Month: March 2023

In a bizarre twist to what should have been an enjoyable school trip, students from Barr Beacon school got stranded in the U.S. for four days longer than planned.

42 Students aged 13-15 were on a skiing trip to Lincoln in New Hampshire in February while staying at the Kancamagus Lodge. They were due to fly home on February 25 until they discovered that 41 of their passports had been shredded to pieces.

No explanation has been made public as to why the hotel destroyed the passports, other than it being a “mistake”.

Speaking with the Express & Star, one unnamed parent said: “I could not believe my eyes when I was reading the email about the emergency travel documents. How can a hotel shred 41 passports? It is not like they were pieces of paper, they were actual passports.”

Consequently, the group had to apply for emergency documentation from the British Embassy in New York. This meant they had to fly to New York, wait for them to be issued and re-book another flight.

That wait lasted four days, but the teachers and children made the most of their time by visiting some of the tourist sites in The Big Apple and taking an open-top bus tour. All children returned home safely and teachers were praised by parents for their pastoral care.

A statement on the official Barr Beacon school website reads: “We would like to say a massive thank you to our dedicated staff who dealt with the very unusual circumstances they were faced with. They have ensured that all pupils were not only kept safe but also took the opportunity to embrace their additional time in New York and give them the opportunity to explore some incredible places.”

Major improvements to the canal towpaths of Walsall and Bloxwich is coming thanks to a £2.38 million investment by the Towns Fund.

Working in partnership with the Canal & Rivers Trust, plans include CCTV, new signage, new footpaths and the introduction of solar lighting.

“The Towns Fund gives us an exciting opportunity to drastically improve the area and encourage people to use our wonderful canals for exercise and travel.

The canal network in the West Midlands was once the envy of the world and they provide a fantastic opportunity for better travel and connectivity between communities and nature. These improvements will make the canals more desirable and, most importantly, safer for people to use,” said Councillor Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration at Walsall Council.

The work will also improve accessibility to towpaths.

Areas that will benefit from the improvements include: Walsall Canal and Canal Basin, the towpath along Rushall canal, Wyrley and Essington Canal from Sneyd Wharf to Stubbs Bridge and from Hildicks Bridge to the Town Fund boundary.

New legislation that affects cat owners across England has been passed through Parliament giving owners until June 2024 to have their pets microchipped.

Compulsory cat microchipping, which stores details of the owner’s contact details in a database, will be required before pet kittens reach the age of 20 weeks. Any owners discovered to have not micro with owners potentially fined up to £500.

It’s estimated that there are approximately 2.3 million pet cats across England who are currently not microchipped. The law won’t apply to feral, farm or community cats.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

“Cats and kittens are treasured members of the family, and it can be devasting for owners when they are lost or stolen.

“Legislating for compulsory microchipping of cats will give comfort to families by increasing the likelihood that lost or stray pets can be reunited with their owners.”

The new legislation follows a public consultation in which 99% of the 33,423 people who responded supported compulsory cat microchipping in England.

Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:

“I am pleased that we are progressing with our requirement for all cats to be microchipped.

“Microchipping is by far the most effective and quickest way of identifying lost pets. As we’ve seen with dog microchipping, those who are microchipped are more than twice as likely to be reunited with their owner.

“By getting their cat microchipped, owners can increase the likelihood that they will be reunited with their beloved pet in the event of it going missing.”

The process of microchipping involves a chip the size of a grain of rice inserted under the skin of a pet. The owner registers their details into a database, which is linked to a unique bar code on the chip. If the pet is lost, the chip can be scanned to discover who owns the cat.

The government has also stated that those owners who already have their cats microchipped should ensure their contact details are fully up to date.

The popular Digbeth Dining Club will be coming to Sandwell Valley on Friday 31 March.

A number of leading street food operators will be on the move to the grassed area outside the Sandwell Valley Park Farm to bring their cuisine to the people of the borough.

A sample of the food from one of the Digbeth Dining Club vendors, Cleopatra’s Kitchen

Street food vendors include Surf and Slice and its range of delicious wood-fired pizzas, Yardbirds with some finger-linking fried chicken dishes, and Middle Eastern food bar, Cleopatra’s Kitchen.

The line-up also includes:

• Fat Sangs
• The Boxx ‘n’ Bar
• Hope You’re Hungry
• Cookie Monster

They’ll also be liquid refreshments available courtesy of Bayleys of Bromsgrove and The Caravan Bar Company.

All of the family are welcome to join and the action starts at 5pm and ends at 10pm.

For more information, check out the Digbeth Dining Club Facebook page.

A Pelsall business owner-turned-author has published his first novel.

Jim Parsons first put pen to paper in 2020, as the country went into lockdown, to craft his debut novel. After going back to it a few months later, he is now the proud author of a book, named The Day I Won £117,998,147.47.

The main character is loosely based on himself, with other characters also based on members of his family, but the story is (sadly, for him) pure fiction: it tells how a man won a massive lottery win and how it changed his life – and the lives of others – for the better.

Jim, who owned Walsall Wood-based JAP Fencing until he retired at the age of 66 last year, said he now has the writing bug after penning the 272-page novel.

“Everybody dreams about winning the lottery; it was something I’d thought about,” he said. “I thought I would write a book about it. I really got into it.

“At first I wasn’t going to get it published, but my family said it was a good book and an easy read, so I contacted a couple of publishers and Michael Terence Publishing agreed to publish it. It was professionally edited and is now on sale.”

The talented writer, who lives with his wife Julie, has now turned his hand to writing a crime novel, set in Mexico,  called Taken Without Consent, and is already drafting his third book, a dystopian story set in 2424, when planet Earth is unrecognisable from today.

“I don’t stop,” he laughed. “I am quite busy with family, looking after the garden and going to the gym with my wife, but writing is a bit different. It was something I hadn’t done before 2020 and now I enjoy it.”

The Day I Won £117,998,147.47 by James Parsons is available on Amazon. ISBN: 1800944357.

Written by Jayne Howarth.

A community garden group in Caldmore can continue its work after Walsall Council agreed to extend it lease another 15 years.

Caldmore Community House in Carless Street, part of Caldmore Village Festival Limited, offers local residents the opportunity to work, learn and play together in the space.

Caldmore Community Garden was created in 2011 after a group of volunteers from Caldmore Village Festival Group approached whg (Walsall Housing Group) and Walsall Council with the idea of transforming a derelict piece of land in the middle of Caldmore into a space for all.

It obtained a lease in 2016 for the former school caretaker’s house and started refurbishment work on what is now known as Caldmore Community House.

Since then, it has hosted community meetings, workshops, classes, children’s activities and holiday play schemes and training sessions. Last year the garden, which was visited more than 25,000 times, was awarded a prestigious Green Flag community award and an RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood award.

Run by two full-time members of staff, three part time project delivery workers, plus more than 50 regular volunteers, it is open six days a week, thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund (Reaching Communities), Tudor Trust, Children in Need, People’s Health Trust Active Communities Fund and West Midlands Combined Authority Green Grants Programme.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader and portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “We’re pleased to continue our support to Caldmore Village Festival and very grateful and appreciative of the important service it provides to the community especially in its work with volunteers, schools, nurseries, fostering agencies and home-schooling parents.

“Extending this lease helps them continue their work to bring diverse communities together and help promote sustainability, environmental responsibility, health and wellbeing, and community participation and volunteering.

“As a council, we work with many community and voluntary associations both in the medium and longer term. We want to continue supporting these much-needed community services and it’s something reflected in our recently launched network of Walsall Connected hubs bringing customer services directly to the community.”

Mr Mohammed Arif, chair of Caldmore Village Festival Board, added:  We are delighted and overjoyed with the lease extension and it will help us in our long-term planning and help us attract longer-term funding in the future.

“This garden is a green space for everyone to enjoy and it’s open nearly every day of the year. It’s where everyone has the chance to contribute and realise their potential, a green space for joy, learning and play, and a meeting place of people of all cultures, ages, abilities and backgrounds.”

Written by Jayne Howarth

Every member of our West Midlands community will have their own memories of the Royal Family and now a project, called ‘Memories of the Royal Family’, backed by the Heritage Lottery fund, aims to create an archive of these unique individual memories.

This could include memories of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, including, how you felt personally about her death and her funeral. It could also include how people in your community felt, their emotions, what they did, etc. In addition, community members could also focus on past Royal family events in the West Midlands and their thoughts and emotions about other members, such as Charles becoming King, William and Kate, Princess Anne, Princess Diana, Prince Phillip, and other senior members of the Royal family.

In 2022, we lived through ‘once in a lifetime’ Royal events and 2023 will see the coronation of King Charles III.

Much of this history relates to unique individual memories, so that they remain for future generations.

• Do you have a memory of a member of our Royal family that you like to share?
• Did you serve in the Armed Forces and meet, serve with, or guard members of the Royal family.
• Have you received an award that was presented by a member of the Royal family?
• Would you like to share your thoughts on the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II?
• What are you planning for the Coronation of King Charles III?

If you have anything to share, please get in touch with Lee Mitchell on 01922 989817 and check out the Facebook page > https://www.facebook.com/memoriesoftheroyalfamily

[UPDATE] Following the voluntary liquidation of West Midland-based craft bewery Backyard Brewhouse last week, its assets, brand, beer and recipes have now been bought by 52 Degrees Brewing Ltd, who currently also own Grasshopper Brewery and the Warwickshire Beer Company.

Speaking with the Express & Star, director Simon Baldwin confirmed that Backyard beer will continue.  “We’re very happy that the Backyard brand and beers will continue. They have a huge following in the region and we’re happy to be able to continue that,” he said.

[ORIGINAL STORY]

Brownhills-based company Backyard Brewhouse has been placed into voluntary liquidation, blaming crippling energy costs and the current financial crisis which has made the 15-year-old business unsustainable.

A selection of ales from the Backyard Brewhouse

The craft brewery first opened in 2007 and has won multiple awards for its variety of beers and ales, which it supplied in casks and bottles to numerous pubs, shops and nightclubs.

Speaking on social media, Austen Morgan, one of Backyard Brewhouse’s original founders, issued the following statement regarding the closure.

“15 years ago myself and and good friend Mike started the Backyard Brewhouse. We started out on a 5 brewers barrel kit making about 3,500 pints a week in 2008.

 By 2020 we had grown to a highly respected, multi award winning brewery producing 650,000 pints a year. Then Covid happened, and it was tough. By the end of 2021 we knew we still had a viable business but would need some help to survive.

In January 2022, the business was sold in it’s entirety to an entrepreneurial company that where new to the brewing industry. They took the business as a going concern with the desire to drive things forward. For the past 12 months I have remained with the business helping the new owners become familiar with the business, the broader trade and understanding the ins and outs of a cask ale brewery.

Sadly, the efforts of the previous 12 months have not been sufficient to get the brewery to a stable state. The hangover from Covid combined with crippling energy costs and a broader financial crisis have contributed to an unsustainable situation.”

Walsall Golf Club boasts a stunning terrace and clubhouse, set in 102 acres of manicured greens and fairways, with hundreds of trees, hidden at the end of a driveway off the Broadway.

The club, which was founded in 1907, has launched two new membership schemes to reach out to new members and make the most of its fantastic facilities.

Former Club Captain Chris Hewitson said the idea was to continue the progress of the club as an inclusive sporting facility, and offer a more cost-effective way for people to enjoy one of the region’s best golf clubs.

Chris said: We have launched our Five Day Plus membership, and our Pathway Programme to open up the club to more people.

“Walsall Golf Club has a really healthy membership but, as with all clubs, there’s a real focus towards Saturday and Sunday play, with only around 20% of our members playing on weekdays.

“So, the idea of the Five Day Plus membership is to encourage people to join with a proper membership and have an official handicap which gives them access during the week, for a more affordable fee, with the addition of “Plus” for seven-day social membership.

“We’re pricing it at £828, which is about £500 less than the standard Full membership. For someone who wants to be a member of a golf club, but has time to spare during the week, it’s a game change – as it’s the best value for money in this area.

“Golf can be expensive but the Five Day Plus membership gives people the greatest value for their money, if they want to play golf to a decent standard but are not overly obsessed with winning trophies, or competitions.”

The club hopes the new membership will appeal to people who want to get back into golf after time away from the sports, or who have weekend commitments that leave them with time on their hands during the week.

“The Five Day membership is also an opportunity for people to join with their partners, or for older people who have distractions at the weekend, such as seeing their grandchildren or families.

“So, the membership perhaps suits mum and dad as they get older, if they want to get the right balance of lifestyle with their families or grandchildren.”

Over the last 18 months, Walsall Golf Club has invested nearly £400,000 in the club and its facilities, including £50,000 in the clubhouse alone.

Chris said: “It really is a fantastic place that so many people simply don’t even realise is here. When they come along the driveway for the first time and see the course, the clubhouse and the beautiful terraces it’s often quite a surprise to them.”

The club has also launched its innovated new Pathway Programme, which aims to provide a cost-effective way of helping complete novices learn how to play golf while sampling the benefits of club membership.

Chris explained: “The Pathway Programme is a great way for a complete novice to come into the club and get the whole golf experience.

“They join on a limited low-cost membership, which provides lessons that take them from being a complete novice to being capable of going out onto the course on their own, within a matter of months.

“It’s also an opportunity to not only learn to play golf but to experience the club as a member, to find out about the facilities and the social side of the club, so they can then make an informed decision on whether golf is for them.”

The two new memberships – Five Day Plus and Pathway – provide a tiered way to getting involved in the golf world, with the opportunity to move up to a full seven day membership, and the chance to take part in competitions available too.

Chris said:” The hope is that these new membership schemes will reposition the club to make sure these fantastic facilities are used throughout the week, so that more people can make the most of them. It’s about providing a flexibility that fits in with people’s lives.

“But it’s also about opening up this brilliant place so more members of the community get to experience the social aspects of joining.

“The days of golf being a pastime for the borough’s elite are over, and our club has a really friendly, welcoming energy with a fantastic social side, with events like BBQ’s, quizzes, party nights plus Sunday lunches and evening dining to name just a few of the events which are perfect for socialising.”

“During COVID, when we had to close down, we realised that the thing people missed the most wasn’t the golf, it was the social aspect of the club – the friendships.”

“That’s why we hope these new membership deals will encourage more people to come down and take a look.”

Visit www.walsallgolfclub.com for more information, or you can get in touch by phoning 01922 613512 extension 1.