Worcestershire | Archive | 2005 | January
MANY of us will have or will be planning to take a trip to the seaside this summer to relax and enjoy the natural facilities found at the beach. more...
HABBERLEY Valley Nature Reserve is a location many people visit over the holidays to take in the beauty of the landscape, enjoy a stroll and relax in the countryside. more...
RECENTLY my duties as Countryside and Conservation Officer for Wyre Forest District Council took me for a walk along the River Stour near Puxton Marshes. more...
BEING a Scooby-Doo fan since childhood, it was a real treat to see my favourite cartoon characters transformed into real-life by actors. more...
IT might be a rather pessimistic observation, but it would seem that the nature reserves are already starting to show the first signs of the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. more...
ONCE again I enjoyed a relaxing evening of beautiful music, very varied, and well-performed in the company of this talented society. more...
A HOST of exciting conservation and outdoor activities are in the pipeline with the re-vamp of the Young Rangers Club. more...
BASED on Hans Andersen's fairy tale, this is certainly not an "Ugly Duckling" of a show - it is most definitely a swan. more...
A SIGHT I often take pleasure in is of magnificent birds of prey twisting in thermals or tearing across woodland clearings in the sky above the reserves. more...
THE action revolves around Draycott Harris, a successful television chat-show host, who, contrary to his image, has had no luck with women. more...
OVER the past few years, the Young Rangers Club has grown to be very popular with its members. more...
THE latest in the Classical Music Society's series of Live at the Library recitals began with Beethoven's Sonata in D Major. I was rather disappointed at a lack-lustre performance, though Bloomer was impressive, especially in the first movement. more...
AUTUMN is always a time of change and this is reflected in the work of the Wyre Forest District Council Rangers. more...
Anthony Hopkins returns as charismatic cannibal Dr Hannibal Lecter in the prequel to Silence of the Lambs. more...
ON a recent visit to Puxton Marsh, Kidderminster, I encountered a rather impressive beetle. more...
I MIGHT have thought twice before going to see this play had I been half-awake and realised it was by Alan Ayckbourn. more...
FOR the last few weeks our skies have been filled with formations of foreign birds. more...
I SPENT a wonderful evening in the company of the Von Trapp family, courtesy of Carpet Trades Operatic Society. more...
A WALK through the countryside at this time of year has always been a favourite of mine as it blends some of the most beautiful features of autumn with a last chance to get a glimpse of the remnants of summer wildlife. more...
PAUL DANIELS more...
LIFE as a butterfly is rather hazardous. Butterflies are seen by many a creature as a welcome snack. more...
GERMAINE GREER more...
MAYBE it is just me, but one of the things I enjoy is taking a trip across some of the bogs, wetlands or marshes we find in our district. more...
JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER more...
THIS year has been a particularly good year for the Fly Agaric Toadstool which has been made famous in children's stories because of its and white speckled appearance. more...
IT is small wonder the Kidderminster Male Choir is so popular, as they have such a broad repertoire, with something to please everyone. more...
AT first glance the humble earthworm appears to have no human characteristics, but if you take a closer look you will see it has a surprising number of similarities. more...
FOLK legends Lindisfarne finally arrived in Bewdley - a lifelong dream, the lead singer joked - on Friday to the delight of their Wyre Forest fans. more...
CATTLE in the Grazing Animals Project have been on the heathlands of the Rifle Range and Devils Spittleful nature reserves for a few weeks now. more...
TONY Benn appeared "unmuzzled" in front of a respectable festival audience to win over hearts and minds to his "subversive" agenda last Thursday. more...
THE cattle grazing on the Rifle Range and Devils Spittleful Nature Reserves have been munching away on the heath. more...
THE murky world of British intelligence was the intriguing topic of Kidderminster-born and bred author Stephen Dorril's talk. more...
THIS month has been remarkably mild so far with only the occasional frost. more...
BLOODTHIRSTY zombies which actually move faster than a drugged tortoise? What a great premise for a horror film, I thought. more...
ALL the deciduous trees this year put on a fantastic autumn colour show, transforming our country landscape in the most delightful way. more...
YOU did not have to be around at the time of the Second World War to enjoy this sing-a-long evening as the songs are so well-known. more...
BURLISH Top is one of the districts' heathland nature reserves. On a recent visit I was rewarded with a beautiful and yet completely unexpected scene. more...
A DECADE OF KODYS more...
OF all the recitals organised at this venue by the Classical Music Society, this rates as one of the best, and there has, surely, never been a more talented artiste there. more...
THE festive season is upon us and many of us will be sending each other Christmas cards. more...
A NIGHT of music, jokes and lots of innuendo - the Freddie Starr show was warmly received by its Kidderminster audience. more...
THEY don't make 'em like this anymore! more...
THERE was a really relaxed and friendly atmosphere on Friday night, not least because of the band's musical director, Captain RW Hopla, who introduced the items with jokes and quips, often taking the rise out of his talented musicians. more...
IT is always nice to spend a few moments reflecting on the previous months at this time of year. more...
I ALWAYS look forward to this annual event, and am never disappointed. more...
THERE is always a special moment at this annual event, when children from the audience join Santa on stage and sing Away in a Manger. This year just a few children went forward, including one dressed, she said, as a princess, but Santa thought she was an angel, and the children sang so beautifully that members of the choir, and audience (me included) had to reach for our hankies. more...
I have seen better productions than this at the college, but the cast were good, costumes colourful and imaginative and my young grandson enjoyed it immensely. more...
Birds and trees are two of the main features of this walk. The birds include a variety of species, from blackbirds to buzzards, but it is wetland birds which are most numerous, thanks to the proximity of the River Severn and the proliferation of pools (former gravel pits) between Hallow and Grimley. more...
JANE Hunter is New Zealand's first woman of wine. more...
Theatre January more...
THE musical That'll Be The Day is set to have audiences at the Roses Theatre dancing in the aisles. more...
AN enormous green monster will be on the rampage in Dymock Parish hall next week. more...
OVER the festive season I decided I needed a break from eating and making small talk with relatives. more...
WHILE the weather recently has produced some of the most stunning displays of natural beauty, it has to be said that for many people the icy roads and freezing mornings can become a bit tedious. The warmer days of summer seem a lifetime away. more...
AS the frost and snow of the New Year period melt, the first green leaves to be seen in the woody areas of Habberley Valley are thoseof the small and unobtrusive plant called dog's mercury. more...
They say that in our world, change is the only constant, and change is recognised as something that leads to uncertainty, and can lead to stress. more...
RECENTLY, the owner of one of the Stourport caravan sites that borders the local nature reserve of Redstone Marsh telephoned me. more...
BEFORE opening the new nature reserve of Hurcott pools and wood in October last year, a huge amount of work was needed to make the site safe for visitors. more...
During the early half of this month, weather and ground conditions were wet. Heavy rain and the high levels of water combined with mild weather created miserable conditions. But, it provided the ideal conditions for amphibian wildlife to begin their springtime activity. more...
Looking at an oak tree at this time of year you will see the tree is still mostly dormant. more...
Malvern Cinema: The Merchant of Venice (PG). Evenings 7.30pm, Sat, Sun & Thurs mats 4pm. more...
AT this time of year when most trees are still bare and lifeless, blackthorn comes into bloom. more...
AS with all things in life, money is an important part of the fuel which drives the conservation works in Wyre Forest. more...
AS the weather begins to warm up many of the rarely seen residents of local nature reserves slowly wake up from hibernation. more...
THE wildlife which comes to mind most readily at Easter are birds preparing nests and watching over clutches of newly laid eggs. more...
GOOD weather, especially at this time of the year, always seems to bring out the best in a nature reserve. more...
FOR most of us who prefer to avoid being attacked by squadrons of bloodthirsty mosquitoes with the unsightly lumps and itching that result, this month and the early part of Maywill be our last chance to visit the new nature reserve of Hurcott Pools and Wood. more...
Redstone Marsh nature reserve has a split character. There is a woodland area which extends from the marsh and it is this area which people mainly use as a short cut from the Walshes estate to Stourport town centre. more...
There are animals which will now be casting their eyes at British shores to spend the summer months here after avoiding the cold of the English winter in the warmer climes of southern Europe or even Africa. more...
Here in the Wyre Forest district visitors from Africa are arriving. more...
THE rangers special four- legged conservation volunteers have returned to the Wyre Forest District Council's nature reserves. more...
AS the weather begins to warm up, the heathland nature reserves become increasingly devoid of water. more...
ON warm late spring or early summer evenings, just as dusk is setting in you may catch a glimpse of one of our most acrobatic flying creatures. more...
THE woods at Hurcott Pools and Wood nature reserve have a wonderful appeal. more...
COME high summer, most of the wetland nature reserves are covered with tall, rank vegetation. more...
IT has been four years now since cattle grazing was introduced on Wyre Forest nature reserves. more...
I will always remember my first encounter with grass snakes at Puxton Marsh. more...
Until Jan 22: Kays Theatre Group presents Robinson Crusoe at The Swan Theatre, Worcester. Tickets: 01905 420083. more...
Jan 22: Forces Sweethearts, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester. Box office: 01905 611427. more...
Jan 21: Backdoor Blues Corporation, Marr's Bar, Worcester; Jacqui Dankworth, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester; Come Together, Drummonds Bar, New Street, Worcester; The Shakedown, Actress & Bishop, Birmingham; Rockin' On Heaven's Door, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham. more...
THE choir were joined by Holborne Brass Ensemble, who began brilliantly, transporting us to New Orleans as they walked through the audience playing Just a Closer Walk with Thee. more...
The Barber's Baroque masterpiece, The Marriage Feast at Cana, by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo has just gone back on the walls of the main gallery following a nine-month leave of absence, during which time it has enjoyed a major facelift. The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham. For further information contact Barber Press and Marketing Officer Andrew Davies on 0121 414 2946/07769 958114 or andrewdavies@barber.org.uk more...
Jan 21: Karaoke Night at Westside, with your host Dave. All welcome, free admission. For further details telephone 01905 429300. Westside, Hylton Road, Worcester (Find us at the back of the Evening News building, turn left and drive down to the bottom). more...
PEOPLE easily offended were warned to stay away from the Roy "Chubby" Brown show and I hope for their sake they took note of the warning. more...
DESPITE its title, this is not a dreary play. more...
THE Classical Music Society's latest "Live At The Library", provided an evening of piano trios. more...
THE childhood of Laurie Lee unfolds in a series of "pictures", accompanied by glorious dialogue. more...
THIS year's concert which comprised part of Kidderminster Carnival celebrations featured the music of Cole Porter. more...
I REALLY enjoyed this performance by Kidderminster College students, who had created a clever set and had gone to a great deal of trouble with their costumes. more...
THE orchestra played well in the first half, and got even better in the second. more...
THE concert marked the return of musical director Judith Standing, and Angela Savage made a most impressive Kidderminster debut as accompanist. more...
AS I am not usually a fan of Alan Ayckbourn's plays, my enjoyment of this production was probably largely due to the first class interpretation by Kidderminster Operatic and Dramatic Society. more...
DOWNING my eighth vodka in the Rose Theatre bar before Monday night's performance, I pondered with some scorn the ridiculous cliché that all journalists are heavy-drinking slobs. more...
THE latest in the Classical Music Society's Live at the Library series featured popular local pianist Janine Smith. more...
On Sunday I spent a relaxing afternoon being entertained by the supremely talented husband and wife duo from Stourbridge, Nic Fallowfield and Linda Rhodes. more...
Resident group The Nonentities turned their attention to farce, a notoriously difficult genre to perform, with their latest production at The Rose. more...
There are many good performances in this production, with excellent versions of those wonderful songs, but the show is dominated by Nigel Preece. more...
YOU never feel short-changed by Kidderminster Male Choir, and this superb concert was no exception. more...
DUNCAN Honeybourne's display as a piano virtuoso at the latest Live at the Library presentation by the Classical Music Society, was especially notable as he had endured a six-and-a-half hour drive to get to Kidderminster, having been held up in traffic, and arrived with 10 minutes to spare. more...
THE familiar strains of Down at the Old Bull and Bush opened this evening of nostalgia when the audience joined in the choruses with gusto. more...
THE story features two maids, sisters, working for the same "madame". more...
I WAS impressed by the orchestra's new musical director Damian Penfold when he appeared at Music For You, which gave a taste of great things to come - and I was not disappointed on Saturday. more...
Rose Theatre, until Saturday more...
IF Rachel Greenwood, already known to us as a violinist and now making her debut as conductor of Bewdley Choral Society, was at all nervous, there was no sign of it. more...
THE opening carols sung by Kidderminster Male Choir were somewhat marred by the sound of money chinking and the tearing of raffle tickets at the back of the hall. more...
The Jerry Springer - The Opera argument has got everyone fired up. more...
IT is the time of year again, when the marshlands undergo a slight change which affects everyone's perception of these beautiful areas. more...
ALEX Weatherill is pinching himself. For as long as he can remember, the 27-year-old actor has dreamed of landing a role in a West End production. more...
ALL life on earth is dependent on capturing energy. more...
LIKE most people, I always enjoy a beautiful summer's day, but the occasional blast from a passing storm is always spectacular too. Whether it is just because I'm out more, or there is a better contrast between conditions, the best storms always seem to occur in the summer. more...
BLAKE Marsh, in the Franche area of Kidderminster, is one of the district's more recent nature reserves. more...
JANUARY was certainly a time when it looked as if Armageddon had broken loose on Burlish Top Nature Reserve. more...
I HAVE always enjoyed watching the way different wild flowers come into bloom at different times of the year. more...
SO far, the weather this month has been glorious, nearly always hot with just a few humid days. more...
FINALLY the temperature is hitting the 30s, and everyone is enjoying the gorgeous sunshine and warmth we do not see enough of in this country. more...
WHEN you think of caterpillars you envisage a little green insect larvae eating away at a leaf and then turning into a beautiful butterfly. more...
THE early arrival of spring is still influencing the seasonal change out on the nature reserves. more...
LAST week I took my family holiday to one of the harshest wild habitats on earth - the beach. more...
THE hot humid weather may be a bit wearing for some of us but one plant, the Himalayan balsam, seems to have thrived and has grown in many areas with alarming vigour. more...
HABBERLEY Valley local nature reserve is a location many of us choose to visit over the summer holidays to take in the beauty of the landscape, enjoy an easy stroll and relax in the countryside away from the strife of modern life. more...
TO me, September is always best summed up as the month of the spider. more...
EARLIER this year I wrote an article remarking on the abundance of swifts, swallows and house martins. I wrote this after I had witnessed some fantastic flying displays by these birds as they hunted for insects over the heaths. more...
THANK goodness we have had some rain this month. I was starting to get rather concerned at the drought conditions were going to have a real impact on the wildlife of the nature reserves. more...
WORKING as part of Wyre Forest District Council's Ranger Service team, you cannot help but become aware of the changing seasons. With each season there are different types of jobs that need doing and wildlife to watch and keep note of. more...
FOR many years now I have been organising and leading children's "bug-hunting" activities. more...
EVERY year, during the month of September, Wyre Forest District Council's Ranger Service holds a "Fungal Foray". more...
I LIKE the darker evenings that October brings. The evenings are not too chilly and it gets dark early enough to go out and about trying to meet some of our nocturnal wildlife. more...
IT IS almost that time of year again when people in the district go out to their local nature reserves and collect chestnuts. more...
THIS year, so far, has been one of strange and unseasonable weather. A month doesn't seem to go by without me having to pass comment on another strange wildlife-related phenomenon that is connected to the climatic conditions. more...
A DJ is asking a Malvern venue to help out for a marathon fundraising event. more...
THE wind and rain has now started to strip the wonderful autumn colour from the trees and it is easy to feel gloomy about the approaching drabness of winter. more...
The centenary of Edward Elgar's appointment at the University of Birmingham will be marked with a range of events. more...
FRIENDS and supporters of the English Symphony Orchestra are being invited to a concert to celebrate the new year. more...
WHEN working out on the nature reserves you never really know what to expect. You can come across all sorts of bizarre and wonderful things but not all of them are good. more...
AFTER a stunning autumn with many shades of red, yellow and orange liberally draped across our landscape, colours will once again slowly fade to a dull, drab brown heralding the arrival of winter. more...
THE Wyre Forest District Council Ranger Service has only been looking after Hurcott Pools and Wood nature reserve for a couple of years. This follows its purchase by the district council with grant help from both English Nature and the New Opportunities Fund. more...
AT this time of year many of us are starting to turn our thoughts to the coming Christmas festival and, with this, the thought of either purchasing a real Christmas tree or imitating this with an artificial one. more...
DURING the winter months most of the smaller animals which live on the nature reserves will either have flown to warmer climes or have entered into hibernation. more...
NO matter what the weather, season or time of day, one bird you are almost always certain to spot on the nature reserves is the magpie. more...
AT Christmas many of us send each other greetings cards displaying scenes including snowmen, decorated Christmas trees and the native wildlife in wintery landscapes. more...
IT would seem to me this summer there are more puddles to be found on the nature reserves than usual. more...
MY job is to manage the nature reserves of the Wyre Forest district. more...
THESE days low-lying wetlands, bogs and wet woodlands are habitats which are under threat from the pressure of mankind. more...
THE good weather we had last week brought out the best in the district lowland heaths. more...
Summer has always been a hectic time ever since I started working for the Wyre Forest District Council Ranger Service. This year was no exception, and, if anything was even more busy. more...
When out for a stroll in the countryside it is quite a sobering thought that maybe, just a few metres away hidden in the undergrowth lurks a predator which has a fabled reputation for being one of the most ferocious and vicious on earth. more...
One animal which always seems to be around in abundance at this time of year is the spider. more...
AS we move into October and the weather starts to turn we often start to think about getting out our warmer winter clothing. more...
I HAVE always harboured a soft spot for foxes. more...
OCTOBER has given us our first few chilly days. One consequence of this is the low lying land which runs along the district's major river corridors has been shrouded in a deep creepy mist. more...
AT last, as far as the fungi are concerned, autumn has arrived. more...
LAST week's high winds saw the end of many fine trees. more...
For four years, Wyre Forest District Council's nature reserves have been managed with the help of grazing animals. more...
Malvern Theatre Players' production of The Snow Queen is a specially adapted stage version of a classic fairy tale. more...
IT may have been a wet month, but in terms of temperature it has been very mild. more...
A first night audience thoroughly enjoyed being reminded of many well-known tunes in this production, directed by Denise Churchett with music direction by David Whitehouse. more...
MOST of us either when we were at school or, from an early age, learned a little about the lifecycle of butterflies. more...
MOST of the trees have now lost their leaves and things are really starting to look quite bare. more...
NOW the trees are almost if not completely bare, there are some things which seem to stand out in the woodlands, things which may well have previously gone unnoticed. more...
ONE of the hardest things about managing nature reserves is looking after the trees. more...
IT was a pleasure to see Mark Bebbington back in the latest Live at the Library organised by the Classical Music Society. more...
I FELT extremely proud on Monday night when I saw our two choirs, Kidderminster Male Choir and the Valentines Ladies Choir on stage at the Alex. more...
ON Friday night a disappointingly small audience was treated to another musical extravaganza which comprises Kidderminster's Proms. more...
AN all-round spectacle greeted those who stepped back in time courtesy of the 18th Century Concert Orchestra on Sunday. more...
WYRE Forest's marvellous band delighted their audience with music from the show/film Brassed Off, which they have appeared in on stage several times. more...
LINDA Marlowe has been, at various points in her life, a lesbian, drug smuggler, wife to four husbands, mother of four, circus performer, burnt-out rock star, sexploitation movie "actress" and jungle adventurer. more...
THE last time The Valentines and Russell Painter combined in a concert, it was so successful they decided to repeat the idea, and again entertained us superbly. more...
WHEN it comes to movie anecdotes, Barry Norman has them coming out of his ears. After five decades spent probing the good, the bad and the ugly of Hollywood, the legendary film critic certainly has a few stories to tell. more...
THIS brave attempt at contemporary comedy is let down by a bitty script that never gets to grips with the matter in hand - a phobia of flying. Writer John Godber - who penned Fly Me to the Moon for amateur societies - doesn't include many gags but tries to parody people who attended a course to counter their fears. more...
LEONARD Bernstein's famous musical is one of the most difficult to stage, and I have seen some utter disasters, with singers unable to follow the complicated music, and ensemble numbers a shambles with so many people on stage. more...
SO much has been said about Quentin Tarantino's long-awaited fourth film ahead of its release that you could well find yourself loving or hating it before even settling into a cinema seat. more...
LAUGHTER filled the Ramada Hotel last Wednesday when Rabbi Lionel Blue performed an evening of amusing anecdotes and jokes as part of this year's Bewdley Festival. more...
ANOTHER excellent offering from our "Men in Red" got off to a cracking start with a Cole Porter Medley, and the rousing Battle Hymn of the Republic, which featured a solo by chairman Peter Burns. Close Thine Eyes was dedicated to president Richard Scotcher, who died recently. more...
WHEN it comes to having a good time, the good folks at Bewdley Festival certainly know how to throw a party. more...
CATS is not so much a musical nowadays as a phenomenom. One of the West End's longest running shows, it further cemented Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's status as the nation's leading musicals composer, brought TS Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats into the national consciousness and created more than a showbiz star or two. more...
THIS concert of musical favourites from the world of opera and theatre proved once again that you do not have to hit the bright lights to hear top class singing - and most of the talent was home-grown. more...
FOR anyone still mourning the loss of Channel 4's ground-breaking soap Brookside, this release is a must-see, helping to tie up the loose ends from the final televised episode as well as previewing future releases. more...
SHE may be 58 but iconic pop star Debbie Harry can still cut it live as the band which made her a legend proved in Birmingham on Saturday night. more...
FLUTE player Kerry-Anne Searle, clarinettist Judith Hood and bassoon player Joanna Coombes did Birmingham Conservatoire proud at their concert at Kidderminster Town Hall on Friday. more...
THIS concert celebrating 25 years of service to the society by president Mary Southall, was packed with glorious music from old Vienna, all accompanied by the talented Angela Savage on piano. more...
SPIRIT of the Horse is a fantastic spectacle performed by 30 beautiful horses: Arabians, Andalusians, Lusitanos. more...
Jim Davidson's latest DVD/video, which sees him extol the virtues of the Purple Party in a tongue-in-cheek bid to become Prime Minister, would make the perfect Christmas present for any xenophobic, foul-mouthed relative. more...
To say Blur were well received during their two-hour set would be an understatement. more...
THERE is no sweeter sound than that of children singing, and there were more than a few moist eyes at this concert. more...
I APPROACHED this play with trepidation because it is by Alan Ayckbourn, a playwright I try to avoid. But this was brilliant. more...
FOR me Christmas began on Friday night with this fantastic evening of festive music. more...
THE choir's annual Christmas concert was held mainly in aid of Kidderminster War Memorial Conservation Trust, and Victory Outreach UK.On Saturday night the men were joined by the children from Comberton Middle School, who sang carols, including an unusual one Gabriel was an Angel, and The Christmas Children which included some very good harmonising. There was also a trumpet solo by Emily Batson. more...
TO paraphrase a football cliché, this was a concert of two halves. more...
DON'T expect glittery palaces, lavish sets and all-round colourful opulance a la traditional fairy-tale pantomime from the RSC's new telling of this age-old magical favourite. more...
A textile designer whose work is her passion has just won a professional photography shoot to publicise her latest creations. more...
AFTER poor reviews of some current shows and the uproar over the radical re-structuring of the company, the RSC needed a hit - The Prince of Homburg, I suspect, isn't it. more...
BACH has become very much a symbol of all that is correct and orthodox. more...
THIS thought-provoking and perceptive play captures the problems of growing old and the thoughtlessness of youth. more...
IT is impossible not to feel admiration at the decision of cellist Dawn Gwilt and pianist Janine Smith to play both the Bantock and Rachmaninov Sonatas in a single evening, and then not to feel dissatisfaction at criticising this choice. more...
COMEDY is a funny old business and farce particularly so. Or not, depending on your taste. more...
AFTER some disappointing recent productions at the RSC, their winter season came gloriously to life with a visually ravishing production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. more...
FOR those of you who missed the comedy act Garth Marenghi (Duke of Darkness) at the MAC, Birmingham, on Thursday, stop kicking yourselves. It was awful. Not just plain awful, but real fancy. more...
ONLY those with a fondness for walking around with paper bags on their heads will have missed the hype surrounding this impossibly cool New York five-piece band. more...
IT'S rather like visiting an old friend to see a production of this wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, and the KODS' latest version does not disappoint. more...
HOT on the heels of the dire Perrier award-winning Garth Marenghi show, Unlimited Theatre's Neutrino, which also won acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival, brought real thrills to the MAC. more...
This performance was virtually a dress rehearsal for the group's entry in the annual Worcestershire Theatre Festival, which is being held this year in Evesham. more...
THE concert on Saturday began with the rousing Academic Overture by Brahms - I particularly love the final Gaudeamus Igitur passage. The brass section had a few problems in the opening passage but the rest of the piece was played well. more...
HELEN should be a name that launched a thousand trips, if the performance of The Clearing I saw at Birm- ingham Rep, is anything to go by. more...
COR phew! Entertainment of the ancient Greek kind came to Worcester and the viewing was far from comfortable. Trojan Women, by Euripides, narrates the fall of Troy at the hands of the Greeks, the subsequent slaughter and the taking into slavery of Hekabe, Queen of Troy, and her kin. more...
NEARLY 50 years on after its premiere, Waiting for Godot, voted the most significant English language play of the 20th century in a recent Royal National Theatre poll, has lost none of its ability to amuse, bewilder and exasperate. more...
THE two Korean sisters delighted the audience on Friday night when they made their recital debut at the 28th Young Musicians Recital organised by the Classical Music Society. more...
THE Songs of a Wayfarer that began an evening of Mahler, were a perfect counter to the titanic Sixth Symphony. more...
IT is very easy to hide rough edges in performance with sheer weight of sound or numbers, so the forces arrayed at St Anne's Church under Rachel Greenwood, just 17 players supporting 50 or so singers, were certainly vulnerable. more...
KIDDERMINSTER Male Choir were in excellent voice on Saturday evening, with songs to please every taste, while their guests, Worcestershire Jazz Orchestra, had us all tapping our feet. more...
CARYL Churchill's Top Girls was voted number 16 in a recent poll of the best plays of the past 100 years. I must confess I'd never heard of it before reading rave reviews of the Oxford Stage Company's excellent touring revival but - having seen it - I am now wiser but hard-pressed to easily describe it. more...
HAILED as "the theatre of the 21st century" by The Guardian, Frantic Assembly had a lot to live up to and, inevitably, Heavenly, their latest touring show, did not quite hit these lofty heights. more...
THIS is the lesser of Bach's two Passion settings that survive; two are lost, probably irretrievably. more...
THE revival of Hobson's Choice, best known for the film version starring John Mills and Charles Laughton, seemed a somewhat odd choice by recently appointed Birmingham Rep artistic director Jonathan Church, being a period piece - 1880 to be exact - if ever there was one. more...
ALTHOUGH not a massive Crowded House fan, I personally find their laid-back sound the perfect accompaniment to those idyllic, lazy summer evenings. more...
TO say this Chaste Maid was on the cheap side would be like saying Liberace's taste was a little brash. It must rank as one of the single worst pieces of theatre I've seen. more...
THE new season at the Birmingham Rep is proving very much a matter of two halves. more...
THE Nonentities have again triumphed, as this story of Henry VIII's fifth queen kept the audience riveted throughout and provided a most enjoyable theatrical evening. more...
YOU can visit the fairytale world of Cinderella at the Civic this week, where the popular film comes to life with sumptuous costumes. more...
OUTSIDE, objectors to the proposed redevelopment of the Stratford theatres (Hands Off Our Theatre) were protesting - in the most genteel way. more...
IT is always going to upset the purists to see old organs dismantled and digital pipe-less organs put in their place. more...
AFTER the fire and colour of Antony and Cleopatra which opened the new season, Edward III, now officially attributed to Shakespeare and never before staged at Stratford, was a drab affair. more...
BOTH choirs will be visiting Husum next year, and this concert in celebration of the twinning of the towns, raised cash to help towards the trip. more...
A CRACK cast, critical acclaim and the only performances outside London of a new play by veteran South African playwright Athol Fugard proved an insufficient draw at Warwick Arts Centre. more...
TWO bright stars have risen out of this east - Lucy Pitman-Wallace, director of this rarely performed Jacobean caper and Amanda Drew, aka Gertrude, a comic tour-de-force as a would-be social climber. more...
BOUQUETS for Birmingham Rep and its director Jonathan Church for securing the UK premiere of Elizabeth Rex by Canadian playwright Timothy Findley - the second UK premiere at the venue following the recent hosting of the much acclaimed The Clearing at The Door. Plaudits too to Stephanie Beacham who is first rate as the Virgin Queen, near the end of her reign as the play opens. more...
ANYONE wanting an evening of light entertainment had probably better steer clear of this play, which runs at The Rose until Saturday. more...
BUY, beg or steal a ticket to see Much Ado about Nothing at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre which is a joy from start to finish. more...
HATS off to the Rep for staging theatre aimed at a younger/less traditional audience. more...
IT has been observed that Chekhov is our second national playwright so strong an echo does he seem to find our collective consciousness, so often are his plays performed. more...
JUGGLING his time between writing, teaching and performing, accomplished musician Rick Payne has made a huge impact on the blues scene with his talents. more...
THE world of music is an odd one, which often throws up a few surprises here and there. more...
IN a comeback comparable with England's restored World Cup hopes, the RSC at Stratford continues to ride the crest of a wave with its latest offering at The Swan. more...
Verdi's glorious music again brought Dumas' "fallen woman" to life in style at the Alex last week. more...
IT could be I'm a lot braver than I thought. Either that or Malvern theatregoers are a nervous lot, judging from the jangled nerves on display during this touring production of Woman in Black. more...
I AM so grateful this talented young pianist managed to fit Kidderminster into his busy schedule. more...
THE Nonentities close their current season in style with this popular Terence Rattigan play, based on a true story. more...
IT is the second production of this popular Shakepearean comedy to open this month and the second to be rained on, if not off. more...
"I went out on a first date but I don't think I'll see her again. She got mad when I didn't open the car door - I just swam to the surface." more...
A FEW of the things you will need if you are planning to see this film are a two-litre supply of your favourite soft drink, 10 tonnes of popcorn and a strong bladder. more...
DESPITE being the entertainment reporter for the Shuttle/Times and News, I don't see as many of Kidderminster's bands in action as I would like. more...
VISITING a marshland in summer time can leave you with the feeling that you have taken a trip to a far distant land. more...
BIG fluffy Belted Galloway cattle wandering through head height scrub and grassland may create a bit of a spectacle but does it really benefit our wildlife or is it just a way of giving cows holidays? more...
READERS were told work on the M42 would begin within the coming year. Plans were discussed at a joint meeting of Bromsgrove District Council and Hereford and Worcester County Council. Community leaders also said the new motorway would hopefully be linked with the M5 by 1982/83. more...
BROMSGROVE Musical Club was tuning up for its annual concert at the Drill Hall. more...
TALENTED actors from a parish near Bromsgrove set the stage alight when they presented a Welsh comedy to fellow villagers. St Andrew's Dramatic Society members starred in Wishing Well, a humorous play about a country inn. more...
THE owner of a listed Worcester house is urging people to take heed of his story after he was forced to change the windows of his home twice - which cost him thousands of pounds. more...
I SUSPECT for many it is hard to return to work after a super holiday. more...
BROMSGROVE community leaders wanted detailed information before they would accept that more than half of 117 homes modernised in Catshill suffered from varying degrees of damp. The complaints were raised at Bromsgrove District Council's housing and health committee after Bromsgrove MP Hall Miller and two councillors visited the estate. They found 61 homes had damp and in some mushrooms were growing out of walls. The authority's environmental health expert said condensation and rising damp caused the problems. Councillors called for a detailed study. more...
LANNIE has been the name synonymous with ice-cream in the Worcester area for the past century - and to many, this family brand has always been a lick above the rest! more...
RESIDENTS in the north of Bromsgrove were to meet next week at Lickey End Board School to decided on what form the celebrations to mark King Edward VII's coronation in June would take. One of the chief considerations would be money, as the urban district council was unlikely to chip in. more...
WE believe that there is an intention by Worcestershire County Council to change our schools from the current three tiers to the two-tier system during the current review in Wyre Forest. more...
WORCESTER'S new multiplex cinema centre, between Friar Street and the City Walls Road, is partly occupying the site where a one-time Mayor of the city was in business for 30 years. more...
ADMIRAL Sir William Tennant, a famous son of Worcestershire and a great naval hero, played a key role in the Dunkirk evacuation of exactly 60 years ago. more...
A PROPOSAL by Mr W Neal that subscriptions for members of Bromsgrove Cricket Club be increased was resoundingly rejected at their annual meeting held at the Golden Cross Hotel. more...
The few disappointed words I received during the election campaign in 2001 came from people living in Rock and Ribbesford who, although within Wyre Forest district, had been excluded from the Wyre Forest parliamentary constituency. more...
THE consuming passion of recent years for John Houghton of Colletts Green has been collecting photographs taken down the decades in and around the villages of Powick and Callow End. more...
STANLEY Nokes of Quarry Lane, Bromsgrove, realised a dream that tantalised millions of people every week, when he won a fortune on the pools. He was shocked when a representative from Littlewoods called to say he had won at least £20,000, but was even more surprised later to learn he had in fact scooped a £38,703 dividend. more...
DISTRICT councillors in Bromsgrove were split over deciding on the future use of Crown Close which the authority had acquired for recreational purposes. The Recreation Ground at Parkside had recently closed forcing youngsters to play football and cricket on the Green resulting in damage to the grass and trees. Cllr Routh told colleagues at a meeting that if the hobbledehoys were banned bad language would diminish and more room would be made for youngsters who wished simply to stretch their legs. more...
MANY people have expressed their concerns to me about justice in international trade (the Trade Justice Movement). more...
HARD times but happy days living among the poor of Worcester's Hylton Road and Tybridge Street area between the wars and in the 1940s are remembered vividly by 78 years-old Bill Weston. more...
CRAFT and organisational skills which were applied to many major public works projects in Kidderminster between the 1930s and 70s also played a part in the D-Day landings. more...
A COMMUNAL wash house was included in a list of "wants," put forward by Cofton Hackett residents who attended the annual parish meeting in Rednal's Gospel Mission. Other requests were for a village hall and additional bus services. more...
WE ARE APPROACHING the 50th anniversary of a dramatic rail crash near Worcester which left two steam locomotives on their sides across the tracks at Fernhill Heath. more...
BROMSGROVE'S branch of the Womens' Institute, the oldest in the district, celebrate its 60th birthday. The inaugural meeting chaired by Lady Plymouth had been held in the ladies' waiting room at Bromsgrove railway station. more...
WITH the disappointing results from the Harriers, due partly to the low level of support and hence the available cash and the loss, hopefully only temporarily, of the Wyre Forest Birth Centre we need some good news. more...
FOR much of the 20th Century the name Tansell was almost as familiar on the roads of Worcestershire and of the nation, as are today those of Taylors of Martley and Eddie Stobart. more...
IF ever there was a model ``jolly postman'' it should have been Evan Jasper. more...
AMONG the tenders accepted by Droitwich Board of Guardians for the supply of goods and services to the workhouse for the next 12 months were: Haircuts and shaving paupers, Mr Beddoe £2 for six months, milk 8d (3.5p) a gallon Jabez Dunn, Hampton Lovett, and coal 14/6 (72.5p) per ton supplied by Underwood and Co. more...
DURING the recent May Bank Holiday, I caught up again with headteacher Barbara Dunn, working away at her school while the pupils were enjoying the week's break. more...
PUTTING your children on the stage can be difficult, as Margaret Watkins will testify. more...
A RECORD 101 blood donors turned up when the mobile unit visited Bromsgrove recently. Red Cross nurses took care of bandaging the donor's, while WVS volunteers kept them supplied with cups of tea. more...
WALKING through a lush and colourful back garden, I recently came upon a wonderland in miniature, offering visitors a nostalgic and vivid insight into the bygone Age of Steam. more...
THE description ``special school'' seems misplaced to anyone who visits Stourminster School, Kidderminster. more...
A MOVE to give Bromsgrove borough status was overturned by district councillors. The motion failed by one vote to get the necessary two thirds majority in the council chamber. more...
THE good news this week is that staff and students at Baxter College have achieved excellent results in the Ofsted inspection that they faced in September. more...
A PAST Worcester Mayor well remembers a valuable lesson he was given in the intricate art of eating trout - by the Queen Mother! more...
PING-PONG enthusiasts were preparing for a tournament at All Saints' Schoolroom, in Bromsgrove. Residents were urged to support local players at the two-day event. Admission was 6d (2 1/2p). more...
MORE infromation is being keenly sought about the life and exploits of the Royal Navy destroyer which proudly carried the Faithful City's name on the high seas - HMS Worcester. more...
ONCE there was an art college graduate who could not get a job because of the sealed brown envelope he had to present at interviews. more...
COFTON Hackett Youth Club, which was forced to close in 1951, reopened and was now going from strength to strength. Youngsters met at West Heath Village Hall and enjoyed activities including drama, sports and reading. Visitors also taught the youngsters about acrobatics and hypnotism. more...
Last week I attended a conference in Bournemouth organised by the NHS Alliance on engaging professionals and the public in health decisions. more...
A PAST mayor's homage to a big-hearted Worcester coal merchant of yesteryear has brought an emotional response from the coalman's family. more...
LIVING every day as if it was his last is Brian Glass's motto in life and his own experiences seem to bear out that principle. more...
A SUPERB family group photograph, taken nearly 90 years ago, forms the keystone to fascinating memories of Claines village in Edwardian times, sent me by former Worcester Mayor, H J (Bert) Evans. more...
IN times of war, the military services are necessarily thrown into high profile. more...
ONE of the most forceful indictments of the intolerable conditions Bromsgrove shoppers had to endure on the busy days in the High Street, came from the town's planning officer, John Tozer. In a frank document given to Bromsgrove District Council planning committee members, he said Bromsgrove needed interesting buildings, attractive shops and shoppers required protection from bad weather and heavy traffic. more...
BEING a single Independent MP among 658 other MPs does present some dilemmas, although they are by no means insuperable. more...
THE first people to open an inn at the British Camp, Malvern, more than 150 years ago and the wife of the famous founder of the British Medical Association in 1832, are among the forebears of a Malvern man who has traced his family tree back to 1474. more...
IT was what can only be described as a ``gaffe'' when the health visitor called on Thelma Smith on her 75th birthday and asked kindly if she would like to be put in touch with the Stourport Day Centre. more...
DROITWICH Town Council was deeply upset at discovering that the River Salwarpe was being systematically polluted by effluent from Bromsgrove Sewage Farm, mainly after dark. more...
IT was finding out about a serious heart condition that led Roberta Carradine to leave a high-flying job and look to her roots. more...
BROMSGROVE'S first traffic warden was sworn in by town magistrates on Tuesday. He was retired policeman John Tasker who had spent much of his 28 years in the force on the Catshill beat. Clad in a blue mackintosh and peaked cap and sporting white gloves his duty was to help pupils at Stourbridge Road School cross the busy main road. more...
REMEMBRANCE Sunday is nearly with us again and I was reminded of its continuing relevance at a workshop held in Kidderminster. more...
AN insight into the Curtler family and their wide influence in church and legal circles in Worcester through Victorian times and the early decades of the 20th Century is to be found on the Worcestershire History Encyclopaedia website. more...
EVERY town has its ghosts, but not always a raconteur for the spooky stories. more...
A 15-YEAR-OLD physically handicapped boy, Adrian Holmes of Brueton Avenue was voted Bromsgrove Sports Council's junior male personality of the year. Adrian had an 18-inch steel brace in his back. The supreme men's award went to top-flight soccer referee John Yates. more...
A BIG-HITTING cricketer has handed over £4,000 to the Acorns Children's Hospice Trust following a successful charity dinner. more...
A COMPREHENSIVE community history of Worcestershire is fast appearing on the internet, thanks to John Stafford, a senior librarian at the City Library in Foregate Street. more...
A BRADLEY Green farmer reported a freak among a new hatch of ducklings. One had four wings and four legs. more...
THE Water Bill was debated on Monday and was passed with some amendments. more...
EARLIER this year, Memory Lane featured Worcester dental surgeon Bruce Maher in his leisure-time pursuit as a steam railway enthusiast. more...
EVERY mother knows there is nothing like having young children for drawing you into commitments and community activities. more...
BUOYED by Labour's recent seat gains on the county council, Bromsgrove Trades Council decided to stage the town's first May day rally to protest against the Tory government's policies. more...
FORMER city pupils are being invited to dig out their old school ties for a grand reunion. more...
AN old photograph rekindled memories of "a most wonderful childhood" for 65 years-old Mrs Devorie Lockyer of Checketts Lane, Worcester. more...
A PASSION for politics started with a disgust for heavy-handed landlords for Londoner Eric Higgs. more...
THE giant sails of the Danzey Green windmill, Avoncroft museum's latest acquisition were turning again for the first time in a century. The mill, dating from about 1800, had been re-erected and restored at the Stoke Heath museum at a cost of some £4,000. more...
WHEN two caring souls told guests to forget presents and bring a few pennies for Acorns to their Golden Wedding celebrations, they never imagined it would generate more than £1,000. more...
NEVER before had I seen a photograph of Sir Edward Elgar's funeral until reading the excellent new book, Elgar in Love by Malvern Wells author Kevin Allen. more...
THERE can be few people as much in demand in the community as Ray Harrowing. more...
INMATES at Bromsgrove's workhouse were unhappy with the broth, bread and cheese that made up the regular Monday menu. The ruling guardians decided instead to give them beef stew containing fat, flour, carrots and onions. The change would cost less than 2/- (10p) per day. more...
WORCESTER'S police station may have moved house but the cells at Deansway are preparing for a new set of "prisoners". more...
THE horror of war became a painful reality for Worcester people for a few fleeting but tragic minutes in the autumn of 1940. more...
BEWDLEY has lately been paying tribute to a Scotsman who may never have lived in the town and become one of its most prominent citizens had it not been for love. more...
RECENT wet weather followed by warm sunshine had suited local crops of early potatoes. It seemed likely that farmers would be digging in May well ahead of the traditional June 24, Bromsgrove Fair Day, date. more...
BUDDING David Beckhams can help Acorns to its goal by taking part in a mini soccer tournament. more...
THANKS to Memory Lane readers and others, John Sanders, chairman of the Worcester Sea Cadet Unit, is piecing together a comprehensive record of HMS Worcester, the former Royal Navy destroyer. more...
CLAIRE Worboys talks passionately about her job as an actress - it is all she ever wanted from an early age. more...
THE new headmaster at South Bromsgrove High School to replace Dennis Matthews, who had retired, was his deputy Alan Baker. He said his task would be to promote academic achievement and good behaviour. more...
THE chance to be serenaded by an authentic Scottish bagpiper or have a website designed free of charge is up for grabs at a Hereford venue tonight. more...
IT'S great when the chance comes up to interview one of your great local sporting heroes - and such was the case when I recently went along to the Worcester home of Martin Horton. more...
IT will truly be the end of an era when Simon Arbuthnott leaves the helm of the Chaddesley Corbett school he has been involved with since the age of four. more...
Eight-mile sponsored walk over the Malvern Hills starting at the British Camp car park. Includes a trip to the Obelisk and Gullet Quarry. Starts at 10.30am, Saturday, March 29. For a sponsor form call Evening News reporter Alison Fraser on 01905 742252. more...
THE Faithful City's present Mayor, Councillor Mary Drinkwater, considers herself very much "a Worcester woman" having spent her first 21 years living in the shadow of the Cathedral. more...
GOOD historians often make exciting discoveries. But when Ruth Butler's researches uncovered details about Countess Rachel of Witley Court and her nursing background, especially her presidency of Kidderminster District Nurses' Society in 1912, she was ``over the moon''. more...
PUBLIC meetings to arrange celebrations to mark the forthcoming coronation in June were being held in villages all around Bromsgrove. While everyone agreed events should equal those associated with the late Queen's diamond jubilee, the cost as always was the overriding consideration. At Stoke Prior it had been agreed the 240 or so village youngsters would be given a tea as would the aged poor residents. more...
September 16, 1977 more...
A CHARITY shop in Barnards Green, Malvern, is appealing for more volunteers as it struggles to cope with its success. more...
THIS autumn marks the centenary of the first performance of, arguably, Elgar's greatest choral masterpiece, The Dream of Gerontius, but it was a disastrous baptism. more...
THEY say Guinness is good for you. It certainly led to fame, and even fortune of a kind, for Clows Top man Terry Keegan. more...
THE inaugural meeting of the Worcestershire Guild of Artist Craftsmen was held in Bromsgrove Library. Its aim was to further an interest in traditional skills. The meeting elected Robert Pancheri as its president. more...
September 19, 1952 more...
SCORES of budding football stars put their best feet forward for children with life-limiting illnesses by taking part in an Easter Monday soccer tournament. more...
THE future continues to look rosy for Wyre Forest Young Enterprise group under the leadership of new chairman Malcolm Plant. more...
KIND hearted staff at Bromsgrove General Hospital had raised £2,500 to buy their own electrically powered internal ambulance to ferry patients around the complex. more...
September 20, 1902 more...
A FOOTBALL fun day in aid of children with life-limited illnesses is kicking off at Worcester City Football Club over the May Bank Holiday weekend. more...
JONATHAN Darby is a ``natural'' as they say in showbiz circles, not one to suffer stage fright. more...
TWO Bournheath lads, John Hurley and George Reynolds, paid dearly for stealing a rabbit from a snare on Mr Blakeway's land at Chaddesley Corbett, when they were hauled before Kidderminster magistrates. Evidence was given by Francis Bennet, who was employed as a rabbit catcher by Mr Blakeway. He told the court that while many of his snares had been sprung the coneys were missing. Hurley was fined 40/- (£2) and Reynolds £1. more...
September 9, 1977 more...
A COUPLE experienced an Easter to remember after mounting a marathon charity motorcycle trip from Land's End to John O' Groats. more...
HOUSEWIVES in Bromsgrove were being slow to collect the new issue ration books which had been a fact of life since 1940. Eleven clerks were on duty in the Congregational Schoolroom to hand out the 27,000 books to residents living in the urban district of Bromsgrove, but so far only half had been given out. Around 2,500 books could be issued in a day. more...
September 12, 1952 more...
MAGGIE King looks back on more than 11 years of achievement as she leaves the school gates for the last time as headteacher today. more...
A TOTAL of 555 people were on the dole in Bromsgrove, 385 men and 170 women. The figures did not include young people or students. more...
September 13, 1902 more...
MORE than 1,000 students, teachers and parents narrowly missed yesterday's downpour as they embarked on a riverside walk to raise money for children with life-limiting illnesses. more...
MOST people would need two lifetimes to do it all - accountant, director of a football club, MD of a nationwide bakery business and treasurer of the FA in Ireland. more...
BROMSGROVE Charities Board took out an advertisement in the Messenger to advise eligible people residing in the All Saints district of Bromsgrove that the tenancy of an alms house was available. Prospective tenants had to be poor, aged not less than 60, have lived in the area for three years and not received any Poor Law Relief. more...
IT was no mean feat that Denis Dipple escaped with only slight bruising when a ton of steel bars fell on his toes. more...
TWO energetic nurses will be taking on a challenge of a lifetime when they walk 190 miles for charity. more...
IT would be an unenviable task to find anybody who has served a school and its community as loyally as Lynne Marshall has done. more...
SIDNEY Farr, assistant clerk to Droitwich Rural District Council, decided to retire after clocking up 52 years' service. During that time he had only been absent for two weeks due to illness. more...
IN the last week of this parliamentary session there is frantic activity to force through outstanding Government Bills. more...
September 5, 1952 more...
CORONATION Street's jailbird Jim McDonald was given parole from TV prison to take part in a celebrity-studded cricket match for Acorns. more...
FARMERS who are young, fit, prepared to weather the financial storms of farming and keep in tune with new conservation ideas are few and far between. more...
BROMSGROVE'S proposed new Western Relief Road would be planned to have the minimum impact on Crown Close, Bromsgrove's quiet, green backwater the district council claimed. However, the disadvantages would have to be weighed against the advantage of easing the traffic congestion in the town. more...
September 6, 1902 more...
THERE may be many superwomen living in Kidderminster but few perhaps so deserving of the title as Jola Merrick. more...
A DROITWICH training company has won an exclusive contract to teach 1,000 people in Europe. more...
THE Bromsgrove Charities board was seeking a married couple to fill a vacancy in a town almshouse. An advert in the Bromsgrove Messenger said the applicants must be poor, of good character, have lived in the parish of All Saints for three years and be aged 60-plus. more...
LAST week, the end of the parliamentary session, was an eye-opener. more...
BUSINESSES are being urged to join the recycling revolution and turn used printer cartridges into cash for Acorns. more...
IT will be an exciting 10 years for Kidderminster, according to the manager of one of the town's two shopping centres. more...
A WORCESTERSHIRE clay brick maker is on target to make 100 million bricks this year after enlisting the support of Ceramic Industry Forum. more...
July 24, 1977 more...
A STAGGERING £15,000 has been raised for Acorns by more than 200 walkers striding out across the Three Counties. more...
DOREEN Reynolds will always be content with her life as long as there is happiness in it. more...
AN intrepid explorer who was the first British woman to climb Mount Everest has given an inspirational speech to businesswomen in Worcestershire. more...
FIT Bromsgrove men were being sought to work as locomotive firemen. The London Midland region of British Railways wanted workers aged 18 to 30 to enter the one-month training programme for the position. Successful applicants could expect to work a 44-hour week, with paid holiday and free protective clothing. There would be opportunities to train as a driver. more...
LAST week the pageantry of the Queen's Speech took place safely in the midst of intense security. more...
July 26, 1952 more...
TWO nurses went that extra mile - 190 to be exact - in an energetic fund-raiser for Acorns Children's Hospice. more...
LIVING in a town where the River Severn flows through provides ample opportunities for boating enthusiasts, but there are few who can have done as much for others as Arthur Page. more...
WORCESTERSHIRE-based Cirrus Technologies is aiming to become one of the top 10 safety testing equipment specialists in the world after securing £5m worth of deals. more...
TOWN MP Hal Miller raised questions about six historic chartist cottages in Dodford, in the House of Commons. The recent listing of the cottages was now the subject of a complaint to the Local Commissioners and the MP hoped to draw the government's attention to the consequences of the listing for the residents and to appeal for the restrictions to be lifted. more...
July 26, 1902 more...
GOOD-hearted citizens who can spare a few hours of their time a week are urgently needed to run a new Acorns shop. more...
IF Jenny Paddock were not "an unfailing optimist" she might think times could never be better. more...
A WORCESTER firm of solicitors has welcomed Lisa Kemp into its family law department. more...
THE Sick and Dividend Club at the Ewe and Lamb pub at Stoke Health, Bromsgrove, held its annual sports day on Whit Monday, when around 1,200 turned up to watch. There was a variety of events including hammer throwing and races for all ages. One of the highlights was the womens' race for a first prize of a pig. more...
I AM delighted that Yvette Cooper, Minister in the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has announced that Oldington and Foley Park has been selected as one of the Neighbourhood Management Round 2 Pathfinders. more...
July 15, 1977 more...
YOUNG Robert Davison hates the hour-long trek from his Worcester home to Acorns Selly Oak in Birmingham and sometimes screams throughout the car journey. more...
ONE of England's leading model railway experts, John Webster of Kempsey, is overjoyed with the "absolutely brilliant" response he has received from Memory Lane readers in the wake of my feature on him a few weeks ago. more...
IT is rare for an everyday occupation to bring a great deal of enjoyment - but do not tell that to Kidderminster puppeteer Mary Baulk. more...
THE search is once again on to find Worcestershire's most worthy women. more...
A MEETING of his creditors heard that Maurice Booth, aged 61, lessee of the Salters' Cinema and Diana Cafe in Droitwich had assets of only £110 to meet debts of £2,483. Mr Booth, of Fernhill Heath, had taken on the cinema's lease in 1948 for £30 a week rent. more...
July 19, 1952 more...
THE building of the new Acorns Children's Hospice in Worcester has finally begun - making the hopes of life-limited children come one step closer to a reality. more...
ANOTHER of Worcester's coal merchants of yesteryear is remembered affectionately today through the recollections of his two grandchildren. more...
A REMINDER has gone out to business owners in Herefordshire and Worcestershire that self-assessment tax returns are due back to the Inland Revenue at the end of the month. more...
AN attempt by the minority Labour group on Bromsgrove District Council to get their veteran leader Cllr Henry Webley installed as vice-chairman to mark the silver jubilee had failed. The holder of an MBE, he was the only member of the council to have been honoured by the Queen. Cllr Jim Bekenn from Hagley won the vote overwhelmingly. more...
THE final capture of Saddam Hussein has come as welcome news to us all. more...
July 19, 1902 more...
FOUR SUBSTANTIAL locomotives have so far proudly carried the name of Worcester's most famous son, composer Sir Edward Elgar on the railways of Britain. more...
A CAR accident at the age of seven was a life-changing event in the life of Steve Swansborough. more...
THE living of Hanbury had been offered and accepted by the Rev Reginald Harvey of Bristol. The living was the gift of Sir Harry Vernon, Bart. of Hanbury Hall. more...
July 8, 1977 more...
AN artful afternoon will be held in aid of Acorns Children's Hospice Trust. more...
MEMORY Lane raises the curtain in homage this week to the theatrical Wyatts of Worcester, who have now been delighting local audiences for more than a century and through three generations... so far! more...
IF it was not for the distinct personality of its postmistress, Wolverley shop and post office could be in Postman Pat's Greendale. more...
WORK had started on the construction of the new traffic island at the junction of Alvechurch Road and Cofton Road. It would be used as a turning point for buses when new services were introduced following the scrapping of trams in July. more...
July 12, 1952 more...
A CHOCOLATE-making company in Upton-on-Severn has come up with a mouth-watering way of raising cash for a charity that helps life-limited children and their families. more...
He's 88 years-old Wilfrid (Tom) Widdows of Droitwich, who, under the byline Checkmate, has been writing our chess column for no fewer than 55 years! more...
IT was by a twist of fate that Julie Saunders became a librarian at Stourport and started writing books with her husband Dave. more...
A NUMBER of silver birch trees and Queen Elizabeth roses were to be planted in Sanders Park. They had been given to Bromsgrove District Council by Roseacre Nursery at Hagley to mark the Queen's forthcoming Silver Jubilee. more...
July 12, 1902 more...
TODAY marks the first anniversary of the death of little Jaymie Reynolds and as Christmas approaches her mum Lesley Brown is trying to put on a brave face. more...
WILFRID Widdows - another old boy of Worcester's Stanley Road School - has sent some personal recollections to be included in the Millennium Book being compiled on the 85-year life-span of the school. more...
UNBLOCKING drains, sandbagging flooded homes and wading through sewage are among the doubtful joys of the council's drain supervisor. more...
FOLK living in the north of Bromsgrove were becoming healthier and living longer, it was revealed. In a report to North Bromsgrove District Council, the medical officer said in the first five months of this year there had been 18 deaths compared with 44 during the corresponding period in 1901. During May there had been 14 births and three deaths, one from accidental poisoning, and three cases of scarlet fever all among pupils at Dodford School. more...
July 5, 1902 more...
FRANK Greatwich of Malvern, who died recently at the age of 93, had a clear influence on the first decade or so of my 47 years to date with the Evening News and Berrow's Journal. more...
A CHANCE visit to the memorabilia shop at the Severn Valley Railway in Bewdley was the beginning of a railway buff's loyal 18 years voluntary work there. more...
TWO members of Bromsgrove Youth Organisation met with a tragic accident while canoeing on the lake at Hewell Grange, Tardebigge. The youths, John Hollis, aged 17 from Churchfields and Brian Jones, 18, from Broad Street, Sidemoor, were members of the club's canoeing group which was holding its first outing of the season. more...
ONE of Worcester's oldest surviving family firms still enjoys a flourishing business both in the Faithful City and throughout the county. more...
WHEN Denise Hodgetts was asked: "What are your hobbies and interests?" for the Worcestershire Business Woman of the Year Award she won in 1996, she was dumbstruck. more...
July 5, 1952 more...
TWO long-lost Worcester schools are fleetingly back in the picture today through the memories of an "exile" of the Faithful City. more...
TIM Morris would say Kidderminster is lucky to have a "gem" of an organ so admired it draws visitors from as far away as Australia and America. more...
THE Queen's Silver Jubilee was the main talking point in Bromsgrove. The event would be celebrated with street parties, a carnival and a bonfire, barbecue and music in Sanders Park. The town was gaily decorated and workers from Garringtons at Aston Fields had undertaken to hang garlands and bunting from the Market Hall. more...
July 1, 1977 more...
A RECENT e-mail to the Evening News offices has brought back in focus a freak and tragic million-to-one accident which befell a Worcester man more than half-a-century ago. more...
ERIC "Ginger" Carter has embarked on a new challenge this year. more...
TRAMPS seeking a night's board and lodging at Bromsgrove's Workhouse in Birmingham Road would not in future need a police ticket verifying that they were a genuine and deserving case. The practice was being discontinued because police were too busy. more...
June 24, 1977 more...
IT was a life-long interest in public transport dating back to a term in charge of the passenger transport authority Centro which started Dr Jones's involvement with the national railways' watchdog. more...
PLANS to celebrate next year's Coronation were being drawn up by the district council. Bromsgrove had a good reputation for celebrating royal events in style. In 1937 the town was picked out by the BBC and many private commentators as being one of the three best decorated places in the Midlands. more...
June 28, 1952 more...
CALLING all surviving members of the Class of '51 at the former Worcester Technical High School! more...
CIVIC events in Kidderminster are unlikely to pass quietly now Clive Webster has been chosen as the new town crier. more...
THE swimming pool at North Bromsgrove High School could be one of several at schools that may be drained and left unused it was revealed. The cost of ongoing repairs and maintenance was proving too costly for the cash-strapped county council. more...
June 28, 1902 more...
A WORCESTER club which quietly celebrated its centenary last year is delightedly catching up on its "lost" history! more...
REVELLERS in Droitwich were to be denied extra drinking time in the Spa's pubs during the forthcoming Coronation celebrations magistrates decided, following a plea by the local licensed victuallers' association for an extra hour on June 26 and 27. The bench said 6 to 11pm was long enough. But in Bromsgrove pubs would be open until midnight for four days next week but that was also in consideration of the town's annual midsummer fair. more...
June 21, 1902 more...
FOUNDER members of a Worcester working men's club were begged at its opening a century ago never to gamble when playing cards or billiards, however small the stakes. more...