Archive

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Stone left shattered

STONE Cricket Club's Worcestershire County League Division Four title hopes were shattered on Saturday by top-of-the-table Cape Hill Victoria, who won by seven wickets. The home side were lying second in the league going into this game and had hoped to

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Bewdley hit top form

BEWDLEY Cricket Club completed a comprehensive seven-wicket victory in the Worcestershire County League Division Two, beating Eastnor with more than 30 overs to spare. Eastnor's openers, Hughes and Bollen, made a fair start until at 28 Scott Fowler broke

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Sailors fired up after title glory

OLD Tumbling Sailor/Fire were crowned Sunday Premier Division champions in the Stainweld Cricket League, after claiming a winning draw in their final game with Hard-Done-Boys. Lee Shewry hit a magnificent 108no while Adam Sellick took 5-3. Spennells clinched

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We want answers on 'fiasco'

ORGANISERS of Worcester's annual carnival are demanding a meeting with the city council after this year's joint event was labelled a "fiasco". The carnival committee has sent a letter to the council outlining where they think the July celebration went

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'Put people first'

SOCIAL service bosses are being urged to put people before money amid fears that a £1m cash pledge from Worcestershire County Council reserves will have to be repaid. The social services department is using £1m of reserves to protect adult services because

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£1,200 bid to help Ben kick heroin

THE parents of a heroin addict are to spend more than £1,000 in a bid to help him kick his habit, following the failure of an earlier six-month rehabilitation course. Promising student Ben Thompson has been under the spell of heroin since studying for

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Slow progress on regeneration

SLOW progress" is being made on the transformation of Worcester's Tallow Hill, nearly two years after a regeneration scheme was made public. Worcester City Council's policy and resources committee will meet in closed session tonight to "consider the basis

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City will be sealed off for big race

THOUSANDS of people are expected to gather in the centre of Worcester next month for three races to celebrate the new millennium. Worcester City Council has organised a 10km road race and intends to seal off Castle Street, Croft Road and Foregate Street

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Hundreds help wishes come true

A CHARITY fun day at a Worcester restaurant was a huge success despite the damp Bank Holiday weather. More than 200 people attended the fete at the Three Pears Beefeater and Travel Inn, in Warndon, on Monday. The event, just off Sixways, raised £350 for

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Town is set for special carnival

STOURPORT-on-Severn is preparing for its 75th carnival this weekend. Carnival publicity officer Peter Roberts said he was delighted at the "anticipation" of residents. He is putting the finishing touches to preparations for the event, which is being held

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Fairfield in great form

Loughborough Athletic (0) 1 Fairfield (2) 4 AFTER Villa's fine 6-1 win over Worcester-based side County Sports, when Junior McKeon scored four and Andy Hibbert and Ian Brown each netted one, they recorded another good away win over Loughborough. From

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Julian will be holding Court

AFTER a promising season last year, Bromsgrove Men's Hockey Club is looking forward to the new campaign. Julian Court has been appointed as the First team captain. They were just one place off promotion last season. With new faces arriving at the club

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Is this the sport you're looking for?

AFTER seven hours sat on your backside, what better way to revive yourself than a spot of physical, and mental, exercise in the gorgeous Clent Hills? When that nice Mr Smith from the Harlequins Orienteering Club invited me to a Monday night meet, I replied

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Mighty quins

MORE than 30 years old, Harlequins' membership and mapped areas are bounded in the west by Leominster, in the north by Walsall and Dudley, in the south by Malvern and the M42 in the east. It has access to badge and championship terrain in the Wyre Forest

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Team ready to kick off at last

A FOOTBALL team is finally up and running on a Droitwich Spa estate. The new club in Westlands will play in the Worcester and District Saturday League Division One. The Fox and Goose has 30 members and will start the league campaign with an away match

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Debt charges add to theatre's losses

THE Redditch Development Corporation completely refurbished the Palace Theatre then, amid much rejoicing by politically well-connected culture-vultures, handed this financial albatross over to the citizens of our fair town. The rejoicing, however, soon

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Working hard for the town

THANK you for your coverage in last week's Advertiser, ''Ground Breaking Job Scheme,'' which focused on the council's environmental task force, a training scheme which is currently working hard to improve the Redditch environment. Currently, the scheme

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Quality care costs more

I WOULD like to express my disappointment at the tone of your report "Council foots costly care bill" (Advertiser, August 23). Four Acres in Studley - like Warwickshire County Council's nine other residential homes for older people - offers an excellent

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Stirring up school angst

I READ with dismay Karen Lumley's attempt (Letters, August 9) to stir up the angst of parents in respect of Bridley Moor School. Pandering to populist topics is not the way to provide people with facts. Most secondary schools in Redditch (including Bridley

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Clamp down on this abuse of our parking

I WOULD like to bring to notice, through your letters columns, the inconsiderate people who, either through their sheer disrespect or complete ignorance, take up parking spaces reserved for the disabled. On Thursday, I went to park my car in the allocated

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Sally Army sallies forth in a bid for funds

MEMBERS of the Salvation Army will be rolling up their sleeves this Saturday and cleaning cars in Droitwich. The town's branch wants to raise £250,000 in the next two years so its building in Ombersley Way can be expanded. The aim is to enlarge the ground

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Will this cloud have a silver lining?

THE six weeks since Worcester's carnival petered out from a sun-filled, street celebration of the community into an unplanned, undignified lockout at the gates to Pitchcroft's Arts 2000 Millennium festival haven't improved organising committee chairman

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Skipper pleased after rugby romp

Yardley & District 0, Alcester 43 Alcester Rugby Club travelled to Yardley and District in a hastily arranged fixture and came out easy winners. Despite long hold-ups on the way to Birmingham, Alcester started with a bang. Good forward play produced

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Rise in number of jobless in towns

THE unemployment rate in Bromsgrove and Droitwich Spa has increased and a further rise is expected. Figures published by Worcestershire County Council show unemployment rose slightly in July. The unemployment total for Worcestershire is 6,352 with Bromsgrove

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A-head for exams

A 12-year-old boy has proved he is years ahead of his contemporaries by achieving five impressive grades at GCSE. Jonathan Pearson, of Brockhill Lane, near Tardebigge, gained three Bs and two Cs following a tumultuous ride through state education. Jonathan

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Students set for boost from sale

THE sale of a package of land in Bromsgrove belonging to NEW College will mean an exciting future awaits students at the Redditch and Bromsgrove campuses. Following negotiations, an agreement has been reached with Whitbread Plc, which will be buying a

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Shoppers back smoke ban

THE news the Kingfisher Shopping Centre is proposing to ban smoking has been met with strong support from shoppers. Surprisingly, even most smokers seem united in favour of a ban when we stopped shoppers to conduct a straw poll of their reaction. The

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Plans for centre's upgrade

MORE plans to upgrade the Kingfisher Centre have been submitted to Redditch Council. Councillors on the planning committee met last night to consider allowing an area of mall on the first floor opposite Allders to be converted to shop space. Proposals

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Plans under the spotlight

FECKENHAM villagers will get a look at the future on Thursday, September 7, when they get a chance to examine plans for a proposed housing development. Chase Homes Ltd has submitted an application for 28 two and three storey houses on land just off High

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Weekend of historical happenings

STUDLEY Parish Church is forging ahead with plans for a massive weekend festival of music, history and flowers. On Saturday, the church's Millennium Flower festival kicks off and organisers are hoping to make it a lot more than that. The Rev Richard Deimel

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Bail for gun charge boy

AN 11-year-old Redditch boy appeared before town magistrates last Thursday charged with possessing an imitation handgun on June 22 this year. Magistrates adjourned the case for reports until September 21. The boy, who can not be named for legal reasons

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Elderly in line for free travel

REDDITCH pensioners could soon be entitled to completely free travel as the council will be forced to ditch its £5-a-year bus pass charge in line with Government legislation. The concessionary fare scheme, which provides cheap travel for the elderly and

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Net gains bring youngsters joy

YOUNGSTERS in Inkberrow have scored a major goal thanks to community-minded villagers who rallied round to raise funds for a basketball pitch. The concrete pitch paved the way for the English Basketball Association to provide an Adidas basketball post

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Appeal for CAB volunteers

REDDITCH Citizens Advice Bureau is appealing for more volunteers to tie in with the launch of National Advice Week, which begins on Friday. About 75 per cent of Redditch CAB workers are volunteers and most of these work as advisers, providing free, confidential

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Fire crews save pets

TWO family pets have been released from difficult situations thanks to the work of Redditch firefighters. Last week, a 16-week-old kitten, Jessica, was rescued from a tree in Tenbury Close after she had been stuck for five hours. Her owner failed to coax

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Council asks for your views

A MASSIVE public consultation exercise will kick off next month allowing people to have their say about services they receive from Redditch Council. The council will send 4,000 survey forms to random addresses across the town to gauge how satisfied people

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OAPs tricked by bogus caller

AN elderly Redditch couple have had a large amount of cash stolen after they were targeted by a conman posing as a water board official. The theft happened at about 2pm last Monday at a house in Patch Lane, Oakenshaw. A man called at the house claiming

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Hot meals may be taken off the menu

CLIENTS of Orchard Place rehabilitation unit met health chiefs last Friday to question proposals to withdraw their hot meals. The suggestion to reduce food provision was made as part of Worcestershire Community and Mental NHS Trust plans to review its

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Safety first for estate scheme

A MAJOR project to reduce the fear of crime for residents in Batchley has been stepped up with the launch of a safer home project. The scheme forms part of the Salters Lane Action Project, which will see two flats transformed into a community base. Work

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Inter sent out title warning to rivals

CLUB Inter showed they mean business, starting their new campaign in Kidderminster and District Football League's Sunday Premier Division, with a 10-0 victory over Stourbridge Wanderers. Both Brintons teams in the Sunday Premier Division got the season

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Victory built with French connection

A YEAR ago, Jan Molby hit rock bottom with Kidderminster Harriers after seeing his side suffer their fourth defeat in five games at the start of his non-league managerial career. A 3-2 loss at Forest Green Rovers prompted the Dane to call an emergency

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Skeggs ready to build on feast of tries

FOUR tries from England Students scrum-half Chris Simpson-Daniel helped Worcester to a convincing 54-14 victory at Pontypool -- the last of their pre-season friendlies. Worcester dominated throughout, but lack of control and basic errors from both sides

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Tremlett holds on at New Rd

ENGLAND were skittled out for a paltry 112 as 17 wickets tumbled on the first day of the third and deciding Under-19 Test against Sri Lanka at Worcester. The tourists were reduced to six for four in reply although they had recovered to 124-7 by the close

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Charm ready for reward

CHURLISH Charm can be re-warded for his consistent efforts at the very highest level with a deserved first success of the season in the Salisbury Festival Conditions Stakes tomorrow. The winner of last year's Yorkshire Cup looked set to take high order

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Tough season in prospect for Town

THE new season starts on Saturday for Bromsgrove Rugby Club and there is a full fixture list for the six sides. The First XI will aim to improve on last season's second place in the league. Pre-season training sessions arranged by the coaching team including

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A musical mix of love and lies

TWO Redditch entertainers are performing in a new musical play of love, deception and betrayal which starts this month. Radio presenter Malcolm Boyden and Karen Heard, both of Astwood Bank, star in Balfour, which premieres at Solihull Arts Complex tonight

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Grease is the one they want

THE T-Birds and Pink Ladies roll into Birmingham next week to prove to audiences that Grease is still the word. The 1970s musical plays at the Alexandra Theatre from Friday, September 8, and features London's Burning firefighter Steven Houghton as Danny

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Hope new lights will stop crime

PEOPLE living in Ledbury's Southend hope a major new lighting scheme, scheduled for next month, will help reduce vandalism and anti-social behaviour. Ten large ornamental lamps will be placed on both sides of the road, providing added security. Southend

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30/08/00 - Canadian triumph for Ceris

CYCLING: Malvern's Ceris Gilfillan scored the biggest win of her career when she clinched the five-day Grand Prix Feminin International du Quebec in Canada. Gilfillan, who is off to the Sydney Olympics next month, pushed France's Olympic champion Jeannie

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30/08/00 - Malvern warm up with fine win

MALVERN Rugby Club hosted London side Hampstead for their final warm-up game before the opening league match against Newport on Saturday and clinched a 26-12 victory. After the heroics against the professionals of Reading, the Spring Lane outfit disappointed

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Droitwich 2nds lost to Redditch 2nds by 10 wickets

PUT in to bat, Droitwich were destroyed by the Redditch attack of Steve Merry (5-8 from 8 overs) and Richard Young (2-8 from 5 overs). And with Dave Adderley 1-8, Droitwich were dismissed for just 27. Gary Stevenson 22 not out and Nick Hadley 6 not out

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Barnards Green lost to Feckenham 1sts by 5 wickets

Feckenham won the toss and put the home team in to bat. In the damp conditions, the opening batsmen put on 37 before the introduction of in-form spinners Steve Kings and Ed Sellwood took the first wicket. Opener Williams continued to hold the innings

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Alcester & Ragley 1sts match at Shipston was rained off.

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Roald Dahl's The Twits on stage

WARWICK Arts Centre is presenting Roald Dahl's The Twits as its family Christmas theatre show for December 2000. A huge hit at Coventry's Belgrade Theatre last spring, it opens at Warwick Arts Centre prior to a major national tour. Recommended for children

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John Bushell's angling round-up

Fishing over the last couple of weeks has been generally rather poor on most local waters. Our rivers are in need of heavy rainfall to give them much needed colour before the fish will start to feed confidently again. Reports from the Arrow in particular

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Trio perform

A COUNTRY trio is set to make its debut at Droitwich Spa's Royal British Legion Club. South Wales-based Sherri and the Sidekicks will be featuring at The End of the Trail Country Music Club, at the Salwarpe Road venue, on Friday. Tickets are £3.50 on

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HEART PACT PAIR TO SCALE NEW HEIGHTS

A RUBERY woman who had a triple heart bypass is set to climb one of Britain's highest mountains after making a pact with the nurse who helped her through the operation. Denise Winters, of Lickey Road, struck a bond with cardiac rehabilitation sister Linda

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The Corrs are talk of the town

IRELAND'S most famous family The Corrs will be playing at Birmingham's NEC Arena on January 9 and 10, 2001. The Corrs formed in 1990 and have never looked back. Their success began in 1995 with the release of their debut album Forgiven, Not Forgotten.

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Teenager dies after accident

A BROMSGROVE teenager died from head injuries after a collision with a recovery vehicle. Eighteen-year-old Ben Townsend, of Chesworth Road, was dropping off his sister Laura at her boyfriend's house, in Walton Road, when the incident happened in the early

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No support for the farming industry

AM I being cynical in thinking perhaps Tony Blair & Co are quite happy to monitor the often passionate debates on hunting with hounds? The issue, which although important to the liberties of the hunted, but more so the liberties and existence of the

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Thinking of positive side to this life

WHENEVER I read of mayhem caused by unruly, noisy neighbours, or of the young, old or just defenceless good people being assaulted, conned or robbed by thugs, I become very annoyed by the laws which should be so severe with wrongdoers. It was my lot to

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30/08/00 - Goals knocked us off our game

IT doesn't take long in this business to bring you back down to earth, and football has a knack of doing that in a very short period of time. We found that to our cost when our two impressive opening performances were followed by disastrous defeats against

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Raining champs

BROMSGROVE Cricket Club won the West Midlands Third XI Championship after rain affected the penultimate week's matches. Town's game against Old Silhillians was called off early on Saturday when heavy rain flooded the Solihull club's pitch. This should

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League win - despite accident

DEFENDER Quentin Townsend was tackled from behind even before he arrived at Bromsgrove Rovers' game last Tuesday night. His car was involved in a minor accident just off Spaghetti Junction, in Birmingham. The Ford Escort was not badly damaged and the

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'Church continue great start

Alvechurch 2, Blackheath Invensys 0 Three wins out of four for Alvechurch FC have heralded a much better start to a season for some time. On Bank Holiday Monday, Blackheath were the latest opponents put to the sword, with a goal in each half, to give

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Consider town

I would like people to consider the town over new plans for the Worcestershire Hotel There seem to be plans underway yet again with regard to the Worcestershire Hotel and new apartments. Though no plans have yet been submitted, this is potentially great

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Quick thinking

THIS letter is about good friends and good neighbours. One Tuesday evening I went to join my male companion to fish in a local pool, but finished up in A & E after slipping and falling over trying to avoid a large puddle. I was told after X-rays I

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Football results

Redditch & South Warwickshire Combination Premier Division Black Horse 2, Westbury Celtic 0 Garringtons Sunday 0, Fordrough 1 Bromsgrove General 6, South Redditch 2 Division One Studley Sporting 2, Thorn 1 Mappleborough 3, Lodge Park 2 Millfield Old

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Football fixtures

Saturday, September 2 Redditch & South WarkWICKSHIRE Combination (kick-off 2.45pm) Premier Division Continental Star v Blackheath Invensys Handrahan Timbers v Northfield Town Highgate United v Massey Ferguson Kings Heath v Sutton Town Meir K.A. v

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Dolphin Centre to re-open in phases

SWIMMERS will have to wait until the end of October before they can take a dip at Bromsgrove's Dolphin Centre. The centre, damaged by fire on August 12, will be re-opened on a phased basis starting today with the sports hall. The health and fitness suite

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Youngsters are all smiles

FUN-LOVING youngsters had smiles on their faces when they enjoyed activities put on at a Bromsgrove dental practice. The children's day was held at Lansdowne House Dental Practice, in Chapel Street. The fun included face painting and competitions and

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Street theatre move is a hit

BROMSGROVE street theatre's move to its new, more spacious location has proved a big success. Hundreds of visitors voted with their feet on Wednesday when they turned up to watch the performances on the Recreation Ground. The district council, which organises

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Tee up to help hospice

GET in quickly if you want to take part in the Primrose Hospice's annual celebrity golf tournament next month, as there are only a few team places left. World-famous darts player John Lowe has stepped in to support the popular contest after patron John

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Heads are celebrating top results

HEADTEACHERS in Bromsgrove and Rubery are celebrating the best GCSE results ever. Kevin Peck, headteacher of North Bromsgrove High School, praised 'hard-working pupils' at the venue in School Drive. More than 50 per cent of students there obtained five

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Appeal in headless murder inquiry

DETECTIVES investigating the murder of a man found decapitated in Cofton Hackett have appealed for a woman to come forward again. She phoned ITV's Britain's Most Wanted television programme after an appeal for information on the murder of Julian Sanders

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National Women's Register

THE autumn programme of the Redditch branch will start early September with a skittles evening. At the beginning of October, members will be attending a "Getting to Know You Day" in Pershore, joining in a variety of activities with members of other local

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Ad drive to recruit extra PCs

CELEBRITIES Patsy Palmer, John Barnes and Simon Weston are backing the first national advertising campaign ai-med at recruiting more officers for West Mercia Constabulary. The Could You campaign, costing £7m, was launched today to run three years. Advertisements

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Redditch Garden Society

INSTEAD of a meeting this month, a pleasant evening was spent visiting the gardens of two of members. One small garden and one large, both were packed with interest and colour, no mean achievement at this time of year. Tea and coffee were served, and

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Picnics in the park at proms

Thousands of people are expected to flock to Alcester's Ragley Hall on Friday for the spectacular Last Night of the Proms. Visitors are invited to bring their picnics from 5pm and await the orchestra's delivery of Suppe's Light Cavalry Overture, Bizet's

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100 years ago

September 1, 1900 Astwood Bank Poultry Society - At the weekly meeting of the above society held at the White Lion Hotel on Monday evening, there was an unusually large number of members present. Mr F L Timson presided and an address was delivered by

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Singers searching for men to join society

Alcester Operatic Society is on the lookout for male singers for their November performance of Crazy For You. They are searching for 18 to 35 year olds to join rehearsals and anyone interested can call 01789 763446 for more details.

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25 years ago

August 29, 1975 Shoppers are being caught short in Redditch - because of the lack of public toilets. In a survey conducted by Indicator staff, we found few shoppers knew where the existing loos were in the town. Even fewer used them because they said

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What's on

Thursday, August 31 l God Only Knows, Malvern Festival Theatre. Tickets from 01684 892277. Friday, September 1 l Last Night of the Proms, Ragley Hall, Alcester. Tickets from 01625 560000. l Tony Hadley, Ronnie Scott's, Birmingham. And September 2, 4-7

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September 1, 1900

CONSCIENTIOUS objector Frederick Cullupp, a signalman from Stoke Works, successfully applied to Droitwich magistrates for his daughter to be exempted from compulsory vaccination. 100 years ago September 1, 1900 CONSCIENTIOUS objector Frederick Cullupp

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Energy giant signs up for a top TV deal

WORCESTER energy giant npower has signed one of the biggest TV sponsorship deals of the year by agreeing to back top police drama The Bill. The move will see sponsorship slogans flashed across TV screens nationwide for the first time in the series' 17

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CLIFF FALL TRAGEDY

A REDDITCH man has died in a tragic accident after he slipped off a cliff while walking near Tenby, south Wales. Barry John Mullis, 42, of Quibery Close, Winyates, was with his family when he fell 70ft from a cliff-top path at Lydstep Haven at about 3.30pm

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Stourport slip up once again

STOURPORT Cricket Club suffered another heavy defeat on Saturday, this time at home against Malvern Ramblers, their visitors winning by 118 runs in a Worcestershire County League Division Two encounter. Malvern 274-6, Stourport 156 (Richard Allen 34).

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Relegation looms after batting woe

A SPECTACULAR batting collapse led to another defeat for Chaddesley Corbett Cricket Club in the Worcestershire County League and increased the threat of relegation from Division One. At 100-3 in the 32nd over, a large total seemed possible, Kevin Truswell

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Seventh heaven for hero Harris in romp

MATTHEW Harris was in seventh heaven as his 7-25 led Cutnall Green to a 125-run victory over Worcester Corinthians in Division Four of the Worcestershire County League. In the same division, Brintons enjoyed an eight-wicket win over Alvechurch and Hopwood

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KCC ease to safety with Statford win

KIDDERMINSTER Cricket Club have secured their Premier League status for another season despite mixed fortunes over the Bank Holiday weekend. At Halesowen, on Monday, they suffered a four-wicket Birmingham and District League defeat but not before giving

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200 celebrate job safety

CLOSE on 200 staff employed by Bromsgrove District Council are celebrating this week after learning their jobs are safe -- at least for the next ten years. News of a successful in-house bid to continue to carry out a full range of depot services, including

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AT MERCY OF BORED FRUIT BOMB FLINGERS

BORED Worcester youngsters are running riot and terrorising elderly neighbours by lobbing missiles at their homes. People living in the Merrimans Hill area claim the gang of boys - some as young as nine - are causing chaos because there is nothing else

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Bus pair key to rapist hunt

TWO women could hold the key to Sunday's "horrific" rape in Worcester. As police prepared for a third day of house-to-house enquiries and continued a painstaking search for clues, they urged the pair seen at a bus stop near Gheluvelt Park, Barbourne,

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Pressure on hospital beds as Bank Holiday ends

RONKSWOOD Hospital's A&E department was busy last night, the day after the Bank Holiday. A hospital spokeswoman said that an "influx" of patients put pressure on beds at around 10.30pm yesterday. "Some patients did have to wait for a bed to be allocated

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Wedding row ends in punch-up

WEDDING celebrations turned sour at a golf club near Worcester following a family argument. Police were called after tempers flared at the Bank House Golf and Country Club in Bransford. One witness claimed he saw a "massive fight" erupt in front of around

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Hunt on after women attacked

TWO women were assaulted in separate incidents in Worcestershire over the Bank Holiday weekend. A teenage girl was indecently assaulted in Kidderminster after speaking to her attacker outside a popular night-spot. The 18-year-old spoke to a man outside

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No joy for Barnt Green

BARNT Green First XI suffered a disappointing Bank Holiday weekend in the Birmingham and District League Premier Division. On Saturday, the weather scuppered any hopes of a positive result against Cannock with Barnt Green on 23-1 off seven overs and looking

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New boys taking the early plaudits

IT'S very early days but the new boys are doing themselves proud in Division One. The top three places are taken up by the teams who were promoted from Division Two in May. Rubery Redstar were beaten 8-1 on Sunday by leaders Access Security Athletic.

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Green put on the spot

Barnt Green Spartak (0) 0 Droitwich Spa (0) 1 BOTH teams struggled to find their rhythm early on thanks to the slippery conditions and long grass in this Midland Football Combination League Division Two clash on Sat-urday. Spa's goalkeeper, Melvin Watson

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Raring to go

THE closure of the Dolphin Centre's sports hall is not expected to affect an in-form club. Members of Dolphin Badminton Club are confident after their best ever season. The majority of the teams gained promotion in the Worcestershire Badminton Association

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Costly errors

BROMSGROVE Rovers Reserves 1 Boldmere 2. Rovers produced a good performance against a well organised Boldmere side but two lapses of judgement cost them the game. Martin Townsend opened the scoring for the home side with a well taken goal 25 yards out

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Let down by the hospital system

IN November 1999, I was referred by my GP to Worcester Royal Infirmary with a high prostate specific antigen (PSA). I waited six months before a scan and biopsy were performed and on the seventh month, I was told I had prostate cancer. And now, after

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We don't set business rate

ONE grows accustomed to the regular moans of Margaret Morley about Redditch Council but I did not think that she would complain about our attempts to get Tesco to keep open the town centre store. Tesco, on its own admission, is making "substantial profits

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Allotments will remain

A correspondent recently expressed concern regarding the possible closure by Redditch Council of allotments on Winstone Close in Lakeside. We can reassure Mr O'Brien the council has no plans to close allotments by Farm Road/Winstone Close. All we are

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Top-notch marks for town's pupils

REDDITCH students are celebrating academic success once again as pupils reaped a bumper crop of GCSE passes. At St Augustine's High School, an impressive 54.5 per cent of pupils gained five or more passes at A* to C. Lawrence Harrison, Catherine Thomas

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Bowling alley set to close

Redditch Megabowl is to shut by the end of the year after a drop in business. The Greenlands Drive bowling alley is up for sale and Esporta Leisure is applying to Redditch Council to convert the site to a health and fitness club. The complex opened in

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History is mapped out

A BATCHLEY woman has found old plans for Redditch town centre which are believed to have been drawn up in the 1800s. Barbara Bakewell, of Pitcheroak Cottages, found the parchment draft about two weeks ago while she was moving house. Her late husband,

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Major moans

PROBLEMS with housing form the majority of official complaints received by Redditch Council, it has been revealed. Between April and June this year, 43 formal complaints about borough services were received. Housing allocation, provision of communal facilities

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Concerns over state of 'eyesore' station

A DERELICT petrol station in Studley is becoming an eyesore due to the amount of rubbish being left around. The old Texaco garage in Alcester Road, which closed down more than a year ago, is now up for sale. But youngsters who play on the site are leaving

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Housing project opens doors for residents

THE first of 58 flats at a state-of-the-art housing scheme for the elderly was officially opened on Friday. Chairman of Redditch Council's housing committee, Bill Hartnett, did the honours and opened a show flat at the £4 million South Street development

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Stars to shine for contest

THE stars of the future will all be out on Saturday as Redditch holds its very own awards night to pay homage to the talent of townsfolk. The Redditch Carnival Millennium Talent Contest will feature 25 polished performances from people in their teens

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Birthday joy for oldest resident

A REDDITCH woman will have an extra reason to enjoy her birthday as she celebrates being the town's oldest resident. Ellen Duggins, who lives at St David's House, Batchley, was born in 1896 and will reach the magnificent age of 104 on Friday. Mrs Duggins

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Cash boosts youth hopes

CRABBS Cross and Astwood Bank youngsters may soon get a £2,000 cash boost for facilities with money left over following the closure of an Astwood Bank club. At a Children and Young People's Policy and Advisory Panel in June, Councillor Tom Wareing questioned

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Doug does it again!

A WINYATES Green marathon man has returned from China having become the first Briton to complete the gruelling Foulees de la Soie race. Dr Doug Richards, 52, of Flaxley Close, tackled roads, mountains and deserts on his quest to find the finish line and

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Factory check on fume levels

POLLUTION levels at a Lakeside factory are being monitored after a number of complaints about fumes. Redditch Council has launched the investigation into MBC Precision Castings, based in Shawbank Road, following calls from workers at neighbouring unit

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Jobs boost could be on cards

UP to 200 jobs could be created in Redditch if a major employer can be found to take up space which is about to become vacant in North Moons Moat. Swiss engineering firm Eutectic is selling its Ravensbank Drive headquarters and moving to smaller premises

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Appeal over tractor theft

POLICE are appealing for a witness to come forward after a tractor was stolen by two youths from a Wythall golf course. The theft happened at about 2pm on Thursday, August 17, at the Gay Hill Golf Club. It is thought two youths were seen riding around

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Angling round-up

KIDDERMINSTER angler Richard Elzner landed 15 trout to 2.5lb at Shatterford Fishery, using a buzzer on Masters and Wyre Dell Lakes. However, the top angler of the week landed 21 rainbows to 2.5lb with a white fritz on the Wyre Dell. Another fisherman

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Wyre Forest see off Leamington

WYRE FOREST Football Club had their biggest test yet as they took on undefeated Leamington away in Division Two of the Midland Combination and won 2-1. Leamington created the early chances, but poor finishing let them down and it was Forest who took the

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Post match player interviews

STEWART HADLEY: HOTSHOT Stewart Hadley believes full-time training is the key to his early season form after destroying Halifax with two sharp goals on Saturday. Hadley struck twice in two minutes as Harriers won 2-1, taking his tally for the season to

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Striker pays tribute to spirit

THE key to Kidderminster Harriers' rapid rise to third in Division Three is down to the "fantastic" team spirit Jan Molby has created within the squad, according to Ian Foster. The striker believes the spirit and the tactical awareness of Molby have played

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Molby settles old scores at seaside

JAN Molby admitted it was worth the wait to put one over Micky Adams on Bank Holiday Monday as his side outwitted Brighton & Hove Albion. The Dane allowed himself a wry smile as Seagulls fans turned on Brighton boss Adams, after Kidderminster Harriers

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Canadian triumph for Ceris

CYCLING: Malvern's Ceris Gilfillan scored the biggest win of her career when she clinched the five-day Grand Prix Feminin International du Quebec in Canada. Gilfillan, who is off to the Sydney Olympics next month, pushed France's Olympic champion Jeannie

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Goals knocked us off our game

IT doesn't take long in this business to bring you back down to earth, and football has a knack of doing that in a very short period of time. We found that to our cost when our two impressive opening performances were followed by disastrous defeats against

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Weekend of woe

HAVE Worcester City ever before started a season in such a Jekyll and Hyde manner? A fine win at Tamworth and a home draw against Bath raised expectations that City could possibly have a serious crack at the title this season. But then against two supposedly

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Malvern warm up with fine win

MALVERN Rugby Club hosted London side Hampstead for their final warm-up game before the opening league match against Newport on Saturday and clinched a 26-12 victory. After the heroics against the professionals of Reading, the Spring Lane outfit disappointed

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Big crowd for Storridge races

THE Malvern Magic Grass Track races attracted a bumper crowd to Storridge. The event, organised by the Malvern and District Motor Cycle and Light Car Club, attracted over 1,000 people and was heralded a success by race organisers. Competition secretary

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Bard's double bill

SHAKESPEARE fans are in for a double treat with productions of both Twelfth Night and Hamlet being staged at The Birmingham Repertory Theatre over the next seven weeks. The run kicks off on Friday with matinees and evening performances running until October

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OAPs angry as patio torn up

PENSIONERS living in sheltered accommodation say they are angry that the patio they paved has been pulled up, despite claims that it was safe. Elgar Housing Association, which runs the Williams Tennant Way housing in Upton-upon-Severn, ordered the painted

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New hope for estate

A MALVERN housing estate said to have the worst crime rate in the district is looking forward to a "very positive future" after the opening of a new community centre. The new centre on the Langlands estate is due to open next month. The Langlands ward

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Young mum quids-in after bingo win

A YOUNG mother-of-two found herself more than £50,000 richer after a weekend game of bingo in Worcester. The 23-year-old from Malvern, who asked not to be named, won the National Bingo Game prize of £50,000 by completing a full house in 38 numbers, the

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30/08/00 - Big crowd for Storridge races

THE Malvern Magic Grass Track races attracted a bumper crowd to Storridge. The event, organised by the Malvern and District Motor Cycle and Light Car Club, attracted over 1,000 people and was heralded a success by race organisers. Competition secretary

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Storm denies Redditch

Redditch 1sts v Droitwich 1sts This match was ruined by a thunderstorm when nicely poised with Redditch needing 82 runs to win off 17 overs remaining. Droitwich, put in to bat in a match reduced to 37 overs per side, posted 139-8, with skipper Ian Duggan

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Redditch 3rds fixture at home to Entaco was abandoned due to heavy rain.

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Send back the housing Green Paper

DO the good people of Bromsgrove know that there is a move afoot to sell or transfer the entire council housing stock to private housing associations? Now I have nothing against housing associations, but they are not in the business for their health,

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Feckenham 2nds lost to Barnards Green by 88 runs

Feckenham chose to field first but the decision rebounded as the visitors' batsmen took advantage of the wet ground conditions with the bowlers struggling with a slippery ball. D Makay scored an excellent 75 as Barnards Green took their score to 177.

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Feckenham 3rds v Worcester Nomads (Match abandoned due to thunderstorm)

Feckenham were put in to bat on a pitch that was wet from overnight rain. Wickets soon started to fall as the bowlers exploited the unpredictable pitch. Steve Daniels with 41 and Mark Lathwood 26 put on a partnership of 55 and skipper Terry Birch added

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Alcester & Ragley 2nds v Broadway

Alcester won the toss and put Broadway in to bat on a wet wicket. Geoff Morris took two early wickets but the visitors batted consistently down the order, with most making double figures, to set a target of 150 off the 40 overs. Geoff Morris 2-21 and

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Mark wins a close contest

THERE has been another busy week of angling in the open season. The Starlets veterans of Northfield were at Lower Broadheath's Old and Willow Pools for their latest encounter on Tuesday. Bewdley's Brian Hill showed the way from Willow peg 13 where he

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All chain-ge

IT was all chain-ge for two groups when they took a nostalgic trip to a country park in Rubery. Members of the Rotary and Inner wheel Clubs of North-Worcestershire celebrated their presidential change over with a visit to Waseley Hills Country Park. In

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Crash drama for Tinsley

MOTORCYCLE racer Andy Tinsley had wet and dry races and a spectacular crash at Cadwell Park in the British Championship series. The Astwood Bank rider crashed on the "Mountain" during Sunday's Supersport qualifying practice. The CBR machine just missed

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Alcester end on high note

IN the Yardley Wood league, Alcester Bowls Club's A team were entertaining West Midlands Police at home. The match got off to a flying start with the first jack off a superb 21-5 from Rod Brammer. After the first four jacks, Alcester had a 21 shot lead

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Title decider for Goodfellas?

This week in the Leisure Leagues five-a-side football league at St Augustine's Sports Centre saw Goodfellas and Exel Recon come together in what was probably a title decider. It was a cracking game which saw Goodfellas go into a 5-0 lead before Exel Recon

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Labour of love

FOUR star acts are lined up to host a musical fundraising night in Bromsgrove to support lifesaving treatment for premature babies. The extravaganza, including artistes such as superb vocalist Anne-Marie who has a wide repertoire of songs, country trio

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Town gig kicks off nine-date tour

A GIG in Bromsgrove kicks off a nine-date tour for town band Easy. The five lads got together in April and the group boasts bass guitarist Baz Lane -- who used to front rock band Whiteline --and singer Danny Trigger, who both live in Bromsgrove. And to

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30/08/00 - Weekend of woe

HAVE Worcester City ever before started a season in such a Jekyll and Hyde manner? A fine win at Tamworth and a home draw against Bath raised expectations that City could possibly have a serious crack at the title this season. But then against two supposedly

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Big break?

FOLK fanatics in the town are invited to an evening of singin' and suppin' tomorrow night. Organised by Bromsgrove Folk Club the event allows acts to just turn up and perform a medley of tunes. It's best to get to The Ladybird Inn, Aston Fields, early

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Teenager dies after county accident

A TEENAGER who was badly hurt after his red Austin Metro was in collision with a recovery truck, has died from his injuries. Thomas Townsend, known to his family as Ben, of Chesworth Road, Bromsgrove, died in Redditch's Alexandra Hospital on Saturday

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Thanks WRI

MAY I through your columns thank everyone concerned when I had reason to stay in hospital. Nothing was too much trouble - the staff all work so hard. They deserve every penny they get - and more. H RATCLIFFE, Langdale Drive, Worcester.

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A true booze

ISN'T it a bit adolescent and yobbish of William Hague to boast of having once downed 14 pints of beer a day? GEORGE COWLEY, Windermere Drive, Worcester.

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Bus station rush is a trial for elderly

MY brother and his wife visit every year. At their last visit, I arranged a local taxi to collect me so that I could meet them at 9.50pm off the London coach at the bus station. The driver had to park in Angel Place, not being allowed to enter the bus

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My trip to St John's

DAVID Birtwhistle was interested that St John's was not included in the model of 17th century Worcester at the Commandery. Of course, nothing west of the Severn was part of the Faithful City then. Subsequently, however he changed his tune, and appeared

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Euro-bid to brainwash British schoolchildren

WE now read that the EU has allocated some £300m to develop a "European dimension in education" starting at primary school level. In other words it now wants to brainwash our schoolchildren. But who is to teach our children the absolute folly of becoming

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St Georges are slain

BROMSGROVE First XI eased their relegation fears over the Bank Holiday weekend with visits to Shropshire sides Wellington and St Georges. A rain affected draw was all that was on offer on Saturday but a comfortable six-wicket win over basement side St

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30/08/00 - Skeggs ready to build on feast of tries

FOUR tries from England Students scrum-half Chris Simpson-Daniel helped Worcester to a convincing 54-14 victory at Pontypool -- the last of their pre-season friendlies. Worcester dominated throughout, but lack of control and basic errors from both sides

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Villa star drops in

ASTON Villa and England defender Gareth Barry was the main man in Bromsgrove last week. He coached youngsters at the David Campbell Superstar Soccer Roadshow on Thursday. More than 100 children attended the week-long event at Bromsgrove School. Lucky

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Calling young rugby players

DROITWICH Rugby Club will be throwing open its doors on Sunday for the annual signing on day of the mini and junior sections. Players from U7s to U17s are welcome to come to the club on Sunday from 10am to register for the start of the new season. An

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Bees triumph in derby

Studley BKL 1, Feckenham 0 THIS was a good local football derby on Bank Holiday Monday, with Craig Gillett hitting what eventually turned out to be the winning goal on just two minutes. His header from Trevor Whittingham's free kick gave BKL a great start

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Goal for Rollins

Feckenham 1, Coventry Sphinx 2 Feckenham threw away a one-goal lead on Wednesday, with 17-year-old Mark Rollins scoring his first goal for the club. But MacDab and McNulty scored twice in the second half to secure the win for Coventry Sphinx. Feckenham

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Trip photo plea

I wish to appeal to a Bromsgrove couple whom I met on our trip to America in March this year. We travelled together on the Archers Dixie Highlights tour, visiting such places as Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville and Louisiana. It was a wonderful trip and I

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Miserable end to Studley's cup run

Hospital Cup Studley FC 2, Railway 2 (Railway won on penalties) Studley FC went out of the Hospital Cup in the worst possible way, conceding a last-minute goal and then losing on penalties. From the start, Railway made their intentions known by contesting

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Cross still on a roll

Headless Cross Ladies continued their good pre-season form with two away victories, beating Southam Ladies 2-0 and trouncing Chelmsley Town 7-1 Against Southam, Cross took control from the start, scoring after 10 minutes when Beth Jarrett broke down the

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Rovers must cut out silly errors

THE message from Bromsgrove Rovers boss George Rooney is clear: we must improve at the back. He said yesterday he had been embarrassed by some of the schoolboy errors which have gifted teams goals this season. Rooney's patience is wearing thin and he

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£14m leisure bid is tabled

BREWERY giants have submitted plans for a £14m development in Bromsgrove which will create 180 jobs in the town. The scheme includes a state-of-the-art leisure, health and fitness club with outdoor tennis facilities, a family pub and restaurant and 78

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Table highlights drug use in jail

DRUG use among prisoners at a jail near Bromsgrove is one of the highest in the country -- according to a league table. The Prisons' League Table 1999-2000, published by the Prison Reform Trust, reveals the rate of positive drug testing at Blakenhurst

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Reward for all the hard work

THE nail-biting is over for students at South Bromsgrove Community High School, who were handed their long-awaited GCSE results on Thursday. More than 300 teenagers gathered at the school to find out if their hard work had paid off. Sixteen-year-old Katie

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Jazz star on song in village

ONE of Britain's up and coming young jazz singers is taking to the stage at The Talbot Inn, Belbroughton, on Monday. Catherine Sykes trained at Leeds Music College and obtained a merit in her singing diploma course at Wakefield College. The 25-year-old

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Plans for community wood

A FOUR-ACRE community wood could be created on land at Rubery with pupils from a nearby school helping with the planting. In 1993 Bromsgrove District Council gave the go-ahead for the wood in Birch Road. But a dispute over ownership and a lengthy legal

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Redditch Music Society

The 2000/01 series of concerts features a wide selection of music, starting on October 7 with the distinguished husband-and-wife team Robin and Kim Colvill - piano and narrator - in a fascinating programme "The Life and Times of Edvard Grieg". Widely

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Alex to get cash for more beds

HOSPITALS serving Bromsgrove and Droitwich Spa residents are celebrating a £1.4m cash windfall to boost intensive care and high dependency beds ready for winter. The injection is part of a £63m Government handout which is being given to hospitals so they

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Redditch Welsh Society

THE annual meeting will take place at Batchley Community Centre on September 15 at 7.30pm. Speaker for the evening will be Jane Brownnutt, who will bring her hand bells with her. There will be opportunity for audience participation and promises to be

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Bob the builder's a model villager

A TALENTED Rubery pensioner is proving to be a model villager. Bob Edwards, of Rea Avenue, handcrafts models of Worcestershire buildings. The retired resident constructs the models from scratch without using the aid of kits. Bob said: "I used to make

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Amazing tales of 'Archers' village

MURDER, political intrigue, the break up of two aristocratic families, the scandals of an heiress running off with a poor curate and a squire who took a young maid as his mistress. If it sounds like the plot of a play or film, you'd be wrong -- it's just

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Coughton to host satire and songs

An evening of poetry and song will be held at Coughton Court this month in celebration of mid-20th century Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman. Actor and pianist Michael Lunts joins singer Susan Flannery to perform the songs and satire of Noel Coward, Joyce

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Club's grant could be key to its future

Cookhill Keyboard Club has secured a £550 grant from West Midlands Arts for four workshops to be held until the end of the year. The workshops will be run by international acclaimed keyboard player Penny Weedon and the group was one of 20 to receive a

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50 years ago

September 2, 1950 During the year 1949-1950, nurses of the Redditch District Nursing Association made 11,168 visits and attended over 450 patients, it was stated at the annual meeting held at the Nurses' Home, Worcester Road, Redditch, on Thursday. Of

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Festival will be all food and drink to them

THE best food and drink producers in the region are to stage a festival of fine food in one of the county's most historic landmarks. Heart of England Fine Foods has joined forces with the owners of Eastnor Castle to stage the event, due to feature a Victorian

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No wonder Terry's proud about his hat-trick

PRIDE in his job has won a Herefordshire site manager his third major award in as many years. Terry Cole, who works for Prowting Homes' St Mary's development in Hereford, was one of only 40 site managers in the region to receive the coveted National House

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Artist's plea over stolen silverware

A REDDITCH silversmith is desperate for news about a haul of silver tableware and jewellery which went missing during a burglary at his workshop last week. Thousands of pounds of the unusual glass and silver items and jewellery were stolen when thieves

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PLANS FOR MORE CCTV

PLANS are in the pipeline to extend Redditch's CCTV scheme to other areas of the town following the preparation of a new four-part bid to be submitted to the Home Office by Christmas. Redditch Council is launching the bid for cameras to be installed at