Perton Pages March 2015 by Kay Garrison

MARCH 2015

Perton & Pattingham Pages MAGAZINE ▪ ONLINE ▪ SOCIAL MEDIA ▪ MOBILE DEC

YOUR LOCAL GUIDE TO BUSINESSES, EVENTS & GROUPS Search & Find Local Businesses...........

CPR & Defibrillator Training.....

Mothers Day Activities...........

Word from your MP...........

Tips from your Local PGA Pro.....

Whizz Kids Launch..........

We partner with a range of great local businesses. Our Perton and Pattingham & Patshull Parish Councils have directory will help you find what you need, when you teamed up to offer CPR & Defibrillator Training free of need it.......... p2 charge.......... p11

Wildside Activity Centre is putting on activities both Read what your local MP, Gavin Williamson, has to say for Mothers Day and too keep the children entertained this month on current affairs and life in during the Easter Holidays .......... p5 Parliament.......... p13

Jeremy Harold from Perton Park Golf Club has set out The Whizz Kids Charity, together with Jardine Audi some pointers for improving your game this have launched their annual summer ball to be held in winter.......... p6 September at the Molineux.......... p14

Perton Business Index

Home& Garden Ala rms /CCTV/Home Security Ba throoms Blinds Builde rs Ca rpentry Ca rpet & Interiors Cle a ning Se rvices Domes tic Applia nce s & Repa ir Electricia ns Flooring Ga rden Centre Ga rdening & La nds ca ping Kitche ns Lighting Locksmith Oven Clea ning Pa inter & Decora tor Pla ste rer Plumbing & He a ting Property Ma intena nce Roofing Tre e Surgeon Windows, Doors & Conservatories

Window Clea ning Eating & Drinking Res ta ura nts & Ta ke a wa ys Motoring & Transport Bodywork Driving School Ma inte na nce Minibus Hire Ta xi Se rvice Classes, Groups & Events Da nce Cla s ses Events Guita r Less ons Slimming The a tre & Performing Arts IT, Finance & Property Computers & Repa ir Fina ncia l Advis er Office Letting Property Sa les & Le ttings Wills & Esta te Pla nning Lifestyle, Leisure & Retail Childca re & Schools Community Ca re Footca re Funera l Directors Gifts & Homewa re Golf Clubs Ha ir, Hea lth & Bea uty Home a nd Building Supplies Ironing & Altera tions Toy Shop Animals & Pets Pet Grooming Pet Shop

4,7 8 10,13,24 9,17 6 6,10,24 5,17 10 5,7,10,17,18 3,6 12 14,17,24 22 7 16 19,22 5,8,10,13,14 1,17,19 2,8,13,16,19 14,17,22,24 3,6,15,22 17,18 4,15,18,20,21 15 10,16 18 9 8 6,19 6,19 11,12 5,11,14 3 14,17 4 11,21 2 14 12 5 23 3,4,9 13 17,21 20 15 1,3 9 13 11 2 2

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Brian Breakwell Painter & Decorator Semi-Retired with over 40 Years Experience Cheap Rates All Work Guaranteed

Tel: 07976 152817 or 01902 753364 Email: sarah-2503@hotmail.co.uk

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Tips From Your Local PGA Pro at Perton Park.....

Jeremy Harrold, Tel: 01902 380073 or email: jeremy@pertongolfclub.co.uk 6

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Wild About Perton in March.....

Seeing a hare bounding fleet of foot across the fields beyond Cranmoor is always

a pleasant surprise as are the ‘pencils on legs’; the weasels and stoats, glimpsed, sleek and sinuous dashing across a road and disappearing into the roadside vegetation. Most mammals are wary of humans staying out of site when about in the daylight and often more active at night. Bats are good example of mammals which are seen fleetingly at dusk and dawn but better observed listening to their calls with a bat detector as they catch insects on the wing over the upper and lower lake. A recent wildlife walk in search of tracks and signs of animals made the unsurprising discovery that the most common mammal track in Perton is dog. Identifying mammals from their tracks isn’t easy, but they are probably best observed when the ground is covered by a fresh fall of snow and also after heavy rain when the soft mud on the edge of footpaths and alongside the River Penk shows the tell-tale signs that an mammal has passed by earlier. Taking a copy of the Collins Guide to Animal Tracks and Signs on your walk shows how difficult it can be to tell the difference between the track of a small dog track and that of a fox. The presence of a fox is perhaps better detected by a sudden pungent smell which hits the nose as you walk along a footpath. You’ll know it when you smell it. Another mammal which is very well known but seldom seen and often misunderstood is the ‘little gentleman in a black jacket’; the mole. Small mounds of fine soil or molehills thrown up by moles are common in the open space and woodland on the edge of Perton, giving away their subterranean activities. Molehills can damage a fine lawn but their tunnelling activities probably improve drainage and aeration. Moles seldom come to the surface, but construct elaborate tunnels in their hunt for earthworms but with sleeping compartments lined with grass, moss and leaves. So although, most wild mammals are seldom or only fleetingly seen, except perhaps for the grey squirrel, there are many other ways of ‘seeing’ wild mammals in Perton. To find out more about local wildlife join us at Perton's Spring Festival on Saturday 25 April in and around Perton Library. Our monthly wildlife walks, leave Perton Library at 2PM every first Saturday of every month or join us for the Dawn Chorus on Monday 4 May leaving Perton Library at 4AM. For more information contact Keith Elder on 01902 754245.

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Visiting Foot Care Service NOW available in this area Nails Trimmed Corns Removed Painful Toenails Verruca Treatment Fungal Conditions Cracked Heels Hard Skin/Callus Reduction

Call 01902 687814 for appointments

VILLAGE BLINDS

NEW SHOWROOM AT 1 FINCHFIELD ROAD WEST 3 vertical blinds supplied for £75 up to 5' width.

Individual blinds supplied from £20 each ________________________________

Fitting service offered Free home visits with pattern books. ________________________________

All blinds are made to measure. We supply and fit roller blinds, aluminium venetian, wooden venetian, roman blinds etc.

CALL US FOR A FREE QUOTATION 01902 766755 OR EMAIL village.blinds@hotmail.co.uk

A Word From Your MP...............

I have written before on the topic of English votes for

English laws, shortly after the referendum of last September. It is a topic that I feel passionately about as a unionist and I firmly believe in keeping the UK together. If this is to happen, we have to find an answer to the so-called West Lothian question, a question which decides whether Scottish MPs should participate in matters relating to England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the UK Parliament after devolution. After the victory of the ‘No Campaign’ in the Scottish Referendum last September the Prime Minister announced that he had appointed William Hague to draw up proposals to find an answer to this, giving all countries in the Union the opportunity for fairer governance. Following the referendum, it is absolutely right that Scotland is getting new powers. Hand in hand with that though is a need to be fair to the people of England. It would not be right to have Scottish MPs sitting at Westminster voting on budgets and laws that only apply to English voters without the consent of English MPs. There is no sense in an MP in Scotland deciding on tax rates for Perton residents. Last month the government announced their plans on English votes for English laws. In effect they are proposing that English MPs have a veto over legislation – including income tax – that only affects England. This is a fundamental issue of fairness and would properly balance the rights of all voters across the United Kingdom. It is fundamental that we change the system, allowing only English votes for English laws. Scotland have had the chance to have their say and now it’s time for ours. It is crucial that MPs of English constituencies have control over tax, welfare and spending. Seeking greater control for England isn’t a crime. Scotland have had their voice in their own decisions and it’s time English MPs had theirs. In other news, some of you will have seen Michael Cockerell’s documentary Inside the Commons that has been on BBC 2over the past month. It was a fascinating watch, allowing viewers to see behind the scenes of Parliament, getting a bit of a flavour of how politics works. After my wife saw me in episode one she told me off for being too loud and shouting too much in the Chamber. You do find yourself getting carried away, supporting your colleagues and the Prime Minister, and I shall do my best to try shout less in the future.

To contact Gavin Williamson call 01902 846616 or 0207 219 7150 www.pertonpages.com ♦ pertonpages@gmail.com ♦ 07734 461934

Wolverhampton and Halesowen Audi Summer Ball - Celebrating 25 years of Whizz Kidz!

Following the success of last year’s Black Tie Evening in aid of Whizz Kidz, Wolverhampton Audi and Halesowen Audi are pleased to announce that they will be organising a Summer Ball to celebrate Whizz Kidz 25th Anniversary This year’s event is being sponsored by Individual Specialist Cars – The Approved Accident Repair Centre for Jardine Audi. The Black Tie evening last year raised a phenomenal £7,077.64 for the children of Whizz Kidz. The evening will of course be packed with great entertainment. For the second year running BBC Radio presenter Perry Spiller will compare your evening and host the exciting raffle and auction with some incredible prizes including the use of an Audi R8 for the weekend. Britain’s Got Talent Finalist - Comedian Jon Clegg will tickle your funny bone - Jon made a huge impression on Britain’s Got Talent 2014 reaching the semi-finals and setting the live and viewing audience alight with his hilarious impressions including Simon Cowell and Ant and Dec AND Fresh from his War of The Worlds Arena Tour, Wolverhampton’s X Factor Finalist - Joseph Whelan and his band will be the evening entertainment, filling the dance floor with some fantastic tunes; don’t forget your dancing shoes! The evening will consist of a three course meal, raffle, and an auction. The Summer Ball will take place on Saturday 12th September 2015 Time: 8.00pm Venue: Molineux Stadium, Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, WV1 4QR Tickets are priced at £50.00 each and can be purchased individually or in tables of 12. If you require any further info please contact: Helen: 01902 872504 / helen.hammond@jardinemotors.co.uk or Louise 0121 504 0002 / louise.botwood@jardinemotors.co.uk :

PP/MARCH

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The Kingdom of Mercia Metal Detecting Club (KMMDC)

Last year we held 6 successful rallies in the Midlands, thanks to local farmers. We are requesting permission to hold metal detecting rallies on land owned by anyone in the Midlands. We are a responsible club with 56 members (men and women) who have already raised ÂŁ352 for Cancer Research UK (see https://www.justgiving.com/kmmdc/). We work with local Museums and the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and the Finds Liaison Officers. We also work within tight sets of rules and abide by strict codes of conduct and the Treasure Act 1996. This includes using scrap buckets to remove scrap metal items found, and we abide by the Countryside Code and leave the ground as we find it. Our club is 100% non profit making, all our rally fees go directly to the land owner who can either keep it to help with the day to day running expenses of the farm, or donate it to a chosen charity (or charities). We also offer the public a free recovery service for lost items such as rings, keys and even farm machinery. Please will you allow us to hold a rally (or rallies) on any suitable land you have, whenever the land is available. We will pay up to ÂŁ7.50 per acre per rally for any suitable pasture or arable land, from 7 acres upwards. Alternatively you can nominate a charity or charities of your choosing for us to donate the rally fees to. Please note all our members have Public Liability Insurance cover from either the National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD) or the Federation of Independent Detectorists (FID)

We have a Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/KingdomofMerciaMDC If you would like more info about our club, please call: Richard Edwards, KMMDC Tel: 01902 845567 Mob. 07979 949323

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Words of Wisdom from Rev Julia Cody..........

How often do I say - or how often have I heard others say - that they wish they could go back… could start over… could wipe the slate clean… wish they hadn’t said, done or even thought something… that they’re filled with regret? We all have times when we get bogged down in life’s troubles and challenges… times when each of us yearn to start afresh, to begin again. Did you know that this is what Easter is really about? Easter is about new beginnings and fresh starts; about forgiveness and love. Chickens, eggs, bunnies, daffodils - the traditional things we associate with Easter - all point to the flourishing of spring and new life. And new life is what lies at the heart of our Easter celebrations - the new life given by God to the man Jesus. Jesus was killed on the cross and three days’ later, God restored him to life - the resurrection. Jesus died because God loves us so very much and wants each of us to glimpse and enjoy his love… he wants us to know that we can be forgiven… that we’re accepted… we’re loved… we can start over… can enjoy a fresh start. The message of Easter is one of hope and the offer of a fresh start for each and every one of us… how appealing and refreshing does that sound?! If you’d like to explore more about this fresh start, this hope, please do get in touch.

01902 750232

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Perton Parish Council: News Update March 2015 Perton Parishioners interested in local affairs and activities are advised to regularly check local notice boards around the area and, for full details the Parish Council website on www.pertonparishcouncil.gov.uk or call 01902-745971

Parish Council Meetings: Monday 13 th April (Monday 9th March CANCELLED) Perton Civic Centre @ 7pm Annual Parish Meeting: Monday 27th April @ 7pm Help make Perton an even Safer Place to Live; Look out for each other and join your local 'Neighbourhood Watch' now. (see poster on notice boards for more details) 'Flicks in the Sticks' Movie Magic: Senior Citizens from Perton, Kingswood & Trescott admitted Free of Charge, all others £3.50 intermission refreshments @ 50p per person • Belle: Thursday 16th April 2015 @ 2pm (The mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral is raised by her aristocratic great-uncle in 18th century England) PERTON PARISH COUNCIL: SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

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SUDOKU – JUST FOR FUN

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Useful Numbers

Lakeside Surgery: 01902 755329 Tamar Surgery: 01902 755053 Pattingham Surgery: 01902 700462 Perton Dental Practice (Anders Square): 01902 758120 Dental Surgery, Tamar Medical Centre: 01902 756114 Perton Funeral Directors: 01902 756830 Perton Clinic : 01902 758150 Perton Civic Centre: 01902 745971 Perton Library: 01902 755794 Church at Perton: 01902 750232 Lakeside Community Church: 01902 753595 St Chad's Church Pattingham: 01902 700257 Neighbourhood Police: 0300 1234455 Staffordshire Police: 08453 303132 MP: Gavin Williamson: 01902 846616 Souths Staffs District Council: 01902 696000 Staffordshire County Council: 01785 223121 Perton Parish Council Office: 01902 745971 Pattingham & Patshull Parish Council: 01902 746898 24