Archive

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Mediterranean music

Music lovers are in for a treat when superb Greek-Canadian musician Pavlo plays at The Rose Theatre. The talented act will play the Kidderminster venue this Saturday. His music is described as 'Mediterranean' with influences from Flamenco, Latin and Classical

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Drumming up interest

BLACKWELL Wind Band is looking for a new young drummer. The band has even offered to buy a new drum set if they find the right person for the job. The group is entirely made up of people from the Bromsgrove area and they do not aim to make any money.

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Back by popular demand

By Lynda Morrison Mouthpiece Theatre's latest show is being brought back to the Bulls Head Inn, Inkberrow, due to public demand. With A Little Bit O'Luck - on Friday and Saturday at 8pm - was originally produced last November. Starring Dave Sealey, it

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Follow your nose to good comedy

A "RIOTOUS" theatre version of a cult 1960s radio show arrives at Malvern's Festival Theatre from Monday as part of a UK tour. Round the Horne...revisited has been adapted from the original scripts by Brian Cooke and features the very best of the original

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Choir comes home

THIS weekend sees Alcester Male Voice Choir's 31st annual concert. The 75-strong choir, founded in 1974 by director of music Judith Land, is one of the most popular in the Midlands and has performed in prestigious venues, including the Royal Albert Hall

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A musical extravaganza is set to hit Hagley

A CELEBRATION of music is set to hit Hagley when both professional and amateur musicians show off their skills at this year's festival. The third Hagley Parish Music Festival will be held from April 20-24 and will boast an impressive five-day line-up

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Dancing the night away

A WORCESTERSHIRE dance group will present the stars from the BBCs Strictly Come Dancing. Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag will be at Malvern Theatres, Grange Road, Malvern, this Sunday, from 7 to 10.30pm. The show features dance music including ballroom, Latin

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Mullen plans shake-up in the summer

MANAGER Jimmy Mullen has hinted he is planning a major restructuring behind the scenes at Bromsgrove Rovers over the summer. Mullen and his assistant Bernard Mackie are currently in talks with chairman Tom Herbert about how the club's junior and reserves

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Ravaged Boars cement safety

Whitchurch 22 Bromsgrove 26 Midlands Division One INJURY stricken Bromsgrove RFC sealed their place in the Midlands Division One for next season with a hard fought victory in Shropshire. Despite an injury crisis, which forced director of coaching Dean

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Mediterranean music

Music lovers are in for a treat when superb Greek-Canadian musician Pavlo plays at The Rose Theatre. The talented act will play the Kidderminster venue this Saturday. His music is described as 'Mediterranean' with influences from Flamenco, Latin and Classical

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Musician Pavlo will bring sunshine to city stage

A GREEK-Canadian musician is due to enthral an audience at Worcester Arts Workshop on Sunday night. Pavlo, who is touring the UK for the first time with his band of five performers, will be at the venue in the city centre's Sansome Street as part of Worcestershire's

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Enjoy a midsummer moment

MAKING a welcome return to Birmingham's Botanical Gardens, are the NC Big Band for a midsummer music treat on July 10 presents continuous music from 6.30pm through to 10pm. Big band music fans will be able to celebrate all that's great from the 1930s

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Giant pot fired in memory of Monica

A GRATEFUL student has fired a giant pot as a final mark of respect for the teacher who sculpted his pottery skills. Yesterday, Will Tooby, unveiled the last pot made by his mentor - the internationally renowned potter and teacher Monica Young. Ms Young

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Patriotic party to support hospice

A PATRIOTIC party to mark St George's Day will be held at a Worcester bar and brasserie next week to raise money for St Richard's Hospice. English Mutual and Haines Watts have invited around 100 guests from the county's business community to Epic in New

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Skeleton found next to revolver at bridge

A GAMEKEEPER discovered the skeletal remains of a slaughterman under a bridge, with a Smith and Wesson revolver beside him. The body of Christopher Jones was found on Sunday, March 27, by a gamekeeper checking bridge safety near Lower Bentley, north west

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Head start for spring

TO celebrate the start of spring and the end of a gloomy winter, a bonnet parade has been organised at a popular Worcester Park. Residents of the St John's sheltered accommodation complex, off St Clement's Close, St John's, and some of their grandchildren

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09/04/05 - Rovers' top two hopes fade away

Bromsgrove Rovers 0 Swindon Supemarine 0 LACKLUSTRE Bromsgrove Rovers' slim automatic promotion hopes received an almost fatal blow as their poor home form came back to haunt them against a stubborn Swindon side on Saturday. The draw left Rovers' chances

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13/4/05 - Youth cup final

WORCESTER City play Stourbridge in the Midland Floodlit Youth League Cup final at Kidderminster Harriers tonight.

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Grotty station a disgrace

THERE are few commuters who would argue with Coun Stephen Inman's description of Worcester's Foregate Street station. "Grotty", "shabby" and "disgraceful" are three very accurate words which can be applied to what is, in effect, the gateway to the Faithful

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Tony is SAViour

AN 85th minute winner by super sub Anthony Savery helped Studley's chances of survival at the Beehive last night (Tuesday). Savery came off the bench to head home and earn the Bees a vital three points against fellow strugglers Ludlow lifting them out

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Work starts on new unit

WORK has started at the Alexandra Hospital on a new purpose-built clinic to treat patients with muscular and joint injuries. The Musculoskeletal Centre will be the latest addition to the orthopaedic services department at the hospital when work is completed

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Candidates line up for county's seats

FOUR of Redditch's eight representatives on Worcestershire County Council are not standing for re-election on May 5. Labour stalwarts Colin Beardwood and John Witherspoon are both standing down, as are long-standing Conservative member Tom Wareing and

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Ball boost for league

TENNIS: The Prudden Road Surfacing Tennis League has received a ball boost ahead of its summer season. Paul Bruner's Shopfittings and Equipment has sponsored the match balls for the league's annual pairs tournament at Stratford-on-Avon Lawn Tennis Club

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Hockey stars net awards

HOCKEY: Redditch Hockey Club held its annual awards evening on Friday. In the men's section the most improved player award went to Michael Slater while junior player of the season was awarded to Will Chandler. The seconds players' player went to John

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25 years ago

April 11, 1980 WORK on Redditch's new £18 million district general hospital is to go ahead - despite a cash crisis which means there may be no funds available to run it after completion. County health watchdogs have expressed fears that parts of the new

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Undefeated hopes squashed by Saints

Oxford Saints 24 Redditch Arrows 7 HOPES of another undefeated season for the Redditch Arrows were dashed with a loss in the opening game of their 2005 campaign away at Oxford. Oxford quarterback Mayers used his receivers to good effect with all their

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Get on the list

AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Redditch Arrows 20th birthday celebration organised for the end of the year has already involved retired players Loz Baker and John Hartigan. Both Baker and Hartigan are now assisting with the reunion. For more details or to get involved

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Bromsgrove RFC First XV fixtures 2004/2005

HOME, away (Midlands One fixtures unless stated) SEPTEMBER Sat 4 BROADSTREET 29-0 Sat 11 Dunstablians 31-42 Sat 25 KETTERING 19-38 OCTOBER Sat 2 Leicester Lions 17-54 Sat 9 LUCTONIANS 17-12 Sat 23 Derby 16-9 Sat 30 LONGTON 32-15 NOVEMBER Sat 13 Scunthorpe

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We're spoiled for open space

REDDITCH has more open space per person than Oxford, a surprising new study has revealed. Findings from the Open Space Needs Assessment (OSNA) were presented at Redditch Council's executive cabinet meeting last Wednesday. The study was completed in 2004

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Back by popular demand

By Lynda Morrison Mouthpiece Theatre's latest show is being brought back to the Bulls Head Inn, Inkberrow, due to public demand. With A Little Bit O'Luck - on Friday and Saturday at 8pm - was originally produced last November. Starring Dave Sealey, it

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Follow your nose to good comedy

A "RIOTOUS" theatre version of a cult 1960s radio show arrives at Malvern's Festival Theatre from Monday as part of a UK tour. Round the Horne...revisited has been adapted from the original scripts by Brian Cooke and features the very best of the original

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Choir comes home

THIS weekend sees Alcester Male Voice Choir's 31st annual concert. The 75-strong choir, founded in 1974 by director of music Judith Land, is one of the most popular in the Midlands and has performed in prestigious venues, including the Royal Albert Hall

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What's On Guide

Thursday, April 14 Stage 2: The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham. Until April 16. Tickets from 0121 643 5858. Back to Back starring Don Maclean, Malcolm Stent and Dave Sealey, Civic Hall, Stratford. Tickets from 01789 207100

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Dynamic Dan's a title triumph

ILMINGTON Revolution clinched the Journal Division One title in the Stratford with a crushing defeat of Badsey United last Saturday. The prolific Dan Hodgkins led the way with a hat-trick, while Jon Ryan-Gill scored twice and Jim Shearman and Tom Crutchwell

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Repeat hopes hit in second period

Stockingford 3, Littleton 0 HAVING played Stockingford at home just two weeks ago and winning 1-0, Littleton hit the road last weekend hopeful of a repeat success. However, after an even first half the hosts took a measure of control and ran out deserved

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Planning for new season

PLANNING for next season in the Mercian Festival Junior Football League is already under way. Any new teams interested in applying to join the league are asked to contact Den Smallman on 01905 421468 or George Silverman 01684 572704 for further information

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Three on target

Evesham Utd U-11 B 3, Southside 1 GOALS from Joe Irons, Angus Steel and Daniel Wilcox ensured victory for United. It was end to end stuff and only the excellence of Andrew Hay, James Brown, Sam Penfold, James Hitchman and goalkeeper Tom Bennett helped

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Drivers facing more chaos

MOTORISTS are being warned of additional delays on the A435 Alcester Road in Studley when the temporary traffic lights currently in operation are changed from two to three-way operation. The change is likely to cause additional congestion and motorists

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Cup final for Cross reserves

HEADLESS Cross Ladies Reserves got through to the final of the League Cup after despatching Evesham United 2-0. Two goals in a frenzied five minutes by Vicky Gardiner and Alice Staniland was enough for the win which reserves boss Mandy Hill described

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Blue day for VC in Shield

Redditch VC Women 0 Birmingham City Development Women 4 REDDITCH VC had their first taste of a cup final in the Central Warwickshire League Shield but were beaten by a tough Birmingham team. VC could have taken the lead inside the first two minutes when

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Tayler on hunt

Marconi Ladies 3 Studley Women 2 STUDLEY Women boss Steve Tayler had to recruit four players from the reserve team for their trip to the East Midlands. Emma Allsop, Sarah Bird and Helen and Kerry Boyle were all called up but it was Marconi who broke the

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WBA's super seven's too hot

HEADLESS Cross Ladies suffered a 7-1 defeat to high-flying West Bromwich Albion Ladies at the weekend. West Brom Ladies took the lead after ten minutes and doubled their lead soon after. Cross hit straight back as Ellicott scored from the penalty spot

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Loan ranger's historic move

TOM Moody has described Alamgir Sheriyar's loan move to New Road as 'win, win, win' situation. The Australian yesterday snapped up the former County pace ace on a month's loan as cover for injury-hit Kabir Ali and put him straight in the side to face

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Stansfield keeps up Bulls' charge

HEREFORD United's 10th away win of the season put them in with a great chance of clinching a play-off spot for the second successive season. The Bulls' seventh double of the season kept them in third place in the Nationwide Conference table and a further

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Malvern shine at fellow high-fliers

MALVERN Town returned home with three more valuable Travel Factory Alliance points from a 5-2 win at high-flying Coalville Town last night. They went a goal behind on 35 seconds when 'keeper Paul Wyatt miscued a back-pass from Andy Charlmers straight

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Podium places put Dayus top in France

TWO top finishes for cyclist Jonathan Dayus has made him the top ranked amateur in France. Dayus, now based in Nantes, recorded a superb third place in the Archer International Grand Prix before returning to France 72 hours later to win the Grand Prix

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'AVE A WORD

REDDITCH United fans will get the chance to quiz manager Rod Brown and his board on future plans at the Valley at the annual fans forum tomorrow night (Thursday). The forum will kick off at 8pm at Valley Stadium on Bromsgrove Road and Reds chairman Pat

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Addition to coaching list

THE experienced Dave Martin is the latest addition to ambitious Evesham Cricket Club's coaching team. The newcomer, who has been one of the forces behind Badsey's thriving youth programme, has represented Worcestershire's second string and Under-25s and

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Shocks at the double

THERE were a couple of shocks n the latest round of matches in the Worcester CB Indoor League and none more so than Eve-sham's defeat at the hands of The Boxmen. Overbury were other surprise losers as St Benedict's totally dominated their lacklustre opponents

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Ravaged Boars cement safety

Whitchurch 22 Bromsgrove 26 Midlands Division One INJURY stricken Bromsgrove RFC sealed their place in the Midlands Division One for next season with a hard fought victory in Shropshire. Despite an injury crisis, which forced director of coaching Dean

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Two out of three for Bromsgrove

Bromsgrove U7s 40 Luctonians U7s 25 JAMES Taylor bagged six tries, while Adam Goldney bagged two. Bromsgrove U7s 20 Luctonians U7s 20 HARRY Lloyd-Jones, Goldney and Taylor (2) touched down. Bromsgrove U7s 25 Luctonians U7s 35 TOM Morris, Taylor (3) and

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25 years ago April 11, 1980

SOME residents from Bromsgrove were among the 184 who received Maundy money when the Queen visited Worcester Cathedral. Among them was 81 year-old Joe Flack, from Aston Fields, a stalwart member of New Road Methodist Church since 1931. His son Tony, a

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50 years ago April 16, 1955

THE recent floods in Green Lane, Catshill, were blamed on poor drainage and debris clogging the brook. In a bid to prevent it occurring again Mr Raybould, who lived in the lane, was to be paid 35/- (£1.75) a week by Bromsgrove Rural District Council to

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Bin and gone

YOU have published a number of letters recently about the new wheelie bin service in Bromsgrove. Where I live we have been looking forward to the new service and to the chance to easily recycle some of our waste. At the end of last month I rang the council

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Closure fear

FURTHER to our recent letter regarding the Spadesbourne Suite we would like to thank Mr Neil Godwin for his response and to assure him our committee will certainly look into the offer of accommodation at the DDS&S. However, the main reason for our

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What next?

YEARS ago, we had the old rateable value for deciding how much rates should be paid. Then we had the Poll Tax which caused rioting in the streets. Now we have the present Council Tax with banding according to the vaue of the property - which, we are told

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Recovery

ON the morning of April 4 I was the victim of a road traffic accident at the Finstall Road roundabout in Aston Fields. I wish to thank the people who stopped and came to my assistance at the site of the accident. Thanks for calling an ambulance and making

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Try harder

NIL points Mr Gregson - to coin a phrase, you'll have to do better than this if you are going to impress your European lords and masters. Promoting a budget that has little to interest pensioners when there are better offers on the table from other parties

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Wheelie watchers

Having read with interest your readers' ongoing tales of woe following the introduction of the new wheelie bin system, I am writing to commend the efforts of the refuse teams towards a particular resident of Mountserrat Road, The Oakalls, Bromsgrove.

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Paper chain

Further to Councillor Brian Fuller's letter in last week's paper, I wholeheartedly agree that we must reduce our waste. However, I should like to point out that the majority of household waste is from packaging and unsolicited mail, including inserts

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Revenge!

Redditch 19 Cleobury Mortimer 15 REVENGE was sweet for Redditch after settling a score against Cleobury who had beaten the Kingfishers twice this season. Once again Redditch were forced into changes after losing captain Stan Hull so Gary Carter and Chris

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Mullen plans summer shake-up

MANAGER Jimmy Mullen has hinted he is planning a major restructuring behind the scenes at Bromsgrove Rovers over the summer. Mullen and his assistant Bernard Mackie are currently in talks with chairman Tom Herbert about how the club's junior and reserves

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McGrillan sent off

Archdale 73 3 Droitwich Spa 0 GARY McGrillan's sending off changed a close game on Tuesday night as Droitwich's title hopes suffered a blow. Droitwich had been holding the Midland Combination Division Two leaders in a close game. However, McGrillan's

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Battling Spartak blast Coleshill

Barnt Green Spartak 3 Coleshill Town 1 A DEVASTATING second half performance ensured Spartak maintained their excellent run of form on Saturday. Spartak's run of eight games unbeaten in the Midland Combination Premier Division had looked in danger when

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A great way to be remembered for life

HALF WAY - and a magnificent half million On behalf of NHS UK Transplant, I'd like to say a huge thank you to all your readers who have pledged to help others to live after their death. Six months ago, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the NHS Organ

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Creating a green space

A THANK you to all those residents of the Primsland area of Droitwich Spa who turned out on Saturday morning to assist with the development of our new Spring Meadow Doorstep Green. A total of 55 adults and children volunteered to give two hours of their

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Taken away

ANOTHER ruse from Wychavon. It increases the Council Tax and reduces refuse collection - unless you pay! How do elderly pensioners and the disabled take garden refuse to the tip- do they pay someone? What will the next trick be? The elderly cannot cope

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It all helps

THANK you to local people and businesses for their tremendous support for the West Midlands Disability Appeal being run by children's charity NCH. Thanks to donations and events ranging from sponsored barn dances to firewalks, we are on course to reach

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Lido issue rumbles on

I WAS one of the hundreds of local Droitwich Spa residents who packed themselves into the Community Hall to discuss having a Parish Poll on the disgraceful decision of Wychavon District Council to close and demolish our lido. The strength of feeling was

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Voices must be heard

FIRSTLY I wish to applaud the efforts of SALT in trying to save our lido, and also all the people concerned - especially the public - who made an impressive turnout at the meeting held in the Heritage Centre to force another Parish Poll in order that

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Juniors shine

SEVERAL young players from Broadway Golf Club helped Gloucestershire Juniors to victory in the opening match of their defence of the Junior Channel League. Somerset were the visitors to Kendleshire GC earlier this month when the home county recorded an

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Juniors help county

SEVERAL young players from Broadway Golf Club helped Gloucestershire Jun-iors to victory in the opening match of their defence of the Junior Channel League. Somerset were the visitors to Kendleshire GC earlier this month when the home county recorded

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Captain's England try

A PITCHILL rugby player packed a punch when he led the England Under-18 side to success in the Four Nations Championships. George Hughes scored a couple of early tries in a 48-13 win over Scotland. A 38-19 defeat of Ireland followed before a 20-6 defeat

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Repeat result on return

Bromyard 21, Evesham U-11/12 21 A SECOND trip to Bromyard produced a second draw of the season for Evesham's youngsters. The visitors opened their account with a superb try from centre Scott Coulson who carved his way through the Bromyard backs before

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Camp claims a treble

Evesham U-9 10, Bromyard 2 EVESHAM'S youngsters visited Bromyard for the second time this season where they helped out the depleted hosts when Adam Johnson volunteered to turn out for the home side. The visitors were caught cold when Bromyard scored an

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Marconi misery in final league clash

Marconi 25pts, Evesham 10 EVESHAM finished off a disappointing league campaign in similar fashion last Saturday when they were lost on their visit to Coventry. Looking to end the season on a high, the Avon Street side made hard yards from the kick-off

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Buzzards turn on style with a welcome triumph on tour

BREDON Buzzards Under-15s took part in two days of tournament rugby in Ireland a trip organised by the Guinness Rugby Club. The village club's party was boosted by players and a coach from Evesham and their opening opponents were Barnhall from Dublin.

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Joining in with Stig

A MUSICAL will give youngsters and the rest of the audience chance to join in the fun. Stig of the Dump will be on show at The Rose Theatre, in Kidderminster, tomorrow (Thursday). The story is of Barney and his friend Stig, which has been a firm favourite

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Super Sylla sinks Southport

Redditch United 3 Southport 2 THE REDS knocked Southport off the Natiowide North's top spot in a super second half comeback. The cream of the league's goalscorers were on parade at the Valley on Saturday as top scorer Terry Fearns lined up against second

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Wayne on to a winner

Evesham and District Disabled AC & Partnership's FOURTEEN members fished in the Bradford and Bingley Spring League at Oakham Farm, Loxley last Sunday. Wayne Panting took the honours with a top weight of 21.11.0 that proved enough to leave Roy Thomson

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A musical extravaganza is set to hit Hagley

A CELEBRATION of music is set to hit Hagley when both professional and amateur musicians show off their skills at this year's festival. The third Hagley Parish Music Festival will be held from April 20-24 and will boast an impressive five-day line-up

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Hanbury WI

Marion greeted us, and after singing Jerusalem, our group co-ordinator Monica Carden took charge, inviting each of the visiting WI groups, plus our own, to share with us a little of the events and activities of their previous year. Our visitors came from

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Wychbold Flower Club

Ruth Bottomley was in the chair and she recorded our sadness at the death of our long-time member Florence Catley, who was 94 when she died. There followed a short period of silent remembrance. The guest speaker was Kathy Lee, a national demonstrator,

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Bromsgrove Railway Club

The famous Settle to Carlisle route is the subjects of our April meeting. This railway line has a lot of history to it, a few years ago it was nearly closed, but it has been kept open, and now sees regular steam runs over it. Our speaker David Alison

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People who drive much too slowly

REGARDING "Handy hints for drivers" (Wednesday, March 23) this letter was excellent. However, I would like to add a little to it. I failed my first driving test for "not making normal progress". The examiner elaborated "not maintaining the speed limit

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Wychbold Women's F'ship

Our guest speaker was Clive Crump, from Droitwich, who had brought a selection of his impressive photographs depicting Droitwich in former times. Several of us recognised buildings, shops and houses once part of everyday life in the town and now no longer

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Why we should start to treat cyclists seriously

A FEW weeks ago I was cycling along a street in Florida as I have on many previous visits when a disturbing thought struck me. I was riding on the left-hand side of the road as I might in UK. Should I not be on the right? I paused to reconsider. Of course

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Hagley Gardeners' Club

We welcomed Adrian Kames, from Kidderminster, with his wonderful slides of six historic gardens. His knowledge of the gardens was well researched and made for a very interesting evening. We have a return visit by the ever popular duo, Ken and Toni Whittaker

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13/4/05 - Loan ranger's historic move

TOM Moody has described Alamgir Sheriyar's loan move to New Road as 'win, win, win' situation. The Australian yesterday snapped up the former County pace ace on a month's loan as cover for injury-hit Kabir Ali and put him straight in the side to face

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£45k metal theft appeal

THREE thieves used a fork-lift truck to help steal £45,000 worth of precious metal from a Spa factory in broad daylight - despite a brave employee attempting to stop them. The men, who are all believed to have Irish accents, were challenged by a member

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Top-level shake-up

A SHAKE-up of senior posts could cost £2m in redundancy packages and other costs. Bromsgrove district councillors will vote tonight (Wednesday) on whether to dip into savings to fork out £2m to cover the biggest shake up of senior posts at the Council

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Heart attack on the court

QUICK-thinking staff and members of a Bromsgrove leisure centre saved the life of a squash player after he collapsed from a heart attack. The man fell ill while playing squash at the David Lloyd Centre, in Slideslow Drive, at around 6pm last Sunday. His

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Death of a 'true gent'

A 'TRUE gentlemen' of Droitwich Spa has died. Honorary freeman Harry Hipkiss, 78, died of a heart attack on April 9. He was well-known and much-loved in Droitwich for his work as a town councillor as well as for having an active role in the Salvation

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Mallard mum comes home to roost

A MOTHER duck has come home to roost in a Droitwich Spa garden and has brought her loyal mate with her. The female mallard was first spotted last year when she moved into the garden of Don and Valerie Wills' Vines Lane garden taking up a spot surrounding

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Crying foul over builders

A WORRIED mum has hit out at a building firm after raw sewage flooded into her garden. Claire Renshaw, of Rowan Close, said this was just the latest disaster in a catalogue of problems at the David Payne Homes site off Willow Road. The incident happened

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Jailed for six years

A serial burglar, who escaped from a Redditch jail and went on a crime spree, has been jailed for six years. Warren Bamford, aged 27, walked out of Hewell Grange prison while he was serving a five-year sentence for burglary. He broke into a woman's home

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Slowing down A38 drivers

CHANGES to a main route into Rubery could get the go ahead. Plans to stop noise, light and speed problems, caused by the busy road, are now being looked at by the Highways Partnership. The stretch of the A38, near to Callowbrook Road, has caused problems

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Date for parish poll confirmed

THE date of the parish poll over the Droitwich Lido issue has been confirmed as Thursday, April 28. It has caught the imagination of many townsfolk as a last chance to make their voices heard about the future of the unique saltwater lido and was requested

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Time to share war memories

FERNHILL Heath villagers are inviting visitors to step back in time to the 1940s with a display in the Memorial Hall to commemorate the end of the Second World War. The event, on April 23, will feature local memorabilia amid the flags and bunting, and

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Super show in keeping with a superb season

Pershore 36pts, Earlsdon 3 PERSHORE guaranteed at least runners-up spot and a place in the play-offs on the strength of Saturday's emphatic victory. This has been a terrific season with the Piddle Parkers playing at their highest level ever and saving

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Tykes next for county

WARWICKSHIRE are quietly confident of producing an upset in this season's RFU National Under-20 Championship when they take on defending champions Yorkshire at Otley in the national quarter-finals on Saturday. Yorkshire accounted for Warwickshire's Midlands

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Hampton's five-goal championship blast

HAMPTON WMC, with games in hand, remain on course for promotion from Division Three of the Birdseye Sports Evesham Sunday League. They followed up their midweek win at Wickhamford with a five-goal victory at Moreton Town with goals from Uren (2), Beattie

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Town must invest in our youth

MY 15-year-old son and his friends play district football, representing our town, Redditch. To be picked to play at district level is regarded as somewhat of an honour, even among tough 15-year-old lads who pretend not to be all that bothered. They are

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More awards

THERE'S been more reasons to celebrate at The Bottoms this month. Three more members of Pershore Cricket Club have obtained their ECB Level One coaching award and that means there are now eight level One and six Level Two coaches available to offer advice

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New ball sponsor fits finals bill

THERE will be a new supplier of match balls for the annual pairs competition in the Prudden Road Surfac-ing League with Bidford captain Paul Bruner taking over from the previous sponsor. The Bidford man's business Shop-fittings and Equipment is based

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Super show in keeping with a superb season

Pershore 36pts, Earlsdon 3 PERSHORE guaranteed at least runners-up spot and a place in the play-offs on the strength of Saturday's emphatic victory. This has been a terrific season with the Piddle Parkers playing at their highest level ever and saving

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Niall and Jane win opener

ARDEN club members started the main season's programme with the first of the Pursuit Series last weekend. Three Enterprises pursued the Solo, Laser Pico and Topper fleet with the difficult and changeable conditions making it a slow and frustrating business

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Donor seeing red at missing his ton

A GENEROUS Headless Cross man who has given 99 pints of blood is "gutted" after realising he is too old to reach his 100-pint target. Dennis Hatton, of Hanover Court, off Evesham Road, has been rolling up his sleeves for the National Blood Service (NBS

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Inquest opens

A FORENIC dentist was needed to confirm the identity of a decomposed body found in Lower Bentley Lane in Lower Bentley, near Redditch, an inquest heard. Coroner Victor Round yesterday opened and adjourned the inquest on 45-year-old Christopher Jones,

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Roofer admits racial assault

A ROOFER caused violence in a Redditch fish and chip shop, Worcester Crown Court heard. On the day he was due to face trial by jury, Matthew Williams pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault on Baldev Badham-Gill and causing him actual bodily harm

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Underage drinking 'ignored' in report

TACKLING the growing problem of underage drinking should have been addressed in a new report by Redditch Community Safety Partnership, a councillor claims. Redditch Council Conservative leader Carole Gandy has criticised part of the report, saying it

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Horse rescue drama

REDDITCH firefighters rescued a three-year-old horse which had fallen on its side and could not get back up. They were called to land off Houndsfields Lane, Wythall, yesterday at 10.45am where the colt called Breeze had been on its side for about two

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Make the most of it

WELL done to Redditch Council for its ongoing landscaping work. Some people complain about any changes to the landscaping of the borough and are very vocal about the reduction in trees and hedges - not me! I regularly walk my dog in mostly the south and

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Needled over new sculptures

AS a Redditch council taxpayer, I write regarding the new recently erected sculptures next to the main post office. Is it by thoughtful design or a case of construction error that not all the sculptures are upright? Also, to put them next to a steel cladded

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Why this delay at crossroads?

LIKE Mr Fletcher (Advertiser, April 6) I too am wondering when the Astwood Bank traffic lights scheme will be completed. I assumed the Bermuda Triangle had relocated to the crossroads as I have not seen any workmen for weeks, no matter what time of the

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Residents calling for hostel to be closed

ANGRY residents are calling for a Wythall hostel for the homeless to be closed, saying they have had enough of vandalism, graffiti and verbal attacks from its tenants. People living near Wythall Lodge Hostel, Alcester Road, met on Thursday at Wythall

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Droitwich Spa RFC First XV fixtures 2004/2005

HOME, away (Midlands Three West (South) fixtures unless stated) SEPTEMBER Sat 4 STRATFORD-UPON-AVON 22-32 Sat 11 BARKERS BUTTS 7-20 Sat 18 Bridgnorth (Powergen Intermediate Cup First Round) 22-27 Sat 25 Hereford 14-37 OCTOBER Sat 2 OLD LEAMINGTONIANS

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Alcester Conservative Wives

IN March, the monthly meeting was held at the home of Rita Hoare, when members watched a video demonstration on scarf fashion. Mrs Hoare won the raffle. The annual dinner will be held in April.

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Fighter Strutts his stuff

ALEX STRUTT won the Midland Counties Novice Middleweight Championship with a storming performance. Strutt, a member of Droitwich Amateur Boxing Club (DABC), defeated Leicester's Aaron Phelps to win the novice category at Burton on Saturday. In a furious

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New man at the helm of school

Headteacher Tim Lee took over the reigns at St Mary's Church of England Junior School, Studley, on Monday When Paul Crankshaw retired as headteacher in November, Michael Parkhouse took over as acting head. Mr Parkhouse had recently retired but was happy

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Staines jets in to bolster Droitwich

AUSTRALIAN top order batsman Josh Staines is set to beef up Droitwich Spa CC's attack in the Worcestershire League Division One this season. Spa captain Steve Walsh is hoping that Staines can have the same impact that fellow Aussie batsman, Matt Leddin

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Difficult start to the season

NEWLY promoted Bromsgrove Swimming Club found the going tough in the Nuneaton and District League Division One. Bromsgrove finished fifth in the first round on Saturday. The club though showed signs they can compete with four first places, six runners-up

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Alcester Civic Society

THE March meeting and AGM was very well attended. The secretary reported a very successful year with membership increasing thanks in no small part to the generosity of chairman Lord Hertford, who allows free access to Ragley Park for ACS members. Lord

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Everywoman's Circle

DURING March, two very interesting slide show meetings were enjoyed. The first was presented by Doreen Kimberly, who shared a memorable holiday she had taken in Canada. She visited Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec and Niagra Falls then continued her journey by

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Jones denied

CHRIS Jones is still waiting for his season to get off the ground in the British Superbike 125cc Championships, after he failed to finish the second round at Thruxton on Sunday. The gifted Droitwich rider, aged 14, suffered a repeat of the first round

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Redditch Speakers Club

On Easter Tuesday, club members were offered prepared speeches covering the whole breadth of the Speakers Training Manual. Kashmir Garton gave an extremely polished speech about violence on television using the second assignment in the manual, when speakers

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St Mary's Wives Group

THE Group held their AGM on March 24 in Wythall Village Hall. Members were given dates for the ramble and the outing to the RHS show at Tatton. The treasurer reported the year had finished in a sound financial position and membership had increased to

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Studley Operatic Society

DUE to the Palace Theatre closing for refurbishment, the society has had to find an alternative venue to perform their annual show. Next year will be the society's 100th year, so a bi-centenary show has been written especially, depicting the society's

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Pauline tastes glory by winning trophy

OMBERSLEY Golf Club's Pauline Perry won the Mabs Millington Trophy. Perry beat 46 other competitors with a score of 45 points, followed by Sue Wilson (41) in second and Anne Burt (40) and third. Wilson teamed up with David Horton in the mixed pairs to

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Wythall History Society

Country Houses and their Collections was the title of a talk given to the March meeting of Wythall History Society by Bernard Pumfrey, lecturer in Heritage Studies at Warwickshire College in Leamington Spa. His talk and slide show ranged over a wide area

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Boost for families

FAMILIES in Redditch are set to benefit from a crop of new Sure Start centres thanks to a slice of a £7.9 million cash boost. The Government funds will be used to create the new family centres in the 23 most deprived areas of the county, which includes

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Officers receive awards

REDDITCH police officers were among those receiving a prestigious Chief Constable's Commendation for their dedication and commitment in tackling drug crime in the town. DCs Gareth Keyte and Martin Grant were presented with the award during a special ceremony

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Grass track opener

WORCESTER Grasstrack Club stages its season opener at the ideally situated track opposite Worcester Rugby Club next to M5 junction six on Sunday. Although this is a charity meeting there is an excellent entry of solo and sidecar competitors from all over

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Rachael on travels again

FLYING high and taking to the skies again. That's the forthcoming agenda for Vale darts ace Rachael Dixon. The No 5 ranked world star is in Belgium this weekend chasing some welcome prize money at a prestigious tournament. And, her success at international

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Almost there

Evesham and District Airgun League ACTION from the penultimate week of the season lea-ves Badsey Legion still in pole position to lift the title after victory over Bengeworth SSC. The Lygon Arms and Offen-ham RBL kept on the pressure after victories over

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New ball sponsor fits finals bill

THERE will be a new supplier of match balls for the annual pairs competition in the Prudden Road Surfac-ing League with Bidford captain Paul Bruner taking over from the previous sponsor. The Bidford man's business Shop-fittings and Equipment is based

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Battling Belinda lands a double at Vale event

BELINDA Keighley rode her fourth winner of the season and the first double of her career following victories for Macy in the Members and Palmers Peak in the Restricted during Sunday afternoon's Cotswold Vale Farmers Point-to-Point meeting at Andoversford

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Three courses stage meetings

THERE'S a six-race Nati-onal Hunt card at Stratford Racecourse on Sunday. Officials at Luddington Road are hoping for a repeat of last month's hugely successful Irish Day.. Gates open at noon and the first race is under starter's orders at 2.25pm. There

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Dominoes

Vale of Evesham League Results - Division One: Ambassador 4, Talbot 5; Evesham WMC 5, Swan (Birlingham) 4; Ivy Inn 4, Swan 5; Chestnut Club 7, Offenham Legion 2. Division Two: Cider Mill 4, Angel 5; Horse & Hounds 5, Dug Out 4; Angel B 3, Queens Head

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Hospital aided by a healthy win

Evesham and District League HOSPITAL B have lifted the Division One championship following Monday night's 6-3 victory over the Rowing Club. The losers, meanwhile, finish third behind the Railway Club by virtue of a worse game average of one point. Bill

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Beeb stars to decide battle

TWO top BBC music men will be dropping in to decide which Redditch band will star on the stage at the town's AIR festival in June. Radio presenter Mark Goodier and producer Chris Lycett will be using their musical know-how to judge the best of the four

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* Cuts to hit the vulnerable * Double life of new BBC DJ * Cricketer sent home before a ball is bowl

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Funding debate

ALCESTER residents packed the Greig Centre's main hall last Tuesday to have their say on the trustees' plans to redevelop the site. They voted on a request for a town council loan which would be funded by the public through the parish precept. The majority

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Management matters to us, too

THE agency that promotes business in the county has put its own staff through a management training course. After urging other companies to consider training its employees in management skills, the Chamber of Commerce for Herefordshire and Worcestershire

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Chance to make history

REDDITCH people can give their support to a campaign aimed at abolishing crippling Third World debt during an event on Saturday. Make Poverty History campaigners will be gathering outside St Stephen's Church from 10.30am and encircling it with a white

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Have chat with rugby star Brown at opening

Worcester Warriors outside-half James Brown will attend a different type of training session next week when he opens an event to teach employers how they can give their workforce the skills they need. The Skills Station, the one-stop training advice shop

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Jumping for joy at success

REDDITCH show jumpers proved they weren't just horsing around after bagging second prize in a prestigious competition. The team of four - Tina Curling, of Astwood Bank, Abbie Moxon, from Beoley, Grace Smith, of Wythall, and Abbie Strong, from Birmingham

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Heritage hope for building

THE battle to save a Victorian schoolhouse in Bidford was stepped up this week as campaigners tried to get the building listed by English Heritage. The house, on the site of the former primary school in Victoria Road, was to be converted into flats as

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I'll have another croissant

COMPUTER software giant Misys - one of Worcester's largest employers - took inspiration from across the Channel when it hosted a charity breakfast. The company's headquarters in Warndon were transformed into a Parisian-style caf as staff took time out

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Floodgates may open

A MAJOR grant from Alcester Town Council to the Greig Centre could lead to a flurry of applications from other groups in the town. First in the queue is likely to be the committee seeking to build a new Guide and Scout headquarters. The group has already

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Superstore promises no frills, lower bills

SUIPERMARKET chain Netto is to open a new store in Kidderminster which will create 25 jobs. The Danish group has bought the freehold to a building at the junction of Stourport Road and New Road. It is occupied by Wilsons Pet Centres and Somerfield, which

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Three cheers for Bob!

A Redditch man has proved he's tops when it comes to helping others - and is being recognised by the National Blood Service for his achievements. Bob Watkins will be commended at a ceremony this month for giving more than 75 pints of blood. His wife,

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Tea time

MEMBERS of the Alcester branch of the Royal British Legion will be putting the kettle on this Saturday to raise vital funds for their work. They will be holding a coffee morning at the town hall from 10am-noon when visitors will also have a chance to

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Youth quizzed over damage

POLICE arrested a 17 year old from Redditch on suspicion of criminal damage after a brief chase on foot in Studley. Officers were called to a disturbance at Studley Junior School in New Road after reports of windows being smashed at about 10pm last Tuesday

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Student's sad death

A FORMER Alcester Grammar School student was a victim of sudden adult death syndrome, a coroner has ruled. Matthew Ward, from Wellesbourne, left the school last summer and had completed just one term of a business studies degree at Sheffield Hallam University

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Police hunt

A MAN was arrested in Alcester on Saturday after a police hunt across fields. Officers with dogs searched the area between the A46 and Oversley Mill Park after a getaway car, used in a burglary at the Woolworths store in Stratford, was abandoned by the

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Wartime medical vials found on prison land

A BATCH of US Army Second World War medical supplies has been found near Evesham, causing alarm to nearby residents. The items - around 60 glass vials - were found in South Littleton on land owned by HM Long Lartin Prison and are being analysed. A spokesperson

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Sheila's recovery hit by a lack of therapy

THE partner of a woman who suffered a debilitating stroke nearly seven months ago claims her path to recovery is being blocked because of an "appalling lack of speech therapy provision" in the hospitals where she has been cared for. Carl Powell said he

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Priest gave his life to the city

ONE of the longest-serving priests in the Worcester diocese has died at the age of 96. Paying tribute to the Rev James Healey Oldroyd, Sister Joan Hudspeth, who knew him for most of his working life, said: "Jim was above all a person who cared and who

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Vow to smoke out dodgy cigarettes

AN operation to stop the growing menace of trade in counterfeit cigarettes in parts of Worcester, Kidderminster and Redditch has been launched. Operation Sting-05 is the first joint operation of its kind in the UK and is designed to sting counterfeit

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Punter wins £30,000 after placing 50p bet

A LUCKY punter from Worcester has won £30,000 after placing a 50p bet. The man in his 40s, who does not want to be identified, won the Tote Jackpot after predicting the winners of six horse races on one day. "I am delighted for him," said Steve Mason,

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Sheena's superb set

FOLLOWING her pervious sell-out shows, vocalist Sheena Davis will perform in Rubery. Sheena has been described as "a superb artist singing superb songs". She will perform at Rubery Leisure Centre, in Holywell Lane, this Saturday at 7.30pm. Tickets cost

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Enjoy a midsummer moment

MAKING a welcome return to Birmingham's Botanical Gardens, are the NC Big Band for a midsummer music treat on July 10 presents continuous music from 6.30pm through to 10pm. Big band music fans will be able to celebrate all that's great from the 1930s

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Thriller failed to thrill and was too hard to endure

Review: Enduring Love (18) STARRING the new James Bond, Daniel Craig, as lecturer Joe, and Samantha Morton as his girlfriend Claire, Enduring Love is supposed to be a tale of obsession, love and suspense. But despite being billed as a thriller, the film

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Where to go

Wednesday April 13 Film: Vera Drake, mac, CannoHill Park, Birmingham, 8.30pm. Thursday April 14 Music: Ocean Colour Scene, Civic Hall, North Street, Wolverhampton. Friday April 15 Theatre: Epsom Downs, mac youth theatre, mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham

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What's On Guide

Thursday, April 14 Stage 2: The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham. Until April 16. Tickets from 0121 643 5858. Back to Back starring Don Maclean, Malcolm Stent and Dave Sealey, Civic Hall, Stratford. Tickets from 01789 207100

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Joining in with Stig

A MUSICAL will give youngsters and the rest of the audience chance to join in the fun. Stig of the Dump will be on show at The Rose Theatre, in Kidderminster, tomorrow (Thursday). The story is of Barney and his friend Stig, which has been a firm favourite

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Stars to shine in the hills

A HOST of star names - Peter Bowles, Sian Phillips, Leslie Grantham, Jean Boht, Shirley Anne Field, Susie Amy, Gaby Roslin, Clare Teal and Julian Lloyd Webber - will be coming to Malvern this summer. As Malvern Theatres unveils its forthcoming programme

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Bret boss Ross to clinch crown

Bretforton Ladies II 5, Ross-on-Wye 1 A FIVE-GOAL show on Sunday secured the Severn League championship for a determined Bretforton outfit. Needing maximum points to overhaul Dursley at the summit, Julie Hall gave the home side a great start to the rearranged

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Go wild in your garden

GARDENING and conservation go hand-in-hand as part of a Wild About Gardens project launched this week. It stresses the importance of gardens as havens for wildlife, as many of the nation's wildflower meadows and ancient woodlands have disappeared. Worcestershire

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Sheena's superb set

FOLLOWING her pervious sell-out shows, vocalist Sheena Davis will perform in Rubery. Sheena has been described as "a superb artist singing superb songs". She will perform at Rubery Leisure Centre, in Holywell Lane, this Saturday at 7.30pm. Tickets cost

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Put paint out for recycling

A SCHEME to encourage people to recycle paint instead of sending it to landfills was being officially launched today. The Community Repaint Scheme, which will be run from the Worcestershire Resource Exchange, in Gregory's Bank, Worcester, by the environmental

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Drumming up interest

BLACKWELL Wind Band is looking for a new young drummer. The band has even offered to buy a new drum set if they find the right person for the job. The group is entirely made up of people from the Bromsgrove area and they do not aim to make any money.

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Police officer to the rescue of stray hamster

A STRAY hamster was given a temporary home at a Worcestershire police station after being saved from the clutches of cat by a passing constable. West Mercia Police said officers were now attempting to trace the owner of the rodent, which was plucked to

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Salad factory decision due

AN application to build a factory near Evesham, which has been opposed by nearly 70 people, will be considered tomorrow. Kanes Foods has applied to build a new salad factory, with office space, at its Middle Littleton site. There have been 67 letters

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A head start for art

ARTISTS need to get their creative juices flowing for the chance to exhibit their work at a major festival. The Worcester Riverside Artists Market will take place on Sundays August 7, 14 and 21 on South Quay, on the banks of the River Severn, as part

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Malvern Town FC - Fixtures/Results - 2004/5 Season

The Travel Factory Midland Football Alliance Tuesday, April 19: Worcester Infirmary Cup semi-final Malvern Town v Feckenham (7.45). Saturday, April 23: Malvern Town v Chasetown (3.00). Saturday, April 30: Malvern Town v Romulus (3.00). Malvern Town Reserves

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Girl's ordeal

A 17-YEAR-old girl was indecently assaulted in Redditch bus station. The assault happened last Tuesday between 6.15-6.30pm when the girl was on the phone. The man approached her and indecently assaulted her. He is white, with an olive complexion. He is

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13/04/05 - Mullen plans shake-up in the summer

MANAGER Jimmy Mullen has hinted he is planning a major restructuring behind the scenes at Bromsgrove Rovers over the summer. Mullen and his assistant Bernard Mackie are currently in talks with chairman Tom Herbert about how the club's junior and reserves

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Daring raid on fruit machine

BURGLARS raided a fruit machine at Abbeydale Community Club. The thieves broke in during the early hours of Thursday. A club spokesman said they may have been disturbed because only a small amount of cash was taken. But he added: "They were very daring

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Thriller failed to thrill and was too hard to endure

Review: Enduring Love (18) STARRING the new James Bond, Daniel Craig, as lecturer Joe, and Samantha Morton as his girlfriend Claire, Enduring Love is supposed to be a tale of obsession, love and suspense. But despite being billed as a thriller, the film

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'AVE A WORD

REDDITCH United fans will get the chance to quiz manager Rod Brown and his board on future plans at the Valley at the annual fans forum tomorrow night (Thursday). The forum will kick off at 8pm at Valley Stadium on Bromsgrove Road and Reds chairman Pat

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Tinman on podium

ASTWOOD Bank speedster Andy Tinsley stayed top of the Superstocks championship after an enthralling third place finish at the super-fast Thruxton circuit. The Tinman completed qualifying at the country's fastest track in a disappointing seventh position

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Waiting times are cut at Alex

WAITING times for outpatient appointments and orthopaedic treatment at the Alexandra Hospital and others in the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust have been cut, it was announced last week. There is now no-one waiting for more than 13 weeks for an outpatient

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Care unit celebrates first year

PRIMROSE at the Princess, the palliative care unit at Bromsgrove's Princess of Wales Community Hospital, is celebrating its first anniversary. The unit cares for patients with chronic or life-limiting conditions from which they will not recover - mainly

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Don't knock 'em - back 'em!

Cinderford Tn 1, Evesham Utd 0 by Mervyn Collins NOW isn't the time to turn against United's players. It's the time to get right behind them! Yes two points out of a possible nine is hardly promotion form but, amazingly, a top two finish is still in Evesham's

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Where to go

Wednesday April 13 Film: Vera Drake, mac, CannoHill Park, Birmingham, 8.30pm. Thursday April 14 Music: Ocean Colour Scene, Civic Hall, North Street, Wolverhampton. Friday April 15 Theatre: Epsom Downs, mac youth theatre, mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham

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Parking plan in spotlight

A NEW decriminalised parking scheme looks set to take off in Redditch, despite short-term financial limitations. Redditch Council's executive committee will tonight consider the findings of a feasibility study investigating transferring parking enforcement

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Super Sylla sinks Southport

Redditch United 3 Southport 2 THE REDS knocked Southport off the Natiowide North's top spot in a super second half comeback. The cream of the league's goalscorers were on parade at the Valley on Saturday as top scorer Terry Fearns lined up against second

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Another top ten place sees Crees smiling

MINI mad Brockhill racer Paul Crees was at Silverstone at the weekend for the latest round of the Mighty Minis Championship. Crees managed to finish qualifying in eighth position out of 25 cars on the start grid but the racer thought he could do better

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50 years ago

April 15, 1955 THE expected amalgamation of the Redditch and Bromsgrove police divisions will take place on May 1st, with Superintendent WD Gibson, presently in charge of the Redditch division, in command. This is the effect of an order issued this week

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Classy ladies

LADIES HOCKEY: A gulf in class saw Redditch Ladies hammer Badsey 11-1 in an end of season friendly. It was 3-0 at half time and then Redditch piled on the pressure in the second half to reach double figures. Olivia Nicholson grabbed a hat-trick, Emma

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100 years ago

April 15, 1905 ADA Hawkins, 3 Ipsley Street, was charged with assaulting Kate Melen on the 8th inst. Complainant alleged that defendant, with another woman, came into her house and "set about" her as she sat in the chair. One of the women held her down

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Towns join for trials

CYCLING: This season's evening time trials are being run as combined events between Redditch Road & Path Cycling Club and Bromsgrove Olympique CC. The first race on April 5, using the K34 New End course, was won by Ollie Braithwaite (Redditch) in

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Title slips

BOXING: Redditch's 17-year-old lightweight fighter Adam Mytton just missed out on the Midland Counties Junior title at Burton on Saturday. The Webheath boxer was beaten in the final by old rival Dell Rogers of Kettering. In a fast-moving skilful contest

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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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Studley get set for cup drama

PREPARATIONS are well underway for the second leg of the Worcestershire Senior Cup and what a contrast it has been to the Bees league fortune. They might be scrapping for every little crumb of a point they can lay their hands on as they fight for their

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People have say on Plan

THE provision of new housing in Redditch proved to be a hot topic during a recent public consultation. Residents were given the chance to give their opinions on the future of the borough during the second period of public consultation for Local Plan number

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Church slip into battle

Alvechurch 1 Biddulph 1 "WE'RE not out of the woods yet" said Alvechurch boss Peter Frain after seeing his side pegged back at Lye Meadow. A 15th minute penalty by Andy Dodds saw the Churchmen take the lead but Tom Pope's 31st minute equaliser put pay

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Play area is on hold

A DECISION over whether to reinstate a play area in Crabbs Cross has been delayed until the proposed Abbey Stadium development is in full swing. Redditch Council's executive cabinet agreed to delay a final decision on a suggested development at The Pleck

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Still fighting

Studley 1 Malvern Town 2 A DISHEARTENED Kevin Rowlands said he left his players to argue between themselves after a dismal defeat at the hands of fellow strugglers Malvern. The Bees boss saw his side slip back into the Alliance relegation zone with just

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Looking at positive side

Ashford Tn 1, Evesham Utd 1 IT'S DIFFICULT to know where to start after Saturday's draw but concentrating on the positives would appear to be the best place in the context of United's successful season. In terms of their rivals, the result was the best

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Hampton's five-goal championship blast

HAMPTON WMC, with games in hand, remain on course for promotion from Division Three of the Birdseye Sports Evesham Sunday League. They followed up their midweek win at Wickhamford with a five-goal victory at Moreton Town with goals from Uren (2), Beattie

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Fair for all

ALL soccer programme collectors are invited to descend on Common Road on Sunday. The occasion is a programme fair organised by John Hawkins from the club shop and keen collectors are invited along to Evesham United's home ground between 11-30am and 3-

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Junior round-up . . . Junior round-up . . . Junior round-up

Marston Green 1, Evesham Utd U-14 3 UNITED warmed up for their League Cup final against Cambridge United on April 23 with another solid team display in last weekend's friendly. The three goals were all scored in the first half after which several chances

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Katie's a cracker

Evesham Utd U-13 Girls 8, Bromyard Tn 3 KATIE Armento banged in a hat-trick in the opening 15 minutes to spearhead United to an emphatic victory. Armento struck after only five minutes and, after completing her treble, it was left to Rachel Pattison to

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Second half goals enough

Worcester City 0, Evesham Utd U-12 3 UNITED threatened to run riot but their pressure wasn't rewarded until early in the second half. Jake Hall finally broke the stalemate and then doubled the lead five minutes later. The Robins were now in control and

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Win on first outing

Evesham Utd U-7 4, Moreton Stanley 0 THE newly-formed team of six and seven-year-olds recorded a well-deserved victory in their first ever competitive outing. All 16 players in the age group got a run-out and al contributed to a fine win. The goals came

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Warm up with win

Marston Green 1, Evesham Utd U-14 3 UNITED warmed up for their League Cup final against Cambridge United on April 23 with another solid team display in last weekend's friendly. The three goals were all scored in the first half after which several chances

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Reds girls in the pink again

Junior football round-up: Redditch United girls under 9s beat Burlish Olympic under 10s 2-0 thanks to goals from Rebecca Lewis and Hannah Northall. Bournville Warriors were no match for Redditch United girls under 10s Belles after hammering them 4-1.

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City play-off dreams over at Alty

WORCESTER City's hearts were broken last night as Altrincham ended their distant Nationwide North play-off hopes with a bad-tempered 2-0 victory at Moss Lane. The Robins floored Andy Preece's weary side with strikes from Kirk Hilton and Colin Little after

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Warriors' Collazo chase hits dead end

WORCESTER Warriors' pursuit of Patrice Collazo is over. The Toulouse prop looks set for a return to England but Gloucester are ready to welcome back the loosehead to Kingsholm. The 30-year-old was at Sixways last month to watch Worcester take on Saracens

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Penalty miss caps Evesham woe

EVESHAM United paid the price for missing a bucket load of chances in a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Cinderford Town. They had a great opportunity in the second minute of injury-time to salvage a draw in last night's Southern League Division One West encounter

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Victory opens six-point cushion

ARCHDALES '73 moved six points clear at the top of Midland Combination Division Two with a hard-working 3-0 win against rivals Droitwich Spa. Dales opened brightly, causing the Droitwich defence several problems with Darren Tafft twice going close to

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13/4/05 - Warriors' Collazo chase hits dead end

WORCESTER Warriors' pursuit of Patrice Collazo is over. The Toulouse prop looks set for a return to England but Gloucester are ready to welcome back the loosehead to Kingsholm. The 30-year-old was at Sixways last month to watch Worcester take on Saracens

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Spin king Shane set to grace Swan's Nest Lane

WARWICKSHIRE County Cric-ket Club has announced a partnership with Warwickshire County Council to secure the staging of a festival of cricket at Stratford next month. The county council has agreed to underwrite the event to secure the Festival's second

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More awards

THERE'S been more reasons to celebrate at The Bottoms this month. Three more members of Pershore Cricket Club have obtained their ECB Level One coaching award and that means there are now eight level One and six Level Two coaches available to offer advice

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Victory cheers fans

Droitwich 32 Shipston-on-Stour 22 West Midlands Division Three West (South) CAPTAIN Matt Blackmore dedicated Saturday's rare victory to Droitwich's long suffering followers. After watching their side suffer a nine match losing run, which saw them finally

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Corbett's teams seal third places

CHADDESLEY Corbett under-8s won the play-offs for third place at Nuneaton's mini-tournament on Sunday. Corbett, who were unlucky not to make the final, went through the tournament unbeaten. They defeated Llandaff North 35-0 in the first game, with tries

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100 years ago April 15, 1905

THE news that Droitwich Canal Company and Sharpness New Docks had settled 13 compensation claims by Spa residents would give heart to many in the UK who lived alongside waterways. The claims were for damage to property when the canals overflowed last

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Monetary mistake

WE made a mistake in including £99,000 in the budget to cover the increased cost of landfill charges caused by the £3 per ton increase in the Landfill Tax. We applied the increase to the whole of the refuse collected (33,000 tons) instead of just the

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Praise for medical staff

Many of the letters on this page focus on the negative. Just to counterbalance that, I would like to share some reflections on my recent visit to the NHS hospital in Reddich. I have just returned home after eight days at the Alex. As an active man of

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Rovers' top two hopes fade

Bromsgrove Rovers 0 Swindon Supermarine 0 Southern League Division One West LACKLUSTRE Bromsgrove Rovers' slim automatic promotion hopes received an almost fatal blow as their poor home form came back to haunt them against a stubborn Swindon side on Saturday

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Maguire double inspires Droitwich

Enville 0 Droitwich Spa 2 PROMOTION chasing Droitwich took another step to catching the leaders in the Midland Combination Division Two on Saturday. Spa, who have several games in hand on the leaders Archdale and University of Birmingham, kept the pressure

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Magical end for Alcester

Alcester 45 Old Griffinians 5 Alcester signed off their season in style by running in seven tries against the North Midlands Two high fliers. The Kings Coughton men soon got the better of the visitors thanks to good lineout ball which the home side enjoyed

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Will power wins it as Everett lifts cup

Droitwich Spa Reserves 1 Quinton 0 Evesham Hospital Minor Cup Final WILL Patz was the hero for Droitwich as his solitary goal sealed the silverware for Droitwich at Broadway on Saturday. Captain Chris Everett lifted the cup after a hard fought victory

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Matt finish for Kings

Handsworth 10 Kings Norton 27 KINGS Norton's final away fixture of the season ended in victory maintaining the Hopwood side's third place in the league. The Ash Lane outfit quickly settled and before the first two minutes was up saw winger Matt James

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Leaders keep top spot

Quorn Reserves 0 Bromsgrove Rovers Reserves 2 ROVERS did their best to keep alive their slight title chances in the Midland Combination Reserves Division with an impressive victory on Saturday. Victory keeps Rovers top of the table and kept at bay second

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*DON'T MISS OUR 2 FOR 1 ODEON TICKET OFFER* *WIN CINEMA TICKETS* *WIN TICKETS TO THE MALVERN SPRING

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What next?

YEARS ago, we had the old rateable value for deciding how much rates should be paid. Then we had the Poll Tax which caused rioting in the streets. Now we have the present Council Tax with banding according to the vaue of the property - which, we are told

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You must try harder

NIL points Mr Gregson - to coin a phrase, you'll have to do better than this if you are going to impress your European lords and masters. Promoting a budget that has little to interest pensioners when there are better offers on the table from other parties

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Site will be a benefit

MY aunt, who lives in Hampshire, tells me that she understands Waitrose negotiated an arrangement with the council in Hampshire whereby the council provided town centre land and funding for the development of a new Waitrose store. In return for this Waitrose

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Look at the real picture

IT is time the hysteria over the Lido ended. Everyone would like the site to be re-opened, but how best to do it. Certainly not just refurbished as it is. We went swimming in the 1970s, but only once. It was an unattractive venue. Look at it again, ignore

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Chew it over

WHEN people wanted bread, Marie Antoinette said: "Let them eat cake". Now Droitwich want their Lido, Wychavon insist "give them Waitrose". If councillors want our votes, I say "make 'em eat Humble Pie". Marie lost her head, Wychavon the plot, and some

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Youngsters get called up

A QUARTET of Under-13 players from Eve-sham Rugby Club have come through four gruelling squad sessions to earn selection for Worcestershire who face a competitive match against Birmingham later this month. The Worcestershire All Sports Partnership (WASP

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Tykes next for county

WARWICKSHIRE are quietly confident of producing an upset in this season's RFU National Under-20 Championship when they take on defending champions Yorkshire at Otley in the national quarter-finals on Saturday. Yorkshire accounted for Warwickshire's Midlands

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Stars to shine in the hills

A HOST of star names - Peter Bowles, Sian Phillips, Leslie Grantham, Jean Boht, Shirley Anne Field, Susie Amy, Gaby Roslin, Clare Teal and Julian Lloyd Webber - will be coming to Malvern this summer. As Malvern Theatres unveils its forthcoming programme

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Centre's shopping spree!

REDDITCH'S Kingfisher Centre manager enjoyed a taste of the exotic when he went shopping for palm trees. Ian McLelland recently travelled to Nieuwkoop, near Amsterdam, to select new palm trees for the shopping centre. The nine palm trees currently housed

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09/04/05 - Ravaged Boars cement safety

Whitchurch 22 Bromsgrove 26 Midlands Division One INJURY stricken Bromsgrove RFC sealed their place in the Midlands Division One for next season with a hard fought victory in Shropshire. Despite an injury crisis, which forced director of coaching Dean

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Heaven-scent!

SHOPAHOLICS will be following their noses to a new store opening at the Kingfisher Centre this month. Passion for Perfume is set to open its doors on Monday, April 25, occupying the former Jessops site in Walford Walk, opposite Evans. Kingfisher Centre

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13/4/05 - Defeat is not end of our world

OUR play-off hopes may be over but we should not be feeling sorry for ourselves. Last night's defeat at Altrincham indicates we can no longer make the Nationwide North play-offs. However, with fifth-placed Kettering winning at Stalybridge Celtic, it probably

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Dancing the night away

A WORCESTERSHIRE dance group will present the stars from the BBCs Strictly Come Dancing. Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag will be at Malvern Theatres, Grange Road, Malvern, this Sunday, from 7 to 10.30pm. The show features dance music including ballroom, Latin

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Droitwich Spa WI

President Margaret Wainwright opened the April meeting and welcomed visitors. Members spoke warmly of the Corbett Group meeting, when a talk by a forensic scientist revealed the work they undertake to identify minute particles for use in evidence. Other

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Impression

IS the Worcester News showing its colours already? The Tuesday, April 5 edition had headlines about 2,000 new jobs coming to the city and right next to it a larger than ever blown-up picture of Tony Blair giving a one glance impression that it was due

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Optimistic

HOW many people like me were optimistic when Tony Blair said the words "education, education, education" back in 1997? Yet since 1997, two million children have left school barely able to read, write or add up and 60 per cent of 16-year-olds fail to reach

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Riders are dangerous

PAUL Wilson (Letters, Monday, April 4) seems to be looking for a response. Because the law is so often ignored, these days we face increasing chaos and danger in our lives. Among many other things, cycling on the pavement is unlawful. Mr Wilson complains

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Altrincham 2 Worcester City 0

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 WORCESTER City's hearts were broken last night as Altrincham ended their distant Nationwide North play-off hopes with a bad-tempered 2-0 victory at Moss Lane. The Robins floored Andy Preece's weary side with strikes from Kirk Hilton

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Schools' millions

A PIONEERING £63m project to rebuild seven Bromsgrove schools is due to take a major step forward next week. Worcestershire County Council's cabinet should decide tomorrow which consortium has been selected to take on the massive project of demolishing

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'Social pest' jailed for preying on young girls

AN amateur photographer who tried to lure girls as young as 14 into posing for glamour pictures has been jailed for 21 months at Worcester Crown Court. John Humphreys trawled the streets in his distinctive red Vauxhall Frontera seeking likely candidates

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Grandfather was sex pest

A grandfather scared a 13-year-old girl by making a sexual suggestion to her in a park, Worcester Crown Court heard. Next day Ronald Brown, who suffered from schizophrenia and had 20 cases of indecent exposure on his record, banged on the victim's windows