Home   News   Article PREPARE your tastebuds for some tasty treats as the Alcester Food Festival returns the festival will once again celebrate local food drink and community spirit with more than 100 stalls featuring mouth-watering street food The event also includes the Schools Bake-Off competition at Alcester Town Hall where talented young bakers from Alcester Academy Alcester Grammar and St Benedict’s schools will showcase their best baked creations to a panel of judges Food lovers can also attend the Food Educators Brunch which takes place 10am-11am at Alcester Baptist Church charitable groups and community advocates to spotlight the power of food education in shaping healthier and sustainable futures Organiser Elizabeth Lake said: “The Food Educators Brunch offers a unique platform for education professionals food enthusiasts and community groups to connect collaborate and share insights over a delicious “This brunch is about celebrating the people who teach us where our food comes from how to enjoy it sustainably and why it matters.” email elizabeth@countrysideclassroom.org.uk The food festival will be open from 9am till 5pm Festival organiser David Henderson added: “We’re thrilled to welcome everyone back to Alcester for what’s shaping up to be another fantastic food festival It’s a great chance to support local producers and enjoy a great day out with friends and family.” which are part of Warwickshire County Council’s libraries service have achieved the award in the Midlands region category The service's award nomination placed particular emphasis on Stratford-upon-Avon and Alcester libraries’ Chatterbooks for Reluctant Readers programme, which has also been recently shortlisted for a Reading Award by Libraries Connected The programme is aimed at engaging with school children who may otherwise never attend their local library Stratford-upon-Avon and Alcester libraries are now among just ten Regional and Country Winners selected from across the country to be in the running for the prestigious Library of the Year award at The British Book Awards 2025 The overall Library of the Year award winner will be announced at The British Book Awards ceremony on Monday 12 May 2025 The Library of the Year award recognises libraries for their innovation and their ability to establish themselves as vital reading hubs that support local needs within their communities The award can recognise individual libraries as well as work done across library districts The award is sponsored by DK and delivered in association with The Reading Agency. To view the full list of Library of the Year Regional and Country Winners, visit The Bookseller website Portfolio Holder for Customer and Transformation “This is fantastic news for Stratford-upon-Avon and Alcester to be recognised on a national level and I would once again like to congratulate our libraries staff who continue to deliver our enriching and vibrant library service offer We are keeping our fingers crossed for the national Library of the Year award later in the Spring but we are already so proud of their achievement in winning the regional award “Warwickshire Libraries provide a diverse range of resources event and activities that are suitable for all ages and are available to access for free through a no-cost membership Our libraries are friendly and welcoming spaces that meet our residents’ needs but most importantly they help to bring the people in our communities together and feel a sense of belonging.” To keep-up to date with Warwickshire Libraries’ latest information and events, follow the service on Facebook and Instagram, or sign-up to the weekly newsletter. Warwickshire Libraries is also a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) in Arts Council England’s funding plans for 2023-26 which means it’s receiving funding from Arts Council England’s Investment Programme over three years to deliver a programme of free cultural and creative outreach activities THE Alcester Heart of England Town Crier competition was this year resolved with a tie- breaking ‘cry-off’ A total of 12 criers from across the country some from as far as Colchester and Bognor Regis descended on Alcester for the event on Saturday (19th April) told the Herald about a successful day and why the theme for the cries was chosen He said: “The day went really well and the competition was good The theme for the cry was ‘Life before mobile phones’ “I thought it tied in quite well with the fact that we’re all town criers and we were “There was actually a tie for first place so we had what is called a cry-off In second place was Adrian Holmes who represents Lichfield Third place went to Kevin Ward of Bromsgrove ALCESTER Town Walking Football Club are organising a 12-hour charity fundraising event – and they are calling out for teams to sign up this festival of football will take place at Stratford Sports Club 12 one-hour walking football matches will take place and all donations will go to support Stratford Samaritans The man who has got the wheels in motion on this fund-raiser is Chris Onslow He told the Herald: “I was asked by Mark Pritchard-Jeff if I would raise much needed funds for the local Samaritans Walking sports has exploded in recent years and football is at the forefront of walking activities “I had the idea to do a 12-hour stint as I play with Alcester Town Walking Football and it delivers on every front; it’s fun great cardio and totally inclusive with many games being mixed genders.” Not only did Chris come up with the idea of a 12-hour footballing marathon he’s also going to play across the whole day The inspiration will be there for Chris should he start struggling but marathon sporting events not new to him “I am not underestimating the challenge of continuous exercise for 12 hours but I am confident my fitness through my running daily and my walking football will see me through,” Chris added “I have experience of marathon-type events as I did 24 hours continuous tennis on two occasions If at any point I am struggling I will draw on the amazing work of the Samaritans and the work they do supporting people with their life challenges “My pain will be for 12 hours while their pain can be long term and sometimes tragic I believe there are lots of good Samaritans that will be playing supporting and donating which will help me through any physical challenges.” The games will take place on courts one and two at Stratford Sports Club Several teams have already signed up to take part (at £5 per player) a couple of teams from Alcester Town and even one from the Stratford Herald but teams are encouraged to try to wear similar shirts TO say that 23-year-old Callum Finneran is keen on catering is an understatement When he was a teenager he did a two-year professional cookery course at the University College of Birmingham and passed with distinction after only six months after a series of jobs managing hotels and working in wine bars and coffee shops It’s called Chapter 23 – a reference to his own age at the point of taking on the project Alcester – the location of the tea shop known as Orangemabel until it closed recently after 15 years Born in Redditch and brought up in Studley Callum went to St Benedict’s School in Alcester and is clearly very attached to the town “It’s a lovely town with a supportive community and great people,” he told the Herald “I believe they’ll support me in this project.” Chapter 23 opened on Saturday (8th March) at 8am with a brunch-style menu “We’re looking to develop the lunchtime and evening menus as well,” said Callum The business will be open from 8am to 6pm from Sunday to Tuesday and from 8am to 11pm from Wednesday to Saturday A team of ten people – including Callum’s mum and dad who helped him financially with the enterprise – will be running the operation Callum sees Chapter 23 as an exciting project that will bring an added attraction to an historic market town Home   Business   Article AFTER 15 years of serving up delicious food and drink Alceter’s Orangemable cafe will be closing for good at the end of the month is partially retiring and will focus more on her holiday let business in Cornwall and her cafe as well as spending time with her granddaughters Orangemable began at Jayne’s former business Longbarn Village in Alcester Heath and was inspired by a desire to repurpose china and bring people together and got the name for her cafe when she was given two kittens ‘’How lucky am I to have something that feels so right just so emotional to say goodbye to?” she said “ Orangemabel has been such a big part of my life in Alcester and it’s been a privilege to be part of the High Street for so long.” has had many jobs and business interests over the years beautician and antique business to restoring buildings and owning a snooker hall Her most memorable moments have been hosting special occasions for customers She added: “Thank you to all our wonderful customers for your support over the last 15 years I would love to see you all one last time so pop in.” the next chapter for the High Street building is already being written - Chapter 23 will be opening a cafe bar on 8th March PUBS in Alcester have been given a glowing review by a couple on a mission to have a pint in every pub in the UK The couple behind The Great British Pub Crawl channel are Dale Harvey and Holly Booth who started their quest back in 2022 and have been documenting it since On 1st March the couple visited pubs in and around Alcester and left a glowing review on their channels One of the town’s pubs they visited was the Turk’s Head which was given a ‘10/10’ by the couple for having a great selection of beers and particularly a wonderful array of cask ales Karen Buxton owns the Turk’s Head with husband Carl She believes the pubs in the town should be applauded for making it a good place to visit.Following the visit from The Great British Pub Crawl Karen spoke to the Herald about the positive take on the town’s pubs She was pleased to see them in the spotlight Karen said: “There’s a lot of pubs that have closed in the last few years In Alcester we’ve had a few that have gone but we've held strong We’ve still got five or six really strong pubs on the high street around the town We’ve just bucked the trend for a little town “We try really hard to give people a reason to come out I think all the pubs in that video do that as well It’s a big round of applause to all those that are still trying really hard “It’s nice to have such nice things said about the pub by people who haven’t visited before We have a really nice atmosphere and they came in really bouncing about the different beers that we had on and all the different craft beers and the different casks,” Karen added She said that the pub tries to do things “a little differently” and presenter Dale picked up on one of these factors on his visit it’s good to see something a little bit different’ and pointed over to our craft lines we do something a little bit differently at the Turks “I think it was really nice that he went around to all the pubs Everywhere he went it was quite busy for a Saturday which was just lovely to see.” THERE’S been a second car crash in Alcester this time involving two vehicles in High Street Yesterday (Tuesday) a car overturned in Priory Road This afternoon two cars were involved in a road traffic collision near Lloyds Bank West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “We were called to reports of a two car RTC on High Street Alcester at 1.45pm this afternoon (23rd October) One ambulance attended but no one required treatment.” Warwickshire Police said: “At 1.47pm police were called to a report of a two-vehicle collision on High Street in Alcester Officers arrived to find two vehicles had sustained damage and there was debris on the road A FAMILY-RUN Alcester company has won an industry award for the fourth time in eight years Plato Catering Hire is a catering equipment linen and furniture hire company that has over 25 years experience The company has won the ‘SafeHire Event Equipment Hire Company of the Year 2025 under £3m turnover.’ award at the National Hire Awards of Excellence manager and director of Plato Catering Hire He has been at the helm for most of the company’s existence and it was one that he told the Herald started thanks to a bet “The company started with a bet on New Year’s Day 1999 to see who could make the most out of a two pound coin by the millennium my mum and my dad sitting around the table “My dad put a two pound coin down on the table and then we made the bet Things moved quickly and I moved into the company full time in 2001 We’ve been in our current warehouse in Alcester since 2018 after moving around.” The award has significant weight across the industry as Stuart added: “This is the gold standard that everybody in the hire industry recognises and should be recognised by anybody outside “If you’re looking for a case equipment hire company a tool plant hire company or an event equipment company you should always look for the SafeHire logo “We’ve had our SafeHigh audit this morning and it was passed successfully again and they do a rigorous audit on all your health and safety on your policies and procedures Plato Catering Hire is no stranger to winning this award but the pride of success hasn’t faded for Stuart been highly recommended twice and were runners-up twice my wife and I and obviously another eight employees “This award is a great reward for a lot of hard work Everybody in the business from the drivers to the warehouse team to the office staff to get us where we are “We run it like a Formula One team with the processes we have in place I’m really pleased for our team that we are here and we are a part of the local community.” THERE’S something strange in the neighbourhood – or at least at Alcester Town Hall An angry ghost in the 500-year-old building has vented his wrath on four paranormal investigators in pain and with red wheals like burn marks and Andy and Tracey Lindon spent seven hours from 7pm until 2am in a bid to find out if the place was haunted an electromagnetic field monitor and electronic voice phenomena digital voice recorder they captured what they believe are ghostly voices and a video of a mysterious glowing orb dancing around the top of the stairs dubbed ‘George’ by others who’ve come across him Andy and Tracey also detected other spirits including a young girl and a six-year-old boy They also picked up vibes from the spirit of a prisoner named Sullivan who may have perished in the basement holding cell known as ‘The Hole’ when the hall was still the town’s magistrates court Andy said: “If it was a prisoner wrongly accused sometimes all they need to pass over is to get that message out there.” All four of the ghosthunters agreed that as soon as they went upstairs as though they were being “constantly watched and followed around” They believe George’s real name is probably Henry they’ll make it known and do anything to make you leave we didn’t want to anger him anymore but we’ll keep going back to get more answers.” we go in with an open mind and call all spirits forward but he became more prominent throughout the night it became very apparent he didn’t want anybody in that chair.” Becky was most affected when she sat in the ‘throne’ chair describing sharp pains down her back and a feeling someone was leaning over her and pressing down “My chest felt tight and it was like I was gasping for breath.” But she said the most frightening moment was when her husband was targeted She added: “Matthew was sitting on the floor when he suddenly started touching his chest like he wanted to rip his clothes off and he kept saying He ran into the kitchen and when they pulled off his top she saw “big thick red burn marks” across his chest as though someone had thrown boiling water over him and she says this took an hour to disappear the town hall housed fire engines and during the Great War it was used as a hospital to treat soldiers with burns who lives in Cheshire and runs paranormal investigation business Duo of Darkness with Matthew added: “When the four of us were upstairs at 1am even though there was no one else in the building Andy and I ran downstairs but there was nothing to see.” who runs Conjure Quest investigations with Tracey from the couple’s Telford home added: “I had to use my guardian angels to remove the negativity from Matthew asking the spirit to back away and leave him alone “It was really strange how it affected him.” who carried out their investigation on 29th March Other ghostly sightings at Alcester’s hall a woman ghost spotted standing at the top of the stairs Alcester town councillor and former mayor Vaughan Blake said: “We’ve had clairvoyants and paranormal groups coming here for years including a witches coven and daytime ghost hunts “There were three paranormal groups just last week “Andy told me they’d had a particular problem that night with one ghost – an elderly man who didn’t want them to be there “I repeated this to someone else who said several other paranormal groups had reported this “He doesn’t seem to like the paranormal groups being there “We think he might have been an old magistrate throne-like chair which might have been his He added: “Andy said it was an insane evening two young children and a chap who died in The Hole Vaughan is sceptical but thinks if there is a ghost it might be that of a former Lord of the Manor Fulke Greville was fatally stabbed by a disgruntled servant in London in 1628 “George will have to come up to me and say AN open day to celebrate Alcester’s new Community Shed attracted 100 people keen to find out about the project which brings people together to together to create and mend as well as support each other Held on Saturday (12th October) at Greig Hall the event proved a perfect platform to introduce what the Community Shed is all about and it paved the way for what will take place when regular get-togethers are held on Tuesday mornings in the future “All the tools are brand new and lathes and cutters will be added to the collection with full training given on how to use them,” Cllr Mark Cargill one of the people behind the Community Shed project He added: “It’s a completely open book at the moment with what people want to do [at the Shed] but what we want to get people to come here and enjoy themselves It could be projects that help the Greig Hall projects that raise money or projects that support the community.” PRIORY Road in Alcester was closed this afternoon (Tuesday) following an accident involving two cars Warwickshire Police said: “At 2.36pm today (22nd October) we received reports of an overturned vehicle on Priory Road in Alcester reportedly collided with a parked car before overturning in the road Fire services put a closure on the road while it was cleared A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 2.32pm to Priory Road in Alcester to reports of an RTC One ambulance attended and the ambulance crew assessed one woman who had been involved in the collision She didn’t require hospital treatment and was discharged on scene.” IT was a happy tenth anniversary for the Alcester 10k on Sunday with over 1,300 runners taking part and money raised for charity along the way The goodwill and support of the community was in abundance as people cheered competitors around the streets of Alcester and in neighbouring villages in reasonable running conditions which saw some fast finish times recorded The 10k is organised by Martine Verweij of Raceways Events CIC who said she was “amazed” by this year’s turnout She said: “We had 300 children take part which we think is more than most 10k runs and the adult times were fast at 32 minutes “I wanted to say a big ‘thank you’ to all the volunteers who helped us put on the race – so many people wanted to hand drinks out at the three water stations on the route.” This year Raceways Events has partnered with the charity Safeline which supports victims of sexual violence and abuse The money raised from Sunday’s event is in the process of being counted up Results and times: Andy Lawrence (Stratford Athletic Club) 31.53; Michael Cowley (Run Alcester) 34.15; Robert Niec 35.29; Holly Burt 38.14; Lisa Thomas (Bromsgrove and Redditch AC) 38.22; Mariike Tear-Verweij A MOUNTAIN biker who’s fixed more than 30 bikes for others says it gives him great ‘personal satisfaction’ is always on the look-out for old or broken bikes to bring back to life The 28-year-old has repaired and rebuilt 30-40 bikes since taking up the hobby almost three years ago punctures and worn-out parts are all in an evening’s work for Luke The most common problems he sees are gears not working and brittle or sun-faded plastic parts that need to be replaced with new metal components Flat tyres are another hazard–one customer had repeated flats but couldn’t work out why until Luke found and removed a tiny thorn that had punctured the inner tube Even frames that can’t be rescued and are destined for the tip are useful as Luke always finds something he can rescue and re-use learned from his dad and other family and he’s sourced replacement parts and repaired his own bikes since he was a teenager He said: “I’ve always tinkered with my own bikes at home and got them working so I thought why not start fixing up other people’s as well?” Luke recently helped a 16-year-old who’d had his bike stolen and then lost his job Luke stripped down an old bike to its bare frame fitted new brakes and gears and made sure everything was in full working order who was able to attend an interview and land another job Luke’s also come to the rescue of a not-for-profit special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school for five-to-11-year-olds in Redditch One of the pupils had a new bike which was damaged He’s also donating three children’s bikes to the school as they’ll make sure they go to youngsters who aren’t in a position to learn to ride a bike Another customer was hit after a car pulled out at a T-junction – the rider was OK but the whole rear assembly of his bike so Luke took it completely apart and rebuilt it he’s contacted by people wanting a regular service especially if their bikes have been stored for six months gathering dust check and adjust the brakes by putting in new cables or whatever and just bring the bike up to scratch ready for summer,” he explained His full-time job is as a member of the finance team at Stratford-based classic Mercedes Benz business The SL Shop he can ask the mechanics for advice and maybe even borrow a tool He’s also given a refurbed BMX to a colleague for his granddaughter and is fixing and finding bikes for others who moved to Redditch three years ago with fiancé Emily He said: “I spend most of my free time working on bikes – my own or other people’s I’m in the garage listening to music and doing what I enjoy “The fun element is there 100% but by the time you’ve bought the spare parts Since a new basic mountain bike can cost £600 a mid-range £1,000-£1,500 and a top-of-the-range upwards of £8,000 he says taking a DIY custom-build approach makes sense He particularly loves 1980s and 1990s bikes many of which came with wacky colour schemes A favourite is a Townsend bike from the late 1990s in purple and black zebra-stripe print “With modern gearing and brake system and a complete overhaul that would look the bees knees for someone cruising around Birmingham city,” he pointed out more are contacting him for repairs or a refurbished bike He added: “If anyone out there is getting rid of a bike because they see it as useless there are so many bits on there that I can make use of for my next project.” ALCESTER’S annual Pancake Race Day was enjoyed by large numbers on the town’s high street on a bright and sunny March day and plenty more cheered them all the way to the finish line and other organisations brought teams to the event which tasks participants to run up and down the Alcester high street carrying a pancake in a pan There were also relay races throughout the afternoon One onlooker told the Herald: “The weather is lovely and it’s so nice to see all the schools here taking part Another added: “I’ve come to watch my granddaughter I won the pancake race and so did my mother It’s all very exciting and it's great that the weather is so nice.” Awaiting the race another said: “It’s a lovely day for the pancake race and it’s a great turnout It’s lovely having events where people all come together- there are lots of these throughout the year.” Alcester town crier Dave Parks kept proceedings moving smoothly he spoke to the Herald about how the day continues to be a much loved event in the town calendar We were blessed that most of the schools in the area sent teams down and everyone took part in a really good event the adults come out to watch on and a lot of people come out of the town to watch on I think this is the 54th year it has taken place other than the two years it didn’t because of Covid and people in the town always look out for it in the calendar.” On his view from outside St Nicholas’ church I can see the determination on people’s faces coming up the high street It’s wonderful to see their faces and see them take part in such a special day.” THE family of a dedicated south Warwickshire teacher who died from cancer earlier this year are organising a fund-raising coffee morning in her memory in aid of the Shakespeare Hospice Lianne taught geography at Matchborough Academy then Henley High School and finally Myton School where her role changed from geography to nurturing students She had suffered some health issues in recent times and a blood test in May this year resulted in an urgent hospitalisation in Warwick Hospital where she was diagnosed with an aggressive untreatable stage 4 lung cancer which led to her sad death on 17th June in the hospital’s ITU surrounded by her children and close family Her family said this week that whilst in Warwick Hospital and particularly the ITU Lianne received exemplary and outstanding care from the doctors and nurses and from the Shakespeare Hospice which greatly eased her suffering and for which she and her family were most grateful During her short illness Lianne was supported by all of her family and friends with an almost continual flow of visitors She even organised an early 18th birthday pizza party for one of her daughters in the ITU Her funeral was held at Alcester Catholic Church followed by cremation at Redditch and her past colleagues from her three schools in the River Arrow behind her parents’ home in Alcester close to where she had lived her adult life despite the family living just over the border in Wales perhaps demonstrating a determination to be English – a determination that she demonstrated throughout her life then the Alice Smith School (the “Colonial School”) in Kuala Lumpur before returning to Singapore to the United World College (the “International School”) for high school and baccalaureate education The family then moved to San Diego California and Lianne to Exeter University for an honours degree in geography A marriage and family ensued with four daughters arriving over the next ten years They now live with their father in Evesham Her generous nature was epitomised by her inviting one daughter’s school friend whose own family was experiencing disruption In the year before her death she was able to buy her dream home in Bidford Myton School has created a small garden of remembrance for her in its grounds and established an annual school prize in her memory – the Lianne Abbott Award for the most caring student – which was first presented at the end of the summer term THE first seasonal event in Alcester was a glowing success as the town’s Christmas lights were switched on last Sunday It was a first also for 1st Alcester Squirrels who got to turn the lights on; the group was established at the start of the year chairman of Alcester Bunting and Lighting Executive (ABLE) said: “The turnout was fantastic and even though the weather wasn’t good we moved from the church green into St Nicholas Church and still managed to get about 300 people inside to sing carols “Our thanks to Rev Katie Cross for welcoming us and to Alcester Victoria Silver Band who sounded great “It’s always magical in Alcester at Christmas time with the lights shining in High Street and on the church green and tower and this year we extended the lights into Butter Street “We’ve had some very positive feedback and it’s so nice to see how children and families enjoy the festive fun.” After the lights switch-on and the carol service it was time to head to the town hall for seasonal mince pies and mulled wine Alcester’s Christmas calendar continues with St Nicholas Night on Friday 6th December and the Round Table Santa Run in High Street on Friday 13th December MYTON Hospices has opened a new shop at Alcester Business Centre in Kinwarton Farm Road It is the charity’s second shop in Alcester head of retail and trading at the Myton Hospices said: “We have had our town centre shop in Alcester for about six years now so this new store was a great chance to have another shop in the town with a slightly different offering of stock it is easy to access for dropping off donations The new Alcester store accepts donations of electrical items as well as furniture The charity was helped in its acquisition of the shop by Leamington-based Blythe Liggins Solicitors said: “The Myton Hospices is an important charity which we’re proud to support – whether that’s by raising money through fundraising or through championing their ever-growing network of shops by supporting on the legal side of the leases The new shop at Alcester Business Centre is looking smart and I’m sure it will be well supported with quality donations.” PUPILS and staff at Alcester Academy are turning the school red The school has joined forces with the community to raise cash to pay for a defibrillator on the Alcester Park estate The fundraising campaign is in memory of staff member Julie Bennett’s husband Clive who died suddenly of a heart attack in November was a dedicated youth football coach at Alcester Town Football Club and played a huge role in supporting players and fundraising for the club Alcester Academy is throwing its efforts behind a Go Fund Me campaign launched by the club and community in honour of Clive the school will hold a fundraising day to boost that total as much as it can pupils who donate £2 will be allowed to swap their uniforms for red-themed clothing There will be prizes for the most creative outfit and fundraising buckets around school for pupils who want to chip-in loose change Valentine-themed cakes will go on sale at break and lunchtime and there will be a ‘guess the number of sweets in the jar’ competition A collection at the school gates at the beginning and end of the day will give parents and carers a chance to contribute engineering and maths (STEM) ambassadors have designed and made heart badges and are selling them to fellow students and staff for £2-2.50 with all proceeds going to the defibrillator fund the STEM team has raised £420 and they hope to boost that amount between now and Valentine’s Day who grew up in Bidford and went to the village primary and high schools met Julie in 1985 and moved to Alcester in 1988 The couple married in 1991 and had three children Shannon Clive worked as part of the sales team at Alcester-based Walls and Ceilings International for 21 years His colleagues paid tribute to his commitment and unwavering presence and described him as a mentor and friend to many he guided a team from under 6’s to under 16’s and was instrumental in their winning many trophies Alcester Town praised Clive as an “integral part of the club” and for helping with fundraising Clive’s close links with the club extended to his family as Cameron is a Sunday player and manager while Shannon and Julie have been staunch supporters over the years but around the town by the many friends and family who knew you.” Clive’s funeral was on 18th December at St Nicholas Church in Alcester Alcester Academy headteacher Sarah Mellors said Julie whose role is pastoral support within the school’s learning support unit is being kept in touch with everything going on at the school connected to fundraising Ms Mellors told the Herald: “Everybody at the school is behind this cause which was running before but because of the sad loss of a member of our staff’s husband “Clive was a very well-known figure in the community and Julie is pleased the school are behind the fundraising campaign “As well as our STEM group raising more than £420 already parents have been donating via the Go Fund Me page.” “Next week I’m taking assembly with a colleague so that students not only realise we are fundraising but why it is so important in the local community “If we can work towards raising enough for a second defibrillator Asked about the mood in the school following the tragedy “Julie has worked here for many years and Clive had worked at Walls and Ceilings in Alcester for 21 years so the family are well known within the whole community “There are many staff who’ve worked at the Academy for a long time and have known Julie for a long time so many of the staff here taught them – I was here when her two lads were here “Many staff wanted to go to the funeral and pay their respects to Julie – we had students and parents going “It’s shifted now – the sadness has turned into a positivity about what we can do to support this what can we do positively now to get behind the family?” search for ‘defibrillator in memory of Clive Bennett’ transgender sport and scrapping the 11+ examination were among the subjects debated by school students at a public speaking competition St Benedict’s and Stratford schools were competing in the annual event organised by the Rotary clubs of Alcester & Bidford and Stratford In all there were 11 teams taking part in the Youth Speaks competition at the Greig Hall in Alcester last week with students ranging in age from 11 to 17 Winning in the intermediate competition were Dev Mangipudi debating whether the 11+ should be abolished The best individual performance in the intermediate section went to Florence Seckham who proposed the motion that schools should encourage competitiveness it was a clean sweep for Alcester Academy with Faith Griffiths Eshal Rehman and Molly Thompson-Taylor arguing that Britain is dependant on the Royal family and Harriet Covill judged best individual for her performance in her team’s debate that transgender people should be allowed to compete in their chosen gender sport The winning teams will represent the area in the district finals Head judge and performance coach Sharon Bott said: “Each year we are blown away by these young people They each deserve an award simply for volunteering and their courage in taking part Their hard work shines through and it is always an enlightening evening for all the judges.” She added that this year’s competition was one of the closest yet AROUND 90 homes in the Alcester area were left without power for hours on Christmas Day The electricity cut out at more than 750 homes at 4.45pm and while many got their power back within minutes others were left without electricity for more than four hours watch festive TV specials or play video games on ‘a fault on the overhead network’ and apologised for any inconvenience caused by the power cut Among the areas plunged into darkness were Walcote Roads in Alcester affected included Captains Road who live in Walcote went out for Christmas lunch but had a bit of a shock when they returned home later that afternoon Pat told the Herald: “It was pitch black everywhere and certainly spoiled Christmas Day for a lot of people “Derek and I had been out so we were lucky but there are people who eat later and they couldn’t cook their Christmas dinners “We were going to watch the Gavin and Stacy special “It couldn’t have been a worse day for it to happen.” also caused problems as many turned up in the evening for a carol service at St Mary and All Saints church in Haselor The event was cancelled by Alcester Minster Churches leaders who said it was ‘a total power outage’ and rescheduled for Monday 23rd December Pat added: “The carol service was brilliant - I do the mulled wine and mince pies and everyone always goes away very jolly but because the mulled wine had been mulling for three days The week before Christmas The Piston Club at The Stage on Alester Road reported a power cut on 18th December with one customer saying she’d turned up for her booking but had been forced to go to another pub as there was no electricity Bar staff at The Golden Cross in Arden’s Grafton said they’d “had a few issues” with blackouts in the run-up to the big day while a bar worker at The Blue Boar in Temple Grafton said a group of four customers had come in explaining they’d been hit by a power outage and had no electricity at home A spokesperson for National Grid told the Herald: “We did have a power cut incident affecting one property at 3.30pm on 25th December with power restored by 4.20pm “A further power incident caused by a fault on the high voltage network was recorded at 4.45pm on 25th December affected 752 properties power supplies were restored to 666 customers two minutes later by 4.47pm with the remaining customers restored by 8.53pm “We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and we would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding.” A HEARTBROKEN wife married her partner of more than three decades Julia Povey described the bittersweet joy of finally tying the knot with the father of her two children while knowing they were rapidly running out of time Popular Alcester resident Phil Povey died aged 64 after a shock diagnosis of terminal cancer while Julia and Phil were enjoying a short break in London as a long-term sufferer of Crohn’s Disease he assumed it was just a flare-up But when his illness and tiredness worsened they cut short their trip and returned home via Warwick Hospital’s A&E A blood test showed all was not well and a follow-up CT scan revealed Phil had stage 4 bowel cancer the family waited to hear when he would start chemotherapy and other treatment medics broke the terrible news that Phil was too poorly to have chemo and had only months or weeks to live Each day Phil became weaker but his bravery and determination to care for his family shone through to the end Having been together 31 years and engaged for 25 of those the ceremony took place at the family home on 17th September with their children Molly as witnesses and 10 close family and friends including Phil’s eldest son Alex from a previous relationship said: “It was a quick but incredibly moving service – emotional and full of joy and love an achievement for which we were both thankful.” but Phil was very accepting of his fate – he was calm and wasn’t in any pain He held on until we were all there at his bedside and he was surrounded by his family.” She added: “Phil was a leader and a captain – the person who brought people together “He could talk to anyone and was the life and soul of the party But underneath all the banter and wacky capers kind and caring soul – a softie who would take people under his wing.” Phil came to Alcester as a teenager and went to Greville High School Rugby remained a passion throughout his life and he played for Alcester RFC where he made many friends the club held a third XV memorial home match against Shipston who also loved watching and playing football was a dedicated West Bromwich Albion FC fan working his way up to become a successful sales manager The family have praised the nursing team from the Shakespeare Hospice who used to play for Alcester’s women’s rugby team explained: “Although they were here for Phil They made a huge difference as they were so calm who is training to be a primary school teacher added: “The support and care they gave dad and our family during his short and unexpected battle with cancer was invaluable.” She and her partner David plan to run a half-marathon in memory of Phil With all money going straight to the Shakespeare Hospice More than 200 well-wishers including family members of Phil’s ‘rugby family’ and fellow Alcestrians paid tribute to Phil at his funeral on 16th October at St Nicholas Church Phil’s coffin was carried in to the jaunty sound of George Baker Selection’s Little Green Bag – the song used for the opening scenes of Quentin Tarantino’s hit film Reservoir Dogs Julia added: “Phil planned it all – even at the end To donate, go to Just Giving, visit https://tinyurl.com/mrr39kun a three-year-old girl from Alcester is battling her way back from a life-threatening illness which shattered her family when it struck without warning two weeks ago Emily Jennings was at nursery when her mum received a call that her daughter wasn’t feeling well and needed to go home “It was a Wednesday and Emily wasn’t herself that day,” said Kayla a bit crazy and all over the place but not that day We called 111 out-of-hours and went to the doctor’s the next day They said she’d probably be better soon and to take paracetamol but by the following Monday I was still concerned.” Emily was taken to Warwick Hospital on Monday 16th September with a fever and a bad cough It later transpired she had a bacterial infection and pneumonia but in the meantime she got worse and on the Wednesday doctors decided to intubate Emily as she wasn’t getting enough oxygen on her own “During the intubation process she went into cardiac arrest but quickly stabilised.” Emily was transferred to Royal Stoke University Hospital where an X-ray showed there was fluid on her lungs from pneumonia She had to have a drain in her chest to try to remove all the fluid – two litres of fluid were drained in the first 24 hours Further X-rays revealed Emily had air in her chest where it wasn’t supposed to be this had collapsed both lungs and displaced her heart More drains were required – she ended up having four drains in her chest all at once Emily was taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital in a critical but stable condition for surgery where dead lung tissue was removed during a four-hour operation She will remain there until she is well enough to go home Kayla has been staying at Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham near the hospital but told the Herald she hasn’t slept for two days and is exhausted who is owner and senior stylist of Serenity Hair and Beauty in Alcester said: “We asked how this happened to Emily and were told it was extremely bad luck that it did “I have to say the NHS nurses have been absolutely amazing.” and Kayla are both South African and have been in the UK since May 2019 They are waiting for their indefinite leave to remain certifications to be confirmed they are not entitled to financial assistance through benefits In addition Phil was made redundant from his regional sales manager position two days before his daughter fell ill He is currently making hospital visits and looking after Emily’s big sister As Phil’s car has broken down it makes travel to Birmingham difficult has set up a fundraising page to help the family through this difficult and stressful time The target is £10,000 and so far £5,000 has been achieved “This family are under extreme amounts of stress and money should be the least of their worries at a time like this they only have one car and the clutch broke a few days ago and they now have no transport,” Ceri says on the fundraising page “Please donate whatever you can to this poor family who just need a break.” Kayla told the Herald: “My husband and I aren’t working at the moment and my mum has just flown here from South Africa so we are going to be using the money for our bills and supporting my mother while she is here “Emily is going to need a lot of taking care of over the next few months so I won’t be working.” There was some concern the family could be charged for Emily’s NHS treatment they are hopeful that can be sorted as Emily was born in the UK and has never left the country “We have spoken to the overseas team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital but we have not heard anything more since Monday,” Kayla added Meanwhile with every passing hour Emily and the nurses continue to perform wonders as her tiny frame gets a bit stronger each day after such a major trauma “The NHS nurses have been absolutely amazing and we think Emily will be in hospital for another two weeks or so but she’s very much awake and had a breathing tube removed on Wednesday (yesterday) but there’s still a long way to go,” Kayla said visit: www.gofundme.com/f/baby-emilys-family