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Inside... June 2018
Welcome to CITYLIFE
Welcome to CITYLIFE in Rugeley, a monthly magazine bringing you our pick of the area’s news, events and stories. Each month CITYLIFE in Rugeley is delivered to 11,000 businesses and homes in Rugeley, Ravenhill, Etchinghill, Slitting Mill, Armitage, Handsacre, Colton, Hill Ridware and Hamstall Ridware, completely free of charge; bringing you the best that the area 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 region? We want to hear from you!
8 Let the Gorse Bloom on By Alec Neal
10 Tastes of the Season Simon Smith introduces two dishes that celebrate the season 12 A Window on the Past Rugeley's Railways
21 Your Image Announcing the winner of Your Image! 24 Happy Father's Day! Perfect gifts for happy dads
26 Town Talk News from your Town Council
CITYLIFE Contacts Editor - Joss Musgrove Knibb 07833 735048
josscitylife@gmail.com
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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 Rugeley
Citylife in Rugeley 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 Rugeley or Citylife in Lichfield Ltd.
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Racing for Charity with a Four-Legged Friend!
Congratulations to Marcus ‘Frosty’ Freeman who completed the Cathedral to Castle race to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support on Sunday 8th April, raising £600. He was joined for the last two miles of the course by his best four-legged friend Fred. Along with Dawn and daughter Charlotte, Frosty and Fred were met at the finish line by Ruth and Pauline from Rugeley Welfare for Dogs, who originally introduced the pair to each other back in 2014. Fred and Marcus were also delighted to meet Watchman, the mascot of the Staffordshire Regiment Association at Tamworth Castle.
My Month in Parliament By Amanda Milling MP
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The beginning of May saw local elections in three of the four District Council wards across Rugeley and Brereton, and I would like to congratulate our three new councillors. Paul Startin is the new councillor for the Etching Hill and Heath ward, Olivia Lyons is the new Western Springs councillor and Paul Fisher is Brereton’s new councillor. I look forward to working with all of them on local issues and I wish them well in their new roles. The local elections gave me a fantastic opportunity to get out and about in Rugeley and Brereton. One of the key issues that came up on the doorstep time and time again was the state of our roads and the potholes. I would like to reassure readers that I have been continually lobbying Staffordshire County Council to ensure they improve the condition of our roads and rid them of potholes. This year we have had some of the most troublesome areas repaired and resurfaced, such as Market Street in Rugeley, and there has been a lot of activity in Brereton and Ravenhill. Staffordshire County Council have recently announced that they are committing an extra £5.5m to their existing £23.5m budget to maintain our roads. They have also been given an extra £2.2m by the Government and I have made it clear to them that we expect Cannock Chase to get a fair share of this funding. Finally, I have written to Cannock Chase District Council asking that some of our local play areas and facilities get some much needed investment and repair work. I have received many complaints from local residents about play areas across Cannock Chase and I know that they desperately need attention, including some of those in Rugeley. As always, if you have any issues you need my help with, please drop me an email on amanda.milling.mp@parliament.uk or call me on 01543 877142.
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Let the Gorse Bloom On By Alec Neal
Rugeley was as proud as the towns of the Little Ships to have been playing host to some of the soldiers plucked from the sea at Dunkirk. And try as they may to eradicate the gorse from Flaxley Green it flourishes better than ever. It blooms on defiantly every June as if in memory of those who found a brief rest there, and of their comrades who didn’t. Let the gorse bloom there for ever!. Thank you to the Landor (Local History) Society for sharing this evocative reminiscence with us.
n June 1980, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the evacuation from Dunkirk, Alec Neal wrote about its immediate effect on Rugeley.
In 1940, the months of May and June were hot and miraculously calm. The war was nine months on and in spite of censorship we sensed things were not going well with our Army in France. Suddenly we knew just how bad it was. Troop trains began stopping at the Trent Valley Station, disgorging dishevelled, worn-out Tommies. Green Buses arrived to whisk them to Flaxley Green, which was a tented camp at the time. Many other buses came too, commandeered from other towns, and Rugeley stood and stared unbelieving at the state of the men they were carrying. The troops of Flaxley were hurriedly sent on leave and the tired men were at last able to wash and eat and sleep. Sixteen to a tent, it was said. And I mean bell tents. Probably all with feet outside but it didn’t matter, for the weather was hot and it was England. The England they thought they would never reach. They strolled down town, hatless, many jacketless, breaking Army rules with the blithe defiance of the seasoned campaigner - hands in pockets, fags dangling from lips.They had no money at first but they didn’t need any. The pubs welcomed them and even that stickler for the law, the Big Club, admitted all who approached and gave them all the drink they needed. They didn’t stay with us for many days. As soon as they were kitted and documented they were whisked off on well-earned leave and replaced by others, for Flaxley became a transit camp.
Lewis the 'Dulux Dog' visits Décor Supplies
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ewis the Old English Sheepdog - star of the Dulux TV ads, visited Lichfield for the first time recently. Décor Supplies, on the Britannia Enterprise Park, Britannia Way, Lichfield were the hosts.They were delighted that so many people came along to meet Lewis, have their photo taken with him, and look around the extensive store.
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Chris Holden, Director of Décor Supplies and his wife Sarah, introducing Lewis the Dulux Dog.
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Tastes of the Season
Here, Chef Simon Smith introduces two fresh and vibrant dishes that are the perfect way to celebrate the season.*
Tomato and shallot tarte tatin with goat’s cheese
You will need: 230g (8oz) 3 1 floz 1 57g (2oz) 1 57g (2oz) 1x 1x
Cherry tomatoes Shallots Red wine vinegar Sprig rosemary Sugar Clove garlic Butter Sheet puff pastry Goat (cheese) log
Method Put the sugar in to a hot pan and cook until golden. Do not stir and remember it’s very hot**. Put the cherry tomatoes and diced shallots in with the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the vinegar, chopped rosemary and butter and cover with the rolled puff pastry. Cook at 180c for 10-15 minutes. When you take it out of the oven drain off the excess liquid, turn out on to a plate and pour the liquid back over. Slice the goat log and place around the edges to melt gently and top with fresh basil. 10
Pan fried asparagus with a watercress risotto You will need: 100g (3.5oz) Butter 1 Small onion (finely diced) 200g (7oz) Arborio rice 1 Glass of white wine 400g (14oz) Asparagus 1 ltr Hot chicken stock 2 Lemons, zested and juiced 2 tbsp Watercress puree 3 tbsp Grated or shaved Parmesan 1 tbsp Mascarpone Method Melt half the butter in a pan and add the finely diced onion, sweat for a minute until the onion becomes translucent. Add the rice and stir until all grains are covered with butter. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the chicken stock and stir, cover with a lid and cook slowly for 10-15 minutes. Remove the lid and add the lemon zest, mascarpone and watercress purée and stir together. Check the seasoning and add the parmesan, serve in a bowl and top with the cooked asparagus. Garnish with shaved asparagus and watercress leaves or a parmesan crisp. While the risotto is cooking take the heads of asparagus and gently panfry in the remaining half of the butter. Season to taste. Simon Smith runs a catering business from his production kitchen in Lichfield, providing bespoke private dinners plus wedding, corporate and event catering. Simon also undertakes cookery demonstrations around the country and with local businesses such as Arthur Price
and Tippers. During the summer months Simon works for private clients both on superyachts and in villas in St Tropez and Europe. Simon commented: “This work allows me to travel widely and bring back new recipes and see wonderful markets and produce. That being said I am still very keen to use our fabulous local ingredients from Staffordshire. As Spring is upon us, here are two recipes - one using New Farm asparagus and the other using goat’s cheese from Innes Farm in Tamworth.” If you are looking for catering or a day of cookery skills go to www.simonsmithchef.com
*All recipes serve four people
**Please take extra care when preparing and handling hot foodstuffs. Go to www.food.gov.uk for further details.
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A Window on the Past Rugeley’s Railways
Here, the Landor (Local History) Society explores Rugeley’s Railways over the last 130 years!
The ‘Railway Age’ reached Rugeley in 1847. The Trent Valley Railway was officially opened, at Tamworth, on 26th June, but a full timetable did not come into operation until 1st December. In 1909 the tracks were increased from two to four and this entailed demolishing the station buildings and ‘up’ platforms. The ‘new’ buildings (except Station House) were demolished in 1972 when Trent Valley became an unmanned station.
The Cannock Mineral Line, linking Cannock to Rugeley opened 1st November 1859, though there was no Town Station until 1870. 1. Trent Valley station in the 1880s.
2. The London platform after 1890 when the awning was extended. 3. The station buildings from the forecourt, c.1906. Mr A.G. Sykes (Station Master) is standing in the entrance. His house is to the left.
4. Some of the staff (with Mr Sykes centre front) pose outside the goods warehouse in 1906/7.
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5. The station buildings from the forecourt 1st October 1953. The bunting was for the arrival of the Queen Mother on her way to open Blithfield Reservoir. 6. Colwich Station in the early 20th century.
7. The staff at Armitage Station in 1926, immediately after the General Strike.
8. A postcard of Rugeley Town Station postmarked July 1905.
The Landor Society is a focus for those who wish to learn more about the history of Rugeley and its surrounding parishes. It was founded in 1953 and was named in honour of Walter Noble Landor, local and county historian, who became the Society’s first President. More information is available at www.landorlocalhistorysociety-rugeley.btck.co.uk Please note that these images may not be reproduced, copied, or used in any way without express permission from Citylife in Lichfield Ltd and The Landor Society.
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Sale to Celebrate L.S.Lowry
By Richard Winterton of Richard Winterton Auctioneers Richard Winterton Auctioneers in Staffordshire is inviting entries for a sale focussing on the great LS Lowry. Here, Richard Winterton of Richard Winterton Auctioneers explores the iconic work of this much-loved artist.
Usually jam-packed with fascinating detail, LS Lowry’s name alone conjures up very distinctive images of industrial scenes and people. Lowry’s art has never been more popular. At auction his oil paintings fetch six or seven figure sums and his pencil sketches are often sold for tens of thousands of pounds – this in turn increasing the price of Lowry’s limited edition signed prints. Lowry died in 1976 and this brilliant but private man still holds the record for the most rejected British honours – six, including a knighthood.
Over the last six months we have sold five Lowry limited edition signed prints here at Richard Winterton Auctioneers, and hammer prices have ranged from £1,500 to £2,600. Two came from vendors in Lichfield, one came from Longdon – a mile or so outside the cathedral city – and two more from sellers in
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the south of England.
For sale in July is another signed Lowry print from a Lichfield resident – ‘Industrial Scene’ is expected to realise £1,500 to £2,000. Lowry has a high profile at the moment, with quite a few exhibitions travelling around the country in recent years. People continue to have a tremendous affinity with Lowry’s iconic industrial imagery. Plus, they are great pictures! Over the last few sales we have had quite a few signed Lowry prints come through which have had local and international appeal, so we have decided to put together a special Lowry sale to celebrate this extraordinarily influential artist. Our next fine Decorative Arts auction – which will include work by Lowry – is being held on Monday July 2nd at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, off the A38. Entries close on 25th June.
For further details call 01543 251081, email office@richardwinterton.co.uk or pop in to the Lichfield Auction Centre.
Gift vouchers available
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Cannock Women’s Institute By Jill Gooch
his month’s meeting was the Annual Meeting. I am the Secretary of Cannock Women’s Institute and I gave a report to remind members of all the activities they had experienced over the past year. Jenny had arranged a varied programme of speakers, and throughout all our meetings June has provided a raffle resulting in many members taking home lovely prizes. Win has supplied us with a book stall, encouraging us all to read more and share our used books, and Susan has run a competition table. Treasurer and Social Secretary Barbara Matthews has arranged some excellent trips and holidays which assist in making new friendships and offer the opportunity to socialise within the safe confines of a group of
Canines in need of companions
Here, Ruth and Pauline from Rugeley Welfare for Dogs introduce us to two fourlegged friends who are looking for new owners and their forever homes.
Mary Fullelove and Helen Hallchurch.
women who are caring and fun. Barbara conducts all these events with ease and grace and ensures everyone has a really good time and that everyone’s needs are met. This is the second year of the W.I community project which now stands at £600 following Helen’s great efforts with Bring and Buy stalls. Members have made hats and scarves for children in the Townships of South Africa. We also donate toiletries to Women’s Aid for victims escaping a violent relationship - always aiming to embrace the aims of the W.I. Many members had attended a varied
program of events through Staffordshire Federation W.I, and we all “Shared the Love” when wearing green hearts to promote awareness of all the things we love which could be lost to climate change. Our profile has been raised by many press releases. This promotion has been instrumental in attracting three new members this year which will ensure the Club’s future survival as many other Clubs find their ageing membership declining. Under Mary’s leadership as President we have a Club to be proud of; building on the strength of a well-established club, we are well placed for Helen Hallchurch to take over and move forward to embrace the ideals of the wider W.I. community. Our W.I. meetings are on the second Thursday of the month, 10.30am at St Luke’s Church Centre, Cannock. Visitors are always welcome to come and join us for refreshments and a chat. Cannock Women’s Institute further information is available from The President on 01889 582632 and www.thewi.org.uk/ staffordshire www.facebook.com/oakleafstlukes
needs a new owner who could take the time to get to know him For more information on Rugeley Welfare for Dogs, or if you could offer a new home to a dog in need of re-homing, then please call Ruth on 07900 090993 or Pauline on 07971 817877. Alternatively visit facebook.com/rugeleydogswelfare. Please note that a home check and a donation will be required.
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zzy is a four year old small Mastiff cross female who has been spayed. She would need to be the only dog in the home (although she has lived with another dog) and doesn’t get on with cats. She would suit an active home with older children. Ralph is an eight year old male Staffy. He’s been with his current owner since he was eight weeks old but now needs to find a new forever home. He would suit a home where he is the only dog and doesn’t get on with cats. He likes his walks and also spending lazy days. Ralph
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Izzy
Ralph
Rugeley Action for Business
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ugeley Action for Business - a new organisation that aims to improve both visitor numbers to the town and the experience of the wider community of Rugeley has been set up by local Rugeley business-owners and traders. When Joss Musgrove Knibb, editor, got talking to John Middleton of CPS Lettings (Chairman of Rugeley Action for Business) and Kereen Hart of Kereen’s Kardz (Secretary of Rugeley Action for Business) recently about their plans for the future, they commented: “Our aim is to try to put an event on at least one Saturday a month, to help draw people’s attention to the town. We have organised three events so far. “For the Easter celebrations we started on a small scale which included an Easter egg hunt, donkey rides and a children’s inflatable race track. Each item we had running had a prize and a free gift for every child who entered, along with this we also had a visit from Kevin the Minion and Mickey Mouse. Elsa also made an appearance doing the face painting for children of all ages. We also had live music via our resident DJ. “To celebrate St. George’s Day, we decorated the town with balloons and bunting, we also had a bouncy castle, an inflatable bungee run and for the children (under ten) we held a dragon hunt around the town. For the teenagers and adults we held a treasure hunt. Our resident DJ provided the live music for the day’s events. “We have purchased bunting and flags to decorate the whole town ready for the Royal Wedding. It was decided that the bunting will stay up for the rest of the summer ready for our other events. “Our next big event that we are involved in will be held on Saturday 30th June as part of the Staffordshire Mayor’s Community Weekend, bringing the community together and getting as many community groups involved in this event as possible. It will be taking place in Rugeley town centre all day from 10am. The idea of the event is to tie local community groups in with the traders and businesses situated within the town. There will be a number of displays and fun things for the children to do. We are aiming to get the local churches involved. “We need to thank all of our members including Mark Evans of the Sewing Shack who’s our Vice Chairperson; Ralph Quinby of Let’ Eat who is our Treasurer and Joyce Swainston of The Little Wool Shop who is our Events CoOrdinator. The committee has done an amazing job sourcing grants and funding ideas. We are currently a notfor-profit organisation and all monies raised and donations will go towards all future events and improvements in the town. “Anyone that is interested in helping us or who would like to take part in any of our events, can contact us through our Facebook Page or e-mail us at info@Rugeleytown.com”
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Winner of Citylife in Rugeley’s Your Image Competition
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our readers for sending in their images over the last year. Your work has proved to be beautiful, inspiring and full of talent. The winner has now been chosen, and the winning image is Woodend Lane by Jay Pendleton. Jay wins a £100 cash prize and Your Image trophy – very well done Jay! In addition, our judge selected 12 Highly Commended images shown here – very well done to the creators of these beautiful works.
WINNER
Congratulations to Jay Pendleton who is the winner of our Your Image Competition! Jay’s image ‘Woodend Lane’ was chosen by our independent judge, who commented that Jay’s image is remarkable, takes you to another place and evokes emotion.
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Autumn’s Palette by Bob Southall
Rugeley Power Station - taken from Castle Ring by Byron Edwards
Long-tailed tit landing on a teasel by Steve Higgins
Hagley field near the brook by Marita Deeley
Untitled by Jon Poole
Cannock Chase Dawn by Nigel Ogram
Untitled by Laura Barnes
Stepping stones near Birches Valley by Rob Standley
The top of Etching hill Rugeley, looking towards the Chase by Sian Brockhurst Cannock Chase in colour by Robert Bott
Wolseley Wildlife by Samantha Richards
Rugeley on a Misty Morning by Peter Bell
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.
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£39.99
£49.95 Sekonda watch (RRP £99.99) available from MW Jewellery and Repairs
£45
BEST
DAD
Sekonda watch (RRP £89.95) available from MW Jewellery and Repairs
T-shirts available from Instaprint
Faux leather racing, gaming, office reclining computer swivel chair with lumbar support - available from Click IT
Happy Father’s Day
Art Deco silver plated cocktail set c1930 – available from Decodance
Are you looking for the perfect gift for Father’s Day? We’ve been out and about and selected just a few fantastic gift ideas for very happy dads!
£30
Complete VR (Virtual Reality) Set Up with Gaming PC, Oculus Rift Headset and Oculus Touch Controllers - available from Click IT
£22 Figure after Gerdago – available from Decodance
Southern Comfort shirt – available from Nib Nab’s Menswear
Stockists: Salloways Jewellers. Bore Street, Lichfield, WS13 6NA Instaprint. 21-23, Albion Street, Rugeley, WS15 2BY MW Jewellery and Repairs, Brewery Street
£45
Carerra marble Art Deco French desk set – available from Decodance
£345
Wolf black leather double watch winder box - available from Salloways
£9.99
£1,350
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£125
A great range of tools and accessories including gardening, DIY and vintage tools - available from Webb’s Hardware ‘Daddy’ photograph frames available from Kereen’s Kardz
£12.99
Panama hats – available from Nib Nab’s Menswear
Shopping Centre, Rugeley, WS15 2DY Decodance, Brewery Street Shopping Centre, Rugeley, WS15 2DY Webb’s Hardware, Brewery Street Shopping Centre, Rugeley, WS15 2DY Nib Nab’s Menswear, Brewery Street
£1,100 Longines Flagship Heritage automatic watch, silver dial and brown leather strap - available from Salloways
Shopping Centre, Rugeley, WS15 2DY Click IT, Unit 26, Brewery Street Shopping Centre, Rugeley, WS15 2DY Keeren’s Kardz, Brewery Street Shopping Centre, Rugeley, WS15 2DY
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Town Talk
How to contact Rugeley Town Council
News from Rugeley Town Council
Rugeley Town Council held its Annual Meeting on 2nd May and was pleased to elect Councillor Robert Dipple as the Chair of the Council for 2018/2019.
Councillors
Wanted!
Following the recent resignations of Councillors Whitehouse and Rose, two vacancies have arisen for co-opted councillors on the Town Council. These are unpaid positions but do allow for individuals to get actively involved in maintaining and improving life in Rugeley. To be eligible to apply you must be a Commonwealth or British Citizen or Euro National and be aged over 18. In addition, ONE of the following must apply – applicants must: • Be on the local electoral register • Own property or land in the area for the past 12 months • Work in the parish for the last 12 months • Have lived within 3 miles of the parish for the last 12 months Should you wish to apply, please send a letter or email describing why you would like to be on the Town Council to: Rugeley Town Council, Rose Theatre, Taylors Lane, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 2AA clerk@rugeleytowncouncil.gov.uk by the 30th May 2018. More details on the positions are available on the Town Council website www.rugeleytowncouncil.gov.uk
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Rugeley Town Council, Rose Theatre and Community Hall, Taylors Lane, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 2AA Tel: 01889 574074 Email: clerk@rugeleytowncouncil.gov.uk Website: www.rugeleytowncouncil.gov.uk
Hilary Goodreid Becci Mason
Richard Alexander Pat Ansell Lee Carroll Angi Cooney Bob Dipple David Gaye Gary Grant Chris Green Mick Grocott Dave Hancock Pat Hancock Ian Hodgson Ray Jones Chris Panter-Hood Neil Stanley Glenis Turner Jeff Winter
Officer Contacts
Town Clerk Assistant Town Clerk
clerk@rugeleytowncouncil.gov.uk finance@rugeleytowncouncil.gov.uk
Town Councillors
EH (Cons) WSs (LibDem) WSc(Ind)co-opted EH (Trader) H (Traders) EH (Independent) H (LibDem) WSn (Ind) co-opted WSn (Independent) H (Ind) co-opted H (Independent) H (Independent) EH (LibDem) WSn (Independent) H (Independent) WSn (Independent) H (Labour)
01889 586869 01543 685262 07936 114964 07866 610894 01889 800271 07866 750139 01889 803822 01889 800644 01889 570670 01889 586640 01889 586640 01889 800644 01889 574074 01889 574074 01889 570783 01889 574074 07887 633941
Rugeley Parish Annual Assembly
The Annual Parish Assembly will be held on Wednesday 23rd May 2018 in the Rose Theatre, Taylors Lane, Rugeley. This event is run by the community, for the community and is a chance to not only learn more about events and groups in the local area, but is also a chance for you to air your views and thoughts on various matters such as the state of the highways, concern over planning applications or maybe you want to see more facilities for young people. Whatever it is, come along and tell us. A display will be available from 6pm which will show the work of local community groups in the town. The meeting itself will start at 7pm and all attending will be able to talk about their concerns / suggestions. The town council will then consider all ideas / comments at the June full council meeting. We have many community groups, churches and the library coming along to inform you about what is going on in your town so it is a great opportunity to chat and find out what’s happening for all age groups. Refreshments will be available from 6pm. Please come along and join us for this annual community led event.
Town Talk
News from Rugeley Town Council
Rugeley Rose Theatre and Community Hall
What a brilliant year we have had! The theatre and rooms continue to be used by various clubs for their weekly meetings. The theatre itself is used by a number of groups putting on smallscale reviews, school summer performances and the much loved Christmas pantomime. New this year has been the seniors' afternoon teas on Wednesdays from 12pm - 2pm. Booking is essential but for ÂŁ2 you will get a full afternoon tea followed by chatting to others and bingo with prizes. It is a warm and welcoming atmosphere and a chance to come out and meet other local residents. Every Tuesday we host a Jobs Club for local job seekers. Come along and get top, friendly advice and guidance. We have a fully equipped theatre available for hire with a new stage extension for hire in-house to accommodate larger groups. Monday night is fun night for our LDD Youth Club. Children with varying disabilities enjoy a range of activities in a secure environment from 5.30pm - 7.30pm. Wednesday night we host an Art Class that is free to attend. Come along and learn a new skill or develop your talent for art. The class is from 7.30pm - 9pm. Looking for a local venue for an event? Look no further than the Landor suite and the theatre. With the bar attached and with a wedding licence, the Landor suite offers a versatile space for events ranging from birthdays and weddings to funerals. For more information and to discuss bookings, please call the theatre on 01889 584036 and ask for Laurie Goode.
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Choice of over 1000 wall papers in stock from 99p to ÂŁ25 per roll
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Summer Season at the Lichfield Garrick
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he Lichfield Garrick has announced its new Summer Season which runs from May to September 2018. After the success of the theatre’s two critically acclaimed community musicals, the Lichfield Garrick has announced its 2018 offering; Once Upon a Mattress. If you thought you knew the story of Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea, you might be in for a big surprise. This musical is designed to be full of sidesplitting moments in a raucous and rollicking spin on the classic tale of royal courtship and comeuppance. The musical theme continues with What A Glorious Feeling!, a new musical direct from Broadway that brings together the behind-thescenes story of the tempestuous love triangle between Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen and Jeanne Coyne during the creation of Singin’ in the Rain. Local actress Katie Arnstein brings her one woman show Bicycles and Fish which explores her upbringing in Lichfield to the theatre’s Studio space. For music lovers and fans of Shakespeare alike, Oddsocks Productions will be taking The Tempest on a sci-fi journey to outer space. Will it be one small step for man, one giant leap for Shakespeare? Find out for yourself in this out of this world musical adaptation. The Lichfield Garrick’s Executive Director, Karen Foster, commented: “We are proud
‘Sponsored Wax’ in aid of Tobias!
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n Saturday 21st April, a charity ‘sponsored wax’ event was held at BeYoutiful Beauty Salon, Upper Brook Street, Rugeley. David Matthews lives in Rugeley and is a specialist School Nurse Practitioner who works for Walsall Healthcare NHS trust. David wanted to help fundraise to get Tobias, a local boy with Down’s Syndrome, treatment to help with his
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that, as a small independent charity, we are able to welcome everyone from celebrities to our community performers with the excitement and razzamatazz of our community musical. This season offers something for everyone and we look forward to welcoming people from all over the district into the theatre.” For the little ones and family audiences, there will be thrills, spills, magic and mayhem in Monstersaurus!, and CBeebies’ favourite Bing takes a trip to Lichfield in Bing Live – Bing Goes to the Theatre. Will the theatre be able to keep its roof on as The Enormous Turnip takes over the main auditorium? For those a little older, the theatre welcomes a host of television personalities including Patricia Routledge, Neil Oliver, Simon King, Lucy Worsley and Strictly Come Dancing’s Robin Windsor with his farewell tour. Later in the season, the Lichfield Garrick welcomes Edgar Wallace’s The Case of the Frightened Lady, a chilling, captivating and complex thriller. Look at for the all-star cast announcement coming soon. GRAMMY nominated jazz singer Stacey Kent makes one of her few UK appearances
mobility. To help raise funds David underwent a sponsored partial body wax (kindly donated by Clare Kumi at BeYoutiful). David commented: “Tobias is an amazing young boy who lives in Rugeley. He has had a hard time with poor eyesight and hearing. Tobias is coming on leaps and bounds and is
Robin Windsor
here at the Lichfield Garrick, whilst Tony Christie and multi-Brit Award winning singer, Russell Watson, bring their unique styles to the theatre. We bid a fond farewell to the Barron Knights who will be jousting one last time. Not able to see the real thing? The Lichfield Garrick’s Summer Season is full of tributes including Someone Like You: The Adele Songbook, The Upbeat Beatles and a very special night of nostalgia with 80’s Mania. New for the 2018 Summer Season, the theatre has launched a monthly film night, bringing the very best blockbusters to the big screen. For those who are looking to gain or improve on their theatre skills there are a variety of half term workshops and summer schools to keep the most avid of young theatre lovers engaged and enthralled. The Lichfield Garrick’s new season is on sale on now. Tickets can be booked via the Box Office on 01543 412121 or at www.lichfieldgarrick.com The new season brochure is now available to download from www.lichfieldgarrick.com or to pick up a copy in person from the Box Office. working with an amazing team at Oswestry Movement Centre learning to stand independently. Tobias wears gaiters and is slowly getting to grips with standing independently with help from his frame. We are in the process of raising £6,250 to get him a year’s supply of treatment at Oswestry Movement Centre to get him the help and support he needs to stand and walk on his own two feet.” So far fundraising has reached £2,209.20. To make a donation visit Tobias’s justgiving page www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tobiasmove ment
J HOWELL & DAUGHTERS FUNERAL DIRECTORS LICHFIELD
LICHFIELD’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
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Rotary Community Library Brereton
By John Wilson of the Rotary Club of Rugeley
R
otary Club of Rugeley is very excited that they are now managing Brereton Library for the community of Brereton and Ravenhill. This is the first time that any of the 1,800 Rotary Clubs in the UK have chosen to manage a community library and this has generated a lot of interest. Brereton Library is just one of 23 Staffordshire libraries to be transferred to community management. This venture meets several of Rotary’s global commitments, including serving the community and promoting literacy. As well as providing all of the regular library services, supported by Staffordshire Library service, the club have many plans for the future of the building. We currently have a team of 22 very enthusiastic trained volunteers but we are
always looking for more. The library is in Talbot Road Brereton, next door to Redbrook Hayes School. The intention is for the library to become a community hub where local residents can pop in for a chat along with a cup of tea or coffee. There are already coffee mornings; craft sessions and children’s story times taking place and many other activities are in the pipeline. Local clubs and organisations are also invited to use the library for their activities. A real opportunity for you to make a difference in a new Rotary Club! Rotary is a worldwide organisation with 1.2 million members, all committed to service above self. With our new venture at Brereton Library, we are planning a new Rotary Club in Brereton to be formed under the guidance of the Rugeley Rotary Club. The satellite club will be a new modern format of club recently introduced by Rotary International Britain and Ireland. It will be very informal and members will decide themselves about the frequency, location and style of meetings. The emphasis will be on local projects and several such
projects are already being investigated but prospective members are invited to introduce their own as well. Anyone over 18 is invited to come and find out more about what these modern clubs offer. You only need 2 to 3 hours a month to be part of an opportunity to give something back to your community, meet like-minded people and make a real difference. There is also an opportunity for small businesses to join as corporate members as a way of fulfilling your companies’ social responsibilities, and benefitting your staff. There is a drop-in meeting with light refreshments on 6th June at Brereton Library when you can find out what a difference joining this new club could mean for you and your family. Just pop in to see us between 4pm and 9pm. Brereton Library can be found at Talbot Road, Rugeley, WS15 1AU.
Why Do Computers Break? By Neil Fletcher
We know computers always break at the worst possible time, but what exactly prompts that failure? It’s easy to think it was something you did since you were using it at the time, but while your online gaming frenzy might cause a temporary crash, normal user actions are rarely the cause of a broken computer. Physical Damage. As an electrical item, liquid spills are a big problem. This could be anywhere from a spill on the keyboard, going overboard with the screen cleaning spray or even a flood that reaches the computer. Laptop users need to be especially careful when choosing their work surface, as cafes and kitchen tables often have small puddles left behind. If you’re lucky and the liquid didn’t fry the circuits, ongoing corrosion is still likely, as is stickiness to gum up the internal parts. Similarly,
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a dropped computer isn’t going to be happy, nor is one that’s been knocked around. Even a light thump of frustration can cause loose cables, disconnections and internal damage. Age. When age is the issue there are usually early warning signs like extra noise or slowing down, but the actual ‘break’ generally happens when you go to turn the computer on, perhaps after a crash or overnight - either it makes a valiant effort before giving up, or nothing happens at all. Sometimes lasting age is the luck of the draw with how it was manufactured, and quality does play a big part in how long it can keep churning. Power Surges. We like to think electricity is a constant stream that never varies, but computers are particularly sensitive to both surges (too much electricity) and brownouts (not enough electricity). These variations never last long, but they can easily break your computer. A surge protector can guard against mild increases in voltage, but brownouts and strong surges will still cause damage. Heat. Some computer parts run hot and need plenty of cooling to keep them working. When
your airflow vents get blocked with dust or pet hair, the temperature continues to increase until components literally bake themselves to failure. At set temperatures, the computer will automatically switch off to try and cool down, however the more often this happens and the higher the temps, the more likely your computer is to die. Hard Drive Failure. Your data is stored on a hard drive, and if you’ve got a mechanical hard drive (most people do), it works a bit like a record player with a spinning ‘platter’ and a needle that reads it. Small bumps, liquid, age, surges and overheating can all trigger hard drive failure. Along with making your computer unusable, hard drive failure means your data is also lost. While sudden breakage might leave you surprised, take note of any strange noises or repeated crashes and back up your data in advance. Like a car, your computer needs to be serviced. We can check your computer both physically and its software to make sure it’s running right and will keep on working for you. Give us a call at 01889 579990.
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The Probus Club of Rugeley
Rugeley Probus Club is a small friendly group for retired and semiretired men and women set up to allow members to meet others with similar interests and make new friends. The club meets at St Paul’s Church Social Rooms on Lichfield Street in Rugeley on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 10am until 12pm. New members are welcome to join in with a varied programme of interesting speakers, monthly lunches and a range of day trips. On May 9th a talk entitled "The History of St John's Ambulance" will be presented by Carol Trigg and on May 23rd a talk entitled "The World of Finance" will be presented by John Bridge. For more information, please contact Neil Gardner on 01952 691411 or gardnerneil@msn.com
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Competition and Prize Draw Terms and Conditions 1.Entrant’s details will be held and processed in line with Citylife in Lichfield Ltd’s Privacy Policy, which in turn adheres to GDPR Data Protection legislation. For a copy of our Privacy Policy please email josscitylife@gmail.com 2.By entering the prize draw/competition, you agree to the terms and conditions stated. 3.The closing date is stated on each individual prize draw or competition. 4.Entrants’ details will be securely held by Citylife in Lichfield Ltd in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Details will be held only until the closing date of the competition. After this date entrants’ details will be securely destroyed/deleted. Winners’ contact details will be securely stored only until the winner has been informed of their win/prize. After this details will be securely deleted/destroyed. 5.Entrants’ details will never be shared with any third party. The only exception to this is the name (and if the prize is to be posted) address of Competition/Prize Draw winners that will be communicated to the competition partner to allow winners to securely claim their prize, after which all details will be securely destroyed. The initial and surname of winners will be printed in our magazines – no other details will be published. 6.By entering the competition/prize draw, entrants agree to Citylife in Lichfield Ltd using or publishing materials provided by the entrants (but not address or contact details apart from initial and surname) in any of their publications and online. 7.Citylife in Lichfield Ltd accepts no responsibility for any breach of copyright or breach of any other legislation entailed by entrants in their creation or submission of materials. 8.Only one entry per prize draw/competition, per reader. 9.Except in the case of cash prizes, no cash equivalent will be offered and the prize is non-transferable. 10.All prizes are subject to availability and the prize suppliers' terms and conditions. 11.No purchase necessary. 12.Prize draws and competitions are only open to UK residents aged 18 years or over (unless otherwise stated). 13.Competitions and prize draws may not be entered by any employee of individual associated with any employee, agent or third party of Citylife in Lichfield Ltd. 14.Winners will be selected at random in the case of applicable prize draws and competitions, or by an independent judge in the case of photographic/art competitions from all entries received. 15.Winners will be notified by Citylife in Lichfield up to 28 days after the closing date of the competition/prize draw by the contact details provided by the entrant. 16.A list of the surnames and county of residence of the winners will be available by writing to Citylife in Lichfield Ltd no earlier than six weeks after the competition closing date. 17.When the prize draw/competition winner has been selected, this decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 18.Citylife in Lichfield Ltd accepts no responsibility for the prize being lost, damaged or delayed in transit. When the prize is provided by a third party, Citylife in Lichfield Ltd accepts no responsibility for any change to the prize, or for the quality of the prize provided. 19.Competitions may be amended or withdrawn at any time. 20.By entering the competition or prize draw, you agree to having your name, (photograph, where stated) and city or county of residence published in any of Citylife in Lichfield’s publications and online. 21.Unless otherwise stated, the promoter is Citylife in Lichfield Ltd, PO Box 7126, Lichfield, WS14 4JS. 22. Citylife in Lichfield Ltd do not express any warranty or endorsement of any competition prize, information, service or product provided in connection with a competition by printing or otherwise publicising any competition. 23.To the full extent of the law, Citylife in Lichfield Ltd shall not be liable for any loss, claim, punitive, indirect, incidental or consequential damages of any kind incurred as a result of entering this prize draw or competition. 24.By submitting photos, text or artworks as part of competition/prize draw entries you agree that you own these photos text or artworks, that it is your original work to which you own all rights to distribute, and that your entry is accurate, moral and legal.
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