Halesowen Thursday,January19,2017 Readbymorethan46,000people Pricewhensold70p SCHOOLS FACE TRIBUTE ‘KingofRock’Ted Graydiesaged81 THEmanknownasthe‘KingofRock’has FUNDING CRISIS diedaftersixdecadesatthehelmofafa- mousBlackCountrysweetfirm. TedGray,whoranEdwardGray’sof DudleywithhissisterBetty,was81.He hadworkedatthefactory,startedbyhis grandfatherin1826,sincehewas15and continuedintohis70s. HisdaughterJulieHealy,53,said:“He wasveryproudofthebusiness,especially theherbaltablets.Onlycertainfamilymem- bersknowtherecipe.Hemixedtheingre- dientshimselftokeepitsecret.Hewasa verygenerousmanandlovedhisjob.” ReportbyNickHumphreys ATHLETES ON THEIR MARKS FOR YEAR OF SUCCESS COURT Inquestopenson FUNDING to schools in Hale- sowen is set to be slashed, mother’s death with more than £18 million to disappear from education across Dudley, according to ANinquesthasopenedonawoman newfigures. allegedlykilledbyherson. Hazel Jennens, aged 76, died in The shock statistics have been re- RussellsHallHospitalonJanuary20, leasedonawebsitelaunchedbythe 2016.HersonMarkJennens,aged39, ofSorrelWalk,BrierleyHill,isfacing National Union of Teachers, called onecountofmanslaughterandhistrial schoolcuts.org. issettotakestartatWolverhampton Itispredictedthatthebudgetforschoolswill CrownCourtonJuly10. havetobereducedby2020andoneofthehard- She was allegedly pushed to the esthitwillbeEarlsHighSchool,whichwilllose floor,fracturingherhip.Causeofdeath £597,873accordingtothefigures.Thatequates givenwaspneumoniaandtheinquest to16teachingpostsor£500perpupil. wassuspendedduetothecourtcase. WindsorHighSchool andSixthFormisalso set to be hit, losing ACCIDENT £529,417. That works outto£379perpupilor Fatalcrashascar 14teachers. Halesowen C of E Primary is set to lose andlorryincollision £143,477 by 2019, which works out to £752perpupilorfour teachers. Manor Way AMANfromDudleydiedafterhiscarwas PrimaryAcademywill involvedinacollisionwithalorry. CouncillorAlanTaylorleoqsueivoauletntonof££151891,7p2e6r, craTshheo4n0-tyheeaAr-3o6ld1dnieeadraAtsthhbeysScteLneedogfethrse, pupilorthreeteachers. betweenKilsbyandDaventry,onSaturday Councillor Alan Taylor, who represents morning. HalesowenSouth,said:“Itreallyisalotof HewastravellinginhissilverBMWes- msuorneehyotwhaatcsccuhroaotlesctahne’tfiagfuforredstroelaolslye.aIr’mebnuott tsoaipotepnotwoswiittehardadirsreeDcdtaioIvvneencatotryalobwrohryuetntr1ai0tv.we2l0aliansmgin.incothllei- theschoolscanillaffordtolosethatkindof Anairambulance,roadcrewandfirst amountifitiscorrect. responderattended,alongwithfirecrews Less from Daventry, Mereway and Rugby. NorthamptonshirePolicehadnotnamed “Alotofservicesarefacingbigcutsandare thevictimandisappealingforwitnesses. beingexpectedtodomorewithlessmoney.It’s happeningalloverthecountryaswellasin Halesowen.” INSIDE AcrossthewholeofDudley,schoolsstandto lose£18,494,248,whichisequivalentto£436 TAYLORMADE perpupilor496teachers. Thewebsiteclaimsfundingtoschoolsisset FORFOOTBALL tobecutbynearly£110millionintheBlack CountryandStaffordshire.Thehugesumis Ontrackforsuccess–youngathletesIrisOliarnykand,right,WillHall,withSandwellleisurechiefCouncillorRichardMarshall equivalentto2,947teachers. Analystsworkedoutthefiguresafterlooking IT’SgoingtobeabigyearforSandwell’stop onahighwas15-year-oldIrisOliarnyk,from liantperformanceatthenationalpara-swim- atschoolbudgets,thenumberofpupils,how youngathletes,whoaregearingupforabusy Oldbury.IrisisalreadyrepresentingEngland mingchampionshipsinManchester. muchcashwillbeavailabletothemin2020, 2017–including17-year-oldhockeyplayer inthepentathlonandrecentlywonateam Scottachievedfourpersonalbestperfor- howmuchcashperpupilschoolswillloseand WilliamHall,ofCradleyHeath. goldaspartoftheEnglandteamcompeting mances,includinggoldmedalsinthemen’s theequivalentfulltimeteachersalaries. Willisalreadyratedasoneofthetopeight atAthloneinIreland.Shewonanindividual 100mbackstrokeandthemen’s100mbreast- Thewebsitemaplistsschoolsandshows goalkeepersinthecountryafteranimpres- bronzemedalwithapersonalbestscoreof strokerepresentingOrionswimmingclub. whattheystandtolose.Teacherfiguresare sivetrainingcampwithEnglandHockeyat 3446points. Scottalsopickeduptwosilversduringthe basedonthenationalaveragesalaryof£37,000. Loughborough. Alreadyamongthetopyoungpentathletes two-daymeeting,whenhewascompeting Kit Armstrong, NUT Midlands secretary, HehadastarringroleattheHockeyFu- inthecountry,Iriswillnowstepuptocom- withsomeoftheGBpara-Olympicteamfrom said:“EveryconstituencyacrosstheMidlands turesCupcompetitioninSeptemberandWill peteintheheptathlon,meaningaddingthe lastsummer’sRiogames. isaffectedbywhatisgoingtobethebiggest isnowsettinghissightsonbreakingintothe javelinand200metrestoherskillsset. AnyoneinSandwellandcompetingattop educationfundingcrisisinyears.TheGovern- EnglandUnder-18squad. Eighteen year old para-swimmer Scott levelcouldgetbacking.Visitwww.sandwell. mentneedstofindmorefundingforallschools Anotheryoungathletewhoendedlastyear Hadley,ofTipton,isaimingtobuildonabril- gov.uk/giftedandtalentedforinformation. PAGE39 andcollegestoavertthiscrisis.” AAAATTTEEESSSSSTTTTTTT NFEUWLLBYATFTITETREIDES SEIRNVTIECRINIMGAFNRDOMFUOLNLLY GGGGGGAAAATTTHHEEEEE LocalFamily SSSSSSOOOPPPPPFFFFEEEEFFFCCEEEIIAAAARRRLLLLSSSS FROM £34.95 £59.95 DECFTAOALRILLS YYYYYTTTOOOORRRUUUUUUCSSSAAATTTGGGNEEEEE Business FREE PICK-UP & Unit17 DELIVERY SERVICE GoToHEdGarageScheme©✔ LLyeValleyIndEstateeeee RegisteredMember DY98HX www.midlandsmotorcare.co.uk CONTENTS Victim, 82, died before blaze broke out Teen shop 2 MARK ANDREWS 6 assistant’s 17 LETTERS 7 A LOVING grandmother had already died before The hearing was told that the former bakery as- rettes?’ We locked the door and she always kept 19, 20 MTHEEM FOARSYT LTAICNKEE T 1263 are fitTtrhee,e as btnal ariznteeq dub reionstk hehe eorau rhtd oo.uns teh deu ger otuon ad dflroooprp oefd E cdigitah- shiesAatal tfinhrt e sh iniancdve e l2simt0i1gi0tae.tdio nm orebpiloirtyt ianntdo thhaed insucifdfeernetd d iel-l tthhr“eo Iwtu gwinhad.so owu ro pweonr ssto f ewaer twhoaut lsdh pe uwto tuhled kfaelyl sa sblaeeckp gift swindle y TV GUIDE 26 - 28 Williams’ home in Catesby Drive, Kingswinford, tailed that it was believed she had died prior to the and drop a cigarette.” ar just after 11.15pm on November 14. fire from a ‘natural event’. A statement from fire officer Lee Scott-Richards discovered u PROPERTY 31 Black Country Coroners Court heard how Her son Tim Williams, from Wall Heath, de- said: “She was sat back into the armchair with ev- Jan MOTORING 37 tnheeig shmbookuer sa lwaremre gaol eorftfe adn tdo s teheein figr flea amfteesr f rhoemar tinhge sscaridib: e“dS thhee w inacsi ad ehneta avsy bseminogk e‘trh aenird wwoorusltd f esalere’.p H ine iedveidnecne coef t hbautr nshse t wo ahse arw caloreth oef st hbeu fit rteh oerr eh awda tsr inedo y, SPORT 39 & 40 downstairs window. her armchair and have carers come in to visit. We to make an escape or put it out. It seemed that the sda CONTACT US doTwh beyy utrsiiendg tboo wdolsu soef wthaet eflra bmeefosr teh ermouegrhg etnhcey w seinr-- ethvaent shhaed w wase baclarimghs ts.et up so that we could check deTathhe occacuursree do fb defeoarteh t hgeiv fierne wwaass eissctahbelmisihce dh.e”art eAr sS HouOtP o af stshisotuasnatn sdwsi nodf lpedo uhnedrs e mwiptlho ya- ur vices arrived. Firefighters discovered 82-year-old “I saw her on the night and left about 9pm. Her disease and senior coroner Zafar Siddique gave a gift card refund scam. e Th TEeDl:I T0O1R3I8A4L 3: 5 3201/01384 353205 MFrs Willaiams in hmer armchair. ilielast swords t o myh wife werie ‘wthere ar e mya ciga- csonclusio n of pdeath by nlaturaal causesy. ssietvHye enset ruamdhoe nnStht,ha sch aidrwr, hiaei dl1e 9 o-wuyteo artrkh-ioenl gdc ouannt iovtveherer- cl E-mail: [email protected] Mothercare store at Merry Hill shopping roni ETSe-Pml:O a0Ri1Tl:9S c0:h2 r o3n1.9s4p5o3rt @expressandstar.co.uk cmtheoner tfier ertm.h Sa’shn ew £ eu1b,s0sei0dt0e twwheho rigctihhf tso hcf aegr ohdoasd dts o df erbloiumvy- h PHOTOGRAPHIC: Tel: 01902 319430 ered to her home in Gammage Street, C E-mail: [email protected] Dudley. n ADVERTISING: Nicola Cope But her scam fell apart when she at- e Tel: 01902 319573 centres lose funding tempted to record a ‘refund’ for four w E-mail: [email protected] pushchairs, worth nearly £4,000, and o PROPERTY: Colin Bailey the transaction was picked up by Moth- Hales TEMTEee--Ommll:: Taa00Oii11llR::93 clI08iNoz24.lG bi33n:a 15.rLb33riaaz12i t34lBte@14ay r@eerxaxtetp tx3rp7ers3es1sasnadnsdtastr.acro.c.uok.uk eitSnwrh cSoeWah rwcaaeoilh’ulsslina dbfltr lesa,a suopwefdpn hf edtreaeaerrnueteec ddsce h tbdibey oae ntapf obWlterueaeoasd lmevme oe.darf hggpiauosmsitlirttpayitot oetnnos. CLASSIFIED: Crown Court on February 9. TEe-ml: a0i1l:9 m02y [email protected] Ms Linda Gudgeon, prosecuting, said DISTRIBUTION: Paul Jones CHILDREN’S play centres and Sale heralds new era for old pub Sinhga haimd ocurnedtsit eodf m15o ngeifyt, craercdosr dwiintgh tvhaermy- TEe-ml: a0i1l:9 p0.2jo [email protected] aafctreors-ssc Shaonodl wcelullb, sre saurelt intog icnl othsee ayse acru. sStohme eur sreedf utnhdesm f rtoom b Juayn uparoryd ulactsst Halesowen loSsasn odfw 2el6l jAodbvse.nture Play Associa- fnraomme tahned fwiremre’s swenetb stiot eh einr hhoemr eo. wInn tion (SAPA) has been forced to axe 14 July she began putting money, recorded as refunds, directly into her account. Ms 51-53 Queen Street services after losing £300,000-a-year Gudgeon, said the total amount of the di- funding. rect transfers attemptedwas £4,644.73. Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES The move will leave parents facing sig- Mr Sam Christopher, defending, said Open Monday to Friday 9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Anisfi wcaenllt adsi sprluapyt cioennt irne sth, SeiAr PdAay a-tlsoo-d paryo lviivdeess. wthheo sleivceosn dw-iyteha hr ebri opcahreenmtiss,t hrya ds tnuod penret-, www.yourchronicle.com childcare services, with staff picking up vious convictions. Shahid was granted children from school and looking after unconditional bail ahead of the sentence them at the centres until the parents fin- hearing next month. ish work. It also runs two pre-school play- groups. Filming to start Sandwell Council bosses said SAPA had not been successful in applying for funding but insisted the cash would still be availa- on Peaky Blinders ble for other providers. The voluntary service operates from centres across the borough, including at Riddins Mound Children’s Centre in Cra- THE creator of Peaky Blinders has giv- dley Heath, Wesley Centre in Wednesbury, en an update on series four and said Kenrick Park Community Centre in West filming was set to start soon. Bromwich, Wiltshire Way Play Centre in The 1920s gangster drama set in Bir- Hateley Heath, Wallace Close and Lion mingham, which is partly filmed at the Farm Play Centres in Oldbury and the Black Country Living Museum in Dud- Windmill Centre in Smethwick. ley, will begin filming in spring. Alternative Birmingham-born screenwriter and After-school clubs open for three and a director Steven Knight, whose latest half hours from Monday to Friday and also drama Taboo is currently being screened between 8am and 6pm during the school on BBC1, said scripts have recently been holidays to support parents who are unable finalised for the next series, following to get time off work. last year’s cliffhanger that saw most of SAPA has been based in Sandwell for al- the Shelby clan sent to prison. most 50 years but funding from the council Starring Cillian Murphy and Tom will cease at the end of March. Hardy, Peaky Blinders has become an Bosses said efforts to source alternative The White Lion Inn, on the corner of Cox’s Lane, Cradley Heath, has been sold for more than £150,000 international hit, with particular suc- funding had been unsuccessful. A total of AN OLD pub, which has stood der- ment with a bar area/cafe seating in the 1960s, but it turned into a cess in America, and inspired a fashion 26 staff will lose their jobs. elict for more than 10 years, could area. cafe for quite a long while and that craze for 1920s haircuts and caps. oWueFs laiyer lewd seot fuafinrcene erv deC.r hTyr hdisei spHalpaaprywo cioennotdter dse asa inadrd: e “ ubOpabssveetid-. gsoeltd af onre mwo lreea tshea onf £l1if5e0 a,0ft0e0r. being goIotd sstiazteeds :l o“uTnog eth we itfihr sttw floo door uibs lae 2w0a0s0 dsu. ring the 1990s and the early Nude pub calendar inno aprreoavsi swiointh f odre cphriilvdarteinon t oo rp lwayit.”h little or neTr hoef CWohxi’tse LLainone, ICnrna, dolney t hHee acothr-, aan bda tohnreo soimng wlei tbhe dcrooronmers .b Tahthe raen ids Empty boost for charity sfierrCmvoi cutehnsac tbi lotlsohsre, sgSariimadn:o t“n If toH ris at ihcmkesepetot rs,t eacrnhvtii cltdeosr cehonan’ss- obpeEfeorsrateta estdeh uaastgt aien ncgat fsien L dtuehxrei neAaglr ltlahyn e2 10C90o90m0s.s- beTnehncele okfisitet dcoh fs ehbnao swisee caro nwmdip twhaac stlil na unknd ai tnhsda.”s W thCe. Sbea“ dSnlyien,a crtebh yteh hfeaancv tieot rchileaosss etsdht oadotod wu esnme dpa tntydo. PUB regulars have raised £2,600 for the not been cut and that the council has not mercial confirmed that it has been There are spaces for about 10 it doesn’t really serve a housing Teenage Cancer Trust after they bared withdrawn any finance from this area. sold subject to contract. cars directly outside. estate, so it wouldn’t really be any all for a calendar. SAPA was unsuccessful in bidding for Described as the site of a former Councillor Chris Tranter, who good as a pub now. But if it was Customers at The Cottage Spring, in grants to support the services they run be- landmark pub, the sales advert represents the Rowley ward, said: turned into something good, then Brook Street, Woodsetton, joined land- cause their bid was not of a high enough classes it as a commercial develop- “I think that it closed as a pub back it would be welcomed.” lady Shelly Price in posing naked. standard.” Denture Care CCAARRPEPTES/TBSED/SB/REUDGSS/ New dentures will allow you to eat, smile and talk WHOLESALE&RETAILWAREHOUSE with CONFIDENCE! •Wehaveaspecialinterestinyourdenture UPTO SOFAS - VINYLS •Listeningtoourpatients,communicationiskeyforsuccess 75% OFF - LAMINATES - STAIRLIFTS Est 1978 •Wecanspendover3hourstoensuretheperfectsmile •Themostadvancetechniquesareusedtocustomiseyourdentureallunderoneroof Disabled. Can’t Get Out. OAP Or anyone needing that extra help? •Arangeisavalibletoaccommodateeveryone’sbudget. Can’t come to us - We’ll come to you We will bring 100’s of carpet samples, NEW COPY NATURAL DENTURE Providing a professional, personal & WEs oDfOa aWnHdA bTe OdT bHrEoRc hCuArResP EtoT yFoIRuMr dSo WorON’T discreet service. Patient satisfaction DENTURES DENTURES LOOKING REPAIR is our highest priority Remove and take away old carpets/beds Move heavy furniture and shave doors Terms and conditions apply. CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION Unit D Dormston Trading Estate, Burton Road, Upper Gornal www.ablecarpets.co.uk Lee Torrington01384 468 648 FREEPHONE COVERS ALL AREAS HOME VISITS 0800 0853747 CDT RCS ENG RDT. AVAILABLE •Halesowen •Hasbury Adrian Bromley 3a BLACKBERRY LANE, HALESOWEN, B63 4NX •Cradley •HayleyGreen 01902 •Oldhill •RowleyRegis 880541 •Blackheath •Oldbury Holocaust Woman’s mission to halt ivory trade NEWS IN BRIEF 3 survivor at By-election date H A YOUNG woman from Stourbridge passionately about African elephants in huge numbers and, while the inter- a memorial ibsa lne aodf iinvgo rtyh esa filegsh itn t oth ber UinKg .i n a total ftohra tt haerier ipvooarych teuds kisn, wlahrigceh naurem lbaeterrs nmaetsitoinc atlr atrdaed me iesa nilsle igllailc,i tt hiveo lreyg able idnog- after resignation le More than 97,000 people have carved into ornaments and jewellery. passed off as antique. so signed Ellen Cobb’s petition – includ- In September last year the Govern- Louis Theroux shared the petition w ceremony iSntgep hceelne bFrriyti,e ws hLoo suhiasr eTdh tehreo ulixn ka nond mtoetanlt b taono kw ahcetnio Ann wdhreicah L feealdl ssohmor,t t hofe na verias . TSwteitptheern t oF rhyis a 1ls.5o mshiallrieodn tfhoell opwe-- VtoO tThEe RpSol lisn nae xDtu mdloenyt hw afordr aw bilyl -heeleacd- en social media to their millions of fol- Secretary of State for Environment, tition and tweeted: “There’s STILL tion following the resignation of a C lowers. Food and Rural Affairs, announced an ivory trade in the UK?! Insane. Do councillor. h airAtoni rnHnMsgue Ao nDafNlr u tim h dOweleeb mhNyso tota forzeli iilsav dpHle ewdeoav alkoetsh cn abarttoou. trushntge hwi bn io tlAlhr ombeu eshg tvhoeirsr’s--- REllen Cobeb launcahed and online peetitionrptslihieagaTMtmnitht iaeiwsseonts unit l2 r lCfi 2eonmo-sr yb Aeae baau a,wnd gre oa-utbofoyhs al tedBt,f e,rie i.ssoaws mlauhe e ofw eSt ghwtsoree eet tshe n toutu,oup m sf Peabtaenherleders- aysbeile ygesWa naprM lhahset Paesounn slbrd t beatsa.s hn g,ae atro ihepnne e .s it itviMsitooslilruio sybnes e ywriConeiuolaglnbc rbhsbgelee a ssrdu a i1tgsyh0hcsoau0t nets,0hrs 70eeadd00t utecsPaihidntaganidcnonke n wsaht.snphai.l a”emdhr gla,lTpi ifvaepVeetmr iefiatnesillanosemotnntu . ht usmretikegora/ n pkNpbeeeraditrecni. stk G Sie’yosneo uneCtrsc edaw/hr1som w6nCwp5w hibB9c.r0epukil5es--l cSmTaihomnTAunt hmr tsasehesdf ,at abcetysi rytt,i - ineLFenp lageeSpbb cpteort eduuiTro arshn’rdosyo no mCwwa1ol6ain lur.sl en’ aecbwsaieloral nolrhirsde .e rGli dsle t hvnoaiinss- ronicle T dam, Holland, in April 1940, and some Dudley Council chief executive h tbweHgoa eynne rarior suw nlaadst iesnrag vo uecdcpu bJpeyyw ians gD. uNtaczhi ctroouopples tSpeearorepadhl et oNt ovo ormtmea.a”kn eP ossalulisrd ew: ti“lhIl e oywp oeanure lad t r eu7graigmse- ursda owrhgToah nteoi somekd e hmeiamocrh ii nay lea aesr vt ehbneyti r D i‘nun deDlpeuhyde Nwleo’y.r tihs aCnda crlosee atc 1o0pmm. pany is y, Jan MP Ian Austin and Dudley College u SHtouLldoaecsatn uytsse’ta Urs,un hriuvoinnv.dorre Sdus soaf np ePooplllea chke adred- libraries £31k in fines to create 30 jobs ary 19 ttsihcorTeni bh Aceea u hmscecporh.m whmoitrezrm-eBnoidrrokauteisno aenxu p iecsor inoecpneecnents r tiano- Avisi dcBerseL aActaiCrnKeg iunCp oh tuoonm 3ter0ys j ohfibarssm. a nwnhoiucnhc epdr oit- , 2017 the public and will take place at the Home Instead Senior Care offers Broadway campus of Dudley College support to people in their homes on Friday, January 27, from 12.30pm across Dudley and Sandwell. until 2pm. It has been organised with A range of full-time and part-time ttihoen asul Tpprourstt . of the Holocaust Educa- MORE than £31,000 is owed in fines Pals on rnoolte sr eaqruei rbee ipnrge vciroeuast eedx.p Aerpipenliccea nints t hdoe Students from Bishop Milner across libraries in Dudley, it has care sector. Catholic College and King Edward been revealed. The company says among the areas AVuI sScihxwthit zF aosr mpa Crto ollfe gthe,e wtrhuos tv’si sLiteesd- shAow sF rteheadto 5m,4 8o2f cuInstfoormmear titoicnk etrse qhuaevset road to cRaorwerlesy aRree gnise, eSdeeddg laerye, GPorrinncael,s PEennds-, saolsnos bfreo msp Aeauksicnhgw aittz tphreo gsrpaemcimale c, owmil-l fines attached in the borough. nsteetatd, aonnd ( 0B1l3a8c4k)h 2e5at9h7.2 3C.all Home In- meImt worilal tcioonnc.lude with the ceremonial chFaringee so ffo £r 3o, vweritdhu e1 8b otook 5s 9h-yaevaer -ao lmdsa xpiamyuinmg TV show New council tests lighting of a candle of remembrance 15p per day in fines. But readers aged over 60 as the Mayor of Dudley, Councillor or below 17 years of age do not face a charge if for taxi drivers Mohammed Hanif, leads faith leaders their books are overdue. stardom in a minute’s silence to honour the A senior opposition councillor says that the GrdvadiicgedtPneimimdfi:’se “ sdoI atfe ’ vsTse iahnlnuewt .”Hasryosl g oacc vaeelurosryt .my sMoevr iAndgu satnind aibHtcasnhuounoaguaLcutdr hhtne ral h oe-tacsarhryai dsauli er e t nscdraryraoe-e s pilD i soaldstruef urh:efc l edastet“t siiylchTnleel ieeydhngc a a iglCCbsrni lbtooo’yiotrrsnu aop csnsruaroeecy oglerib lbhlvfime,il a cgnes Ctt mete ifiooosrvs.guu ve duingt cosrogcet eiirsatnl o hlnagaouedn rrpo ie dbnn P asag saiust nhtfii frc ofLntisewhce ark–ess-- FBsSaMoppRloaapaOnkceikndeaMd ar– e yC ad atot Hhosuo uenapn rlta e rrfsytrtooe ewfole etfzeov ians inso owagiuon tonchmsc eeuo aornilnnnnd- ePtdwtDthoarrAiV xaDilbSvwlSin eu eSrhAk rddcuEess olrn n.Naeim t vsy oGttse p hheCraEueess loR syn sdum oSterrnorw ieiiyvc dnn iirefdl nteDo rgiphrtiun velantd aisseanelct se wsgeatly, os n tt ctcwenafhaaosxhonletr iui tcfdfanafehorolxcer lirei lv u nmtdescsaea raeexwsifbdrt-i. “Collecting outstanding fines is a basic thing a lifetime road trip. The test fee is £79.66, which is the THE future of a doctor’s surgery for a local authority to be doing, but they don’t Faye Hewitt, aged 27, and same as the former DVSA price. Any- which has been closed for more than seem to be getting it right. her friend Holly Loosmore, one who registers as a new taxi driver six months is still unknown. “No wonder they have problems and are 28, from Sheffield, met when in Dudley will need to pass the test. HaTlehseo wCenoo, cmlobseesdw ino oMda yS duureg etor ya, diisn- cnoont tdinouining gw thoa ct utth efryo’rnet sliunpep soesrevdi cteos d–o ,t hwehyi’crhe tinh eAy ywiao rNkeadp aa sa hnodl iadsa yc arbepins Bolshoi on big screen pute between the tenant GP and the is to collect fines. That money could go towards crew in Dubai. landlord over missed rent payments. some of the services which they have now cut.” On Monday the duo were live from Moscow It was the first kind of closure of its Helpful on Channel 4 show Coach rkttinoleien -gDdao.de p htsNiehnponHe iliEtd neSs-ng uu tg bphdrlg oaaewesnt lesridete yg.whs a r olcehu lmdaeldiadsa n pbinpiuenrs tOg oec m ctbltoheiosseibene ebddgru dst1ielhu7dtee.-- mohinpoogITeunn nthre osieJyn flu.gaalli slybhlti r ontAauhgrure iusge csuswoa subgete,ern .egtco uidl n hua eentl hpnt oeoci uurb ntes c chseolodasr tsttsheh earad nto dtpl oireb ensraaaicnvrtgye- naiTijodnsiriga Tniwhpyihen -texoemlglinh lf ale oieatlk.thnashe ergerc at‘rshhRt eif onutcoaokngfd i -n ltttoaigaomvc k iMoteneiu vgatFi rp htbataiohyserl’eest-, SBoDtcuofHou mBnlTdOsiaplthhWleyaleoye n iC tt Sayo ABfln aesaSwdentlE rpalsWee i twtnCaca’hmgsliisln laeBst ehldhtmelua .ealvan iuwvesnt eyitoin sh rf tgrlebod o rr pmisarnrcre ogreMndei onoueowpngcsp tscnti oooheirwnnde- Caroline Brunt, chief nurse at Dud- Councillor Rachel Harris, cabinet member and Holly spend on the trip on Sunday. ley Clinical Commissioning Group, responsible for libraries, said: “Clearly if people will depend on how popular The production features a classic said: “The CCG have continued to owe money in library fines it would be helpful if they both are because at the score by Tchaikovsky with choreog- work closely with the practice man- they paid them and I would ask people to settle end of each day, the pairs raphy by Yuri Grigorovich. The ballet agement to progress plans for re-open- any money owed with us. will vote face-to-face to de- will be screened at 3pm. For tickets ing the surgery.” “While we make efforts to contact people cide who they no longer wish visit www.showcasecinemas.co.uk Elderly woman in over fines, including writing to them, we must to travel with. Should they College double success balance the cost of chasing small debts with the reach the end of the 30 day money that we will eventually recoup.” tour, they will win a luxury serious condition She added: “Although fines are a small per- stay in the glamorous, sun- A COLLEGE is celebrating after re- centage of the overall budget, they would be drenched Marbella. taining two awards highlighting its helpful in continuing to fund the service, al- Faye, who went to Perry- excellent customer service for stu- AN ELDERLY woman remained in a though they are not factored into the budget fields High School, said: “If dents. Halesowen College has been serious condition in hospital in Bir- setting for libraries.” there’s one show we wanted assessed for the customer service ex- mingham, as The Chronicle went to Meanwhile, in Kinver volunteers are in to do it would be Coach Trip cellence award and the matrix stand- Press, after being knocked down by a training to take over day-to-day running of the Faye Hewitt (right) from Halesowen and her best friend Holly Loosmore for the travel and the chance ard for advice and guidance, keeping car in Colley Lane, Cradley Heath, on village library, whilst the building remains the were this week on TV show Coach Trip competing for a luxury holiday to do it as best friends.” both accolades. Wednesday morning (January 11). responsibility of Staffordshire County Council. Yew STAY WARM AND SECURE Nursing Home Tree Affordable Luxury Composite Doors Weoffer •24hournursingcareinawarm anddffriiendlyenvironment •Singleanddoublebedrooms available,en-suitefacilities •Specialistcarefordementia, nursingandPalliativeCare Offering you nursing experience •Weeklyactivitypackages,daytrips, pubvisits,etc and expertise in our idyllic country •Homecookedmealspreparedby retreat ensuring your stay with us •Loaurrg5e*garradteednskwitchheerensyoucan SHOOPWENROOM feels like home from home. becomefriendswithourShetland pony,catandguineapig www.oaklodgedoors.co.uk www.yewtreenursinghome.co.uk Come and see for yourselves - no appointment necessary OakLodgeBuildings,FurnaceHill, Halesowen,WestMidlandsB633LZ Yew Trees, Yew Tree Place, Romsley, B62 0NX Call 0121 550 1444 Tel: 01562 710809 Forensic expertise is Council 4 THE BEST OF pays out PETER RHODES 7 1 0 2 knot to be sniffed at £8m on 9, 1 AFTERmyrecentpieceonpolicebeingunwillingto ary cwaarnrytegduansp,isatorel,tihreedfocuonpdrehcimalslseltfhwatit,halothnoeudguhrihnegnaervaeidr.It mileage nu hadfallenoutofanotherofficer’sholster. a J ANOTHERex-coptellsmetheprospectofarming y, somebobbieschillshisblood.Hesays:“Someofthe CASH-STRAPPED Dudley da youngerbobbiesonmyoldshiftweresogung-hothey Councilhaspaidoutmore s wouldhaveshoteachotherbeforetheyhadgotoutof than£8millioninmileage ur theparade-roomdoor.Interestingly,theofficersreally A POLICE forensic expert who has helped Lottery helps church repairs coststostaffoverthepast Th opposedtobeingarmedwereexsoldiers.” solve dozens of serious crimes across the fimvieleytheaarnsth–e1r0epcommmoreendpeedr e OH,dear.It’sbeenanotherterribleweekforthose Black Country is being called on by po- amount. cl peoplevariouslydescribedasBremainersorRemoaners. liceacrosstheworldbecauseofhisexpert Lastyearalonethecoun- ni Theydeserveanewname,somethingtocapturetheir knowledgeofknots. AGRADEIlistedchurchin cil could have paid out o growingacceptanceofBrexit,coupledwithundying Rob Bone can help establish if someone was a theheartofStourbridgehas around£200,000morethan HalesowenChr Ediusrmopaey.aInt.oSyoedinwstiethadL,elsetMstcstcJwawJadctguhnporionosresaaaoeuahdferttdtcnfldscndrenesnattahuseaeeeltbmeoaal.nawweldgltnOelkdohdyersteniimeekdnrnadtameabagheihudmytsutsrd,wopecttaetheiwrohtditsanretc’hvoeshaeogtaaeGrrmrnbTdtatnreah’lriougesuineeusnett,rmgmmfgesBaaatY,ohesepsradoyp.mernntoratwtrHoitkeoGerusosoekasanpfldlvumyteaouoimrnirnvnege-sr hwotkhloalmdoirnfbuuenfacuuHellnnatyoaecirhlgebdbkt–ldteytrreehhiheooersaraUieradaamslDtpdslsKtkviwsraeeanfi.beooerclrdnolefvyIlrtof.ldnteeeimibamnnbnifse2ntoovc,hW0ibrteuoanha1ehstuahvnti0ehtenlsoiidlkesegBglhdwrevaeionctrepcltaafhsodiaawhlyottoelrpohaneasimtnntaddeesssisveeBBsRcistplnhtapvrdroyolooreoumeooaptmsJdrsueaaaiwrwongnnaoctrhidcihgfykcacoh.enutdbauAe.aCu-sltlHborvkemihoeoodeeeCedrbpnrrotnhbibtronfywieieltngLndmrhrergiyrtheudiit,henneiriooreardgnfrcetoWboPooruhwowiuneanndaasrs’ndygssstt- sbaTbabsahbgttrgnreeeehooaITipeeliddennpnnnnrhcgLeeogtSaderewwogeraat2tctrtoo.irpwnot0oaanrirTaegs1emakkirihehemdr2ry‘ntmrd,oawopoaefmwFoearrutbdbuduoooshalseomeervnts’erafkrt’edseeecct,aeapprorchwi£lvcwnoiuanhoe1oceirimindlue4rrnStlHlsliea9gerbtttsdedn,ctossail1.iriohi.uolnn0diastn’rwt0ggooess--. pipmceatjsauthetxngaausimnTBepeiydltdceeeiehbGkn,4Cpentoee5dgweaosurvtpveeyvseoaeildesmettaerpu,nosrntsteteanm£htorhwtnlJ1m.eyhtsomato.heo2renrrdaoiuismnekluetruuegcty,epag.’ghotriasrhmgnhshyrteRetahim5masmfescet5noeviieeptdlmnuebdnenhnedDaptielubaecgeeeiniddyeers--l oorrddeerrttooaaggrreetotrade. wastied.Walkerhadhung sentencedtolifeinprison. publicisethehistoryandar- ratethatbillcouldhavein- himself after killing West LastyearMrBonehelped chitectureoftheGeorgian steadbeen£981,800. shAowTEinABMiromfinbglahcakmeda-nudpwMeorrerishedcaknlecderasnsdtaarbteudsethdeir BLarowmrewnicceh.schoolgirlStacey CseeczuarreyStohbeiewcsoknivwichtoioknilleodf buTilhdiengprinojMecatrkweitllSrtreesetto.re Claims aAtbrnelavddereicftocihooruncgrecondhifsdteMoadoncbrclreyeiasrtrshmoebefiflrna.ecWcmkleaeplinlml,oinwytgeohrtasbht.eedBirfidoufalnltockhweuesmyinse.goxTaphaneisscontpl?odratTcthoteice CoAuwntaryyThfyrisocmoexoptenhretiseBlwacaks hnsciiiesHecnkipstaairsiwttnnohTererkilppBteaodasnrj.baaailrfMaoriBechnarasaeic-l ttiwthhyieellwbeiuixnlitlcledlburienidogerimatsnhptdoreonavpecewrcdoeo.vsrsiTksibihoioilnsf- f1o3rT.7thpheeprefiarrtsmetii8lse,55t0h50eprmepaielfertsemra.nilde wasconfinedtosmallpartsofWales,centuriesago. calledontohelpdetectives Baxterforthemurderofhis ofapermanentaccessramp Ifalltheclaimslastyear WhyhasitbecomesopopularwithMorrissidesallover probing the high-profile 89-year-oldneighbourSarah totheSouthPorchandan were at the 55p rate the England,especiallyoneliketheAlvechurchteamwhich death of Russian tycoon BatemaninHalesowen. accessibletoiletconstructed councilwouldhavepaidout wasfoundedlessthan30yearsago?Lookatoldphotos BorisBerezovskyinAscot; MrBonesaid:“Istarted intheNorthPorch.Some anextra£218,200. ofMorrissidesandyou’llfindvirtuallyallthefacesare a series of sex attacks in workinginforensicsin1987 ofthegrantwillbeusedto The figures follow the white.Blacking-upisnotsomereveredoldtraditionbuta Australiawherewomenhad alongsideaknotspecialist trainguides,organisetours council’s plans to raise modernchoice,andinthemiddleofmulticulturalBruma beentiedup;andaninves- andmyinterestwassparked andtalksonthehistoryof counciltaxbynearlyfour verysillychoice. tigationbyIreland’sGarda byhisvastknowledge. thebuilding,aswellaspro- per cent, which hopes to intoa series of burglaries “There are more than ducinginformationboards. raise an additional £4m a where victims had been 4,000 different knots. It’s Thetotalcostofthepro- year. Don’t miss Peter Rhodes boundbytheirhandsand notaboutbeingabletoiden- ject is £207,800 and, as Councillor John Martin feet. tifythemallbutmorewhat well as Heritage Lottery said:“We’vescrappeduser every Monday to Friday in In2015theforensicsci- youcanlearnfromhowthey funding,thechurchhasre- allowances,includingthose entist gave evidence at aretiedandthematerials ceivedgrantsfromTheNa- forbosses,andintroduced your Express & Star Birmingham Crown Court used. It is about putting tionalChurchesTrust,All asinglemileagerateforall duringthemurdertrialof whatyouseeintothecon- Churches Trust and Gar- claimsforessentialworkre- MatthewCherrington,who textofthecase.” Listed–StThomas’sChurchinStourbridgetowncentre fieldWestonFoundation. latedtravel.” CARLTON CARE GROUP 01384569430 furniture the Monday-Saturday10am-5.30pm warehouse Sunday10am-4pm • Sale Extended • High Street Brands LapalHouse,LapalLaneSouth,HalesowenB620ES 01215030326 • At Factorryy Prices Email:[email protected] Lapal House • Latest Dessiggns Available Wecurrentlyhaveastandardensuiteroomavailable.LapalHouseoffersrespiteandholidaycare Pleasevisitourwebsiteandviewourvideoon www.lapalhouse.co.uk • Tomorrows Designs Forfurtherinformationorabrochuretelephone01215030326 Available NNow • Serving The Black Countrryy For Over 25 Years GrangeHillHouse,516BromsgroveRoad,Hunnington,HalesowenB620JJ 01215501312 WEHAVEASTANDARDENSUITEAVAILABLE WEAREHERE M5J2 Inadditionweoffer... furniture SaltwellsHouse,SaltwellsRoad, 5MINS Ifyouwouldlikeabrochpurroe•coeLdrounnregeesdtienarvdmovlivcceeador,enpla•enaHysoealscidpaeallcyftosorhfaoRfrreetseitdeceornmntfiiadrleeonsrtpNiaiutlerasdicnvagicreCeaorneforexamplefundingor the warehouse DuNdTeleelteyhpe,Whrtooennset,:M(0o1ipd3pl8ao4nsd5its6e9DA4Yl3d2i09)PE SALTWELLSRDHALESOWEN [email protected] RD www.grangehillhouse.co.uk Day hospice services will be Stage is set 5 for young H a performers moving to hospital in April le s o w CHRISTMASismorethan11months e away but Birmingham Repertory n Theatreisalreadyonthelookoutfor C youngactorstostarinitsforthcom- h ingworldpremiereproductionofNa- ro tivity!TheMusical. n TheshowopensinBirminghamin A DAY hospice in Oldbury will close with all its services ic Ococutnobtreyr.,bTehfiosrenetowursitnaggearsohuonwdhthaes France honours Black Country war heroes moving to Rowley Regis Hospital, health bosses have an- le beenwrittenandisbeingdirectedby nounced. T miBctryAae!anFfitT(olfmArrosoamfwwthShaihercdehM-rwflioediacnlktanunairdnnesgdd-sMTDetheabehrbtiHtiineoNbFIabsrtiieittvet)--,. heITathltfeholhblooowsspsseicsaes,1a2iind-wtWeheeoklbvpueurilhbdaliinmcgpcwtoonanssu‘Rlntooaatldioo,nnwgeohrnicfihBtrfiaosdrobppuuerrnypoHfsooeu’ur.sedaayfstear hursda Thetheatreislookingforchildren week,providescareforpatientsacrossSandwellborough. y, who are confident singers, dancers Bosses say the range of services Apprentice Ja andperformerstoauditionforlead thatareneededto‘ensureresponsive n BrOoiclrtemosb.ineTrghhaeanmdshRtohewepnehrtatoosurriytssTthpoerSaeomtrueitehorenen2ad0t, fabrnloedmtqotulhaeetlitcpyuerocrpaelrenet’wcsiaitthnen.soeStvteabrfefepamrroeovbuiidlnietady- award winner uary Sheffield, Manchester, Plymouth, restrictionsattend,duetothesizeof 19 LondonandLeeds. the building, while managers have , Toauditionforaleadpartchildren concernsaboutsitesecurity. beat stammer 20 needtobeagedbetween9–11by Servicesandworkerswillbetrans- 1 September12017,withaplayingage ferredbyApril1.Transportwillbe 7 of6–10years,notallerthan122cm providedbutpatientswillhavethe adbneutdtabilliesviqantugbiciiknrmbthienecgaWhuaseemstt-hrMeepidc.clloaosn.uidnksg/.ndFeawutlesl cohrCoviuicsreirtioennrgttlarynavBoerulaltidrnebgauctrhoycRHlionowiucls.eeysReergviess, AwNithAanPPaRwEaNrdTIbCyEOlywmaspicprgeysmenntaesdt istomorrow(Friday). 12patientsaweekoverfourdays. KristianThomasafterheovercamea debilitatingstammertowinanaward Brum launch bid for Decision forcustomerserviceandlandajob TheservicefromRowleyRegisCom- workinginatophospital. CommonwealthGames munityHospitalwillbeabletoserve CharlieBeddows,anapprenticeat upto60patientsaweekoverfivedays. University Hospitals Birmingham Sandwell and West Birmingham NHSFoundationTrust,completedan BIRMINGHAM’S bid for the 2026 ClinicalCommissioningGroup(CCG) apprenticeshipasareceptionistatthe CommonwealthGamesisoutofthe madethedecisiontosupportSandwell organisation’slearninghub. starting blocks with the launch of andWestBirminghamHospitalsNHS His commitment to overcome a planstodrawupafeasibilitystudy. Trustinmovingthehospiceservices. stammer that had held him back BirminghamCityCouncilhasap- KingswinfordveteranEdwardBillingham(right)andLeonardFreeman,ofWalsall,bothage91,withtheirmedals Morethan500peoplerespondedto throughouthislifesawhimrecog- pointedOriginSportsGrouptocarry theconsultation.Hospitaltrustchief nisedwiththetrust’s2016Brighter outthestudyduringthefirstquarter TWOBlackCountryD-Dayveterans WalsallMayorCouncillorKathPhil- MrFreeman,whoalsotookpart executiveTobyLewissaid:“Abigger FuturesAward.Italsosawhimsuc- ofthisyear,withafinalreportdueby havebeenawardedFrance’shighest lipsatWalsallTownHall. inthelandings,enlistedaged17and andbetterservice,andusingourdedi- cessfullysecurehisfirstpermanent April. militaryhonour.EdwardBillingham, MrBillinghamservedonthewar- servedwithRoyalNavyandRoyalMa- catedtransportservice,accesswillnot roleattheQueenElizabethHospital LeadingapanelestablishedbyOri- fromKingswinford,andLeonardFree- ship HMS Mauritius from 1943 to rinesfrom1943untiltheendofthe beadverselyaffected.Thisisanother Birmingham. ginisAlanPascoeMBE,whowasvice man,fromShortHeath,bothaged91, 1946, including during the D-Day war.Hesetsailononeofthemany stepforward.” Charlie,whostudiedatHalesowen chairmanoftheLondon2012Olympic were presented with Légion d’hon- landings. He was also awarded the troopshipsthatformedpartofthe TheCCGsaysitwouldsupportthe College,said:“Ipinchmyselfevery andParalympicGames. neurmedalsfortheparttheyplayed RussianMillenniumMedalin2015for 7,000 strong flotilla headed for the creationofanewin-patienthospicein daythatI’mdoingthejobbecausenot HehasworkedoneveryCommon- liberatingNazi-occupiedFrance. servingontheconvoysthatsupplied Gold,JunoandSwordBeachesduring theSandwellareaandwoulddiscuss inamillionyearsdidIthinkIwould wealthGamessince1992. Themenreceivedtheirmedalsfrom Russia. thecampaign. theissuewithcouncillors. beabletodowhatI’mdoing.” Make the RIGHT decision this Winter and give RYDALE a ring.... WINTER 3O2unrd SALE 2017 Cleaning Services now available Windows, Doors, Conservatories, to restore all your uPVC Orangeries, Porches, Fascias products.Guttering and Driveways cleaning and Soffit Boards available Nodepositsorstagepayments, Visitoneofthelargest Supplied & Fitted... Repair Service youonlypaywhentheinstallation conservatoryandwindow across the Midlands Available hasbeencommpleted shrowroomsintheUK ULTIMATESECURITYGUARANTEE Ryooeeuprlaccoenstheerveaxtoisrtyinagnrdoocfreoantea Everywindowandconservatoryiscustommadetothemostrigorousqualitystandardsyouwillfindinthe vveryRRoysndeharAAiigloLehLutssaplekyrcoeGudsruuieatccyrtuasrnitteyed comfortableenvironmentanda industry.NoothercompanyintheareahasmoreexperienceandknowhowthanRydale,andthat’swhywe Fulrledqeutaeisltson roomyoucanuseallyearround havebeeninbusinessformorethan30years. MASSIVE DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE ON FEBRUARY INSTALLATIONS OpenWeekdays:9amto5.30pm FREEPHONE08009176060 www.rydalewindows.co.uk LongLane,Blackheath,HalesowenB629LS Saturday:9amto4pmSundayClosed 6 IN MY VIEW with Mark Andrews 7 NHS: We 1 0 2 9, y 1 need to ar u n a J be more y, a d s ur realistic h T e cl oni SOME years ago a man came into our WhBank clerky Tanya N elsonp weighing oout coins in u1983 nd inBatches of copins being mooved at thce Royal Miknt in 1983et r office with a complaint about the charity Ch then known as Age Concern. n theH ec hwaraitsy fwurhioou ws atsh astu psopmoseebdo dtoy hfraovme we planed his door had not shown up. “Why do you always ask people for so their age?” asked our receptionist when ale fihte, hhaedal tghoyn me.a In siung ghiess tmedid -th5a0ts mpoaysbsieb lay is all about to change H could do his own DIY. Which brings me to the “humanitarian crisis” which is supposed to be engulfing the NHS at the moment. There are no easy answers. We have a growing and ageing population and more costly procedures and drugs than ever before, not helped by profiteering drug companies. And while there are plenty of people who say it is all down to funding, these people tend to have a stock reply when wonder people thought they were being short- asked how much extra tax they are pre- Our new £1 won’t just look changed. The reverse designs of the £1 coin pared to pay. very different, its value is represented the UK and its four constituent Nothing. It should be somebody else parts – Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and who pays for it. nothing like it was years ago, England and the first series of designs took flo- Then there are the vast swathes of the as Mark Andrews reports ral emblems as its theme. population who take the attitude that if a Resistance to the coins turned out to be service is free to use, they might as well comparatively shortlived, and the last pound use it. HAD a look at your change lately? notes were phased out in 1988. Besides, there We’ve all met them. They take a fort- Noticed how many shiny new £1 was far more to complain about in 1990, with nTihgehyt coaflfl twheoirrk G ePv ewrhye nti mthee yt hgeeyt isnndeigeezse-. coins have been issued over the tahned i5nptr ocodiuncst.i oBnu ot f wthheil en etwhe s mpoaullnedr £co5i nn ohtaess tion. And rock up at A & E every time they past few months? largely been accepted by the general public, it get a headache. And shout a lot when Well don’t get too attached to them. By has given birth to another problem. Forgery. they don’t get immediate attention. October they will cease to be legal tender. From the start, the £1 coin has been forged A bit like middle-aged men who think A new, 12-sided £1 coin – designed by Wal- on a prolific scale, Ironically, one of the rea- a charity for the elderly should do their sall teenager David Pearce – will enter circu- sons the coins proved so popular with forgers home improvements. lation on March 28, and by October 15 the was the ease of disposing of them in vending Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has familiar round pound will be no more. Given machines. come in for a lot of stick for suggesting that there are thought to be 1.5 billion of these Surveys by the Royal Mint have estimated the four-hour waiting targets should only coins in circulation, it is going to be a very big that up to three in every 100 £1 coins are apply to people with urgent conditions, operation. fakes, and this has been a major driver in the but I tend to think it is a fair point. When the pound coin was introduced on redesign. David Gauke, chief secretary to the If people expect Bupa standards of April 21, 1983, the response was muted to say Treasury, has pledged that the new £1 coin healthcare, we are going to have to start the least. Just 10 months earlier, the 20p piece will be harder to forge than ever before. paying Bupa prices. All of us. Otherwise, had been introduced, with many consumers, Lighter we are going to need a mature debate particularly the older generation, complaining about what we can reasonably expect that it was too small – smaller than the 2p, 5p The new coin will be made from two met- from the NHS. or 10p coins of the day, for example. als, with a gold-coloured outer ring and a sil- And it might mean that while priority is Inflation Walsall youngster David Pearce whose design was chosen from 6,000 competition entries ver-coloured inner ring. It has an image that gcinaigvne c nwo atnoidt tiwthiooilnls hse,a wvtheitor htso egr d e wroniu t jhuin sceto tlnihfeda-ittt.ih oWrneasai ttt.ehna-t ddsrueeepSccrlaploiadrn cwieees hedoin fe t b nhhty heat aethav epcym oo liunonennstfluadgalm’ t seic esowotrniaosn, b ri ftltaehi slwf.tth eaeirstd p mr£ee1orflh reneac opttteshed l a iwntttha laees sguceoenriBninvtee e rtfodohaf rla i etncd ut heahrac rebldei an cn‘noebcik eyninc n owwo mtpaaeusse’ . riamcnphtopraroasedri neuangcp tepp dtro hoiwnapet rm riwa,a tititehnh elt a ton£h d1ae etlihsftee I ins Tmcp oh1aaienn9t er8 wode3af e, tsrjhaoue na slpttso a gfntpoihicernear se l w n£eme1nitw oocnunh ocgtinhtoheigs.n , f hsrw aowhdm eoa rutenhlad esa nlviaoets trtwea gaatoest cwIoliisthfg h sahatelhnltinsgeego hr etc tsthholh yeaifnar slcn o aavom rtnieghnrd eae y rim rs.‘so£ imslu’le eansedlydnl m e plfedobrtguootelmen srdt. i o,ndI btigt fuh ifsotee nr titneh sbnui nodtmt niaahbemn ersg reial dten‘ee1sdrs’. Back in 1967, when prime minister Harold Britain, there had been a not-especially-suc- least 40 years. The number of early £1 coins While the existing pound coin has changed A LOT has been made of the number of Wilson famously assured us that the pound in cessful trial in the Isle of Man. Many people still in circulation is testament to their dura- little since 1983, people’s spending habits celebrity deaths over recent months, but our pockets had not been devalued, a £1 note refused to acknowledge the new coin, causing bility. have, with greater use of plastic and the in- none has made me sadder than that of would have bought a discounted winter coat in them to more or less disappear from circula- Unsurprisingly, the vending trade was very ternet. former Villa, Wolves and England manag- the sale at Shrewsbury’s ABC Warehouse. Or tion. The Manx Treasurer was left with little supportive of the move, too, as it allowed ma- According to figures from the Payments er Graham Taylor. failing that, it would be enough to pay for 10 choice but to print a new batch of £1 notes. chines to be adapted to accept larger amounts Council, cold hard cash accounted for 86 per Maybe it’s because football is a bigger loaves of bread, or six pints of beer in a pub. The original £1 coin was designed by the of money. The launch of the new coin also co- cent of payments in the UK in the mid-1980s, part of my life than film, television or mu- But by the time the pound coin arrived in Bank of England’s chief engraver Eric Sewell, incided with the growth of pay-and-display car but by 2011 this had dropped to 55 per cent. sic. 1983, it did not go so far – enough to buy a who was very proud of his new design. He parking machines. The decline in cash usage has coincided with But maybe it is because the loss of the single pint of Carling Black Label, or five pints said it was very distinctive and could easily Given the pound’s origins, it is perhaps not the rise in automated payments such as direct bright young manager who arrived at Villa of milk. be picked out from lesser coins in a purse or surprising that some people felt the small coin debits and standing orders. Park in 1987 reminds us of our own mor- Today, it will typically buy two pints of milk, pocket of change. But on launch day it was re- had cheapened its value. The oldest currency Debit cards made up almost one fifth of pay- tality. or a single loaf of bread. But forget a trip to ported that some critics said they would spend in the world, the pound took its name from ments by 2011, but they made none when the Either way, he will be greatly missed. your local – a typical pint is now nearer £4. it like loose change because that was precisely its weight in silver during Norman times – £1 coin was first introduced because the debit As far back as 1980, the Royal Mint ob- what it was. 240 old silver pennies weighed one pound. No card was not brought in until 1987. 25 up to % Wooden HUGE Concrete FREE Summer FREE LogCabins VIEW SWW Sheds RANGE Garages FITTING Houses FITTING &GardenRooms ONLINE A off FULLTONGUE&GROOVE II NNN L selected pproductts ETTTT OldBuildingsRemoved EE AsbestosDisposal BaseLayingService R FreeQuotations Pricesfrom DOenlliyvery D&eFliitvteerded Fittedpricesfrom Fittedpricesfrom Fittingserviceavailable 6ftx4ft £239£274 SingleGarage £1599 7ftx5ft £599 WVeitrhaonudtah WallLog44mmT&G CCOONNCCRRETEGARAGEROOF 7ftx5ft £269£309 16ftx8ft 8ftx6ft £725 WVeitrhaonudtah DoubleGlazed REPLACEMENTSERVICE 8ftx6ft £299£344 D16ofutbxle16Gftarage £3099 8ftx8ft £789 IVnecrlaunddeash InsulatedOptions Huge Range Made To Measure Service Lined & Insulated Options Quality At Competitive Prices Showsite(open7days):TildasleyStreet, Visitourwebsite: Callusnow: WestBromwichB709SJ(NexttoStaples) www.bettabuildings.co.uk 01215534682 Trump will be a breath of fresh air 222000111777 iiisss yyyooouuurrr tttiiimmmeee 7 FOR some little while now I have And how was it that, barely 24 hours somewhat politically naive, he is all of bdoeeensn o’tf tsheeem thinogulgyh ht atvhea tt hTeh esrtaetsua rMe aoyr bMePfosr we ehries lraeusdiginnga thiiosn n begeocatimatei nkgn sokwilnls, tlihco hsea vteh winagrsm, ebdu tt ot hheis Admireercitcnaens sp aunbd- tttooo ssshhhiiinnneee Ha strength of character to grasp the net- and his vast knowledge of the EU. have been energised with his promises le tle and explain to the electorate which Then next day brickbats were levelled of making America great again. s direction she intends adopt before trig- at him from the disaffected. Why not He is shortly to enter the White o gering Article 50 in March. a murmur from the Prime Minister? House as the next President of the w The resignation of the UK’s top EU British politics stinks of hypocrisy. United States of America. He may turn e diplomat, Sir Ivan Rogers, would ap- I have never been overly impressed out to be a good or brilliant one, or per- n pear to have thrown a spanner in the with American politics but when Don- haps an abject failure. Whichever, it C works. I hadn’t heard of him before, ald Trump chose to throw his cap into will be an interesting ride for America h I doubt if many have, but he is a civil the arena for President that aroused and the world – and with is a breath r servant who has previously expressed interest. Considered by the world to be of fresh air on nine gpaotsitv ea tv tiehwe st oopn tBarbelex iat,t ytehte rEemU.ained oa tnhoe-rhwopiseer., tChoem Abmaetriivcea,n apburbalsiciv per oavnedd JSOtoHurNb rBid WgeALDRON icle No super LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Politicians T h u hospital to blame rsd POST EMAIL a y solution CDhurdolneiyc lCe hErdointoicrliea,l, dudley.chrons@ for crisis Rachellost7½½ssttoonneeiin1122montthhs , Jan SthOa t thhoesyp aitrael su naarbele tfion cdoipneg. LettersW sohl5vo1eu-r5hld3a mbQepuet obenrn,i eSWft rVae1ne dt1 EMSUST include namexep,r aesdsdarnedsssta ar.cnod. utke lephone Ia llA tDheD RpoEliStSic iamnys wlehtote hr avtoe atGymophobics,Halesowen L30admieinsuotnelysessions uary 19 Ishhsueo clslctp hebitsieassn ilvsta’ e on Gnwy oibtvwhue oirlnsdnmdimneagerln l‘etswrsu hpacereaner- Lneumibesr nuumberr. Tehe E dictor reesenrves tther rigeht to cionsden sek letteers.y oinsno Ialt y cjm ujruisusstsit st a ri epnwao ioliniunstrete drho otuchsrtpai sittit hsat hiltsseh .riiess NSlaimtiomnearl Fast results , 2017 pacities than the hospitals as been going on ALL year No fitness required beWineg raerpel accoends?tantly being to community life efonrt iar efleyw b yy tehaer sp ennonwy -cpaiunscehd- oftheYear VIP attention told of our ageing and in- ing politicians, who decided cssetraeeWgameshsi.o n t gao r pbeoe tp ihugenlsaoetr i‘oesndu pabteu ret vhtehorsiys- HminAug nLCiEtoySb. OrTaWh ReEruNen naLrineei gsc ulaurnbeds C Ttehrnaitatr temh lieose nat Ctsholuceirbae,l Brheiugrbmu lfiaonrrgl yht,h aiemn cc loaumndd-- chitlo oTmwsheoe eusay.l dvn aobswte naau rgmeo bsoeadry iiondfge ca ta hrtoee NNoo awgaeitilnimgit pitals’ for? To me they seem Halesowen Shotokan Karate Club, Footwork Dance Acad- problem in our hospitals is like ego trips for the archi- emy, Halesowen Swimming Club, Black Country Divers, caused by our ageing pop- No mirrors tects and those in power Nautilus Divers, Stourbridge Swimming Club, Swim-for-it ulation blocking beds, but wtpoafrhrfiiht eWeeao nwale bdsbh u llaeyeiwrrtl. edhetiatoi enhd rcgc o oltptiomhthefte amlo tetrhi h seatoasshrsileeoorp euniuhtagisaondheslgysrt- BhCCtgheeeleuTrnancobleahttur.ruheagesr .lheep Oop rouaouf ffrtbc ee oltst iuhschair,eel osiss nreocw ,ah ptelfioshoeot pekanlrus,nee ,lds o aics rsrh fg ioacitalrlyldnsa ,oor sise nsssenoeewdmss-it ’m oebtp-h ymoacr nrloHiatneuis agegsals ehean,s svodr oau eawigtflrre aeeortbn rhulr aeepeLl pfsesow eiwfrsaer uittoemhermkdee-. tfiigechlotad eI?lte slomrye l gyupfio sapt t,the isoaoeoplmns ltwoees hhpbaeaourrvietne e m nt cp oaeoatndui dpi tct haahoynluelsdyyr- BEFORE AFTER fMroemmb£e1rashdipay there is doubt about the ming lessons. Table tennis, squash and the gym are all continue to pay their taxes, 51 HIGH STREET, HALESOWEN B63 3BG new Midland Metropolitan also available. I apologise if I have missed out any clubs or so instead of blaming the 0121 448 1743 Hospital being big enough. classes. I hope this makes clear to councillors that Hale- easy target I suggest you Perhaps it’s about time sowen Leisure Centre – and I’m certain that Stourbridge start earning your wages. tmhoant eyt hsohsoeu lsdp etnaldki ntgo othuer taon dth De ufadbleryic’s o cf etnhter elo acrael cjuomstm thuen istaym aen d– iitss aqbusaolliutyte olyf lkifeey. doO au rtr edmocetnodrso uasn jdo bn aunrsde sI www.gymophobics.co.uk staff and service users be- This is why people are vehemently opposed to the Labour give a very big ‘thank you’ fore making these decisions? council’s proposals. to them all. LCEraNd lHeyA LHEeSath CHa SleTsOoLwLen SKiHnEgsILwAin PfoHrdILLIPS Resultsmayvaryandaredependantonattendanceandphysiologicalmakeup. Weightlossisachievedinconjunctionwithacaloriecontrolleddiet. Quality Kitchen Makeovers Ltd K Q M LTD. UNBEATABLE QUALITY AND VALUE 40% FROM THE BESPOKE SPECIALISTS OFF Don’t Settle for Less ● Kitchens ● Bedrooms ● Bathrooms ● Extensions DoorsandDrawers Before31stJanuary2017 ● Loft Conversions ● Home Offices From a door or worktop 10% replacement to an extension Whatourcustomerssay... HOMEOWNERS... QKM At OFF “Wonderfulkitchen,Ihave LookingtoSell? Wearededicatedtoofferingour alreadyrecommendedyou Enhancetheprospectsofsellingyourproperty-stunningresultsfor customersthefinestservicewithinthe andwouldnothesitateto aminimumoutlay homeimprovementmarket JustMovedIn? THE GUILD recommendQKMtoanyone.” AllNewKitchens, Letushelptotransformyourpropertyintoadreamhome Bedrooms,Bathrooms “Can’tbelievethe DecidedtoStay? OFMASTERCRAFTSMEN MembershipNoA120074 OFFERSCANNOTBECOMBINED transformationfromstartto Fallinloveagainwithyourhome-Revampyourkitchen,bedroomorbathroom ‘Wehavecustomerswhowouldbemore finish,totallyprofessional.” andallowustoshowyourhome’struepotential thanhappytoshowyoutheexcellent Bringusyourdreampicturesandwewillbringthemtolife standardofwork’ Appliances:Neff,Bosch, The Largest Working AlltypesofFlooringsuppliedand Rangemaster,Belling,Hotpoint, Kitchen in the Midlands at our WetWallSolutionsforBathrooms Stovesandmanymore Netherton Showroom RangeofKitchens,Bedroomsand FrankeSinks50YearGuarantee Bathroomstosuitallbudgets Didyouknow80%ofourcustomersareretired? HeadOffice&Showroom StourportShowroom Customersatisfaction ALLMAJORCREDIT 60%plusofallourappointmentsarereferralsorexisting 149CinderBank,Netherton,Dudley,DY29BL 33HighStreet,Stourport-on-SevenDY138BE guaranteed. CARDSACCEPTED customersrequiringfurtherwork. 01384 232413 01299 877718 WEWILLNOT Findoutwhywearetrustedforyourself OpenMon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, OpenTue,Wed&Sat10.00am-5.30pm BOOKYOURNOOBLIGATION Thursdays9am-7pm Thursday10.00am-7.00pm LETYOUDOWN QUOTETODAYON01384232413 Saturdays10am-4pm StourportclosedMonday&Friday www.qualitykitchenmakeoversltd.co.uk FIVE MINUTES FROM MERRY HILL £22m blueprint for hundreds Jack’s toy 8 raffle is an 7 1 9, 20 of homes across Black Country inspiration 1 y ar A KIND-HEARTED 11-year-old raf- nu fled off his unwanted toys to raise a money for Mary Stevens Hospice. ay, J senJat cak pTerhsoomnaalsis, efdr olemtt eSrt aoluornbgr iwdgiteh, d the £30 donation to the Hagley Road hurs HUNDREDS of much-needed affordable homes are set to be Tree of Light raises over £13,000 hoIstp ihcaes. since gone on to cause a stir cle T £b2uW2ila tml sinaill llti-ohbnaes ieBndlv awechskgt m, Coenoneu ton.f t trhye i nB lathcke Cnoeuxntt rfyo luarr gyeesat hrso mfoel plorwoviindger sa, tgpoineamsgliteen s.pe u– – ba blniecdi n rgegas irpneoianndsg e mt hooner e ci httsha arFinta yc6’es0b ,b0oio0gk0- roni ehransm coennfit rgmraendt i.t has been successful in applying for a substantial Gov- TTHreEe oMf aLryig Shtte vreemnse mHborsapniccee’ ss aenrvniuceasl GrHeeonsfipeiclde Pbroismseasr yh Sacvheo opl rpauispeild, stahye- h The firm has now vowed to build 751 homes between now and 2021, con- have raised more than £13,000 for the ing his donation was equivalent to C firming that the Black Country will charity. feeding 10 people at the hospice for n Boss backing see around 200 of the new proper- Each year, ceremonies take place a day. we itnie sW, owrhceilset etrhseh irrees,t Swtailflf obred sdheilriev earnedd afrcireonsdss t wheh or ehgaivoen lofosrt stohme efaomneil cieloss aen tdo graJnacdkp aroerngtasn, iasuedn titeh, eu nrcalef,f lceo. usHinis, eso second cyber ShTrohpes choimrep. any has already confirmed cthareem o, fo tfhteen h ohsapviicneg. spent time in the banrodt hreari saendd tphaer e£n3t0s adlol nboautigohnt, twichkiecths Hal crime survey iattonst dafi lrS s1ot8u s8tc hhh eSommtaeefsfs o wrwdiilsll lh biberege i nbinu i inAlt pW irnail l.st ahInlel NEdoTwvhearmredbei earnc es2r 0eC1mlu6o bni,n ieO sSl dttosouworikbn rfoipdrlgdae c HeO oilsnd- Jvtheaenc ksC chhharanisrdtit mdy easlshi vopeper reiindo dSt,ot o atulhorenb grM idwagrietyh oS vhteeirs- first two years. pital School and St John the Baptist letter. Mark Tranter, whg director of Church in Halesowen. Those attend- Jack said: “I just wanted to help the BsCuWurolEargmvceSkedmTy .C iscoMsyuiboindentrlear ryn c drtDsiom a tvPeai okdl evic iJcpeat aimrmatni seid sn oi nnCa rnihtmehawees sppdoeuorecorvtutgceiorrlooeamn pm efomu mfon eofedn u.oitrnu, fgrus atbfuoiiddrre : ha n“ aesTswi hge nebn iuafisibcluldaec ngdcert u ospwssrf tutoho-l aismonp fco goaul nihnsgsa dhotdlrtre se ta teho f erl wio lgiohmghpihct pt hlo oa arntittse u -ttnlNhhiiteeot y vbch eyetom rotse hbppmeoiucroure nsc’uasyh nn,a ftdosaiesr-l htaisthulo lepmys pp ceeioocnarmenjto smomy ueaeedt n wl aootintsrt ghdtIa o sanh ommia smvi enoea gvt nhr eyterah cwtteeh h miirvneaeylgfmd sflf. a eeII m dda ornible.dyy”- Mr Jamieson has joined forces with Deposit January 5. In his letter, Jack said the big draw oMimtehpreacric atP aoCnfCd o sSn tilaninf feoW rcdarsrihwmiirece.k tsToh hairese s,se usWsr vtehesyet tcou-“sbTtuohmye ehfruosnm dteoins ,rg e wwnhtil ilca ah lp swroo iiplnle craltulyldo eww rh eoinlustrt- t£h1eT3 ,hT2e2r e4de.6o on2f.a Ltiiognhst rceecreemiveodn ieass tpoatartll eodf wEfovhre eh nai shn edr a wfhfloines Jwbaracoskt ’hhsee orldl d w oyanos - Cydohe.rliisgthmteads asks people to share their experiences saving for a deposit to buy their first Charlotte Schofield, head of fund- Happy diet talk by of cyber crime via 36 questions – and home.” raising and lottery, Mary Stevens Hos- tthhee vWoeicset oMf ivdilcatnimdss PinC tCh ew Banlatcsk t oC houeanr- apIpto winatsm wenetlc eoamrlei enre twhsis f omlloonwtihn gw hdeisn- pseicrev iGcerso uarpe, saalwida: y“sO au rv eTrrye ee mofo tLioignhatl Michelin-star chef try. This is the second regional cyber the local garden city scheme, that time for everyone here at the hospice crime survey and will see how the will see 45,000 homes built across the and in our community. CELEBRITY chef Tom Kerridge is problem has developed. Black Country, failed in a bid for Gov- “Taking the time to remember coming to Birmingham to talk about Mr Jamieson said: “It is vital that ernment funding. those we love is so important, and his new book Dopamine Diet and his the people of the Black Country have Plans for the project, which spans we all gain an enormous amount of own dramatic weight loss. their voices heard on this issue. Crime 31 different sites, were omitted from strength by coming together as a com- His talk at Birmingham Town Hall is changing not falling and cyber the Department for Communities munity to pay our respects. The tree, has been arranged with city book shop crime is an increasingly important and Local Government’s funding an- much like the hospice, is a beacon of Foyles. The Michelin-starred chef will issue that affects individuals and busi- nouncement. love and support for people in their appear on Monday at 7.30pm with nesses alike.” Bosses behind the Black Country time of need.” ticket price including a copy of the To take part in the survey go to plans admitted the decision was ‘dis- To find out more about the work of new book. The recipes put the focus www.survey monkey.co.uk/r/Region- appointing’ but insisted that the gar- the Mary Stevens Hospice, visit www. on healthy food that releases the alCyber16 den city scheme would go ahead. Mary Stevens Hospice fundraising Tree of Light raises thousands for the charity marystevenshospice.co.uk website. ‘happy hormone’ dopamine. FREE “You don’t need green fingers TILES KITCHENS & BATHROOMS to get the perfect crop... COMFORT HIGH SEAT TOILETS on all January A toilet with a couple of extra installations. inches of height makes all the Plant Health difference, Large choice of discrete and stylish modern See in store 10% designs. for details Off All Nutrients SUPPLY ONLY £149.00 3 HOUR Installation* SINE ES DTOISRPELAYS INSTALLEDf r£om299.00* Evergreen Nutrients Autopots & Systems BATH TO SHOWER CONVERSION WALK IN BATH INSTALLATION Lighting & Bulbs Fully Installed inc. Bath or shower In OPEN7DAYS Safety Glass Enclosure, comfort. Fully Installed Shower seat, Grab Rail, Includes, Walk in bath, PERWEEK: Fans & Filters Shower valve Thermostatic bath/ SAT-SUN Plastering, Tiling or shower mixer, bathing Easy Clean Wall seat tiling or easy 10-2ONLY Panels. clean wall panels Growing Media INSTALLED INSTALLED 1-2 day SEE DISPLAYS f£rom1895.00* 1-2 day SEE DISPLAYS f£rom2995.00* ...You just need to talk to Evergreen” Installation* Installation* IN STORE IN STORE • Over 50 displays in store • Large showroom- free parking • Free no obligation survey Unit2,BelfontTradingEstate,MucklowHill,HalesowenB628DR • Long established business • Quality installers *Terms and conditions apply see in store for details. Telephone 0121 448 3226 www.evergreenhydro.co.uk POTTERS LANE, WEDNESBURY, REAR OF MECCA BINGO, WS10 7LH 0121 505 1132 CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE SURVEY Church site ready to E rise from the ashes LDAISRCGMOAANLLAUGINENSDTAFTLRLOSAMTISOBOETNNFJAOOASRRRNDEUPTETARRHRTSEYOPOE2L•J0NAC1EFCDo7mEICOpNDo•FTsIWitSeinDdHooowrss 9Halesowen Chronic le •Porches T h u •PatioDoors rs d a •Conservatories y, J a •Window&Door nu a Repairs ry 1 9 •Fascias/Guttering , 2 0 1 •BuildingWork 7 •Misted-upUnits ARe vCeHreRndIS LTeoIAn NEv acnesn atsrsee shsiint gb tyh ea d amaAg en oewut s4id0e0- tsheea tZeiro na uCdhirtiosrtiiaunm C aenndtr e,fi irne H. aWleitsho wtheen ,r aeffuterrb tihshem belanzte n ino w20 w15e Window WarehEsotablisuhedovser20eyears Ltd MIPNEDCALFCIREEONOMTF blaze more than a year ago is conference facility, along with an up- plan to put the two buildings together grade of offices, toilets and front of the to make a new 400-seater auditorium set to rise from the ashes building, has been put forward as part and conference centre.” Dozens of firefighters tackled of the application. Mr Evans said looking back, the fire the fire at Zion Christian Centre Reverend Leon Evans, who has been had been ‘somewhat blessing in dis- in Little Cornbow, Halesowen, the church’s pastor for more than 15 guise’ as it had encouraged the com- 97 Park Lane, Langley, Oldbury B69 4LP in the early hours of August 30, years, spoke of his delight that the munity to work together church centre was to be restored. “We’ve had more people come to the 20E1x5t.ensive damage was caused to at Insurance chTurhceh pthlaanns b ienfocrlue,d”e h aen s aiildlu.minated Website:www.window-warehouse.com Email:[email protected] least half of the centre’s auditorium He said: “We had the insurance sign. VISITOURSHOWROOMOPENINGHOURS:Mon-Fri8am-6pmSat8am-1pm and smoke damage affected the rest of money come through before Christ- A design statement says: “The Zion the building. mas, so it took around 15 months for Christian Centre are looking to retain TELEPHONE: 0121 544 2222 Now plans have been put forward us to get it. the ‘industrial aesthetic’ of the exist- for two of the site’s buildings to be re- “We had four other buildings so we ing building but to ensure that the furbished. moved into the other two following the spaces are modern and welcoming.” SALE NOW ON 50% OFF UP TO SELECTED KITCHENS the 2 Albert Road, Birmingham B17 0AN Kitchen Centre Tel: 0121 681 5553 Open Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm HARBORNE www.thekitchencentre.co.uk More than 1,800 are seeking Merry Hill’’s 10 bus station 7 1 9, 20 help as debt crisis worsens revamp starts 1 y ar WORK to revamp Merry Hill bus sta- nu tion was getting under way this week. a The £550,000 upgrade will see the y, J aerdeddit wioanl kowf eanysc laonsedd r sehael-lttiemrse winiftohr cmoav-- da tion boards. s The scheme is being carried out by e Thur WhNeEalApls RawLlliY tch o 1lni,a8tba0ic0lit tepiedes oa tp odlteea blalti cncrgho ansrsei tayDr liuyn d £jlu2es5yt, m sWiixlol imolvneo.rnhtahms –p tsoene kainngd MP says UK should back Trump trade deals cWWBeoneessststtre esMM owiwiddenllraaeennr kdsd essI e nCn(tTo utmf oWa bniMmidn p)eT,rd rop avAanerus tttp hhooeorf tr s tiftthoayer-. ronicl 1ed0A tc hatolelt saS let evopef rC1y,h7 da7an8yg .pee cohpaler iitny tdhuer DinYg, WthVe fianrsdt WhaSl fp oofs t2c0o1d6e, a erqeuaisv caolenntat ctto- nBeRsIsT rAeIlaNti omnushsti pa’ iwmi tfho rt hteh eU S‘b teos tm paokses iab lseu cbcuessis- tlMAoiorneonrgu refnyro drHh asoilhvnle oeb p tyipo nbe c rufirssov .as esn vdini se ifntrosorunsrt e ao rtf rhbievuyes enasot. h The WS postcode area had the biggest average debt levels at £15,932 for each of Brexit, says Dudley South MP Mike Wood. The station refit is due to be com- C individual. The Conservative MP has welcomed comments pleted by late spring and during this n Museum offer The charity provided help to a total from President-elect Donald Trump, saying that time the car park near Matalan will be e of 614 people in the area, up from 590 Britain and America will get a new trade deal partially closed. w during the same period the previous ‘done quickly and done properly’ as he promised Councillor Richard Worrall, chair- o bonus for year, and the total level of debt rose to help make Brexit work. man of TfWM, said: “Intu Merry Hales members dpfruooAsrmti nct o£ogd9t tae.h4l e aom firf eirl6sal4ti o 5csnio x pnt emoto a£opc9nlte.et8 hdf ms r tooihmfll eli a otcsnhht.e ay erWiatVry, MHorMMu Trrs erTW utromoumompdo prahr saho swah sue ( rpFpglrereiedddpg amaeydr)ie. ntsio s ttmoe reesen ttt oew r‘ig ttehht eTb heWherhineistdae’ elHaamnnidlpdl lision sayf rnmoadnes etngr touo ocfcd ettn uphtruere eb basli ricigen g t oretfahs hnte usrWpgeoeetr asittim l l Mipanoinkdrds-- with an average debt of £12,415. May to discuss trade relations soon after his in- tance, so I am delighted we are able Total debt in the area that the char- auguration to work with Intu in improving bus ity helped with was just over £8 mil- Mr Wood, who last July met with members of facilities there.” PBRlaIcOk RCIoTuYn tbroyo kLiinvgin gfo rM suosmeuem o’sf tthope ltihoen ,p urepv firooums y£e7a.r3. million compared to Csiobnilgitrye sosf iMn rW Tarsuhminpg tbonec oDmCi ntog dpirsecsuisdse ntht,e spaoids-: House hosts showcase events will soon be available. The Dudley postal area, which in- “At the time there was a great deal of concern Tickets for Peaky Blinders events, cludes Tipton, Kidderminster, Stour- from both Democrats and Republicans about for bridal dresses 1940s Weekend and more went on port and Bewdley, accounted for 519 what Mr Trump would be like should he become sefboaverlMere snf erytwim eeifsntbathdese trsra d s at2 arnw0yad cip( lkWfela irnema cdglesin,lon ye2 t s db5dda eaipy syceet)ionr mfu tocnierte t lnvm.eitdse iomttsfof-, fioactoofmg tmutaohrlpu eedan serc tbehw dtaoe rfrwtaioetleyl idat’nsh gmecw faarpalolrsrskme , ev£a dni1no e3udiam, sr4t lph5yyre9e £o a.a 9vrve.T,2 emhw rmaeeigtnsilheet- ppatinroo“esdnsWi tsipidheouei nphsn h atwbi.vn ehetg ewn rfoeeowe rwn mt eho ousehv rbeo tdeuws lotdon pcb fooersu osgnmiebtt rltteihie nasbg.tu absnienhde iasnsrd er hienilma a- Ahbre BilBddlgR aaekI tDle aalAta eLcnro dtugshon iwtsCr nmyo uoshnhnototuhwrs.yec ansHeea orius s Sebt,eo iunargt- w20il lp ebre cterneat toefdf ftooo ad saenrdie ssh oofp epxicnlgu sainvde lioInn t oth jue sBt uirnmdienrg £h7a mm ilplioosnt.code area Market Ha arlafnpgene noyf Gbrriedeanl, gwoiwll nbse osnh oSwucnadsianyg, behind-the-scenes experiences. – which includes most of Sandwell “The early indications are that Mr Trump January 29. Included with membership is 12 – 2,919 people contacted the charity wants to build on the long-standing connection Brides-to-be will be able to try on months’ unlimited daytime entry to about debts totalling £39.6 million – that exists between us. Without the EU, Amer- all the latest wedding dresses from the museum which includes access to an average of £13,565 for each person ica is the single largest market for Britain. Mr Georgina Scott Bridal of Stourbridge. the programme of daytime events and – while the ST postal district – includ- Trump’s comments suggest there is huge poten- The event will be held in the Victorian activities. This will include ‘Industrial ing Stafford – saw 828 seek help with tial for the Prime Minister to secure a strong Barn from noon to 4pm. Admission is Might’ in April, ‘Steam Weekend’ in debts totalling £12.6 million – an aver- trading deal.” free. May and even a 1940s-themed ‘Dig for age of £15,205 per individual. Mr Trump said that Britain was ‘doing great’ Blakelands owners Paul and Victory’ weekend in the autumn. Low interest rates are encouraging following its vote to leave the EU, and added that Heather Morgan, will be on hand to Prices start from £30 a year for a more people to take out loans or buy the UK was ‘so smart in getting out’. give brides help and advice. Heather single membership going up to £65 a on credit. But there are fears people Labour’s Walsall North MP David Winnick has Morgan said: “We realise that choos- year for a family (two adults and up to are borrowing beyond their means and accused Mr Trump of ‘patronising and belittling’ ing a wedding dress is probably one three children). Visit www.bclm.com a rate rise could see a rush of repos- the UK by suggesting America could play a defin- of the most important decisions for a for information or to book tickets. sessions. President-elect Donald Trump wants to help with Brexit ing role in Britain’s future outside the EU. bride to make.” Midland UPVC Concept UPTO Windows and Doors Ltd BLINDS 50% OFF Could you change a child’s life? ALLBLINDS SAVE MONEY ON YOUR FUEL BILLS WITH OUR ENERGY RATED WINDOWS Fwexoitpshet etrhire ecnmacr eeth rrsreo wwuagerhldc oscm hthaeall eta n mcghaeinlsdy t ihonaft otu msth aceanirny h npooamtr iemen aatsng diwn ieilnl. tnoe tvheeri re fnacmoiulyn.t eTrh -e ay nwdo rk NewsVeearstiocnalfa&bRrioclslenroBwlinadvsailable conosSfefperevrcsai taoolnr i es JAUA RPNVACTUAE NSADYA RW LSYEIINZ 6SED FAOLWLATES £1599.00 S18t 7C0h. rWisteo’preh ear ’ssm isaall floosctael rcinhga raitgye tnhcayt hsoa st hbeereen’s loa ofkaimngil ya ffeteerl ytoo uwnhga pt ewoep dleo .since FeCahtiuldreSsaFfeitttyed 5YEARGUARANTEE Pictures for illustratBionu puyrp oDsesi ronelyctt& fcr’so ampply ygeoougrrap lhoicacla &l o tmhera rnesutrifcatiocntfisu tatprepedlyr . WYoeu’r’lel nloeoekdi nagt fleoar spte oonpele s tpoa froes bteerd treoeonmagaenrds tohre s tibimlineg, pgarotieunpcse o af nyodu cnogmepr acshsilidorne nto. FreeofCharge A•Rlosmoanas•vPaleialtaedble ■■F1r0e yer D Inessuigrna nsceer vbicaeck FNAENWT AUSPTVICC SOPFEFCEIARL BEDFORD work with a young person on a one-to-one basis. •ConservatoryRoofBlinds ■Hguigahr asnetceuerity locks DOOR RANGE PVC Fcahloloaswntegaren w caiet hc o hufi lsadr’ason uldinf edy.o £Wu4’el2l 0bp erpo eavr i dvwaeel ufeuekldl. tmraeinminbge ar nodf as udpepdoicrat taendd t oefafmer wa ocrokminpge ttoitive •••WVCeuonrovedetidaVneTnrBaelcitnikadsnssforBayWindows ■■AbEwynlil ne obrduugoriyw lot s swaa n&nvdi nfid igotntosertrsaslled GTUOGA BERENAAUNTITN AEENE YD D£fOr3o8Om5R COMDOPOORSITE Want to know more? Visit our website or phone a member of our teamtoday. FREEPHONE ■O(tA&Pc Dapispcloyu)nts WRITTEN QUOTE fi tted FREE 0800 5875279 www.stchris.org.uk/fostering 0800 234 6282 Fittingon ALL AREAS COVERED 01384 234170 / 01384 429152 St Christopher’s Fellowship @StChris1870 allblinds OpenSevenDaysaWeek VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.MIDLANDUPVC.CO.UK Caring for children and young people since 1870 01214293169 [email protected] FREEHomeQuote.FASTDelivery OFFICE HOURS MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9AM TO 5PM C&T DOORS & SALE WINDOWS Ltd NOW Halesowen Fireplaces ON CAOLVLEARREEDA..S. AT THE HEART OF YOUR HOME WORLD OF Unglazed/Glazed Upvc Doors MOBILITY ve y i gg f rr from £349 FULLY FITTED CompleteFireplacePackagesfrom£499 e ewi gg 1 2 3 3mtrx3mtr (includingfire) NEW SCOOTERS from £595 EDWARDIAN STORAGE CONSERVATORY HEATERS USED SCOOTERS from £300 ddWi e aki gg from£4500 NOWIN NEWOFFER STOCK RISER RECLINERS from £495 27HIGHSTREET,CRADLEYHEATH (OPPOSITETESCO) FreFnUcLhL/YPaFtIiToTDEoDors STAIRLIFTS from £1,100 01384620238 £649 WWWWWWWWWW.BREWMONKEY.CO.UK from WHEELCHAIRS from£110 FULLYFITTEDwithin2weeksForaserviceyoucantrust ForarannggeeooffGGaassaannddEElleeccttrriiccFFiirreessaannddSSurrrounds visitourshowroom(oppositeTyreCityonLongLane) MANYMOREDESIGNSAVAILABLE ☎ Showroom: 108C Brettell Lane, Amblecote, Stourbridge, DY8 4BS or call •NewImproved10PointClawLock•SteelReinforced Telephone01215599985 01384 378252 OPEN MON-SAT www.candtdoorsandwindows.co.uk FREE PARKING at rear Unit14,LongLaneTradingEstate, Tel:07759536818or01902842706 LongLane,HalesowenB629LD We offer excellent customer service and aftercare on all our products. GRAINFATHER HOMEBAR EQUIPMENT GIFTS WINEMAKING CIDER email:[email protected] www.halesowenfireplaces.co.uk