Chronicle Week Sandwell-Halesowen - 24-Nov-2022

Jubileetreeis plantedintown

TV CHOICE

Simonsayslook back at history

COURSE PLANS AREDEFENDED

Acouncillor hassaidpeople’s viewsoncontroversialplanstode velopthe former BrandhallGolf Course were weighedagainst the benefitsofthescheme

Sandwell Councilconcluded homesandaprimaryschoolwillbe builtontheOldburysitedespite83 percentofpeopleobjectingtothe plansinapublicconsultation

Theschemewas debatedon Wednesdayoflastweek–despitethe plansbeingbackedearlierthisyear –afterbeingcalledinbytwocoun cillors,EllenFentonandPaulMoore

Councillor PeterHughes, cabi netmember forregeneration and growth,saidthe consultation was a“keyfactor”inreachingtheircon clusions. He addedthe weightof residents’ viewswas “set against

theweightgiven to theneeds of thecouncilandthebenefitsofthis scheme”.

He said:“Thereportexplains Sandwell’s StrategicHousing Land AvailabilityAssessment (SHLAAP) wasnot omittedfromthe report receivedbycabinetinJulythisyear, butwasnotincludedasitwasnot materialtothedecisionbeingmade.

“Thedocumentprovidesanevi dence-basedusewhenpreparingthe statutorylocalplan.It’snotusedto determineplanningapplications, anditdoesnothaveanystatusas adoptedplanningpolicy. Thepre ferredoptionforBrandhallwastak enbycabinet,actingonbehalfofthe

councilasalandowneronly.Itwas notanexerciseofanystatutoryfunc tionsofthelocalPlanningAuthority, nordiditconstituteplanningconsent,norallocatethesiteofdevelop mentinthestatutorylocalplan.”

Although thecouncil approved theirposition, with Councillor Hughesdeclaringtheirscrutinyreportas‘adequatelyaddressing’res idents’concerns,theplanswillstill needtobeformallyapprovedata planning committee, andcould be subjecttoaplanningappeal.

Sandwell Councilhad intended tobuild550houses,apublicpark andschoolattheformergolfcourse ButpoliticalpressurefromBrandhallGreenSpaceActionGroup(BGSAG) forced thelocal authorityto reconsider.

Twoare killed as cardrivesintocrowd

Twoteenagersdiedandothers

Gettinginfestive spirit

keptpeopleentertained.Freepark ingwasalsoavailable

Entertainment in Oldburyincludedmusic,stallsand carols Councillor LauraRollins, Sandwell Council’scabinetmemberfortourismandleisure,said:“Theseswitchon events area wonderful opportunityforfamilyandfriendstoget togetherandstartgettingintoafestivespirit.”

Report by Rhi Storer

Man‘triedtocollect child’

Police areinvestigatingafteran“unknownmantriedto collectachildfromnursery”in Walsall.

Staffturnedthemanawayas thedetailshegavedidnotmatch achildinthecareofthenursery, WestMidlandsPolicesaid

Workers then calledthe police.Officershavereleased

animageofamantheywantto speaktoinconnectionwiththe incident.Ithappenedat4pmon October11.

Appealingonsocialmedia, WalsallPolicetweeted:“Doyou knowwhothisis?

“Wewanttospeak to him afteranunknownmantriedto collectachildfromanurseryin

Walsall,at4pmonTuesdayOctober11.Staffdidexactlytheright thingand we’vebeenmaking enquirieslocallytoidentifythe man.Ifyourecognisehimplease contactusviaLiveChatorcall 101quoting20/876197/22

“Topassoninformation anonymously,speaktoCrimes topperson0800555111.” Suspectcaughtoncamera

Shop with apartments plan for derelict formerpub site

Aformer Brownhillspub whichhassatemptyformore thanadecadecouldfinallybe transformedintoa shop with newapartments.

Developer SukhjitKhera, whoboughttheoldWheelInn onLindonRoadafteritclosed, planstodemolishitandreplace witharetailunitand10oneand twobedroomapartments

WalsallCouncil’s planning officersarecurrentlyconsider ingtheproposalandareexpect edtomakeadecisioninthenew year.Therehavebeenprevious plansputforwardforthesite, includingonefor14flatssub mittedlastyear,butthesewere notprogressed

AgentMasterDesignStudio said:“TheWheel Innceased tradingbeforeitwasboughtby ourclientover10yearsago,and willnotmakeanyimpactonthe localresidents.Insteadthenew proposed development would enhancethe area andcreate newjobs.

“Withinaone-mileradius therearesixexistingpubs.

“Theproposalisfordemoli tionoftheexistingbuildingand erectionofnewmixed-useblock whichcomprisesofretailunit onthegroundfloorand10res identialself-containedresidentialflatsonthefirstandsecond floor.”

Oddway to raiseawareness

Aschooltookpartinadayof funtohelpraiseawarenessofan anti-bullyingcampaign WalsallWoodSchooljoined schoolsand organisations across thecountry in taking partinOddSocksDaytomark thestartofAnti-BullyingWeek.

leadGemmaWainwright.Head teacherJennyGarrattsaiditwas apleasurefortheschooltotake partintheeventagainandsaid shehopeditwouldhelpputouta positivemessage.

Shesaid:“Wearecelebrat ingeverythingthatmakes us unique andhelping to spread kindness.”

Report by Gurdip Thandi

OliviaCartwright,10, takespartinthe

socksinitiativeatWalsallWoodSchool

Planting of jubileetree

Arowan whichformedpart ofanarrayoftreesoutsideBuck ingham Palace to mark thelate Queen’sPlatinumJubileehasbeen plantedinHalesowen.

HalesoweninBloom was awardedone of the350 trees fromthe“TreeofTrees”sculpture

whichhasbeenplantedatStJohn’s Church,HighStreet.Theceremony wasattendedbyDrNickVenning, Deputy Lieutenant of theWest Midlands

TheTreeofTreesplayedastarringroleoutsideBuckinghamPalacewhenitwasilluminatedforthe

PlatinumJubileebeacononJune2 andconsistedof80steel“branch es”holding350nativetreesinaluminiumpotsbearingtheQueen’s cipher

HalesoweninBloomisoneof 11organisationstoreceiveatree intheWestMidlands.

Plan forshopstobe part of newschool

Arowofshopswhichhavesat emptyinWalsalltowncentrefor anumberofyearscouldbecome partofanewschoolbuilding

WalsallStudioSchoolwantsto incorporatefourunitsinGeorge Streetasadditionalclassroomsto complementitsnewfacilityover theroad. School representatives saidtheshopshadbeenunoccupiedforfouryearsandhadfailedto attractbusinessestomovein.The

applicationforpriorapprovalfor theschoolscheme,whichsharesa sitewiththeLadderSchool,isbe ingconsideredbyWalsallCouncil planningofficers.

AgentsDeltaPlanningsaid: “Thedevelopmentproposedisthe changeofuseofunits5-8George Streetfromretailtouseaspartof theschool.Noexternalalterations arerequiredotherthansignage.

“Theretailunitsaresituated

directlyoppositethe schooland will provide additional teaching accommodationtosupportcurriculumneedsfortheschool.

“Theunits willonlybeused during normalschoolhours and thereforewill notbeinuse at timeswhenresidentialamenity issueswouldbeaconcern.

“Theunits have been vacant foratleastfouryearsdespitecontinuousmarketing.”

Front,In BloomcommitteechairmanEve O’Connor,DrNickVenning and MayorSue Greenaway

Houseabout that!

Binmanbyday,andrapping bingocallerbynight–aWednesburylocalhasreleasedhisdebut single RapperBingooBenjismaking abid forChristmas number one withthereleaseofatrackcalled B!ngo!

Benj Maycock,abin manfor Birmingham City Council, sawa jobadvertisementfora‘showhost’ at MeccaBingo in Wednesbury Crossandleaptatthechanceto pursuehispassionforperforming.

Hesaid:“I’mamsoexcitedto release my debutsingle, B!ngo!

andforeveryonetohearitforthe first time.” He hasalsowon the NationalBingoGameCallerofthe Yeartitle.

Hesaid:“Iamreallyhappyto becrownedNationalBingoGame CalleroftheYear!Thewholeat mospherehasbeenelectric.Iwant tothankeveryonewhocameand supportedme, andall theother amazingacts.Ican’twaittocele bratewithmyclubandrepresent thebingoindustryoverthenext coupleofyears.”

B!ngo!isavailabletodownload onallstreamingservices

‘Morefor less’fearas counciltax caprises

Report by Thomas Parkes

Peoplecouldbe“payingmore forless”nextyearamidlooming local authorityspendingcuts, councilleadershavewarned

Ministers have increasedthe caponcouncil tax risesto five percent–meaningcouncilscan chargeresidentsextraforservices includingbincollections,libraries andstreetlighting.Butleaderssay thespikeinbillsofaround£100 foraBandDpropertymaynotbe enoughtoprotectservices

Theyfearthecountry’sperilousfinancialpositionwillseelo calauthoritybudgetshammered when theannualgovernment fundingsettlementisannounced SandwellCouncilleaderKerrie Carmichael accusedthe Govern ment of “hiding” thecouncil tax spike.“TheChancellordidn’tmentionitwhenhewasstandingupas ifhehadsomethingtohidefrom thepeopleinSandwell,”shesaid “Thisissocouncilsgettheblame becausetheirminibudgetcrashed oureconomy.

“Extra counciltax andadult socialcarepreceptshelpcouncils with richer populationsbecause of different band properties and morepeoplepaythefullrate.

“Westill have 100per cent counciltaxlevyforourresidents. Theyjustkeepmanipulatingthe figuresanddenyingcouncilslike ourstheirfareshare.”

Dismay at fly-tipping

Fly-tippershavedumpedhuge moundsofrubbishnexttoafootballfieldinWednesburywhichis usedbylocalsportsteams.

Therubbish,which includes rubble, old carpetsand other householdwaste,wasdumpedon acarparkonprivatelandinBentleyRoadSouth that belongs to GregYatesandhisfamily

The58-year-old nowpoten tiallyfacesahugeclear-upbill.He said:“Thecarparkisadjacenttoa

footballfieldusedbylocalteams Thewastelookslikeit’scomefrom somesortofhouseclearance,the oldcarpets,rubble,underlay.”

WalsallCouncilsaid:“Inthis instance, thelandowner would be responsible forremovingthe wasteasitisonprivateland.”

MrYatessaidhewasconsid eringputting security gatesat thetopoftheprivatedrive,which wouldleave himfurther outof pocket

Jail forpickaxe handle attack

Aman suffered aruptured spleenandabrokenribafterbe ingstruckrepeatedlywithapickaxehandleonhisdoorstepbya manwhoturnedupaskingfora “straightener”

JohnSharratt,37,wenttothe victim’shomeinQueen’sLea,Short Heath,onMarch8inlockdownlast yearandstruckhimfourtimesto thebody.Helaterclaimedhewas reactingafterthreatsweremade againsthisfamily.Itwasonlydays later,whenpolicepersuadedthe victim,whowasfeelingunwell,to

attendhospitalthattheextentof hisinjurieswerediagnosed.

Sharratt previouslypleaded guiltyaheadofatrialtogrievous bodilyharmandwasjailedfor18 months.Healsopleadedguiltyto twocountsofcriminaldamage andwasjailedfortwomonthson each counttobeservedconcurrently

Mr Christopher O’Gorman, prosecuting, said thedefendant was“intoxicated”whenhearrived atthevictim’shouse,askingifthe victim“wanted astraightener”,

andthreateningto“smash”uphis home.

Thevictimfeltuptofourblows totheleftsideofhisbody.Heappearedtohavebeenstruckwitha pickaxehandle,headded.

“Thedefendant then drove away.Hedamaged thevictim’s workvanandaneighbour’sCitroencar,”MrO’GormantoldWolverhamptonCrownCourt.

Thecourt heardSharratt, of BuildwasClose,Bloxwich,had11 previousconvictionsfor24offencesincludingassault

JeanWilkes and Greg Yatesbythe dumpedrubbish

Rapper and caller BingooBenj

Newhelprolefor ambulance

Aformerambulancehastaken tothestreetstohelppeoplereceivesupportforalcoholordrug problems

The‘HarmReductionVehicle’ hasbeenlaunchedbyCranstounto helpreachresidentswhomayoth erwisestruggletoaccessservices

Simon Wollaston,the team

leaderatCranstouninchargeof thevehicle,said:“InSandwellwe recognisethereisaneedforour servicesoutinthecommunityand inallofthesixtownsinthebor ough

“Withthisvan we’reableto providearangeofservicesrightto wherepeopleneedustobe,wecan

engagewithmorepeoplewhomay otherwisenotcomeintocontact with specialistsupport service,” headded.

Thevehicle complementsthe existing drug andalcohol treatment supportservice at theAlberta Building in OldburyRoad, Smethwick

Campaign to scrap greenwaste charge

SandwellTorieshavelaunched acampaignurgingtheLabour-controlledcounciltoscrapnewchargesforgardenwastecollections

Theauthorityhas signed off onaschemethatwillseeresidents charged£35ayearfrom2023for greenwastetobecollected Bossessaythemovewillhelp plugabudgetblackhole,whilealso makingtheservicemoreefficient

Butopposition Conserva tive councillorshavebrandedit a“greentax”thatwillpileonthe stress forresidentsstruggling

with thecostoflivingcrisis. It couldalsoleadtoareductionin recycling,theyclaimed.

Torygroupleader,Councillor DavidFisher,saidthegroupwas launchingthe #AxetheTax campaigninabidtogetthedecision overturned.

Hesaid:“SandwellLabourare puttingmorepressureonhouse holds by introducinga£35 per yearchargeforgardenwastecol lections.This‘greentax’willadd furtherstressandanxietytothose alreadystrugglingtopaybillsand

putfood ontheirtable.Wemay alsoseepeoplenotrecyclingtheir gardenwastewhichisastepinthe wrongdirection

“Weare launchingthe#Axe theTax campaign to ensure resi dentshaveachancetosupportour effortsinholdingLabouraccountablefortheiractions.”

Councillor Zahoor Ahmed, cabinetmemberforenvironment services, said introducingcharg eswould“maketheservicemore efficientandreducecarbonemis sions”

CouncillorSuzanne Hartwell,Simon Wollaston and mayorCouncillorRichardJones

Paying France more will not solveissue

News that Britainisdishing outanother£63milliontoFrance forsupposedly morepatrols, dronesand nightvision goggles alongwithborderforcestaffenteringFrenchcontrolsroomswill resultinfurtherfailuretostemthe tideofillegalentrantsacrossthe Channelintothiscountry

Untilorunlessfirmactionis taken–andbythisImeanturningtheboatsbacktowhencethey came–nothingwillchange

Since2014wehavegiven

of illegal entrants

Francemorethan£200minhand outs to stem theproblem along withthepatheticRwandadeal.

Everymeasure we take is hamstrungbycharitygroupsprotestingtheyare fleeing wars or abusingtheasylumsystem

TheFrenchare fartoo keen todiverttheproblemoutoftheir bordersandoncethepeopleclimb intoinflatabledinghiestheyknow thataslongastheygetafewmiles out theBritish coastguardwill “rescuethem”anddropthemoff

Book your time as readingvolunteer

Thepleasureofreading is a meansofescaping,aboosttomentalhealth,ajoylikenootherbut noteveryonehasaccesstoit.

Currently,oneinfourchildren in England areleaving primary school unable to read well and almost one in five five-to-eight year-oldsdonot have abookof theirownathome.Thisisdeeply worrying.

TheFairEducationAlliance ReportCard2022showsthatregional disparitiesare widening andthatthedisadvantagegapsto dayarejustaswideastheywere adecadeago.AsCEOofchildren’s literacycharity BookmarkRead-

ing,Iwanttoexpressmygratitude toourlocalvolunteerswhogive uponehouraweektohelpachild readone-to-onethroughourread ingprogramme.

Demandfromschoolsishigher thaneverandwehavehundredsof childrenwaitingforareadingvol unteer.Withreadingforpleasure beingthegreatestdeterminantof futuresuccessforachild,please canIaskreaderstoconsiderhelpinguschangeachild’sstory,and givethemthegiftoftimeasaread ingvolunteerthisChristmas?

Graihagh Crawshaw-Sadler, CEO,BookmarkReading

inthiscountry.Itisunsustainable tocontinuethisflow–andwhat’s more thereare probably thou sandsmorethatcross without even our knowledge and then wewonderwhywehaveviolence in centresaccommodating them –theyriotandthenarerehoused indays!Howmanycitizensofour countryareininadequatedwell ingsforyearswithoutsuchrapid action?

MarkDabbs,Walsall

Whereare eggs from?

Thesepeoplewhothroweggs atpeoplemusthaveloadsofmon eytobuythemortheyhavefound somewherewithasecretstash?

Ican’tfindanyinanyofthe stores.Iwishtheywould give themtometoeat.

Isearchedallthestoreslast week andeverywherehad sold out.

Therewastheincidentonthe newswhereeggswerethrownat KingCharlesandCamilla.

ThenIreadinthenewsthat, policeweredealingwithanincident whereeggsand milk were thrownattheircar

AnneDownes,Walsall

HS2isnot aviableprospect

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

Theoriginalconceptandjus tification,wastoenabletheever increasing numbersofbusiness travellers to gettomeetingsat highspeed.

However, theintroduction of

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

TheM6Tollisawhiteelephant becausepeoplewillnotpayinsufficientnumbers,inthehopeofsav ingtime.Addtothatthefactthat

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

Also,HS1inthesoutheastwas runninguphugedebtsevenbefore thecurrentdownturn

GDavies,Stourbridge

Much-lovedmural is defaced by yobs

CouncillorTinaJukes surveys the graffitidaubed on the Beechdale mural

Vandalshavedefacedamuch-loved muralpaintedbyyoungsters

Beechdalecouncillor TinaJukes said shewas left deeply upsetwhen shediscoveredobscenitieshad been daubedallovertheartonthesideof BeechdaleSocialClubinStephenson Square

Shepledged to contactWalsall Councilandthepolicetoseewhatcould bedonetotacklethisandotherissues inthearea.

Theoffendersalso‘tagged’other partsofthebuildingaswellasfencesof gardenstonearbyhousing

Itisbelievedtheystruckovernight ortheearlyhoursofFriday.

Project

Thepiecewascreatedaround14 yearsagobyyoungpeople,aspartofa muralartprojectbyFrankFHarrison CommunityCentre.

Councillor Jukessaid: “Themural hasbeenthereforyearsandithasneverbeentouched.

“Theyoungpeoplereallytookown ershipofitsotoseeithasbeenvandal isedisreallyheartbreaking.Theyhave lookedafterit,sotoseeithasbeende

Report by David Stubbings

facedinsuchadisgustingwayhasreal lyupsetme.

“I’m goingtocontact thecouncil andpolicetoseewhatcouldbedone,” CouncillorJukesadded.

“Therehavebeenother issues in theareasuchasyoungstersstealing carsandoff-roadbikingandthisjust addstoit.”

“Ask NEWS THURSDAY,NOVEMBER24, 2022 | CHRONICLE WEEK 7

WalsallLabourgroup leader AftabNawazsaid:“Themuralhasagreat dealofsignificanceinBeechdaleand hasbeentherealongtimesoitisvery upsettinganddisappointingtoseeit hasbeenvandalisedinthisway.”

Thevandalismhasalreadyattract edstrongcommentsonsocialmedia afterdetailsoftheattackemerged.One said:“Disgusting.Itlookedsogoodbut nowitlooksamess.”

Anotheruseradded:“IsthereCCTV there?PuttheirfacesonFacebookand findthem.IftheyliveonBeechdale, thenshameonthem.”

Drug dealer whotried to flee police senttojail

SameerRemaylewasjailedforalmostthreeyearsafterpreviouslyadmittingastringofoffencesincluding dangerousdriving,beingconcernedin thesupply of cannabis,assault occasioningactualbodilyharmandtheft.

WolverhamptonCrown Court heardthe22-year-oldwasseendriving aVauxhallwithasmashedrearwin dow,inBroadway,Fullbrook,onJan uary6lastyearatabout3pm.Instead ofpullingover,hedroveatspeedsof upto61mphalongresidentialstreets beforeclippingagoods’vanandknock ingoverbollardsinNewStreetwhere he stopped thecar and fledonfoot.

MissNaomiNelson-Coife,prosecuting, said:“Itwasarelativelyshortpieceof dangerousdrivingdowntwoone-way streets,followedbyafootchase.The defendanthadtwopassengersinthe car.After10minuteshewaslocated.”

Shesaidasearchofthecaruncoveredthreemobilephones,£775cash andaquantityofcannabis.Whenthe phoneswereexamineda“dealers’list” wasfound

Mr Curtis Myrie, defending, said Remayle,ofGraftonRoad,Handsworth, recently foundworkas awarehouse operative,wasco-operatingwithprobationand“makinggoodprogress”.

He wasjailed for34monthsand banned from drivingfor threeyears andfivemonths.

Asaleadingdomesticglass replacementcompanyformore than16years,Cloudy2Clear windowsaretheleadingname intheindustry.Thereisnoneed foryoutoriskyourwindows byusingthedreadeddouble glazingcowboydownthestreet. Youcanjoinover336,000happy customersandreplaceyour glassethicallyandaffordably Ifyouhaveafailedglassunit, itmaynotprovideyouwith theprotectionyouneedorbe asenergy-efficientasitonce was.Takeaminutetocheck

yourhometoseeifanydouble glazinghasfailed?Takingaction nowcanpreventfuturefinancial problems.

WhentalkingtotheManagerof Cloudy2ClearwindowsJames Stanleyitbecameclearthatthese valueshavebeenhelddearfora numberofyears.Sincestartingthe businesssomeyearsagoCloudy2Clearhaveremainedtruetotheir corevaluesofsupportingthelocal communitybyprovidingaservice thatsavesthepublicmoney TheCloudy2Clearserviceonlyre-

quirestheglasstobereplacedand notthewholewindowoncethe unithasfailed.Jamescommented “Cloudy2Clearwereabletoassist ourcommunitythroughthelast financialcrisisin2008duetothe savingsthatcanbemadeinusing ourservice.Unfortunatelywe mightbegoingthroughsomething similaragainsoonandthepublic canrestassuredthatwewillbe theretohelponceagain”.

“Iwonderhowthosewhodiditwill feelwhentheyseewhathasbeendone totheirhardwork.

Adrugdealerwhodroveatspeeds ofupto61mphinicyconditionsina vainbidtofleepolicehasbeenjailed

Counciltotakeon trafficenforcement

WalsallCouncilisapplyingtotakeonenforcement ofmovingtrafficrulesfrompoliceinabidtoimprove roadsafetyandcrackdownondriversfloutingre strictions.

Itmeanstheenforcementofmovingtrafficcontra ventionswouldbedecriminalised,allowingWalsall Counciltoenforcerestrictionsthatcancurrentlyonly beenforcedbythepolice.

DeputycouncilleaderCouncillorAdrianAndrew said:“Wewantsafestreetsforallhighwayusers.We wanttoreducethedangerscreatedbydriverswho, oftenwilfully,ignoremovingtrafficrestrictions.

“ToprepareoursubmissiontotheSecretaryof State,weareverykeentofirstlistentoresidents’ viewsontheproposalsviaashortsurvey.”

Thesurveyisavailable at surveys.walsall.gov uk/s.asp?k=166869045633.

Approval of coffee shop bid

AnewCostacoffeeshopanddrive-thruwillbe openedonthesiteofaformerPoundlandstore.

WalsallCouncilplannershavegiventhecompany thego-aheadtotakeoverthevacantunitatKeyway RetailParkonArmstrongWay,Willenhall,andcreate anewfacility

Costawilldividetheshopintotwonewunitsand looktosub-letthesecondstoretoanothercompany, mostlikelysellingfood

Thecoffeeshopwillhaveaseatingcapacityof70 whilethecarparkwillbealteredtocreateadrive thrulaneformotorists.Thedevelopmentisexpected tocreatearound12jobs

Theunit,situatednexttoaBurgerKing,hasbeen emptyforsometimeandbeforePoundlanditwas hometoBlockbustervideo.

Costa’splanningagentSavillssaid:“Theproposals involvethesub-divisionofthevacantpropertytocreatetwounitstoallowCostatooccupyoneunitwith theothertobesub-lettoaretaileroranotherfoodand drinkoperator.

“Theproposedcoffeeshopwillbeoccupiedby theapplicantsCostaCoffee.Itwillsitalongsidetheir existingoperationsandpremiseswithinthelocality andwillthereforebecomplementaryto,ratherthan competingwith,theirexistingoffering.

“Apackageofexternalworksareproposedtocre ateadrive-thruwindowandmodernisetheexterior ofthebuilding,alongsidealterationstothecarparkto deliverthedrive-thrulane.”

CouncilheadofplanningAlisonIvessaid:“WalsallCouncilseekstoworkproactivelywithowners, developersandtheiragentsinthepublicinterestto promotesustainabledevelopments.Inthisinstance thecouncilhasbeenabletosupporttheproposedde velopmentandhasworkedwiththeapplicant.”

M6 deathguilty plea

Alorrydriverhaspleadedguiltytocaus ingthedeathofaBlackCountrynurseina crashontheM6afterfailingtogivehimself enoughtimetosafelyswitchlanes

VictoriaKavanagh,41,ofOldbury,wasat thewheelofaCitroenthatwasstruckfrom behindbyalorrydrivenbyRobertWard,of Willenhall,shortlyafter8.45amonJuly27, 2020northboundnearJunction10

Ward,55,hadinitiallypleadednotguilty to causingdeath by careless driving, but changedtoaguiltypleaonthesecondday ofthejurytrialatWolverhamptonCrown Courtlastweek.Thecourtheardthedefend

antattemptedtoexitthemotorwayonthe Junction10approachwithoutlookingtosee whatwasinthenearsidelane

Children’s nurseMrs Kavanagh, who workedforWalsallHealthcareNHSTrust’s schoolhealthservice,hadstudiednursing at theUniversityofWolverhampton and hadbeenacceptedontoamaster’sdegree courseshortlybeforeherdeath.Following herdeathanonlinefundraisingappealin supportofherfamilyraisedalmost£3,000

Thecasewas adjournedfor reports Ward,ofCroftStreet,Willenhall,willbesentencedonDecember14

Anappealhasbeenlaunchedafterapoppytin

PolicesaidamanwasseenatCollingwood

ContactWestMidlandsPoliceon101,quoting crimenumber20/952977/22.

Paynothing fora year. No deposit. Interest free.

Black

DUDLEY

VictoriaKavanaghdied ontheM6

Axecallonclosure fees

Sandwell Councilisconsidering waivingfeesfortemporaryroadclo suresforthecoronationofKingCharles IIInextyear

Roadclosurescostaround£2,000 forresidents.Councillorsagreedthat residentsshouldbe able to celebrate thesignificanteventnextMay

Acouncilmotionputforwardbythe Sandwell Conservativesand carried askedthelocalauthority’schiefexecutiveto“recognisethehistoricalsignif icanceofthecoronation”KingCharles IIIandtowaivefeesforroadclosures toallow“residentsofSandwelltocome togethertocelebrate”

Councillor dies atthe ageof74

CradleyHeathandOldHillCouncillorAnnShackletonhasdiedafterdedicating50yearstoSandwell

TheveteranLabourcouncillorwas still doing casework from herhospitalbed before shediedaged74last Wednesdaymorning

CouncillorShackletonwasthehead ofCorbettPrimarySchool,Smethwick, beforebecomingacouncillorin2004

Aswellasservingasdeputymayor in2011sheheldvariouscabinetpositionsinsuccessiveLabouradministrations, includingbeing responsiblefor adultsocialcareandleisure.

Councillor Shackleton worked tirelesslytopromotetheworkofCradleyHeath’swomenchainmakersand helpedcommissionthestatueofstrike leaderMaryMacarthur.

Leadingthe tributes, Sandwell CouncilleaderCouncillor KerrieCar michael said:“Shewas arolemodel forwomeninpoliticsand personally taughtmealot.Iamterriblysadabout Ann’sdeathandwillmissheralways WewerefriendsforalongtimeandI haveveryhappymemoriesofher.”

Sheadded: “Ann wasa brilliant woman,averydearfriendand colleague.Wehadmanyalaughtogether butalsohavesupportedeachother overtheyears.Everyonethatmether lovedandrespectedher.”

Committed

SandwellMayor,CouncillorRichard Jonessaid: “Ann wasalong-serving, dedicatedandwellrespectedmember of Sandwell Council. Shewas totally committed to thepeopleofCradley Heathand OldHill,andworkedtirelesslytohelpherconstituentsandtheir families.Isendmysincerestcondolencestoherfamilyandfriends.”

FormerCradleyHeathandOldHill CouncillorJohnTippersaid:“Plentyof peoplesay,sometimeswithsomejusti fication,thatpoliticiansareallthesame andonlyinitforthemselves

“Theexample of Ann’slifeshows that this isn’t always true.Her dedi cationtothepeopleofSandwell,asa headteacherand an exceptionallocal councillor whowas stilldoing case workfromherhospitalbed,wasonly matchedbyherdedicationtoherwonderfulfamily.Annwasagreatchampi

onforCradleyHeathandOldHilland careddeeplyabout hercommunity, particularthosewhohadtheleast.She wasalsoagreatandloyalfriendtome aswellastomanyothers.”

FormerheadteacherandHalesow enNorthCouncillorHilaryBillswasa closefriendofCouncillorShackleton Shesaid: “I first metAnn when she wasalong-servingandwell-respected headmistressofCorbettInfantsSchool andthenshewentintopoliticsafter.

“Shewasafantasticrolemodelfor womeneverywhere.Shewasverywise andalwaysgavegood counsel when askedaboutanissueoraproblem

“Shewasreallywellknownacross CradleyHeathandOldHillandworked incrediblyhardforothers.”

FormerCommonsDeputySpeaker andHalesowenandRowleyRegisMP SylviaHeal,whoknewAnnformore than30years,said:“CouncillorShackletonwasawonderfulteacher,head teacher,councillorandcabinetmember andgavetheresidentsofCradleyHeath andOldHillsomuchcommitment.She willbeagreatlosstoherfamilybut alsotothepeopleofCradleyHeathand OldHill.”

CouncillorShackletonhadbeensuf feringwithcancerforseveralmonths SheleavesbehindherhusbandMike, twochildrenandfourgrandchildren.

Cartheftsplotdenied

Aman haspleaded notguiltyto conspiring to stealcars relating to a spateofincidentsacrosstheMidlands

Speaking throughaSlovakianinterpreterGabrielBalaz,28,ofDenbigh

Road,Tipton,alsopleadednotguilty topossessingidentitydocumentswith improperintentionswhenheappeared at WolverhamptonCrown Court. The trialwillbeheldinJuly

Dedicated– AnnShackleton

Plants gift forcentre

Acommunitycentrehasbeengiven someextrahelpinpreparingitsnew outdoorareaforthespring.

PelsallSpardonatedanumberof pottedplantstothenewoutdoorarea ofthevillagecommunitycentreaspart ofapartnershipprogrammewithor ganisationsandvolunteers.

Thecentretookdeliveryofthe plantsfrommanagersCallumChueand DavePuham

Community Centre committee member Arthur Roberts said it was goodtoseetheareabrightenedup

Hesaid:“Theareais99percent finished,withjusttheborderstocome, andwhatwewanttoseefromitisfor bees,insects,birdsandotherwildlifeto beattractedtoit.

“Wedon’tjustwantittobeorna mental,wewantittobeusefuland we’vealreadyseenchildrencomebyto visitandseetheherbgarden.

“I’dliketothankSparfortheirkind donationsasit’sagreathelptousbecauseitcostsalottomakethisarea lookhowitlooks,soeverylittlehelps,” headded.

Speakout plea over bullying

Anannualanti-bullyingroadshow visitedschoolsacrossSandwelltoraise awarenessoftheissueandtoencourageyoungsterstospeakout.

Sandwell Council’sSHAPE programmeledontheschemealongside WestMidlandsPolicetocoincidewith thenationalawareness week.This year’sthemeis“reachout”–encouragingyoungpeopletohavetheconfidence tospeakupiftheyhaveanyconcerns

Atotalof12schoolshavebeenvis itedaspartoftheinitiative.Councillor SimonHackett,SandwellCouncil’scabi netmemberforchildrenandeducation, said:“OurAnti-BullyingRoadshowoffersagreatopportunityforschoolsto

raisechildren’sawarenessofbullying andhighlightthisissue.

“Iwanttomakesuretheanti-bul lyingmessageremainsaprioritywith schools,familiesandmostimportant lychildrenandyoungpeople,allyear round.”

To supportthe roadshow,and its workshops,sixvideoswerecreatedas atrainingresourceaspartoftheanti-bullyingtrainingwhichisbeingde liveredtoschoolteachingprofessionals.

DrLisaMcNally,Sandwell’sdirector forpublichealth,added:“Theanti-bullyingworkshops,nowintheirseventh year,havealwaysbeenagreatsuccess.”

Festivetrees in spotlight

Christmastreesareinthespotlight inafestivalataBlackheathchurch

Morethan70areondisplayatSt Paul’s Church,LongLane, createdby friends,groupsandorganisationswith linkstothechurch.Doorsareopenfor theannualevent tomorrow (Friday), SaturdayandSunday.Admissionisfree andSantawillbeinattendancefora coupleofhourseachday

ChristmasBrassandVoicesfollow,

onDecember3,from7pm,featuringthe HalesowenScoutsbrassbandandSlick 6Singers.Admissionandrefreshments arefree.

From10amtonoononDecember 17,parishionerscanvisitforfreecoffee andcarolsandthestoryandmusicof Christmasunfoldatthepopular,tradi tionalNineLessonsandCarolsService, inchurchonDecember18,withfullorganaccompaniment,from6.30pm.

NeeshaPatel,EmilyRees-Woodhall, AshaLawrence,Lynne Paino, Pc Hughie Treasure, HarmanveerRandhawa.Front left,Sukhmani He har Jariyah Ross-Robinson,Councillor Simon Hackett,LoidailzCasada Dominguezand RussellAllen

Museum’scutting

ABlackCountryattractionislook ingtorecreateapopularSandwellhairdresserswithproductsfromthe1950s.

AspartofitsambitiousBCLM:Forg ingAheaddevelopment,BlackCountry LivingMuseuminDudleyisrecreating LaurieThomashairdressers,amuchlovedbarbersandhairsalonbasedin Tipton that wasestablishedin1904 andisstillrunningtoday.

OpenedbyJosephThomasandtak enoverbyhisson,LaurenceArdenRolandThomas,knowntomanyas‘Lau rie’,theshopwaswell-knownwithin thelocalcommunity.

Traditional

Thefamilytraditionhasbeencar ried on,withLaurie’sgrandsonrun ningatraditionalbarberstothisdayon thesamepremises

TheTiptonRoadattraction’s recreationwillbesetin1956,tellingsto riesoftheriseofpopularfashionsand thechangingroleofwomeninsociety The1950swouldhaveseenthehairdressersrollingout traditional male stylessuchacrewcuts,alongsidethe trendyduck’sanatomycutsthatgave

the50steddyboystheiriconiclook.A spokesmanforBCLMsaid:“Forwomen,thepost-warperiodsawnewstyles emergebasedaroundshorterhairthan hadbeencommonbeforethewar,with styleiconslikeLucilleBallandJackie Kennedyinfluencing thefashionable cutsoftheday

“Toachievethesestyles,hairdressersand barbers,likeLaurieand his family,wouldhaveusedvarioustechniques,madepossiblebytheproducts andhairstylingequipment that was availableatthetime.

“Products like Brylcreem, Silver krin hairsprayand Marmie perming solutionwouldhavebeenastaplein everysalon,Laurie’sbeingnoexception.ThisiswhereBCLMneedsyour help.Inorder to accurately recreate thesalon,themuseumislookingfor donationsrelatingtohairstylinginthe 1950s.”

Togetincontactaboutmakingdonations,emailthecollectionsteamat collections@bclm.com.

Fly-tipperscaughton CCTV areprosecuted

Twofly-tippershavebeensuccess fullyprosecutedaftertwoseparateincidentswerecaughtonCCTV.

On Wednesday, November 9, two fly-tippingcasesinvestigatedbyWal sall Council’sCommunity Protection TeamwerebroughtbeforeDudleyMag istratesCourtandresultedintwosuc cessfulprosecutions.

Both Darren Sneyd andMartin CawleywerecaughtonCCTVfly-tip pingwastewithintheborough.

Sneyd,41,ofCliftCloseinWillen hall,wascaughtoncameradepositing wasteinKendricks Road in Darlast onfromaWhiteIvecovanandfound guiltyinhisabsence

Cawley,fromLuntRoadinBilston, wascaughtonprivatelyownedCCTV

tipping alargequantityofbuilding wasteontothehighwayfromtherear ofavehicleinWillenhall.

Bothwereorderedtopaya£1,760 fine,tobepaidwithin28days,plusle galcoststotalling£985.62anda£176 victimsurcharge

WalsallCounciloffersrewardsfor anyonethatcomesforwardwithevidenceresultinginasuccessfulprosecution.Residentscanreportflytipping throughtheir accountatmyaccount. walsall.gov.uk/flytip/

Councillor GarryPerry,deputy leaderandportfolioholderforresilient communities, said:“This really high lightshowimportantitisforwitness estocomeforwardwithanyevidence theymayhave.”

Report by James Vukmirovic

LaurieThomashairdressershas

beenpopularforyears

BehindthesceneslookatNHS staff’sround-the-clockwork

Healthorganisationsaroundthe BlackCountrytooktosocialmediato givearare“behindthescenes”look intolifeintheNHS

Usingthe hashtag ‘BlackCoun tryHealth247’, employees gave an insightintothe24hoursoffrontline healthcare.Theypostedpictures, videosandstorieslookingatthedailylife,situationsandchallengesNHS workersfaceinatypicalday.

RichardBeeken, chairman of theBlackCountryUrgentandEmergencyCareBoard,said: “Thereis so much that goes on behind the scenes,sodocumenting24hoursof healthcareintheBlackCountryisa greatopportunityforustohighlight theincredible work that goes into keepingpeopleoutofhospitals.NHS services continue to be extremely pressured.However,ourteamsare workingtirelesslytomakesurepa tientsarebeingprovidedwithhigh qualitycareandsupport.”

MrBeekenadded:“Everyonehas aparttoplayinsupportingtheNHS thiswinter.It’sreallyimportantthat peoplestillcomeforwardforcareif

NHSSandwellandWestBirming hamtooktoTwitter to showcase staffmembers,including Hannah Charlton,acommunity staffnurse whomakessurethatcallsfrompa

tientsneeding care areactioned. West Midlands Ambulanceservice createda videoshowing thework thatgoesintorestockingthecrucial basiclifesupportbagsthatambulancestaffusetotreatpatientson calls.WalsallHealthcareusedTwit tertoshowhow theirout-nurses

taketothestreetstoprovidehome

ofstaffanddescribingindetailthe worktheydoandhowitaffectsthe NHSservice

Inonevideo,end-of-liferapidresponseteammemberAlisontalksof takingcareofend-of-lifepatientsliv ingathome,andverifyingthosewho havediedfromtheirillnesses.

theyneedit.However,we’reasking peopletochoosetherighthealthcare servicefortheirneeds.”

Report by Daniel Walton

Walsall Healthcarenurses,Emma andJulie, make aroutine checkStocking basic

Staffnurse HannahCharlton

Gota health

I

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

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

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

It’sgoodtoknowwhichserviceyou needandhowtoaccessit

NHS 111 ONLINE

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

PHARMACY

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

GP PRACTICE

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

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

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

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

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

“Theyknowhow to askthe right questions and refertoGPs if necessary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It’squick,easy and accessible andwewillbe

‘Our team are trained to respond to symptoms’

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

‘Patients are often unaware of the services we provide’

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

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

This

article is part of apaid-forpartnershipwith

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

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

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

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

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

treatmentbeforethe problem becomesmoreserious.

Seeking advice at apharmacy for minor illnesses couldsave youtime

Fool andmoney soon partying

The Best of Peter Rhodes

Twonewguidebooksclaimthe priceofamealattheUK’sbestrestaurants hasmorethandoubled sinceBrexitfrom£100aheadto more than £200.I’m notsurethis tellsusanythingabout Brexit but whensomanypeopleareprepared topay£200forablow-out,itdoes rewriteanoldadage:afoolandhis moneyaresoonpartying

nnn

Myeyewascaughtbyacolumn suggestingthereasonBritainhasso manysecond-ratepoliticiansispart lybecauseoftheir“mediocrepay.” ManyMPsliketoclaimtheycould earnmuchmoreintheprivatesector thanintheCommons.Irecallmeetinganunusuallyfrankandhonest candidatebeforethe2010General Election.Workingforaprivatefirm, shewas earningaverage payand said,ifshewereelectedasanMP,her newsalarywouldbe“likeawinon thelottery.”

nnn

Backin2010theaveragesalary wasabout £25,000and MPswere

paid £62,000.Today,the average salaryisabout£33,000andMPsget £84,000.Notsomediocre,eh?

nn n

Ishouldprecedethisnextitem bypointingoutthatIfailedMaths O-Levelthree times. This mayexplainwhy Ican’t understandhow afewbonkersideasfromLizTruss canpossiblylose£30billionorhow acrypto-currencycompanycanbe worth32billiondollarsoneyearand tiddly-squitthenext.ButIsuspect thepantomimeseasonmaybepartly responsible.Thisisthetimeofyear

whenthedopewhosellsthefamily cowforfivebeans,andiscondemned byallright-thinkinginvestors,ends upasamillionairethankstoamag icbeanstalk.Ifbeanscanoffersuch ahugereturn,whynotpeas,lentils or crypto-currency?Just be aware thattoday’ssmartpuntmaybetomorrow’stsunamiofdesolation,and youmaynotevenseeitcoming.It’s behindyou!

nnn

Inthe1930sthedevelopmentof radarwasspurredbythehopethat itmightturnouttobeadeathray,

capableofknockingenemybombers outofthesky.Itdidn’thappenbut 90yearson,Britain’sfirst-everlaser weaponhasscoreditsfirst“kill.”In trials,the£100millionDragonFire prototypereportedlydestroyeda dronemorethantwomilesaway.

nnn

Thegood news forour armed forces is that DragonFire doesn’t requireshellsoranyothertypeof ammunition.Thebadnewsisthat eachlasershotrequiresamassive amount of electricity. Imaginethe scenario.Anenemy droneisdis

patchedtodestroytheUK’sNational Gridandputallourlightsout.Drag onFiredestroysthedrone–butall ourlightsgoout

nnn

Oneofthe traditional perksof beingaRegimentalSergeant-Major istoapproachyoungofficerswith thewords:“Isyouhairhurtingyou, sir?”Aftertheinevitablenegativere ply,theRSMadds:“Well,itshouldbe hurtingyou,sir,becauseI’mstand ingonit.”Sadly,noteventhemost seniorRSMcanusetheabovelineto hismonarch.SoIdaresayHisMajestyspentallofRemembranceSunday withoutanyone suggesting atrim mightbeinorder

nnn

JustinRowlatt,theBBC’sclimate editor,was againunder firefrom viewersforhisdishevelledappearanceattheCop27summit.Andyet,in his“gardeningjeans,”open-necked shirtandgreyingstubble,ishenot aninspirationforthisclimate-terror age?Hesetsafineexampleinbath room frugality, apparently making asinglerazorbladelastfortheentireconference.Asforthosemanky jeans,ifyouseriouslybelievetheend isnigh,asRowlattseemsto,you’re hardlygoingtoblowseventyquid onanewpairofLevi’s.Thesearenot gardeningjeans.TheyareArmaged donjeans.

Showcasinglatest in home interiors

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

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

Flexible

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

Indining, recent trendsfor open plan, flexible living,has ledtoasignif icantincreaseinkitchen dining.Cousinsisproud to displaynew collections from world-leading Italianbrand Calligarisacrossdiningtables, sideboards andevenaccessories.

Knownfor theirmoderndesign, everyCalligarisdiningtable hasthe potentialtoenhance theaestheticsof

Cousins’ Winter Collection

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

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

TheMonza bedroomrange is acon temporaryupdateofclassic mid-century design.Chestsare constructed with mitredcornerjointsand around ed undercut detail,framing thechevronveneerdrawerfronts.

Tapering turned legs andangled plinth railsare paintedblack to high lighttheir elegantshapesand create a sense of lightness.

Under fire –BBC climate changeeditorJustinRowlattBonkers ideas–Liz Truss

Cousins Furnitureisinvit ingyou to asneak peekof theirnew Winter Collection forthe launch of their Winter Sale whichstarts next month.

Gyllenhaal at endofwatch

SATURDAY

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

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

SUNDAY

Mogul Mowgli (2020) (BBC2, 10.15pm)

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

SirSimonlookingback onhistoryofalifetime

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

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

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

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

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

thefirstofthreeprogrammes,here vealsthestoriesofartistsandwrit erswhohavebeenattheforefront ofthefightfortruthanddemocracy, oftenatgreatpersonalcost.

InDecember1936,ayoungEng lishman,EricBlair,betterknown asGeorgeOrwell,headedtoSpain

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

Audrey’s life in danger?

EastEnders (BBC1)

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

Coronation Street (ITV)

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

Emmerdale (ITV)

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

Bernicestruggles to controlher emotions, leading hertofearshehas dementia

Editor’s weekend pick

Films for the weekend

Your guide to the soaps

SirSimonSchama infrontofPicasso’s GuernicaforHistoryofNow

EndofWatch Todd Boyce

Affordable andexoticwinter sunatanoffbeatdestination

Switchingoff themotor of our roughandweatheredwoodenboat, SenegaleseguideSoguiWadeinvites ustolistencarefully.Glidingsilently throughamazeofmangrovesinthe SaloumDelta,ourattentionisdrawn toanunusualsnappingsound,akin toemberscracklinginafire.

Thestrangesyncopation,Sogui insists, is thesound of oysters breathing.Clingingtoexposedroots of mangroves, stringsofshellfish performasymphonythat’ssurprisinglysoothing.It’soneofthemany newdiscoveriesImakeonaweek’s holidaytoSenegal

Wedged betweenthe emerald rainforestsofthe Gambia andorange desert dunesofMauritania, thiscoastalcountrybulgesintothe AtlanticOceanatthemostwesterly pointoftheAfricancontinent

It’sanoffbeatholidayoption,al thoughit’ssettobecomeoneofthe most affordable,easilyaccessible andexcitingwintersun destina-

By Sarah Marshall

tions, thankstonew direct flights launchedbyTUIearlierthismonth ConnectingLondonGatwickwith Senegal’scapitalDakar,injustover sixhours,weekly flights will run betweenNovemberandMay,startingataround£800forsevennights all-inclusive.Hoveringbetween29 35C,temperaturesaremuchhigher thantheCanaries,there’s11.5hours of daylight during winter andno timedifference.

Promisingsun,sea,sandanda touchofsafari,here’sthelow-down onwhattoexpect A75-minutedrivefromDakar’s BlaiseDiagneInternationalAirport, thenew 522-room RIUBaobab on Pointe Sarene is TUI’smainhotel partner, andwas one of thekey driversforpersuadingthepackage tour operator to invest in this region.Large,luxurious roomswith

ocean-facing balconies(andafew suites with privatepools)linethe length of agolden beach, strewn withpalmsandthatchedcabanas.

Aspaandmoderngymareset alongsidepoolsandaswim-upbar, whereDutch,French, Britishand Senegalese families bathewith flutesofProseccoorglassesofcrisp rosewine

Acolossalbuffetisaccompanied byspecialitysushiandItalianres taurants,bothpre-bookablebutin cludedintheprice.

Awaterpark with slides and children’s entertainment attracts families, butthe hotelmanages to maintain asmart,upscale atmosphere.

Goingonsafaricanbeeye-wa teringly expensive. ButinSenegal, there’sanopportunitytoseesome ofAfrica’smostcharismaticspecies inoneofthecountry’ssixnational parks.Admittedly,thebest,Niokolo-Koba,isa500kmdrivesouth

Explorer’s Antarcticlegacy

Regardedasone of Britain’s greatestexplorers,ErnestShackle tonhasinspiredmillionsofpeople tovisitAntarcticaandtheislandof SouthGeorgia

Famously,oneofhisownexpeditionsendedinneardisasterwhen hisship,theEndurance,wasstuckin theice,writesSarahMarshall

Foralmosttwoyears,thechar ismaticleaderand his menwere stranded,remarkablysurvivingand eventuallyreturningtosafety

Earlierthisyear, Shackleton’s shipwasfinallydiscoveredaspartof anexpeditionlaunchedforthecentenaryyearofhisdeath.

Aheadofherownguestlectur ingtripinthe icysouth,his clos estsurviving relative,Alexandra Shackleton,sharesherthoughtson

thediscoveryandthelegacyofher grandfather.

Howdidyoufeelwhenthe En durancewasdiscovered?

“I wasthrilled. It wasthe secondattempttofindher.She’s3,000 metresdeepintheWeddellSea.Be causeicehaspreservedher,she’sin excellentcondition.”

Whoownstheshipnow?

“Shebelongstome.Shewasoriginallyinsuredfor£15,000,sowhen shesank,itwenttotheinsurance companies.Theyhadnointerest.So shenowbelongstomyselfandmy firstcousin.She’salsoprotectedun derTheAntarcticTreaty.”

Howelsehaveyou been commemoratingthecentenaryofyour grandfather’sdeath?

“I’vebeenmakingafilminIre

landaboutthecabinwherehedied Areplicaofthatcabinwillbepartof thefirstdedicatedpolarShackleton museumintheworldatAthyHeritageCentre.Areplicaboatwillalsobe there.Itwillopenin2023.”

What are your lasting memo riesofAntarctica?

“It’sa wonderful placeworth preserving.WhenIwent the first time,Iwentintohishutonmyown andtherewasthesmellofwoodand leather.Itwasasifhehadstepped out.”

n Alexandrawillbejoininga22dayvoyagewithPolarLatitudesto Antarctica,theFalklandsandSouth Georgia, departing UshuaiainArgentinaonDecember22.Pricesfrom £15,415ppinatripleshare,excludingflights.Seepolar-latitudes.com

Privately-ownedBandiaReserve is areasonablecompromise–althoughnotallanimalsarenativeto Senegal.Seegiraffes,elands,zebras andevenrhinosonsimplegame drives throughacaciaand baobab forests, finishing at avisitor cen treoverlookingalakeheavingwith crocodiles

Moreinterestingfromaconservation perspective is theTortoise VillageinNoflaye.RunbytheAfrican ChelonianInstituteNGO,theproject focusesonbreedingendangeredsul catatortoises,tobereleasedintothe wild.Manyofthehard-shelledresi dentshavebeenrescuedfromapet tradefuelled by traditional beliefs theseanimalscancureasthmaand bringgoodluck.

DailylifeinSenegalisasbright, boldandcolourfulasthepatterned kitengefabrics hangingfromcraft stalls.Walkingaroundavillagemar ketgivesasharpinsightintolocal living.Men wearing floatytunics

andconicalhatsselllivestock,while womeninpeplumdressesandoversizeddesignersunglassessitbehind mountains of meltingsheabutter andsacksoverflowingwithpeanuts

More affronting aremedicinal stalls coveredinlizardskins,pig tusksanddriedmonkeyheads.

Visiting aformerslave house mightseemmorbid,butatriptothe HouseofSlavesmuseumonUnesco WorldHeritageSiteGoreeislandis bothapoignantexperienceandim portantlessoninunderstandingAf rica’spast

A20-minuteferryridefromDa kar,theprettyislandisfilledwith artist studios, seaside restaurants andcafes.Butbetweenthemid-15th andmid-18thcenturies,20million slaveswereloadedontoshipsfrom hereandsentacrosstheAtlantic.

Anyupset,however,isbalanced bythesightofsomanySenegalese peoplevisitingthesitetobetterunderstandtheirownhistory

The swim-uppoolbar at the RIUBaobab

Goree Island inSenegal,whichhouses the House ofSlavesmuseumCartusedtocarry tourists

SarahMarshall atabaobab tree

Tourists ontheAntarctic Peninsula

Hottipsfor stavingoff the cold andkeeping costsdown

outthecoldBleeding radiatorscanhelp

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

It’s beenan unseasonablymild autumn,butwinterislooming–and we’dprefertofocusonthejoysofthe festiveseason,ratherthanworrying aboutenergybills

Ifyouwantedtokeephousehold costsdownandyourhomeniceand cosy,thereareafewsimplestepsyou cantaketomakeadifference…

Bleedtheradiators

First up,ensureyourheating system is workingefficiently, with theboilerpressuresetbetweenone andtwobars.

AnyDIYshopwillhavearadiator keyifyou’vemislaidyours.It’sim portanttobleedtheradiatorstoget ridofanytrappedair,makingsure they’reworkingtofullcapacity.Just

By Sam Wylie-Harris

don’tforgetanoldteatoweltocatch excesswaterthatmightleakoutin theprocess

Rearrangethefurniture

It’sunderstandabletowantyour sofa or working from home desk neartheradiator–butmakesure they’renotpositionedsoclosethat heatcan’tcirculatearoundtheroom

Likewise, you mightwantto move your bedorfavourite ac cent chairawayfromthe window soyou’renotsittingorsleepingin adraught.This isalsoagoodopportunitytobringinbrightcolour schemesandsoftfurnishingstovisually‘warmup’theroom

Keepthedoorsclosed

Nomatterhowsmallorbigyour space,adoorleftajarisaninvitation

forheattoescape–sokeepdoors firmlyclosedtomakethemostofthe warmth

Fitself-adhesivefoamstrips OneoftheeasiestDIYtricksis toapplyself-adhesivefoamstripsto windowsanddoors.Placethestrips alongwindowjointsanddoorjambs –whereveryoumightfeeladraught –anditwillhelpkeepthecoldatbay SitessuchasAmazonhaveavariety of optionsindifferent thicknesses andlengths,someforlessthan£10.

Drawthecurtainsandblinds

Closingthecurtainsandblinds willhelpkeepthewarmthin–and oneofthebonusesoftheclocksgoingbackisyouwon’tfeellikeyou’re shuttingoutdaylightwhenitstarts togetdarkaround4pm

Andifpossible,nowisprobably agoodtimetoremoveanyradiator coverstomaximisehotaircirculatingaroundtheroom

Gosmall

Ifyou’redeterminedtoreallycut downoncentralheatingcosts,you couldconsiderusingsmall,portable heaters–suchasoil-filledradiators orsmartfanheaters.

Anoil-filledradiator(Warmlite 650WOilFilledRadiator,£29.99,Ry man)canbeswitchedonwherever youare,andarebrilliantatretaining heat.Withanadjustablethermostat youcanchoosethetemperatureyou want,andit’seasytocarrybetween rooms.

Alternatively,smartfanheaters areasuperstylishoption.

Thinkthermalcurtains

Thermalcurtainliningscanbe alifesaver,withvariousoptionsout there. Designed to block outlight (makingthemexcellentinthesum mer),theyarealsospeciallycoated toreducelossofheatandregulate room temperature throughoutthe

year.Youcanbuythemready-made, witheyeletandpencilpleatoptions, oroptforliningkits–whicharede signedtohangbehindyourexisting curtains, so they’rehiddenfrom view

CheckoutDunelm,whichstocks KeepTheHeatInPencilPleatTher malCurtain Linings, priced from £10.

Hotbotties aren’t just forbed time

Hotwater bottleshavealways beenpopularthistimeofyear,and areacheapandcheerfulwaytokeep cosy.Right now, faux furversions with pompomsare trendingbig time

Layerup

Whetherit’sashaggyrug,fluffy blankets,woollyjumpers or cosy socks –layerscan help keep you warminside.Hatsarealsoabrilliant waytopreservebodyheat

HowtomakeyourgardenglowatChristmas

Glow events at RHSgardens, Kewandotheroutsidespaceswhich providespectacularlightfestivalsin wintermakeforagreateveningout buthowaboutbringingalittlebitof thatsparklehome?

Therearelotsofwaystomake yourown gardenglow, usingout door fairylights, lanterns anduplightinginwarm,welcomingtones, tocheerthecoldnightsandgetyou intothefestivespirit

Herearesomeexpertstips

“Ratherthanthink decoration, thinkatmosphere first,and the moodandthefeelingyouwantwhen youareinthegarden,”suggestsdesigner Andrew Duff (andrewduff gardendesign.com),co-chair of the counciloftheSocietyofGardenDe signersanddirectoroftheInchbald SchoolofDesign

KevinMartin,headoftreecollectionsatKew,says:“Oneofthebest

ways to addfestive lights to your gardenistowrappea lightLEDs aroundthetrunkandbranchstructureofanytreesinyourgarden.This willbringinterestintoyourgarden throughthelongdarknightsofwin ter.Itwillalsoaccentuatethelovely structureofthetree

“Anotherwayistouseuplighters ontheground,pointingdirectlyup throughthe canopyand highlightingthetrunk.Again,besuretouse LEDs.”

Duffsuggests:“Rollingupaball offairylightsandstickinganumber ofthoseinatreesotheylooklike huge snowflakescan be really ef fective.Youcanalsogetlargesnowflake-shapedlights,whichareoften solar-panelled, chargingthrough thedayandthencomingonatnight, whichcanbeagoodalternatives.”

Duffadds:“Lanternsareanexcellentidea.Youmightbeusingcan

dlesinlanterns.Youcouldevenuse ascentedcandlewithaChristmas fragrance.”

Thinkwarmcolours,suggests Matthew Pottage, curatorofRHS Garden Wisley(rhs.org.uk). “Select awarmwhitelightwithaslighthue ofyellowinitforawarmandtra ditionallook,”hesays.“Purewhite lightshaveacolderandmorestark appearance,whichcansay‘winter’ asopposedto‘Christmas’.”

Aswellaslightinguptrees,baublescanbehungonthestemsofdeciduoustrees.

“Nothing says Christmaslikea bauble,andweneedtohavefun,but maybejuststicktooneortwocoloursonatree,”Duffsuggests.“We arenottryingtocreateaChristmas tree–that’shappeninginside–so thesimpleritis,thebetter.”

Seerhs.org.ukorkew.orgforde tailsofRHSGloworKewevents.

Getcosyinwinter withlayers andblankets

Wearinga woollyhatcanhelpkeep

Useahotwaterbottle

IlluminatedpassagewayatglowRHS

ANIMAL WELFARE NEEDS HOMES

for Peggy, ayoung friendly black and white cat, pregnant gave birth 2weeks later.

Rehomedkittens and now it’s Peggy’stime to find happiness.

Spayed and vaccinated.

Bertie is also ayoung black and white friendly cat who was found in ashoe box 4weeks old and there is Queenie apretty young tortoiseshelland white cat, 7months old, neutered and spayed, vaccinated. £20 donation only. No kittens.

0121 502 5027.

SANDWELL METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL

The BoroughCouncil of Sandwell (Baldwin Street, Smethwick) (Temporary Road Closure)Order2022 intends to temporarily prohibit vehiclesfromproceeding along BaldwinStreet between Soho Wayand thesouthern sideofNo.4 Baldwin Street (access to frontages will be maintained, but only when safetypermits). The central reservation right turn accesstoBaldwinStreet via SohoWay (eastbound direction) will be closed for the duration of the works. Adiversion routewillbe signedvia Crocketts Lane, Brook Street, Cutler Street and viceversa. The maximum durationis18months but the workisexpected to be completed by 16/12/2022 effective from 05/12/2022 (24hrs). Purpose –tofacilitate access to repair awater main(2.5m depth) in the carriagewaybySevern Trent Water.

Pursuant to the TrusteeAct 1925 anyone having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, lateof3Margaret Street,West Bromwich,West Midlands, B70 8LE, who died on 24/09/2022, must sendwrittenparticulars to the address belowby25/01/2023,after which date the Estatewill be distributed havingregard onlyto claims and interests notified.

Sharan Sohal c/o Baches Solicitors, Lombard House, Cronehills Linkway,West Bromwich, B70 7PL. Ref: IWT/4707

RALPH CALLOWAYDeceased

Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased,late of 59William Road,Smethwick,West Midlands, B67 6LN, who died on 14/05/2022, must send written particulars to the address belowby 25/01/2023,after which date the Estate will be distributed having regardonlytoclaims and interests notified.

Christian Nicholls c/o Nicholls Brimble Bhol Grays Court, 11 High Street, Harborne Birmingham, B17 9NT.Ref: CAL16.002

GENTLEMAN 68 looking for lady 60+, for friendship, possible relationship.

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

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

GENUINE MALE 60

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

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

LADY LATE 50’S recently divorced, looking for new friends and hopefully find her Mr Right. All letters answered, photo appreciated and returned.

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

Mrs PatriciaWGaler c/oPickeringsSolicitors, EtchellHouse,BonehillRoad,Tamworth,B78 3HQ.

Ref: EJH/ACG/40683/1

SANDWELL METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL

PAUL DAVIDBELLAMY

VIOLETWILLIAMS Deceased

Changesare keytoCorolla’s success

BILLMcCARTHY

Estate cars or tourers have evolvedfromlarge barges to thesleek and stylish.

They marrycoupe-likestyling, with little compromise on interior space,witheye-catchingprofiles.

Recently upgraded,itseems hard to believeCorolla hasbeen around since1966and hasbeenthe best-selling carinthe world

So incrementalchangehas been thekey to itssuccess

It nowfeaturesthe newToyota SmartConnect+multimediasys tem, newtrims,colours andaspe cialnew version of theCorolla Trek TouringSports, apumped-upmore muscular version of theestate.

It looksgood with aswooping, coupe-likeprofile andlarge low set grillecomplemented by slim head lightclusters. Therearfeaturesa more steeplyraked rear screenand onthismodel,twinexhaust pipes

Theinterior features theupgraded ToyotaSmart Connect+ which provides much faster response and provides newfunctions andoperates 2.4times faster than thepre vioussystem.

It is operated viathe eight-inch centraltouchscreen to give instant access to aseriesofsmart connect ed services, includingcloud-based navigation with continuous, “always on”trafficinformation

The“HeyToyota” voicecontrol requests canoperate themultime diaand navigation

Software updatesare madeseamlessly over theair,and easy smartphoneintegrationisprovidedvia AppleCarPlay,withwirelesscon nection, andAndroid Auto by con nector

Allspecs come with automatic rear camera,LED headlights,heated frontseats with this range-topperall kindsofbells andwhistles like18-inch alloywheelsBi-LED headlights andpart-leatherseat

upholstery.The soft-touch finish, satinchrome trim andpiano black finish give thecar apremium feel andisacomfortable placetobe. Boot capacity is 581litreswith theseats in place, whichexpands dramatically in true estate fashion with therearseats folded

Theone-touch remote lever folds therearseats to create afully flat floor, whilesidewallstorage pock etsbehindthe rear wheelhousings addextra capacity

Expertsinhybridtechnology with theintroductionofthe Prius,

thetwo-litre petrolengine/electric motorhybridset-updeliversgood pace andeconomy delivered viaa CVTtransmission.

Engine andmotor combinetodeliver180bhp,which propelsthe car to 60mphinaroundeight seconds with claimedeconomyofbetween 50 and60mpg

Ride andhandlingare goodfor abig car, with theride firm feeling composedand capableofdealing comfortablywithall butthe worst surfaces

Toyotahas stuckwithself-charg-

inghybrids,which meansthere is no need to worry over finding charging points

They complement otherplug-in andfull electric models with alloffering thebenefitoflower taxation andbenefit-in-kindtaxation.

AllToyotas provideextensive safety kitand theCorolla offers driver andfront passengerfront andsideairbags,driver’s knee airbags andfull-lengthcurtain shield airbags

Otherfeatures includePre-Col lision System,adaptive cruise control, lane departurewarning and Road Sign Assist,which recognis es road signsand commands and showsthemonthe centraldisplay

FACTFILE

TOYOTA COROLLA SPORTS TOURER EXCEL2.0 HYBRID

Price: £36,260

Mechanical: 180bhp,1,987cc, 4-cylinder petrol engine andelectric motor driving front wheels viaaCVT automaticgearbox

Maxspeed: 112mph 0-62mph: 8.1seconds

Combined mpg: 50-53

CO2emissions:118g/km

Warranty: 5yrs/100,000 miles

Porscheaddsnew baby to 718range

Porsche hasintroduced astrikingnew StyleEdition to its718 Cayman and Boxstermodels.

Setapart from therestofthe range through itsRubystar Neoexterior colour–which harksbacktothe 964-gen eration911 CarreraRS– theStyle Edition incorporates 20-inchgloss black alloywheelsand blacksport tailpipes

ThePorsche name is emblazonedat thebackinhigh-gloss silver, too.

On theconvertible 718Boxster Style Edition, theBoxster letteringisembossedabove thesidewindows

Buyers opting forthe 718Style Edition canchoosefromone of twono-cost packages –one whiteand oneblack Both featuredecorative stripesonthe luggagecompartment lidatthe front, as well as decorative letteringrunning alongthe side of thecar

Thereare also blackand whitehigh

glosspaint finishes forthe wheels.

TheStyle Editioncarsalso geta blackleather interior packagewith contrast stitching, as well as illuminateddoorsillsand thePorsche crest appliedtothe headrests. Allcarscome with an upgraded levelofstandard equipment,too,including Bi-Xenon headlights with LEDdaytime running lights, AppleCarPlay andcruisecon trol. Dual-zoneclimate controlis in cluded as standard too, as is aheated multifunctionsteering wheel.

TheStyle Editionis basedupon entry-levelversionsofthe Boxster andCayman, whichusesafour-cylinderturbocharged petrolenginewith 295bhp and380Nm of torque, driven to therearwheelsthrough astand ard-fitsix-speed manual gearbox Porsche’s PDKautomatic canbe fit tedas an optional extra,too

What is VolvoEX90going up against?

TEDWELFORD PressAssociation

TheVolvo XC90 hasbecome oneofthe most popularlarge SUVs around,gaining areputationfor outstand ingsafety, vast interior spaceand impressive levels of comfort.

Butthe time hascome to move it into thefuture, with theEX90 ar riving as theelectricreplacement forthislarge SUV.

Though notset to arrive in the UK untilearly 2024, it will go up againstsometough competition. Let’ssee what it lookslike.

BMWiX

BMWnow hasatrioofelectric SUVs that buyers canchoose, but it’s theiXthatactsasthe flagship –and adirectcompetitortothe EX90.Thoughthere’s no seven-seat option,thisBMW offers outstand ingdriving dynamics andasublime interior that is oneofthe brand’s best yet. Achoiceofpowertrainsare availableonthe iX,too.Ifrange is important, the‘xDrive50’offersup to 380miles on acharge, whichis slightlyabove that of theBMW

Audi Q8 e-tron

TheAudie-tronarrived as the brand’s firstEV, andthe German firm hasrecentlyrenamed it to the Q8 e-tron, reflecting itsposition as itsrange-topping electric SUV. At thesametime, Audi hasalso fit tedupgradedbatteries,meaning themodel cannow travel up to 343 miles on acharge.

Like theBMW iX,it’sonlyavail able as a five-seater, andisn’t as largeasthe EX90

Butits combination of quality, refinement andtechnologymakes it oneofthe best electric SUVs on the market

Tesla Model X

TheModel Xwas the firsttrueelec tric SUV, andthoughitmightbe theModel 3and ModelYthatgrab thelimelightthese days,the Xis certainlyworth alook. Forstarters, it’s oneoffew seven-seatSUVson themarket–until theEX90arrives anyway –and it’s packed with cool touches, notleast its‘Falcon’rear doorsthatopenupwards

Theinterior is dominatedbya main centraltouchscreen,while thereare vast levels of interior space on offer. There’scurrently quiteawaitfor theupdated Model Xtobebrought to theUK, however

Mercedes EQSSUV

Mercedes’‘EQ’line-up of EVsis growingatquite arate, andthe latestadditionisthe EQSSUV.

It will actasthe brand’selectric flagship

It’s priced accordingly, too, with models starting from asteep £129,000

Itsinterioraimstooffer amore luxuriousfeelthanother electric SUVs on themarket, whileyou can getitwithanoptionofa ‘Hyper screen’, whichabsolutelydominates thecabin

Arange of up to 365miles is providedwiththe EQSSUV

Range Rover

Whilethe RangeRover mighthave traditionallysat in theclassabove theXC90, theexpected priceofthe EX90putsitclose to this latest generationofRange Rover. Admittedly thereisnoelectricRange Rover on offeryet,but oneisdue in 2024, and mayarrivesoonafter theEX90.

LexusRX

Whilethe LexusRXwon’t appeal to those fixatedonhavinganEV, this SUVissoldpurelywithelectrified powertrains, with achoice of self-chargingand plug-inhybrids available. Whilethe RX mightnot be as sporty as otherlarge SUVs on themarket,its focusonquality, comfort and refinement areclosely alignedtoVolvo’s.First deliver iesofthisnew generation of SUV aren’t expected until2023.

Jaguar I-Pace

Though theI-Paceisn’t as pricey or as practicalasthe EX90,ifspace isn’ta priority, this electric SUVis worth alook. It wasJaguar’s first electric car, andwhile you mightexpect it to be showingits age, it’s still more than able to hold itsown.The I-Pacelooks thepart, is greatto drive, andisroomy fora five-seater. Its292-mileclaimed electric range is notthatfar behind newerrivals.

Sellarsset for axeatWolves afterdirestart

TechnicaldirectorScott Sellarsis settoleave Wolves afterbecoming thefocus of fans’anger over their awfulstart to theseason.

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

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

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

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

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

Many fans hadlongquestioned Sellars’ role in termsofplayerrecruitmentdue to Fosun’sclose links with super-agentJorge Mendes.

ANSWERS

Moneytalks –and even the‘fans’are cashingin

Let’snot have fake fans, hey.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

View from thetouchline with SkySportsSoccerSaturday’s JOHNNYPHILLIPS

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

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

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

Forthe powerhousesofleague football in Europe,the contrast is stark.

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

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

Thetentative firststeps in late summer,replaced by thetable tak

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RonaldoisNo.1 when it comesto dividing opinion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CristianoRonaldo’s interview this week madefor tediousTV

Fans were wheeled in to welcomeEngland on theirarrivalinQatar

BAGGIESDUO ARE STAYINGFOCUSED

LEWISCOX lewis.cox@mnamedia.co.uk

Albionheadcoach

Thereare no Baggiesplayers at themajor internationaltournament forthe firsttimesince 2002 in Japanand SouthKorea.

Australian creatorRogic,29, has 53 caps forhis nation butwas left outofGrahamArnold’sSocceroos ranks, whileUnitedStatesstriker Dike,22, will notadd to hiseight USAcapsinthe next fewweeks having been overlooked by boss GreggBerhalter

Corberan,though, praisedhis players forkeeping theirfocus on theclubsituation Attitude

“The only thingIcan tell you is I am watchinga verygood attitude in both players,”Corberan said “Because Iknewbothplayers had thepossibilities (togotothe World Cup) andmaybefor thereasonyou say(notenoughminutes)the na tional teamdidn’tdecide to select them

“I am watchingplayers really,really focusedinthe situationweare having rightnow.”

Rogicisbuilding up his fitness at TheHawthorns afteraminimal pre-season whileafreeagent.Dike completedhis comeback from three months on thesidelines by playinga fewminutes againstStoke last time out.

Ex-CelticstarRogic hasstarted justoncesincejoining Albion in mid-September.Hehas been intro duced twicefromthe benchinCor beran’sfourgames andgavealively cameoagainst thePotters

BrilliantJudehas worldathis feet

Ings is so smart says palMatty

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

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

TheThree

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

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

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

Settlingdown at Saddlers

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

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

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

1ES.

CarlosCorberanhas been impressedwithhow Tom Rogicand DarylDike have respondedtoWorld Cupdisappointment.

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

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

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