April 2013

THE MAGAZINE REFLECTING LIFE IN THE CITY OF LICHFIELD

APRIL 2013 ISSUE 48

News • Competitions • Gazette Woman • What’s On • Dining Out

The Smile Centre is celebrating its first yearproviding quality dental treatment services topatients at their Lichfield surgery and tocelebrate they are giving 5% of this April’stakings to the Red Nose Day charity.

Lichfield’s Smile Centre has brought aprofessional and friendly clinical dentaltechnology service to the region, priding itselfon treating patients directly, involving them atevery stage of their denture fabrication.

The centre has already successfully treatedover 200 patients with fantastic results andhappy smiles in its first year.

The laboratory providesindividuals with a wide variety ofclinical dentistry treatmentincluding manufacturing prosthetic,orthodontic and occlusalappliances along withmouthguards and whitening trays.

Patient testimonials Over the year patients have

enjoyed the centre’s uniquedentistry treatment service and thelaboratory’s Director, MatthewBurnell, believes every patientdeserves paramount consistencyand quality, as well as ensuringeveryone is personally welcomedand cared for.

Between 2012 and 2013,patients have been more thenhappy to leave positive testimonialsfor the surgery including:

“I found Matt and the staff of TheSmile Centre totally patient,understanding and professional” -E. Lloyd

“From start to completion, I felt relaxed andbuilt up trust between Matt, Julie and myself.Nothing was two much trouble” - J. Mapp

Birthday giveawayAs part of the anniversary celebrations, the

practice is giving 5% of April’s takings to theRed Nose Day charity and are now looking on

to the year ahead, maintaining the utmostdedication and providing high quality work fromtalented technicians.

For more information on The Smile Centre’sLichfield practice please email them [email protected] ortelephone 01543 415288.

GazetteFeature

The Smile Centre raises aSmile for Comic Relief

If you would like more information on The Smile Centre's hand crafted dentures and denture implants or would like a brochure please call 01543 415288 or email us [email protected]. www.thesmilecentremidlands.co.uk

Matt Burnell outside the premisesin the centre of Lichfield.

The following photographs show part of the dedicated process of the complete transformation of some of our clients

Before AfterNew Smiles

Page 3

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Page 4 www.lichfieldgazette.co.uk

Lichfield GGazette

ABOUT YOUR LOCAL MAGAZINELichfield Gazette is your local monthly magazine distributed to more

than 17,500 homes and businesses in and around Lichfield. Distributionarea covers Lichfield City, Alrewas, Fradley, Shenstone, Hammerwich,Kings Bromley, Longdon, Burntwood, Whittington and Little Aston.

A limited number of the Lichfield Gazette are available and can bepurchased at 90p from the Heritage Centre at St Mary’s in the

Market Place. All proceeds go to charity.We do not seek to sensationalise but to inform and entertain our readers.The views expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and

not necessarily those of the publishers. Lichfield Gazette magazine is nota franchise or connected with any other publication.

contributors•• CCaazz JJoonneess •• JJoossss MMuussggrroovvee KKnniibbbb•• LLaauurraa BBoowwccuutttt •• DDaavviidd MMoooorree•• PPGG MMiittcchheell ll •• DDaann MMiittcchheellll•• AAnnnn MMaayyoo •• KKaattee GGoommeezz

contact the Gazette see page 54

6 Netherstowe House Competition

24 City View

36 Win tickets to the Gadget Show

40 Gazette Woman

44 What’s On/Dining Out

53 Win dinner for two at Manley’s Restaurant

54 Small Ads

contentsFoolproof or April Fish? Over the years I have tried the odd ‘April Fool!’ The art of pulling

off the perfect April Fool prank is acting seriously, not laughing, andnot giving the game away, neither of which I am capable of doing!

Many theories have been put forward about how the traditionbegan. Unfortunately, none of them are very persuasive. So theorigin of the "custom of making April Fools" has remained a mystery for many years.

References to April Fool's Day can be found as early as the 1500s. However, these earlyreferences were rare and tend to be vague and ambiguous. Shakespeare, writing in the latesixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, made no mention of April Fool's Day, despite being,as Charles Dickens Jnr. put it, a writer who "delights in fools in general."

In 1686, John Aubrey referred to the holiday as "Fooles holy day", the first British reference.The most popular theory about the origin of April fool's Day involves the French calendarreform of the sixteenth century.

The theory goes like this: In 1564 France reformed its calendar, moving the start of the yearfrom the end of March to January 1. Those who failed to keep up with the change, whostubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate the New Year duringthe week that fell between March 25th and April 1st, had jokes played on them. Pranksterswould surreptitiously stick paper fish to their backs. The victims of this prank were thus calledPoisson d'Avril, or April Fish, which to this day remains the French term for April Fools, and soit seems the tradition was born.

On April 1, 1698, several people were tricked into going to the Tower of London to "see theLions washed".

Famously on 1 April 1957, the respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanksto a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmerswere enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It accompanied this announcement with footage ofSwiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of viewers weretaken in.

Don’t you get taken in or you could become a complete April Fish!Yours truly, Paul Oakley. Editor

FRONT COVER By JOSS MUSGROVE KNIBB

Win lunch for two at Netherstowe House

page 6

April 2013

EEddiittoorr ’’ ss NNootteess

We Love Lichfield, the fund which raises money andthen makes donations to voluntary groups across the

Lichfield District, has reached an amazing milestone in onlytwo years of existence. Through money raised through WeLove Lichfield, the endowment fund which is managed bythe Staffordshire Community Foundation, is now worth over£150,000 meaning it is on-target to reach £500,000 by2016, but most importantly it can continue to give backmoney to organisations across the district.

Launched in 2011, We Love Lichfield provides smallgrants to a wide range of projects based in the LichfieldDistrict. It raises money through companies andindividuals making donations or fund-raising and allmoney is invested through a permanent endowmentfund overseen by the Staffordshire CommunityFoundation (a registered charity) on behalf of We LoveLichfield, in line with charity commission guidelines.The interest and dividends earned on the investedmoney is then distributed by the We Love LichfieldFund as small grants across the district. The beauty ofthis model is that it will provide a source of on-goingfunding that can be used for small grants, and largergrants as the fund grows, for many years to come.

Simon Price, CEO of cutlery firm Arthur Price andpatron of the We Love Lichfield fund said: “I think it istestament to the people and companies throughoutthe District of Lichfield that we have achieved thisamazing milestone in just two years. The We LoveLichfield Donor Advisory Team has worked tirelesslywith the support of lots of individuals and organisationsand I'd like to thank all those who have helped us onour journey so far. We will now be able to give moremoney away, but we still have the aim of managing thefund with the help of the Staffordshire CommunityFund, to reach our ultimate target of £500,000 by 2016meaning annual donations of £25,000 per annum.”

Julian Fisher, Fund Advisor and Director of PRconsultancy Townhouse Communications said: “Thenext step in our strategy is to encourage people tonominate the We Love Lichfield Fund when fund-raising. If you are running in a marathon or organisinga duck race we’d very much like people to consider theFund as their ‘charity of choice’ which guarantees togive money back to organisations only based in theDistrict. Indeed, you could say We Love Lichfield is forthe District, by the District.”

The fund will consider all applications from localgroups in need, aiming to do so twice a year. Visitwww.staffsfoundation.org.uk/welovelichfield to see ifyour organisation meets funding criteria and todownload an application form. Call the StaffordshireCommunity Foundation on 01782 683000 if you needfurther advice.

Companies and individuals are able to makedonations, of any amount, starting with a minimumpledge of 1p up to £5000 and Gift Aid can be claimed,if appropriate, increasing the amount, with no cost tothe individual, by 25%. Higher rate tax payers can

also gift an extra 22% nearly doubling the original amount.Donations can also be made via the LocalGiving websitewithin a matter of minutes. For more information and todonate visit: www.localgiving.com/welovelichfield

For more information on We Love Lichfield visitwww.welovelichfield.com.

Recently Paul Oakley handed over a cheque for thesale of charity calendars, he commented: "Lichfield

Gazette has been happy to be involved with the We LoveLichfield Fund. We would like to thank the sales staff

at Arthur Price of England and various otherorganisations for the effort they have put into selling the

2013 calendars. We would also thank all of the localphotographers who participated by providing many lovely

and colourful images of the Lichfield area."

Page 5

£10 EYE TESTValid for one test booked within 3 months.Present voucher at time of test. One per

person, at Specsavers Lichfield only. Cannot beexchanged for cash or used with other offers.

FREE EYE TEST FOR OVER 60’S Code LG/04/13

We Love Lichfield FundAnnounces £150,000 Milestone

HRH The Princess Royal will visitLichfield City’s newly restored and

historic park on Wednesday 24th Aprilbetween 12 noon and 2pm.

The Chairman of Lichfield DistrictCouncil, Councillor Ken Humphreys,commented: “We are absolutely delightedthat we will be welcoming HRH ThePrincess Royal to our beautiful, historicpark. As part of the recent multi-millionrestoration project, Beacon Park was one ofthree City parks to have received a stunningmake-over, so it will be looking at its verybest when Her Royal Highness arrives.

“We are looking forward to presentingour award-winning Beacon Park to PrincessAnne and welcoming many of our partners,who made the restoration work possible,who will be joining us for this importantoccasion.”

HRH The Princess Royal will arrivearound midday and will be welcomed by theLord Lieutenant of Staffordshire - IanDudson, the Chairman of Lichfield DistrictCouncil - Councillor Ken Humphreys and hislady - Maureen Humphreys, as well as Councillor Val Richards - Deputy Leader and CabinetMember for Leisure Services at Lichfield District Council, Diane Tilley - Chief Executive ofLichfield District Council and Neil Turner - Director of Leisure, Parks and Play at Lichfield DistrictCouncil.

Princess Anne will be led on a tour of Beacon Park, including Museum Gardens, theRecreation Grounds, the newly refurbished play area and the community gardening facility.

Councillor Val Richards, Cabinet Member for Leisure Services, commented: “As part of thecelebrations we will be hosting a Community Games to showcase not only our beautiful park,but also our fantastic local sporting talent. Hundreds of local school children are set to take partin the games, and we will be inviting HRH The Princess Royal to watch some of the races. Weare also looking forwards to showcasing our new community gardening facility which is used by

groups across the district tolearn about gardening, selfsufficiency and wildlife.”

As part of her trip, HRHThe Princess Royal will beintroduced to councillors andofficers from Lichfield Districtand City councils, as well asrepresentatives from theskilled team that worked onrestoring the park’s originalfeatures, and the mainfunders of Lichfield HistoricParks project - the HeritageLottery Fund and the BigLottery Fund.

The tour will finish with ashort visit to the park’sDiscovery Hub, before HRHThe Princess Royal is invitedto rededicate a statue of KingEdward VII to commemoratethe day’s visit.

Beacon Park will remainopen to the public throughoutthe royal visit.


FOR TWO PEOPLE ATNETHERSTOWE HOUSE

FIND MINSTER THE CAT!

GazetteNews

LUNCHWIN

Win a Lunch for Two (Mon-Thurs) and enjoy theNetherstowe Houseexperience. A small, familyowned and run boutique hoteland restaurant that strives tobe the best, with a friendly,personal touch. The familyand team are very proud tohave been voted 'Restaurantof the Year' at this years Tasteof Staffordshire Good FoodAwards. Head Chef and hisKitchen Brigade have createda new Express Lunch menufor you to enjoy Monday toSaturday. The emphasis is oncreating flavoursome, classicdishes with a modern twist,freshly produced on siteusing the finest seasonalingredients.Express Lunch Menu:2Courses ~ £14.95;3 Courses ~£19.95 12midday to 2:30pm(Mon - Fri), 1:00pm to 2:30pm(Sat)

Minster is a little rascal! True toform he has got lost again in thisissue and we need your help tofind him. He might be in anadvertisement or in a story, canyou find him? When you havefound him (he looks like theimage at the top of the page)simply tell us which page he ison for a chance to win. Write thepage number on a card or theback of a sealed envelope alongwith your name and addressand send it to us no later than21st May 2013 to ‘Minster TheCat Competition’ PO Box 5414,Lichfield WS14 4EZ. Or by email [email protected]

subject "Minster Comp". Oneentry only please (ordisqualified). The Editor willdraw the winning entry andannounce it in the next edition ofLichfield Gazette.

Good luck!!

HRH The Princess Royal - image www.royal.gov.uk

HRH ThePrincess Royalto visit Beacon Park

The statue of King Edward VII wasfirst unveiled in 1908. It wassculpted by George Lowther ofRobert Bridgeman & Sons,Lichfield. The statue was intended as a gesture of the city's loyalty to the King. It was the first of its kind to beunveiled in the country after the King's accession in 1901.

LGAP

R13

Easter, like Christmas, is a great time to gatherpeople together. The holiday weekend, stretching

from Good Friday (29th March) through to EasterMonday (1st April), provides opportunity for people totravel a bit further afield than in a normal weekend tovisit relatives or friends or, indeed, to welcome theirloved ones into their own homes. More than just ‘comefor supper on Saturday’ or ‘join us for lunch onSunday’, the extra days lend themselves to familiesbeing together in an extended and special way.

The Easter weekend doesn’t, perhaps, have the samewarm atmosphere of Christmas. We’re not stuck in the

dreary darkness of December wherestrings of coloured lights and jingly tellyprovide very real comfort and cheer.Christmas somehow feels more homelyand whatever we adults like to tellourselves, there is a hint of magicalmystery about Christmas Eve, especiallyif youngsters are around, excited,sleepless and oblivious to the impendingturkey and sprout crisis that awaits withthe dawning of the new day.

Easter, in the calendar of the Church, is the moreimportant festival, in fact it is the most important: assomeone rather flippantly once said (though the point wasa good one), “babies are born every day, but only one man,Jesus Christ, has ever risen from the dead.” That said,we’re still more likely to pack people through the doors ofthe churches and cathedrals of the land at Christmas, andin the run up to it, than we are in the days of Holy Week(that takes in Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, GoodFriday, Holy Saturday and Easter Day). Why is that?Perhaps it is a more challenging thing to be asked to thinkabout, less easy to engage with and maybe, for those

reasons among others, people are less inclined to enter intoit all. Suffering and dying and rising from the tomb v. ‘Ocome, all ye faithful’ and a glass of mulled wine. No contestreally. But there the challenge remains, and perhaps itremains for all of us, whether church-goers or not, to thinkmore creatively about the way we mark the Easter weekendwhich, at its heart, is about the transforming love of God.

Yes, we can gather together our families and our friends,but why not use this Easter to do some really positive (if notchallenging) things like sorting out family disputes properly,setting aside old grudges and feuds, offering forgivenesswhere it is needed and being ready to receive forgivenesstoo? Family needn’t just include blood-relatives and thosewho have married in. Easter is a time to think of our partand place in the wider human family and to seek out thosewho are lost and lonely in our communities, perhaps anelderly neighbour, someone who has been made redundantand finding things really tough, or someone who is new tothe area. Could we find room for them at the family table, oreven just share something good with them? The simplestinvitation or gesture of friendship made in the true spirit ofEaster might not just make someone’s day or weekend. Itcould transform their life.


GazetteNews

The National Organisation of the Widowed is a charitywhose aim is to help all widows. Their motto is‘Widows helping Widows’ and meetings are held

monthly on Thursday evenings at Martin Heath Hall,Christchurch Lane, Lichfield. The next meeting is due totake place on Thursday 11 April at 7.00pm and NOW wouldlike to invite new members to join them.

When a visitor comes to one of the meetings she knowsthat all the people at that meeting have gone through thesame crisis, the loss of a partner. Whether they weretogether for a short time or a long time the loss is just thesame and the members understand this.

The entrance fee to the meetings is £1.50 which includesa cup of coffee/tea, biscuits and a raffle.

The format of the meetings is very much like most clubs,there is a business section first followed by a speaker.

On the first Sunday of each month a lunch is organisedfor those members wishing to participate and outings arealso organised.

For further information please contact 01543 268 267 or01543 6720461.

N.O.W.Lichfield Branch

On Friday 8th March in the Guildhall, the Michael Fabricant Arthur Price of EnglandSchools Speaking Competition took place. On the night the winning team (from John

Taylor High School) convinced judges that society can survive without theInternet....though it might be a little more inconvenient.

Six teams took part in the competition from the Chase Terrace Technology College, ErasmusDarwin Academy, The Friary School, King Edward VI, Netherstowe and John Taylor HighSchool.

Although it was their very first time taking part in the competition, John Taylor High Schoolwon both awards: ‘Best Overall Team’ and ‘Best Speaker’. Robert Adderley (who summed up forthe John Taylor High School Team) won the ‘Best Overall Speaker Award’ as he was fluent insummarising the questions and answers that had been asked of the main speakers.

Michael Fabricant MP commented: “The standard this year was particularly high. There wereat least three speakers all of a very high standard indeed. The arguments presented against theinternet were varied and some were quite philosophical. In particular, one student said that theage of the internet had brought in an age of cynicism where no ‘expert’ can be trusted which isdamaging to society. I’ve invited the winning team to have a tour and drink with me in the Houseof Commons.”

The Speaking Competition is run on Parliamentary lines with full ceremony and waving ofOrder Papers. The winner’s silver cups were provided by Simon Price, Managing Director ofArthur Price.

The winning team and judges (left to right) Daniel Ruttley, Daniel Pettingale, Mr Michael Fabricant MP, RobertAdderley and Mr Simon Price of Arthur Price.

SpeakingCompetition

convinces judges that society canlive without the Internet!

Members enjoying the Christmas Party

The Familyat Easter

The Rev’d Dr Anthony Moore, Canon Chancellor, Lichfield Cathedral

Page 9


Page 11


Figures released by theOffice for NationalStatistics in December

2012 showed that Britain has thehighest divorce rate in theEuropean Union with anestimated 42% of marriages inEngland and Wales ending indivorce. Helen Bradin, Partner atlocal solicitors Bradin Trubshaw & Kirwan LLP, warns that warring partners areoften misguided or unaware of their legal position. Here she addresses some ofthe typical situations the firm advises on on a daily basis:Q: Several months ago I found out that my husband was having an affair. Can I citehis adultery as grounds for divorce?Helen: It is always difficult to cite adultery unless you can actually prove it or your husbandwill admit to the adultery in the proceedings. If you lived with your husband for six monthsafter you found out about his affair you cannot give adultery as grounds for divorce unlessthe adultery is continuing. It is often easier to cite unreasonable behaviour giving details ofthe relationship as an example. Q: My wife and I have lived separately for the past seven years. I would like toformalise our separation but she refuses to agree to a divorce. Can I file anyway?Helen: Yes, living apart for five years or more is sufficient grounds to obtain a divorcewithout your wife’s consent.Q: My husband and I have mutually agreed to separate and have to date remained onamicable terms. Now that he has come to think about the actual divorce proceedingshe has become unfair in his demands. I don’t know why he would treat me this way?Helen: Since you are possibly facing a court case your husband is probably feelingemotional and so is looking out for number 1 – he may even see you as his adversary. But,if you think that there’s still a chance that you can both compromise to reach a reasonablesettlement, talk to your solicitor - solicitors should always consider settlement meetingswherever possible. Family lawyers should work with you and your husband’s lawyers toreach a divorce settlement without going to court. You will both be guided by yourrespective lawyers during face to face meetings, whilst the two of you remain in control ofthe process. Q: When I married two years ago I owned significantly more assets than my wife – Ialso paid the initial deposit on our house - but now that our relationship has brokendown my wife has assumed that our assets will be split 50/50. We don’t have anychildren so it seems unfair to me?Helen: Your wife is correct in that the court’s starting point when dealing with financialmatters is to split assets on a 50/50 basis. However, in short marriages it can be arguedthat someone has made a greater contribution or has pre-owned assets that should beretained by the person who owned them initially. This is a very complex area andsomething that certainly needs expert legal advice.Q: I have heard that a pre-nuptial agreement is ‘not worth the paper it’s written on. Isthis the case’?Helen: Neither a pre-nuptial nor post-nuptial (entered into after marriage or civil partnership)agreement is legally binding in England or Wales. The law is under consideration by theLaw Commission but in the meantime the best course of action is to take advice from aspecialist lawyer so that you both understand what you are agreeing to. You must beprepared to disclose all details of the finances that will be governed by the agreement toensure that it is deemed fair to both parties. The courts can take an agreement into accountwhen dealing with financial matters but if there have been children since the agreement andthe agreement has not been amended to reflect this, then the matter is far morecomplicated.For advice on family and other legal matterscontact Bradin Trubshaw & Kirwan LLP on01543 421840 for a consultation or email [email protected]

Helen Bradin, Partner BradinTrubshaw & Kirwan LLP based

on Beacon Street, Lichfield.

For Richer forPoorer Know Your Rights

Page 13

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and local charitable trusts SwinfenBroun and Conduit Lands, the Inventions Exhibition at Erasmus DarwinHouse attracted over 500 visitors at its launch on Saturday 2nd March.The VIP launch on Friday was attended by the High Sheriff of Lichfield

Sarah Elsom who toasted the success of the team responsible.

The brand new exhibition features many of Erasmus Darwin’s ideas andinventions brought to life in fully interactive models. Visitors particularly enjoyedthe three metre flying bird and the talking machine that says ‘Mama’ and ‘Papa’when air is pumped into it.

To celebrate, five lucky visitors were given family tickets to top inventions-themed attractions in the West Midlands including Birmingham’s Think Tank andthe new MAD Museum in Stratford-upon-Avon. The House is also offering freeschool visits on a first come first served basis. The exhibition is hoped to makelocals more aware of the life and achievements of Dr Erasmus Darwin, particularlyas an inventor.

The house is open Thursday till Sundaybetween 12 and 4.30pm until the end of March.May sees summer opening hours resume (Monday– Sunday 11am to 5pm), with a free entry periodover the Easter Holiday between 29th March and14th April.


GazetteNews

World’sShortest Fun

Run World record attempt announced in

aid of We Love Lichfield Fund.

Lichfield-based events company KP Events, best known for organisingthe Lichfield Half Marathon and the unique Lichfield Cathedral Dash,are staging an attempt to beat the World record for the World’sshortest ‘fun run’ on Monday 6th May, in order to raise money for We

Love Lichfield.The World’s shortest Fun Run will take place from 10am onwards and is

being staged around Princes Park in Burntwood, the UK’s smallest park.There are lots of definitions of a ‘park’ but in essence it must be a fencedopen space, not adjoined to a building and must be solely used forrecreation. Kevin Wilson of KP Events said he dreamt the idea up afterresearching the World’s smallest park on the internet.

It will only take 55 strides to get around Princes Park in approximately 25seconds and everyone who takes part will, once verified by the GuinnessBooks of Records will be a ‘record-holder’.

The event is being organised to raise money for ‘We Love Lichfield’ a newlocal fund that provides small grants to a wide range of projects based acrossLichfield District.

The World’s shortest fun run attempt forms part of a running-themed Maybank holiday weekend across Lichfield District staring with a runningexhibition in the Three Spires Shopping Centre in Lichfield City Centre onSaturday May 4th from 1pm. Then it’s the Lichfield Half Marathon on SundayMay 5th starting at 10:30 am.

For more information about the World’s shortest fun run and to register,visit www.kpevents.net or contact Kevin Wilson at [email protected].

More information on We Love Lichfield is available atwww.welovelichfield.com

Louise Sambrook, Rod Campbell, Sue Woodward, Diane Evans, Kevin Wilson, PaulGriffin, Ken Humphries,Julian Fisher, Maureen Humphries.

First names announced for 2013

LichfieldFestival

This year’s LichfieldFestival (4-14 July) isset to be an excitingaffair with a major

orchestra, some hilariouscomedy and visitors fromacross the Irish Sea.

The Philharmonia Orchestra,from London, will play theprestigious closing concert onSaturday 13 July, includingworks by Vaughan Williamsand Sibelius.

The Festival will open withthe Chetham’s SymphonyOrchestra from Manchester,made up of some of the fineststudent musicians in thecountry. “Chets” as they areknown among festival regularshave been popular with theLichfield audience every timethey have been here.

Among those providing thelaughs in July are stand-upcomedian and star of The ThickOf It and Mock The Week,Chris Addison, and theatricalcomedy specialists Lip Servicewill be bringing their latestshow, Inspector Norse, a spoofof all those Nordic crimedramas that have kept us glued to our televisions through thewinter.

First-time visitors include the Irish Chamber Orchestra.For 2013 there will be daytime concerts in St Michael’s Church

and at Swinfen Hall Hotel, including performances by the Heath andSkampa String Quartets, as well as a morning series of chambermusic featuring young artists in the Cathedral Lady Chapel.

BMW Plant Hams Hall has announced it will be the LichfieldFestival’s Principal Partner for a record 10th year. The LichfieldFestival is supported by Arts Council England and Lichfield DistrictCouncil.

More Festival artists will be announced shortly and bookingopens in early May at www.lichfieldfestival.org or on 01543 412121.

To keep up to date on festival news go tofacebook.com/lichfieldfestival andTwitter: @lichfieldfest #LichFest12

Star of The Thick of It,Chris Addison

Tracy Newton, Asst.Manager of Erasmus Darwin

House with sisters (andtriplets!) Lucy, Chloe and

Amy Bartlett

Inventions of Dr Darwin a flying success!

Page 15

Call Peter on: 07807 786371


Page 17

GazetteFeature

Over the last few weeks we have been delightedat the strong response from you, our lovely

readers, to the Regal Cinema feature in the Marchedition. We’ve been stopped in the street andreceived letters and emails from so many of youwith comments like...

“My husband and I are particularly interested inthe article in your March edition relating to theRegal Cinema. We moved to Lichfield 2 years agofrom Birmingham and as avid cinema goers haveoften talked about what a good idea it would be torevive it.

We would definitely support any plans to bring itback to its former glory and would consider gettinginvolved in some way with the project once wehave more details.”

And....“It would be really great to have the Regal

Cinema back as a cinema! We wholeheartedly supportit. Lichfield needs it! Now is the time for such a project!

“Yes, we have been to the Electric Cinema inBirmingham. We also enjoy the Magic Lantern Cinemain Tywyn which is similar and a privately owned cinema.

“My husband says that as a King Ed`s pupil he wastaken in a school party to see the news report of theAscent of Mount Everest in 1953, and also to seeLaurence Olivier in Henry V (in colour!) at this cinema(Henry V was part of the English Literature Course). Myhusband was a boarder at Maple Hayes at the time. Heremembers it well!!

“We are both `cracking on’ a bit....but we would loveto see this Regal Cinema for the benefit of Lichfield Cityonce again. It could be really lovely. I do hope that youget a good response for your article and for this RegalCinema project. Thank you for trying to raise support forthis very worthy project.”

Another Lichfield resident commented:“It was great to see in the Gazette about the old Regal

Cinema. I hope that it is true that someone is on about itbecoming a cinema again. I always remember, on aSaturday morning having to take my brother with me tothe Saturday matinees. We all had to line up ready to goin, pay our sixpence and then we would go. We alwaysused to sing ‘The Minors of the ABC’ song. Then they gotyou on the stage if it was your birthday, and they wouldgive you a present. And then the films would start.

“When I got a bit older, the only things we had to goout to on a night were the disco at the Bowling Greenevery Monday night and the midnight films on a Saturdayat the Regal, which would go on until about 2.00pm. Butit was great.

I know this much, if I had the money myself I wouldbring the Regal Cinema back to life, but as a cinema nota hotel.

“I hope that someone out there sees the potential inre-opening it as a cinema – I will be in there straightaway!

“I know it’s going to cost money to get it back on itsfeet but it will be worth it. There are lots of Lichfeldianswho would love to see it back to its former glory - some

of them used to do their courting on the back row!“Please, please, please bring the Regal Cinema

back.”Ruth Hawkins shared with us her memories of working

at the Regal...“I am now approaching my 79th birthday. I worked at

the Regal Cinema when I was 17 years old in 1950/51and loved every minute. We had great fun, when on thedoor taking tickets off the army and air force lads as theircamp was nearby.

“We were put on selling ice cream in the interval wherethe spotlight blinded us! Ice creams were 6d, we turnedthem over when we put them back in the freezer so theice cream would be at the top next time we sold them asthey melted.

“Front stall were 1/- (shilling), middle 1/6d, back 1/9d,the balcony 2/3d back and at the front it was 2/9d. TheMinors (reels for children) were 6d on a Saturdaymorning. I went in there as a child too, but they stoppedthe children from going into the balcony because the kidsput their feet all over the seats in front.

“On Saturday I worked all day: Morning Minors andthen in the evening until about 11pm. We would go overto Mullarkey's for fish and chips or the pub outdoor for alovely bread roll from Mrs Ashby. My boss was Mr Baker,we had to line up in his office before we started so hecould check our uniform and torches were working.

“My wages were 10d per hour extra for SaturdaysMinors and extra 6d if we sold 40 ices (£1 worth). Therewas a piano that Mr Mullarkey used to come and play forus.

“We had massive queues, down to where Cross KeysRoad is now, especially on Sundays when we wereshowing big films like Showboat, The Great Caruso andDam Busters.

“I walked home in the dark, as there were no worrieswalking alone in those days.

“I do wish the Regal would come back as a picturehouse once again.”

From many of our reader’s comments, bringing backusherettes to the cinema experience would be verywelcome....

“I believe it is an excellent idea, and may I makethe following suggestions:

1. Specialising in old black and white movies (ifstill available) ranging from Ealing comedies,through to Hitchcock thrillers.

2. The usherette complete with her torch to showpatrons to their seats.

3. The interval when ice creams could be sold,and soft drinks supplied.

4. Most importantly the sound kept to an audiblelevel.

“These are all points that are now sadly missingfrom the current cinema experience.

“I would like to make a personal point, that bothmy husband and I have not been to the cinema inyears, due to the noise level that is now heard at

these venues.” *I too would be delighted to see The Regal revived. So

how could this be done? Leaving aside the thorny issue of attracting funding for

the purchase of the building and any structural changesand refurbishment necessary, an independent cinema inthe 21st century needs to offer so much more thanpopcorn and a silver screen.

The Electric Cinema in central Birmingham is a fineexample of a thriving independent picture-house that nowwelcomes over 50,000 visitors a year and employs 20 fulland part time staff.

The Electric opened in 1909, and was the first cinemain Birmingham. Electricity at the time was used so rarelyin a public context that the name conjured up thecrackling diodes of a mad scientist’s laboratory, orlightning bolts on a stormy night, in short it was exotic anddangerous and the cinema thrived. Initially they showedsilent films with a piano backing. Over the next sevendecades the cinema saw many name changes, andchanges in fortune until its lowest ebb in the 1980’s whenit was reduced to showing adult films.

In 1993 the cinema was bought by a ‘cinemaentrepreneur’ who renamed the building The Electric,and had some success before visitor numbers againdeclined and the building fell into great disrepair.

The current owner, Tom Lawes bought the Electric in2003 and has since installed two screens, one to showmainstream film, the other independent. He has alsoadded a recording studio in the basement and the visitorcan pick from a traditional cinema seat, or head for oneof the highly popular sofas where you can text the barduring the performance to have drinks and delicaciesdelivered to your table. It is a hub for film education,welcoming local schools, and runs a highly acclaimedElectric Cinema Film Orchestra.

For The Regal to survive, we would need to be aslateral in our thinking. Perhaps we could look at runninga ‘film memorabilia’ shop on the premises, perhaps wecould show ‘live’ performances of The Proms, or TheRolling Stones. Personally I’d love to see the three hour,four minute epic ‘Woodstock’ (chronicling the iconic

ARestoration

Drama for The Regal?

Continued on page 20 Page 18 www.lichfieldgazette.co.uk

Proposed frontage

By Joss Musgrove Knibb

Page 19


GazetteNews

A Restoration Drama for TheRegal? Continued from page18Woodstock festival) on a big screen. The Who, Janis Joplin and Hendrix, on a comfysofa, with a glass of wine, that’s my kind of festival!

We were very interested to hear from Mr Stuart Ramsden, a Lichfield resident whohas experience of resurrecting traditional cinema......

“The refurbishment of the Lichfield Regal Cinema would be a joy to thousands ofpeople, inside and outside Lichfield who enjoy going to the theatre, choral and organrecitals or gigs. There seems to be more people ‘going out’ than there used to be. Mybackground from the age of 18 was to make documentary films for various companies(similar to Steven Spielberg who also made documentaries at 18), then I moved intoCommercial Broadcast Television and also still making documentaries on High BandBroadcast tapes.

“With a CV that would stretch to the next town I eventually bought the cinemaequipment of Whitby Coliseum and helped out in cinemas along the Yorkshire Coast.One cinema was thinking of calling it a day then I said; ‘They made it pay in the 30s,why not adopt that style?’

“Out came the ice cream trays, washed clean and filled. The next showing was twothirds full but it was different – after the 10 minute reel of forthcoming events andtrailers, the lights went up and the ice cream girls walked down to the front and in 10minutes sold out, giving the projectionist time to put on his 6,000ft featured film andthread it up. Great! From nearly in the red to back in the black.

“ The 50s and 60s were a downward slope for cinemas with television coming ontothe scene. But as I see it, a reversal is taking place with the programmes on offer beingpoor, no wonder people are out and about.

“I belong to the Lichfield U3A - as well as water colour painting I help out technicallywith the Film Study Group who view a type of subject and then discuss their findings,the groups interest and enthusiasm is amazing.

“People these days seem to enjoy their interests and in my opinion anyone thinkingof reopening the Regal Cinema in Lichfield would be a on to a winner.

“If anyone is interested in contacting me, I would be able to talk cinema - equipment,décor, presentation etc.”

As we hear of updates on The Regal we’ll let you know through the Gazette, ourregularly updated website www.lichfieldgazette.co.uk and via Facebook. We’d alsolove to hear more of your thoughts, ideas, offers of help and memories. To paraphrasethe words of Kevin Costner in ‘Field of Dreams’: “If we build it, they will come.”

*Names and addresses for all quoted letters and e-mails supplied.Postscript... Just before closing this edition of the Gazette, we received this email

.....“Regarding your article in the March issue of the Lichfield Gazette. It sounds like the

Regal Cinema is a done deal (in terms of the proposed development notice in February2013 ‘Partial demolition and new build to create a bar/restaurant, restaurant and 87bedroom hotel…’

“It is better than being demolished but a community building would have been better,as a games centre (netball, archery, table tennis) and coffee shop upstairs, a generalmeeting place for the public, if not the original cinema.

“I did go there for the ABC Minors at 6d admission and later to other films, usuallytwice a week but not again I expect?

RegardsMrs E Cope”

With this in mind, theEditor of the Gazette gotin touch with the planningdepartment who was ableto confirm that the ownersof the building had appliedto extend the period thatplanning permission mightbe granted for such adevelopment to thebuilding. This does notmean that the building isdefinitely going to becomea hotel, just that anypotential buyer has theadded attraction ofpermission already beingsecured for such abusiness.

Image from Facebook pages "You're probably from Lichfield, Staffs if..."

80 years ago

Taking the

message tothe streets

Almost 100 Soroptimists wore purple and walked throughLichfield City Centre on Saturday 9th March. TheSoroptimists involved were from the 13 clubs withinMidland Chase Region and were led in their walk by

Region President Dishi Attwood, a member of SI Lichfield. Thewalk was part of their continuing work to raise awareness of theissue of Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation.

Cards and leaflets were given to members of the public – whoshowed a huge interest in what was happening, many joining inthe walk to Speakers Corner by Minster Pool to find out more.

At Speakers Corner a member of the Cannock club addressedthe crowd, explaining that trafficking isn’t just about people –mostly women and girls – being moved from one country toanother against their will – but affects women and girls beingtrafficked from one town to another, one street to another and ishappening in many of our towns, right now. It can be known asinternal trafficking or street grooming.

Everyone was urged to look out for signs that include a run-down house or flat, where the curtains are drawn during the dayand there may be a frequent change of people living there; awoman or girl who appears unusually unhappy, withdrawn orfrightened and young people being bought food, drinks and giftsby older adults whom they may see as a boyfriend or girlfriend.

They were also encouraged to speak to their daughters andsons, to their friends, to make them aware of this issue and howyoung people can be coerced into a situation which they finddifficult to get out of – but to make sure that these young peopleknow that they can talk to them or to people working in supportorganisations.

Everyone was asked to report any concern, no matter howsmall, either to the local police or to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 – where information can be given anonymously.

The event was held on 9th March to mark InternationalWomen’s Day and all Soroptimists hope that as a result of thiswalk, more people will know about the issue of internal traffickingand more of our women and young girls in particular can be keptsafe.

There is more information about trafficking onwww.purpleteardrop.org.uk More information about SoroptimistInternational within the Midland Chase region can be found atwww.sigbi.org/midland-chase

Page 21


In 1877, a young sculptor called RobertBridgeman came to Lichfield to work on the

restoration of the Cathedral. Using a smallshed near to Minster Pool as a workshop,Robert produced more than half of the statuesthat now grace the magnificent west front. Thisincredible accomplishment marked the start ofa relationship between the craftsman and theCity that would last for the rest of MrBridgeman’s life and beyond.

In the 1881 census, Robert is described asan architectural sculptor and carver, living atDam St and employing four men and a boy. Intime, this workforce would increasesignificantly and Robert Bridgeman wouldeventually become one of the biggestemployers in Lichfield, as well as one of itsmost respected citizens. In August 1908, onehundred and ten employees attended a dinnerheld at the George Hotel to celebrate MrBridgeman’s year in office as Sheriff (later hewould also be elected Councillor and Mayor).George Wardle, chief of the office staff, raiseda toast to their employer, remarking that he andhis colleagues considered it a special pleasurethat he had chosen to present the City with agift from their works.

The gift in question was of course the statueof King Edward VII, which now stands in theMuseum Gardens at Beacon Park. Nearby isanother of Bridgeman’s statues. However,unlike the King, the sailor guarding theentrance to the Registry Office (once the FreeLibrary and Museum) was never intended forLichfield but for the Boer War Memorial inDuncombe Place, York (it was rejected forbeing too warlike and replaced with anunarmed figure). In 1910, another ofBridgeman’s works featuring royalty wasunveiled - two medallions featuring KingGeorge V and Queen Mary on the front of theGuildhall were commissioned to commemorateboth the accession of the King and themayoralty of Godfrey Benson.

Memorial GardensAfter the First World War, towns and cities

across the country wanted to erect permanentmemorials to those who had lost their lives inthe conflict and the craftsmanship ofBridgeman’s was in demand. The WarMemorial Garden in Lichfield was dedicated inOctober 1920, and contained both a monumentand a sundial carved by the firm. Around thistime, Robert Bridgeman died and his sonJoseph took over the firm, which by then wasknown as ‘Robert Bridgeman & Sons’. AlthoughRobert is buried at St Michael’s, Lichfield, amemorial was also erected in St Mary’sChurch, Burwell which reads: ‘TO THEMEMORY OF ROBERT BRIDGMANSCULPTOR. A NATIVE OF THIS VILLAGE,SHERIFF AND TWICE MAYOR OFLICHFIELD WHO DIED 4 MARCH 1918 ANDOF ELIZABETH HIS WIFE DIED 11

FEBRUARY 1871. During the Second World

War, Bridgeman’s wereresponsible for maintainingpublic buildings in Lichfield(including the Post Officeand the TelephoneExchange) whilst part oftheir own premises wereused to store paper for theBirmingham Post and Mail.In addition, their workshopswere opened up to thepublic, in the hope that thiswould provide visitors with awelcome distraction fromthe war. Over at theCathedral, the firm removedrailings to help with the wareffort, and moved theHerkenrode Glass from theLady Chapel to the nearbyvault of the Marquess ofAnglesey for safekeeping.Mr Charles Bridgeman, sonof Joseph and grandson ofRobert, was one of several citizens who actedas a ‘lookout’ from the vantage point of theCathedral’s central spire.

In 1949, Charles Bridgeman found himselfup the central spire once again. This time hisassistance was needed in assessing therepairs needed to make the unstable spiresafe. It was found to be in such a poor statethat more than 22 of the stone courses had tobe removed and redressed or replaced, workwhich was funded by the public via the‘Lichfield Spire Repair Fund’. The architect onthe job, George Pace, later stated that the spirehad been at risk of falling through the roof ofthe Cathedral. Interestingly, on removing thegilded ball from the spire, it was found tocontain several rolls of parchment, a half ounceof twist and the remains of half a pint of beer!On the parchment were written the names ofBishop Legge, the city’s civic officers, thecathedral’s bell ringers and some of the menwho had carried out repairs back in 1893,including C Blurton (foreman), JF Bullock andH Hatchett (labourers), HJW Bland (juniordraughtsman), A Eley and J Darnoll(steeplejacks), H Evans and J Camnor(scaffolders) and a certain R Bridgeman(contractor) and J Bridgeman (shop mason)!The old scroll was archived (although whathappened to the tobacco and beer is notrecorded!) and replaced with a new list ofappropriate names. Perhaps this will bediscovered the next time the central spire is inneed of some attention!

In 1968 Charles Bridgeman sold the firm toMessrs F and E V Linford, Building Contractorsof Cannock, on the understanding thatBridgeman and Sons would be a subsidiary ofthe larger firm, retaining not only their name

and employees but also their Lichfieldpremises. Those premises were of course atQuonians Lane, the part of Lichfield that isprobably most associated with Bridgeman’s.Although Linford-Bridgeman went intoadministration in October 2011, reminders ofthe skilled work which once took place hereremain. A black sign still spells out the oldname and description of the business in goldlettering and along the lane are several worksknown as ‘Bridgeman’s Trade Examples’.Unfortunately, a closer look reveals cracks andflaking paint. It seems a terrible irony thatthese works, created by a firm respected andknown throughout the world for their restorationskills, are in this condition. They are a poignantreminder of all that is lost when a firm such asBridgeman’s closes.

GazetteHeritage

Bridgeman’sWorks of Art

A Bust of Richard Bridgeman

Sources:Annals of a Century:

Bridgeman’s of Lichfield, OwenKeyte

Lichfield: Economic History AHistory of the County of Stafford:

Volume 14: Lichfield (1990)Public Sculpture of Staffordshire

and the Black Countr, George TNoszlopy and Fiona Waterhouse

Public Monument and SculptureAssociation, National Recording

Project Database Lichfield Mercury Archives –

Accessed at Lichfield RecordOffice.

By Kate Gomez

BreathtakingBeading

On until end the of May - free entry

Zebra Beaders are a group of enthusiastic beadworkers who have been together since 2002. The groupare tutored by Stephney Hornblow and originally met atLichfield College, moving to Barton under Needwood in2007.

They meet once a month during the year and haveregular additional workshops from other beadwork tutors,several of them visiting from the United States of America.Each of the monthly meetings is based around aparticular beading technique as well as investigation anddiscussion on the many and varied types of beadsavailable. Students are encouraged to make piecesbased around the technique or work on a larger morecomplex project for the year.

As can be seen from the variety of exhibits the breadthand depth of beadworkis very extensive; fromembroidered pieces tocrackers for theChristmas tree.

Zebra Beaders are alively, friendly, talentedgroup of people whoenjoy beads, beadingand creating wonderfulart-work.

See a stunningdisplay of this groupswork at LichfieldHeritage Centre, withinSt Mary's Church,Market Square, Lichfield- ends Friday 31st May.

Page 23

GazetteHeritage

The Lichfield Heritage Collectionholds 12,000 items, photographs oldand new, maps, books, documentsetc. all relating to Lichfield past and

present - copies of which can bepurchased.

The Heritage Collection is housedin the Lichfield Heritage Centre, St

Mary’s Church, Market Square,Lichfield, Tel: 01543 256 611.

The collection is free to view,opening times Monday, Wednesday

and Friday from 10.00am to 12.30pm.If you have any photographs etc.

relating to Lichfield, the HeritageCollection would be very grateful toreceive these items for everyone to

enjoy seeing them.

Come and see our wonderfulcollection.

Craftsman

Workshop

Pre-WW2 West Front of Cathedral


GazetteNews

• In March 2013 Lichfield FC opened their new seated stand at TheCity Ground on Brownsfield Road, Lichfield. This stand is the lateststage in a string of improvements at Brownsfield Road that includes theinstallation of floodlights.

• The luxury B&B St John’s House in Lichfield is under newownership and currently undergoing refurbishment. We’d like towelcome the new owners to the City.

• On Sunday 10th March the Florette Fradley 10k run took place.Despite the freezing weather over 900 runners took part. The eventwas won by Tom Whitmore who completed the course in a time of 33.2minutes. Tom is a member of Charnwood Athletics Club.

Richard Burman (a member of the Coventry Godiva Club) tooksecond with a time of 33:08 whilst Harvey Mequire came in third with ahighly respectable time of 34:29.

Catherine Ansell (a member of Hern Hill Harriers) took first in thewomen’s race with an excellent time of 35:36 whilst Marie Voice ofKenilworth Runners came in second at 42:55 and Nivette Mullan ofHinckley RC took third place at 42:59.

City PeopleTracy Newton – Assistant Manager,

Erasmus Darwin House

Many Lichfieldians will be aware of ErasmusDarwin House, a Georgian jewel in theCity’s crown and home to the physician

and ‘Renaissance man’ Erasmus Darwin (whoalso just happens to be Charles Darwin’sGrandad). If you’ve ever visited you may have metthe Assistant Manager of Erasmus Darwin House,Tracy Newton. She’s a friendly and well informedpresence at the house who has a passion for allthings 18th century.

Tracy, her husband and family live in FourOaks. Her three children all attended theCathedral School, Lichfield.

Tracy’s mum owned two hairdressing salons inErdington and it was in one of these that Tracywas born (her Mum went into labour before theambulance could get there!)

Tracy had a very happy childhood and parentsthat she describes with great pride and affection.Her father fought during WWII at the Battle ofMount Damiano (next to Monte Cassino). Shortlyafter the war her parents met a Latvian refugeewho had been through some remarkableexperiences during the conflict and had finallyarrived to safety in Britain. He was living inrefugee accommodation in Digbeth that was ofsuch a poor standard that he came to live with thefamily, where he became a beloved Uncle toTracy, one who taught her to drive and was akindly and thoughtful presence in her young life.Tracy ascribes an early interest in the world andhistory in part to ‘Uncle Arthur’ and to the storiesof travel and adventure he would tell her.

At 18 Tracy started her career as a courtreporter. Although this was a fascinating time itcould also be quite stressful as a man’s futurecould depend on the accuracy of the transcriptsshe produced in shorthand. As she commented:“When a judge leans over and asks if thedefendant said ‘a gun’ or ‘the gun’ you really needto make sure that you’ve got it right!”

She then spent several years as a PA to thefashion buyer ‘Associated Independent Stores’ thatwas then in Five Ways. The job involved thecreation of fashion shows and the sourcing a newfashion lines for stores such as Beatties andBeales.

Tracy then took time off to have her family,working on occasional accountancy projectsduring this time.

It was originally in this capacity that Tracy cameto work at Erasmus Darwin House, but her rolehas since grown to cover organising events, grantapplications, wedding planning and all of themyriad activities both academic and businessorientated that makes up her complex jobdescription.

Working at Erasmus Darwin House hasfostered in her a real love of the 18th century, andits strange combination of exacting manners andfree-thinking. She is also an affectionate admirerof the great man himself...

“Erasmus didn’t put his name to so many thingsthat he was involved in. If you look in his‘commonplace book’, there’s medical discussionson the tragic case of a woman who had suffered

five miscarriages*, next to a system for enhancingmusic through colours and light, next tocalculations of weather systems in America, nextto a design for a canal lift. Unlike his GrandsonCharles Darwin, who married well, Erasmus was aself-made man and had to work as a doctor tomake his living and build his reputation. He was avery jolly man and liked to play with his children.He was also great believer in education who setup a school for illegitimate girls.”

Tracy describes her colleagues as ‘truly lovelypeople’ and has developed a real love for the Cityof Lichfield. In her spare time she is a Girl GuideLeader, travelling to Switzerland, going white-water rafting and abseiling and even building anigloo with the girls in her group.

From 1st April Erasmus Darwin House is openTues to Sunday 11-5pm (Thurs – Sun, 12 – 4.30before 1st April). More information is available atwww.erasmusdarwin.org.uk or by calling 01543306260. The house can be found on BeaconStreet, Lichfield, WS13 7AD.

*In his commonplace book Erasmus putforward the idea that infant ill-health was occurringbecause the umbilical cord was being cut toosoon. Modern science is bearing his theory out asthe Royal College of Midwives is preparing tochange its guidelines on this topic. It is thoughtkeeping the connection to the maternal bloodsupply for longer helps protect babies against irondeficiency and anaemia, and allows vital stemcells to be transferred.

Tracy Newton

Images from www.kpevents.netWinner of Fradley

10KWinners of Fradley 10K

AncientGuild

supports today'sapprentices

During National Apprenticeship Week in early March 2013,Lichfield's Worshipful Company of Smiths, Goldsmiths,Cardmakers and Ironmongers, Pewterers and Braziers,

Plumbers, Cutlers, Nailers and Spurriers - 1601- announced itscontinued support of young apprentices in the City.

The Guild provides young people with £100 worth of tools and willsoon have a new fund to develop this activity.

It hopes to set up a Denis Parsons Foundation within the Trust ata level of £5,000, generously donated by the sculptor's partner,Pamela Marshall. Denis Parsons, who died in 2012, was adistinguished and skilled craftsman in wood and stone with workthroughout the country, notably Westminster Abbey.

Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield commented: “This is a greatinitiative! Apprenticeships offer a real alternative to those who don’twant to enter higher education, but want to learn and enhance theirskills. I’m glad this scheme is making real headway and Lichfield isleading the way.”

The Guild is compiling a pictorial catalogue of the crafts andartefacts its Freemen have produced over many years in the widestvariety of materials. These will be displayed on the Company'swebsite in the future - and on exhibition.

The Company welcomes communication from local firms settingup apprenticeships for consideration in future years.

In the first instance please contact Hugh Sammons on 01543319873 who controls the scheme for the Guild.

Page 25

Harvey Andrews is performing a Charity

Concert at Castle Bromwichin aid of Fast Aid

Harvey Andrews, the well-knownsinger/songwriter, has agreed to appear atArden Hall, Water Orton Road, Castle

Bromwich, B36 9PB on 13th April 2013 in support of‘Fast Aid’.

Fast Aid are ‘Community First Responders’ (CFR’s) andwork in conjunction with the Ambulance Service. They arevolunteers, trained to a nationally recognised medicalstandard, to provide lifesaving treatment to people in thecommunity. Responders are ‘called out’ by West MidlandsAmbulance Service if they can reach a life threateningsituation quicker than an Ambulance Crew. CFR’s normallycover an area approximately 7 minutes travelling time fromtheir home or work place.

The concert is to fund more CFR’s in the area. They, theCFR’s, could be the difference between us or a loved onesurviving a potentially fatal incident. You can help them tomobilise more CFR’s by buying tickets for the concert

Tickets for the Concert are £12.00 each and can beobtained by telephoning 0121 730 1474. The concert

starts at 8.00 pm.


An education at an independent school is asignificant investment by anyone’s standards.Many parents forego exotic holidays or new cars,preferring to spend the money on school fees. Soin this challenging economic climate why is it sucha good idea to commit to a long term investment?In reality there is no better time to provide yourchild with the best education that you can.

A better education means greater choice andwith fierce competition for the best Universityplaces and for jobs, every student needs to equipthemselves with the best education and the bestchoices.

At Chase Grammar School we focus ontraditional subjects which are valued byUniversities and employers. We do not follow

educational fashions and our expectations arehigh for every child. We encourage students tocomplete as many qualifications as possible. Weguide them to the best combinations of subjectswhich allow them to keep options open. In thiscompetitive world it is vital that students haveoptions and that they set themselves apart.

Our parents do not choose us because we arean independent school. They choose us for thesmall classes, the excellent behaviour and thefantastic results. They choose us because weexpect more for and from their child. Probablywhat they like most about us is that we are aschool of ordinary people doing extraordinarythings and between us we are giving their childrenthe best choices possible.

Why Independent Education?

On Friday 15th March, pupils at MapleHayes School welcomed StevenSutton with a cheque for £1,100.

Stephen is 18 years old and in the lastthree years has been fighting cancer. Whenpupils at Maple Hayes found out that hewas fundraising for the Teenage CancerTrust they joined in, by selling cakes atbreak times, having a non-uniform day andholding a giant chocolate raffle.

Stephen's fundraising has been sosuccessful that he has already managedto raise £20,000 in the last two months,with a total aim of raising £50,000pounds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.The Headteacher of Maple Hayes, Dr

Daryl Brown, said that he was very proudthat a school of 120 pupils could raise somuch money for such a worthwhile cause.

Nicole Davis, Ben Dunnington, LiamTrotter and Tom Parkin interviewed Stephenabout his experiences for the BBC SchoolReport which will be published onwww.dyslexia.gb.com/schoolreport on 21stMarch 2013.

Page 27

GazetteNews

Maple Hayes Schoolhelps remarkable fundraising effort

Steven Sutton receives cheque fromMaple Hayes students

Fundraising chocolate sale


GazetteNews

Is an event that looks to raise much needed funds for charities, localhospitals, and good causes. We have been operating for the last 4years, and in that time we have partnered Acorns Children’s Hospice

who provide care and support for disadvantage children.The event is not a race; it is intended to be a Fun Run, although some of you

may question that. This year we want to put more emphasis on the “Fun” witheither local companies, or groups/friends using the day to generate awarenessand sponsorship, for their good cause or nominated charity.

Our objective is to raise awareness and financial support, for a charity ofyour choice or good cause, whilst having a fun day.

Our chosen charity, Acorns, cares for children who are life limited and lifethreatened – that are unlikely to reach adulthood – and offers support to theirfamilies.

Acorns provides short break, emergency and end-of-life care, with acommunity team to support the family 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

So if you are interested in helping us with our objective, raise sponsorshipfor either our chosen charity Acorns or the nominated charity or good cause ofyour own, visit our web site, and register.

Registration is on line through our web site, www.shenstonefunrun.co.uk,also you will find sponsorship information.

Sponsorship is the way you can raise money specifically for your nominatedgood cause, so please download your sponsorship form through the website,alternatively provide a donation directly to Shenstone Fun Run by downloadingthe sponsorship pack.

As a direct result of your endeavours, this financial support will go towards

improving the quality of life for those who suffer or live with physical, learningor dysfunctional orders, whilst also improving the local community.

We must also thank our sponsors, BMW Sytners of Sutton Coldfield,Burchell Edwards, MoveCorp International, and Crimson.

Shenstone Fun Run

Page 29


Page 31

The wraps are coming off an audaciousSummer project to raise funds for a reallyworthwhile cause, and to get the whole ofLichfield rocking! An enthusiasticcollection of local people have begunorganising the event (as well as the stage,lighting and PA) for TLC (The LichfieldCommittee), a special one day musicfestival to take place on Sunday 25August, bank holiday weekend, at BeaconPark Lichfield. The aim of the festival is toraise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Intended as a family event, the musical line-up will consist of 10/12 bands, supporting thecharity, entertaining the festival audience witha diverse range of music and there will also bechildren’s entertainment.

The event organisers include MikeKingston, Maggi Huckfield, Stephanie Javens,Jason Wright, Guy Tooth and Amy Jones.

Maggi said “TLC members have lost peopleclose to them to cancer, or have familymembers who are fighting it. We want to raiseawareness and as much money as possiblefor the charity.”

Family Day“We are going to make it a real family event

by including a funfair, fast food, bouncy castle,face-painting and stalls - so there will be lotsfor children to enjoy,” said Jason

The organisers are keen to attract as muchsupport as possible from the people andbusinesses of Lichfield to ensure a successfulevent for this worthy cause. Amy said, “Weare hoping to get financial support,sponsorship and donations, from localbusinesses. We also need fencing, toilets,and security staff as well as people to helpwith bucket collections so if anyone can help Ihope they will get in touch.”

Maggi added that representatives from theTeenage Cancer Trust will be at the festival onthe day and that the aim of the TLC festival isto bring people together in support of a causethat touches everyone.

Mike Kingston, the licensee of TheFeathers public house on Beacon Street said,“The TLC festival will be free to enter, with anadmission charge to watch the bands in themarquee and all proceeds will be donated tothe Teenage Cancer Trust. There will be aTLC float at the 2013 Bower procession whichwill include a young band to be selected fromopen mic auditions at The Feathers eachTuesday from 26 March.”

Anyone wishing to support the TLCFestival should send an email to

[email protected]: @TLC_festival

Facebook: TLC music-festival

August Bank Holiday

TLC Festival to raise money for the Teenage

Cancer Trust


GazetteFeature

G-Scapes Garden Centre, LandscapeDesign and Construction and Wholesale

Nursery is one of Lichfield's most successfulcompanies, established over 40 years agowhen Malcolm Gee set up his landscapebusiness in 1973. The business expandedover the years, with the addition of bothWholesale and Retail Nurseries. Elizabethand Malcolm Gee have now decided to slowdown their pace of life (a little !!!) byrestructuring the business, by handing overtheir Retail Division to concentrate on theirflourishing Landscape and WholesaleDivisions. These sectors will still remainunder the Gee family control as Danielbecomes Managing Director.

Ownership and responsibility of theGarden Centre will transfer to the existingManager, Byron Lewis.

G-Scapes: The Wholesale and Landscape

Design arm of G-Scapes of Lichfield Limitedhas a fifteen strong team of professionalswith the resources to tackle any project. Theirplant and equipment makes them the idealcompany to tackle any landscaping job nomatter what size. They have a full CADbacked designer along with dependable andexperienced groundsmen to take you throughplanning, to construction and finally toplanting. No job too big or project too small.Last Summer their designs brought them acoveted RHS ‘Silver-Gilt’ award at theNational Gardener’s World Live Show at theNEC.

Lichfield Garden Centre: Byron Lewisstarted his horticultural career as a trolleycollector at Caerphilly Garden Centre 18years ago, working his way up to be managerthere. Then three years ago he decided tojoin G-Scapes Garden Centre as managerand is looking forward to becoming owner,

and develop various aspects of the businesswhilst maintaining the excellent service thatlocal garden enthusiasts have come to loveand appreciate. Developments like attractingyounger gardeners through social mediasuch as Twitter and Facebook, sponsoringLichfield in Bloom, and various innovative in-store promotions are all in the pipeline.Watch this space!

So all-in-all there will be no ‘branch androot’ changes but two businesses that willcontinue to bear fruit. Together, we wish G-Scapes of Lichfield and Lichfield GardenCentre all the very best for the future.

Change of Landscape

for Garden Centre

of Lichfield

Page 33

The Fountain in Beacon Street has beentransformed in recent weeks with a change of

management and a new look inside and out. Apub has reputedly stood on the site for over 300years, but nobody knows why it was called TheFountain, although it certainly provided plenty ofliquid refreshment to the foundries and metalworks which once surrounded it and the area nowoccupied by Morrisons.

Bar and Lounge“Our aim was to take the pub back to a more

homely and traditional feel with the refurbishment”says Alison Dunne, its Licensee, “and everyoneseems to agree we’ve achieved it”. The pub nowhas a great atmosphere and a warm welcome inmore ways than one, with a feature being madeof the open fire place and its newly installed logburning stove. An interesting collection of bric abrac and ephemera takes pride of place abovethe well-stocked bar which serves a range of caskales including Bass, Landlord and Banks’s Mild,plus changing guest ales. Free Wi-Fi is alsoavailable throughout the pub.

Traditional FoodFood is also firmly back on the menu again too,

with an extremely popular Sunday carveryprovided by The Fountain’s award winning chefwho has regional and national awards to theircredit including four Great Taste Awards. Basedon its success, a Wednesday carvery, togetherwith a self- serve traditional evening pub menu forthe rest of the week will also be available soon.Lite bite lunches will be on offer too and suitablefor casual diners and business people alike.

The Conservatory The beautiful conservatory is where The

Fountain’s home cooked menu is served. It offersviews over the pub’s long gardens and a pleasantand tranquil atmosphere in contrast to the busybar and lounge, although diners are welcome toeat in the bar or the gardens if preferred . Theconservatory is available for private hire includingbusiness breakfasts, lunches, meetings or familyoccasions be they happy or sad. A range ofmenus are available or can be created to suit theoccasion and budget including hot and cold

buffets, private carveries andtable d’hote meals.

The Fountain regularly playshost to a number of clubs and societies rangingfrom bowls, football, darts and car enthusiastclubs. Enquires are welcome from anyoneinterested in using the pub for functions andmeetings as the conservatory offers an idealvenue for business events or dining parties up to30, buffet functions up to 50 and seatedaudiences up to 60. Larger parties are welcometo discuss hire of the whole pub for their event.

Events ProgramThe Fountain has a number of plans for events

over the coming months which include Beer andCider Festivals, Psychic Evenings with the firstplanned for 23rd April, fund raising Car Boot andTable Top sales in aid of Air Ambulance and StGiles Hospice, Bar Games such as “HigherLower” jackpots and a Meat Auction everySaturday. The extensive garden and car park isideal for outdoor summer events, with plans forbarbecues, paella nights and hog roastsguaranteed to be sure fire winners on theFountain’s calendar. For lovers of darts, TheFountain has got to have one of the ‘poshest’dartboards in Lichfield, well used by regulars andthe pubs own darts teams!

If you haven’t visited The Fountain in recentyears Alison looks forward to welcoming youin to enjoy a lovely relaxed and friendlyatmosphere with a few beers and superb food.

Newly refurbished and offeringeverything you could want from

a traditional pub

The Fountain Inn169 Beacon Street, Lichfield

WS13 7BGTel: 01543 411478

Open from 12 noon daily (11.30 Sundays)

Sunday Carvery served from 12.30booking advisable

Please contact the pub for details of itsforthcoming menus and events program


Take a SeatUpholstery

James Westwood has been anupholsterer for nearly 20 years andspecialises in traditional and modernupholstery, restoration, recovering andrefurbishing.

He served an apprenticeship for 6 yearsat Regal Upholstery to gain his City andGuilds qualification and takes pride in hisproficiency in all aspects of upholsteryincluding restoration of antique furniture,bringing it back to its former glory.

James and Helen have rearranged theshop to accommodate examples of James’work to demonstrate what he can do forcustomers.

From a footstool to a 3-piece-suite,James will help you decide which fabricssuit your furniture and which materials areappropriate, whether it’s for light, generalor heavy use and can offer you a servicethat includes a wide range of fabrics andcolours to meet your requirements.

If your furniture requires Frenchpolishing, re-springing, horsehair padding,or stitch finishing that’s no problem either.This kind of specialist work can be

completed by James - and atrealistic prices too.

SugarSurgeons -Cakes of

distinctionHelen Westwood has been

designing cakes since 1988, Sheis amongst only a handful ofpeople in Britain who areaccomplished in sugar blowingand sugar pulling allowing her tocreate wedding cakes which aresheer works of art, each onehaving a unique style and beautyof its own.

She has now caught the eye ofsome of the major televisionstations, most recently designing

a cake for Kirstie Allsopp’s “WeddingSpecial” on Channel 4’s Vintage Homes.She was also commissioned last year toproduce a magnificent cake in the shape ofBuckingham Palace for Tate & Lyle’sexhibition at Wellington Arch in London.

As a specialist supplier of cakes andcake decoration materials, Helen and herstaff at Sugar Surgeons produce cake artto bring joy and happiness to Weddings,Anniversaries, Birthdays and Christenings.Helen says, “Wedding cakes are designedaround the bride and are available in up tofifteen flavours. They are all handmadeand baked from scratch.” Budget Weddingcakes start from £139/ Birthday cakes from£35.

So whether your celebration is a privateor corporate event you can rely on SugarSurgeons to add the icing to the cake!

Cakes with extrapolish!

Helen and James Westwood are aLichfield husband and wife team,both members of the Worshipful

Company of Smiths, who offer twoexceptional services from their

premises in Beacon Street, Lichfield.

Page 35


WINNERSMother’s Day Winner

The correct answer in this competition was ‘Daffodiles’.Congratulations to Mr Martin Dale of Freeford Gardens,

Lichfield, winner of the Ivison the Florist win a bouquetMother's Day Competition.

Mother’s Day WinnerThe correct answer in this competition was ‘Market Street’.

Congratulations to Miss Kay Martin, winner of the Touch ofClass win a kimono Mother's Day Competition.

Crufts Competition WinnerThe correct answer in this competition was Lhasa Apso. The

first correct answers drawn were from: Mrs J Beale (Lime Grove), Ms SSmith (Frog Lane) Mrs S Peers (Barnes Road), Mrs V Burden (BirminghamRoad) and J Wright (Tamworth). Congratulations to our lucky winners whoeach received 2 tickets to the 2013 Crufts Show.

Homebuilding & Renovating ShowCompetition Winner

The correct answer in this competition was '1970s'. The first correctanswers drawn were from: Ms K Coe (Chase Terrace), Mr R Kirman

(Tamworth), Mrs C Eley (Burntwood), Mr G Drury (Stafford Road), Ms KPhillips (Burntwood) and Ms D Lomas (Armitage). Congratulations to our luckywinners who each received 2 tickets to the Homebuilding & Renovation Showat the NEC.

My WordCall yourself a logophile?Test your vocabulary with our new quiz. The prize is an inner glow ofsatisfaction and superiority.What is a carfax?A. A fax machine that you plug into a car’s lighter socket.B. A 19th century word for a carpet manufacturer.C. A crossroads where four roads meet.

The answer is C. Acarfax is a crossroads where four roads meet.GazetteCompetition

With features including the International FutureTech Zone, Game Stage, Photographic Zone, HubTheatre hosted by Radio 1’s Aled Haydn Jones andSuper Theatre featuring Jason Bradbury andPollyanna Woodward, Gadget Show Live is a greatday out for all the family.

Adult tickets cost £20, children £15. Moreinformation is available at

www.gadgetshowlive.net.birmingham We have ten pairs of adult tickets worth £40

for Gazette Readers to win!To be in with a chance just answer the

following question...

One of these Jason’s is a presenteron Channel 5’s The Gadget Showprogramme. But which one?

A. Jason BradburyB. Jason DonovanC. Jason GrimshawTo enter, send your answer, name, and contact

details to Lichfield Gazette Gadget ShowCompetition. PO Box 5414, Lichfield, WS14 4EZ oremail it to [email protected]

The competition closes on Friday 29th March.Winners will be notified by Saturday 30th April andyour tickets will be delivered to your home in timefor the show. One entry per household please,duplications will be disqualified.

Gadget Show Live is the biggest and best consumer tech eventin the UK, taking place 3-7 April at the NEC in Birmingham. In thisgadget lover’s heaven, you can touch, test and buy the top techaround from 200 exhibitors including Microsoft, LG, Acer, Lenovo,JVC , Game, Orange, Freesat and KEF.

WIN! A pair of Tickets to the

Gadget ShowLive 3-7 April 2013

Lichfield Summer Beer &Wine Festival 31st May - 1st

June 2013Make a date in your diary for this highly

popular event featuring over 30 real alesplus ciders, perry and bottled beers inaddition to wines, good food and the famouspork pies! Music will be provided by theChicken Shack Boogie Boys and Three'sCompany. The festival takes place at TheGuildhall 12 noon till 11pm. Entry £2 before6pm, £3 after 6pm. For more information goto www.lichfieldarts.org.uk

Duncan Rippon (Arts associationtreasurer), Clementine Amel, Lilli Schlekerand Brian Pretty (Arts AssociationPresident).

Page 37

Meli gets a callfrom Harvey Nics!The word has got around

about Lichfield firm Coco Meli.Harvey Nichols the nationalprestige department store hascommissioned them to provideproduce as a sole provider ofpatisserie and cup cakes forChampagne Afternoon Teas attheir Birmingham Mailboxstore.

Meli Nicolaou, owner ofCoco Meli told Lichfield Gazette: “We were invited to go along toHarvey Nichols by the Head Chef and Food Merchandising Managerto allow them to sample our produce. They were so impressed thatthey asked us to start supplying their Birmingham store. We are overthe moon! I am so proud of my team of chefs and bakers who haveconsistently made a great range of wonderful products.”

The bakery based on the Britannia Enterprise Park have been inexistence just twelve months and many readers will be aware of thepastries and cakes sold on the market in Lichfield each week. Theartisan company were recently assessed by the authorities todemonstrate their techniques and ingredients as totally natural inorder to bare the name ‘artisan’.

Coco Meli Bakery won a small business award last year for theirbread and cakes. The Twitter Sunday Twitter Award was launch byDragon’s Den entrepreneur Theo Paphitis who still continues tomentor Meli.

Recommended Party and Corporate Caterers inStaffordshire and West Midlands

Our New Bakery and Kitchen hosts some of the best home cooks and bakers inStaffordshire, and we are happy to launch our new bespoke Catering Service!Our lovely food will make any occasion a huge success - from corporate eventsand weddings to intimate dinner à deux! (Our famous Belgian ChocolateBrownies and champagne is all you need!)

We can provide as much or as little as you need to make your party a big hit,from event management with catering to Just Desserts – a range of puddings(we can even make them in your own crockery!)Coco Meli works with the best suppliers including Packington Farm, WalterSmith and The Worth Brothers.

Call us on 01543 268789 or email Meli on [email protected]

Coco Meli BakeryUnit 53 Britannia Way,

Britannia Enterprise Park WS14 9UY

10% off the total price of your catering on presentation on this advertisementCLOSING DATE END OF MAY 2013


Lichfield Cathedral

tours return for2013

Lichfield Cathedral is inviting the public to explore the hidden treasuresof the historic main library (above the Chapter House, built in 1249).Visitors can take a tour of the library and obtain a rare glimpse of the

incredible treasures housed here.The collection includes Chaucer’sCanterbury Tales (c1420) and HenryVIII’s ‘Great Bible’ (first edition-1539)and covers not just theology butliterature, geography, philosophy andthe natural sciences. The tour will beconducted by a trained guide.Tour dates are Saturday April 6th,Wednesday April 24th, SaturdayMay 11th, Wednesday May 29thand Saturday June 22nd.Tour time: 10.30amTour duration: Approx. 1 hourTicket cost: £9.00 per personBookings: Please call the CathedralShop on 01543 306150 or call in toNo. 9 The Close to book your ticketsin person. Please note tour numbersare limited, access is restricted andbags cannot be taken into thelibrary.

GazetteNews PETS CORNERCaring for your

rabbitby Pool House Veterinary

Hospital

Rabbits are the third most popular companion animal in the UK with approximately1.7 million kept as pets. There are many breeds and they come in lots of differentshapes and sizes. Typically, rabbits live for 8-12 years, but some may live forlonger. Here are some top tips to help ensure your Rabbit lives a long healthy life!Feeding -Poor feeding can cause many problems and is often associated withdental disease, obesity, fly strike & behavioral problems.Did you know that Rabbits are ‘fibrevores’? This means that rabbits need tohave fibre in their diet. The bulk of a rabbit’s diet should consist of unlimited grass& hay, fresh leafy greens & vegetables. Rabbit mix or Pellets should be fed tocomplement these, so should be fed in small quantities. Fruit and other treatsshould be kept to a minimum to prevent obesity. Pellets or muesli? Rabbit mix or muesli tends to result in selective feeding. Thismeans that most rabbits will often pick out the sweet pieces which are high in sugarand starch and leave the hard fibrous pieces. This selective feeding results innutritional imbalances and may lead to obesity and dental problems. Pelletsprevent selective feeding and have a high fibre content.Fresh clean drinking water should also be freely available.Preventative Healthcare- Vaccination – we recommend annual vaccinationagainst:•Myxomatosis – This is a nasty disease and is commonly seen in wild rabbits.Symptoms include swelling of the eyes, face, anus & ears. This results in blindness,disorientation and death. Annual vaccinations are recommended.•Viral Haemorrhagic disease (VHD) – This disease is fatal and there is no cure. Itcauses internal bleeding and organs dysfunction. Symptoms include depression,collapse, difficulty in breathing, convulsions, high body temperature, lethargy,bleeding from the nose. Annual vaccination is recommended.Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E-Cuniculi) – A microscopic parasite which affectsinternal organs. Symptoms include Seizures, kidney disease, hind limb weakness,loss of vision and balance. Rabbits also develop a head tilt. Regular worming willprevent E-cuniculi. Flystrike – Is common in the summer but can present all year round. This iscaused by Blow flies laying eggs around the rabbit’s anus. These eggs thendevelop into maggots which feed on the tissue. This condition can be fatal if notdetected early and is easily prevented. Ensuring your rabbit eats a balanced dietwill greatly help to prevent flystrike. There is a higher incidence in overweightrabbits because they are unable to eat their caecotrophs which become stuckaround the anus. Checking your rabbit daily and ensuring the lodgings are cleanwill help reduce the risk of flystrike. There are topical preparations available at PoolHouse Vets that can prevent eggs hatching into maggots.Neutering - Rabbits love company! 2 females (Does) and 2 males (Bucks) can livetogether if they are litter mates but the best combination is 1 buck and 1 doe. Wewould recommend neutering rabbits if you do not want them to reproduce. Rabbitscan be neutered from 4 months of age.Insurance - As rabbit medicine advances, the veterinary profession can offer moreto help, should bunny become unwell. Assess the benefits yourself. Werecommend insurance for any petPool House Veterinary Group will be holding our Rabbit Awareness Month

in May – Look out for more information on our websitewww.poolhousevets.co.uk or our facebook page!

RABBIT FACTS• A healthy rabbit can twitch its nose 2-120 times per minute!• Rabbit’s teeth can grow at a staggering rate of 2-3mm per week!• Rabbits chew 12 times per minute. • Rabbits have 17,000 taste buds!• Rabbits eat their own droppings – these are called caecotrophs and are soft. Theyeat their droppings because they have to process their food twice. This iscompletely normal and all rabbits should do this!

Call 01543 262464

Page 39

Specsavers in Lichfield raised£322.74 for Comic Relief, which wasthe most they have ever raised for

any event. Staff completed a sponsored'keep fit' session and sold some delicioushome baked cakes and cookies tocustomers over the day. Lichfield Golf &Country Club donated the exercise bike forthe event.

Cakes and Keep-fit forComic Relief


GazetteWoman

Simple steps tobeautiful spring skin

There’s something about the sunlight in April. It illuminates not just thedust that may have accumulated in out-of-the-way corners over winter,but it also shows up the ravages that freezing weather and central heating

may have inflicted on our skin.I’m not a supporter of drastic measures when it comes to skincare. So many

products promise to somehow ‘rejuvenate’ (or make young again) your skin and thatseems to me to miss the point a bit. Culturally we are bombarded with messages thatonly youth can be beautiful and this is simply not true – just look at CatherineDeneuve, Joanna Lumley and Honour Blackman, beautiful women who have stayedaway from the knife and have developed a richer beauty than they possessed in their20’s.

A lot of how your skin will age is down to your genes. If your Mum looks great at50, it’s likely you will too, provided you stay away from the three big no-no’s –smoking, sun worshipping and rapid weight loss and gain, all of which stress your skinand can leave it dull and unsupported.

This does seem to me however to be a little unfair, many women sunbathed in the80’s when a natural tan was deeply fashionable, many women have dabbled withsmoking in their youth and anyone who has had children has probably experiencedtheir fair share of weight gain and loss. In other words, life happens, there’s no needto stress, and there are lots of cheap and easy ways that you can get your glow back.

No matter what point you start from, here are a few simple pointers to help you lookyour best in decades to come.

Avoid sugar (as much as possible)OK, we all like the occasional treat but sadly refined sugar

consumption triggers a natural process called glycation.During glycation sugar molecules attach themselves toproteins resulting in the creation of harmful new proteins called

Cont on pg42

By Joss Musgrove Knibb

Page 41

TANLook healthy and feel

great when you visit Tanin Tamworth Street.

Not only look good with theirreknowned,superb St.Tropezspray tanning, but also the

beautiful Nouveau SemiPermanent lashes, and also theLetsgo lashes as worn by starssuch as Bitney Spears and The

Saturdays.Tan are also specialists in Waxing,

Manicures, Facials andPedicures.Tan are well

established in Lichfield, becausethey know how to make you look

good and feel great.


advanced glycation end-products or AGE’s. These harm all of the cellsin the body and stiffen collagen molecules, reducing skin elasticity. Lesscollagen equals more wrinkles and sagging skin.

Avoid sleeping on your sideThis is a hard one to change but if you can, try to sleep on your back.

Laying your cheek on a pillow all night helps furrow the skin and helpsthose wrinkles deepen, not just on your face but also along yourcleavage.

Exfoliate when you showerKeep a tube of gentle facial scrub in the shower and use it when you

can. The sloughing away of dead skin cells helps to increase cellturnover, and new cells are smother and more radiant. The onlyconsiderations are, don’t scrub too hard, don’t use it around the eyes orsensitive areas and only use it when your skin is feeling up to it!

Happily, using a facial scrub triggers the skin to produce morecollagen giving us firmer skin. We stop producing lots of collagen in our20’s so adding to your supply in this simple way can only be a goodthing.

Choose your sunscreen wiselyThe best way to keep skin looking good is to use sunscreen. It will not

only keep at bay wrinkles, discolouration and brown spots, but giventime, it will also seriously improve the appearance of any you may have.I know that we haven’t seen much of the sun in the last 18 months, buteven the light on a grey day can affect your skin.

Sleep well Be a little lazy and have that lie in! Although we may be resting when

we are asleep, our remarkable bodies are carrying out hundreds ofrenovation jobs! When we’re asleep our bodies produce human growthhormone (HGH). This hormone keeps skin smooth and supple, keepsthe hair soft and energy levels high.

However, we produce most HGH during deep sleep, and thereforeless if this sleep is interrupted. An old and uncomfortable mattress canreally scupper the chances of a good night’s rest, if you can, change itand reap the benefits of better health and glowing skin.

MoisturiseThere’s no need to spend a fortune, just choose something right for

your skin (lighter for younger skin, richer for more mature skins) andapply it when you can. It’s a good idea to avoid applying moisturiser tothe area right under your eyes. Ironically doing this actually causes thisdelicate skin to puff up and creates bigger bags.

If your skin is prone to fine dryness lines that show up under makeup,put a layer of yourmoisturiser onunderneath yourfoundation. You mayfeel that this will leaveyour face feeling stickybut actually it won’t, italso smoothes overthose fine lines giving

your skin a much smoother and fuller appearance.If you have a few fine lines around your mouth and at the corners of

your eyes, dot on a little rich moisturiser in those areas, it willimmediately soften their appearance.

Fake it!Add a little illuminator to your foundation; this gives your skin a

luscious glow that simply looks healthy.Stay away from strong colours in the daytime. Try and match your

blusher, lipstick etc to your natural skintone. A good trick to learn is thelower lip trick. The colour of the skin on the inside of your lower lip cangive you a good template for finding the right shade of lipstick for you.Match it correctly and it makes a lot of difference.

As the old phrase goes, ‘beauty comes from within’. It’s down toeating well, looking after yourself and sleeping well. Hard to do when wehave so many demands on our time, but being a little nicer to ourselvesmakes life just that little bit easier, and as an added bonus gives yougood skin and shiny hair – result!

Pictures from:makeupandbeauty.com koraorganics.commomosmoment.blogspot.com

Cont from pg42

Page 43

ALichfield woman is backing an appeal for the creation of aRepatriation Memorial dedicated to the survivors of WW2 Far East

prisoner of war camps.Polly Dixon’s father, John Mather, was captured in Singapore in

1941 with his regiment, the Northumberland Fusiliers. They were put towork on the notorious Thailand-Burma Railway.

CSM Mather was repatriated in the autumn of 1945, with his secretdiary, which told of the hardships prisoners had to suffer.

In the last few years, Polly and her husband David have visited thesites of the railway and become active in COFEPOW (Children of FarEast Prisoners of War), a charity perpetuating the memory of WW2prisoners.

In her support of the charity, Polly is backing the SouthamptonRepatriation Memorial Appeal, launched by The Times on March 2.Thememorial will commemorate the arrival back into Britain of thousandsof servicemen and civilians (including children) who had survivedcaptivity under the Japanese. The Southampton memorial will be thesecond such tribute in England, the first was dedicated in Liverpool inOctober 2011.

The Repatriation Memorials pay tribute to the survivors of war, notsolely the war dead. For many Far East POWs, the struggle to survivecontinued long after liberation and their return home. For some thatstruggle proved too much, for others it continued for years – often forthe rest of their lives.

Meg Parkes, chairman of the Researching Far Eastern Prisoners ofWar (FEPOW) History group said: “We need to raise around £5,000and if the funds come in quickly we shall be able to unveil the memorial

in October this year in the company of a few of the surviving Far EastPOW and internees.”

Over 50,000 British servicemen were captured by the Japanese inSouth East Asia and the Far East between 25 December 1941 and theend of March 1942. Approximately one in four of them died in captivitymainly due to gross neglect by their captors.

Polly’s father’s journey home started by flying (probably in a DC3Dakota) over the mountains from Bangkok to Rangoon in Burma, thensailing, on September 26, 1945, on the Orient liner Ormonde toSouthampton.

He was just one of more than 17,000 Far East POW and over athousand civilian internees who disembarked in Southampton in theeight weeks from October 8 to December 11, 1945.

*There is a Far East Prisoners of War memorial building at theNational Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas.

Donations to the Southampton Repatriation Memorial Appeal can besent to: Polly Dixon, 78, Gaia Lane, Lichfield WS13 7LS. Chequesshould be made payable to Researching FEPOW History and markedon the reverse Repatriation Memorial.

Polly Dixon with her father’s

war diary

Memorial to Far East

POW appealBy Ann Mayo

Page 45

Louise Hall and her family have always been interested incollectables and antiques. She recently reminded me about the oldCordelia & Perdy’s Antique Shop on Tamworth Street had been afavourite haunt of hers until its closure. With this in mind Louisedecided that the empty shop on Dam Street was just the place to offerLichfeldians an opportunity to shop for the kind of item that you justwon’t find on the High Street.

Louise is once again putting Dam Street at the forefront of people’sminds by opening a new venture – The Little Curio Shop. This shopused to be the schoolhouse of Dame Oliver where Samuel Johnsonwent to school as a lad.

As a collective of six like-minded people, the business enterprisewas originally intended to be a pop-up shop until Christmas, buthaving tested the waters it seems that their unique collection of retroand vintage stock is already becoming a firm favourite with shoppers,so hopefully it will become a permanent feature on Dam Street.

So much to see in a small space. Whether you are looking for

an antique glass washboard with a wooden frame, anornament like the one your grandmother had on the mantle-piece or

that perfect piece of jewellery as a gift for someone special, wellthen you really need to visit The Little Curio Shop.

Where else could you browse for modern day pottery by LornaBailey Ceramics reminiscent of the style of Clarice Cliff, and fastbecoming collectables in their own right?

There’s also jewellery by Tracy (Kizon) with some lovely hand-made silver pieces with semi-precious stones, each with their ownunique design and form.

And it doesn’t stop there. As well as ceramics and jewellery, TheLittle Curio Shop also stocks a range of goods to make it a vintageand retro heaven for those who want something just that little bitdifferent, from ‘kitchenalia’, pictures and glassware to small items offurniture, from handbags to vintage clothing, from vintage beadnecklaces to handmade soaps.

Find us at 10 Dam Street, Lichfield WS13 6AA.

Curiouser andcuriouser…

The Little Curio Shop is awonderland to behold


1990’sSlip dresses, high waistedtrousers, baggy tees and a

grunge attitude.Khaki canvas sleeve jacket £45

Dorothy Perkins

Spring 2013 has givenus quite a broad

spectrum of trends toconsider this season.Done right, there’ssomething for everyonehere, be you a minimalist,exhibitionist or romantic.

With shimmer and shine,bold prints, neons andstripes all referenced, theunadulterated lookstraight from the designeris rather avant guarde, sothe fabulous Great BritishHigh Street has translatedthese hard to combinetrends into somefabulous, wearablepieces. Here’s some ofthe outerwear availablefrom High Street retailers,many of which havestores in Lichfield.

Feeling Hot GazetteWoman

NeonsBright lime greens, lipsticks

pinks and neon blues, worn toclash in sleek, structured

shapes.A Wear Pintuck blazer £45

available from ASOS

Graphic printsBold prints have never been faraway for the last few seasons.

Aqua Geo Print Jacket £45Dorothy Perkins

IridescenceFrom pearlised and iridescent

leather, to metallics, gildedembroidery, sequins, satins,

organza and silks with a sheen,there’s a flash and a glimmer to

Spring 2013.Twiggy for M&S Sequin Blazer

now £63.20

Candy StripesWorn in all the colours of the

rainbow.J by Jasper Conran striped

jacket now £48.75 fromDebenhams

Top SpringTrends

Stockistswww.marksandspencer.com

www.dorothyperkins.comwww.asos.com

www.debenhams.comwww.stylishboutique.co.uk

for Spring 2013

1960’sChequers, monochrome, skyhigh hems and psychedelic

prints.ASOS Geo cropped Harrington

Jacket £75

WhiteWorn sheer with

pearls or sleek andunadorned.

French Connectioncoat RRP £160.

Available at £149sizes 10 to 16 from

La Boutique, Lichfield.

If you have a community orfund raising event thatyou’d like to have includedin the monthly What’s Onpages, please send anemail [email protected] the date, eventtitle, times, venue and briefdescription.

Sat 23 Mar - Wed 10 Apr 2013Beacon Park Easter Trail9.00am to 4.00pm at BeaconPark. Have some puzzle funover Easter. Pick up your trailmap from the Ranger Station,solve the puzzles and claimyour prize. £1 per trail.

Sat 23 Mar – Sun 14 AprilThe Great Egg Challenge9.00am to 5.00pm at theNational Memorial Arboretum.Easter Holiday Fun followingthe trail around the Arboretumand completing egg challengesalong the way. On-site activityduring open hours. Only £1.00per entry, including an egg! Atthe end of the course, returnthe egg and be entered into aprize draw.

Sat 23 MarHenhouse Children's ArtSchool 10.00am to 11.00 and 10.00amto 12 noon at St Michael'sChurch Hall (near Aldi andTesco). Calling all 5 year olds

to teenagers. A one hour andtwo hour session. The classesoffer an opportunity to gainnational Arts Award accreditedqualifications. Learn drawing,painting, sculpture textiles,printing and much more. Mostimportantly, classes will be fun!Pre-booking essential.

Bookworms United! 10.30am to 12 noon at SamuelJohnson Birthplace Museum.Read, explore and enjoypopular modern books andmake new friends in a newfortnightly reading and activityclub for 7-12 year olds. £4 (£3for family bookings).

Chris & Pui Roadshow11.00am and 2.00pm atLichfield Garrick. See Chris andPui from Show Me Show Melive on stage! CBeebies'favourite double act is bringingsongs, rhymes, comedysketches and lots of joining-infor all the family. See Incy,Humpty, the Grand Old Dukeand - "oh my woolly word!" -Little Bo Peep, along with manyother favourite characters.

KitchenAid Kapers!11.00am to 4.00pm at TheKitchen Shop. LOVEKitchenAids but have nevertried one? Have a KitchenAidbut want to make it do more?Drop by & have a go at the in-

store demo! KitchenAid will bebringing along a working iconicArtisan Mixer for you to have aplay with! They have £20 OFFthe Mixers until stocks last &have many colours in store foryou to see.

Lichfield Cathedral Chorus -The Armed Man (a Mass forPeace) by Karl Jenkins 7.30pm at Lichfield Cathedral.Lichfield Cathedral Chorus isjoined by the well-knownThoresby Colliery Band for thisexciting and well-loved piece.Definitely an evening not to bemissed. Tickets available fromLichfield Garrick.

Jamie Smith’s Mabon 8.00pm at The Guildhall. Wales'finest purveyors of originalInterCeltic music, travellingbeyond borders to explore theforms and styles of the Celtictraditions.

Sun 24 MarSt Giles Hospice Lichfield 5KRun9.00am to 5.00pm at BeaconPark. Celebrate St GilesHospices' 30th Anniversary byjoining us for this annual 5KRun! 3 laps of Beacon Park. Itcosts £10.00 per person toenter and you'll receive acomprehensive fundraisingpack to help you along the way.The charity now cares for over

500 local people each week, atthe hospice's centres in SuttonColdfield, Walsall andWhittington, and in patients'own homes across the region.

Tue 26 - Sat 30 Mar Oklahoma! 7.30pm at Lichfield Garrick.Enjoy the talented award-winning amateur society SuttonColdfield Musical TheatreCompany's energeticinterpretation of Rodgers andHammerstein's first musicalOklahoma! Featuring love andlaughter, dynamic dancing andclassic songs. Greatentertainment for all the family.

Thu 28 MarLive Music: Acoustic Night8.00pm to 11.00pm at TheSpark Café. Local musicianstake to the stage during thismonthly Acoustic Night. Threesongs per act, sign up now [email protected].

Fri 29 Mar – Sun 31 MarEaster Afternoon Tea At Netherstowe House. Indulgein an Easter themed afternoontea.

Fri 29 Mar – Wed 10 AprEaster Bunny Trail At Lichfield Heritage Centre.Find the bunnies on the trailaround the Lichfield Story

Exhibition to claim a prize.£2.50 adults, £2 concessions -kids go free!

Sat 30 Mar – Wed 10 AprSam's Easter Explorers 10.30am to 4.30pm at SamuelJohnson Birthplace Museum.Easter holiday fun at themuseum with trails, activitiesand competitions availableevery day. Free entry, £1 fortrail pack.

Sat 30 MarEaster Arts and Crafts Drop-In Sessions10.00am to 3.30pm at LichfieldHeritage Centre. A chance foraccompanied children of allages to create a special Easteritem. Also, follow the BunnyTrail in the exhibition. Freeentry to exhibition, £2 foractivity sessions

All Day Coffee Morning10.00am to 4.00pm atWhittington Wharf. Eric andDoreen Wood host a variety ofstalls, morning coffee, barbecueand cream teas, all in aid ofLichfield and Hatherton CanalsRestoration Trust. 6 SwanCottages, Burton Road,Whittington, Lichfield, WS149NP

Craft, Food and Gift Fair 10.00am to 3.00pm at TheGuildhall. Featuring over 25

Dining Out

YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON THIS MONTH IN LICHFIELD

What’s on

Feast of Fiddles atLichfield Cathedral -celebrating 20 years

Lichfield Cathedral Thursday 11 April 2013

Feast of Fiddles is a musical entertainment like no other.Yes it's fiddles and yes there's folk music but there's somuch more. Pretty much every genre is covered and thedynamic range is huge. In 19 years of annual tours everyguest dragged along by an enthusiast has gone awayhappy!

If you love good music - whatever it is - Feast of Fiddles is for you! For tickets and fulldetails please visit www.lichfieldarts.org.uk

Box-office 01543 262223

Page 47

stalls offering unique alternativesnot found on the high street. Freeentry.

Pubs, Priests and Prostitutes2.00pm at Lichfield TouristInformation Centre. Hear aboutsome of Lichfield's historic andinteresting characters. £3.

Colin 'Elvis' Perry 7.30pm at Lichfield Garrick.Bringing you all of the hits youwould expect along with humourand fun. An excellent tribute tothe great man followed with someof the finest classic hits ofdecades gone by. This is a showyou will want to catch if you arean Elvis fan with a sense ofhumour.

Sun 31 MarEaster Sundayat Moor Hall Hotel & Spa, MoorHall Drive, Sutton Coldfield T:0121 308 3751 and The George Hotel, BirdStreet, Lichfield T: 01543 414822Enjoy a delicious Easter Sundaylunch with friends and family.£13.75 (carvery), £16.75 (FamilyEaster Sunday lunch) at TheGeorge and from £15.75 at MoorHall

Eggstravaganza At RSPB Middleton Lakes. Aneggstraspecial day making allthings eggy including treasurehunts and other hands-onactivities. Free entry.

Easter Morning Family Service10.45am at Emmanuel ChristianCentre. A time of worship,teaching and fellowship tocelebrate Easter and the risenChrist.

Easter Sunday Carvery 12 noon to 3.00pm for lunch and6.00pm to 9.00pm for dinner at

Best Western The George Hotel.Enjoy a traditional three-coursecarvery lunch or dinner pluscoffee with friends and family inour welcoming carvery restaurant.Prior booking is essential.

Tue 2 AprNeaten and Natter 11.00am to 1.00pm at BeaconPark. Monthly volunteer event(1st Tuesday of the month exceptJanuary). Make friends and helpto keep Beacon Park beautiful.Tasks include litter picking andweeding.

Tue 2 – Sat 6 AprLes Miserables 7.30pm at Lichfield Garrick. Theaward-winning Lichfield GarrickYouth Theatre returns with aproduction of the worldwidelegendary musical Les Miserables- School Edition, A cast of over fifty local youngpeople are supported by a fullorchestra and of course, the highproduction values the audienceshave come to expect. Earlybooking is advised.

Tue 2 AprLive Music at The Doghouse7.30pm for an 8.00pm start at theCrown Inn, Alrewas. Martin Ryanand Stef Dziuba, along withassorted guests, will be raisingthe rafters again at their inimitablesing-along music session. Getthere early for one of the bestfree nights out in the region butmake sure you buy a raffle ticket!

Wed 3 & Thu 4 AprTennis Camps in Beacon Park 9.00am to 10.00pm for TotsTennis (3 – 5 Year olds £5 persession) and 10.00am to 12 noonfor Mini Camp (6 – 13 year olds£10 per session) at Beacon Park.Structured coaching and fungames delivered by LTA qualified


Corrie Starheads up cast at Garrick

From the cobbles of Coronation Street to treading the boards ata Lichfield theatre, soap star Tupele Dorgu is set to play the leadrole in The Garrick Rep Company’s upcoming production, Educating Rita The actress, who

is best known for her role as Kelly Crabtree in Coronation Street, will appear in Willy Russell’sEducating Rita at the Lichfield Garrick from 31 May to 22 June 2013. Educating Rita will run inthe Lichfield Garrick Studio from Friday 31 May to Saturday 22 June 2013. Tickets cost from£10, and can be booked online at www.lichfieldgarrick.com or by calling the Box Office on 01543412121.

Direct from London’sLeicester SquareTheatre and The O2

arena, the original Britishtribute show, The Rat Packis Back brings the style andexcitement of Las Vegas tothe Lichfield Garrick.

The Rat Pack is Back,Britain’s longest runningtribute to Frank Sinatra,Dean Martin and SammyDavis Jnr, will be at the citycentre theatre on Friday 22

March 2013.The hit show perfectly

captures not only the musicand comedy of the originallegends, but also thepersonalities of the starswho ruled the entertainmentworld from Las Vegas.

David Alacey (Lovejoy),Des Coleman (Lenny inEastenders) and PaulDrakeley (BBC Musician ofthe Year) will performclassics such as My Way,

Amore, and Mr Bojangles.The Rat Pack boys will be

joined by The Don HuntOrchestra (Musical Directorfor Sir Bruce Forsyth) andThe Flamingo Showgirls,who add even more glamourto this swinging evening.

Don’t miss thisopportunity to join the kingsof cool with their swingingband at the Lichfield Garrickon Friday 22 March 2013 at7.30pm.

Tickets cost £19.50, andcan be booked online atwww.lichfieldgarrick.com or

by calling the Box Office on01543 412121.

The Rat Pack is Back!


coaches. All equipment isprovided. Contact Tel: 07971898 645 - to book your child aplace or for more details.

Wed 3 AprBlood Thirsty Lichfield 2.00pm at Lichfield TouristInformation Centre. This tour isbased on the very popularGruesome and Ghostly toursbut is designed especially forchildren and is an ideal way ofkeeping them entertained duringthe school holidays! All childrenmust be accompanied by anadult. £1.65.

Thu 4 AprLichfield Farmers' Market 9.00am to 3.00pm at LichfieldMarket Square. The marketsboast a fantastic range ofbeautiful stalls, sellingwholesome locally-producedfood and other goods, includingan excellent choice of hand-made arts and crafts. So,whether you want a handmadetreat, or something deliciousand wholesome to take homefor tea, why not make the firstThursday of every month a datein your diary!

Fri 5 AprThe StaffordshireArchaeological & HistoricalSociety8.00pm at St Mary's Centre.The Zeppelin Raid on Walsall,1916, lecture by Paul Ford,archivist, Walsall Local HistoryCentre. Visitors welcome. £3.Refreshments available from 730 pm. For more info call 01543416144.

Sat 6 AprLichfield Cathedral LibraryTours 10.30am to 11.30am at LichfieldCathedral. Lichfield Cathedralinvites you to join one of theirtours to explore the fascinatingand hidden treasure of thehistoric library built in 1249.Please note: access is restrictedand bags cannot be taken intothe library. £9.

Sun 7 AprSpecialist Plant Fair10.00am to 4.30pm at TheNational Memorial Arboretum.Featuring many highlyrespected specialist nurserieswith a great range of perennials,shrubs, trees, rare species andold heritage varieties. FREEENTRY to Fair & Arboretum(pay & display car park)

Cycle Rides for All

11.00am to 1.00pm at BeaconPark. All members of the familyare invited to bring their cyclesfor a 3.5 mile ride aroundLichfield for a "Taster Ride" tostart the season.Meet the ride leaders at thePavilion on Beacon Park wherecycles will receive a free safetycheck at the start of the ride. Asnack and water, as well ascycle helmets and appropriateclothing for varying weatherconditions are recommended.Free event.

Tue 9 – Sun 14 AprCinderella on Ice At Lichfield Garrick. On a fullsize ice rink for the very firsttime at the Lichfield Garrick, aspectacular production of theclassic story Cinderella burstsonto the stage. An evening ofawe and wonder awaits asTheatre on Ice producers, WildRose, present the internationallyacclaimed Russian Ice Stars ina truly magical production of thewell-loved fairytale.

Wed 10 & Thu 11 AprTennis Camps in Beacon Park See Wed 3 & Thu 4 Apr fordetails.

Thu 11 & Fri 12 AprLoot At Best Western The GeorgeHotel. Intimate Theatre presentsJoe Orton’s ‘Loot’ – amasterpiece of black farce that’soutrageous yet hilariously funny!Who says crime doesn’t pay?Two young thieves, Hal &Dennis, have robbed the banknext door to a funeral parlour -where better to hide the ‘loot’than in a coffin?! Orton playswith the conventions of popularfarce to satirise the Catholicchurch, our attitudes to deathand the integrity of the policeforce. Booking essential. Pleasenote that seats are unreserved.

Thu 11 AprFeast of Fiddles8.00pm at Lichfield Cathedral.More fiddlers than you canshake a bow at! This is musicalentertainment like no other. Yesit’s fiddles and yes there’s folkmusic but there’s so muchmore. Pretty much every genreis covered and the dynamicrange is huge. £12 - £19.

Thursday 11th & Friday 12thApril Joe Orton’s “Loot”at The George Hotel, BirdStreet, Lichfield T: 01543414822


An Evening of Bach Lichfield’s Darwin Ensemble Chamber Orchestra’s will treat music lovers to AnEvening of Bach in Lichfield Cathedral on Saturday 11 May. Directed by formerCathedral organist Philip Scriven, and with an array of soloists all of whom havelocal connections, it promises to be a wonderful evening’s exploration of J. S. Bach –a true musical icon.

“DECO may be small, but it’s wonderfully generous with its musicianship.”Lichfield Mercury, October 2012Opening and closing the concert are two of Bach’s cantatas. Bass Fran Ambrose,

a lay-vicar in Lichfield Cathedral choir, will perform the well-known and deeplyexpressive Ich habe genug, before Lichfield-based soprano Harriet Hunter takes thelimelight in the ‘Wedding Cantata’ Weichnet nur, betrübte Schatten.

Intriguingly, both soloists are not only deeply connected with Lichfield and itsCathedral; both also combine their work as professional musicians with anothercompletely different career – Harriet as a land agent in Lichfield, and Fran is director ofhis own IT business. The music they perform includes a sublime lullaby meditation, anda lively gavotte to conclude some musical wedding festivities.

At the heart of the evening is Bach’s spirited Concerto for Violin and Oboe, withnephew-and-uncle soloists Alex Laing and George Caird. Alex and George share notonly their commitment to DECO, the Orchestra for Lichfield Cathedral which Alexfounded in 2009, and with whom George has performed regularly since that firstconcert. They also share a dedication to musical education – George was Principal of BirminghamConservatoire until 2010, and Alex works with young musicians at Uppingham School and in the NationalChildren’s Orchestra. Bach’s concerto will show off their enthralling musicianship to the max.

Whether Bach is good for your IQ may not be proven one way or another. What is certain is that his musicin the hands and voices of DECO and its soloists – by turns tugging at the heartstrings and skipping for joy –will give the audience a great evening of musical exhilaration.

An Evening of Bach, Saturday 11 May 2013 at 7.30pm in Lichfield CathedralTo book tickets: visit Lichfield Cathedral Bookshop, 9 The Close, Lichfield WS13 7LD in person, call 01543

306150 or email [email protected]: £15 adults; £12 concessions (OAPs & students); £5 children (reserved numbered seats in the nave)

/ £12 adults; £10 concessions; £4 children (unreserved seats in the side aisles)

Fran

Harriet Hunter

Page 49

Intimate Theatre presents JoeOrton’s “Loot”, an outrageous yethilariously funny farce.£9 per person

Sat 13 Apr – Sun 12 MayThe Bluebell Woods of YoxallLodge 10.30am to 6.00pm at YoxallLodge. What could be moredelightful than an Englishwoodland in Spring? Meanderthrough the carpets of nativebluebells that flourish in thebeautiful old woodlands at YoxallLodge, once part of the ancientNeedwood Forest. Six stunningwalks to suit everyone in some ofStaffordshire's finest unspoiltcountryside.Facilities: Homemade cakes andcream teas. Picnic sites, toiletsand free parking. No dogs. Adults£4; children (5-16 years) £1;under 5s FREE

Sat 13 AprChris Pemberton - MichaelBuble 7.30pm at Lichfield Garrick. Apremier Michael Buble tributeartist with looks and personality tomake this show something ratherspecial. Includes some of thefinest renditions of Buble's classichits around.

Lichfield Museum BowlingClub Open Day10.00am to 4.00pm at BeaconPark (near tennis courts). A greatopportunity for potential newmembers (bowlers and aspiringbowlers) to sample our excellentLDC facilities. Club members willbe on hand to offer advice andtuition, if required. All equipmentprovided. Refreshments. To findout more ring Gill or Peter on01543 263078.

Sun 14 AprCurborough Sprint CourseOpen Day 10.00am at Curborough SprintCourse. It is full speed ahead atthis free introduction to the motorsport of speed sprinting. An allyou need to know sessionsincludes on track instruction withan experienced competitor. Freeadmission - tickets available onthe day only.

Tue 16 AprWe'll Meet Again - Hits from theBlitz: The Farewell Tour 2013 7.30pm at Lichfield Garrick. Thiswill be the show's twelfthconsecutive year of touring andalso its last! The show, whichcaptures the music, comedy andcamaraderie of the war years, isa fully-costumed spectacle

featuring live musicians.

Tue 16 – Sat 20 AprBe My Baby 7.30pm at Lichfield GarrickStudio. Different Animal TheatreGroup returns with a funny,thought-provoking and movingpiece of contemporary drama.Whilst England is caught in themidst of the swinging 60s, Mary,an idealistic teenager, findsherself single and seven monthspregnant.

Wed 17 & Thu 18 AprSpring & Summer FlowerArranging10.30am at The George Hotel,Bird Street, Lichfield T: 01543414822Includes coffee on arrival, a threecourse carvery lunch and a flowerarranging demonstration. £21 per person

Made in Brum - starring JasperCarrott 7.30pm at Lichfield Garrick. Abrand new show featuring theone and only Jasper Carrottalong with Bev Bevan (ELO),Trevor Burton (The Move), GeoffTurton (Rockin' Berries), JoyStrachan-Brain (Quill) and DannyKing plus The Bev Bevan Band. Aconcert full of great music,anecdotes and laughter.

Fri 19 AprThe StaffordshireArchaeological and HistoricalSociety8.00pm at St Mary's Centre,Market Square. Caister StEdmund, Norfolk, a Roman Town.Lecture by Dr William Bowden,Associate Professor of RomanHistory, Nottingham University.Visitors welcome. £3.Refreshments available from 7.30pm. For more info call 01543416144.

Fitz. / Kristy Gallacher8.00pm at The Guildhall. Afterstand-out performances at RAFF2012 Lichfield Arts is delighted toinvite both Fitz, anacoustic/folk/alternative collectiveand Kristy Gallacher, singer,guitarist, poet and songwriterfrom Coventry, back to theGuildhall for a double headerconcert.

Sat 20 AprLa Traviata7.30pm at Lichfield Garrick.Presented by Opera UK underthe direction of Stephen Hose.Based on the Dumas play, Ladame aux camelias, it tells of thebeautiful courtesan Violetta who



is dying of consumption. Apowerful love story and Verdi'ssoaring and memorable tunesalways has audiences diving fortheir tissues on an emotionaljourney from laughter to tears inthe space of two hours.

Sun 21 AprJazz Sunday Lunchat Moor Hall Hotel & Spa, MoorHall Drive, Sutton Coldfield T:0121 308 3751 Enjoy a delicious 3 course hotand cold buffet lunch with musicfrom the Steve Steinhaus JazzQuartet.£24 per adult, £15 per child upto 12

Friary Grange Family FunRun10.30am at Friary GrangeLeisure Centre. Bring familyand friends along to take part inthe Friary Grange Family FunRun. Adults (16+) £4, free entryfor children 4 - 16 years

(children under 12 must beaccompanied by a full payingadult)

Tough Talk 6.00pm at Emmanuel ChristianCentre. An ideal chance to seeChristian faith at work in a newway. Suitable for all.

King King supported byDevlinblue8.00pm at The Guildhall. Sincethey began touring three yearsago, King King’s unique brandof multi-faceted blues rock haswon over diverse audiences.DEVLINBLUE are a youngthree piece Blues/Rock bandoriginally from Lincoln andcurrently living in Guildfordstudying at the Academy OfContemporary Music.

Tue 23 AprSt George's Court 12 noon at The Guildhall. TheCourt Baron and View of

Frankpledge, commonly knownas St George's Court, is anancient manorial court. Themanorial rights of the Barony ofLichfield were transferred byCharter of Edward VI in 1548 tothe Bailiffs, Burgesses andCommonalty of the City, whichin today's terms are the Mayor,councillors and citizens. TheCourt is now held in a light-hearted manner but stillappoints the ancient officers ofthe Manor: two HighConstables, seven Dozeners(or petty constables), twoPinners and two Ale Tasters.The High Constables report ontheir work over the past year,and a jury is empanelled whichimposes fines on those whohave rejected the summons toattend, after first hearing theiramusing excuses. (admissionfree, but space limited).

Tue 23 – Sat 27 AprThe Sound of Music 7.30pm (and 2.30pm Sat 27) atLichfield Garrick. Traditionalmusical full of classic songs.The story follows the life ofMaria, who is governess to theseven children on the VonTrapp family.

Wed 24 AprLichfield Cathedral LibraryToursSee Sat 6 Apr for details.

Thu 25 - Sat 27 AprGodspell 7.30pm evening (2.30pmmatinee on Sat) at EmmanuelChristian Centre. TwsytedRootz (an amateur Lichfieldbased theatre group) presentsa modern musical theatreadaptation of The Gospel ofMathew. The performers are agroup of travelling actors,enacting the parables of Jesusthrough singing, dancing,drama and comedy. Godspell isa moving and innovativereflection on Jesus’ life anddeath. Tickets are £7.50 foradults and £5 for concessions.

Thu 25 AprLichfield Civic SocietyMeeting7.45pm at St Mary’s Centre.Speaker - Fiona Stuart,Lichfield Festival Director. Non-members welcome (£3 at thedoor)

Fri 26 AprHome Service8.30pm at The Guildhall. 2011culminated in their nominationsfor the BBC Radio 2 Folk

Awards in two categories –Best Group and Best Live Act.At the ceremony earlier thisyear, they walked off with theaward for Best Live Act – trulythe icing on the cake!

Sat 27 AprMurder Mystery Eveningat Moor Hall Hotel & Spa, MoorHall Drive, Sutton Coldfield T:0121 308 3751 Enjoy a fun filled evening ofmurder, mystery and suspenseand with a 3 course dinner!£35 per person or £131 for 2 toinclude an overnight stay

Henhouse Children's ArtSchoolSee Sat 23 March for details.

Science on Saturday10.00am to 12 noon atErasmus Darwin House.Science club for children aged7-11.This month's meeting is UseYour Loaf: The Science ofBread. £4

Coffee morning and artexhibition 10.30am to 2.00pm at The OldSchool House, Alrewas (downthe alleyway from Main Street to the playingfields). Delicious home bakedcakes (also gluten and dairyfree). Also an exhibition of artworks (some will be for sale -all original and affordable) andthe sale of special greetingcards from students' work. Formore information and precisedirections call 01283 790403. Inaid of Macmillan Cancer Care

Sat 27 & Sun 28 AprSwimathon Saturday from 6.30pm to9.30pm and Sunday from8.30am to 12 noon at FriaryGrange Leisure Centre. Anationwide swimming challengeto raise money for charity.£5.50 - £25.

Christopher Nott - DavidEssex Tribute and MotownShow 7.30pm at Lichfield Garrick.Christopher appeared as afinalist on Granada TV's StarsIn Their Eyes and has touredextensively throughout GreatBritain and Europe performingthis sensational tribute to DavidEssex. The show alsoincorporates songs from hissoul and Motown review.

Sun 28 AprLaurent Perrier GourmetDinnerAt Netherstowe House. Enjoy asumptuous evening of the finestfood, accompanied by the verybest Champagnes fromLaurent-Perrier.

Contact details for listedvenues:

Beacon Park – Lichfield WS136QZ. Tel: 01543 308869The Crown Inn – Post OfficeRd, Alrewas DE13 7BSCurborough Sprint Course –Fradley, Nr Lichfield (NearWS13 8EJ). Tel: 01543 264280Emmanuel Christian Centre -Netherstowe, Lichfield WS136TS. Tel: 01543 254 596Erasmus Darwin House -Beacon St, Lichfield WS137AD. Tel: 01543 262331Friary Grange Leisure Centre –Eastern Avenue, LichfieldWS13 7EW. Tel: 01543 308 842The George Hotel - Bird St,Lichfield WS13 6PR. Tel: 01543414822The Guildhall - Bore St,Lichfield WS13 6LU. Tel: 01543262223The Kitchen Shop - 5 MarketSt, Lichfield WS13 6JXLichfield Cathedral - The Close,Lichfield WS13 7LDLichfield Garrick Theatre -Castle Dyke, Lichfield WS136HR. Tel: 01543 412121Lichfield Heritage Centre – StMary’s Centre, Breadmarket St,Lichfield WS13 6LG. Tel: Lichfield Tourist InformationCentre - Castle Dyke, LichfieldWS13 6HR. Tel: 01543 412 112National Memorial Arboretum –Croxall Rd, Alrewas DE13 7AR.Tel: 01283 792 333Netherstowe House -Netherstowe Lane, LichfieldWS13 6AY. Tel: Tel: 01543 254270RSPB Middleton Lakes – NearTamworth B78 2AE. Tel: 01827259 454Samuel Johnson BirthplaceMuseum – Breadmarket St,Lichfield WS13 6LG. Tel: 01543264 972The Spark Cafe Bar - 19Tamworth St Lichfield WS136JPSt Mary’s Centre –BreadmarketSt, Lichfield WS13 6LG. Tel:01543 256 611St Michael’s Church Hall –Church St, Lichfield WS13 6SN.Tel: 01543 251 940Yoxall Lodge - Scotch Hill,Newchurch, Burton upon TrentDE13 8RL. Tel: 01283 575 237


BeingTommy Cooper

Hit play BeingT o m m yCooper, by

Tom Green, hasbeen added to theLichfield Garrick’ss u m m e rprogramme.

Essex actorDamian Williamswill play TommyCooper at the citytheatre on Tuesday4 June 2013.

Set in a smallLas Vegas hotel in1954, the playfollows the story ofTommy Cooper as hefaces the prospect of his first big failure. With his showclosing and a warring relationship with his manager, Tommyfinds an offer on the table and a drink in his hand.

Powerful, provocative, painfully funny and true, TomGreen's astonishing play finds both the brilliance in Britain'smost famous comic and explores the pressures andloneliness of fame. The man who could make audienceslaugh just by walking on to stage comes vividly alive in thisconfrontational new play. Being Tommy Cooper has beennominated for four Off West End Awards including BestProduction and Best New Writing.

Tickets cost £17.50 and are on sale now. Tickets can bebooked online at www.lichfieldgarrick.com or by calling theBox Office on 01543 412121.

Damian Williams

Page 51



Lichfield Mysteries is presenting An Evening with the Cityof Lichfield Concert Band to help raise funds towards its nextproduction. The event on Saturday May 18th is at NetherStowe School and includes a fish & chip supper.

It was over 100 years ago that the first City of LichfieldConcert Band was formed and its supporters have increasedover the years. Following a break during the war and forsome time after, the band re-formed in 1985 thanks to a fewlocal music enthusiasts, including Cllr John Wilks, its currentPresident.

The band has had a number of notable conductors. At theend of the First World War, Sgt George Venables, a memberof the Old Contemptibles, returned to his native Staffordshireand became conductor of the band. He is remembered for hisdiary from the 1914 trenches, now part of the nation’sheritage.

Conductor and Director of Music Mark Vause leads theband today. Mark is a distinguished cornet player and afinalist in the National Solo Championship of Great Britain.

He is widening the range of music and helping the bandfurther raise its performance levels.

The band performs around ten concerts a year, in the cityand surrounding areas, including Lichfield Proms in BeaconPark over the last few years.

It has a special relationship with the City of Lichfield andplays for civic events, including the Sheriff's Ride, twinningand other public ceremonies. Invitations are frequentlyreceived to play in other venues around the West Midlands,including Birmingham Botanical Gardens and TamworthCastle.

The next Lichfield Mysteries will be in 2015, but in themeantime the Council of Management is working on

fundraising towards the main event and for variouscommunity arts projects which it will undertake in the district.

The Evening with the City of Lichfield Concert Band willinclude fish and chips, the supper being ordered from theaward-winning Alewas Fryer.

Tickets are £12 (including supper) from 01543 506826 oremail: [email protected] [email protected]

An Evening with the City of Lichfield Concert Band 18th May 2013

Be prepared for something different at3Amigos – fast becoming THE place for familyentertainment – drinks, food and live music.

Experience and enjoy the warm friendlyenvironment of this family run venue in the heartof Lichfield.

Open six days a week, 3Amigos caters foreveryone from a relaxing drink with friends to alavish Mediterranean meal. Call in for a snack –perhaps try our Spanish, Moroccan or LebaneseTapas.

Our new comprehensive main course menuwill delight the most discerning taste buds.Choose from paella, tagines, sea food, chickenand the best steaks around – all available withdelicious side orders. And to finish – try one ofour delicious desserts, particularly our warmchocolate fudge cake with whisky and doublecream!

There’s a great choice of children’s food andvegan and vegetarian options are also available.Please note, once you take your table – it’s yoursfor the evening.

If you love music, 3Amigos needs to be at thetop of your list with soul, jazz and Motownfeaturing regularly.

Our cocktail bar is stocked with offerings fromaround the world including beers from the USA,Mexico and Cuba, plus more from aroundEurope, and exquisite wines for every palate fromaround Europe and beyond. There are cocktailsgalore too! – including our best-selling Mojito.

FOR A FUN, VIBRANT AND ENTERTAININGEXPERIENCE MAKE 3Amigos your first stop.


'The Old School House' in Weeford near Lichfield, started life as a primary school at the turn ofthe century, educating local children for 60 years before being converted into a guesthouse. In1984, Nigel Dobson’s family purchased the property, transforming it into a fine eatery, attractingsupport from the local community as well as regular international clients from Birmingham Airport.

This month, the doors have been opened to change once again following a stunning, £250k interiorrefurbishment, which has taken it from a well-loved comfortable eatery, to a stylish, contemporary modernbrasserie which boasts new menus as well as a brand new name - 'Manley’s Brasserie at The SchoolHouse’.

Nigel commented: “We have enjoyed great success as a restaurant, and as an events and weddingvenue in our Pavilion marquee suite for over a quarter of a century, and continue to be thrilled by thesupport we have received from both the local community and those further afield.

“We felt it was now time to reinvent ourselves with a new look, whilst retaining the charm, service andexcellent food that we pride ourselves on.”

Nigel’s 40 year career as a renowned Chef has taken him from London’s fashionable Mayfair, to thechic European culture of Amsterdam, and the bustling highs of New York.

The new menus reflect influences from Nigel's travelling experiences, as well as old favouritesalongside sharing platters and light bites, creating altogether a more relaxed brasserie style - but alwayswith a focus on local produce wherever possible.

"We have been speaking with some of the best local suppliers to source Staffordshire finest meats,including great steaks, and even my much loved homemade pies will feature. We will also be specialisingin fresh fish - I love going to Birmingham Market to source some of the freshest fish in the UK.

“It means a great deal to me to invest in the community - from locally sourced fresh produce, to ourcurrent renovation project - I feel it important to support local business during this current, tough economicclimate."

The restaurant’s doors opened in February and it was officially launched by the UK's No1 KateMiddleton look-a-like 'Kate Bevan' who has featured around the world since starting out as a look-a-like in2010.

The restaurant can be found at: Weeford Nr Lichfield Staffordshire WS14 0PW Tel 01543 480 009www.manleysbrasserie.co.uk

WIN A MEAL FOR TWO!We are offering one lucky reader the chance to win a three course meal for two from the daily fixed

price evening menu selection, valued at £19.75 each at the beautiful 'Manley's' restaurant which willinclude champagne on arrival and a bottle of house wine with your meal.

To be in with a chance of winning this wonderful prize, simply answer the following question and sendyour answers to Lichfield Gazette, Manley’s Brasserie Competition, PO Box 5414, Lichfield WS14 4EZ.

Everyone who enters the competition will receive a 10% discount on food mid-week. To gain thisdiscount, please email 'Lichfield Gazette 10% offer' to [email protected]

Q) Complete the following sentence 'Manley's Brasserie at the School...A) RoomB) HouseC) Yard

Terms and conditions: Offer subject to availability and available on mid-week dining only. Taken beforeApril 30th. Excluding public holidays, subject to availability. Winners drawn at random, by an independentpanel, and informed by email. 10% discount to email entries ONLY.

Back to 'School'with a stylish new look

Qmin One of the finest Indianrestaurants in LichfieldA fresh new approach to indian cuisine visit Qmin,

Lichfield’s leading Indian restaurant. Sample Qmin’s wideranging Indian and fusion cuisine, served in perfect

surroundings and by the most attentive staff. Established inLichfield for 11 years, Qmin caters for the most discerning

diners. Qmin offers a relaxed, modern and clean diningspace and continues to introduce a range of new concepts

in its menus. Qmin feature the popular vegetarian andtraditional Indian dishes alongside some contemporary and

creative menu items. Many of our customers and foodcritics view Qmin as ‘one of the finest Indian restaurants in

Lichfield’.We invite you to experience our brand of Indian cuisine

and promise you a feast for your senses!

Qmin captures India's diversity, sampling more than 120authentic recipes from across the country. The recipes aremade new for the modern cook, with a contemporary twist,but always remain true to India's ancient culinary wisdom.

Call Qmin on 01543 255000www.qmin.co.uk

Page 53


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April 2013

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