MADAM, Your recent article reporting the so-called good news regarding money allocations for bridge improvements and up grading to take larger lorries over Bridge Sollars somewhat confuses me. Unless I am mistaken, the money is only to improve the bridge
MADAM, Increasingly, living in Leominster, one feels the town's interests are being relegated to secondary importance. We have lost our local Magistrates Court (false saving); the archaeology section, and now the planning department have been moved to
MORE than 100 Leominster schoolchildren enjoyed an extended Christmas holiday earlier this week after a huge volume of water from a burst pipe crashed through a ceiling and flooded classrooms. Parents of Year 3 children at Leominster Junior School were
PROPOSALS for a Leominster DIY superstore with an expected £2.6 million annual turnover have been hit by a major setback follow powerful objections from Government agencies. Plans for the 25,000 sq. ft store, an associated garden centre and car park for
ADVANCING age forced him to give up his stalls in other towns over the years but he loved Leominster so much that he carried on at the town's market almost until the end. The trader with the heart of gold, Mohammed 'Mike' Sharif, died on December 28 aged
A GUIDE leader who saved the life of a choking woman in a caf was honoured with the highest national Guide Association award in a surprise ceremony. Eighteen months ago Emma Strangwood was working in the kitchen of the Flying Dutchman, Leominster, when
THE next Leominster Local Area Forum will be held at the town's Talbot Hotel on Thursday, January 24. The meeting has been re-scheduled from January 10.
THE new chief officer of Herefordshire Community Health Council is Euan McPherson, appointed to the post just before Christmas. He takes over from former chief Sue Clarke who resigned from the job after nearly five years to move with her family, to Germany
THREE Steps to Heaven, a captivating musical comedy guaranteed to get your toes tapping and sides splitting, is coming to The Courtyard on Saturday January 19. Presented by the acclaimed Compact Theatre Company the show combines live 'Rockapella' and
THE first New Radnor concert this year takes place in the community centre this Saturday, January 12 at 7.30pm. It will be given by prestigious musicians from London, the Irby/Newland Ensemble. The Ensemble, made up of Christopher and Carol Irby and David
NEXT week, St Briavels Castle sees the arrival of 20 young professional classical musicians from all over the world to take part in the Lower Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival 2002. For the third year running these young people are coming together for
READING a story in The Hereford Times changed the lives of Herefordshire couple Emma and David Moreing. It helped lead to the birth of baby Joseph, the son they feared they would never have, writes LIZ WATKINS. Their happiness bubbled over throughout
A 42-YEAR-OLD from Hereford has become the county's first road fatality of 2002. David John Dryland died during a collision between his motorcycle and a lorry on Holme Lacy Road, Hereford, at 4.45pm on Tuesday (January 8). Mr Dryland's machine was one
THE heart of Hereford was at a standstill on Friday when a major gas leak forced the evacuation of some of the city's biggest shops and banks just as hundreds of shoppers were arriving at opening time. Busy January trade was dealt a hammer blow as the
A MODERN building that will appear as a wafer with a turf roof is the outcome of a major architectural challenge to build a classroom block in the centre of one of the city's most historically sensitive areas. Against the backdrop of Hereford Cathedral
HEREFORD'S first park and ride scheme carried almost 2,000 passengers during the festive period. The scheme's busiest day was Saturday, December 15 when 611 people climbed on board, much to the delight of Herefordshire Council. Jim Davies, the council's
A HEREFORD dentist planning to open a new surgery in the city has met with more than teething problems. Plans for a practice at the controversial Brentnor House residential home site in Hafod Road have been refused by Herefordshire Council planners. The
A HEREFORD painter and decorator, who has won an international photography competition, believes his amazing success is as much down to his family's patience as his skill as a snapper. Peter Goode, of Green Street, won £3,500 worth of camera equipment
A student at Hereford Sixth Form College has become the first recipient of a leading sports bursary. Sarah Bushnell was awarded the Matthew White Bursary as one of the most talented college sportspeople to go on to study at Loughborough University. The
GARETH Wills defied a broken knuckle in his bowling hand to reach the quarter-finals of the Wales Indoor Bowling Association Under-25 singles championships. The Hereford bowler, who plays for Radnorshire during the winter indoor season, suffered his injury
A HEREFORDSHIRE father and son marked their debut in the Central Southern Championship Rally 2001 with victory in the 1400cc class. Herefordshire Motor Club's Chris and Tom Powis completed their successful campaign at Longcross in Surrey. At the beginning
HEREFORDSHIRE started their English Counties Netball League South West Division campaign with a deserved 31-25 home win over the Navy. Lyndsey Corbet, Sam Price, Sue Kingston, Rachel Balance and Karen Bowen each made their debuts and contributed towards
Films change on Friday and run for seven days (unless otherwise stated). Phone venue for times. Odeon Cinema, Hereford Lord of the Rings (PG). Senior Screen, Thursday 17 only, The Winslow Boy starring Nigel Hawthorne v 01432 272554. Coliseum Film Centre
SONDHEIM's 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' opens next Wednesday in Malvern's Forum Theatre. Directed by Marie-Louise Doherty, Malvern Theatre Players post-Christmas production has a strong cast of regular members and newcomers who have
RESIDENTS of a Herefordshire market town are being invited to participate in a series of meetings designed to guide the government regeneration programme for the area. People in and around Kington will have the chance to discuss with West Midland Enterprise
A BURGLAR shinned up his Herefordshire neighbour's drainpipe after the householder went to hospital to collect his newborn baby, Worcester Crown Court heard. But as Roger Evans tried to break in through Gary Darby's bathroom window he was caught. The
THE syllabus is now available for the 68th Herefordshire Festival for Music, Dance, Speech and Drama, 2002. This year the woodwind and string classes have been graded in line with examination boards in the hope that both teachers and pupils will find
A FORMER member of the SAS, Red Devil skydiver and best-selling author plunged over 4,000ft to his death when he jumped without a parachute from a light aircraft. 'Nish' Bruce, whose body was recovered from a football pitch near Fifield, Oxfordshire,
NINETY-SIX riverside parishes in Herefordshire will share £2.44 million of European and Government money to enhance their communities, it was announced this week. Villages and towns along the Rivers Wye and Lugg and their tributaries the Frome and Arrow
PITCHED as the public building project that took Hereford into the 21st century, the county's long overdue new library HQ seems to have sat on the shelf for more than a year - and the bookworms are turning. It was November 2000 when Herefordshire Council
WHERE does the axe fall - and what does it spare? The blade slashing Herefordshire Council spending has two schools in its sights, while defending that spent so far on securing a new Hereford library. This week, Council leader Terry James confirmed that
CLARE Thomas has met the detective to whom she'll describe an attack that left her for dead. The officer was introduced to Mrs Thomas in November, when it became apparent that, against the odds, she would eventually be up to interview. But it's going
THE Public Record Office's computers may have gone into 'meltdown' following the publication of the 1901 census on line, but Herefordshire folk can trace their relatives by looking a bit closer to home. The publication of the 1901 census on the Public
WHEN the young photographer was despatched to a London park to get a picture of Winston Churchill, the shot of the great man emerging from his car was not quite what he wanted; so he requested the living legend to repeat the act. With a typical Churchillian
'HEARTBROKEN' is the way a Herefordshire woman feels over the disappearance of her parrot. 'Sam Parrot' as he calls himself, is a small African Grey Timini Parrot and had lived in How Caple for 15 years. On December 19 his owner, Jean Williams, was distraught
A LARGE amount of cash was stolen from a sheltered home during a distraction burglary in Ross-on-Wye on January 7. Posing as workmen the two thieves asked a resident at the Purlands sheltered accommodation complex if they had any trees to fell at about
PARENTS in Herefordshire will be asked to choose 'Green Nappies' for their babies this year. Ross-on-Wye's EnviroAbility is using a £35,000 grant for a project to provide a distribution and collection service for real nappies. Environmentalists have poo-pooed
THE Hereford Marathon has been abandoned after 20 years following the retirement of its founder, Sandra Griffiths. Sandra, who lives in the city, bowed out last summer due to ill health, having organised the event with her committee for two decades. Runners
HEREFORD United player-coach Phil Robinson has warned his side to remain focussed ahead of Saturday's trip to Chesham United in the third round of the FA Umbro Trophy, writes IAN MORGAN. The former Aston Villa and Wolves midfielder is expecting a tough
CARAVANNERS -- John and Mo Bate would like to get in touch with other couples in the area who have a touring caravan, and travel to Spain or Portugal during the winter months. John and Mo have been caravanning for many years, and are members of both Caravan
BOWLS -- Two friendly indoor bowls matches at St. Weonards village hall saw the Sellack club entertain firstly the Bulmers players and then those from the Richmond club. Bringing their league programme to the half way stage shortly before Christmas the
GARDENERS -- It is hoped that this year we will be able to have a 'Linton Gardens Open Day', sometime in June or July, and raise funds for a local charity. This is an opportunity to share your garden with other villages for an afternoon and we are looking
WEEK OF PRAYER -- Gorsley Chapel is holding a Week of Prayer until January 11, between 7-8am each morning. Come and join us if you can and get the New Year off to the best possible start. Feel free to just pop in for a short while before the start of
APPEAL -- Exactly one year after the launch of the £80,000 appeal to restore the spire of St Giles, Goodrich, a thanksgiving service will be held in the church on January 20. Work on the spire started in July and was completed in early December. Some
JUBILEE MEETING -- AN open meeting is being held in the Old School Hall on Wednesday, January 16 at 7.30pm to discuss village celebrations for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
WHIST DRIVE -- Mr J Hope, church warden, was the MC at the annual church Christmas whist drive, held in Almeley village hall on Tuesday, December 18. VILLAGE HALL -- Almeley Village Hall Committee has arranged a Sunday luncheon to be held in the hall
MADAM, Like many older local music lovers I am very interested in the proposal to erect a statue of the late Sir Edward Elgar in Hereford. I sang under his conductorship many times beginning with the Three Choirs Festival Chorus at Worcester in 1920 and
MADAM, Happy New Year! Hello, my name is Elysia and I am just three years old. Mummy and I have been staying with grandma and granddad for Christmas. On Saturday December 22, mummy and I went into town and I had my nice new little brown shoulder bag with
MADAM, It was my misfortune to have to spend Christmas in hospital. It was the first time I had been in a civilian hospital as a patient. As I lay ill in bed various thoughts began to run through my mind. Politicians, I thought, as supposedly is their
MADAM, The new Afghan regime is already proving highly amenable to the US. One of the national broadsheets reports: "Afghanistan's new authorities are brutalising Taliban and Al-Quaida prisoners to soften them up before handing them over to American forces
Madam, Not one Liberal Democrat MP among the 53 that they have has stated publicly any concern whatsoever about losing the Pound Sterling nor have any of them ever debated against further European Union integration. This can mean either one of two things
MADAM, With reference to the letter from Messrs John and Stuart Hinton (December 20) I wonder what century they live in. Most of the town centre of Leominster was built in the 18th and early 19th centuries and was designed to reflect the living of those
A LEOMINSTER householder lost Second World War medals belonging to her father in a raid on her home, a court heard. She returned from holiday to find bedrooms searched at the house in Godiva Road, Leominster, Worcester Crown Court was told. Andrew Hayes
A PLUCKY schoolgirl has been praised by Ambulance Service chiefs for keeping a cool head and taking the right steps in an emergency at her Leominster home. Charlotte Lowe, 13, came downstairs in the evening to find her mum Carol Johns, a diabetic, lying
A 25-YEAR dream for a single modern hospital for Herefordshire came to fruition this week when the first patients moved into the new building. By tomorrow 73 patients will be enjoying the benefits of the state-of-the-art facilities in the new County Hospital
THE Britten Singers will be starting rehearsals for their new season on Friday, January 11. This well established chamber choir, now in its 27th year under founder/director Pamela White, will be as usual tackling a challenging programme of music ranging
FIERCE, fiery full-on folk-rock is what has built the reputation of Bluehorses, taking them to headline appearances at Glastonbury and other festivals all over the UK and Europe and now to Hereford's Courtyard on Friday, January 18 at 8pm. Fronted by
The Saturday Caf, a popular series of lunchtime music sessions at the Courtyard in Hereford, is set to start its 2002 programme next week after a short winter break. The Music Pool, the county's community music charity, is promoting the informal sessions
BUSINESS at one of Hereford's top employers is to mushroom if a proposal to develop new agricultural opportunities is approved. Drinks manufacturer Bulmers is to study a plan to grow speciality fungi using by-products from thousands of acres of cider
A DISTINCTIVE statue that was reported as a 'missing person' to Hereford police has mysteriously turned up at a city pub. The naked 3ft high, pot-bellied wooden statue disappeared from the garden of a house in Whitehorse Street over Christmas. He was
TWO major road safety improvement schemes will start in Hereford later this month. Both involve the city's main traffic route, the A49. In Holmer Road the Highways Agency plans to install a pelican crossing outside Holmer School, to extend the 30mph speed
HEREFORD Sixth Form College has received recognition for outstanding performance with government funding for a major new development to be undertaken this year. College Principal Jonathan Godfrey announced the £500,000 cash boost for a new teaching block
HEREFORDSHIRE table tennis player Alistair Dawson failed to qualify for the England junior squad, despite causing a big upset at the national trials in Stratford. The 16-year-old won three of his seven matches at the English Table Tennis Association-organised
Monmouth 2nd 0 pts Hereford 2nd 10 HEREFORD and Monmouth agreed to play a friendly in spite of the fact that the ground had only partially thawed. Both sides defied the slippery conditions and greasy ball to serve up some attractive running rugby but
The girls at Parkfields Gallery, Ross-on-Wye, are celebrating their first year in business. Since its opening last January the team has attracted custom from all over the West. Established by Cheryl Perrett and run by her dedicated team the gallery shows
VIC Baggott had a reasonable excuse for the moderate shot that signified his drive in to office as captain of Kington Golf Club - a broken arm! Two weeks after suffering the injury when a ladder slipped as he was pruning an apple tree, the redoubtable
IT took the woman quite by surprise. There, back in town, was good old Jack Moeran - someone she had not seen for a long, long time. She made to cross over to talk to him but was amazed when he raised his hand, like a policeman on traffic duty, and stopped
THE latest in Ian Allan Publishing's 'View from the Past' series 'Chester and North Wales Border Railways' covers an area between Chester and the Mersey in the north and Herefordshire in the south. The publishers have set out to produce a book with a
Aug 18 Barnet (H) 2-1 (Snape, G Williams) Aug 21 Nuneaton (A) 0-2 Aug 25 Stalybridge (A) 2-0 (Elmes 2) Aug 27 Southport (H) 0-0 Sep 1 Margate (A) 2-2 (G Williams, Parry) Sep 4 Forest Green (H) 0-0 Sep 8 Dover (H) 3-0 (Elmes 2, M Williams) Sep 11 Dagenham
A STRONG second-half showing earned Leo-minster an impressive 5-2 friendly home win over county rivals Hereford who fielded a side of first and second team players. Leominster took the lead on 25 minutes when Rob Goodman lost his marker and applied a
A NEW arrival in a Herefordshire village accidentally introduced himself by dropping in on the neighbours - from a 30ft roof. But such was the community's response to Derek Midgley's misfortune he has set up an annual prize in gratitude for their touching
A PILOT project in Herefordshire is aiming to help the young and the old get to know each other better. Volunteers are being asked to join in and offer their time to work with little children in preschool groups and nurseries. The call is aimed at people
IT'S a matter of mathematics --Herefordshire Council's case for closing Wormbridge School doesn't add up, says chair of governors Prebendary James Butterworth; and he's got the figures he thinks can show so. Preb. Butterworth was responding to a council
DID you serve at the Glider Training School at RAF Shobdon during the Second World War? If you did, then your reminiscences could be very useful to a Hereford man in his research for a material for a new book. If you can help, drop him a line at Richard
FROM a hilltop overlooking Knighton he speaks of the end of the world, neither street preacher nor subway prophet but scientist. And with Armageddon nigh it will be the likes of Jay Tate in the frontline, not a 'Bruce Willis'. This Fellow of the Royal
events 14 Countryside Alliance Open Meeting, 7pm, Three Counties Hotel, Hereford. Details: 01544 327326. 17 Wassailing. Leave from Temple Bar Inn, Ewyas Harold at 7pm. Torchlight procession followed by Mummers play and music. Details: 01981 240208. 19
Westfields 4 Wolves Casuals 0 WESTFIELDS moved up to fifth place in the West Midlands League Premier Division following a convincing win over title-chasing visitors. Derek Craddock bagged a double, while Alec Winstone and Paul Burton also found the net
WELLINGTON Rangers moved to the top of the Hereford Times Hereford-shire League Premier Division after a 4-2 win over Weston. The home side fought back from an early deficit to run out comfortable winners and take over the leadership for the first time
KINGTON Town took a point off Under-15 Division table toppers Hereford Juniors Bulls in an entertaining draw in the HGTA Herefordshire Junior League. UNDER-11 DIVISION Lads Club Colts 2 Orleton 2 UNDER-13 DIVISION Lads Club 0 Bromyard Town 0 Lads Club
A FIRE broke out in a chimney at Connolly's bar in Ross-on-Wye last Sunday. The incident occurred at 1.30pm and was attended by fire fighters from Ross and Hereford, who left the scene at 3.15pm.
AN inquest has been opened into the death of a man at a Hay-on-Wye builders' merchant. Bryan Millward, aged 60, of Goodrich Court, Gloucester Road, Ross-on-Wye, was found in the yard of FJ Williams with severe head injuries on December 19. He was taken
HEREFORD United are still awaiting gate receipts and expenses from last month's trip to Swindon Town in the second round of the FA Cup. The cash-strapped Bulls have asked the Football Association to intervene following the Wiltshire club's failure to
LUCTONIANS RFC welcome back Wales Under-21 squad member Alex Davidson for their Midlands 1 top-of-the-table home clash with Leicester Lions this Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm. He will be in the squad as they bid to avenge the 10-0 away defeat suffered in
MOST of the county clubs' football league programme was wiped out by frost-bound conditions at the weekend and there was no league rugby played. Three Hereford Times Herefordshire Football League matches went ahead, however, and Westfields staged the
KINGS Caple trainer Venetia Williams followed up an across-the-card double at Fakenham and Fontwell earlier in the week with a win for Jollie Bollie at Hereford Races on Tuesday. Jollie Bollie was sent off as 10/11 favourite in the second division of
A BROMYARD Amnesty International supporter wishes to thank Hereford shoppers for helping her to collect £720 for the charity. Judy Wooland and her helpers held a street collection in the city on December 12 and displayed pictures from young artists representing
CHRISTMAS WORSHIP -- Christmas services at Presteigne's churches were extremely well attended, the ranks of regular worshippers being increased by many others perhaps concerned or even personally affected by the exceptional hardships and anxieties of
CAROL SERVICE -- Knighton Baptist Church held its annual 'Carols by Candlelight' service. The Rev. Stephen Wood, the church's minister, gave a mediation on the theme 'peace'. He said that the last months of 2001 had been a difficult and troublesome time
Group Parish Council -- The November meeting was very busy with nine councillors present, one approved absence of councillor, two members of the public. District Councillor Graham Morgan was also in attendance. The minutes of the meeting of the October
WHIST DRIVE -- An enjoyable Christmas whist drive took place at the New Strand, Eardisley on Monday, December 17. MC for the evening was Mr V Goode, who presented prizes to Mrs G Lloyd, Mrs M Fenton, Mrs C Clayton, Mrs M Goode, Mrs K Jenkins and Mrs M
WOMEN'S INSTITUTE -- The annual meeting was held in November in the village hall, and the secretary, Jean Parsons was able to report on a very successful year, starting with the 80th anniversary of the WI, which was celebrated with a New Year lunch, birthday
MADAM, I would like to thank the two ladies who came to my assistance when I fell in Commercial Street, Hereford on Wednesday, December 12 last. Their help and kindness was much appreciated. T G OLIVER, Newtown, Holme Lacy.
MADAM, To all Hereford Times readers: thank you very much for all of the beautiful lights you have put up outside your houses. We have been really excited driving home in the evening and looking at all of them. We can't wait until next Christmas to see
MADAM, Strawberry fields forever (PHoskins letter, December 20) : 'The natural beauty of the area is being sacrificed by hoops covered in plastic. The development is surely something the local authority can, and should, control.' Our council does not
MADAM, The start of a new year, a cloudless sky, the thermometer hovering around zero, a suburban garden off Aylestone Hill. The RSBP bird feeder bought in Wales a day or so ago is providing endless pleasure, though the wild bird seed at £1 a litre is
MADAM, I read with some astonishment the rather inaccurate and childish letter from Mr Robin James of Leominster regarding the public meeting held at Leominster in relation to travellers, and the fact that I was not present at that meeting. He makes a
