British Airways returns to Birmingham Airport after a ten-year break this weekend with each way flights throughout the summer from just £29.

The first British Airways flight for a decade will take off from Birmingham at 7.20pm today to the Italian city of Florence.

The other summer-only services that will operate every weekend are to the popular Spanish sunspots of Malaga, Ibiza and Palma.

British Airways last flew from Birmingham in 2007 when the regional airline business was sold to Flybe.

Customers will travel direct from their doorstep on modern Embraer 190 jet aircraft, with spacious cabins and two abreast seating so everyone can have an aisle or window seat.

Liam Chase, a 9-year-old old boy from Hinckley, Leicestershire, who is fighting his second brain tumour, had his dreams come true after meeting his favourite WWE Superstars at the Birmingham Gentley Arena on Wednesday evening.

Liam knew that his parents had tickets for WWE Live, but he was thrilled when he was then surprised with the chance to meet his wrestling idols Randy Orton and AJ Styles backstage, ahead of the show.

Liam is treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading cancer support charity for children and young people has an independent team of professionals who help whole families manage the devastating impact of illness on their lives with emotional and practical support.

After hearing that Liam was a huge WWE fan, CLIC Sargent contacted WWE bosses who organised the meet for the young wrestling fan, and arranged free tickets to WWE Live for Liam and his family.

Liam was originally diagnosed with a pilocytic astrocytoma brain tumour in May 2015 and underwent surgery to remove the growth.  But sadly in February 2017 it was found that Liam’s tumour had returned, and he underwent major brain surgery.  Following the operation Liam spent three weeks in hospital, and he has been left with a number of side effects, including left side weakness and mobility issues.  But despite his ordeal he remains in good spirits, and is now having physiotherapy to help him learn to walk again.

Faye Beardsmore, Liam’s mum said: “The look on Liam’s face when we surprised him and told him he was going to meet AJ Styles and Randy Orton, as well as watching the show, was a picture.

“Liam has been through so much, but he’s a fighter too.  And even though he’s out of hospital now, we have a long road ahead of us as he learns to walk again, but he’s staying positive.

“CLIC Sargent has been a great support to Liam and our family throughout all of this, and we’re really happy that the charity and WWE were able to organise this special surprise for our little superstar.”

Last year CLIC Sargent supported over 7,100 young patients across the UK.   CLIC Sargent’s independent cancer care teams that are based at hospitals in the East and West Midlands supported more than 1,100 children and young people like Liam last year, and awarded over £161,700 in financial grants to help families cope with the extra costs a cancer diagnosis brings.  For example, travel for specialist treatment which can be many miles from home.  According to CLIC Sargent’s research on average parents face extra living expenses of £600 a month when their child is on active cancer treatment.   

A spokesperson for CLIC Sargent said: “Our support workers and nurses fight tirelessly for children and young people with cancer like Liam, who go through so much during treatment.  We are so happy that AJ Styles and Randy Orton were able to grant wishes for our children during their UK tour, and thankful for WWE’s ongoing commitment to helping the dreams of children like Liam around the world come true.”

The Liberal Democrats launched their manifesto for the upcoming general election on Wednesday 17^th May. In this article, their four key policies and the details of these four policies will be highlighted.  After extensive research and reading, the four key policies of this manifesto are: the economy, Brexit, health and social scare and housing.

The economy has been a big talking point for all political parties during the election campaign. In their manifesto, the Liberal Democrats have taken their campaign speak and made into properly articulated policies. They promise to eliminate the day to day deficit and only borrow to invest more into the country. They promise to bring in an additional £100 billion of infrastructure investment to help develop the economy through using a new British Housing and Infrastructure Bank using public money to attract private finance. In order to finance this increased investment, they pledge to introduce a 1p increase in income tax, as well as ending the 1% cap on pay rises in the public, give public sector workers more disposable income. They promise to introduce a national Spending Review and National Wellbeing strategy and review board to assess how they are doing in terms of keeping the books balanced and the economy growing. Also, pledged within the manifesto are promises to reduce tax loopholes currently being exploited by big business, and to increase corporate tax and to introduce a General Anti Avoidance Rule, to penalise businesses who do not pay their fair share of tax.  The Liberal Democrats will also expand the activities of the British Business Bank to ensure that they are providing investment in small and start-up businesses. Further to this they promise to develop skilled workers through advanced apprenticeships and national colleges, and to stamp out zero hour contracts.

On Brexit, the Liberal Democrats wish to remain in the single market and the customs union, as well as allow freedom of movement to remain in place, a contrast to the Conservatives and the Labour who wish for freedom of movement to end. The Liberal Democrats like Labour wish to protect the rights of both UK citizens living in the EU and EU citizens living in the UK, so that neither can be used as bargaining chips during negotiations. Finally, on Brexit, as they have constantly said during the campaign process, the Liberal Democrats are committed to giving the British people the final say on any deal with the EU. This would take the shape of a referendum that would decide if Britain accepts the deal, doesn’t accept the deal, or remains in the EU completely. This last policy is sure to be controversial with some.

Health and Social care is the area where the Liberal Democrats truly show their desire for change. They promise that the 1p increase in income tax would be used to increase funding for the NHS. This investment would also be used to improve priority areas of service such as mental health and A and E. They would also reduce waiting times and limit the cost of social care for the elderly. The Liberal Democrats would also reinstate student bursaries to encourage more young people to enter the NHS. Finally, the Liberal Democrats would create a Cross Party Health Convention to review the progress the NHS is making and whether or not it is keeping within budget and is delivering the services that it is meant in to a proper and effective way. There would also be an independent budget agency set up to ensure money is being used properly.

Housing has become a very pressing issue for the electorate, and as such the Liberal Democrat pledges in their manifesto, should perhaps address these concerns. Promising to build 300,000 new houses by the end of the new Parliament in 2022, the Liberal Democrats have set out an ambitious plan. They also wish to build ten new garden cities in the UK, to provide proper environmentally friendly housing. In order to fund these schemes, the Liberal Democrats would use the Housing and Development Bank to provide long term capital investment. To improve the chances of renters and buyers in the property market, the Liberal Democrats would end what they call restrictive Right to Buy Schemes, replacing them with Rent to Own and Rent to Buy schemes. They would also ban letting fees and introduce three-year tenancy agreements and capping up front deposits.

By Vivek Rajkhowa

Chosen from nearly 1,200 milkmen and women across the country, Camberley milkman Darren Barnes has been crowned milk&more Milkman of the Year 2017.

The milk&more Milkman of the Year 2017 competition shines a light on the great work milkmen do in their communities. Darren was nominated by his customers for the exceptional service he provides.

Darren, a milkman for 31 years with Britain's largest milk delivery service to the doorstep, milk&more, has gone above and beyond to help his customers and local community throughout his career. In addition, Darren recently raised over £5k for children's charity Whizz-Kidz, having completed his first marathon at the age of 50.

Commenting on his win, Darren began by thanking his customers: “I am over the moon at being crowned milk&more Milkman of the Year 2017 and want to say a big thank you to my customers, many of whom I have been delivering to for years. Over the last three decades, I have always aimed to provide a reliable but friendly service for my customers, many of whom have such busy lives; so to be recognised by them for a job I love is amazing.

“Not only did some of them attend my wedding, but many of them also sponsored my marathon run, contributing to the funds I raised to help transform the lives of disabled children – and I'll be donating my winnings (£1,000 worth of high street vouchers) to the charity too. I'm looking forward to helping to spread the word to remind the public that after over 150 years, the tradition of the milkman is alive and well and we even still deliver fresh milk in those iconic glass bottles!”

Patrick Mueller, Managing Director of milk&more said: “milk&more is for the community, from the community and part of the community and Darren is a fantastic example of why we believe that every neighbourhood deserves a milkman. Our milkmen and women are an integral part of their local communities and Darren epitomises all that is great about this British tradition – which we are working hard to ensure will be here for generations to come.

“Home delivery is a growing industry, and as a trusted institution, there's a real opportunity to grow here. We've got exciting plans for the future – watch this space!”

The Black Country’s bid to become a Global Geopark is strengthening thanks to positive recommendations by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).

At the beginning of last year, the four Black Country local authorities (City of Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall) - with the backing of the UNESCO National Commission and the UK’s seven other geoparks - submitted an application to become part of the UNESCO Global Geopark family.

Following a visit by UNESCO delegates in summer 2016 and a presentation to international delegates at a Global Geoparks conference, UNESCO has recognised the Black Country has globally important, world class geological and related cultural heritage, and all the attributes to become a Global Geopark.

The UNESCO Global Geoparks Committee (UGGC), which spearheads the global network, has made positive recommendations to further strengthen the Black Country’s application and is allowing additional time to implement these recommendations before it reports back to the panel.

The recommendations made by UNESCO are aimed at strengthening partnership working across the Black Country and its links with the rest of the world. 

Within the next two years, the team has been asked to provide further assurances about the sustainability of a Black Country Global Geopark and to increase awareness and visibility of the sites that form part of it.  The team has also been encouraged to work more effectively as a single territory to manage the whole Black Country area for future generations.

UNESCO and the other UK based Global Geoparks will work with the team in the Black Country to ensure it addresses these recommendations and it is operating smoothly within the Global Geoparks structure.

Keren Jones, City of Wolverhampton Council Director for City Economy, said: “It is fantastic to see the Black Country’s heritage recognised in this way.

“City of Wolverhampton Council will now look at the recommendations made by UNESCO and work with our partnering local authorities to strengthen our application to become part of the UNESCO Global Geopark family.

“If UNESCO grant this special status it will put the Black Country on the international map and there will be plenty of scope to attract more tourists to our region and boost the local visitor economy.”

There are many world-class features in the Black Country and the Geopark would link different heritage sites and features across the area to tell the story of the landscape.  In the case of the Black Country, the significant part it played in the industrial revolution is at the heart of the bid and the proposed Global Geopark.

On Tuesday 16^th May, the Labour party launched their manifesto, and with three weeks to go until the general election 8^th June, it has come at an opportune moment. The four policies that really stand out in the manifesto, are the economy, Brexit, healthcare and housing.  This article will seek to explore the key proposals of these four key policy areas in some detail.

The economy has always been a somewhat contentious issue for politicians, and with it having been a Labour government that was in charge when the recession hit, this current Labour party have the incentive to show that they can do better. Using low interest rates, the Labour party plan on creating a National Transformation Fund that would help deliver investment and protect small businesses through preventing the more restrictive small business policies of the current government. Furthermore, to help small businesses, the Labour party wish to create a National Investment Bank that they state will bring in £250 million in private capital to the country. The party also wishes to nationalise the railways, the Royal Mail, the energy and water networks to ensure better quality services for the population.

On Brexit, the Labour party is clear that they wish to maintain the benefit of the single market and the customs union due to the potential economic benefit that this would bring to the country. Whilst also wishing to protect the rights of EU citizens already settled in the UK, and wanting the rights of UK citizens already settled in the EU protected, the Labour party is clear that freedom of movement would be ended under their government. In acknowledgement of some of the issues associated with immigration in the vote to leave the EU, Labour has also promised to stop overseas only recruitment and to ensure that there are thorough investigations into the working conditions of companies, and that they are paying at least the minimum wage for homegrown employees. Acknowledging the need to create new trade agreements with countries outside the EU, the Labour manifesto promises to use their recently launched Just Trading Initiative to develop free trade and investment agreements that remove trade barriers and promote skilled jobs and high standards.

Healthcare is a very important issue to many within the UK Labour has promised to ensure patients have access to treatment within eighteen weeks, and to reduce waiting times in A and E to four hours, by using resources more effectively and efficiently. Labour would also increase funding for GP services, and halt pharmacy cuts, they would also remove the post code lottery on health treatment currently in existence. They would also invest a further £30 billion into the NHS, to help improve the quality of training that doctors and nurses are receiving, and to create a Child Health Index to monitor the development of children’s health throughout their lives. In tandem with this they would create a National Care Service to help the elderly, to lower the strain on the NHS.

On housing, by using brownfield sites, Labour hopes to build 100,000 new homes during the course of the new Parliament, 4000 of which would be for those with a record of sleeping rough. They would also introduce controls on rent rises, provide more secure three year tenancies, proper landlord licensing and provide new consumer rights for renters. Labour would also reintroduce housing benefit for 18-21 year olds to reduce the number of young people sleeping rough on the street.

by Vivek Rajkhowa