Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitshereford worcesternewsViennese waltz dedicated to Witley Court in Worcestershire has been discovered Charity uncovers lost sheet music from the 1860s English Heritage has found and reproduced a lost piece of music named after one of its grandest properties and is bringing it back to play at the estate for this weekend The Whitley Court Waltz was likely composed during the early 1860s by an otherwise unknown musician from Birmingham and found by an English Heritage historian at the Library of Birmingham Witley Court was once one of England’s greatest country homes before an accidental fire devastated its interiors in 1937 The original 17th century house was remodelled at vast expense between 1855 and 1860 to transform it into an Italianate palace for entertaining complete with an extravagant gilded ballroom and acres of gardens with magnificent floral displays and one of Europe’s largest fountains the estate’s owner in the 19th century whose wealth was founded in the coalmines and ironworks of the Black Country hung his Christmas trees with real jewels and ordered his gardeners to change the flowers outside the house overnight to impress his guests The fame of the Dudley fortune would have certainly reached Robert Hoult in Birmingham who seemed to be trying to capitalise on the Earl’s connections and wealth by dedicating one of his piano compositions to him comments: “We know this piece of music was not a commission If it was the name would have been spelt correctly and we would not have a dedication on the title page as we found in the sheet music Hoult had The Whitley Court Waltz published by Joseph Williams but in composing this was probably trying to attract an eminent patron to advance his career it looks like it did not pull off as the name Robert Hoult has been lost to the archives of history until now.” a fast and lively rendition that English Heritage believe would have likely been danced to in Witley Court’s ballroom – despite the embarrassing spelling error in the title It has now been reproduced by local musician Jerry Price and will be played at the property live this weekend (29 & 30 June 2024) alongside other music from the era which the Earl of Dudley and his guests would have enjoyed Steven Brindle adds: “Witley Court was the Versailles of the West Midlands in its heyday and a place that only a select strata of society would have got to experience We’re delighted to have uncovered a small piece of its history by chance that we can now use to help our visitors better imagine the house’s earlier time of glamour and splendour.” Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) The video has amassed more than 42 million views and 38,000 comments The Observer photographer’s picture of an off-duty Father Christmas is typical of her keen social eye by Jane BownThis article is more than 6 years oldThe Observer photographer’s picture of an off-duty Father Christmas is typical of her keen social eye This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025. The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media. The ACU are devastated to report that Colin Boniface has passed away at the age of 65.  Colin was one of a kind. Someone whom you never forgot. Born into Witley and District MCC, motorcycling was his lifeblood and he had a huge passion for the sport we all love.  At Junior Kickstart on the BBC, Colin showcased his skill, captivating millions and showcasing the sport of trials. He piloted a Comerfords Bultaco at World Trials, demonstrating his talent on a bike. Locally he was a star, one of the very few riders who instantly mastered any machine he turned his hand to.  Colin adored Witley and District MCC. Acting as Chairman, Committee Member, Clerk of the Course and official for countless events, including our iconic Boxing Day Enduro, he always did what he could to put Witley MCC on the map.  So many of the Witley members owe so much to Colin. He encouraged them in their youth to pursue their sports to the best of their abilities. Mentoring and coaching many to meet their dreams. The Witley MCC owe countless Scottish Six Day Trial and International Six Days Enduro medals to him.  In the Witley club he will be remembered as a friend, coach, and the most naturally talented rider they ever had the privilege of knowing.  Colin loved the Witley. And we all loved him for it.  The ACU’s deepest condolences go to his Family and friends at this time and all that knew him. For those beguiled by the world of period dramas, the magnificent Hillhampton House in Worcestershire is quite the enticing prospect. Once a hunting lodge for King William IV’s widow, Queen Adelaide, the Grade II* listed property has just come up for sale following a significant renovation, on the market for £5.95 million. Raine Spencer lived in the luxurious two-bedroom Grosvenor Square flat with her first husband, the 9th Earl of Dartmouth Hillhampton House was formerly part of the Witley Court estate: the ruins of the Italianate mansion and its bucolic gardens are now cared for by English Heritage Witley Court dates back to the 17th century before it underwent major expansions under Thomas Foley who commissioned eminent architect John Nash A magnificent fireplace in the dining room Set among idyllic gardens and grounds, Possingworth Manor boasts a rich literary history The former hunting lodge today stands as an elegant seven-bedroom manor. Also included in the sale is a four-bedroom Coach House, a two-bedroom Lodge and around 19.29 acres of gardens, paddocks and parkland, with a terrace offering beautiful views across the Malvern Hills. Built from red sandstone and approached from a gravel drive, the main house features three principal reception rooms with their own fireplaces, including a magnificent dining room that displays the original deeds of the house. Having undergone significant restoration and modernisation, Hillhampton House functions as a comfortable modern home, with an open plan living/kitchen area connecting to the indoor swimming pool, an office, a gym, a temperature-controlled larder and a butler’s pantry. The first floor includes a master bedroom suite with its own living area, two dressing rooms and a luxurious en suite bathroom. There are three further bedroom suites and bathrooms and a laundry, plus planning permission has been obtained to add another bedroom in a vacant roof space. The second floor houses a separate apartment with its own kitchen and living room, three additional bedrooms and two bathrooms. The royal treatment at these hotels comes as standard on the King’s big day and beyond, writes travel editor Delilah Khomo in the June issue The pool has double doors opening onto the south-facing terrace The stunning lawns and parkland include some particularly special trees including three Cypress trees donated by King Edward VII is currently let on an assured shorthold tenancy and lived in by the housekeeper and gardener The recently-converted Coach House has its own private entrance and parking director and head of residential sales at Savills in Telford notes that while the property has ‘the unmistakable exterior and character of a classic country house the interiors provide a real sense of warmth and cosiness’ adds: ‘the time is right to pass the baton on to the next custodians of one of Worcestershire’s finest country homes There is an awful lot to love about the house – from waking up to look out across the grounds from the master bedroom window to a relaxing swim in the heated pool as the morning sunshine floods the room.’ For more information, visit savills.com More from this author A top-ranking chess player has been coaching pupils at a Surrey independent school once an under-18 world champion and now a grandmaster has been visiting members of King Edward’s Witley’s extracurricular chess club once a week to advise on tactics and how to anticipate the plans of your opponent Currently ranked as one of the top 10 professional chess players in England the 37-year-old whizz has already helped the school’s chess club win a tournament hosted at Wellington College and membership of the biweekly club is on the rise “The best way for beginners to improve their chess game is through putting in the time,” explained Pert who achieved his grandmaster title at the age of 22 “I always encourage young players starting out to attend tournaments It’s also important to analyse your game after playing to improve strategy.” “This is a first for the school and we’re very excited to learn from such a prestigious and high-ranking chess coach,” added Stuart Todd and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Website by Creative Sponge The largest home attendance of the season greeted Croydon Women as they took on Milford & Witley knowing a draw would be enough to guarantee a top-three finish for the Trams the Trams equalised through Kacie Nadison Singh Receiving the ball inside the Milford half she had time to spot the Milford goalie was not in position and whacked the ball long and deep into the bottom left-hand corner Sarah Nicholson then put the Trams in front after she reacted quickest to tap home Megan Perkins’ rebounded effort Milford were awarded a penalty in the second half when a cross in the box hit Iffy Chileze’s arm which was converted past the Trams keeper Angelina Hewitt Williams to level the scoreline Croydon eventually settled the game when Nic D’Aranjo rose highest inside the area to head home Siane Frances Duncan’s cross The ref blew the final whistle and the Trams secured a top-three place in the league Siane Frances Duncan – Dominated the right flank whether defending with crunching tackles or getting down the wing and putting in good crosses £70 was also raised for the Cassandra Centre in Croydon from supporters’ donations on the matchday SURREY County Council has claimed hiring a 52-seat coach to transport five children to Chandler C of E Junior School in Witley represents “value for money” for Surrey taxpayers. Defending itself from criticism by parents denied a space on the coach for their children because of 20-year-old government legislation, the council said exemptions are only allowed where no more than 20 per cent of the vehicle capacity is fare paying. It’s because the coach is not wheelchair accessible – and government red tape states any public coach over 22-seats used for a scheduled service must be accessible to all, otherwise it restricts the number of seats that can be made available. Erika Keat, who as a result is driving her eight-year-old son to school every day, said: “There are at least 30 more cars on the road because the bus isn’t full. “The Chandler School is down a tiny cul-de-sac and the parking is a nightmare. “We need to look after our planet, use the car less – not add an empty coach and 30 more cars on the road. We will not be able to remain a one car family at this rate as I now need the car every day. “Meanwhile, I drive past the bus every day on my way to and back from school.” Mrs Keat is about 200 yards short of living three miles away from the school – which would have meant her child qualified. A council spokesperson said: “This particular coach route serves two schools back to back and it would be more expensive to provide a smaller vehicle just for the eligible Chandler pupils, than carrying on using the larger vehicle for both schools. “As we are using public funds, we have to demonstrate value for money for our members and for Surrey residents.” The DfT said by 2020, 99 per cent of vehicles providing local services were compliant with the accessibility rules first introduced two decades ago, and it was “disappointing” that similar levels were yet to be achieved in the home-to-school sector. A DfT spokesperson said: “Safe and convenient home-to-school transport plays a vital role for many families, which is why we continue to offer exemptions while local authorities work to source vehicles which comply with these 20-year-old regulations. “We welcome the support of the bus and coach industry, who are working with us to find a longer-term solution which supports a fully inclusive transport system.” Mrs Keat said the council knew the exemption was time-limited and something should have been done in time to avoid a “stressful” situation. “There has to be a better answer then a 52-seater bus having five children on it,” she said. “No one is benefiting from this, especially not the environment.” Coach company Edward Thomas & Son did not respond when asked if they had applied for an exemption. The most recent exemption offered by the DfT was made in July, lasting until March 2022. 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