The Castle Brom Post

Your Local Community Newspaper: The best source for local news & community information Issue 42 December Edition 2020 Published in Coleshill, North Warks

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The Coleshill and Castle Brom Post

NEWS| SPORT | BUSINESS | JOBS | WHAT'S ON | AND MUCH MORE

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4 December 2020

ETERNAL WALL ANNOUNCE PLANS TO DONATE ONE MILLION BRICKS FOR SOCIAL HOUSING ACROSS THE COUNTRY A new national landmark which aims to profile a million answered prayers today announced that as part of the project’s charitable focus, it plans to donate one million bricks to social housing projects. The new landmark, which was recently granted planning permission is to be built on a site near Coleshill on the outskirts of Birmingham, and will invest in both local and national social housing partnering with Cornerstone Partnership and Keystone Foundation, and Hope into Action.

Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, which will eclipse the size of the Angel of the North, will stand at 169 feet and is expected to attract 300,000 visitors each year, contributing £9.3 million to the local economy. The iconic ‘eternal’ arch structure will be constructed using one million bricks with each representing individual prayers that have been answered for people across the country.

Once constructed, all profits raised from the ongoing operation of Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will fund a million bricks to be donated to social housing - a brick for each answered prayer. Organisers behind the project will link with the two social housing partners, as well as council housing charities, and international social housing initiatives to provide enough finance to build 100 houses.

Richard Gamble, CEO of Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer commented, “It was my 11 year old daughter who

suggested to me that we should ensure that the Eternal Wall had a significant social impact. This project is the practical outworking of what we stand for as a charity, we have been clear since the start that the project needed to sow back into the great work that charitable organisations are doing across the country.”

It is anticipated that Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will create 60 new jobs during its two year construction phase from 2021, thereafter providing 20 full-time positions for employees to work for the charity in the visitor centre, café, bookstore and a 24 hour on-site chaplaincy support service. It is also estimated that the project will generate an additional gross social value of £1.4 billion, including £430 million in charitable donations.

Gamble continues, “Social housing is at a crisis point in the UK and it is our hope that we can play a small part in supporting those most in need. Our hope would be that Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer creates opportunity to support those charities who are working to help those most in need. In the first generation of Eternal Wall’s lifetime, we expect to generate five times the value of the build for charities.”

Ed Walker, the founder and Executive Director of Hope into Action, one of the social housing partners says, “For years we have worked with the homeless, females fleeing domestic violence, those in recovery from addiction, former prostitutes, refugees, asylum seekers, and those in modern slavery to help them find a roof over their head.

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Finding that accommodation is a challenge but working with organisations like Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer who have already gained such a high profile, provides more awareness and more funding to help those who are often forgotten.”

Gavin Mullaley, Director of Cornerstone Partnership and Keystone Foundation commented, “Keystone Foundation and Cornerstone Partnership collaborate to supply social housing and additional support services for the most vulnerable of families. We are working to provide a stable place to call home and to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Our mission is not just to provide people a place to sleep but give families a home. We believe this lasting impact will empower generations to come. We are thrilled to jointly be a part of delivering the mission of Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer’s social housing project and see the lives of families changed.”

Construction on the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer is expected to begin in Spring 2021 with completion in Autumn 2022.

Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer is looking to gather one million answers to prayer. Share yours by going to www. eternalwall.org.uk/testimony

5 December 2020

CALLING ALL

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Please email: editor.postgroup@outlook.com

6 November 2020

Christ-mas isn’t Cancelled!

Christmas is one of the most important festivals in the Christian calendar – and despite many of the headlines and comments relating to how Covid-19 will affect the festive season this year – the Parish Church of St Mary & St Margaret in Castle Bromwich, want to spread the message that Christmas isn’t cancelled!

Coronavirus has changed how the world works in so many ways – and practising faith has been no exception. Since the start of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown in March – Rev Mark Hopkins and volunteers from the church have been busy ensuring that the congregation and wider community continue to have access to faith and fellowship – albeit in a new way! Like many churches, activities have moved online – with the Rector providing twice weekly recorded sermons as well as Live, online monthly Café Worship services led by members of the Family Church team. For many it was the fellowship and contact with others that they have missed – so weekly Sunday coffee mornings and online socials every Wednesday were set up via Zoom to help keep in touch with members of the congregation – particularly those who were house bound or shielding. These have included Virtual Bingo, quizzes, history talks and themed events to name but a few. The church’s Musical Director Martin Bates shares weekly pieces of music, that would normally conclude the Sunday service. At first these were recorded in his home but more recently, following the completed restoration of the church’s 200-year-old organ, they have been pre-recorded in the reopened church building. For those who have lost loved ones during this difficult time, a Cairn of Remembrance has been created in the church grounds to allow family and friends to place a stone in their memory– and all are welcome to contribute. Online activities for families during key festivals have seen Easter Bonnet competitions, Smile Stone incentives, an Online Scarecrow Festival and most recently encouraged people to take part in The Big Neighbourhood Pumpkin Trail in place of trick or treating in October.

The Church re-opened its doors for worship in August and since then has welcomed back an increasing number of parishioners to its services on a Sunday and Wednesday morning, in line with strict Covid-19 guidelines. In October, the bi-monthly Baby and Me Friendship Café also resumed with, like the services, a new regime of enhanced cleaning, reduced capacity and an online booking process, in order to provide much needed social interaction and support for new parents with children up to 1 years of age, in a Covid-safe environment.

The online elements continue for those who are unable to attend in person and it is expected this may well become the new normal for some time – providing a lifeline to many who still do not feel confident venturing out. And Christmas is expected to be no different!

Church groups are busy putting together services and activities that will provide a mix of virtual and live worship for all ages. These will include a Sheep Trail for families to follow around Castle Bromwich to help tell the story of the Shepherds, online craft activities for Advent in conjunction with Birmingham Diocese Parish Mission Support, as well as an interactive Christingle, a virtual Nativity and Mothers Union Carol concert. This year’s Christmas by Candlelight, a biennial fundraising Christmas variety show that features songs, poems, short sketches and musical performances will also take on a new online and pre-recorded format to allow as many people to take part as possible, due to the restriction on numbers within the church allowing for social distancing. The church has also launched a Christmas Gift Appeal to support the Kingfisher Food Bank, by collecting donations of new and unused toys and presents for children aged 0-16 who otherwise may not receive anything this year.

Like many, the Church family will be sad that they will not be celebrating with each other and their loved ones this year – but whilst the Christmas dinner may be smaller, and the carols may be quieter, the spirit of this festive season will certainly not be diminished – and Christmas is most definitely not cancelled!

Everyone is welcome to join all services and activities at the Parish Church of St Mary & St Margaret, Castle Bromwich – please visit http://www.stmaryandstmargaret.co.uk/ for dates and full details of all upcoming events or follow and Like https://www.facebook.com/ stmaryandstmargaretchurch on Facebook

Meet the Delivery Team Izy has been part of our delivery team, for a few months now, and has recently moved to Castle Bromwich, from Sheldon, where she attends the Kesh (King Edward Sheldon heath) Academy.

She enjoys watching Cricket and she loves delivering the newspapers.

She posts over 650 newspapers in the letter boxes of our lovely residents in Castle Bromwich.

Delivering the “Castle Brom Post” was a quite a hard-heavy task, carrying the newspapers in bags, but not anymore, it’s now a “labour of Love” because she now has a shiny new trolley which can carry all the 650 newspapers.

Keep an eye out for her, at the start of every month, and tell her she is doing a great job.

Well done Izy, keep up the good work.

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Many of the long established funeral homes in the local area have been sold to much larger corporations over the past 15 years and have no family members left involved in the business. Stephanie Mason is owned by The CO-OP, and W.H. Painter owned by Funeral Partners. These are both large nationwide companies. We are the only family owned funeral director in the area now.

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7 December 2020

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8 November 2020

Coleshill School Students OUR WORLD columns

Protests, protests, protests Jessica Twigger, Taylor Smith and Emily Crichton

TAYLOR SMITH Protesters in almost 50 Polish cities defied Poland’s “red zone” ban on gatherings, aimed at preventing further outbreak of the coronavirus, blocking city streets with cars, disrupting church services across the country, chanting and spraying slogans on walls to protest the recent supreme court decision to tighten an already strict abortion law in the predominantly Catholic country. Angry crowds carried posters reading “I want choice not terror” depicting a crucified pregnant woman and the red lightning bolt of the pro-choice movement in Poland, which has been compared to Nazi imagery by Conservative opposition.

Protests began with the Constitutional Tribunal banning abortions related to foetal defect. The court ruled that an existing law allowing the termination of malformed foetuses was “incompatible” with the constitution. The ruling ended the most common of the few remaining legal grounds for abortion within Poland. According to health ministry figures, 1,110 legal abortions were carried out in Poland in 2019, with 98% being carried out on grounds of severe foetal defects, but women’s groups say the number of abortions carried out illegally or abroad could have been anywhere between 80,000 and 120,000.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the deputy prime minister, labelled the protests as attempts to “destroy” Poland. He urged people to “defend” the nation as well as the Catholic Church.

Polish opposition parties, the EU’s human rights commissioner as well as international human rights organizations have condemned the court’s decision as violating women’s rights. The court ruled that allowing abortions due to foetal defects is unconstitutional, banning one of the last remaining legal grounds for the procedure in Poland. Opposition Civic Coalition leader Borys Budka reacted by saying that words calling for “hatred, inciting civil war and using party forces to attack citizens are a crime”. There is also strong anger directed at the way the government pushed the change through without parliamentary debate or public consultation.

EMILY CRICHTON Shock and horror have been created in Peru after judges dismissed a rape case due to the victim wearing red underwear that meant she was ‘willing to have sex’. The accused rapist was exonerated and allowed to walk free, which has caused rallies and protests across Peru. The peaceful protests show people outside of momentous political buildings with red underwear on their knees to show that wearing them is not a form of consent and that they stand with the victim. Activists across Latin America urge their government to do more to help violence and prejudice against women. The victim has been said to have been unconscious and taken, against her will, by the accused. This shows she evidently was a victim, and that no help or comfort has been given to her by those in authority-as they claimed that she was not ‘shy’ like she made herself to be. It is clear that laws concerning women need to change.

JESSICA TWIGGER When protestors began to show up at the Supreme Courts in America in handmaid’s outfits from Atwood’s ‘The Handmaids Tale’ their message was made quite clear. The uniform, a red robe paired with a white bonnet obscuring her face, are modest, iconic and a clear universal symbol; that being against the requestioning of women’s bodies by the government. Women worldwide are taking to protests clothed in iconic red outfits as a repudiation to change the change to abortion laws from multifil countries including Ireland, America, England and Croatia. Margaret Atwood, the author of the 1985 novel, is reported as saying “Nobody likes abortion, even when safe and legal. It’s not what a woman would choose for a happy time on a Saturday night. But nobody like women bleeding to death on the bathroom floor from illegal abortions either. What to do?” Her view on the situation is quite clear, standing with women under the governments currently taking their autonomy away.

9 November 2020

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10 November 2020

News from St Clements Church, Green Lane, Castle Bromwich

A quote from Albert Einstein which is very fitting for 2020 “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow” Seasons change and the clocks have gone back and the autumnal colours have been magnificent. Christmas is on the horizon and by the time you read this we should have come out of our second lockdown. Will things be back to normal, probably not, “keep in touch” that is so important and should not be forgotten.

St Clement is a Church built in the 1960’s. Who would have imaged at first glance that if you look beyond the building there is a wealth of history none more so than the naming of the building. Looking back through the archives the first suggested name was The Holy Spirit which it appears did not “get the vote”. St Wilfred was the next suggestion, but because there was already a Roman Catholic Church within the parish with the same name this was not possible.

Ray Feasy was a Lay Reader for 10 years and the above plaque is the only one placed within the Church; together with the large cross outside the front of the Church and are both dedicated to Ray’s memory. Both Ray and Mary were very active members of the Church and Mary together with Ian Wright were the founding members of the Healing Team, which is still going strong and very much part of Church life today. Looking round the Church the lectern that is used at all services by the Vicar was also dedicated and given by the Castle Bromwich Singers in memory of Vivian Irving. His wife Mary continued to attend the Church for many years.

It is hoped that once the lockdown has come to an end then Church Services can resume but if this is not possible then all will be on ONLINE. You will find information on our Facebook page and Web site.

5. 12. 20

Saturday 4pm

Messy Church: Toy Service

Looking through the Saints names they tried to select those whose history had been authenticated and no other Church had been dedicated within the Diocese. No easy task, but eventually St Clement of Alexandria was the one chosen and so St Clements Church which sits on a site of 5,030 sq. yards and includes the vicarage is what you see today.

6. 12. 20

9.15am and 10.30am

TOY SERVICE

9. 12. 20

10am Wednesday

Holy Communion

13.12.20

9.15am and 10.30am

Holy Communion

16.12.20

10am Wednesday

Holy Communion

Two extra rooms were added, which although we cannot give an exact date was probably in the 1970’s one being named The Ticquet Room after the first vicar Cecil Ticquet and the other the Bridgeman Room after the Bridgeman Family. Their history can be traced back for many decades.

20.12.20

9.15am and 10.30am VIGIL FOR CHRISTMAS 9 lessons with accompanying meditation and poems

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11.30pm - 12.30am

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25.12.20

Christmas Day 10am

Family Praise Service

In those first few years, Eucharist was celebrated 5 and sometimes 6 times a week. There was a large Sunday School and Boys and Girls Brigades took place each week and still does today, although covid19 has unfortunately meant that these meetings have been postponed.

Luncheon Club once a month, Mums and Mites, Healing Team, Women’s Fellowship 1910 Club for over 60’s and every Friday from 10 – 2 pm Sit ‘n’ Sip which was a meeting place for a coffee and a chat which in recent years was the day chosen for the Oasis Community Café.

During this time the Church has continued to support the Kingfisher Food bank.

Buildings are just that and are really important, but it’s the people who make up the tapestry of a building giving that unique character and St Clements is no exception.

Because of restricted numbers at all services unfortunately you will need to book should you wish to attend in person.

However, should you not be able to come, then services will be live-streamed where possible.

How to book and all other details of our Services and more can be found on our websites: Church phone number: 0121 748 5550 Website: http://stclementschurchcb.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stclementschurchcastlebromwich Please remember to stay safe and keep in touch

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11 November 2020

From Gas Pipes To Beer Pipes Lyndon Stocker announced by Star Pubs as the new Landlord of the Dog Inn Water Orton.

Lyndon (known by his friends as Stocker) is a local man who has lived in the village all his life. As a child he attended Water Orton School and The Coleshill School, and has been a Gas engineer, running his own business called “Stocks Gas” for the last 18 years.

At 54 years old Lyndon had always had a burning ambition to run the Pub one day, and when the lease became available, it was an easy decision to apply for it, after all it has been his local for most of his life.

Lyndon has the support of his two grown up children Georgia and Ben, and no doubt they will be seen at the pub helping, where necessary.

He wants to carry on Tina and Kevin’s good work, keeping on all the existing Staff, and he has lots of plans and ideas to improve the inside of the pub, and the outside garden space. He has already installed a few more new televisions, two in the lounge and an extra two in the bar, all with Sky Sports.

He also plans to bring back a food offering but doesn’t know exactly when this will happen now, due to the ever-changing lockdown rules and Tier System announced by Boris recently.

Tina and Kevin who previously ran the pub, helped Lyndon during the transition with a smooth handover for which he is very thankful for, and wishes them the very best of luck in their new venture.

On behalf of all of us at the “Coleshill Post” ,we wish you all the best of luck in your new venture too Lyndon

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What if I have a mortgage?

All of our trusts are flexible and can accommodate the fact that there is a mortgage in place. You must ensure you tell us at the time we prepare the documents that you have a mortgage. We will then reflect this in the documents accordingly.

07717 706 792

info@profpestcontrol.co.uk profpestcontrol.co.uk

As with any lifetime trust, we advise a FREE consultation with one of our legal advisers.

Protect your home for your loved ones… for life!

For more information please contact….

Paul Palmer 0845 055 9415 or email: paul.palmer@accordwills.co.uk

13 December 2020

Moving onwards and upwards in a pandemic

NEW LOCAL E S TA T E A G E N C Y

Feel at home with

Against a backdrop of markets crashing and businesses tumbling, local Brand and Web Agency PLOTT Creative are helping new businesses stand tall in the wake of the pandemic.

One of these is new Estate Agency Business ‘Edwards and Gray.’ Coleshill based founder, Emma Gray has been an estate agent in the local area and across Birmingham for almost 20 years having worked for both high street and online agencies.

Partnering with Charlotte Edwards, the two local female entrepreneurs were keen to use their experience to set up their own business. They spotted a gap in the market, but, having grown her former business from start up to market leader, Emma understood the importance of a strong brand and turned to lifelong friend and fellow Coleshill business owner Anna Plotnek from PLOTT Creative for help.

Anna, who is passionate about supporting women in business, was keen to help the start-up hit the ground running “It’s great to see positivity coming out of the pandemic and it’s definitely a pivotal moment for entrepreneurs. There’s a real shift in people wanting to support local businesses too.”

She continued, “We wanted to create a totally unique colour scheme that would stand out in the property market. Their branding is feminine, soft and homely so wecame up with a simple, stylish design that is both modern yet traditional.”

Emma Gray from Edwards and Gray said “As a start-up, it was important for us to have a strong identity from the get-go. Buying and selling property has been transformed by Covid-19 and we spotted an opportunity for a more personal approach tailored to customers needs but also to provide an aspirational platform for agents to grow their own personal brand and client base.”

The estate agent duo, alongside their growing partner network, are selling houses across Birmingham, Solihull and North Warwickshire from flats to high end family homes and their unique approach has already helped them get off to a flying start selling properties across the midlands.

If you’re looking to buy or sell, get in touch with Emma or Charlotte.

Looking to sell?

To benefit from our premium marketing package for FREE,

contact us and quote ‘Secret Santa’ Phone 0121 368 1538

Email hello@edwardsandgray.co.uk

@EDWARDSANDGRAY

At Phoenix Blinds, we offer a wide and extensive range of different blinds in a number of styles to suit a variety of needs.

Whatever type of blind or style that you are looking for, we are confident that we have the solution for you.

Call us today to take advantage of our free measure and quotation offer and see how we can add the finishing touch that you need to any room.

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14 December 2020

Lacuna® Treatment

A treatment for fungal nails LIVING WITH COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and refractory (non-reversible) asthma. You should make an appointment with your surgery if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms and a few questions and tests will confirm a diagnosis: • Increasing breathlessness – this may just occur when exercising at first, and you may sometimes wake up at night feeling breathless • Persistent chesty cough with phlegm that never seems to go away • Frequent chest infections • Persistent wheezing Symptoms will usually get gradually worse over time and make daily activities increasingly difficult, although treatment can help slow the progression.

You may experience “flare-ups” where your symptoms are suddenly worse. Flare-ups are particularly common during the winter months or if exposed to “bad air” like pollution or dust.

Other symptoms that may occur but are less common are: • Weight loss (unintentional) • Tiredness • Swollen ankles from a build-up of fluid (oedema) • Chest pain and coughing up blood (although these can usually be signs of another condition such as a chest infection or possibly lung cancer and should not be ignored).

These additional symptoms only tend to occur when COPD reaches a more advanced stage. It’s important to see your GP if you are over 35, smoke/ex-smoker and experiencing symptoms. Tests such as a spirometry, chest x-ray and blood test will be carried out but occasionally the doctors will need to perform further tests to determine the severity of the COPD; this will assist in planning your treatment.

There is no cure for COPD but there are treatments and steps you can take to slow its progress and control the symptoms. Firstly, if you are currently a smoker, it is vitally important that you stop immediately and your surgery can assist with this step. Secondly, doctors will prescribe medication in the form of inhalers or possibly steroids. Lastly, a pulmonary rehabilitation plan will be organised. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a specialised programme of exercise and education designed to help people with lung problems like COPD. The plan includes: • physical exercise tailored to your needs and ability – such as walking, cycling and strengthening exercises • education about your condition for you and your family • dietary advice • psychological and emotional support The medical professionals at your surgery are trained in caring for patients with COPD. If you are having issues with your medication, please ask to speak with a GP. If it is time for your routine review, then book an appointment with a Nurse. Your team of Health Care Assistants will be able to monitor your weight and diet and give advice on exercise if you feel you need a little more support.

It’s important to look after yourself if you suffer from COPD. By taking your medication regularly, quitting the cigarettes, and avoiding your triggers you can lead a more normal life. And, we cannot stress this enough, be sure to get a yearly flu vaccination.

DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO LOOK AFTER YOUR HEALTH.

Do your Toenails embarrass you? Are your toenails discoloured? We can help.

Fungal infections in the nails, although not dangerous can look unsightly and can sometimes make the nail uncomfortable, cause the nail to split or even cause the nail to fall off. Having a fungal infection in your nails may also lead to fungal infections in the skin (athletes’ foot) which if left untreated may cause breaks in the skin and possible bacterial infections that may require antibiotics.

We can now test the nail to see if there is a fungal infection or not and tell you straight away.

Often you may think there is a fungal infection but it may only be damage which has caused the nail to become discoloured. We can offer a test in the clinic to tell you within 5 minutes if you do have a fungal infection in the nail or not.

The fungi that causes a fungal nail infection, live on our skin naturally and sometimes when there is trauma to the nail (stubbing your toe, wearing tight footwear or dropping something onto your toe) it can weaken the nail and allow an entry point for the fungus. The fungus infects the nail bed (the area where your nail grows from) which is what causes the nail to grow discoloured. To effectively treat the infection, we need to apply our treatments to the nail bed itself.

Lacuna® treatment works by us drilling tiny holes in your nail with specially designed burrs.

This sounds a lot scarier than it is! The nail itself is dead so this is not painful. Once the holes have been drilled, we spray an antifungal treatment onto the nail. The holes allow the treatment to effectively reach the nail bed. We then ask you to spray the treatment yourself daily. We will then see you again in 6 weeks as the holes will have grown out and will need to be redrilled.

If you think you may have a fungal infection and are interested in Lacuna® treatment, you can give us a call on 0121 749 6313 and book in to see one of our HCPC registered Podiatrists.

15 December 2020

Helping children believe they can do anything Singing, dancing and acting classes for 4 - 16 year-olds

www.stagecoach.co.uk/coleshill coleshill@stagecoach.co.uk 0121 745 4007 Venue: Coleshill Social Club, B46 3LD

Stagecoach Performing Arts is the trading name of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited. Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools are operated under franchise and are independently owned by their Principals. Stagecoach and Creative Courage For Life are registered trademarks of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited.

16 December 2020

Castle Bromwich Junior School

The start to this academic year was brilliant in the sense that we were able to welcome back all of our children for the first time in many months. It was fantastic to see friends back together and to see the learning in the classroom recommence. There have been some changes to get used to like one way systems or staggered arrivals/departures, but the buzz of learning and children enjoying being with their teacher and classmates have very much

remained the same. We have been incredibly proud of how our children, whole staff and the Castle Bromwich community have adapted so well to the ever-changing circumstances. We are looking forward to another good half term and whilst Christmas will be different in school this year, it definitely isn’t cancelled! We have a range of fun activities and ideas planned to ensure that it continues to be a special time.

Kingfisher Foodbank is here to help those in need

Castle Bromwich PC Remembrance Parade

By Andrea Chance-Osman, Kingfisher Foodbank Project Leader Kingfisher Foodbank has been running now for 7 and half years at Auckland Hall Smiths wood and 4 years at Shard End Wellbeing Centre. We are seeded by Trussell Trust who have a large network of foodbanks across the country. Our foodbank is run by more than 35 unpaid volunteers, who freely give their time week in week out. Kingfisher foodbanks work with frontline care workers who refer clients to the foodbank while supporting each person with signposting to get to the bottom of their problems.

During the pandemic we have had to quickly change the way we operate in order to continue to support people of our community. The majority of our vouchers have gone paperless, agencies now sign into our database to issue code only e-referrals to our clients to limit contact and also because most agencies are having to work from home. We have over 90 agencies we work with, a few examples are School Support Workers, Job Centres, Citizens Advice, Women’s Aid, Children’s Centres the list is endless each offering individual support.

The foodbank is very lucky to be supported by many churches, schools, businesses and also individual donations. We also have donation crates in ASDA at Chelmsley Wood, Tesco at Hodge Hill and Morrison’s in Coleshill. Without this generosity we would not be able to help so many.

We often see families who are on such a low income they can’t afford to feed their families. Especially if they get an unexpected bill. We have also started to see an increase in people using the foodbank, some due to being put on furlough and only receiving 80% of their income and many due to being made redundant. Unfortunately, we are expecting to see more redundancies over the coming months. Luckily, we are in a good situation with donations to be able to deal with the influx of people.

Anyone who is struggling financially to feed their families we are here to help. Please visit our website Kingfisherfoodbank.weebly.com where you will find how to get help and a referral to one of the foodbanks.

Thank you to all those who continue to support our foodbank.

Due to covid-19 restrictions, we pre-recorded a short version of our normal Remembrance Service which is available to view on Arden Hall Facebook page and YouTube (https://youtu.be/ tTfRxvmpzL4) this link can also be found on Castle Bromwich Parish Council Website.

Recording the service was a particularly sad and sombre experience, as this is the one occasion in Castle Bromwich where up to 1500 local people attend to show their gratitude and remembrance to those that have fallen in past conflicts.

The war memorial is due to be cleaned and re-lettered shortly and the surrounding wall is being repaired. Due to a wooden post being knocked over recently the existing wooden posts will be replaced with concrete posts to protect our Altar of Remembrance.

17 December 2020

Christmas at

Orchard Nurseries We are reopen with a fantastic new drive and carpark !

• Top quality Nordman non shed Christmas trees upto 9 foot tall now in • Handmade Holly Wreaths door garlands and Crosses now available • Fabulous Christmas shop open selling lights, baubles, cards, handmade Christmas items and much more.

Our Tearoom can only be open for takeaway at the moment

• Bird tables and Bird baths and feeders available (ideal Christmas gifts)

(Friday & Saturday 9.30am – 2 pm)

• Bowls of Hyercinths only £5.99

Cakes can be ordered whole Homemade Christmas Cake Chocolate Orange or After Eight Mint cheesecakes Christmas Platters All available to order call us or drop us a message on our Facebook page The Gardeners Rest Tearoom.

Birmingham Road, Water Orton B46 1TG Tel: 0121 749 7266 Nursery Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm, Sun 10am - 4:30pm Julie_heenan@yahoo.co.uk

Games review Assassins Creed Valhalla

By Steven Graham.

Assassins Creed Valhalla is the latest game in the Assassins Creed series of games. The previous games was Assassins Creed Odyssey back in 2018.

The setting for this game is the Viking invasion of Britain in in AD 873. You play as Eivor, a viking raider. You have the choice to play as a male or female character, but the name Eivor, pronounced as Avor, remains the same for both. You can customize your character right down to hair, beard (if you choose male obviously), and tattoos, but to get these options you have to build a tattoo parlour in your base, more about that later!

I will be honest, I have been waiting ages for this to get released ever since I heard that Ubisoft, the developers, were taking the game to a Viking standpoint. So far it has not disappointed me! The graphics are amazing, so is the music which is very atmospheric.

So back to the mechanics of the game. So the game starts off in Norway, and certain things happen, I won’t spoil the story, and Eivor decides to move to England in Anglo Saxon times. He and his band of raiders are part of the Viking expansion across Europe. England in AD 873 was divided into four kingdoms, these were Wessex, Mercia, Northumberland and East Anglia. Eivor comes into various conflicts with different people throughout the ages!

Also Eivor meets the Hidden Ones, who were introduced to us in Assassins Creed Origins. These are a group of assassins who battle The Order Of The Ancients who went on to form The Templars.

I knew that Assassins Creed Valhalla was going to be good as the team behind it is the same team who worked on one of my favourite games, Assassins Creed Black Flag, which is as the gamers amongst us will know, is about pirates. So to the gameplay. As far as weapons go you can dual wield. So if you want you can wield two axes, or if you really want you can equip two shields! As with the two previous games, you can choose which parts of armour you want to wear too, and you can upgrade these accordingly. I have yet to try the two shields option, but it could throw up some interesting combat options! Your eyes in the skies has changed too.

Now instead of an eagle, you now have a crow called Synin as your companion. Who you can use to show you the landscape and enemies. The skill tree on Assassins Creed Valhalla is bigger and more complex too, I will admit I haven’t got my head around it yet.

Assassins Creed Valhalla has an 18 PEGI rating, due to its subject and obviously the violence and bad language in the game.

So all in all, I am really enjoying this addition to the Assassins Creed series so far. I would give it 9/10.

18 December 2020

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19 December 2020

How Coronavirus spreads through the air Aerosols These respiratory droplets (<100 micrometers) can remain suspended in the air for hours

Research shows the more time you spend with others in an enclosed space, without face coverings, the more likely you are to become infected.

Minimise the time you spend with others from outside your household.

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20 December 2020

REMEMBERING

handmade by Joanne Sims

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21 December 2020

The Paras 10 mile National Challenge North Warwickshire endurance athlete Paddy Doyle entered the 2020 Paras 10 mile UK National Challenge, which involved Doyle carrying a 45 lb back pack over Barston Village foot paths Solihull, he finished the cross country course in 2 hr: 09 min: 06 sec , increasing his career total of fitness endurance challenges and World Records to 691 documented feats.

Endurance athletes, ex serviceman and former and serving Paras entered the individual event around the UK.

“ the cross country course was very hard to maintain balance on each foot path, the paths were deep in mud and some of the fields were deep in water from the recent rain fall, the support team Paul Jones , Colin Dickinson and David Hastings made sure I reached every check point plus they collected evidence such as action photos and video footage” Paddy also raised £265 for Support Our Paras charity.

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22 November 2020

Pet Page FOR MORE CONTENT AND ADVERTISING

Josie

follow us:

Breed: Boerboel

@ The Coleshill and Castle Brom Post

Size: Large Gender: Female (N)

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Age: 7 years Child Suitability: No Live With Dogs: No Status: Available

This big girl has a lot of love to give and knows her basic commands she will do anything for a treat and will give you her paw every time.

Josie will bark at first, but once she knows you she is extremely loving. This cute girl walks well on the lead and likes rolling in the grass.

We feel a home with no children and no other dogs would suit Josie best.

All Josie wants is fuss, treats and to be with you all day long. She will only need little exercise due to her back legs and may require medication for the rest of her life. This is something to consider before enquiring about her.

Please ring Birmingham Dogs Home for more information on rehoming Josie.

Call our Birmingham Centre Centre Rehoming Team to enquire about this dog on:

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117600

Ward End Cat Rescue Libby

Gorgeous Libby is looking for her forever home, she is approximately 12 months old and really is a very pretty little cat. She is initially nervous and shy but once settled really loves a fuss, a complete sweetheart. Libby needs a nice, quiet home with no young children please.

We do have many more cats in our care for more information about any of these cats email us with a contact number, address and details of who lives in your home, thank you.

For more information about our cats email us with a contact number, address and details of who lives in your home, thank you.

Website: www.wardendcatrescue.org Email: wardendcatrescueofficial@outlook.com Facebook: Ward End Cat Rescue Official

23 November 2020

It’s been a ruff year!’: Charity makes urgent plea to feed 150 rescue dogs this Christmas A much-loved dog charity is calling on the public to help feed the 150 dogs in its care this Christmas after a particularly ‘ruff’ year.

Birmingham Dogs Home has launched its clever new campaign ‘It’s been a ruff year — we wish we only had six round for Christmas dinner’ in light of the current pandemic and dwindling income.

While families across England will be limiting their Christmas day festivities to a group of just six, the charity will have more than 150 homeless dogs for Christmas dinner at their centres in Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Dog lovers can support the charity in several ways, such as by donating or purchasing ‘It’s been a ruff year’ gifts, such as personalised Christmas decorations, socks and e-cards.

The charity traditionally appeals for ‘shoe boxes’ of treats and toys for their dogs. They hope to do this again, subject to lockdown restrictions, with the support of its local Clarks shoe shops.

“We also hope that we can encourage people to join in with our virtual Boxing Day walk,” said Fi Harrison, Birmingham Dogs Home’s Head of Fundraising. “Earlier this year, we piloted a virtual walking challenge to replace our ‘Walk in the Park’ event, which had to be cancelled because of the pandemic restrictions and it went really well.

“We want people to make the most of their time outside with their dogs this Christmas and set themselves personal challenges to walk with (or without) their dogs to help raise some money and awareness for our charity.”

Lockdown has created many challenges for Birmingham Dogs Home as rehoming has been detrimentally impacted with both centres closed to visitors, which has meant costs have increased as more dogs have been with them for longer.

Christmas is always the most important time of the year for the charity to raise the vital funds it needs to be able to take in more dogs the following year.

Head to the charity’s Facebook page www.facebook. com/BirminghamDogsHome to get involved. Donations and purchase of the ‘It’s been a ruff year’ gifts can be made on the charity’s website www.birminghamdogshome.org.uk

24 December 2020

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27 December 2020

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Matt and his team are very professional. They’ve done the majority of our new windows now in the cottage. We are so pleased with the windows. They look amazing. Thanks Matt and your team.

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Matt & his colleague did an amazing job with our porch a while back.

We have since used him for various windows in the house. He is polite, friendly, punctual and very tidy!

Heather Shenton Orton Installations did an amazing job transforming this old wooden lean-to into this new warm conservatory build! From brief to the finished article, Orton Installations were friendly, professional, on schedule and helped us to stay inside our budget throughout the whole project. We would highly recommend Matt Taylor and his team for any work of this type either large or small.

Dave Walsh

28 November 2020

 info@lovecoleshill.co.uk  www.lovecoleshill.co.uk  @LoveColeshill

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Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

We are a specialist Mortgage Advice firm taking the time to understand what is important to you and helping you achieve your objectives whilst supporting you all the way. We conduct all our initial meetings either at work, home or at our office providing you with a personal adviser. To arrange a meeting please call today and let us help you on your financial journey.

03/02/2020

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blinds for any window solution, in wide selection of fabrics, woods and colours at competitive prices.

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29 November 2020

Coleshill High Street is Open!!

It’s what we have all been waiting for, the return of retail and personal care services to Coleshill High street. No more relying on Amazon and the likes, or feeling dreary because you haven’t had your hair and nails done recently.

The old saying goes use it or lose it and this now is more pertinent than ever before. Our local high street businesses have hung in there to be able to re-open and rather than spend

These are just some of the businesses on Coleshill High Street and within the local area, so plenty of places to visit and businesses to support.

To our wonderful community, your High Street awaits you, so whichever business you venture in to, you can be sure you will be greeted with a very warm welcome whilst contributing to keeping our High Street Businesses trading.

From Love Coleshill and All the local businesses, Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2021.

our cash elsewhere lets all support them.

If you have never ventured in to Hawthornes to see the Aladdins cave of goodies in there then give it a go, order your party pieces from Mr Pinks and get your dresses and suits dry cleaned ready for Christmas. Penny Johnson is ready with all your floral requirements.

Order your Christmas Meat from Farmer Butchers opposite the Red Lion and don’t forget the café’s and takeaways as you are walking around, Café on the Hill, Connoisseurs’, Upper Crust, Lmaiz and Olivia’s Kitchen.

If some new clothes take your fancy drop in to Glitzy Bits, Liliann or Tags, some fantastic gifts and interiors in En Vogue. Take a wander up Chamberlain Walk for some lovely sweets or pick up some cards and gifts from Nice Thoughts. Back on the High Street pop in to Gascoigne Bike shop where you can get advice on which bike to buy to suit your needs. Grab a bargain book from Books revisited.

Thinking ahead Palm Trees travel will book you a holiday for next year to get away from it all. You can even sort a mortgage at Coleshill Mortgages and buy a house from our variety of Estate agents.

How Coronavirus spreads through the air 2 Minutes

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30 November 2020

Platinum December Update 0121 747 7202

07814 566657 or 07792 508819

With advances in materials available there are now paints available for pretty much any surface or substrate. It is important that the correct paint and method is used for the surface you will be painting, failure to do so will result in a poor finish and sooner or later the paintwork failing- usually leading to it flaking, blistering or peeling. With that in mind we thought we’d spend this months article looking at the most common surfaces to come across and the various ways to tackle them. There are a surprising amount of different surfaces to cover so we’ll split it across two articles looking at some of the more specialist products next time.

Another very common substrate is new plaster. Firstly you must wait until it’s completely dry- so no darker patches left.

Next you must consider that it needs to be sealed. New plaster is very porous so it sucks the water out of the paint. If you are using paint that contains vinyl (most do) then this will mean that the water is sucked into the plaster with just a layer of vinyl left sitting on top. This layer will easily peel off, especially when painted on top of at a later date. To combat this most manufacturers recommend The first thing to highlight is the importance of reading the manufacturers guidelines on watering down the first coat of paint a certain the back of the tin or on their website. They will always provide their recommendations for amount (check the back of the tin) for the first what process to follow with their paint. coat. This is known as a ‘mist coat’ and seals The first substrate to look at and probably the most common is previously painted walls the plaster making it less porous. An and woodwork. Walls that have been previously painted with emulsion can in theory be alternative that most decorators use is to use painted straight over type).indd with new emulsion but this isn’t generally a good idea. The walls will atinum_ID_ad_93x70(outlined 1 11/08/2015 12:25 something known as contract matt watered no doubt have collected dirt and grease over the years and will at the very least need a good down for the first coat- this is widely available from most manufacturers and is very clean down prior to painting but will also benefit from some basic prep such as filing and effective as it contains no vinyl at all. This is also cheaper than using your more expensive sanding. This process will ensure a better quality and longer lasting finish. finish paint as a mist coat. On the subject of new plaster, it is worth mentioning new build properties. These are nearly always mist coated and then actually finished with contract For woodwork that has been previously painted with gloss or satin it is very important to matt. It isn’t a very durable finish but is necessary as it is breathable so allows residual sand prior to any further painting. This is to remove the sheen and provide a ‘key’ to enable moisture from the building process to continue to dry out. If a vinyl paint was used at this the new paint to adhere to the surface. If this isn’t done then the paint will very easily peel stage then it would seal the walls and eventually flake off as the moisture continued to find and chip when knocked. Following sanding there will be different processes depending on a way out. If you are embarking on a self build project but doing the decorating yourself the type of paint. If you are using traditional solvent based gloss then it will be likely that then it is worth keeping this in mind. you will first need to apply a coat of undercoat. This is to help adhesion and to help provide Remember, it’s always best to check the back of the tin for the manufacturers guidelines, a better depth of finish. If you are using solvent based satin or eggshell then most of these and make sure you do so at the shop rather than at home to avoid having to go back to buy are classed as self undercoating so won’t need an undercoat but will more than likely need a primer that you didn’t realise you needed. at least two coats. If you are using a water based or quick drying trim paint then it is even more important to check the back of the tin for the correct process as these can be more Next time we’ll look at some of the more specialist products for things such as composite doors and heritage properties. varied. Some require specific primers or undercoats and others don’t require a primer or undercoat at all, it depends on the type of product. With water based, if in doubt then it won’t hurt to use a water based adhesion primer to guarantee a more durable finish.

The next surface to think about is bare wood. This will definitely need a primer to help seal the surface and to aid coverage of the top coat. Failure to prime the wood will lead to more coats of paint being required and the finish paint failing. You will also need to consider knots- if there are knots in the wood these will need sealing with knotting solution or a shellac based primer to prevent them from bleeding through the finish. You will likely have seen examples of this on white woodwork where the knots are visible as small light brown patches and we’ve included a picture with the article. Once knotted and primed you can follow the manufacturers instructions for the undercoat and topcoats. These days it is also very common to come across pre-primed woodwork. This is new skirting boards, doors and architrave etc. that comes with a factory applied coat of primer. Although well intentioned on the basis that it doesn’t need priming, for a variety of reasons this is often not the case.

Firstly, if you run your hand across the factory finished primer it will often feel very rough.

In theory you can paint straight over this but the finish will still feel rough. To fix this you will need to sand the woodwork prior to painting, the process of sanding will end up removing most of the primer (it isn’t very resilient) therefore leading to it needing to be re-primed anyway. Another draw back with pre-primed woodwork is the colour of the primer they use. It is often a dull grey version of off-white, especially on the doors, this is very difficult to cover with white trim paint such as satin or gloss and will take quite a few coats. It is advisable to apply a couple of coats of primer or undercoat prior to painting just to help the coverage.

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31 November 2020

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32 December 2020

Hello from your local Slimming World groups What a year 2020 has been. Good news to report is

Our Slimming World groups operate as a Covid Secure

that Slimming World, is very much still here,

business, following strict risk assessments and working

supporting members to continue losing weight and improving their health through this challenging

closely with our venues. We’ve measures in place to comply fully with local and Government guidance, to ensure members are safe, happy and comfortable being back in

year.

group. It’s absolutely amazing to come back together again,

I’m personally delighted to have continued helping

there really is no better feeling than the magic of a real-life

members, and also supporting my team of consultants who have worked so hard behind the scenes running groups in their venues, or when lockdown hits continuing the same support with our Slimming World at home service, As a team, like many we’ve had to adjust, find new ways, we’ve learnt so many new skills, discovered zoom and in groups and out have had tears and laughter along the way.

Slimming World group, and when we can’t meet in groups we’ve got our Virtual service which means that members can still weigh and get the support they need.

I know it can be nerve-wracking to join a Slimming World

Wishing you a happy and healthy month ahead…

Toni x (07971 698 6698)

assure anyone who’s worrying about their weight that there’s no judgment at Slimming World, just respect and care. As well as being able to share how we’re feeling, being able to share ideas about how to enjoy delicious food and

groups, we quickly found a way to continue to support our

feel fitter and healthier makes a real difference, it’s not just

members virtually in online weekly groups. We reopened,

about weight it’s been a real lifeline for so many too.

went back into venues for a while, then the second lockdown

If you’re worrying about your weight and feeling alone and

came. Now we are once again returning to our venues.

desperate, don’t give up. Don’t put it off. Our Slimming

Tuesday

Kingshurst - Diane 07432123206 Shard End (am &pm) - Prima 07921505769 Kitts Green - Lois 07388105338 Ward End (am & pm) - Azra 07956853796

Wednesday Coleshill - Toni 07971686698 Castle Brom - Donna 07516726534 Tile Cross - Sarah 07930854410

For more information visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or contact myself or one of the team who’ll be glad to help.

group for the first time, especially at the moment, but I can

When the national lockdown first closed our community

Monday

World groups are here getting together every week, no matter what! If you’re thinking of joining, come and be part of our success, you’ll be welcomed by every one of us. We’ve offers coming up in December, its a great time to join to beat the January rush! Booking is essential in all groups as we limit numbers to ensure social distancing, so book your place now.

Castle Brom(am) - Diane 07432123206 Castle Brom - Nataley 07939949136 Marston Green - Jayne 07453348184 Water Orton - Angie 07443565571

Thursday

Castle Vale - Donna 07516726534 Chelmsley Wood - Gina 07933588573 Smiths Wood - Nataley 07939949136

zoom meeting

Friday

Chelmsley Wood (am) - Gina 07933588573 Sheldon (am) - Jacqui 07814675180

Saturday

Chelmsley Wood (am) - Michael 07957510533 Chelmsley Wood (am) - Jayne 07453348184

33 December 2020

Park Hall Academy Performing Arts Students Perform ‘Hamlet’ On Monday 16th November 2020 our Sixth Form Performing Arts students came together to perform in a production of ‘Hamlet’, for The National Shakespeare Schools Festival 2020.

The audience was small and socially distanced but this did not deter from the fact that the performance was ‘outstanding’.

The event was our contribution to The National Shakespeare Schools Festival 2020 and enabled the small cast to share their passion and skills for the language of Shakespeare. The 30-minute performance formed part of the student’s examination and did not disappoint. They had been working with each other, since September in their bubble, and explored many ways to deliver script with

restrictions and constraints. Along the journey students were isolated and others took on different roles and only managed to get into the performance space once prior to the main event, however with the attitude of ‘The show must go on’ it certainly did.

As a school we do our very best to maintain the importance of creativity and expression through the arts and this is just one example of how, we are able to come to together in a world pandemic and still provide our students with amazing opportunities.

The cast of ‘Hamlet’ were fantastic and hopefully in the future we will be able to welcome the wider community back in through our theatre doors to share performances together.

Park Hall Academy Students Remembers Not out usual way of Remembering, but students at Park Hall Academy, have shown that they remember through a wonderful display throughout the school.

In English, students have been looking at Poetry, with a focus on War Poems, as a way to understand different perspectives during different wars. Students then created creative pieces of work in reflection.

Some fantastic work from all students.

Superb Art in the Community Here at Park Hall Academy we have some amazing students. Millie Banks, who is in Year 8, took her art skills to the next level. Millie has a keen eye for Art and all things creative. In act of remembrance, Millie recently painted Remembrance Day murals at home and, more amazingly around the local community.

She even did something special at John the Baptist Primary School.

34 November 2020

Crafters Corner.

Waterless Snow Globe Hi, I’m Katie back for another Crafters Corner. I thought I would get into the Christmas spirit and show you a little something you can make with the kids. This waterless snow globe is super simple and looks really good.

You will need (Photo 1) • Snow Confetti • Little pompoms • Christmas figures

• Empty jars that the figures fit into • Christmas ribbon • Glue gun

Step 1 (Photo 2) First of all, make sure that the jars are nice and clean, and any labels have been removed.

Then match up your Christmas figures to the jars to ensure they will fit inside comfortably when the lid is secured.

Step 2 (Photo 3)

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5

Glue the Christmas figure to the inside centre of the lid. I use a glue gun as it dry’s quickly. If you don’t have one don’t worry just use any strong glue and make sure that it is completely set before moving on to step 3.

Step 3 (Photo 4) Take the jar and fill it about a quarter of the way with the snow confetti and little pompoms. You can be creative and use anything you might have at home, such as sequins or cellophane cut up into little pieces. Just make sure whatever you use is soft and doesn’t crash about when you shake the jar later.

Step 4 (Photo 5) Carefully take the lid with the figure glued to the centre and place it on the jar and do it up as tight as you can.

Step 5 (Photo 6) Tip the jar up the right way and use the Christmas ribbon to decorate the outside of the jar.

(Photo 7) Use anything you like to make it as festive and unique as you want!

This is something that you could do at any time of the year, just find a figure or toy that will fit in a jar and change the colour scheme. Happy crafting!

Photo 1

Photo 6

Photo 7

35 November 2020

Pirate’s Pantry

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Well, December is here. 2020 has undeniably been a very different year from the one I planned in January, and I am sure I am not alone in feeling that.

One family for whom it has not turned out as planned is the Freshwater family. Ed, Sarah and their two children, Millie and Kip. I have worked with Ed Freshwater, a mental health nurse, over the last five years and have the pleasure of calling him a friend as well as a colleague. I worked with him when his young son, Kip, at the age of about 10 months old, was diagnosed with leukaemia. For the Freshwater family, the clocks stopped at that point.

Fortunately over the following three years Kip tolerated his chemotherapy and, despite his ill health, grew to be a cheeky young lad with plenty of confidence and an eye for the nurses who he saw regularly at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Anyone in any doubt about how cheeky Kip is, please search for “Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review” Podcast from the 6th November 2020, at about 23 minutes in, you’ll hear him.

This October marked the end of the final phase of Kip’s treatment and the Freshwaters were looking forward to gaining some stability and normality to their lives. At the eleventh hour they were called back to the hospital to be told that Kip had experienced a full relapse and would now require a bone marrow transplant. Understandably devastated Ed and his family returned home to regroup and prepare for the forthcoming battle.

Kip has now commenced his treatment in preparation for his bone marrow transplant and recently lost his full head of hair as a side effect of this treatment.

As a friend and colleague on the periphery of all of this, I admit to feeling helpless. I remain in regular contact with the Freshwaters and having received their blessing have concocted a plan to help to raise awareness for the Anthony Nolan Trust and to raise funds for CLIC Sargent, a charity aimed at providing support to families with young children who have cancer.

So here’s the plan: With help from South and City College Birmingham, week commencing 14th December 2020 this wannabe pirate will be having his beard and hair shaved off for charity.

There is a page where you can donate, should you wish to support CLIC Sargent on mine and Kip’s behalf: GoFundMe; search for “Kip & Millie vs. Leukaemia” Thanks for your support, we’ll be back to recipes in the new year. Have a safe and happy Christmas.

piratespantry@gmail.com

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36 November 2020

A Community of Angels Cllr Caroline Symonds As 2020 draws to a close it would be remiss of me to not reflect on how our community has come together in what has been the most challenging of years.

Since March there has been a small army of local residents going above and beyond to provide support and friendship to residents, many of whom at the start of this pandemic were complete strangers. What started out as picking up shopping and prescriptions has become new friends and people to call when times are hard.

At the start of the second lockdown, I received a call to see whether the voluntary support to residents would be starting back up again. One of the proudest things I’d ever been able to say, was that it never stopped. The community carried on, they just did it; they didn’t wait to be asked nor was it just because they were part of a wider network. They carried on because they care and had made lasting relationships; a positive legacy of Covid-19 I hope we focus on in the future.

Residents of all ages have adapted to a different way of learning, living and working. During the first lockdown and the subsequent weeks when things opened up a little it was so heartening to see people walking around Coleshill, enjoying the park and the beautiful open spaces that we have around us and supporting local businesses that have and are still adapting to new challenges.

Over the last 10 months I have been overwhelmed with the generosity and kindness of our community, people of all ages coming together to say ‘can I help?’. Those that are working and fitting it in around long shifts, those managing around their own family commitments and those struggling themselves.

Meals have been made and distributed, shopping has been delivered and prescriptions collected, hospital appointments made, transport to Flu jabs arranged, financial and personal support given, business grant advice and hearts held when things have been just too hard.

Isolation and very limited contact with others has had a profound impact, from my own experience and that of the new friends I have been fortunate to meet; knowing that there is someone that they can call on has made lives a little better.

All of the Coleshill Volunteers, not just those working as part of the Angels, but all those that have donated to Dani’s foodbank appeal, delivered food parcels for Jack’s School Holiday initiative, checked in on neighbours, shielded for those in their family who are vulnerable, all our keyworkers and those that have kept spirits up when it’s been desperately needed; all have given a priceless gift this year, their time. Thank you to you all, we will celebrate when we are able; you make Coleshill the Community it is.

37 November 2020

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Hello Grimscote Manor Hotel here, We are inviting any elderly persons who finds themselves alone on Christmas Day to come and have a natter with like minded people, enjoy a 3 course meal with drinks, crackers , a gift and a lift home.

All welcome from Noon to 4pm.

If guidelines say that we cant have you in person we will still provide a Christmas dinner to your door, wearing PPE to protect you and keep you safe but with a smile on and ready for a good Christmas natter.

Please if you know anyone that doesn’t have anyone special to share there day with please pass our number on.

We look forward to meeting you !

Telephone- 01675 464 222

WEB- www.grimscotemanor.co.uk Email- info@grimscotemanor.co.uk

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38 December 2020

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39 November 2020

Councillor Steve Caudwell November update Thank you for reading my November column.

You will of course be aware that once the national lockdown ends on December 2nd the West Midlands, including Solihull, will go into the highest tier of regional restrictions. I think that, while it’s completely understandable to be massively disappointed about this turn of events, the data does support this decision. Lockdown did have an effect, but the truth is our rate of infection and numbers are about where they were before we went into lockdown; so we have to keep doing our best to keep our most vulnerable safe, and to prevent local NHS facilities being overwhelmed. I am pleased that there will be a review of these restrictions after two weeks; and at that time, if we’ve done the right thing and numbers are continuing to fall, then there should be a good case for easing restrictions in the run-up to Christmas.

Whilst there’s been great news around vaccines, we must recognise the work of actually getting us all vaccinated against Covid will take many months, so in the meantime we will need to persist with the strategies that have worked until now – keeping personal distance, using a face covering, not meeting indoors and using sanitiser effectively. The end is in sight; but we have to keep running until the race is won.

Now, please, let’s talk about something else! Speeding and antisocial driving are a hot topic at the moment in Castle Bromwich and throughout North Solihull, and it’s something my colleagues and I are taking very seriously. In February local campaigner Ian Shore and I submitted a petition to the Council asking for average speed cameras on Water Orton Road; we were dismayed to learn that eight months later, not only had there been no progress, but that the council wasn’t even planning to do anything before next June! I spoke at the Environment and Highways session on November 25th and left the Cabinet Member and officers in no doubt at all about what I thought of the situation; if you’re interested, search for Solihull Council on YouTube and you can watch

what I said. We also know the Collector Road is seeing a lot of cruising and racing activity, so Councillor Buxton-Sait is pressuring the local police relentlessly to take meaningful action on this. The police do want to know whenever this is happening, so if it’s disturbing you head to the West Midlands Police website to report it – the more reports, the more likely there will be action.

You also need to be aware that a planning application is with Birmingham City Council regarding the HS2 work due to take place between Castle Bromwich and Water Orton.

This means a big increase in the number of HGV movements through both villages as they gain access to and from the M6 and M42. Part of the discussion is around whether HGVs use Parkfield Drive and the Collector Road, or Water Orton Road and Chester Road to access the M6. I think neither approach is suitable, frankly, and alternatives exist that could mean Castle Bromwich is bypassed altogether. I have raised these with Solihull Council officers and HS2 Ltd, and await their response.

Finally, a piece of good news! Clevedon Avenue has long posed a challenge as it is narrow and sometimes obstructed by parked cars, meaning potentially emergency vehicles being hampered when gaining access to Blandford Avenue and Farnworth Grove. This road has made it on to the Council’s list of roads to receive Traffic Restriction Orders in 2021, so we should see some action next year to improve this situation.

Under the current guidance we’re still discouraged from calling on people to speak to them directly about their concerns so for now we’re available by email and phone calls.

If you need to get in touch with me you can do so at steve@solihullgreenparty.org.uk or on 0121 285 3532.

Stay safe, and thank you for continuing to do the right thing during these difficult times. And if I don’t speak to you beforehand, have a peaceful Christmas and I look forward to catching up in person in 2021!

Morrisons at Castle Brom

Morrisons have been on the front line, helping staff and customers through this pandemic. From the beginning of March, morrisons have donated a staggering 8 million pounds to feed the nation. For several months morrisons delivered food pallets to all their stores with essential food items which have been distributed to local food banks and other key works organisations. It just doesn’t stop there! During December more pallets will be donated so hopefully we reach people who rely on food banks ready for the run up to christmas. An extra 2 million pounds is ready to be spent to help families and the community. Pauline fox is the community champion at Morrisons castle Bromwich, her job is to make sure the food donated is distributed to the people who need it the most. Along side the food banks pauline made hampers for 2 local hospitals, Heartlands and Solihull, doctors surgery, police stations, schools, nursing homes and the elderly and vulnerable.

Morrisons are also offering a doorstep delivery service for customers who are elderly and vulnerable or shielding during this difficult time. This service offers next day delivery to the comfort of your home, you pay with credit card via the driver for contact less safe delivery. The service is also available for nursing homes universities and residential homes. With Christmas fast approaching we will continue to put our customers first. We will continue to help where possible and spread some happiness. Merry Christmas and stay safe from morrisons castle Bromwich!

40

Water Orton Villager

November 2020

Most people would agree this year has seen so many changes and challenges in our everyday lives. Water Orton Parish Council has continued to serve and support the community throughout the lockdowns and restrictions. Monthly ordinary council meetings take place remotely (via Zoom).

Having held several ordinary meetings remotely, it was decided to hold the Annual Parish Assembly meeting remotely on Tuesday 24th November. It enabled the chairman of the council to update the community on what the parish council have achieved so far, to receive a financial statement on the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accounts and to offer residents the opportunity to raise any matters or issues they might have. There were a number of presentations made by various representatives from organisations in the village. These included Paul Messenger from Water Orton Tennis Club, Margaret Smith from the Methodist Church, Reverend Paul Tullett from St. Peter & St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church, Mick Lee from the Old Saltleians Rugby Club, Judy Macdonald from the Water Orton Action Group and the War Memorial committee, Judith Cleaver from the Speedwatch group and Phillip Robinson from Water Orton Cricket Club.

There was also a presentation made by representatives from Hs2.

The chairman gave the following report: This report covers the Period May 2019 to November 2020.

This period has been a very challenging and busy time for the Parish Council, a time where there have been a number of important changes to the makeup of the council following the May 2019 local election. The changes have resulted in all but one of the previous councillors being new to the Parish Council.

Significant changes to the way the council has traditionally operated have included the adoption of new practices to fall in line with recent legislation with new ways of operating and reporting requirements. This process is ongoing. These additional practices have been introduced under excellent guidance from the Parish Clerk - Daphne Robinson. On behalf of the whole Parish Council I would like to thank Daphne for her efforts, her professional approach and continued guidance.

In December 2019 the long overdue resurfacing of the Playing Field Pavilion car park was completed. This involved substantial remedial work to the surface drainage and to solve a long-term problem with the sewer connection. The old concrete bollards were replaced with new metal railings, greatly enhancing the appearance of the car park area whilst improving protection against unofficial access.

A number of new dog litter bins were either replaced. These are extremely expensive to

purchase and even more costly to have emptied on a regular basis. Unfortunately, during the year, a number of the bins were destroyed by mindless vandalism and have been replaced at a cost of around ÂŁ500.00 per bin.

The Parish Council fully supported an approach from the Water Orton in Bloom group which has seen many flower tubs installed around the village, greatly improving the general look and feel of the village. Sponsorship from local businesses has contributed to the purchase of the bulbs and flowers for the planters.

Phase one of the scheme to provide decorative lights mounted on street lighting columns was completed and operational for the 2019 festive season. Phase two has recently been added, undoubtably giving the village a welcome lift in these troubled times. These lights along with the churchyard illumination will be switched on Sunday 29th November at 5pm.

Early in 2020 we were forced to close the Playing Field Pavilion due to Covid-19 restrictions.

After much debate by the council it was decided that the Pavilion would remain closed until the spring of 2021. This closure has allowed the council to undertake a general upgrade including new lighting both inside and out, redecoration and some attention to the heating system with a view to reducing the extremely high cost of our Electricity bill. To make the building more flexible and hopefully attract new users we are currently in the process of installing broadband to the building in line with modern expectations.

The Covid-19 Volunteer Community Fund was also an initiative that the Parish Council fully supported both financially and logistically. If required, this support initiative will remain in place until the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, hopefully in 2021.

A significant document in the shape of The Village Neighbourhood Plan is currently under construction and once adopted will shape the future development of the village in the years to come.

There is still much work to be carried out to further enhance the village appearance and enjoyment. We invite village residents of all ages to submit ideas to the parish council for their consideration and possible adoption during the current term of this parish council.

HS2 has started several major enabling projects prior to main works commencing in 2021.

To assist residents to access current news, a page dedicated to HS2 is being placed on the parish council website. For news delivered direct to your mail inbox please register on the HS2 commonplace website. For reference the HS2 web page is: hs2inwarwicks. commonplace.is

41 November 2020

Presentations Water Orton Tennis Club Paul Messenger explained in his presentation, that 2020 was the club’s 10th Anniversary and that sadly, 80% of their plans to celebrate this milestone had had to be cancelled. However, these plans would be carried through to 2021. The tennis club were able to offer some tennis to members and to Forest Oak and Woodlands School pupils during the summer. The club’s bid to obtain funding from Hs2 had been successful and enabled them to install flood lights and reroof and clad the club room. Paul reported that around 80% of the club membership were residents of Water Orton.

The Methodist Church Margaret Smith reported that due to the funding the church had received from Hs2, Warwickshire County Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council, Biffa, the Airport and Lottery, the refurbishment of the center and chapel was complete.

Having been restored, services were now being held in the Wesleyan Chapel, the kitchen and main hall had been updated. Mrs. Smith said that all development had been done with the community in mind. Unfortunately, due to Covid, the official opening would be delayed until all the restrictions were lifted.

St Peter & Paul’s church Reverend Paul Tullett reported on the vision of the church, to worship God, grow believers and make believers and to welcome all to the church. Rev Tullett announced that the church would be open from 2nd December for private prayer regardless of what tier restrictions were in place at that time. Services had been streamed during lockdown and this would continue for the foreseeable future. He thanked Mrs. Kay Hailstone for all her hard work in producing The Bridge. As chairman of the Thomas Dole Charity, Rev Tullett explained that this is a local charity for those who may suffer financial difficulties.

The charity had helped pay for children to go on school trips and made one off payments for certain household goods. If anyone knows of any family or person who may be in need of such help, they can contact Rev Tullett for more information.

Old Saltleians Rugby Club Mr. Mick Lee gave an update on the progress on the plans for the construction of the rugby clubs new ground and facilities. Tenders have been submitted for the construction and are currently being considered. The club hope to appoint the preferred contractor early in the new year. Construction is expected to start in the Spring and will take between 6 to 8 months to build. The main entrance will be at the junction of Coleshill Road and Gypsy Lane. It is the club’s intention for construction traffic to use Gypsy Lane whenever possible. The club will insist that the appointed contractor is respectful of residents by working weekdays and daytime only. The traffic plan will be presented by the contractor to NWBC and Highways with preference to utilise the routing Gypsy Lane to A446 for construction traffic as the priority route. There are Hs2 diversions works within the club’s land and along Gypsy Lane during Spring 2021 and there will be BT cable laying along Gypsy Lane during the winter this year. These external projects may result in the temporary closure of Gypsy Lane, if this causes club construction traffic to be diverted along Coleshill Road to Watton Lane, this will be kept to a minimum.

Speed Watch Mrs. Judith Cleaver, one of the volunteers on the Speed Watch group reported on the scheme. At specified safe locations, volunteers monitor the speed of passing vehicles with a hand-held speed detection device. Offending vehicles’ details are recorded on a log sheet and warning letters are sent to the registered keepers with advice on safer driving.

Mrs. Cleaver advised that although no drivers had been caught it had certainly had a positive result in slowing drivers down when driving through the village. If anyone wished to become a volunteer, they can contact the parish clerk for more information.

Water Orton Community Action Group & War Memorial Group Judy Macdonald gave an update on the progress of the landscaping for the War Memorial site. The group were waiting for permission from highways so that work could begin. All of WCC highways requirements had been agreed. The Water Orton in Bloom group would carry out the planting and maintenance of the grass would continue to be done by NWBC. The WOCA are now adoptees of the station building and are currently in discussion with West Midland railway and Network Rail regarding the building. NWBC would be starting work on the car park within the next few days, this work will increase parking capacity and enhance the area.

New railings will replace the wooden railings.

Water Orton Cricket Club in his role as Facilities Manager of the Cricket Club, Phillip Robinson gave a report on what had been happening at the club this year. 2020 marks the 140th Anniversary of Water Orton Cricket Club. There were naturally financial losses due to the lockdown, however, the committee were able to limit expenditure on outgoings and volunteers tended the ground until lockdown was lifted.

The club reopened on 4th July and, with all the required risk assessments and guidelines in place, were able to bounce back with healthy bar takings.

This year the club ser itself up as a Trussell Trust Fund drop off point. This scheme is supported by the ECB. A box is set up in the club house for food donations which is sent to the local foodbank in Tamworth. This initiative will continue in 2021.

There has been successful grant and funding applications. A significant grant from Hs2 enabled the car park to be resurfaced and re designed to increase parking facilities, replace the boundary netting and install new practice facilities.

2020 saw the introduction of Women’s Cricket at the club. The ladies were introduced to hard ball cricket as numbers grew and players developed. Junior cricket it the life blood of the club. The club has been delighted that over 70 junior members signed up this summer.

Lockdown saw a delay in the youth coaching season but this was extended well into October.

The juniors benefited from excellent coaching led by Alan Dabbs and his team of ECB accredited coaches as well as the new first class net facilities.

The cricket club is aware of its central location within the village and the benefits it can bring to the community. During this testing year the club has pulled together and has been supported by old and new faces from the local area.

Hs2 construction work on the compounds on Birmingham Road and all work being carried out on Attleboro Lane is now becoming a reality. The parish council are committed to working proactively with HS2 during what we all realise will be an extremely difficult period for the village as a whole. The Parish Council do not want to be seen as ‘a stop HS2 group’ as this is clearly a project that is soon to enter the full construction phase. The council wish to work with Hs2 to ensure that they deliver on their promises and to gets as much mitigation from the impact that the construction phase will bring and, more importantly, that when the project is completed the village has gained all the benefits possible.

There is a dedicated Hs2 page on the parish council website which gives all Hs2 contact details.

For any parish council enquiries or village matters please contact the parish clerk.

Email clerkwopc@gmail.com Tel: 07444582592

42 November 2020

Hooray! The Gardens are re-opening to the public from Wednesday 9th December until Sunday 20th December.

Relaxed, open air, mini-Christmas-market.

The opening hours will be 10:30am – 3.30pm (ish…)

Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th December

Every season is great in the Gardens and we want to be able to welcome our visitors ALL year round.

Obviously we cannot use any indoor spaces – not that we have many so, while we’ve been closed we have been busy transforming the courtyard into an outdoor café and event space.

We’re only just beginning but we hope it will mean that during winter and the cold months you will still find a warming and welcoming space here.

between 11am - 3:30pm FREE entry

As before, we strongly encourage you to pre-book! (but don’t let it put you off making a spontaneous visit, if you need to.)

2020 Opening Times After a bit of a break (from 21st Dec to 5th Jan) we will reopen regularly.

We hope and intend to carry on the new opening times which have proved successful since our reopening in June.

It’s a new year! With hope of a better one for all!

6th January 2021 Wednesdays to Sundays 10.30 - 3pm (our hours may lengthen with the light) Please pre-book but don’t let it put you off making a spontaneous visit, if you need to.

Watch out for further news of Wassail and other family friendly activities throughout January and February

Saturday 12th, Sunday 13th,

A chance to browse - socially distanced - for your stocking fillers, gifts and decorations.

We will have local honey products (hand cream, soaps and balms), local handmade soy candles and gifts, Christmas wreaths and decorations, toys, cards and plenty of delicious jams, preserves, pickles and produce from the Batty Langley Kitchen Garden to tempt you.

Please wear a mask while browsing the market, if you can.

Let’s carry on looking after each other!

Alongside the stalls we’ll serve warming refreshments: Hot drinks, soup, gingerbread and masses of festive cheer.

Please note the market area is FREE entry but the Gardens are paid entry.

You can book a day ticket on our website events page or you can buy a ticket to enter on the day.

As a charity, the ticket cost goes towards maintaining and improving the Gardens for the future - thank you.

43 November 2020

Christmas news and New Year opening from Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens

We will be open on New Year’s Day, so please do join us to dust the cobwebs of 2020 away from 10:30am – 3pm. Please pre-book via our website if you can, but also turn up if you feel like a spontaneous visit. Apart from New Year’s Day, we will be closed from 21st December until 5th January. We will then re-open regularly from 6th January, Wednesdays through to Sundays, 10:30am – 3pm. Our hours may lengthen with the light and we are planning many exciting events and activities for you, including our Wassail this January. Please keep an eye on our website and social media and sign up to our newsletter for all the latest news as it happens.

We have had some amazing extra help from lovely people since June, but without more funding the Gardens Trust would not have been able to survive the summer. Although we have been able to be more financially self-sufficient in recent years, all our meagre savings were wiped out by the pandemic.

It has been a strange and horrible time for many this year, we hope that 2021 brings more joy and we wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. We hope to welcome you again in the New Year to the peace of the Gardens. Thank you so much for supporting us this year, as a charitable trust the Gardens would not exist without you, the visitors, dedicated volunteers, generous donations and hard-working staff who passionately keep the Gardens open.

Every one of us; individuals, communities and small businesses have been knocked sideways this year. Few of us will emerge unscathed economically or emotionally. Alongside our main purpose for existence - protecting and conserving the historic space - we hope we can continue to offer a place of beauty, peace, stimulation and interest to our visitors in the coming year. It seems to be the most important thing to do at present.

We are incredibly grateful for the public funding we have received from National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Cultural Recovery Fund among others...To keep going beyond March we will, nevertheless, still be dependent on you, the visitor, memberships, onsite sales, donations, legacies and grants. If the world has been kind to you, and you are able to make a donation to help

Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens - Gardener’s Tips for December Despite the cold, December shakes off the relative gloom of November with the promise of sparkle and joy. In the Gardens, this comes in the glittering frosts, red berries and foraging Robins. Here are some festive gardening tips from Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens.

We have been busy making decorations from natural materials found in the Gardens. You really cannot beat the smell of real decorations in the home – why not pair any foraged decorations with hanging dried oranges for extra colour and scent. In normal years, we would be making plenty of wreaths out of laurel, holly and fir branches, many of which can be found in your garden or local areas. For holly with berries, you really need to get in there before it gets too frosty else the birds will have them. Moss makes a good packing material and bendy twigs such as willow and cornus makes a great base. Thin florist wire is what is

needed to bring the whole thing together. We also make reindeer out of logs. Two small logs, some sticks and a bit of paint is all you need for an effective reindeer. There are plenty of pictures online of the finished article. Horticulturally speaking, you could consider hanging bird feeders near roses to attract hungry birds and discourage any over-feeding pests. Now is a good time to plant fragrant winter shrubs in pots, such as chimonanthus, saracocca and Daphne odora. Prune any roses between now and February and hard prune overgrown shrubs and hedges now. For wildlife, avoid turning compost to help protect any hibernating animals. Keep bird baths and feeders topped up and have a go at a bee hotel for solitary bees, using an old wooden box filled with logs with holes drilled into them, bamboo canes and the stems of other hollow-stemmed plants such as teasel and sunflower. Hang in sunny spot in the garden.

44 November 2020

Christmas travel measures to help passengers plan their journey and travel safely • Government outlines measures for safe Christmas journeys between 23 and 27 December.

• Transport Secretary announces 778 of miles of roadworks cleared.

• Rail upgrades postponed enabling extra services with over 95% of the rail network unaffected by engineering works.

• Longer trains and extra services added alongside waiving of admin fees to change advance rail tickets • Passengers urged to plan carefully, book ahead and follow guidance if they decide to travel.

The Government has today (Thursday 3 December) outlined a series of measures focused on minimising disruption and helping people travel safely over the Christmas period, while urging passengers to plan their journeys carefully, consider quieter routes and where possible book ahead.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced a comprehensive plan for the Christmas travel window between 23 and 27 December, including lifting hundreds of miles of roadworks, enhancing rail services, postponing and accelerating rail engineering works and cutting ticket charges to help travellers with their journeys.

“We’re working with transport operators to help people see their loved ones, safely. We ask everyone to closely consider their journey, plan and book ahead, be patient, and be considerate of fellow passengers – and particularly staff who have worked so hard all year - by following the guidance carefully, including keeping space and wearing a face covering on public transport.”

The Government is also working with the Devolved Administrations on our plans to ensure we take an aligned approach as far as possible.

The Government is also working closely with transport operators to establish priority areas for testing of workers, to maintain and maximise services.

Measures outlined today include:

As roads and rail have typically been quieter over the course of the pandemic, journeys during the Christmas period could be longer and busier than usual. The measures to be outlined today are targeted at supporting passenger and staff safety, reducing disruption wherever possible, and helping people travel with confidence.

• The Government is waiving change of journey admin fees for Advance tickets purchase before new Covid tiers were announced on 26 November, enabling fee free changes and ensuring passengers are not left out of pocket for complying with the new Covid restrictions.

Travellers are also reminded to closely follow guidance, including wearing face coverings, maintaining social distancing and washing their hands frequently.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “With many people carefully considering whether to travel to see loved ones this Christmas, we’re taking steps to try to ease journeys.

“Clearing 778 miles of road works and postponing rail upgrade works will ease congestion, minimise disruption and allow extra services to run.

“That action is backed by scrapping the admin fees for changing advance rail tickets, ensuring a strong staff presence to help people on their way. And I’ve asked former Olympics transport boss and Chair of Network Rail Sir Peter Hendy to carry out a rigorous assessment alongside transport operators to ensure everything possible is being done to help.

Rail

• Longer trains will run on Anglo-Scotland and Liverpool routes to boost the number of seats at anticipated busy times on the West Coast Main Line. Chiltern Railway will also run additional services on the 27 December, and East Midlands Railway will run a full intercity timetable over the Christmas period.

• Over 95% of the rail network will be unaffected by engineering works. Network Rail have altered their plans and the works on the East Coast Main Line will be postponed at the end of service, allowing additional services to and from King Cross on Christmas Eve. Works on the West Coast Main Line will also be completed earlier on the 27th, to enable a full Sunday service to run from 10am rather than midday, making it easier for passengers to return from their Christmas bubbles.

• Rail engineering works such as the East Coast Upgrade have been planned for two years. Cancelling or delaying these works would see benefits to punctuality, safety and reliability deferred by up to two years. Significant extra road capacity will be in place where demand is greatest.

Road • An additional 288 miles of maintenance works will be removed, with a total of 778 miles of roadworks on motorways and A-roads now cleared.

• Where essential roadworks must continue speed limits will be set at 60mph where possible, including on key routes such as the M6 and M1, to keep disruption to a minimum.

• Ministers have written to all Local Authorities with the request that they lift as many roadworks as possible and ensure bus services are running reliably over the period, to ease traffic on local roads.

• Ministers have also written to all Local Authorities to ensure winter preparedness, with around 70% confirming they will modify gritting routes to ensure testing centres are covered.

The Government appointed Sir Peter Hendy – Chairman of Network Rail – to act as a Christmas travel tsar on Friday.

Providing rigorous scrutiny of the plans of all rail, road, coach, maritime and aviation operators, he will ensure a collective focus across the transport industry on minimising disruption and supporting passengers.

Sir Peter Hendy said: “Throughout the pandemic, the transport industry has been united in its efforts to keep passengers and staff safe. We must ensure that shared focus continues at this important time.

“The measures announced today will help ease congestion, boost capacity and minimise disruption for travellers. I will continue to work closely with all operators and offer recommendations that will see people home safely for Christmas.”

Travellers are being urged to closely consider the timings of any journey and consider quieter routes.

On rail and coach services, passengers should book in advance. Long-distance rail operators, including LNER and Avanti West Coast, already require passengers to have a ticket booked with a seat reservation, enabling social distancing.

For operators where passengers can still turn up and go, passengers are urged to book ahead, follow the guidance on social distancing closely, avoid the busiest times and consider using alternative forms of transport for shorter journeys.

Whatever the journey, people are asked to plan carefully, book ahead where possible, and be prepared for journeys to take longer than normal.

45 November 2020

Trust announces North Warwickshire placed under Tier 3 Chief Executive – Very High Alert Appointment North Warwickshire Borough Council Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership NHS Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Mel Coombes as its new Chief Executive.

The appointment follows a competitive recruitment process with a strong field of candidates.

Mel who is currently the trusts Chief Nurse, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive will take up her position on 1 February 2021 when the current Chief Executive, Simon Gilby retires after five years at the helm.

As a registered nurse, Mel brings extensive Board level experience to the role and 36 years’ experience of working in the NHS. She also holds a number of national positions, which include Chair of the National Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nurse Directors Forum.

She held the role of Director of Nursing, Quality, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust for seven years before joining the Trust in October 2019.

was advised earlier this week that it would exit lockdown on 2nd December in Tier 3 – Very High Aler.

Cllr David Wright, Leader of North Warwickshire Borough Council, said: “The Government have announced the Tier System yesterday and North Warwickshire will be placed under Tier 3 – Very High Alert. Under Tier 3, no mixing of households is allowed apart from support bubbles. Pubs and restaurants must stay closed except for takeaways, and indoor entertainment venues must also stay closed. All retail shops and gyms will be able to open, however.

Chair of Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, Jagtar Singh, said, “On behalf of myself and the Board I would like to congratulate Mel on her appointment. She is the right person to lead Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust into the future and to build on the legacy of our departing Chief Executive, Simon.

We are very disappointed to be in this tier given that our infection rates are falling, and

He added, “Mel has demonstrated a clear focus on our service users, our values, coproduction and partnership, alongside the skills and experience to lead us to be an outstanding provider of mental health, learning disability and community services delivering great care with our staff and ensuring we remain a respected and influential partner within the wider health and care environment.”

We will continue to support businesses forced to close and have given our 242 grants

Mel said: “I am delighted to be taking up the position of Chief Executive at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. I look forward to working with all staff, service users and partners to deliver the best possible mental health, learning disability and community services care for the communities we serve.”

Mel will commence her new role on 1 February 2021. For the next two months, she will continue in current her role as Chief Nurse, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive and work closely with the Chief Executive, Simon Gilby to manage the transition period.

our hospitals are coping well. We have made this case very strongly to Government and will continue to do so. We are all desperate for more of our way of life to return to normal and we are disappointed that we remain subject to so many restrictions still. worth £376,000 already in this lockdown and there will be further funding for December for businesses having to close in December.

Infection rates need to continue to fall, particularly amongst those aged over 60 where the risk of needing medical care is highest before the Government will move us to a lower tier. I am really grateful for everyone’s efforts in getting infection rates down and it’s still vital that we continue to keep to the guidance if we are to see some easing of restrictions in weeks to come. We must all continue to wash our hands, cover our face, keep our distance and get a test if we display symptoms.”

For more information and for detailed guidance see gov.uk/coronavirus.

46 November 2020

War stories from the vicarage Coleshill vicar the Rev Douglas Barton had only been here a year when the Second World War broke out.

He had joined the TA as a chaplain, and so was called up straight away, attached to the 3rd Survey Regiment Royal Artillery and sent to France.

His was the last contingent to be evacuated from the port at Dunkirk before they had to use the beaches.

Peacetime brought its own disruption to the Barton family. The sale of the old vicarage, now part of Chantry House, meant a temporary move to Coleshill House, opposite the Coach.

In an email sent a bit before his death, Peter Barton, the schoolmaster son of the Rev (later, Canon) Barton, said: “In the end we were put into Gilson Cottage at the end of the drive to Townshend’s Farm on the Gilson Road. Not ideal!

He ended up as a Deputy Assistant Chaplain General (equal to Lieutenant Colonel in rank) at Eastern Command HQ in Luton Hoo.

“As Dad never drove or owned a car he relied a lot for transport by his Warden, Charlie Plumb, or more often his daughter Annie for getting to early church on Sundays.

His predecessor, the Rev William WyldboreSmith had resigned as vicar through ill health in February 1938. His son, Major General Sir Brian Wyldbore-Smith, served with distinction in the war.

“When the council built the housing estate at Springfields we were allocated one of the four bedroomed houses (semi-detached) and we were there until they built the new vicarage.”

Turn of the 20th century vicar, the Rev John Pinney had left Coleshill before the First World War, but had a soldier son who served in it, Major General Sir Reginald Pinney.

Peter emigrated to New Zealand, returning occasionally to the area.

He taught at the school where the boy who was to become Prince Charles’s RAF flying instructor was a pupil.

He said: “Philip Pinney was in the 3rd form at Christ’s College when I started there - I can’t say whether I actually taught him, but I do recall him.”

The boy who became Squadron Leader Pinney, the Rev John Pinney’s great grandson, left school and New Zealand to join the Royal Air Force, retiring as a Group Captain.

Douglas Barton

John Pinney

Peter Barton

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47 November 2020

Coleshill Town F.C.

Coleshill Town FC COVID DILEMMA! After the months lockdown Coleshill are due to return to competitive football on Tuesday 8th December in the FA Trophy BUT with North Warwickshire in Tier 3 it is unsure if the game will go ahead but with no spectators, or be postponed until a later date.

Back in 2017 Coleshill reached the Semi Final of the FA Vase and a crowd of almost 2000 saw the Colemen take on the might of South Shields in a two leg game, the prize a visit to Wembley in the Final. 2018 saw Coleshill promoted to the Southern League, the highest level in their 135 year history, but the higher level meant goodbye to the Vase and hello to the Trophy, a competition for the top Non League teams only. The first two attempts at a first win ended in failure at the hands of Kidsgrove Athletic and Chasetown but the Colemen won their first Trophy game this season beating Wisbech Town and followed that up with a very impressive win away to Bromsgrove Sporting and now they are due to entertain Matlock Town in the First Round Proper.

At the time of the Coleshill Post going to print CTFC are waiting for guidance from the FA so please look out for further announcement on CTFC Twitter, Facebook and websites.

Coleshill Town Football Club Fixtures

Fixtures that are published but still subject to change for the next month are: Saturday 12th December Away to AFC Dunstable.

Saturday 19th December Home to Bedworth United.

All League Games, 3pm Kick Off unless stated.

Saturday 26th December Away to Halesowen Town.

Saturday 2nd January Home to Daventry Town.