Archive
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Under-estimating rabbit ingenuity
A VISIT to a nature reserve can sometimes present us with a puzzle which can lead to doing a little detective work to solve the mini mystery. A recent example of one of these mysteries was a strangely smooth path in the wet woodland at Hurcott. There
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Young guns trouble leaders in derby clash
Droitwich 1st XI 4 Bromsgrove 1st XI 3 A YOUTHFUL Bromsgrove side gave full strength Droitwich a run for their money in an action packed friendly clash on Saturday. Bromsgrove, fielding four players in their teens, gave the West Midlands Division One
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Truth behind threatened reserve's chequered past
THE Devil's Spittleful nature reserve, which lies in the triangle of land between the towns of Stourport, Bewdley and Kidderminster, must be one of the most enigmatically named nature reserves in the country. The name comes from local folklore which concerns
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Injuries test Droitwich
DROITWICH Spa RFC face a second row injury crisis going into Saturday's replay against Ledbury at home (2.30pm kick off). Director of Rugby Julian Bailey is without Ian Craig and Phil Horton for tomorrow's crucial relegation tussle. Instead Paul Sweeney
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In-built chemical protects plants from winter chill
WITH less light to trap for energy, freezing nights and days can easily damage fragile leaves. Winter is the time most plants decide to cut their losses and draw back any useful nutrients from their leaves back into their stems and roots. The relatively
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Colourful birds will soon find a place in your heart
NO matter what the weather, no matter what sort of horrible, stressful or boring day at work you may have had, there is one little wildlife gem that can always brighten the day and bring a smile to your face-unless of course you are a fish. Then the sight
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Woodland walk at dawn is a perfect start to the day
THE other morning I once again indulged myself in a dawn walk, this time it was at Hurcott Pools and Wood nature reserve. When I arrived at 6am,the sky was overcast, but the wind was perfectly still and there was just the first hint of dawn starting to
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Help raise cash for terminally ill
CARING county residents are being urged to volunteer their time to help a charity raise cash for terminally ill cancer sufferers. Marie Curie Cancer Care is seeking people who would be willing to give up their spare time this February and March to help
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Tiny marsh provides refuge for wealth of animal life
ONE of the things that always surprises me is just how much wildlife can be found even in a small nature reserve. Blake Marsh Local Nature Reserve being only five hectares, or 12 acres, in size has to be one of the smallest reserves looked after by the
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Sing and sup night
FOLK music fans can get the New Year off to a toe-tapping start with a singin' and suppin' evening at Bromsgrove Folk Club tomorrow. Spokesman for the club, Bob Bignell, said: "This gives all of our members, some of whom have not seen each other since
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Celebrations on right lines
LOVERS of choral music should make a date in their diary for celebrations in Kidderminster to mark the 150th birthday of the town hall. The celebrations will begin in March with two performances of a new composition by Geoff Cummings-Knight, called 'Seven
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Less noise from motorcycle rally
MUSIC in a marquee at the Farmer's Arms, Kempsey Common, will have to stop earlier this year during an annual motorcycle rally. "The noise is appalling - absolutely awful," said parish chairman Joy Clee, as the council discussed an application for an
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Organising a change
MEMBERS of an organ society are having a change of venue after the one they had used for 25 years became unavailable. The Redditch and Bromsgrove Organ Society had used the Foxlydiate Hotel in Webheath as their meeting room but now the group is moving
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Chill in the autumn air puts a real spring in your step
THE phrase "fresh," sums up so well the experience of exploring the countryside just following dawn on a clear and sunny autumn morning. The chill in the air seems to bring your senses alive and puts a real spring in your step. Despite the chill, it is
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Smoking
SMOKERS determined to kick the habit can get help with tips to encourage them to carry on quitting. Every year, about this time, 70 per cent of smokers will attempt to quit - an estimated three million people. For example, book a holiday or go shopping
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Holidaymakers swap swimsuits for shovels
British sunseekers caught up in Thailand's tsunami disaster have traded swimsuits for shovels in a bid to help rebuild a devastated village. The foreign travellers-turned-volunteers are helping to rebuild Bang Tao, a village on the resort island of Phuket
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Kick start for our top business bodies
BEING cricket captain of Malvern College may have kick-started Tesco entrepreneur Lord MacLaurin's rise to the top, a new survey has found. In his adult career Ian MacLaurin, aged 67, turned Tesco into the country's leading supermarket - but it all started
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Haohao has the winning formula
A BRAINY Chinese student has proved she is top of the class - after scooping a place at Oxford University's Lady Margaret Hall to study Mathematics and Statistics. Eighteen-year-old Haohao Xu - a pupil at St James' School in Malvern's West Malvern Road
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Landscapes transformed into spectacular scenes
THE shortening of the daylight hours has a few advantages. For one thing it makes it much more convenient to explore the natural world at dusk and dawn. This is my favourite time out on nature reserves as the variety of different lighting conditions frequently
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Landscape changes from vivid shades to drab browns
THE end of the month of August is always a sad time of year. To me, it signifies the turning of the season and the end of summertime. Despite this year's more than average wet and windy summer, I will still miss the warmth of the sun, the vibrant summer
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Take time to discover the weird world of mushrooms
IF you take a walk through Habberley Valley now there are some pretty spectacular fungi to encounter. Probably the largest and most obvious are the parasol mushrooms, so-called due to their large umbrella-shaped caps. Usually found in the shade of a tree
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Marsh finally receives the love and care it deserves
Blake Marsh in Kidderminster has had a troubled history. At one time, it was fondly remembered by many older residents as an extensive area of wetland. Unfortunately, a large area of this marshland habitat was lost when it was in filled in to create additional
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Impressive heron is a joy to behold as day breaks
ONE of Wyre Forest district's most impressive birds has to be the grey heron. When standing, this bird has a stature of nearly a metre and when in flight its wing span is nearly two metres which quite easily dwarfs our district's biggest bird of prey,
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From Golden Tigers to Silence of the Lambs star
ONE frequently asked question is "what is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?" The answer is a little fuzzy, as the distinction is much more historic than it is scientific. In general, moths fly at night and butterflies fly during the day.
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Concrete ruins now offer perfect home for wildlife
IT must have been quite a few years ago when I first came across the remains of the old Second World War American army hospital's water tower on Burlish Top. At that time, it was just possible to make out the square outline of the foundations, the rest
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Foxglove blooms create a splendid spectacular
WHERE can you find foxes and tigers living in harmony together on just one nature reserve? Well, it is true there cannot be many places and even when you stretch this a bit, with tiger referring to tiger beetles and foxes referring to foxgloves, there
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Plant lice's unusual lifestyle
THE lovely warm weather of May and early June has been a real bonus for one particular form of insect. The greenfly and other aphids are a gardener's nightmare, as these tiny little insects are armed with plant-piercing mouth parts which suck the vital
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Early summer flowers are a joy to behold
I ALWAYS feel that the months of May and June are important times in the calendar of a Ranger looking after wetland areas. It is at this time of year that the results of the previous year's management can be most clearly seen as the spring and early summer
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The Classics with Annie Dendy
Frederick Delius: Arrangement for Piano 4 Hands by Peter Warlock. Noriko Ogawa and Kathryn Stott. BIS CD-1347. Born of German parentage in Bradford, Yorkshire, Frederick Delius was to become one of the great English composers. He spent much of his adult
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Crafty rabbits find new ways to elude predators
THE deluge of rain we had in April has proved to be a bounty for many of our district's wild plants and animals, with mild and damp conditions being just what many of our springtime plants needed to put on a real spurt of growth. This abundance of plant
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Educational programme spreads valuable message to youngsters
PART of my job as a ranger with Wyre Forest District Council is to share my knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of the natural world with others. Much of this work involves educating the district's children and even now, after 13 years, I still get a
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A ranger's lot can be a happy one
RANGER jobs are competitively sought after, as a recent advertisement proved with over 100 applications for one vacancy. While working this Easter Bank Holiday I began to wonder why. It can be quite a thankless job at times. You can spend the best part
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Froggy's journey fraught with danger
MILD weather in February has brought an early start to the frog breeding season. On a recent trip to one of our wetland nature reserves the pools were a hive of activity with hundreds of frogs pushing and shoving for space. Frogs can travel up to half
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Beauties drive away drab winter days
IN the spring, many people take great delight in the beautiful display put on by many of the garden bulbs, such as daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and hyacinths. Plants that develop from bulbs use nutrients which they store in that bulb from the previous
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Blackbird
ON seeing a black coloured bird it may be tempting to assume it is a crow, but there are at least five different common birds it could possibly be in the Wyre Forest district. Firstly, it could be a blackbird. These may have similar colouring and feed
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Youngsters have muddy good time
THE first event after the holidays found the Young Rangers feeling heavy after eating too much, so it was time for some exercise. The walk started off on a cold day in Habberley Valley, with muddy conditions underfoot. After walking for 10 minutes, the
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Appeal over bag snatch
A PENSIONER in her 70s was left shaken after being the victim of a bag snatch. The theft happened in Ibstock Close, Winyates, at about 12.50pm on Tuesday, January 4. The woman got off the number 57 bus in Winyates Centre after she had been shopping in
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Grey Hair Grass
WHEN I first started work with Wyre Forest District Council within its Ranger Service things were very different. For a start there was only one local nature reserve, Redstone Marsh, in Stourport, and the emphasis of the job was on environmental education
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Frosty Morning
THERE is something nice about going for an early morning walk on a cold and frosty morning. Everything looks much more vibrant, compared to the usual drab winter colours. It is especially beautiful when a low sun is just peeping over the horizon, making
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Stalk of the town
Review - Jack and the Beanstalk at the Norbury Theatre, Droitwich Spa THE Norbury's production ticked all the traditional pantomime boxes at their opening night last Thursday. From an over the top dame and a dancing cow to thigh-slapping rescue missions
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It's a party playing some great music!
THE lights go down and a tall dark haired white jump-suited figure strides to the centre of the stage, grabs the microphone and lets loose with an unmistakable growl. Uh, huh. It must be another Elvis tribute. But not so fast. Although the king is due
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Cool runnings!
TRAVELLING down a bobsleigh track at nearly 80 miles an hour would be too much for some people. But try going down one on your own and head first and you'll be getting close to Redditch and Great Britain bob skeleton sensation Julia Cartwright. The 23
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Take steps to fitness
REDDITCH Council has joined forces with Redditch Primary Care Trust to encourage residents to walk their way to fitness in 2005 by joining a new scheme. Health walks will take place every Monday from Arrow Valley Countryside Centre at 11am and are aimed
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What's On Guide
Thursday, December 9 Behzti (Dishonour), Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Until December 30. Tickets from 0121 236 4455. Sinatra Gala Birthday Concert Starring Stephen Triffitt, Alexandra Theatre Birmingham. Tickets from 0870 607 7533. Sir James Galway and
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Meeting is chalked up
SNOOKER: The next meeting of the Redditch and District Snooker League will be held at Centrepoint Club at 8pm on Monday, January 17. Annual fees are required from member clubs.
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REVIEW
Miss Saigon Birmingham Hippodrome Until September 6 Cameron Mackintosh's critically acclaimed musical hit the Hippodrome on Tuesday night and proved it was well worth the hype. The ultimate tragic love story, with a breathtaking musical score, Miss Saigon
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Gemma cracks top role
IT'S a cracker! Teenage ballet star Gemma Chidlow has landed a part in Tchaikovsky's classic ballet The Nutcracker. Gemma, a pupil at Holy Trinity School in Kidderminster, was chosen to play the parts of a soldier and a flower during the full-scale production
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LA TRAVIATA Polish State Opera of Wroclaw Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
NO matter how often I see this wonderful Verdi opera, I still get a buzz out of that glorious music, from the excitement of the opening party scene, to the emotional ending. I cannot imagine anyone singing the role of Violetta, the "fallen woman" Dumas
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HALF A SIXPENCE Rose Theatre, Kidderminster Until Saturday
Flash Bang Wallop! what a show by Kidderminster Operatic and Dramatic Society. Half a Sixpence tells the story of HG Wells's eponymous hero, Arthur Kipps, who goes from rags to riches and almost back again, losing sight along the way of what is really
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Jack's Great White hides a guilty secret
JACK Black might well look more like a rumpled heavy metal fan than a Hollywood star, but the chunky Californian is certainly enjoying his "in-demand" status. His busy schedule has seen him hit our screens in a glut of recent films, including School Of
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Scheme runs into protests
LONG-awaited plans for the redevelopment of the empty Co-op site in Studley have been submitted - but have immediately run into opposition from the parish council. The Co-op group wants to build five one-bedroom flats, 14 two-bedroom flats and five three-bedroom
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Expensive blooper costs Bees a smashing point
Stourbridge 2 Studley 0 "WE'RE playing the hardest team every week and that's ourselves," said Studley boss Kevin Rowlands after watching his side succumb to Alliance neighbours Stourbridge. The Bees hit the woodwork twice and had an effort cleared off
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CRYSTAL BALL TO CONTACT WAVE VICTIMS
GRIEVING relatives of tsunami victims are being offered the chance to use a medium in a bid to "contact" dead loved ones. A charity evening is being organised by a Worcestershire clairvoyant, who believes victims' relatives would have their pain eased
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Ministers 'relaxed' on hunt ban delay
THE Government is "relaxed" about any delays to the implementation of the hunting ban caused by the Countryside Alliance's legal challenge, Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael said yesterday. Mr Michael told the Commons the Government would not oppose
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Canal cash news stalled by late bid for £3m grant
THE outcome of a final cash bid to turn Droitwich Barge Canal into a leisure facility will not now be known until March, but campaigners say they are very optimistic. The Droitwich Canal Trust plans to link Droitwich Barge Canal with the Worcester and
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Born to lead the blind through darkness
THESE seven puppies are the latest cute recruits for Guide Dogs for the Blind. It is Labrador Molly's sixth and final litter and within weeks her pups will be taken away to begin training to become guide dogs. Kathy Allen, from St Anne's Road, Claines
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Sunken sauce bottles reveal their true net value
SUNKEN Worcestershire Sauce bottles salvaged from a shipwrecked steamer are fetching up to £300 on the internet. The saucy idea to sell bottles of Lea & Perrins' world famous product has been dreamt up by Miami-based salvage company Odyssey Marine
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Soil and settee dumped in lane
TIGHTER controls on illegal tipping in Worcester could be pushing the problem outside the city boundary. Cameras have been installed at Offerton Lane, in Worcester's Shire Business Park, to end a long-standing problem of illegal tipping and measures have
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Operatic superstars depict Christ's life
Stourbridge Amateur Operatic Society is staging its version of Jesus Christ Superstar the musical next week. The show runs at Stourbridge Town Hall, Crown Centre, from Tuesday October 19 to Saturday October 23. Evening performances start at 7.30pm and
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Lesbian literature - with health warning...
A BOOK by one of Malvern's most notorious residents of the 20th Century, lesbian writer Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall, features in newly-released official documents. Medical advice in 1928 suggested that her novel The Well of Loneliness would encourage female
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Players put their cards on charity
WHIST players who put their cards on the table and made a concerted effort to raise money for charity have generated more than £2,000 for good causes. The group, from Whittington, presented a cheque for £1,100 to Acorn's Children's Hospice last Friday
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Baby days on safari
WEST Midland Safari Park is teeming with tots following an unprecedented baby boom. And keepers are bracing themselves for the imminent arrival of yet more newcomers. More than 10 different species have given birth in the last four weeks, including wolves
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Brindley predicts hot time for City
HEDNESFORD Town player-manager Chris Brindley is not prepared to show any sympathy to Worcester City when the two sides clash at Keys Park on Saturday in the third round of the FA Trophy. The Pitmen are the competition's current holders following a staggering
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Bluebells
MAY is here and the woods all around the district are ablaze with wild flowers. A trip to Hurcott Pools and Woods nature reserve, Kidderminster, is strongly recommended, as these are now a sea of blue. I always find it such an uplifting experience to
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Auto tees get a test drive from champion
NEW facilities at a Worcester golf club are set to revolutionise the way people practice. Ravenmeadow GC, in Claines, has become the first in the area to install automated tees in five of its ten driving range bays. The state-of-the-art equipment automatically
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Danny's double sees off Clough
DANNY Carey-Bertram spearheaded a successful revenge mission as the Bulls bounced back from their Conference defeat at Eton Park to clinch a place in the fourth round of the GLS Cup. The pacy winger scored twice and could have walked off with the matchball
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Malvern into the mix after Stour joy
MALVERN Town Town put themselves into the Travel Factory Alliance promotion mix after a 2-1 victory over fellow high flyers Stourbridge last night. Second-half goals from Chris Jones and Dean Roberts saw Neil Hunt's side, missing Nathan Jukes, Nick Clayton
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Bewdley face tester
BEWDLEY Town visit Riverway tonight in the West Midlands League Division One Cup first round (7.45). In youth fixtures, Worcester City's Midland Floodlit Youth League Cup fourth round tie at Hednesford Town has been re-arranged for tonight. Meanwhile,
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Signs of spring
February had some wonderfully warm and sunny days, which after what had been a drab, but relatively mild winter were most welcome. It was on one of these days I chose to visit Hurcott pools and wood nature reserve. I rode my bicycle there, which meant
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Birds
HOW many times have you watched a nature programme on TV, and seen the colour and grace of many of the world's bird species and thought: "I wish we had some of those in my back garden"? On a recent visit to Hurcott Pool I noticed the return of two seemingly
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Heathland birds
WHEN they think of heath birds, most people imagine skylarks soaring above the heather or a kestrel hovering with amazing skill, ready to pounce on a hapless mouse. However, during the past week I had two encounters with birds which are not exactly rare
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Snakes
I recently saw a wildlife documentary, which featured a river python attacking, constricting and then consuming an antelope. This was quite a stunning bit of footage and I could not help but be impressed by this magnificent snake. Here in England we don't
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Lowland heaths
Reading through the various publications which relate to my work, an article by English Nature caught my eye. It was a feature highlighting the importance of lowland heath and stated at present the lowland heath habitat which can be found on nature reserves
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Daybreak
THE dark evenings of January can be dismal and I often find myself longing for warm, sunny summer evenings. However, I have found there are some advantages to the short daylight hours. My favourite time of day is dawn as I always feel there is something
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Looking back at 2002
IN common with many people, I like to spend a few moments at the start of a new year reflecting on the highlights of the previous year. Last year as a whole is perhaps best categorised as being very mild, albeit a little soggy. With January 2002 being
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Regulars dig deep
LANDLORDS at a pub have praised regulars after they helped raise more than £1,500 for the tsunami emergency appeal. Locals at the Old Bush Inn, in Callow End, near Worcester, took part in a barbecue, raffle and auction on Saturday. Regular Dave Morris
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Generous shoppers
CHURCH groups in Worcester united to raise more than £1,000 for the Asian tsunami appeal through collections in local supermarkets. The North Wedge Church Group and the West Side churches in St John's joined forces at the Co-op shops in Ombersley Road
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Imitation of Stipe...
Definitive REM tribute band Stipe will be playing a rare Midlands gig at JB's in Dudley this week. The band - named after REM's charismatic singer - will be performing at the Castle Hill club tomorrow (Friday October 15). Featuring Kingswinford drummer
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Nearly perfect
NEARLY Dan, a tribute to Steely Dan, have played to audiences at Glastonbury, the jazz caf in London, Ronnie Scott's and the Royal Festival Hall, among other top venues. Next week, the band comes to Worcester's Huntingdon Hall for a night of class entertainment
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TROPHY TIE 'ON'
REDDITCH United will travel to Carlisle to play their FA Trophy third round match despite freak weather which has claimed the lives of three people in the Cumbrian city. The Reds players and staff will be travelling up to their opponents on Friday night
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nature notes
ONE seasonal landmark for me is when I first hear the distinctive call of the cuckoo. It was April 16 this year when I heard the call which gives the cuckoo its name,ringing out across Hartlebury Common. This was, as with most things this year rather
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Weakened Bromsgrove stunned by second half try burst
Bromsgrove Colts 0 Luctonians RFC Colts 19 A BURST of tries in the second half ensured the under strength Boars crashed to defeat on Sunday. Bromsgrove, missing several first team players, had went into the match aiming to make it four wins in a row.
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Juniors enjoy clean sweep
Bromsgrove U10s 20 Stourbridge U10s 10 Tries for Ed Pollock, Joe Walton, Ben Hewitt and Oliver Morton saw the Boars come from behind to win. Bromsgrove U10s 20 Stourbridge U10s 5 In the second game tries for Callum O'Carroll, Chris Cornelissen, Dan Elliott
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Walsall blown away
Bromsgrove U15 27 Walsall U15 7 THE BOARS overcame a poor start to the game to comfortably defeat their Black Country rivals. Bromsgrove allowed Walsall to take a 7-0 lead early on, but hit back almost immediately. Winger Jones pulled Bromsgrove within
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Special needs school enters vital period
IT is almost a year to the day that parents first met at Bromsgrove's Rigby Hall School to consider the proposals for delivering special needs education in the north-east of the county, as proposed by Worcestershire County Council. The Rigby Hall Parents
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Tsunami disaster
ON behalf of the Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC) - representing 12 leading aid agencies, I thank you for what your paper has already done following the Asian Tsunami Disaster and would issue this further appeal to your readers for donations. We
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Swept away
I WOULD like to know why Wythall councillors Denaro, Dyer and Baxter voted against a motion put to Bromsgrove District Council, by Councillor Ann Doyle for regular road sweeping throughout the Bromsgrove district. These councillors know we get nothing
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Windy walk
GRATEFUL thanks to the 'knight in shining armour,' who walked me back home on Saturday morning fromBromsgrove town centre. I was so scared because the wind was so strong and without his comforting arm and presence I would, undoubtedly, have been blown
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Good service
AS there always seems to be too much negative reporting in the press on the refuse collection in Bromsgrove, can I start the New Year on a positive note. I would like to thank the council employees for working on the Bank Holiday Tuesday after Christmas
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Wythall Better to have deducted
RECENTLY I phoned Bromsgrove District Council and asked why they had spent £450,000 in refunding us £5 instead of deducting it off this year's Council Tax bill. Surely the money could have been invested for a short while to gain interest, which in turn
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People power is the answer
IT is Christmas Eve, with hundreds of people cramming into town to do their last bit of shopping. I only need to get a few things from ASDA and am lucky enough to find a space on the car park. As parking has been free for the previous two weekends I assume
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CRASH TWINSANITY
IT'S fair to say that at one stage Crash Bandicoot was the best platformer to grace the PlayStation. Mario and Sonic dominated Nintendo and Sega's consoles but the furry ginger bandicoot was the loveable mascot for Sony. Unfortunately it is also fair
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GRAND THEFT AUTO:SAN ANDREAS
IT'S not often that a near perfect game is produced, Metal Gear Solid, Goldeneye, and Halo have all been remarkably outstanding, but Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is simply the finest game to grace any console. To list everything that can be done in San
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Rovers swoop for Male model
BROMSGROVE Rovers have moved to fill a gaping hole in their defence by making a bid for Bedworth United centre back Phil Male. The club slapped in a seven-day bid for the left sided defender after releasing Steve Ulfig before Saturday's win over Cinderford
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Szewczyk goal saves wasteful Rovers
Bromsgrove Rovers 1 Cinderford Town 1 By Peter McKinney PAUL Szewczyk's second half goal settled a tense affair at the Victoria Ground on Saturday as wasteful Bromsgrove Rovers bounced back from last week's loss to Stourport Swifts. Despite creating a
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Timely Campbell sees Spartak through
Wilmcote S&S 0 Barnt Green Spartak 1 (AET) DEFENDER Simon Campbell was the hero for Green as he pounced to grab a late winner in the Smedley Crooke Charity Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. Campbell headed in the winner in the 119th minute to book the
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TONY HAWK'S UNDERGROUND 2
FROM the beginning in an almost Jackass like way, violators imitating moves are warned that they will be smacked. This is fittingly appropriate for Tony Hawk's Underground 2 is far more than just a sequel to the original THUG but rather a game that pays
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FIFA 2005
THIS year's new feature to the FIFA series is the first touch system. Although this is another nice addition to improve the gameplay, EA have not added much more meaning once again FIFA 2005 does not quite live up to the standards of the mighty Pro Evolution
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Goal sinks Rubery
A LATE winner denied Rubery into the final of the Ken Parfitt Cup on Sunday as they lost 3-2 to Oak Heath Sports. Rubery had produced a gutsy performance to come from two goals down in the second half. However, as the game seemed to be heading towards
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ANIMAL CROSSING
IN Animal Crossing everything occurs in real time, courtesy of a 24-hour clock and both seasonal and daily variations occur. Even when you're not playing Animal Crossing, things are still going on. This is a more realistic life simulator than The Sims
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SYPHON FILTER: THEOMEGA STRAIN
WITH a selection of prequels on the PSONE, Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain has a lot to live up to. In terms of meeting the expectations set there are both high and low points that will be encountered throughout the endurance of the game. Gamers will
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Special needs school enters vital period
IT is almost a year to the day that parents first met at Bromsgrove's Rigby Hall School to consider the proposals for delivering special needs education in the north-east of the county, as proposed by Worcestershire County Council. The Rigby Hall Parents
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Swept away
I WOULD like to know why Wythall councillors Denaro, Dyer and Baxter voted against a motion put to Bromsgrove District Council, by Councillor Ann Doyle for regular road sweeping throughout the Bromsgrove district. These councillors know we get nothing
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Windy walk
GRATEFUL thanks to the 'knight in shining armour,' who walked me back home on Saturday morning fromBromsgrove town centre. I was so scared because the wind was so strong and without his comforting arm and presence I would, undoubtedly, have been blown
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Paying too much
IN her observations to my views re: employment of traffic wardens, Councillor Pam Davey makes her political point. My concern is still with Droitwich town centre. In plain language, who pays? The punished, (the motorist), or the ratepayer; if so why are
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Calling on your support
I HOPE readers in the Bromsgrove and Droitwich Spa areas will support an environmentally friendly fundraising scheme for the New Year, as Guide Dogs encourages people to recycle their old mobile phones. With 50 million phones discarded in the UK - many
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NBA JAM
NBA Jam is one of the most addictive, fast-flowing, and fun-filled basketball titles to grace any console. Gamers partake in three on three gameplay in one of the three main modes available: Exhibition, Jam Tournament, and Legends Tournament. Before every
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ALIAS
BASED on the popular television series Alias, gamers control CIA Agent Sydney Bristow. Alias tries to convince gamers that it is a stealth game. You can hide from enemies behind crates, perform stealth kills MGS style and sneak in shadows to avoid the
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007 EVERYTHING OR NOTHING
(Available on Xbox, Gamecube, PS2 and GBA) JAMES Bond is back with his latest assignment in 007 Everything or Nothing. Unlike the previous two titles, 007 Nightfire and 007 Agent Under Fire, Everything or Nothing goes into third person view, and although
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SPHINX AND THE CURSED MUMMY
(Available on XBOX, PS2, GC) SPHINX took on a big challenge last week, as it released on the same day as the big Final Fantasy X-2 but, to everyone's surprise, Sphinx held its own. Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy is set in Egypt - no surprises there - and
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SONIC HEROES
(Available on PS2, XBOX, GC) SONIC makes his debut appearance on the PS2 and the XBOX with the release of Sonic Heroes. Unlike the previous Sonics, the levels appear in 3D, from a perspective of behind the character. Also, another brand new element of
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MAFIA
Available on PS2, coming soon to Xbox MAFIA, originally released on the PC two years ago, has finally been remade for the PSw and was worth the wait. Mafia is set in the crime-stricken underworld of the 1930s. You play as Thomas Angelo, a taxi driver
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MEDAL OF HONOUR: RISING SUN
Available on XBOX, PS2, GC WITH the incredible success of the first Medal Of Honor: Frontline, this eagerly-awaited sequel had a lot to live up to. Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun is set initially in Pearl Harbour, before moving on to some great locations
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Witless
I'VE gone off Sir John Phillpott (Evening News, Saturday, January 1). Two years ago he elevated me to Lord Wyre Piddle. Not a dicky-bird this year. I thought I might have at least been made Wet Wit of Warndon. GEORGE COWLEY, Warndon, Worcester.
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Find rhythm and reason
LIGHT-footed folk are invited to step away those surplus Christmas pounds in two new dance classes being put on at the Spadesbourne Suite in Bromsgrove. Dance company 'Feel the Rhythm' is hoping to capitalise on the current trend for ballroom dancing
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An honour for fiction?
IT is with much amusement that I read L Spiteri's frequent letters to Letters in which he continuously strives to re-write history. Examples are "Britain re-armed and the Second World War was the result", "Germany and Japan built great economies and an
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Chaddesley Corbett WI
The first monthly meeting of 2005 for Chaddesley Corbett WI was held last Wednesday. The evening commenced with the president Barbara Haskwell welcoming everyone and wishing all members a very happy and healthy New Year. Business matters followed with
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City at end of queue
MARK Starr declares "UKIP is clear the existing structure of local government serves our needs" (Letters, Thursday, December 30). What utter nonsense - under present structures, Worcester is invariably at the end of the queue when it comes to central
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Bentley WI
For our December meeting we held a Christmas extravaganza at Bentley Village Hall. Lynne Reading, our newly-elected president, welcomed members and guests then presented Diana Gibbs, our retiring president, with a gift to reiterate our gratitude and appreciation
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Lickey WI
Sue Mayne welcomed two visitors and one new member to Lickey WI's first meeting of 2005, which was held at the parish hall last Tuesday. Dates and destinations were announced of three coach outings planned for later in the year and possible theatre visits
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50 years ago
January 14, 1955 REDDITCH District Council's health committee are agreed on the principle that a modern up-to-date abattoir or slaughterhouse is needed to serve the town and at their meeting last Wednesday, it was recommended that the sanitary inspector
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THE SIMS BUSTIN' OUT
Available on PS2, GC, XBOX, GBA THE massive PC game, The Sims, makes its second appearance on the consoles with The Sims Bustin' Out. Much like the previous Sims games, it presents the original challenges of finding a job, getting a girlfriend, and moving
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Grand Theft Auto
THE special Grand Theft Auto double pack is possibly the ultimate Christmas present for all gamers over the age of 17. The pack includes both GTA3 and GTA: Vice City. For those unfamiliar with the GTA series the action takes place in Liberty City. Gamers
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BACKYARD WRESTLING
THIS is a very extreme, violent sport as one can see just from viewing the promotional video which comes as part of the extras. Sadly, the game doesn't really recreate the sport to its full potential. Admittedly gamers can jump off 40ft ladders, smash
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Hit and Run
AFTER a string of poor Simpson's titles Hit and Run will be welcomed by fans of the cult television show. Hit and Run is similar in parts to Grand Theft Auto but, rather than taking part in mass criminal activity, gamers control the likes of Homer, Bart
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FIFA 2004
FIFA 2004 is the finest Fifa game to grace games consoles ever since ISS bettered it back in the days of the PSONE. Now gamers can play as football teams from any division so this means that, you too, can control the Kidderminster Harriers in season mode
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Celebrating arrival of huge grant
FUNDRAISERS who have worked tirelessly for two years to raise cash to repair the crumbling fabric of Bromsgrove's ancient parish church are rejoicing this week after hearing they have been given one of the largest ever grants of its kind. But the real
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Outstanding schools have hit the heights
TWO Bromsgrove schools have been honoured in a list of education watchdog Ofsted's high achievers. Both Aston Fields Middle School, of Drummond Road, and St John's C of E Foundation Middle School, of Watt Close, were given the thumbs up and a proud place
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Must improve communication
BROMSGROVE'S newly-elected lone Liberal Democrat councillor says the authority must do more to communicate with the people it serves. Councillor Gordon Selway, who won a seat in Slideslow on December 9, said he has found the district council's communications
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Girls warned
YOUNGSTERS are warned to be on their guard after two separate reports of Droitwich Spa schoolgirls being approached by men. The most recent incident happened on Monday evening at about 5.15pm. A man shouted and ran towards a schoolgirl on the Astroturf
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Pro Evolution Soccer 3
RELEASED tomorrow, PES3 is the best football game on the market. Unfortunately the commentary is as poor as before but there is a wealth to do ranging from the huge master league mode to a series of challenges in the training mode. PES3 is the most enjoyable
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Salt boy case jury is sent out
The jury in the "salt boy" murder case was due to be sent out today (Wednesday) to consider its verdicts. Ian and Angela Gay are accused of killing three-year-old Christian Blewitt after becoming disenchanted with him, five weeks into a trial adoption
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Older people in STI threat
PRACTISING safe sex is not just an issue for the young, a group of Droitwich Spa pensioners claim. Droitwich Spa Area Forum for Older People is urging the town's grey army to get clued up on sexually transmitted diseases in its newsletter, The Challenger
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The Italian Job: LA Heist
THE Italian Job: LA Heist is based on the new blockbuster film currently showing at the cinema. LA Heist's main mode is the story mode. This involves completing missions in the legendary Mini, whether it's to reach a certain destination or race. Sadly
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Cash floods in for appeal
THE appeal to raise cash for villagers who cared for a group of Bromsgrove scuba divers after the tsunami hit Sri Lanka is gathering pace. So far an astonishing £15,000 has been pledged but appeal spokeswoman Michelle Mills says she is keen to keep up
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Wario World
One of the most famous Nintendo characters is Mario's arch rival, Wario. With games such as Mario Party 4 and Super Smash Bros Melee already featuring Wario it was only a matter of time before Nintendo was to give him his very own game. GRAPHICS As with
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Divided Galaxies
After the extremely advanced Uncommon Valour, Just Flight has released the latest Starships Unlimited, entitled, Starships Unlimited: Divided Galaxies. The game caters for the average gamer, providing them with a user-friendly tutorial which will prove
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Uncommon Valour
Campaign For The South PacificJust Flight is famous for providing gamers with top quality flight simulations whether they are new to the genre or experts. As one would expect the flight simulations vary considerably in difficult, some will be picked up
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WWE Crush Hour
It's not quite wrestling, it's not quite a racer, and it's not quite a shoot 'em up! Which begs the question -what exactly is WWE Crush Hour? GRAPHICS Visually WWE Crush Hour is distinctly average. Admittedly each wrestler accurately represents their
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Restaurant Empire
Armand your task is to compete with and surpass Omnifood. What starts off as just running a Restaurant and earning a smDeemed "the rolls-Royce of Tycoon Games" Restaurant Empire certainly has a lot to live up to. The Sims has been in the charts now for
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Silent Hill 3
Considering the prequel to this game was labelled as a fear evoking psychological experience which would reduce grown men to a cowering wreck, it is a tough task for Konami to create a game even parallel to the mighty Silent Hill 2. Yet again gamers are
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WE HAVE A BAD FEELING
A BATCHLEY couple fear a Sri Lankan woman they fostered as a child may have been a victim of the Asian tsunami disaster which killed at least 150,000. Jim and Jill Blundell have been desperately trying to contact Shiromi Gamage, who along with 20 other
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You gave so generously
THE members of both Rotary Clubs in Redditch who organised the enormously successful collection in the Kingfisher Centre on New Year's Eve in the wake of the tsunami disaster would like to thank the people of Redditch for their unbelievable generosity
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Join the fun at the BBC Good Food Show
The BBC Good Food Show, sponsored by npower gas, Britain's biggest and most exciting food event takes place at The NEC Birmingham from the 24th - 28th November and this year it offers even more exciting food experiences. With over 600 exhibitors it's
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Divers' appeal gets organised
A GROUP of divers who were on a Sri Lankan beach when the devastating Boxing Day tsunami hit have set up a formal charity committee to help the desperate villagers who saved them. Redditch and Bromsgrove members of the Millennium Dive Centre were preparing
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Gig guide
Thurs Oct 14 Don 'O Lee - Pie Factory Jam Night - Moorings Tavern Gordon Haskell - Robin R 'n' B Club Delirious? - Civic Hall The Delays - Wulfrun Hall Cult of Luna - Carling Academy 2 Ivor James - The Broadway Ben Smith - Katie Fitzgerald's Ian McNabb
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Fire crews pack it in for appeal
REDDITCH firefighters have held several events and are planning others to raise cash for the hundreds of thousands of people who were made homeless and had their lives devastated by the Asian tsunami. On Christmas Eve, the firefighters took part in a
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High and dry over pension
ON December 20, I went to my local post office to draw my pension, only to be told the machine had been playing up all day and had finally "crashed" so no money could be paid out. I had a bill to pay but could not access the Alliance & Leicester account
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Teach safety by example
EVERY morning I walk my three children to school from Smallwood to Hollyoaks Fields First School in Bridge Street, Batchley. Their ages are nine, seven and five years of age. No matter how much road safety you teach children, you can never be too careful
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Planning outrage
RESIDENTS living near the proposed Abbey Stadium development say their response to the controversial planning application has been severely restricted because of the delay in a letter being sent to them. Plans for the £50 million sports, leisure and entertainment
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Our views are ignored
DISTRICT Councillor Hazel Wright's disappointment that a public consultation meeting to discuss the setting of Stratford Council's council tax for next year was attended by just eight members of the public should have come as no surprise to her (Advertiser
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Wartime friend remembered
MEMORIES of Studley's wartime history were rekindled recently for one Studley man after he heard from an old friend. But that old friend was once recognised as the enemy - a German prisoner of war who spent some of his captivity in Studley. A camp at
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Mobile miracle
THE Christmas spirit was alive and well in Sainsbury's car park on the evening of December 21. I would like to thank the kind person who picked up my mobile and handed it into customer services - probably before I realised I had lost it. Happy New Year
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'Callous, needless act of violence'
A REWARD has been offered by the owners of a two-year-old cat which had to be put down after being paralysed by an air gun pellet. Jimi, who belonged to Andy and Kay Spires, of Birchfield Road, Headless Cross, was found by the couple's neighbour recently
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Keeping faith
I WOULD like to thank our Labour councillors for "keeping faith with us" and restoring our free bus passes on Christmas Eve. And, I sincerely hope the recipients of the passes will remember they were removed from us by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrat
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Eyes on the stars
A BATCHLEY woman is seeing stars after being picked to perform on popular ITV1 show Stars in their Eyes. Laura Styler, 23, was thrilled to represent her "idol", former Neighbours star and chart-topper Delta Goodrem. Miss Styler, a nursery nurse, survived
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Youth getting the message
YOUNG people in Wythall are "getting the message", say the village's police after encouraging results from an antisocial behaviour order. Wythall beat manager Pc Mark Townsend said since the Section 30 Order was renewed on November 1, police had dispersed
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'Mum always says when they go to the gates they have to look perfect'
A CHILDHOOD ambition has led to it being a real family affair for one Redditch man who has drafted in his parents, brothers, in-laws and cousins to help run his business. Simon Thomas set up Thomas Brothers Funeral Directors seven years ago and has since
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BBC has responsibilities
"WATCH your gutter language you, you are not at home now!" Such was my response when lecturing in building some years ago to 16 year old trying to shock me. I could almost guarantee his reaction - "I don't swear at home, sir." "And you don't swear here
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Couple's joy written in the tea leaves...
SIXTY years of wedded bliss were celebrated recently for two new residents of Redditch. James and Lily Waterston, of Bentley Close, Southcrest, were joined by their family for a day out to mark their special occasion. They met while serving at RAF Honeybourne
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Cookhill WI
MEMBERS celebrated the Christmas season in great style at their monthly meeting in December. Alan and Eunice Evans provided the evening's entertainment and how good they were. Alan has been playing the ukulele for about four years, now possessing four
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Champions stride towards retaining title
HOLDERS Bromsgrove made a decisive step towards retaining the Wessex Indoor Bowls League National Championship by defeating Chipping Norton 97-59 on Sunday. Despite being without seven first team regulars Bromsgrove's strength of depth helped them see
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Title race threatens to go down to the wire
COFTON Hackett B and Lickey Monarchs are still neck - and - neck at the top of the table after drawing 5-5 in the Bromsgrove and RedditchTable Tennis League Division One. In the biggest clash of the season so far neither side could make a break at the
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25 years ago January 11, 1980
PEOPLE in Bromsgrove seeking to further their education by attending evening courses or collages were to pay more. County councillors were being urged to raise the cost from 28p to 50p or even 75p per hour. It was said the true commercial cost of courses
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50 years ago January 15, 1955
PREPARATIONS for the opening of the new infants' department at Charford School was being hampered by the refusal of parents to reply to letters asking them if they wished to send their children there. The authorities said it was impossible to plan ahead
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100 years ago January 14, 1905
THE population of Bromsgrove's urban district was becoming healthier, according to a report by the town's medical officer. Last month, most of the 13 deaths had been from old age and bronchitis, plus one from accidental suffocation. Importantly, none
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Speeding hazard for villagers
YEARS of lobbying to cut speed limits on a "hazardous" Bidford road may soon pay off. Investigations are under way for a village speed review scheme on the B439 from Stratford to Salford Priors, via Bidford. Consultations are currently taking place between
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New name bid
PEOPLE are being asked to come up with a new name for the Greig Centre sports hall - but it must have nothing to do with sport. The hall is going to be revamped following the grant of £800,000 from Stratford District Council and although there will still
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Seriously hurt
TWO people were airlifted to hospital after a serious road accident in Oversley involving four vehicles. The accident happened at 2.10pm on Sunday, January 9, when a red Rover 214 travelling along the A46 collided with a red Vauxhall Astra travelling
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Big rise in air travel
RECORD numbers of passengers passed through the UK's major airports last year, figures out today showed. The seven airports run by the BAA company handled 140.1 million travellers in 2004 - a 6.9 per cent increase on 2003. The biggest increase was at
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Drunken act prompts help
A DRUNKEN Alcester woman scared away shoppers in Stratford town centre by breaking a shop sign, throwing a hobby horse to the ground and urinating in the street. And a judge a Warwick Crown Court heard that at the time of the incident, Cheryl Adey was
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Top class awards
STUDENTS past and present gathered at Alcester Grammar School for the annual awards evening. After a welcome from headteacher Iain Blaikie, the following prizes were awarded: In Year 11, Rachel Drake and Matthew Powell shared the Mason Cup for the best
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Here are the crowds ... but where were the sales?
RETAILERS in Worcester have recorded a generally "bleak" Christmas amid national reports that December sales were the worst for a decade. A study by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and accountants KPMG found like-for-like sales fell by 0.4 per cent
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Tributes to a devoted councillor
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former Wythall parish councillor who devoted her life to the village. Kay Elliott, who died on December 18 aged 94, lived most of her adult life in Wythall and gave countless hours to the community. Close friend and neighbour
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Hospice's double joy
A FANTASTIC evening of entertainment takes place on Friday, February 18, when not one but two local bands take to the stage in aid of Primrose Hospice's "Primrose at the Princess" appeal. Dempsey's Lot will be performing lively Irish music to get people
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Duo says it straight with the politics of Crooked Man song
EYEBROWS are set to be raised in Worcester next week as a controversial song touching on global politics is aired in the city in the wake of the US elections. Show of Hands - one of England's most successful acoustic roots duos - will perform the song
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Exploiting new food sources is key to survival
Winter is always a hard time for our terrestrial wildlife. The cold conditions mean that unless an animal has some way of heating itself up using an internal mechanism then it is going to be impossible to survive in an active form through the winter.
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Woodland walk at dawn is a perfect start to the day
THE other morning I once again indulged myself in a dawn walk, this time it was at Hurcott Pools and Wood nature reserve. When I arrived at 6am,the sky was overcast, but the wind was perfectly still and there was just the first hint of dawn starting to
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Tiny marsh provides refuge for wealth of animal life
ONE of the things that always surprises me is just how much wildlife can be found even in a small nature reserve. Blake Marsh Local Nature Reserve being only five hectares, or 12 acres, in size has to be one of the smallest reserves looked after by the
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Sing and sup night
FOLK music fans can get the New Year off to a toe-tapping start with a singin' and suppin' evening at Bromsgrove Folk Club tomorrow. Spokesman for the club, Bob Bignell, said: "This gives all of our members, some of whom have not seen each other since
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Organising a change
MEMBERS of an organ society are having a change of venue after the one they had used for 25 years became unavailable. The Redditch and Bromsgrove Organ Society had used the Foxlydiate Hotel in Webheath as their meeting room but now the group is moving
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Chill in the autumn air puts a real spring in your step
THE phrase "fresh," sums up so well the experience of exploring the countryside just following dawn on a clear and sunny autumn morning. The chill in the air seems to bring your senses alive and puts a real spring in your step. Despite the chill, it is
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The act of lighting fires has become ridiculously easy
Fire mixed with nature is nearly always a bad thing. In pre-human times though, naturally started fire could prove to be really positive. It cleared areas of old growth and allowed new and diverse communities to become briefly established as the burned
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Conservation of wetland habitats is an uphill battle
ON many occasions I have written about the splendour of our district's lowland heaths. If you take a trip out to any of them now it is easy to see why as the heather is in bloom and the bleak heathland landscape is a wonderful purple colour. It is such
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Landscapes transformed into spectacular scenes
THE shortening of the daylight hours has a few advantages. For one thing it makes it much more convenient to explore the natural world at dusk and dawn. This is my favourite time out on nature reserves as the variety of different lighting conditions frequently
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Take time to discover the weird world of mushrooms
IF you take a walk through Habberley Valley now there are some pretty spectacular fungi to encounter. Probably the largest and most obvious are the parasol mushrooms, so-called due to their large umbrella-shaped caps. Usually found in the shade of a tree
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Impressive heron is a joy to behold as day breaks
ONE of Wyre Forest district's most impressive birds has to be the grey heron. When standing, this bird has a stature of nearly a metre and when in flight its wing span is nearly two metres which quite easily dwarfs our district's biggest bird of prey,
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From Golden Tigers to Silence of the Lambs star
ONE frequently asked question is "what is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?" The answer is a little fuzzy, as the distinction is much more historic than it is scientific. In general, moths fly at night and butterflies fly during the day.
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Foxglove blooms create a splendid spectacular
WHERE can you find foxes and tigers living in harmony together on just one nature reserve? Well, it is true there cannot be many places and even when you stretch this a bit, with tiger referring to tiger beetles and foxes referring to foxgloves, there
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Early summer flowers are a joy to behold
I ALWAYS feel that the months of May and June are important times in the calendar of a Ranger looking after wetland areas. It is at this time of year that the results of the previous year's management can be most clearly seen as the spring and early summer
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The Classics with Annie Dendy
Frederick Delius: Arrangement for Piano 4 Hands by Peter Warlock. Noriko Ogawa and Kathryn Stott. BIS CD-1347. Born of German parentage in Bradford, Yorkshire, Frederick Delius was to become one of the great English composers. He spent much of his adult
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Swallows in aerobatic display engineers can only dream of
IN the last few weeks one of Britain's most graceful and beautiful birds has started to arrive on our shores after undertaking a mammoth journey from the equatorial regions of Africa. Swallows are fantastic fliers and have evolved to a near perfect aerodynamic
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Insect quest comes to painful end as talented tiger beetle bites back
APRIL has certainly been a month of contrasts. The beginning of the month was cool and spring-like, the end of the month was wet and cool, while the middle of the month was hot and summery. It was on one of those sweltering summer-like days that I began
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Educational programme spreads valuable message to youngsters
PART of my job as a ranger with Wyre Forest District Council is to share my knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of the natural world with others. Much of this work involves educating the district's children and even now, after 13 years, I still get a
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A ranger's lot can be a happy one
RANGER jobs are competitively sought after, as a recent advertisement proved with over 100 applications for one vacancy. While working this Easter Bank Holiday I began to wonder why. It can be quite a thankless job at times. You can spend the best part
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Bright bluebells cast magical spell
THE nature reserves of Hurcott Pool, Spennells Valley and the Rifle Range, in Kidderminster, are just a few of the woody areas which are now covered in a ground flora of lush green succulent leaves. At first glance this may look a little like a covering
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Don't be fooled by first impressions
AT the beginning of April many people may indulge in, or at least keep a wary eye out for, people playing tricks on them. While in our human environment it is either harmless fun or irritating, depending on your point of view, in the animal world trickery
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First flowers of spring warm our hearts
AS March blends into April spring slowly starts to unfold. The wetlands have been the first to respond to the sun's warming rays with new growth starting to come through. The first flowers have even started to open, with the most striking of these being
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Beauties drive away drab winter days
IN the spring, many people take great delight in the beautiful display put on by many of the garden bulbs, such as daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and hyacinths. Plants that develop from bulbs use nutrients which they store in that bulb from the previous
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Blackthorn
EACH year I always look forward to the flowering of the blackthorn. Across the district this thorny bush has been coming into bloom, transforming wayside places and patches of thicket with masses of white blossoms. Where it occurs in abundance the white
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Blackbird
ON seeing a black coloured bird it may be tempting to assume it is a crow, but there are at least five different common birds it could possibly be in the Wyre Forest district. Firstly, it could be a blackbird. These may have similar colouring and feed
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Youngsters have muddy good time
THE first event after the holidays found the Young Rangers feeling heavy after eating too much, so it was time for some exercise. The walk started off on a cold day in Habberley Valley, with muddy conditions underfoot. After walking for 10 minutes, the
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Grey Hair Grass
WHEN I first started work with Wyre Forest District Council within its Ranger Service things were very different. For a start there was only one local nature reserve, Redstone Marsh, in Stourport, and the emphasis of the job was on environmental education
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It's a party playing some great music!
THE lights go down and a tall dark haired white jump-suited figure strides to the centre of the stage, grabs the microphone and lets loose with an unmistakable growl. Uh, huh. It must be another Elvis tribute. But not so fast. Although the king is due
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What's on guide
Wednesday January 12 FILM: Merchant of Venice, mac, Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, 6pm. LIVE MUSIC: Bromsgrove Concerts, Contemporary Consort, Guesten Hall, Museum of Historic Buildings, Redditch Road, Stoke Heath, 8pm. Thursday January 13 FILM
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Pond-dipping
AT various times during the year, the Ranger Service holds pond-dipping events around the district, where children can have a bit of fun playing at pools with nets, trays and jars, scooping out wriggling masses of pond life which they then examine with
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Lowland heaths
Reading through the various publications which relate to my work, an article by English Nature caught my eye. It was a feature highlighting the importance of lowland heath and stated at present the lowland heath habitat which can be found on nature reserves
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Adapting to urban life
With the expansion of towns and cities and the intensification of agriculture to support an ever-increasing human population, a tremendous strain has been put on the natural world. Many species have found it increasingly difficult to survive either through
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Magical history tour
Tribute act Bootleg McCartney are set to take Brierley Hill music fans on a magical history tour this weekend. The band - the ultimate tribute to the music of legends Paul McCartney and The Beatles - will be playing at The Shed, Wedgbury Way, on Saturday
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Imitation of Stipe...
Definitive REM tribute band Stipe will be playing a rare Midlands gig at JB's in Dudley this week. The band - named after REM's charismatic singer - will be performing at the Castle Hill club tomorrow (Friday October 15). Featuring Kingswinford drummer
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Nearly perfect
NEARLY Dan, a tribute to Steely Dan, have played to audiences at Glastonbury, the jazz caf in London, Ronnie Scott's and the Royal Festival Hall, among other top venues. Next week, the band comes to Worcester's Huntingdon Hall for a night of class entertainment
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CRASH TWINSANITY
IT'S fair to say that at one stage Crash Bandicoot was the best platformer to grace the PlayStation. Mario and Sonic dominated Nintendo and Sega's consoles but the furry ginger bandicoot was the loveable mascot for Sony. Unfortunately it is also fair
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CRIMSON SEA 2
TWO years ago Sho saved the Theophilus. Now the menace has attacked the Theophilus solar system and Sho must destroy the menace once again. When people think of KOEI, the first game that springs to mind is probably the Dynasty Warriors series. Crimson
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STREETFIGHTER:ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
IT has been more than 15 years now since the first Street Fighter was released. Street Fighter has always been a classic beat 'em up, rivalled by the likes of Soul Calibur, Tekken and Mortal Kombat. Capcom have released a treat for fans of the series
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DYNASTY WARRIORS 4: EMPIRES
Dynasty Warriors has evolved an enormous amount from the original version back on the PSONE. The PSONE version was a simple beat them up affair but now gamers indulge in full-scale battles. Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires is the latest addition to the series
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RESIDENT EVIL OUTBREAK
AFTER months of eager anticipation Resident Evil Outbreak is finally here, but it's not quite what one may have initially envisaged. Gamers were disappointed when it was announced that the European release would not feature an online mode. Originally
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DRIV3R
Gamer's play undercover cop Tanner in the third instalment of the Driver series. As Tanner you must infiltrate the biggest car theft of all time! Graphically Driv3r's FMV's are nothing short of amazing providing gamers with a cinematic display of beauty
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THE SUFFERING
"If there is a God, then why has he let me die?" Torque finds this scrawled on the wall of a cell and it serves as a general introduction to The Suffering, a game in which reality is obscured and horror is very much the flavour of the day. Gamers control
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Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
STARRING Jean Reno as Jacques and Takeshi Kaneshiro as Samanosuke, one could be forgiven for believing Onimusha 3 is the latest Hollywood movie to hit the box office. Actually it is the third and, arguably, the best in the exciting Onimusha trilogy. Onimusha
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Gran Turismo 4 "Prologue"
AS fans eagerly await the release of Gran Turismo 4 at the end of the year, Sony release a taster of what fans can expect in the form of Gran Turismo 4 "Prologue." Gamers can expect what can be described as "diet" Gran Turismo or a glorified demo. Glorified
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NBA JAM
NBA Jam is one of the most addictive, fast-flowing, and fun-filled basketball titles to grace any console. Gamers partake in three on three gameplay in one of the three main modes available: Exhibition, Jam Tournament, and Legends Tournament. Before every
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WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RUGBY
WHEN England captured the Rugby World Cup it was inevitable that there would be a rugby game produced. Acclaim brings gamers World Championship Rugby so gamers can relive the glory of Jonny Wilkinson and the rest of the England team. It would have been
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BROKEN SWORD: THE SLEEPING DRAGON
THIS is the third instalment in the point and click adventure series. Gamers control George Stobbart for the majority of the game but also have sections where they control Nico Collard. This game marks Broken Sword's transformation from 2D to 3D graphics
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ALIAS
BASED on the popular television series Alias, gamers control CIA Agent Sydney Bristow. Alias tries to convince gamers that it is a stealth game. You can hide from enemies behind crates, perform stealth kills MGS style and sneak in shadows to avoid the
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007 EVERYTHING OR NOTHING
(Available on Xbox, Gamecube, PS2 and GBA) JAMES Bond is back with his latest assignment in 007 Everything or Nothing. Unlike the previous two titles, 007 Nightfire and 007 Agent Under Fire, Everything or Nothing goes into third person view, and although
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SONIC HEROES
(Available on PS2, XBOX, GC) SONIC makes his debut appearance on the PS2 and the XBOX with the release of Sonic Heroes. Unlike the previous Sonics, the levels appear in 3D, from a perspective of behind the character. Also, another brand new element of
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The Lord of the Rings: Regurn of the King.
Available for XBOX, PS2, GC, CBA THE final part of this amazing trilogy has finally been released on the consoles. The Return of the King plays very similarly to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and, like this last instalment, the Return of the King
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THE SIMS BUSTIN' OUT
Available on PS2, GC, XBOX, GBA THE massive PC game, The Sims, makes its second appearance on the consoles with The Sims Bustin' Out. Much like the previous Sims games, it presents the original challenges of finding a job, getting a girlfriend, and moving
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Grand Theft Auto
THE special Grand Theft Auto double pack is possibly the ultimate Christmas present for all gamers over the age of 17. The pack includes both GTA3 and GTA: Vice City. For those unfamiliar with the GTA series the action takes place in Liberty City. Gamers
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JAK II: RENEGADE
THIS game is one of the most exciting, yet surprisingly dark, platform games to emerge on the PS2 in recent months. The basic game mechanics seem to mirror those of GTA, whereby the gamer is treated to a cut scene expanding the storyline. They then find
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Hit and Run
AFTER a string of poor Simpson's titles Hit and Run will be welcomed by fans of the cult television show. Hit and Run is similar in parts to Grand Theft Auto but, rather than taking part in mass criminal activity, gamers control the likes of Homer, Bart
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Pro Evolution Soccer 3
RELEASED tomorrow, PES3 is the best football game on the market. Unfortunately the commentary is as poor as before but there is a wealth to do ranging from the huge master league mode to a series of challenges in the training mode. PES3 is the most enjoyable
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Resident Evil 3
JILL Valentine, star of the original Resi, is the main character in Resident Evil 3. The game is split into two parts, 24 hours before Resident Evil 2 and 24 hours after Resident Evil 2. Like Resi 2, Resident Evil 3 is a direct conversion rather than
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Resident Evil 2
HAVING released both Resident Evil and Resident Evil 0 for the Nintendo GameCube it seemed only logical that Resident Evil 2 would follow. Rather than being a remake, like the original Resident Evil, this is a conversion. However, there are notable improvements
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Divided Galaxies
After the extremely advanced Uncommon Valour, Just Flight has released the latest Starships Unlimited, entitled, Starships Unlimited: Divided Galaxies. The game caters for the average gamer, providing them with a user-friendly tutorial which will prove
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Restaurant Empire
Armand your task is to compete with and surpass Omnifood. What starts off as just running a Restaurant and earning a smDeemed "the rolls-Royce of Tycoon Games" Restaurant Empire certainly has a lot to live up to. The Sims has been in the charts now for
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Robin proves welcome visitor in winter garden
WITH most of the trees having lost their leaves in readiness for the coming winter, gardens can often look rather bare. However, this drabness does seem to focus the attention on the wonderfully colourful small birds that have opted to brave out the British
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Szewczyk goal saves wasteful Rovers
Bromsgrove Rovers 1 Cinderford Town 0 By Peter McKinney PAUL Szewczyk's second half goal settled a tense affair at the Victoria Ground on Saturday as wasteful Bromsgrove Rovers bounced back from last week's loss to Stourport Swifts. Despite creating a
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Slumbering cow missed Bonfire Night cacophony
Bonfire Night is always described rather optimistically by the staff of the Ranger Service as "interesting times." It is important to keep a vigil for any would-be bonfires being built illegally out on the reserves. While a bonfire may prove to be a good
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Store defends holiday working
TESCO has defended its policy on Bank Holiday working, following a complaint to the Evening News that staff were forced to work on two bank holidays without extra pay. An employee contacted the paper to say staff in the county were not paid Bank Holiday
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Just batty about our most under-celebrated mammal
Winter is a difficult time for many of our wild mammals. The cold weather limits the greenery available from potential food plants forcing all but the most determined insects to choose a secluded spot to over winter in a dormant phase, or conceal themselves
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Reflecting on the 60s
ROCK band The Reflections will be making a welcome appearance at the Swan public house in Upton Warren on Friday, January 21. The group, which play a mix of rock, pop and soul, from the 1960s to the present day, have recently recruited a new keyboard
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Just swanning around...
SCORES of swans graced the River Severn's banks this week after storms which hit the region caused water levels to rise. Large numbers of the birds stopped traffic by walking regally across New Bridge. They even attracted a minibus of Chinese students
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Called on deck
THE Worcester Gilbert and Sullivan Society will be presenting The Pirates of Penzance at Malvern's Festival Theatre from next Wednesday until Saturday, January 22. This will be a traditional fully costumed show directed by Denise Churchett, who directed
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The act of lighting fires has become ridiculously easy
Fire mixed with nature is nearly always a bad thing. In pre-human times though, naturally started fire could prove to be really positive. It cleared areas of old growth and allowed new and diverse communities to become briefly established as the burned
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Conservation of wetland habitats is an uphill battle
ON many occasions I have written about the splendour of our district's lowland heaths. If you take a trip out to any of them now it is easy to see why as the heather is in bloom and the bleak heathland landscape is a wonderful purple colour. It is such
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Confusion over buses
BUS passengers could be led to believe there are no Sunday or evening services through Kempsey, depending on which timetable they read. The situation has arisen because First bus company, being a commercial concern, refused to recognise any other companies
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Delicate damselflies show colours and survive storm
WHAT rain we have had. Just when you thought it could not possibly rain any harder a new storm would appear and prove you wrong. Fortunately no-one has been hurt by the storms in our area but for wildlife rain this heavy could have pretty dire consequences
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Look a bit closer and you'll find hidden wildlife wonders
One thing that often puzzles me is the lack of wildlife programmes on television looking at British wildlife. When it is shown, the stars tend to be restricted to one or regulars such as foxes and badgers. On the other hand, we see the brightly coloured
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Malvern Town FC - Fixtures/Results - 2004/5 Season
The Travel Factory Midland Football Alliance Saturday, January 15: Malvern Town v Causeway United (3.00). Tuesday, January 18: Malvern Town v Racing Club Warwick (7.45). Saturday, January 29: Malvern Town v Coalville Town (3.00). Saturday, February 5:
