Colors: Blue Color

With schools back in full swing after the October half-term holiday, there's never a better time to think about booking the next family holiday.

Specialising in guided and self-guided bike tours for all cycling levels, Freedom Treks offers 50 trips that are ideal for families, including those that are brand-new this year. The routes follow dedicated cycle paths or very quiet roads, the daily distances are shorter and manageable for little legs, a range of children's bikes, trailers or seats are available and the accommodation comprises a selection of family-friendly hotels, or even boats.

Children aren't concerned about ticking off a country's 'must-see' sights and a cycling holiday is an ideal way to explore the great outdoors. The world's exciting natural environments make for perfect adventure playgrounds, plus, families can practice their navigational skills and improve their geography and history knowledge on route.

And with multigenerational, or '3G' holidays, still rising in popularity, grandparents need not worry about keeping up – Freedom Treks offers electric bikes on most of its tours, so people of all fitness levels can enjoy cycling in areas and for distances they may not have previously considered.

Four West Midlands charities and groups supporting the community’s most vulnerable individuals have received a total of £11,649 so far this year, from The Midcounties Co-operative’s fundraising across the region.

Monthly Alzheimer’s Support Evenings (M.A.S.E) received a total of £2,602 to help them in offering social support and information to those with, or caring for those with, Alzheimer’s across the West Midlands.

Another charity in the region, Beacon Centre for the Blind, has received £3,014 from the Midcounties. The funds will support the organisation in running assessments and courses, as well as providing necessary equipment to those suffering from sight loss.

Street Teams and Recovery Near You have received £3,879 and £2,152 respectively, to help them in providing support sessions to those at risk of sexual exploitation and those affected by substance misuse.

Some of the fundraising initiatives across the West Midlands in support of the charity partners include, taking part in a Boat Race, fancy dress events and donating carrier bag monies.

The charity partnerships form part of The Midcounties Co-operative’s Regional Communities strategy, which sees members and colleagues come together to provide impactful and sustainable support for local community groups through volunteering and fundraising initiatives.

Emma Pile, a Leadership Team Ambassador in the West Midlands, at The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “It’s been a busy six months for our colleagues across the West Midlands, who have taken on many great fundraising initiatives for our charity partners in the region. We’re delighted to have raised so much just half a year in to the partnerships”.

“The Midcounties Co-operative is committed to supporting local good causes and we look forward to donating even more over the coming months.”

Multi-award winning children’s author Jeremy Strong officially opened a new £100,000 library containing 8,000 books as part of a two-day reading celebration at a City of Wolverhampton school.

Pupils at East Park Academy met the famous author of books including Romans on the Rampage, My Brother’s Famous Bottom, and Hundred Mile-An-Hour Dog.

And many of them dressed up as some of the popular characters from some of his 107 books during special assemblies where they got to quiz Jeremy about his stories.

The school, in Hollington Road, also invited author Chris Wormell and poet Valerie Bloom into classrooms as part of the week-long reading festival to mark the library opening.

And children were also taken to see Michael Rosen when he appeared at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre.

Head teacher Haley Guest said: “We have invested £100,000 in the new school library and it has become a much-loved place for our children to go and discover books and the joy of reading. Just like us, the children are very proud of it.

“Getting inspirational authors in like Jeremy into meet our children is really important. They were so excited to meet one of their favourite authors who has inspired them to write more of their own fantastic stories.”

Jeremy Strong added: “It has been great visiting this brilliant and bubbly school. It is especially marvellous to officially open the new library and to see a school investing in such an important resource.”

We all have that favourite jacket or perfectly fitting pair of jeans we'd love to keep in our wardrobes for the rest of our lives. But it seems over half (54%) of those from Birmingham are confused about how long they can get away with wearing some of their beloved garments, new research from Bullring shopping centre has revealed.

The results follow the launch of the Style Seeker app from Bullring shopping centre, which uses artificial intelligence technology to help shoppers find clothes they have spotted on the high street, social media or in a magazine.  To launch the app 'living mannequins' took over the centre today to surprise and delight shoppers, coming to life when people paused to look at them and telling shoppers about the app.

From a national survey of 2,000 shoppers commissioned by Bullring owners Hammerson, 44% of those living in the West Midlands admitted they weren't sure when they should think twice before stepping out in a certain garment. Meanwhile, 70% of national respondents said someone can be fashionable at any age and 90% said they would wear whatever they want regardless of what others think.

App users are able to take photos of fashion items, or upload saved images from their phones, to locate similar clothing products available in retail stores in Bullring including River Island, Topshop and H&M. The app searches by colour shape and patterns, once the user has selected the desired product, the app then provides a map that guides the user to the store if they are physically in centre.

Emma Roberts, PR Manager at Bullring said: "Style Seeker is the perfect accessory for people who get struck down by style inspiration in the street – and truly love the art of shopping.

"As well as being easy to use, it caters to every budget. Clothing from fashion weeks and couture shows is filtering down into high street shops quicker than ever before – and this functionality makes sure you never miss a trend."

The development comes after latest mobile trends* show that nearly four in 10 people search only on their smartphones, proving that more searches happen on mobile than on computers or tablets and that people require answers at their fingertips.

A major new exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery will showcase over 80 modern and contemporary artworks by internationally renowned artists, who explore themes of sexuality, gender and identity in art.

Running from Saturday 2nd October 2017 to Sunday 15th April 2018,Coming Out: Sexuality, Gender & Identity, marks 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of male homosexual acts was passed in England and Wales (1967 Sexual Offences Act).

Bringing artworks of international significance to Birmingham, the majority of which have been borrowed from the Arts Council Collection, the exhibition includes iconic pieces by Andy Warhol, Grayson Perry, Sarah Lucas and Gillian Wearing. Artworks span the 1950s to the present day, reflecting artist’s different experiences pre and post the passing of the 1967 Act.

Coming Out was conceived by National Museums Liverpool and the exhibition runs at Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery until 5th November. The exhibition will be re-presented with key additional works to offer differing perspectives on the exhibition’s central themes.

Significant new loans have been added to the Birmingham show, including prints by Margaret Harrison and photography by renowned Birmingham-based artist Vanley Burke. These join paintings by Derek Jarman, photography by Sunil Gupta and Zanale Muholi and films by Steve McQueen and Isaac Julien.

Iconic artworks by Francis Bacon, Keith Vaughan, John Stezaker and Grayson Perry from Birmingham’s own collection, also add further dialogue to the consideration of sexuality, gender and identity today.

Two works by Turner-prize winning artist Grayson Perry will be presented together for the first time -  Claire’s Coming Out Dress (2000), and his ceramic pot Who Am I?(1996). Both artworks provide an important insight into Grayson’s exploration of his own identity. From the coded symbols and personal dialogue in his ceramic pot of 1996, to the declaration his transvestite public persona, Claire, in the intricately designed party dress from 2000, which he wore to mark his emergence as a transvestite to the art world.

Coming Out continues with a strong representation of female artists, including iconic works from Sarah Lucas. Lucas’ works explore her identity as a woman and sharply critique gendered stereotypes and two of her satirical and striking sculptures, for which she is best known, will feature alongside her iconic Self-Portrait Series (1990-98).

Works by Birmingham-based photographer Vanley Burke will be on display for the first time. The three photographic prints illustrate a Pride Demonstration in Wolverhampton in 1988 where protesters were challenging the Government’s now repealed Section 28 Act, which stated that a local authority should not intentionally promote homosexuality in publishing or teaching.

A gallery trail will accompany the exhibition and take visitors on an insightful journey of 25 artworks presented in nine of Birmingham’s fine art collection galleries. The trail will bring the show’s themes to life in new settings and raise awareness of the visibility of LGBT+ stories in museum collections.

Lisa Beauchamp, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “Coming Out marks a major moment for Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery as we highlight the importance of LGBT+ history on contemporary art in this significant anniversary year.

“In devising Birmingham’s exhibition we have been fortunate enough to secure exciting new loans, which will make this a must-see exhibition for those who have already enjoyed Liverpool’s show and for those who will be completely new to it.”

Jill Constantine, Head of Arts Council Collection: "I'm delighted that this important show will travel to Birmingham and the new additions will further enrich the exhibition and allow us to see and celebrate the huge contribution to the visual arts made by the LGBTQ+ communities."

Accompanying the exhibition will be an innovative learning and engagement programme, facilitated by Arts Council Collection National Partnership, in a dedicated space called FORUM. The events and activities have been developed by working in partnership with local artists and community groups.

Events include ‘An Intimate Tour with Breasts’, an outdoor walking tour exploring the multicultural mythologies surrounding breasts, Life Drawing with a Drag Queen, a Polari language class with artist Jez Dolan and a Drag King Makeover session.

The exhibition will launch on Saturday 2nd December with a free public event. Partnering with SHOUT Festival of Queer Arts and Culture and Birmingham LGBT Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery will host a series of specially commissioned performances and activities to celebrate the opening of the exhibition.

Severn Trent is warning its customers to be extra vigilant after receiving reports of bogus phone callers claiming to be from the company and threatening to cut off water supplies.

Customers have received calls from somebody claiming to work for Severn Trent Water. The person claimed the water was going to be cut off the following morning for not paying their water bill.

Elaine Taylor, security and resilience lead at Severn Trent, said: “We often hear about people trying to access homes by saying they’re from “the water board”, but this kind of phone call is unusual and obviously worrying for our customers.  We can’t stress how important it is for customers to check the identity of the person calling to make sure it is a genuine call. Our agents are more than happy to give their names on calls and which department they are from.

“And just to reassure our customers - we would never cut anyone’s water supply off out of the blue - we’re always trying to help our customers who are struggling with their bills.

“We’re very aware that people can struggle to pay their bills for a whole range of different reasons, which is why we’re proud to provide support to people who need it the most. We’re absolutely committed to reaching out to those who need our help, and our dedicated team will always be on hand for advice and assistance.  We’d encourage anyone who thinks they may benefit from our range of support schemes to get in touch with us and we’ll see if we can help.

“Customers should also be wary of people who turn up at their door, claiming to be from Severn Trent.  We offer a doorstep password scheme where you can apply for a password in advance that any legitimate visitors from Severn Trent will have when they come to your home.  Our phone lines are manned 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and our employees fully expect customers to check their identity, either with a card or a call.  They’ll be happy to wait while you carry out the necessary checks. You can sign up online at stwater.co.uk or call us on 08457 500 500.”

“If anyone has had a suspicious call – either on the phone or at the door, please do let the police know, and tell us too – that way we can warn others.”

Birmingham City Council is working in partnership with West Midlands Police and traders from the Frankfurt Christmas Market to install security measures ahead of this year’s festivities.

Barriers will be installed at key locations around the city centre following the usual annual preparation and planning processes in the lead up to market opening for business (which gets underway this year on November 16).

Last year saw similar barriers introduced for the first time and West Midlands Police are keen to stress that this security is not based on any new or emerging intelligence. The security threat level nationally remains unchanged at Severe meaning an attack is highly likely.

Cllr Brigid Jones, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Our top priority when we stage the market is to ensure the millions of visitors we host every year can have an enjoyable and safe stay in the city.

“Every detail behind the planning of the market is reviewed with our partners annually to ensure we achieve this aim.

“We had barriers for the first time last year so this is not new and my message would be that there is no need for concern or alarm. People should remain vigilant at all times when attending any major public event, but enjoy the market as for what it is – a celebration of Christmas in Birmingham.”

Superintendent Andy Parsons, from Birmingham Central police station, added: Suspicious activity is anything that seems out of place, unusual or just doesn’t seem to fit in with day-to-day life - Let us decide if it is important.

“We work tirelessly to counter terrorism. Our absolute priority is to ensure the safety and security of the people who live, work and visit the West Midlands area.

“Our policing tactics and security measures are being reviewed on a daily basis - we have a dedicated police response in place for the market and we, along with our partners, are working around the clock to keep Birmingham and our other cities as safe as can be.”

He continued: “It is a busy time of year for the city and we want to ensure a safe and enjoyable time for everyone who visits over the festive period.”

Purveyor of London spirit, Portobello Road Gin, has launched the world's first Pechuga Gin to ensure your Christmas celebrations and merry-making are filled with good cheer.

Created by master distiller Jake Burger, the limited edition Director's Cut No:3 Pechuga Gin pays homage to a unique distillation process used by Mexico's artisan Mezcal producers whereby a raw chicken or turkey breast - or pechuga as it translates to in Spanish -  is suspended in the still, cooking in the slowly emanating vapours, adding subtle yet distinct flavours to the spirit.

To create the Pechuga Gin, Jake redistilled Portobello Road Gins signature 171 blend in a 400 litre copper alembic still with organic turkey breast and a flavourful combination of 13 botanicals: apples, pears, plums, currants, raisins, sultanas, apricots, brown rice, passion fruit, cinnamon, cassia bark, as well as nutmeg and mace that Jake harvested personally on the beautiful Spice Island, Grenada.

Traditionally, Mezcal De Pechuga is imbibed on occasions of great celebration such as baptisms, marriages and quinceañeras. The combination of dried fruit and spices in the Pechuga Gin results in a distinctly festive flavour; making it the perfect drink to toast the celebratory Christmas season.

The process of making the Director's Cut No:3 Pechuga Gin is incredibly inefficient, taking two bottles of regular Portobello Road Gin to make one bottle of the festive delicacy.

The Director's Cut limited-edition is a small-batch gin, launched every year to mark the birthday of Portobello Road Gin and it's founding director Ged Feltham. These unique blends allow the gin's directors to flex their creative muscles and introduce discerning drinkers to more unusual flavours and distillation processes. Previous Director's Cut blends include a smokey gin flavoured with juniper berries that were hand-smoked in Irish peat and a quintessentially English gin made using asparagus sourced from Cambridgeshire.

While bottles of Mezcal De Pechuga typically retail between £100 and £200, in keeping with the season of the goodwill bottles of Director's Cut No:3 will retail at £35 and is available to purchase from 1st November from Portobello Road Gin's website, as well The Distillery's Bottle Shop located on their namesake road.

Jake Burger, master distiller and director at Portobello Road Gin, says:

“My love for gin is matched equally by my passion for tequila and mezcal; and so for the third instalment in our Director's Cut series it was a natural choice for me to look across the atlantic and take inspiration from our Mexican spirit producing brothers and sisters.

“As the alcohol vapours pass through the turkey breast during distillation they add something almost indefinable to the gin. You wouldn't really say it was turkey flavoured gin, the flavour is very subtle, and whilst it adds it also takes away, absorbing some of the more intense fruit flavours and stopping them from overwhelming the taste of the gin.

“With its warming spices and dried fruits, this poultry-infused potable develops a distinctly festive flavour and we think that Christmas presents a perfect opportunity to drink this very special and uniquely indulgent gin.

“So with the launch of what we believe to be the world's first Pechuga Gin, as well as one of the most festively flavoured spirits, I wish you a Merry Christmas -  or 'Feliz Navidad' as they say in Mexico.”

Talented young people from more than 20 schools across Wolverhampton will celebrate the City’s rich diversity at a special event next month.

Now in its 30th year, the annual Schools Diversity Celebration takes place at the Civic Hall on Thursday 2 November, 2017, and will see hundreds of pupils from 22 schools and groups take to the stage to perform dance, drama and music in front of a specially invited audience.

The celebration, entitled One World, One People, One Voice, will showcase the range of cultures, languages, traditions and faiths found in Wolverhampton.

The performers include children from Penn Hall School (performing In My Hands, Feet And Heart, Wodensfield Primary School (Sing), Perry Hall Primary MAT (We Are All In This Together), Merridale Primary (Bhangra Beat), Amethyst Trust (Africa), Lanesfield Primary School (I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing), St Michael’s CE Primary and Christchurch CE Infants School (Turn to Me), Bantock Primary School (Shine), Green Park School (Altogether We Are One) and Goldthorn Primary (We Are The World, We Are The Children).

Also performing will be St Andrew’s CE Primary (Amani Utupe), Diversity Community Choir (Count On Me), Northwood Park Primary and Villiers Primary (One Family), Bilston CE Primary School (One Love), Stow Heath Primary School (We Are One), Springvale Primary School (Working Together), St Luke’s CE Primary (Living In Harmony), Elston Hall Primary MAT (Faded), Loxdale Primary School (Where Is The Love), Trinity CE Primary School (Coalition), Wolverhampton Music School String Orchestra (Rockin' All Over The World by J Fogarty arr Edwards) and The King’s C of E School (I Smile).

There will also be a performance of One Love by Marley and Mayfield by the Wolverhampton Music School String Orchestra, and the show will end with children and young people from all the schools coming together in a spectacular rendition of The World In Union by Gustav Holst.

Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "This wonderful annual event is one of the highlights of the educational calendar, and showcases what a diverse and multi-cultural City we live in.

"It is a tremendous opportunity for pupils from across Wolverhampton to take to the stage in the famous surroundings of the Civic Hall and perform before family and friends."

Councillor Val Gibson, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, added: "The pupils have been hard at work fine tuning their performances and I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can do."

Also in attendance will be the Mayor and Mayoress of the City of Wolverhampton, Councillor Elias Mattu and Asha Mattu and Director of Education Meredith Teasdale.

Entry to the event is by invitation only, but people can follow the evening on Twitter using the hashtag #wolvesdiversity.

The Schools Diversity Celebration has been made possible through sponsorship from CPN Systems, AM Griffiths, Concept Education, William Gough, Community Trade Union and the Rotary Club of Tettenhall.

Six spectacular switch-ons for all the family will light up City of Wolverhampton for the countdown to Christmas.

The festivities kick off with a huge city centre lights switch-on and firework display in Queen Square on Wednesday, November 22.

The fun-packed evening starts at 5pm, with entertainment from the Free Radio roadshow, a mini-funfair, real reindeer located in Lichfield Street and traditional Christmas music from the Wulfruna vintage steam organ.

Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Elias Mattu, stars from this year’s Grand Theatre pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, children’s picture book character, The Gruffalo, and British Citizen Youth Award winner, Louis Johnson, will join Father Christmas to switch on the lights at 6.30pm, which will be followed by a spectacular fireworks display.

There is also the chance to grab some fabulous Christmas gifts and goodies at the festive market taking place on Dudley Street from 10am to 8pm.

And you can meet Father Christmas in his Winter Wonderland, in the Mander Centre lower mall, between 4pm and 8pm – everyone who meets him will get a present.

The city centre fun is followed by five more evenings of festive celebrations when the lights are also switched on by Father Christmas and the Mayor of Wolverhampton at Wednesfield, Tettenhall, Bilston, Bantock Park and Northycote Farm.

Entertainment will be provided by Dicky Dodd and the Signal 107 roadshow.

Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “Each year we get more and more families coming along to enjoy the lights being switched on to mark the start of the countdown to Christmas - they really are great free evenings out.

“And what better time to also take advantage of the city’s diverse range of shops. Our offer is improving year on year and visitors can now make the most of Mander Centre’s new flagship Debenhams store.”

All the below Christmas events are free:

Wednesday, November 22 – Wolverhampton, Queen Square – event starts 5pm, lights switch on 6.30pm

Thursday, November 23: Wednesfield, High Street - event starts at 4pm, switch on 5.30pm.

Saturday, November 25: Tettenhall, Upper Green – event starts at 5pm, switch on 6.30pm

Sunday, November 26: Bantock Park, Finchfield Road – event starts at 5pm, switch on 6.30pm. You can also meet Father Christmas in the Drawing Room of Bantock House Museum between 5pm and 6.15pm.

Friday, December 1: Bilston, Church Street – event starts at 5.30pm, switch on 6.30pm

Saturday, December 2: Northycote Farm, Underhill Lane – event starts at 4pm, switch on 5pm. Free craft and storytelling session for children from 4pm.

Starting prices for the Wolves in Wolves charity auction have been revealed. Members of City of Wolverhampton’s wolf pack from the city’s biggest ever public art event will officially go under the hammer in the Hayward Suite, at Molineux Stadium, next week (Thursday, November 2).

The wolves to be auctioned off are Wild, Colour, Love, The Sitting, Sunset, Compton, Kiyiya, Rainbow, Meditation, Endless Opportunities, Dynasty, Garden, Sacred Grandfathers, Zeus and Beowulf.

Fielding Auctioneers Ltd are running the auction and will start the bidding at £1,500 for each wolf.

The proceeds will be shared between Outside Centre and the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Cllr Elias Mattu’s chosen charities.

Will Farmer, Director of Fielding Auctioneers Ltd, who is well known for his appearances on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, will lead the auction proceedings and entertainment will be provided by Dicky Dodd of Signal 107.

The remaining wolves will either be retained by their sponsors for use in projects, such as Hope at Headstart and Aurora at Talentmatch, both being used for activities with young people.

A handful of the wolves are set to remain on display in the city centre, such as Hunter outside the University School of Art, Old Gold in the Wolves Museum, Thomas at Marston’s House, Support Life at the University of Wolverhampton, Mander at Mander House, Beanstalk at the Grand Theatre, and roaming wolf Claude.

Almost 40 mini-wolves from the Wolverhampton Art Gallery exhibition will also be auctioned off on the night, with bidding for each one starting at £100.

Will said: “I am thrilled to be the auction partner for this fantastic and very successful project.

“It will be wonderful to find some new homes for the wolves and to raise a huge amount of money for charity.”

The majority of the wolves are currently resting in a warehouse ahead of the auction.

Councillor John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “The wolves have really captured people’s imaginations and the whole project has been a howling success.

“The auction now gives people the chance to bid for their favourite wolf and raise money for charity at the same time.

“Wolves in Wolves has showcased the city to visitors and the wolves have helped put the city on the map as a cultural centre.

“It has also been a great way for people of all ages to get active and discover the city and what it has to offer.”

On the day of the auction, doors will open at 4pm for viewing, with the auction starting at 7pm.

Severn Trent’s own ‘Poo-wer Rangers’ have been recognised for their work to support WaterAid by designing a solution to waste issues in Nicaragua.

The company’s team of Water Innovators were given the best presentation award for their plan that tackled the sanitation issue of removing sludge from septic tanks.

The group of seven Severn Trent employees, who named themselves after the ‘90s TV show, have also carried out various challenges, including triathlons, half marathons and the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge to raise more than £5000 for WaterAid.

The team received the award at a special ceremony at EY’s UK headquarters in London.

Declan Barlow, who took part in the challenge, said: “It’s fantastic to be recognised for the hard work we’ve put into the competition for such an amazing cause.

“In Nicaragua 800,000 people don’t have access to clean, safe water, and two million live without access to a decent toilet.

“We’ve developed a business plan that outlines how we would improve sanitation in Bilwi. It provides employment for local people, reduces the environmental impact of sludge disposal and improves the health and safety of the population.

“We hope our work will help to promote the amazing work that WaterAid is doing to implement and drive improvements for people living in the Central American country.”

Since April this year Severn Trent has raised more than a quarter of a million pounds for WaterAid with more fundraising events to come.

 

It’s that time of year again when Japanese knotweed’s growing season draws to a close and the plant dies away, but specialists Environet are urging homeowners not to delay tackling the weed as it remains very much alive, waiting to emerge bigger and stronger with new shoots next March. 

Although still standing, the bamboo-like canes will now be turning brown and brittle, which can fool homeowners into believing the plant has died or that their own efforts at treating it through cutting the plant back, or burning it, have been successful. However, like many plants, the rhizome system beneath the ground is healthy and lying dormant throughout the colder winter months.

Herbicide treatments cannot be used during winter as they require the plant to be in leaf, but that doesn’t mean treatment needs to be postponed until spring. In fact, Japanese knotweed can be dug out at any time of year using the environmentally friendly Resi-Dig-Out method, which involves digging out the rhizome roots and sifting out every viable piece before returning the clean soil to the ground. An insurance-backed guarantee can then be secured for the treatment which will ensure the property can be bought or sold without difficulty. 

Nic Seal, MD and Founder of Environet comments: “Each winter we see enquiry levels fall, but we know Japanese knotweed hasn’t magically disappeared, it’s simply a case of out of sight, out of mind. Savvy homeowners will take action through the autumn and winter to tackle knotweed on their land, ensuring they don’t face an even bigger problem next spring. Digging knotweed out of the soil is an instant solution, giving homeowners complete peace of mind and the freedom to sell their property if they so wish.”

Homebuyers should be particularly vigilant when viewing properties during the winter months, when property owners may have taken advantage of the plant’s apparent demise in order to deliberately conceal it. Often the canes have been removed but the crown is still visible in the ground, or in extreme cases membranes are laid horizontally in the ground to conceal the knotweed, with a path or lawn laid over it. 

A surveyor should be able to identify knotweed if it is visible, but deliberate concealment is illegal and sellers are required to answer truthfully to the direct question about Japanese knotweed on the TA6 Property Information form, completed during every property transaction. If a seller is dishonest or claims not to have known about the presence of knotweed, the buyer may have a claim for misrepresentation and are likely to be awarded the cost of professional treatment and legal fees, as well as any decrease in the property’s value.

Families in Tipton are now settling into their new homes as the keys to the latest council houses are handed over.

Sandwell Council has been working in partnership with developer Kier Living to create affordable homes for families on the former Princes End primary school site in Tibbington Terrace.

The seven homes, made up of six three-bedroom and one-two-bedroom properties will provide families with contemporary living spaces, private gardens and driveways.

The development  is part of the council’s millions of pounds worth of investment into new housing and was completed on schedule.

Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Sandwell’s cabinet member for housing said: “This is great news. The completion of this scheme sees another seven new council  homes giving people the opportunity to set down roots and become part of a community.

“This is another example of the council working in partnership with a developer such as Kier Living to increase the quality and choice of housing in the borough.

“By the end of March next year we will have created nearly 200 new council homes since 2016 with hundreds more in the pipeline.

“This is part of our on-going strategic housing plan to increase the number of council-owned affordable homes.”

Chris King, managing director for Kier Living, said: "We are pleased to be able to support Sandwell Council in their drive to build more affordable homes in the borough.

"Kier has focused on providing high quality design and materials to create homes that offer a liveable and flexible space for tenants from day one."

The development also includes a further 22 properties for private sale built by Kier Living.

Staff and volunteers at John Taylor Hospice in Birmingham are inviting families and friends to join them at Light up a Life.

The annual remembrance event is a special time to remember loved ones who have died and to make a dedication in their memory.

Light up a Life will be held on Sunday 10 December at 6pm at Hollyfields Centre in Erdington. The short service will feature music, readings and a quiet moment for reflection – all dedicated to people who are very special to us.

A tree full of lights is illuminated during the service and there is the opportunity to make a dedication in the hospice’s Book of Remembrance.

This year, the hospice has introduced dedication stars as a new way to write a personal message to someone special. Each dedication pack contains two stars with space to write a message – one star is to keep and one can be returned to John Taylor to decorate Christmas trees inside the hospice during December.

Joining this year’s Light up a Life in memory of their mother Betty Morris are sisters Joanne and Helen Morris. When Betty was diagnosed with womb and lung cancer in May 2016, her wish was to be cared for at John Taylor Hospice. Joanne and Helen say they will be ‘forever grateful’ for the care and support their mother received from the hospice – both in her own home and at the hospice in Erdington, Birmingham.

“Mommy was very caring and was always thinking of others,” said Helen, 54. “The three of us lived very happily together in our home in Great Barr. When the ambulance arrived to take Mommy to the hospice she waved goodbye to her home of 58 years.

“This was our first experience of a hospice and from the moment she arrived she was welcomed by all staff. All of the care Mommy received at John Taylor was exceptional and this made such a terrible situation quite bearable. We know she was looked after so well and there was never any doubt in our minds which was very reassuring for us all.”

Joanne, 58, added: “We found all the staff to be quite remarkable and it is because of these wonderful people we have lots of happy memories. We always speak so highly of John Taylor and mention hospices to people to make them aware of what fantastic places they are. We will never forget all that was done for Mommy and feel we will be forever grateful.”

Hospices around the UK host Light up a Life events during the festive period and they are open to anyone – not just people whose loved ones were cared for by a hospice. As well as being a special time to remember loved ones, Light up a Life donations help to support the work of hospices by raising vital funds.

“Hundreds of families joined us for last year’s Light up a Life and it is always a very special and moving service,” said John Taylor’s Community Fundraising Manager Darren Dudley. “We feel privileged to stand side-by-side with families, friends, hospice staff and volunteers to honour the lives of people we love and miss and will always hold dear.”

There is no need to register for the event but dedications for the Book of Remembrance will need to be with the hospice by 1 December.

From eating out every week to going on holiday twice a year or starting a new business, new research conducted by pension advice specialist, Portafina reveals how Brits are planning to spend their retirement.

Despite recent reports about the future of the state pension, Brits aren’t letting their anticipation for their ‘golden years’ be dampened as they plan big for their retirement years.

The study, which involved a poll of 2,000, looked into attitudes to retirement, levels of financial preparation, and plans for the future.

With over half of working Brits stating that they are eagerly anticipating their retirement, Portafina  reveals the top ten ways the nation plans to spend its retirement years:

1.     Spending more time with family (35%)

2.     Taking up a new hobby (34%)

3.     Being more active (33%)

4.     Travelling the world (27%)

5.     Spending more time with friends (24%)

6.     Fulfilling a lifelong dream (24%)

7.     Starting their own business (18%)

8.     Eating out once a week (17%)

9.     Going on holiday twice a year (17%)

10.  Getting work experience in a dream career (14%)

Over a quarter (26%) of those in current fulltime employment did express concern about the cost of retiring, but the research showed this isn’t deterring our ambitions; with 29% planning on using retirement years to travel the world, 33% hoping to master a new language, and 27% even planning to learn to play a musical instrument.

A third (32%) hoped to be able to quit work completely – with the average aspired age sitting at 57 - but 40% said that semi-retirement was definitely an option, and not just for financial reasons.

Whilst 15% of those deliberating semi-retirement said their decision would ultimately come down to a need for extra income, more than half (53%) felt it allowed you to ease into the change, and 31% even believed that semi-retirement could be the perfect time to fulfil lifelong job ambitions, or start a business.

Of those currently enjoying semi-retirement, 30% said the time had offered them the chance to start a new career.

Suzi Grant, 67, (current location: Ibiza) said, “I became a blogger three years ago at the age of 64 and it’s now ridiculously successful.  I never expected that what started as a hobby would become nearly a full-time job!

“I worked in TV and radio most of my working life, trained as a nutritionist then wrote three books before happily retiring at 60. Because photography, writing and health are my passions, I have taken to my new career like a duck to water.”

Jamie Smith-Thompson, managing director of Portafina commented “There is always so much negative press about retirement, which must seem so depressing for younger generations that feel they are facing decades of work in order to secure the future lifestyle they want – and deserve.

“With semi-retirement revealed to be a viable option for so many, and numerous retirees already using this as a way to fulfil lifestyle and career ambitions, the nation’s dream retirement age of 57 may be achievable to some degree – that’s something I think we can all get behind. It’s important to remember that this can only come about through people taking retirement planning into account as early as possible”