Citylife in Lichfield November 2017 by Citylife In Lichfield

November 2017 20 14

Inside...

Win a Sunday Roast for Two

Courtesy of Mckenzie’s 14 War Stories

Stories from RAF Lichfield

16 Perfect Christmas Gifts for Him...

in our festive gift guide

20 City Image Competition

Calling all photographers and artists 40 Window on the Past

A bird’s-eye view of the city

Welcome to CITYLIFE

Welcome to CITYLIFE in Lichfield, a monthly magazine bringing you our pick of the city’s news, events and stories. Each month CITYLIFE in Lichfield is delivered to 18,000 businesses and homes in Lichfield, Kings Bromley, Fradley, Alrewas, Whittington, Stonnall, Shenstone, Little Aston, Hammerwich, Burntwood and Longdon, completely free of charge; bringing you the best that the city has to offer. Each issue features heritage stories exploring the rich history of our area, plus competitions, interviews and the latest in fashion and style.

Got a story or charity event you want to share with our readership? Think you’ve snapped an image that captures the spirit of the city? We want to hear from you! Our business is bringing you Lichfield’s city life.

CITYLIFE Contacts Editor - Joss Musgrove Knibb 07833 735048

josscitylife@gmail.com Deputy Editor - Kate Gomez 07742 917708 katecitylife@gmail.com Advertising -

Steve Brown 07740 166497 stevebrowncitylife@gmail.com Rebecca Hill 07970 513144 rebeccahillcitylife@gmail.com Production - Helen Smith 07967 154187 helencitylife@gmail.com

Citylife In Lichfield Ltd PO Box 7126 LICHFIELD WS14 4JS CITYLIFE in Lichfield and CITYLIFE in Rugeley magazines are not connected to any other publication or publisher, and are wholly owned by CITYLIFE in Lichfield Ltd. Citylife In Lichfield

www.citylifeinlichfieldltd.co.uk Citylife in Lichfield Ltd does not endorse any business or organisation appearing in these pages, and the publication of any advertisement, editorial, event listing or advertising editorial does not constitute an endorsement by Citylife in Lichfield Ltd.

Win a Sunday Roast for Two at McKenzie's Restaurant

cKenzie's Restaurant is set in the beautiful old Corn Exchange building on Conduit Street, Lichfield.

Creating delicious dishes from locally sourced and provenanced suppliers, McKenzie’s is the perfect place for a special occasion or a midweek treat. Combining laid back luxury with a great menu catering to all tastes, McKenzie’s is renowned for its steaks that are truly succulent and sourced from the best local suppliers. Add to that a great bar, friendly staff and beautiful surroundings and you have the recipe for the perfect dining experience.

Win Sunday Roast for Two Plus a Bottle of House Wine!

McKenzie’s famous Sunday Roast Lunches are available from 12pm to 3pm every Sunday. Choose from slow-roasted beef with succulent vegetables, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and homemade gravy; slow roasted lamb with vegetables, roast potatoes and homemade gravy or honey roasted Gammon served with vegetables, roast potatoes and homemade gravy for £10.95, and add a delicious pudding (including Panna Cotta, Tiramisu or chocolate brownie with ice-cream) for just £4 per person. To win a Sunday Roast for two plus a bottle of house wine, just unscramble the anagram, and rearrange the letters to find a pastry-covered beef dish named after an English Duke!

LIFELONGNEWTBE ____ __________

To enter, just send your name, contact details and answer to McKenzie’s Competition* at citylifecompetitions@gmail.com or post your entry to Citylife in Lichfield Ltd, PO Box 7126, Lichfield, WS14 4JS by the competition closing date of Friday 24th November.

One entry per household. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Must be 18 or over to enter. Winners will not be offered a cash equivalent. Full terms and conditions on page 50. *McKenzie’s Restaurant will contact the winner to arrange their prize (please note that dates available for booking are subject to restaurant availability) and may contact entrants with information, offers and news. If you do not wish to be contacted please include the words OPT OUT in your entry.

Lichfield Museum Bowling Club

ach year, the Lichfield Museum Bowling Club (LMBC) holds a Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Charity Day which consists of a bowls competition to raise funds for good causes. This year, in addition to the bowls competition, the charity day included a lottery to raise funds for We Love Lichfield and the Benevolent Fund of the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC). The competition was held on 20th September on the bowling greens in Beacon Park. Twenty pairs of players were made up from representatives of LMBC, DMRC, DMS(W), the Staffordshire Regiment Museum, local Air Cadets and We Love Lichfield. The day was a great success. The lottery will continue to operate for a few weeks and it is estimated that the final total raised from all events will be in excess of ÂŁ2,000.

Collecting Silver

By Richard Winterton of Richard Winterton Auctioneers

ollecting antique and modern silver objects is an area enjoyed by both the novice and seasoned professional the breadth, depth and price range on offer makes it enjoyable for all. Some focus on one theme, for example, Charles Horner hat pins; Nathaniel Mills castle top card cases; Victorian and Edwardian pin cushions in the shape of animals or anything related to wine such as corkscrews, wine funnels, claret jugs or decanter labels. The joy of silver is partly in the fact that it is such a tactile material. It does require a little work to keep it shining brightly but modern-day cleaners are often enhanced with an ingredient to prevent retarnishing, something our ancestors would have greatly appreciated. One benefit of collecting British silver is the fact that it carries hallmarks - a series of marks punched on to the piece which may well be the oldest forms of consumer protection still in existence. This system came about back in medieval England in the reign of Henry II. Due to the softness of silver in its purest form it needs to be mixed with an alloy to give it strength. A mix of 92.5% silver to 7.5% copper gave an excellent alloy and the king made a law

to say this was the legal standard and hence sterling silver was born. Hallmarks have varied over time and city assay offices have come and gone but fortunately records have been kept and it is generally easy to identify marks. Collecting silver need not break the bank and a Charles Horner silver thimble might cost you around £10 at auction; a hatpin by the same maker around £30 - £40 and an enamel and silver pendant by him around £200. At the other end of the spectrum Georgian and Regency silver by some of the most famous British silversmiths can sell for over £100,000. The next sale of silver at Richard Winterton Auctioneers is December 6th and offers an opportunity to buy an unusual Christmas present that will not only be a worthwhile investment but something to be treasured in the years to come, by the lucky recipient and future generations.

Lichfield Ladies Circle celebrate 65th birthday

ichfield Ladies Circle were proud to celebrate their 65th birthday with a cake and prosecco afternoon tea at Alrewas Village Hall in October. The ladies were joined by members and friends to celebrate 65 years of the group. Guests were welcomed to the event by the current Chair Ellie Cadman, and later enjoyed a baking demonstration by Edesia’s Kitchen where a croquembouche was created with the help of the audience. A raffle and fundraising activities raised over £1,255 for the Brain Tumour Charity, which is the National Ladies Circle charity of the year. Ladies Circle meets once a fortnight on a Tuesday evening. If you’d like to find out more email info@lichfieldladiescircle.co.uk, call 0800 148 8595 or visit www.lichfieldladiescircle.co.uk.

Boost for fund helping Staffordshire Youth

fund created to help people aged between 10 and 20 years in Lichfield and Burntwood to learn new skills both in the community and workplace has received a boost with Central Government announcing that it will match fund all donations made before the end of 2017. To kick start the opportunity to double the funds, cutlery firm Arthur Price has donated £5,000 to the Staffordshire Youth Social Action Fund (YSAF) which will become £10,000 to help teenagers across the county learn new volunteering skills to benefit the wider community. Companies, as part of their social responsibility initiatives, and private individuals are invited to support the Staffordshire Youth Social Action Fund before Christmas and see their donations double. The target is £50,000 therefore creating a £100,000 pot to help community groups, registered charities and social enterprises who have social action opportunities for young people aged 10 to 20 years (25 for disabled people). The Fund targets programmes that embed volunteering skills in young people. All donors will be able to contribute to a decision-making panel, use the scheme for promotional purposes and engage their staff in the scheme as part of on-going training or CSR work. The Staffordshire Youth Social Action Fund supports online, extracurricular and informal groups that with to help amongst other things, people improve their maths and English standards, home and domestic skills plus online media and communications expertise. Previous schemes have included teaching new skills such as computer coding, bike maintenance and nail art, interview techniques and how to grow vegetables. Anyone who wants to find out more information should call The Community Foundation For Staffordshire now on 01785 339540 or visit www.staffsfoundation.org.uk

New play and talk put Peg Woffington in the spotlight

he year of commemorations of the 300th Birthday of David Garrick comes to a close this month with events bringing actress Peg Woffington under the spotlight. On Saturday 18th November, the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum and Intimate Theatre present a new play by David Titley called ‘Peg & Davey’. It tells the story of two young people thrown together in the uncertain theatrical life of 18th century London. David Garrick, the naïve lad from the provinces and Peg Woffington, the Dublin girl with a wild streak are two very different people bound by talent, passion and the stage, and an affair ensues that has far reaching consequences. Robin Lewitt & Hannah Davies explore the aftermath and tell the tale with performances as Peg & Davey in their youth and in maturity. Tickets cost £9, including a glass of wine and can be booked in person at the Birthplace Museum Bookshop, by calling 01543 264 972 or by emailing sjmuseum@lichfield.gov.uk. At 2.30pm on Sunday 19th November, Dr Annette Rubery will be exploring the fascinating life of Peg Woffington and her friendship with David Garrick, in a Johnson Society Winter Lecture. Annette’s talk takes place at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane, Lichfield with tickets £3.50, to include tea and cake, available on the door.

War Stories H By Kate Gomez

Inside one of the surviving hangars now used by Palletways

Entrance to H.Q. office

Entrance to the Guard Room

ere, deputy editor Kate Gomez talks about the fascinating stories connected with RAF Lichfield, Fradley - the WW2 airfield and base that was so vital during the last world war. Almost a year has passed since a group of us first got together in St Stephen’s Church, Fradley to talk about how we could record and tell the stories of RAF Lichfield, Staffordshire’s busiest WW2 airfield, leading to the formation of the Fradley Heritage Group. Parts of old aircraft are rumoured to be buried beneath the fields of Fradley. At a recent meeting I heard a story from a villager about a plane losing control and hitting an oak tree before crashing into farmland, its engine still supposedly embedded in the ground. We’ve tried (and so far failed) to identify the oak tree and even if we were to, is it likely that this kind of debris would have just been left to rust in a field? After a bit of reading, it does indeed seem possible that it may have been. Earlier this year, a Danish teenager decided he’d investigate a story told to him by his grandfather about a German plane which had crashed on moorland in December 1944. Using metal detectors, Daniel, his friends and his dad discovered the remains of the aircraft, including its Daimler-Benz engine, and sadly the remains of the pilot with his ammunition, diary, ration coupons, cigarettes and a wallet still in his jacket pockets. After the war, RAF Lichfield was used to break up aircraft including 900 Typhoons, 500 Liberators and 150 Fortresses. I found an article in a Lichfield Mercury from 1950 about a scrap dealer who had been charged with stealing four Oxford aircraft fuel tanks and two engine cowlings, whilst contracted to remove scrap from eight Mosquitos. The theft had allegedly been committed in the area of the airfield known as ‘the graveyard’, but did this literally refer to a place where craft were buried? And if so, are they still there? Along with the rest of the heritage group, in October I was lucky enough to have been given access to several old airfield buildings which survive on the site of Palletways, at the industrial estate now known as Fradley Park. There are also two underground bunkers nearby, almost invisible beneath vegetation but winter should reveal more and I’m looking forward to a return trip. Those who lived, served and died here must not be forgotten. The Fradley Heritage group is committed to continuing to record the stories of this place and its people. We meet on the third Monday of each month at 7.30pm at St Stephen’s Church in Fradley. Our next meeting is Monday 20th November, and anyone with an interest in the history of RAF Lichfield is very welcome to come and get involved. Kate Gomez is founding member of local history group Lichfield Discovered and writes a fascinating local history blog Lichfield Lore.

Perfect Christmas Gifts

for Him

£65

Are you looking for the perfect Christmas present for the man in your life? Take a look at our gift guide for perfect festive gifts available right here in the heart of Lichfield…

A range of Babette Wasserman cufflinks starting from £40 up to £230 Available at City Jewellers

£60

£12

£29.95 16

A range of Babette Wasserman cufflinks starting from £40 up to £230 Available at City Jewellers

Cricket cufflinks with gift box - Available from The Shop at No.9

£150

£199 Hugo Boss watch and cufflinks set - strap watch and cufflinks Available at City Jewellers

Hugo Boss watch and cufflinks set - bracelet watch and cufflinks Available at City Jewellers

£39.95

£9.95

Bike bottle-opener with gift box - Available from The Shop at No.9

HATICO Sport premium cotton shirt - Available from Michael’s Menswear

Mother-of-pearl and onyx cufflinks £39.95 and mother-of-pearl cufflinks £29.95 - Available from Michael’s Menswear

£39.95

Men’s Gift Vouchers and Gifts Available from Body Beautiful Day Spa & Beauty Salon Lichfield

£39.95 £29.95 £59.95

Peter Gribby 100% lambswool jumper – Available from Michael’s Menswear

The British Bag Company Harris Tweed and leather gloves – Available from Michael’s Menswear

£225

£155

Blue leather valet tray Available from Salloways Blue leather watch box Available from Salloways

£22.95

David Aster pheasant braces £22.95 and Lyle & Scott 100% lambswool scarf £29.95 – Available from Michael’s Menswear

£44.95

£24.95

Luxury cotton handkerchiefs and Vintage Tootal 100% silk scarf – Available from Michael’s Menswear

£49.99

£219 Weber Q1200 Portable Gas Barbecue. This on-the-go gas barbecue is perfect for days out and weekends away. Available in six colours: blue, green, orange, fuschia and purple.Large enough to create an entire meal, with side tables to place spices and marinades. Buy online at www.pavingplace.co.uk/weber-q1200-blue-portable-gasbarbecue.html

Weber Barbecue Gift Set. Includes Weber 30cm T-brush, Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter, Weber Barbecue Mitt, Weber Thermometer and Weber bag. Buy online at www.pavingplace.co.uk/weber-barbecue-giftset.html

Stockists The Shop at No.9, 9 The Close, Lichfield, WS13 7LD, 01543 306150 City Jewellers, 39 Market Street, Market Square, Lichfield, WS13 6LA, 01543 416412 Body Beautiful Day Spa & Beauty Salon, 20 Dam Street, Lichfield, WS13 6AA, 01543 897600 Tippers, Europa Way, Lichfield, WS14 9TZ, 01543 440000 Salloways, 23-25 Bore Street, Lichfield, WS13 6NA, 01543 262244 Michael's Menswear, City Arcade, Lichfield, WS13 6LH, 01543 262264

Our month on the farm

By Annamarie Stone

ere, Annamarie Stone of Woodhouse Farm and Garden talks about life down on the farm… Penelope the pig has been up to her old tricks again, escaping from her pen and heading for wherever the food is. On this occasion, we discovered her helping herself to our freshly dug potatoes! Our apple pressing day was a success with fun had by all. Our fruit picking efforts were rewarded with barbeque and a taste of the freshly pressed juice from our cider orchard apples. Mother Nature is working her magic on the remainder of the juice which is now fermenting and will soon be cider. This year we’ve experimented by blending the apple juice with other fruits and Mr Stone has already volunteered to be our tester! We’ve also harvested the crab apples and turned them into jelly and are waiting for our medlars to blet (ripen until they are soft and squashy – medlar fruits have to be almost rotten before they’re edible)! As ever we’ve been delighted to welcome lots of visitors to the farm this month. The Sutton Coldfield Adventure Unit slept over in the outdoor community area and an art group came along to sketch some of the structures and the garden. One person drawing the Orangery was slightly startled to feel a tap on his shoulder and was relieved that it just turned out to be Panda the cow being nosey. A home education group and a messy church group helped us make light work of the potato harvest and

our spuds are all now stored ready to go in our vegetable boxes over winter (unless Penelope gets there first!). We’ve also picked our pumpkins and this year we’ve gone for a range of edible varieties rather than the Jack O’Lantern sort, although we did have a couple of carvers for our Halloween Celebration of course. The others will store until early spring and will also be a regular addition to our veg boxes over the coming months. I’ll finish for this month with an exciting development for us – we’re planning to have sheep at Woodhouse for the first time. Andrew and I are hoping to take three Shropshire Sheep and while I’ve been exploring possibilities around felting and spinning, Rhiannon has already started coming up with names. So far we have Sheila and Peggy – any suggestions for the third?

Woodhouse Farm and Garden is open to the public between 11am and 4pm every Friday and Saturday and is located just off Fisherwick Wood Lane, on the outskirts of Whittington. For more information, please visit www.woodhousefarmandgardencic.org.uk or contact Annamarie on 01543 432005 or annamarie@woodhousefarmandgardencic.org.uk.

Work parties at St Michael’s churchyard

he extensive churchyard that surrounds St Michael's Church has been used since Roman times and probably before. It is thought that this ancient site may even have been the original location of the Lichfield Bower. Although now kindly maintained by Lichfield City Council, keeping on top of the work is a huge task with tree saplings and brambles growing very quickly and obscuring the gravestones. As a result, a new working party has been formed, meeting for the first time last month to tackle some of the

pruning and clearing tasks. The next working party will be on Saturday 25th November, meeting at the Church at 10am. If you would like to get involved and help to maintain one of Lichfield's most ancient sites, please contact Ray Allen on 01543 251654 or St. Michael's Parish Office on 01543 26221. Information will also be displayed on the church and churchyard information boards.

Vibrant Colour in the Winter Garden

By Byron Lewis

efore we all get caught up in preparations for Christmas, there is still time to enjoy some late colour in your garden. At this time of year, many deciduous shrubs will be on the verge of losing their leaves for the winter. In the process, some produce stunning foliage colour which can be almost as good as the blooms themselves.

To begin with, the Spindle Bush (Euonymus) is a great choice for the middle or back of a mixed border. During the summer, the plant can be fairly non-descript – but bright crimson leaves in October really stand out from the crowd. Staying with the red-leaved theme, Smoke Bush (Cotinus) plants also fit the bill. These already have burgundy leaves through the spring and summer (a great contrast with golden leaved plants too), but really come alive late in the season with vibrant red hues.

Of course, many trees start to lose their leaves at this time of year, and colour is easy to find. Trees like the Mountain Ash (Sorbus) with their ferny foliage look attractive in the spring and summer anyway, but heading to the winter, bright pink and red colours take over for a great late show – in addition, most of the Sorbus family will give brightly coloured berries. The ever popular Japanese Maples (Acer varieties) are also great for late autumn/early winter colour, with coppery orange tints on the leaves before they fall for the winter. Don’t forget that Acers also look very architectural even without their leaves. For those gardens with larger, more established maples, try fixing some small outdoor ‘L.E.D’ style lights onto the branches to give interest on the long winter nights.

Next month, we’ll take a look at selecting the perfect real Christmas Tree and tips to keep your tree looking good into the new year.

Lichfield Garden Centre's Christmas Shop is now open, with a huge range of new and unusual Christmas Decorations, lights and Christmas Gifts.

Byron Lewis runs Lichfield Garden Centre, based at Curborough Countryside Centre, Watery Lane, Lichfield. Visit the website at www.lichfieldgardencentre.co.uk or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

City Image Competition O

ne of my favourite jobs over the last 12 months has been looking through the wonderful photographs, paintings and drawings that have been submitted to our City Image competition. There are some extraordinarily talented people out there, and we thank each and every one of you who has taken the time to send us their work. We hope that you enjoy this final selection of entries recently submitted.

Original painting by Irina Dinev

Lichfield by Pat Brennan

We have received hundreds of images which have now been delivered to the competition’s independent judges for appraisal. The winner of Citylife in Lichfield’s City Image Competition will be announced in the December issue, along with 12 additional Highly Commended works. Joss, Editor.

St Mary’s by Gill Hine

Night at the proms by Niamh Spencer

Copyright of these images remains with the creators and Citylife in Lichfield Ltd and they may not be reproduced by any unauthorised individual or organisation.

St Chad’s Graveyard at dusk by James Cresswell

Citylife in Lichfield’s

City Image Cont...

Reflections in Minster Pool by Carol Bain

Lichfield 10k Runners by Tony Stainer

Stowe Pool by Suzanne Onions

View from Erasmus Darwin’s Garden by David Stocks

Stowe Pool in Winter by Bryan Wiggett

By Bethany Dennis

J HOWELL & DAUGHTERS FUNERAL DIRECTORS LICHFIELD & ALREWAS

LICHFIELDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LONGEST ESTABLISHED INDEPENDENT, FAMILY RUN FUNERAL DIRECTORS. SECOND GENERATION BUSINESS HERE TO ASSIST YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. 24 hours a day

We are proud to be Lichfield's longest established family run funeral directors offering a wide range of choices to suit all requirements. Horse drawn hearse, non religious ceremonies, floral tributes and memorials are but a few of the services we offer. Pre-paid funeral plans are also available.

For a truly personal service please call

01543 255776

Private Chapel of Rest 116 Netherstowe, Lichfield, Staffs. WS13 6TS

01283 792923

36 Main Street, Alrewas, Burton Upon Trent. DE13 7AA

Amethysts

for Sagittarians

If you were born between November 22nd and December 21st you were born under the zodiac sign of Sagittarius. Open-minded, adventurous and optimistic, Sagittarians like to travel the world and explore life. The gemstone associated with this optimistic and up-beat sign is amethyst. We present here a suggestion for the perfect gift for the Sagittarian in your life. Single amethyst bead £50. Available from City Jewellers

Trollbeads amethyst necklace starting at £105 to £140 - just add your choice of beads (available from £25) to personalise your necklace. Available from City Jewellers Stockist: City Jewellers of Lichfield, 39 Market Street, Lichfield WS13 6LA. Tel: 01543 416412 www.cityjewellers.co.uk

Letters to Emma

A Review, by Joss Musgrove Knibb

etters to Emma played at the Lichfield Garrick in early October. It’s a new work by local writer Carolyn Scott Jeffs, directed by Tim Ford and commissioned by the Garrick. With a new production you have the freedom to step away from what audiences might expect if they were coming to see, for example, an Agatha Christie or Noel Coward play. As the play’s topic was Anna Seward – the 18th century poet (known as The Swan of Lichfield) I was intrigued to see how they would approach the subject. Would it be very traditional? Letters to Emma is about the duality of two women’s lives – separated by over 200 years. Anna Seward (Heather Westwell), is well connected and intelligent but torn between her wish to be a woman of propriety and her need to live a happy, fulfilling life. She pays lip-service to living within the narrow bounds of what was expected from a respectable woman, but her own innately rebellious spirit and literary career make her the subject of scurrilous gossip. Emma Williams (Lizzie Wofford) is a modern young women, studying for a degree and hounded by cyber bullies and trolls after an online incident (never specified) where she somehow mildly humiliated an exboyfriend. They both exist in their own little worlds on stage, cleverly lit so that each world is a glowing bubble of light on a dark stage. Anna reads extracts from her letters to an imaginary friend (also called Emma) that she has created, to ease the loneliness of being surrounded by

Anti-bullying single released

ichfield singer Andrea Crawford’s debut single ‘Trip and Fall’ is now available to purchase on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and other platforms. Andrea, whose stage name is Andrea Victoria has release the single to highlight bullying. Andrea was signed by a leading London recording studio at the age of 15 to record two singles.

Having suffered from bullying after a significant brain infection, Andrea chose to use her talent to help others. Andrea spends her spare time visiting middle schools and senior schools presenting to assemblies of children from age 8 to 16 on the importance of anti-bullying. false friends and gossip mongers. Emma sits at her university desk, dealing with her increasing anxiety and isolation as threatening tweets and messages are projected on to a large screen and at the same time boom out into the audience. As the story progresses, eventually both start to sense, and see, the other. It’s beautifully played and deeply disconcerting. Anna is shocked by Emma’s modern lack of ‘propriety’. Emma is disappointed by Anna’s seeming lack of feminist principle. Will they both learn to understand each other? The play’s end is ambiguous. Has Emma finally succumbed to the horrendous cyber bullying she has endured? Has she entered Anna’s world? It’s not specified. But it’s an otherworldly end to a thought provoking and disquieting production. Lizzie Wofford as Emma gives a performance that fizzes with anxiety and bravery, and Heather Westwell as Anna is utterly believable as an 18th century woman come to life. Sets and technical production were excellent. Very well done to all involved. Image by Pamela Raith Photography

Advertising Feature

Frinton Frames are pleased to be associated with Framework and offer many congratulations on their 30th Anniversary

Framework - Celebrating 30 Years of Service and Success

Framework Framing Gallery, Lichfield are celebrating 30 years of business at their Tamworth Street premises - providing Fine Art and Framing Services to Lichfield. Framework are a family run business, providing framing services and fine art to customers in the Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield areas. They have an extensive range of frames and mount cards to suit any style of artwork, and their helpful and knowledgeable staff can help guide you through the process of choosing the right combination. Both the Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield galleries carry a wide range of fine art prints, both framed or unframed so that you can select your own frame. They also stock a good selection of fine art greetings cards some of which are exclusive to the gallery, plus a growing stock of fine art sculptures by top artists such as Doug Hyde. Their online gallery of paintings specialise in the Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield areas. These limited edition prints are reproduced to fine art standards from original paintings and are all exclusive to Framework. In addition, Framework have in stock limited edition prints and originals from a large selection of artists, representing a wide range of styles and with subjects from traditional landscape to contemporary sculpture. Congratulations to them on three decades of excellence and service. Framework Gallery, 13 Tamworth Street, Lichfield, WS13 6JP, tel: 01543 264777 also at 16 Birmingham Road, Sutton Coldfield B72 1QG, tel: 0121 3551333 www.framework-gallery.co.uk

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; 26

Framework - 30 Years of Service and Success

Nielsen Bainbridge are proud to be associated with Framework, and to supply many of their design-led wood & aluminium mouldings, and Artcare mountboards.

We would like to extend our congratulations to Simon on the significant achievement of reaching this 30 year anniversary, and look forward to continuing to work closely together in the future

Ancient Chinese plate sells for a record £230,000 By Hansons Auctioneers and Valuers

n ancient Chinese plate found in a kitchen cupboard in the Midlands has sold for an astronomical £230,000 at auction on Sept 29th after it emerged there was a replica in the National Museum of China. Chinese buyers came out in force to buy back a piece of their country’s history with 19 phone lines booked by bidders – a new record for Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire.

The plate, which carries the reign mark for Emperor Yongzheng and dates back to 17231735, sold to a private overseas phone bidder who fought relentlessly to secure the prized item. And the packed saleroom broke out into applause when the gavel finally fell.

The plate’s original estimate was £40,000 to £60,000 but that began to look conservative after it emerged that replicas of the plate existed at the National Museum of China and the Guangdong Museum in China. There is also a similar plate in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The plate was sold by three siblings who inherited it from their granny two years ago and tucked it away in a kitchen cupboard.

Measuring 13 inches in diameter, the plate is decorated on both sides with white flowering blossoms borne on leafy branches. Against a vibrant powder blue background, the flower petals and veins of leaves are detailed with fine slip trailing.

Entries of fine jewellery, watches, silver, paintings and Asian objects are now being invited for the Christmas Fine Art Auction on 18th to 20th December until 4th December.

Find out if you are sitting on a fortune at your local Hansons free valuations days. These are held every Monday from 10.30am to 12.30pm at The Hedgehog Pub, Stafford Road, Lichfield, WS13 8JB and once a month in Sutton Coldfield at St Chads Church, Hollyfield Rd, B75 7SN, the next being Tuesday 14th November from 10am to 1pm. Free home visits can be arranged by appointment for large/multiple items, estate clearance or downsizing advice.

To find out more, please call 01283 733988, visit www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk or email arathbone@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk

Advertising Feature

The Style Lounge

et in a beautiful, beamed salon on Greenhill, Lichfield, The Style Lounge is that rare thing – a truly professional hair salon where every customer is greeted like a friend.

The stunning salon interior is an oasis of calm, where stylists take the time to understand just what you’re looking for, delivering a luxury experience at an affordable price. The private relaxation room with massage chairs and separate reception area make your visit as enjoyable as possible, and The Style Lounge uses only the best products and treatments. The Style Lounge specialise in L’Oréal colour and creative hair styling and also offer men’s hair styling and pampering treatments. For a luxurious treat or before a special occasion, why not try their express blow-dry service starting at £15? Until 30th November 2017, The Style Lounge are offering 20% off all cut and blow-drys – just quote ‘City17’ to claim your discount. The Style Lounge, 5-7 Greenhill, Lichfield, WS13 6DY. Tel: 01543 897790 sales@thestylelounge.com

King Pleasure and the Biscuit boys

ing Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys will be performing at The Guildhall on Saturday December 2nd. King Pleasure and The Biscuit Boys’ authentic rhythm and blues band carries a guarantee of great swinging music. Lichfield Arts Artistic Director Chris Newcombe commented: “King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys are one of the most popular bands on the national circuit. Their good time fun music hides serious musical talent and they always pull in large crowds wherever they perform. This concert is proving to be very popular, so we would suggest you buy your tickets now to avoid disappointment, and start your countdown to Christmas with this good time band.” The show takes place at Lichfield Guildhall on Saturday December 2nd, and starts at 8pm. Tickets cost £16, £14.60 for friends and £8 for under 16s. To book tickets, and for further information visit www.lichfieldarts.org.uk, phone 01543 262223, or call into the Lichfield Arts Box Office in Donegal House on Bore Street.

A Cathedral Illuminated’ to Light up Christmas

ichfield Cathedral is inviting visitors to get into the Christmas spirit with the return of its annual ‘A Cathedral Illuminated’ show featuring spectacular visuals projected across the building.

Following the success of last year’s sell-out ‘A Cathedral Illuminated’ which attracted thousands of visitors to the cathedral, the award-winning festive display returns between Monday 18th and Saturday 23rd December, and promises to be bigger and better! This year’s theme, ‘Star of Wonder, Star of Light’, will take viewers on a Christmas journey around the whole Cathedral Close, leading to the West Front where they will see the Nativity story as never before in an array of images and sounds. The experience continues inside the cathedral where visitors can also enjoy a star installation, the annual Christmas tree festival and readings at the crib. The projections by Lichfield Cathedral’s artist-in-residence Peter Walker will be accompanied by original music by composer David Harper, who collaborate under the name Luxmuralis. Last year’s illuminations won ‘Best Staffordshire Event 2017’, chosen by readers of Staffordshire ‘What’s On’. A Cathedral Illuminated is taking place at various times between Monday 18th and Saturday 23rd December (not Thursday 21st December). Admission is by ticket only, with tickets available online at www.lichfield-cathedral.org or from The Shop at No.9, priced £4 (£3 for under 16s and free for children under 3), with a family ticket (two adults, two children) for £10.

Remembrance Sunday

he Lichfield Remembrance Sunday Parade and Commemorations will take place on Sunday 12th November. The annual event will see more than 1,000 people, including both civic and military representatives, gather at the cathedral in solemn reflection on the loss of life of brave servicemen and women and how their sacrifices helped to shape the world today. Commencing at 10am with a formal parade through the streets around the cathedral, commemorations will include a series of hymns, moments of prayer and a sermon by the Very Reverend Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield, on the importance of remembrance. At 10.50am, the service will continue in the Gardens of Remembrance, where the National Silence will be observed at 11am.

Maple Hayes Food Bank Collection

upils from Maple Hayes Dyslexia School have delivered an estimated £500 worth of groceries to Lichfield Foodbank following a week of collections. The school raises funds for a variety of good causes each year and collection for the foodbank has coincided with their harvest festival. Headteacher Dr Daryl Brown commented: “We are a small school with around 100 pupils, so the huge response to anything charitable from our students and their families always astonishes me. We understand that since commencing work in April 2014, Lichfield Foodbank has been able to provide the equivalent of 200,000 meals. They tell us that whilst they appreciate this is 200,000 too many, they are thankful that they are able to help everyone who turns to them in need. The work of Lichfield Foodbank is only made possible through continued support and donations, so we are proud that Maple Hayes has been able to give them what we guess is probably seven supermarket trollies full of basic food." Each school year group was tasked with filling a large basket and since collections started, several tables in the dining hall have been taken up by the groceries.

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All Aspect Art & Print

ll Aspect Art & Print, Shenston, can make sure that your precious memories are secure for generations to come - taking your digital images and printing, mounting and framing them to create much-loved keepsakes. They also create beautiful mounts and frames for everything from paintings, drawings, prints, photographs and certificates, to records, medals and sporting memorabilia. A large range of frames and mounts is available to view and can be combined with UV protection, low-reflection glass. Creating your own greetings cards can be a wonderful way to show you care. Why not let All Aspect transform your photographs or artwork into unique Christmas cards this year? They also offer high-resolution scanning so that you can create high quality prints and cards of your work, or unique wall-art for your home. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a wonderful selection of greetings cards and framed art ready to purchase in store. Their online art collection of images by artists and photographers and is a great one stop shop for inspiration and ideas. WW1 ceramic poppies can be combined with family medals and photographs within a box frame to create a wonderful and evocative commemoration of family members who fought during the Great War. All Aspect Art & Print are open From Monday to Friday (9.30am to 5pm) and Saturday (9.30am to 1pm) and can be found at Grayson House, Lynn Lane, Shenstone, WS14 0DU. Tel: 01543 482 878 www.frameyourpicture.couk support@printmypicture.co.uk

Lichfield Sinfonia Anniversary Concert

n 26th November, Lichfield Sinfonia celebrates its 60th year with a concert of live music, including the premier of a new composition commissioned especially for the event, and a special performance of the Schumann Piano Concerto by acclaimed pianist Robert Thompson.

Local violinist, and member of the orchestra, Joanne Dodds has composed The Three Spires Suite for the concert. The Suite has four movements which depict elements and individuals from Lichfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history including the English Civil War, Dr Johnson, Erasmus Darwin, the Lichfield Festival, Bower Queen and beauty of The Chase. Lichfield Sinfonia and CAVE will be collaborating with students from South Staffs College in an educational project involving media, film and sound recording for the composition. Lichfield Sinfonia members are keen musicians from all walks of life and of all ages. From its formation in 1957 the orchestra has played three public concerts each year, often with young professional soloists. The concert takes place on 26th November at 7.30pm at Nether Stowe School, St. Chads Rd, Lichfield WS13 7NB. Tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/lichfieldsinfonia

Pathway Patron Scheme Launched

n October, the Pathway Patron scheme was launched at the George Hotel in Lichfield with help from the City of Lichfield Townswomen’s Guild. The scheme is a new way for individual donors to support the work that Pathway does with contributions made by patrons going directly to support children and families. It is one of several new fundraising initiatives being developed by the charity’s income generation group, chaired by the former Chief Executive of Lichfield District Council, Nina Dawes OBE.

Platinum patrons commit to an annual contribution of £500 to sponsor a family, with gold and silver patrons committing to £200 and £100 per year respectively. All patrons will receive updates on how their generosity is helping families to rebuild their lives. By making a regular annual contribution, patrons will be offering a guaranteed income to the charity, at a time when funding from more traditional sources is harder to come by. However, one-off contributions are of course very welcome a n d individuals making these will be recognised as Bronze patrons throughout the year of their donation. Four honorary patrons have also been appointed, and they are Her Majesty's LordLieutenant of Staffordshire Mr Ian Dudson, CBE KStJ, The Right Reverend Dr Michael Ipgrave OBE, Bishop of Lichfield, Angela Burns, Chief Executive, Webb Hotel Group Ltd, and Joss Musgrove Knibb, Group Editor & Director of Citylife of Lichfield Ltd.

Kathy Coe

Kathy Coe, Chief Executive of Pathway, said: “We had a really successful launch. We were so thrilled and delighted with the support we had at the Event and our thanks to all those who signed up to become Patrons there and then. We would also like to thank those who contacted us to say they couldn’t be at the event but who have said, ‘Yes, we want to be a Patron’. Of course, the launch for us is the start - and there is still the opportunity to become a Patron by contacting us. People have a real opportunity to change lives by becoming a Pathway Patron.” The Pathway Project supports adults, young people and children, who are experiencing or affected by domestic abuse and helps turn victims into survivors. The charity run two refuges, along with the Hope Centre and Family Centre and their work includes a 24 hour helpline, crisis and advocacy support, a ‘4 Men service’, group activities and prevention work in schools. For more information on becoming a patron, please email patrons@pathway-project.co.uk or call 01543 442 610.

Fundraiser for Guide Dogs UK

Specsavers, Lichfield, held a fundraiser in October in aid of Guide Dogs UK. The staff all baked cakes to sell in store and also hosted a 'guess the puppy's name competition' which all helped to raise an impressive £261.61. Staff were helped on the day by local Guide Dog Volunteer Carol Trigg and her adorable Guide Dog, Flora.

Lichfield’s Emily is Staffordshire Poet Laureate

mily Rose Galvin from Lichfield has been chosen as the new Staffordshire poet laureate, the first woman and the fourth person to hold the role, and will hold the post until 2019. Emily’s appointment was announced during the launch of the Staffordshire Poetry Collection as part of National Poetry Day on 28 September and she joins the recently appointed Staffordshire Young Poet Laureate Rebecca Lockwood on their journey to promote the joys of poetry. The 27-year-old poet said: "I am absolutely honoured, and incredibly flattered to have been chosen as the new Staffordshire Poet Laureate. I can't wait for the challenges and opportunities the next two years are about to bring - in particular, working with the new Young Poet Laureate as the first all-female laureateship for the county. It's a wonderfully exciting time for poetry, and I can't wait to embrace it and help spread the word." As part of her role, she is looking forward to writing commissioned pieces which take her out of her comfort zone, and has also developed a ‘manifesto’ outlining some of her plans for her two year tenure. This includes engaging with young people and encouraging them to rethink what poetry is, challenging the idea that it’s an old fashioned medium by introducing spoken word and performance led poetry in workshops at

schools and colleges. Emily is also hoping to bring together poets and visual artists to combine words with illustrations and photographs in a photo book. Another area on which Emily is especially keen to focus, is poetry and mental health and particularly how writing can be used as a recovery tool. The Poets Laureate scheme is run by Staffordshire County Council’s libraries service and aims to promote a love of poetry and showcase the creative writing skills of people across the county. You can find out more about Staffordshire’s Poets Laureate at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/poetlaureate. To keep up to date with Emily, follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/emilyrosepoetry and also via her own blog https://emilyrosepoetry.wordpress.com/

Students celebrate British Food Fortnight

group of pupils from Arthur Terry School donned Chef’s hats and aprons at Moor Hall Hotel on Wednesday 4th October as part of the hotel’s support of British Food Fortnight.

British Food Fortnight is an annual national celebration of British food and drink which aims to raise awareness of the diversity of delicious home-grown, locally sourced British food and drink.

Fourteen Arthur Terry students spent the day with chefs preparing a British themed three course meal which included supreme of stuffed chicken breast stuffed with sage and leeks, and Eton Mess for dessert. They then served the meal to over 70 friends, family members and teachers in the hotel’s banqueting suite.

Body Beautiful Beacon Street steps back in time Day Spa Charity Event

n October Body Beautiful Day Spa, Dam Street, held a charity event to help new therapist, Steph Hufton, raise money for a wheelchair accessible swing for Beacon Park.

Steph tragically lost her beloved daughter, Isla, in August 2016 to Mitochondrial Disease, DNA Depletion Syndrome. Steph is fundraising for the wheelchair accessible swing but was short of the final target by £7,500. The team at Body Beautiful decided to hold a late-night charity event to raise money for the swing in Isla's memory. The evening began at 5pm and ended at 11pm and raised a £606. Body Beautiful commented: "We were overwhelmed with everyone's support and generosity, thank you to everyone who came and also who donated."

ecently, the residents of Beacon Street attended an evening at the Cathedral Hotel, listening to the history and development of this historic area. The event was attended by over 100 people and was organised by the committee of Beacon Street area Residents’ Association (BSARA). Entitled ‘A history of Beacon Street and Stafford Road’, the talk gave an insight into the social history of the buildings and the various inhabitants that worked and lived along this busy route. From the bygone days of turnpikes and tollgates, cattle droving, pubs, foundries and floods, the presentation and photographic show illustrating the changes and expansion of the past two hundred years of Beacon Street was given by John Gallagher. BSARA hope to be able to host further community based activities in 2018.

A Guide to Lasting Powers of Attorney

By Richard Wells, Managing Partner at Philips Legal Solicitors

ccessing someone’s finances if they become incapacitated or ill is a complex and protracted process, which could make things very difficult for a spouse, partner or children. Bills could go unpaid and if cash is needed for any purpose, it would be inaccessible. Setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) allows someone that you trust to act on your behalf should the need arise. Your chosen person can then manage your affairs in your best interests. This could be in the long term or until such time that you are able to take up the reins again yourself. There are two types of LPA, both of which Philips Legal Solicitors can help you with. A Property and Affairs LPA This allows your nominated person to: • Manage your finances and property • Make sure your bills are paid • Make decisions about your assets

A Health and Welfare LPA This allows your nominated person to: • Make decisions about your medical treatment • Decide whether it’s best for you to continue to live at home or whether residential care would be more appropriate If you haven’t set up an LPA, your loved ones may have to pay out a lot of money on your behalf. The Court of Protection would have to appoint a deputy to manage your affairs, which is both time-consuming and costly. An LPA will avoid the distress of a delay and also preserve your assets to pay for the care you may need in the future. With Philips Legal Solicitors, setting up an LPA is a pretty straightforward process. Simply call us free on 0800 228 9988 and we will happily give you more details or arrange a meeting.

A Window on the Past

Thank you to the local history society ‘You’re probably from Lichfield, Staffs, if…’ for sharing with us these intriguing aerial photographs of Lichfield taken in February 1948. Much has changed, but much has also stayed the same – giving us a true picture of the stability and continuity that I think is one of this city’s great strengths.

A City from Above 1. Levetts Field showing the circus (bottom left corner).

2. Showing the cycle-racing track in Beacon Park where the famous professional cyclist Reg Harris raced on several occasions. This image also shows the gas works on Sandford Street. 3. Showing the Cathedral and the prefabs off Weston Road in the north of the city (top right).

4. Showing Tamworth Road with the old canal at the bottom of the picture.

5. Showing Tamworth Street (centre of the image), with the Shrove Tuesday Fair and The Malt Shovel pub (bottom left).

6. Upper St Johns Street, showing King Edward VI School (bottom right). 40

For more stories, pictures and memories, visit the group’s Facebook page ‘You’re probably from Lichfield, Staffs if’ or go along to their next meeting on Tuesday 7th November (there is also a special meeting on 19th December which includes a buffet and raffle – entry by ticket only) 7pm till 10pm, at Lichfield Social Club, Purcell Avenue, Lichfield, WS13 7PH. For more information call 015434 16393 or 01543 268842. The group’s great displays of local photographs and memorabilia can be booked free of charge to appear at shows, nursing homes and clubs etc. Images shown may not be reproduced without permission.

Heritage Weekend Success M

arking 300 years of David Garrick, Lichfield Heritage Weekend took place in September. Tourist providers across the historic city of Lichfield threw open their doors and ran fun activities to celebrate this year’s Heritage Weekend. On Saturday the city’s Market Square played host to the Samuel Johnson birthday celebrations, free activities and entertainment, including ‘crazy’ Georgian wig making and a performance of The Doctor and the Dancing Dog by Intimate Theatre. Heritage venues welcomed in the crowds, including The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum, Erasmus Darwin House, Lichfield Cathedral, the Guildhall prison cells, Lichfield Record Office in Lichfield Library, Wade Street Church, Cruck House and Dr Milley’s Hospital.

Boost for Canal Trust’s £1million appeal

£1million campaign to build a canal tunnel under the CrossCity railway line has raised £400,000 less than a year after its official launch. Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust’s David Suchet Tunnel Vision appeal was formally launched in January by actor David Suchet - Vice President of theTrust, which is planning to build the tunnel at the same time as the construction of a tunnel for the extension to the Southern Bypass. The news of the success of the campaign comes after the Department for Transport agreed to allocate £5m towards the £17.3million cost of the final phase of the bypass linking Birmingham Road with London Road. Other funding for the bypass project, which is scheduled for completion in 2020, is coming from Staffordshire County Council, Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) and a contribution from a housing developer. Trust chairperson Christine Bull commented: “We are pleased to have this confirmation that the bypass tunnel will go ahead as it means ours will too. The 2020 completion date means we know how long we’ve got to raise the money for the project and we are confident we will do so.” LHCRT Engineering Director Peter Buck added: “This tunnel will not only create a canal link but will also be a vital link for the community.There are some proposed housing developments on both sides and this will be the safe community link for getting underneath the railway.” At Fosseway Heath, a short distance from the tunnel’s location, work has been taking place to build a nature reserve on the route of the canal. The creation of the Fosseway Heath Nature Reserve and Wetlands has been made possible by the awarding of an £18,500 grant from the Postcode Local Trust, a grant-giving body funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Trust volunteers were joined by students from Queens Croft School and a team from the Waterway Recovery Group to progress the restoration of this section of the canal. To find out more about the David Suchet Tunnel Vision Appeal visit http://www.lhcrt.org.uk/suchet.htm

Congratulations to

Christmas gift vouchers now available

C Hope-Thomson, C Mitchell, M Halacre, Lorretta Nicholas and I Rankin who gave the correct answer of 'Margo, Edith and Agnes' and have all won a Children's Minions Ceramic Set courtesy of Arthur Price.

Advertise your event in our what’s on guide for only £3 for up to 75 words max, please contact Joss Musgrove Knibb 07833 735048 josscitylife@gmail.com. (Local Charities and advertisers may place what’s on listings free-of-charge). Please clearly mark your email ‘what’s on listing’. Your Citylife - What’s on in November

Sunday 5th November National Childbirth Trust Nearly New Sale 11.00am - 12.30pm at Erasmus Darwin Academy, Pool Road, Burntwood, WS7 3QW. Entry: £1.50 (donation to NCT charity). Sale items include: Maternity wear, baby equipment, toys, books, games, puzzles, clothing/shoes for babies and children up to age of 5. For more information email: nns.lichfieldandtamworth@nct.org.uk.

Wednesday 8th November Burntwood Folk Club Open Mic Night If you play, sing, tell folk stories or just like to listen, you are welcome at The Ashmole Club, Meerash Lane, Hammerwich from 8pm to 10.30pm. Admission to this acoustic event is free. For more information visit facebook.com/burntwoodfolk

Wednesday 8th November Lichfield U3A November Main Meeting At 2pm in the Guildhall. Our speaker that day will be Commander Mike Harris from DMS Whittington. We have over 50 different interest groups, many held in members’ homes, or halls around the city. Come and see whether we have something to offer you. New members are always welcome. For further details - ring 07510 634 476 or look at our website u3asites.org.uk/lichfield

Friday 10th November Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society The Guildhall, Bore Street, Lichfield. At 8pm - Medieval Town Planning, talk by Mike Shaw. Visitors welcome, £3 at the door. Refreshments available from 7.30 pm. For more info call 01543 416144

Sunday 12th November Poppy Day Lunch Moor Hall Hotel & Spa, Moor Hall Drive, Sutton Coldfield. 1pm for lunch at 1.30pm. Join us on Poppy Day for a three course lunch in the company of Sticky Wicket & his Swingtet who will entertain you with music from the 1930s and 40s. £27.50 per person. Call 0121 308 3751

Tuesday 14th November Lichfield Wildlife Group 7.45pm at Wade Street Church, Frog Lane, Lichfield WS13 6HL An opportunity to hear about and handle friendly live animals including Mrs Boo the tarantula and Camber the Python. Admission: £3 (under 16s free). Under18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Contact 01543 257812

Tuesday 14th November Lichfield Wildlife Group 7.45pm at Wade Street Church, Frog Lane, Lichfield WS13 6HL Bugs and Bones - an opportunity to hear about and handle friendly live animals including Mrs Boo the tarantula and Camber the Python. Admission: £3 (under 16s free). Under18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Contact 01543 257812 Wednesday 15th November South East Staffordshire Association of National Trust Members. The Guildhall, Bore Street, Lichfield At 7.30pm - Chartley Castle and the Manorial Village of Stowe, talk by Margaret George Members £2, non members £4. For more info call 01543 416144.

Friday 17th November Lichfield and Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust Autumn Show Whittington Village Hall (limited free on-site parking). Doors and bar open at 6.30pm with supper at 7pm and the show starting at 8pm. A Grand Prize Draw will be held in the interval. Tickets for the show cost £15.50 and are available from Sue Williams on 01543 671427 or 07968 168728, email Sue.Williams@lhcrt.org.uk, or by ordering securely online through Paypal at http://www.lhcrt.org.uk/nov_show.htm Booking is essential. There will be no ticket sales on the night.

Saturday 18th November Peg & Davey At The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum, Market Square, Lichfield. 7pm, £9 including a drink Two stage celebrities flung together in Georgian London; will success make or break them? A new play by David Titley for Garrick 300. Call 01543 264 972 or email sjmuseum@lichfield.gov.uk. to book

Sunday 19th November The Johnson Society Winter Lecture 2.30pm at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane, Lichfield Dr Annette Rubery promises an entertaining lecture on the outrageous 18th century actress Peg Woffington and her friendship with David Garrick. £3.50, including tea and cake, available on the door.

Monday 20th November Lichfield Embroiderers’ Guild "Colours to dye for" A talk about the history of dyeing and its cultural significance, with lots of examples to see and admire! 7pm for 7.30pm at the Fire Station, Birmingham Road,

Lichfield WS13 6HU. Plenty of free parking opposite. Please join us for what should be a fascinating evening hearing about and seeing, beautiful vintage dyed fabrics from around the world. Visitors very welcome - £4. For further information, please call Iva Davies on 01543 252177 or email iva@davies125.plus.com

Tuesday 21st November Lichfield Civic Society The life and voice of a Town Crier. Speaker: Ken Knowles. The meeting will take place at 7.45pm in The Lichfield Room, Wade St Church Community Hall, Frog Lane, Lichfield, WS13 6HS. Admission is free to members and school students. Non-members are always welcome - £3 at the door.

Friday 24th November Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society The Guildhall, Bore Street, Lichfield. At 8 pm - Mapping the Value of Archaeological Archives in Museums, talk by Dr Samantha Paul. Visitors welcome, £3 at the door. Refreshments available from 7 30 pm. For more info call 01543 416144 Friday 24th November Michael Bublé Tribute Evening 7pm at The Cathedral Hotel, 62 Beacon Street, Lichfield. Enjoy a fantastic evening of live entertainment with the captivating sound of Lawrence Penn as he pays tribute to the great Michael Bublé. £18.50pp, includes a hot & cold buffet or £85 for 2 with an overnight stay. Call 01543 414500

Saturday 25th November Burntwood’s Christmas Bazaar 11am - 3pm. Burntwood Institute, Rugeley Road, WS7 9BE Come along to our FUNTASTIC Christmas Bazaar, fun for all the family. Beautiful craft stalls and delicious food available. Bring the kids to see Santa in his grotto and have a go at the fun activities on offer. Whether you’re looking for a unique gift for Christmas or just want a mince pie with Santa #funfuncts has it all. www.funtasticfunctions.co.uk www.facebook.com/funtasticfunctions Sunday 26th November Kate Dimbleby: Songbirds. At 8pm Alrewas Village Hall. Described as having a voice of pure velvet and a magnetic stage presence, Kate has released six albums, sold out London's Festival Hall and appears regularly on national radio. The daughter of broadcaster, David, she is performing courtesy of Live & Local. Doors open 7.15pm. Tickets £9.50 from 01283 790799 or Alrewas Pharmacy.

Sunday 26th November Samuel Johnson’s Christmas Light Night. At The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum, Market Square, Lichfield. 3.30pm – 6pm, Free. Warm up while visiting the Lichfield Christmas Light Switch On with hands-on activities and festive refreshments. For more information call 01543 264 972 Sunday 26th November Lichfield Sinfonia 60th Anniversary Concert. 7.30pm at Nether Stowe School, St. Chads Rd, Lichfield WS13 7NB. Lichfield’s own symphony orchestra celebrates its 60th anniversary with a concert of live music including the premier of The Three Spires Suite composed by violinist and orchestra member, Joanne Dodds (CAVE – Composer, Arranger, Violinist & Educator) and a performance of the Schumann Piano Concerto by Robert Thompson Tickets available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/lichfieldsinfonia

Tuesday 28th November Lichfield Branch of Arthritis Care Are you living with Arthritis? If so, why not come along to the monthly meetings of the Lichfield Branch of Arthritis Care. We meet at The Community Room in the new Lichfield Fire Station on the fourth Tuesday of each month (except August & December) from 7pm to 9pm, and offer support, signposting and social activities. Transport is provided for a small contribution. Our next Meeting is on Tuesday 28th November 2017. For further information please contact 01543 263347 or 255698.

Thursday 30th November & Wednesday 6th December Christmas Flower Arranging Demonstrations. 10am – 3pm The George Hotel, Bird Street, Lichfield T: 01543 414822. See some stunning ideas for decorating your home this Christmas. £23 per person, includes coffee on arrival and a 3 course carvery lunch.

Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd December The Johnson Family Christmas At The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum, Market Square, Lichfield. 11am – 3.30pm, Free. Enjoy the historic house decorated for Christmas, with activities for all ages and events throughout the weekend including carol singing, magic and special display ‘books alive’ For more information call 01543 264 972

y t i VIEW C

The Newsletter of Lichfield City Council - November 2017

Christmas Lights

Councillor David Smedley, Leader of the Council

Welcome to this issue of City View.

I am delighted to announce that following an open recruitment process, Tony Briggs our former Deputy Town Clerk has now been selected as our new Town Clerk. The vacancy arose following the tragic death of our previous Clerk Christopher Moulton in June. Over the past few months and in the most difficult circumstances Tony and the City Council’s staff have ensured that the City Council’s services continue to be delivered to a high standard. The interview panel unanimously selected Tony as the best candidate. I would like to thank all the City Council staff for their efforts and I look forward to building on our already strong working relationship in the future.

The traditional Sheriff’s Ride took place on 9th September and was a great success, as were the Johnson Birthday celebrations that formed part of the exceptional Heritage Weekend. Such events are always well attended and reinforce the wonderful traditions and uniqueness of our City.

Once again the countdown has begun to the Christmas Lights Switch on event on 26th November and I hope you will join us for what has become an extremely popular event for all the family. There will be a programme of entertainment on the Market Square from around 2pm until the switch on itself at 5pm. There will also be a festive market and special events at the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum. The 2016 event was extremely popular and we can only hope that the weather is as kind to us in 2017.

As this is the final City View of 2017 I would like to be the first to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous 2018.

The ever popular Christmas Lights switch-on event will once again include music and entertainment on the Market Square on Sunday 26th November from 2pm up to the big switch-on at 5pm. The switch-on of the Christmas Lights has always been an exciting family event, and since the change to a Sunday the event was proven to be more popular than ever before. As well as our musicians and singers the Mayor of Lichfield, Councillor Mrs Janice Greaves, will be joined on stage by other civic guests, cast members from the Garrick Theatre’s Christmas Pantomime ‘Aladdin’ and two local children - the winners of the City Council’s Mercury newspaper competition - to help with the big switch-on. During the afternoon from 2.00pm till around 4.15pm the audience will be entertained by performances from Blast Off, the Emma Jonson Band and

Stagecoach. The Christchurch School Choir will lead traditional Christmas Carols from 4.20pm followed by a special appearance by the Aladdin panto characters immediately before the countdown to the big switch-on at 5pm, and Santa might pay us a visit, too!

Twinning Milestone for Lichfield

The Ring Twinning between Lichfield, Ste. Foy in France, and Limburg Germany began in 1992. In Ste Foy, on 6th and 7th October 2017 nearly 80 guests from both Lichfield and Limburg gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the event.

Lichfield’s very own Town Crier, Ken Knowles, was able to showcase his talents in French at the opening ceremony, to resounding applause from the audience. Both the Lichfield Table Tennis and the Friary Tennis clubs were in action over the weekend, in friendly competition against teams from Limburg and Ste. Foy. The three City Mayors joined approximately 300 guests at a friendship evening, where they exchanged gifts and stressed the success and cultural importance of Twinning. The weekend, which was partly funded by the EU, ended with a church service held in three languages, and various visits to sites of interest in Ste. Foy and Lyon.

Neighbourhood Plan

The statutory Regulation 16 consultation on the Lichfield City Neighbourhood Plan closed on 18 August 2017. Following closure of the consultation the next step is independent examination of the Plan, which commenced in September. The examination should take between two and three months.

The final stage of the Neighbourhood Plan is the referendum, where it must obtain majority support from electors if it is to be adopted. The Plan then becomes part of the formal Development Plan for the area, with legal force, and helps shape the direction of future employment development in the City.

If you would like to keep up to date with more of the City Council’s activities, you can follow the City Council on Twitter @lichfield_cc.

CityVIEW

Coming soon at the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum

The Newsletter of Lichfield City Council

For more information about any event or to make a booking call 01543 264972, email sjmuseum@lichfield.gov.uk or pop into the Museum Bookshop on the corner of the Market Square.

Bookworms United! Fortnightly Saturdays 10.30am (11 & 25 November, 9 December, 6 & 20 January, 3 & 17 February), £4. Read, explore and enjoy popular titles in our fortnightly book and activity club for 7-10 year olds. New Bookworms always very welcome! History Workshop: Celebrations, Clowns and Cricket Saturday 4 November 2pm, £4. Explore commemorations and public events from Lichfield’s past in this informal talk and workshop session, including a behind-the-scenes library visit and archive display. Peg & Davey Saturday 18 November 7pm, £9 including a drink. Two stage celebrities flung together in Georgian London; will success make or break them? A new play by David Titley for Garrick 300. Samuel Johnson’s Christmas Light Night Sunday 26 November 3.30pm – 6pm, Free. Warm up while visiting the Lichfield Christmas Light Switch-On with hands-on activities and festive refreshments. The Johnson Family Christmas Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 December 11am – 3.30pm, Free. Enjoy the historic house decorated for Christmas, with activities for all ages and events throughout the weekend including carol singing, magic and special display ‘books alive’. Christmas Crafternoons Thursday 7 December and Sunday 10 December, 3-4.30pm, £10 including refreshments. Unleash your creativity with our hands-on craft workshop for adults. Make a peg doll fairy or angel, just bring your imagination! Midwinter Tales Friday 8 December 7pm, £8.50 including mulled wine. When the weather outside is damp and dreary, be warmed by traditional fables, delightfully creepy ghost stories and a sprinkling of beautifully haunting wintry songs from professional storyteller Cath Edwards. Half Term Fun! Thursday 22 February 11am and 12pm, £2. Hands-on arts and craft activities for the school holidays.

Markets in Lichfield

The Lichfield General Markets and Farmers' Market offer a wide selection of goods and local produce from friendly, established and reliable market traders. As well as the weekly General Markets on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, a Farmers' Market is held on the 1st Thursday of the month (except January). In December, an additional Farmers’ Market is held, this year it will be on Thursday 21st. The Market Square is also available for hire on a commercial or charitable basis on non-market days. For more details or for any information or queries relating to Lichfield Markets please contact the City Council’s Markets Officers 01543 309853 or e-mail: markets@lichfield.gov.uk

Dates for your diary:

Sunday 12 November Remembrance Sunday. Cathedral Service 10.00am; Wreath laying Ceremony 11.00am Gardens of Remembrance Saturday 25 November Mayor & Sheriff’s Charity Masquerade Ball. 7.00pm Guildhall. Tickets £35 p/p Tuesday 5 December Mayors Carols for Christmas 7.00pm Guildhall. Friday 26 January Mayor & Sheriff’s Charity Skittles Night 7.00pm Guildhall. Tickets £10 (inc Fish & Chips) Sunday 4 February Mayor & Sheriff’s Charity Sunday Lunch. 1.00pm Guildhall. Tickets £10. Tuesday 13 February Pancake Races & Shrovetide Fair 12 Noon Guildhall For more information please contact Sarah Wallace on 01543 309854, or email sarah.wallace@lichfield.gov.ukk

Our Own British Champion

The Mayor, Cllr Mrs Janice Greaves was delighted to welcome Lichfield’s Town Crier, Ken Knowles into the parlour to congratulate him on winning the British Championship for the first time. The Loyal Company of Town Criers annual competition was held in Colchester and Ken beat off fierce competition from 15 of the country’s finest criers, including three previous British champions, over the two The Mayor of Lichfield, Cllr Mrs Janice Greaves with Ken Knowles & the British rounds. Championship trophy Despite his many other accolades and championships, Ken has not previously won this event, making it an even more special occasion given the strength of the competition. Ken will keep the trophy until next year’s championships in Ely but as a memento he was given a limited edition porcelain teapot in the colours of Lichfield’s regalia.

Sheriff’s Ride

On Saturday 9 September the Sheriff, Cllr Andrew Smith successfully completed the Sheriff’s Ride, the annual perambulation of the City commanded by Queen Mary’s charter of 1553. In keeping with this historic tradition some 43 riders joined the Sheriff on the 20 mile ride around the City boundaries. At the end of the day the Ride was escorted into the City by the Sword Bearer and Mace Bearer. The Sheriff was welcomed into the Close by representatives of the Chapter of Lichfield Cathedral before continuing on to the Guildhall where the Ride culminated with three cheers for the Sheriff. The Sheriff’s Ride is the largest event the City Council undertakes and would not be possible without the support of many volunteers, local businesses and farmers. This year the Council was fortunate to secure the support of Jaguar Land Rover and Acorn Kia, Burntwood who provided the lead vehicles; Jaguar Land Rover kindly displaying the City Council Crest on their vehicle. It is hoped that the new relationships forged will continue in future years and the City Council would like to thank all involved for their support.

CityVIEW

Weddings at the Guildhall

The Newsletter of Lichfield City Council

A wedding at the Guildhall (Image by Asassynation) Located in Bore Street in the heart of the city, the Guildhall is a beautiful historic Grade II Listed Building, and is a magnificent setting for civil ceremonies, receptions and other celebrations. The main hall has oak panelling and a beamed roof giving a fine mediaeval appearance, and can accommodate up to 160 guests. The Guildroom, on the Ground floor, has panelled walls and timber ceiling and can seat up to 70 guests. A number of smaller rooms are also available to hire, and are ideal for conferences, seminars or small meetings. For more information or to enquire over availability please contact Helen Winter at Lichfield City Council. Tel: 01543 309850 or e-mail: helen.winter@lichfield.gov.uk A wedding brochure is also available either from the City Council offices at Donegal House or by downloading from our website www.lichfield.gov.uk

OUR WEBSITE: www.lichfield.gov.uk

Have you visited the City Council’s website? It offers a wealth of information about the work of the City Council; including details of all Council meetings and associated documents. In addition it contains useful information about the City, its history, festivals and major events, and its many unique customs and traditions.

The right Council…

Lichfield City Council is the ‘parish’ authority for the City and is the smallest of the three councils serving the City area. Within the City we deal with local matters such as the markets, maintenance of open spaces and churchyards, civic and mayoral events, the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum and public lettings of the Guildhall. Lichfield District Council (Tel: 01543 308000) is the larger local authority dealing with such matters as planning, environmental health, refuse collection, housing, car parking, arts and tourism, and leisure services. Staffordshire County Council (Tel: 0300 111 8000) is the responsible authority for wider services such as Education, Social Services and Highways.

Public Participation

City Council meetings are held in the Guildhall, Bore Street. Dates and times of meetings can be found on the notice-board outside the Guildhall, and on the City Council's website at www.lichfield.gov.uk Meetings are open to the public, with public participation sessions held at full Council and at the Planning Committee. Advance notice needs to be given to the Council of the subject matter of each question, and any person wishing to speak must contact the Council Offices at Donegal House, Bore Street (next to the Guildhall) before NOON on the day of the meeting.

Thursday 9 November 2017 Monday 4 December 2017 Thursday 7 December 2017 Thursday 11 January 2018 Monday 29 January 2018 Thursday 8 February 2018

6.30pm 6.30pm 6.30pm 6.30pm 6.30pm 6.30pm

Planning Committee COUNCIL Planning Committee Planning Committee COUNCIL Planning Committee

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