THE new Studley Leisure Centre will be opened with a fanfare in the New Year following 18 months of development - and a small delay, writes Julian eva.

Despite some teething problems in the building of the new Pool Road centre, villagers can look forward to a fun day of activities and the visit of sporting celebrities when it opens.

The contract for the new centre has been awarded to Studley Pool Management, which used to run the pool on the same site before it was closed for redevelopment.

The £1.6 million centre was paid for by Stratford Council, Studley Parish Council and Studley High School.