Archive
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Mobility scheme in danger of closing
A COMMUNITY scheme to help elderly and disabled people get about town faces closure. Droitwich Spa Shop-mobility volunteers are holding a crunch meeting on January 18 to discuss the charity's future. The service could be axed because of an apathetic response
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Mother insulted officers
AN "extremely volatile" mother-of-five who abused two policemen trying to arrest her daughter has been told to carry out 160 hours' community service. The woman insulted the officers as they arrested her 14-year-old, who has since been sent to a young
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Derek's refusal to avoid hurdle
A WORCESTER city councillor has shunned the offer of £5,000 to help run Pitchcroft racecourse. Coun Derek Prodger had been eligible for the pay as the council's representative on the board of Worcester Racecourse Ltd. Arena Leisure plc and Worcester City
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Wall of fire as gas pipe is cut
A TWENTY-FOOT wall of fire stopped traffic in its tracks after contractors severed a gas main. Firefighters were called to the A38 at Kempsey, on Saturday, to be met by flames in the road. "Contractors had cut through part of the gas main and re-sealed
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Catching TRAIN for work
COMMUNITY leaders are praising a new initiative which could help dozens of people on Worcester's estates to find jobs. Centres at Ronkswood, Warndon, Tolladine and Dines Green are launching the special training, re-education and information network -
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Shop needs more help
A CHARITY is shutting shop for long periods each week because of a volunteer crisis. Imperial Cancer in Stourport is urgently seeking people to run its shop in the High Street. At present it is closing on up to two mornings or afternoons a week for lack
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Drivers targeted the next morning
PARTY drink-drivers and unroadworthy vehicles will be blitzed by West Mercia police this Christmas in their annual campaign to make roads safer over the festive period. Drivers are being urged to think before they drink to reduce the risk of still being
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Great victory for common sense
FOR three years, or more, the Evening News and our readers have followed a tenacious campaign in Worcester to improve the lives of millions of parents and children across Britain. Today, we celebrate the near culmination of that campaign. It has closed
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Bromsgrove Rovers 1 Mangotsfield United 3
Saturday, December 16, 2000 BROMSGROVE Rovers' disastrous Dr Martens League Western Division campaign continued in a 3-1 defeat to Mangotsfield United at the Victoria Ground. But it was harsh on The Greens. After making all the running in the second period
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City boss hit by replay dilemma
WORCESTER City may have to break up their in-form central defensive partnership for tonight's FA Umbro Trophy second round replay with Hendon at St George's Lane (7.45). Manager John Barton is faced with a dilemma at right-back, with the on-loan Allan
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Gaubert injury blow sours day for leaders
MALVERN Rugby Club's joy at beating Bromsgrove 30-13 in a Worcestershire derby in Midlands West Two was tempered by a serious injury to number eight Mark Gaubert. He suffered a double fracture to his ankle and is likely to be out for the rest of the season
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Malvern in superb second half fightback
Malvern Town turned in a super second half display to draw 4-4 at high-flying Darlaston Town in the Banks's Brewery League Premier Division. Playing down the slope in the first half the home side raced into a three goal lead through strikes from Justin
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Merson says restless stars must go
PAUL Merson has urged Aston Villa to sell unsettled stars like Gareth Southgate and David James and use the money to rebuild the team. James has joined skipper Southgate in asking for a transfer after questioning the club's ambition. Villa manager John
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Watch out for McCoy
TONY McCoy should again be the man to beat at Folkestone tomorrow. The indefatigable champion jump jockey is showing no signs of slowing down for Christmas as he continues his relentless pursuit of another title. And the Irishman can cement his table-topping
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America's image under heavy fire
THE image of American military forces as glorious Gulf War liberators of Kuwait from Iraqi invaders comes under anything but friendly fire in George Clooney's latest shot at movie stardom. Three Kings (15) features the former ER heart-throb as Archie
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Train and plane in miracle escape
A MIRACULOUS near-miss averted what could have been a disastrous crash between a packed passenger train and an RAF jet at Defford this week exactly half-a-century ago. Berrow's Journal reported on the remarkable incident of May 1950: ''The driver and
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Baby's close escape
A FAMILY is still reeling at the shock of finding a fallen tree just inches from a room where a new-born baby was sleeping. The Donaldson family, of Spindle Close, Kidderminster, were aghast when they woke on Monday morning to find the 60ft silver birch
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Villagers rally round to reopen local shop
RESIDENTS of a Cotswold village have thrown themselves behind a campaign to reopen their village shop. Now they need to raise £3,500 by January 15 to be able to open up the doors of the shop in Temple Guiting by the end of January. Villagers heard the
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Happy Victorian Christmas
THE full flavour of Christmas was in force when Chipping Campden held its Victorian shopping day last Saturday. The event, organised by the town's rotary club, has traditionally been held on a midweek evening, but this year was switched to Saturday afternoon
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Council joins outcry at cut in bank hours
TOWN councillors in Winchcombe have added to the growing chorus of condemnation at plans to cut the opening hours of the town's only bank. Traders and businesses in the town were furious when they found out this month that Lloyds-TSB is to close two days
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Drain cleaner drink fatal
A RETIRED Shipston engineer who died four days after swallowing drain cleaner should have been examined sooner, said the Warwickshire coroner this week. Michael Coker said 93-year-old Dalton Darnley, of Station Road, may have been helped if he had been
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Crime figures boost, but still work to do
CRIME figures in Gloucestershire are still falling and the county's police force is still detecting more offences than other comparable forces. But despite the good news revealed in Chief Constable Tony Butler's latest quarterly report, the force is still
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Sorry, full! No beds left, so patients wait in their ambulances
CHRONICALLY-ill asthmatic Bill Withers receives emergency treatment in the back of an ambulance - one of three patients forced to wait more than an hour for an A&E bed. This grim picture highlights the depth of the beds' crisis gripping Worcester
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Delegations are a waste of cash
WHEN will Worcestershire County Council admit that its "delegations" to Westminster are a waste of time and money? The Government may well have promised cash to the county to assist social services after one of these jaunts, but it can have had little
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Charlton
PARISH COUNCIL: News from the parish council meeting held on November 14: Flooding: Members noted that the contractors appointed by Wychavon DC have moved to The Green, prior to commencing the flood alleviation work to Merry Brook between the Canada Road
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18/12/00 - Worcester battle back to their best
WORCESTER Rugby Club sent out a clear message to their doubters with a 51-3 hammering of London Welsh on Saturday as coach Adrian Skeggs' rotation policy paid full dividends. The director of coaching made three changes to the side beaten at Moseley last
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Little to stop lane drivers
LIFE in Britain today is so dysfunctional it comes as no surprise to find that - allegedly - there exists such a thing as The Roundabouts Society. The society's declared aim is to reclaim some of the country's under-exploited green spaces - inner-city
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Red or blue, the law remains an ass
THE Government once used to trot out the phrase "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" in its bid to take over ground traditionally occupied by the Tories. One can occasionally hear the tired refrain nowadays, although rising crime levels across
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18/12/00 - City boss hit by replay dilemma
WORCESTER City may have to break up their in-form central defensive partnership for tonight's FA Umbro Trophy second round replay with Hendon at St George's Lane (7.45). Manager John Barton is faced with a dilemma at right-back, with the on-loan Allan
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Drivers targeted the next morning
PARTY drink-drivers and unroadworthy vehicles will be blitzed by West Mercia police this Christmas in their annual campaign to make roads safer over the festive period. Drivers are being urged to think before they drink to reduce the risk of still being
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We should walk more
I AGREE with Joy Turner of the Arboretum (You Say, December 7). People should, health permitting, walk more. It's all right if, as Joy and myself, you live close to the city centre. However, the taxis she would exclude serve the very people who cannot
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Why public transport's not an option
REGARDING Mrs J Turner's letter (You Say, December 7), I would like to say that I, like most drivers, feel public transport is not a real option. First, there is the prohibitive cost. For example, for my family of four to travel to town and back costs
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Worcester 51 London Welsh 3
Saturday, December 16, 2000 WORCESTER'S players spent their spare time sleeping last week such was the intensity of training but London Welsh will just be glad that their Sixways nightmare is over for another season. The National One leaders were in dreamland
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Mistaken identity
LAST week, I told you about Shadow Health Secretary Dr Liam Fox getting a doppelganger in his team. Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has been appointed Tory health whip. The two look very similar. If only to prove my point, Mr Luff walked into Central
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Feckenham result
Feckenham were the only one of the town's Midland Combination sides to play on Saturday beating Massey Ferguson 2-1. Alvechurch's trip to Bolehall Swifts, Studley's home game against Blackheath and the visit of Handrahan Timbers to Kings Heath were all
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Raiders target another stables
ANOTHER north Cotswold stables has been targeted by thieves who made off with thousands of pounds-worth of tack. Raiders forced their way into Willersey stables at Willersey overnight last Saturday by prising open a window. Once inside they broke a padlock
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Callous thief takes handbag
A 93-year-old woman from Stratford fell victim to a callous conman, who snatched her purse after tricking her into believing he was a store detective. The woman, who lives in a home on Welcombe Road, was approached by the man while on her way home from
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Driver airlifted to hospital
A MAN was airlifted to Selly Oak Hospital with serious head injuries following an accident on Fish Hill, Broadway, yesterday (Sunday) morning. The man was driving a black Subaru Impreza which was in collision with a parked red Volvo at about 9.45am. He
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New recruits for big builders
STOURPORT-on-Severn construction company Thomas Vale has taken on 10 new trainees at its offices in the town and Birmingham as part of a strategic training programme linked to meeting the needs of its clients. Managing director Tony Hyde said the image
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More jobs in housing
A MULTI-million pound programme to modernise Wyre Forest's housing will create hundreds of jobs. The £30m five year enhancement work, which is due to begin early in the new year, will see 200 new posts being made available. Wyre Forest Community Housing
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Transport cash boost
SAFER road crossing points, traffic calming and car sharing rotas are amongf the measures taken in Redditch as part of a £11.5 million cash boost. Worcestershire County Council highways unit has been granted the Government cash, which is more than double
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GRIEF OF RIVER VICTIM'S MUM
THE devastated mother of a teenager whose body was pulled from the River Severn today paid tribute to her "cheerful and smiling" son. Andrew Read's death is the second tragedy to hit the family this year. His father, the Rev Ian Read, rector of Stoulton
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Hotel staff flee blaze
AROUND 30 members of staff from a Droitwich hotel were evacuated from their bedrooms today after fire broke out in their quarters. Flames tore through one of the bedrooms as many staff were sleeping at the Chateau Impney Hotel, shortly after 8.30am. No
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MP Kirkbride confronted by screaming intruder at home
SHADOW Northern Ireland secretary Andrew Mackay grappled with an intruder who barged into the home he shares with wife Julie Kirkbride, Tory MP for Bromsgrove. Mr Mackay knocked the woman to the ground and held her for several minutes before police arrived
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Flood purse is stretched
WORCESTERSHIRE'S legacy of under-funding could endanger lives in the operation to clean up floods, the county council fears. Officers are concerned basic services will be cut back because of cash being diverted into repair work such as damaged roads.
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Addict put on weaning plan
A HEROIN addict who stole champagne has been put on a pioneering programme aimed at weaning people off the drug. Simon Edge asked staff at the Malvern branch of Safeway to let him in just as the store began to lock-up on Sunday, September 14, a court
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Safety first for Chris
A WYRE Forest District Council officer has earned a top safety qualification after passing a seven-hour exam with flying colours. Chris Connor, of Areley Kings, will receive the British Safety Council Diploma in Safety Management at a ceremony in London
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Deadly Deakin bangs in a stunning winner
Mangotsfield United 1, Evesham United 2 JOHN Deakin fired in the winner four minutes from time to clinch victory after the most thrilling of 90 minutes. The action was end to end throughout on a remarkably good surface in a game that could so easily have
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Junior round-up
Norton Rangers U-13 8, Martley Spurs 0 FOUR goals in five second half minutes helped Norton retain their unbeaten record as they cemented their place at the top of the table. A strong wind made conditions tricky on the soaked surface and many chances
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Brief history of underwear
BRAS and bloomers are among artefacts being revealed at a rather saucy exhibition. Droitwich Spa Library, in Victoria Square, is playing host to the Undercover Story tour. The display, organised by Worcestershire County Museum, follows the fashions in
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Worcester battle back to their best
WORCESTER Rugby Club sent out a clear message to their doubters with a 51-3 hammering of London Welsh on Saturday as coach Adrian Skeggs' rotation policy paid full dividends. The director of coaching made three changes to the side beaten at Moseley last
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Title race on as Ledbury and Stourport continue fine form
LEDBURY Rugby Club stay top of North Midlands One after a tense 23-22 victory at Old Griffinians. They got a flying start when winger Ollie Kaye went over after only two minutes, and after a concerted period of pressure fly-half Richard Hall added another
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Leaders spot on as Robins crash
EVESHAM United failed to close the gap at the top of the Dr Martens League Western Division when they lost 1-0 at home to leaders Bilston Town. A 69th minute penalty from Scott Voice was enough to keep the visitors ahead of the pack. But United have only
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Sentenced to death for stealing
NO fewer than 11 men were sentenced to death on just one day at the Worcester Assizes held in the Guildhall exactly 200 years ago this week. All were hanged at the County Jail within days. Berrow's Journal listed the unlucky prisoners as Benjamin Jones
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Misery as the 'great storm 2000' strikes
RESIDENTS are clearing up after storms flattened cars and flooded low-lying Wyre Forest areas. However, one Stourport couple are thanking their lucky stars they were not outside their Hermitage Way home when a tree crushed their car in the early hours
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Crunch parking meeting
TRADERS in Moreton are stepping up their efforts to have a say over future parking arrangements in the town. Their immediate target is the town council scheme to paint double yellow lines outside several High Street shops and Moreton Business Association
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It's a case of mistaken identity
STAFF at Batsford Arboretum say there's no such thing as a free lunch - certainly not at the arboretum on Boxing Day. Yet callers who fancy a tree-lined stroll to walk off all that Christmas Day turkey will be treated to a glass of free PUNCH if they
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Housing to pay for new farm plans
TWO Cotswold farms could make way for houses to pay for more modern farming facilities. Planners are now almost certain to approve the schemes, saying they want to help the two farmers, who both say they have to move to modern buildings to meet new hygiene
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Hereford United 0 Kettering Town 0
Saturday, December 16, 2000 HEREFORD United racked up their eighth home draw in the Nationwide Conference this season after they failed to find a way past bottom club Kettering Town on Saturday. Graham Turner's men did record their first clean sheet since
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GPs' fears over cuts
GPs are worried about further cuts in hospital beds, according to a survey by an independent NHS pressure group. Nearly 400 GPs were quizzed and 75 per cent of those in the south-west, which covers Worcestershire, felt their workloads had increased because
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Nursing staff 'keep hospital going'
MEDICAL staff battling to provide a service at Worcester Royal Infirmary have been praised for keeping going under incredible pressures. It comes after fed-up patients at Ronkswood A&E last night were told they faced a three-hour wait to see a doctor
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There must be a better way of doing a job
OH dear. New Labour's spawnings, Advantage West Midlands and the Regional Chamber, just don't get on. A Regional Chamber report says: The new governance structure has in some measure served only to add to the confusion surrounding regional roles and contributed
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Ilmington
TENNIS CLUB: The club got the festive season off to an early start with a disco in the village hall. The music was supplied by Disco-Splendour with a fine meal organised by the social committee. The children's tennis coaching programme continues to go
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18/12/00 - Leaders spot on as Robins crash
EVESHAM United failed to close the gap at the top of the Dr Martens League Western Division when they lost 1-0 at home to leaders Bilston Town. A 69th minute penalty from Scott Voice was enough to keep the visitors ahead of the pack. But United have only
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18/12/00 - Malvern in superb second half fightback
Malvern Town turned in a super second half display to draw 4-4 at high-flying Darlaston Town in the Banks's Brewery League Premier Division. Playing down the slope in the first half the home side raced into a three goal lead through strikes from Justin
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MP Kirkbride confronted by screaming intruder at home
SHADOW Northern Ireland secretary Andrew Mackay grappled with an intruder who barged into the home he shares with wife Julie Kirkbride, Tory MP for Bromsgrove. Mr Mackay knocked the woman to the ground and held her for several minutes before police arrived
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Congratulations
CAN I pass on my congratulations to all the people from the Fire Service who arranged such a great fund-raising auction. Can I also congratulate Dave Bradley for an excellent auctioneer's role and managing to persuade me to part with money- not an easy
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Tory Decision
TORY councillor Neil Monkhouse cannot palm off all responsibility for proposing to build offices in the Green Belt on to the Government (You Say, December 11). I can certainly agree with him that Labour have not done nearly enough to encourage the regeneration
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This is a price we mustn't pay
PETER Winwood's letter (You Say, December 4) sums it all up. However, as I see it, Mr Blair wants to be President of a United European Superstate. And if we don't get him out of office very soon, he will get his wish and all our people who died in two
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Floods hinge on the sluice gates
BARRY Smith states that "dredging the river is not the answer" (You Say, December 4) then talks of sluices. These would be of no use if the river wasn't dredged. The sluices already exist in the locks. In other years, these have been used as he suggests
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Support always welcome
THE Road Safety Team has, for a number of years, pursued sponsorship for the School Crossing Patrol Service. The sponsorship has provided uniform coats that carry the sponsor's logo. We are currently carrying the Vick's Vital logo on the back of the School
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What's on at your local theatre.
A family affair - Theatre Royal Bath Productions. Dec 15-16. Festival Theatre, Grange Road, Malvern (01684 892277). Old Time Music Hall. Dec 15-16. The Swan Theatre Company, The Moors, Worcester (01905 27322). The Plotters of Cabbage Patch Corner - For
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Cyclists should be taught by those in know
I SEE in the Worcestershire Beacon that the county council is looking for volunteer cycling instructors but "they don't even have to be able to cycle", said County Road Safety Officer Roger Woodward. Does anybody know any other skill being taught by someone
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Greenfield sites and who voted for what
I WAS most touched by Councillor Neil Monkhouse's sad letter in the Evening News (Saturday, December 9), voicing his concerns that he was totally and utterly opposed to any development on greenfield sites. I am most surprised - I am sorry that he feels
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Not an MP's job to make legislation?
SO we've all got it wrong. Most people at Westminster thought MPs were elected to make legislation as one of their duties. Some would argue they often make bad legislation, but the underlying principle was that MPs were nevertheless supposed to make laws
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Twinning founder mourned
TRIBUTES have been flooding in for a leading light of Alcester who died last week aged 69. Jim Howarth, of Gerard Road, suffered a stroke and died in hospital last Tuesday. He leaves a widow, Joan, two sons and three grandchildren. The Lancashire-born
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Visit is an education
RUSSIAN MPs could be forgiven for thinking the UK was now a one-party state under President Tony Blair. A delegation from the Russian Parliament, the Duma, met members of the Commons Education Select Committee this week. A lunch was held in the Jubilee
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Marching on
THIS 1960 photograph is of the Redditch Army Cadet Force marching the Duke of Edinburgh's Banner to mark the centenary of the cadets. Pictured are OC Redditch Battery Lt Tom Wareing, escorted by Cadet Battery Sgt Maj Lawrence Newbury and a Rubery Squadron
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Worcester City 1 Ilkeston Town 0
Saturday, December 16, 2000 ILKESTON Town must be sick of the sight of Worcester City midfielder Steve Lutz. His late goal -- the only one of Saturday's Dr Martens League Premier Division clash -- meant it was the third successive season that Lutz had
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Leaking to the newspaper? Not me guv - honest
LABOUR MPs and Countryside Alliance chiefs were surprised to see details of one of their private meetings splashed over The Guardian this week. It was a very interesting article, not least because the paper managed, somewhat unsurprisingly, to get the
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Flooding hits city centre traders
The Worcester City Centre Forum is urging people not to give up on city centre businesses, which have seen their takings cut by 30 to 40 per cent in the crucial pre-Christmas trading period due to floods. "The Forum wants to underline that Worcester is
