRAU eventstartsat5.30pmfor refreshments before awelcome andintroductionfromproducer

Claire Mackenzieand RAUProfessor in Agriculture Nicola Cannon.The screeningitselfwill startat 7.10pm and finish at 8.45pm

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BISHOPS CASTLE AUCTION

Thursday25th April 2024

Under the auspices of

SALEOFSTORECATTLE

Peat soil will be putintothe spotlightthrough newstudy

Harper AdamsUniversityacademics will be workingwith Shropshirefarmers to developwaystoboost habitats andecosystems whilemaintainingfood production.

ThePatchyPeatSolutions projecthas received agrant of £494,073. Theproject will workwith five farmersacross thecounty, whofarmonpeat, as well as utilisingthe Harper AdamsFutureFarm.

It is oneof13projectsacross England whichmakeupthe LowlandAgriculturalPeatWaterDiscoveryPilot.

The£3.1million pilotisfunded by theUK Government.

Theschemewill uselocal partnerships to understand how water canbebettermanaged to rewetand preservepeatsoils

Costed waterplans will be drawnupasa result of thecollaborations.

FarmerswillworkwithHarper Adams academics.

They includeDrJulia Casperd, ProfessorKarl Behrendt,DrSimon Jeffery, Dr IonaHuangand Future Farm executiveproject andpro-

Pictured,fromleft, are Dr JuliaCasperd,and farmersGeorgina Edge,WojtekBehnke, HelenHolman,NeilHarley, AngusHawkins with HarperAdams Future Farm executive projectand programme consultant ScottKirby.One furtherparticipant, RichardMaryniak,is notpictured.

gramme consultant ScottKirby as well as apost-doctoral research assistant.

Dr Casperdsaid: “Wewill be working with avariety of industry stakeholdersduring this year-longproject which will exploreanumberofcritical threadsrelatingtoagricultural sustainability,habitat restoration andhabitat creation

“These includethe monetisation of thenatural capitaleach farm holds, andthe management of waterresourcesand carbon stocks

“Wewanttoknowhow this peatylandcould be managed as amosaic with conventional farminginabetter, more sus-

MARKET REPORT

KINGTON

THURSDAYMARCH 28,McCartneysof Kingtonreport agood entryfor theThursday before Easter andanexcellenttrade in all sections. Prime hoggets sold to £4.20 ppk (SQQ £4.00ppk)and an excellent£202per head, Cull sheepsold to afabulous£219 per head andaveragedanexcellent£126 per head.

We have excellentbuying supportand need goodentrieseachweektosuffice thegood numbersofbuyerswehave andtheir current demand forlambsand cull ewes We caneasilysell 2000 hoggets and500 pluscullsheep eachweek given thenumber of buyers anddemandwehave on aweekly basis. Primehoggets –The lambssoldto an increasedtrade on theweek in allweight ranges with thewhole section (32kgto 53Kg)averaging an excellent£4.00 ppk on thesqq and£3.80 ppkand £179 per head throughthe whole section Hoggets between 32 to 40 kg averaged £4.04ppk upto £4.20ppkwhichaveraged £152 per head.Hoggets between 40 to 45 kg averaged£4.00 ppk upto £4.15ppk which averaged£163per head.Hoggets between 45 and52kgaveraged£3.88ppk upto £4.12 ppk whichaveraged£190per head.Hoggets between 52 kg plus averaged£3.47ppkupto £3.58ppk whichaveraged£196per head

EntriescloseThursday18thAprilat12noon

Tel: 01588638755 hallsgb.com

We have excellentbuying supporteachweek for prime lambsand needgood entriesto suffice thedemandwehave. Cull ewes, tups,wethers& goats– Afabuloustrade againinthe cull sheep section particularly on thebettermeatedsheep whichsold upto an excellent£219per head with the usualnumber of smaller thinner cull sheep in theentry. Thecullsheeppricesremain a very good trade, good meated ewessold to premium prices.The best trade again being on theheavier well meated ewes Alltypes of ewes sold to averygood tradeto 8buyerswithanumber of thebestmeated cull sheepregularlyselling over£110per head dependingontypefor thestronger sortswiththe overall averagebeing a fabulous£128per head

Continentalewesaveraged£150per head up to £219perhead. Muletypeewesaveraged £97per head andsold up to £135 per head Welsh, Speckleand smal er hill type ewes averaged£88 per head andsoldupto£106 per head.Tups averaged£135per head and sold to £149 per head. We have excellent demandfrom8buyersonaweekly basis with an excellenttrade andpremiumspaidto thebestmeatedsheep. Sale Times –Prime Hoggets -11amCullSheep -MiddayFurther details from TomPritchardon07903618253 or Gareth Wall on07974143336.

LUDLOW

MONDAY APRIL1,Gates openat6am Spring lambs –41Auctioneer:Michael Thomas Tel: 07890 898239 Topprice Lambs: £204.00Top priceHoggets per kg: 475ppk

Overall average per kg:467ppk.A fewspring lambsthisweek metwithafairtrade butnot to theheightofthe previousweek.Lambs averaged467ppk overall Afew morecustomersstartingtoask about lambsfor next week andgoing forward.Pleasemakesureyourlambs are well meatedand handle with care.Freeon farmgrading serviceavailabletel:01584 872251.Prime hoggets –1250Auctioneer: Michael Thomas Tel: 07890 898239 Top priceHoggets:£240.00Top priceHoggets per kg:428ppk SQQaverage per kg:395ppk Overall average per kg:389ppk Asolid hogg tradewithbuyerskeen to secure sheep to kill directlyafter theholidayweekend. Well fleshed Continentaltypes selling from 390ppk to 428ppk.Big hoggsagain selling from 360ppk to 380ppk.Small hoggs again sold to apremium,these madebetween 375ppk and 405ppk. Pleasemakesureyour hoggsare well fleshed.Agoodentrywillbe needed again nextweek Free on farmgrading serviceavailable tel:01584 872251.Finished bulls–40 Auctioneer:JamesAmphlettTel:07972 653077 Topprice bull:£2119.35Top pricebull per kg:304.50ppk Averageprice bull:£1694.35Average pricebull per kg:

tainable waytosupport biodiversity,mitigategreenhousegas emissionsand climatechange–withoutnegativelyimpacting on theUK’sfood production.”

Theproject is part of theLowland Agricultural Peat Water DiscoveryPilot whichisfunded by theEnvironment Agency and Defra. It is oneofseveral under wayat Harper Adamsasthe university seekstoextendits research in paludiculture–the practice of farmingonwet peat England’s peat soilsare highly productive with three-quarters of thelowland peat in England used forfarming.

However,aspeatlandis drainedand cultivated forfarm-

ing, thepeatoxidises, leading to organicmatterinthe soils decomposing. This generates increasedgreenhousegas (GHG)emissions.Re-wetting peat hasthe potentialtoreduce theseemissions, keepingcarboninthe soil

However,there is much that is yettobeunderstood aboutthe science andpractice offarming on peat following re-wetting –hence theuniversity’s research

Dr Casperdadded: “The distribution andnatureof Shropshire’slowland peat is a hottopic in Governmentcircles –and beyond.Itispatchy andlying in discrete pockets–whichthenprovide high qualityGrade1agriculturalland forfood production.Its distribution remainsunmappedby thenew andimprovedEngland Peat Mapwhich is dueto be launched next year.Partof this project will be to ascertain thetruth of thehistoricmaps of Shropshire peat in this area That work –and thewider work of ourproject –obviouslydraw upon theexpertise of both our participatingShropshirefarmersand Harper AdamsUniversity,as well as that of ourwider consortium.”

270.12ppk.Justsome bull trade. Week on week,the bull tradekeeps flying along Very bestbulls 290ppk-305ppk,evenfor heavier sortswithplenty £2000-£2200 per head.Middle grades 252ppk-276ppk with smallerNativesorts 240ppk-260ppk. ThickerHolsteinbulls sold up to 233.5ppk with biggersorts 220.5ppk-223.5ppk.Many morenumbers needed next week.Prime cattle –52Auctioneer:MichaelThomas Tel: 07890 898239 Steers–29Top price Steer per head:£2126.00Top priceSteer perkg: 326ppk Averageprice Steerper kg: 287ppk Heifers –23Top priceHeiferper head:£2028.00 Topprice Heiferper kg: 323ppkAverage priceHeifer per kg:294ppk Asmaller entryofcattledue to thebank holidaymet with avery firm trade. Buyers lookingtosecurecattletokill straight after theholiday weekend. Cattle with that extra bitof finishcertainly conducteda premium. Steers topped at 326ppk and heifers 323ppk.Morecould easily have been sold.Extra cattle needed next week.Free on farmgrading serviceavailable tel:01584 872251. CULL SHEEP– 264Auctioneer: James AmphlettTel:07972 653077 Top priceEwes: £268.00Ewe average: £142.86 Topprice Rams:£160.00Ram average: £124.82Ewesgetting as dear as we possible have ever seen them.Aproperbonanza! Heaviest ewes to theplainesttypes allseeing amassive lift as we head into thebackend of theRamadan festival. Plenty of thebetter bred ewes selling over£200and up to £268 and£241. Texelxewessold to £197 with allofthe biggestSuffolk xand Texelx ewes £170-£190. Thetop 40 lots allselling over £158.Biggest Mules £140-£160. Half meat ewes over£100iftheyhad frame. Dearest lookingewespossiblythe plaineweswith plenty of £70-£90veryplain.Biggest rams sold to £160.Numbersneeded next week as we near theend of thefestival. Make themostofthistrade.For further details pleasecontact MichaelThomas Tel: 01584

872251(Work)or07890 898239 (Mobile) James AmphlettTel:01905 769770 (Work) or 07972653077(Mobile)John Uffold

(Consultant)Tel:01584 872251 (Work) or 01584841258(Home)Freeonfarmgrading servicecontact:LouiJonesTel:07828 921864 or 01568611174orTed DaviesTel: 07772252293

KNIGHTON

THURSDAYMARCH 28,McCartneysreport an entryof497 Hoggets and142 Cull Sheep Hoggets (497)average 400.46ppk SQQand 395.40ppk overall.Trade topped at 421ppk for a42.50kgTexel lambsfromS Watts making £179 per head.Alsoto417ppkfor 44kg TexelXlambs to £183.50per head from JHAPrice &Son.And for44.50kg Texelxlambs to £185 perheadfromWGW Price&Sons. Topprice per head was£200 per head for 80kgTexel xlambsfromKME Sayles.Also£196per head for 48.50kg TexelX lambsfromWDBowen. What a flyer, wheremanymorecould have been sold Hoggets £10per head up on theprevious daytoaverage overall£179.50!Demand for allweightsbut those 39-48kilo tegs with coverwereatarealpremium today. We simply needmorefor thebuyers we have so if youhave tegs left,giveKnightonago. An excellentewe tradeaveraged£115.24 selling to £235.00for Charollais xewesfrom PJSamuel &Sons. Mulesto£123.00 from PJSamuels&Sons. Hillbredto£134.00 for HillRadnor ewesfromCVJ &PMPugh. Rams sellingto£131.00 forTexel rams from PJ Samuel &Son.Anoutstanding ewe trade-probablythe dearestwe’ve seen yet. Fantasticdemand forall sizes andbreedsof sheep.Meatedsheep,ofall breedsare big money, butoncomparison, leaner sheep areequally as dear. Pleasetry to enterewes on aWednesday to help us inform buyers of expectednumbers. Agood tradeexpectedagain next week prior to theend of fasting.FridayApril 19 Spring PrizeShow&

at 5.00pm. Contact:Jenny

PUZZLES

QUICK CROSSWORD

General KnowledgeQuiz

1. Of which animal arethe Cornish rex and Devon rexvarieties?

ADog

BButterfly

CCat

DBird

2. Which comedian and author wrote the autobiography Moab is My Washpot?

AHugh Laurie

BRowan Atkinson

CMel Smith

DStephen Fry

3. Which US president was defeated in the 1932 election by F. D. Roosevelt?

ACalvin Coolidge

BHerbert Hoover

CWarren G. Harding

DHarry S. Truman

DOWN

1. Choose (4)

3. Jam (8)

9. Rubbers (7) 10. Doubly (5)

Teacher (12)

Sieve (6)

Substance (6)

Impolite (12)

Boredom (5)

Wordy (7)

Commonplace (8)

23. Pluck (4)

GOGEN

1. Delight (8)

2. Trainer (5)

4. Recommence (6)

5. Adequate (12)

6. Apparel (7)

7. Pitcher (4) 8. Memory (12)

Outlook (8)

Condescended (7)

Tremble (6)

Smell (5)

4. Which girl group teamed up with Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Kathy Burke for the 1997 Red Nose Day single Who Do YouThink You Are?

AThe All Saints

BThe Spice Girls

CBananarama

DTLC

5. Which British poet wrote the novel SardHarker?

AGerardManley Hopkins

BJohn Masefield

CArthur HughClough

DRobertBridges

6. TomPayne and DeWanda Wise are among the stars of which new horror film about asinister stuffed bear?

AImaginary BImmaculate

CNosferatu

DLonglegs

See question 6.

7. In Greek mythology which son of Zeus and Danae slew the Gorgon Medusa and married Andromeda?

AHercules

BJason

CPerseus

DTheseus

8. Between what years was the Spanish Civil Warfought?

A1926-9

B1929-34

C1936-9

D1933-5

9. What is the technical name for German measles?

ARaspinall

BRubella

CRaputin

DMeasalisis Germania

10. Which nocturnal birdofpreyhas barn, snowy and tawny varieties?

AOwl

BHawk

11. Of which Asian country is New Delhi the capital?

12. What is amandolin?

AAnanimal

BAmusical instrument CAnoffensive weapon DAspanishtent

13. Which unexplained phenomenon takes its name from the German for noisy ghost?

AGostenoisen

BSpectre

CBanshee DPoltergeist

14. What was playwright JeanBaptiste Poquelin better known as?

AIonesco

BCamus

CMoliere

DNavarre

15. Which British soldier and author wrote The Seven Pillars of Wisdom?

AWilfred Owen

BJohn Masefield

CSiegfried Sassoon

DT.E. Lawrence

When you’ve completed the puzzle, rearrange the shaded squares to spell out part of atheatre. We’ve given you one wordtostart you off.

General Knowledge Crossword

ACROSS

6. Large feline mammal with a black-spotted lightbrown coat (7)

7. River which flows to the Atlantic at Lisbon (5)

9. See 2Dn.

10. Central American republic whose capital is Managua (9)

A L O W T L

12. Seaport and, until 1974, capital of Tanzania (3-2-6)

15. In Mahayana Buddhism, one who seeks enlightenment to help other living beings (11)

17. Progressive disease with an abnormal accumulation of white corpuscles (9)

19. Large Australian flightless bird (3)

21. See 5Dn.

22. The Hoover Dam was known from 1933-47 as the Dam (7)

DOWN 1. ‘The --’, 1978 film with Alan Bates based on ashort story by Robert Graves (5)

2and 9Ac. 1959 film which won Best PictureOscar (3-3)

3. Salvador,Spanish painter who died in 1989 (4)

4. Close-fitting woollen hood originally worn by soldiers in the Crimean War (9)

5and 21 Ac. Set of free hanging tubes struck with asmall hammer found in orchestras (7,5)

8. Smooth-haired breed of hound with short legs and long ears (6)

11. Form of dance drama of India using mime and based on Hindu literature (9)

3Letters Ado Pro Sat Say She Sue Woo Zoo 4Letters Gent Hiss Logo Rapt Scan Swot Taps Toga

WORDSEARCH

5Letters Angel Breed Crest Eager Gloss Rebel

6Letters Ensure Googol Guinea Retell Sunset Tallow

7Letters Ageless Lozenge

Hereisalist of largest cities nationally that aren’tcapitals. Can you find them in the grid? The answers can be found running backwards or forwards, horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

NINERS

13. Island in the Pacificisnoted for its gigantic stone figures (6)

14 and 16. Novel by Kathleen Winsor set in the 17c (7,5)

16. See 14.

18. ‘The Horse’, novel by R.M Ballantyne (4)

20. Large deer,Alces alces (3)

WORD WISE

The wordmay soundfamiliar,but do you know what it means?

WEALD

A River barrier

B Open country

C Using an axe

ORGANDIE

Each number from 1to9represents adifferent letter.Solve the clues and insert the letters in the appropriate squares to discover awordwhich uses all nine letters.

374374578 gives asavage person

gives asavage person

gives acrazy person

SPORTWORD

Atest of knowledge for the sporting enthusiast

431 gives aform of transport

51368 gives aform of transport 9477521 gives aform of transport

ACROSS DOWN

1. Kevin former Sunderland, West Brom and Birmingham striker (8)

7. Martin football commentator bornin 1945 (5)

8. John ....., snooker commentator who won the 1979 UK Championship (5)

9 Wilfred ......, Yorkshire and England all-rounder whose last Test cricket game was against West Indies at Kingston in 1930 (6)

10. An attempt on goal in various sports (4)

12. The 500, 200 lap automobile race held in Speedway,Indiana (4)

14. Ferguson, Scotland striker who had two spells at Everton; 199498 and 2000-06 (6)

17. African national football team nicknamed the Black Stars (5)

18. John ....., former Nigeria and Portsmouth player (5)

19. Gérard........, former Liverpool and Aston Villa boss (8)

1. Jackie wrestler and actor nicknamed ‘Mr TV’ (5)

2. Country whose only football World Cup appearance was in 1970 when they finished bottom of Group 2 (6)

3. Davis III, 1997 USPGA champion who was born in 1964 (4)

4. Scottish town that is home of St. Johnstone (5)

5. Daniel ........., former Liverpool striker (9)

6. Hotspur,Premier League side managed by Mauricio Pochettino (9)

11. Bike ridden by Joël Robert in his 1970 250cc Motocross World Championship victory (6)

13. Tony ....., 2003 World Pool Masters Champion (5)

15. The ....., 15th fence on the Grand National course at Aintree (5)

16. Schockemöhle, German showjumper and breeder (4)

A South African antelope B Finemuslin C Exotic pattern

Kakuro

Fill in the white squares with the numbers 1to9.Each horizontal block of squares must add up to the number in the shaded squaretoits left, and each vertical block must add up to the number in the shaded squareabove it. No number may be used morethan once in any one block.

WORD LADDER

Using the clues provided, fill in each step of the ladder with a new word,changing one letter at atime.

1

2

34

3

TWO SPEED CROSSWORD

This two-speed crossword has two sets of clues, but just one grid. If you can’tsolve the Cryptic clues, try the Quick.

Cryptic Quick

Across

1. Fortieth girl (4)

3. Intimations sent to a professor in confusion (8)

9. Onewho serves his time (7)

10. Lightweight creature (5)

11. The setting for abolt from the blue! (12)

13. Standarddisplayed by an early French invader (6)

15. Tradesman who will give you ahand (6)

17. Wherehorse-trading takes place? (5,7)

20. Make asurgical incision clean! (5)

21. Mean to balance one extreme with another (7)

22. What the defendant advances with certain satisfaction (8)

23. Let it stay fixed round the tee (4)

Down

1. Making another quotation for giving apoetic performance (8)

2. African veto as well, by the sound of it (5)

4. Complete extract from the Testament Iread (6)

5. Valiant but suffering from fatty cardiac condition? (5-7)

6. It’snot unusual to be an army commander (7)

7. Make ahash of the fishpond (4)

8. Flying observers! (12)

12. Growing to be full during the month (8)

Re-unite the following for a change (7)

I’m coming with two moreto have adamaging effect (6)

No longer astage turn, to be precise (5)

Mates coming back to strike (4)

ALPHAMUDDLE

Rearrange the letters in the grid on the left to make five words that read both across and down. Five letters have been placed to start you off.

SPLIT DECISION

Cross out one of the two letters in each divided squareto reveal acompleted crosswordgrid.

Scribble pad

PATHFINDER

Beginning with the top highlighted letter,follow acontinuous path of words associated with the given subject. The trail goes through each letter once, twisting up, down and sideways, but never diagonally

Mountains

ES TK IN LN VE VI UA N

VE MC NA EO DSU MS LC

ER UR EV YB WO RA AB M

IP SB LA NE SN MO NT A

CE OR AM NE IJ UL TT E

OD ZI DA BV IS FA EH R

LA AB ULA KRN ID AO R

UU AA OG NI EI AR NEN

CGCO LA NIN RA AS HS

AA CN AN SA TT SD FA C

NI LB EO BE EA RA EP I

CA ET RA KS LI AR LL K

OO KK IT ET OA SN AM E

IS PS MY ALH OH JA IK

SS IU PL OU YO COR LI

MIRROR IMAGE

Which of the shapes below is an exact mirror image of the shape on the right?

Sudoku Challenge Easy

CLOCKWORD

Giant Sudoku

ALPHADOKU

NUMBERFIT

Arrowword

The following events all occurred in living memory.Can you guess the year?

A

1. George VI died

2. Seventeen Britonswerekilled in Cairoriots

3. TheOlympics took place in Helsinki

4. TV detector vansgot their first test drive

B C 1. Ben Kingsley starred in Gandhi

1. James Callaghan resigned as leader of the Labour Party

2. Earthquakes devastatedthe Algeriancity of El Asnam

3. Tito and Steve McQueendied

4. In Poland, Lech Walesa launched the newSolidarityUnion

2. SophiaLoren was putinjail for tax evasion

3. Paul McCartney and StevieWonderhad ahuge hitwith Ebony andIvory

4. Italy beat West Germany in theWorldCup final

QUICK QUIZ

1. In which Asian country is the coastal state of Penang?

2. Who wrote Schindler’sArk,onwhich Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List was based?

3. Whichstar of The Godfather alsostarred in the 1955musical film Guys andDolls?

4. The Ivy League is acollection of what type of institutions?

5. Of which flightless bird arethe emperor and jackass varieties?

6. Of which formercountry wasTito prime minister and president?

7. What nationality wasthe artist Rembrandt?

8. Of which Motowngroup were Mary Wilson andDiana Ross members?

9. In which Asian city is thefamous Raffles Hotel?

10.How many sporting events comprise apentathlon?

CODEWORD

This puzzle has no clues. Instead, every number printed in the grid represents a letter,with the same number always representing the same letter.For example, if 8turns out to be aV,you can write in Vwherever asquarecontains 8. Using your knowledge of words, complete the puzzle.

Giant Crossword

ACROSS DOWN

Solutions

General Knowledge Quiz

PAGE 1

1C; 2D; 3B;4B;5B;6A;7C;8C;9 B; 10 A; 11 A; 12 B; 13 D; 14 C; 15 D.

Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Pick; 3 Preserve; 9 Erasers; 10 Twice; 11 Schoolmaster; 13 Riddle; 15 Matter; 17 Discourteous; 20 Ennui; 21 Verbose; 22 Ordinary; 23 Grit. Down: 1 Pleasure; 2 Coach; 4 Resume; 5 Satisfactory; 6 Raiment; 7 Ewer; 8 Recollection; 12 Prospect; 14 Deigned; 16 Quiver; 18 Odour; 19 Zero.

Gogen

General Knowledge Crossword

PAGE 2

Across: 6 Cheetah; 7 Tagus; 9 Hur; 10 Nicaragua; 12 Dar-es-Salaam; 15 Bodhisattva; 17 Leukaemia; 19 Emu; 21 Bells; 22 Boulder Down: 1 Shout; 2 Ben; 3 Dali; 4 Balaclava; 5 Tubular; 8 Basset; 11 Kathakali; 13 Easter; 14 Forever; 16 Amber; 18 Iron; 20 Elk.

Word Wise: B. Open country

1. Barbarian, Cannibal, Lunatic: LUBRICANT

2. Car,Train, Scooter: REACTIONS

Across: 1. Phillips; 7. Tyler;

Virgo; 9. Rhodes; 10. Shot;

Indy; 14. Duncan; 17. Ghana;

Utaka; 19. Houllier

Down: 1. Pallo; 2. Israel;

3. Love; 4. Perth; 5. Sturridge; 6. Tottenham; 11. Suzuki; 13. Drago; 15. Chair; 16. Paul.

TwoSpeed Crossword

PAGE 3

1 Ruby; 3 Messages; 9 Convict; 10 Ounce; 11 Thunderstorm; 13 Norman; 15 Dealer; 17 Stock markets; 20 Lance; 21 Average; 22 Pleasure; 23 Stet. Down: 1 Reciting; 2 Bantu; 4 Entire; 5 Stout-hearted; 6 General; 7 Stew; 8 Birdwatchers; 12 Crescent; 14 Retinue; 16 Impair; 18 Exact; 19 Slap.

Word Ladder

1. Meal, Seal, Sell, Sill, Till, Tile, Time

2. Park,Sark, Sank, Sink, Link,Line,Life

3. Wash, Mash, Mast, Most, Moot, Root, Room. Mirror Image: A

Pathfinder

Everest,McKinley, Ben Nevis,Fuji, Snowdon, Vesuvius,Marmolada, Etna, Blanc, Matterhorn, Scafell Pike, Kilimanjaro, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Bona, Logan, Saint Elias, Ararat, Ras Dashen, Rainier,Kinabalu, Damavan, Elbrus, Pico De Orizaba, Aconcagua,Lucania, Cook,Elbert, Kita, Kea, Olympus, Pissis.

Giant Sudoku

Arrowword

Quick Quiz

Thomas Keneally;

Universities;

Penguin;

The Supremes;

Singapore;10 Five.

Trots, 33 Colt, 34 Pesky,35 Mena, 38 Inters,40 Kefir, 42 Turn the corner,44 Notch, 46 Ethereally,48 Kinder,51 Laconic, 54 Wristwatch, 55 Plunders, 59 Kismet, 60 IonianSea, 62 Evening, 63 Gapes,64 Sea urchin, 67 Christmas, 69 Climb,71 Eyebrow,74 Proffered, 77 Noggin,78 Persists, 81 Mattresses, 82 Retired, 84 Seesaw, 87 Blindalley,90 Fasts, 92 Comrade-inarms, 95 Husky,96 Attack, 98 Stop, 100 Items, 101 True, 102 Proxy,104 Airtight, 107 Gas, 109 York, 111 Stones, 112 Patiently,114 Proverb, 117 Susanna, 118 Lies down, 119 Cream, 120 Frugal, 121 Pea-green, 122 Oblige, 123 Every 124 Delays. Down: 2 Bargain, 3 Regan, 4 Artless,5 Virgo, 6 Resentful, 7 Emus, 8 Amber, 9 Zap, 11 Too, 12 Sap, 13 Lookout, 14 Exact, 15 Nye, 17 Harem, 18 Drama, 19 Dahl, 20 Player,24 Koran,25 Eat, 26 Rosehip, 30 Ayr, 31 Astride, 34 Pier, 36 Nil, 37 Bonsai, 38 Ilk, 39 Endemic,40 Kitties, 41 Rocha, 42 Tanks, 43 Ruing, 44 Notepaper,45 Hacks,47 Aid, 49 Imitate, 50 Returns, 52 Clarinets, 53 Siemens, 54 Wagered, 56 Unhands, 57 Replica,58 Carr,61 Name,65 Red Army,66 Neglect, 68 Scarf, 70 Basic, 72 Endear,73 Wing nut, 75 Oaths, 76 Forth, 79 Sin, 80 Sellers,83 Designate,85 Wok, 86 Ayes, 88 Lot, 89 Aligns, 91 Student, 93 Mix-up, 94 Rig,96 Anfield, 97 Caraway, 98 Stoic, 99 Pitta, 101 Total, 103 Ray,105 Iced, 106 Taste, 108 Sally,109 Yodel, 110 Once, 112 Pug, 113 Tip, 115 Ode, 116 Bob. Numberfit

Giant Crossword

Alphadoku

B. Fine muslin

Businesses givenhelpful hintsonhow to cutemissions andenergycosts

AMid Walesdecarbonisation event broughttogetherindustryleaders, expertsand businesses committed to exploringwaystoreducetheir greenhouse gasemissions andenergy costs.

It wasorganisedbyGrowing Mid Wales, in partnershipwithPowys andCeredigionCountyCouncils, at BargoedFarm.

Theevent featured insight-

fulpanel discussions, interactive workshops, andpresentations from Business Wales, the Regional Skills Partnershipand theenergynetworks

Attendeeshad theopportunity to gain valuable knowledgeand practicalstrategies to decarbonise their operations andcontributetoa more sustainable future

PowysCountyCouncillor Jackie

Charlton said:“We arethrilled to seethe widespread commitment from businesses acrosssectors to embrace decarbonisationasa fundamental aspect of theiroperations.

“Thiseventservedasaplatform to shareknowledge,showcase innovations, andforge collaborations that will collectively drivethe transition to alow-carboneconomy

“Itwas greattosee MidWales

businesses also benefitfromthe wide andvariedsupport available to understand howdecarbonising their business canhelppromote MidWales as aplace to do green business with.”

TheeventalignswithGrowing MidWales’s andthe twolocal authorities’ ongoingmissiontoempowerbusinesses to adoptsustainable practices.

Public meetingcalledtolook at controversialenergyplans

KARENCOMPTON

Apublicmeeting has beencalledtodiscuss proposals forturbines andpylonsinMid Wales.

It will take placeatthe Pavilion in LlandrindodWells on April30 from 6.30pm until9pm

LlandrindodWells Town Council is inviting apanel of people to addressthe meetingand take questionsfromthe audience

Thecouncil hasobjectedtoBute Energy’s plansfor turbines andpylons at twobeautyspots surroundingBuilth Wellsand Llandrindod Wells.

It also requested that areferendumbeheldabout theplansto buildthe series of 720-feet tall wind turbines andthe associatedinfrastructurethrough MidWales

Thecouncil hassentthe request to everyPowys County Councillor, theleaderofthe counciland the chiefexecutive Emma Palmer

It hopes PowysCountyCouncillorswill instigatea meetingtodiscuss thereferendumcall.

Thetowncouncil hasalsobegun aprocess of asking othertownand communitycouncilsacrossPowys to join with it to applyfurther pressure on thecountycouncil to seek a democratic mandatebeforeany further progress on theenergyplans is made

Formoreinformation aboutthe publicmeeting,email clerk@llan drindodtowncouncil.co.uk

More Welshproduce to be used in dinners

School mealsinPowys will now usemoreWelsh producethanksto anew partnership.

PowysCountyCouncil has teamed up with CrossHands-based food firm CastellHowell.

The firm will now be themain supplier of freshand frozenfoods that will be used by thecouncil’s catering teamtomakehealthy and nutritious school meals.

Councillor Jake Berriman said:

KARENCOMPTON

karen.compton@mnamedia.co.uk

“Thisisanexcitingpartnership andI’m delightedthatthe council will be working with CastellHowelltocontinuetoprovide healthy, nutritionallybalancedmeals in schoolsacrossthe county

“Asacouncil,weare lookingto usemoreWelsh producesoour new

partnershipwithCastell Howell will help us achievethis. We will also workwiththemtoproduce more seasonal school meal menus that use producegrown here in Walesand,where possible,Powys.”

Matt Lewis, managing directoratCastell Howell,said: “We’re very proudtobenominated as new supplierstoPowys County Counciland look forwardtodeveloping partnerships with theschools.”

Digitalartworklaunchesvisitor season at venue

TheSidneyNolan Trusthas opened forits 2024 visitorseasonatThe Rodd,PresteignewithaPainting With Lightexhibition.

It is an exhibition of earlydigital artworkcreated by Sidney Nolan andhis contemporaries

It explores thedawnofdigital art, includingfamousnames such as DavidHockey, RichardHamilton, LeaLublinand LarryRivers Launched globally in 1981,the QuantelPaintboxwas arevolutionarycomputergraphicssystem andthe world’s firstdigital design studio.Itbrought digitalimages into everyhome vianews, weather

graphics,titles, logos, musicvideos andtelevisionadverts

Theexhibitionshowcases the extent of Sidney Nolan’sexperimentswiththe Paintbox through previouslyunseen artworkfrom archives, includingvideo andother material.

Theexhibitionalsoincludesartworkbystudents from Hereford CollegeofArt’s DigitalFutures Programme.

Antony Mottershead,the Sidney NolanTrust’s curatorand creative producer,said: “The artworkthat Nolancreated usingthe Quantel Paintbox is yetanother instance

of hiseagerness to experiment with newtools andtechnologies–a furthervoyageofdiscovery on the cusp of thedigital age.

“The exhibitionopens awindowontohis earlydigital forays anddemonstrateshow artists and designerspioneered avisual languagethatweoftentakefor granted.”

Theexhibitionhas been organisedwithAdrianWilson, apioneer in thedigital manipulation of photographs.Hehas supported the project, lendingrareartworkand archivematerials fordisplay SirSidneyNolan,one of Austral-

Charities put forwardideato share thesame buildingintown

TwoPowys charitieshavelaunched an innovativeproposaltoshare the same LlandrindodWells building in thefuture.

Mid&North PowysMindislookingtobuy Impelo’s dancecentre in thetown, with theideathatboth organisationswill be basedinthe building

Dancecharity Impelo announced in December itsmulti-yearfunding from theArtsCouncil of Waleshad been withdrawn.

As aresult, it hadtodecreaseservices, reduce corestaff,and temporarily closethe dancecentre,witha view to putting it up forsaleonthe open market

Mid&North PowysMindcurrently hasits main base in LlandrindodWells in arented building

Thebuildingisinadequatefor thementalhealthcharity as it has no centralheatingand damp issues

Thecharity hasbeenlooking for amoreaccessible andbetterhome forits services formanyyears

Thenewsabout thedance centre hasnow sparked theproposal to purchase the building andshare thespace

Thecentreisalarge dancestudio butthe building hasa huge amount of space whichcould potentiallybe redevelopedand utilised, thecharitysaid.

Therewould be more than enough room forbothorganisations to thrive andcontinuetodeliver theirservicestothe community, the groups said

Co-locating wouldgiveImpeloa much-needed cash injection, rejuvenate thebuilding itself andreduce runningcosts in thelongerterm.

Suitable

It wouldalso give Mid&North PowysMindamuchmoresuitable venue from whichtodeliver itsservices.

CatNunn,chair of Mid&North PowysMind, said:“In thewake of this awfulnewsabout Impelo’s fundingcomesarareopportunity forour twoorganisations to have a firm foundation forthe future –a placefor thecommunity tobewelcomedand forustothrive.”

JemmaThomas,artisticdirector andjoint CEO of Impelo,said: “Our dancecentre serves as aweeklyhub forvarious classes andcommunities,complementing ourbroader outreachinitiativesinschools and healthcare settingswhilealsoallowing us to supportdance artists in Powys.

ia’s most famous modern artists, foundedthe trustin1985. Today thetrust caresfor hisformerhome andestateatThe Rodd,alarge collectionofhis artwork, photography andpersonalarchive. Thetrust hostsaprogramme of exhibitions, events, learning activities,workshopsand residencies

Theexhibitionrunsuntil May 11.The full season forthe Sidney NolanTrust runs untilSeptember 28

Theopening times areTuesday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm.

Visitsidneynolantrust.org for full details.

“However,likemanywell-used buildings, it requires extensiverenovations andiscostlytomaintain.

“The proposal from Mid& North PowysMindpresentsanincredible opportunityfor us to retain our studio spaceand continue to support ourdance communitieswhilst co-habitingwithanorganisation whose values aresoaligned with ourown.”

Theproject is wholly relianton successfulcapital grantfunding andtheyhavenow appealed to the publicfor theirhelp. An online surveytogatherpublicopinion has also been launched.Peoplecan contact thegroupsfor more details.

RepresentativesofPowys

Group’sbig

events forthe summer backed by councilcash

ALlandrindod Wellsgroup which is planning “The BigBattle” and “The BigLunch”inJunehas been supportedbythe town councilfor thesecondtimeinthe financial year

FuelledbyCakeisagroup which puts on funevents to help people feel part of theircommunity andensuresits activities welcome everyone

Thegroup askedLlandrindod WellsTownCouncil fora£250 granttowards itsBig Battleand Big Lunchevent at LlandrindodLake andCommoninJune.

TheBig Battle daywill include communityactivitiessuchasdragon races, an assaultcourse,archery, crazygolf, adance-off andorigami sessions.

Andthose activities will be followedbya lunchand aprize-giving ceremony

Thegroup said thecommunity initiative in thesummer will bring everyone together

It said therewill be lots of differentactivitiesfor teams to complete, some forawhole team, some forindividualsina teamand some just forchildren, so teams will have to decide on thebestpersonfor the task

TheBig Lunchisall aboutgetting people,especiallyneighbours, together,totalktoeachother

Food andsnackswillbeavailablefor thosewho don’ttakealong apicnic.

FuelledbyCakesaiditalso wants to encourageteams from otherorganisationsinthe town such as Scouts, football clubsand school teachers to getinvolved.

It said theproject will cost about £3,300 in total.

It said it wouldteamupwithThe Boathouseand LlandrindodCommunity Events to putiton.

Thegrant moneywould enable organisers to hireequipment and putonthe activities as well as coveringinsurance,printing, resources andmaterial.

Thegroup will make otherfundingapplicationsfor smallpotsof moneyand it hassome of itsown funds.

Teamsmay be askedtopay a smallfee to take part,the organiserssaid.

Town clerkJaneJohnstonsaid this wasthe second applicationby FuelledbyCakewithina financial year whichitisallowed to do

Shesaidthe firstgrant it wasgiven wasfor £250

Councillor SteveDeeks-D’Silva said:“These girlsdogreat teamwork.

“Theydoamazing stufffor the town andreallyget thetown fired up.Ipropose that we give them £750 insteadofthe £250 they have askedfor.”

Councillor JamieJones seconded Councillor Deeks-D’Silva’sproposal

“Havingwitnessed theJubilee event, it wasgreat anditbrought thetownand communitytogether so we should supportit,”hesaid.

Membersagreed to give thegroup a£750grant

Google Street View charts the changing face of theregion

It’s been some 15 years sinceGoogleStreetView camerasstarted appearingonroads in Shropshire.

Sincethenthey’ve regularlyreturned to theareaand helped documenthow scenes in theareahave

changed during thattime. We’ve picked10locations around the countythathavebeentransformed since firstbeing photographedby theStreetViewcameras back in early2009and then againinlater visits from thetechgiant’s camera cars

Buildingshavecome,othershave gone Arethe transformations forthe better?That’ssomethingeveryone will have aviewon.

Thecooling

Lawley

Election candidateurges thoseaffectedbyStorm Henktoseeksupport

Shropshireresidents affected by StormHenkare beingurged to make themostofanoffer of government support.

Thecallcomesfromthe Conservatives’candidate forthe South Shropshireseatinthe generalelection Stuart Anderson

Mr Anderson is promoting the supportavailable afterthe government triggeredthe Flood Recovery

FrameworkinShropshire. Residents whosehomesand businesses were affected by StormHenkin Januarycan nowapply forapackageofsupport

Included in thepackageisagrant in theregionof£500per eligible household.Thatwill be paid to the localauthoritytoprovide quicksupport to communitieswho have been badlyaffected by therelevantse-

vereweather eventtosupport local recoveryefforts

Abusinessrecoverygrant of up to £2,500 pereligiblesmall andmedium-sized enterprise is available to firmswhich suffered severeimpactsfrom floodingthatcannot be recovered from insurance.

Mr Anderson said:“Thesevere floodingcausedbyStorm Henk earlierthisyearhad adevastating

impact on localcommunities,businesses,and individuals.

“That’swhy Iwelcome theactivation of theFlood RecoveryFrameworkinShropshire. It provides funding, vialocal authorities, to help affected residents andbusinesses to recover from the flooding, as well as reimbursementsfor offering 100per cent council tax discountsand business ratesrelief.”

Cancercareservice funding to end, hospitalbosses say

DAVIDTOOLEY david.tooley@mnamedia.co.uk

An importantcancer care serviceisfacing having itsfunding cut.

Hospital chiefs saytheyare now working to find away of continuing cancer care navigatorroles

Patientnavigatorsare seconded rolestohelppatients‘navigate theirjourneys” throughdiagnosis andtreatment.Theyalsohelpto supportpatient families

Sara Biffen,actingchief operatingofficeratThe Shrewsbury and TelfordHospitalNHS Trust, said: “Werecognise theimportanceand howvaluablethisservice is forour patients

“Externalfunding forthe cancer care navigatorposts is duetoend andweare doingall that we can, working with partners,toquickly find asolutiontocontinuewith these roles.”

Thenewscomesasa‘recruitment freeze’isinplaceatShropshire’s under-pressure emergencyhospitals.Itwas announced in aletter to stafffromchief executiveLouise Barnett. Shesaidthe trust, which manages theRoyal Shrewsbury Hospital andPrincessRoyal HospitalinTelford,would only be ableto bringinnew staffincases of “a few critical exceptions”.

Thetrust also hasa“significant deficit” in itsbudget.

JohnJones,medical director at SaTH,added: “Weremaincommittedtohavingsafestaffing levels.”

Volunteersupdated on scheme’ssuccess

TheNationalGarden Scheme annual regional meetingfor Wales andThe Marches washeldat Garthmyl Hall

Morethan50volunteersassembled in theballroomtobewelcomed by SusanPaynton,regionalchairmanfor Walesand TheMarches

Sheannouncedatotal of 354gardens were duetoopenthroughout Walesin2024, with 67 of thesenew to theNationalGarden Scheme.

KARENCOMPTON

karen.compton@mnamedia.co.uk

Rupert Tyler, chairman,expressedhis prideat theoutstandingachievements made in 2023, with much to look forwardtoin 2024

George Plumptre,chief executive of National Garden Scheme,was delightedtoannouncethe totaldo-

nationsin2023amounted to over £3.4 million from some 3,500gardenopeningsthroughoutthe UK.

TheyellowNationalGarden Scheme garden visitor’shandbook 2024 is outnow,asare thecounty leaflets.

Anyone whoenjoysmeetingpeopleand helpingtopromote gardens andwho wouldliketojointhe local Powysteamasavolunteer,should emailSusan.Paynton@ngs.org.uk

Yoga programmetohelppatientsthrough illness

People living with cancer canbenefitfromfreeclasses to maintain flexibility andmobility,nomatter what theirstage of treatment

Theclasses arebeing provided by qualified yoga teacher Jenna Blair andher team thanks to £1,780 fundingfromthe Lingen Davies Cancer Fund

Those taking part will be encouraged to do what they can, while listeningtotheir body,aspartof living well,withand beyond cancer

Thecharity,which works to raise awarenessabout cancer throughoutShropshire, Telford& Wrekin, andMid Wales, supports awide

rangeoftechnologyand services forthose goingthrough it

It hasrecentlyfundedsix weeks of cancer-specificyogaand taichi classes foranyonelivingwithcancer.

Thefunding hasbeenagreed through thecharity’s smallgrants applications process–available for anyone lookingtorun services and supporttobenefitthose impacted by cancer

Jenna, whorunsJenna Blair Yoga in Shrewsbury,has runthe sessions before andsaidtheywere ahugebenefittopeople, in more than just aphysicalway

Newprojectwill give a‘helping hand’tothose whorequire it

Anew projectisbeing launched on April14atKnightonand District CommunityCentre

Called “Helping Handsfromthe Comm”, itsaim is to provideindividual supportfromvolunteersto residents.

Theproject,which involveseight centresaroundPowys,has been funded by Ponthafren.

That hasenabled theestablishment of an informal volunteering officeratthe communitycentre, whowill have responsibility for recruiting volunteers andmatchingthemtothe varietyofdifferent identified needs.

Louise Home,along-time resident of Knighton whogrewupand waseducatedinthe town,was recently appointedtothe post,and is currentlybusyorganisingthe launch event, as well as starting to identify potentialvolunteers

Louise haspreviouslyworkedfor PowysCountyCounciland,more recently,for ClaytonEngineering Shesaid: “Itisarealprivilege to be involved with this project, andwehavealready been able to providesupport forsomelocal residents.”

Shewentontodescribe howindividualswithissuesaroundloneliness,mobilityand mental wellbeing hadbeenprovidedwithtransport by volunteers to enable them to attend events such as Flicksin theSticks andThe Women’sHourgroup

Louise addedthe project“aims to tryand make volunteering more accessible,withadhoc volunteering opportunities, forexampleoffering help to someone whoiscurrently unwell or incapacitated, perhaps recovering from surgery, or helpingwitheventshappening within thewider community, including emergenciesand events such as the KnightonCarnival”

In many cases, simple support couldbeprovided, such as shopping, collecting prescriptions, deliveringand returninglibrary booksor postingand collecting mail,though, supportcannotbeprovidedwithin ahome setting.

Louise said: “Thisisn’t ascheme that is designed to take workaway from localtradesinour community, nor is it aschemetooffer indefinite assistance or supporttoindividuals.It’smoretodowithmeeting short-term needs rather than longterm care.”

Shesaid: “Some of thesessions we have previously offeredhave been specificallyfor peopleliving with cancer,gentleyogaand taichi classes that focussed on mindful movement, breath work, finding stillness andpeace,and also offeredasense of community.

“Whatreallystruckmewas that cancer wasn’t spoken aboutbut therewas arealunderstanding that people hadasharedexperience. I’m oftenasked about cancer specific sessions, people feel comfortable knowingothersunderstand.”

596609

TheHelping Handsofficial launch eventonApril 14 is free and open forthe public to attend,and will bringtogetherawiderange of communitysupport providers.

Morethan20different groups andorganisations will be attending includingThe BrackenTrust,Mind, Blood BikesWales,Girl-guidingand KnightonScouts, theRNID, Mum’s Matter,and KnightonCommunity Woodland Group.

Othergroupsset to attend the launch includePentre Farm,Time to Change,LingenDaviesCancer Trust, Knighton Town Counciland Teme Valley EnvironmentalGroup

Theeventwill runfrom10am until2pm,and subsidisedrefreshments, includingbacon rolls, will be available.

TheNational Garden Schemeannualregional meetingfor Walesand TheMarches washeldatGarthmylHall

Queen showered with giftsasshe delights crowds

MEGANJONES

megan.jones@mnamedia.co.uk

Thecloudsparted,the suncame outand thecrowdswereupto five deepsurrounding Shrewsbury’s Square as QueenCamilla visited Shropshire’s county town

HerMajesty spentabout 50 minutes at thefarmers’market on Wednesday last week,speakingto many of theorganisers andtraders in frontofonlookers.

Thousandsofpeoplelined the streetstocatch aglimpse of Camilla during hersecondvisit to the countysince herhusband Charles became King in 2022

Some passed on gifts, including messages of supportfor thePrincess of Walesfollowing hercancer announcement,and apicture of Camillaand King Charles.

Market organisers Stuart and JennyJones describedmeeting Her Majestyasa“tremendoushonour”

During hervisit to thetown, QueenCamilla also visitedthe Old Market Hall andone of theregion’s most spectacularrestoration projectsatthe Flaxmill Maltings in Ditherington,which openedin2022 aftera£28mregeneration.

Theroyal motorcade makes its way throughthe towncentre

ArtmadebySibuBalan,fromShrewsbury,was presentedtothe Queen

Queen Camillasmilesasshe meetsamarket traderduring avisittothe farmers’ market in TheSquare

HerMajestymeetsLisaHarris and pet dog Lottie

Queen Camillameetssomeofthe thousands ofwell-wisherswho turnedout Membersofthe publicawait the arrivalofthe Queen

HerMajestymet membersoflocal volunteer groupsatthe Flaxmill MaltingsCamillaalsojoined in with wreath-making at acraft table during hervisit to theFlaxmill Maltings

Queen Camillaspeaks with twin sistersZoe andMelissa EvansofRowtonVineyardand wasgiftedabottleofwine

Newpledge of supportfor armedforces

APR andcommunicationsagencyis showcasingits commitmenttothe armedforces.

ZenCommunicationswas recently invitedtoa presentationatDawleyReservesCentre in theirlatest venture to become an armedforces champion

Managing director Rhiannon Williamssignedthe ArmedForces Covenant, alongwithMajor RichardGreen RY,SquadronLeader D Squadron (ShropshireYeomanry) RoyalYeomanry, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Rhiannon said:“We’repassionateabout creating –and maintaining–aninclusive,empowering, and supportive workplace forbothour team,and forour clients.

“Havingworkedwithlocal organisations,including TelfordVeteran Trailand AllsportsCoaches CoachingAcademy,thisisanatural extensionofour commitment to those whohaveserved, or whoare serving, in thearmed forces

“Thisisespecially importantto us as ourcommercialdirector, Alan Adams, proudlyservedinthe royal navy as aweapons engineer and submariner forsix yearsafter joiningthe submarineservice on RemembranceDay 1985

“Aspart of ourpledge, we endeavourtoupholdthe keyprinciplesof theArmed Forces Covenant,”Rhiannoncontinued.“Andwe’re dedicatedtoraising awarenessand promoting thearmed forces within our widercommunities.”

Estate agentis continuing to seegrowth

An award-winningestateagency whichcompleted thepurchaseofaWellingtontowncentre building just ayearago,has expanded again.

Theagencywas formed in 2012 by director AaronManley andits name changedtoMannleysin2016 when co-director ChrisManncameonboard

Thecompany hadbeenrentingits building in Market Street since2012but with ateamof eightpermanent staff, thedirectorsjumpedatthe chance to buythe building when it became availablein January2023. Just 12 monthslater,the company hastaken over more of the building andisundergoinga complete refurbishmentofthe entireground floorin orderto provideabetterexperiencefor customers

AaronManleysaid: “Until now,the salessideofthe business wasonthe ground floor with ahairdressersnextdoor, ourlettingsand mortgageadvisers beingsituatedonthe first floor. When thehairdressers decidedtovacatethe building, we sawitasanopportunity for companyexpansion butalso away to bringall sidesofthe business together andcreatea more modern,unified set-up.”

Firm launches trainingcourses

Aico has launched anew expert distributortrainingcourse to provide an in-depth understandingof industry standards.

Thecompany,aEuropeanmarket leader in home lifesafety, says thecoursehas been created specificallyfor electrical distributorsand will provideadviceon industry regulations, andlegislation,aswellasrelevantproducts

andtechnology. Thenew course followsonthe heelsofthe business having supportedmorethan 40,000 electricians andcontractors viatheir award-winningExpert InstallerTraining. Thecourse is completely free andopentoall Electrical Distributor Association (EDA)members Fordetails visitaico.co.uk/ find-a-regional-spec-manager/

Companythrilled at newapprovals

AutocraftTelford hasannounced theacquisition of twonew vehicle manufacturer approvalsfromToyotaand Lexus.

With theadditions, Autocraft Telford’srosternow boasts 25 manufacturerapprovals

Aspokespersonsaid: “The attainmentofapprovals from Toyota andLexus signifies amomentous achievementfor AutocraftTelford, demonstratingdedicationtoadher-

ingtomanufacturerstandards.”

Thespokespersonsaid: “The significance of manufacturer approvals cannot be overstated in theautomotive repair industry

“Theyserve as aguarantee that repair facilities have thenecessary expertise,tools, andknowledge to restorevehiclestotheir pre-accidentcondition whileadheringto theexactingstandards setbymanufacturers.”

‘Mixed’picture across region –but firmsremaining upbeat

JOHN CORSER john.corser@mnamedia.co.uk

TheNatWest’s West Midlandspurchasingmanagers’ indexfor Februaryshowedmixed signs regardingeconomicconditionsinthe region.

Therewas asolid rise in output, despiteaslowdowninsales growth, whileemployment slipped back into contraction. On theprices front, cost inflationreached aseven-month high andthe rate of increase in selling charges wasbroadly similartoJanuary

At 53.1 in February,equal to January,the headline business activity index–aseasonallyadjusted index that measures themonth-on-month change inthe combined output of theregion’smanufacturing and servicesectors –highlighted asolid rate of expansionthatwas thejointbest sinceMay 2023.Sustained increasesinnew orders anddemand resilience induced theupturn, accordingtopanellists.

ThelatestPMI data signalled afurther increase in neworders placed with West Midlands companies.Thatsaid, theuptickwas slightand theweakest sincelast November. Growth wasreportedly curbed by economic uncertainty andsufficientstock levels among clients.

Firmsattributed an increase in expensestogreater food, material andshippingcosts

Removalbusiness earnspraisefor service

AShropshireremoval company hasbeenhailedfor its‘continuous exemplaryand outstandingcustomerservice’.

Glyn UptonRemovalscollected an awardasaSuper EliteHonours Remover from theNationalGuild of Removersand Storers. Thebusinessisalso amember of theRemovalsIndustryOm-

Four-midable

Shropshirewill be well represented on thenationalstage afterfour businesses were shortlistedfor a prestigious award.

Buildfifty5Living, Priorslee, KatieStone PA,Ludlow andMOO andBOOM, Whitchurch were among12winningbusinesses from theWestMidlandsgoing forward to thenationalUKFSB CelebratingSmall Business Awards 2024 finals in May.

Andtheywill also be joined by Globility Coaching,Ludlow,who have also been shortlistedonthe national stage.

SueTonks,FSB chairfor the West Midlands,said: “Theyare all

MATTHEWPANTER

matthew.panter@mnamedia.co.uk

budsmanSchemeand supports customers with packing, home de-cluttering, transport, storage andunpacking.

Business ownerGlynsaid: “It’s really nice to receivethe award againand we like it because it

showsthe hard workand effort put in by theteamhere.”

Thecompany hasalso just collected itslatestEuro6vehicle to bolsterthe business’s large fleet. Financemanager SarahUpton-Athertonhandedover the keys forthe impressive truckto operations managerShaun Croft last week

result as enterprisesare shortlisted

reflective of thevibrancy, innovation andtenacitythatmakes up oursmall business community “It’sbeenthrillingtosee so many businesses in theWestMidlandsenthusiasticallytakepart in ourawardsand thesheer scale anddiversity of thosewho entered is testimonytothe vitality of the smallbusinesscommunity in the region.The best of luck to allour winnersfor theUKnationalaward finals in May.”

Finalistsproceed to thenational UK finals taking placeat aVIP attended awards ceremony in BlackpoolonMay 9.

Buildfifty5Living, Priorslee,are

in therunningfor theInnovation Award.

Katieisnominated as Freelancer AwardWinner.She is an award-winningvirtual assistant with abackgroundineducation Maddie Ashbrookisinthe running forYoung Entrepreneurof theYear.

The24-year-old is theowner of MOOand BOOM,anindependent storethathas sustainable living andanethos of well-being at its core And finally, Globility Coaching hasachanceifbeing crownedthe national winner of theDiversity andInclusion Award.

Maddie Ashbrook is in therunning

Glyn UptonRemovals’ financemanager Sarah Upton-Atherton andoperations manager Shaun Croft

Banish thoseworries to getagoodnight’s sleep

Aheadofthe launch of theirnew ‘Sleep Sessions’ class, aleading brandHotpodYogaunveils research lookingintosleep habitsin theWestMidlands.

Theaveragepersoninthe West Midlands gets less than sixhours (5hrs53mins) of sleepduringthe working week;almostone in five (18per cent)are gettingamaximumofjustfourhours sleepeach night.

Stress,worries or aracingmind (39per cent), an irregularsleep schedule (24per cent), andscreen time (16per cent)are to blame.

This research comesahead of Hotpod Yoga’s launch of ‘Sleep

Sessions’– anew sleep-focussed class. To help peopleimprove their slumber, SleepScientist andHotpod Yoga ambassadorDrSophie Bostock hasthese simple tips:

1. “A good night’ssleep starts firstthing in themorning.Get out of bedatthe same time as oftenas you can, whichwill help to keep yourbodyrunningefficiently.”

2. “Brightlightsends apowerful alerting signaltoa‘Master Clock’ in thebrain.Get outsidewithin the firsthourofwakingtobanish laggingmelatonin.”

3. “Bephysicallyactive every daytobuild up sleeppressure. All sortsofdifferent types of exercise

have been foundtoimprove sleep quality, from yoga to more vigorouscardioexercise.”

4. “Taketimetoprocess thoughts andemotionsbeforeyou getready forbed

“Manyofusare keptawake by amindracingwiththoughtswe haven’t hadtimetoprocess during theday.”

5. “Taketimeinyourbusyday to pause

“Practisingbreathwork, mindfulnessorrelaxationtechniques during theday will make it easier to relaxatnight.”

n To find yournearest Hotpod Yoga studio,visit hotpodyoga.com

SweetdreamsofOlympics successand improved health

LISA SALMON PressAssociation

Talent,training, dedication anddietare allpart of therecipefor Olympic success.But there’sanotherabsolutelycrucial ingredient foramedal-winning performance –goodsleep.

Recognisingthe role it playsfor Team GB athletes,GregRetter, its head of performanceservices, says: “Travelling,competingindifferenttimezones andexperiencing unfamiliarsleepingconditionscan allhaveanimpactonthe amount of sleepathletesget at an Olympic Games. It’s always ouraim to develop an environmentthatallowsour athletes to performat theirbest.”

AndUKSportsInstitute performanceinnovationconsultant, Dr Luke Gupta, asleep andcircadian scientist, explains:“Sleepisa pillarofhealth, wellbeingand performance. So in termsofhealth, it is alongside, notbelow,dietand exercise.Sleep interactswitheveryday, everypart of ourlife– it’s thefoundation of wellbeingand health, and allows us to function on aday-todaybasis.It’scruciallyimportant.”

Team GB weightlifter Emily Campbell,29–who wonasilver medalatthe 2020 TokyoOlympics andishoping forfurther medalsuccess at Paris2024–agrees“sleepis absolutelyparamount”.

Butbeforeshe hits thesack, Campbell,who aims to have eight to nine hours’ sleepanight, as well as anap that lastsfrom30minutes to an hour during theday,always followsabedtime routine.

“It’sreallysimple,”she explains of her routine. “Comingupstairs andhavinga shower,doing my skincare,I getmy bedtimesnack, Iget in bed, putmyfairy-lights on andthenjusteat my little snack, watch abit of TV andthenIwind down andgo to sleep.”

Theweightlifter,who trains every dayapart from Sundays,alsohas

hereye on anovel sleepaid forthe Paris2024Games –sleep pods providedbyTeamGB’sOfficial Sleep PartnerDreams, at theteam’sPerformance Lodge,where athletes can train,eat,rest, recover andprepare forcompetition away from thebusy Olympic Village.

The‘Dreams SleepRetreat’will featureeight sleeppodsin which athletes cannap,which canalso supportperformance.A2023Spanishreviewofstudies on theeffectof daytimenapping on sportperformance founda30-60minutepostlunchnap hasabeneficialeffecton physicaland cognitiveperformance, andreduces perceivedfatigue Campbell,who hastried thesleep pods,adds: “There’s onewhere you cancompletely liedownand shut

thelid andshut outthe world,and then there’swhatI’d call thenapping one, whichismorelikeanelevated chair. Youcan lieonthemand there’salittlescreenyou canpull acrosswhileyou sleep. I’ll definitely be bookingthose outwhenI’m in Paris–they’re very comfortable.” Andhow does sherateher chances of anothermedal at the2024 Games?

“You never know –weightlifting is oneofthose unpredictablesports, buttrainingisgoing well,I’m enjoyingit,”she says So,whattipscan non-athletes take from Team GB’s sleephabits?

ESTABLISHA BEDTIMEROUTINE

Gupta, whohelps athletes work outtheir optimalsleep routines,

Stepsyou can take to stop your precious pooch beingpinched

Dogtheftshavebeenonthe rise acrossthe UK andpet owners have been encouraged to only buyfrom reputablebreeders.

Accordingtopolice figures, 2,290 dogs were stolen last year,which is asix percentincreasefrom2022.

Andsince insurer Direct Line startedtrackingthisdatain2015, only 16 percentofdogswerefound andreturned– thelowest it has been

Thedataalso foundthatEnglish Bulldogs,FrenchBulldogs and XL Bullies were themostpopular breedstobestolen.

IraMoss, the generalmanager at AllDogsMatter, said:“We areseeinganincreaseinFrenchBulldogs becausetheyare veryexpensive to buyand need alot of vetcare.”

It’s devastatingwhenadog is stolenfrompet owners,sohow canyou preventitfromhappening to you?

says this is keyfor everyone –whetherit’sdimmingthe lights at acertain time andrelaxing, doing yourskincareand taking abath, etc.

“A routineprovidescuestolet our brains andbodiesknowthatsleep is coming,” he explains.“It usually comesdowntothe things that allow you to wind down from theday.”

STICKTOREGULARTIMES

“Sleep works well when it’s regular,” Guptaexplains.“Routine is importantinterms of yourapproach to sleep, butalso routinein termsofthe time you wake up in themorning is arguably even more important. Waking up at thesame time of daycan regulate sleepin away that allows it to occurin a patternwhich is repeated dayafter day.”

If settinganexact time everyday isn’trealistic,Gupta says a‘sleep window’–aperiodoftimewhen you’re more likelytowakeup–mightbemoreappropriate

MAKESUREYOU SLEEPFOR LONG ENOUGH

Eighthours anight is oftentoutedasthe optimalsleep goal.And whileGupta suggests seventonine hours each nightisideal,hesays “maybe sixisok” if that’s notalways achievable

“Someone’s sleepneedmight change from oneday to thenext, andsomeone’s ability to achieve that need will be morechallenged on some nights than others,” he says

KEEP LIE-INSTOAMINIMUM

Guptasaysalthougha bitofaliein is fine sometimes, it’s important not to sleeptoo longin themorning, as it couldhaveaknock-oneffect lateron. “It’salmostbalancingthe booksalittle, by having abit of time to lie-in to allowyou to catchupon lost sleep, butnot overdoingittothe pointwhereby you’retakingaway from some of that drivetosleep that you need lateratnight.”

n Don’tleave your dogoutside shops –For Moss,moredog owners need to thinkabout where they are.

“IfIwas goingintoacorner shop andIknewthatI’d be in and outfor afew seconds, that’s totally fine.But leavingmydog outsideofa superstore –where youmay spend half an hour doingyourshopping–is notideal,peoplecould thinkthe doghas been abandonedand take it with them,” shesaid.

SherineWheeler,the CEO at Mayhew,added: “Itdoesn’tmatter if thereisa CCTV,mostthieves aren’t afraid of them if they are highly motivated.

“Iftheyare trainedwellsocially, they wouldrespond in afriendly manner to astranger whomay be trying to stealthem.”

n Make sure your garden is secure –“If you have agarden, make sure they arefencedup and thebackentranceissecure, especiallyiftheyare smalltheywill getout through holesand aremore pronetobeing stolen,” said Moss

n Make sure your dogismicrochipped –The detailsonyour dog’smicrochip must be up to date

“A lotofpeoplebuy dogs andforgettoupdatethe chip detailsand still have thepreviousowner’s detailsonthere

“Ifyou getyourdog online,make suretodoit. But it’s importantto note that they canmoveas it’s put near theshoulderblades,”said Glover.

Wheeleradded: “Butit’spainless forthe animal andtakes less than 10 minutes to do.Sosimple, and straightforward.It’snot acomplicatedprocessatall.”

n Keep your doginsight on walks –Whentakingyourdog fora walk, it’s easy to relaxand forget to keep an eyeonthem.

“It’seasiertostealdogsinparks andvastspacesthanbreakinginto someone’s house. Your dogneedsto be keptbyyoursideas it’s easy to clip aleadand take thedog away, andpeoplewillmakelessofafuss about that

“Makesureyou also have agood recall with yourdogs, especially when astranger comesuptoit,” said Glover

WeightlifterEmilyCampbell with one of thesleep pods by Dreams

Editor’s Pick

THE ASSEMBLY

BBC One, 10.40pm

An increasing number of people are being diagnosed as neurodivergent, so it seems fitting that the BBCis marking Autism Acceptance Week with avery special programme.

The Assembly features more than 30 interviewers who are autistic, neurodivergent or learning disabled, who are being given the chance to grill one A-list celebrity –actor and director Michael Sheen.

He’s fresh from his success with The Way, ahighly personal project set in his hometown of Port Talbot in South Wales; Sheen co-created the drama, directed it and even had asmall role. He can also currently be seen at the National Theatre as Nye Bevan in Nye, a play about the man behind the NHS. However,despite his full schedule, Sheen was only too pleased to take part in this programme too.

“I was thrilled to be asked to be aguest on The Assembly,” says the actor,who is best known for playing Tony Blair in The Deal, The Queen and The Special Relationship, as well as his onscreen partnership with David Tennant in Staged. “It’s such afresh and exciting idea and Ican’t wait for what I’m sure is going to be asurprising and challenging experience. Ireally don’t know what to expect,which is both exhilarating and alittle bit terrifying.”

The format has been inspired by that of French programme The ATalks. Launched in 2022, it quickly became the country’s most-watched unscripted show of the year; versions have since been made in Spain, Denmark and Poland.

The original show included interviews with French President Emmanuel Macron and Call My Agent star Camille Cottin. Rather thanfacing the usual sugar-coated questions asked during PR junkets, they received some mischievousand soul-searching queries; in return, they offered perhaps more revealing answers than theymight ordinarily give –Macron was even asked if he thought marrying one’s teacher was

ANDRÉ RIEU -LIVE IN

HIS HOME TOWN OF MAASTRICHT

Departing Thu4 Jul ‘24

Armed with his 60-pieceJohann StraussOrchestra, the KingofWaltz is returning to Maastrichtinsummer 2024 forhis nowlegendary hometownconcert!Come and discoverwhatmakes the violin maestro’sconcerts so magical, liveinthe picturesque Vrijthof Square.

Your breakincludes

 Return coach travel &ferrycrossings from Shrewsbury, Telford, Wellington & Wolverhampton

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

 Ticket to AndréRieu concert at Vrijthof Square, Maastricht (category 4)

 Free time in Maastricht

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

Upgrade to category 3 ticket for £25pp

4Days by Coach only

Single Supplement £160

something arole model should do.

Friday’s Television

With that in mind, there’s no wonder Sheen admits to being alittle nervous!

The show is being made by Rockerdale Studios, a company that has already made amark by producing Channel 4’s Mission: Accessible, while co-founder Stu Richards is the co-creator and writer of BBCThree comedy The Jerk. Both Richards and his producing partner,Michelle Singer,have worked with autistic and neurodivergent groups to ensure thatevery elementof the programme works for and with the community

“The Assembly has been the mostremarkable project that most of us have ever worked on,” claim the duo. “And sure, it’s brilliant representation of apart of society we rarely see given agency on our screens but, far more than that, it’s also mischievous,funny, profound, and can turn from one to the otherina heartbeat.”

“When we saw the French version of theshow it blew my head off,” adds Stu, “and it’s quite alarge, cumbersome head so it really takes something impressive.”

So be prepared –this promises to be unlike any chat show you’ve ever seen before. Eat your hearts out, Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross!

TORQUAY CRUISE

&DEVON STEAM

Departing Mon 8Jul ‘24

Enjoythe sights of the beautiful English Rivieraand the welcome of Torquay, on this great-value break thatfeatures apacked itinerary of excursions, a delightful heritage railway journey, ascenic cruise on the River Exeand much more!

Your breakincludes

 Return coach travel from Wolverhampton

 4nights at the 2-star Trecarn Hotel, Torquaywith dinner &breakfast

 Entertainment every evening

 Heritage train journeyonthe South DevonRailway

 Cruise on the River Exe

 Free time in Exmouth

 Excursions to BuckfastAbbey&BuckfastButterfly Farm and Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary Optional excursion to Teignmouth (£8pp)

Daytime

6.00 Breakfast (S). 9.30 Critical Incident (R) (S). 10.00 Fraud Squad (R) (S). 10.30 Animal Park (R) (S). 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) (S). 12.15

Bargain Hunt (S). 1.00 BBC News At One; Weather (S). 1.30 BBC Regional News; Weather (S). 1.45 Hope Street (R) (S).

2.30 Clive Myrie’s Italian Road Trip (R) (S). 3.00 Escape To The Country (R) (S). 3.45 The Bidding Room (R) (S). 4.30 Bridge Of Lies (S). 5.15 Pointless (S).

6.30 The Bidding Room (R) (S). 7.15 Bridge Of Lies (R) (S). 8.00 Sign Zone: Antiques Roadshow (R) (S). 9.00 BBC News (S).

12.50 Lifeline (R) (S). 1.00

Impossible (R) (S). 1.45 The Edge (R) (S). 2.30 Born To Be Wild (R) (S). 3.00 Jay Blades’ Home Fix (R) (S). 3.45 Best Home Cook (R) (S). 4.45 The HairyBikers’ Pubs That Built Britain (R) (S). 5.15 Flog It! (R) (S).

6.00 Good Morning Britain (S). 9.00 Lorraine (S). 10.00 This Morning (S). 12.30 Loose Women (S). 1.30 ITV News; Weather (S). 1.55 ITV Regional News; Weather (S).

2.00 Riddiculous (R) (S). 3.00 Winning Combination (R) (S).

3.59 ITV Regional Weather (S).

4.00 Tipping Point (R) (S). 5.00 The Chase (R) (S).

BBC News At Six; Weather (S).

BBC Regional News; Weather (S).

7.00 The One Show Live magazine show,hosted by Alex Jones and Roman Kemp (S).

7.30 MasterChef The first quarter-final (S).

8.00 Beyond Paradise A dying woman goes missing from alocal fishing trawler (S).

9.00 Have IGot News For You New series. The satirical current affairs quiz for its 67th run(S).

9.30 Avoidance (S).

10.00 BBC News At Ten (S).

10.30 BBC Regional News; Weather (S). 10.40 The Assembly (S).

11.10 Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism (R) (S).

6.00 Richard Osman’s House Of Games (R) (S).

6.30 Great British Railway Journeys (S).

6.00 ITV Regional News; Weather (S).

6.30 ITV News; Weather (S).

7.00 Digging ForBritain: The Greatest Discoveries (R) (S).

7.30 Beechgrove Garden (S).

8.00 Gardeners’ World Adam Frost takes stock of his borders (S).

9.00 Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales The travellers head into Eryri National Park (S).

7.00 Emmerdale (S). 7.30 Uefa Euro 2025 Qualifier England Women vs Sweden Women. Kick-off is at 8pm (S).

10.00 QI Join Sandi Toksvig for alook at some underthings (R) (S). 10.30 Newsnight (S).

11.05 FILM: I, Tonya (2017) Biopic, starring Margot Robbie (S).

10.15 ITV News; Weather (S).

10.45 ITV Regional News; Weather (S).

11.00 FILM: Casino Royale (1967) Spoof James Bond adventure, starring David Niven (S).

12.10 RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus The World (R) (S). 1.25 BBC News (S).

12.55 Sign Zone: Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes (R) (S). 1.25 Sign Zone: Gladiators (R) (S).

2.25 Sign Zone: Our Flag Means Death (R) (S). 2.50 This Is BBC Two (S).

1.15 Shop On TV 3.00 The Life And Death Of Lily Savage (R) (S). 4.10 Unwind With ITV (S). 5.35 Made In Britain (R) (S).

Film Choices

I, TONYA (BBC2, 11.05pm)

As agirl, Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie, pictured) learns to ice-skate at the behest of her domineering mother LaVona. Tonya trains hard and becomes the first female American athlete to land atriple axel jump in competition but the judges refuse to give her the high marks she thinks she deserves. In stark contrast, rival Nancy Kerrigan is lavished with praise. As frustration grows, Tonya’s bodyguard Shawn Eckhardt and ex-husband Jeff Gillooly hatch aloopy plan.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

(BBC3, 9.00pm)

Sixteen-year-old Javed’s dreams of becoming a writer must be extinguished to be adutiful son to his seamstress mother Noor and father Malik, who

works on the production line of the local Vauxhall car plant. When Malik is made redundant, pressure intensifies on Javed to marry and settle down. An escape from Luton seems frustratingly out of reach until fellow sixth-former Roops loans Javed his Bruce Springsteen cassettes.

6.10 Countdown (R) (S). 6.50

3rd Rock From The Sun (R) (S).

7.15 3rd Rock From The Sun (R) (S). 7.40 3rd Rock From The Sun (R) (S). 8.05 Everybody

Loves Raymond (R) (S). 8.30

Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 9.00 Everybody Loves

Raymond (R) (S). 9.30 Frasier (R) (S). 10.00 Frasier (R) (S).

10.30 Frasier (R) (S). 11.00

The Great House Giveaway

(R) (S). 12.00 Channel 4News

Summary (S). 12.05 Sun, Sea

And Selling Houses (R) (S). 1.05

Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) (S). 2.10

Countdown (S). 3.00 APlace In The Sun (R) (S). 4.00 ANew Life

In The Sun (R) (S). 5.00 Chateau

DIY (R) (S).

6.00 APlace In The Sun A couple looking for a holiday home in Mijas, on the easterncoast of Spain (R) (S).

6.30 The Simpsons (R) (S).

7.00 Channel 4News (S).

7.30 Michael Mosley: Secrets Of Your Big Shop (R) (S)

8.30Travel Man: 48 Hours

In Prague Adam Buxton joins Joe Lycett to assess Prague’s wonders (S).

9.00 Gogglebox The households’ opinions on recent television (S).

10.00 The Last Leg Guests

Sara Pascoe, Munya Chawawa and Josh Pugh join in the comic review (S).

11.05 FILM: American Pie (1999) Coming-of-age comedy,with Jason Biggs (S).

1.05 FILM: First Love (Takashi

Miike 2019) Crime drama, starring Sakurako Konishi (S). 2.55 Car

S.O.S (R) (S). 3.45 Come Dine

With Me (R) (S). 4.10 Come Dine

WithMe (R) (S). 4.40 Come Dine

WithMe (R) (S). 5.05 Come Dine

WithMe (R) (S). 5.30 Come Dine

WithMe (R) (S).

BBC RADIO 1

6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine (S). 11.15 Storm Huntley (S). 12.45 Friends (R) (S). 1.10

Friends (R) (S). 1.40 5News At Lunchtime (S). 1.45 Home And Away (R) (S). 2.15 FILM: The Woman In The Window (Menhaj Huda 2020) Thriller,starring Alison Araya (S). 4.00 BargainLoving Brits In The Sun (S). 5.00 5News At 5 (S).

Sport

ROTHERHAM UNITED V PLYMOUTH ARGYLE

6.00 Sky News Breakfast (R).

6.00 The Cotswolds With PamAyres The poet explores places surroundingthe region (R) (S).

6.55 5News Update (S).

7.00 Dorset: CountryAnd Coast Avisit to the oldest ice-cream parlour in Weymouth (R) (S).

7.55 5News Update (S).

8.00 The Underground Map Of Britain Aride through thehistoryof London’s tube network (S).

9.00 Susan Calman’s Great British Cities The presenter is in Glasgow, uncovering the hidden history of her home city (S).

10.00 Tommy Steele: The Great Entertainer A profile of the singer and actor (R) (S).

11.30 Britain’s Favourite 70s Hits Alook at some of the biggest pop bands of the seventies (R) (S).

1.30 PlayOJOLive Casino Show (S). 3.30 Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords (R)(S). 4.20 Britain’s Greatest Bridges (R) (S). 5.05 House Doctor (R) (S). 5.30 Entertainment News On 5 (S). 5.45 Milkshake! Monkey’s Amazing Adventures (R) (S).

5.50 Pip And Posy (R) (S)

6.33am Radio 1’s Best New Pop. 6.57 Newsbeat. 7.00 Radio 1Breakfast With Greg James. 10.00 Radio 1Anthems. 10.30 Newsbeat. 10.32 Radio 1Anthems. 11.02 Danny Beard. 12.45pm Newsbeat 1.00 Matt And Mollie. 3.00 Radio 1’s PartyAnthems. 4.00 The Official ChartOnRadio 1With JackSaunders 5.45 Newsbeat. 6.00 Radio 1’sDance PartyWithDanny Howard. 8.00 Radio 1’s Future DanceWith Sarah Story 10.00 Pete Tong 12mdn’t Radio 1’s Essential Mix. 2.00 Radio 1Dance Presents 3.00 Danny Howard. 4.00 Radio 1’sChillout Anthems 5.00 Radio 1Relax

BBC RADIO 2

7.00 TOTP: 1995 Jack Dee presents the pop chart programme (S).

7.30 TOTP: 1995 John Peel presents the pop chart programme (S).

8.00 TOTP: 1988 With Fleetwood Mac, Hazell Dean, Natalie Cole and AC/DC (S).

8.30 TOTP: 1976 (S).

9.00 Marvin Gaye: Live At Montreux The soul singer’s performance at the Swiss jazz festival in 1980 (S).

10.40 Kings Of Soul Celebrating the male artists instrumental to the soul genre (S).

11.35 BarryWhite In Concert 1975 Soul singer Barry White captured live in concertatLondon’s Royal AlbertHall (S).

12.25 Smokey Robinson At The Electric Proms (S). 1.25 TOTP: 1988 (S). 1.55 TOTP: 1976 (S).

2.25 TOTP: 1995 (S). 2.55 TOTP: 1995 (S). 3.25 Close

6.30am The Gaby Roslin Breakfast Show 9.30 GaryDavies. 12noon TinaDaheley 2.00 Scott Mills. 3.30 ScottMills’ Wonder Years 4.00 Sara Cox 7.00 Michelle Visage. Aselection of hitsfrom across the popmusic genre. 8.30 Michelle Visage’s Handbag Hits. 9.00 The Good Groove With DJ Spoony. Joyful floor fillers, sou fulhouse and lyrical garage tunes. 11.00 The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker 12mdn’t RomeshRanganathan: ForThe Love Of Hip-Hop. 1.00 Abba At The BBC. 2.00 Sounds Of The 80s Mega Mastermix. 3.00 Radio 2Unwinds WithAngelaGriffin. 4.00 Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s

6.30 Sky News Breakfast (R). 7.00 Breakfast With Anna Jones (R). 7.30 Breakfast With Anna Jones (R). 8.00 Stop, Search, Seize (R) (S). 9.00 Nothing To Declare (R) (S). 9.30 Nothing To Declare (R) (S). 10.00 Titanic: A Dead Reckoning (R) (S). 11.00 Wildlife Rescue New Zealand (R) (S). 12.00 Supergirl (R) (S).

1.00 MacGyver (R) (S). 2.00 MacGyver (R) (S). 3.00 Hawaii Five-0 (R) (S). 4.00 S.W.A.T (R) (S). 5.00 The Simpsons (R) (S).

5.30 The Simpsons (R) (S).

6.00 The Office (US) Cecelia has an overcrowded christening (R) (S).

6.30 The Office (US) Gabe invites his co-workers to his house (R) (S).

7.00 The Simpsons Carl discovers the origins of amysterious rodeo buckle (R) (S).

7.30 The Simpsons (R) (S).

8.00 The F1 Show Alook ahead to the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix (R).

9.00 FILM: John Wick (2014) Action thriller, starring Keanu Reeves (R) (S).

6.00 CITV 9.00 World’s Funniest Videos (S). 9.30 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records (S). 10.00 Veronica Mars (S). 11.00 Dawson’s Creek (S). 12.00 Love Bites (S). 1.00 Dress To Impress (S). 2.00 Supermarket Sweep (S). 3.00 Veronica Mars (S). 4.00 Dawson’s Creek (S). 5.00 Dress To Impress (S).

6.00 Classic Emmerdale (S). 6.30 Classic Emmerdale (S). 7.00 Classic Coronation Street (S). 7.35 Classic Coronation Street (S). 8.05 Wild At Heart (S). 9.10 Wild At Heart (S). 10.15 The Royal (S). 11.20 Heartbeat (S). 12.25 Heartbeat (S). 1.30

Classic Emmerdale (S). 2.05

Classic Emmerdale (S). 2.35

Classic Coronation Street (S). 3.10 Classic Coronation Street (S). 3.40 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S). 5.55 Heartbeat (S).

Me (S). 1.00 Come Dine With Me (S). 1.30

Come Dine With Me (S). 2.05

Come Dine With Me (S). 2.35 Come Dine With Me (S). 3.10

Four In ABed (S). 3.40 Four

11.00 RobBeckett’s Smart TV (R) (S).

11.45 Curb Your Enthusiasm (R).

12.30 Brit Cops: Rapid Response (R). 1.30 The Force: North East (R) (S). 2.30 Road Wars (R). 3.00 Hawaii Five-0 (R) (S). 4.00 S.W.A.T (R) (S). 5.00 Motorway Patrol (R) (S). 5.30 Motorway Patrol (R) (S).

Radio

6.00 Celebrity Catchphrase With Oti Mabuse, Judy Murray and John Thomson (S).

7.00 Family Fortunes The Serghiou family from Clacton-on-Sea face the Cooper family from Scotland (S).

8.00 Superstore Garrett struggles with hisbest man speech (S).

8.30 Superstore Garrett tries to con Glenn into giving him paid timeoff (S).

9.00 Loaded In Paradise One pair are eliminated before the final three pairs battle it out in the finale. Last in the series (S).

10.00 Family Guy Meg receives amakeover (S).

10.30 Family Guy Peter learns Loretta is having an affair (S).

11.00 Family Guy Brian looks after an elderly woman (S).

11.30 American Dad! Stan becomes adrag racer (S).

12.00 American Dad! (S). 12.30 Superstore (S). 1.00 Superstore (S). 1.30 Iain Stirling’s CelebAbility (S). 2.10 Celebrity Karaoke Club (S). 3.00 Unwind With ITV (S). 4.15Unwind With ITV (S). 5.30 Teleshopping

7.00 Heartbeat The arrival of achess champion causes acrisis (S).

8.00 Doc Martin Bertopens arestaurant (S).

9.00 Shetland Part one of two. Ateenage girl is murdered (S).

10.25 Shetland Part two of two. Ahiding place leads Perez to the killer (S).

11.35 Blue Murder Apopular mullah is murdered (S).

12.45 Upstairs, Downstairs (S). 1.40 Bless This House (S). 2.10 Heartbeat (S). 3.05Heartbeat (S). 4.00 The Royal (S). 5.00 Unwind WithITV (S). 5.30 Teleshopping

6.55 The Dog House Australia Harley the American bull cross is overlooked for adoption, due to his size (S).

7.55 Grand Designs Aman aiming to build one of the largest homes ever featured on the show (S).

9.00 Astrid: Murder In Paris Aconvicted murderer is found dead in his psychiatric hospital room (S).

10.15 24 Hours In A&E An actor with asuspected broken shoulder receives amore worrying diagnosis (S).

11.15 24 Hours In A&E A builder breaks his neck after falling off his shed (S).

12.20 Emergency Helicopter Medics (S). 1.20 24 Hours In A&E (S). 2.20 24 Hours In A&E (S). 3.25 The Hotel Fixers (S) 3.55 Close

BBC RADIO 3

ABBA NIGHT

BBC Two, from 8.35pm

My my,in1974 at Brighton Dome, Britain did surrender to the charms of Abba.

Yes, it’s 50 years today since the Swedish group scored ahistoric victory at the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo. It may have been aworthy winner –and incredibly catchy –but there were probably quite afew UK viewers who imagined that would be the first and last they saw of Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Benny and Björn.

Instead, it turned out that Abba had plenty more pop classics where that came from as they went onto become global pop sensations.

Saturday’s Television

Editor’s Pick Daytime

So, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision triumph that helped pave theway for world domination, BBC2 is turning the schedules over to much-loved quartet.

The evening begins with More Abba at the BBC, which rounds up their appearances on everything from The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show to the The Late,Late Breakfast Show.The most intriguing clip though is arare 1974 performance of So Long, which was missing from the archives and believed to be lost forever until aTop of the Pops fan unearthed ahome recording. It’s now been restored, and this will be first broadcast in 50 years.

If that wasn’t an exciting enough prospect for fans, the programme is followed by the new documentary When Abba Came to Britain, which explores the group’s special relationship with the UK,one which has been going for longer than you might think.

Mark Robinson of production company Wise Owl Films says: “There can be fewer bands, if any,who have straddled generations of British music fans in amore impressive way than Abba. Their original fans might now be in their fifties and sixties, but their children, andeven their grandchildren, will be just as familiar with their biggest hits thanks to the likes of Mamma Mia! and Voyage.

“This film shows the enduring and often emotional impact that Abba have left on British fans and musicians across the decades, but we will also chart the key role that Britain

played in the band’s history –from the music of groups like The Beatles to playing host to defining moments in their career”.

As well as exploring Abba’s British influences, the documentary takes in awealth of archive footage, including what was thought to be their last ever TV appearance, and their decision to stage their virtual comeback, Abba Voyage, in London.

Contributors include musicians who performed with the band, tour manager Thomas Johansson, asuperfan who travelled across the country at age 14 to meet them, the British Eurovision judge who scored them nul points, and anow-famous member of the children’s choir which accompanied ABBA at their Wembley Arena concerts in 1979.

The documentary is followed by more Abba programes, including the compilation Abba at the BBC, the 1979 special Abba in Switzerland, which was recorded on location in the Alps and features guest appearance from Kate Bush and Roxy Music, and the documentary The Joy of Abba, which charts their rise to fame.

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6.00 Breakfast (S). 10.00 Saturday Kitchen Live (S). 11.30 MaryBerry’s Simple Comforts (R) (S). 12.00 Football Focus (S). 1.00 BBC News; Weather (S). 1.15 Bargain Hunt (R) (S).

2.00 Money ForNothing (R) (S).

2.45 Escape To The Country (R) (S). 3.45 Garden Rescue (R) (S).

4.30 Final Score (S). 5.20 BBC News (S). 5.30 BBC Regional News; Weather (S). 5.40 Celebrity Bridge Of Lies (S).

6.25 Children’s Programmes (S). 9.00 Gardeners’ World (R) (S). 10.00 Operation Grand Canyon With Dan Snow (R) (S). 11.00 Interior Design Masters With Alan Carr (R) (S). 12.00 Andi Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts (R) (S).

1.00 FILM: AMatter Of Life And Death (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger 1946) Romantic fantasy,starring David Niven and Kim Hunter (S). 2.45 AWolf Called Storm: Natural World (R) (S). 3.30 Michael Caine: Talking Pictures (R) (S). 4.25 FILM: The Eagle Has Landed (John Sturges 1976) Second World Warspy adventure, with Michael Caine (S).

6.00 Love Your Garden (R) (S).

6.30 Love Your Garden (R) (S).

7.30 FILM: Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (Mel Stuart1971) Musical fantasy with Gene Wilder (S). 9.25 ITV News (S).

9.30 James Martin’s Saturday Morning (S). 11.40 Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen (S). 12.40 James Martin’s French Adventure (R) (S). 1.15 ITV News; Weather (S). 1.30 ITV Racing: Live From Kelso Coverage from Kelso and Kempton Park (S). 4.00 You’ve Been Framed! (R) (S). 4.30 ITV News; Weather (S). 4.45 ITV Regional News; Weather (S). 5.00 Ninja Warrior UK: Race For Glory (R) (S).

7pm 9pm 11pm Late 6pm 8pm 10pm

6.25 The Weakest Link Su Pollard and Bobby Seagullfeature among acelebrity line-up of players (R) (S).

7.10 Blankety Blank Bradley Walsh hosts the comedy quiz show (R) (S).

7.45 Pointless Celebrities (S).

8.35 Casualty Dylan struggles to deal with the weight of his recent mistakes (S).

9.25 Traces Asecond explosion puts pressure on McKinven and Sarah to find and stop the bomber (S).

10.10 BBC News; Weather (S).

10.30 Match Of The Day Highlights of the latest matches (S).

11.55 FILM: Captain Phillips (2013) Fact-based thriller,starring Tom Hanks (S).

2.05 BBC News (S).

6.35 Japan With Sue Perkins Part one of two. Sue embarks upon atrip around Japan (R) (S).

7.35 Saving Lives At Sea Crew members rescue afisherman who’s suffered asuspected stroke (R) (S).

8.35 More Abba At The BBC Appearances by the Swedish superstars on BBC shows (S).

6.00 Celebrity Catchphrase With Sally Dynevor, Barney Walsh and Zoe Williams (R) (S).

7.00 Ant &Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway With Take That and Lenny Rush (S).

8.30 The 1% Club Quiz, hosted by Lee Mack (S).

9.35 When Abba Came To Britain The Swedish band’s relationship with the UK (S).

9.35 The Jonathan Ross Show With Michael Palin, Lulu, Anthony Joshua and comedian Laura Smyth (S).

10.35 Abba At The BBC A collection of memorable television appearances by the group (R) (S).

10.35 ITV News; Weather (S).

10.50 FILM: The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005) Comedy, starring Steve Carell (S).

11.35 Abba In Switzerland The pop group’s first European television special (R) (S).

12.30 The Joy Of Abba (R) (S).

1.30 FILM: So Long, My Son (Xiaoshuai Wang 2019) Chinese drama, starring Jingchun Wang (S). 4.25 This Is BBC Two (S).

12.55 Shop On TV 3.00 The Larkins (R) (S). 3.50 Unwind With ITV (S). 5.05 Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen (R) (S).

Film Choices

THE WIZARD OF OZ (C5, 1.45pm)

Judy Garland dons her iconic ruby slippers to magical effect in this evergreen 1939 MGM musical, which won two Oscars but lost the Best Picture statuette to Gone with the Wind. Which is ironic, as it tells the storyofDorothy, who is swept away from her beloved Kansas by atornado only to land in the magical world of Oz, where she must seek the help of the wizard to returnhome with her trusty canine sidekick Toto. The luminous leading lady sings Somewhere Over the Rainbow as her magical pals –The Scarecrow,The Cowardly Lion and The Tin Man –follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

(BBC One, 11.55pm)

Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) kisses his wife goodbye and takes charge of his cargo vessel bound for Mombasa, Kenya. Somali pirates led by

Muse (Barkhad Abdi) board the vessel and Phillips conceals his crew below deck in the engine room while he takes charge of the situation. Based on the book by Richard Phillips and Stephan Talty,Captain Phillips is anerve-racking thriller that fully deserved its six Oscar nominations.

6.00 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 7.15 The Simpsons (R) (S). 7.40 The Simpsons (R) (S). 8.05 The Simpsons (R) (S). 8.35 The Simpsons (R) (S).

9.05 The Simpsons (R) (S). 9.35

The Simpsons (R) (S). 10.05

The Simpsons (R) (S). 10.40

The Simpsons (R) (S). 11.10

Formula 1Japanese Grand Prix

Qualifying Highlights (S). 12.40

Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) (S). 1.40

Four In ABed (R) (S). 2.10 Four

In ABed (R) (S). 2.40 Four In A

Bed (R) (S). 3.10 Four In ABed

(R) (S). 3.45 Four In ABed (R) (S). 4.15 Worst House On The Street (R) (S). 5.15 The Great Celebrity Bake Off ForStand Up

To Cancer (R) (S).

6.30 Channel 4News (S).

6.00 Milkshake! 8.50 SpongeBob SquarePants (R) (S). 9.05

Entertainment News On 5 (S).

9.15 The Yorkshire Vet (R) (S).

9.40 22 Kids &Counting (R) (S). 10.40 22 Kids &Counting (R) (S). 11.45 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly (R) (S). 12.40 Dogs

Behaving (Very) Badly (R) (S).

1.45 FILM: The Wizard Of Oz (Victor Fleming 1939) Musical fantasy,starring Judy Garland (S). 3.45 FILM: Ocean’s Twelve (Steven Soderbergh 2004) Crime caper sequel, starring George Clooney (S).

6.15 5News Weekend (S).

6.20 Air Fryers: Sunday Lunch Made Easy (R) (S).

7.00 Bettany Hughes’ Treasures Of The World New series. The hidden treasures of Albania’s Adriatic coast (S).

8.00 Our Dream Farm With Matt Baker New series. The search for anew tenant for the currently vacant farmin Northumberland (S).

9.00 FILM: The Lost City (2022) Premiere. Adventure comedy, starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum (S).

7.10 The Great FogOf 1952 The deadliest environmental disaster ever recorded (R) (S).

8.30 Secrets Of The Royal Palaces Tales of entertaining at royal residences (S).

9.30 Kate &The King: A Special Relationship (S).

Sport

BRIGHTON &HOVE ALBION VARSENAL

(Kick-off5.30pm)..

7.00 Rick Stein’s Long Weekends The chef takes aculinarybreak in Lisbon (S).

8.00 Amazon With Bruce Parry The former Royal Marine revisits the Matis tribe (S).

9.00 FILM: Everything Went Fine (2021) Premiere. Drama, starring Sophie Marceau. In French (S).

10.30 1983: Most Shocking Moments Alook back at key events in TV, film, showbusiness and politics (R) (S).

6.00 Madagascar: ALittle Wild (R) (S). 6.25 Madagascar: ALittle Wild (R) (S). 6.50

Madagascar: ALittle Wild (R) (S). 7.15 Moominvalley (R) (S).

7.40 Moominvalley (R) (S).

8.05 Monkey Life (R) (S). 8.30

Orangutan Jungle School (R) (S). 9.30 Formula 1 (R). 11.30

Orangutan Jungle School (R) (S). 12.30 The Simpsons (R) (S). 1.00 The Simpsons (R) (S).

1.30 The Simpsons (R) (S).

2.00 The Simpsons (R) (S).

2.30 The Simpsons (R) (S). 3.00

Gillette Labs Soccer Saturday

Up-to-the-minute scores (R). 5.00 Truthseekers (R) (S).

6.00 Secrets In The Sand Jade stones round among crumbling rock faces (R) (S).

7.00 To End All War: Oppenheimer And The Atomic Bomb The true storyofphysicist J RobertOppenheimer (R) (S).

6.00 CITV 9.00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records (S).

9.30 Love Bites (S). 10.30 Dress

To Impress (S). 11.30 Dress

To Impress (S). 12.30 Dress

To Impress (S). 1.25 Family Fortunes (S). 2.30 In ForA Penny (S). 2.55 FILM: Bee Movie (Steve Hickner,Simon JSmith 2007)

Animated comedy,with the voice of Jerry Seinfeld (S). 4.55 FILM: Jumanji (Joe Johnston 1995) Fantasy adventure, starring Robin Williams (S).

6.00 Bless This House (S).

6.30 Wycliffe (S). 7.40 Agatha Christie’s Marple (S). 9.40 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S).

10.50 FILM: The Great St

Trinian’s Train Robbery (Sidney Gilliat, Frank Launder 1966)

Comedy,starring Frankie Howerd (S). 12.35 Lewis (S). 2.35 Lewis (S). 4.35 FILM: Goodnight Mister Tom (Jack Gold 1998) Wartime family drama, starring John Thaw (S).

8.55 Food Unwrapped (S). 9.30

APlace In The Sun (S). 10.25 APlace In The Sun (S). 11.25

In The Sun (S). 12.30

Location, Location (S). 1.35 Location, Location, Location (S). 2.40 Come Dine With Me (S). 3.10 Come Dine With Me (S). 3.40 Come Dine With Me (S). 4.10 Come Dine With Me (S). 4.45 Come Dine With Me (S). 5.15 Four In ABed (S). 5.50 Four In ABed (S).

9.00 FILM: John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) Action sequel, starring Keanu Reeves (R).

10.50 Parkinson: The Goons Michael Parkinson chats to Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan (S).

11.10 FILM: Under Siege (1992) Action adventure, starring Steven Seagal (S).

1.05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) (S). 1.55 Couples Come Dine WithMe (R) (S). 2.50 Car S.O.S (R)(S). 3.40 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) (S). 4.00 Hollyoaks Omnibus (R) (S).

12.25 Criminals: Caught On Camera (R)(S). 1.00 PlayOJO Live Casino Show (S). 3.00 Mummies Unwrapped (R) (S). 3.50 The Cotswolds With Pam Ayres (R) (S). 4.40 Great Artists (R) (S). 5.05House Doctor (R) (S). 5.30 Entertainment News On 5 (R) (S). 5.40Milkshake!

BBC RADIO 1

6am Radio 1Happy 7.00 AdeleRoberts. 10.00 Radio

1Anthems 10.30 Newsbeat 10.32 Radio 1Anthems. 11.02 DannyBeard 1pm Matt And Mollie. 4.00 Radio

1’s Dance Anthems. 5.00 Radio 1’sDance Anthems. 6.00 Radio 1’sDance Anthems. 7.00 Radio 1’s Soundsystem. 9.00 Radio 1’s RapShow With Kenny Allstar 10.30 Radio 1’s RapMixtape. 11.00 Radio 1’s Drum &BassShow 12mdn’t Radio 1’sDrum&Bass Mix. 12.30 Radio 1’s Drum &Bass Mix 1.00 Radio 1’s Classic EssentialMix. 3.00 FutureDance MixWith Sarah Story 3.30 Pete Tong’s HotMix 4.00 Radio 1’s Dance Anthems 5.00 Radio 1Relax.

BBC RADIO 2

6am Sounds Of The60s WithTony Blackburn 8.00 Dermot O’Leary 10.00 Anita Rani 1pm Pick Of The Pops. 2.00 PickOfThe Pops. 3.00 Rylan On Saturday 6.00 Liza Tarbuck. 8.00 Sounds Of The80s With GaryDavies. Gary plays aselection of music from the decade. 10.00 SoundsOfThe 90s With Fearne Cotton.Anostalgia-drenched celebrationofthe best music andpop culturefrom the decade. 11.00 Sounds Of The90s With Fearne Cotton. 12mdn’t Eras: Abba. 12.30 Eras:Abba

BBC RADIO 3

12.05 Welsh Greats: Harry Secombe (S). 12.35 To The Manor Born (S). 1.05 No Place Like Home (S). 1.35 Rick Stein’s Long Weekends (S). 2.35 Amazon With Bruce Parry (S). 3.35 Close

11.00 RobBeckett’s Smart TV (R) (S).

11.45 The Office (US) (R) (S).

12.10 The Office (US) (R) (S). 12.35 The Office (US) (R) (S). 1.00 The Office (US) (R) (S).

1.30 Road Wars (R). 2.00 Road Wars (R). 3.00 Nothing To Declare (R) (S). 4.00Nothing To Declare (R) (S). 5.00Nothing To Declare (R) (S).

Radio

7.00 FILM: The Addams Family (1991) Black comedy,starring Anjelica Huston (S).

6.45 Snooker: Tour Championship Live The conclusion of the second semi-final (S).

6.20 Four In ABed (S).

6.55 Four In ABed (S).

7.25 Four In ABed (S).

7.55 Ricky,Sue And A Trip Or Two Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston take atour of north Wales (S).

9.00 FILM: Wedding Crashers (2005) Comedy,starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn (S).

10.15 Agatha Christie’s Poirot An unsolved case resurfaces (S)

11.20 Family Guy Peter tries to prove he is agenius (S).

11.50 Family Guy Meg goes out with anaturist (S).

12.20 American Dad! (S). 12.50 American Dad! (S). 1.20 Iain Stirling’s CelebAbility (S). 2.00 All American (S). 2.55 Celebrity Karaoke Club (S). 3.45 Unwind With ITV (S). 5.30Teleshopping

11.20 Scott &Bailey A wealthy man leading a double life is murdered (S).

12.10Scott &Bailey (S). 1.00 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (S). 1.55 Vera (S). 4.00Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S). 5.00 Bless This House (S). 5.05 Unwind With ITV (S). 5.30 Teleshopping

Comedy Club:Hut 33. 12mdn’t The

BBC RADIO 4

Tapes 12.45 Ghost Stories By HG Wells. 1.00 AYear And ADay 2.30 Shakespeare In

Omnibus. 3.45 Singular Women.

NotInFront Of

BBC 5LIVE

9.00 24 Hours In A&E Doctors trytosave ababy who stopped breathing at home (S).

10.00 24 Hours In A&E A 74-year-old man is brought into A&E after suffering asuspected stroke (S).

11.05 8Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown With Claudia Winkleman, Johnny Vegas, Reginald DHunter and Sara Pascoe (S).

12.10 8Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (S). 1.15 24 Hours In A&E (S). 2.15 24 Hours In A&E (S). 3.20 Food Unwrapped (S). 3.50 Close

MAMMALS

BBC One, 7.00pm

Working on the BBC’s new nature series Mammals would be adream job for many people, and not just because it means they gettomeet broadcasting legend Sir David Attenborough.

As Lydia Baines, who produced this second episode The New Wild,explains, there’s also the chance to go to some incredible locations and film some remarkable creatures.

She says: “Mammals are everyone’sfavourite, aren’t they? Everyone loves amammal. Also, this production is global. The scope is huge. Working on this series gives you the ability to film some of the mostloved animals on this planet.

Editor’s Pick Daytime

“People adore mammals because we have anatural affinity with them –some of them even look like us! They also act like us. There’s alot of us that we can see in mammals, which Ithink makes them particularly appealing.”

However,asher episode makes clear,while humans may have an affinity with other mammals, the feeling isn’t necessarily mutual.

It’s only two decades since SirDavid looked at the Life of Mammals foraprevious series, but in that time the issues facing them have grown and grown, with many species nowonthe brink of extinction.

The New Wild explores how other creatures have adapted to living alongside perhaps the most successful mammals of all –humans.

Lydia explains: “The backbone to all of my different sequences is about how these habitats are changing and what mammals are doing in response. Obviously, some are doing well off the back of it, and others aren’t. The episodetries to give us abalanced view, but also to highlight the incredible behaviour that we’re starting to see. We are seeing evolution in action.”

The results can sometimes be unsettling. Lydia says: “One of the sequences we filmed was in apalm oil plantationinMalaysia. Obviously,alot of primary forest is being cut down to makeway for palmoil plantations, which is bad for the majority of wildlife there. But

one troop of pig-tailed macaques has started to take advantage of it.

“The plantation gets overrun with rats, and these monkeys that used to be predominantly vegetarian have started coming into these plantations,and they’ve learned how to catch and feed on rats. Gruesome, but incredible.”

And some animals have seemingly managed to make ahome where humans fear to tread.

Lydia says: “Wefilmed apack of Indian wolves living on the Golan Heights on the border between Israel and Syria. They live in landmine fields. So, historically,and even today,wolves have beenhugely shot in that area.

“One of their last strongholds is in these landmine fields on the Golan Heights. They’re able to live there fairly undisturbed because humans just won’t venture into the minefields. That’s never been filmed for broadcast television before, probably because no one’s thought it was agood idea to filmwolves in fields of landmines!”

Lydia and her team decided to take the plunge with the help of alocal guide who believes that, in another example of mammals adjusting to their environments, the wolves have learned to smell landmines.

6.00 Breakfast (S). 7.35 Match

Of The Day (R) (S). 9.00 Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg (S). 10.00 Celebration Kitchen:

Vaisakhi (S). 11.00 Homes Under The Hammer (R) (S). 12.00

Bargain Hunt (R) (S). 1.00 BBC News; Weather (S). 1.15 Songs Of Praise (S). 1.50 Money For Nothing (R) (S). 2.20 Escape To The Country (R) (S). 3.05 FILM: Horrible Histories: The Movie (Dominic Brigstocke 2019) Family comedy,starring Sebastian Croft (S). 4.35 Mammals (R) (S).

5.35 BBC News (S). 5.50 BBC Regional News; Weather (S).

6.35 Countryfile (R) (S). 7.35 Breakfast (S). 9.00 Beechgrove Garden (R) (S). 9.30 Landward (S). 10.00 Heligan: Secrets Of The Lost Garden (R) (S). 11.00

Marcus Wareing’s Tales From AKitchen Garden (R) (S). 11.30

Marcus Wareing’s Tales From AKitchen Garden (R) (S). 12.00

FILM: Julius Caesar (Joseph L Mankiewicz 1953) Shakespeare adaptation, starring Marlon Brando (S). 2.00 FILM: Guys And Dolls (Joseph LMankiewicz 1955) Musical, starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando (S).

4.25 Italy’s Invisible Cities (R) (S). 5.25 Japan With Sue Perkins (R) (S).

6.00 James Martin’s Spanish Adventure (R) (S). 7.00 FILM: Casino Royale (John Huston, KenHughes, ValGuest, Robert Parrish, Joe McGrath, Richard Talmadge 1967) Spoof James Bond adventure, starring David Niven (S). 9.25 ITV News (S).

9.30 Love Your Weekend With Alan Titchmarsh (S). 11.35 ITV News; Weather (S). 11.50 Live Champions Cup Rugby Northampton Saints vs Munster Kick-off is at 12.30pm (S). 2.50 You’ve Been Framed! (R) (S).

3.20 FILM: Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (Tim Burton 2005) Children’s fantasy,starring Johnny Depp (S). 5.30 The 1% Club (R) (S).

7pm 9pm 11pm Late 6pm 8pm 10pm

6.00 Countryfile Hamza Yassin and Charlotte Smith visit the National Arboretum at Westonbirt(S).

7.00 Mammals Mammals that have adapted to the changes humans have made to their environment (S).

8.00 Antiques Roadshow Fiona Bruce presents the show from Sefton Park in Liverpool (R) (S).

9.00 This Town Skinhead Tyro seeks out Dante to avenge his beating (S).

6.25 Flog It! From the RAF Museum in Hendon, north London (R) (S).

6.30 ITV News; Weather (S).

6.45 ITV Regional News; Weather (S).

7.00 This Farming Life Carianne searches for the mother of an abandoned newborn calf (R) (S).

8.00 Burma With Simon Reeve Part one of two. Documentaryexploring the country(R) (S).

9.00 The Darkest Days: Israel-Gaza Six Months On (S).

10.00 BBC News; Weather (S).

10.25 BBC Regional News; Weather (S).

10.30 Match Of The Day 2 (S).

11.30 FILM: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) Cold Warespionage thriller,starring Gary Oldman (S).

1.35 BBC News (S).

7.00 Tipping Point: Lucky Stars With Phil Tufnell, Colin Jackson and Lisa Riley (R) (S).

8.00 Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure Part two of two. The presenter concludes his South East Asian trip (S).

9.00 Passenger Ali and Nish trace Mehmet’s footsteps (S).

10.00 FILM: On Chesil Beach (2017) Romantic drama, starring Saoirse Ronan (S).

10.05 ITV News; Weather (S). 10.20 Unbelievable Moments Caught On Camera (R) (S).

11.45 FILM: Eternal Beauty (2019) Romantic comedy drama, starring Sally Hawkins (S).

11.15 English Football League Highlights Peterborough United vs Wycombe Wanderers (S).

1.15 Sign Zone: This Town (R) (S). 2.15 Sign Zone: Mandy (R) (S). 2.30 Sign Zone: Mandy (R) (S). 2.45 Sign Zone: The Assembly (R) (S). 3.15 This Is BBC Two (S).

12.15 Shop On TV 3.00 Britain’s Strictest Headmistress (R) (S). 3.50 Unwind With ITV (S). 5.05 Fletchers’ Family Farm (R) (S).

Film Choices

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

(BBC One, 11.30pm)

This labyrinthine drama centres on the deputy to the head of British intelligence whoisforced into retirement after an operation ends in disaster.Heis later recruited by the government to returntoduty and investigate the possibility of aSoviet mole in ahigh-ranking position in MI6. GaryOldman gives one of his best performances as John le Carre’s ageing hero George Smiley; the scene where he reflects on an encounter with his arch enemy is amasterclass in acting.

GUYS AND DOLLS

(BBC Two, 2.00pm)

Agambleraccepts abet that he cannot win the heart of astrait-laced Salvation Army member.Meanwhile, his friend has to findasecret locationfor an illegal

dice game he is organising -while alsocontending with the police, amobster and agirlfriend desperate to drag him to the altar. Musical,starring Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons. Songs include Luck Be aLady Tonight and Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat.

6.00 The King Of Queens (R) (S).

6.25 The King Of Queens (R) (S). 6.50 The King Of Queens (R) (S). 7.15 The Simpsons (R) (S). 7.40 The Simpsons (R) (S).

8.00 The Simpsons (R) (S). 8.30

The Simpsons (R) (S). 9.00 The Simpsons (R) (S). 9.30 Sunday Brunch (S). 12.30 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix Highlights (S). 3.00 The Dog House (R) (S).

4.00 Kirstie And Phil’s Love It Or List It: Brilliant Builds (R) (S).

4.30 APlace In The Sun (R) (S).

5.15 KeyToAFortune (S).

6.00 Milkshake! 8.50 SpongeBob SquarePants (R) (S). 9.00

Entertainment News On 5 (S). 9.10 The Yorkshire Vet (R) (S).

9.35 Holidaying With Jane McDonald: The Caribbean (R) (S). 10.25 Holidaying With Jane McDonald: The Caribbean (R) (S). 11.25 Holidaying With Jane McDonald: The Caribbean (R) (S). 12.25 Inside The Tower Of London (R) (S). 1.25 Inside The Tower Of London (R) (S). 2.25 Inside The Tower Of London (R) (S). 3.25 The Great Stink Of 1858 (S). 5.25 Air Fryers: Entertaining Made Easy (R) (S).

6.15 Channel 4News (S).

6.45 Inside The Superbrands Helen Skelton goes behind the scenes at Walkers crisps (R) (S).

7.40 The Great Celebrity Bake Off ForStand Up To Cancer With Dermot O’Leary, Greg James, Fern Brady and Mel B (S).

6.25 5News Weekend (S).

6.30 When Motorhoming Goes Horribly Wrong (R) (S).

Sport

6.00 Madagascar: ALittleWild (R)(S) 6.25 Madagascar: ALittle Wild (R) (S). 6.50 Madagascar: ALittleWild (R) (S). 7.15 Moominvalley (R) (S).

7.40 Moominvalley (R) (S). 8.05 Monkey Life (R) (S). 8.30 Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips (R).

10.00 Formula 1 (R). 11.00 The

7.00 Flat Pack Pop: Sweden’s Music Miracle Sweden’s rise as aglobal musical superpower (S).

8.00 The Tube: Keep London Moving! Members of the fare evasion team are out in force (S).

9.00 Hunted Fourteen people are given fugitive status and go on the run(S).

10.00 Gogglebox The households’ opinions on recent television (R) (S).

10.55 Gogglebox (R) (S).

8.00 Hannah Waddingham’s Eurovision 1974 Celebration (S).

8.10 Eurovision Song Contest 1974 (S).

9.00 The Hilton: Park Lane New series. Behind the scenes access to staff and guests at the Hilton on Park Lane Hotel (S).

10.00 When Sex On TV Goes Horribly Wrong Maria McErlane narrates acompilation of scandalous moments gone wrong (S).

11.55 Adults Only: Sexual Healing Exploring the world of the sex therapists (R) (S).

12.00 FILM: ATime To Kill (Joel Schumacher 1996) Courtroom drama, with Samuel LJackson and Matthew McConaughey (S).

2.35 Car S.O.S (R) (S). 3.25 Come Dine With Me (R) (S). 5.30 The Perfect Pitch (R) (S). 5.55 Sunday Brunch BestBits (R) (S).

BBC RADIO 1

12.55 Entertainment News On 5 (S). 1.00PlayOJO Live Casino Show (S). 3.00 Mummies Unwrapped (R) (S). 3.45 The Cotswolds With PamAyres (R) (S). 4.35 Great Artists (R) (S).

5.05 House Doctor (R) (S). 5.30 Entertainment News On 5 (R) (S). 5.40 Milkshake!

6am Radio 1’s Chillout Anthems. 7.00 Radio 1 Weekend Breakfast WithSam And Danni. 10.00 Radio 1Anthems. 10.30 Newsbeat 10.32 Radio 1Anthems. 11.02 Radio 100s With Nat O’Leary. 12noon Radio 110s. 1.00 MattAnd Mollie. 4.00 Radio 1’sLife Hacks. 6.00 TheOfficial Chart:First Look On Radio 1. 7.00 Radio 1’sChillest Show 9.00 Radio 1’sIndie ShowWithJackSaunders 11.00 BBCIntroducing On Radio 1. 12mdn’t Radio 1’s Future SoulWith Victoria Jane 1.30 Radio 1’sUKR&B Mix. 2.00 Radio 1’s Decompression Session. 3.00 Radio 1’sChill Mix.

3.30 Radio 1’s ChillMix. 4.00 Radio 1Dance. 5.00 Radio 1Early BreakfastWith Arielle Free.

BBC RADIO 2

6am Good Morning Sunday 9.00 Sunday Love Songs. 11.00 The Michael Ball Show 1pm Beverley Knight. 3.00 Sounds Of The70s With Johnnie Walker 5.00 Judi Love. 7.00 Tony Blackburn’sGolden Hour.Popular musicfromthe past50years 8.00 ThePaulGambacciniCollection. The’Professor of Pop’ celebratesgreat songwriters, producers and performers. 10.00 Radio 2Unwinds WithAngela

Office (US) (R) (S). 11.30 The Office (US) (R) (S). 12.00 The Office (US) (R) (S). 12.30 The Office (US) (R) (S). 1.00 World’s

Most Toxic Animals (R) (S). 2.00

World’s Most Toxic Animals (R) (S). 3.00 FILM: The Portable Door (Jeffrey Walker 2023) (R).

5.00 The Simpsons (R) (S). 5.30 The Simpsons (R) (S).

6.00 The Simpsons (R) (S).

6.30 The Simpsons Ned Flanders falls on hard times (R) (S).

7.00 The Simpsons (R) (S).

7.30 The Simpsons Professor Frink helps Homer land ahigh-level job.

8.00 An Idiot Abroad 2 Karl Pilkington prepares for a15-hour trek to the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan (R) (S).

9.00 S.W.A.T Yakuza assassins descend on Los Angeles (S).

10.00 Eurovision At 60 Behind-the-scenes storyofthe annual music event (S).

11.30 Hemingway How Hemingway tried to startanew life with MaryWelsh(S).

12.20 Hemingway (S). 1.10 Flat Pack Pop: Sweden’s Music Miracle (S). 2.10 Tish (S). 3.40 Close

10.00 Ricky Gervais: Politics The comedian’s second live show (R) (S).

11.30 Saturday Night Live American sketch show (R).

1.00 Brassic (R) (S) 2.00 The Regime (S). 3.05 Road Wars (R)

4.00 Nothing To Declare (R) (S).

4.30 Nothing To Declare (R) (S).

5.00 Nothing To Declare (R) (S).

5.30 Nothing To Declare (R) (S).

Radio

6.00 CITV 9.00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records (S).

9.25 Love Bites (S). 10.25 Dress To Impress (S). 11.25 Dress To Impress (S). 12.25 Celebrity Catchphrase (S). 1.25 Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (S). 3.00 FILM: The Mitchells vs The Machines (Michael Rianda, Jeff Rowe 2021) Animated comedy adventure, with the voice of Danny McBride (S). 5.10 FILM: How To Train Your Dragon (Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders 2010) Animated fantasy,with the voice of Jay Baruchel (S).

6.00 Bless This House (S). 6.30 Agatha Christie’s Marple (S).

8.30 FILM: Bugsy Malone (Alan Parker 1976) Musical gangster comedy,starring Scott Baio (S).

10.30 Lewis (S). 12.25 Lewis (S). 2.25 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S). 3.35 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S). 4.40 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S). 5.50 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S).

8.55 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces (S). 9.55 Ugly House To Lovely House With George Clarke (S). 11.00 George Clarke’s Old House, New Home (S). 12.00 Come Dine With Me (S). 12.35 Come Dine With Me (S). 1.05 Come Dine With Me (S). 1.35 Come Dine With Me (S). 2.10 Come Dine With Me (S). 2.40 Four In ABed (S). 3.10 Four In ABed (S). 3.45 Four In ABed (S). 4.15 Four In ABed (S). 4.50 Four In ABed (S). 5.20 Come Dine With Me (S). 5.50 Come Dine With Me (S).

6.25 Come Dine With Me Alan Price throws the third party in east London (S).

6.55 Come Dine With Me (S).

7.00 FILM: Addams Family Values (1993) Comedy sequel, starring Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia (S).

7.25 Come Dine With Me Chintu Gademsetty hosts the final dinner party in east London (S).

8.00 Long Lost Family Two women trying to find birth parents after half a centuryapart(S).

9.00 Family Guy Brian appears on atelevision dating show (S).

9.30 Family Guy Peter sells Meg to pay adebt (S).

10.00 Family Guy Lois meets one of her former boyfriends (S).

10.30 Family Guy Stewie plans atrip to England (S).

11.00 Family Guy Three stories inspired by viewers’ letters (S).

11.30 American Dad! (S).

12.00 American Dad! (S). 12.30 Iain Stirling’s CelebAbility (S).

1.15 All American (S) 2.10 World’s Funniest Videos (S).

2.35 Celebrity Karaoke Club (S).

3.25 Unwind WithITV (S). 5.30 Teleshopping

9.00 The Savoy Staff prepare for the reopening of the hotel’s American bar (S).

10.00 Foyle’s War Aformer Nazi working for MI5 is murdered (S).

11.50 Agatha Christie’s Poirot Arestaurant customer’s change of diet intrigues Poirot (S).

12.45 Scott &Bailey (S). 1.35 Vera (S). 3.35 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S). 4.40 Bless This House (S). 5.00 Unwind With ITV (S). 5.30 Teleshopping

8.00 24 Hours In A&E: HeartSpecial Following three patients being treated for cardiac problems (S).

9.00 Lake District Rescue New series. Documentaryabout the Lake District Mountain Rescue Association (S).

10.00 The Emergency Ward Dr Mark tries to help a car crash patient under police guard (S).

11.00 Emergency Helicopter Medics Medics tryto keep aman alive after he has aseizure (S).

12.00 The Good Doctor (S). 1.00 Lake District Rescue (S). 2.00 24 Hours In A&E: HeartSpecial (S). 3.05 Food Unwrapped (S). 3.40 Close

BBC 5LIVE

Editor’s Pick

THE CUCKOO

Channel 5, 9.00pm

Another week, anothergripping four-part drama heads our way courtesy of Channel 5.

Alongside amyriad of documentaries about air fryers (who knew there was so much to say about them?), such programmes have become amainstay of the broadcaster’s schedule in recent months. They’ve been backed by the station’s parent company,Paramount, and the latest looks very promising indeed.

“We’re thrilled to be teaming up again with (production company) Clapperboard to bring this tense and twisty series to our viewers,” says Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer,UKatParamount.“Equipped with a gripping scriptand household names JillHalfpenny,Lee Ingleby,Claire Goose and Marjorie Yates as our lead cast, The Cuckoo is another brilliant addition to our expanding drama slate.”

Suzi McIntosh, Senior Executive Producer at Clapperboard, agrees: “I could not be more excited to be gathering such afantastic and dynamic cast and crew to make this thriller that will keep us on the edge of our seats throughout. Watch this space, we are all in for atreat.”

Having already appeared in Channel 5’s The Drowning and The Holiday,Halfpenny should feel right at home here. She’s certainly afan of the genre.

“That’s the fun of watching athriller,” she claims, after being asked why we can’t get enough of them. “Nobody wants to be with the person who’s like, ‘I know exactly what happens’. The fun of it is, ‘It’s them. Oh, it’s her’. I think that’s why,asanation, we’ve really –certainly in the last 10 years –become obsessed with thrillers.”

The star,who first came to the nation’s attention as a teenager in Byker Grove before appearing in EastEnders and Coronation Street andwinning the second series of Strictly Come Dancing, loves acting in them too, although she admits they have their drawbacks.

“It’s always nice to play something that is abit more psychologically dark. But while thrillers are fun, they’re also quite exhausting because the characters that you’re

playing are usually consistently tense. Youcome home and you’re like, ‘Why are my shoulders by my ears?’

“You’re always holding something in energetically,trying to keep alid on things, and that’s really,really fun to play –but it’s quite exhausting to have that lid on for 11 hours aday!”

Here, Halfpenny plays Sian, who lodges with afamily struggling to make ends meet after they relocate to the countryside. She seems to be the perfect housemate, but it soon becomes clear she has adark side.

It’s just one project in abusy year for the thespian. Her memoir,ALife Reimagined, will be published in June; it looks back on her life and details how she’s dealing with the grief of losing her partner in 2017. Until next Saturday she can also be seen starring in arevival of Shelagh Delaney’s ATaste of Honey at Manchester’s Royal Exchange.

As she recently told The Stage: “Every actor wants variety.” It seems, then, that she’s living the dream.

Daytime

6.00 Breakfast (S). 9.30 Morning Live (S). 10.45 Big Little Crimes (S). 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) (S). 12.15 Bargain Hunt (S). 1.00 BBC News At One; Weather (S). 1.30 BBC Regional News; Weather (S). 1.45 Clive Myrie’s Italian Road Trip (R) (S).

2.15 Money ForNothing (R) (S).

3.00 Escape To The Country (S).

3.45 The Bidding Room (R) (S). 4.30 Bridge Of Lies (S). 5.15 Pointless (S).

6.30 Money ForNothing (R) (S). 7.15 Bridge Of Lies (R) (S).

8.00 Sign Zone: MasterChef (R) (S). 9.00 BBC News (S). 1.00 Impossible (R) (S). 1.45 The Edge (R) (S). 2.30 Lose Weight And Get Fit With TomKerridge (R) (S).

3.00 Jay Blades’ Home Fix (R) (S). 3.45 Best Home Cook (R) (S). 4.45 The HairyBikers’ Pubs That Built Britain (R) (S).

5.15 Flog It! (R) (S).

6.00 Good Morning Britain (S). 9.00 Lorraine (S). 10.00 This Morning (S). 12.30 Loose Women (S). 1.30 ITV News; Weather (S). 1.55 ITV Regional News; Weather (S). 2.00 Alan Titchmarsh’s Gardening Club (S). 3.00 Winning Combination (R) (S). 3.59 ITV Regional Weather (S). 4.00 Tipping Point (R) (S). 5.00 The Chase (R) (S).

9pm 11pm Late 6pm 8pm 10pm

6.00 BBC News At Six; Weather (S).

6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather (S).

6.55 PartyElection Broadcast (R) (S).

7.00 The One Show (S).

7.30 EastEnders Johnny represents Sharon as she is re-questioned by the police (S).

8.00 NHS Patients Going Private: What Are The Risks? –Panorama (S).

8.30The Bidding Room (R) (S).

9.00 MasterChef John Torode and Gregg Wallace introduce a new challenge (S).

10.00 BBC News At Ten (S).

10.30 BBC Regional News; Weather (S).

10.40 Have IGot ABit More News ForYou (R) (S).

11.20 FILM: The Martian (2015) Ridley Scott’s sci-fi drama, starring Matt Damon (S).

1.40 BBC News (S).

6.00 Richard Osman’s House Of Games (R) (S).

6.30 Great Coastal Railway Journeys (S).

7.00 SOS: Extreme Rescues (S).

7.30 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (R) (S).

8.00 Only Connect The QI Elves take on the Inquisitors (R) (S).

8.30 University Challenge (S).

9.00 Meet The Roman Emperor With Mary Beard An insight into the lives of the emperors of Rome (S).

10.00 Alma’s Not Normal Alma faces up to her experiences of being in the care system (R) (S).

10.30 Newsnight (S).

11.15 FILM: The TwoFaces Of January (2014) Thriller,starring Viggo Mortensen (S).

12.45 Sign Zone: Countryfile (R) (S). 1.40 Sign Zone: MasterChef (R) (S). 2.40 Sign Zone: Martin Compston’s Norwegian Fling (R) (S). 3.10 This Is BBC Two (S).

Film Choices

6.00 ITV Regional News; Weather (S).

6.25 PartyElection Broadcast By the Liberal Democrats (S).

6.30 ITV News; Weather (S).

7.00 Emmerdale Charles and Manpreet get caught up in alie (S).

8.00 Coronation Street Dylan plans to do a runner rather than testifyagainst Mason (S).

9.00 Passenger Darkly comic thriller,starring Wunmi Mosaku. Last in the series (S).

10.00 ITV News At Ten (S).

10.30 ITV Regional News (S). 10.45 Mel Giedroyc And Martin Clunes Explore Britain By The Book (R) (S).

11.45 English Football League Highlights Action from the latest fixtures (S).

THE MARTIAN (BBC

One, 11.20pm)

The six-strong crew of the Ares 3, led by Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), are gathering samples on Mars when sensors pick up an approaching storm. Lewis gives the order to evacuate and during the trek back to the ship, botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is hit by flying debris. Believing him to be dead, the rest of the crew blasts off without him. Littledothey realise that back on Mars, Watney is alive. Meanwhile on Earth, the Nasatop brass cut corners to let Mark know thecavalryiscoming, butcan he last until theyarrive?

THE TWO FACES

OF JANUARY

(BBC Two, 11.15pm)

Aconman masquerades as atour guide in Greece, and selects awealthy American tourist and his younger wife as likely targets. However,when a

murder is committed at the couple’s hotel, all three are incriminated, and adangerous alliance develops. Thriller based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel, starring Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac, Daisy Bevan, David Warshofsky,Yigit Ozsener,Omiros Poulakis and Ozan Tas.

6.10 Countdown (R) (S). 6.50

3rd Rock From The Sun (R) (S).

7.15 3rd Rock From The Sun (R) (S). 7.40 3rd Rock From The Sun (R) (S). 8.05 Everybody

Loves Raymond (R) (S). 8.30

Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 9.00 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) (S). 9.30 Frasier (R) (S). 10.00 Frasier (R) (S).

10.30 Frasier (R) (S). 11.00

Work On The Wild Side (R) (S).

12.00 Channel 4News Summary (S). 12.05 Sun, Sea And Selling Houses (R) (S). 1.05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) (S). 2.10

Countdown (S). 3.00 APlace In The Sun (R) (S). 4.00 ANew Life In The Sun (R) (S). 5.00 Chateau DIY (R) (S).

6.00 APlace In The Sun Laura Hamilton helps a couple search Paphos, Cyprus (S).

6.30 The Simpsons (R) (S).

7.00 Channel 4News (S).

6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine (S). 11.15 Storm Huntley (S). 12.45 Friends (R) (S). 1.10

Friends (R) (S). 1.40 5News

At Lunchtime (S). 1.45 Home And Away (R) (S). 2.15 FILM:

AFamily’s Secret (Penelope Buitenhuis 2022) Thriller,starring Maia Alvina (S). 4.00 BargainLoving Brits In The Sun (S). 5.00 5News At 5 (S).

Sport

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

VNOTTINGHAM FOREST

Sky Main Event,6.30pm

Coverage of the Premier League match from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Kick-off 8.00pm).

6.00 Sky News Breakfast (R).

6.30 Sky News Breakfast (R).

7.00 Kay Burley (R). 7.30 Kay Burley (R). 8.00 Stop, Search, Seize (R) (S). 9.00 Nothing To Declare (R) (S). 9.30 Nothing

To Declare (R) (S). 10.00

Empire Builders (R) (S). 11.00

6.00 CITV 9.00 World’s Funniest Videos (S). 9.30 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records (S). 10.00 Veronica Mars (S). 11.00

6.00 Classic Emmerdale (S).

8.00 Grand Indian Hotel How staff at the Oberoi New Delhi cope with the busiest week in its social calendar.Last in the series (S).

9.00 Defiance: Fighting The FarRight (S).

10.00 24 Hours In Police Custody DCI Adam Gallop believes aman declared missing has been murdered (R) (S).

11.05 Night Coppers On the beat with the police officers who patrol the city of Brighton after dark (R) (S).

12.05 Surviving RKelly (S).

12.55 Warren Jeffs: Prophet Of Evil (S). 2.30 Car S.O.S (R) (S). 3.20 Big Mood (R) (S). 3.50 Big Mood (R) (S). 4.15 Sunday Brunch Best Bits (R) (S). 4.20 Grand Designs (R) (S). 5.15 Renovation Nation (R) (S).

BBC RADIO 1

6.00 The Cotswolds With PamAyres (R) (S).

6.55 5News Update (S).

7.00 Traffic Cops A70-yearold biker crashes down an embankment (R) (S).

7.55 5News Update (S).

8.00 Motorway Cops: Catching Britain’s Speeders PC Martain Anderson stops acar thoughttobelinked to organised crime (S).

9.00 The Cuckoo New series. Thriller,starring Jill Halfpenny (S).

10.00 The Intruder: Watching YouFrom Within The storyofthe police manhuntfor The Fox (S).

11.45 Traffic Cops Atip-off leads to amajor drugs bust in North Yorkshire (R) (S).

12.45 Entertainment News On 5 (S). 1.00PlayOJO Live Casino Show (S). 3.00 The Mega Council Estate Next Door (R) (S). 4.00 AYorkshire Farm (R) (S). 4.45 Great Artists (R) (S).

5.10 House Doctor (R) (S). 5.35 Entertainment News On 5 (S).

5.40 Milkshake1

6.57am Newsbeat. 7.00 Radio 1BreakfastWith Greg James. 10.30 Newsbeat. 10.32 Rickie,Melvin And Charlie 12.45pm Newsbeat. 1.00 Vicky And Ore: Monday Punday 3.30 Newsbeat. 3.32 Going Home WithVick, KatieAnd JamieOnRadio 1. 5.45 Newsbeat 6.00 Radio 1’s Future Sounds With ClaraAmfo. 8.00 Radio 1’sFuture Artists With Jack Saunders. 10.00 Radio 1’s PowerDown Playlist With Sian Eleri. 11.00 Rock Show With Daniel PCarter 1am BBC Introducing Rock On Radio 1With Alyx Holcombe. 2.00 Radio 1’sFuture Alternative With Nels Hylton. 3.00 Radio 1Relax In Love. 4.00 Radio 1 Dance. 5.00 Radio 1Early Breakfast With Arielle Free.

BBC RADIO 2

7.00 Fred Dibnah’s Industrial Age (S).

7.30 Britain In Focus: A Photographic History (S).

8.30 Britain’s Lost Masterpieces (S).

9.30 The Sky At Night Exploring the universe (S).

10.00 Caligula With Mary Beard The life of the Roman emperor (S).

11.00 Roman Britain: A Timewatch Guide How the public’s view of Roman Britain has changed over the decades (S).

12.00 Fred Dibnah’s Industrial Age (S). 12.30 Welsh Greats: HarrySecombe (S). 1.00 Caligula With MaryBeard (S). 2.00 Roman Britain: A Timewatch Guide (S). 3.00 Britain In Focus: APhotographic History (S). 4.00 Close

6.30am The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show 9.30 Gary Davies. 12noon Jeremy Vine. 2.00 ScottMills. 4.00 OJ Borg. 6.30 OJ Borg’s Half Wower 7.00 Best Of Radio 2’s Piano Room. New series. FeaturingBruce Hornsby, Beverley Knight, the Libertines, PP Arnold and Gabrielle. 9.00 TheBlues Show With Cerys Matthews.Daniel De Visé chatstoCerys about his newbook, The BluesBrothers. 10.00 Trevor Nelson’s Magnificent 7. 10.30 Trevor Nelson’s Rhythm Nation. 12mdn’t Phil Williams. 3.00

Wildlife Rescue New Zealand (R) (S). 12.00 Supergirl (R) (S).

1.00 MacGyver (R) (S). 2.00 MacGyver (R) (S). 3.00 Hawaii

Five-0 (R) (S). 4.00 S.W.A.T (R) (S). 5.00 The Simpsons (R) (S).

5.30 The Simpsons (R) (S).

6.00 The Office (US) (R) (S).

6.30 The Office (US) (R) (S).

7.00 The Simpsons Homer faces the wrath of a pop star’s vengeful fans (R) (S).

7.30 The Simpsons (R) (S).

8.00 David Attenborough’s Wild City The veteran broadcaster examines the wildlife of Singapore (R) (S).

9.00 The Regime Political satire, starring Kate Winslet (S).

Dawson’s Creek (S). 12.00 Secret Crush (S). 1.00 Dress To Impress (S). 2.00 Supermarket Sweep (S). 3.00 Veronica Mars (S). 4.00 Dawson’s Creek (S).

5.00 Dress To Impress (S).

6.30 Classic Emmerdale (S). 7.00 Classic Coronation Street (S). 7.35 Classic Coronation Street (S). 8.05 Wild At Heart (S). 9.10 Wild At Heart (S). 10.15

The Royal (S). 11.20 Heartbeat (S). 12.25 Heartbeat (S). 1.30

Classic Emmerdale (S). 2.05

Classic Emmerdale (S). 2.35

Classic Coronation Street (S). 3.10 Classic Coronation Street (S). 3.45 Agatha Christie’s Poirot (S). 5.55 Heartbeat (S).

8.55 The Hotel Fixers (S). 9.30 APlace In The Sun (S). 10.25 A New Life

(S). 2.35 Come Dine With Me (S). 3.10 Four In ABed (S). 3.40 Four In A Bed (S). 4.15 Four In ABed (S). 4.50 Four In ABed (S). 5.20 Four In ABed (S).

6.00 Celebrity Catchphrase With Larry Lamb, Sam Quek and Scarlett Moffatt (S).

7.00 Family Fortunes The Shares of Worcester go up against the Alveranga family of Luton (S).

8.00 Superstore Cloud 9 employees experience unforeseen problems with the new Zephra app (S).

8.30 Superstore (S).

9.00 TikTok: Murder Gone Viral: The Mother And Daughter Killers Documentarylooking at ashocking murder (S).

10.05 FILM: The Princess (2022) An insight into the life and work of Diana, Princess of Wales (R) (S).

10.00 Family Guy Lois is sent to prison (S).

10.30 Family Guy Peter tries to convertChris to Judaism (S).

11.00 Family Guy Peter and Lois go on asecond honeymoon (S). 11.30 American Dad! (S).

12.00 RobBeckett’s SmartTV (R) (S). 12.45 Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (R). 1.25 Sex And The City (R) (S). 2.00 Sex And The City (R) (S). 2.35 Road Wars (R). 3.00 Hawaii Five-0 (R) (S). 4.00 S.W.A.T (R) (S) 5.00 Motorway Patrol (R) (S). 5.30 Motorway Patrol (R) (S).

Radio

BBC RADIO 3

12.00 American Dad! (S). 12.30 Superstore (S). 12.55 Superstore (S). 1.25 The Emily Atack Show (S). 2.10 Celebrity Karaoke Club (S). 3.00 Unwind With ITV (S).

5.30 Teleshopping

6.55 Heartbeat Part one of two. Vernon makes a startling discovery(S).

6.55 Car S.O.S Fuzz Townshend and Tim Shaw secretly restore a valuable AC Aceca (S).

7.55 Grand Designs A bricklayer in Bolton begins work on an ambitious state-of-theartwooden home (S).

8.00 Vera The detective investigates adeath in a coastal community (S).

9.00 Car S.O.S Tim and Fuzz take on carpenter Mike’s 1980 Ford EscortRS2000 (S).

10.00 Blue Murder A childminder is murdered (S).

11.30 Wild At Heart Leopard’s Den is inspected by the conservation authority (S).

12.20 Wild At Heart (S). 1.10 Upstairs, Downstairs (S). 2.10 Heartbeat (S). 3.05Heartbeat (S). 4.10 The Royal (S). 5.10 Unwind WithITV (S). 5.30 Teleshopping

10.00 Raising The Mary Rose: The Lost Tapes Alook back at the raising of HenryVIII’s flagship from the Solent in 1982 (S).

11.00 24 Hours In A&E A nine-year-old boy has a dangerously high heart rate (S).

12.05 Emergency Helicopter Medics (S). 1.05 999: On The Front Line (S). 2.10 24 Hours In A&E (S). 3.15 The Hotel Fixers (S). 3.45 Close

Topupyour twitching in the most beautiful partsofthe UK

Nothingheralds thestart of spring quitelikebirdsong. As trees blossomand daffodils flower,our featheredinhabitants arehurriedly gathering materialsfor theirnests

Once considered abit of a nerdy sport, birdwatchinghas takenoff in recent years, as more andmorepeoplebegin to appreciatethe nature immediatelyaroundus.

Discover thebrilliantbirds of ourskies with oneofthese trips… Topupontwitching

If you’reshortontimebut want to increase yourbird count, DavidLeslie’sBig Day BirdingTours couldbethe solution.Packing as many feathered encounters as possible into one day(ideallymorethan100), thereare twotours availablein Aberdeenshire. Startthe search alongthe River DoninSeaton Park,where dippersand wagtailscan be found.

In theCairngorms, head to Cullerlie StoneCircle, where redkites were introduced just over adecadeago.Findosprey fishingatLochKinordand look outfor several butterflyspecies andthe occasionaladderat nearby Loch Davan.

How:The two-daypackage costs£300, includingtransport from anyAberdeenaccommodation andguiding.Visit aberdeenshirebirdtours.com.Stay at theSandman Hoteland Spa from £115 pernight with breakfast Visitsandmansignature. co.uk

Exploringsky andland NorthNorfolk features trails runningthrough meadows, woodlands, vast sandybeaches andmarsh areasare prime sports forsome of theUK’stop birdingspectacles.

From September untilearly April, thousandsofwading birdsgatheratthe Wash and Snettisham,an RSPB Nature Reserve. Spring tidesare especially eventful,whenwater pushes birdsfromthe mudflats causinga starling-style murmuration as they take to theair

How:The six-nightSeascapes of NorthNorfolk tour costs from £1,105pp (two sharing), includingB&B,three dinners, luggagetransfers androute notesand maps Availablenow.Visit inntravel. co.uk

Plenty to seeonfortressisle in Medwithfascinating past

AINE FOX PressAssociation

Standing next to awoodfiredoven, Iwatch as my ftiraturns golden,the cheese bubblesand the thinly sliced potatoes crispup.

Mere minutes ago, it wasnothing more than aballofdough.I’m pretty pleasedwithmyefforts as chef Karl Malliadishesmyhomemade lunchontothe table. Somewhere betweenapizza,apitta andapie, this meldingofcuisines– created during acooking classatGirgenti OliveGrove –sumsupmyMaltese experience

This smallarchipelagointhe Mediterraneanbetween Sicily and theNorth Africancoast hasarich historyofdifferent cultures,having hosted –not always willingly –the Romans, theFrenchand theBritishEmpireamong others over the years.

Invasions

Given itsconvenient geographical location,the island nation mayhave been vulnerable to invasion,but its resilience and fighting spirit is evidentaswetraversethe beautiful walled cities of Valletta andMdina, as well as thesomewhat imposing Citadel, aferry ride away on nearby sister islandGozo.

It is fittingthatmy visitinvolves atriptoone of Malta’smanyolive groves, a20-minute drivefrom capitalcityValletta, as these form part of thetheme forthe country’s first-ever biennale

From Marchuntil theend of May, visitors cantakeinthe majorcelebrationofart,heritageand culture, underthe themeBahar AbjadImsagartaz-zebbug,meaning White SeaOlive Groves.

Peak season in thesummer months canbecrammed and, with themercury sometimeshitting as high as 40C in July andAugust,

acoolerand perhapsslightlyless crowdedtripeithersideofthese periodsisadvisable.

It is no wonder filmssuchasNapoleon andTVshowslikeGameof Throneshavebeenshothere. The ancientlimestone facadesprovide a breathtaking ready-made film set.

AtriptoStJohn’sCo-cathedralis afeast forthe eyes.Not oneinchof wall,ceiling or floorisleftplain –insteadthe wallsare coveredingold, thehighceilingsdisplay intricate paintingsand thegroundwewalk upon is made up of marble tombstoneslaidintribute to knights of theorder

Theisland’sformercapital Mdina is anotherwondrouslegacyofthe Knights of St John, theorder which ruledthe islands for250 year As we weavethrough itsnarrow, windinglaneways, ourguide explains it wasdesignedtofoilattackersshootingarrowsinyears gone

by.Far from dodgingdanger, we insteadenjoy agentlestroll through this mixofmedievaland baroque architecture,pastatea garden and throughthe square whereStPaul’s Cathedralstandstall.

TheKnights,anancient Catholic order, certainlylefttheir mark,with some five churches in this smallcity. Forthe historybuffs thereisan endlessarray ofthingstosee andno better placetostart than hopping on theferry to neighbouringisland Gozotocheck outtemples which pre-date both Stonehenge andthe Egyptian pyramids

Walkingthrough theUNESCO WorldHeritagesiteofGgantijaArchaeological Park trulyfeels likea step back in time as we marvel at thehugelimestone blocks andwonderhow on earthpeoplewereable to move them into position back in 3600 BC

Forthe best viewsofGozo, the

Citadel–anancient fortified city in themiddle of theisland–isthe placetogo.

Back on Malta, Itakethe chance to visitVittoriosa– oneofthe Three Cities.Along with Sengleaand Cospicua.Venicemight have itsgondolasbut Maltaisastrong rivalwith itsdghajsawooden watertaxis, one of whichtakes usonthe five-minute crossing from Valletta.

Thesurroundingsare even more stunningfromthe water, as we pass acrossthe smallstretch,takingin thesightsofthe GrandHarbour

In contrast,some250 metres above sealevel,DingliCliffson theoppositesideofthe island are thehighest pointonMalta. We are treated to stunningviews of the sun-kissed waterand terraced fields below.

Idecide I’ll pack my hikingboots forareturnvisit to exploremoreof this beautifulcoastline

Thespectacular waterfront with thecolourful gondola watertaxis in thecapital, Valetta

Thestunning St John’s Cathedral in Valletta TheVallettaskyline. Malta hashostedmanyhistorical TV adventures

Courtshiprituals of bustards

NOTICE TO READERS

Please be awarethat when purchasing apuppy there are some simple guidelines you can follow to ensure that you are not purchasing from a Puppy Farmer:

1. Try to ensure you visit the puppy whilst it is still with its Mother.

2. Do not arrange to collect a puppy from any other location than that of the breeder.

3. Ensure that you are given any KC documentation, if pedigree. Whilst Midland News Association publications take great care to avoid publication of advertisements from Puppy Farmerswecannot acceptany liability should readers purchase from this kind of establishment.

RADNOR ASSOCIATION FORTHEBLIND

AGM

11.00am

Wednesday15thMay 2024

HotelMetropole

LlandrindodWells Powys

SAUNDERS

Pursuant to theTrustees Act 1925 anypersons having aclaim againstoraninterestintheestate of theaforementioned deceased, lateof �ros�eld �ouse, �ar� Lane, �hayader,Powys, L�� 5�� �previouslyof ��unhill, �t �armon, �hayader,Powys, L�� 5L�� died on the11th �ovem�er 2022 arerequired to send particulars thereof in writing to theundersigned solicitors within twomonths of this advertisement afterwhich theestatewill �e distri�uted having regardonlyto theclaims and interest of which they have had notice.

�ilwyns �olicitors, ��ford �ham�ers, Temple �treet, Llandrindod Wells, PowysL�15�L

MORRIS

CROWTHER

Ronald Raymond (Ron) Of Waterwheel, Minsterley Passedaway peacefully at the Royal ShrewsburyHospital on March 8, 2024, aged 92 years.

Devoted Husband to the late Beryl, loving Father to Graham, Alan, Derek and theirPartners,adored little Grandad of Ashley and Robyn, much loved UncleofMandy and her Partner Andrew

FuneralServiceatHope Church on Saturday,April 6, 2024 at 12 noon, followedby Interment in Hope Cemetery.

Family flowers only please, donationsifdesired to National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society

All inquiries to

MORRIS &SON

Directors

Castle

Morris Motor Services.

Passed away peacefully at his home in Bishop’s Castle on March 21, 2024, aged 85 years.

Devoted Husband of Jenny for 66 years.

Loving Dad andGrandfather to all of his Children and Grandchildren.

Service of Thanksgiving for Nev’s lifewill be held at St Johnthe Baptist Church, Bishop’sCastle on Friday, April 5, 2024 at 2pm.

Family flowers only please but little poses of garden flowers welcome. Donations if desired to Severn Hospiceand Rose CottageCat Rescue, Craven Arms.

All inquiries to

MORRIS &SON Funeral Directors

630161.

Acknowledgements

DAVIES

Beryl Of Churchstoke.

Passed away on March19, 2024, aged 82 years.

Beloved Wife of the late Don Davies,much loved Mum of Diane and Tricia.

Will be very sadly missedby all her Family and Friends.

Fu neral Ser vice at St. Nicholas Church, Churchstoke on Wednesday, April 10, at 12 noon followed by Interment.

Fa mily flowers only, donations would be appreciatedfor St. Nicholas House (Clients Account).

Rosalie

MEREDITH

John David (David) Of Presteigne.

Passed away unexpectedly but peacefully on March 15, 2024 at Hereford County Hospital, aged 76 years.

Aloving Father,Grandfather, Brother and friend to many

The Funeral Servicewill be held at Hereford Crematorium on Wednesday,April 17, 2024 at 1.15pm.

Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity Inquiries to

Ron Bevan Michael Falla

Tammy Harrison

Michael Hodgetts

Peter Jones

Kynaston

Monica Madeley

Cliff Perry Olwyn Prosser

KENNETH WILLIAM

Aubrey Robert Neville (Nev)

Chargeyourglasses ladies andgentlemen –it’s pubquiztime.

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

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

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

ANSWERS

ROUND ONE –GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

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

2: By what name is thejollybrand mascotBibendumbetter known?

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

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

5: .siisthe nternetdomainfor whichcountry?

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

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

8: Whichday of theweek is namedafter theNorse godof thunder?

9: Whichgirls’name canalsomeanamilitary sortie or afastraid?

10: Whichspecies of treeisalsoknown as agum tree?

ROUND 2–ENTERTAINMENT

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

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

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

4: What wasthe name of theJazzClubpresenter portrayedbyJohn ThomsononThe FastShow?

5: Theband EmeraldExpress collaboratedonwhich1982UKcharttopper?

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

7: In themovie franchise, whichof theminionshas only oneeye?

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

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

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

ROUND 3–THAT’SGRAND

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:GEEDWLNOLKRANEGE

1: Whichanimated duotravelledtothe mooninA Grand Day Out?

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

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

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

5: GrandRapidsisa city in whichUSstate?

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

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

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

9: WhichUSstate is knownasThe GrandCanyonState?

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

ROUND 4–NAMETHE YEAR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SPECIALISTSUBJECT –PIRATERADIO

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

2: Radio Invictawas the firstpiratestation to play musicofwhich genre?

3: Thepiratestation Kurupt FM features in whichBBC sitcom?

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

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

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

7: Also in Essex,inwhichtownisthe PirateRadio Museum?

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

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

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

Powerand economyfromQ7

WHAT IS IT?

TheoriginalQ7broke newground forluxuryand versatility when it firstappearedbackin2006and it hasgone on to become oneofAudi’s most sought-after SUVs duetoits high level of buildquality whichis combined with some excellentpracticality

WHAT’S NEW?

JACK EVANS Motoring Reporter

WHAT’S UNDERTHE BONNET?

Thefocus here is on the3.0-litre petrolV6which,unlikemanyofthe Q7’s competitors, is quitea large andpowerfulengineinits own rightbeforeelectrification is added.Manykey rivals favourasmaller-capacitypetrolengine, butAudi hasshunned this in favourofafar larger setup.

Combined with an electric motor you get376bhpand an impressive 600Nmoftorque, equating to a

Naturally, thebig change here is theinclusion of theplug-inhybrid engine setupbut thereare some tweaks to checkout.One of thebig kickerswiththiselectrified Q7 is that becauseofthe fitmentofthe larger batteries, this established seven-seaterswitchestoa five-seat ityhas immediatelytaken somethingofa kicking.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

With 34 miles of electric-onlyrange, theQ7isabletosaunter abouton batterypower alonefor quitesome time.Infact, when you’re travelng around town theability to do so withouttroubling theengine is handyand,ifyou’reoften doing shortertrips at lowerspeedsthen thereare some greatfuelsavings to be madewiththisfeature Butwhenthatenergyisdepleted, it’s good to have an engine likethis petrolV6tofallbackon. Naturally,efficiency takesabig dive once you’re on petrol-poweralone –we were averagingaround25mpg at this point– butthe V6’s silkypower deliverymakes thewhole Q7 experience feel just as upmarket as you’d expect.Italsocruises alongatmotorway speeds well

WHAT’S THESPECLIKE?

Ourtestcar came in at £76,845, representingquite achunk of change However,the Q7 is abig,versatile carand here in plug-inhybridform hasplentyofthe latest technology so it does have aspectswhich go towardsjustifyingthatprice tag.

VERDICT

If you’reafter atrueseven-seater with areallylarge boot then we’d still be sticking with the‘standard’ version. However,ifyou do shorterjourneys anddon’t requirethose two extra chairs then theQ7plug-inhybrid brings some advantages.Keep itsbatteries charged up andthanks to itsreasonableelectricrange it’ll delivernoticeablesavings on fuel, too.

Model as tested: Audi Q7 55 TFSI e

Priceastested: £76,845

Engine: 3.0-litre petrol V6 withhybrid assistance

Power: 376bhp

Torque: 600Nm

Maxspeed: 149mph (83electric-only)

0-60mph: 5.6 seconds

MPG: 134.5mpg

Emissions: 48g/km

Electric-onlyrange: 34 miles

KAMIQ

KODIAQ

KAROQ

THEQUIZ

1Whichclubenteredthe relegation zoneafter beingdocked four pointsfor breachingPremier League profitand sustainabilityrules?

2Which LosAngelesRams defensivetackleannounced hisretirementatthe age of 32?

3Birmingham City brought back whichformer manageras interim boss untilthe end of theseason?

4Whosaid, “I’ve waited 20 years andnow hadtwo winners in 40 minutes,” aftertwo of hishorses wonat Cheltenham?

7

Route39are specialistsinthe pubquizmarketsupplying weekly generalknowledge quizzes to hundredsofpubsthroughoutthe UK

Which company is to replace Adidas as the officialkit suppliertothe Germanynationalfootball team after70years?

8Which tennis player clinched hersecondIndian Wellstitle?

9Which country defeated Kazakhstan 5-0in theirEuro 2024 play-off?

10Which team wonthe Pakistan Super League finalin Karachi?

11MichailAntonio, picturedinset, plays internationalfootballfor which country?

5Walesconvincingly defeated which countryin theirEuro2024play-offsemifinal?

6WhoisBritain’s most successful female Olympian,who announced her retirement from cycling?

12Whowas the first cricketertoscore tentest centuries againstIndia?

13WhichChelsea player scored an owngoalin their4-2 FACup quarterfinalvictory over Leicester City?

14

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

15Wholeadout aLiverpool legends team against a sideofformer Ajax greats at Anfieldrecently?

16Whichteamlostall their games in this year’s Six Nations Championship?

17

WhoscoredManchester

United’s extratimewinner in theirF ACup quarter-final against Liverpool?

18WhichNFL franchise releasedquarterback RussellWilson?

19

Whobecame theyoungest Walesplayertoreach 50 internationalcaps?

20Which horsewon the Midlands GrandNational at Uttoxeter?

ANSWERS

Plenty of late dramabut thepointsare shared out

DomSmith wasdenied what wouldhavebeen adramaticlatewinnerasNewtown almost completedasmashand grab jobagainst second-placedConnah’s Quay.

It hadbeena tight CymruPremier affair at TheEssityStadium, butall thedrama arrivedinsecond-halfstoppage-time

Thehome side were deniedtwo penaltiesbeforeSmith wasthwarted from closerange by keeper Andy Firthtoensurethe spoils were shared

It wasthe hostswho posed aseriousthreatinsidethe opening15 minutes.

Jordan Davies wasdraggeddown inside thepenalty area on twooccasions, butthe refereeinstantly wavedawaythe penaltyappeals

AndthenKai Edwardscame close to openingthe scoringmidway throughthe firsthalfasJosh Williams’ out-swinging corner sailed allthe waythrough to thefeetofthe defender,but he wasunabletosteer theballhome from closerange

Ryan Harrington then went close to findingthe breakthrough as his cross-turned-shotwas tipped over

by NewtownkeeperAndyWycherley.

Home shot-stopper

At theother end, Nomads’Aron Williamsalmostmadeaninstant impact offthe benchashesenttwo inviting crosses into adangerous area butthe Robins keptthemat bay.

As thegameworeonitwas the Nomads whowerelooking the more dangerousand four minutes from theend of normal time they almost went ahead.

Noah Edwardslashedtowards goal from inside thearea, with keeper Wycherleytipping it over the bar.

Then came late dramawiththe Nomads incensedthattheydidn’t getatleast onedecision from two massivepenalty appeals

Firstly, thereferee sawnothing in Sutton’s challengeonJoshWilliams, andthenseconds later, the ball fell outtoWilliams, whoseshot appeared to strike thearm of Henry Cowans.But againthe home side weredeniedapenalty

Thedrama wasn’t over as John Disney,who brieflysignedfor Newtown withoutever turningout in acompetitive game forthe Robins, almost marked his200th Nomads appearance with awinner He pokedanefforttowards goal five minutes into addedtime, but Wycherleysavedyet again.

Andthenout of nothing, having defended forthe majority of the game,the Robins almost came out on top.

Aballwas floatedintothe home boxwithSmith gettingontothe end of it anddirectingittowards goal It wouldhavebeenthe ultimate smashand grab,but Firthmade himself bigtokeepthe ball out.

Ex-Wales rugbyunion star Louis Rees-Zammithas signed forbackto-back SuperBowlchampions the Kansas City Chiefs

Rees-Zammit, whowas part of the2024international player pathway(IPP),joins theChiefsten weeksafterquittingWelsh rugby on theeve of this year’s SixNations tournament

He hadbeenattractinginterest from several NFLfranchises, and also hadmeetings with theNew York Jets, ClevelandBrownsand Denver Broncos.

He posted avideo on X, formerly knownas Twitter,and said he “can’t wait”tosee Chiefs fans at theteam’sArrowhead Stadium.

The23-year-old haspenneda threeyeardealwiththe Chiefs and he hasalso been given aguaranteed salary in addition to asigning bonus.

TheformerWales manwill be lookingtoplaya hybrid role,playingatbothwidereceiver andrunning back

Rees-Zammitwas one of 16 playerstotakepartinthe 2024 IPP, a 10-weekcrash course designed to teach therequired skillstosucceed in theNFL

Theex-Gloucester playerhad won32capsfor Wales, scoring14 tries, andnow he will will be competing with therestofthe off-seasonsquad to earn aplace on Kansas City’s final53-manactiverosterfor the2024season, whichbeginsin September

Rees-Zammit earns spot in the Chiefs’kingdom Daviessets the pace on theway to Welshrecord

Powysathlete AndrewsDavies setanew Welshrecordat the SRIChinmoy 100/50kUltra RacesinPerth on Sunday.

TheNewtown athletecompetedin the50k race,which involved theBritish Championship NorthInchesParkin Perth.

Therecordset by the2018 Commonwealth Gamesman was 2.48.33.

Davies,who is amemberof theStockport Harriers Running Club,crossed thelinejustbehind Ronnie Richmond of Bideford AAC, whotookgoldand set anew UK record of 2.48.25.

Welshathlete Tony Golabek, of InvernessHarriers, also took part in the50k race and finished sixthinatimeof3.24.11

Davies said:“IamprettydelightedtogouptoPerth andget thetime. That wasthe ambition.

“I’m abit gutted how therace turned out. Ipulled away from theeventual winner andthought Idid enough to winand getthe record.Littledid IknowIwas a sitting duck andatargetashe knew he wascatchingmeonthe last lap.

“Oncehesprinted past me, therewas nothingIcould do.” Back in Maylastyearyear, he enteredthe longestraceofhis career,the Ultra TrailduMont Blanc(UTMB).

Firthwas called into his firstrealsaveofthe matchasealtwithShane Sutton’s tame header from acorner.

HenryCowans goes on thechargefor NewtownPicture:Nik Mesney

Prospects are looking grim forLlanidloes

Llanidloes Town look likely to be all butrelegated aftertheywerebeaten by fellow strugglers ChirkAAA on Good Friday at Victoria Avenue

TheDaffs were sitting bottom of thetable afterarecentresurgence from theNorth Waliansand they took a narrow 2-1 victory in this one,which hasall butrelegated Llanidloes

Chirkare also look destined for thedrop, with much nowdepending on whetherthose at thetop of the leaguesbelow areabletogoup.

It wasthe NorthWales side who took theleadin first-half stoppage-timeafterquite atightopeningperiodinMontgomeryshire.

Former Llanfair manMax McLaughlinset up LouieMiddlehursttohandhis side thelead.

Butitwas allsquarenineminutes intothe second half when veteran strikerLukeBoundford netted forthe Daffs.

Andthenthe winner game 13 minutes from time,withJackEdwardsscoring forthe visitors

Llaniweredue to be back in action on Easter Monday at Holywell Town butthe game wascalledoff duetoa waterlogged pitch.

Elsewhere, Caerswswerebeaten on Friday at Mold Alexandra.

Neil Mitchell hadgiven thevisitors theleadon16minutes before a second-half turnaround SteveWatkins levelled things up earlyin thesecondhalfand then Jake Robertsslotted home apenalty five minutes from time

Rivals left green with envy after Cardigan wins

Oneofthe most picturesque golf courses in Waleshas nowbecome theWales Golf Club of the Year,supported by Howden.

Cardigan Golf Club,overlookingthe Teifi Estuary, changed from a13strong committee systemtoaboard of five to modernise theirgovernance,and have seen dramatic improvements on andoff thecourse

They were presented with the prestigioustrophyatthe Wales Golf Awards Lunch, theevent sponsoredbyDotGolf,heldat RyderCup venue Celtic Manor’s 2010 Clubhouse, recognisinga series of topperformersinthe world of Welshgolf.

LanglandBay’s Andrew Minty wasthe Golf Club Managerof theYear, followingonfromthe coastalcoursebeing namedClub of theYearand then Club of the Decadeatpreviousaward ceremonies

AsbriGolfmanagingdirectorErylWilliamswas named as Volunteerofthe Year forhis outstandingworkwiththe junior sectionatRadyr Golf Club

TomBenjaminfromStMellons Golf Club hasbeennamed as the DevelopmentPGA Professional of theYearsupported by Asbri Golf.James Ashfieldand Isobel KellywerePINGmaleand female Golfersofthe Year

McManusstars as Saints hitbacktobook finalspot

DeclanMcManus ledthe waywitha hat-trickas TheNew Saints hitthe comeback trailtobook theirplace in theJD WelshCup final.

Saints hadbeenrockedinthe firsthalfastheyfound themselves 2-0downtoagainst CardiffMetropolitanUniversity.

TomVincent scored twiceasCardiff Metopenedupanadvantage inSaturday’ssemi-finalplayedat Newtown’sLathamPark.

McManusgaveSaintshopeby pullinga goal back from thepenalty spot just before theinterval.

Thestriker quicklycompleted his hat-trickafterthe restartasSaints movedahead, with aBradYoung doubleand alateAdrianCieslewicz goal sendingTNS furtherclear CupholdersSaintswill nowface Connah’sQuayNomadsinthe final at League TwoclubNewport County’s Rodney Parade on Sunday, April28astheychase adomestic treble.

Having seen theirlong26-match winningrun inall competitions endedby defeat againstAirdrieoniansinthe SPFL TrustTrophy finalintheir previous game,Saints foundthemselves trailing 2-0after 37 minutes againstCardiff Met.

Striker Vincentwas twiceon target,poweringhome aheader forthe opener,beforedrilling in a well-strucksecondtodoublethe advantage.

JD CymruPremier champions Saints needed aresponse anditarrivedjustbeforethe breakasMcManusconverted apenalty awarded fora challengebyChris Craven on JordanWilliams.

Within 12 minutesofthe second

half gettingunder way, Saints had completedarapid turnaround as twomoregoals from McManusgave them a3-2 lead Aftervolleying an equaliserhigh into thenet to pull theParkHall side level,McManus swepthome apassfromWilliamsfor hishattrick.

Saints extended theiradvantage to 4-2inthe 62nd minute, with Youngontargetfromthe penalty spot afterhepickedhimself up to scoreafter achallenge from JoeEvans.

Saints continuedtolookfor further goalsand addedtwo more in theclosing stages

Youngran on to apassfromJosh Danielsfor hissecondofthe game, andthere wasstill time forsubstitute Cieslewicz to adda sixthfor the Saints, turninghome therebound aftergoalkeeperAlexLanghad initiallykeptout aDan Williams effort

Saints, whoremainunbeatenin theleague, resume theirJDCymru Premiercampaignathome to Caernarfon Town on Friday night.

TNS: Roberts, Daniels, D. Davies,Marriott, Redmond,Holden (D.Williams),Smith, Clark(Cieslewicz), Young, McManus, J. Williams. Subs notused: Hudson, Baker, Jones

Guilsedgedout whileBluebirds suffer late blow

Newtown’sLathamParkground came to therescue of both Guilsfieldand Caersws in abid to save theirCymru Northgames from postponement

With theweather unpredictableoverthe Easter Bank Holiday weekend, theGuils andthe Bluebirdswereforced to move their clashestoNewtown with both sidesplaying back-to-back games on Easter Monday.

It wasGuilsfieldwho were up firstastheylookedtocontinue theirrecentgood runofform, after thedisappointmentofhavingtheir Friday clashwithBuckley Town postponeddue to awaterlogged pitch.

Gresford Athletic werethe visitors andtheywereonthe back foot earlyonastheywereforcedintoan earlychange.

They went closetoanopener

on 19 minutesas CharlieMann whippedinagood free-kickinto thebox in,but nobody wasthere to getonthe endofit.

Mann went closeagain, firing the ball at thegoalfromthe edgeof thebox,but it wassaved by GuilsfieldgoalkeeperRobbieWilliams.

Mann didplaya hand in the opener momentslater,though, as he crossedfor JoeChaplin to head home

Alex Buxtonlookedtoextend Gresford Athletic’sadvantage in the37thminute, buthis powerful strike waswellkeptout by Williams.

It wasaquieter affair formostof thesecondhalf, butGuilsfielddid look to turnthe screwinthe last quarterofthe game,withLewis Dutton beingcalleduponinthe 74th minute.

TheGuilshad a flurry of late

chancestotry andget back into thecontest buttheycouldn’tget that elusivegoaland slippedtoa defeat

In theother game,Caersws sufferedlateheartbreakagainst Denbigh Town

CraigWilliams, back on the ground wherehemadehis name with Newtown, opened thescoring earlyon.

ButDenbigh’s Owen Davies earned hissidea point five minutes from time

Elsewhere, Llanidloes Town’s trip to Holywell Town waspostponeddue to awaterlogged pitch.

In theother games, Flint played outanine-goal thriller with Mold Alexandrathatsaw thehome side runout 6-3winners

AndLlandudno were celebrating afterbeating Bangor 3-0inthe NorthWales derby.

Craig Williams celebrates scoring for CaerswsPicture: Ian Francis

Action from TheNew Saints’ JD Welsh Cupsemi-finalsuccess againstCardiff Met Pictures:BrianJones/TNS

Canaries flying high after winningWaterloobattle

Montgomery Town lifted theprestigious Emrys Morgan Cupfor the first time in theirhistory followinga5-3 victory over Waterloo Rovers in theGoodFriday final at Latham Park.

TheClostanymur club had reachedthe finalonone previous occasion,whentheyfaced LlandrindodWells back in the2009/10 campaign,but were defeated 1-0by theSpa Men at Latham Park

TheCanariesbroke thedeadlock in thesixth minuteofthisseason’s finalwhenTom Evansshifted the ball on to hisright foot and fireda 25-yardrocket into thetop corner of thenet Montgomery were buoyed by the earlygoaland dominatedthe early proceedings as Thomas Halliday cutinsidefromoff theleft flankbut couldonlydirecthis strike straight at goalkeeperJackWilliamsfrom theedge of thepenalty area

Rovershad their momentsonthe breakduringthe openingquarter of the final, with TomEllis’s20yard drivesavedbyJakeBaker in theCanaries’ goal

Town looked to buildontheir

STUART TOWNSEND sports@mnamedia.co.uk

earlygoalas Ryan Davies firedwide from theedge of thepenalty area before Jack Williamssaw hiseffort fumbledbehindfor acornerbyhis namesake

Rovers’Matthew Brasenellsaw his28th-minuteeffortfromthe edgeofthe penaltyareadirected straightatBaker

TheWelshpool club levelled the scores in the33rdminutewhen OwainRichards’sdeflected cross from outonthe right flankdeceived Bakerand foundits wayintothe far corner of thenet

Rovers went aheadfourminutes laterwhenHenry Watkinsfound thecornerofthe netfromthe edge of thepenalty area afterafree-kick wasonlypartially cleated by the Canaries’defence

ButRoverswerereduced to 10 players in the42ndminuteafter Jack Williamswas shownared card by refereeSteve Bradford forhandlingthe ball outsideofthe penalty area.

Thesubsequentfree-kick from TomEvans wasdeflected behind foracorner.

TheClostanymur outfitequalised

in the fifthminuteofstoppage-time when Hallidaylatched on to aRyan Davies throughballbeforelifting theballoverthe advancingreplacement goalkeeperIan Macleod.

Therewas alltoplayfor as the teamsheadedbacktothe changingrooms forthe half-timebreak, butMontgomery Town knew they wouldhavea playeradvantage for 45 minutes andfacinga Waterloo Roversteamwithout arecognised goalkeeper

TheCanarieslookedtobuild upon that advantageasHarry Ellissaw his50th-minuteeffortfrom theedge of thepenalty area saved by Macleod. Jack Williamswas then unable to keep his20-yard drive underthe crossbar threeminutes later.

TheWelshpool club repliedin the 58th minutewhenHenry Watkins’s 25-yardfree-kick wassaved by Baker,beforeJack Williamswentclose from asimilar set-piece sixminutes lateratthe opposite endofthe pitch.

Roverswerereduced to nine playersinthe 71st minuteafterOwain Richards wasshownhis second yellowcardwithinthe space of three minutes by refereeBradfordhaving trippedanopponent.

Montgomery regained thelead

four minutes later when Evans netted hissecond of theafternoon, findingthe topcornerofthe net from just outsidethe penaltyarea.

TheMaesydremen nearly equalisedwithinaminuteofthe restart butElliswas denied by thelegsof Bakerafterbeing playedthrough on goal.

TheCanariesdoubled theiradvantageinthe 82nd minute when Jack Williamslobbedthe Rovers keeper from theedge of thepenalty area.

Butthe Welshpoolclubresponded courtesy of Brasenellimmediately afterthe restarttocreateanexciting finale to this epic match.

TomEvans wasdenieda cup final hat-trickafter hisclose-range effort wassaved by Macloedfroman 86th minutecorner.

However,the Canaries sealed victory in thesecondminuteofstoppage-timewhenWilliamsnetted hissecondgoalofthisentertaining finalafterthe Rovers defencewas unabletoclear theballfromthe penaltyarea.

Montgomery captainAledDavies received thetrophyfromFAW Councilmember WynLewis followingthe finalwhistle to beginthe celebrations amonghis team-mates andsupporters.

It’s notaGood Friday as United take abeating

Llanfair United suffered aGood Friday batteringastheywerebeaten 11-2 on theroadatLlanuwchllyn.

Will Davies andKarlSeliartsnettedfor Llanfair,but they conceded eightsecond-half goalsinashockingdisplay in Bala.

Radnor Valley suffered ashock 3-1defeatonthe road at Cefn Albion

Striker Rees Morrishad given Valley a1-0 lead afterjust10minutes butJack Williamsnetted a 26th-minuteequaliserfor thehome side

Just secondsintothe second half, Otto Jones hadanightmareasthe Valley keeper putthrough hisown nettohandAlbionthe lead

Andjustbeforethe hour mark theclash wasall over as Alex Williamsput hisside3-1 ahead.

At thetop ofthe table, Penrhyncoch took advantageofthe Radnor Valley result to stretchtheir advantage to 11 points

CameronAllen bagged abrace andDan Owen scored in a3-0 win on theroadat Llanrhaeadr.

BowStreet kepttheir second placehopes alivebybeating relegatedWelshpool Town 7-0.

Ifan Burrel bagged ahat-trick as he ledthe wayinthe thumping win.

LeeJones scored a91st-minute winner forBuilthWells in a2-1 success over Penycae.

TommyRowlandshad giventhe Bullsthe lead beforebeing pegged back,but Jones fond awinner

Trewernhit the Town as they bag thepoints

Anumberofgames took place acrossthe Bank Holidayweekendin theMMP CentralWales League North.

Luke Francisand ScottBeddoes were on target forTrewern United on Friday as they beat BishopsCastleTown3-1

Also on Friday,AdamPutson netted in injury time forAbermule butitwas amereconsolation as they were beaten 2-1at home by Tywyn.

On Saturday,champions-elect Kerryweren’t in action as their clashatBarmouthwas postponed.

AndwithMontgomery Town in cup finalaction, Berriew made up some ground on second placewitha4-0 winover LlanfyllinTown.

SpencerRoberts wasonthe mark with abrace,withDewi Hughes andTom Newboldaddingthe othergoals

Forden United suffered a shockdefeatastheywerebeaten 2-1byCarno

RichardEvans andJac Owen hadCarno 2-0up with Jake O’Donnellpulling onebackfor thein-form Welshpoolbased side

Andinthe other game,itwas defeat forMeifodas they went down 3-1athome to Dyffryn Banw

MontgomeryTownshowoff thespoilsoftheir EmrysCup finalsuccess Montgomery’sJackWilliams fireshomehis second goalofthe game

Action from an entertaining EmrysMorgan Cup finalthatsaw Montgomery Town beat Waterloo Rovers 5-3atLathamPark Pictures: StuartTownsend

Sport

Saints marchon TNS hit back to book cup final place –P54

RUSCOE HAPPY TO BAGA POINT

JONNYDRURY

jonny.drury@mnamedia,co.uk

Newtowncontinueto make progress asthe season endedges ever closer,withbossScott Ruscoe happywitha cleansheet againstEuropean chasingConnah’sQuay.

TheRobinshaveseenanupturn in performances lately,withRuscoe picking up his firstwin in charge againstCardiff Met.

They also pushed championsThe NewSaintsall theway andhave nowtaken apoint offsecond-placed Connah’s Quay

Anditcould have arguably been more.Havingsoakedup alot of pressure in thegame, defender Dom Smithhad agoldenchanceatthe deathtosnatchthe victory.

Butitwasn’ttobeand they had to settle forapoint,but themanager washappy

Ruscoe said: “We’re happywith theclean sheet. Youknowwhenyou come here,upagainst agoodside, you have to setyourstall outand be well structured andthatiswhat we were

“Wehad agameplan, they had lots of possession butwhatwedid do waslimitthemtoa fewchances overall.

“Soonthe whole, we arereally pleasedwiththe performance.”

TheRobinsperformance against theirEuropean-chasinghosts also drew praise from theNomads’ assistantbossJohnMcCarthy, who said he is abig fanofNewtown’s style.

He added: “Theyare astrong and experienced teamand they came andshowed us alot of respect.

“Theyhaverealstrengthatsetpiece,and Iliketheir style.”

Mighty Montybag thesilverware

Montgomery Town became one of the firstsides in MidWales to get theirhands on silverware this seasonastheytriumphed inthe Emrys MorganCup final.

TheMMP MidWales League Northside, whoare pushingKerry allthe wayatthe topofthe table, playedout athrilling eight-goal clashwiththeir league rivals Waterloo at Latham Park,which looks settobehosting most cup finals in

thecomingweeks

It wasagoodday forTom Evansand Jack Williamswiththe twoMonty front-menbothbagging braces

AndTom Halliday, whohas playedabig part in Monty’ssuccessfulcampaign, also gothimself amongthe goals.

Forthe Welshpool-basedside, it wasalwaysgoing to be atough afternoonaftertheylosttheir goal-

Nicoll strikes silver Stateside

Welshpool’sAdele Nicoll is continuingher rise up theranks aftergetting herhands on herlatestpiece of silverware in theUS.

Nicoll,who wonmultipleshot puttitlesbeforebecomingadual sportathlete in thebobsleigh, wasthe silver medallist along with team-mate KyaPlacide at theWomen’s WorldCup in Lake Placid recently

Thewin forNicolland her partnercome just twomonths afterthey firstslidtogether, and they clockeda combined time of oneminute54.2 secondsinthe United States to beat thereigningOlympic championand current Olympic bronze medallist

It wasjustthe second medal wonbythe Britishwomen’s side in 15 yearsand it addedto thesilver that waswon by the 27-year-oldfromWelshpool with Mica McNeill in January2022.

“I’m extremely proudofthe performanceweput in,” said Nicoll,who is also theback-toback Britishshotputtchampion.“To be able to producethat performanceonthe trackthat is holdingthe WorldChampionshipsnextyearis ahugeconfidenceboost

“Wecameherewiththe aimof learning thetrack so we couldgo into next season with some experience here butwe’ve come away with asilvermedal.Wecouldn’t really be anyhappier.”

TheWelshpool athleteonly switched to the front set of thebobsleigh afterthe Beijing Olympics.

keeper just twominutes before the break.

Waterloo were 2-1up when Jack Williamswas handed astraight red card

From there, it wasa task toofar andthey finished with nine men afterOwain Richards washanded hissecondyellowcardand givenhis marchingorders.

AndMonty were able to keep it professional anddoenoughtowin

Montgomery Town captainAledDaviesreceives the EmrysMorgan Cup from FAWCouncil memberWyn Lewis