Walsall Chronicle, January 19, 2017

25.4 MB·English

by  Midland News Association

Walsall & Willenhall
Thursday,January19,2017 Readbymorethan78,000people Pricewhensold70p
RAC RACING AHEAD IN RECRUITMENT DRIVE TO FIND 80 WORKERS NHS
Healthandwellbeing
sessionsatlibraries
THERACisholdingamajorrecruitment Theiconiccentre,basedofftheM6near andcustomerservicefocusofourpatrols
dayatitsWalsallHQonSunday. tojunction9,Wednesbury,isoneofthe andbreakdowncallcentreteam.Thecali-
Theroadsiderepairfirmisopeningthe region’sbiggestemployerswithmorethan breofourtechnicalstaffissecondtonone
doorstoitstechnicalcentreandHQinBes- 900callcentresupportandtechnicalcol- andthisistheprimereasonourmembers HEALTHandwellbeingdrop-insessions
cotfrom9.30amuntil3.30pm. leaguesemployed. aresosatisfiedwiththeservicetheyreceive. arebeingheldatlibrariesbyDudleyand
Thecompanyislookingtorecruitvehicle Theeventisopentocandidateswitha “Today’spatrolshaveexcellentdiagnos- TWruaslst.aSlltaMffewnitllableHoenahltahndPatortnoeffersrhaidpviNceHiSn
mechanicsandtechnicians. minimumleveltwolightvehiclemainte- tics experience and are highly-skilled in afriendlysettingatStourbridgeLibraryon
AcrossthecountrytheRAC,nowinits nancequalificationfromIMI,NVQorCity usingthelatesttechnologytoquicklyrepair February15from1pmuntil2.30pm.They
120thyear,isrecruiting80patrolperson- &Guildsqualifications.Toregistercandi- ourmembers’vehiclesattheroadside.This willalsobeatHalesowenLibraryonMarch
neltoboostits1,500-strongroadsideforce datesshouldemailtheirnameandcontact ensurestheRACmaintainsitsexcellent 2from10amuntil12pmandatBrierleyHill
tohelpmeetthegrowingneedsofitseight [email protected] fouroutoffivefixratewhileatthesame LibraryonMarch30from10amuntil12pm.
millionmembers. preference 9.30am/11.00am/12.30pm or timehelpingmembersavoidhighgarage DudleyandWalsallMentalHealthPart-
Attendees at the recruitment day will 2pm,orcall03332022991. repaircosts. nershipNHSTrustemploysaround1,100
havetheopportunitytogetinsideandex- RACoperationsdirectorPhilRyansaid: “TheRAChasalongheritageofbeing staff at 26 locations and helps around
periencetheRAC’soperationalandinnova- “AttheRACweprideourselvesonbeing thereforitsmembersandprovidingexcel- 560,000children,adultsandolderpeople.
tioncentre.Thiswillincludeatouranda themotorist’schampion.Ourbusinessis lentcustomerserviceandwecontinuetobe Thisincludesthreehospitals:Bushey
PartoftheiconicRACbuildingbytheM6 demonstration. builtonthequality,technicalexperience leadersininnovation.” FieldsHospitalinDudley,DorothyPattison
inWalsall,andBloxwichHospitalforolder
Talks underway over possible partnership move adultsinBloxwich,Walsall.
POLICE
UNI MAY STEP IN Body recovered
from River Avon
POLICEhavesaidtheybelieveabody
recoveredfromtheRiverAvoninBris-
tolisthatofa51-year-oldmanfrom
Walsall.TheAvonandSomersetCon-
stabularyannouncedthattheyarelink-
TO SAVE GALLERY ingthediscoveryofthebodytoreports
inDecemberthatapersonhadfallen
from the nearby Clifton Suspension
Bridge.
Astatementfromtheforcereads:
“Thediscoveryisbeinglinkedtoan
incidentonDecember1inwhichwe
received reports of a person falling
fromthebridge.Hisdeathisnotbeing
treatedassuspicious.Theman’snext
of kin have been informed and are
DELAY
Treepruningputs
WOLVERHAMPTONUniversitycouldstepintosaveWal- Clean bill of health for Josie’s work
sall’sunder-threatNewArtGallery,ithasbeenrevealed.
newlightsonhold
TheUniversity,whichhasacampusinWalsallatGorwayRoad,has
confirmedthatearlytalksareunderwayaboutsomeformofpartner-
ship arrangement stating there is an ‘obvious’ case for collaboration THEinstallationofnewlightsinBloxwich
withthevenue,whichcampaignershaveclaimedcouldcloseduetocuts towncentrehasbeendelayeduntiltheau-
tumnsoworkcanbecarriedouttoprune
incouncilfunding. trees.
Auniversityspokesmansaid:“TheUniversityofWolverhamptonhasbeeninWalsall Apubliccampaignwaslaunchedlast
formorethan50yearsandweareverykeentofurtherdevelopourpresenceandrelation- yeartoraise£5,000inordertoreplacethe
shipsinthetown. brokenlights.Theywereduetobeputin
“Aspartofthatwearecurrentlyin- ByCarlJackson placeonMondayandswitchedonuntil
volvedindiscussionswithanumberof Marchasa‘thankyou’toresidentsafter
organisations, including Walsall Coun- themoneywassuccessfullygeneratedbut
cil,aboutpossibleareasofcollaboration Walsall Council leader Sean Coughlan nowthatmovehasbeenscrapped.
aroundeducation,businessandenterprise. welcomed the latest developments and Atowncentrespokeswomansaid:“To
“We’dliketoenhancewhatweofferin onceagaindefendedtheauthority’spoten- ensurethelightsaretip-topforChristmas
Walsall,bothatourcampusandwithinthe tialmovetoreducefundingforthegallery, adecisionhasbeenmadetodelayinstal-
communityandarekeentoidentifyanyop- whichopenedin2000. lationuntilNovember.”
portunitiesthatmayhelpusachievethat. Hesaid:“Weareworkingandtalking
“TheNewArtGalleryisatremendous withasmanypeopleaspossibletoensure INSIDE
assetandasauniversityweofferabroad theartgalleryhasalong-termfuture.
range of arts education and courses so “Againwehaveneverhadanyintention JASON ONSONG
thereisasynergythereandanobvious toclosethegallery,wejustneedtorebal-
areawherecollaborationcouldtakeplace.” ancewhatpublicmoneyisspenton.
Funding “Iwelcometheuniversity’sinterest,Iam FORSUCCESS
pleasedtheywanttogetinvolved.
arelsvWoeaaclllseaadimlltehCdeoauu‘nmnciiavljleoorrrs’ilDtoyco’auslgcinoJmvaomplvaeensmywewnhatos, the“Tlahtetyerarsetangoetstohfeaonnoltyhoenrepsaarntndewrecoamreining JosieAdamshasworkedatthehospitalfor25yearswithoutadayoffsick,seenwithmatronDeniseFraser
lookingtosponsorthegallerywhilebosses in,whichisverypositive. SHE has spent more than two decades around justlookingforajobwhenIsawtheadvertinthe
werealsopreparingtoapplyfornational “Ithasneverbeenaboutclosingthegal- poorly people working as a hospital housekeep- Express&Star.IhadaninterviewandhereIam
funding. lerybutaboutensuringmoneycomesin erfor25years–butJosieAdamshasneveronce 25yearslater.Ithasgottenalotbusieroverthe
He said: “Currently discussions have fromelsewhere. calledinsickherself. years.Ithasalwayshadpeoplecominginbutthere
beenprogressedwithWolverhamptonUni- “WhetherpeoplelikeitornottheGov- The60-year-old,fromWillenhall,startedworkat isalotmorenow.”
versitytoexplorepartnershipsupport. ernmenthasputrealpressureoncouncils WalsallManorHospitalinJuly1991havingseena Staffhavehailedhercommitmentovertheyears
“A sponsorship package is also being upanddownthecountrytomakechoices jobadvertintheExpress&Starandhasworkedin fornevermissingashift.Shesaid:“Ihavenever
consideredwithamajorlocalcompany, betweenartsandserviceswhichkeeppeople theemergencydepartmenteversince. phonedinsick,evenifIfeltillIhavestilltriedto
whichwouldbeauniquefinancialboost alive.” Josie,whohadpreviouslyworkedatYansport pullmyselftogetherbecauseifIwasillIknowhow
forthefutureoftheNewArtGalleryand Morethan6,500peoplehavesignedape- inNethertonStreetandAsdabeforethat,said:“It welltheywouldlookafterme.I’dbeintheright PAGE2
artandcultureinWalsall.” titiontosavethegallery. justsortofhappened.IleftthefactoryandIwas place.”
CONTENTS Jumper-ing into action for initiative Help on way
2
RHODES 4 over smart
17 LETTERS 7 A CHARITY is urging people to media with the hashtag #ShowUsY- ter energy bills to certain customers, which is terrible for those struggling
9, 20 MFAESMT OTRICYK LEATN E 1221 awtawekaaerr ieannnged sw ss ohooafl rlfyeu ecpllh opotohtvoiensr got yft. ot hheemlps eralvieses ohuaTsrhWhteao goa lp#lpyN,e aoalCl oconolmdgHseisdo mea set shs.teu dcaiems psahiogwn csuhScahroi mtaaseb tlheen otsereru gosytn s sltouowp hp ielnilcepor msc eearstls.a oin h cauvse- eatosb soheunetat ittah lte ht hceoiarst t h tohofom hseee saw.t ihIntog i astr heteh iwer roherofromierdee motorways
uary 1 PMROOTPOERRINTYG 2398 pitesTo Nphloee Cicnoh ldaW rHeitsoytm MTesiud frlunaen2lud psso tvioes r stauysp ckpaiomnrgt- tWFhueaestlt P dMaeysidpmliateenn dt3 st5 or5 he,0cee9lpi0v wihnitoghu t sthheehe oWelndiensr tgeinyr teonmRereegsryes a bwrichllhos . c aarrer isetdr uogugtl ibnyg t wheit chh tahreitiyr aavre“a Iil mawbaolduee.l d a awsakr pe eoofp lteh teo hseulppp othrta to uirs confusion
n paign. costs last winter, the charity says found that 52 per cent of those look- campaign to help raise awareness and
Ja SPORT 43-44 The aim of the campaign is to raise that many will cut back on heating ing for support were unaware that make sure that more people get the
ay, abwlea froern tehsos soef stthreu ghgellipn gt htao th iesa at vtahielair- tghlienigr fihnoamnec iablelcya.use they are strug- suUchr ghienlpg wpaeos palvea iilna bWle.est Midlands heTlph tehreey isso ad ersapnergaet eolfy ninefeodr.m”ation
d CONTACT US homes. The campaign, which has received to support the campaign on social about the help that is available for CONFUSED motorists who break rules
hurs areA sb epianrgt aosfk ethd et oc asmhapraei ginm, apgeeosp olef hrauigsien sgu apwpoarrte noens sso tchiaalt mmeadniya , eins earlgsyo mvueldniear, aKbalet hcieu sCtolamrkeer, wwohrok l eaatd sT tuhre- taht oswew swtr.utugrgnli2nugs .woritgh.u ekn/Aerbgoyu tc-oUstss/ roen- esdmucaartti omn octoourrwsaesy sb yc opuolldic eb.e offered
cle T STEEe-DPml:OI Ta0ROi1TlR:5S wI4:A3 a L l4:s 6a [email protected] tHhemselves ein woollyr clotheos on socia l suBppliers offeer supponrt toward s wind- n2us, seaid: “It ics now viery, vdery cold, eOur-casmpaigns /No-Ctold-Hoomes. sshpSTeoeumhdleda yerl ritam rtmeoi t btosret acoafornfimwcd ai tnyocgsa r nieno dcpourepecreaea snctie on ntghvglyeae rsptihoaioapbnrulde.-
ni Tel: [phone] lar as a way of tackling congestion, run-
o E-mail: [email protected] ning on the M6 past its junction with the
hr PHOTOGRAPHIC: Tel: [phone] M54 near Walsall and Wolverhampton
C E-mail: [email protected] and also on stretches of the M5 in the
The ATEe-Dml:V a0Ei1Rl:5 Ts4IaS3r Ia4Nh6G.5w:3 Si4na1firealhd [email protected] keep abandoned dog MceirBdnuleatdn dsthes.natio trh ep onleiwce rooaffdi creurlse sa arree ccoonn--
PROPERTY: Marguerita Finnegan fusing motorists and more awareness is
Tel: [phone] needed. Figures suggest an 18 per cent
E-mail: [email protected] rise in the number of people caught
MOTORING: Phil Morris using the hard shoulder illegally be-
Tel: [phone] tween 2014-15 and 2015-16.
E-mail: [email protected] In the last financial year there were
CLASSIFIED: 1,014 tickets issued by the 38 forces that
Tel: [phone] responded to a Freedom of Information
E-mail: [email protected] request, compared with 859 for the pre-
DTEe-ImlS: Ta0Ri1lI:9B p0U.2jTo 3InO1eN9s9@: 9P0eaxupl rJeosnseasndstar.co.uk cAu eWdA LanS A‘LaLfr asidtu’ daenndt ‘wmhaoln oreusr-- Jason voices his pride in contest evriosAu mws hoynoea gcr l.tahime eedx ctuhseeys wgievreen hwalefr eo nd rtihve-
Walsall ished’ abandoned dog has de- hard shoulder and half in the first lane
cided to keep her as a pet. because it was the fastest route between
Ben Brittain, spotted the German two places.
Another said they were driving on the
51-53 Queen Street Shepherd – now called Alice – last hard shoulder because they were looking
Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES wtheee kW, anteearrf rWonatl,s atlhl ec aHnauln ignr yf roHnotr soef forC soingcneargnes t ho atvhee ibr edeens trianiasteido na.bout the
Open Monday to Friday 9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm pub, at the town centre. safety of using hard shoulders on motor-
www.yourchronicle.com froTmh eW a2ls4a-lyl,e saari-do lhde, w54a,y fsr.o Mmo Ltoereigsot mAenrtyh oinn yT eMlfaorrsdt,o dni,e adg oend
saw the dog looking the M6 close to its junction with the
skinny and crying M54 in August. The father-of-two had
when he came across stopped on the hard shoulder to check a
her and so took her trailer when he was struck by a lorry, an
home with him to accident that is still under investigation.
safety. The National Police Chiefs’ Council
Now, Ben, who is wants to create more awareness of the
studying for a mas- road rules and improve compliance with
ter’s degree at the them. The details are still to be con-
Ben with Alice University of Bir- ficorumresdes, bfuort ipdeeoapsl be ewinhgo d bisrceuasks etdh ein vcaluridae-
is staying in the familmy.i nSghhe’asm g,o isnagy st oA sltiacye ble speed limit.
with me or at least within the family, he
said. “I had to convince some friends and Kicking off fun
family members but everyone was touched
by the story and wanted to give her a good
home.” for half term
“The support online has been phenome-
nal, it’s gone viral. I’ve been shocked and
overwhelmed by the the messages of sup-
port from as far as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire A WEEK of karate fun is being held in
and Wales. Walsall over the Spring half term hol-
“People have called me a hero and all iday. Walsall Karate Dojo in Stafford
sorts – it just shows how much of a nation Street is holding the activity from Feb-
of dog lovers we really are.” ruary 20 to February 24.
Since Alice was taken back to Ben’s Any child aged between four and 12
house to keep her warm and fed, she hasn’t Jason Jones, with grandparents Kathleen and Raymond Jones, both aged 87, and his three-month-old son, Jax years can take part. They do not have
left her new owner’s side. A SINGING sensation has thanked proud of me and they can’t really failed to get past the audition stage to be a member of the dojo or even have
Ben confessed to originally calling her his family for their support – saying believe it. What I’ve achieved so far two years ago, then overslept last any karate experience whatsoever.
Alfie, until changing the name to Alice his success is for them. RAC work- is something for them.” year and missed his slot. But he There is a maximum number of 30
upon realisation that she was a female er Jason Jones wowed millions of Jason added: “When I auditioned said that might have been fate. “I children per day – parents can book chil-
dog. He added: “She’s been fine since viewers with his performance on I didn’t audition to be famous. I think it’s meant to be,” he said. dren a place for as many days as possible
we brought her home – really happy and The Voice. wanted the platform to showcase “With the show moving to ITV but priority will be given to those book-
bouncing, coming back to life. She follows He has progressed to the next what I can do. I’m doing it to be a from BBC there’s been a lot of hype ing for the week.
me everywhere. stage of the TV singing contest, and success – not for the fame.” and build up and personally I think Day will run from 9am till 3pm with
“We’ve been feeding her up now and said he hopes to continue making Jason’s version of Pillow Talk it’s better.” plenty of short breaks plus a lunch
she’s definitely improving.” his family proud. From 12 to 23, by Zayn sparked rave reviews from We can next expect to see the break.
RSPCA spokeswoman Rachel Butler Jason was brought up by his grand- judges Tom Jones, Jennifer Hud- RAC worker on our TV sets next Children should wear normal clothing
said: “This is very sad however we are parents Kathleen and Raymond in son, Will.I.Am and Gavin Rossdale. month when the show reaches its for the camp and children will need bring
pleased to hear that the dog was found by Burntwood. Jason, 31, who now He plumped for the tutelage of ‘battle’ stage. their own lunch, drinks plus snack.
Mr Brittain. Abandoning an animal can lives in Brownhills, said: “They’ve Black Eyed Peas singer and pro- If he progresses through that All children must be collected at 3pm
cause them a lot of distress and we urge always known I’ve been interested ducer Will. It is Mr Jones’ third then Mr Jones will take part in the prompt.
anyone who knows who abandoned the dog in music. They’re just extremely bite of the cherry on the show – he live shows. For a booking form email stevencar-
to contact us on 0300 1234 999.” [email protected]
Walsall:01922455018
Wolverhampton: 01902582051
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Region set Blakemore sales hit £1.31 billion
NEWS IN BRIEF 3
to get £7.5m
Councillor follows
T
FAMILYownedfoodretail,wholesale membersofstafffortheireffortsHe thefutureandthecompany’s2020 h
anddistributiongroupAFBlakemore said:“Ithasbeenachievedagainsta vision,focusedupongeneratingsus- e
for potholes &Sonsawan0.2percentincreasein backgroundofdifficulttradingcondi- tainablegrowthandlong-termpros- his grandfather C
profitsanda2.4percentincreasein tionsinthefoodretailandwholesale perity. h
salesfromitslatestannualaccounts. marketstogetherwithsignificantlev- Hesaid:“AFBlakemorehasset r
on roadways w2b0ihlT1lii7hco,hnerewcWceioltirehldbleerpndarhteaea-nstlanl-xiubtasaplsrecsoeadfinltestsbeuunopsfair£nfy1reo.s3imsn1, esBilldsCaeokorfesapmttrioocicorneenddtpreuooflrilainntwtigeoadnst.h”tceoitytehedearafsaacnatdcthoMnart- oawaummittohuanlagtvif-itamsrniaoatdnraekstpteoitacrsnrtoaenltpiediuorisntfyaaatlniitofdsonocpfodoonsorsipstueiemorrnavetiraocsesr. AffsoahltiBlhpoLeworAfinwCaghKcieonnCutnohhuceeinltftolaraokytteescsrtoeotuphvnseiscroiyfltlehhoaeirsr.mwgrialaylnobdre-- onicle
£7.59millionto£7.60mforthe2015- thebusinesshascontinuedtoretain “Collaboration is now required Councillor Marco Longhi, a Con-
THE West Midlands and Stafford- 2016financialyear.Netassetshave andre-investallofitspost-taxprofits acrosstheAFBlakemoreGroupfor servative coun- Th
shireistobegivenmorethan£7.5 alsogrownby7.6percentto£80.8m. intoimprovingthegroupoperations thebusinesstoachieveitsgoals.More cillor in Walsall, u
milliontotacklepotholes. A F Blakemore chairman, Peter andthoseofitsindependentretail thaneverweneedtousetheexpertise willbecomemayor rs
atnhmeTexothcueofinuntGnaoontfvrcyemirawnolnmyileeleyanbreteathocrahefisclrelreievginviinoepgnaoleiatndhcrottolhheseess SChairmatnofthaefirm,PteterBluakemoreeBalpalkeeamsinorgeos,tdeaedscyrirbefesudltt,htehafingkuBirnegsaalsl ciuMstormlBelarks.lemoryealsolookeWdaheadto ftrrhoemwhaocilreoscsogmouprandyi.v”ihsionstobtenefit oyt2hef0ae1r7t.hs/1te8arttfoinwoafnnctihaaetl day,Ja
asTwheellaWsessttopMthidemlanfodrsmwinigll.receive isBweidineglyaregmaardyeodr nua
£7.67moverall,including£1.22mfor asthetophonour ry
theWestMidlandsCombinedAuthor- inlocalpoliticsbut 1
iGtyovaenrdnm£1e.n5t8msayfosrthSetaffufonrddisnhgirfeo.rTthhee CouncillorLonghi Chio’sunstciinlltowrilLlotankge- 9,2
aWreesatsMsuidchlanadssH,werheifcohrda,lsSohrinopclsuhdirees smashed at Molineux ohnisegxrtarnadsfaigtnhiefirc’sanfocoetsatsephse.followsin 017
andStoke,willleadtoaround144,000 WilfredClarkewasmayorofWal-
potholesbeingfixedin2017/18. sallbetween1978-79,withhispicture
Inannouncingthefunding,trans- uponthewallinthecouncilhouse
port minister Andrew Jones said: alongside other Walsall mayors of
“Roads play a significant part in pastgenerations.
everydaylifelinkingpeoplewithjobs CouncillorLonghisaid:“Iamreally
andbusinesseswithcustomers,which delightedtohavebeenvotedmayor
iswhythisgovernmentisinvesting andlookforwardtoagreatyearbeing
recordamountsimprovingandmain- ambassadorforthetown.”
ttoaihneinlpgmhoigthorwisatyss.”acrossthecountry THEiconicBillyWrightstatueout- Manor Farm ploughs on to its 40th Experts to make
Thenewfundshavebeenbackedby sideMolineuxhasbeenbadlydam-
SouthStaffordshireMPandtheCon- agedafteracarcrashedintoit. railways safer
servativechiefwhipGavinWilliam- Theplinthonwhichthestatueofthe
son.Hesaid:“Thestateofourroads Wolves and England legend stands was
isconsistentlyraisedwithmebylocal
residentsandremainsagreatsource rippedapartintheearlyhoursdrama. THEUniversityofBirminghamhas
offrustrationfordrivers. A30-year-oldmanhasbeenarrestedonsus- signed an agreement with Beijing
fsaahrmo“iruTienlhideiwss.hIfatounbnrdudeiillbndyugssooiinsnnewtosheuselercs£or1mio,n0ae6dSn9st,ea0wtf0ofs0ogrfwodeert- picionofdrinkdrivingftdoahalneyldo.ewaHdiranelnyggwhetaorhsoueurbsscarodialfresiSdhvuinbningy- JsdreaieaaivlorwetcloahonypsgienxsgpUafentereritvcsahenrntsdooitlmowygooy(rrBektJeoTtffiohUgce)ieletpnhfotemr.rarokene-
gotlastyearandisthelateststepin policeuntilnextmonth Bothuniversitieswillcontinuetheir
ourplantobuildacountrythatworks pendingfurtherinquir- partnershipandstrengtheneducation
foreveryone. iesandthestatuewas linksandallowChineserailengineer-
“The announcement shows that cordonedofffollowing ingstudentstostudyatBirmingham,
wearedeliveringonourcommitment thecrash. benefittingfromtheUniversity’sex-
toinvestininfrastructuretoattract Three slate slabs pertise–particularlyinrailwaycon-
businessesandsecureabetterfuture havetornoffthestruc- trolandsafety.
forlocalbusinesses.” ture, including the University of Birmingham
Thefundingallocatedspecifically panel that carries the Vice-ChancellorProfessorSirDavid
for potholes is part of more than hero’sname,whichwas EastwoodjoinedProfessorBinNing,
£115mtheWestMidlandsisreceiving Thestatue smashedintwo. PresidentofBJTU,tosigntheagree-
toimproveroads,cutcongestionand Vicky Wright, the mentataspecialceremonyinBeijing.
improvejourneytimes.” daughterofthelateplayer,saidshewas‘so Professor Eastwood said: “This
sad’tohearaboutthestatue. agreementwithBeijingJiaotongUni-
Co-op in pledge Shetweetedtosay:“Manarrestedafterthe versitymarksthestartofevencloser
statuewasleftbadlydamaged.Thishasmade collaboration.”
mesosad.”
to remove treats AWestMidlandsPolicespokesmansaid:“Of- Bright ideas for
ficershavearrestedamanfollowingacollision
withastatueoutsideMolineuxonWaterloo teenage careers
THECo-opGroupistoremovesweets Road,intheearlyhoursofSundaymorning.
withmarketingandpackagingaimed A30-year-oldmanwasarrestedonsuspicionof TEENAGERShavebeeninvitedtoa
atchildrenfromitsstorecheckouts drinkdrivinganddangerousdriving.” careerseventwhichistakingplacein
and provide a range of healthier AWolvesspokesmansaid:“Theclubhas WestBromwich.
snacks. been in contact with West Midlands Police The Connexions New Year, New
Theassurancehasbeengivento overthedamagedonetothebaseofthestatue StarteventisatSandwellCollege’s
theWestMidlandsrepresentativeon followingatrafficincidentintheearlyhoursof CentralSixthcampusinNewStreet.
theCo-opMembers’Council,David Sundaymorning. Theevent,whichrunsfrom10am
Hallam,aformerdirectorofthein- “Theclub’sstaffwillbeassessingthedam- and2pm,onJanuary21,isopentoall
ternationaldiabetesfederationand agedonetothestatuewithaviewtocarrying ChiefExecutiveGaryBirdandFinanceOfficerGeorginaBallmarktheassociation’s40thanniversary youngpeopleaged14to19.
memberoftheEuropeanParliament. outrestorationworkassoonaspossible.” A COMMUNITY association agotherewere60communityas- 2004buttheassociationremained Forfurtherinformationvisitwww.
MrHallamsaid:“Thisisgoodnews The9ftbronzestatuewasunveiledin1996 whichprovidesactivitiestothou- sociationsbuttheywerefinanced atthesiteinKingGeorgeCres- connexionssandwell.co.uk
fcohrildpraernenptisniwnghofodrruenadhehaaltvhiyngswtheeetirs wbyorBkilloyf’sarwti.d’oIwtiJsocyo,nwshidoecraeldleodniet‘oafwthoendfienrefustl sbarnatdesdoiftsp4e0otphleaenvneirvyerwsaereyk,atcetlhee- einnctrireealsyinbgybtuhdegceotucnocnisl.trWaiintthstfhoer cwehnot.arIetheemlppeldoybsya5b0ovuotlu6n0tesetrasf.f Wee dram for Burns
atcheckouts.Ijusthopeeveryother footballstatuesinthecountry. weekend.ManorFarmCommuni- local authorities the financing The Manor Farm Conference
conveniencechainfollowssuit.” ThesculpturedepictstheformerWolvesand tyAssociationwasregisteredasa from (Walsall) council driedup Suitealsoprovidesconferencefa- PUBSaretocelebrateBurnsNight
TheCo-opGrouptoldMrHallam: Englandcaptain–whoearned105capsforhis charityonJanuary14,1977and andassoonasthathappenedalot cilitiesforupto150people.That withWhiskyShowcaseevents.
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ofproductsonofferandwillbeguided aged70. Rushallsincethen.Itisnowone Originallythecommunityas- events, including seminars and Nicholson’spubs,inBirmingham,
byourcustomersonthisissue.”Mr Thecampaigntoraiseapermanentmemo- of just a handful of community sociation,whichprovidesservices clubs’AGMs. including Bacchus Bar and The
Hallam said he would continue to rialtotheplayerwasheadedbyWolverhamp- associationsoperatinginWalsall. forabout4,000peopleeveryweek, Forinformationonjoiningthe Shakespeare,willtakeplace.
monitorthesituationcarefullyand toncouncillorFredLedsam. Its chief executive Gary Bird sharedfacilitieswithManorFarm communityassociationvisitwww. TheywillofferScottishdishesand
wouldbeinterestedtohearwhether The £50,000 funding for the statue was said:“WhenIstartedout30years CommunitySchool.Thatclosedin manorfarmca.com. whiskytoexplorefromJanuary23.
parentsthoughtthebanwashelpful. raisedbypublicsubscription.
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Poorest face Kitten rescued after getting head stuck
NEWS IN BRIEF 5
paying more
Sweet Christmas T
A KITTEN who had got his head been there for, but rubbish had been Susan Burney said: “I could see the h
stuck in a drainage hole at the bottom piled on top of him and he was clearly kitten’s head was stuck in the hole. e
council tax of a communal waste bin was rescued distressed. So I had to call the fire brigade who at Cadbury World C
in a joint operation between the RSP- “The fire service were absolutely were fantastic and eventually they h
CA and West Midlands Fire Service. fantastic and they managed to free got it out. It must have been there for r
as limit cut The RSPCA was contacted by res- him very quickly. They used a blade at least two days and it was taken to CADBURY World, finished 2016 on a on
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ahsa sW naolwsa blle eCno urendcuilc eldo otko 7a0t pweary cse ntot Celal,d bsauirdy: W“Woreld’r ceo nretianlluye sp tleoa bsee dsu tchha at nua
raise funds. The council needs to save popular destination for families across ry
£86 million by 2020. the UK.” 1
Concerns have been raised that the Drummer Don at 9
new changes, which will be coupled , 2
with the already announced 3.99 per 0
cent council tax increase, will ‘bleed’ more foster families Slade convention 17
the poorest in society and lead to in-
creased council tax arrears.
Former councillor and mayor Pete A FOUNDER member of rock and
Smith said: “Sadly it was Labour in pop legends Slade is to attend a Black
their short time in office previous to Country convention devoted to the
the present one that introduced first group. Drummer Don Powell will be
time council tax charges to Walsall’s appearing at the event in the Robin 2
poorest, ensuring that 19,000 or so club, in Bilston, on May 28.
paid at least 25 per cent of council tax
for the first time. Tickets are available for the after-
£nin8e “2wcT0o ,huc0ion0shc 0oir lres tsto aul(exl1lt y9ea d,r0a r0teitn0ar) ri bhso uutftg haecabo tlui ensn tctcoroioel adttsh aeaixsst Abtoe PehLneE lmpA a ytdooe u rneings iadc ehdnieltdssrp eiennr aWfitnead lsa atatl el smhaapfest ‘Hard work’ key to reaching 100 aDTnnohodonen .q a Tufatehnesedrtrin eoeo nwvo-enailnn li idann-lcgasl onus sdbeweess sea ir oa qsnnues sii zsno itaorenn rbd vwo ititehthwhe.
payers within nine months of its in- place to live. showing of Slade films and videos. In
troduction in April 2015. Now a La- At least 26 new caring, supportive the evening tribute group Slyde will
bthoiusr g Croouupn ceivl eang afuinr tchheor.o sIe tsh tino kb liet eids ftoesrt ecrhiinldgr efanm oilfi edsi faferree nnte eadgeeds taon ldo obka cakf-- bwew pwla.tyhienrgo bailnl .tchoe.u cklassics. Details via
absolutely disgraceful.” grounds, but particularly for sibling Police in appeal
Speaking at the meeting last Mon-
day, Councillor Diane Coughlan, the groups and older children.
portfolio holder for social care, said: Walsall Council’s Fostering Team will be on street attack
“It is only because this council finds holding information sessions during January
itself in a dire financial position at locations around the borough.
that this recommendation has been Local people interested in fostering for Wal- A GROUP of men were were assault-
brought to full council.” sall Council can chat to the team, and current ed on a night out in the early hours
foster carers, to find out more about caring for of the morning in Walsall. Police are
a Walsall child. appealing the men were assaulted by
Professor starts Maria and her husband Luke were approved another group of men in Bridge Street
as foster carers last year and have been caring between 3.15am and 3.30am on New
for their first child for nine months. Years Day.
dual NHS role She said: “If you are considering fostering I Officers are interested in speaking
would say ‘make the call, go to an information to anyone who may have seen a young
session to find out more and go for it. white man with a facial injury, wear-
A NON-EXECUTIVE director at Wal- “Fostering is hard work, but it is also one ing a blue shirt. Part of his lip was
sall Healthcare NHS Trust has dou- of the most rewarding careers you could ever bitten off. Call 101 ext 871 3328 and
bled his workload – after taking on begin to imagine. quote 20WS/402N/17.
the same role at another trust. Positive Museum fares well
Professor Russell Beale was ap- “Every ounce of time and effort you put into
pointed to the board of Birmingham your work will be repaid 100 times over when as real ale venue
and Solihull Mental Health NHS you see the very real and positive differences
fFyreooaumrn. dhHaiest ib2or5ni n yTgersau rass w ta eat att lhtthhe eUo fsn teiaxvrpeter sroiifte ynt hcoeef hyoauv ec atank mena kteo tfoo sat ecrhiinldg’ sli lkifee a. Odurera omw.n E cahcihld orenne Abu OseNs Ea-nDdA Yr eeavle natle c oims bbieniningg hvienldta gine
Birmingham, where he is currently of them brings love, kindness, fun and compas- Aldridge next month.
Professor of Human-Computer Inter- sion into this little one’s life and each one of Beer and Buses is taking place at
action (HCI) and Director of the HCI them gains so much back in return from her Aldridge Transport Museum in Shen-
Centre, a major centre focusing on de- happy presence in our home.” stone Drive on February 19, from 2pm
veloping the digital future. The information events begin on Monday to 10pm.
at Streetly Community Centre and will con- The event, which is being run with
Professor Beale has achieved world- tinue throughout the week in venues in Pel- the Rotary Club of Aldridge, will offer
waritdiefi crieaclo ignntietliloigne fnocre h tios wasosrikst o inn tuesriancg- sCaelnl,t rBer.ownhills, Willenhall and Walsall Town Celebrating her 100th, Alice Barrett, with her son Colin Barrett at Mill House Care Home, Bilston beAerd tmasistsiniogn a ntod bthues rmiduesse.um on the
tion between users and technology, Councillor Rose Burley, portfolio holder for A MUCH loved great-grandmoth- verhampton for 20 years while Cross and St John Ambulance for day is £5, with all the buses on display
and is a Chartered IT Professional. Walsall Council’s children’s services supports er celebrated her 100th birthday bringing up children, Colin, now her voluntary work in the Second as well.
Model of a show the latest campaign. surrounded by her family. 76, and Margaret Ann, who died. World War. Riders nuisance
She added: “We need more residents from Alice Barrett, nee Babb, who The pair went on to work for She now has four grandchil-
our town to help support children who need was brought up in Bridge Street, Wolverhampton council as care- dren and five great-grandchil-
at SVR weekend loving and caring homes. Willenhall, did not move far away takers for Brinsford Lodge, which dren, many of whom joined her at OFF-ROAD bikers have been causing
“Fostering can be such a rewarding choice when she married George Barrett, was a hall of residence for Wolver- Millhouse Care Home, in Bilston, a nuisance by riding alongside canal
for so many people and can make a huge dif- whose mother kept a post office on hampton Polytechnic up to the where she now lives, to celebrate. towpaths. The problems have been
THE Severn Valley Railway is staging ference to the lives of children who are facing Willenhall Road, Moseley Village. early 1980s. They retired in Brins- Mr Barrett said: “Mum’s secret reported in Pelsall and Brownhills in
a display of model railways as part of challenging and distressing times. The couple, who met at the for- ford but when Alice was widowed to a long life is hard work. She recent weeks. West Midlands Police
its Open House Weekend. The event “Calling the fostering team, or going to an mer Dale Cinema, Willenhall, ran she moved to Coseley. Son Colin has remained jovial throughout has appealed for information on the
on April 8 and 9 will feature 30 lay- information session is a great way to find out a greengrocers in Maxwell Road, said she was proud to have been her life and still has a smile for culprits, and anyone with details can
outs in a variety of scales, in the En- if fostering could be right for you.” For details, in the All Saints district of Wol- recognised by the British Red everyone.” get in touch with them by calling 101.
gine House at Highley. email [email protected]
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6 IN MY VIEW
with Mark Andrews
7 NHS: We
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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.
e theH ec hwaraitsy fwurhioou ws atsh astu psopmoseebdo dtoy hfraovme
Th planed his door had not shown up.
“Why do you always ask people for
their age?” asked our receptionist when
he had gone. I suggested that maybe a
fit, healthy man in his mid-50s possibly is all about to change
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.
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Peter principle is recipe for disaster Plea over
7
Barnardo’s
WITH reference to the letter in Chronicle perience or capability in man-management.
on £750,000 salaries to council directors. I recently met a manager, who, other than T
ifbwtoe eriIlrs.on e Iw a naa wlcetlc hmafeesapptmcteleoe toydasfi sn aot sgifm m ptlaiheefnre ea as tnyegho deheu r imPs gg heoaet-ntnefl erdwyy ip hnswraugihnt pd eceyinirrop evutlcieh st.poooasrryess wfbvcohieasriais nhor wggnim e rao i ,otrp ii fannm itgcnahl outneeuda rrtig,n e tehfghmua errde esb npnhitsooe hwre etmthsxs ap eootnenfsr t owsi eeoconvafr efckofero u. s lirhWdn oi flnshruatgeftpn anse ,lior lnsIt- ryWpsueeaaEaprdtrp’ D’eosorr sfrt elviasktu ooellt nueetatmirmooa an bk utletehro ga cebtha e ilhcdyoneormleeupwners he Chro
What’s that, I hear you ask? The promo- conforming to health and safety standards – in this area. n
tion of people as reward for their perfor- he seemed to be struggling. As the UK’s leading ic
mance in a lesser role, but not necessarily When this extends to managers in educa- children’s charity, we at SuppliersandInstallersof:- le
gawreiett hgr iodpin roogfv ieunnst oecl. eoWsmsa plpseeatolelpn Clceoe, u hfnoacrvi elt, hrinaed thjuoelbgr ettdhh aeinny tasiunordne ; o rrfe occaiopdue rr sfeoepr ab diericssoa; msstoiencrig.a la sceoruvnicceisll;o fir,n iatn icse as Bspteaoorrpnelaser dtaoon ’sdv oalhrueen lptleo eourk sii nnrg a ofiuoserr •Windows •Doors •Conservatories •PatioDoors •Bi-FoldDoors Thu
promotion of many, painters, plumbers, RAY HAMMOND money to support our local •GarageConversions •CarPorts •Canopies •GarageDoors rs
butchers, and metal polishers with no ex- Aldridge projects that work with dis- d
Councillor LETTERS TO THE EDITOR advantaged children, young •Fascias,SooffffifittssanddGuttering ay
peBopyl eg aivnidn tgh euisr faa mliitlitelse. of Rehau 70mm Profile , Ja
comments your spare time, you will n
POST EMAIL gthaaint cinovualdlu apbrolev iedxep ear isetnecpe- Internally Glazed uary
aren’t fair 5CW1h-ar5ol3sna iQcllul eCe hEerdnoi ntSoitcrrileaeel,,t expwraelsssaalln.cdhsrtaonr.c@o. uk poyroin uagrn ps oteoprnspoeon rttaoul nsati tanyte etwmo eacnadtrd ef oetorr Fensa Registered 19, 2
IT is not often I put pen to Wolverhampton, WV1 1ES colVleogleu nort euenriivnegr siitsy .also a No Salesmen 017
paper or fingers to keyboard Letters should be brief and MUST include name, address and telephone great way to build confi-
tyoo urre snpoewnds ptaop leert, tebrust wIi tfheienl number number. The Editor reserves the right to condense letters. danen ocep,p moreteutn niteyw tpoe otpryle naenwd OAP Discounts
that the recent letter from We need action to things.
Pete Smith cannot go unan- Our volunteers – who are A+ Rated Windows
swered. I do agree with his all ages and come from all
ccoilmlomr Denotusg rJeagmaredsi.ng Coun- prevent fatalities wtraaliknsi nogf laifned – oanreg ogiinvge ns fuupl-l 20th year in Business
Most of his contribution port.
sounds to me like sour To find out more about Family Run Business
agnradp fersi.e nSdesv leivrae l writehlainti vMers AS a long time disability lobbied Bruce George in vnoalrudnot’se,e rpinlega sew iptohp Binatro-
Smith’s Blakenall Ward, awareness campaigner and getting some traffic calm- your local Barnardo’s store Secured by Design
and admittedly he has a political activist, if I may I ing measures installed. I or visit the website at www.
hateelp, ehdo ‘wsoemveer’ aof ltohte o efl etchteomr- wWiessht tBo ruormgew tihche rReosiadde,n WtsS o5f elavsetn y reeacre ifvroedm a S flteeevtei nPgr evtitsyit, binagr.nardos.org.uk/volunteer- Experienced Fitters
feel they were upset at his postcode, to contact their head of engineering and Thank you, we look for-
refusal to fight for Dart- local councillors and high- transportation, who offered ward to meeting you in
mouth House. ways department, and make reassurances that the prob- 2017! Tel: [phone]
That’s why he lost his their voices heard regarding lems with this main road Roy Clark - Director of
council seat in my opinion the increasing near misses would be taken seriously. Retail & Trading
and as far as I’m aware he and fatalities that we have Unfortunately this has Barnardo’s
tdoid kne’te p‘fi Dghatr’t mthoeu cthu tsH tohuesne eronaddu.red on this stretch of neveevre rI shpaepapke wnietdh athned cwouhnecni-l Postal votes TOP QUALITY PRODUCTS AT REALISTIC PRICES!
open even if it meant some Since the council decided it’s always the same story;
refurbishment was needed some years ago to create ‘other roads in the borough fraud fears
to improve services and a ‘showcase bus route’ be- are higher priority’. Harden wwww.ppvvccuuddiirectt.ccoo.ukk ppvcudirectt@@hhottmmail.co.uk
keep the well-used Stroke tween Walsall and West Road in Leamore has had
clinic and neuro-rehabilita- Bromwich and vice versa, extensive measures taken IT’S all very well having
tion team in a centralised which incidentally never by installing mini islands proof of identity to vote in HEAD OFFICE SHOWROOM SALES OFFICE
area. Therefore his attack happened, and cost the and speed bumps and yet a polling booth, but what
on Councillor James is tax payers of Walsall thou- the road is nowhere near about the far more serious Unit1,CroxstallsClose, 34PortlandRoad 154cHighStreet
somewhat amusing! sands of pounds to relocate as busy as this one and is postal vote fraud practised Bloxwich.WalsallWS32XT Aldridge Bloxwich
JaIm aeds mmita tyh abte Cpouunblciiclliotyr idtrieasin aasg ew ealnl da ss errevmicoev ault iolf- csuerctha,i ninly m nyo to pai nmiaoinn. road as in Uthnet Wil esPt aMrlidialamnedns?t and Tel:[phone] WalsallWS98PZ WalsallWS33JT
seeking, it would be hard to grass verges, the road was Excuse my cynicism but West Midlands councils Fax:[phone] Tel:[phone] Tel:[phone]
think otherwise as he is so widened in some parts to it would appear that the attempt to tackle this far
often in the newspaper com- three lanes of traffic, and Delves is the ‘forgotten area more serious voting fraud
plaining about one thing or the speed of motorists has of Walsall’ until election problem, I smell hypocrisy.
another. increased. I have assisted time comes around! GRAEME CONNINGALE 9.8 OUT OF 10
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MP Winnick in call for
8
GRAND NEW YEAR SALE
7
1 birthing cap removal
0
2
9, Topside/Silverside £1.99 lb
1
y
ar Rib eye streak £2.99 lb
u
n
a
ay, J Rump steak £2.99 lb WcaAllLeSd AfoLrL tMheP c Doanvtrido vWerinsniailc bki rhtahs- Police probe after collision
sd ing cap at the Manor Hospital to
ur Sirloin steak £2.99 lb be removed after it was revealed
Th that maternity staffing levels are
e Whole boneless loin pork £1.29 lb now safe.
cl Bosses have confirmed 18 midwives
oni Whole legs lamb £9.99 each thhaev ec abpe ewna rse icnrturioteddu cseindc oen M tahrec hba wckh eonf
r a damning watchdog report.
Ch It limits deliveries at Moat Road to 4,200
e 5kg chicken fillet £18 in Ba uyte adre s–p ait ree mduactteironni toyf 7st0a0f fifrnogm le tvheel s2 0n1o5w.
Th being within national requirements trust
Full selection of other meats at chiefs confirmed in recent days that the cap
was likely to remain until 2018.
greatly reduced prices Walsall North MP Mr Winnick said: “It
is disappointing. I certainly hoped that the
cap would be removed before next year.
Even now I would hope further considera-
tion can be given to reviewing the situation
and it could be removed at an earlier date.
Measures
“I understood the circumstances at the
time and the priority is the health and wel-
fare of patients, however I still want the cap
to be removed as quickly as possible.”
Maternity services at the Manor were
branded ‘Inadequate’ by the Care Quality The aftermath of the crash in Hospital Street, Walsall (picture by
Commission in January last year contrib- Andrew Lambert of Ace Recovery)
uting heavily to the trust being placed into
special measures. A POLICE investigation has been the man. Anyone with information
The midwife to birth ratio was at one to launched after reports a man was is urged to call police on 101.”
37 at the time – way above the national rec- bundled into a car following a crash. Andrew Lambert, of Ace Recov-
ommendation of one to 28. Inspectors de- The man is thought to have been ery, was at the scene at the time
38 High Street, Clayhanger, Brownhills WS8 7EA clared staff shortages compromised patient driving a blue Renault Clio which of the crash. He said: “There were
safety. But now the ratio has been brought crashed into a silver Fiat Punto in three cars involved. The silver car
01543 375046 / 377625 down to one to 26 in 12 months following a Hospital Street, Walsall at about had nothing to do with it. He was
Tel: successful recruitment drive. Manor chiefs 4pm on Monday, January 9. Eye- just coming down to the T-junction
have confirmed further midwives have also witnesses said he ran away but was (with Stafford Street) and then he
been appointed but have yet to start. put into another car, which was got rammed in by the blue Clio.”
AllMajorDebit&CreditCardsAccepted Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust reiterated then driven off. Firefighters were called at about
chief executive Richard Kirby’s statement A West Midlands Police spokes- 4.10pm and made the scene safe.
Visitwww.edmundhowdle.co.ukforafullpricelist&offers last week which declared the cap would man said: “A blue Clio was seized Paramedics also attended but the
remain while progress on a £5.6million ex- from the location and is being fo- Punto’s driver did not want to be
Like us on Facebook pansion of the maternity department con- rensically examined and officers treated and the other man had left
tinued. continue to make enquiries to locate the scene by the time they arrived.
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F A C T O R Y Twwewl:.f0ire1s5id4ef3act2o7ry7.w3e6bs6.com SundaySaantd1M0aomnd-4apym-CLOSED WALSALLROAD
Driver who
Soul singer Jorja
9
is on our minds
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twice drove Your local mobility experts with over 25 years experience h
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OUR CONCERN IS YOU C
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ty has been jailed for 20 months and banned 17
from driving.
The incidents happened within five months of LLiimmiitteedd OOffffeerr NNeeww
each other whilst he drove his disabled mother’s SSttrraaiigghhtt SSttaaiirr LLiiffttss
Motobility car, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard. Supplied & Fitted
Patrol officers began fol- By Marion Brennan Suppl£ie1d1 9&5 Fitted
lowing 42-year-old Irfan £1195
Sanni after the Tiguan on November 17 in a car * subject to survey
activated vehicle recog- park on Birmingham Road. * subject to survey
Jorja Smith, the 19-year-old Walsall-based soul nlaisttio yne acra.m Beyr aths eo tni mJeu nthe e9y hPicc lBea aknedr rSeacnongin iinse dth teh de rvive-- FFuuIllnllyyc fifil utttdeedde sss tt2aa iirry lleiiffattssr iinnwssattaarllrlleeaddn bbtyyy
songstress who is tipped to be big in 2017 reached Wednesbury Road, er’s seat. The court heard Fouurll yp rfi ottfeedss siotaniar llliyft str aininsetadl lefi dtt ebrys
A TEENAGE soul singer from Walsall has been tipped as Wednesfield, colleagues in Sanni quickly covered some-
one of the up-and-coming artists set to take the UK by a marked police car arrived thing on his lap as Pc Baker ostuorc pkriostfse sosfi oBnraololyk str,a uinseedd fic tutervresd
storm this year. on the scene and signalled approached. Suddenly the ssttoaicr kliifsttss of Brooks, used curved
Jorja Smith, aged 19, finished fourth in the BBC’s Sound for Sanni to pull over. Tiguan lunged forward into
of 2017 competition. But as one of the officers a bush, said Mr Hanns, be- sFtRaEir Eli fHtsOME SURVEYS & FAST
Listing her musical idols, Jorja said: “Amy Winehouse, got out of his vehicle, the fore turning and driving FFRITETEIN HGO SMEER VSIUCREV AEVYASI L&A FBALSET!
Mos Def and Damian Marley. Tiguan shot forward to- straight towards Pc Baker.
“When I used to go to London, I would listen to Back wards him, before mounting The officer was forced to run FITTING SERVICE AVAILABLE!
On Both Sides by Mos Def travelling there and back from the pavement and manoeu- to avoid the speeding vehi- KINGSLEY
Walsall all the time. vring around the police car. cle. Sanni was later arrested KINGSLEY
I try to write as real as possible, even though I make Mr Simon Hanns, pros- at a hotel in Walsall. LIFT RECLINER
things up. ecuting, said Sanni, from Mr David Swinnerton, de- LIFT RECLINER
“They’re based on a truth that I believe. What I’m trying Walsall, drove through red fending, said Sanni had a 20- CHAIR
to give people is honesty.” traffic lights at Corporation year heroin habit and had CHAIR
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