Shrewsbury Chronicle 08-Dec-2022

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Shrewsbury

ACTIONPLAN

RiverSevernsafetymustbetackledthroughalistof23recommendations, accordingtoalong-awaited report.

Moreladdersshouldbefittedto helpintherescueofthosewhofall in,thereviewstates.

Anditcallsfor‘Amsterdam-style’ riversideurinalstopreventmenwho havedrunktoomuchwanderingtoo closetothewater’sedge.

Thereportwas commissioned afteranumberoftragedies in Shrewsburyearlierthisyear

Twomen,NathanFleetwood andTobyJones,diedintheriverin thespaceofafewdaysinMarchand April,andanotherman,DanWalker, wasleftwithseriousinjuriesafter beingrescuedfromthewater

Thereport’sauthorsalsocalled foranextensivepublicsafetycam paigntohighlightthedangersofthe fastflowingSevern Jane Trethewey, of Shropshire Council,said:“Wehavenotwaited forthereport–weareenactinga numberofmeasures.Therehasbeen agreatdealofworkcarriedoutupto date.Thisincludessupportforpubs,

recommendations.HelenBall,town clerkatShrewsburyTownCouncil, said:“Thelossoffamilymembersis atragicthingforthemandourheart goesouttothem.

“Theyhaveputtheeffortinto trytoensurethatno-one hasto go throughwhattheyhavebeen through.Wehavegottocommend them that in theirgrief they have lookedontheirpaininapositiveway tomakeadifference.”

JaneTretheweyadded:“Iwould like to thank family membersfor theirinvolvement,wetrulyappreci atethat.”

Thereporthas been compiled drawing from theknowledge and expertiseofanumberofinterested partiesincludingShropshire Fire andRescueService,the Royal Life Saving Society, Shrewsbury TownCouncil,PengwernBoatClub, Shrewsbury BID, andShropshire CouncilCCTVsurveillanceteam

Thereportauthorssay:“Wewish toextendaheartfeltthankyoutothe bereavedfamilymemberswhogave theirtimetosharetheirexperienc es.”Recommendationsareduetobe discussedatameetingofShropshire Council’scabinetonDecember14

Response of police hailed

AShrewsbury resident has praisedpolicefortheirspeedofresponsefollowingincidentsinvolving anallegedcartheftandbreak-inson hisestate.

ProminentLibDemcampaigner BenJephcottsaidofficershad “all theirducksinarow”inthesmall hours of last Thursday when they respondedtoreportsofcarbreak insontheHerongateEstate.Hesaid: “Whentheducksareinarow,when thereisjoinedupactioninthepolice, policingreallyworks,”hesaid.

“Peopledonothavetofeelhopelessaboutpolicing,becausewejust needmorepoliceofficers.Buthaving morepoliceisessential.”

Cold weather alertissued

TheMetOfficehasissuedase verecoldweatheralert,asitwarned plummeting temperaturescould increasehealthriskstovulnerable peopleanddisruptdeliveries

Thelevel three, or amber, cold weather alertwas issued on Mondayandwarnsofsevereconditions inEnglanduntilDecember12.The alertrequiressocialandhealthcare services to take action to protect high-riskgroups.Anightshelterfor roughsleepersisopeninShrews bury

Temperatures areexpectedto turn colderasair from theArctic spreadssouth across thecountry Verycoldnightsareexpected.

OrchestrahonoursDoreen

Arenownedcomposerwho wrotethescoreforafilmofthe late Queen’scoronationwas honouredbyaShropshireor chestra,withhernieceamong theensemble.

TheShrewsburySymphony OrchestraplayedDoreenCar withen’sBishopRockOverture inaconcertmarking100years

sincethe composer’sbirth in November1922.Joiningthemin theviolasectionattheconcert lastweekatShrewsburySchool wasDoreen’sniece Jenni Car withen

WhileDoreen’smorefamous husbandWilliamAlwynearned aCBE forhis contribution to music, with fivesymphonies,

fouroperasandnumerouscon certos,classic filmscoresand stringquartetstohisname,his wife’s output hasbeenlargely overlooked,untilrecently John Moore, conductor of theShrewsbury Symphony Orchestra, said:“Beingable to introduceaudiences to these workshasbeenaprivilege.”

Number of children seeking asylum aloneisonthe rise

Thenumberofunaccompa nied asylum-seeking children beinglookedafterinShropshire is up from last year, figures show

Data from theDepartment ofEducation shows31lone asylum-seekingchildrenwere incareinShropshireonMarch 31,upfrom24theyearbefore Meanwhile,15wereincarein Telford&Wrekin,upfromseven theyearbefore.

TheChildren’sSociety is warningthat local authorities, alreadystretched to capacity andstrugglingto findplace mentsforchildrenincare,are leavingyoungpeopleatrisk.

Thefiguresshowthatasy lum-seekingchildrenrepresent asmallfractionofthoseincare intheregion–just0.37percent

Overall,7,411childrenwere beinglookedafter in Shrop shireattheendofMarchinthe areawith426placedinfoster care.5,067childrenwerebeing lookedafterinTelford&Wre kin, with 320placedinfoster care

MariekeWidmann,Chil dren’sSocietypolicyandprac tice advisorsaid: “Children arriveherealone,afteratrau maticand dangerousjourney, separatedfromtheir families andlovedones–somemayeven havebeentraffickedtotheUK.”

Tradersare fighting forvotes

Tradersatapopularmarket hallareaskingthepublictoget onlinefortheirbidtoregainthe titleofBritain’sFavouriteMar ket.

Shrewsbury MarketHall wascrowned

To vote Shrewsbury’s Market Hall as yourfavour itemarket, visit: nabma. com/vote-for-britains-favour ite-market andselect‘Shrews buryIndoorMarket’.

Celebrationat care home

Acarehomecelebrateditspar entcompany’s30thanniversaryin stylewithanafternoonofcelebra tionandballoons.

Barchester’sMountHouseand SevernViewCareHomewelcomed guestsandresidentstotheirprop ertyatTheMount,Shrewsbury

Therewerestunning balloon displays from local companyAl exaandBudandeveryoneraised aglasstocelebrate.Regularvol unteersfromShrewsburySchool werealsoabletojoinresidents forthecelebrations.AdrianSuciu,

general manager at TheMount House andSevernViewCare Home,said:“Itiswonderfultobe partofsuchafantasticcompany asBarchester.Wehadafabulous timecelebratingour30thanniver sarywithallofourresidents,their friendsandfamiliesandourbril liantstaff,itwassuchalovelyday

“Itwasgreattohavesomany peoplefromthelocalcommunity comeandjoinustohelpuscel ebrate 30 years of Barchester.” Barchesterisnowthesecondlarg estcarehomecompanyintheUK

DozensofNHS“traf

iccontrol centres” includingone in Shrop shirehavegoneliveina bidto managethe intensepressure on thehealthservice

Atotal of 42 controlcentres acrossEnglandwillusedatasuch as A&Eperformance,waiting times,stafflevels,ambulancere sponsetimesandbedoccupancy withtheaimofmanagingdemand.

Thedatawillbeusedbystaff whowilldivertambulancesaway from full hospitalstooneswith morespace

Onesuchcentre,alsodubbed a“winterwarroom”,hasbeenim

plementedbyNHSShropshire,Tel fordandWrekin.

Itwillrunsevendaysaweek, fullymannedduringdaytime hourswithon-callarrangements overnight.

SamTilley,directorofurgent andemergencycareandemergen cy planning forNHS Shropshire, Telfordand Wrekin,said: “For thelastcoupleofyears,sincethe Covidpandemic,wehavebeenex periencingpressuresonservices acrossthewholehealthandsocial caresystem

“Thesepressures canstrike differentpartsofthesystematdif

ferenttimesorintandem.

“This couldbedemandfor ambulances, increasesinpeople walkingintoA&E,demandforcare homebeds,orforprimarycareap pointments.

“This newcontrol centre is apositivestepforwardandwill allowstafftosee‘real-time’data fromacrosshealthandsocialcare enablingustosee whereambu lancequeuesarebuildingup,wait ingtimesareincreasing,bedoccu pancyischallengedforinstance, andtoworktogetheracrossthe systeminajoined-upwaytoad dresstheseissuesquickly.”

Worstfor 999 wait times

Shropshireand Telfordhave thelongestambulancewaittimes intheregion,newresearchhasre vealed FiguresuncoveredbytheLib eral Democratshaverevealeda postcode lotteryofambulance waittimesacrosstheWestMid lands,withpatientsinShropshire waitingonaveragemorethanfive minuteslongerforlife-savinghelp thanthoseinBirmingham

Theresearch, uncoveredby

theLibDemsthroughFreedomof Informationrequests,revealshow patientswhoselivesareinimme diatedangerarewaitingtwiceas longinsomeruralpartsofthere gionasinurbanones.

Category twocalls,including potentialheart attack or stroke patients,inShropshireandTelford &Wrekinarewaitingforanaver ageof49minutesforparamedics toarrive–morethanhalfanhour overthetargetresponsetime(18

minutes).For themostserious calls,patientsinthecountywaited foranaverageof11minutesand 31 secondsfor category onere sponses,comparedtosixminutes and20secondsintheBlackCoun try.AspokespersonfromtheWest MidlandsAmbulanceServicesaid: “Sadly,thepressureswearesee inginhealthandsocialcarelead tolonghospitalhandoverdelays “Theresultisthatourcrews aredelayedinreachingpatients.”

Couldwelcome returntohigh streets be onthecards aswe tire ofclicking?

Is ourlove affairwithonline shoppingonthewayout?

Thesignsareshoppersarebe cominglessclick-happyastheylook totakecareoftheirfinances

Andwiththatmorehesitantapproachcomesadesiretotravelback toshopsagain,tophysicallycheckon goodsandensurequalityandvalue formoneyisright.

Accordingtoexperts,almost halfofgiftshoppingbypeopleinthe WestMidlandswillbedoneinstores andhighstreetsthismonth

That signalsa welcomereturn tothehighstreetandwithitaboost fortownandcitycentresthathave increasingly struggledtocompete withtheconvenienceofonlineshop ping,especiallyafteraCovidlock downinwhichpeoplegotoutofthe habitof‘goingshopping’.

PricewaterhouseCoopers’annual FestivePredictionsreport, publishedlastweek,hasfoundthatwhile thepandemicacceleratedtheshiftto

onlineshoppingforChristmaspre sents,therehasbeenarecoveryin thepreferenceforshoppinginphys icalstores

FollowingBlack Friday,where PwCresearchfound that 43 per cent of West Midlands consumers wereinterestedinspendingonthe day,itispredictedthatconsumers areplanningtoslightlyreducetheir festivespendingthisyear,withan averagespendof£393peradultin theUK,eightpercentlessthanlast year’s£426.Butmoreofthemoney beingspentwillbehandedoverat tillsratherthanthroughthemobile phoneorcomputerscreen.

SarahPhillips,PwC consumer leaderfortheMidlands,saidmajor shoppingcentres,suchastheBullring,MerryHill,TelfordandShrews buryshouldseeabenefit

Shesaid: “Footfallshouldin-

creaseacrosshighstreetsinthere gionthisChristmas.Bigeventslike thereturnoftheBirminghamGermanMarket,aswellasotherfestive attractionsputonagainintownand city centresacrossthe West Midlandswillbringpeopleinandthat willhaveapositiveimpact.

“Whilstaveragespendperconsumerinthe UK is predictedto slightlydecline,45percentofthose intheWestMidlandsareplanningto headinstorefortheirfestiveshop ping,providingaboosttoretailers andhospitalityvenues.”

PwCresearchshows that this year many consumersusedBlack Friday as an opportunity to start Christmasshopping,looking to make useofdiscounts when look ingforgiftsasthecost-of-livingputs pressureondisposableincome

MsPhillipsadded:“Thismeans that spending during December is likely to be lowerand retailers shouldhelptheircustomersecono

Supply of eggs cracking up

Lookingforeggsforyourome lette, or in preparation foryour Christmascake?

Chancesareyouwillhaveseen fewerthannormalontheshelves,or evennonetobefoundatall.

Aftertheshortageofflourand pastaduringlockdown,itisnowthe turnofeggstoenterthegroceryen dangeredlist

Theproblemshavebeencaused byaperfectstorm,withanumberof factorscombining.

TheUKiscurrently facing its largesteverboutofbird flu,com poundingexistingshortagescaused byproducerscuttingbackonoutput or leavingthe industry duetoincreasedcosts

Russia’sinvasionofUkrainehas been drivingupfarmers’energy

bills,alongwiththecostofchicken feed,hensandpackaging

Demand foreggsisalsoupas consumersseekoutcheapersources ofproteintooffsetsoaringfoodbills

Waitroserecentlypledgeda£2.6 millioninvestmentinitseggsuppli ersasitremainsoneofthefewsupermarketsnottoimposepurchase limitsoncustomers.

Marks&SpencerandMorrisons arethelatestgrocerstojoinTesco, AsdaandLidlinrationingthesaleof boxesastheimpactsofrisingcosts andbirdflucontinuetotaketheir toll

HoweverWaitrosesaidithasno planstointroducesuchlimits,addingthatitisconfidentithas“strong availabilityofBritish free-range eggsavailableforpurchasebothon-

lineandinourshops”.Sainsbury’s andtheCo-ophavealsonotintroducedanylimits,withCo-opsaying itiscontinuingtomonitorthesituation.Waitrosesaidits£2.6million investmentwillgodirectlytofarmerstosupportthem with soaring productioncostssuchasenergyand chickenfeed.

Waitrose executivedirector JamesBaileysaid: “Withoutour farmers,wecan’tfunctionasabusiness.We’vecultivatedlongstanding relationshipswithoursuppliers,and payingourfarmersfairlyandofferingourcustomersfree-rangeBritish eggsarecommitmentsthatwesim plywon’tsacrifice,evenwhenthego inggetstough.Wecontinuetohave agoodsupplyof100percentBritish free-rangeeggs.”

mise,whilekeepingChristmasspe cial.Christmas dinner –and food anddrinkmoregenerally–remain thekey spending priorities, with almostasmanypeoplesayingthey willspendmoreasspendless

“Ourresearchshowsalmosttwo thirdsofpeopleinthe West Midlandswill be hostinganextended orimmediatefamilygathering,the highestproportionintheUK,showingthataftertwoyears’ofrestric tions,spendingtimewithlovedones isapriority.”

Retail experts also pointtoa growingcynicismamongshoppers atthelevelofdiscountavailableon lineandwhetherthesavingsbeing advertisedaregenuine Pricecomparison websitePriceSpysurveyedthetrendsinprices intheperiodaheadofBlackFriday andnoticedthatonlinepriceswere artificiallyincreased in theweeks aheadoftheeventsothattheycould then be advertised as discounted

whenthesalesstarted.Thistactic ofpreparingfor‘fakesales’ispart of an increasing trend. Around 14 percentofproductstrackedbyPriceSpyincreasedintheweeksaheadof BlackFridayandthenweresuddenly ‘reduced’.

Figuresfor2021showthatbeau ty wasthe worst-affectedsector, with22percentofallperfumesand 21percentofallskincareproducts featuringinfakesales.Othersin cludedcomputercomponents(18 percentofallproducts),hikingand trekkingfootwear(16percent)and kitchenappliances(15percent).

“Our data indicatesfakesales onBlackFridayin2022mayhave been much morewidespread than inrecentyears,”saysLiisaMatinv esi-Bassett,thewebsite’smanager

Consumer magazineWhich? goesfurther–itfoundthat99.5per centofproductsinsupposedBlack Friday ‘deals’ were cheaperorthe samepriceatothertimesoftheyear

Dealingwith county lines Health hub transport

Apolicebossinsists working backwardstotakeoutthose“driving thebusiness”ofcountylinescrimein Shropshireiskey.

SinceMay last year,policesay knowndruglinesinthecountyhave beenreducedfrom23toseven.West Mercia Police in Shropshirehave beenworkingwithofficersinMer seysideandotherareasofthecoun trytodisruptdrugringsandattack theproblematitssource.

Countylinesisthenamegivento theprocessandoperationofdrugs transportedfrompredominately largerurbanareastosmallertowns, ofteninruralareas,withthe‘line’ referringtothemobilenumberused toorderthedrugs.

Superintendent Stuart Bill de scribeditasan“absolutely awful crime”whichtargetsthoseinperil, andsaidtacklingtherootcauseisan importantpartoffightingtheissue. “Weknowthatthecriminalsatthe heartofthemaredeterminedtotry andselltheirproduct,”hesaid.“It’sa businesstothem.Ittargetsthemost vulnerableinthecommunity.People fromdeprivedbackgrounds,giving themtheincentivetomakemoney. Whatisreallyimportantistowork backward to tryand take outthe line.Thatwayyouaredealingwith therealcriminalsthataredriving thebusiness.”

Shirehall demolition

‘a wasteofmoney’?

Campaignersbelieve demolish inganiconiccouncilHQinfavour of amulti-million poundcivic hub wouldbeunpopularwithvotersand a“wasteofmoney”

TheSaveOurShirehallgrouphas carried outa survey amongcoun ty residents, asking whether they thoughtShropshire Councilshould spendthemoneyonanewShrews burytowncentreofficeasplanned or invest £4 million to £5 million in refurbishing itsAbbey Foregate building

Thegroup says 96.8 percent backed refurbishing Shirehall. The campaigners’ architects’and engi neers’ assessment,theysay,fore castsa refurbishmenttocostup to£5million.However,thecouncil abandonedplansin2019torevamp Shirehall–workwhichtheauthority predictedwouldcostmorethan£24 million

OntheSaveOurShirehallsurvey, group member MartinaChamber lainsaid:“Weapproachedacouple ofhundredpeopleatrandomonthe streetsofLudlowandShrewsbury

andfoundverylittlesupportforthe ideaofanewShirehall.Manypeople expressed angerthat‘moreofour moneyisbeingwastedagainlikeon theshoppingcentres’anditwas‘a no-brainer’thattheyshouldrefur bishthecurrentbuildingwhichalso servesthecountybetteronthepres

entsite.”Thecouncilisexpectedto remainatShirehalluntilnewoffices arebuilt.

Aspokesmansaidrecently:“As we’vepreviouslystated,weareplan ningtoleaveShirehallandmovetoa newcouncilofficeandmulti-agency hub.”

Transporttoahealthandwellbe inghubinShrewsburyis“probably themosthigh-profileissue”being facedbycountyNHSleaders,ameet ingheard

ButbecausetheNHSinShrop shireTelfordandWrekinsaysitdoes notknowwherethenewvenuewill besitedyettheyhaveconfirmedthat a“transportassessmentisimpossi bletoprovide”.

Apublicquestionwasraisedat lastweek’smeetingoftheIntegrated CareBoard.Ithadbeensubmittedin Septemberbutananswerdeferred. Itreferredtotransportandaccess fortheplannedhub

SirNeilMcKay,whochairs the ICB,said:“Thisisanimportantis sue–itneedstobecarefullyborne inmindasare-appraisalofoptions isundertaken.”

Gareth Robinson,the executive directorofdeliveryandtransforma tionattheNHSinShropshireTelford andWrekin,said:“Itisprobablythe mosthigh-profileissuethatourcit izensand patientsare raisingand askingforustobearinmind.

“Untilweareawareoftheactual sitelocation–andwearecurrently workingthroughthatprocessdur ingthecourseofthiscalendaryear –atransportassessmentisimpossi bletoprovidebecausephysicallywe don’tknowwhereitwillbe.”

Keepit simple, keep it joyful

Cherishedpopular pets

CROSSTALK ON THEWILDSIDE

Thereisastateofanticipationin myfamilyasmygrand-daughteris abouttohaveababyboy

Preparationsare well in hand andthe local maternityunitwell awarethatthebirthisimminent.I haveeveryconfidencethatshewill be well looked afterbyqualified midwives,who will ensure sheis giveneverybitofhelpfuladviceand careinacleanandsafeenvironment

WithChristmasaroundthecor ner,IreflectthatMaryandJoseph hadnosuchwellorganised plans. TheyturnedupinBethlehemfora Census with nowheretostay, fin ishedupinanareaprovidedforan imalswhereJesuswasbornandlaid inabedofstraw.Wedon’tevenknow iftherewasalocalmidwifeavailable tohelpthem

It wouldhavebeenastressful timeforMary(andJoseph)butalso oneofjoyandthanksgiving.Ifyou arefacingfinancialstressdon’tlet Christmasmakeitworse.UseChrist masasatimetorelaxinthecompa nyoffriendsandfamilybygetting agreementtokeepitsimpleandletit beajoyfulday

Foraspecieswhichisnon-native andinvasiveandwhichalsoeatsits owndroppings, rabbitsare rather popular.

Thethird most cherishedpet apparentlyandalongwithsquirrels andrats,probablythewildmammal youaremostlikelytosee

Butasidesfromtheirfluffyap pearanceandappealinglooks,what isthestorybehindtheirnaturalhis tory?Wehavehadagoodchanceto gettoknowthemastheyhavebeen hereforaverylongtime.It’sthought theyarrivednotlongaftertheNor manConquestin1066.Theywere initiallyspreadthroughoutEurope fromtheIberianPeninsularbythe Romans,althoughtheyappearnotto havereachedBritainuntil700years aftertheRomansleft

Rabbitsweredomesticatedfor meatintheearlymiddleagesand werekeptinextensivewalledenclo surescalledwarrens.AtoneChrist masfeastinthemid1200sheldby HenryIII,500haresand200rabbits were eaten. Theirmainpredators arefoxes, weasels, stoats,polecats andbirdsofprey,specificallybuz

zardsandgoldeneaglesinScotland. Thisisaverygoodreasonfortheir habitof‘refection’.Inordertogetfull nutritionalvalueoutofitsgrassand herbfood,arabbitorharemustpass itthroughitssystemtwice,eatingits owndroppings.Butapartfromthe nutritionalvalueofdoingthis,italso meansthattheanimalsspendless timeoutintheopengrazingandcan

dosomeoftheirsecondary‘eating’ insafehideaways,hiddenfromthose aforementionedpredators.

We allknowwhattolookfor whenscanningthecountrysidefor thisspecies,beittheanimalitselfor theirpilesofdroppings,footprintsin thesnoworwarrenentrances.But lesswell-knownarethesoundsthat rabbitscanmake.Althoughrelative

lyquiet,itdoeshaveatleasttwovo calisations.Thebest-knownisahigh treble scream or squeal.Thisdis tresscallhasbeenlikenedtothecry ofapiglet.Duringthespring,bucks express contentmentbyemitting gruntingsounds.

n Ben’snew paintingsare on showinCallaghan’sandRowlesGal lery,Shropshire.

Gulf Warsoldier’s explosive diaryliftslidonreality of war

In theimmediate aftermathof theGulfWarin1991,asvictorious soldiers prepared to return home, itwasmadecleartoJohnWolfinno uncertaintermsthathisdiaryofthe conflictmustbeburnt.

Buthemanagedtokeepholdof it,andfornearlythreedecadessat on it,anexplosive real-liferecord whichifpublishedwouldhaveended hiscareerandeven,hewaswarned, gethimsenttojail

Becomingaciviliandefusedthe threatsofthemilitaryestablishment andtheresultwasthatthatdiary hasfinallybeenpublishedasabook calledTheRealityofWar AndironicallyJohn,wholivesin Shropshire, says thefeedbackhas beensurprisinglypositive

He talksofaBritish Army in which,atleastintheunitinwhich heserved,rankcountsformorethan expertiseandknowledge,andordi-

narysoldiersoftenfindthemselves ineffecttreated,inhisview,asof ficers’slaves

SenttotheGulfaspartofBritain’sresponsetoSaddamHussein’s invasion of Kuwait, Johnstarted keepingthe diaryafter afemale Americansoldiersenthimablank book.

“Ikeptadiarymainlybecause it wassomething new, something differentatthetimeanditgaveme somethingtodoaswell,”hesaid

“AstimewentonIstartedrealis ingtherewerelotsofthingsgoingon andyouthink‘thepublicknownone ofthis’.

“Myperceptionofwhatwarwas likeandwhattoexpectwasnotwhat happened.Meand friendswould chatandsay‘peoplewillneverbe

lievethis,neverbelievewhatgoes on.’Ithought‘I’mgoingtowriteit alldown’.”AtfirstArmycolleagues werealittlescaredaboutwhathe wasdoing,butastimewentbythey startedtocontributeandofferinfor mation,althoughhedidnotinclude itifitwasnotrelevantorwastheir personalexperience

“Attheendofthewarmycommandingofficer wanted thebook burnt,”hesaid.

“IwasthreatenedthatifIwasto publishtheywouldgoallbellsand whistlesandgetmejailedfordoing it.”

Hiscolleaguesknewwhatwas initbecausehehadallowedthemto readitsotheycouldfactuallyverify itashewentalong.

Clearlyhis revelationsheldan embarrassmentfactor

“Our officersespeciallyare a breedwhicharesounique.Unless

youservedinacavalryregimentand cameacrossthemyouwouldnotbe lievewhattheywerelike.”Onesur prisingwarzonetaskinvolvedlayingagreencarpetinoneofthebig tentsinthedesert–withanycarpet leftoverbeingusedonthefloorsof theArmyvehicles.

An additional factor causing himtodelay publication wasthat hewantedtoavoidthepossibilityof giving encouragement to potential adversariesbymakingthemthink that theBritish Army wasnot as goodasitlikedtobelieve.“Ididn’t wanttoputpeopleinharm’swayby puttingabookouttellingthetruth aboutwhatwearelike.”

John,whois57,served37years inthemilitary,startingoutindivisional reconnaissance andending his career as an instructor on the Apache helicopter.His servicein cludedatourinAfghanistan.

He movedtoShropshire when heworkedatRAFShawburyandal thoughnowacivilian,hisworkisstill military-related“IteachinEurope Iteachmilitarypilotshowtooperate in combat zones,”he said.Having served in Afghanistan, he prefers nottomakehisrealnamepublic–of course,his Army colleagues know hisidentityanyway–andhaschosen theauthor’s pseudonymJohnWolf forastraightforwardreason.

“I have always loved wolves. Theyaremyfavouritecreature

Thebookisavailable through Amazon andalsohas adedicated websitetherealityofwar.com

Hesaid:“Ithoughtsomeoftheofficersfrommyregimentwouldbuy thebookandbeveryantiit.Ihave hadfourofficerswhohaveboughtit andsaidthatit’sbrilliant–‘Yes,we reallyarelikethat.’Thatreallysur prisedme.”

Ahistoricpipeorganhasbeenremovedfromitsnightclubhomeinone last‘wurl’ofeffortandglory.

The1930s Wurlitzer, whichhas been afeature at theButtermarket in Shrewsbury since1988, hasbeen movedtoanewhometomakewayfor changesatthe HowardStreetvenue LastTuesdayasquadfromtheShrop shireTheatreOrganTrustshiftedthe mighty Wurlitzerfromits home of manyyearstoanew,hopefullytemporary,homeinSuffolk

EddHordley,ofthetrust,saiditwas an“incrediblydifficultday”astheysaw thesaferemovaloftheWurlitzerconsolefromTheButtermarket.Headded:

“DescribedbyourpresidentPhilKelsall MBEas‘oneofthebesttransplantinstallationsinthecountry’,Shropshire’s onlytheatreorganinapublicvenuehas entertainedthousandsofpeopleover theyearsandhasbeenplayedformany eventsrangingfromconcertstoweddings,dancestobirthdayparties.

“TheShropshire TheatreOrgan Trustisdedicated to preserving our pieceofmusicalheritageandisonthe lookoutforsuitablevenuestoaccommodatesuchaninstrument

“Inthemeantime,theWurlitzerwill bekeptattheGrangeMusicalCollec tioninSuffolk,whoseproprietorJonny Linghasarrangedlong-termstorage.”

Morethan£2,000raisedas TreeofLightappealbegins

Rotarians took time outata recent meetingtoprepareTreeofLightenvelopes forpostingtomorethan400currentdo nors.

Each recipient is requestedtogivea minimumdonationof£5inremembranceof alovedoneandproceedswillbedistributed tothreelocalcharities–HopeHouseChil dren’sHospice,LingenDaviesCancerFund andtheMidlandsAirAmbulance.

So farthisyear, over 300individuals havebeenremembered,with£2,203raised –orover£2,400includinggiftaid

Donationscan be made by cheques madepayableto‘RotaryTreeofLight’,or cash,and sent to Dyke Yaxley,1 Brassey Road,OldPottsWay,Shrewsbury,SY37FA. Thosewishingtodonateonlinecandosoby visitingwww.shrewsbury.co.uk

ShrewsburySevernRotaryClub’sTree ofLightorganiserforthe2022initiative, GarethWatkins,said:“Weareindebtedto DykeYaxleyfortheirmostgeneroussup port of ourcampaignwhich includes not onlythepreparationofthematerialforthe envelopes,butthepostagecostsaswell.

“TheShropshireStarandShrewsbury Chroniclehavebothkindlyagreedtopub lishthenamestoberememberedweekly throughtoChristmas.Inadditionthere membrances will appearonthe Shrews burySevernRotarywebsiteoverthesame period.”

SinceShrewsburySevernRotaryClub introducedtheconceptoftheTreeofLight intothetown26years’ago,theprojecthas raisedmorethan£170,000forlocalchar ities.Amongthenamesrememberedthis yearare:

Adams-JackandNancyAdams;Adney -“RichardAdney-SarahAdney;Ashley-Ol iveLockett(Mum)-ErnestLockett(Dad) -NeilLockett(Nephew); Aversa -Aversa andFellFamilies;Aversa-AversaandFell Families;Bateman-DavidandSybilDavies (alwaysinourthoughts);Bayliss-OurFam ilyMembersRemembered;Beason-Paul Beason andJoyce Beason -Mrand Mrs Dorricott;Beason-PaulBeasonandJoyce Beason-MrandMrsDorricott;Bebbington -HaroldBebbington-SheilaAnderson;Bee

ston-RolandandMayBuck-ArthurFox;

-DearSisterJeanandLesHall-DearMum andDadNancyandTeddyGray;Bennetts -PhyllisandRonaldSpencer-Marionand FredBennetts;Benson-GeorgeandElsie Ruscoe-Ivan,PeggyandSueWilliams

Bettis-InmemoryofRichardBettis,In memoryofFrankBettis-InmemoryofLily Bettis,InmemoryofGrahamGalliers-In memoryofChristopherBettis;Bevan-John DavidBevan;Birch-RichardBirch-Pamela Herbert;Bird-GeorgeBird;Bishop-Sidney andBerthaMarston-TrevorBishop;Bisley -LilianMannion;Blackwell&Family-Mr ThomasGrahamGoodwin-MrsJeanDor othyGoodwin.;Bould-JoyceJenks-Vera Bould-JackJenks;Bound-HaroldTisdale Dad,GrandadandRailwayMan, Herbert CarolBound-Dad,GrandadandRailway Man-GlynPrice-Husband,Dad,Son-in-law; Bound-SteveTidy.AwonderfulDad,Hus bandandGrandad.;Brain-ArthurPritchard -lovingDad-RachelBrain-darlingdaugh ter;Brayne-BobandDorisBrayne

Brayne-RobertBeresfordBrayne-Do risAnnieBrayne;Breakell-FrancesandJim Williams;Bridges-FrancesMaryCrombie andDonaldWilliamCrombie-JeanBridg esandDennisBridges;Brown-Bill,Elsie, RobertandMartinCross-CathandTudor Brown; Brown-Colin Brown, lovedand missedalways;Burbridge-WilliamandJes sicaCamwell;Dyer-SydandGladysComp ton-DavidCompton;Gilmour-JimandMar garetSmith(Ayr)-JackandElnoraGilmour -DennisJohnston;AlasdairGilmour;Grif fiths-RoyCubbin-NadineJukesbeloved sisterofRoyrecentlydeceased Hall-PeterRay(adearDad)-Pauline Ray(alovelyMum)-TonyPulford(adear brother-in-law).;Halle-RickyHalle;Marga retWilliamsofLuibeg;-ThomasRodgers; FlorenceRodgers-KathandJohnRodgers. JohnHalle;Hancox-EricMorris;RosePar ry;-Richard(Sox’s)Hancox;Mildredand HaroldHancox-MaryandTedNicholas.Miss you all; Handley-MaryRoberts;George Roberts-MarleneYorke-TerryRoberts; Harris-ArthurHarris,GwenHarris-Leslie Farren,ElsieFarren;Harris-MalLiddle EwyionWilliams-JohnHuxley;Haw-Rose maryDartandRachelBates-Bothdiedtoo

youngandmuchmissed.-JoanKing,Moth erandMother-in-Law.-RonKing,Father andFather-in-Law.;Haw-RosemaryDart andRachelBates-Bothdiedtooyoungand muchmissed.-JoanKing,MotherandMoth er-in-Law.-RonKing,FatherandFather-inLaw.;Hazan-DonandMaryBickerton-Non andMosheHazan-MargaretMiller

HeathISO-JoyceMaryHeath;Herbert/ MrRGBishton-MrsMarleneBishton(Wife andMum);Higgins-MumandDad-Doro thy;John;DougieandRonnieDavies-All LovedandmissedsomuchbyJean,George andfamily;Hill-GavinBrook,alwaysre membered-Henry,Harry,PepperandTina, BelovedPets-TrevorHill,alwaysremem bered;Hill-WilliamShingler(Father),Nan cyShingler(Mother)-ElizabethVaughan (Granmother) JoyceHill(MotherinLaw) andEricHill(FatherinLaw);Hodges-Ivy GriptonMotherwithLove-StanHodgesre memberedwithloveeveryday.

Holmes-“Hilda,George&SaraMetcalfe -Michael&AnneHolmes;Humphreys-Ron aldFrankHumphreys-MarySheilaWall andAudreyHelen Humphreys-Percival GeorgeNiblock;Humphreys-RonaldFrank Humphreys-MarySheilaWallandAudrey HelenHumphreys-PercivalGeorgeNiblock; Jones-JimandEllaJones(MumandDad)Always Remembered;Locke -VeraAlder -TedAlder;Locke-VeraAlder-TedAlder; Machin-Edith,Bill,GordenandRosemary Galliers-AlllovedandmissedbyGwenand children-SisterVichy-NewZealand;Magu ire-JohnAshcroft(Grump),BerylAshcroft (Bez),HelenMaguire,OliveBurns(Mum), HaroldBurns(Dad)-BridgetLynch.

Manley-JackandVeraManley-John andPat Traves;Martin- Olive&Alfred Walker-BettyMartin-JackHuntress&Ar thurHarvey;Matthews-ArthurandNancie Matthews-WilliamMatthews-ArthurMat thews;McFall-LesMcFall;McLeod-Megan Embrey -Ron Embrey -Alwaysremem beredwithlove;McPaterson-BabyLouis, LouisDanielAlanSiata-LyndaThompson; Mellor-BelovedMumandNanJudyHope BelovedMumandNanMaryMellor;Moden -HildaMayModen-HaroldRobertModen; Morgan-Derek,CharlieandMaryMorgan; Morris-DavidCarter-EdnaJones-Always inourhearts.

Basicqueue theoryis what the NHSdesperately needs

Forvarious reasonsIhave madevisitstohospitalswhichin cludedlongwaitsinambulances, hospitals,doctors’surgeries,and soon

Thewholebusiness seemed monumentallyinefficient.Isawno signsofbasic“queuetheory”use “Queue theory”providesa rich andusefulset of mathematical modelsfortheanalysisanddesign ofserviceprocessfordealingwith

contentionforlimitedresources.

Have you noticedhow bank queues aremuchshorterthan theyusedtobe,asaresupermar ketqueues?Asyouwaitforabank or supermarketqueue to clear youwillnotwaitverylong.That’s queuetheoryworking

Have you waited in an am bulanceoutsideA&Eorwaiteda monthtoseeadoctor?Idonotsee thesequeuesshiftingwiththeuse

Resentment over pensiontriplelock

Thereseems to be acertain amountofresentmentinsomesec tionsofourcommunitiesregard ingthe statepension triple lock guarantee.

Letmeclarifyafewareas.

1) Although thetriplelock pensionguaranteewasoneofthe Conservatives’manifestopromis es,itwasn’tpaidlastyeardueto the£70billionpaidintothefur loughscheme.Idon’tknowmany pensionerswhohadfurloughpay ments,perhapsrecipientsshould paythatbacksopensioners can havewhattheywerepromised?

2)Nextyear,mostpensioners willhavea£14aweekrise.Bythe timetheincreasedtaxonanyoth er earnings hasbeenpaid, most

willonlybe£11.20aweekbetter off.

3)It’ssaidifyou’vegotapri vate pension you don’t need the rise.Unlikethe tax andNIpay mentswe’vemadethathelpsfund thestatepension,privatepension contributionsweren’tcompulsory Youshouldnotbepenalisedforde cidingtoinvestinyourretirement

4)It’sassumedthatourgener ationhaditeasyastherewasplen tyofjobsabout.Jobswerethere, butnotalwaysthejobsyouwant ed,you took thebestavailable. Therearemorethanonemillion unemployedintheUKandthere aremorethanamillionvacancies.

Nameandaddress supplied

ofrelevantalgorithms.Imaybe wrongandifIam,thenstartagain NHSbecauseyouhavenotaclue abouteventhemostbasicuseof mathematicalanalysis

Ilookforward to thedays when medial queues areshifted seamlesslybyclinicaldemandand notbytradeunion“negotiation”as theyseemtoberightnow

Living with less money

Don’tthe workers whoare striking realisethatthere are many wholiveonfar lowerin comesthantheyhave,andthatif wagedemandsaremet,thenpric esandcostswillsimplyincrease?

Ifyoustandatasupermarket checkout andsee theunneces saryandexpensiveitemspeople buy;crisps,tinymorselsofready meals, andprettytinsofbeans costingthreetimesasmuchasthe ownbrandthenyourealisethat mostshopperscouldliveonhalf thewagesquitecomfortably.

Also charities– allbegging formoremoney,foroverseasaid, tigerrescue,donkeys,apes,catre homing.Bettertogiveapoundor sotoabeggarinthestreet

Better worldwas alla dream

Onenight as Ilay dreaming during thehot,dry period,my dreamcametrue.

1.Thatwatercompanieswould seewhatwasneededandactim mediatelytoinvestandcombatthe longperiodofneglect.Theywould joinwithothercompaniestoen surethattheUKhadthebestfa cilitiesinthedevelopedcountries.

2. They broughtinexperts frommanyfieldsandskilledwork

erstoensurethatall pipework supplyoffresh,and disposal of pollutedandcontaminatedwater wouldnotleak,toensureourtaps always gave freshwater andno wastefloodedorleakedtopollute ourhomes,streets,naturalwater suppliesorseas

3. Wasteofrainfallwas stoppedbycreatingstorageareas belowgroundatfrequent inter vals,sothewaterstoredcouldbe

fedaftercleaning,intoourfresh watersupply

4.OurWatercompaniesused cheaperwaysofdisposingofour wastewatertogointoourwater supply

5. More employment,asafer environment,moreenjoyment, a betterworldforall. ThenIwokeup.

BrendaFlowers,Shropshire

Dobby

With DogsTrust

Name:Dobby Age:4 Breed: Rhodesian Ridgeback Cross

Dobbyisabeautifulboywhothe team have nicknamedBFGB–Big FriendlyGoodBoy!Heloveslifeand greetseverydaywiththeenthusiasm ofapuppy.

Helovesbeingoutdoorssowould likeownerswhoenjoyheadingouton walksandadventuresasmuchashe does,particularlyexploringfieldsand woods.Heloveshistastytreatsand worksreallyhardathistraininginreturnforone,ortwo!Heisveryplayful,

likesasofttoyandlovesagameoftug Duetohimbeingaboisterous,big boy, Dobbywould best be suited to an adult-only home,preferablywith ownerswhoareusedtolookingafter bigger,livelydogs.Hewouldpreferto bewalkedinquieterareasashereacts tootherdogsandsohecanrelaxin hisgardenhewillneedtolivesome wherewithoutneighbouringdogs.He willneedtallfencingtoo,preferably sixfoot,sothat,givenhisadventurous nature,hecan’theadoffonadaytrip onhisown.

If you canoffer Dobbya loving home,andarewillingtocarryonwith funtrainingsessionswithhim,please gotowww.dogstrust.org.uk

Covid-19 and fluspread more easilyinwinterandcancause seriousillness.Sothebestway tostaysafeistoboostyourim munitywithvaccination.Ifyou’re50or over,pregnant,orhavealong-termcondition you’re eligible foranautumn Covidboosterandfreefluvaccination

“FluandCovid-19areunpredictable butthere arestrong indicationswe couldbefacingthethreatofwidelycir culatingflu,lowerlevelsofnaturalimmunityduetolessexposureoverthe last twowinters,and an increase in Covid-19 circulatingwith lots of variantsthatcanevadetheimmune response,”saysDrSusan Hopkins, chiefmedicaladvisoratUKHSA.“This combinationposes aseriousriskto ourhealth,particularlythoseinhigh riskgroups.TheH3N2flustraincan causeparticularlysevereillness.Ifyou areelderlyorvulnerablebecause of otherconditionsyou areatgreater risk,sogettingthefluvaccineisasensible,potentiallylife-savingthingtodo.

Weareextremelyfortunatetohave vaccinesagainst thesetwo diseases. Most eligiblegroupshavebeenselectedbecausetheyareathigherrisk ofsevereillness.”

Manyadultsand childrenalready getafreefluvaccination,whichisimportanttokeepuptodateasthevirus canchangeeachyear(findoutifyou’re eligibleatnhs.uk/wintervaccinations) Similartoprimary school aged children,two-andthree-year-oldsareeligibleforanasalsprayfluvaccination, providedtheywereagedtwoorthree on August 31, 2022. They gettheflu vaccineattheirGP.Primaryschoolkids usuallyhavethevaccineatschool.

Best protection

ProfessorSteve Powis,NHS England nationalmedicaldirector,warnsofa possible‘twindemic’ofCovidandflu, butsaysvaccinesofferthebestprotectionagainstit.“Withmanypeoplein hospitalwithCovid-19,andfluposing anevengreaterriskthisyear,Iurge everyone eligible to book both vac cines as soonaspossibletoprotect themselvesandtheirlovedones.With thousandsofGPpractices,localphar maciesandotherNHSsitesacrossthe countryofferingbothvaccines,it’snever beeneasiertogetthisprotection.”

Remember,ifyou’reinan eligible groupandnothadyourfirstorsecond dose of theCovid vaccine, or first boosterdose–bookanappointment onlineorvisitawalk-incentre

Mum of two Nicole,41, has lived with ulcerativecolitis since she wasin her20s and, likemanyotherswith aweakenedimmune system, she says keeping up to date with her Covid and flu vaccinations is vital.

“Ulcerativecolitis causes inflammation of the colon,and if I have aflare-up Ican getquitepoorly,with bleeding anda need to go to the toilet around 30 timesa day, which canresult in hospital stays,” says Nicole,fromManchester,mum to Sofia, six, and Alyssia, two.“No one canlivelikethat, so Ihave regular doses of immunosuppressants

“Running my baby sleep coaching business Baby2Sleep,and having twolittle kids,there’s no wayIcan function when I’mpoorly.”

Nicole waswaiting foramessage

–and when she wasalso offered the flu vaccine nthe same day, she as glad to take both.

“With my weakened mmune system, Iwas orelievedtoget my accinations.Ialways makesureI’m up to ateand have aflu ab every year.

“I wasworried hat if Icaught Covid I might endupin hospital,unableto ookafter thekids.”

Nicole is glad she canlivelifeto thefull, knowing she’s protected.

“It’s true that the vaccine doesn’t alwaysstopyou getting Covid, but it doesstopyou getting very ill with it, which is what’s importanttome. To dateIhave had Covid twiceafter my vaccinations and been fine.”

Whyisitimportant

Asatype1diabetic,I’m fullyawarethatthepotential sideeffectsofcontracting flu,coldsorCovidcanbe moresevereandcanplay havocwithmybloodsugar levels.Assomeonewhois immunocompromisedand whohasexperiencedthese sideeffectsinthepast,and withmyworkschedule presentingshowsandshoots alloverthecountryduring thePremierLeagueseason andupcomingWorldCup, Idon’twanttotakeanyrisks thiswinter

Did your diabetes diagnosis come as ashock to you? WhenIwasfirstdiagnosedin 2015,itwas atotal shockto

me,andIkeptitto myselfand close family andfriends foracoupleof years.Ididn’thave anyongoinghealth issuesandhadfull bloodstaken six months prior to di

SkySports presenter Adam Smith, 37,was shocked by his diabetes diagnosis –but it’s encouragedhim to be extra-careful whenthere areviruses about

Nicole Ratcliffe lives with along-term condition –but needs to stay healthytolook afterher daughtersand run abusiness

for somethingcompletelydifferent, which showednothingamiss Thatchangedreally rapidlywithinafewmonthswhen ybecameveryill–I ustedand losing witharagingthirst stantneedtogo

ureact to thenews? challengingtoget round. I’dbeenin beforefor minor eeverythinggets youleave.Notthis as told:“Youhave pe1diabetesand willneedtoinject insulinevery day.”Howoften? “Fivetimes a day.”For how long?” Forthe restofyourlife Ifyoudon’t,you won’tsurvive.”

So it’s even more vital youhave the vaccinations? Yes! Ipersonally don’twanttotake chances,which is whyIwillbegetting Covidandfluvaccisthiswinter.

London-based business development director BayanMohajeri, 26,has multiple sclerosis,which makes him vulnerable to infection –sovaccinesare

“Duringthe pandemic I’dbeen isolating along with my mother, whois also immunocompromised. My neurologistput me forward foranew treatment called HSCT –it’sa week of intense chemo in an isolation room

“Theycollect your stem cells, freeze them, then wipeout your immune system completely and giveyou the stem cells back to create anew immunesystemin you. It meant my immunesystemwas pretty much that of anewborn “I then spentamonth in a hospitalroom. When doctors enteredtheywould be fully masked-up and my room was

disinfected everyday as I wassovulnerable.

“After 100 days Icould start gettingrevaccinated– all my childhoodjabs, thefluvaccine and my first Covid vaccine earlier his year

“That wasa hugemilestone –I wasnow on a ourneybackto normallife’.

“I had to have three Covid doses, then Iwas able to move back to London anddo things –thoughI still stayed outdoorsjusttobe safe.Ihad abooster inAugust, then another booster about three weeksago.It’svital to do everything Ican to protect myself.The colder it gets,the

vitalfor him

moreyou’restuck indoorswith an increased risk –especially with immunitywaning over time –soitwas critical Igot thelatest Covidjab andthe flu vaccine.

“It means Ican do regular activities: I’mgoingona work trip abroad, andifitwasn’tfor the newbooster,I’m notsure Iwould have been going.”

‘Vaccinations help me lead anormal life’

Firmsasked to help trip

Twomenwhohavetakenpart inaidmissionstoUkraineareurg ingShropshire businesses to help supporttheirlatestjourneytothe war-ravagedcountry

Gary Fear and David Perry have travelledtothe devastated countrythree timessince Russian president Vladimir Putinlaunched abarbaricinvasion in February Thepair,deliveringfood,medicine andothersupplies,havewitnessed allmannerofdevastation andare settoreturnearlyinthenewyear, as winter kicksin. They hope to raisefunds tohelpsupporttheir latest mission andhopebusiness esandindividualsmightbeableto help.Anyone whocan supportthe pair’smission,candonateatjustgiv ing.com/crowdfunding/gfukraine

Prideforsolicitorover anationalaward win

Asolicitorwhohasbeenaleadingvoiceincasesinvolvingmater nity services at Shrewsbury and Telfordhospitalshaswonanational award.

Beth Heath, of Lanyon Bowdler,hasbeennamedastheClinical NegligenceLawyeroftheYearatthe PersonalInjuryAwards,whichrecognisethe excellence of law firms andindividualsinthepersonalinju ryandmedicalnegligencesectorsall overtheUK.

Judgessaidthelawyerwasaris ingtalentinclinicalnegligenceprac tice,achievingbigthingsinashort spaceoftime. Shewas also know forherthoroughandorganisedap proach,andcaringandcompassion ateattitude

BrianEvans,managingpartner atLanyonBowdler,saidBeth’saward wasrichlydeservedandatestament tothestrengthandcommitmentof thewholeclinicalnegligenceteam Hesaid:“Ourcongratulationsgo toBethonagreatwinagainstsome stiffcompetition,includingthechief

assessoroftheLawSociety’sClinicalNegligencePanel,andthehead of medical negligence from Slater &Gordon’sLondonoffice.Thisisa brilliantachievementandiswellde served.IknowBethwouldsaythat shecouldnothavewonthisaward withoutthe supportofher team, sowithoutwishingtodetractfrom Beth’sstellarpersonalachievement, everyoneintheteamisawinnerfor thesupporttheygivewhichenables Beth andour otherclinicalnegli

gencepartnersandseniorlawyers todowhattheydo.”Bethsaid:“Beingnamed as Clinical Negligence LawyeroftheYearisamajorhonour, whichI hopewill give ourclients evenmorereassurancethatLanyon Bowdlercan be trustedwithsuch sensitivecases.”

“Clinical negligence cases, particularlyonesinvolvingmaternity services,are understandablydis tressingandwealwaystakecareto supportourclients.”

Warningon drinkdriving

DriversinShropshirearebeing warnedtheyare50percentmore likely to be breath tested this De cemberthananyothermonth.

Analysis of Home Officedata by personal breathalyser firmAl coSenseshowsthatinDecemberlast year,WestMerciaPolicestopped721 motoristssuspectedofdrinkdriving.Thatcomparedwith486inan averagemonth

Atotal of 64 motoristsinthe WestMerciaareatestedlastDecemberwerefoundtobeoverthelimit Thefailurerateofninepercentwas justbelowthenationalaverageof10 percent.

Policearenowsteppinguptheir campaignagainthisyear,targeting anyonetemptedtodriveunderthe influenceafterwatchingtheWorld CuporcelebratingChristmas.

“Enjoyinganevening game, whetherathomewithfamily or downthepub,increasesthelikelihood of drivingthe next morning with alcohol still in yoursystem,” says Hunter Abbott,managingdirectorofAlcoSense.Ifyoudrinkfour pintsofmedium-strongbeerorfour largeglassesofwineduringthefootball,itcouldtakeaslongas14hours forthealcoholtoclearyoursystem.

“Theruleissimple.Ifyou’vebeen drinking,don’tdrive,andifyou’re driving,don’tdrink.”

Tradersset for market

Localtradersareworkingover timepreparingtheirwaresforthe Shrewsbury ChronicleChristmas Market.

Theeventissettotakeplacein theSquare,ShrewsburyonDecem ber16and17between9amand6pm

OrganiserJennyJonessaid:“The marketshowcasestheverybestof localfood,drinkandcraftthatthis areahastooffer.Wehaveafantas ticfollowingofloyalshoppersfrom Shropshire, MidWales andsur rounding counties wholove aday outinShrewsburyandsupportour marketsthroughouttheyear

“Whenthemarketsrunthetown centrehasarealbuzzandthelocal shopsandcafesbenefitfromtheex trafootfallthatoccurs.Shrewsbury isabeautifultownandthemarkets enhancetheexperienceofvisiting

“Therewill be many artisan craftstallssoyouwillbeabletobuy unique Christmasgifts forloved onesandfriendsaswellasthequali tylocalfoodanddrinkonoffer.

“Wehavestreetfoodfromall partsoftheworldwhichhasbecome incrediblypopularaswellassome newproducerswithusin2022in cludingShropshireKombuchaTeas, Rowton Vineyardand Toni Hedley pottery.

“Hotfoodandmulledwinewill beavailablethroughtheday.”

Carolservice raises fundsfor riversafety

Around250peopleturnedoutat anhistoricShrewsburychurchfora carolconcerttoraisefundsforriver safetyandthankemergencywork ers.

TheeventtookplaceatStMary’s ChurchinthetowncentreonSatur daynight

ItwasorganisedbyRuthBerten shaw,andwastoraisemoneyforthe church’sstainedglasswindowsres torationprojectandtheMakeOur RiverSafercampaign

Twoyoungmenlosttheirlivesin theriverearlierthisyear,andthere werealsomultiplerescues.

TheStGilesChurchcommunity choirledthesinging,andleadingthe servicewastheBishopofShrews bury,SarahBullock,withReverend AndrewKnight.ShrewsburyMayor ElisabethRoberts wasalsoinat tendance,aswereseveralpeopleaf fectedbyriverincidents.

As well as carolsinging,there wereseveralreadingsdelivered.

Manypeopledonatedtothetwo causes,and organiserswill now countitup.

Ruth said:“Therewas areally goodturnout.Idon’tthinkwe’vehad thatmanybeforeforalocallyorgan isedevent.Youcanseehowmuchthe causesmeantoeveryone

“Thebells were ringing, there wascarol singingand therewere

readings.Therewasanawfullotof supportfortherivercampaign

“Themayor,particularly, was very supportive.Peopleseemed veryappreciative.Iwouldliketosay thankyoutoeverybodywhowasin volved.”

Iconic bears back on roof

Iconic Christmaspolar bears havereturnedtoaShrewsburyroof topforthefestiveseason

Thesparkling bearshave watchedoverShrewsburyfromthe Morris& Co building just offthe WelshBridgefor17years.

In that time,the bearshave growninnumberandinsize,bring ingalittlefestivejoytothetown’s skylineeachyear.

Morris&CoDirector, Chris Morris,saidthesparklingadditions wereinspiredbyatriptoGreenland, whereheandhisbrotherRobinsaw therealanimals

Headded:“Wealwaysgetrafts oflettersandannualrequestsforthe polarbearsandwhattimetheyare arriving

“TheMorrisPolar Bearshave beenwatchingovertheShrewsbury skylineevery festiveseasonsince 2005.Somemay have noticedthe baby cubhas nowgrown into an adult,whonowjoinsthegroupasa fully-fledgedpolarbear.”

Thebearswilllightupthehori zonthroughoutthe festiveperiod, atoptheMorris&Coheadquarters neartheTheatreSevern

Morris&Co’shistoryinShrews burygoesbackto1869,whenJames KentMorrisfirstsetuphiscandle business in aFrankwell grocery shop

Caribbeanislandgem’s

blue skiesand sapphire seas

Just37milesfromtheVenezuelancoastline, betweenAruba and Bonaire–makingupwhat’sknown astheABCislands–Curaçao,with itsdiverse culturalhistory is the location of thenew SandalsRoyal Curaçao,whichopenedinJune.

A25-minutedrivefromcapital city Willemstad,the all-inclusive, couples-onlyresortboastsanopenairentrancelobby,leadingoutontoa viewofthedouble,infinitypool.

Whileonthehotel’sbeach,crystalclearshallowwatergentlylaps thesandandguestsreadbookson floatingplatoons,leavingonlyper hapstoordera‘dirtybanana’cock tail(rum,coffeeliquor,bananaand cream) or theworld famousBlue Curaçaoliqueur

Withunlimitedalacartedining, thereareeightrestaurantstoeatat andeightpoolstoswimin,including someguestscanstepstraightinto fromtheirprivateterrace

Ifyouwantevenmorespace,15 milessouth of Curaçao, is theuninhabitedislandofKlein Curaçao, whereturtlespottingiscommon

Humanhistoryonthisconstituent countrywithintheKingdomofthe Netherlandscanbetracedbackin picturesqueworldheritagesite,Willemstad.

HereIfindstrikingcoralstone buildingsinEuropeanneoclassical styleadornedinvibrantCaribbean

colours.The17thcenturyoldtown centrePundawiththepicturesque Handelskade–acolourfulstretchof waterfrontbuildingsgivingserious Amsterdamvibes–andthe19thcen turyOtrobanda(meaning“theother side”inDutch)areseparatedbythe watersofSaintAnnaBayanditsfa

mousfloatingpontoonbridge.Mu seumKuraHulanda,locatedatthe city-centreharbour,documentsthe island’sdevastatinghistoryofslave tradingfrom1660stotherevoltof 1795famouslyledbynationalhero Tula,whoDannyGloverportrayedin the2013filmbythesamename

Andthatclassicliqueurthatfeaturesinmanyholidaycocktailsand hasmadethisislandfamous? It’s namedafter thedried peel of the bitter orange laraha,acitrusfruit grownhere.ButIprefertothinkit’s areferencetothesapphireseasand deeplyblueskies.

Treatyourselftosomething forthe home thisChristmas

LookingforChristmasshopping inspiration? Pretty much everyone lovessomethingnewforthehome andtheoptionsareendless Whetherit’sanartisan piece toaddinterest,anexcitingkitchen gadget or glitzy deco you’dnever splashoutonyourselfbutwouldlove toreceive,homegiftscantakeohso manyforms.

Andtohelpyoubeatthecrowds, we’vepluckedthe best presents fromthepile…

1. RussellHobbsRHMD714BL 17L700WScandibluedigitalmi crowave,£84.99,Amazon

Microwaves arehavingamo ment–usingasoupçonofaconven tionaloven’senergy–andthisone’s especiallysought-after.Welovethe attractive Scandi-style,plusitfea tureseight auto cook menus, five powerlevelsandmulti-stagecook ing.

2. Pomegranatepillarcandle, £22,TheWhiteCompany

Ifyouscentsurroundwithonly onecandlethisChristmas,theentic ingexotictopnotesofpomegranate,

muskypatchouliandtouchofamber alwaysfeelsrichandfestive.

4. I’mDreaming Of AWine Christmasreversiblecushion, £45,Neonimo

This soft,velvet-feel cushion is sealedwithaheartzippendant.One forthewineloverinyourlife.

5. Trinitygreen velvet round trinketbox small, £17.50;Trinity pinkvelvetjewelleryboxmedium, £29.50,and Trinitybluevelvet jewelleryboxlarge,£32.50,Oliver Bonas

Everycheeseboardcriesoutfor therightknifetosliceintoacorner ofStiltonorripebrie.Presentedin agiftbox,thisrattan-handledsetis tailor-madeforseasonalsettings

In the main, known to be useful to 6(3)

She let ham become ruined (6)

Be generallyina hurry so a fight doesn’tget its proper time? (4,5)

One can easily get steamed up in it (5)

He is correspondingly active (6-6)

The fruit of temptation? (5)

Cuts when akernel is produced (6,3)

The speaker has it and dancers take it (5)

22 Achieve;23Precis;

Branagh’sin role of Poirot

SATURDAY

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) (Channel 4, 9.15pm)

Thelittlegreycellsofmousta chioedsleuthHerculePoirotarerigorouslytestedinKennethBranagh’s handsomereimaginingofthesnowboundmurdermystery.Slippery gangsterSamuelRatchett(Johnny Depp)offerstopaytheBelgianto ensurehissafety.Thedetectivedeclines,butthenamurdererstrikes

SUNDAY

Casino Royale (2006) (ITV, 8pm)

DanielCraigbowedoutasJames BondinNoTimetoDie,buthere’s achancetoremember his debut. ThesecretagentisonthetrailofLe Chiffre(MadsMikkelsen),aninternational criminal planningtousea high-stakespoker gameas ameans offundingterroristorganisations. EvaGreenis007’s loveinterestVes perLynd

90shitmakers in test of musicknowledge

The Hit List (BBC1, 5.30pm, Saturday)

OnTheHitList,itprobablyhelps tohaveagoodbondwithyourteam mate,butisitpossibletoknoweach otheralittlebittoowell?

We could findout tonight, as MarvinandRochelleHumesintroducea1990sspecial.The contestantsareWestlife’sBrianMcFadden andBoyzone’sKeithDuffy,SClub7’s TinaBarrettandBradleyMcIntosh, and911’sLeeBrennan,pairedwith Sonia–andaccordingtothepresent ersit’sclearthatsomeofthemhave servedinthepoptrenchestogether

Marvinsays:“Youcantellthere wasalotofbanterflyingaboutbe tweenWestlife’sBrian McFadden andBoyzone’sKeithDuffywiththe SClubguysandLeefrom911,obviouslythey’vespentalotoftimeon theroadtogethersoIfeellike,as muchastheyloveseeingeachother again,therewasalotofbanter…”

Rochelle adds:“It seemed very friendly–itwasliketheywereback onthetourbustogetheragain.”

Inbetweenthebantering,they willbeansweringquestiononpop music,whichisthepointoftheshow Themarriedcouplearearguably theperfecthostsfortheshow–after alltheyhavebothabackgroundin pop.Rochellewasingirlgroupthe SaturdaysandMarvinfoundfamein

JLS.Rochellesays:“Itwasjustreally importantforustoworkonashow togetherthatwewerebothequally aspassionateabout,andobviously musiciswhatwe’rebothknownfor andit’ssomethingthatwe’vealways reallybondedover,soitwasjustlike anobrainer,really.”

Square bids Dotfarewell

EastEnders (BBC1)

Walfordresidentspast and presentgathertogethertosaytheir goodbyestoDot–Laurenarrivesin timetoreminiscewithRickybefore theceremony,Colin,MaryandDisa arewaitingatthechurch,andLofty putsinalatebutwelcomeappearance.Elsewhere,Alfie(ShaneRichie) planstoplayKat’sPrinceCharming inthepanto

Coronation Street (ITV)

Martha announcesshe’soff to Hulltoappearinanewplayandasks Kentoaccompanyher–untilshedis coversthetruthabouthisrelationshipwithWendy.Summerisforced to tell Mike andEsther aboutthe baby,whileTyroneplansasurprise wedding.

Emmerdale (ITV)

PaddysurprisesChaswitharomanticbreak,butBellecomesclean to Moiraabout what sheknows Kimchallenges Dawn andGab by to finda nan ny,and Mandyis shocked by the stateofVinny

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The Chef is akey post in the learning location’s Hospitality&Catering team. As deputytothe Lead Cook youwill assist with deliveryof the catering servicetoresidentgroups. Thiswillincludehands-on cooking,kitchen management tasks, deputising for the Lead Cook as appropriate, and assisting with the supervisionofthecateringteam.

SENIOR JOURNALISTS

Love news?Lovetalkingtopeople? Want to makea difference?

Britain’slargest independentregional news companyislookingto recruit senior reporters.

The Midland News Association, publisher of the Express &Star and Shropshire Star,islooking forpeople with experience and enthusiasm to join its team.

We areparticularly looking for:

•SpecialistCrime and Courts Correspondent– Achance to work one of Britain’snewsiestregions, offering an understanding and insightinto the challenges facing police as well as covering major court cases.

•SeniorNewsCorrespondents –Reporterswith relish who will bring in hardnewsstoriesand human interest features, bringing in frontpageleads and substantial onlinetrafficand able to take on lively and interesting background news features.

These areroles forambitious, dedicatedand enthusiastic journalistswith aproventrack record

As amulti-mediajournalist,you must be comfortable producing contentfor all of our printand digital platforms–fromin-depth news features forour newspapers, to breaking news articles for our websites, as well as covering stories as theyhappen on live blogs.

We arelooking forNCTJ-trainedjournalists, able to deliver accurate,entertaining copy to meetstrict deadlines. Afull, clean driving licence is required.

We will also consider NCTJ Diploma trained journalists who are working towardstheir NQJ.

This is abrilliantopportunity to join our newsroom, covering a diverse, vibrantand busypatch

Benefitsinclude acompetitive salary, 25 days’annual holidayand the chance to develop your career at Britain’slargest independent regional news company.

If youare interestedinthis role, please send acopyofyour CV and covering letter forthe attention of theeditor-in-chief, MartinWrightbyDecember 19, to:hr@claverleygroup.co.uk

Theidealcandidatewill have excellent organisational and peopleskillsand be abletocommunicate well with staff,students andvisitors Full detailsofthe post can be found in theApplicantInformation Pack available onthe school websitehttps://www.thomasadams.net/vacancies/ The closing date forreceipt of applications: 12.00noononTuesday,13December

Interviews will be heldshortly afterthe closing date

Thomas Adams School,ispartofThe 3-18 Education Trust, amulti-academy trustwithstudents agedfrom3-18and which workscollaborativelytoprovide interestingand exciting opportunities for staff to share ideas, resourcesand expertise, forthe benefit of thestudents. The3-18Education Trustiscommittedtosafeguarding andpromoting thewelfareofchildren and young people,assuch this post requires acknowledgementand understandingofsafeguardingand child protection policieswhich canbefound on theschool website. Successfulcandidateswill be subjecttoanenhancedDBS checkand satisfactory references

Passed away peacefully on November 1, 2022, aged 88 years.

Husband to Hilary.

Father of Hannah, Laura, and Alan, Grandfather of six.

He willbegreatlymissed by Family and Friends

Agathering to celebrate Peter’s lifewillfollowin 2023.

All inquiries to

EVANS Peter (John)

Of Dobell Lane, Bomere Heath, nr Shrewsbury.

Passed away in his sleep in the early hours of Friday, November 18, aged 80 years.

Dea rly love db el ove d Husband to Thelma, devoted Father to Stephen, Kevin andAlan, Grandfather to Charlotte, Francesca and Noah,Great-Grandfather to Stanlee and Chelsea.

Finally at peace and reunited with Mum and Steve.

Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday,December 13, at 1pm at All Saints Church, Trefonen followed by aCommittalService at ShrewsburyCrematorium.

Family flowers only please, donations if desiredtothe British Heart Foundation.

Fu rt her inf ormat ion via https:// joh n-p eter lewis-evans.muchloved.com

All inquiries to

Passed awaypeacefully on November 15, 2022 at home of Daughter,Kate, in France.

Beloved Mother of Kate, Bunty and Judith, Grandmother of Harry and Elizabeth, Mother-in-law of Micky, John and Paul, Widow of Michael.

Formerly teacher at Bomere Heath &Woodside (Oswestry) PrimarySchools.

Ser vice of Memorial, Celebration and Interment, Friday,January6,2023, 14.00, Holy Trinity Church, Leaton SY4 3AP

Family flowers only,donations to Severn Hospice.

HUNT

Graham Robert Of Broseley

On November 21, 2022 at The Royal ShrewsburyHospital, aged 75 years.

He willbegreatlymissed by all his Family and Friends.

BRADDICK

William Moses John (Bill)

Of Monkmoor,Shrewsbury

Passed away peacefully at home on November 25, 2022, aged 78 years.

Loving Partner to Gayle, much loved Dad, Grandad and Great-Grandad.

Bill will be sadly missed by all his loving Family and Friends.

Funeral Service to take place at Shrewsbur y CemeteryChapel, Longden Road on Tuesday,December 13 at 10.30am, followed by Interment.

Flo we rs wel com e, donationsifdesired to the Severn Hospice.

All inquiries please to

Ser vice at Shrewsbur y CrematoriumonFriday, December 16, 2022 at 11.30am.

No flowers by request.

Donations, if wished, would be gratefully received for Cancer Research UK, for which purpose acollection boxwill be made available at the Crematorium.

GAUT

Peter Robert

On November 26, 2022 peacefully at the Royal Shrew sbur yH ospita l, following along battlewith cancer

Aged 76 years.

Beloved Husband of the late Sandie and lovingFatherof Richard.

He willbegreatlymissed by all his Family and Friends.

APrivate Cremationhas taken place.

All inquiries please to

GREGORY

EVANS

Dorothy Sylvia

Of Chelwood Drive, Shrewsbury, passed away in the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, on November 21, 2022, aged 90 years.

Much loved MotherofSu, Mother-in-law of Russell and Grandmother of Phillip, Mark and Sophie, Great-Grandmother to Teddy Will be sadly missed by her Family and Friends.

Funeral Service to take place at Emstrey Crematorium, Thursday,December 15, at 11.30am.

Family flowers only please, donationsifdesired to the Severn Hospice, for which purpose acollection box willbeprovided at the Crematorium.

Inquiries please to

Colin

Of Bayston Hill.

Passed away peacefully on November 21, 2022, aged 84.

Darling HusbandofJoan, much loved Fatherof Catherineand Tom, Father in-law to Mathew and Laura, devoted Grandad to Hannah, William and Beatrice.

AService of Thanksgiving to be heldonDecember 15,at middayatStAndrew and St Mary’s Church, Condover

Fa mily flowers only, donations to the Severn Hospice which can also be made onlineusingthe following link colingregory. muchloved.com

All inquiries to

All inquiries to

JEBB

Passed away peacefully at home on November 24, 2022, aged 99 years.

Wife of the late Jack, much loved Mother,Grandmother and Great-Grandmother

Funeral Service to take place on Monday, December 19, 2022, at St. Michael’sin All AngelsChurch, Ford, at 12 noon.

Fa mily flowers only, donations, if desired to Ford Church.

Inquiries to

Of Pontesbury.

Ex-Postmistress.

Passed away peacefully on November 9, 2022 at Radbrook Nursing Home, aged 91 years.

Loving Wife of the late Derek, much loved Mum of Kevin and Denise, Mother-in-law to Alison,Nan to Fiona and Sarah, Great-Nanto Ethan and Evie and Sister to Brian Marywill be sadly missed by all her Family and Friends.

Serviceto be held at St George ’s ,P ontesb ur y on December 13, 2022 at 12pm followed by Family Committa latEmstrey Crematorium.

Please weara splash of pink.

Fa mily flowers only, donations if desired to Guide Dogs for the Blind.

All inquiries to

TARAS

Dorothy Susan (Susan)

nee Leighton

Of Clun Close, Wellington, Telford.

Passed away peacefully on November 22, 2022, aged 85 years.

Devoted Wife to the late Nicki, much loved Mum to Michael, John, Mark, David and Paul, Mother-in-law to Jill, Julie,Sylvia, Diane and Lucy.Proud GrannyTand Great-Granny T.

Funeral Service 11.00am Tuesday,December 20, 2022 at St Patricks Church, Wellington followed by Burial at Wellington Cemetery.

Black clothing optional.

Family flowers only by request, but donations, if desired for Hilbrae Rescue Kennels would be appreciated.

All inquiries to

4thGeneration

FirstDrive: Peugeot408

Ernest (Nobby)

Passed away surrounded by his Family at Ottley House Nursing Home on November 17, 2022, aged 81 years.

Partner to Wendy,Dad, Grandad and Great-Grandad.

Suddenly passed awayon November 20, 2022 aged 48 years.

Nikki will be missed by all her loving Family and Friends.

Funeral Service to take place at Emstrey Crematoriumon Thursday,December 15, 2022 at 1.15pm.

Family flowers only please, donations if desired to Midlands Air Ambulance Charity

All inquiries to

Funeral Service to take place at Emstrey Crematorium,Shrewsbur yon Tuesday,December 20, 2022 at 11.30am.

Darkcolours preferredwith ahint of lilac.

Family flowers only,but donations if desired, will be forwarded to Ottley House Residents Comfort Fund.

All inquiries to

SMART

Veronica Died peacefully at home on November 29,2022, aged 96 years withNickand Rozby her side. Funeral

Hospice.

TEDWELFORD PressAssociation

Againstthe vast swathes of SUVs,manufacturers areincreasinglyhavingto thinkoutside thebox when it comestodesigns –which equatestoincreasingly bolder optionsfor custom ers. Thelatestexample of this comesfromPeugeot, with itsnew 408.

Designed to sitbetween theconven tional 308 hatchbackand 508saloonin theline–up,Peugeot’scalling it a‘fast back’and is targetingbuyerslooking to escapeanSUV,yet want something more exciting thanatraditional hatch back

The408 is anew addition to Peuge ot’s rangeand arriveswithastriking newlook. Afew highlights areits fan tastic colour-coded,frameless grille alongwiththe popularSUV cladding foramoreruggedappearance.

Electrification is core to the408 too,withhybridversionspredicted to accountfor thebulk of sales, while there’sthe newversion of Peugeot’s i-Cockpitsystem, bringing thelatest in-car technology.

Thereare threepowertrainswith the408 –a128bhp 1.2-litre turbo charged petrolenginethatservesas theonlynon-electrified version,and a choice of twoplug-inhybrids

Both these hybridsuse a1.6-litre turbocharged petrolengine, andare paired to thesameelectricmotor anda 12.4kWhbattery

Peugeotclaimsupto40miles of electric rangeispossible, with Peu geotsayingmorethan200mpgand CO2emissions of 26g/km.Itwill take threehours and25minutes to charge the408,thoughyou canreducethisto an hour and40minutes with afaster 7.4kWonboard charger

Peugeotwon’t admitit, butthe 408 is essentiallyasibling modeltothe Citroen C5 X– amodel with apar ticularfocus on comfortwithits soft er suspension. Buthere, Peugeothas managedtolivenupthe experience atouch,withthe 408feeling flatter throughthe corners, andfeeling more secure if you putyourfootdownabit It’s no sporting model, butitsticks to theroadwell, whilethe hybrid setup deliversa decent amount of punch

when the‘Sport’driving mode is se lected.Atthe same time,itrides well with comfortableleather andAlcan tara seatshelping outwiththis, while therefinement on motorwayswas par ticularlyimpressive.

The408’s design couldreallydivide opinion. It’s Peugeot’sboldest model in some time –and that’s coming from abrand that hasbeenpushing the boundaries anyway

If you likeaclean,fuss-free look,it mightnot be thecar foryou –asthere’s an awfullot goingon.

We thinkthere’s toomuchplastic cladding goingonatthe rear,while the20-inch alloywheels(optional) are challenging.

Inside,the 408reallydeliversonthe promise of feelinglargerthanaregu larhatchback.The 471-litre boot(536 litresonnon-plug-inmodels),isagreat size,whilethere’s adecentamountof room in therearseats.Headroomis slightlyimpeded by acombination of asloping rooflineand panoramic sun roof, but6ft adults will stillbeableto sitcomfortably

Standard equipment on theen try-levelAlluretrimincludesPeuge ot’s latest 10-inchtouchscreen,which offers quickand easy widgets that make it farless fiddlytouse on the move,along with a10-inch digitalin strument cluster, 17-inchalloy wheels andareversing camera

Mid-spec Allure Premiumbrings much more visually-pleasing 19-inch alloywheels, alongwithkeyless entry andadaptive cruise control. If you want allthe bellsand whistles,the GT packs full Matrix LEDheadlights, aheated steering wheeland electric boot,along with thecolour-codedgrille.

FACTFILE

PEUGEOT408 GT HYBRID225 E-EAT

Price as tested: £43,200

Engine: 1.6-litre plug-inhybrid

Power: 222bhp

0-60mph: 7.6seconds

Topspeed: 145mph

Economy: 211.3-269.5mpg

CO2 emissions: 24-30g/km

Electric range: 39-40miles

HANWOOD, SHREWSBURY A488

MG picksupthe pace

Is therea better value SUVonthe road than this plug-inhybrid?

It’s aserious question,and yes thereare some brilliantcandidates, butin termsofsheer valuefor money,HStakes some beating.

Price, well it speaks foritself and starts at just over £31k andstill comes with themarket leading or matching seven-yearwarrantyand features MG Pilot,araftofsafety measures usuallyseenasanoptional extra on rivalbrands.

TheHSisthe largestofthe SUVs coming in just above theequally stylishZS. Thereare twomodels, theExciteand theExclusive,driven here.MG’s firstplug-inhybrid, it combines a90kWelectricmotor with a1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.Thisdeliversacombined poweroutputof258PS andanelectric-onlyrange of 32 miles.

Thepower unit is matedwitha 10-speed auto transmission to deliver rapid pace,allowingittohit the 60mphmarkin6.9 seconds. Econo my is atheoretical 155.8mpg,but I foundittobequite thirstywhenthe electric rangewas exhausted,with an estimatedmid-40s mpg.

At just over £33k forthe range-topper,ithas thrown down thegauntlettomoreestablished andmuchmoreexpensive compet itors.

Theeye-catchingdesignfeatures theiconicMGbadge dominating the

BILLMcCARTHY

deep grille, flankedbyLED head lightclustersand largeair scoop.

Sitting on smart, 18-inchalloys, themuscular linesslope to therear wherethe twin tailpipes andan aluminiumlower bumper give it a sporty finish

Thelarge interior hasgood head andlegroom allround andthismod el hascomfortable electrically oper ated leatherseats giving thedriver acommandingviewofthe road.It features an arrayofsoft-touch fin ishtodashand sports seats, with fewerofthe harshersolid plastics Standard kitincludeskeyless entrywithpushbuttonstart,a10.1 inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlayand AndroidAutoand elec tric foldingand heated door mirrors and360-degreecamera.

Thereisalsoa leather finish to themulti-functionsteering wheel, whilethe centraltouchscreen info tainmentsystemcontrols satnav, DABradio/CD/auxand phonecon nectivity.

Thegoodies getbetterasyou move up therange andthisrange-topper adds frontand rear LEDsequential indicators,dual-zone climate control, ambientlightingand panoramic sunroofand electronicopeningtailgate.

Rear seat passengers arecatered fortoo with the recliningseats Therideiscomfortable while

handling isdecentapart from the occasional wallow on corners. The modeldeliversplentyofpacefor itssize, whileemissions of 43g/km make it cheaptotax

Thesizeofthe carismatched by thebootspace with an impressive 448litresofluggage space. Folding therearseats flat extendsthe total capacity to 1,375litres. There’salso adualheightboot floor.

Safety kitisimpressivewiththe MG Pilotset-upofferingsafetyaids, includingActive EmergencyBraking, Lane Assist,Adaptive Cruise Control, ForwardCollision Warn ing, BlindSpotDetection,LaneDepartureWarning System andRear CrossTrafficalert

FACTFILE

MG HS EXCLUSIVEPHEV

Price: £33.595

Mechanical: Combined 258PS 1,498cc, 4cyl petrol engine and electric motor driving front wheels via10-speedautogearbox

Maxspeed: 118mph

0-62mph: 6.9seconds

Combined mpg: 155.8

CO2emissions: 43g/km

Warranty: 7yrs/80,000 miles

Christmasmarkets to visitinanEV

ThebestChristmas marketsin England to visitifyou’redriving an elec tric carhavebeenrevealedinanew study.

Manchester Christmas Market topped therankingsofthe survey conducted by PeugeotUK, whichlookedat thenumberofpublicchargepointsthat were offeredwithinathree-mileradius of 14 of VisitEngland’smost-popular Christmas markets. They also looked at charging speedsavailable,and ac commodationwithfreechargingwas also scored

Theresearch also investigated how many of themarketscould be reached usingthe 225-mile rangeofthe Peugeot e-208from15ofthe most populated cities in theUK.

Alltop 10 Christmasmarkets– save forPadstow’s eventinCornwall– were accessible from at leastnineofthe UK’s most populatedcities. Manchester’sChristmas market came outon top, with 14 cities in theUKwithina 225-mileradius. It also hadthe highest number of charging stations, with 69 availablewithina three-mileradius. This included 16 rapid chargers offeringspeedsofover50kW.

Birmingham FrankfurtChristmas market came in second place, with Leedsplaced thirdwithits 62 charging stations –including 17 rapid units. The Yorkshirecitycould also be reached from 13 of theUK’smostpopulated cit ieswithinthe e-208’s225-milerange

“Withmorethana million electric driversonUKroads today, things like distance andcharginginfrastructure will play an important role in determining wheredriversheadtothis Christmas.”

York topped thetablesinterms of EV-focusedaccommodation options, with 19 differenthotelsand B&Bs of fering free charging forcustomers

Audi introduces limited-edition RS 4Avant Competition

Alimited-edition version of Audi’sRS4Avant is nowavailable with prices starting at £84,600.

Just 75 examples of theRS4 Competitionhaveheadedtothe UK,witheachbringinga rangeof dynamicenhancementsand styling tweaks to Audi’s performanceestatecar.

Oneofthe biggestchanges in the Competitionisits RS SportSus pensionPro setup, whichbringsa

10mm drop in ride heightover the standard RS 4. It canbetaken a further10mmlower when adjusted manually,too Ahighspringratehas been in cluded,too,alongside three-way adjustable dampersand stifferanti-rollbarsfor ‘exceptional preci sion,composure andcontrol’ Though the2.9-litre twin-tur bocharged V6 engine produces the

same 444bhp as theregular RS 4, changesmadetothe transmission controlunitbring shortershifts andimprovedacceleration

It hasshaved0.2 secondsoff the RS 4’szeroto60mph time,infact, bringing it down to 3.7seconds.

It’llalso hitatop speedof 180mph,makingitthe fastestRS4 Avantin thecurrent range.

TheCompetition also features anew RS Sports ExhaustSystem Plussetup,bringingtailpipes in matteblackand a‘moreintense

soundpattern’, accordingtoAudi. Some soundproofing from around theenginehas been removed, too, whichhelps to increase thesound of theRS4 whilealso shavingeight kilogramsoff thecar’s weightinthe process.

AllcarswearSebring Crystal Blackpaint while20-inch Competition wheels with Pirelli PZero Corsatyres are fitted as standard alongsideacarbonmatte finished frontsplitter, mirrorhousingsand frontair intakes.

Sorentojustifies cost with host of kit

BILLMcCARTHY

Thefourthgeneration Sorentosince 2002 is anotherhugestepforward forthe firm,offeringfor the firsttimea plug-in hybrid powertrain.

This range-topper is priced well into thepremium range, so what do you getfor aprice tagapproaching £55k?

Awhole lotisthe answer with this seven-seater, four-wheel driveSUV that scores closetoaperfect 10 on thefashion catwalk. It also features theKia seven-year warranty

Fora multi-purpose vehicle, its design is more than eye-catching with alarge blackgrille flanked by smartheadlightclusters, wing shaped aircurtainsand stylish 19-inchalloy wheels.Longer, taller andwider than itspredecessor,it hasan imposing road presence.

Theplug-inhybridtechnology matesa1.6 petrolenginewithan

electric motorand 13.8 kWhbat tery to produce261bhp.

It is also capable of up to 35 miles on batterypower alone, increasing to 43 miles in city driving(WLTP). Thenominal mpgis176.6 andwith emissionsof38g/km, it is cheapto run.

Matedwithasix-speedautobox, it hasplentyofpower andcan hit 60mph in averyrespectable 8.4 seconds, making it quickawayfrom thetrafficlights, butalsoexcellent forovertakingonthe motorway

Should thegoing gettough,the TerrainMode. canbedeployedto select ‘Mud’, ‘Snow’ and‘Sand’ modes.

Otherwise,for normal driving, thecar is composed andcomfortable.

Theinterior hasa premiumfeel as you wouldexpectwithacar of this priceand some clever innovations.

It features high-quality softtouch finish,using metaland natu ralmaterials andsoothingambient lighting

Thereisa digitalcockpit fitted as standard on allmodels, while a10.25-inchtouchscreen is fitted on ‘3’and ‘4’models, whichcon trols navigation,infotainmentand smartphone connectivity

Theinfotainmentsystemalso al lows Bluetoothsmartphonepairing fortwo phones concurrently Thereisalso ahostofkit on this modelincluding poweredtailgate, roof bars,camera, full lengthsun roof,heated andcooledpowered seats, ambientlightingand aclever safety innovationwhere thetwo main binnacle dialsturnintocam eras when theindicatorsare acti vated, allowing aviewintothe road you areturning into

It’s ahugelypractical vehicle with seven seatsasstandard, which split, fold or canberemovedfor maximumstowage.The middle row hasaslide,recline and60:40 folding functionality, whilethe thirdrow splits 50/50. Therearmostpairare pretty substantial as well

It is jam-packed with safety kit includingvarious lane departure, collision andblindspot warnings, whilethe full setofairbags includes forthe firsttimea centre airbag for extra driver protection

Kiahas movedonexponentially over theyears, butakey feature remains, theseven-year, unlimited mileage warranty forextra piece of mind

FACTFILE

KIASORENTO ‘4’1.6 PHEV T-GDi AUTO AWD

Price: £54,695

Mechanical: 261hp, 1,598hp petrol engine andelectric motor driving all wheelsvia auto gearbox

Maxspeed: 119mph

Roll of honour

Junior Boy: MatthewMorris

Junior Girl: MillieParry

YouthMale: Oliver Parton

YouthFemale: Lauren Kenvyn

GerryGladwellAward(wicketkeeping): Charlie Ward

Disability Awards

S9sPlayer: OliHarrison

D40Player: Shaun Rigby Disability Champion of the Year: Dave Hassall

CoachingAwards

YoungCoach of theYear: Josh Anders

Coachofthe Year: Naomi Payne

Outstanding Contribution, Services to Coaching: Andrew Leggatt

Outstanding Contribution, Services to Coaching Development: Rod Jones

Schools Awards

Primary School of the Year: OldParkPrimary

SecondarySchoolofthe Year: HLC

PrimarySchoolTeacher of theYear: Andy Parton,Old Park

Primary

SecondarySchoolTeacher of theYear: SophieJones,HLC

SEND School of theYear: Southall School,Dawley

SEND Teacherofthe Year: Rob Davies,SouthallSchool–Women& Girls’ Awards

Women’sCricket Champion: NaomiPayne

Women’sUpand Coming Club of theYear: ChelmarshCC

Women’sTrailblazers: Shel tonCC

Women’sClub of theYear: WemCC

Women’sTeamofthe Year: Frankton CC

Girls’ Club of theYear: WellingtonCC Shropshire Star Awards

AllStars Champion Club: AlveleyCC

DynamosClub: WilleyCC

InspireAward: Whittington WitchesCC

Beyond theBoundaryHub: Sutton HillHub on theHill Beyond theBoundaryCom munity Champion: MarvynJoseph Development Club of the Year: Sentinel CC

ECBGrassrootsAwards

ConnectingCommunities: WellingtonCC

Inspired to Play: Matt Earley

Rising Star: GriffDavies

Game Changer: Chloe Green

UnsungHero: TimBarber

Growingthe Game: Neil and Sally Owen

Lifetime Achiever: Dave Ralphs

Safehands Award: Jennnie

Good

VolunteerGroundsManage

ment of theYear: Keith Yapp

Hall of Fame: EveJones

Clubmarkclubs

AlbrightonCC, Allscott Heath CC,Alveley CC,Bomere Heath CC,BridgnorthCC, Chelmarsh CC,Claverley CC,Condover CC, Cound CC,Ellesmere CC,Forton CC,FranktonCC, Knockin &Kin nerley CC,LilleshallCC, Ludlow CC,Madeley CC,Newport CC, Oswestry CC,Pontesbury CC, QuattCC, Sentinel CC,Shelton CC,Shifnal CC,Shrewsbury CC, St Georges CC,WellingtonCC, WemCC, WhitchurchCC, Woore CC,WorfieldCC.

Acelebration of

Theachievementsof clubs, players, schools, communitiesand volunteersincricket across Shropshirewerecele bratedatthe Board’s annual Presentation Evening.

Morethan250 people were at theSovereignSuite at Shrewsbury Town’s Montogmery Waters Mead ow forthe event– the firsttimeit hasbeenheldatthe venue.

BoardChair Adrian Collins paid tributetoall whoreceivedawards on theevening

He said:“It wasgreat to seeso many people in attendance on the nightcelebrating theachievements of people acrossthe cricket community in Shropshire

“There issomuchgoodworkbeingdonetopromote andgrowthe game,and it is brilliantthatweget thechancetohighlightthe achievementsofsomanydifferent people whohelpmakecricket thegreat game it is in thecounty.”

Anew sectionwas introduced to theevening to recognise theimpor tanceofthe growinglinkthe Board andschools in thecounty.

Sixawardsweresplit between Primary, Secondaryand SEND (SpecialEducational Needs) schools.

ThePrimary Teacherofthe Year awardwenttoAndyPartonfrom Old Park PrimarySchoolinTelford

CommunityCoach RyanLockley said:“Andy couldn’t have made us feel more comfortableeachtimewe enteredthe school,his welcoming stylewas extremely reassuring

“His excellentknowledge and willingness to help wasshownin theway they supported with deliveryinschool.

“His dedication wasextended furtherasthe school enteredboth theKS1&2 Chance to Shineprima ry school competitions

“Heisasuperstar at dishingout flyers forlocal club links,promoting summer events at Malinsleefor our communityprojectsand is also very engaging forthe children of Old Park Primary.

“Heisanabsoluteinspiration to cricket in thecommunity and school.”

Old Park School were named Chance to ShinePrimary School of theYear

Lockleysaid: “Thisschoolset the standard extremely high with great attainmentand 100per cent effort from allstudents within theclasses that we delivered to

“The staffengagementwas also fantastic, theirwillingness to get stuckinand supportcontributed to thehugesuccess.”

Hadley Learning Communityhad doublecause forcelebration after landingThe SecondarySchoolof theYearaward whileSophieJones collected TheSecondarySchool Teacherofthe Year accolade

Southall School in Dawley also landed awinningdouble, picking up TheSENDSchoolofthe Year award

whileRob Davies took TheSEND Teacherofthe Year award.

Theeveningalsocelebratedanothergreat yearfor Women& Girls’ cricket in Shropshire with more teams gettinginvolvedatall levels of thegame.

Womenand GirlsRecreational Cricket OfficerKatie Rushtonsaid: “There hasbeenplentyofaction throughoutthe year.

“The autumn andwintersaw the

Indoor leaguesreturnat Wrekin Collegepreceded by theadditional league at Shrewsbury School Cricket Centre

“Spring sawtastersessionsat AllscottHeath CC as they look to re-engageand encouragenew la dies to join theirset up

“SoftballFestivals were in full swingwithlastyear’strailblazers NewportCCand Albrighton CC continuing to thrive

“The indoor season also proved successfulfor ourhardball teams with more involved this year than ever before

“Following this severalnew teamsjoinedsummer hardball ac tivity, includingthe Pontesbury ladies findingtheir feet in themid week league andKnockin &Kin nerley striding into thenew Shropshire8sLeagueFinals Dayduring their firstseasons of hardball.”

agolden summer

Pace aceDillon presents awards to thefab four

Four Shropshirecricket coaches were honoured on thenightand were presented with theirawards by Worcestershire andShropshire fast bowler Dillon Pennington

TheYoung Coachofthe Year awardwenttoJoshAndersfrom Shrewsbury CC.

Ed Ashlin, whoissecretary of the ShropshireCricket CoachesAssociation, said:“Josh hasbeeninstru mental in thedevelopment of both of youngpeopleand more recently the ladies at theirclub.

“Hehas demonstrated excellent commitment to theclub.”

TheCoach of theYearaward went to NaomiPayne from Oswestry CC Ashlinsaid: “The nomination for Naomiwas impressive,there is no doubtshe hasgonethe extra mile to extend thereach of cricket in and around theirclub.”

TheOutstanding Contribution Services to Coaching Awardwentto Andrew LeggattfromOswestryCC.

Ashlinsaid: “Andrewhas had ahugeimpactonjunior cricketat theirclubfor over 20 years. With outhis dedication,the club would nothavethe junior sectionthatit continuestoproduce.”

TheOutstanding Services to CoachDevelopmentaward went to RodJones

Ed said:“Rodhas hadahugeim pact on coaching andcoach develop ment within Shropshire over along period of time,” said Ashlin

“Hewas one of theearly ECB ‘tu tors’and hasworkedextensivelyon ECBcertificatedcourses, enabling coachestopassthrough andhave apositive impact in the fieldwith theirclubs andschools.”

Furber appeals fornew players

An appeal to find more disabili ty cricketers in Shropshire was made during theevening

Eveleads theway into Hall of Fame

TheCricket ShropshireHallof Fame waslaunchedatthe annual PresentationEvening–withCen tralSparksand Birmingham Phoe nixstarEve Jones the firstcricket er to be inducted Shewas presentedwithaframed copy of thecitationwhich will hang on thewallatboard’s officesas part of theHallofFame.

Cricket Shropshire Lead Of ficerSteve Reesesaid: “Wehave arecordofproducingtop quality cricketersinShropshire, andwe decideditwas time to startrecog nising theirachievements through theHallofFame.

“Eve wasanobvious choice to be the firstasshe hasbeenatrailblaz er sinceshe wasayoungster and hasbeenagreat ambassadorfor Shropshire.”

Jones started hercricket jour neyatWhitchurchand wasone of the firstplayers on theShropshire Girls’ AgeGroup pathway. She

made herfull Shropshiredebut in 2008 againstNorthamptonshire andtop scored with ahalfcentu ry.Overthe next four yearsshe became establishedinthe side and wasthe leading runscorerinboth 2010 and2011.

From 2012 shemovedupa level to Staffordshirefor four years, leadingthe runscoring charts therein threesuccessiveseasons

Hernextmovewas to Lancashire whereshe wasamember of theside whichwon theCountyChampionship andTwenty20Cup doublein 2017.In2018she became captain and2019led them to second in the County Championship.

Sheplayedinthe Women’sSu perLeaguefor both Loughborough Lightningand then Lancashire Thunderbeforebecoming oneof the firstplayers to sign aregion al professional contract with West Midlands Cricketin2020.

That sawher switch to play for

Warwickshire, CentralSparksand Birmingham Phoenixin thenewly createdHundred

Shewas namedasCentral Sparksskipper in 2020 andina stellarcampaignin2021, shewas thethird topscorerinthe Rachel HeyhoeFlint Trophy in thecountry, andled therun scoringcharts in theCharlotte Edwards Cup.

In theinaugural Hundredfor Birmingham Phoenixshe was fourth in therun scoringchartsfor thewhole tournament –including the overseas stars.

Thoseperformancessaw herrat ed as the first-ever PCAWomen’s OverallDomestic MVP, andthen votedas thePCA Playerofthe Year by herpeers

Sheearnedacontract forthe MelbourneRenegades in theWom en’s BigBashLeaguefor 2021/22 andthenselection as theEngland Acaptain fortheir tour of Australia.

It came from coachGraham Furber as he highlightedthe successes of the2022season before presentingthe Disability Awards sectionofthe evening.

He said:“ArecentSCB au ditindicated that clubsdo have players in thecountywho could be considered forselection

“Welookforward to working with TylerIbbotsonasour first dedicatedDisability Officerand thenew Disability Hubclubs like St Georges,Shelton andWel lingtonindeveloping disability cricket in thecountyand hopefully findingsome morecounty standard players of both sexes to take thesquadsforward.

“Pleasebeassured that this is not‘Mickey Mouse’cricket –we areoften playingsides containingplayers whoplaySaturday cricket fortheir clubs, andeven in PremierLeagues throughout thecountry.Pleaseget in touch with us, we do need yourhelp!”

Thereare twodisability County squads. TheS9s play in crdiball cricketwithaminimum of nine players-a-sidewith30over gamesand theD40 which playsconventional 11-a-side cricket with 40-over games.

Cricketers celebrate successfrom agolden summer –inside

SHREWS MAKING JANUARYPLANS

Planningfor theJanuarytransferwindowis well underway –accord ingtoShrewsburyTown boss SteveCotterill.

Hissidehavemadeanimpressive starttothe season sitting 12th in theLeagueOne table, despitebeing severelyhampered by injuries

In Saturday’s 2-0win over Lincoln City at Montgomery Waters Meadow,the bosswas only able to name sixplayers on thebench, and twoofthose have never made a league appearance

Andthe bosssaidtheystarted planning forJanuary alongtime ago.

“October,” he said when asked when hisattention turned to the upcoming transfer window.“You cannot allofsudden think‘January hasarrived,whatare we goingto do?’ Firstand foremost,there are lots of things andhoopstojump through to sign aplayerwhether it is in Januaryoratany othertime of theyear.

“And that is firstofall financially, canweaffordthem? If we can’tthen we can’tand that is theway it is “Thatisthe firstthing,the sec ondthing is theavailability of the players we need.”

Taylor Moore, Carl Winchester, ChristianSaydeeand RobStreet were allinthe squad on Saturday andare on season-long loan deals.

As is Julien Dacostaand thedefender hasjusthad surgeryonan injury that haskepthim outofthe team sinceearly October.

Town areonlyallowedtoname five loaneesin amatchdaysquad making anyadditions in thecoming window moredifficult

“Atthismomentintime, we have maxedour loansout,” thebosssaid.

Relationshipsare in bloomatTown

Shropshire keen on atitle chase

Shropshire’sbid to go onebetterin theBritish senior county champi onship next year will startwitha clashagainst NorthMidlands.

Thebowls showdown on May7is themen’s opener in qualifying section when they will trytoput this year’s heavyCrosfieldCup finalde feat againstYorkshire behind them Amatch againstCheshirefollows on June 4beforethe finalgroup game on July 2against GreaterManches ter, thetable topperstoprogressto thesemi-finals in August

Shropshire’sveteransteam, also runners-up in theirBritish final this year,will attempttoqualifyfor theknockoutstages at aregional roundrobin hosted by NorthMid landsonJuly13.

Rugbyacesget an away victory

Shrewsbury have wonasmany matchesastheyhavelostnow in rugbyunion’s Counties One Midlands West (North).

Fifth-placed Shrews were 38 17 winnersatsecond-bottomUttoxeteronSaturdaytoremain above county rivals TelfordHor nets, whoare seventh ButShrewsburyfaceatough test this weekendwhenthey welcome third-placed Stafford to Shropshire.

Telford, whoedgedout Long ton19-18 on Saturday,are away to table-toppingLuctoniansSec onds lookingtoend theirhosts’ 100per cent record

Twoofthose

so farthisseason. Earlierinthe season,the bosshad urged thepair to do more forhis team, andthey have –eitherscoring goalsorcreat ingthem–and thebossisdelighted with that

He said:“When IsaidI would liketosee more from them,Ialso didsay to counteract that by saying theyknoweachother as people,but theplaying bit Iwas hoping would come quickerwiththose twoasthey

alreadykneweachother from Coventry.

“Wehavemanaged to getthat.”

Thepaircombined againon Saturday to getShrewsbury’s second goal,Shipleywiththe assist andBayliss with agreat fin ish. Anditwas awell-workedteam goal that thebosssaidtheypractice regularly.

“Thatisfromthe training ground,” thebosssaid.