Worcestershire | Archive | 2005 | February
KEMPSEY, on a dank Autumn evening, is hardly the most romantic place in the world. more...
Theatre February more...
VETERAN actor George Cole makes his Malvern Theatres debut in the guise of a grumpy old man. more...
ONE of Alan Ayckbourn's most famous plays, Joking Apart, is being staged by the Swan Theatre Amateur Company. more...
A script that is 80 pages long, 20 new songs and a line-up of over 150 people - preparations for the new Ledbury mystery play are well under way. more...
RUMPLESTILTSKIN has been given a 21st Century make-over in a pantomime by the Pepperpot Players. more...
Malvern Cinema: Vera Drake (15) 7.30pm, Sat, Sun & Thurs mats 4pm. more...
Until February 5: Theatre Royal Bath Productions presents The Lady in the Van starring Susan Hampshire. Box office: 01684 892277. more...
February 4: The Auriel Ensemble at CBSO Centre, Birmingham. Tickets available on 0121 767 4050 or book on-line at www.cbso.co.uk more...
If you have any gigs at your pub/venue call Joby Mullens on 01905 742252 or e-mail: jobymullens@midlands.newsquest.co.uk more...
Until February 12: Fibreart Exhibition at Artistree Church Lane Ledbury. more...
February 4: Brian and Philomena invite you to an evening of Ballroom and Sequence dancing at Powick Village Hall, Powick, Worcester. Bring your own refreshments. Telephone Brian or Philomena on 01905 454338 for further details. more...
AN arts centre in Worcestershire is planning a host of activities to keep children entertained this February half-term - including more...
A TOURING theatre company is to visit Worcestershire later this month to perform the brand new comedy Bedazzled. more...
A LEADING British pianist who has achieved international recognition for championing music of our time is to perform in Worcester. more...
VILLAGE halls and community centres across Worcestershire are to be treated to sounds from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean. more...
TONIGHT will see three professional opera singers and a pianist presenting a host of operatic classics at a Pershore venue. more...
WHEN Richard Swerrun literally bounces into the Circle Bar at Malvern Theatres it's impossible not to smile back at his beaming grin. more...
Long-standing supporters of the Swan Theatre may well remember John Doyle, who was the director for seven years in the 1980s. more...
A PLETHORA of television stars are promising to keep audiences hooked tomorrow night when a drama is staged at a Gloucestershire theatre. more...
THE comedy Joking Apart is set to be staged at Worcester's Swan Theatre this month and people are being urged to book their tickets. more...
LOVE will be in the air at a number of Valentine events in and around Malvern. more...
THIS summer's dates for the ever-popular Bands in the Park concerts have just been announced. more...
In a programme stage-managed engagingly, conductor Jeffrey Skidmore, beating a large drum, led his esteemed ensemble through the auditorium singing Hanacpachap cussicuinin by J C Bocanegra, an early polyphonic processional ritual. more...
AS a mad, bad, stinking old woman, Susan Hampshire appears to have found her niche. more...
Friday evening's light-hearted concert given by a small group of musicians from the ESO and Fine Arts Brass, directed by Michael Bochmann, was one to sit back, relax and enjoy. more...
The Bochmann Quartet, Michael Bochmann and Mark Messenger (violins), Helen Roberts (viola) and Peter Adams (cello), were on extremely good form. Their cohesion and rapport was paramount as they achieved high quality ensemble in a programme of lyrical and profound music. more...
TEXT books which composer Edward Elgar used to teach himself music have gone on display at the Elgar Birthplace Museum. more...
IT'S not every day you get the chance to perform songs by your idol to a mass of appreciative fans, let alone meet the musician himself. more...
ONE of the UK's top blue-rock bands will be gracing the stage at Worcester's Huntingdon Hall next week. more...
PUNK and ska fans will be in for a treat tomorrow when Worcester's Marrs Bar hosts three bands who combine both musical styles. more...
A FLAVOUR of the Spanish jazz, Latin and Flamenco cultures will come to Worcester this weekend when Birmingham band Trio Gitano visit. more...
Blondie tribute act Bleach are set to return to Worcester next week for what could prove to be an "Atomic" performance. more...
TALENTED singer songwriter Andreya Triana owes much to Worcester - because it was the place where she got her big break in music. more...
FAME Academy runner-up and Brit and Mobo Award Winner Lemar is looking forward to meeting his fans when he pays a visit to the area as part of an 18-date UK tour in April. more...
ONE of Worcester's biggest employers has hinted it could soon be creating even more jobs in the city after posting successful half-year results. more...
A STOURPORT scooter company has been given the chance to modify a bike with a view to making it a world-beater. more...
100 years ago more...
AN alarming gorse fire made headlines in the Gazette 100 years ago. more...
THE main news in the Malvern Gazette a century ago was the visit by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Austen Chamberlain. more...
THE new manager at Worcester City Football Club will be stepping on to the pitch in style sporting an Evening News Wishband. more...
I HAD hoped to write to this paper congratulating Simon Geraghty and his cabinet colleagues on Worcester City Council for listening - and more importantly reacting - to the voting, tax-paying pensioners whose indignation over the bus passes and the closing of many of the city centre public toilets has been reported in the Evening News. more...
FULL marks to Neil Morris, headmaster of Christopher Whitehead School, who was called to London to receive the thanks of the Prime Minister and for persuading Stephen Twigg, the Schools Standards Minister, to visit Worcester and consider all the options of gaining Chrissies a new school. more...
CATS Protection Christmas Cat Food Collection has come to a close. more...
HELEN Mead (Evening News, Monday, January 17) writes of her cat. I have a canary, but he doesn't share my bed, unlike Helen's cat - I keep him confined to his ample cage. more...
I AGREE wholeheartedly with Tony Pepper's comments (Letters, Wednesday, January 26). more...
Have you been round The Commandery in Worcester lately? No, neither had I, until this week. Well, I had been round before but it was more than five years ago. more...
VILLAGERS in Upper Welland will soon have a new post office. more...
The owners of an organic nursery in Colwall are planning to branch out. more...
The owners of town centre bookshop were joined by their predecessors this week to celebrate its 50th anniversary. more...
A plan to make a fishing lake fully accessible to people with disabilities has suffered a set-back. more...
Landmark trees in the Malvern Hills area are under threat from a rapidly spreading disease. more...
A new trainee has been appointed to the marketing team at Malvern Theatres. more...
ON one hand Mike Ridley, chairman of the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, complains of "hostility and opposition" to the consultation process over plans for a new hospital, while urging people to back the PCT. On the other, he threatens to put a stop to the whole process and concentrate on facilities somewhere else in the county. more...
A Malvern pub is raising funds for a unit that is caring for a former barman and regular customer. more...
COLWALL may no longer feature on a list of British racecourses but a hotel built when the village was alive with runners and riders is still going strong. more...
A family desperate to trace their lost dog have called in the services of a Malvern dowser. more...
A MALVERN dental surgery will be offering places to an extra 200 NHS patients from Monday. more...
Susan Hampshire has officially opened the new Learning Resource Centre at Dyson Perrins CE High School in Malvern. more...
It is not every day that a former landlord of the Full Pitcher pub in Ledbury has a biography written about him. more...
The Bromyard Means Business group is launching a range of projects to put the town and its attractions on the map. more...
A GANG of youths has been causing trouble all over Malvern, throwing eggs and stones, banging on windows and running through people's gardens. more...
TRADERS at Malvern's Friday Market are digging their heels in to stay at the Avenue Road site. more...
WHILE recently having treatment at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, I would like to thank my bed mate who helped to keep my morale up and was so friendly. Thank you Louise. more...
A NEW doctors' surgery serving more than 8,000 patients in Malvern should be in use by the end of the year. more...
ON behalf of Worcester & District Cats' Protection I would like to thank the people of Malvern for their kind donations of cat food given over the Christmas period. A total of 1,523 cans and many packets of dried food were gratefully received. Many thanks to you all. more...
A gang from outside the area is believed to have stolen cash from car park ticket machines in Malvern. more...
I VISITED Auschwitz with a package tour group. more...
A WHEELCHAIR belonging to a man with multiple sclerosis was stolen from a garage in Victoria Road, Malvern. more...
WE are fortunate enough to live on Malvern Common, where last year I identified and photographed more than 25 wildflowers, including the now copious common orchids, rapidly spreading southern marsh orchids and one isolated green winged orchid. more...
A LARGE quantity of cigarettes were stolen in an early morning raid on a Malvern garage. more...
THERE'S a new disease stalking our lanes and streets and I've got it! more...
I thought you and others might be interested in the following occurrence. It would appear the Post Office employs psychics! more...
Malvern Hills Science Park could be about to change hands. more...
Firstly, may I make a public apology through the Malvern Gazette to the management and members of the Civil Service Sports & Social Club (formerly known as the RSRE Club) for any inconvenience caused by unauthorised parking by visitors to Malvern Rugby Club last Sunday morning (January 30). more...
A MAN was hit by a train at a railway crossing in Malvern. more...
I totally agree with the views of Mr Taylor (Your Letters, January 28), it would make far more sense to use the old post office building to house a town hall, or community centre, than fill it with more shops. more...
A family of six escaped with their lives when a fire broke out at their Malvern home. more...
I WONDER if I am alone in feeling total disillusionment with Ledbury's waste collection service. more...
MALVERN Hills District Council is set to withdraw its offer of the Picklersleigh Road depot as a site for a new hospital. more...
HEALTH chief Mike Ridley has warned Malvern people disappointment over the new hospital is inevitable. more...
That South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust underestimated the numbers expected at last Monday's meeting is a fact and, judging by past experience of the trust, not totally unexpected, but more worrying is the very lack of appreciation by this organisation of the importance put on one of the major issues for decades in this area. more...
IT took 20 years to build Kufu's Great Pyramid at Giza. The Colloseum in Rome, with shopping malls and seating for 80,000 people, was built in five years. It took NASA nine years to get men to the moon. more...
WHAT a farce on the part of South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust was last Monday's so-called consultation meeting. more...
IN August 2002, when Malvern Hills District Council was under Conservative control, the overview and scrutiny committee expressed its commitment to the decriminalisation of car parking and regarded it as a priority. more...
WEST Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer will be holding a surgery for constituents at 10am tomorrow (Saturday) at Upton Memorial Hall. more...
THE Friends of Upton and The Hook Churches will hold their AGM at 7.30pm on Monday, February 14, at Upon Church Rooms. Everyone is welcome. more...
A pyjama party for children aged four to 10 takes place at Upton Library on February 14, from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. Entry costs 25p and includes cocoa and stories. more...
A FUN quiz takes place at Upton Church Rooms at 7.30pm on Monday, February 21. The cost is £5 per team, with a raffle to raise money for the tsunami appeal. more...
OIL paintings by local artists Margaret Moore and Anthony Williams are on show at Upton Library. The exhibition, Landscapes and Seascapes of England, runs until February 28. more...
Upton Parish Church will present its plans for 2005 at an open meeting at the Church Rooms at noon on Saturday, February 12. A light lunch will be served. more...
Four wheels, tyres and a soft top were taken from a Suzuki jeep-style vehicle at Price Cars on Tewkesbury Road, Ryall, between 7am on Monday (January 31) and 7am on Tuesday. Anyone with information should call police on 08557 444888. more...
STUDENTS living in the parish of Ripple still have time to apply for a grant. The Ancient Parish of Ripple Trust makes grants to undergraduates and post-graduates for books and equipment. Application forms are available from John Willis on 01684 594570. They should be returned by February 28. more...
CONSTRUCTION equipment worth £10,000 was stolen from the site of the new viaduct in Upton. more...
CHARITY funds were given a boost with a table-top sale at Upton Memorial Hall. more...
Clives Fruit Farm in Upton makes the best apple juice in the West Midlands . . . and that's official. more...
UPTON residents are being invited to take part in a new project to promote awareness and understanding of flooding. more...
AN Upton woman who would have had to wait eight months for NHS hospital treatment has advised people in a similar situation to travel abroad for private care. more...
A PLAYGROUP celebrating an impressive Ofsted report has relaunched itself with a snazzy, modern image. more...
INTERNATIONAL rugby star Pat Sanderson put Bargain Hunt's Philip Serrell and Worcester youngsters through their paces to mark the latest Sport Summit. more...
CONSUMERS in Worcestershire have been warned to be on their guard against scams which could cost them thousands of pounds. more...
THE proposed cost and timeframe for south Worcestershire's controversial special school reorganisation have finally been announced. more...
A GREEN burial ground proposed for Lord's Wood at Collett's Green, Powick, has failed to get planning permission - but the applicant plans to fight the decision. more...
THE organiser of a new matchstick modelling club in Droitwich says he is devastated only one person turned up at the launch, despite numerous enquiries. more...
A RUN-down housing estate that is "dragging itself up by its bootlaces" should be given £30,000 to help make it a more pleasant place, a councillor has said. more...
A MAN given up for adoption as a baby over 50 years ago has discovered two brothers he never knew existed. more...
WORCESTER Rugby Football Club is under fire for letting hunt supporters use their facilities for a conference on how they could combat the ban. more...
OWNERSHIP of the Malvern Hills Science Park could soon switch hands in order to secure the future of the site. more...
YOUNG bookworms caught the reading bug early thanks to their first trip to the library. more...
PARISHIONERS who have been raising funds for a new church for 10 years may finally have found a permanent place to pray in St Peter's more...
A WEATHER war has broken out between a university expert and the Evening News's own forecaster over whether Worcestershire needs to brace itself for the coldest February for 15 years. more...
A couple who landed a romantic prize trip to Italy found themselves on the brink of making hot-air ballooning history into the bargain. more...
MINISTERS have been warned of growing "disquiet" in Worcestershire over funding inequalities. more...
STAFF at Worcestershire Royal Hospital are being told to get on their bikes if they want to avoid paying up to £500 a year to park at work. more...
WHEN the proposal to make hospital workers pay to park was first mooted last year we derided the idea as both unworkable and unthinkable. more...
IN more than 27 years with Worcester City Council, I can't recall a single subject that has attracted quite so much comment and attention as the planned introduction of wheelie bins - almost all of it based on half-truths and a fear of the unknown. more...
Visitors to the childrens' playground in the past few days will have noticed a new feature - a charming little igloo of woven willow twigs. It is, in fact, a living willow dome, based on a framework of slips which will in due course take root and should by the summer cover the structure with growing leaves - an exciting `den' for the little ones! more...
THE new monthly circle dance evening is today (Friday) at 8pm and, as well as this regular event, there will be a ceilidh on Saturday, February 12 from 7.30pm-11pm. more...
Tomorrow (Saturday) sees the Friends of Welland's ferret race night at Welland Village Hall at 7.30pm. All the fun of a race night with the added advantage of actual furry creatures competing and you will see their progress. more...
AT the family service at St James' Church, Staunton on Sunday, February 6, at 10.30am, Canon John Evans will bless the new noticeboard, which is now in full use. The money was raised for the project by the Get Together coffee morning for Staunton Church, which is held monthly with the next on Wednesday, February 9, at 10.30am-noon in the lounge at Johnstone Close. There is a bring and buy and raffle and it is always a very jolly occasion. Everyone is welcome. more...
MEMBERS of 1st Powick Brownies, plus parents, brothers and sisters, enjoyed their visit to Malvern Theatre to see the local production of the Snow Queen. A team of girls took part in the swimming sports in Lower Wick Pool, Worcester competing against ten other packs. The Brownies were Loran Powell, Hayley Brassington, Sarah Draper, Abbygayle Walford, Lauren Kerry and Jasmine Broadment. Results included a third in the backstroke, eight years and under. Thanks to Sarah Powell for taking the girls, who were a young team but did their best. more...
AN international evening awaits our benefice at Bushley Village Hall on Tuesday, February 8, commencing at 7pm. Come and enjoy a taste of international food and wine. Sample the delights of delicious cuisine from Poland, France, Italy, Mexico and Wales. Tickets £5, children free. All profits from the evening to the Tsunami Disaster Appeal Fund. more...
Friday, February 25, will see a quiz night in Cradley Village Hall, in aid of Cradley Church. Tickets are £5 for teams of four, and include a fish and chip supper. There will also be a bar. To book or for details, call 01886 880 349. more...
A DATE for your diary - a May festival weekend is being held from May 13-15 starting with a concert in Corse Church on Friday, May 13, at 7.30pm with wine and nibbles. For tickets, contact (01452) 780599. There will be flower arrangements in the church, which will be open from 2-6pm on Saturday, May 14, with plants, cakes and local produce for sale and refreshments will be available. Several local gardens will also be open during the weekend. more...
ON Sunday, February 6, a casserole lunch is being held for the Tsunami Appeal. This will be served from 12.30pm to 3pm. Tickets are £12 adults and £6 children. Contact Belinda Sparrey on (01886) 833923 or email bestoftaste@hotmail.com. There will also be a bar, raffle and tombola. more...
MANY people in Bromsberrow will have happy memories of the late Reverend William (Bill) Barber, who died in December, when he lived at The Rectory and conducted services. He and his wife were a delightful couple and he nursed her devotedly until her death. I remember him well and he helped me on several occasions. more...
SIX children from Bosbury took part in a five-mile sponsored bike ride in aid of the Tsunami victims. The fundraising event was the idea of Ben Bulson (9), who was joined by Laura Bulson (9), James Bulson (2), Isabel Bennion (9), Zoe Yapp (7) and Gabrielle Yapp (5). more...
A PHENOMENAL result, the like of which Berrow Village Hall has not seen before, at its giant jumble sale last Saturday. This was to raise funds for the Earthquake Appeal. more...
HEALTHY food was the order of the day and chips were off the menu for youngsters learning about nutritious meals. more...
THE spotlight fell on Worcester in the latest edition of the antiques show Flog It! on BBC2. more...
MORE than 400 people are expected to pay their respects at the joint funeral today of a teenager and his father killed in a helicopter crash. more...
THE size of a prominent house at Callow End, near Worcester, would be increased by between 50 and 70 per cent if a proposed extension is allowed more...
FASHION-conscious women in south Worcestershire have been warned by the police not to be tempted to buy designer dresses stolen from a Malvern shop. more...
TEENAGERS preparing for their GCSEs in two Worcester high schools will, this year, receive some extra training to help them make the grade. more...
SIR Michael Spicer has been accused of beginning a "dishonest" campaign ahead of a possible General Election in a hotly contested Worcestershire constituency. more...
TWO fun-loving girls have won a prize draw to attend the opening of an English themed nightclub - in Florida. more...
POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a crash on the A44 between Bromyard and Bredenbury in which a driver sustained serious injuries and had to be cut free from the car. more...
TWO four-week-old puppies have been found abandoned in a cardboard box in Wick. more...
TOWN Reserves travelled 70 miles to Staffordshire side Brereton on Saturday and played on a bumpy sloping pitch, and in a strong wind, which did little to assist passing football. more...
MALVERN Town visit Alvechurch tomorrow (Saturday) in the Midland Football Alliance. more...
BARNARDS Green CC start their pre-season preparations when they take to the nets on Thursday (February 10), 6.30pm till 8pm at Hanley Castle High School. more...
A WELL-supported Malvern U10s squad hosted a triangular fixture last Sunday against Dursley RFC and Luctonians RFC. more...
IT is always a pleasure for the Pirates to host Yardley & District at Spring Lane, especially as there have been some titanic confrontations between the two teams over the past few years. more...
MANOR Park's 15-year-old Adam Oakley became the youngest winner of the Malvern Closed trophy since its inauguration in 1976. more...
MALVERN maintained third spot in the league on a dank day on the banks of the Avon against a Newbold side short on invention but full of grit. more...
THIS was a disappointing league performance by Malvern Town on Saturday at Langland Stadium and in reality the visitors deserved to win by a bigger margin. more...
MARK Perkins from Malvern Link scooped a top accolade at the Amateur Rowing Association's annual awards ceremony. more...
KIDDERMINSTER Harriers may go to Scunthorpe United with a patched-up team tomorrow but positive boss Stuart Watkiss still believes they are capable of returning with a result. more...
JOHN Brain has backed James Brown to shine in tonight's Leeds Tykes sell-out showdown at Sixways. more...
WORCESTER'S scrum-half Jo Yapp will captain England for the first time tonight when she takes to the field against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. more...
MALVERN RFC more...
SATURDAY more...
THE 16th running of local club Cyclesport Midlands' Reliability Ride takes place on Sunday (February 6). more...
COLWALL fought back to draw 3-3 with local rivals Hereford in an exciting match on Saturday. more...
MANOR Park Squash Club's first team is having a successful season and is more than 30 points clear at the top of the Worcestershire Squash League Division Two. more...
THIS West Midlands League Division Two fixture brought together two local county rivals. more...
THE first of six annual Ledbury and District Amateur Swimming Club Championships attracted a record 113 entries and yielded 15 new records as the club looks set for another successful year. more...
HCW-UK Wrestling returns to the Newtown Club in Malvern next Friday (February 18) with an action packed line-up starting at 7.30pm. more...
CHARLIE Burford won all his sets for Dukes Way Dynamos and Collette James won two and Vivien Tolley one when they played Allsorts in this Division Three match in the Malvern Table Tennis League. more...
AFTER losing their last three Worcester & District League games against Droitwich, Malvern Chess Club finally stopped the rot with a draw. more...
BROMSGROVE Rovers are aiming to kill two birds with one stone when Burnham visit tomorrow (3pm). more...
HEREFORD United chief Graham Turner is not expecting an easy ride tomorrow as Hyde United arrive at Edgar Street in the FA Trophy fourth round. more...
KIDDERMINSTER Harriers may go to Scunthorpe United with a patched-up team tomorrow but positive boss Stuart Watkiss still believes they are capable of returning with a result. more...
ANDY Preece is desperate to make a positive impression on and off the pitch tomorrow as he takes his first game in charge of Worcester City against Nationwide North leaders Southport. more...
RICHARD Blaze looks set to make his England Under-21 debut tonight in their Six Nations tournament. more...
WORCESTER'S scrum-half Jo Yapp will captain England for the first time tonight when she takes to the field against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. more...
JOHN Brain has backed James Brown to shine in tonight's Leeds Tykes sell-out showdown at Sixways. more...
ANDY Preece has returned to his roots and aims to bring the glory days back to Worcester City following his appointment as player-manager. more...
BROMYARD Town Girls U13s lost out in a close encounter at home to Evesham United in their Mercian League fixture. more...
MALVERN Town's James Rimell and Lucas Marston have been selected for the Worcestershire youth squad to play East Riding next Sunday (February 13). more...
FOLLOWING the success of its coach education programme during last year, the Herefordshire Football Association has once again organised a varied programme of courses. more...
THE only game in The Soccer Site Malvern League division one on Sunday saw Oak Allstars looking to go back to the top of the table. more...
AFTER a 4-4 draw two weeks ago, there was always going to be plenty of action in this reverse Worcester Sunday League division two fixture, and so it proved. more...
POWICK returned to Worcester League division two action on Saturday, after a six-week absence, against a weakened West Malvern. more...
RANGERS travelled to Chaddesley Corbett on Saturday and, on a spongy clay surface, turned in an indifferent West Midland division two performance. more...
ANDY Preece is desperate to make a positive impression on and off the pitch tomorrow as he takes his first game in charge of Worcester City against Nationwide North leaders Southport. more...
ANDY Preece has returned to his roots and aims to bring the glory days back to Worcester City following his appointment as player-manager. more...
CLIVE Stuart-Smith has pledged his future to Worcester ahead of tonight's relegation showdown with Leeds. more...
UPTON took to the highways on Saturday to visit Birmingham Exiles, near the NEC, for this North Midlands (South) One fixture. more...
© Newsquest Media Group 2008