Archive

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Appleton strike stuns Taunton

A GOAL from Arthur Appleton, just past the hour mark, settled this rough-and tumble-tussle against league leaders Taunton at Wordsworth Drive. On a heavy pitch, The Peacocks made the early running with Grantley Dicks testing keeper Matt Lowe with a effort

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Matt's kicking applies finish

RESURGENT Bromsgrove hosted second placed Longton who were playing National League rugby last season. Boasting a massive pack and fast strong backs Longton's game plan was to bully the lighter weight home XV. Their failure to so do and return to Stoke

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Pupils to get career advice

A NEW Connexion's Centre offering advice on careers will officially be launched at Studley High School today. Connexions is working in partnership with the school and setting up a room there where personal advisers will be on hand. They will offer pupils

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Bates ups his claims

GEORGE Bates, Bromsgrove Olympique's star youth rider, took full opportunity in the Coventry Cycling Club's West Midland League cyclo cross race at Rugby to provide further evidence of his cycling prowess. While one or two of his serious competitors were

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Spa cricketers round off a great season

ONE of the most successful seasons in Droitwich Spa Cricket Club's history was celebrated at their annual dinner-dance awards night. Almost 100 people attended the event at Gaudet Luce Golf Club where club captain Steve Walsh won the coveted Brian Bradbury

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Rhian given green light on new career

ONE University College Worcester graduate is already well on the way to the marketing job of her dreams after securing a place on a top training course. Twenty-one-year-old Rhian Hawkings, who is graduating today, will walk straight from college into

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Farmers to pay, if cattle escape

FARMERS in Herefordshire and Worcestershire are being urged to seek legal advice after a change in the law that could leave them with a criminal record and extortionate compensation costs. A recent court case means they will now be held responsible for

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'Don't ruin our area with a mast'

A WARNDON councillor has called for one of the last remaining green spaces in the area not to be ruined by a mobile telephone mast. Telephone company O2 has proposed a 13-metre high base station on the western side of Woodgreen Drive, by the roundabout

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Old yard is not right for houses

A REDUNDANT haulage yard at Martley is inappropriate for residential development, say Malvern Hills planning officers. They are recommending refusal of a plan by Taylors of Martley to build 24 houses on a redundant haulage yard. A previous plan for 12

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Bishop hits out over prison proposals

THE Bishop of Worcester has hit out at plans to make a women's prison into a male-only institution. The Rt Revd Dr Peter Selby told the House of Lords, that separating mothers from their families by long distances as well as prison bars would only create

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Prize knitters

OLDER people in Worcestershire are being encouraged to get knitting and enter a competition that could see them winning a summer holiday for two. The competition is being run by Age Concern Hereford & Worcester and involves knitting a renowned winter

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Santa's little helpers drop in on city garden centre

DEERLY loved Sam and Jess made a pit stop in Worcester to make sure Christmas preparations were on track. On Sunday, the two reindeer, along with their boss, Father Christmas, spent the afternoon at the Worcester Garden Centre, Droitwich Road, Claines

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Man hurt in pellet gun attack

A MAN was hurt after being shot with a pellet gun from a moving car. He was hit as he walked along Evesham Road at about 11.30pm on Monday. The pellet gun was pointed out of an old-shaped silver Renault Clio, which had three people inside. The car was

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Rovers eye Trophy trail

SEVERAL matches catch the eye in Saturday's first round ties in the FA Trophy and right up among them is the local derby at the Victoria Ground where Bromsgrove Rovers will tackle near-neighbours Halesowen Town (3pm). The match is expected to attract

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Source search scaled down

HEALTH experts are drawing their search for the source of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Redditch to a close. The source of the disease, which killed two people and affected two others, has not been found, despite weeks of testing. One man is still

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Soph seals game

Redditch Ladies 2 Harborne Ladies 1 A BREAK from league action saw Redditch Ladies pit their sticks against Harborne in a friendly encounter on Saturday morning. Emma Preston opened the scoring for Redditch with a well taken shot from a penalty corner

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A model way to raise breast care awareness

BREAST Care Nurses at the Alexandra Hospital looking at ways to promote Breast Awareness Month held a fashion show with a difference recently. All the models, aged between 30 and 60, were patients who had been treated for breast cancer. Specialist breast

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Six of the worst for Church

Racing Club Warwick 6 Alvechurch 2 ALVECHURCH boss Peter Frain has said sorry to fans after his side was smashed for six on Saturday. Racing Club Warwick rattled in four first half goals through Jermain Gordon, Leon Thomas and a double from Paul White

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Goal cushion unravelled

Feckenham 3 West Midlands Police 3 THE Millers let a dominating three-goal cushion slip in the final 15 minutes on Saturday to hand a point on a plate to the police. Coming off a midweek drubbing, losing 6-0 away to Leamington, Feckenham looked to have

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Fun for all the family

RAGS to riches family favourite Annie is stopping off at two local venues this month, starting at Malvern's Festival Theatre from Monday. Starring Su Pollard, the popular musical tells the tale of 11-year-old orphan Annie and her desire to escape her

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Anger as planning decision delayed

STUDLEY residents who turned up to a planning committee meeting to object to the conversion of two houses into flats were left fuming because too few councillors were present to make a decision on them. They had attended Stratford District Council's meeting

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Partying workers give charity a real boost

WORKERS at the Reality Group in Worcester and Droitwich have handed over £10,000 to charity. Macmillan Cancer Relief's Worcestershire appeal was the happy recipient of the cash, which was raised throughout this year. Fund-raising events held by staff

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Mother arrived home to find baby dead

A MOTHER returned to her Worcester home to find her 11-week-old baby dead, an inquest heard. Paige Kristan Reid died at about midnight on Wednesday, October 27, at her home in Liverpool Road, Ronkswood. Paige was last seen alive by her father, Sean Patrick

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Boxing clever for gifts!

YOUNG victims of war, poverty, famine and disease across the world will have a bulging box of Christmas gifts to open this year thanks to elderly members of Timberdine Day Care Centre off Bath Road, Worcester. Around 50 pensioners, along with carers and

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The legend lives on at Palace

THE wonder of Elvis can be enjoyed at the Palace Theatre on Friday evening, when tribute show The Elvis Collection takes to the stage. Billy J McGregor takes over the mantle of the "King of Rock and Roll," performing more than 30 classics like American

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Bus bonus for villages

VILLAGERS in Studley and Sambourne have a brand new "flexibus" service to take advantage of this week. Warwickshire County Council has invested in five new buses, aimed at helping people with mobility problems. The service, which runs Tuesdays, Wednesdays

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Fixtures

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3 FOOTBALL Midland Floodlit Youth League: Bromsgrove Rovers v Leamington (7.30pm). SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6 FOOTBALL FA Trophy First Round - Bromsgrove Rovers v Halesowen Town (3pm)) Midland Combination - Premier: Castle Vale v Barnt Green

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Love of children keeps her young

A PENSIONER has celebrated her 100th birthday by asking for donations to be sent to charity rather than be given presents because of her love for children. Winifred Oliver, of Cranham Rest Home, Cranham Drive, Warndon, Worcester, held two birthday parties

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Council licks wounds after report

STRATFORD District Council is licking its wounds in the wake of a damning report by government inspectors. The CPA (comprehensive performance assessment) report was published on Thursday following a week-long investigation into the running of the authority

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Foster backs casinos plan

PEOPLE in Worcester will have to be consulted before a planned new casino in St John's can be opened, under legislation set out by culture secretary Tessa Jowell. Operator Cheval UK are awaiting the passage of the controversial Gambling Bill before it

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Knee patient's £32k thank you

A FORMER patient of Droitwich Knee Clinic has donated £32,000 to further the specialist training which helped improve his symptoms. The 36-year-old man, who wished to remain anonymous, made the donation to The Knee Foundation following successful treatment

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Top Tory inspects popular nursery

THE Shadow Secretary of State for the Family, Theresa May, visited a Redditch nursery last week to look at how popular the facility is. Tory parliamentary spokesman for Redditch Karen Lumley took Mrs May around Windmill Nursery to discuss the need for

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Harriers FA Cup clash switched

RELEGATION battlers Kidderminster Harriers will have a welcome distraction from their Coca-Cola League Two scrap in the form of a Friday night FA Cup extravaganza. Harriers' intriguing first round visit to Port Vale has been switched to Friday, November

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Cisse agony fires Busst memories

MILLIONS of television viewers watched in shock at the weekend as Liverpool's Djibril Cisse suffered a horrific leg injury. The striker fell in agony after breaking the tibia and fibia in his left leg in a seemingly innocuous challenge with Blackburn's

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Evesham fail to head the table

EVESHAM United blew their chance to go top of Southern League Division One West when they were held to a 0-0 draw by lowly Thame United at Common Road. The point, however, was enough to lift Evesham into second spot and extend their unbeaten league run

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Parish focus

A QUARTERLY newsletter is to be published by Studley Parish Council. The newsletter, edited by parish council chairman Bill McCarthy, will be out before Christmas. Mr McCarthy said: "It will feature a summary of anything to do with the parish council,

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Spartak are talk of Town

Barnt Green Spartak 2 Pershore Town 1 PERSHORE came into this Midland Football Combination Premier Division clash having drew with Bloxwich Town in midweek and beaten Coleshill Town last week. But this didnt seem to help them much as they never got going

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MEMORY LANE

REDDITCH United is gearing up for a nostalgic November which kicks off against Merthyr Tydfil in the FA Trophy first round. It was just six months ago when coach loads of the Reds faithful travelled to the Martyrs ground in deepest Wales and witnessed

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'We can win this league' - Cremin

SATURDAY'S victory at Nuneaton Borough saw Redditch United climb to the dizzy heights of the Conference North's top ten and has sparked one phrase into everyone's mind down at the Valley - play-off. Reds hitman Norman Sylla was again the difference on

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Well said Rev

PLEASE can I say what an absolutely heartfelt article on the front page The Advertiser (October 27) offered this week. Courageously, the new minister Reverend Neil Bennett, from Catshill Baptist Church has stood up and been counted! We need more of God's

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They're destroying the Spa

THE pedestrianisation of the High Street in Droitwich Spa should be totally rejected. Remember when it was pedestrianised between 9.30am and 4.30pm some years ago? It nearly died. Wychavon's plans have already virtually destroyed what was left of the

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Council power

IN the Government's drive against anti-social behaviour, parish councils are to be given the powers to hand out fixed penalty fines for dog fouling, litter, graffiti and noise nuisance offences. Whilst these are undoubted problems that effect the community

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So refreshing

A THANK you to Gary Clarke, Ann Heath and their staff at the Rylands Centre, Bromsgrove, for a very enjoyable and instructive day spent with them during Local Democracy week. If any readers have not been to this centre recently, they will be unaware that

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Excellent idea

THE recent story on the idea of making Droitwich Lido a year round leisure facility was first class. A summer outdoor pool and winter ice rink is so sensible. Such simple innovation to ensure regular income and minimal investment was long overdue. What

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Take up offer

TO the People of Bromsgrove and surrounds- a challenge and an invitation! Early next year Bromsgrove will have a new theatre - The Artrix, and here is an opportunity to be seized! Two important aims of the new theatre will be to bring high quality and

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3/11/04 - Warriors set to call up Pieters

GISCARD Pieters looks set for his Worcester debut at London Irish. The South African winger, who has yet to play for the Warriors since his move from the Pumas last month, may yet be included as the Sixways side travel to the Madejski Stadium on Sunday

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Catch us if you can!

Upton on Severn 15 Redditch 22 REDDITCH proved they have what it takes in the North Midlands One after grinding out a result against high-flying Upton and continue their march at the top of the league. The Kingfishers started brightly putting their hosts

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Danger! Drop zone

Rugby St Andrews 35 Alcester 0 Alcester slipped to their most comprehensive defeat of the season - a result that leaves them just one position above the drop zone in Warwickshire One. The game was over a contest at half-time as Alcester trailed by 22

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Well said Rev

PLEASE can I say what an absolutely heartfelt article on the front page The Advertiser (October 27) offered this week. Courageously, the new minister Reverend Neil Bennett, from Catshill Baptist Church has stood up and been counted! We need more of God's

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Halloween is so evil - Bennett is right!

I WOULD like to add support to the comments of Rev Neil Bennett. It is deeply disturbing the way Halloween is being cynically marketed as a fun time by business in search of additional markets for the outlet of their goods. Rev Bennett is correct in stating

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Council power

IN the Government's drive against anti-social behaviour, parish councils are to be given the powers to hand out fixed penalty fines for dog fouling, litter, graffiti and noise nuisance offences. Whilst these are undoubted problems that effect the community

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Views sought

WITH the latest council audit report now out for public view on the so-called voluntary engaged Bromsgrove District Council, it will be interesting to see what areas mentioned in the report will now be attended to. The report and voluntary engagement

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The alternative

COULD I just make clear,right away that I'm not a 'recycling Luddite,' I want our new scheme to work.It will save me taking everything recyclable to the bottle and paper banks as I've done for the last 12 years. I left out my new wheelie bins a week early

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It's rubbish!

I HAVE now received a further communication from the Kremlin at Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove, informing householders that the proletariat will now be collecting refuse fortnightly. In real terms this will in fact be four to six weeks, depending when householders

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Life's important

I AM a resident of the Oakalls, Bromsgrove, and needless to say there was another accident the other Monday afternoon causing chaos on the nearby traffic island. Aren't people's lives important any more? Give us traffic lights and spend money, so saving

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New chapter

WITHOUT any public consultation and at a time when book borrowing has dropped by 33 per cent, Worcestershire County Council has reduced library book borrowing times from four weeks to three. Not a big deal, you might think, but four weeks was a comfortable

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Keying in cash

SO John Moody thinks its a good idea to spend £10,000 of our council tax money on keypads for Bromsgrove's carparks! Just because other tight-fisted councils, Worcester, Bridgnorth, etc. have adopted such an insidious practice is no excuse for the district

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Take up offer

TO the People of Bromsgrove and surrounds- a challenge and an invitation! Early next year Bromsgrove will have a new theatre - The Artrix, and here is an opportunity to be seized! Two important aims of the new theatre will be to bring high quality and

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It is murder at a snip. . .

YOUNGSTERS will be acting out a murder tale at the Norbury Theatre in Droitwich Spa next week. The Friar Street Theatre's audience will be quaking in their boots watching the Sweeney Todd Shock and Roll show from November 10 - 13. Set in Victorian London

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Jazz time...

JAZZ lovers will relish a night with the band Antique Six at Fairfield Village Hall on Friday, November 12 in aid of the Fairfield Women's Institute. The audience are invited to bring their own drink and glasses with the evening starting at 8pm. Tickets

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Paying more for less and less

IN the same week that I read in the Evening News that the bus passes in Worcester are going to double in price, we see that First Bus are cutting out more services. Like everything to do with the relationship between Local Government and Private Enterprise

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Wychbold Women's Fellowship

AT our meeting Pat Kay welcomed a good attendance after the long summer break. She then gave her report of the past year's events in the fellowship calendar, followed by news from Peggy Mears of our financial situation - still continuing healthily. The

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Do they prefer to ignore evidence?

A FULLY independent inquiry has revealed the folly of Tesco's plans to dump Chrissies in a field next to the A44 far beyond Dines Green. The city's senior politicians have noted the inquiry's conclusions and asked the county council to upgrade the school

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High Street mess all about spy cameras

COUNCILLOR Francis Lankester's letter headlined "High Street... setting the record straight," is, in my opinion, hogwash. People who don't live in our city - commerce and our county council - have butchered our beautiful High Street trees. The so-called

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Catshill WI

CYNTHIA Caldicott conducted the October meeting of Catshill WI in the absence of our president. She began by congratulating the five birthday girls of the month, including Marge Grant, who will be celebrating her 90th birthday towards the end of October

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Concern mounts for Tann

THE distraught owner or an uncommon breed of dog, which has been missing from its home in Bromsgrove since early August, is appealing to Advertiser/Messenger readers to keep a sharp eye open in the hope that she can be reunited with her beloved pet. Its

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Ellie puts success on a plate

WHEN staff at the Bromsgrove Harvester donated a box of fruit and veg to a town school, they had no idea how creative the children would be. Manager of the Birmingham Road restaurant, Giles Carless, donated a hamper for harvest celebrations at Lickey

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Affordable homes would be welcome - say villagers

A MAJORITY of villagers in Belbroughton support an affordable housing scheme according to a recent survey. The survey - carried out by a group of residents last month - has shown 67 per cent of the 304 people asked were in favour of affordable housing

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'Let this elephant pack her trunk!'

PROTESTERS made their views heard when the last circus in Britain to use an elephant came to town. Bobby Robert's Super Circus rolled into town on Sunday night, bringing with it 52-year-old elephant Anne, horses and ponies. The big top was erected in

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MP backs Rover to motor

CHAIRMAN of the All Party Motor Group, Richard Burden MP, whose constituency includes MG Rover's Longbridge plant, has said that the car makers "can have a sustainable future". As Rover bosses, who famously bought the company from BMW in May 2000 for

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On-line charity boost

A PAIR of self confessed loopy ladies are doing their bit to support two of Bromsgrove's good causes. Business partners Anita Mears and Karen Phillips, from The Clothes Rail Etc shop, are donating ten per cent from all on-line purchases to the St John's

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How do we spend cash?

RUBERY Leisure Centre has outlined how it will spend the £5,000 it received from the Gannett Foundation. The Holywell Lane centre got the money in June thanks to the Gannett Foundation, a charitable arm of Gannett Co Inc, owner of the Newsquest Media

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'Facilities are unacceptable'

A TOWN museum should be closed because of its unacceptable disabled facilities, according to a town councillor. Councillor Athol Deakin (Lab-Sidemoor) has labelled Bromsgrove Museum's facilities as 'unsuitable' and has called for the museum to be closed

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Bus cuts slammed

A CIVIC leader has slammed the dramatic cuts made to a bus service running between Droitwich Spa to Worcester. Town councillor John Cook says the reduction of the number 22 and 22A service are "absolutely unacceptable". The bus, operated by First, goes

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Hats the way to do it!

ENTERPRISING pupils at a Droitwich Spa school have made a tower of hats in aid of a good cause. Girls at Whitford Hall and Dodderhill School created 101 hats for Operation Christmas Child. The project started back in September, when Claines woman Barbara

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Hedgehog nurses needed

VOLUNTEERS in Bromsgrove are being sought after to care for sick, injured or orphaned hedgehogs. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, a registered charity, holds a national list of people and groups who take in hedgehogs and are concerned that the

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Saturday GP shake-up

ALL five GP practices in Bromsgrove and one in Rubery, will from this week, be closed on Saturday mornings in future as part of a major shake-up in national changes to out-of-hours family doctor services. However, a spokeswoman for Redditch and Bromsgrove

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Extra help for charity

A DROITWICH Spa charity needs new volunteers to help make it's future even brighter. Droitwich MIND, the country's leading mental health charity, is looking for people to bring fresh ideas and skills to its two bases at the Covercroft Centre and Amphlett

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Help make festival a hit

COMMITTED volunteers are urgently needed to make the next Droitwich music festival even more successful than last year. Droitwich Association of Retail, Tourism and Services (DARTS) is looking for people to lend a helping hand in organising the town's

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Artist's work on show

ART fans still have time to catch an exhibition of work by Droitwich Spa artist Michael Russell. His paintings, which concentrate on landscapes, marine life, sports scenes and buildings, will be on show at Droitwich Spa Library until November 13. Mr Russell

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25 years ago

November 2, 1979 REDDITCH councillors have shelved a £45,000 plan to build a bar and restaurant at the Palace Theatre. The decision has been taken because there is no money to pay for the scheme - despite agreeing there is a need for a restaurant there

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50 years ago

November 5, 1954 THE poor condition of some of the gardens on Allendale Estate, Studley, was mentioned by Mr REW Boswell at Tuesday night's meeting of Studley Parish Council. He said the majority of tenants kept their gardens in a reasonable state but

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Mayor meets town traders

DROITWICH Spa's Mayor took time out from her duties to chat to the town's market traders. Councillor Ann Taft visited all the stallholders, who have been getting used to their new site alongside Toyworld off the High Street, last Tuesday. Most of the

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Wayward Women

AN AUDIENCE can help or hinder a production, no matter how good the performances of the actors. So with only 22, largely unresponsive people spread thinly around the Greig Hall recently, the cast had their work cut out just keeping the play alive. The

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Broken Lizard's Club Dread (15)

"SUN, sea, sex and slaughter" is what the box tells me and yes, as it happens, those are the first things I look for in a movie. Despite being an ultimate dream of a film for all who watch it - anyone who does must first remember a few things. Forget

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The Ladykillers (15)

THERE is only one golden rule when remaking an absolutely classic film. DON'T. EVER. IT WILL NEVER WORK. That is a lesson Joel and Ethan Coen need to learn - quickly. And then they should be made to stay behind after school and write one thousand lines

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Parking at Alex is chaotic

I WORKED at the Alexandra Hospital from its opening in 1986 until I took early retirement last year. In May 1998, I paid £10 to the Alex healthcare trust for car parking. This, I believe, was more for higher paid staff and was a one-off payment, refundable

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Drug runners jailed

TWO heroin pushers caught by police worked for a pair of suppliers called The Lesbians, Worcester Crown Court heard. The women, named only as Kelly and Lisa, employed a team of runners to distribute heroin on the streets of Redditch and operated from

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Dogs hoping for a sporting chance

TOWNSFOLK will be asked to paws for thought on Sunday and consider giving a retired greyhound a loving home. Redditch volunteers for the Retired Greyhound Trust will be gathering for a walk around Arrow Valley Lake from the Countryside Centre at 10.30am

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New fears on phone masts

MORE worry was expressed this week about the concentration of mobile phone masts going up in Redditch. A resident of Birchfield Road contacted the Advertiser to express her deep concerns about the profusion of masts near her home in Webheath. Kath Wildblood

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Football's ethics in spotlight

A REDDITCH man is proving he's a star sports student by helping to launch a debate on Ethics in Football at the University of Birmingham. The debate will cover issues including drugs, salaries and clubs' community work. Scott Walsh, 20, who is studying

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A century of music

A BATCHLEY woman with a passion for playing the piano celebrated her 100th birthday on Monday. Phyllis Bellinger, of Cedar Park Road, said a close family life and enjoyment of the great outdoors had also helped her to stay young. "My parents and I were

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Two land in court for fraud

REDDITCH Council has prosecuted two residents for benefit fraud at Redditch Magistrate's Court. Neil McBain, aged 53, of Chaddesley Close, Lodge Park, was sentenced on September 29 to a two-and-a-half year community rehabilitation order and must pay £1,500

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Walk raises £6,000 in memory of Michael

A SPONSORED walk held in memory of an Alvechurch teenager who died of leukaemia has raised more than £6,000 towards Acorns' fund-raising appeal to build a new children's hospice. More than 70 people took part in the Michael Edwins Memorial Walk as a tribute

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Abuse angers other drivers

BEFORE disabled drivers complain about fit people parking in disabled spots, they should get their own house in order. Many times I have seen vehicles bearing disabled stickers drive on to Church Green, the driver jump out and stroll off to do some shopping

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Action needed over fireworks

I READ with interest the report from Jaqui Smith MP that there would be a crackdown on yobs with regard to fireworks (Advertiser, October 20). Well since Monday, October 18, it has been firework night every night around the Woodrow area and probably many

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A great night out

MY wife and I booked tickets for the Palace Youth Theatre's production of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole after reading the feature about it in the Redditch Advertiser (October 20) as we both admire Sue Townsend's writing and like to support local arts

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Tax staff to strike

WORKERS at Redditch tax office will join national colleagues in a one-day strike on Friday in a protest at Government plans to slash more than 100,000 jobs. The strike has been called by civil service union the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS

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Memorial unveiled

AN artist's impression of the new holocaust memorial near St Stephen's Church has been revealed this week. A planning application has been submitted to Redditch Council for the memorial, which it is hoped will be placed in the grounds of the church near

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Just picture perfect!

ARTY creations were in abundance recently when a Studley group held its annual colourful exhibition. Studley Art Circle put on its ever-popular display at Studley Parish Centre, Needle Close, and raised £400 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Club secretary

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Pegasus halt Studley progress

Studley Women 1 Hereford Pegasus Ladies 5 STUDLEY Women were looking to extend their winning streak to three games against table-toppers Hereford Pegasus. But Studley's hopes were dashed as Hereford took an early lead after a defensive error. Studley

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Alcester Group WI

AN enjoyable group meeting took place on October 20 at Studley Village Hall. Speaker Tricia Stewart, of Calendar Girls fame, travelled from the Dales to talk about her experiences following the launch of the renowned alternative WI calendar six years

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Hamish's mission

STUDLEY and Alcester are no strangers to the seemingly perpetual problem of anti-social behaviour, apparently the result of teenagers on the streets with nothing to do. With the police trying new "get-tough" measures of dispersing gangs, another prong

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Countdown to hall's opening

THERE is a busy time ahead for Cookhill as preparations are made for the opening of the new village hall. On Saturday, November 20, from 2-5pm, there will be a free community viewing day where people can come and inspect the state-of-the art new building

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Arrow Valley Countryside Group

THE 51st annual general meeting was held on October 21. Rambles secretary Alex Koscica said anyone completing all the year's walks would have covered 250 miles and taken roughly 400,000 steps. The policy of walking fairly close to home through the winter

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Ladies Probus Club of Alcester

AT the luncheon on October 13, members stood in silence in memory of Joan Wilkinson, a founder member who passed away on September 20. Joan Ramwell has resigned for health reasons and has been made a life member. Speaker and member Elizabeth Bibb gave

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St Mary's Wives' Group

MEMBERS were welcomed to the meeting on September 23 at Wythall Village Hall, which opened with the group prayer. The homemade cake stall at Wythall Carnival raised £102 and thanks were extended to all members who made cakes and helped on the stall. The

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Families forced to move on

TRAVELLERS were finally forced to leave their camp in Oversley Green on Monday morning following a visit from police and council officials, The move followed months of complaints from residents and much haggling between Alcester Town Council and Warwickshire

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* Pay up - Or else * Yobs have gone, say city police * School win saward for healthy eating plan * W

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Bigger Pineapple

PINEAPPLE Publishing, one of Worcester's longest established graphic design companies, is expanding under new management following a takeover. Local creative designers Rob Crampton and Alison Archer have been seeking to expand their successful Malvern-based

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Enterprising youth given show chance

WORCESTERSHIRE'S young people will have plenty of chances to see the entrepreneurial opportunities open to them with the UK's first National Enterprise Week. A full programme has been organised for go-getters and young people around the county between

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Plans in pipeline to slow speeding

DRIVERS speeding through Broom could be forced to slow down if Bidford Parish Council agrees to help fund road safety measures in the village. Surveys show traffic often approaches the village from Dunnington at up to 50mph and residents are worried about

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Dawn says thanks

EVESHAM-based Dawn Foods has bid farewell to two of its longest serving employees. Ivor Stewart and Ron Sandalls have retired after working for the bakery manufacturer since it opened its UK factory in the town 12 years ago. Ivor's career started in the

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60 years ago November 4, 1944

A BROMSGROVE family had a lucky escape after an explosion in a river cruiser home. Mr and Mrs Stanley Ryland, who formerly lived at the Elms, Rock Hill, Bromsgrove, lived with their two children in the boat. A gas leak from cylinders used for cooking

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Scary moments

GROUPS of brave souls took to Tardebigge canal over the Halloween weekend for a spooky trip into a world of ghosts and ghouls. Regaled with tales of torture and terror from around England, as well as much nearer to home, passengers aboard the Dream Catcher

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The eyes have it in farcical romp

A FARCICAL romp set in the 1970s around the financial institutions of London is the latest production from Wythall Theatre Company. Shut Your Eyes and Think of England plays at the Palace Theatre from next Wednesday. Palace publicity officer Paul Hughes

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Last orders for pub posters

A WYTHALL pub has been forced to remove banners from its building after being threatened with court action. At a Bromsgrove Council planning committee last month, an enforcement order was placed on the White Swan pub in Alcester Road after its owner failed

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Rovers eye Trophy trail

SEVERAL matches catch the eye in Saturday's first round ties in the FA Trophy and right up among them is the local derby at the Victoria Ground where Bromsgrove Rovers will tackle near-neighbours Halesowen Town (3pm). The match is expected to attract

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Club giving 'em stick!

BROMSGROVE Men's Hockey Club chalked up a 3-2 victory at Barlaston on Saturday. A short-corner goal from Ben Husband and further strikes from Pete Hall and Bevan Edwards was enough to seal all the spoils. On a good weekend for the club, the second team

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Hot Hollis sinks Oadby

Bromsgrove Rovers Reserves 3 Oadby Town 2 TABLE-TOPPING Bromsgrove Rovers Reserves were made to battle. For the first ten minutes, Rovers played very good football, passing and moving extremely efficiently. Then, a careless pass from a Rovers defender

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Bareham finishes tour with a flourish . . .

LOCAL pool ace Darrell Bareham has finished this season's Strachan International Pool Tour with his best run yet. County captain Bareham, from Chawson, Droitwich Spa, reached the last 128 of Event Six at the Brighton Hilton - equalling his best finish

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Saturday service is a bobby dazzler

WARNDON Police Station will be opening regularly on Saturday mornings for the first time as officers attempt to provide a more consistent service. The station was not manned in the past if all officers were out on the beat, but over the coming weeks the

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Stamp of approval...

FROSTY the snowman has drifted into Worcester to deliver Royal Mail's new stamps which will soon be adorning Christmas post in the Faithful City. The cuddly character made an appearance at Worcester Mail Centre on Wainwright Road this week to help unveil

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Man found dead

A 29-YEAR-OLD man with a history of self-harm and a heroin addiction was found dead in a bail hostel, an inquest heard. Sean William Jennings was found dead by another resident at the hostel in Bath Road, Worcester, at about 10.30pm on Saturday, October

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Police hunt ram driver

POLICE are seeking information after a police motorbike and car were rammed in a dramatic chase last Wednesday just after 2.40pm. The incident happened as officers carried out an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) operation on the A435 in Wythall

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Assault at nightclub

A 22-YEAR-old man suffered a head injury after being attacked in Time nightclub shortly after 1am on Saturday. The victim was taken by ambulance to the Alexandra Hospital following the assault, which happened in the corridor between the male and female

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Park is turned into 'war zone'

A WYTHALL park manager has hit out at vandals "hell-bent on destruction" after the park suffered a series of attacks, causing £1,000 damage in a single week. Alan Griffin said during last Tuesday night, vandals ripped off the fire exit of the Wythall

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Laughing last and laughing longest

"YOU are a habitual criminal, who accepts arrest as an occupational hazard and, presumably, accepts imprisonment in the same casual manner." With those words ringing in his ears, legendary sitcom con Norman Stanley Fletcher settled in to five years at

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Portugal putts and pints

GOLF: BATCHLEY pub golfers have returned victorious from their National Championship expedition in Vilamoura, Portugal. The team, made up of brothers Craig and Nigel Blackford, Aaron Blacker and Steve Fellows, took the Bass Ale Golfing Pub of the year

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Fixtures

July (friendlies) Thurs 15 PERSHORE TN (H) 6-1 Ross, Vincent, J Clarke (2), Stokes, og SAT 17 HALESOWEN TOWN (H) 1-0 O'Toole TUES 20 COVENTRY CITY (H) 0-1 TUES 27 HEREFORD UTD (H) 0-3 WEDS 28 REDDITCH UTD (H) 1-3 Williams FRI 30 WORCESTER CITY (H) 3-2

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Bees are in a fix

THE Bees fixture book was blank yet again on Saturday and by the time they take on Malvern Town this coming weekend it will be two weeks since Studley last had a league game. Studley boss Kevin Rowlands described the situation as being a double-edged

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PAY UP OR ELSE

by Sally Jones FINE defaulters are set to be targeted in a blitz to claw back some of the £1.2m in outstanding unpaid court fines. Police officers and officials from the West Mercia Magistrates' Courts Service will be knocking on the doors of more than

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Police hit out at BBC documentary

WORCESTER police have criticised a BBC1 documentary about UCW students. The Inside Out programme, aired on Monday, claimed that students of the St John's college were making life miserable for residents living near the Henwick Road campus with constant

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Accolade marks 45 years of public service from Sir Roy

HISTORIAN and prolific writer Sir Roy Strong was due to receive an honorary masters degree from University College Worcester this afternoon. The ceremony was due to start at 2.30pm at Worcester Cathedral, where hundreds of UCW students were also due to

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Yobs have gone, say city police

GROUND-breaking powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in Warndon have proved so successful police have not applied to continue using them. Worcester Police were the first force in the country to use powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act to disperse

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Is this one of the wonders of the Midlands?

WORCESTER Cathedral has been short-listed in a competition to find the Seven Wonders of the West Midlands. The ancient building will be competing against 26 other attractions, including Ironbridge, Warwick Castle, Weston Park and Birmingham's Bullring

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School wins award for its healthy eating plan

A SCHOOL in Worcester that transformed its lunch menus using Weight Watchers-style meals in a bid to combat obesity among pupils has come out top of the class. Nunnery Wood High School's catering chief, Rose Osborne, decided to produce pupils' meals based

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Take time to just sit back and relax

CANDLES, scented open fires and soothing music have been introduced at a Worcester pub, as an antidote to the stresses and strains of modern life. Landlord Darren Barson has even produced a relaxation guide for guests at the Nightingale, Evesham Road,

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Homes plan fear for extra traffic

A HOUSING association will re-submit an amended application to build affordable houses in Fernhill Heath, near Worcester. However, Rhydian Morris, a resident of Agatha Gardens, which was originally proposed as the sole access route to the O'Keys Farm

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Spa cricketers round off a great season

ONE of the most successful seasons in Droitwich Spa Cricket Club's history was celebrated at their annual dinner-dance awards night. Almost 100 people attended the event at Gaudet Luce Golf Club where club captain Steve Walsh won the coveted Brian Bradbury

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Police concern for missing gardener

POLICE are desperately seeking information on the whereabouts of a 47-year-old man missing from his home. Evesham Police are concerned for the welfare of Roy Careless, a self-employed gardener, who went missing from his home in Shinehill Lane, South Littleton

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Crash car chased by police

A STOLEN vehicle overturned injuring its three occupants while being followed by police in Droitwich. The three people inside the grey Nissan X-Trail 4x4 suffered non-life-threatening injuries when the vehicle crashed on the A38 at Copcut island at 1.13am

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New deal is just the job for Sharon

A REDDITCH woman has been presented with an award after becoming the 700th person to find work through the town JobCentre's New Deal for Lone Parents scheme. Thanks to the support she will receive from a six-month "supported training" scheme, Sharon Gayle

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What's On Guide

Thursday, November 4 Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Until November 13. Tickets from 0121 236 4455. Clouds by Michael Frayn, Festival Theatre, Malvern. Until November 6. Tickets from 01684 892277. The Play What I Wrote, Birmingham

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Warriors set to call up Pieters

GISCARD Pieters looks set for his Worcester debut at London Irish. The South African winger, who has yet to play for the Warriors since his move from the Pumas last month, may yet be included as the Sixways side travel to the Madejski Stadium on Sunday

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New keeper is hero in upset of Rovers

HEREFORD goalkeeper Craig Mawson produced a spectacular debut as the Bulls pulled off another LDV Vans Trophy penalty shoot-out success last night. The Bulls, who knocked out higher-ranked Scunthorpe United on penalties in the previous round, dumped League

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Swifts in county cup exit

FOOTBALL: Stourport Swifts' injury-hit side bowed out of the Worcestershire Senior Cup with a brave display against Southern League Premier Division high-fliers Halesowen Town. Swifts' only real effort in the first-half was a Daniel Mason free-kick that

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Dayus clinches national title joy

WORCESTER race ace Jonathan Dayus has clinched the British Hillclimb Championship at Elsdon, Northumberland. Dayus, who lives near Chateaubriant, France, and races for 'U' Nantes Atlantiques, has ridden a number of UK races for the London based Arctic-Shorter

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County hit back to stun Hampshire

WORCESTERSHIRE opened their new English Counties Netball League Division Three season with a thrilling 37-34 victory over Hampshire North at Aldershot. Hampshire North were first out of the blocks, scoring two quick goals but the lead was soon overturned

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Parking crisis on top of list

A MAJOR project aimed at solving parking problems across Redditch will be unveiled on Monday. The council's environmental scrutiny committee has highlighted parking as a priority area to undergo a massive overhaul. A ''scoping'' exercise will be carried

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Facelift mooted for Terry Fields

RESIDENTS are being consulted to see how they think the Terry Fields play area can be improved for youngsters. At many Central and Southcrest neighbourhood group meetings, residents have voiced concerns about it being one of the worst areas in Redditch

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Water stops Cross

HEADLESS Cross Ladies saw their Premier League game called off against Stoke City Ladies on Sunday due to a waterlogged pitch. After missing the last two weeks' matches because of the inclement conditions, Cross will be hoping the weather picks up as

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Spa cup success

Droitwich Spa 2 Tolladine Sports 1 Worcestershire Junior Cup Round Two DROITWICH stretched their unbeaten run to 11 games as they progressed to the quarter finals. Although they controlled the first half they struggled to convert their possession into

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Make up your own mind

I SAW your paper today (October 29) and your main headline article 'Halloween is 'evil' time', and while I find the pastors stance somewhat darkly amusing, it is an issue with a serious side. This attitude, which I am beginning to learn is actually more

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Bible warning

IN Medieval England, All Hallow's Eve was the evening before a religious holiday - All Saints' Day. Today's celebration, however, is related to pagan customs from ancient Europe. Druids believed spirits of the dead returned to their former haunts during

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Just disgusted!

I AM disgusted with your front-page article about the minister's Halloween rant! I say to the him: As per usual a representative of the church is spouting bigoted intolerant rubbish. As church attendance's fall, once more the answer to this is to try

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He shows no respect for another faith

HALLOWEEN is one of the most important dates in the year for people who follow nature-based faith systems. Named Samhain (pronounced sowain), it is the time of the year when they can feel close to people who have crossed over. This pastor shows no respect

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Halloween is so evil - Bennett is right!

I WOULD like to add support to the comments of Rev Neil Bennett. It is deeply disturbing the way Halloween is being cynically marketed as a fun time by business in search of additional markets for the outlet of their goods. Rev Bennett is correct in stating

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Shops please

HAVING read the article regarding the proposal to improve access to Mill Lane, Bromsgrove, I also recall a previous article which outlined a plan to build shops there. If this is still the plan, it is suggested that a footbridge is built over Market Street

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Views sought

WITH the latest council audit report now out for public view on the so-called voluntary engaged Bromsgrove District Council, it will be interesting to see what areas mentioned in the report will now be attended to. The report and voluntary engagement

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The alternative

COULD I just make clear,right away that I'm not a 'recycling Luddite,' I want our new scheme to work.It will save me taking everything recyclable to the bottle and paper banks as I've done for the last 12 years. I left out my new wheelie bins a week early

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It's rubbish!

I HAVE now received a further communication from the Kremlin at Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove, informing householders that the proletariat will now be collecting refuse fortnightly. In real terms this will in fact be four to six weeks, depending when householders

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Life's important

I AM a resident of the Oakalls, Bromsgrove, and needless to say there was another accident the other Monday afternoon causing chaos on the nearby traffic island. Aren't people's lives important any more? Give us traffic lights and spend money, so saving

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New chapter

WITHOUT any public consultation and at a time when book borrowing has dropped by 33 per cent, Worcestershire County Council has reduced library book borrowing times from four weeks to three. Not a big deal, you might think, but four weeks was a comfortable

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Keying in cash

SO John Moody thinks its a good idea to spend £10,000 of our council tax money on keypads for Bromsgrove's carparks! Just because other tight-fisted councils, Worcester, Bridgnorth, etc. have adopted such an insidious practice is no excuse for the district

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Woodrush wonders

Kings Norton 18 Woodrush 19 THE derby battle at Ash Lane saw a resurgent Woodrush crush Kings Norton's unbeaten home record while notching up their second win on the trot after a single point victory. The Kings men - still missing three first team regulars

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Make up your own mind

I SAW your paper today (October 29) and your main headline article 'Halloween is 'evil' time', and while I find the pastors stance somewhat darkly amusing, it is an issue with a serious side. This attitude, which I am beginning to learn is actually more

Date

Bible warning

IN Medieval England, All Hallow's Eve was the evening before a religious holiday - All Saints' Day. Today's celebration, however, is related to pagan customs from ancient Europe. Druids believed spirits of the dead returned to their former haunts during

Date

Just disgusted!

I AM disgusted with your front-page article about the minister's Halloween rant! I say to the him: As per usual a representative of the church is spouting bigoted intolerant rubbish. As church attendance's fall, once more the answer to this is to try

Date

He shows no respect for another faith

HALLOWEEN is one of the most important dates in the year for people who follow nature-based faith systems. Named Samhain (pronounced sowain), it is the time of the year when they can feel close to people who have crossed over. This pastor shows no respect

Date

They're destroying the Spa

THE pedestrianisation of the High Street in Droitwich Spa should be totally rejected. Remember when it was pedestrianised between 9.30am and 4.30pm some years ago? It nearly died. Wychavon's plans have already virtually destroyed what was left of the

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Shops please

HAVING read the article regarding the proposal to improve access to Mill Lane, Bromsgrove, I also recall a previous article which outlined a plan to build shops there. If this is still the plan, it is suggested that a footbridge is built over Market Street

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So refreshing

A THANK you to Gary Clarke, Ann Heath and their staff at the Rylands Centre, Bromsgrove, for a very enjoyable and instructive day spent with them during Local Democracy week. If any readers have not been to this centre recently, they will be unaware that

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Excellent idea

THE recent story on the idea of making Droitwich Lido a year round leisure facility was first class. A summer outdoor pool and winter ice rink is so sensible. Such simple innovation to ensure regular income and minimal investment was long overdue. What

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Why TV Rebekah is making the right moves

A BROMSGROVE girl will be pirouetting her way to the big time after performing with the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain on the BBC Television programme Blue Peter. Rebekah Thawley, of Smite Hill, Hindlip, is a pupil at Droitwich Spa High School

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'Trial by Jury' set to be arresting experience for town's big opera lovers

BROMSGROVE Operatic Society is set to stage a performance of Gilbert & Sullivan's Trial by Jury on Saturday, November 27 and Sunday, November 28. Society publicity officer Kath Walker said the audience will have a great night out as the usher attempts

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A right 'Shindig'

A WONDERFULLY English musical will be performed at Himbleton Village Hall on Saturday, November 13. The new show Plotters, written and performed by musician Sally Goldsmith and accompanied by Chris Foster and Val Regan, is touring village halls around

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No more Words

AWARD-winning poet and novelist, Tobias Hill will bring the Silver Jubilee season of literary groupWords to a close on November 19. Contact ticket Secretary Val Mason on 01527 871019 or call in at Ottakar's Bookshop, High Street, Bromsgrove. For more

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What's on guide

Wednesday November 3 SOUL: The Stylistics, 6pm-2am, tickets available from 0121 200 3030, The Jam House, St Paul's Square, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. DRAMA: Bent, mac, Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham. MUSICAL: We'll meet again, Palace Theatre

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Wychbold Horticultural Society

THE society held its AGM and social evening with a good attendance. The business was briskly handled with a report on the past year and financial report. The committee members were re-elected en-bloc for another year's service. The guest speaker was Stan

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Wonderful

ALL right, so the High Street is starting to look very nice. Lovely flat and smooth paving that shines and sparkles in the sunlight. Lovely flat and smooth paving all ready and waiting to become a treacherous ice rink with a fall of snow... CATHRYN MARTIN

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Wychbold Flower Club

MEMBERS met in the village hall and were first entertained by Virginia Davis telling us about her early career covering a series of interesting jobs taking her from years on the flower market through to a time with Esso in the Middle East. Our guest speaker

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Hunting preserves the hare

THE letter from Rodney Hale (You Say, Monday, October 25) Chairman of the British Brown Hare Preservation Society is a mass of confusion. According to Mr Hale, anyone would think that hunting and coursing were responsible for almost wiping out the hare

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Wychbold WI

OUR president Dot Waldron welcomed a good attendance to our October meeting. Details of the teams we would be playing in the county WI skittle competition had now been received and Pat Kay would arrange an early match to start us off. The splendid day

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Remove these masts

CONGRATULATIONS to the residents of Claines who successfully stopped a mobile phone mast near their homes. Now, however, the phone company has erected the mast in a field overlooking Claines Primary School, where there are already three other masts. How

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Inner Wheel of Droitwich Spa

MEMBERS of the Inner Wheel Club of Droitwich Spa were welcomed to the Raven Hotel for their October meeting by the president, Patricia Phillips, who introduced the district chairman, Shirley Clutton, who was the speaker for the evening. Following a buffet-supper

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3/11/04 - Character is the key in two wins

WE have seen two gutsy performances over the last few days and it was important to call on those qualities if we were going to beat Stafford Rangers and especially Altrincham. There has been plenty of flak thrown at us lately -- our record, as people

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Let's be vigilant and start some watches

CHAIRMAN of Stoke Parish Council, Thelma Roll, called for villagers to 'look out for one another' in a bid to stem petty crime and vandalism. At a meeting on Monday night, Mrs Roll called for residents to set up Neighbourhood Watches in the village after

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Lickey attack

BROMSGROVE police are appealing for information after a woman was assaulted. The incident is believed to have happened in a field near the Alvechurch Highway, near to the junction of Old Birmingham Road, near Lickey. It is believed the woman parked her

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Town ready for sparkling time

TOWNSFOLK are set to have a sparkling time at this year's town bonfire celebrations. Bonfire night promises to be as popular as ever with many events happening throughout Bromsgrove. Most notable of the planned events is the free Civic Bonfire in Sanders

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Dawn of the Dead (18)

"WHEN there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth." Strikes me Satan should adopt a stricter entrance policy as Dawn of the Dead clearly demonstrates the fiery place is taking no new visitors. Instead, the undead are parading around American

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Donor gives £32,000 to knee clinic

A FORMER patient of Droitwich Knee Clinic donated a whopping £32,000 to further the specialist training which helped improve his symptoms. The 36-year-old man, who wished to remain anonymous, made the donation to The Knee Foundation following successful

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Mill needs major work

ONE of the most prominent exhibits at Bromsgrove's premier tourist attraction is in need of urgent repair work and an appeal has been launched this week to carry out the task. The 19th century windmill, one of the most popular attractions at Avoncroft

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£200 for Spa Guides

A KIND-hearted couple has donated £200 to Droitwich Spa Girl Guides after the town mayor decided to decline funds raised for the cause through a psychic evening. Barbara Donnison, spokeswoman for the guides, was delighted to confirm the anonymous town

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Charity begins... at the bank!

A TOWN building society gave customers a fright with a Halloween party fundraiser. Staff at West Bromwich Building Society, High Street, put on the party to raise money for Help the Aged. Customers were met by staff dressed as ghosts and ghouls last Friday

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It's better to be safe than sorry

A SMOKE alarm can save your life and every home in Bromsgrove should have one. That's the message from town firefighters who are now offering free home safety checks for all residents. The free checks have been gradually growing in popularity but Bromsgrove's

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Skinny Minny is on the mend

A FORLORN ferret is being nursed back to health at a Droitwich Spa animal centre. Skinny Minny, who has suffered appalling cruelty, is the latest addition to the Droitwich Ferret Welfare. She arrived in the Spa just a fraction of her acceptable bodyweight

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Anti-social tenants may face eviction

TENANTS who make their neighbours' lives a misery with their anti-social behaviour are being warned that they could face eviction. Bromsgrove District Housing Trust (BDHT), which took over the management of former council homes in March, has pledged to

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Bravo for Spa clinic

DROITWICH Knee Clinic is the subject of a new television documentary being screened later this month. A television crew from satellite channel Bravo filmed an episode of their new series All About Men at the St Andrew's Road clinic last month. The programme

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Out of pocket

PROSPECTIVE civic leaders for Droitwich will be hard to find if they have to continue to do the job voluntarily, a town councillor claims. Independent councillor Claude Heeley expressed concern for the future of Droitwich Spa Town Council at their meeting

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Event will go with a bang!

THE sparkle will be put into Droitwich Spa tomorrow night at a colourful fireworks display. Residents are urged to wrap up warm and get down to Chawson First School for the professional display starting at 6.30pm. A few tickets are still available. For

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100 years ago

November 5, 1904 ALBERT Aston, labourer, of Ipsley Row, was summoned for obstruction in Church Green on October 29th. Inspector Yates said he was attracted by a crowd of people in Church Green and found a man who was in the habit of giving exhibitions

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David Bowie - A Reality Tour

FILMED in Dublin, the DVD covers the tour that accompanied the brilliant Reality album. A lifelong Bowie fan, I went to see the tour at the NEC and although the running order is changed and some different numbers are included, it successfully brought

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The Fog - Special Edition (15)

Suitably re-released around Halloween, this classic John Carpenter ghost story has rightly assumed something of cult status of late. In the accompanying documentary, Carpenter says it was something of a critical flop when first released in 1979, partly

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CAB 'on verge of collapse'

THE head of Redditch Citizens Advice Bureau says its resources have dwindled to such a dangerous level after a council funding cut that its "foundations are crumbling". The annual grant was slashed from £100,000 to £90,000 earlier this year. Acting manager

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Music room is a blessing!

A MUCH-needed new music room was officially opened with a fanfare on Monday at St Bede's Catholic Middle School. The school welcomed a number of visitors involved in the project to the opening, including Fr Joseph Quigley from the Archdiocese of Birmingham

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Bringing order to town estates

POLICE are hoping new powers to stamp out antisocial behaviour will stop people setting off fireworks in estate shopping centres. Antisocial dispersal orders, which allow police to disperse gangs and escort loitering youngsters home, were introduced in

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Working hard for our young

IT would seem any work that is of value being done in Redditch to help the youth culture is fair game for Councillor Brunner to have a snipe at (Letters, October 27). Fortunately, Councillor Rebecca Blake has broad shoulders and unlike Councillor Brunner

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MP backed our concern

IN reply to Mr Kessell's letter (Advertiser, October 27), I will say this. Yes, you were right about the inquiry concerning the Studley bypass. It was a waste of time and taxpayers' money. This was brought about by Warwickshire County Council's inability

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Boy rescued in bin terror

FIREfighters who rescued a terrified boy trapped inside a recycling bin said they were "amazed" he wasn't hurt. The Redditch crew released the boy, aged about eight, using hydraulic equipment after a passer-by spotted him stuck inside the book and magazine-recycling

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Clouds - Festival Theatre, Malvern

CLOUDS was first performed in 1976 and this is its first revival since the 70s. Stylish though the production is, there seems little justification for a revival at this time. Michael Frayn's play, set in communist Cuba, is ordinary on almost every level

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A legendary way to collect cash!

STAFF members and friends of a Redditch hair and beauty salon took part in some hair-raising tasks to raise money for the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign. Legends Hair and Beauty, Crabbs Cross, got clients to sponsor Paul Maynard to have his chest waxed

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Protest over prisons toll

THERE will a protest outside Brockhill Prison on Friday as a group demonstrates about the high number of deaths of women in jails in England and Wales. The protest, led by Pauline Campbell, comes after 19-year-old remand prisoner Kathryn Jones was found

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Hive of activity attracts young

TEENAGERS are notoriously given a bad press, associated often with noise, violence and other antisocial behaviour. But the sight that greeted me upon entering Redditch Youth House could not have been more different. In one room, youngsters were quietly

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Charity wish that came true. . .

FOLLOWING the Primrose Hospice's appeal in the Advertiser to find ''Prince Charmings'' to help Primrose at the Princess, help has arrived from a fairy godmother. Viv Harley, chief executive of Business Network in Alcester Street, signed her business up

Date

Everywoman's Circle

CHAIRWOMAN Jenny Johnson welcomed members to the October 7 meeting. Tribute was paid to the late Cyril Gray, who had suffered a long illness. Cyril will be fondly remembered for his devotion and untiring maintenance of the church. Speaker Nicole Harris

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Ipsley WI

THE annual meeting was held in October and it was on that occasion that members had to say goodbye to outgoing president and founder member Alison Warren. Alison has been one of the stalwarts of Ipsley since its beginning and has been a committee member

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Redditch Garden Society

FOR the first slide show of the autumn season, Peter Sheasby introduced members to the wonderful flora of a South African spring. Peter has visited the area many times and has a deep knowledge of the plants. He began his journey in Cape Town and then

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Wythall WI

WYTHALL WI celebrated its 70th birthday with a medieval banquet. The village hall had been decorated by the craft group with knights, shields and ornamental candlesticks and they had also engraved a presentation spoon for each member. Everyone came in

Date

Why learning is child's play

YOUNG families living at Smallwood Almshouses will now be able to access training onsite - thanks to a scheme being launched by SureStart Redditch. The organisation is funding an £80,000 extension to the Mount Street building to create crche facilities

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£800k could be on way...

THE Greig Centre could be given approval for its long-awaited £800,000 grant from Stratford District Council next month. The matter is to be discussed in a confidential session of the council's executive committee in November but the councillor with responsibility

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Halloween hi-jinks

POLICE in Alcester and Bidford were kept busy on Sunday night as Halloween revellers went into action - though the event seems to have passed without major problems. There were just three incidents reported in Alcester - but Pc Steve Timms spent most

Date

Lisamarie's treatment joy

A SIX-year old Bidford girl has been given a new lease of life after a health authority decided to fund treatment for a rare disorder. Lisamarie Goodwin has been receiving enzyme replacement therapy to combat mucopolysaccharidosis 1 (MPS 1) initially

Date

A helping hand for green fingers

ANYONE fed up of forking out for expensive plants for their garden may be able to dig up a solution at Ragley Hall. Head gardener Ross Barbour launches a series of gardening workshops next week with one entitled Plants for Free. It costs £20 to take part

Date

'Punish poor parking' plea

POLICE have been challenged to punish people who park illegally on a busy road in Salford Priors. The call came at a meeting organised by the parish council to discuss the problems caused by parked cars on Evesham Road and Station Road by churchgoers

Date

New man

BARCLAYS bank has appointed a new area corporate director. Trevor Forrester will be responsible for leading the medium business and agriculture team in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire.

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Celebrating Len's legacy

YOUNG footballers from Alcester have just returned from a victorious trip to Vallet as part of the town's traditional twinning activities. The youngsters, all members of Alcester Athletic Football Association, played their annual match against the team

Date

25 years ago November 2, 1979

THE new Rubery residents association committed itself to fight for a better deal for members. Cockhill Residents Association, covering nearly 1,000 homes, was determined to change the image of the area when over 100 people attended a meeting chaired by

Date

Have a blast but stay safe

FIRE chiefs have issued a safety warning to Warwickshire residents in the run-up to Bonfire Night. Last year, the county's fire and rescue service dealt with a number of nuisance fires lit too close to property or woodland areas, so has issued the following

Date

50 years ago November 6, 1954

SPEAKING at the annual dinner of Bromsgrove Town Band, Chairman of the Urban District Council, Mr Webley, gave the news that the long awaited bandstand will probably be erected in Sanders Park. The meeting was held at the Golden Cross, in Bromsgrove.

Date

Shelley wings in from Down Under

AN Australian woman is spreading fairy magic in the two counties in the run-up to Christmas after turning her hobby into a highly successful business. Shelley Hayes-Williams started making fairy wings "Down Under" 10 years ago, and, after meeting her

Date

It's a bonfire bonanza. . .

THE coming week is sure to go with a bang with firework displays taking place in and around Redditch. Today, Redditch Council is holding a free firework extravaganza at Arrow Valley Lake from 7.30pm, with a guest appearance from Bear 102 FM and Tommy

Date

Lives brought to book

ALL 60 volumes of a newly-published national biography collection are now available at four Worcestershire libraries - including Redditch. The county council's library service has bought four complete copies of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Date

PAY UP OR ELSE

FINE defaulters are set to be targeted in a blitz to claw back some of the £1.2m in outstanding unpaid court fines. Police officers and officials from the West Mercia Magistrates' Courts Service will be knocking on the doors of more than 200 people who