May 2024 - Pioneer Magazines

Stages Through The Ages Review – Prince of Wales Theatre

The junior and adult cast of the Aldridge Musical Comedy Society (AMCS) put on a great show for their latest theatre production, Stages Through the Ages. High-energy performances, toe-tapping tunes, and nostalgic numbers took the audience at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock right back to the Broadway production of Show Boat from the 1920s before journeying right through to songs from modern-day musical theatre shows, including Hamilton and Back to the Future.

**Adult cast with a performance from Hair.**

Backed by a live band that kicked things off with an impressive musical composition consisting of a selection of classic musical tunes, the stage was set for a night to remember. The cast of Stages Through the Ages performed 29 songs from stage shows throughout the years, combining scintillating solo performances, dreamy duets, and harmonious ensembles from the whole cast.

Highlights included a powerful presence from Richard Beckett, whose commanding vocals shone in “Do You Hear The People Sing?” from Les Miserables, “Beggin’” from Jersey Boys, and “Luck Be A Lady” from Guys & Dolls. Hats off to Mark Newman for a perfectly-timed rap of the very tricky “Alexander Hamilton” from Hamilton, which he executed with style and rhythm; Rebecca Oatley for a beautiful performance of “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” from My Fair Lady; and Chloe Robinson, who delivered captivating solo performances from stage shows including Rent and Cabaret.

**Richard Beckett and the cast delivering a rousing version of “Do You Hear The People Sing?”**

Chloe returned to the stage for a dazzling duet with Mark Bayliss, who left the pit as the conductor to join her on stage for an emotional performance of “All I Ask Of You” from Phantom of the Opera that wouldn’t have been out of place on the West End stage.

Numerous other members of the cast also took their chance to shine with a rousing and energetic version of “Ex-Wives” from Six, featuring Gaynor White, Chante Williamson, Sarah Beckett, Rebecca Oatley, Chloe Robinson, and Lucy Pountain, which received one of the biggest cheers of the night, and a pitch-perfect rendition of “Popular” from Wicked by Charlotte Mannion. Encapsulating the old showbiz phrase “the show must go on,” Emma Bosworth took to the stage in various numbers, including “Super Trooper” from Mamma Mia and in the role of Miss Honey from Matilda with crutches, having injured herself severely back-stage during the opening night. Now, that’s dedication!

The junior cast melted hearts when they first took to the stage for “Yellow Brick Road” from the Wizard of Oz, but proved themselves to be just as show-stopping as the adults with some fantastic performances, especially in “When I Grow Up” and “Naughty” from Matilda, with the likes of Amelie Williamson, Amelia Critchley, and Heidi Gottschall delivering their lines with maturity beyond their years. Indeed Amelia, aged just 13, also put on a sterling show as Tracy Turnblad from Hairspray with an impressive interpretation of the song “Good Morning Baltimore”.

**The junior cast singing “Yellow Brick Road”**

A special mention must go to choreographer Sarah Beckett who has been behind the choreography at AMCS for 36 shows and is now taking a break. She can now enjoy her rest proud of her achievements and be pleased that she has gone out on a high with some magnificent moves from the cast ranging from 1930’s tap-dancing to modern dance styles.

Overall, Stages Through the Ages was a theatrical triumph, showcasing the talent and dedication of the AMCS cast and leaving the audience eagerly anticipating their next performance – So This Is Christmas, coming to the Prince of Wales Theatre between November 28-30, 2024.

A burger revolution comes to Aldridge

When most people think of hamburgers they think of ‘fast food’ – mass produced snacks, created in a kitchen more like a production line.

But when Dean Haynes decided to create his own range of burgers, speed was the furthest thing from his mind – as he took weeks and weeks to get his recipes just right.

For 24 years, Dean worked at McDonalds, tirelessly producing burgers to the company’s guidelines. Now, as the proprietor of Aldridge food joint the New Orleans Burger Company, he took time to perfect his range of high-quality burgers.

Launched in November, New Orleans Burger Co. offers hot, fresh, expertly-crafted burgers at an affordable price.

Their menus boasts a wide variety of beef and chicken burgers named along an American theme, as well as delicious wraps, sides and milkshakes.

Dean spoke about the effort he and his teammates put into finding the perfect recipe.

He said: “I spent 24 years working for McDonalds, and it was all about being automated and consistent. So, when I started my own burger restaurant, I wanted to do something different.

“We came up with the idea for New Orleans back in August, but didn’t officially launch until November. The gap was because we took our time to get the product right, trying our recipes and combinations and getting the ingredients just how I wanted them”.

Quality burgers

At the heart of the New Orleans Burger Co. is one thing – quality.

Dean explained: “For me, what makes a good burger is quality, fresh ingredients. Everything has to be just right. We never mass-produce burgers either – everything must be made hot and fresh, when it is ordered.”

During his research, Dean scoured the market to find the best quality ingredients for his products, something he says sets them apart.

He said: “Because we’re not a chain, we can hone in on quality ingredients. We’re not governed by a head office telling us what to use.

“We search the whole market to find the best ingredients, no matter the cost – we have high standards.

“If suppliers can’t keep up with the standards we expect, we have no problem holding them accountable and changing suppliers.”

Today, New Orleans Burger Co. has received rave reviews from regular customers and online patrons alike, but the quest to find the perfect burger is always ongoing.

Dean said: “Building reputation and trust among our customers is key. We always seek honest feedback from people, so we can keep improving.

“We want our innovation and high standards to shine through”.

Dean says there may be more branches of New Orleans Burger Co. opening in the future, as he considers the opportunities to expand, but for now he’s focused on providing quality food for his Aldridge customers as a proudly independent shop.

He said: “There’s been a craze for mainstream burger chains, like Five Guys and McDonalds, but we’re missing local independents. You get a different taste when you go independent; it’s a revolution”.

New Orleans Burger Co. is located inside The Parade Fish & Chip Shop at 8 Croft Paradise, Aldridge, WS9 8LY.

NHS Heroes: Sue Edwards Making a Difference in End-of-Life Care

Bereavement Lead Nurse Sue Edwards is the friendly face who delivers compassionate support to people at one of the most difficult and emotional times in their lives.

Based at Sandwell and West Birmingham (SWB) NHS Trust, Sue works closely with the palliative care team, mortuary services, the chaplaincy and many more to ensure she aids those who are grieving following the death of a loved one.

She explained: “It’s a very emotional job, but one that is truly rewarding. I feel privileged to be able to support people at such a sensitive time. As a student nurse I knew that I wanted to work within palliative care and have worked within the speciality since 2008 as a clinical nurse specialist.

“I felt drawn to making a difference, especially as a patient approached the end of their life – whether that was helping to manage their symptoms or helping to ensure they were discharged to their chosen place of care or death.

“I was also there to help personalise their care whilst they were on staying on a ward.”

Sue, from Stourbridge, qualified as a nurse 30 years ago at City Hospital when it was known as Dudley Road.

“I’ve been really lucky to have so many good experiences at the Trust, but some standout moments include helping to support bereaved families during the pandemic and working alongside a team of gifted befriending volunteers,” she recalled.

“Seeing the ‘Tree of Hope’ memorials installed across our hospital sites and ceremonies held in remembrance of our patients and our staff has been really emotional and memorable. And of course, attending an NHS Birthday service at Westminster Abbey really was an amazing experience. I was also nominated for a Star Award, the organisation’s recognition event, which was a real honour.”

Sue added: “I’ve grown both personally and professionally – every day is different, and I love how varied my role is within the Trust. I deliver compassionate care by speaking with kindness, listening carefully without judgement and willingness to help others and to accept people for who they are.”

Threatened bee species thriving at Barr Beacon

Two ‘near-threatened’ species of bees are thriving at Barr Beacon local nature reserve.

The Cats Ear Mining Bee (Andrena humilis) and the Cats Ear Nomad Bee (Nomada integra), both of which are classified as “near threatened”, were found for the first time in decades by University of Birmingham PhD researcher Aaron Bhambra.

It follows extensive habitat restoration work the local authority has carried out with Natural England.

Walsall Council began restoring heathland at Barr Beacon 20 years ago, using government funding and advice from Natural England.

Now the site is part of national flagship project the Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project, which aims to create nature-rich places between Sutton Park and Cannock Chase.

Aaron Bhambra said: “What’s fascinating about this discovery, is that there are only a handful of sites in the region where both species are known to be found together, which underscores just how critical sub-urban green spaces like Barr Beacon are for supporting threatened insect communities.”

Chloe Hardman, project manager for the Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project at Natural England, added: “This is a brilliant example of organisations working together for nature recovery. Walsall Council are carrying out habitat restoration, with advice and funding from Natural England, whilst the University of Birmingham are monitoring how effective the different restoration methods are. Knowing that our actions are helping these threatened bee species to survive gives our partnership a real boost.”

As part of the council’s work to restore heathland across several sites, it has spread heather and other native wildflower seeds and created more bare earth for ground-nesting bees.

Streetly campaigners install third defibrillator

A Streetly campaigning group that has been fundraising for defibrillators in the area has celebrated installing its third one.

The group raised enough money to install one at the Foley Arms, Foley Road West, following on from the Hardwick Arms, on Chester Road, and outside the Co-op in Thorney Road.

Fundraising volunteers Will Wheeler, Katie Blabey, Anne-Marie Goodchild and Mary Wheeler, outside the Foley Arms.

Anne-Marie Goodchild, one of the volunteers, helped to man stalls at various local events such as the Blackwood Park Coronation Party in the Park, Blackwood Road Christmas Market and Streetly Sports and Community Association summer fete, to boost their coffers.

The group, which maintains the red phone box on Burnett Road, also held raffles at the Foley Arms and Hardwick Arms, was presented with a grant of £500 from Costa Coffee as part of its community support initiatives, and rattled collection tins at Red & White in Hardwick Road.

“We are trying to get as many 24-hour accessible defibrillators as possible in the Streetly area,” said Anne-Marie.

“We have looked to spread the locations out within Streetly and looked for premises that will allow the deliberator on an outside wall. The good news is that we’ve just been given permission for install another one at Cost Cutter on Chester Road.”

To find your nearest defibrillator, head to defibfinder.uk

Walsall Arboretum looks spectacular in new drone footage

A unique view of Walsall Arboretum, which explores its 170 acres of land, offers a new perspective on the town’s popular historic park.

Utilising a drone, Walsall Council has launched the footage on YouTube ahead of the 150^th anniversary celebrations of the Walsall Arboretum.

“Residents and visitors can now experience the beauty of this historic park from a breathtaking aerial perspective. We hope these visuals will inspire people to come and see it for themselves and experience the Arboretum’s magic,” said Jaki Brunton-Douglas, Healthy Spaces team manager at Walsall Council.

Check out the footage.

The anniversary celebrations take place on Saturday May 4 from 12-7pm. The line-up includes a host of music acts across two stages, as well as boat rides and the re-opening of the miniature railway.

Popular toy brand setting up shop in Walsall’s Tesco store

Children’s toy retailer, The Entertainer, is expanding its partnership with Tesco to appear in numerous stores in the area, including Walsall Extra on Littleton Street and the Superstore in Brownhills.

Following the successful launch of its products in 35 locations across the U.K. over the last couple of years, The Entertainer will become a feature in all 853 stores across the U.K. and Republic of Ireland.

Brands will include LEGO, Hot Wheels, Barbie, Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig, as well as a range of toys from the Early Learning Centre.

Andrew Murphy, CEO of The Entertainer, announced the extended partnership on LinkedIn, saying:

“This expansion will give The Entertainer the largest number of retail locations of any toy retailer in the UK.

“It’s a huge opportunity, but also a huge undertaking and logistical challenge.

“Getting to this point has required a great collaborative effort between almost every part of our organisation and our counterparts in Tesco.

“It’s been a great team effort and I want to thank everyone across both businesses who has done so well and moved so quickly to get us set for success.”

Win BBC Gardeners’ World Live Tickets – 2024

Urban Gardens, a spectacular edible headline show garden by Adam Frost, orchids from all over the world, and new stages and workshops are just some of the exciting new highlights at this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Live, returning to the NEC Birmingham from 13-16 June.

It’s the perfect day out for green-fingered folks and first-time gardeners alike, with inspiring show gardens and floral displays to enjoy, achievable ideas to try at home, plants to browse and buy and well-known gardening faces sharing expert advice.

There are many highlights to look forward to, including the Association of Professional Landscapers’ APL Avenue Show Garden Competition, where companies will be showcasing their skills, creating back garden designs inspired by the theme “The Good Life”.

For a full-line up of what’s taking place at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, and to purchase tickets, check out the official site.

Win Tickets to BBC Gardeners’ World Live

To win a pair of tickets, simply answer the following question:

What is the theme for the APL Avenue Show Gardens?

You can enter via Facebook, or by emailing community@pioneermagazines.co.uk with the subject header “Gardeners’ World Live Tickets”.

The closing date is Friday 24 May with the winner revealed on Saturday 25 May.