Chronicle Week Walsall - 27-Oct-2022

WalsallCouncil’schiefexecutive istostepdownfromtheroleafter afive-yearstint,promptingcallsto scraptherolealtogetheramidstthe costoflivingcrisis

DrHelenPatersonistotakeon thechiefexecutiveroleatNorthum berlandCountyCouncil when the authorityreceivesa recommendationforagreementatameetingnext month.Shewashandedthetopjob inWalsallin2017,followingtheretirementofPaulSheehan.Priorto joiningWalsall,shewaschiefexec utiveatWrexhamCountyBorough Councilforsixyearsfrom2011

WalsallCouncilleaderMikeBird congratulatedDrPatersononher newjob andthanked herfor her work in theborough.But herimpendingdeparturehasledtoques tionsonwhethertheposi tionneedstobefilledand whethertheauthoritycan save the£195,000 pack ageatatimeofincreasing costsandcutstofunding.

Independentcouncillor PeteSmith,whorepresents theBlakenall ward,said: “Could this be an oppor tunityforWalsallCouncil tosavesomemoney?Does WalsallCouncilreallyneed

anotherchiefexecutiveatacostof around£200,000peryear,giventhat serviceshavebeencuttothebone, withmanyservicesoutsourcedand giventhatthecouncilisapparent lystrappedforcashduetoenergy costrisesandthattheCivicCentre isalmostempty,withsomanystaff workingfromhome,includingstaff paidatthehighestlevel.”

Councillor Smithadded:“Ido notthinkthetaxpayersofWalsall willbehappyifontheonehandthe councilcan afford to payout this sortofmoneyononejobyetonthe otherhandimposeevenfurthercuts toservicesandevenfurtherrisesin counciltaxbillsfromApril2023

“I thinkthere should be apublic discussion on this subjectbeforecoun cilmanagersrushto findareplacement.”

Councillor Bird said:“Theappoint ment of senior of ficersofthiscouncil is amatterfor our personnelcommit tee.”

Fundraiser full of colour

Trafficcones left behind

Afrustratedcouncillor says thereare“moreconesthananice creamshop”onsomeWalsallroads, whicharenotbeingcollected

Councillor Paul Bott said road worksigns andtraffic coneshad beenleftlongafterrepairshadbeen completed.Ataneconomyanden vironment overviewand scrutiny committee,hequestionedwhether financeswereavailableforthe“rad ical”changeneededtoimprovethe streets,adding:“YougoontheBlack CountryRoute andthere’s more conesthananicecreamshop.”

Director of placeand environ ment DaveBrown said theissue wouldbelookedat

Street booze fearsraised

Fearshavebeenraisedovera lack of resources to tackle street drinkingproblemsaroundWalsall.

Atameetingtodiscussastreet scenestrategy,tomaketheborough “cleaner,greener,saferandstronger”, Councillor Carl Creaneysaid therewasnotenoughpolicetotackle theissueandthelocalauthoritydid nothavethesamepowers.

DavidElrington,headofcommunity safety andenforcement,said: “Wehaveagroup of community safetyenforcementofficerswhoare empoweredtoenforce thepublic spaces protection orderand issue warnings,fixedpenaltiesorprose cutionforstreetdrinking.”

Report by Gurdip Thandi

DrHelen Paterson

Extensiona‘priority’

WestMidlandsMayorAndyStreet hasinsistedtheMetroextension,from WednesburytoBrierleyHill,isa“prior ity”

Speaking at theWestMidlands Combined Authority(WMCA)scrutinypanelmeeting,themayorwasada manthewantedtoclearupanyconfu sionwhichhadarisenafteraprevious meetinginwhich Birmingham City

CouncilleaderandtransportchiefIan Wardwasaskediftherewereenough resourcesfortheauthoritytofulfilits transportambitions.MrStreetsaidthe intentiontoextendtoBrierleyHillwas stillthere.

Theextensionisnowreferredtoas phasetwooftheDudleymetroplanand memberswillmeetinJanuarytoagree optionsforfundingit.

Ellieintop10of Power100 list

Paralympic swimmer EllieSim mondshasbeennamedinthetop10of leadingdisabledpeopleinthecountry.

The27-year-oldwasrankednumbersix in theShawTrust Disability Power100 listwhich celebrates disabledpeopleinsocietywhoaretopof theirgameandinpositionsofinfluence

Walsall-bornEllieiscurrentlytakingpartinBBC’sStrictlyComeDancing Sheisthefirstcontestantwithdwarf isminthehistoryoftheSaturdaynight show

EllieswaminfourParalympic Games,winningeightmedals fiveof themgold.Ellieisnowanambassador forScouts,WaterAidandapatronofthe DwarfsSportsAssociationUK

Most recently shehelpedpresent coverageoftheCommonwealthGames

from Birmingham. Elliesaid: “There aresomanyincredibledisabilityadvo catesouttherewhoarechangingthe wayindividuals live with disabilities andtobepartoftheDisabilityPower 100Top10isjustincredible.”

RoseAyling-Ellis,lastyear’sStrict lyComingDancingwinner,toppedthe DisabilityPower100Listfor2022.

Thenamesofthoseonthisyear’s ShawTrustDisabilityPower100were revealedatLondon’sLandmarkHotelin aceremonyhostedbyDianeLightfoot, CEOoftheBusinessDisabilityForum.

Thelistwascompiledbyapanelof judges from morethan700 nominationsfrommembersofthepublic

Report by Lisa O’Brien

ParalympicgoldmedallistandStrictlycontestantEllieSimmonds

ernisetheWalsteadRoadfacility

Peoplecouldtakeona5kmor 10km track at the popular park wearingtheir brightestaccesso-

ries–includingglow-in-the-dark ears. Participants were handed anexclusiveGlowWalkT-shirt,a fundraisingpark,glowaccessories andamedaluponcompletion

Amanda Tipper,47, of Pleck, attendedwithher 53-year-old partnerWayne Ryan,her eightyear-oldsonAlexanderSmithand granddaughtersNovahSmith,six, andElizaSmith,eight.

Shesaid:“We’vealreadybeen tothebubblerusheventthisyear to supportAcorns, becauseyou

neverknowwhenyou’ll need it Andit’sgoodtogetthekidsinvolvedtooandteachthemaboutit.

“Iknowpeoplewho’veworked thereand there’sagirlIknew whosechildwenttoAcorns,soit’s veryimportanttoshowoursup portforit.”

Meanwhile, Morrison’scommunitychampions–NicolaMaycock forWednesbury andSarah SingletonforBescotinWalsall–attendedtoraisemoneythrough theirrespectivestores

LouiseHutchinson, six, andHennesyMoy,seven, take partinAcornsGlow Walk, atthearboretum

‘Glowbot’ JodieDuckworth

TobynMaycock with‘Glowbot’Alexander,Novah,ElizaSmith

Cancer nursecallstime

Abreastcancernursewhohas caredforthousandsofpatientsis retiringafterserving40yearsat anNHSTrust.

GeraldineSheridanbeganher journeyasatraineenurseatCity Hospital,Birmingham,whenit wasknown as theDudleyRoad HospitalSchoolofNursingbackin 1981

Afterqualifying,shewenton toworkinthesurgicalwardsfor morethan14years at Sandwell andWestBirminghamNHSTrust.

Shesaid:“Myrealenthusiasm fornursingstartedin1996when Iworkedonthebreastgynae-oncologywardatthetrust–thisis wheremypassionbegan.

“I workedthere foraround fiveyearsandthenin2004moved tomypresentroleasMacmillan breastcarenurse.”

ThoughGeraldinehaswanted

tobeanursesincechildhood,her mosttestingtimecameduringthe Covid-19pandemic.

Shesaid: “Mybiggest chal lengewaswhenIwasredeployed to work in critical care at City

Hospital foraround fivemonths during thepandemic.However, whatstartedoutasafrightening thoughtsoonchangedintoareally positiveexperiencethankstothe fantastic critical care team who helpedandsupportedmethrough mytimeontheunit.”

Payingtributetohertimeat thetrust,HelenTaylor,Macmillan breastcarenursesaid:“Geraldine isatrulyoutstandingnursewho hastouchedandmadeadifference tosomanypatients’lives.”

Oncologist Dr David Spooner said:“Thousandsofpatientsand relativesaregratefulforherim menseprofessionalskill,butabove allheruniquekindness,listening, personaltouch,faithfulness,integrityandunderstanding.”

Geraldineplanstospendmore time with hergrandchildrenfol lowingherretirement

£14m needed to balancecouncil books

Thecostoflivingcrisisissetto hitWalsallCouncilwithmorethan £14millionextraexpectedtobe neededtobalancethebooks.

Acabinet report showedincreasedenergybills, spend on contractsandthirdpartiessuchas contractorsandariseinthewage billwouldneedurgentattention

Butbossessaidtheywereconfi dentthecouncil’strackrecordin settingbalancedbudgets would enablethemtodealwiththeissue

Thetotalestimatedcostofliv ingimpactforthe2022/23finan cialyearis£14.42mwith£4.08m ofthatduetoenergyandfuelin flation.Thecontracts/thirdparty

spendisanticipatedtoincreaseby £3.88mwhilethetotalpaycosts couldincreasebymorethan£6m subject to agreement. Thecabinetheardmostoftheextracosts wouldbecoveredusingreserves

DeputyleaderAdrianAndrew said:“We’reinapositiontohandle thedifficultdecisionshead-on.”

Geraldine Sheridan

Allsmiles at reopeningofclinic

Patientsneedingspecialden talcarewillbeallsmileswiththe reopeningofservices at an ex pandedclinicafterdelaysdueto theCovidcrisis

Thereferral-only service basedatBraceStreetHealthCen tre,inCaldmore,hasbeenextend

edfromtwotofoursurgeriesfor residentsneedingsupporttoget check-upsandoraltreatmentsin an£800,000revamp

Theservice,commissionedby Birmingham CommunityHealth care NHS Foundation Trust, un derwent a revamp during the

lockdownmonthsandwasfinally reopenedtopatientsinApril.

Delighteddentistrystaff cel ebratedthe officialopening of therefurbishedfacilitiesatarib bon-cuttingceremonyperformed bytheservicesgeneralmanager JasKiranKaur.

bonfirenight eventsatthe King GeorgeVinBloxwich,theArbore tumandWillenhallMemorialPark onNovember4,5and6.Itwasan ticipatedtheeventswouldbringin atleast£8,000forthecouncilif80 percentofticketsweresold.

Thosethreefireworkandbon firedisplayswillstillgoaheadas planned,withticketscurrentlyon sale.CouncillorGaryFlint,portfo lioholderforhealthandwellbe ingsaid:“Wewillnotbeholding

aDiwalifireworkseventin2022. When we approved this year’s programmeofeventsitwas on thebasisthattheyneededtobe costneutral,asitwouldbeunfair forcounciltaxpayerstosubsidise them

“WeestimatetheDiwalievent wouldresultinalossof£17,000. Seeingreportsofanumberofcity councilsaroundtheUKcancelling bonfirenightdisplaysbecauseof growingbudgetpressuresandthe cost-of-living crisis hasgiven us pauseforthought.”

Chief nurse Marcia Perry and team at the officialreopening of dentalservices

Help us to raiseawareness of ovariancancersymptoms

Womenare still beingover lookedasovariancancercontin uestodevastateandclaimlives. Progressisnotbeingmadequick enough

I’dbeensufferingwithabloat edtummy,feelingfullquickly,and misdiagnosedwaterinfectionsfor overayear.IvisitedmyGP,butmy symptomswereconfusedasother things,soIkeptputtingupwithit Inthemeantime,myhusband wasdiagnosedwithbowelcancer. Thiswasashock,butitmademe considermyownhealth,andIre

alisedIhadtheclassicsymptoms of ovariancancer–persistent bloating,feelingfullquickly,tum mypain,andneedingtoweemore often.IwentbacktotheGPandI wasdiagnosedwithstage1ovar iancancer.

Sincemydiagnosis, I’ve re alisedsomuchmoreneedstobe donetosavelives.Ifdiagnosedat theearlieststages,ninein10wom enwillsurvive.Buttwothirdsof womenarediagnosedlate,when thecancerishardertotreat.To getherwithTargetOvarianCan

Reform needed for NHStofunction

IhavebeenwaitingsinceJan uary2021foraroutineeyeoper ationlasting20minutesataNHS hospital.IntheinterimIhavehad four in-personappointmentsof dubiouspurpose,exceptpossibly tomeetsomeadministrativetar get.Eachhasspecifiedanappoint mentwith“DrXoroneofhisteam”. IhaveneverseenthegreatDrX.

Told at thelastappointment that theoperation would be in threemonths(exactlywhatIwas toldinJanuary2021).Idecidedto research alocal privatehospital forthesameoperation.Prominent intheirbrochurewasthebeaming

faceofDrX.Thissuggeststome that that theNHS needsreform, includingconsultantemployment conditions,notjustmoneythrown atit,ifitistofunctionefficiently Certainly Dr Xwill notbeare cipientofmycashtosupporthis moonlightinglifestyle

Themoretalkofinflation,the moreinflationthereis.Sixmonths ago, myfavourite biscuits were £1,now they are£1.49.Similar lya£1cartonoffruitjuiceisnow £1.49.Weneedtoact,I’mwritingto theHealthSecretaryandchanging mysupermarket.

KeithVaughan,Wednesbury

cer, we’recalling foranational symptomsawarenesscampaigns, moretrainingandsupportforGPs andurgentinvestmentintheClini calNurseSpecialistworkforce

Thiswillleadtoearlierdiag nosisofovariancancer,accessfor alltotreatment,andwidespread improvementsinsupport,notably mentalhealthsupport.

We’recallingonreaders to helpus.Findoutmorebyvisiting targetovariancancer.org.uk

DianeBoothby,onbehalfof TargetOvarianCancer

It’s so hard to seeaGP

ItisofmyopinionthatGPswill soonbecomethethingofthepast asweknowthem

Youcannotget to seea GP whenyouessentiallyneedthem.I cansoonseeatimewhenwewill havetopaytoseeourdoctors.

Mydadwasinterriblepain, diagnosedasinguinalherniafrom A&E.Despitehispoliterequestsif aGPcouldseehim,‘no’cameback theresponsefromthestrictre ceptionist!

Anappointmentwasmadefor overtwoweeks,non-urgent,de spitemydadbeinginpain!Doyou callthisanNHS?

Nameandaddresssupplied

Bus servicesshouldnot be abandoned

Busesareanintegralmodeof transportfor thousandsoflocal people,especiallythose in com munitieswithoutaccesstoanyal ternatives

Thoseonlowincomeshaveno choicebuttorelyonbuses.With outthemtheycannotgettowork, areunable to send children to schoolsordotheirshopping

Lonelinessandisolation,even women’ssafetyarerealissuesin

ourlocalcommunities.Busespro vide agateway to greatersocial interactionandpersonalfreedom

As soon as thegovernment’s ‘pandemic’ handouts stopped, transportchiefsreducedroutesor services.Thiswillhappentoour Metroandrailservicestoo.There arefewer passengers,increased costsandfewerdriversavailable

Both government andtrans portchiefscouldseethiscoming

and, have doneverylittle, other thanimpose‘kneejerk’cuts.Buses needtobeaffordableandreliable Takingcarsofftheroadandim provingairqualityareimportant toeveryone’sfutures.Thereisno easysolutionbut,weneedmore effortfromtransportchiefs.Buses cannotbeabandonedastheyhave animportantroleinmaintaining people’smobility

DougJames,Walsall

verhampton, WV1 1ES.

ipso.co.uk

by post at Ipso, c/o

House, 1Farring

Street, London,

7LG.

Jury convicts man of attempting to kill stabbedwife

Amanwhorepeatedlystabbedhis wifeinthestreetaftershelefthimhas beenfoundguiltyoftryingtokillher.

Dinner-ladyMaureenWedderburn, 66,suffered10stabwoundstoherhead andbodyafterhusbandHughattacked hernearaschool,inWestBromwich Road,Fullbrook,inWalsall,as she walkedtoworkonApril6

After90minutes deliberating,a jury at WolverhamptonCrown Court last week unanimouslyfound Hugh Wedderburn, 67,ofNewbolt Delves, guiltyofattemptedmurder.

Giving evidencepreviously, Mrs Wedderburnwhorecoveredfromher injuries,describedtothejurythatshe madeadecisiontoleaveherhusbandof 40yearsduetohiscontrollingandobsessivebehaviour

Shetoldthecourthehadwrongly accusedherofhavinganaffairwitha mancalled‘Vincent’.Shesaidshehad hadenoughofherhusband’sparanoid behaviourand movedinwiththeir

daughter.Wedderburnhadbeenwait ingforherinWestBromwichRoadat 7.50amandaskedhertocomebackto him.

Whensherefusedhestabbedher withakitchenknifeinfrontofhorri fiedpassers-byontheirwaytowork andwithchildren on theirway to school.Heclaimedhehadintendedto injuredhisex

MrsWedderburntold thecourt: “Ithought‘heisgoingtokillme’butI foughtback,whichhedidnotexpect.”

Thejuryfoundhimguiltyoftrying tokillher,agreeingwiththeprosecu tion’scasethatthefacthewasableto causehergraveinjurywithamodest weaponspoke“verypowerfully”tohis stateofmindatthetimeofthestabbingandthathewasanobsessivecontrollingmanwhocouldnotacceptthat hiswifehadherlifetolead

Heisduetobesentencedthisweek.

Studentfound guilty aftertrial on mass brawl

Astudentinvolvedinamassstreet brawloutsidehomesinaWalsallstreet hasbeenfoundguiltyofviolentdisorder.

KevinGill,23,wasinthemiddleof theclashwhicheruptedbetweentwo groupsatthejunctionofLewisStreet andCroftStreetinBirchills,onJune10, 2020.Gillsufferedabrokennosedur ingthefracas.

Cricketbats,stumps,poolcuesand knuckledusterswereusedwhentheviolenceeruptednearaschoolduringthe firstCovidlockdown.

Atleastfourpeoplesufferedinju ries,includingamanwhowasknocked unconscious.

Inaunanimousverdictthejuryat

WolverhamptonCrown Courtfound theuniversitypharmaceuticalstudent guiltyfollowingthetrialinvolvingtwo otherdefendants. However, thejury clearedhisco-defendantsAdalMoham medandAsamHussain,bothaged24, ofthesamecharge.

Thejurywas previouslyshown footageofGillamidonegroupasitad vancedalongthestreetinthemelee thatwascapturedonfilm

JudgeCarmelWalltoldtheMoham medandAsam,bothofLewisStreet, thattheywerefreetogo.Gill,ofSel borneStreet, Chuckery,was granted bailandsentencingwasadjournedfor reportstoadatetobefixed.

street.You canjoinover336,000 happy customersand replace your glass ethicallyand affordably.

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Take aminuteto check your home to seeifany double glazinghas failed?Taking action nowcan prevent future financial problems. When talking to theManager of Cloudy2Clear windowsJames Stanleyitbecameclear that thesevalues have been held dear foranumberofyears Sincestartingthe business some yearsago Cloudy2Clear have remained true to their core values of supporting the localcommunity by providing aservice that savesthe public money.

TheCloudy2Clearservice only requires theglass to be replaced andnot thewhole window once theunithas failed.James commented“Cloudy2Clear were abletoassistour community throughthe last financial crisis in 2008 duetothe savings that canbemade in usingour service.Unfortunately we might be goingthrough something similaragain soonand the public canrestassuredthatwe will be theretohelponceagain”.

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Report by Deborah Hardiman

Police officersatthesceneofthe stabbing inWalsall

AhospitalisthefirstinEuropetoofferapotential breakthroughnewclinicaltrialforyoungsterswho sufferfromseverehandeczema.

WalsallManorHospitalisappealingforpatients totakepartintheDELTATeenstudy.Itisavailable forpatients,aged12to17,whohavehadmoderateto severehandeczemaforatleastthreemonthsandif previoustreatmenthasbeenunsuccessful

Governance andclinical teamsacrossWalsall HealthcareNHSTrustandTheRoyalWolverhampton NHSTrusthaveworkedcloselywiththedermatology departmenttoensureWalsall’sbidtobethefirsttrial siteinEuropewassuccessful

ConsultantdermatologistDrJamesHalpern,said: “Toofferaccesstoatreatmenttrialthatmaychange theirlives–andmanyothersinfuture–isexciting.”

Fordetailsemailwalsall.research1@nhs.net

Zonesbid to boost economy

FourBlackCountrysitesareincludedinabidto hostGovernmentinvestmentzonesthatcouldboost theregion’seconomyby£4.7billionayear.

TheWestMidlandsCombinedAuthority(WMCA) hasmadeformalbidsforsixzones,whichwillsee businessesbenefitfromlowtaxesandrelaxedplan ningrulesinabidtoboostgrowth

Politicalandbusinessleadersacrosstheregion saidtheproposalswouldhelp“regenerateandliftup” deprivedareasoftheWestMidlands

Investmentzonesareoneofthefewremaining featuresoftheGovernment’smini-budgetannounced byKwasiKwartengbeforehewassackedasChancel lor

TheBlackCountryplansfeatureazonealongthe Wednesbury-BrierleyHill Metroextension,includ inghousingandemploymentinDudleytowncentre, BrierleyHillandLye

Schemesforhousingandindustrialspacehave beenproposedforWednesburyandTipton.

Wolverhampton’sschemecentresarounda‘green innovationcorridor’tothenorthofthecity,aswellas housingandemploymentsitesinthecitycentre

MeanwhileWalsall’sschemelookstocreateem ploymentsitesneartheM6andinthetowncentre, withamixofcommercialandresidentialdevelopment acrossthewiderborough.

WestMidlandsMayorAndyStreet,saidtheregion hadsubmitted“astrongarrayofoptions”totheGov ernment

”Weknowinvestmentzonescanacceleratethe deliveryoftangibleoutcomesforlocalresidents–in cludingboostingemploymentprospects–soI’mlook ingforwardtoworkingwithministerstogetourWest MidlandszonesestablishedASAP,”MrStreetsaid

Crashvictimtribute

Tributeshavebeenpaidtoamuch-loved 23-year-oldmanwhodiedinacarcrashin RowleyRegis.

MorganPritchardhasbeendescribedas passionate,committed,andhavinga“conta gioussmile”.

HeworkedforF.PGaunt&SonsLtd,an independentfamilyfuneraldirectorsbased inRowleyRegis.

Thefuneraldirectorsarenowplacinga bookofcondolencesintheirmainofficefor peopletopentheirowntributes.

AtributepostedonF.PGaunt&SonsLtd’s Facebookpagesaid:“Withheavyheartsand

deepsadnesswewanttopaytributetoMor ganPritchard.Ayoungmanfullofpride, passion,commitment,andlaughterwitha contagioussmile

“Ascolleagues,asfriends,asaworkfami lyweallmournandmissyoudearly

“Ason,agrandson,abrother,afriend whoislovedandwillbemissedbysoso many.”

TosignthebookofcondolencesatF.P Gaunt&SonsLtd,visittheirofficeonthe RowleyRegisHighStreet,openfrom9am 5.30pmfromMondaytoFriday,and10amnoononSaturday

activatedanalarm

Crashvictim Morgan Pritchard

Vets recognisedfor catcare

An award-winningvetspractice hasbeenhonouredforitscareofcats bytheInternationalSocietyofFeline Medicine(ISFM)

BlacksVets,whichhaspracticesin Lye,Oldbury,SedgleyandQuinton,has seenitsDudleyanimalhospitalrecog nisedasasilverlevelcat-friendlyclinic

CatadvovateSophieEvanssaidthe awardwasinrecognitionofthehospi tal’sdeterminationtopromotewellbe ingandthehigheststandardsofcarefor allcatsvisitingthem.Shesaid:“We’re incrediblyproudtohaveachievedthis prestigioussilvercat-friendly clinic status.Ithasbeenarealteameffort andisafittingrewardforeveryone’s hardworkanddedication

“Asacat-friendlyclinic, we are trainedtohandlecatsinamannerthat minimisesstress,fearandanxiety,as wellasadvisingclientsonthebestway to safely andcomfortably transport theircatstous.”

TheISFMlaunchedthecat-friendly clinicinitiativetoencourageveterinary clinicstomakechangestoimprovethe welfareofcatsintheircare.

Choir’sautumnconcert

HalesowenChoralSocietypresents itsautumnconcertnextweekend.

Theconcert, at St Margaret’s Church,Hasbury,onNovember5,will featureworksbyPergolesiandHandel includingMagnificatandDixitDomini cus,withsoloistsAlexandraSaunders,

GemmaKing,RebeccaLloyd,AshTur nellandHenrySaywell.TheHCSSinfo nia,ledbyDavidGregory,willbecon ductedbyStephenDavis

Theconcertstartsat7.30,withtick etsat£10,fromchoirmembersoron 01215507206.

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CatadvocateSophie Evans

Jailoverillegal tobacco

Ashopownerwhostockpiledmore thanthreequartersofamillionillegal cigarettesand tobacco with aretail valueofmorethan£300,000hasbeen jailedfor30months.

MansourMuhammedOmar, 35, previouslyfromSt David’s Drivein Quintonand whopreviouslyowned UKMiniMarketandKNNMiniMarket, bothinSmethwick,wasimprisonedafterTradingStandardscaughthimwith thelargequantityofillegaltobaccoat histhenhomeandinavanparkedoutsidetheproperty.

Omar wasfound guilty of nine charges under theTrade MarksAct 1994,and TheTobacco andRelated Products Regulations2016, Coventry

CrownCourtwastold.Hehadpreviouslypleadedguiltytoafurther12similar chargesrelatingtotheillegaltobacco foundathistwoshoppremises.Theto baccoproductswereallnon-dutypaid, withamixtureofcounterfeitandillicit whitecigarettes.Theywereincorrectly packagedanddidnotbearthecorrect UKhealthwarnings

Theprosecution,brought by Sandwell’sTradingStandardsteam,is thelargestillicittobaccocasetheyhave dealtwith.

Anyonebeingofferedcheaptobacco oranytypeofillicitgoodsshouldreport thedetailstoSandwellTradingStandardsbycalling03003032636orvisit sandwell.gov.uk/tradingstandards

TributetoDonna amarathontask

iornurseworkingasanadvancedclini calpractitionerwhoalsoworkedatthe same trustasStephanie.She underwentliverandkidneytransplants,but still suffered with underlyingsymptoms.Shediedaged53in2019after collapsing at herhome in Northfield

twoyearsago.Stephanie,whoworks

andCityHospitals, said:“Donnawasthelifeandsoulofthe party–shewasverystrong,andyou’d neverhaveknownwhatshewasgoing through.

“Shealwayshadapositivemental attitude.Herlosshasleftahugeholein thelivesofthosewhoknewandloved her.”

Stephanie,fromBournville, has previouslyrun theLondonMarathon andoriginallyregisteredforNYCmar athonin2020,butCovid-19restricted herfromattendinguntilthisyear

TosponsorStephanie’sefforts,visit gofund.me/a4509cd6

More ‘ailing’businesses

Thenumberofailingbusinessesin WestMidlandshasrisensharply,new figuresshow.Expertshavecreateda ‘Red Flag Alert’ to highlight firms in dangerofgoingtothewall.

InDudleythereare534businesses indistress–upfourpercentfromApril toJune.Walsallhas1,453,upsevenper cent,while Wolverhamptonisupby fourpercentto1,724andStaffordup fourpercentto785.

Propertyandrealestateisaparticularissue,with28percentoffirms

introubleintheworstaffectedarea, Dudley. BegbiesTraynor’s RedFlag Alert, whichmonitorsthe financial healthofcompanies,saysthefigures reflect“turbulenttimes”

PartnerMarkMalone said:“Busi nessesarebeingbatteredonmultiple fronts by increasing costsinenergy, rawmaterialsandlabour.Coupledwith theincreasedcostofborrowingandthe prospectofrisingcorporationtaxnow aroundthecorner,thisisaverychallengingtimetobeinbusiness.”

StephanieCoates, left,withsister-in-law Donna

Shut dueto cockroaches

Atakeawaywastemporarilyclosed afterenvironmental health officers foundacockroachinfestation–with twoevenscuttlingoutofapestcontrac tor’sreportbook.

WalsallCouncil officersvisited ChickenPalaceinCaldmoreandfound whatisbelievedtobeonlythesecond knowncockroachinfestationinaWal sallfoodpremisesinthelast10years.

Foodpremisesarerequiredtohave adequateproceduresinplacetocontrol forpests,andtheofficershadafurther shockwhentheyopenedthepestcontractor’sreportbookand twocockroachesscurriedoutofit.

Cockroacheswerealsofound un derneaththetill,behindthefryersand

livinginthemotorofachestfreezer.Officersissuedahygieneemergencypro hibitionnoticewhichshutthepremises withimmediateeffectandtheclosure wasconfirmedatWalsallMagistrates CourtonOctober14.Thepremiseshas sincereopened.

Councillor GarryPerry,deputy leaderforresilientcommunitiessaid: “While thereissomecomedicirony aboutcockroachesscuttlingoutofthe pestcontrolbook,thisisclearlyavery seriousmatter.

“Althoughwecananddotakeen forcementactionwhenneeded,officers arealwayskeentoengagewithbusinessesandgiveadviceandguidance; wewantlocalbusinessestoflourish.”

Trustlaunches cancer helpline

AnNHScancerhotlineofferingadvice forSandwellresidentswho are worried they mayhavesymptomsof cancerhaslaunchedthisweek.

Concernedpatientswillbeableto speaktoaspecialistnursewhocandis cusstheirsymptomsandofferadvice onthenextstepstotake

This one-yearpilot servicehas beenfundedbytheWestMidlandsCan cerAlliance.Ithasbeensetupbythe HealthierFuturesBlackCountryIntegratedCareSystem(ICS)andSandwell andWestBirminghamNHS Trustin partnership.

JennyDonovan,cancerservices manageratthetrust,said:“Thishotline willmeanpeoplewhoareconcerned aboutnew or persistent symptoms thatcouldbeasignofcancercanspeak quicklytoanexpert.Wewanttomake surethattheyhavetheteststheymay need, andany treatmentrequiredas quicklyaspossible.

“Anyonewho is worried canring theadvicelineon01215073330,MondaytoFriday,between8amand4pm.”

Jennyadded:“Iftheythinkthatthe persondoesn’tneedtoseeaspecialist orhavetests,theymayrecommendthe personcontactstheirGPorwillmake anappointmentforthem.”

Symptomsofcancerincludeunexplainedweightloss,unusualswellings orlumps,changestoamole,changesin bowelhabitsformorethansixweeks, ahoarsevoice formorethanthree weeks,difficultiesinswallowing,unu sualchangestoyourbreastandvaginal bleedingaftermenopauseorbetween

periods. Formoreinformation,visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/can cer/symptoms/

BelindaDooley,HeadofWestMidlandsCancerAlliance,said:“Itisreally importantthatpeopledon’tdelayseekinghelp.Ifyoucallourspecialistnurs es,theycanofferreassuranceandmake surepeoplearegettingthehelpandsupporttheyneed,assoonaspossible.”

TheNHS Long Term Plan aims to dramaticallyimprovehowcancerisdi agnosedandtreated.Theaimisthatby 2028,anextra55,000peopleeachyear willsurviveforfiveyearsormorefol lowingdiagnosis.

Mayorspurns£16krise

TheWestMidlandsMayorhassaid hehasdeclinedapayriseduetothe costoflivingcrisis

Andy Street said he wasoffered a£16,000 salary increase,as recommendedbytheIndependentRemuner ationPanel,butsaiditseemedwrongto acceptasubstantialpayincreaseinthe currenteconomicclimate.

Hesaid:“It’sverystraightforward, atthistimewhensomanypeopleare facingchallengesintheirpersonalfi nances,itjustseemswrongformeto

takewhat’sactuallyaprettysubstantialpayincrease.”

MrStreet,whooverseessevenlocal councilsacrossBirmingham,Coventry, SolihullandtheBlackCountrythrough theWestMidlandsCombinedAuthority,hasremainedonthesameannual salaryof£79,000sincehewaselected.

Hesaidtheconurbationwas“trying wherewecantohelppeoplewiththeir everydayexpenditure”byfreezingbus faresand notintroducingamayoral tax

Hotline lead nurse GracePreece

Housingplanto

Developmentofa majorhousing planforWolverhamptonwillcostabout £290,000andislikelytobecompleted byearly2025,ithasbeenrevealed.

Councilchiefsareputtingtogether theirownplanaswellasSandwell,Wal sallandDudleyafterthecontroversial BlackCountryPlanfullycollapsed

Theoriginalplanwouldhaveseen morethan77,000 homesbuilt up to 2039acrossthefourareaswitharound 7,700setforgreenbeltland–tothean gerofcampaigners

ButitfellapartwhenDudleyCoun cil’sleaderCouncillor PatrickHarley withdrewfromtheschemeandwould notsacrificeparcelsoflandincluding sitessuchasHolbecheLaneinKingswinford,“tokeepothershappy”

NowithasemergedWolverhamp tonchiefsareworkingrapidlytodevelopanewplan–whichwillbeready byearly2025–tocoveraperiodupto 2040

Areport,settobediscussedbythe cabinetthisweek,said:“Alargeamount ofworkhasbeenundertakenandre sources expended overanextended periodoftimetoprogresstheBCPto anadvancedstage.Forthereasonsset out(aboutDudleywithdrawing from

theplan),thereisanurgentneedfor Wolverhamptontoprepareandadopta newLocalPlanassoonaspossible.

“Eachoftheremainingauthorities, Walsall,SandwellandWolverhampton have agreed thebestroute forward followingthe suddenwithdrawalof Dudleyistoproducetheirownplans, whilstatthesametimeworkingclosely together andmeeting thedutyto co-operate.”

Thereportaddsthe anticipated budgetfortheplanis£290,000butis anestimateandsubjecttochange.A further£50,000hasbeenincludedin theexpenditureforBlackCountryPlan works included over2022/23 which have“eitherbeencompletedoralmost completed”.Itadded:“Thecouncilwill be carefullylooking at what options theremaybetorecoverthesewasted costs.”

Lastweek,ChronicleWeekreported howWalsall CouncilleaderMike Birdsaidtheproposalshadcostinexcessof£1millionandthatthefourauthoritieswouldtrytoreclaimthecash fromDudleyCouncil.

400 Aldi rolesinstore aheadoffestive period

Aldiissettocreate400jobsacross theWestMidlandsand Staffordshire aheadofthefestiveperiod.

Thesupermarketislookingtofill temporaryand permanent positions initsstorestohelpreplenishstockand provide additional assistance to customersduringthefestiveperiod

Thefirmsaidithadabout170va canciesintheWestMidlandsand230 acrossStaffordshire.

In addition,Aldiisrecruitingfor morethan850rolesacrossits11Re gionalDistributionCentresaroundthe UKforanumberofpermanentroles,in cludingwarehouseselectors,logistics assistantsandlorrydrivers.

KellyStokes,recruitmentdirector atAldiUK,said:“Thisyearwe’rere-

cruiting morepeople than ever over theChristmas period to supportthe growingnumberofcustomersthatare switchingtoAldi.”

Storeassistants earn aminimum hourlyrateofupto£10.50nationally and£11.95insidetheM25.Aldi,now thecountry’s fourth largestgrocery chain,continuestoexpanditsUKpres ence.Itisontracktoinvestmorethan £15millioninnewandupgradedstores acrosstheregionthisyearaloneandis settoopen16morestoresnationwide

Having opened anew branch in Walsall’sCrownWharfRetailParkear lierthisyear,thereareplanstoopena storeinSedgleyandrenovateanother inBearwood.Applyataldirecruitment. co.uk

Report by Thomas Parkes

Holbeache Lane,inKingswinford, isone of the sites at the centreofrows

Tree blocks light, sayresidents

DistraughtWillenhallresidentssaythey havebeenplungedintoconstantdarkness duetoahugetreeblockingoutlighttotheir apartments– andworry aboutelectricity billsduetohavinglightsonintheday

ResidentsinLevesonCourt,alongwith WillenhallSouthcouncillorSimranCheema, saidtheyhavebeenaskinghousingprovider GreenSquareAccord–whoruntheblock–to cutthetreebackbuttonoavail

ResidentAndreFrasersaid:“Everyoneis havingtopayextraforelectricandwiththe costoflivinggoingupI’mgoingtobespend ingalotmore.

“Andnothavinglightdoesn’tdowellfor

anyone’s mental health.Itshuts them off. WhenIwakeup,Ishouldbeabletoseesome formofdaylight

“Itfeelslikeitiseveningwhenitis1pm andit’snotagreatfeeling.

“Thereisverylittlenaturallight.”

DisabledMariaNelsonhaslivedinLevesonCourtforthepastsixyears.

Shesaid:“Ihavetokeepthelightson constantly–frommorningtonight.It’sdark ifyouturnthelightsoff.It’sdepressing.”

Aspokesmanfortheprovidersaidthey havetoprioritisedangerousordyingtrees forworkbutaddedaninspectionwouldtake placetoseewhatstepscouldbetaken.

Librariesopenup as ‘warmspaces’

Almost 30 venues includinglibrariesand communitycentresinSandwellwillopentheirdoorsas warmspacesduringthecoldermonths.

Alltheborough’s19librariesandthreecommuni tycentreswillprovideawarmwelcomeplaceforall tovisit.SevenleisurecentreswillalsoopenonSundaysonly.Thewarmspaceswillofferthechanceto chatwithstaffabouttheothersupportservicesavailable,includinghelpandinformationonbenefits,ener gysupport,helpfromlocalcharities,managingbills andaccesstocommunitysupporttocombatisolation

Allparticipatingbuildingswillprovidetheoppor tunitytobeabletoconnectdigitally,chargedevices andhaveahotdrink. Thecouncilhasalsolaunched asmallgrantsprogrammeforvoluntaryandcommu nitysectororganisationstokeeptheirbuildingsopen overthewintermonthsaswarmspaces.

Parking fees rise petition

Hundredsofpeoplehavesignedapetitionoppos ingplansthatwouldseecarparkingchargesinWest BromwichmorethantripleacrossSandwell.

SandwellCouncilwantstohikethecostofaseasonticketonthetown’scarparksfrom£240to£800 –ariseof233percent

Undertheproposals,chargesoncarparksinother partsoftheborough,includingOldburyandSmethwick,wouldincreaseto£400

ApetitionlaunchedbyWestBromwichEastMP NicolaRichardshasbeensignedby464residentsand submittedtocouncilleaderKerrieCarmichael

MsRichardssaid:“Thereisabsolutelynoneedto hithardworkingpeoplewholiveandworkinWest Bromwichwithadrasticincreaseincharges

“Thereisevenlessreasontotargetthosepeople specificallybysettingchargesinourtowntwiceas highasanywhereelseintheborough.It’salmostasif theydon’twantanyonetovisitWestBromwich.

“I’dliketothankeveryonewhohassignedmype tition.Itisnowuptothecounciltoshowtheyarelis teningtotheconcernsofmyconstituentsandreverse thisdamagingproposal.”

Councilchiefssaythemovewillbringtheborough’scharges“uptodate”andensuretheauthority can“continuetomeetthecostofprovidingqualitycar parksandrelatedservices”.

Undertheplans,theall-daychargeonlongstay carparksinWestBromwichwilldoublefrom£4to£8 nextyear,risingto£10by2027.Othercarparksinthe boroughwillseeseasonticketpricesincreaseby67 percentto£400in2023,withthecostthengoingup by£50-a-yearuntilithits£600in2027

AseasonticketforWestBromwichcarparksisset toriseto£1,200by2027

Threearrested in theftprobe

Twomenintheir20sandan18-year-oldwom anwerearrestedonsuspicionofburglaryandcar theftafteravehiclewaspursuedbypolice.

TheFiat–believedtobeonclonedplates–is believedtobelinkedtofourburglariesincluding oneinWalsallonSaturday.Thecarfailedtostop inWestBromwichandwastrackedbytheNationalPoliceAirServiceontoJunction2oftheM5at Oldbury.

Residentsnexttothe large tree

fromwomen married ages ago (3,5,4)

selected in driving (4)

See 2Down

Imply no great blaze (7)

Atrial from one side to the other (6)

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

Post for the landlord?(6)

Methodical hospital attendant (7)

Anumber observed about five (5)

Madeup cheese (4)

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

Raising aspirations to pursue excellence

At WalsallAcademy,staff arecommitted to providingthe very best opportunities andeducation for students to raiseaspirationsand pursueacademic andvocationalexcellence.

In 2019,Ofsted commented:“Sixth Form provisionisastrength. It helps students to be successful,independent learners.”

Students areencouragedand nur turedtodevelop apassion forlearning, creativity,an inquisitive mind andthe ability to thinkanalyticallyand criti callyinforming theirown values

Staffare extremely proudofthe thriving SixthForm, whichisone of thetop performing in theborough at A-level.

Aspokesman said:“Whilst thema jority of students stillchoosetoenter Higher Education, with many from less-advantaged backgrounds, we make it ourdutytooffer awiderange of academic andwork-relatedcours es,including asuite of brand-newT levelqualifications. Thecompulsory workplacementatthe endofYear12 is ahighlightofthe firstyearofSixth Form andinthe last five years, we have engaged with over 700local busi ness andindustryleaders “Wesupport students with High

er Educationand EmployersFairs at theAcademy,practiceinterviewswith advice on CV writingand also appren ticeship assessment daytraining.

“Itisalwaysagreat delighttowel come back ourformerstudents to in spireour currentcohort. Atarecent alumnievent, onestudentcommented: ‘Walsall Academycontributed hugely towardsthe person I’ve become today. Theteachersgavemeconfidence to be lievein myself’.

“The high expectations we have of staffand students greatlycontribute to ouruniquelearningenvironment; inspiringachievementand celebrating success. We areadifferent choice of school.Weare WalsallAcademy. Come andsee us foryourself!”

crediblenaturallandscapes.

Majorcaisaparadiseforadventur ersduetothevarietyofexcitinghiking trailsthatleadwalkers

mountainrange

SerradeTramuntana (a UNESCO WorldHeritagesite) andtheisland’spleasantyear-roundcli mate.HoliduhasdugintotheAllTrails dataofmorethan600reviewedhikes incollaborationwithSpain-Holidayto discoverthebest-ratedhikingroutesin Majorca.ReadytoplanyourdreamMa jorcaadventure?

Es Pujadors –Collde na Benet–BonAire

LocatednearAlcúdiainthenorthof Majorca,thishikingtrailisabout5km longandcanbecompletedinabouttwo hours.Theroutehasamediumlevelof difficultyandisalittleuneveninparts butoffersafantasticviewofthesurroundingmountainsandthesea.

LaTrapaRuinLoop

The7.6kmcircularwalkalongthe ruinsof“LaTrapa”nearPortd’Andratx is classifiedasmoderateand takes justunderthreehoursonaverage.The routeisparticularlyenjoyableforobservingmanydifferentspeciesofbirds.

Valldemossa–PuigdeTeix–Puig Gros

Oneofthe moredifficultroutes,

thisroughly13-kmtrailleadingfrom ValldemossatoPuigdeTeixisapopu larhikingchoice.Thisisafairlychallengingtrailthatshouldtakeaboutfive hourstocomplete

RutadePedraenSec–Variantal PuigdeMaria

TheRutadePiedraenSecGR221, orDryStoneTrail,runsalongthewest coastthroughtheSerradeTramuntana mountainrangeandisaUNESCOWorld HeritageSite.Thisfive-kilometretrail, whichtakesabouttwohourstocomplete,isconsideredaneasyroutethat evenbeginnerscanhandle.

Ermita la Victoria –Penya des Migdia–Talaiad’Alcudia

This routetakes you around the eastofAlcudiaandtakesapproximatelythreehoursand50minutes

Majorcaisapopular for hiking

BMWhas

to feature electrification.

Unveiled in theyearBMW marks 50 yearsofits ‘M’ models, this SUV is abespoke model that will purely be offeredasan‘M’ car, rather than a tuned versionof an existing car.

Thestarofthe show is itsnew ‘M HybridV8’ setup, whichpairs an ‘extensively updated’ 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 petrolenginewitha 194bhp electric motor,withthe combination developing 645bhp and800Nm of torque.Thatmakes it themostpow erfulBMW made to date,and allows a 0-60mph time of 4.3seconds andatop speed of up to 168mph when theoptional MDriver’sPackageisspecified

TheXMalsopacks a25.7kWh battery,allowingupto55miles of electric rangewhenfullycharged.BMW says this allows forclaimed 188.3mpg and CO2emissions of 33g/km

Driverscan flickbetween Hybrid, Comfortand Electric drivingmodes,

whilea 48-volt electrical system is used for‘active roll stabilisation’, helpingto improve agilityand handling.The XM is also the first‘M’ modeltofeature rear-wheel steering,helping manoeu vrability at lowspeedsand agility at higher ones

Asloping roofline helpstogive theXM acoupe-likeappearance.Atthe same time,aBMW badge laserengraved into therearwindowis anod to theroun dels positionedin theoriginalM1–BMW’soriginal‘M’ model, andthe only bespokemodel from thedivision. TheXMisits second Moving inside,the XM is equipped with BMW’slarge Curved Displayinterior,whileahead-updisplay is includ ed as standard too. Massaging, heated andventilatedfront seatsare also fittedasstandard.

Despiteits size,the XM only has five seats, though BMWsaysthe rear of thecar offers an ‘exclusive Mlounge’ Highlights includequilted Alcantara cushions anda3DAlcantara headlininghousing 100LEDs.

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

SCARBOROUGH

Mansellscores 10-under buthas to settle for11th

Staffordshire’sRichard Mansell is still waitingfor his firstvictory on theDPWorld Tour –despite an in credible 10-under-par roundof61.

TheBurntwood andBeauDesert aceshothis superb scoreinthe thirdround of theMallorca Open on Saturday to getclose to the leaders. Butscoring seeminglyore difficult in yesterday’s finalround, he slippedbackto finish in atie for 11th, as German Yannik Paul clung on to winbyashot.

Afterhis 10-under 61 on Saturday, Mansell said:“ThebacknineI wasjuston fire,eight underfor the back nine.You don’t oftenget into a flow in golf butonthe back nine Iwas.Mycaddieand Ihad a€50 bettotry andget to minuseight forthe day. Ithink we mightstart making thosebetsabit more often becauseobviously it wasgood to try andchase it andIjustkeptgoing.I wonthe betsoI’m hoping he pays fordinner.”

Mansell also posted rounds of 69 and70beforehis closing74. And aftergoing closetowinning the Al fred Dunhill Links Championship, hebelieveshe canget over thewin ning line.“Iknowmygolfgameis good enough to do it,but it’s more just about making RichardMansell outsideofgolfalittlehappier,not just as agolfer,”hesaid.

Franceforward Antoine Griezmann from Barcelona?

Scotlanddefeated

team in theopening game of theirT20 WorldCup

Whoscoreda hat-trick in Celtic’s 6-1win

Hibernian?

Which NFLfranchise became thelasttoplayin theLondon series?

Erling Haaland, right,

his firstPremier League hat-trickfor ManchesterCityagainstwhich

Whichteamwerefound guiltyofbreaking Formula 1’sbudgetcap by the sport’sgoverning body, eFIA?

Whichclub ended ManchesterCity’s unbeaten start to this season’s PremierLeague?

Which snooker playerwon theHong ng Mastersinfront of 9,000 spectators?

WhichLeagueTwo club sacked manager Gary McSheffrey?

Which countrydid England defeat60-6 in theiropening game of the RugbyLeagueWorld Cup?

WhichLiverpoolplayer scored asix minute hattrickontheir 7-1 Champions League victoryat Rangers?

16

Whoclaimed his90th ATPtitle afterwinning the Astana Open?

17

Whoscoredbothof Brentford’sgoals in their 2-0win over Brighton &Hove Albion?

18

Which golfer became the firstthree-timewinner of theSpanishOpen since Seve Ballesteros27years ago?

19

WhichPremier League managersaid thevideo assistant referee “needs to go to Specsavers” after beingangered by theofficials duringhis club’s draw at Southampton?

20

Whichthree countries have woncricket’s World Cup on home soil?

ANSWERS

d.anglEna,lirastAua,diIn20s,yeMoidav9D,1ahmnRJo18y,neToanIv17

l,ulyHerlha4Cn,gehaenopCC,3FdselhiaSssrela,2CdoalonoRianstri1C s,erckPaaynBree8Gt,esrrFoesam7Js,iendtIes6Wd,driMacoetitl5A n,valiul’SeORonni12l,ooerpiv1L,1llBued0R,1celaPaalstry9C ,icovjokkDvaNo16h,laSaMo15a,amo4S,1rsveRoerastncDo13

Yearsofinjuryhell–but Beth still darestodream

It really comesasnosur priseto find Beth Cob denoncemorerespond ingtoadversity in the only wayshe knowshow. Denied thechancetocompete on home turf at Birmingham 2022 by atroublesome calf injury,the Staf fordshirenetball acelastweekjet tedoff to Australiatoresumeher career in theEnglandVitalityRos es three-matchTestseriesagainst theCommonwealth champions Therecan be fewathletes, in any sport, whohavefaced so much misfortunewithinjuryasCobden.Yet thereare also fewwho have proved so adeptatreboundingfromitand now, at theage of 29,she believes thebestmay stillbeyet to come.

“What’skeptmegoing?Probably thefactIdon’t feel Ihaveachieved everything Iwantyet,” sheexplains.“Iamquite adetermined person andIstill have goals. If I endupnot achievingthemthatis fine,but Iwillbeabletosay Itried

To

my hardest. WhileI canstill play,I will.Istill feel Ihavemoretogive.I really don’tthink Ihavepeakedyet

“There have been goodmoments butitwould be good to just consistentlyplayand show people this is me,thisiswhatI cando.”

It is no exaggeration to sayCob den’s injury list wouldhavecur tailed most sporting careers. Most seriousamong thesetbackshave been threeanterior cruciate ligament injuries,including twotoher left knee within 12 months of each otherin2018and 2019 Cobden,already by then atwo time SuperleagueAll Star anda Commonwealth Gamesgoldmedal list,faced alongroadback.

“That’sprobablythe closestI’ve come to calling it aday,” sheadmits.“To have twoACL injuries in arow wasreallyhard.

now, like my calf,you askyourself whetheritisworth it?”

Cobden,who grew up in Heath Hayes, Cannock, enliststhe help of asportspsychologisttohelpover come herdoubtsoncourt.Whatis perhapsmostfascinating isthe way theinjurieshaveshapedher personality

“You areforcedtolookatthings differently,”she explains.“Ido thinkithas helped me as aperson. It’s made me alot stronger butalso made me more empathetic towards others

“Even though it hasbeenabit rubbish, gettinginjured,there are good things that have come outof it.WhenIlookatthe future,itdoes not make me as scared to notplay.

Capped 35 timesbyEngland, Cobden waspartofthe teamwhich famously defeated Australiatowin Commonwealth gold on theGold Coastfouryears agoand missing outonthissummer’s Gameswas, sheadmits, toughtotake.

Thehosts ultimately missed out on amedal this time around andthe series Down Under, whichstarts next Wednesday,offersthe chance to continue preparations fornext summer’s WorldCup,which takes placein SouthAfrica.

Beingpart of thesquad forthat tournament is amajor goal forCob den,who is yettoplayata World Cupand missed the2019edition duetoher ACLinjuries.

Shehas also signed up foranotherseasonwithLoughborough Lightening in theVitalityNetball Superleague, whichresumes in February.

“Itisdefinitely acaseofone sea sonatatime,”she says.“It is about seeing theshort-term.I thinkyou have to when you areinjured

Velodromecould be theperfect Games legacy

Turnsout Birmingham 2022 wasn’t justsuccessfulwhenitcame to putting on ajoyousand memora blesportingspectacle

TheGames also came in un derbudget, to thetuneofaround £60million to be precise.Some alreadyhaveanideaofwhere a portion of the money, which will be spentonsport and cultureprojects acrossthe region,shouldbeinvested

“Let’shopesomeofthisgoes into theWestMidlandsvelodrome project,”Brian Cookson, former head of cycling’sworld governing body,the UCI, tweeted in response to thenews.

“A badly-needed facility in a region with agreat historyincycling. HopefullyBritish Cycling andSport Englandwill support.”

Cooksonhas been along-time supporterofthe campaign to buildavelodrome,which as regu larreaders of this space will now beganin 2017 when it emerged no newfacility wasplanned forBir mingham,withthe track cycling events insteadtakingplacemore than 100miles away at London’s LeeValley.

Itsfocus haslongswitchedto building atrack as alegacytothe

It

nownearlythree

“Quite afew peoplewere asking:‘Areyou still goingtoplay?’When youhearthat, you wonder whether people arethink ingyou should stop playing.

“I love netballand yes, it’s my jobbut it is not my life.Iamnot ill.There aresomanyworse things that happen to people anditisnot somethingIam goingtolet affect me.Ithas been hard butpeoplego through much worse

“Itisacaseofthinkingwhatam Igoing to do tomorrow,ratherthan thinking farahead because younev er know what is goingtohappen.

Gamesand thecampaignteam have been methodical in their work, speaking to regional stakeholdersincluding several coun cils anduniversitiesinorder to strengthen theircase.

Asignificant breakthrough came earlylastyearwhenWestMid landsmayorAndyStreetagreed to look into thebusinesscaseas part of hisre-electionmanifesto

This

“Whenlit tlethingsgo wrongand trainingis notgoing well it can bringyou down abit When Iget little nigglinginjuries

“Withthe psychologist it was moregetting over afearofcertain things on thecourt,certain move mentsI’vebeendoing when Igot injured. That is thesortofthing whichplays on yourmind.

“WhenIamplaying Idon’t want thosethoughts. It hashelpedwith thedisappointmentbut it is important to keep it in perspective.

“Atthe minute Iamin areally good place, getting myself back play ing. EverytimeI come away from a session Iamjustdeadpleased to be playingnetball again.”

“I’vehad arough ride with inju ries butI’vealso hadalot of highs in my career.Ihaveprobablyhad more highsthanmostpeoplebut also probably more lows. It hasbeen arollercoaster butthe good things that have happened make you want to keep going. I’ll play this season andsee how my body is feeling. Hopefullyitwill be OK

“Some of thegirls playingnow are10years olderthanmebut Iam notsuremy knees will allowthat.

“Havinga couple of yearswhen things aregoing badfor you,it opensyoureyesa bitmore. It has helped me in that sense.Iamgrate fulyou canstill have goodthings come outofthe badtimes.”

ThesnagisStreet hasbeenwaitingfor thepublication of atechnicalreview, commissionedbyBritishCycling,intothe building of low-cost velodromes. Campaigners believeitwill supporttheir claim an indoor facility,which couldcaterfor othersportsaswellascycling, couldbeconstructed foras littleas£5m

Yetdespite beingassured on several occasionspublication was imminent,the review remainsnowheretobeseen.

That seemspeculiar andmore than alittlefrustrating consider ingthe workcampaigners,manyof whom arecycling volunteers and thelifeblood of thesport,haveput in.Ifthe storysofar hastaughtus anything,itistheyare notthe type to give up easily

Birmingham 2022 cycling events took place at London’s velodrome

ALBION TYINGUP CORBERANDEAL

Albion are looking to iron outthe finaldetails before confirmingCarlosCorberanasboss.

It is understood theSpaniard emerged as theBaggies’top target andcontract talksincluding finer detailshavebeenongoing.

Corberan,39, is keen on amove to theWestMidlandsand thefor merHuddersfieldmanager is said to appreciatethe size of theclubhe is settojoin.

It hasbeenreported Albion held twointerviewswithCorberan, MarceloBielsa’sformerassistant at Leeds, whohas been outofwork sincesince beingaxedbyOlympia cosinGreece last month.

It is thought an announcement is nearingand amovethatsuits all partiesisfor thenew bosstoarrive at theclubwithsufficienttrain ingtimeahead of Saturday’s home clashagainst SheffieldUnited.

It is more than twoweeks since Albion sacked SteveBruce and caretakerRichard Bealehas over seen thesubsequentthree games, taking onewin,but theclubhave slid to second-bottominthe Cham pionship relegation zone

Theclubwere, towardsthe end of last week,hopeful of appointing

prior to thetriptoMillwall on Sat urday, butnegotiationsremainedin place.

Corberan enjoyed impressive suc cess at Huddersfieldintakingthe Terriers to theChampionshipplayoff final, whichtheylosttoNotting hamForest.

That wasafter finishing20thin hisdebut campaign.Albionlooked forayoung managertaskedtorebuildthe club

Meanwhile, interimbossRichard Bealerefusedtoattachblame to Kyle Bartleyfor Albion’s last-gasp defeat at Millwall.

Bartley, back in thesideand matchday squad forthe firsttime sincethe error-strewn home de feat to BluesonSeptember 14,won praise foradominant aerial per formance butcollected twoyellow cardsinthe spaceof17second-half minutes five minutes afterwhich Bureypopped up with thewinner.

Bealesaid: “Red card aside, Kyle (Bartley) had a really good game It’s disappointingfor himtoget sent offbut Ican’t criticise him, he wasaleaderand he wasaman.Won every firstball.”

Villaswoop in make Emerynew boss

team coachAaron Dankswill take

xturewith

UnaiEmery is thenew Villaboss

Afour-time

on theirshortlistwhenitcameto sourcing asuccessor butcameto theforeafterMauricioPochettino, initiallytheir No.1 target,indicat ed he wouldratherwaitfor an op portunitywithaclubcompeting in Europe.Talks were also sched uled with Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim butshelved with Villa’s hierarchyheading outtoSpain to speakwithEmery.Fromthere, things movedquickly.

Collinsisfeeling

embarrassed

Nathan Collins brandedWolves’ 4-0 loss to Leicesteras‘embarrassing’ in abrutallyhonestassessmentof theclub’sdesperate circumstances. GoalsfromYouri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes, JamesMaddison andJamie VardyleavesWolvesin real danger of slipping outofthe PremierLeague, on aday thefans turned on theclub’shierarchy.

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

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

Yeltzopengap at thesummit

HalesowenTownmoved four points clearatthe topofNorth ernOne Midlands followinga comfortable3-0 winoverHinck leyLRFC.

Newly-appointed jointmanag er CraigNichollsdeclared: “It wasagoodall-round hard-work ingperformance.Weknewit wouldbetough as they don’tgive many goalsaway, butthe third goal finallykilled thegameoff.”

TomTurtonthumped alow 25-yarddrive into thebottom corner of thenet before Kieran Morrisheadedhome.And they made it 3-0whenJamie Insall converted

LEWISCOX sports@mnamedia.co.uk

Carlos Corberan wasintalks with Albionabouttheir headcoach position