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WORLD HERITAGE FEAR FOR GORGE

Developers behindhousingplans that couldput Ironbridge’s WorldHeritageStatusatriskhave launched an appeal over thescheme.

ShropshireHomesapplied to Telford&WrekinCouncil in April 2021 forpermissiontobuild up to 101homesonthe site of theformer CoalbrookdaleWorks in Wellington Road.The foundryclosedin2017 after300 yearsofworkatthe site

No decision hasyet been takenon theproposaland theapplicant has nowapplied forittobedetermined by an inspectorataplanningappeal on thegrounds of ‘non-determination’. Ahearing isset forJune 25 with adecision duebyAugust29.

Theimpasse hasbeenlargely due to concernsabout theplansfrom ICOMOS,which is an advisory body to theUnescoWorld Heritage Committee– theorganisationthat grants theIronbridge Gorgeits coveted ‘World Heritage Status’and hasthe powertotakeitaway.

ThestatusissharedwithMachu Picchu in Peru,the GreatWallof China,the GreatBarrier Reef and theGreat Pyramids of Giza ICOMOS hadpreviouslywarned that theschemecould impact the ‘outstanding universalvalue’of

DOMINIC ROBERTSON ChiefReporter

thearea–a measureusedtogrant ‘World Heritage Status’.

TheGovernmentexpressed its ownconcernsinNovember 2022 during discussionswithTelford & Wrekin Council. AletterfromPhil Foxwood from theDepartmentfor DigitalCulture andMedia’s CulturalDiplomacyTeam, said:“We wouldurgeyou to fullyconsiderall therecommendations from ICOMOSand addressthemasfar as is feasible.Ifthe development goes aheadand ICOMOS’s concerns remain,there will be ariskthatthe WorldHeritageCommittee judges theOutstanding UniversalValue of theWorld Heritage Site to have been severelycompromised. In thosecircumstances,itislikely that thesitewould be putonUNESCO’s List of WorldHeritagein Danger and, should thedevelopment continue,could ultimately be delisted as aWorld Heritage Site.”

Astatement prepared forthe appealbythe planning agents Berrys, on behalf of Shropshire Homes, acknowledgesthatthe councilhas been facedwitha difficult choice Membersofthe public will have untilMay 1tosubmitcommentson theproposalsfor theappeal.

Restaurant wingsway into town

Grantcashavailable forenergyefficiency

Residents in Telfordand Wrekin cannow applyfor grantmoneyto help make theirhomesmoreenergy efficient.

Telford&WrekinCouncil has launched anew energy efficiency grantaimed at helpingmoreresidents save on energy billswhile keepingtheir homeswarm.

The‘Warm &WellTelford’grant is availabletoresidents in receiptof means-tested benefits or thosewith ahousehold income of less than £50,000 before tax.

To thoseeligible, it offers smart thermostatic radiator valves,energy-efficientglazing forwindows that aresingle-glazedorinpoor condition(up to twowindows per property)and energy-efficientexternal doors(forone door perproperty).

Rush continuesfor foodbanks in area

Foodbanksthisweeksaidthere is no endtothe cost-of-living crisis, as they reported an ongoingincrease in demand

Groups operatingacrossthe county saynumbers needinghelp have risen, with familiescontinuing to struggle to meet even theirmost basicneedsfromday to day.

Theteambehindanew restaurant want it to become a‘go-to’ placefor friedchicken fans

Up to 15 jobs arebeing created followingthe openingofWingers at Telford’sSouthwater Andco-owner AmranSunner said:“We have been lookingatTelford forawhileand aregladtoget thedoors open

“Wedid apollonsocialmedia a whileago andasked whereshould we look at foranew location.We hadalot of namescomingforward forTelford whichstarted us looking in thearea.”

New figuresreleasedthisweek reveal acontinuingfallin inflation forgroceries andhousehold energy billsare settofallbecause of changes to theprice capfor electricityand gas. Butthe prices of goods in the shopsand utility billsstill remain significantly higher than they were twoyears ago. Andother bills, such as broadbandand mobile have jumped in price, squeezingalready tight householdbudgets

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Vitalroadinto Gorgereopened

Avital access routeintothe Ironbridge Gorgehas reopened after extensivestructuralworkwas completed

Theproject at Jiggers Bank,delivered by Telford&WrekinCouncil, beganonSeptember 25 last year andhas finished on time andwithin budget.

Thecouncil said thecompletion comesdespite severalcomplications, such as hidden voidswithin andbehindthe wall,narrowcrack openings –or fissures –tothe underlying bedrockand alongthe road surface. Theroad, whichservesas themainroute into theWorld HeritageSite, underwentcomprehensive repairstoaddress structural concerns afteralonghistory of slippage.The projectinvolvedextensiveremedialworks to a200m length of retainingwall, whilemore than 160rockanchorshavebeen installed and300 tonnes of spray concrete applied.

Planstostop smellatlandfill

Detailsofplans to stop an ‘unacceptable’smell from alandfill site plaguing residents have been revealed by theEnvironment Agency

Theodourfromthe Granville Landfill in Redhill,Telford,has been an increasing issueinrecent weeksand months,with residents taking to social media to expresstheir dissatisfaction

TheEnvironment Agency (EA) hasconfirmed it metthe site’s operators, PottersMidlands, in March to discussplans to improve matters–describing it as an “unacceptable situation”thathas “escalated”.

In an update theEAsaidthe operator is making sure pipeworkonthe site is sealedand areasofdeposited wasteare covered with suitable materials. It addedthatnew gascollection equipment hasbeeninstalled

Site’s last new homes on offer

Ahousebuilderhas reachedakey milestone at itsTelford development

DavidWilsonHomessaysRaine Placeisnow over 85 percentsold out.

LocatedonJackson Drive, Raine Placehas just alimitedselection of homesavailable

Theseinclude three, four and five bedroomproperties, suitable for ‘rightsizers’and growingfamilies alike.

SteveBarton,Senior SalesManager at DavidWilsonHomesMercia, said:“OurhomesatRaine Placeare well-suitedtoarange of buyers

“Whether it be forthose looking to rightsize or anyone lookingfor a littlemorespace

“Witha limitedselection of homesavailable before thedevelopment is complete,we’dencourage anyone interested in theproperties availabletovisit us andtalktoour salesadvisers.”

Charitycalls time afterraising in excess of £3mfor hospital

Acharity whichraised more than £3mfor a county hospital has finallycalleditaday –signing offwitha £125,000 donation.

TheFriends of Princess Royal Hospital in Telfordhas confirmed it hasofficiallyceasedtooperate as a charity.

Thegroup,which wasset up back in 1985 when thehospital firstopened, hasraisedhugesums of moneythrough itspopular formershopatthe site –funds which have been used to purchasea host of equipment

Jo Bradley, theformersecretary of thegroup,saidthatthe final donation presented to thehospital amounted to £125,764

Sheexplained thehistory of the group’sfundraising,and how the losses,which beganasthe hospital sawhugelyreduced visitornumbers during Covid, became unsustainable.

Shesaid: “The charitymoney mainly came from theprofits from thefriends’shopand in 2020,due to Covidwhenveryfew out-patients andvisitorswereallowed in thehospital, thoseprofits were not forthcoming.

“Westayedopenatthe requestof thehospitaland forthe sake of the NHSstaff,reasoning thatthe money lost from thecharity wasstill in-keeping with thecharity’s purpose,thatistosupport thehospital, itsstaff andultimatelyits patients

“Itwas finallydecidedtoclose the shop in May2022asthe financial losses couldnot be sustainedand it wasimpossibletopredictits future with ongoingvisitor restrictions andthe uncertaintiessurrounding Future Fit.

“The remainingmoniesheldby thecharity have nowbeenpaid to thePrincess RoyalHospital, a grandtotal of £125,764,which included 13 machines purchasedrecently to be utilisedatthe hospital.”

TheWrekinHousing Groupmarked itsquarterofacenturymilestone

Housingassociation celebrating25years

Ahousing association that providesaffordablehomesacross Shropshire hasmarkedits 25th anniversary

TheWrekinHousing Group marked itsquarter of acentury milestone on March25.

It wasformedafter alandmark transfer of housingstock from Telford&WrekinCouncil to what wasthenThe Wrekin Housing Trustin1999. At thetime, this

RICHARD

wasthe largesttransferofits kind in theUK.

Today, theorganisationprovidesaffordablehomesfor 28,000 people acrossTelford andWrekin, Shropshireand Staffordshire, and employsmorethan1,000 members of staff. GroupChief Executive

WayneGethingssaid“This is a fantasticoccasion forWrekin, for ourstaff andcustomers “Wemakeadifferencetopeople’s liveseveryday so it’s important to reflectondaysliketoday andthink about everything we have achieved –including more than 1.2million repairscarried out, almost 6,000 newhomesbuilt andthree quarters of abillion pounds invested over 25 years.”

Newservice to speed up skin cancer diagnosis

Anew teledermatologyservice has been launched at theCommunity DiagnosticCentre (CDC)inTelford,helping patients to have a faster diagnosisand treatment for skin cancer

Theservice,run by theShrewsbury andTelford Hospital NHS Trust, involvesaqualified professional clinical photographer takinga series of digitalphotographs of apatient’s skin lesion

Thephotographs arethensent to adermatologist forremoteassessment to review if thepatient needs to go into hospital forfurther treatment.Patientsare referred to theservice by theirGP,

allowingthemtohavequicker appointments forthe photographs to be taken.

Remote triage enablesdermatologiststoreviewtwice as many patients than face-to-face appointments. Thereisalso aquicker outcome forpatients, as they will have theirresults within twoweeks rather than waitinga fortnightto be seen in personathospital.

Many patients with non-cancerouslesionscan be discharged back to thecareoftheir GPs without them needingaclinicappointment

Jane McEvoy,fromJackfield, near Telford, wasone of the first patients to use thenew service,

afterbeing referred by herGPto have alesion on herfacephotographed. Jane said that it wasthe thirdlesion that shehad had, with thesecondone on herbreastbeing cancerous. Shesaid: “MyGPtold me that this wasa newservice and Iwould be seenveryquickly,which Iwas.Itisaworry when youhave hadalesionthatwas cancerous andalsobecause it is on my face.”

HelenChilds,Clinical DermatologistSpecialist Nurse,said: “The teledermatologyservice is to prioritise thosepatientsreferredby theirGPs with lesionstohavehigh qualityphotographs takenquickly.”

Ian Roth with patient JaneMcEvoy

on March 25

DecoratedD-Day warheroine diesat107

Shropshirewar heroine, Rose Davies,a recipient of France’s highestmilitaryhonour, has died at theage of 107.

Aradar operator during the Second WorldWar,RoseDavies wasstationed at RAFVentnor on theIsleofWight,havingjoined theRAF at theage of 25

Her fiancé Wilf wasstationed overseas in theMiddleEastand shedecidedtojointhe waref-

fort,inthe hopeofbringinghim home sooner.

In 2016,Rose wasawarded the Legion d’honneur, thehighest decoration in France,for therole sheplayedduringD-Day Sheand hercolleaguesusually workedinsix-hour shifts, buton D-Dayshe workedfor 10 hours withoutpause,unabletohand over to thewaitingreliefshift becauseofthe ‘chaotic’ work

Theprestigious Legion d’honneur is awardedtoD-Day veteransbythe French government as away of thanking those who fought andriskedtheir livesfor France’s liberation

Despite therecognition,Rose always downplayedthe part she playedinthe wareffort.

Laterinlife, Rose became a befriendingvolunteer forOmega

Thousandsofhours of sewage dumping

Shockingdatahas revealed stormoverflows in Shropshire were dumpingraw sewage into theRiver Severn forthousands of hours last year.

Data published by theEnvironmentAgency(EA)lastweek revealed that overflowsdumped sewage into rivers andseas acrossEngland formorethan 3.6million hoursin2023–more than doublethe previous year

Duetothe county’s sewage systemsthatsee rain andsewage sharethe same pipes, sewage is spiltintowaterwaystoprevent thesystembacking up during periodsofheavy rain –but environmentalists saythe dumpsshould only be happeninginexceptional weather.

TheEAhas said thedramatic figurescan be partly blamed on thecountry facing itssixth wettest year on record

Nevertheless, thedatawas describedas“disappointing” but “sadly not surprising” by the EA, whilecampaigners saidthe scale of discharges wasa“finalindictmentofafailing industry”.

SevernTrent figuresshow therewere440,446 hoursofsewagespillsfrommonitored storm overflow in 2023, up from 249,116 hoursin2022, alongwithanoth-

er 60,253 hoursofsewagespills from monitoredstorm overflows, compared to 44,765 hoursthe year before In Shropshire,the newEAdata revealssomestorm overflows dumped sewage into theSevern morethan100 timeslastyear.

Oneoverflow at Greyfriars Bridge in Shrewsbury spilt128 timesin2023, for2,467 hours. That’s about103 days,orthe equivalent of aboutthree months non-stop.Slightlydownthe river towardsCastleFields, another split120 timesfor 1,903hours, or around 79 days non-stop.In

Ironbridge asewer offLadywood spent446 hoursdumping untreated sewage into theSevern during 60 spills, whileanother in Coalport spilt71times,for a totalof702 hours–or29days non-stop.

SevernTrent hassaidthatitis investingina rangeofinitiatives to “improve river health”asit points the finger at aparticularly wet2023. Aspokespersonfor the water companysaidin2023, the county experienced34per cent more rain than in 2022,withthe wettestperiodonrecordduring StormBabet

Four foundguilty of murderingDPD driver

Four menhavebeenfound guilty of murderingaDPD driver in Shrewsbury.

AjuryatStaffordCrown Courtalsofound a fifthman guilty of themanslaughterof Aurman Singh.

The23-year-old died afterhe wasattackedinBerwick Avenue, CotonHill, on Monday,August 21

Twogroupsofmen hadtravelledtoShrewsbury that morningfromSmethwick in an Audi andaMercedestoattackthe deliverydriver.

He wasbrutallykilledwith weaponsincluding an axe, golf

club,machete andcricket bat. Four of themen on trialhad beeninthe Audi

Arshdeep Singh,24, of Tipton; Shivdeep Singh, 27 andManjot Singh, 25,bothofSmethwick andJagdeep Singh, 22,ofDudleyhad alldeniedmurderand thelesserchargeofmanslaughter.

Thejuryfound them all guilty by aunanimous verdict.

SukhmandeepSingh, 24, from Peterborough,was foundguilty of manslaughter.

He hadprovidedaphotograph of Aurman Singh’s vantothe othermen from thedepot where

they both worked. He also admitted providinginformation on itswhereaboutsonthe dayofthe killing to theother men, buthad deniedmurder andmanslaughter, claiming twoofthe other menhad threatenedtokillhim andhis wife

During thesix-weektrial,the jury hadheard that Aurman Singh wasassaulted in Berwick Avenue at about1.05pmby masked men.

All five defendantshad denied beingpartofthe plottokill AurmanSingh or even knowingthe victim.The gang in theMercedes wasnever captured

Launch of guide to supportcarers

Anew editionofaguide to support carers hasbeenlaunched. Telford&WrekinCouncil,in partnershipwithTelford AllAge Carers Centre andother localorganisationshas launched Carers WellbeingGuide,avital resource forcarersinthe borough.

This comprehensiveguide serves as ago-to resource,packedwith information, practicaladvice, and localcontactstosupport caregivers in theirday-to-day life.

Thereisalsofurther information on cost of living support, community wellbeingservicesand ways to getout andabout in theborough Councillor Paul Watling, Cabinet Member forAdult SocialCareand Health Systems, said:“This guide is an incredibly useful tool forcarersacrossthe boroughtohelpthem getthe rightcaresupport they need.” Thenew guidecan be downloaded from https://www.telford gov.uk/carerswellbeing

Brewery’stop industryaward

Pubs chainMarston’s wasa winner in theannualPublican Awards

TheWestMidlands-based business landed thebestpub employeraward forthose with more than 500staff

It waspresented with the Morning Advertiser awards at EvolutionLondonlastWednesday. CarlsbergMarston’s,the West Midlands-based brewery groupinwhich Marston’shas a part share, sponsoredthe best partnershippub category more than 500sites whichwentto PunchPubs, whichisbased in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. “Winningiswonderful recognitionfor theprogressive andinnovative people strategy that we have here andcreditto ourincrediblepeople,”saidJane Murray,DirectorofLearning& Development.”

Figuresreleased aboutcouples

About167,000 people in England andWales arelikelytobein samesexmarriages,accordingtothe latestavailable figures.

Thenumberhas been on abroad upwardspathsince ceremonies became legal in both nationsinMarch 2014.Some26,000 people areestimatedtohavebeeninasame-sex marriage inEngland andWales by theend of 2015,accordingtothe Office forNationalStatistics(ONS) By 2018,the figure hadreached nearly 121,000,thenheldsteady for thenextfew yearsbeforeclimbing to 167,000 in 2022

Separate figuresshowthat4,850 same-sex marriagestookplacein England andWales betweenMarch 29 2014 andthe endofthatyear, with female couplesaccountingfor 56 percentand males44per cent. Same-sex marriageshavebeen legalinNorthernIreland sinceJanuary 13 2020.Some 158tookplace in 2020,with396 in 2021

Groupcelebrates as developer pullsout of deal with church

RICHARD WILLIAMS richard.williams@mnamedia.co.uk

Acommunity group whofound themselves ‘gazumped’ whenthe Church of Englandsold offlandtheyplanned to turn into anatureproject arencelebratingafterthe developerpulled outofthe deal.

Floyer Lane CommunityGroup lost outonthe plotoflandinBenthall, just outsideBroseley in Octoberlastyearwhenthe Church Commissioners, wholookafter the church’s assets,soldittoBoningale Homes.The firm wanted to build 100homesonthe land.

Thesalecameafter theChurch Commissionershad promisedthe land to thegroup,who hadraised “tensofthousands”tobuy it.The grouphad plannedtoturnthe area into awildlifehaven.However,the land deal to BoningaleHomeshas fallen through.

LauraDaviesofthe Floyer Lane CommunityGroup said:“Ironically we hadameetingthe nightbefore when we were talkingabout the next stepsbut then ouragent called andsaidthe sale hadcollapsed,” shesaid. “The church then called andconfirmed it to us andthey didapologise forwhattheyput us through.”

TheChurchCommissioners said they were undertakingastrategic review as to thefutureofthe land

Aspokesman said:“Theproposed sale of thelandatHilltop Farm, Floyer Lane,Benthalltoa localdeveloperisno longer proceeding.As such,the Church Commissioners forEngland is taking time to undertakea furtherstrategicreview, andtoconsidernextsteps with regard to thefutureofthe site.”

Lauraadded: “Yes we arecelebrating, at leastweare notgoing to getbulldozers down thebottomof theroad. Butwedon’t know if they aregoing to sell it to us.”

Nobody at BoningaleHomeswas availabletocomment

Charitytakingstock of work needed on cafe

Charitybosseshavebeentaking stockofwhatneeds to be done to bringthe Halfway Housecafeon TheWrekinbacktolife.

TheYellowRibbonCommunity Chaplaincy hasbeenallocated £320,000 underthe Community OwnershipFundtohelpcomplete thepurchaseofthe cafe whichis halfway up TheWrekin.

Pauline Mack,charity deputy chiefexecutive Paul Bell andtheir property manager Rita Wilkinson, went to thesitelastweektoassess what needs to be done.“We areon tracktocomplete in MayorJune,” said Pauline.“We aimtobeableto servedrinks andsnacksfromthe cafe in June.There arequite alot of hoopstogothrough.” Thechar-

itysupportsmen on releasefrom prisonand sees thecafeas away of linkingcharities and“unlocking thepotential of people”who have nothad aeasyupbringing.

Pauline andthe charityhavea passiontorelease thepotential of people from broken communities.

“Wewanttouse it as away of findingdifferent ways that young people can find theirpotential,” sheadded

Five families moving in afterarenovation project

Five familieswill soonbemoving into newhomesfollowing arenovation project.

Telford&WrekinHomesisthe council’slatesthousing initiative whichaimstobreathe newlifeinto Telford’sexistinghousing stock.

Thecouncil previously announced it wouldrefurbish around 134homesfor amixture of private andaffordablerent, to provide “high qualityhomesfor rent” acrossthe borough.

Thelatestpropertiesare located in Woodside,StGeorges,Hadley andMadeley

To date,around30peopleare living in renovatedpropertieswith

Telford&WrekinHomes. Keith, whocurrently rentsin Dawley, said:“We foundTelford &Wrekin Homesduringwhatwas arelatively stressfultimefor us as afamily–we hadbeengiven notice from our landlordtoleave our home dueto thepropertybeing putonthe market forsale.

“Asafamilyofsix we needed to find ahouse bigenoughfor us all–butmostofall we longed forsome security andapeace of mind,and that’s when wecontacted Telford &WrekinHomes.

“Justeight monthslater andwe arehonestlysohappy andsettled here.Location, thestandardof

renovation plus the size of thegarden arejustsomeofthe reasons we wouldrecommendTelford & Wrekin Homes to otherswho find themselves in asimilar situation.”

Councillor LeeCarter, cabinet member forplace, theeconomy andneighbourhood services said: “Not only is Telford&Wrekin Homesofferinglocal people theopportunitytolive in asecure, good qualityhome,but througharenovation processweare putting new life into existing properties,which mayotherwise blightour communities.Telford &WrekinHomes properties arelocated allaround theborough.”

PaulineMack, RitaWilkinson andPaul Bellfrom theYellowRibbon Community Chaplaincy at thecafe

Striking,recognisable birds lookingfor temperatezones

ON THEWILDSIDE

With BenWaddams

In asimilar waytothat of swallows andhouse martins,migratory birdswho neversee a winter in theirlives, thereisabirdthatreturnstoShropshirethis monthand aims notjust to keep warm butswap onerainforestfor another.

Pied flycatchershavespent the last sixmonthsinthe tropical jungles of West Africa.Theyare strikingand instantlyrecognisablebirds andalthoughwedon’t have any tropical rainforestshereinthe UK, we do have temperaterainforests Rainforestsintemperate zonesare warm andabundantenoughfor tropical birdstothrivein.

Thewonderful oldoak woods (where flycatcherslovetonest) are relics of thetemperate rainforest that once coveredmuchofnorthern andwestern Britain.

Untilmid-May,these damp, mossy,fern-rich woodswill be alive

with birdsong.But the flycatchers’ ownperformance is subtle;alilting, somewhat mournful tuneofabout five simple notes, sung over and over.

When the flycatchershavefound mates, they fall silent to concentrate on raisingafamily. Butsome malessecretly find time to pair up

Hitting theright note with awards

Aschool’svibrant musicdepartment is celebratingscooping sixprestigious awards

Wrekin College’shaulincludesaccoladesfor ensemblesand individual musicians pickedupateventsacross thecountry

Most recently theschool’sJazzand ConcertBands celebrated aplatinum awardeachatthe National Concert Band Festival finals in Warwick. It also gained an awardfor thebestprogramme whichincludednew,original bigbandpiecesalongside bigband classics such as ‘Sing, Sing,Sing’ Last month,italsoattained first placeand Best ProgrammeAwards in theschools category of theGreat NorthBig Band Jazz Festival.To top

things off, saxplayerTobyEgerton wasawarded theprize forbeing the outstandingsoloist

Director of MusicSimon Platford praisedall involved,addingtheir dedicationand commitmenttoabusy anddemanding rehearsalschedule hadpaidoff

“A greatdealofhardworkhas gone into preparingfor allthese events andI am very proudofall of thoseinvolved,” he added.

Head at Wrekin CollegeToby Spence,who wasatthe NCBF finals, said:“Iamveryproud of allthe young Wrekinians whohaveembraced these opportunitiesand workedsohardand given theirabsolutebesttorepresent ourcommunity so superbly.”

with asecondfemalenearby, before returning to theiroriginalnest. Meanwhile, there’sno guarantee their firstpartnerwillstayfaithful.

Thecomplexitiesinthe courtship andbreedingofthisspecies,has made it apopular research subject andindeed it is nowone of the world’s best-studied songbirds.

On theedges of said woodland anothercreatureisalso nowat peakbreedingtimethismonth alongwithsomanyothers. We have explored thehareacoupleofweeks agobut nowisthe time fortheir young;leverets. If you’relucky,you mightspotsome afew days old, hunkered down in abed of grass. It mayseemodd to seesuchyoung animalsontheir own, with no mother in sight, butthe leveretsare far from helpless

When rabbitsare born they resemble little morethantiny, naked sausages!Leveretshowever are much larger,looklikefully-furred, perkymini-antelopes andattwo days oldcan alreadyrun pretty swiftly.

Whererabbit kits stay underground fortheir firsttwo or three weeks, leveretsstart life outinthe open.Their mother visits just once a day, to sucklethemand tidy up,lingering only afew minutes to avoid attracting anyunwanted attention. This canmakeithardtopinpointa leveret,but that’s thewhole idea. It mayseemlikeacallous start, butit is in fact averyclever andsuccessfulone n Ben’sworkisavailable through Callaghans Gallery,

Shrewsbury

Let’sbehonest–Christianity andother religionshaveaserious public relations problem becauseofawidelyheldviewthat throughouthistory religion has contributedtothe cause of wars andother conflictsinthe world Howcan this be?How is it that religions, whichfor so many arethe essenceoflove, goodness and relationship, can be so easilymanipulated forviolent and extremistreasons?

Ithink,at theriskofsounding defensive, it’s not always religion’s fault. Many extremists areinterested in power, land, wealth, or simply thesupremacy of their own group and they cunninglyemploy religion as a centralstrategy towardstheir goal.Inthe handsofsinister people, even good things can be used forill,e.g.the ‘misuse’ of socialmedia. Arewepreparedtohaveaninformedand intelligent understanding of ourown Christianfaith whilst also respecting andengaging with membersofother faiths? Can we not strive to understandand learnmoreabout our faiths –withall ourcomplexities andvarieties?Shrewsbury Interfaith Forum usually meets each month on thesecondTuesdayfrom1.00pmto2.00pmat Shrewsbury United Reformed Church (by the English Bridge). We’renot trying to converteach other, butattemptingtolisten andunderstandeachother

10am-5pm

Pied flycatchershave spent thelast sixmonths in thejunglesofWestAfrica

YoungWrekinCollege students at theNationalConcertBandFestival

Voters areset to selectthe PCC forthe region

It’s theelectionnot many aretalkingabout –yet residents across the region will be askedtotaketothe pollsin Maytodecide on apolice commissioner forWestMercia Voters will head forthe ballot boxesonMay 2.

Conservativeincumbent John Campionhas held thepostsince 2016,and wasre-elected in 2021 with a100,000 majority afterafter seeing offa challengefromLabour’s Kuldip Sahota,Liberal candidate Margaret Rowley andReformcandidate PeterJewell.

ThePoliceand CrimeCommissioner forWestMercia sets the budgetfor policing forthe area,includingthe counciltax preceptfor policing,and also appoints thechief constable.

TheLiberal Democratshavepreviouslycalledfor theroleofPolice andCrime Commissioners to be scrapped,withparliamentary leader Ed Daveydescribing them as “pencilpushers”

Butannouncingher candidacy last month, LibDem hopefulSarahMurraysaidshe would“bring liberalvaluestoWestMercia Police forcetohelptacklecrime andprovide policingthatmeets theneeds of thecommunity”.

In hisown announcement,John Campionsaidhewas proudtohave held therolesince 2016,and hadincreasedthe amount spentonpolicingbyover£30 millionsince2016.

Improvements to town have nowstarted

Themayor of aShropshiremedievaltownsaysits decision to hireafundraising companyhas beguntopay off.

Eagle-eyedMuchWenlock residents mayhavenoticed that part of the flower beds at the back of theGuildhallhavebeen cleared.

TheGuildhall is aGrade II* listed building.It hasservedthe Much Wenlockcommunity for over 500years, as acourtroom, jail,marketplaceand council chamber.

Ateamrun by residentJohn Rigbyhavepreparedthe beds foramajor replanting scheme

Theplantshavebeengenerouslydonated by Harley Nurseries. Themoveispartofa drive to repair andimprove theGuildhall,and thetown’sMayorDavidFenwick said it was“just the start”.Hesaid: “A committeeof thetowncouncil is currentlyusingthe services of aprofessional fundraising companyto find money, andlotsofit, to undertake extensiverepairs andimprovements to the500-year-old Guildhall, so this littlegardeningenterprise is justthe start.”

Apublicconsultationonthe Guildhallwas opened last year andisstill accessible at https:// uk.surveymonkey.com/r/QZH NZF7

Google Street View charts the changing face of ourcounty

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.

Lawley

Couple’s dog drinks secure Dragoncash

MEGANJONES megan.jones@mnamedia.co.uk

AShropshire-basedhusband and wifeteamofentrepreneurs have beenoffered a£50,000 investment fortheir petdrinksbusinessonthe BBC’sDragons’Den.

Husbandand wife Ianand Louise Toal secured an investment fortheir rangeofsmoothiedrinks fordogsonlastweek’sepisodeofDragons’Den

Thepairwereoffered £50,000 fora35per cent shareoftheir companybyfashion retail entrepreneur,investor, andreality television personality Touker Suleyman

‘FurrBoost’cameabout afterLouise’sbeloved Beagle,Phoebe, became unwell with bladderproblems when shewas 18 monthsold

Usingher technicalfood background,Louise startedexperimenting with proteinshakestohelp flushout Phoebe’s system andtoprovide herwith thehydration that sheneeded when shewas refusingtodrink enough water,particularlyinthe summermonths.

Thecoupletoldthe panelthateachofthe recipes contains real meat,fruitsand vegetables,along with addedoilsand vitamins, to supportthe dog’s wellbeinginareas such as digestion,skinand coat, anxiety, metabolism andimmunity.

Commenting on theirtimeinthe Dragon’s Den Louise said: “Itwas pretty nerve-wracking having to present ourbusinesstothe Dragonsand they certainlyput us throughour paces, butweweredelightedwiththe outcome.”

AirportisUK’sfourth dearestfor carparking

Birmingham Airporthas come outasthe fourth most expensiveairport in theUKtoparkatfor a week –atjustunder £100 –ina studybyanonline carsales business

TheresearchbyCinch foundthatLondonCity Airportwas most expensiveat£164.34followed by Heathrow at £123.40and Gatwickat£106.

Thecheapestplacefor holidaymakers to leave theirvehicleswhiletheywentawaywas Edinburghat£39.99.

SamSheehan,motoringeditoratCinch, said: “To find thecheapestplacefor you to park,we looked at thecharges fora seven-day parkingstay acrossthe 20 largestairportsinthe UK.”

Grantround forenergy-efficient projects

Thelatestround of acommunity benefitfundhas opened for applications to help localgroups reduce theircarbonemissions, become moreenergy-efficient or improve biodiversity

Charities, voluntaryand communitygroupsinTelford andWrekinand Shropshire cannow applytoShropshire andTelford CommunityEnergy (STCE) CommunityBenefit Fund forgrantsofupto£6,000 to supportcommunity carbon saving projects.Supported by thesaleofelectricity from the Twemlows solarfarmnear Whitchurch,the community benefitfundwillrun forthe lifetime of thesolar farm and deliver communitybenefits in theregionof£4.5 million pounds over thenext18years Projects that have benefited from theSTCEfundtodate includesolar PV panels for communitycentresand village halls, andother energyefficiency improvements.Inaprevious roundoffunding theParkLane Centre in Woodside used the supporttoinstall LEDlight-

ingand rainwater harvesting Mark Latham,one of STCE’s five directors, said:“Lastyear, working with four othergroups acrossEngland andWales,we took part in theUK’slargest transfer of renewableenergy assets into communityownership.Withthe help of 126 investors, we raised£294,000 –enoughtopurchasethe solarfarmfor thebenefitofthe people of Telfordand Wrekin andShropshire. This is our firstgrant roundsince thepurchase.”

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Thousands turn outtogreet Queen

Thousandsofpeople gathered to greetthe Queenwhenshe visited thecounty.

Thecloudsparted andthe sun shone as QueenCamillakepther firstroyal engagement with members of thepublicsince theroyal family’sdoublecancerscare

King Charleshad originally plannedtovisit Shrewsbury along with hiswifeuntil he received his diagnosis. SincethenCatherine, thePrincess of Wales, hasrevealed herown cancer treatment

Therewerenothing butgood wishes from thecrowdsthatturned outtomeetthe Queenand shespent aconsiderable amount of time in the Square talkingtomembersofthe publicand farmers’ market stallholders. TheQueen mettwo sisters holdingposters with thepoignant words “sendour love to Kate”.

TheQueen stopped to sayhello to Harriet, 10,and Lois Waterston, six, whohandedover postersthe pair hadmadethe daybefore, decorated with starsand hearts.The oldergirlapologised, saying “I’m

sorrythey’re abit creased” but Camilla crouched down to talk to them andsaid“I’ll take them carefullyand we’llmakesureshe knows they’recoming”

Theirmum Lucy Waterston, 44, from Shrewsbury,saidabout the posters: “Wedidn’tthink shewould gettosee them to be honest andshe said shewould certainlypassonthe best wishes.”

TheQueen also took a fine pencildrawing of herand King Charles from Shrewsbury artist Sibu Balan –which made hisday andthatof thecrowd around him.

Accompaniedbythe musicof Shrewsbury BrassBandshe moved underthe Old Market Hall where shesigneda visitors’bookthathad also been signed by QueenElizabeth in 1952.Camilla wasaccompanied by town clerkHelen Ball

Shealso metmembers of thelocal BeeKeepers’Association Neil Hasleyand his10-year-old sonShane,fromKetley, in Telford, hadbeensokeentosecuretheir

frontrow spot in TheSquarethat they sleptintheir camper vanthe nightbefore. Shanewas rewarded with ahandshake andsaidhe felt “veryhonoured”

TheQueen spentalongtimetalkingtostallholders –the royalcouplebeing interested in supporting farmingand Britishbusinesses.

Nisa Mendez, of LillyMskincare andsoapproducts, wastoldthather wares“smeltamazing”.

“Itwas an eperienceIwill never forget,” shesaid.

TheQueen wasgiftedabottleof Rowton Vineyard’s pinot noir.The business wasset up by twin sisters Zoeand Melissa Evansin2020and hasalready createdaward winners.

“Wehad anicechat,”saidthe sisters.“Sheasked us when we setup andhow longwehavebeengoing SheisapatronofWineGBand is enthusiasticabout theindustry.”

SallyFreeman,eventsmanager at Wildjacdistilleryhandedthe Queentwo bottlesoftheir Coronation Gin, whichisspiced.Frederica Bernardi,ofTruly Teas,handedthe Queenanew blendcalledCamilla Tea.

TheQueen spent aconsiderable amountoftime in theSquaretalkingtomembers of thepublic

Therewerenothing

Acrowningmomentfor this Royalsupporter in Shrewsbury

TV Charlie to lead charge at Arable Event

MATTHEWPANTER

matthew.panter@mnamedia.co.uk

Renowned agricultural consultant CharlieIreland,and agri YouTuber “OllyBlogs”Harrisonwillbe amongthe star attractionsasthe Arable Eventreturnsfor its10th anniversarycelebration.

The2024event will showcaseeverything that is newand trendinginthe world of crop andcereal farming.

It takesplace at Weston-under-LizardonJune 19 andwill showcaseseedtrial plots, machinery demonstrationsand expert speakers on arange of pressing topicsfor thearable industry Ireland, afarming consultant whoisa regular featureonthe hitshow,Clarkson’sFarm, anda managing partneratleading consultancyCeres Rural, will be joined by influencer Olly Harrison. Olly became an “accidentalYouTuber” at the startoflockdown andnow has116,000 subscribers to hischannel,which posts regularvideo updates aboutlifeonhis farm andasacontractor near Liverpool.Arable Eventmanager KellyDolphin said: “I’m delightedthatCharlie is returningtothe ArableEvent afterhis verypopular talk last year.He’s knownasa farmingconsultant, buthis knowledge andexpertise coversahugerange of topics “Olly’sYouTube channelgives an honest view of what dailylifeislikefor farmersinthe UK.He hasfound away to connectwithbothfarmers and non-farmers.”

Apache helicopters on farewell tour overarea

BritishArmyApacheMk1 helicoptershavebeen picturedsoaring over theregiononafarewell tour of thecountry

Theaircraftisbeing replaced by amoremodernversion,the Apache AH-64E,and to mark this variant’sretirement, atourofvarious locationsthrough thecountry was flownbyfourhelicopterslastMonday.

Flightfansturnedout to seethe iconicattack choppers flyover locationsincluding theNational Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshireand RAF Shawbury.The finaloperational deployment of theMK1 came earlierthismonth on Operation ClockworkinNorway.

PopstarJason to join line-upat festival

Top1980s popsensation Jason Donovanhas been announced as oneofthe headliners at a festival beingheldatWeston Park in May.

TheAustralian actorand singer,who starredin TV’s Neighboursfrom1980to1989, will join Scouting forGirls and Toploaderasone of theheadlinersatClubFest2024, afestival hosted by theCaravan andMotorhome Club.Set againstthe backdrop of the17thcentury statelyhome at Weston Park, ClubFest will take placefrom

May24toMay 27.As well as theheadliners, there will be several localbands andtribute acts performing on thefestival’ssecondstage Thefestivalwill also feature free activities forthe whole family,including anew nature clubwithbushcraft activities likeshelter building,forest foraging andcarving.Awellness club will also runavarietyofdaily exercise classes, whilefamiliescan take part in paddleboarding,archeryand arange of danceand baking

competitions.Brian Morgan, theclub’sheadofeventsand communications,said: “ClubFest is ahighlightofour annual calendar.Over4,500 visitors come together to enjoy thefestivalatmosphereand meet new friends. Forthose wholove live music, it is agreat exampleof what we do best at theclub, providinggreat facilities and entertainmentinapicturesque settingsurroundedbynature.

“Weurgethose interested to book nowtoavoid disappointment.”

JasonDonovan

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Charlie Irelandwill return as aspeaker

Farm

buildings aretogoafter homes agreed

Farm buildingsare settobedemolishedafter ahousing schemenear ahistoricShropshirecountry house wasgiven thego-ahead.

Councilplannersgavethe green lightfor theschemeoff Leigh Road, in Minsterley,which will seesix homesand four business unitsdevelopedonaformeragricultural site near theGradeIIlisted MinsterleyHall.

Afterapprovalofthe application by Shingler HomesLtd,anumberof modern farm sheds will be knocked down to make wayfor themixed use developmentatHallFarm, while olderagriculturalbuildingsonthe site will be converted, developers say.

However aseparateproposalfor 14 houses settobebuilt on adjacent land to thesouth is yettobedecided,withadecision dueafterthe consultation period expiredearlier this month

Theschemehad received objectionsfromlocal residents, with some raising concerns over traffic access onto Leigh Road, whileotherswereconcerned aboutthe visual effect on thenearbyMinsterley Hall

But Shropshire Council planners wavedawaythose concerns,after theapplicantsintroduced enhanced treeplantingtoshieldthe view of thedevelopment. Aproposednew buildresidential dwelling wasremovedbythe developertoreduce thescheme’svisualimpact.

Newunits

to be builtonsiteof devastating fire

Threenew commercialunits will be builtinplace of aformer office andwarehouse building that burnttothe ground Planners at Telford& Wrekin Councilgavethe go-ahead for theschemeonthe site of theformerEpic Park buildingsonthe edgeofHalesfield, whichwere ripped apartbya devastating fire morethantwo yearsago

Around 70 firefighters from around thecountyand beyond workedthrough thenighttoput outthe blazeinNovember2021, whichleftthe former distribution hubofevents firm Infoteam InternationalServicesinruins Developerssay thenew buildings will be of similar size and scaletothe original structures, having broughtforward plans in October.

Thereplacementdevelopment will also includeasmall industrialunitwhich developers say will “maximise” employment on thesite.

“The applicationsitepreviouslyhouseda commercial property andassociatedparkingfor Infoteam.The building waspreviouslythe production facility forInfoteamand later became theInfoteamdistribution centre,” said asupporting statementbyapplicantsInfoteamInternational

Archdeacon outover‘inappropriate’relationship

Thecounty’sArchdeacon hasresigned after‘abrief,consensual butinappropriate relationship with awoman’.

TheArchdeacon of Salop Paul Thomas will also face athree-year prohibitionfromministry, after therelationshipwhich ‘marred’ hislongservice In astatement theBishopofLichfield, MichaelIpgrave,saidthe decision hadbeentaken afteran investigationbythe DioceseofLichfield.

TheArchdeacon took on the role coveringSalop in 2011 –his position hasbeencovered since theinvestigation startedby‘act-

ingarchdeacons’,the RevPreb Jo Farnworthand theRev Mary Thomas.Theywill continue in the post untila decision on apermanent replacementismade. Thestatement followingthe investigationintothe Archdeacon’s case addedthatthe inappropriaterelationshiphad takenplace during 2022 andearly 2023 –and happened whilehewas “sufferingpost-Coviddepressionand spiritualexhaustion”

Bishop Michaelsaid: “InSeptember of last year,Archdeacon Paul Thomas agreed to step back from allministrywhile acomplaint made againsthim underthe

Clergy DisciplineMeasure wasinvestigated

“Thatprocess has nowconcluded,overseen by theBishopof Shrewsbury on my behalf during my absence.IamgratefultoBishop Sarahfor hercareinconsideringthis, andI am nowinaposition to statethe outcome

“Paulhas admitted to ‘a brief, consensualbut inappropriate relationship with awoman during 2022 andearly 2023 whilst suffering post-Covid depression and spiritualexhaustion’

“Inthe DioceseofLichfield, we expect thehigheststandards of personaland professional conduct

from ourclergy. Thepenalty that hasbeenimposed on Paul,and to whichhehas consented,isresignation as Archdeacon of Salopand a prohibitionfromministryfor three years.

“Thismeans that he will notbe returningtoministryasArchdeaconofSalop.Iamdeeplygrieved that Paul’s long serviceinministry in this Diocese,which Iknow has been appreciated over theyears by many people,including me,has been marred in this way.”

He added: “BishopSarah andI aremindfulofthe need to offera continuity of ministry in theroleof Archdeacon of Salop.”

Fitnesscoach revealshow she had heartattackwhenjust22

DOMINIC ROBERTSON ChiefReporter

A22-year-old fitness coachhas praisedthe supportshe received from theBritish Heart Foundation afterhaving aheart attack.

On January6avidgym-goer FaithHarrisonwas feeling fitand healthywhenshe drove more than anhourtoStaffordtoplayina hockey match.

It wasnot untilafterthe match that shestarted to feel strange–butshe never considered it mightbe somethingtodowithher heart.

Faith, whoisfromLittleMinsterley, said:“Afterthe match, Ijust didn’t feel likemyself. Ididn’tfeel sick or ill,justnot likeme. Igot in my cartodrive home andabout 30 minutes in,my armjustwentnumb andtingly, andmychest went very tight likesomeonewas sittingonit.

“I didwonderifsomethingseriouswas goingon, butIcould speak andmove so Ithought Iwas OK.I never thoughtitcould be to do with my heart.

“I decidedtodrive to my parents’ houseas it wascloserthanmine. Somehow,Igot there, butassoon as Iwalkedin, Isaid‘something is wrong’.Myparents, my partner Sam, andIall thoughtmyblood sugarwas low, butIviolently vomited up anything they triedtogive me

“Mydad rang 999,but thecall handlersaiditwas probably anxietyora panicattack. By this time, Iknewsomethingwas seriously wrong, so Samand my dadtookme to A&Eat thePrincessRoyal Hospitalin Telford.”

DoctorstoldFaith sheneeded to be takenbyambulance toRoyal StokeUniversity Hospital,the nearestheart centre There, testsrevealeda blood clot wasblockingone of Faith’scoronary arteries by 90 percent, and that shehad beenhavingwhatis knownas a“widow-maker” heart attack forthe last seven hours. She

waslucky to be alive. Faithwas also diagnosedwitha patent foramen ovale(PFO),a smallholebetween thetop twochambersofthe heart whichusuallycloses afterbirth In very rare cases,aPFO canallow anormallyharmlessblood clot to reacha coronary artery andcreatea blockage, leadingtoa heart attack

Faithhad an emergency thrombectomy,aprocedure to remove ablood clot from an artery Butunfortunately, thedamageto Faith’sheart during herattackwas so severethatshe now hasheart failure.

This is acondition which means theheart does notpumpblood around thebodyeffectively Faithadded: “Havingthe heart attack andbeing told Ihaveheart failurehas been life-changing. I hadbusinessgoals, Ihad fitness goals, Ihad lifegoals.Now my goals are verydifferent becausemyphys-

ical andmentalhealthhas changed so much

“It’sbeencomfortingtoknow theBritishHeart Foundation is therefor me whenever Ineed it as aresource of support. Theirleaflets were alifelinetomeinhospital, andI’veusedthe HeartHelplineto learnmoreabout cardiacrehabilitation.I also want to thankthe cardiologists at RoyalStoke University Hospital fortakingsuchgoodcare of me.”

As athank you to theBHF,Faith raised£250fromher hospital bed whichwillhelptofundthe charity’s lifesavingresearchintoheart and circulatoryconditions.

Faithsaid: “Whathappenedto me wasrubbish, butI’vebeengiven asecond chance andIwanttodo somethingwithit. Forme, Iwantto raise awarenesswithyoung people that they’renot invincible andtell them nottotakelifefor granted.

“Everyone,even youngpeople,

need to learnthe symptoms of a heartattacksotheydon’t delay seekinghelp. It couldbelifesaving It’s also vitalthathealthcareprofessionals don’tassumethatyoung people can’thaveheart attacks. I’m living proofthattheydo.”

Faith’sstory comesasthe British HeartFoundationhas revealed that demand forits informationand support helplinehas soared amid ongoingdelaystopeople’sheart care

Thecharity says it hashad to doublethe number of cardiacnurses availabletoworkonits Heart Helplinetocopewiththe number of people seekinghelp.

TheBHF reported a40per cent surgeincontactsbetween December2023and February 2024

To find outmoreabout theBHF’s informationand supportservices, search‘BHFquestions’orspeak with acardiac nurseonthe Heart Helplineathttps://www.bhf.org.uk/ informationsupport/heart-helpline

Faith,22, suffered aheart attack outofthe blue

Faith Harrisonwas regularly in thegym andkept fit

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Pensioners facing distressingpredicament

Britain’spensioners find themselves in adistressing predicament,grappling with thestark realityofhavingthe poorest statepension provision compared to theirEuropeancounterparts.

Despite decadesofcontributionstosociety,our elderly citizens areconfronted with a retirement income that palesin comparisontowhatisaffordedto retirees in othercountries across Europe.Thisdiscrepancyisnot only unjust butalso indicative of asystemicfailure to prioritise thewelfare of ourseniors.

Perhapsevenmoreconcerning is thelackofadvocacyfromop-

positionparties on behalf of our senior citizens.The absenceof concertedefforts to addressthe inadequacies of thestate pension system is deeply troubling.Itis imperative that oppositionparties standup forthe rights and dignityofelderlyfolk, demandingreforms that ensure afair andadequatestate pension

Compoundingthe challenges faced by pensioners is thealarmingsuggestion from thegovernment to raise theretirementage to 71. Amid this bleaklandscape, petitions such as ours serveas beaconsofhope.

Ourpetitioncalls forastate

Day wassoured

In May2023wevisited Bridgnorth to seerelatives

We live in Australia, butthe Iron Bridge hasbeenfeaturedin television programs

So we went there.

Afterawalkaroundthe bridge we moveddowntothe museum carparkand we parked rightin thecorneradjacenttothe cafe andthe museum

We were askedifwewantedto join atouraroundthe outdoor workingsofthe ironworks,which we did.

Afteracoupleofhours,we went to eatatthe cafe,and then onto themuseum

Whilst near theend of themuseum,wereceiveda call to say some relativeswereatour hotelinBridgnorth.Sowemade

Thosewho

aquick exit.Wedrove straight outbut realisedwewereonthe wrongroad, butwewerelate forour appointmentsowecarried on,thinkingwehad spent enough moneyinthe iron area

Threeweeks later, when we returned ourhirecar,wewere told we hadaparking fine,£30 I think.

Iwas veryannoyed,because we drove straight outofthe parkingarea, therewerenosigns to tell us it wasthe wrongroad

So farthe parkingpeoplehave refusedtocancelthe fine on appeal.

Ikeepquotinglackofsignage

So what wasa nice day, turned sour

DerekThompson, Australia

live thereowe

Iwas alittleconcerned at the tone in thearticle aboutthe influx of urbanday trippers into thetinyvillage of Badger.

It is impliedthatthe villagers’ concerns amount to an attitude that some people don’t‘deserve’ access to nature or theoutdoors, on accountofnot beingrich enough to afford it

Thearticle is afollow-up to one in whichthe issuewas outlined from thelocals’ pointofview. One essential quotestood out: “it’sall aquestionofbalance”. Quiteso.

pensionthatguaranteesa comfortable income forall retirees aged 60 andabove

When individualshavepaid into thesystemall theirworking lives, they don’texpecttobetold that today’sworkers arepaying theirstate pensions,and forking outmoneytoestablish ameans test system forpensioners, who can’taffordtoliveonthe current lowstate pensionworth just 27 percentofthe living wage

Do yourpart by signingour petition at petition.parliament. uk/petitions/654389.

Denver Johnson, Stoke-onTrent, forWakeupBritain!

Taking lessons indemocracy

With Shropshire Council facing a£62 million blackhole andwithhundredsofjobsat risk,perhaps it is time to finallyafteryears of austerity andcutbackswithpromises of sunnyuplands ahead, to sort outdifficulties. Let’svotein agovernmentthatwillactually deliver.Weare notshort of candidates to sort outthe mess; Johnson, Truss, and Farage recently back from attendingthe USAtosee how to achieveresults of some sort.Afterhavinglearntand agreed on how to runademocratic andhonestgovernment, perhapsall will turn out fine andthese hard times will be a thingofthe distantpast.

RogerCain, Clee Hill

people nothing

It’s notbalancedtohavequiet villagelifechallengedbythose whosepurpose is to exhibittheir lack of socialskillsasregards goingtothe toilet wherethey please,carving theirnames into stonework, or treatinglife-saving equipment as toys

It’s also not balanced to equate thecurrent issuewiththe mass trespass on Kinder Scoutin1932.

Thegroup who trespassed on Kinder Scouthad only oneobjective:access.Theydidn’task for burger vans or toilets; they just

wanted to enjoythe wild open countryside,leaving nothing but footprints

Remember ‘lockdown’ 2020, when people decidedtheysimply hadtovisit CardingMill Valley or PistyllRhaedr, despitethem beingclosed? Thesamementalitypersists.

Thereisnoeasyanswer. People have aright to want to visit places they have heardabout,but thosewho live thereowe them nothing

GETINTOUCH

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

post:

letters

Suite 3.04, Central Park, Hollinswood Road, TelfordTF2 9TW

Code of Practice:

Our policy is to correct errors as soon as we can.

The Journal adheres to the Editors’ Code of Practice, which can be seen at www.ipso. co.uk.

If you areunhappywith the accuracy of astory,write to The Editor, TelfordJournal, Midland News Association,Grosvenor House, Suite 3.04, Central Park, Hollinswood Road, TelfordTF2 9TW

If we cannot reach a resolution contact Ipso at complaints@ipso.co.uk or by post at Ipso, c/o Gate House, 1Farringdon Street, London, EC4M 7LG

146540Monday

Lily andKittiehave been ownedbyMark Wilson sincetheywerekittens.Theyare nowaged18and 16 respectively. Lily is allblack,while Kittie is atuxedo, black andwhite.Sendyour pet pictures to daniel.morris@mnamedia.co.uk

Everyday,DogsTrust Shrewsbury caresfor dogs whohavefound themselves withoutafamilytocall theirown

Most dogs arehandedover by owners whofor avariety of heart-breaking reasons canno longercarefor them,whether that’s duetoachangein housing or working hours, family illness or theincreasingcosts of lookingafteradog

Theteamhas thecapacityto care for130 dogs everyday,makingsureeveryone gets everything theyneed from walksand funplay sessions to training andhealth check-ups, thanks to specialistbe-

haviourand veterinary teams on site.Manydogs find newfamilies quickly, butfor some,particularly olderdogsordogswithmedical needs, that isn’talwaysthe case andsosome of thesedogsspend theirtimeatthe rehomingcentre’s OakfieldOldies, aspecial home fordogsthatmay find kennel life stressful. They each have their ownroomand getlotsofspecialattention from staffand volunteers

If you wouldliketosupport Dogs TrustShrewsburyyou candosoby volunteering,makinga donation, or you cansponsorOakfieldOldies. To find outmore, go to www dogstrust.org.uk/shrewsbury

10:30am-4:00pm andbyappointmentin-between 01952462340/07949385618 TF118SD dnesday’s,Saturday’s&Sunday’ MOVINGSOON

SiberianHusky Thor hasbeen helped by Dogs TrustShrewsbury

£5minfunding is dished outfor

school projects

Four schoolswill receivealmost £5 millionfor improvementprojects, accordingtothe Government Whitehallhas announced fundingtoimprove schoolsand collegebuildings, revealingthat 74 schoolsacrossthe West Midlandswillshare £38.6m from theCondition Improvement Fund (CIF). Thefundpaysfor larger improvements to schools such as upgradingheating systems, replacingroofs or rewiring electrical systems.

In theannouncementthe Department forEducation said four schoolsinShropshirewould be allocatedfunding forthe 2024/25year.

They includemoneyfor urgent fire safety improvementatthe CorbettSchoolinBaschurch, anda heatingrefurbishment projectatBarrow1618Church of EnglandFreeSchoolinBroseley.

In Telfordand Wrekin,HaberdashersAbraham Darbywill receivemoneytoreplace fire safety systems, andPriorslee Academy will getfunding for‘urgent safeguarding works’. Acrossthe country£450m in CIFfunding is beingallocated

Former rugbyplayertackling leaksaroundwhole region

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

Gareth Edwards, 42,was born in Ludlow andenjoyed asuccessful amateurrugby career,playing for Ludlow RFCalong with Worcester andalsoDroitwich RFC.

Butnow Gareth is working for Severn Trentacrossthe region to find leaksinthe company’snetwork.

Gareth, namedafterthe Welsh rugbylegend, hasreported more than 330leaks sincelastApril.The informationgoes to thecompany’s repair teams whoheadout and fix them

Thefather-of-one usesatraditional ‘listening stick’ to detect the tell-talesound of escaping wateron theunderground pipe network, accessed throughboundaryboxes dotted acrosspavements andinroads

Data andelectronicacousticde-

AYRSHIRE

&LovelyLochLomond

Departing Fri 21 Jun ‘24

From theruggedscenery of Ayrshire’ssweeping coastline to the stunning natural vistasofLoch Lomond,the east of Scotland is fullofbreathtakingsights.Onthis unforgettablefour-day breakweexploreAyr,Troon, Luss,Balloch and the famous GretnaGreen.

Your breakincludes

 Return coachtravel from Wolverhampton

 3nights at the 2-starAdamton Country House Hotel, Prestwick with dinner &breakfast

 Free excursion to the AyrshireCoast(Ayr& Troon) &Loch Lomond

 IncludedvisittoGretnaGreen

4Days by Coach only £199

Single Supplement £50

vices, includingcorrelators, are otherdevices in hisarmoury

“You can’tsee theunderground leaks, butyou candefinitely hear them,” said Gareth,whose official titleisWater NetworkTechnician

“Finding them is alittlelikebeinga detective. We usewater flow data to identify asuspected leak in aDistrictMetered Area (DMA)and you cannarrowdownyoursearch with thelistening stick, before usingthe correlatorsto find theexact spot

“Inthe daytimeyou canpickup noise from road trafficand residential waterusage –like flushing toilets andusing washingmachines. So workingat2am is sometimesthe best option,particularly in busy areaslikeacity.”

Gareth is part of ateaminnorth Worcestershirewho monitor their part of asprawling SevernTrent pipe network. Othersimilar teams aredottedaroundthe region

HISTORIC YORK &the

Dales

Departing Mon 8Jul ‘24, Mon 29 Jul ‘24

Joinusonthislovelyshort break to beautifulYorkshire, where we combine therollinghills, panoramiclandscapesand charming towns of theYorkshireDales withthe historic city of York. Don’t missout on optional trips to Knaresborough andHarrogate to completeour delightfully scenic getaway

Your breakincludes

 Return coachtravel from Wolverhampton

 4nightsatthe Britannia Hotel, Leeds BradfordAirport(JG3 rating) with dinner& breakfast

 2for 1bar (6pm-9pm)onselected drinks

 Excursions to Skipton Market, Grassington& York

Optional excursion to Knaresborough & Harrogate (£14pp)

5Days by Coach only £329

Single Supplement £70

TRAINS OF NORFOLK&

MississippiPaddle Steamer

Departing Mon 5Aug ‘24

Thebeautiful county of Norfolk is characterised by charming seaside towns, and unspoilt coastline

Your breakincludes

 Return coachtravel from Wolverhampton

 4nights at aselected hotel,Great Yarmouth (JG2+ rating) with dinner &breakfast

 Entertainment some evenings (atthe Nelson and WaverleyHotels only)

 Heritage train journeys on the North Norfolk Railway &BureValley Railway

 Mississippi paddlesteamer cruise on theNorfolk Broads

 Excursion to Cromer& Wroxham

Optional excursion to Norwich (£14pp)

5Days by Coach only £399

Single Supplement £50

Former rugbyplayerGarethEdwards,42, is nowaleak finder

Time to eatmyhat

TALKINGTELFORD

WithMegan Jones

Last monthIwas fortunate enough to be invitedalong to talk to NetworkRailabout the work to repair themassive landslip near Oakengates.

When Iarrived,justseven days afteraround5,000 tonnes of earth hadslipped away from the160-yearoldembankment, thescale of the workinvolvedtookmybreathaway.

No amount of dronefootage,statisticsorphonecalls to pressteams hadpreparedmefor thesizeofthe slip,which hadleftaround50meters of track precariously closeto thenow sheerdrop.

The16,000 tonnesofstone they wouldsoonuse to strengthen the embankmenthadn’tyet been delivered, andthe teams were sludgingtheir heavymachinery through tonnes of thick, wetmud to clear theway forthe stabilisation work to begin

As Ispoke to engineers, earth continuedtoslipslowly away from thehistoricrailway embankment above.Usually,Network Rail’sin-

“The biggest rockeryyou’veeverseen”. Photo:

frastructure director forCentral routeAdamCheckleytoldme, a massiveproject likethiswould take twotothree yearsofplanning, with eighttoten weeksonsite.

Buttheywerecautiouslyoptimistictheycould construct“thebiggest rockeryyou’veever seen”before Easter

In themomentIstayedprofessional but, internally,Ihad rolled my eyes andscoffed

What hope wasthere that any massive-and it wasmassiveprojectonBritain’s rail network couldbe fixedin justthree weeks? Well,here’smy formal apologyto

NetworkRail. Theteams on site workedaroundthe clocktoshore up thelandslip, diggingout material,cutting outlarge stepsand backfillingitwithtonnesand tonnes of locallysourced stone.

I’ve been waitingall week to hear of what Iconsideredtobeaninevitable delay, of unforeseen circumstancesthatwould slam thebrakes on thework.

Yethereweare just threeweeks later. AndIhavea hattoeat

To thoseinNetworkRailand its contractor Murphy,who undertook thecolossalamountofwork: amazingjob

Help us to shape future of college andcurriculum

Couldyou play apivotal role in helpingtoensurelocal employers have access to theskillstheyneed to grow andthrive?

We arelooking to broaden the rangeofexperience on TelfordCollege’s governing body,and would welcome theopportunitytotalk with anyone interested in shaping thecurriculum, andfutureofthe college.

We aregoverned by acorporation madeupofexperienced professionals with awide-ranging local, national andinternational business pedigree

It currentlyincludespeoplefrom theITsector, financialservices, data sciences, as well as thosewho areinterestedinteaching.

Theirjob is to overseethe workings of thewider college, helping with thestrategicvisionand providing oversighttostretchand challengethe leadershipteam.

They allshare apassion foreducation andtraining, anda commitment to supporting ourambitionto buildonour successes anduse the strengthsofcollaborative working

Thebestthing aboutbeing agovernor at TelfordCollege,the team says, isseeinghow students are learning,and theexcitingstrategic projects beingundertakentohelp grow thecollege andthe borough.

WORKINGFORYOU

WithGraham Guest

So what sort of commitmentisinvolved,you mayask?Well, beinga governor typically involves about 2-3hours of yourtimea month

It’s avoluntary position -governorsgivetheir time to Telford Collegefor thebenefitofthe localcommunity -but they also get somethingbackinreturn.

It provides an opportunitytoexpand yourknowledge,skills, experience andnetwork of professional contacts,and canbeincrediblyrewarding.

ChrisPallett,fromBespoke ComputinginTelford,has been part of ourgoverning corporation since2018, andsaysitisimportant that he ‘putsbackintothe local community’

“Itisalsoanopportunitytodevelop myself as apersonand helps theday jobtoo;being exposedto alargerbusinesswithstrictrules around governanceallowsmeto providebetterand more robust advice to my clients.”

So,could you bringfresh expertise to ourteam? Formoredetails, see www.telfordcollege.ac.uk/ about/governance/

Network Rail

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JEWELLERY SALE

be held on theMonday22ndApril. CurrentHighlightsinclude; High EndWatches,Antique Gold andSilver, Precious Gemstone Rings, Collectable, Contemporary andDesignerPieces. Please contactuson01952 815925 to organise afree pre-sale appraisal auction�bre�ells.com

Spruce up thegarden

Green-fingered Britshavebeenurged to getahead of spring cleaning and spruce up theiroutdoor spaceahead of warmer months

Outdoorexperts at GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk have shared their spring cleaning guide. Here aresome of theessential spring cleanjobs:

Prunebranchesand plants: Encourageplantsto flourish by pruning them –remove thedeadheads andcut back anydamaged branches

Sownew plants: Spring is agreat season to startplantingagain.Summer-floweringbulbs likeGladioliand Lilies aregreat choicestodazzlethe garden with colour Prepare garden accessories: Give garden ornaments, outdoorfurniture,

toolsand plantpotsagoodwashdown afterthe harshwinter months. This way, they’llbeready to use.

Tackle theweeds: Removing weeds is necessary to preventthemfrom growingout of controlduringthe warmer months.Use ahandforkto properly digthe roots out.

Create compost: Acompostpileisa practicaladditiontoany garden and givesyou an easy waytouse allyour garden waste. Useapile, pitorbin to make yourown andgentlysprinkle water over it to keep things moist

Cleanhardscape surfaces: Paving stones cancollect moss andbecome muddyover winter months– so use a pressurehosetowashsurfacesdown andsweep excess dirt away

Visitthe home of kitchen andbedroom makeovers

Kitchenand BedroomRevivalshave beendelivering stunning, quality kitchens andbedrooms to theircustomers in Shropshire andsurroundingtowns formorethan12years.

They seecustomers whocametothemyearsbefore return to upgradetheir kitchens againasstylesand colour choices change –testament to thequality and servicetheyprovide theircustomers

Now, afteryears of successful business,theyare renowned throughout Shropshireasthe homeof kitchenand bedroommakeovers.The family-owned business is runbyhusband andwifeteamDarren andSharonSmith andtheyare passionate aboutproviding awarm, friendly andprofessionalservice to theircustomers.Theyoffer abespoke design,build andinstallationofcompletekitchensfor yourhome Darren says:“Ienjoy meetinglocal people,and my ambition hasalwaysbeentobeself-employed and runmy ownbusiness.Savingthe customermoney anddelivering aquality servicetopeopleiswhat KitchenRevivalsisall about.

“Westarted thebusinessbyproviding door replacements forkitchensand then we progressed to full kitchenmakeoversusing thecreativityofour designer andthe skillsofour dedicatedand talented craftsmen.

“Weestablished a‘design andbuild’ serviceand then went on to providebedroom makeovers, with oursliding doorsbeing atremendoussuccess Around 60%ofour customers came to us from recommendations

“Weown ourown premises –workshopand showroom –which Ibelieve demonstratesour commitment andstability.Itakepersonalcontrolofall jobs from startto finish anditgivesmealot of satisfaction to ensure ourcustomers receiveaquality service.Iwould welcome people to compareour prices anddiscover how really competitiveweare.When customers visitour stunningshowroom they are amazed by thefabulouskitchen andbedroom ideas.”

Your dreamkitchen is just aphone call away! Call 01743588087 andarrange afreequote,orvisit their showroom on Vanguard Way, BattlefieldEnterprise Park,Shrewsbury, SY13TG

Youcan also visitthe company’swebsite at www kitchen-revivals.co.uk fordetails

Blinds

FROblinds,28aMarketStreet,Wellington, Telford,Shropshire,TF11DT

T:01952245210•E:showroom@fro-blinds.co.uk

25 yearsofquality service

Do you have tiredordamagedfurniture and don’twanttoreplace?

Ioffer afullrestoration servicefor all furniture itemssuchas;Repolishing damagedsurfaces, repairsand reglueing, spring replacement, recovers.

Darren andSharonSmith

Engine steams in with newlook

Oneofthe SevernValleyRailway’s locomotivesisgetting afresh look andanew number readyfor theannual Spring SteamGala.

TheStanier Mogul42968, currentlyinthe paintshopat Bridgnorth station, will bear the number 13268 when it re-enters serviceafter an overhaul.It will appearatthe gala from April18to21 in newLMS (London,Midlandsand Scottish)black livery.

New-buildlocomotive 6880 BettonGrangehopes to make its first gala appearance.The SVR’s flagship locomotive,4930HagleyHall will also be in operation.

Up to eightsteamlocomotives will be in service. Meanwhile, the LNER60532 Blue Peterwillbeon static displayatKidderminster

Greg stand-up tickets on sale

Ticketsare on sale fora2025 arenashowbycomedian Greg Davies

The55-year-old Welsh-born funnyman,who spenthis early yearsinWem,isbringinghis Full FatLegendshow to Resorts WorldArena at Birmingham’s NEConJune18nextyear.

It starts in Januaryand takes in 55 datesuptoSeptember

Gold huntersare warned off afternugget find sparks rush

Themayor of ahistoric Shropshire town has brandedthe behaviour of gold hunterswho have turned up followingarecent discovery in theShropshireHills as “unacceptable”after they were founddigging up alocal beauty spot.

Metaldetectoristswereordered to leavearecreationgroundin Much Wenlockaftertheywerediscovered diggingholes inasearchfor precious finds.

Location

It followsthe discoveryofa gold nuggetinanunknown location in theareareported earlierthis month.

RichardBrock,67, from Somerset, discovered a64.8 gramme nuggetonfarmlandinWenlock Edge in theShropshireHills, near to the

town.The find,named ‘Hiro’sNugget’,isset to fetchatleast £30,000 at auctionasitisbelievedtobethe biggest find of itskindonEnglish soil

huntersthatthe police will be called if they arefound usingmetal detectorswithout permission

Councillor DavidFeniwick, said: “Any visitortoMuchWenlock is welcome to enjoywhatour beautifulmedievaltownhas to offer, but as farasmetal detectoristsare concerned,I wouldsuggest that they should be membersofbona fide clubsand have thenecessary permissions from landowners before starting anysearch

Holes

Book your advertisements or family announcements online.

Andhehas warned othergold

However,following therecord find,the MayorofMuchWenlock hassaidtheyhavehad to orderdetectoristsoff GaskellFieldsrecreation ground,which is therecently designated nature reserveonWindmill Hill, aftertheywerecaught diggingholes.

“Wehavehad to asktwo young mentoleave because they have been caught diggingholes in our GaskellFieldsrecreationground, andonour recently designated nature reserveonWindmillHill, and leavingthe holes open andnot filled back in again.

“Veryunacceptable behaviour I’msureyou will agree, despitenoticessayingmetal detectingisnot allowed.

“Iftheyare caught againthe police will be called.”

ANDRÉ RIEU -LIVE IN

HIS HOME TOWN OF MAASTRICHT

Departing Thu4Jul ‘24

Armed with his 60-pieceJohann StraussOrchestra, the King of Waltz is returning to Maastrichtinsummer 2024 forhis nowlegendaryhometownconcert!Come and discoverwhatmakes the violin maestro’sconcerts so magical, liveinthe picturesque Vrijthof Square.

Your breakincludes

 Return coach travel &ferry crossings from 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 £549

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 everyevening

 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)

5Days by Coach only

Thenuggetofgold

BRAIN GYM No.782

Codeword

Double Crossword

Choose either quick or cryptic clues –both fitthe same grid.

Across Down Cryptic Clues:

7. Is frank, but not cutting (4,2,7)

8. Introduced the new resident (8)

9. Imposed duty (4)

10. Ameeting place in the suburban street? (6)

12. One is right to have them (6)

14. Fancy becoming atenor maybe (6)

16. One who cares, relatively speaking (6)

18. Thrash in the returngame (4)

20. Basically it’s intended to make one’spile last longer (8)

22. Determination an heir doesn’treally need (4,2,7)

Quiz

1. At which weight wasRockyMarciano world champion1952-56?

2. In which country would you find akibbutz?

3. Which 1994 film focused on the fifth Beatle’ Stuart Sutcliffe?

4. By what nameisthe city ofConstantinople now known?

5. Oscar-winning film The Last Emperor was set in whichcountry?

1. Amount of business produced by a cook (8)

2. Plant has point in being backward (6)

3. Reader’splea for original expression (4)

4. They’reslow but sure (8)

5. Quickly take afew notes, maybe (6)

6. Very popular winter sports range (4)

11. He has the will to settle things (8)

13. Made about a thousand to be burned (8)

15. High spirits? (6)

17. Hit apole with a goods vehicle (6)

19. Put down face up (4)

21. It takes alot of beating (4)

6. Whatisthe scientificstudy of celestial bodies and theuniverse called?

7. Which former US president died aged 81 in 1994?

8. Which book of theOld Testamentincludesthe flight of theIsraelites from Egypt?

9. Which part of Londonisfamous for aformer power station and adogs and cats home?

10. Basque and Catalanare spoken in which country?

Sudoku

Niner

Last week’ssolutions: Quiz: 1 Alight year; 2 Harper Lee; 3 Clark Kent;

4 East Sussex; 5 Hampshire; 6 Madness; 7 Ten feet; 8 Martin Luther King; 9 Eel; 10 Porridge.

Niner: SUBEDITOR

Hankshandles pirate stand-off

Saturday

CaptainPhillips(2013) (BBC1, 11.55pm)

CaptainRichard Phillips (Tom Hanks) kisses hiswifeAndrea (Catherine Keener)goodbyeand takeschargeofhis cargovessel, theMaerskAlabama,bound for Mombasa. Somali piratesboard thevesseland Phillips conceals hiscrewbelow deck in theengine room whilehe takescharge of thesituation.Phillips puts himself in harm’s waytoensure thesafetyofevery manon board, butthe stand-offspirals outofcontrol.

Sunday Tinker Tailor SoldierSpy (2011) (BBC1, 11.30pm)

This labyrinthine dramacentresonthe deputy to theheadof Britishintelligencewho is forced into retirement afteran operation ends in disaster.Heislater recruitedbythe governmentto return to duty andinvestigate thepossibility of aSovietmolein ahigh-rankingposition in MI6.

Gary Oldman, KathyBurke, ColinFirth, TomHardy,John Hurt,BenedictCumberbatch, Mark Strongand Toby Jones all star

Take achanceonnight to rememberAbbatriumph

Editor’s weekend pick

Abba Night(BBC2,from 8.35pm,Saturday)

My my,in1974atBrighton Dome,Britain did surrendertothe charms of Abba.

It’s 50 yearssince theSwedish groupscoredahistoricEurovision Song Contestvictory with Waterloo. Therewereprobablyquite a fewUKviewers whoimaginedthat wouldbethe firstand last they saw of Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Bennyand Björn. Buttheywentontobecome global popsensations.

So,tomarkthe 50th anniversary of theEurovision triumphthat helped pave theway forworld domination,BBC2isturning theschedules over to much-loved quartet.

TheeveningbeginswithMore Abba at theBBC,which rounds up theirappearances on everything from TheMikeYarwood ChristmasShow to theThe Late,Late BreakfastShow. This programme is followed by thenew documentary When Abba Came to Britain, whichexploresthe group’sspecial

relationship with theUK. As well as exploringAbba’sBritish influences, thedocumentary takesinawealth of archivefootage,including what wasthought to be theirlastever TV appearance,and theirdecision to stagetheir virtualcomeback,Abba Voyage,inLondon. Thedocumentary is followed by thecompilation Abba at theBBC,the 1979 special Abba in Switzerland, whichwas recorded on location in theAlpsand features guestappearancefrom Kate Bushand Roxy Music, and thedocumentary TheJoy of Abba, whichchartstheir rise to fame.

Royisfacinga murder charge

Your guide to the soaps

EastEnders (BBC1)

Sharon continuestostickto herstory as she’squestioned by police,but she’sbrought up shortwhenpresented with new evidence.Bernadetteheads to Spaintobreak thenewsabout KeanutoKaren,and Phil sticks up forSharoninfront of thegossips.Elaine andCindy put their differencesaside to support George before he takesthe stand in Eddie’strial,but there’smore heartache as Gloriacollapses Coronation Street(ITV1)

Royischarged over Lauren’s murder andleftalone andterrified in apolicecell. Liam and Dylanare supposedtobeheadingtocourt,but do arunner.As Maria’sobsessive questtokeep Liam safe intensifies,Gary finds supportfromSarah,littlerealisinghis wife is listeningin. Emmerdale(ITV1)

Rhona’strial gets offtoaworryingstart as sheloses hertemper on thestand.Meanwhile, Cain makesitclear theDingles aren’t forsalebytakingasledgehammertoRuby’s airfryersand Calebcomestoher defence. Elsewhere, Manpreet feelsunder pressure to sayyes when Charles proposes

When we sayyou’recovered, you’re covered! Youget belt &bracesprotectionfor youand your trip,bothbefore yougoawayaswell as whenyou’reon your trip.That’s good to know, especiallyifyou’retravellingwith any pre-existing healthconditions.

Benny, Bjorn,Agnethaand FridaLyngstadonTop of thePopsinthe 1970s

Films for the weekend

There’smagic andsoultobe foundinthis reinvented city

Once upon atime, Dubaiwas littlemorethanasmall fishing villagebackedbyendless dunes andmiles of desert wilderness

Thosehumblebeginnings barely seem possible giventhe futuristic metropolisthatstands today: gleaming seafront promenades,the tallestskyscrapers in theworld andshoppingcentres filled with everything from countlessstorestolarger-thanlifeaquariums –evenski slopes

Dubai’sboldreinvention oftendivides opinionwithmany dismissing it as allstyle and no substance. Butdespite the glitzy façade andthe popular belief that it’s nothing butInstagram fodderand retail therapy,there’s real soul andmagic to be discovered

Thenatural starting pointis Al Fahidi,the historic neighbourhood in Old Dubaithatoffers afascinating glimpse into a bygone time andthe commercial originsthatsparked thecity’s growth.Centredaroundthe DubaiCreek,where oldabras (wooden water taxis) plythe waterway, theatmospheric alleys andfragrantmarketsare a world away from thesterile and sometimessoullessmalls found elsewherein thecity.

There’sculture,too.Meaning ‘meeting place’ in Arabic,the Majlis Galleryhouses paintings, ceramics,glassworkand photography,while theCoins Museum houses ararecollectionof 500coins from as farbackasthe 7thcentury.Moremodern-day jewelsare on displayinthe glittering Gold Souk locatednearby.Trade ofthispreciousmetal beganinDubai in the1940s andremains oneofthe world’s biggest andmostimportant gold markets. Othermuch-loved shopping hotspots in Old Dubai includesouks specialisingin spices,perfumesand fabrics. This is primepeople-watching territory. Amongthe shopsand stalls, this historiccoveredarcade is abubblingmeltingpot of localculture,withmen hauling cartsand womenintraditional dressbrowsingfor bargains

Stop offfor atangy glassof mint andlimejuice or cupof gahwa(traditionalcoffee) at the ArabianTea House, wherebillowing lace curtains, turquoise benchesand whiterattanchairs create aworld away from Starbucks.

Enjoying wild adventures and wine in Canadianwilderness

KIRSTY MASTERMAN PressAssociation

“Don’t

take youfootoff thebrake!”I hear my instructor’s firm command ringinginmyears. But howonearth am Isupposedtoget thesedogs to move if my

foot is on thebrake?

“Mush, Mush!” Ishout,persistingwithmy efforts, and finally we’reoff

I’mout in theforests of Muskoka,tryingmyhandat dogsledding. My partnerin crimesitsbackand enjoysthe ride as Istrugglewitha pack of dogs

Thesledgenearlytopples over, butsomehow,probablydue to extensivebraking,Imanagetomake afull recovery. Butit’snoeasyfeat. Muskoka, alakesideretreat,is just atwo-hour drivenorth of Toronto.

Knownas Canada’s answer to the Hamptons duetothe high number of holidayhomesinthe area,it’s easy to seewhy peopleheadhereto getawayfromitall.

Nestled

Thewintermonthsproduce scenes to rivalNarnia, whilesummers arelaidbackand glorious

My shortstayinFebruaryisat Falcon’s Nest,aholiday home sold through theVrborentalsite.

This lakeside cottage, nestled amongtoweringpinetrees in a secluded cove overlooking Lake Muskoka, boasts sixbedrooms.

Thereisalso achef’skitchen,two brightlivingspacesand sixbathrooms, allspreadover three floors, making it theperfect location fora get-together with familyorfriends

Shortfor ‘VacationRentals By Owner’,Vrbohas more thantwo million properties worldwide.

As Ienter thecottage,Iamimmediatelystruckbythe relaxed, calmingspace,withits neutral colour scheme, wooden floors and oak-panelled staircases Ichoosea room on thelower floor,

whereI canlookout overthe water andsee thesunrise.Outside,there is alarge seatingarea, setaround a fire pit, whileawood-burning hot tubisnot faraway.

Ashortwalkdownastoned pathwaybringsmetoadelightful boathouse, featuringalounging area with barand gamesspace,and wraparound deck

During thesummer months, it’s possible to borrow kayaks or standup paddle boards to explorethe lake.It’salso an ideallocationto practise yoga or have massages –both of whichcan be arranged by thehome host

When rentingthe property,afully customised, tailor-madeitinerarycan be arranged forfree.

My programmestartswithdog sledding at NorthRidge Ranch, an hour’s driveawayfromour lodgings

We aregiven an extremely detailed lesson,primarily consisting

of rememberingto“keep yourfoot on thebrake”, before we areset free with ourmushers to experience thetwists, turnsand hillsofthe snow-covered forest

At first, Irideupfront,cocooned in thesledge as we bump alongthe paths, admiringthe scenery.

Halfway throughour 10km journey, I’mgiven thechanceto‘steer’

It’s atruly exhilarating–ifsomewhat challenging–experience,endingina‘hold on andhopefor the best’downhill race to the finishing post

Back at thecottage,weare greeted by localcountry musician, Ty Baynton, whoprovidesour evening entertainment. He performs many of hisown songsaswellastaking requests, interspersed with hisstories of thelocal area

Theperformance is followed by an excellentgourmet dinner preparedbyprivate chef DavidFriesen whorustles up adecadentsev-

en-course menu with wine pairing. Duetothe unseasonably warm time of year,and themeltingsnow, our snowmobiling tour turnsintoa waterfallchasing experience

This enablesustosee more of the localareaaswetravelfromtownto town,admiringthe rushingwater up close.

We roundoff themorning at Ontario’soldestcranberry marsh, MuskokaLakes Farm &Winery.

Thereweenjoy alunch of cranberrychilli,withs’mores around thecampfire before embarkingon theBog to BottleTourand wine tastingexperience

With activities such as cooking classes, ice fishing, snow shoeing, iceskating andsnowmobiling,there areplentyofoptions to keep guests entertainedin thelakes andforests of Muskoka.

ButatFalcon’sNestit’sjustas easy to curl up by the fire with a good book

Kirsty relaxing in front of a fire pitatFalcon’sNestafter ahardday dog sledding

TheFalcon’sNestresort, sold throughthe Vrbo websiteMuskoka Lake region in Canada,atwo-hour drivefromToronto

Al Fahidiinthe old town

Digthese toptipstoensure garden is readyfor thespring

SAMWYLIE-HARRIS PressAssociation

With springtime signalling buds coming into bloom, your patchof greenery is nowa hubof activity…

“Makingsureyourgarden is ‘springready’isawonderful wayto getyourself outsideand enjoy the earlyspringsunshine,”encourages DavidDomoney, gardenerand charteredhorticulturist.

“I always look forwardtothe early spring months,asthere areso many excusestoget outside– and in thegarden.”

Weeding

Oneofthe most importantoverallgardeningjobsyou should focus on,regardlessofwhether it’s your floweringbedsoryourvegetable patch, is weeding, says Domoney.

“Makingsureyou areontop of perennialand annual weedsisessentialtoguaranteeingahealthy garden patch.

“Hoeingalargerareawill be ideal fordislodgingsmall andannual garden weeds,whilstweeding by hand will help you to remove more establishedweeds,” he advises

“You coulduse adigging or borderforkfor this, or amoredirected approach,using ahandforkto wrestlethose weeds outfromthe root.”

How to havethe perfectvegetable patch

Thereare plenty of gardening tasksyou canstart this time of the year in yourvegetable patch, suggestsDomoney. “Now is theperfect time to plantonions, shallots and garlic sets –you cando this successionally to producebatches of this crop throughout theyear.” Starting now,hesaysyou cando this everyfew weeks, throughto April, whichwill extend your cropping season.Also,you canplant yoursecond-earlyand main crop potatoes at this time,afterany risk of frosthas passed,notes Domoney.

“The second earlies, ‘new’potatoes,will be readytoharvest in July andAugust, andthe main crop potatoes canbeenjoyed from August to October.”

“Additionally, earlyApril is ideal forsowing floweringcompanions foryourvegetable plots,suchas potmarigolds,whose fragrant foliagecan detersomepests from your crops,”headds.

Consistent flowering

With flowersstartingtomake theirappearance, thereare several ways you canensure consistent flowering, advises Domoney.

“Ifyou wouldliketoproduce apollinator-friendly wildflower meadow,get startedearly by sowingseeds in trays.Then, once any risk of frosthas passed,these can be sown outsidefor theperfect treat foryourlocal pollinatorpop-

ulation.”You canalso usethistime to plantyourroses,shrubs, and climbers, whichgives them plenty of time to establishbefore flowering in thecomingmonths, highlights Domoney. He also suggests sowing sunflowers, too. Domoney’sspring gardeningcheck list

Create aplantingcalendar: So youcan make sure your garden beds arefullypreparedfor sowing seeds, what time of theyeartosow them,and when youcan expect to harvest.

Prep before yousow: Ensure yourgarden is readytocultivate thehealthiestand most productive plants by improvingyoursoilbefore sowing andplanting. Organic matter dugintothe soil,any compost you have produced last year, or even composted leaves you have been saving from last autumn will

Fragrances that will make scents of the springtime air

Oneofthe highlights of this time of year is sensingachange in theair…the feelingofnew beginnings andthe scentof bouquets

“Spring provides theperfect opportunityfor rejuvenation andbreathing anew leaseoflife into thehome,withfragrance playingavital role,” says Jennifer Genson, WoodWick andR&D director of fragranceand sensory scienceatNewellBrands.

“Asthe days grow warmer andlighter,it’simportant for this to be echoed throughout thehome usingfresh, floral and brightfragrancesthatreflect theseason’sbeauty–and evoke afeeling of tranquillity.”

Entrancehalland kitchen

With theart of hostingand tablescapingbecomingincreasinglypopular,she says it works well to fill thehome’s entryway with bold scents to welcome guests– andannouncethe long-awaitedarrival of spring

To setthe tone,she suggests afruit-forward fragrancewith notes of freshpeach,warmvanillaand soft florals.

Dining area

Moving to theheart of the home,Gensonsaystolet the dining tablebecome ahaven of springtime enchantment.

Shesuggeststhe scentoflavender andcypress,which providesanaromaticFrenchlavender fragrancewoven with the scents of lemon, cedarwood and cypressessential oils

Living area

alladd wonderfulnutrients to the soil

Startseedsindoors: Sowsome long-seasonseeds indoors, which arebettersuitedtomoreconsistentlywarmsoiltostart them off. Some greatexamplesinclude broccoli,cauliflower,and tomatoes

Collectrainwater: Make sure you have awater butt or asimilar alternativetocollect rainwater

Sharpen your tools: Make sure yourgarden toolsare spring-ready Give them agoodclean,making sure to putthemawaydry to avoid rusting. Sharpensecateurs and checkthe edges of spadesand hand toolsliketrowels,incasetheycould do with some attentiontoo

DavidDomoneywill be at theIdeal HomeShowatOlympia London, Kensington untilSundaytooffer tips,liveQ&Asand demonstrations.

By adapting your home to the season,Robin Fisher,ARRAN Sense of Scotland’s head of fragrance,suggestscreatingan atmosphere to reflectthe month –“Spring haslighter andlonger days,and bringing theoutdoors in canhelpmirrorthis.

“Removestrongwinter scents andreplace with delightful floralfragrancesofjasmine and rose. Combiningcitrus, fruity andherbaceous notes such as grapefruit, figand philadelphus canalso help refreshyourhome as thetemperature warmsup.”

Bedroom

Fisher says thebestfragrances forthe bedroominclude lavender,chamomileand jasmine –“they areall synonymous with sleepaidingqualities,creating apeaceful andtranquil space to unwind.”

Prep beforeyou sow–ensureyourgardenisready to cultivate themostproductive plants

Follow David’stipsfor theperfect vegetable patch

Somelong-season seedsare betteroff planted indoors

WhiteCompanyspring candle

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.

Deaths

BENNETT

Sheila Margaret Of Wellington.

Passed away peacefully at home on March 18, 2024 Aged 93 years.

Funeral Service, 3.30pm, Thursday,April 4, at Emstrey Crematorium, Shrewsbury.

Family flowers only by request, but if desired, donations to Hilbrae Rescue Kennels would be appreciated.

All inquiries please to

BROWN

Bryan

Former Chemistryteacher at New College and Wellington Boy’s Grammar School.

Sadly,passed away on March 17, 2024, aged 87 years.

FuneralService, 4.30pm Monday,April 8, at Telford Crematorium.

Family flowers only by requestbut if desired, donations for The Salvation Army,would be appreciated.

Friends, former pupils and choir members are all welcome in saying farewell to Bryan.

All inquiries to

CONNEW

Kathleen Of Madeley,Telford.

Passed away peacefully with her Family by her side March 11, 2024, aged 97 years.

Devoted Wife of 78 years to Cyril, muchloved Mum, Granny and Great-Granny

Funeral Service 2.30pm Wednesday, April10, 2024 at Telford Crematorium.

Donations if desired to Montgomer yH ouse Residents Comforts Fund would be appreciated.

All inquires to

FOWLES

Janet Elizabeth

Of Aqualate Close, Newport.

Passed away peacefully with her Family by her side on March 17, 2024, aged 82 years.

Devoted Wife to Graham, loving Mum to Lynn, Tracy, Gail and Lisa. Mother-in-law to Andy,Pete, Jason and Mark.

Cherished Grandma to Jack, Harry, Levi, Dani, Megan and Sophie.

Funeral Service 2.30pm Friday,April 12, 2024 at Telford Crematorium.

Donations if desired to the British HeartFoundation would be appreciated.

All inquiries to

Derrick

Of Broseley

Sadly passed away at Morris Care Centre, Wellington on March 17, 2024, aged 82 years.

Loving Husband of the late Margaret, devoted Dad of Sue and the late Kay.

Cherished Grandad of Lauren and Ryan, GreatGrandad of George and Bertie.

Funeral Service 10.30am Wednesday,April 10 at All SaintsChurch Broseley followed by Interment in Broseley Cemetery.

Family flowers only by requestbut if desired donations which will be divided between the Severn Hospice and Stroke Association would be appreciated.

Inquiries to

McCORMICK Glen Of Wellington, Telford.

Passed away peacefully on March 9, 2024, aged 58 years. MuchlovedDad of Giorgia and Tailer,dearlyloved and sadly missed by all his Family and Friends.

Funeral Service 11.30am Tuesday,April 9atAll Saints Church, Wellington, followed by aPrivate Committal.

Family flowers only by request but if desired donations for Huntington’s Disease Association would be appreciated, whichmay be givenvia thecollection boxatChurch or online at www.memorygiving.com

All inquiries please to

PRICE

Barbara nee Brasenell

Of Bayley Road, Arleston, Telford.

Passed away peacefully with her Familybyher side on March 9, 2024, aged 94 years.

Devoted Wife of 73 years to Colin, much loved Mom, Nan and Great-Nan.

FuneralService 1.30pm, Monday,April15, 2024 at Telford Crematorium.

Family flowers only but donations if desire d to The Midlands Air Ambulance Charity would be appreciated.

All inquiries to

PRICE

Paul Of Cotswolds Drive, Randlay, Telford.

Co-founder of Telford Junior Football League &Spalaig Tornados Football Club.

Passed away peacefully with his Family by his side on March 8, 2024, aged 79 years.

DevotedHusband to Carole, much loved Dad to Iain and Stephen and proud Grandad to Josh.

Funeral Service 2.30pm Tuesday,April 9, 2024 at Telford Crematorium.

Donations if desired which will be divided between Cancer Research U.K. and Alzheimer’sSociety would be appreciated.

All inquiries to

RYE

Shirley Of Dawley

Passed away on March20, 2024, aged 85 years.

Beloved Wife of the late Ted. Dear Momof Beverley and Clare. Much loved Nan of Tom, Ben and Megan and Mother-in-law of Nick and the late Mark

FuneralService 12.30pm Monday,April 15, at Telford Crematorium.

Family flowers only by request but if desired donations to the RSPCA would be appreciated.

All inquiries please to

SWATTON

Phillip

Of Trench.

Passed away suddenly at the Princess Royal Hospital on March 16, 2024.

Aged 80 years.

AFuneral Service to be held at Telford Crematorium on Friday,April 12, 2024 at 1.30pm.

No floral tributes by request.

Donations if desired to Macmillan Nurses and the County Air Ambulance for which purpose acollection boxwillbeprovided at the Crematorium.

Inquiries please to

Acknowledgements

Whetheryou’recelebrating aspecialoccasionor rememberingalovedonewe’reheretohelp.

Justcalluson01952244244

Ourlinesareopenbetween 8.30amand5.30pm MondaytoFriday. ClosedSaturdaysand BankHolidays DAILYDEADLINES

• Before4.00pmMonday toFridayforthenext day’sedition

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Ron Bevan

Michael Falla

Tammy Harrison

Michael Hodgetts

Peter Jones

Rosalie Kynaston

Monica Madeley

Cliff Perry Olwyn Prosser

LEWIS

Clifford Of Wellington.

Newcomer puts on thestyle

Lexushas takenseriously theintroductionof this stylishand bespoke electricSUV.

Of course you wouldexpectthis from this armofone of theworld’s leadingmotor producers.

In thepast, Lexusmodelsoften hadamorestaid look aboutthem, butthathas changeddramatically, with arange of state-of-the-art designs.

From itsstrikinglooks to itscutting-edge technology, thenew RZ is aluxuryhigh-performance model, with acomprehensive list of equipment,astatement vehiclefor those lookingfor apremium SUVand availableinthree versions–Premium Pack,Premium Plus Pack and Takumi

It is the firstLexus to includenew e-Axlesand Direct4all-wheel electronicdrive torque controltoimprove handling andresponsiveness, whilea74kWbattery is fitted into thechassis beneaththe cabin floor, to deliver extra stability

Sitting between theMXand larger RX,itcopies some of thedesign features,including theelegant, slippery sculpted profile,the familiar, butbolderspindledesignonthe

frontgrille, trapezoidal headlamps andaheat-shieldingpanoramic roof

In addition,itfeaturesa powered boot lid, rear privacyglass and20inch alloywheelsand to therear splitroofspoiler andthe signature LEDlightbar acrossthe widthof thecar.Power is delivered from the powerful batterytoa310bhp electric motorand aseamlessone step transmission.

It is rapid,asare most electric vehicles, hitting thebenchmark 60mphinasmidge over 5seconds.The high level torque provides overtaking gruntinall circum-

stances. It is abrilliantmotorway cruiserand with theever-increasinggrowthofchargingstations, anxietyrange is becoming less and less of aproblem when undertaking longer journeys Fortrickyconditions, Direct4 driveisasystemthatconstantly andseamlesslydistributes thedrive torque between the front and rear axlesvia thedriving data beingcollected throughECU sensors

It is an engaging drive, particularlyontwistingcountry lanes, wherethe grip is good andfeels stable thanks to placementofthe battery. Theinterior is lightand

airy with plushupholstery, thick carpets, andahigh-end soft touch finish to thedashand doors. The central14-inch touchscreen controls navigation,infotainment, via aMarkLevinsonPremium SurroundSound system andsmartphoneconnectivityand remote servicesaccessed viathe latest Lexus Link Promultimediasystemwith “alwaysconnected”services. This allows remote lockingand unlockingofthe carand canactivate theair conditioning system to warm or cool thecabin prior to starting ajourney Legroomisgood, although the almost coupe-like shaperestricts headrooma littletothe rear.Seats are firm andcomfortable andthe cabinfeels acomfortable placeto be In practicalterms, thebattery placementdoesn’t compromise the stowageareaand with allseats in place, theareaprovides522 litresof space.Thisincreases to an impressive maximum(to theceiling)of 1,451litres, when therearseats are down,Inadditionthere is afurther 58 litresbeneath thedeckboard Forsafetythere isafull range of airbags,a 360-degree camera, parkingsensorand systemssucha pre-collision system,dynamic radar cruise control, lane departurealert andlanetracing assist andlane change assist

Model: LexusRZ450e

–Premium Plus Pack

Price: £68,500

Mechanical: 309bhp/230kWelectric motorand driving allwheels viaE-CVT automatictransmission

0-60mph: 5.3secs

Topspeed: 99mph

Range(WLTP): 252miles

Insurancegroup: 44E

C02emissions: 0g/km

Bikrating: 2%

Warranty: 3yrs/60,000miles

Ludlow lookinggoodas they surgeclear at thetop

Ludlow have cranked up thepressureontheir titlerivalsbyopening up a10-pointgap at the topofthe SalopLeisure League.

With Dawley Town inactive,Ludlowtookthe chance topullclear by recordingtheir 21st PremierDivision successofthe season

Butthe table-toppersweremade to work fortheir latest victoryas bottom-of-the-tableDrayton Town made amockery of theirleagueposition with abattlingdisplay.

Butinthe endasinglestrike provedenoughtosealthe deal for Ludlow,who host AMSFConSaturday.

Dawley,who have twogames in hand on theirtitle rivals, return to action at Haughmond

Shrewsbury Up &Comers saw theirfaint titlehopes suffer ablow away to Church StrettonTown.

Thehosts served up a five-star

NICK ELWELL

nick.elwell@mnamedia.co.uk

performancetorun out5-2 winners

MatthewColeand Jake Felstead both struck twicefor Strettonwith JamesHillnetting once.Substitute William Davies bagged both goals

Shrewsbury

Ercall ColtsJuniorsEvolution also foundtheir shooting bootsas they hitStMartinsfor sixofthe best

TomHodsonset them on their waywitha25th-minuteopenerbefore twogoals rightatthe endofthe firsthalffromAdamRotchelland Daniel James.

JasonClare andsubstitutes MarkoOfori andMichael Wilkinsongot in on thegoalscoringact for thehosts afterthe break.Tom Ash grabbedwhatprovedtobeaconsolation effort forthe visitors

WemTowntasted success on the road at AMSFC.

Twogoals in the first25minutes from Christopher Peel helped them secure a2-1 success

That result followed a2-1 midweek triumphathome to Morda United.

LoganRichardshad given Morda theleadon62minutes,but Wemlevelledthree minutes later throughLukeParry.KeeganGreen then bagged thewinnerwith70 minutes on theclock

ShifnalTownFC1964and Newport Town shared four goalsand thepoints.

Bridgnorth Spartans have moved into pole position in theracefor glory in Division One.

Thetitle favouritesmadethe motsofone of theirgames in hand on rivals Shrewsbury JuniorsDevelopment by seeing offMorda United Development 6-1.

BrandonBristow andTyroneAnthonystruckbeforehalf-time and then Spartans uppedthe ante after thebreak as they struck four more timesthrough SamPreece, Jon-

athanGaffand two-goal Kaleem Ramzan

SAHA FC returned from across theborder with threepointsfollowinga2-1 success at Llanymynech.

Impact FC United were theday’s biggest winnersastheypowered into thetop four

They triumphed 7-1at Meole BracewithSamuelWhitfieldbagging ahat-trick

Daniel Aubery,JackHassall, Connor Smithand substitute VeselinBitliev joined Whitfieldonthe scorresheet.

Saturday’s fixtures

Premier Division: Drayton Town AFCv ShrewsburyUp &Comers, Ercall ColtsJuniorsEvolution vWhitchurchAlport1946 GobowenCelticvEllesmereRangers, Haughmond vDawleyTown, Ludlow vAMS FC,Morda UnitedvShifnal Town,Newport Town vStMartins,Wrockwardine Wood Juniors vChurchStrettonTown. DivisionOne: Ercall Revolution v Bridgnorth Spartans,Brown Clee vImpact FC United, Llanymynech vMeole Brace, ShrewsburyUp &ComersDevelopment vSAHAFC, WrockwardineWoodJuniors Development vErcallRangers.Shrewsbury Juniors Development vAFC Weston Rhyn

Luka leadsthe wayasTigers go goal crazy

TelfordTigerstasted success in their finalawayleaguegameof theseason.

Vladimir Luka bagged ahattrickasTigersran out8-4 winners in an entertaining NIHL clashatBristol Pitbulls. Tigers,who went into the clashhavingwon four gamesin arow,madeabrightstart the lead afterfourminutes when a shot from atightangle by Fin Howells surprisinglybeatBristolnetminder BenNorton.

Bristolhit back with agoal from Adam Hardingwho gotthe last touchduringa goal mouth scramble

Shortlyafter,withJakePrice servinganinterferencepenalty, Bristoltookthe lead through Sean Morris.

Telfordwerelevel earlyinthe second period when JoeAston hitashotfromthe leftcircle which flew past an unsighted Norton.But minutes laterthe

Hat-trickheroVladimir

Luka

Pitbulls were back aheadwitha goal from JacobWhite-Sey Tigers drew levelshortlyafter with Luka liftedthe puck over thesprawlingNorton.

Tigers were back in front with apower play goal.Recce Cochrane wasserving ahookingpenalty when TomByrne hit aback handed wristshotpast Norton

Telfordthenadded afurther powerplaygoalafter Neil Liddiardwas awardedakneeing penalty.Aperfect pass from Archie Hazeldinesaw Luka hammer home

Therewas still time in the second period forBristol to pull agoalbackdespite missinga penaltyshot. Elliot Lewiswas given thechancetostrikeback with apenalty buthis effort was brilliantlysaved by MattyBloor

At thesametimethe penalty wascalled, Pricewas awarded an unsporting conductpenalty allowing thePitbullsa power play andtheycashedinwhen MaxBirbraerscoredtomakeit 5-4.

Tigers struck back at thestart of thethe thirdperiodasScott McKenzie andHowells combinedwelltopickout Luka,who smashedhome histhirdgoalof thegame.

Telfordweren’t finished andaddedafurther twogoals throughJesse Sutton andJaden Peca

Action from Ercall ColtsJuniors Evolution’s Salop Leisure League PremierDivision encounterwith visiting St Martins atTelfordLangley SportsCentre

Ercall ColtsJuniorsEvolution found theirscoring bootsas they easedtoanimpressive6-1 successagainst St Martins Pictures: Liam Pritchard

Shropshire’s bowlingaces arenot shortofsuccess

Shropshire’ssuper shortmat bowlersare baskinginthe glow of premier powertakingthemtoanEnglish inter-counties title.

They landed theEnglish Short MatBowling Association’s Premier 2championshipwithacommanding 32-8 victoryoverSomerset.

Andcountycaptain ChrisWilliamswas delightedwiththe team’s performanceatMeltonMowbray Indoor BowlingCentre,declaring: “Wehavethreateneda teamperformance like this in theprevious knockout roundgames,but we always seemed to enjoy doingthings thehardway

“But, inthe final, absolutely everything came good andwemade averygood opposition lookordinary.Iamdelightedfor theteam, everysinglepersonhas played a part in this successand thetrophy is recognitionfor thehardwork that hasbeenput in.”

Shropshirebowlers have aproud shortmat record,winningthe inter-counties consolation crownon four occasionsoverthe wintersof 1996/7,1997/8, 2001/2 and2006/7. Butthisisthe firsttimetheyhave wonthe Premier2honour.

West Midlands took themain Premiertitle whileShropshire, thanks to finishingthirdin their qualifying group, made it through to thePremier 2knockoutstages

A22-18 quarter-finalvictory over OxfordshireatSolihull IBCwas followedbya28-12 semi-finalsuccess againstEastSussexatthe same venue,earning thetickettothe finalagainst Somerset

What wasexpected to be aclose encounter, turned into aone-sided

Weather failsto putdampener on specialnight

Noteventhe soggiest of eveningscould dampen thespiritin whichthe RobEllisonMemorial bowlsmatch wasplayed.

Heavyrainmeant therewere bigpuddles on theTilstock greenwhena ShropshireSelect took on aNorth Shropshire Select in a12-a-side showdown in aidofcharity

Butthe matchin memoryof Mr Tilstock– RobEllison– went aheadinfront of adecentcrowd, raisingagood sumofmoney.

“Itwas agreat night, even afterall therain, with agood crowdgatheredtowatch the match,”saidTilstockspokesmanSimon Fullard. “A totalof £1,160 wasraisedfor thetwo charitiesnominated by Rob’s widow, Barbara(theOrthopaedicHospitalinGobowen andthe RoyalBenevolentAgricultural Institution),and anew shelter, builtbythe members, was opened in memoryofRob.”

ACountyMerit winner,Ellisonwas alongserving member of theWhitchurch League managementand county executive andwentontobemadealife member of theBritish Referees Society.

NorthShropshiretookthe spoils, 250-196.

rout,asShropshireturnedupthe heat earlyon, taking a6-2 lead and tighteningtheir grip with aclean sweepofthe triplesand foursinthe second sessionsecuringa14-2lead at thehalfway stage.

Wins in thethird sessionfor Allan Williamsinthe singles, currently England’s most successfulnational champion, andfor ex-World Singles championChris Grocottand Chris Shakeshaft in thepairs,meant that Shropshirehad an unassailable lead of 24-4 with onesession to play

Finalscores: Singles:Allan Williams12-12,21-10;JimmyWhitehouse11-11,7-15. Pairs: Mark Glover &Chris Grocott19-9, 14-8; RogerBrown &Chris Shakeshaft 14-9,16-7. Triples:AlanGould, ShaunBarker, Herbie Bowden137, 12-6;DaveWall, Bill Titley,Lee

Webb 13-8,7-18. Fours: Sandra Barker,LeonWebb, KevinDawson, ChrisWilliams13-7, 18-5;Shirley Hadley,LisaPessall,FernBaggott, SpencerBaggott 10-9,8-9

n An award-winninglocal business is thenew sponsorofthe LudlowBowling League

Hendra Healthcare were unveiled as thenew backersatthe league’s pre-season meetingatBurwayBC.

“Weare delightedtobesponsored by this fantasticlocal business for theupcomingseason,”saidaLudlowspokesman.“Hendra House is an establishedfamilyrun residential home in Ludlow andenjoysa deserved nationaland localreputation forconsistentlydeliveringhigh qualitycaretomeetthe individual needs of itsresidents andtheir lovedones.”

Dawley boost titlehopes with crucialvictory

Dawley emergedvictoriousina nail-bitingtop-of-the-tableencounterinthe TelfordSnooker League

They edged outsecond-placed Shifnal3-2 to open up afour-point advantageinthe race fortheir title–althoughtheir rivals do have a game in hand anda4-1 winintheir next matchwill secure thetitle

Thetension waspalpable as JamesBrennan faced KeithPrice in the firstframe.Brennan looked poisedtogiveDawleythe lead but faltered on abreak of 20.Price capitalized, crafting acrucialbreak of 30 to secure theframe

NikSmith levelled thescore for Dawley with astellar winoverJohn Fallows. Thefollowing frames were tightly contested, with Shifnal’s Matt Daviesnarrowlydefeating Carl Walker,whilePaulHarper edgedout StevePowell

However,itwas Paul Lloyd’s impressive performance, boasting breaks of 49 and42, that sealed the winfor Dawley.

MaddocksA appear poised to clinch theracefor thirdplaceafter securing ahard-fought 3-2victory overBallpoint

Meanwhile, despitebeatingDawleyG3-2 winitwas notenoughto staveoff relegation forBayleyB

In Division Two, BallpointBare celebratingpromotion followinga 5-0 victoryagainst Dawley C. They will join Wistanswick, who beat Bayley D4-1,inthe top flight next season

AnsticebeatBayleyZ 5-0,while MaddocksEedged outBayleyE 3-2.

Aerologicboyslookasif they areupfor theSeries

Dean Callisterand JonathanMills-Keeling soundedanearly warningtotheirrivalsfollowingan impressive start to theMower Mec2-Up Series.

Theformatgot offtoanearly startasNorth Shropshire Wheelers promotedround one at Preesover theirusualclub10milecourse

Torrential overnightrainhad thankfully abated by race time although awet surfaceand occasional puddlesremained.

Asteady southerlybreezemade things alittleharder afterthe turn at PreesHeath roundabout andparticularlythe climbover thePrees by-passbridge,but that didn’t stop some very impressive timesatthe sharpend with AerologicRTmakingita one-twowithtwo new pairings forthisnew club,onlyset up towardsthe endofthe 2023 season.

Anytimebelow 23 minuteson this testingcourseisconsidered very strong,soclockingunder

DAVIDFLETCHER

sports@mnamedia.co.uk

22 minutes demonstratedsomethingexceptional as Callister and Mills-Keelingtooka superb winin 21 minutes 20 seconds, well over a minuteahead of therunners-up Callister andMills-Keeling had racedtogether in the final2023 roundfor theirformerclubs and hadtiedfor firstplace, so knew theirstyleswerematched

Callister said:“Firsttimetrial race undernew team Aerologic RT.Conditionswerewet,but rain stoppedfor therace. JMKand I workedwelltogetherwithsome solid efforts. Pleased to take thewin forthe team.”

Mills-Keelingadded: “Great to be racing againinwhatturnedout to be warm conditions.Excellent 2-Up partnershipwithDeanand delighted to getthe win.”

Aerologicmadeanimmediate impression in theSeriestotake therunner-upspotaswellthrough Mark Pritchardand ScottPalmer.

Theirtimeof22:32 took aclear second spot,2:15ahead of nearest challengersNeilWilsonand James ElgarofParamount CRT.

Pritchardexplained this wasa test of recoveryfor him, saying: “Happy with my firstracefor a whiledue to akneeoperation

“My firsttimeracingwithScott andwebothworkedwelltogether. I’mlooking forwardtothe rest of the2-UpSeries.”

Palmer’s concerns, meanwhile, were more about an untested partnership, an unfamiliarformat, and beingastranger to hisbike.

“My firsttimeona time trialbike foreightyears and firstever 2-Up,” he said

“I wasa bit apprehensivetobegin with,but riding with Mark putany worries to bed. Greatcourse and pleasedwithsecondplace.”

TheMixed Team winnershad also hadone previous outing in 2023’s round five,but didn’t qualify forpointsatthattime.

That oversighthas been addressedwithSCCAPrivate MemberSorrelWilliamsand Oswestry

Paragon’sKarlLombardiscoring awin over reigning MixedTeam champions JanDaviesand Mark Hill by 58 secondsinastrong time of 25:07

Lombardi explained: “Weonly startedridingasa pair late last year as 2-Up wassomethingwereally wanted to tryand decidedto progress thefun by entering the Series

“Weare genuinelystokedtobag 20 points on ourdebut,and thank themarshalsand organisers for putting on theevent.Weare definitely lookingforward to therestof theseason.”

Williamshas recently movedto Shropshire andenjoyedthe competition

“Weonlystarted riding as apair late last year,somissed last year’s 2-Up Series.Itwas nice to kick off theseason, thecourse keptushonestand in communicationwitheach other, especially up thehill,and our team workstrategy seemed to work well.Reallypleased to be able to bank 20 points this earlyoninthe Series.”

Shropshire’s short mat bowlershave plenty of reason to smile followingtheir Premier2championship success

Theowner of HendraHealthcare, VinceBurmingham,presentsthe sponsorship cheque to (right) league chairman Russ Davies

‘The Queens of theNorth’ finallyclaim theircrown

MoretonHallSchool

broughthomethe coveted Champions Cupfrom theNationalSchools Lacrosse Championships afteragruelling weekendinAldershot.

Although oneofthe smallest schoolsinthe competition, Moreton Hall’s reputation in lacrosse is undisputed at thechampionships that boastthe finest young lacrosse playersinthe country.

With anumberofEnglishand Welshunder-19players in the squad,Moreton’s girlswerenicknamed‘TheQueensofthe North’ aftertheir second-place finish last year

Watching everynail-bitingminute, Principal MichaelBrewercommented:“What an eventand what an outcome

“Thiswas avictory many years in themaking, atribute to theexpertise of ourcoachingstaff,the talent andtenacityofour girls, and theunwaveringsupport of thefamilies that have cheeredfromthe sidelineshourafter hour in allweather conditions.”

TheOswestryschoolwentone better than last year’s second place by recoveringfromgoing behind early in the finaltowin 4-3ina pulsatingcontest to seal amemorablevictory forthe players andtheir supporters

Moreton hadmadeahabit of securing comeback wins after findingthemselves 3-1downtoQueen Anne’s Caversham in thequarters before winning4-3,and were then 2-0behindintheir semi-final againstStCatherine’s butsurged to win4-2 andbookareturntothe final.

Cheering on thesidelines, Moretonmum HeatherPickering said: “I thinkwewillbecelebrating this historic achievementfor alongtime

followinga weekendwithmany heart-in-mouthmoments.

“The girlsknewthere wouldbe some very toughmatches against schoolswithumpteensubs, coaches andevenphysios,but ourgirls went outthere keepingtheir eyes on the prize, with some fabulous tacticsup theirsleeves andgot thejob done”

Head coachCarina Walshsaid: “I can’tput into words what this meansfor theplayers, thestaff,and this school

“Weare asmall school andhave achieved theultimateprize.”

Acting director of sportStuart Penroseadded: “I don’tthink this will sink in foralongtime.

“Mywords to theteamexpressed

that theirnamewill be forever etched in thehistory books, and no onecan ever take that accolade away from them.”

U19s captains Emma Barnes, from Oswestry,and Karina Henshaw,fromAltrincham, also could nothidetheir joy,saying: “Winning Nationals2024has been adream come true

“One of thebestfeelingsinthe world is when you accomplish somethingyou’veworkedsohardfor

“The moment wassurreal;no words candescribe how it felt in that moment to lift thetrophywith cheers from ourfriends andfamily. Thefeeling of pride wasa testament to thecountless hoursofdedication

andtrainingput in,bothbyour teamand ouramazing coaches.

“The memories made will stay for us forever.”

SarahThomas,fromBaschurch, watched with herOld Moretonian daughter Georgia, whoasone of last year’s finalistshad travelled from Edinburghtocheer on the team

Revelling in thehistory of the moment,Thomas enthused:“The Queens of theNorth finallyclaimed theircrown

“The heartand braverywith whichtheydefeatedsomanysoutherngiantswas testamenttoalong acknowledgedtruth of Moreton sport:sizeisnomatch forspirit.”

All-rounderLeach bowlsinfor aSalop return

JoeLeach is back whereitall beganfor the2024seasonhaving made hisreturntoShrewsbury after five yearsaway, writes Ollie Westbury

Thelong-servingWorcestershire all-rounder, in histestimonial year with thePears,has committed to theLondonRoadclubfor theBirmingham League campaign following relegation from Premier One.

TheformerShrewsbury School student, 33,joinedShropshireat minor counties levelin2010, two yearsafterhestarted turningout forShrewsburyatclublevel,with whomhe won theNationalKnockoutin 2011

LeachwentontojoinWorces-

Manningmakes historywitha stunning rally

SimonManning hitthe comeback trail with ahistory-making displayinthe Bridgnorth Snooker League

No playerinthe league’s 74year historyhas ever been beaten having notcheda69ormore breakearlier in aframe.And only on very rare occasionshas a playerbeenabletorecoverwhen needingthree snookers

Butboththese scenarios occurred during ShifnalB’s 3-2 winover St John’sA

JohnFellows hadgiven Shifnalthe earlylead, andafterhis excellent69break,CarlWalker appearedtobecoastingtovictory againstManning

With only tworeds andthe colours left on thetable,Manning, needed threesnookers.

Buthethenproduced astunning fightbackashemanaged to getseven snookers, with Walker gettingout of four of them,on theway to winningone of the finest frames in theleague’shistory on the finalblack andby onepoint

IanPostans andMattJudd addedtwo more frames to the Shifnaltally,whileKen Goodall notched asecondfor St John’s.

Both BallPointand ChelmarshB,the toptwo teams in thedivision, recorded 4-1victories

ComfortablewinsfromPaul Harper,NeilPearson andSteve Powell,and amuchcloserone from KenBooty,weremorethan enough to seeoff BallPoint’sopponentsStJohn’sB.PeteWilliamsearnedthe away team a valuable pointbybeatingLaki Badhan

ChelmarshB’s victorycame againstBroseley A, butwas not as convincing aresultasthe scorelinesuggests.

SimonThomas,Chris Lewis andPaulManning were well challenged by Matt Smout, Andy Garbettand Gary Watson.

Only Gary Smithromped to victory, beatingCameron Barden.NeilCaswell provided Broseley with anotherconsolation,beating MikeRogersinthe finalframe

A5-0 defeat at thecuesofBroseleyBmeans that Chelmarsh Amustwin at leastone of their tworemaining matchestostand anychanceofavoidingthe wooden spoon.

tershire’sprofessional ranksin 2014 andbroke in as a first-team regularayearlater before he was namedcaptain in 2016,a role held untilthe endofthe 2021 season Stafford-bornLeach recently committed himself to NewRoaduntil 2025. He most recently playedclub cricket forShifnal, between2020 and2023, in theBirmingham League buthis club action has been limiteddue to professional commitments with Worcester. He last playedfor Shrewsbury in June 2019.

Leach’scareerhas seen him claim450 FirstClass wicketsand scorealmost4,000 runs forthe NewRoadoutfit.

Having only wonone league matchall season,thatcould prove to be atallorder

On song forBroseley were Nick andAndyCarson, Mick Brezwyn, Owen Hughes andEddieMullard.

In theall Alveleyencounter theresultwentverymuchasexpected,the Bteambeatingthe C team 4-1.

ChrisJepsonhad given theC team theearly lead by beating JohnBeddows,but from that pointonitwas allAlveley Bas Arek Ziemkiewicz, Dave Jones, GavinFlower andMartinCoffey Jnr, with breaks of 30,42, saw them home

Celebration time for Moreton HallSchools’lacrosseteam following theirstunning Champions Cupsuccess

JoeLeach sendsinadeliveryduringhis previousspell with Shrewsbury

–See

BUCKSCLOSE TO PLAY-OFF PLACE

KevinWilkinwas full of praise forunlikely match-winner Jared Hodgkiss afterthe fullback’s header secured AFCTelford United a 2-1win at Bromsgrove Sporting.

TheBucks were madetowork hard fortheir threepointsagainst a physicalhome side,who dominated largeparts of thegamewiththeir direct play

Butitwas Hodgkiss, oneofthe smallest players on thepitch,who wasthere to nodhome thewinner with five minutes left

When askedwhether he wassurprisedtosee the37-year-old popup in thebox,Wilkinreplied:“Yeah I was(surprised) to seehim in there, because Iwas expectingtosee him stood in frontofme. When Isaw himinthe penaltyareaitwas quite ashock

“Hecameup with amassive goal forusatBerkhamsted when we were really stretched.

“Ifthere’s an exampletothe younger players abouthow you conductyourselfand do theright things Jaredwould be it,along with acoupleofthe others

“I’m justdelightedfor Jared. He looksafter himself andtopop up with suchacrucial goal is brilliant forhim andeveryone at theclub.

“Itwas oneofthe biggestchallenges we’vefaced allseasonfor different reasons, andthe waythe lads have dealtwiththingsand stuck theirheadinwhentheyneeded to waspleasing.”

Thehard-fought victorymeans Telfordcan confirm aplay-offspot with awin over Leamington this weekend.

Tigers sign offwithsix of thebest

TelfordTigers hitthe backofthe netduring Sunday’swin

TelfordTigerssignedoff theirregular season in stylewithacomfortable NIHL victoryagainst Bristol Pitbulls.

Having triumphed8-4 in Bristol on Saturday night, Tigers completed an emphatic double with a6-0 success at theTelford IceRink.

Theresultsaw Telford finish sixthin the finalstandings,meaningtheywill be in GroupB of the play-offsgroupsalong with Milton Keynes,Swindon Wildcats and Raiders

Tigers started thegamewelland were aheadafter five minutes when Vladimir Luka pickedout theun-

Pendley’sform is no surprise

AFCTelford United defender

OrrinPendley’s ‘terrificseason’ hasnot come as asurprise to managerKevin Wilkin.

Thepowerfulcentre-back has startedeverygamehe hasbeen availableinfor TheBucks this season

Anddespite adifficultstart to life in Telfordcolours,Pendley hascementedhimself as oneof Wilkin’s go-toplayers

“He’shad aterrificseason, andpeoplemaybe forget that at thestart of theseasonhe came under some fire from certain quarters of thefanbase,” theBucks bosssaid. “People let theiropinionsbeknown,which Ithought wasalittleunfairat thetime, butthat’scredittohis characterthathe’sstayedfocusedand shownsuchcontrol.

“He’sarguablybeenasconsistentaplayeraswe’ve hadall season whichisatremendous credit to him. He wantstogothe extra yard to improve,and he’s gone outofhis waytohelpthe younger playersaswell.”

Wilkin also admitted achange of plan in pre-season waskey to helpingPendley settleeven quicker.

“I made himcaptain at thebeginningofpre-seasonwhich he probably wasn’t quiteready for, so we movedthataside andtook that burden away from him,” Wilkin revealed.“Certainlythe form andconsistency that he’s showingnow he’s very much one of thosethatI’d be comfortable with giving thatroletoagain.”

marked Finn Howells in theslot

Howellshit ashotthathit Pitbullsnetminder DeanSkinnsbut trickled behind himintothe goal Twominutes later,the home side doubledtheir lead.Joe Astonsenta pass from behind thegoalfor Louie Newell to tuck home.

Midway throughthe second period Tigers hadathird goal.Asuperb pass by Luka allowedScott McKenzietimetopickout thebottomcorner.

Telfordcontinued to dominate andashotfromRhodesMitchell-Kingwentinoff thebar to make it 4-0.

Four minutesfromthe endofthe game,Tigersaddeda fifththrough Howells.Lukathenwrapped up thescoring as Tigers made it six straightwins.

Head coachTom Watkinswas delightedwiththe display, saying:“It wasagoodnight’s workcompleting theregular season with ahome win anda firstshutout forMatty Bloor plus also putting together awinning streak aheadofplay-offs helps buildconfidenceand belief

“Itwas importanttomakesure we played with good habits andconsistency aheadofthe play-offs.”

Luka shines –Page29

DANSTACEY