Monday January 26 2015
Village News
New appeal for witnesses to Rose Hill crash
West Mercia Police are trying to trace two potential witnesses to the fatal collision on Rose Hill in Lickey on Wednesday January 7.
Alvechurch Library is a busy, lively, community focused library in the heart of Worcestershire. It is looking for a volunteer to help support and teach basic computer skills to people in the community.
You could help send Felix to university
Two Barnt Green residents are appealing for donations to help send a Malawian orphan to university.
Sarah Rees reports from the Oakalls and Parklands . . .
As The Village went to press, it looked as if Wadderton Conference Centre – scheduled for demolition on December 20 – had been granted a stay of execution.
Blackwell and Barnt Green residents are steeling themselves for months of traffic disruption as electrification work takes place on the railway line through the villages.
Villagers celebrated Neighbourhood Watch signs going up in Latimer Road, Branden Road and Rose Avenue, Alvechurch, after waiting almost a year for permission from Worcestershire County Council.
Alvechurch Parish Council wrote to Conservative Party chiefs in Bromsgrove and the leader of Worcestershire County Council to express concerns about their county councillor, it has been revealed.
BBC radio and TV presenter Joanne Malin was on hand to draw the winning tickets in a fundraising raffle held at The Lounge in Alvechurch.
Christmas comes to the villages
Santa made special pre-Christmas appearances in Barnt Green, Blackwell and Lickey to help villagers get the festivities underway.
The local government watchdog has found Bromsgrove District Council failed residents after investigating a villager’s complaint over Marlbrook Tip.
Government takes over major Bromsgrove planning decisions
Bromsgrove’s planning department has been put in special measures by the Government because it is too slow at dealing with applications.
Badgers burglar escapes with jewellery
A burglar stole jewellery from a Barnt Green home after breaking in at the back of the house on a gated community.
Don’t forget that our Village 2015 calendars are now available - and to get your hands on one, all you need to do is show some support to your local traders.
Sarah Rees reports from the Oakalls and Parklands . . .
Christmas Concert for Primrose
The Primrose Choir presents a Christmas Concert on Friday December 12 at the Spadesbourne Suite, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove.
Pupils at Alvechurch Middle School took part in a day of First World War-themed activities for Remembrance Day.
St Andrew’s Church in Barnt Green held an exhibition of First World War memorabilia, lent by parishioners whose ancestors were involved in the conflict.
Cofton Hackett Neighbourhood Watch, currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, held a Meet & Greet event for residents of the new housing development on the former MG Rover site.
A young Alvechurch music fan got the chance to meet and perform with her favourite band thanks to the Make A Wish charity.
Alvechurch Parish Council, which first supported in principle a retirement complex on Green Belt land beside the village cricket pitch, and then said it would decide in November whether its support was still forthcoming, has decided to wait until a planning application is made before declaring its position.
Alvechurch villagers who like to “make things happen” in the community are being urged to meet similar creative-minded people at
an inaugural event this month.
Blackwell residents and parish councillors have launched a campaign to save one of the village’s most important Victorian houses.
Teams who attend the weekly quiz at Bridley Moor & Batchley Social Club got into the Halloween spirit by dressing in spooky costumes.
Double raids in Alvechurch and Barnt Green
Police are appealing to the communities of Alvechurch and Barnt Green for information following two burglaries.
During this month of remembrance, Bromsgrove Library is hosting an exhibition entitled ‘Bromsgrove and the First World War Home Front’.
Villagers will be able to have their say on local and national issues when Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid holds the UK’s first Parliamentary TeleForum.
WORDS welcomes National Poet of Wales
WORDS, the Bromsgrove group which promotes interest in the written and spoken word, presents a special appearance by Gillian Clarke, the National Poet of Wales.
An Alvechurch family who lost their baby daughter earlier this year have launched a charity project in her name, aiming to bring comfort to other families who have suffered a similar loss.
New dictation software used by the Alvechurch parish clerk is causing mirth among councillors.
Work on the car park at Alvechurch Station is going ahead, but will not be completed until the spring.
At a meeting of the Marlbrook Tip cross-party working group, it was confirmed that the site – officially designated as a reservoir – is classified as having a “dam wall under construction” because it has never been signed off by a qualified engineer.
Alvechurch residents met MP Sajid Javid to discuss action over traveller incursions.
The Alvechurch Fall Ball at Kings Norton Golf Club raised more than £8,000 for PHAB, Friends of Crown Meadow and Acorns Children’s Hospice.
You know it’s nearly Christmas when Alvechurch Dramatic Society announces its bi-annual panto . . .
Village Views
This column has focused on the Marlbrook Tip farrago on several occasions over the past few years; in fact, some of you might even be getting fed up with hearing us bang on about it.
JANUARY 2015
England should do more to celebrate its culture
I was disappointed to note the comments of the writer in the December edition of The Village (“How do we feel?”).
In case you did not see the temporary directions due to local roadworks in force to motorists leaving Ash Lane, Hopwood, at the lane’s junction with the A441, I thought you may wish to use this picture (below) for readers’ amusement in The Village magazine.
To a most irresponsible dog owner using Branden Road’s footpaths and residents’ gardens in Alvechurch as a toilet. You are disgusting!
I note with interest that the works at the M5 Lydiate Ash roundabout will be completed in the spring at a cost of £11 million.
Your Alvechurch correspondent is quite right, there is an alternative solution to bonfires and the distress that is caused: either pay for and use a “brown wheelie” or make a journey to the site provided – no great problem.
I note from the Alvechurch Parish Council News page in the last issue, that the haul road at the “improved” railway station won’t be considered for a cycle track by the landowners.
Regarding the McCarthy & Stone plans for Alvechurch, the effort being made by the developers to get villagers “on side” is huge (which means the potential profits are also huge) including advertising, leaflet door drops, surveys in The Square, the open day and of course the offer to the cricket club of a new clubhouse in return for digging up the Green Belt in the centre of the village.
In response to “How do we feel?” in your December issue, I read with interest the fact that the gentleman classifies himself as an “ethnic minority” and continues to be offended by the blackened faces even though he understand the history behind it, which in no way represents any sort of racism whatsoever and is steeped in hundreds of years of history.
Am I alone in thinking that the latest letter from “Name & Address Supplied”, regarding the blackened faces of Morris Dancers, is being intolerant of other people’s beliefs and ancient customs?
Traveller incursions in Alvechurch and around Bromsgrove have been a big problem recently. No one should be above the law, and I completely support residents who want a long-term solution to this once and for all.
One of our correspondents this month poses a question we suspect might not have been asked ten or 15 years ago. “How do people who see the Morris dancers feel?” he asks.
Thanks to all the letters printed in your last issue I now have a good, perhaps biased, knowledge of the history of morris dancing.
I’d like to offer some clarification regarding planning and the Green Belt following the article and The Village View in last month’s issue.
The subject of “planning“ is guaranteed to raise hackles in any gathering involving more than two people, and Alvechurch, as part of the Bromsgrove constituency, has had more than its fair share of contentious applications in recent years.
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Village Features
Birdman: The first great film of the year *****
Film Review: Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2015)
Hopwood-based artist Paula Hamilton admires some beautiful textiles.
It’s a happy new year for planet spotters. . .
Amateur astronomer Brian Watkiss peers into the Village night sky.
Alvechurch amateur weatherman Phil Thomas records the changes.
Dave Morgan suggests ways to improve your outdoor space without spending a fortune.
Mary Green suggests we embrace the changing scenes of life.
2015 ushers in a new era for planning financial futures, writes Austin Broad.
Pam Morley of Ælfgythe Women’s Border Morris invites villagers to join their traditional wassail.
Sean Tomás Beag, Barnt Green’s Quakerwarden, offers some answers to the big question.
New building is heart of school
The King’s Foundation has provided a first-class education in Worcester for more than 450 years. Throughout that time, it has continued to invest in the wonderful, historic site at the centre of Worcester to ensure that all facilities meet the demands of a modern education.
Five minutes’ drive from Bromsgrove School’s main campus, overlooking the green countryside of North Worcestershire, stands a beautiful Victorian mansion where 200 very young Bromsgrovians are having a mighty fine time.
Open day highlights the ‘Dodderhill difference’
It’s not too late to change your mind about your child’s school place, says head.
Village Archive: 10 years ago…
A look back at what was happening around here in January 2005.
Motivating pupils with technology
RGS Worcester has launched the most innovative Digital Learning Programme in the region with the introduction of iPads to the teaching and learning experience of all three schools.
Rounders stars to play for England
Two pupils at Winterfold House School in Chaddesley Corbett have gained places in the England U14 Rounders team.
The best ways to nurture your relationship in 2015
Julie Hannan offers some advice from a psychological perspective.
So you’ve made a resolution to get fit or be more active in 2015 – but no sooner have you started than an old injury flares up, stopping you in your tracks. However, Nick Bates at Castle Health can help you get back to doing what you enjoy.
Jacques Designer Bathrooms in Hockley Heath always prides itself on offering customers the very latest bathroom innovations, so it’s no surprise that the firm is showcasing a revolutionary product by Japanese company TOTO.
Effective relief from back and neck pain
Back ache? Neck problems? Would the McKenzie miracle work for you?
Hannah Genders shares the story behind one of her favourite flowers.
Investment services bring experience to decisions, writes Austin Broad.
Festive flavours from the freezer
Add an exciting twist to desserts this Christmas!
Mary Green discusses some typical trees of our woodlands.
Your guide to some of the best ways to celebrate the festive season in the Village area.
