Nearly 70% of gardens in the Midlands are stuck in the past with almost 64% of the region’s homeowners admitting their outdoor space has been influenced by previous decades, according to research conducted by paving manufacturer, Bradstone. A nationwide survey of homeowners with gardens revealed that in the Midlands, 68% of gardens’ main features pre-date the 1990s, with 80s wooden slatted fences (42%), 60s manicured lawns (41%) and 50s concrete paths (24%) featuring most prominently as design hangovers from the past.

A one-day programme to explore how to be a more effective and inclusive role model and ally to LGBT people is to be hosted at the University of Birmingham by Stonewall, the leading charity for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality. Allies are individuals who do not identify as LGBT and believe that lesbian, gay, bi and trans people should be free to be themselves.

The winners of Wolverhampton’s unique walking, cycling and running challenge, Beat the Street, raced to Molineux Stadium to collect their prizes at a special awards ceremony. Thousands of residents young and old took part in the seven-week game, clocking up a fantastic total of 196,395 miles – that's the equivalent of 393 million steps, or burning around 20 million calories.

A Sunday dinner-loving Spaniel from Wolverhampton, who is nearly double his ideal weight, has reached the finals of the UK’s largest pet slimming competition - PDSA Pet Fit Club. The heavyweight hound, hoping to lead the way for millions of overweight pets across Britain, has been selected to compete against 12 other fat pets – including dogs, cats and even a rabbit.

Fans of the iconic Blue Oval are being asked to nominate their favourite Ford model of all time in advance of the Classic Ford Show, which takes place at Santa Pod, Bedfordshire, on Sunday June 5^th. Be it a Cortina or a Cosworth, Model T or Mexico, the show organisers are looking to establish which classic Ford is the nation’s all-time number one, with the winner being announced in advance of the event.

MP Jim Cunningham of Coventry South has thrown his weight behind a nationwide campaign which criticises one of the UK’s biggest insurance firms and Tesco over changes to pet insurance policies. Mr Cunningham  has sponsored a parliamentary motion criticising the Royal & Sun Alliance and Tesco over the establishment of a “preferred referral network” that limit customers to one of 28 vet centres across the UK where advanced care or operations are needed.