Friends of Castle Green are now able to begin the much needed renovations to The Pavilion after securing funding for the repairs.

Hereford City Council are granting £7,000 towards the project, which will enable the community group to begin the first phase of improvements to the building.

Paddy Nugent, Friends of Castle Green Director said;

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“This is an incredibly exciting project and we are grateful for the funding that has allowed us to make these building improvements which will ensure that the Pavilion becomes a multifunctional, flexible and accessible space for evolving community use. We hope that this technology will act as a beacon of innovation and encourage other local facilities to harness the natural resource of the river for renewable energy.”

More details here

#herefordvoice #herefordnews #positivehereford

The previous bridge had completely rotted away but this new bridge near Canterbury Close is superb, credit where credit is due.

Thank you to Parish Councillors Adrian Bridges, Colin Warne and Phil Rudd with much needed help from Bert.

I have just found some pictures of  three proposed buildings that were to be built on the steel suppliers site just off Widemarsh Street.
The plans have now been shelved but the timber merchants next door has now shut with demolition of buildings taking place in readiness for building new Uni student accommodation.
I hope that whatever is built there is nothing like the horrendous images you can see below of what was proposed for the old steel site.

A microbudget UK Horror Feature is being made in Herefordshire. It's called "Wyvern Hill" and on its way very soon.

UK horror director Jonathan Zaurin is to tackle his first feature film later this summer and it already looks like it’s one to keep an eye on. 

Wyvern Hill is described as ‘the story of one woman’s struggle with reality’ as a series of gruesome killings is shaking the small county of Herefordshire, UK. It tells the tale of Beth, a woman in her sixties who starts to show signs of early Alzheimer’s. Her daughter and son in law move into an old house large enough to accommodate the three of them so that they can look after Beth during this difficult time, that house… Wyvern Hill. It isn’t long before Beth begins worsen but is it her Alzheimer or is there SOMETHING in the house. 

I recently had a little chat with Jonathan to find out more about Wyvern Hill, what we can expect, how he feels tackling his first feature and when we can expect to see this new UK horror.  

What can people expect from Wyvern Hill? 

I think people coming into Wyvern Hill can expect a twisted, violent tale with plenty of twists and turns along the way… but also hopefully a very moving drama about a set of characters that are very unusual for this type of horror films.

We tried to create an atmospheric, brutal horror that will deliver on tension, suspense and visceral horror but also to create a true drama in which you will get to love and care for the characters who are thrown into a horrible situation.

It’s two films in one in a sense, but that’s something that always interested me, the fluidity of genre, I don’t see it as stiff, I see it as a multitude of potential combinations of narrative conventions, plenty of which we haven’t seen yet! 

How are you feeling about your coming feature as a Director? How have you been preparing? 

To be honest, nervous is the first word that comes to mind haha! 
Look here’s the thing about Wyvern Hill, it’s a microbudget, we’re really not spending that much money (total budget around 5k) and we were prepared for it to be exactly that, a (hopefully) high production value microbudget film… but then it started growing (while the budget stayed the same) and now we have a tonne of amazing people involved! For example our main actress Pat Garett who has spent the first half of her career working with Jim Henson and Frank Oz on things like The Muppets Christmas Carol and The Little Shop of Horrors amongst other things. 
And so since we started the production the cast has grown to welcome some incredible, established and rising, actors! And the crew has grown to welcome some amazing talent which I can’t quite reveal yet ha! But also the usual suspects and collaborators, first of all my wife Sarah who always produces, Jérome Bardon who is a consistant figure at LBS films, having produced and written a number of films for us but also Mike Coombes who has been a longtime friend and collaborator and who was Georgie in Portrait(s) , Joe Nurse who played Baby Gerald in Santa Baby, Pete Bird with whom I worked on several shorts and Michael Sanchez, the genius from Belgium who is slowly becoming our official composer as he did the music for both The Pit an Santa Baby! the special effects are being 
As far as preparing, again it’s a microbudget film so the idea is to try and get as much as my knowledge and time allows me to get done, myself. So on this I am officiating as director, DoP and editor and currently we are in a phase where I swear a lot and try to do my shot by shot breakdown between the thousands of emails from cast and crew all day everyday! 

When are you due to start shooting? 

We are due to start shooting with a very limited Cast and crew end of August. These are the first wave of scenes which we are shooting before our main actress arrives to Hereford. Then things start seriously kicking off on 11th September. 
We’re having to do that also because we obviously want to protect our cast and crew from Covid which represents as you can imagine, quite a challenge on production. 

What are your plans for the film upon completion? When is your proposed release date? 

The plans are to tour the festivals and find a distributor! We are already having those conversations with some fairly interesting people…  
We are basically fairly confident with that though, part of our History at LBS Films is that we, over the last 4 years, have created a series of Award Winning shorts for ridiculously low amounts of money (from £80 to a maximum of £300), all of which ended up being actually VERY profitable both financially and artistically, despite the (almost) total lack of distribution opportunities for shorts! In that respect we were lucky to meet Tood Rodgers at Meridian Releasing who gave our films a huge platform, and now Todd is a producer on Wyvern Hill! 
So in a sense the feature is a logical continuation of what we’ve been doing but hopefully with the proper potential channels for distribution available to us! 

How did you come across the script? 

A few years back I did a BA (Hons) at Hereford College of Arts. My last year was spent making a film called Dirt and we had a course leader replacement halfway through. Long story short the new course leader was Keith Temple, a fairly well known and very talented TV writer who worked on basically every major UK show. 
We clicked immediately and we expressed the idea of working together at some point. I hired Keith to play a part in my then new short film The Pit and from there a conversation started. 
Keith had an idea for a horror film but he was a bit nervous about writing it as he had never written pure horror (although his Dr Who episode comes close). So I told him that if he wrote it… I’d get it made. 
Initially it was called Suburban Shadows, and a lot of work and a year and half later, there it is, ready to shoot: Wyvern Hill.

Source

The local environment in a part of Hereford has received a boost thanks to the completion of an investment scheme by not for profit water company Welsh Water.

Welsh Water has invested almost £307,000 in a project which will improve the sewerage network in the Three Elms area. 

Until now, some properties in the area had not been able to connect to the main sewerage network and instead had to rely on septic tanks which regularly failed. This in turn posed a pollution risk to the surrounding environment. The failures of the tanks also breached the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) general binding rules which govern how septic tanks should operate. 

To address the situation, the company designed and installed a new sewer system to replace a septic tank system. The new sewer system will enable the properties to connect to the main sewerage network which in turn will benefit the local environment. 

Chris Jones, Head of Wastewater Programme Delivery at Welsh Water said: “We’re very proud to have been able to complete this project on schedule to protect the environment during the challenging circumstances surrounding the pandemic. The construction team managed to adhere to all of the government social distance guidelines and received some excellent written feedback from residents in the area. We appreciate that our work can be inconvenient, so we really did appreciate the cooperation shown to us by the local residents while we worked in their community.”

The company has also partnered with Herefordshire Community Foundation as part of its increased support to local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s increased its Community Fund threefold to £300,000 and has given over £100,000 to Trussell Trust foodbanks since the pandemic started.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews from Worcester, Tenbury, Evesham and Malvern using specialist equipment attended a very large fire yesterday evening in the open involving undergrowth and scrub at Bringsty Common, Herefordshire.

We reported yesterday that Malvern Copswere out on bike and foot patrols on the Malvern Hills following barbed wire being hung across several tracks on the hills.

Below are more disgusting photographs showing this evidence of such a vile act!

Photographs courtesy of Malvern Police

Last August we also reported similar incidents where nails had deliberately put into pieces of wood on bike trails in the Forest of Dean in this article

Why would people do this?

Anyone with any information please call 101 and quote log ref: 0622_i_07032021

#herefordvoice #herefordnews #herefordshire

West Mercia Police Detective Sergeant James Moore said:

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"We were called to Commercial Road at 12.50pm on Friday 5 March to reports of a robbery in Morrisons’ car park"

Officers attended and found a man and woman had been involved in a violent disorder and the woman suffered knife injuries to her hand.

The woman, aged 21 from Wales, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and has since been bailed. The man, aged 22, also from Wales fled the scene and has today been arrested for the same offence and remains in custody.

Two men were believed to have fled the scene but were arrested shortly after on the M5. One aged 26 and the other aged 27, both from Northampton, were arrested for conspiracy to commit robbery and drug supply offences and have since been released whilst the investigation continues.

Enquiries are still ongoing and police are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen a grey Nissan Qashqui in the area at this time.

Anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact the police on 101 quoting reference 00248i of 5 March or you can report online through the 'Tell Us About' section of the website.

#herefordvoice #herefordnews #hereford

The Institute for government is delighted to welcome the Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury. Following the publication of the National Infrastructure Strategy, this event will explore the government’s plans to “transform” the UK’s infrastructure networks to drive the country’s post-pandemic recovery, make progress to reaching the net zero emissions target in 2050 and contribute to ‘levelling up’ the country.

Jesse Norman will be in conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government.

Jesse Norman has been the Financial Secretary to the Treasury since May 2019. Before that he was Minister of State at the Department for Transport from November 2018 to May 2019 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport from June 2017 to November 2018. He has been the MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire since 2010 and is the author of books on Adam Smith and Edmund Burke.

What about Hereford? Will it still be here in 2050?

Tuesday 16 March 2021, 11:00 - 12:00

Maybe worth a watch.

Here is one of our favourite exclusive photographs of Hereford Cathedral from our archive.

We have not seen such a spectacular photograph of our Hereford Cathedral as this one in a long time!

#herefordvoice #hereford #herefordshire

This is broken down into 3 sessions this is part 1/3

🔷 Council Tax £161 Million Cost Required 🔷

In this session Councillor Harvey explains the breakdown of costs to the council and grants received etc..

Councillor Harvey will be answering the questions from our previous topic here https://hfd.news/897ed in sessions 2/3 and 3/3 to follow

#herefordvoice #hereford #herefordshire #hfdvcs

A Herefordshire GP Protests “No Jab, No Job” – 5th March 2021

A GP, Dr Clare Jones, has written to her MP Jesse Norman to protest against being compelled to be vaccinated or face disciplinary action from the General Medical Council, as Lockdown Sceptics reported yesterday. She copied us in and we thought we’d share it with you.

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Dear Jesse,

Having worked tirelessly for the NHS for 31 years as a hospital doctor, A&E doctor and a GP with probably two sick days in my whole career, is the Government really suggesting that because I exert my choice not to have the Covid vaccine, my wealth of medical experience is going to be lost just because I choose to exercise my free will and conscience ?

Like most other people who decline the vaccine, I’m not an “anti-vaxxer”. My son is fully vaccinated; I have travel vaccines. But I weigh up the pros and cons of vaccines in a more informed way than most other people and have decided for now I don’t want it (likewise the flu vaccine). There is currently a haemorrhaging of experienced GPs due to unprecedented stress levels, including one over the last couple of months from our five partner practice. If I go it will destabilise our already struggling practice.

I have borne the burden of vaccinating (with no extra payment and massive organisational toll) the population who CHOOSE to be vaccinated, the burden of listening to the thousands of patient emotionally damaged by the ill-judged and poorly assessed lockdown (the lack of risk/benefit analysis has been criminal), the burden of carrying work for other colleagues who can’t manage the unprecedented stress in the system, the dumping of more and more work onto primary care – and now this slap in the face.

The Government needs to take a break from criticising the Chinese Communist Party for a moment and stop in its own attempts at re-educative, repressive and punitive strategies directed toward minorities such as those who choose not to be vaccinated. It is disrespectful and demeaning to an educated and thoughtful sector of society to impose a medical procedure against our will.

I would also like to be able to continue to move freely in the UK and the world at large, which is a much more effective and healthy way of managing mental strain than the endless mental health online resources we are bombarded with and that we’re much too busy and exhausted to look at. Travelling and exploring freely in the world at home and abroad has proved an effective way to keep me functioning well in a highly stressful job. Happily, I just need to be able to move freely in my God-given environment and breathe God’s free air to keep me happy and functioning as a productive and functional human being. Vaccine passports would deprive me of this healthy outlet.

Believe me, I will make the most of an imposed early retirement if enforced vaccination becomes a reality, by finishing my thesis on “governmental revolving door policies with particular emphasis on pharmaceutical companies”. After all, what do I have to lose? Not my freedom.

(Dr) Clare Jones
Hereford

Stop Press: Care UK, one of the UK’s largest care home firms, has introduced a ‘no jab, no job’ policy, saying new staff must have received a Covid vaccination before they start work, the Guardian reports. Barchester, meanwhile, which operates more than 220 private care homes, has said it is insisting that current staff are vaccinated, warning that if they “refuse … on non-medical grounds [they] will, by reason of their own decision, make themselves unavailable for work”.

https://lockdownsceptics.org/2021/02/26/latest-news-297/
______________________________________________________________________

Declined the jab for the fourth time this Wednesday much to the chagrin of all around me. The Doctor is already getting a pasting on BBC Hereford & Worcester local radio. The early morning presenter Eliot Webb loves to be a cantankerous and argumentative man no matter what subject he discusses.

When Mayor of Hereford, Kath Hey, was invited to join the independent Town’s Fund board, she welcomed the chance to work towards an ambitious vision where Hereford’s unique rural heritage would complement sustainable future development.

The Towns Fund board, called #StrongerHereford, is made up of local leaders, businesses and communities who have put forward a bid for £25 million to Central Government. The bid was the culmination of months of extensive engagement with people across Hereford and it was instrumental for the City Council to be part of that process to ensure a strategic and cohesive connection.

“This is very much about future proofing the city for the next generation” said Kath. “The City Council is very much about being at the heart of our communities by connecting them, providing grants and an overall commitment to make sure they’re supported. But of course, our many communities are all different so there was a concerted effort to discover how we can make significant improvements whilst retaining what we love about Hereford.”

The guidelines for the bid stipulated that projects needed to focus on improved transport, broadband connectivity, skills and culture. As Kath continues “Hereford needs to recover following Covid when the time is right. Too many people have lost their livelihood and young people have continued to migrate away from the city. Focusing on skills and growth seems particularly pertinent”.

“The Towns Fund is all about levelling up so essentially making Hereford an even better place to live, visit and work in. The public were equally passionate as we were to embrace our rich heritage whilst improving quality of life.”

January saw a milestone with the bid (called the Town Investment Plan) submitted to Central Government. It’s quite an ambitious plan which has evoked strong reactions across the city. But the plan is one that was created fairly and with a clear vision.

“You’ll recognise that the plan features connectivity as a theme and it builds on the community transport legacy already in place” says Kath. “But when we talk about connectivity, we also mean people as well as transport links and that means having things to do.”

The process wasn’t without its challenges and it’s no surprise about how passionate discussions on which projects to support were. What was absolutely clear was a mutual desire to create something that integrated all parts of the city. But what next for those projects that didn’t make the final cut?

Kath says “This really brought to light how many dedicated people are doing inspiring things in the city. As a group we felt we can continue to support them, connect them to the right people and provide guidance on how to secure funding that’s a better fit”.

“We had to continually refer back to our vision to put forward projects that have the best chance of successful funding. Each project is like a part of a puzzle and together they create something fantastic. But we were also conscious that there were so many projects that whilst not suitable for this funding, we didn’t want to forget.”

Hereford City Council is actively looking to work with other partners that are working towards enhancing the city. Contact them for more information.

🔷 Budget and Council Tax Setting Explained 🔷

Herefordshire Council tax setting meeting is tomorrow (Friday 5th March) which is formally ratifying all the parish precepts, the fire authority and police charges and the county council tax rise which have each already been debated and agreed by their respective authorities.

Councillor Harvey will be answering the questions from our previous topic here over the weekend.

#herefordvoice #hereford #herefordshire #hfdvcs

The Knife Angel Hereford team is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a £10,000 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund.

Alison Davies and Meryl Cain are joint leaders of the KAH Team bringing the Knife Angel to Hereford, Alison said:

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“Thanks to National Lottery players for helping to make our project possible. We will be able to make a huge difference by financing youth workshops, schools’ and colleges’ educational programmes, conferences, outreach work and community engagement.  We will be able to increase awareness of the catastrophic impact violence and aggression has on individuals, families and the community as a whole. We are truly grateful for the support of National Lottery Funding.”

Plans are progressing well to bring the Knife Angel to Hereford Cathedral this summer. In the event dates have to be adjusted in line with Public Health England’s advice, further announcements will be made.

Throughout its time in the city, people will be able to visit the Knife Angel (socially distanced or as required by COVID restrictions) free of charge. Contingency plans will be put in place to hold the above listed events remotely, if physical events remain prohibited. 

The Knife Angel stands 27ft tall and is made from over 100,000 knives and blades received from 42 police forces across the UK. Created by Alfie Bradley out of the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry, the Knife Angel has toured around the UK and has become recognised as a National Monument Against Violence and Aggression.

The Knife Angel Hereford team would welcome additional donations or offers of support from Hereford businesses or individuals.

For further information, please visit: https://knifeangelhereford.co.uk/ or email knifeangelhereford@gmail.com. There is also a JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/knifeangelhereford

Cabinet Member - Finance and Corporate Services - Councillor Liz Harvey has agreed to be put under the spotlight to answer your questions in the second series of our 'exclusive' Q & A 'Councillor Sessions'.

#herefordvoice #hfdvcs

Max and Simon in the Masons' Yard (2019)

Simon Hudson, of Hudson Stonework Ltd based in the Cathedral Close, has been awarded 'The Master Craftsman Certificate' by The Worshipful Company of Masons in 2021.

Simon in the Masons' Yard

With over two decades of working as stone mason and carver in Herefordshire, Simon’s work can be seen not just at Hereford Cathedral but also many churches and heritage sites within the county and further afield.

Hudson Stonework Ltd has been a resident of the Cathedral Close for ten years and its location means that the art of this traditional craft can be shared with all who pass by. The Masons’ Yard provokes much interest from visitors to the cathedral and it is not an uncommon sight to see Simon explaining his latest project or answering questions from those who have stopped to watch him at work.

Alongside his work Simon has shared his wealth of knowledge, gained over almost 40 years, and trained two apprentices who have both received national recognition as a result of his mentoring. Alec Curtis and Max Cotterill received The Journeyman Certificate and The Apprentice Certificate respectively from The Worshipful Company of Constructors in 2019, making this latest award a hat trick of success for the company.

l-r Simon Hudson, Alec Curtis, Mr Terry Withers FRICS & Max Cotterill c. Phil McCarthy receiving awards in 2019

The Revd Canon Andrew Piper, Precentor & Acting Dean at Hereford Cathedral, said, “The Chapter offers Simon our warmest congratulations on being awarded The Master Craftsman Certificate in recognition of his dedicated and exceptional work. It is a rare privilege for us to have such a skilled stonemason based in the Cathedral Close, and it is a pleasure to watch him practise and teach his craft on a daily basis. The work of Simon and his former apprentices can be seen on the cathedral and many churches across our diocese and beyond it: we all value their expertise, and we appreciate their friendliness and generosity in sharing their talent and enthusiasm with us. It is a delight to have Simon and his apprentices as part of our cathedral community.”

The Worshipful Company of Masons is number thirty in the order of precedence of the Ancient Livery Companies of the City of London, as set by the Aldermen of the City in 1515. Their focus is to preserve and encourage the use of natural stone in the built environment, including supporting the training of craftsmen as well as the preservation and appreciation of iconic historic stone buildings. The Worshipful Company of Masons is at the forefront of supporting the craft of stonemasonry in education and preservation.

£2 billion package to create new era for cycling, walking and trials for e-scooters

Many countries throughout Europe already successfully use e-scooters but currently they are not legal here in the UK, (unless on private land) however, that may all be about to change...

Lime is one of many company offering e-scooter rentals.

Alternative ways to travel, such as walking and cycling, could relieve the pressure on public transport.

• largest ever boost for cyclists and pedestrians
• emergency bike lanes and streets will help support transport network
• trials of rental e-scooters to be brought forward to increase green transport options
• government working with leading tech developers to reduce crowding on public transport

Far more people will be cycling and walking thanks to plans to boost greener, active transport, launched today (9 May 2020) by Transport Secretary Grant  Shapps .

Pop-up bike lanes with protected space for cycling, wider pavements, safer junctions, and cycle and bus-only corridors will be created in England within weeks as part of a £250 million emergency active travel fund - the first stage of a £2 billion investment, as part of the £5 billion in new funding announced for cycling and buses in February.

Following unprecedented levels of walking and cycling across the UK during the pandemic, the plans will help encourage more people to choose alternatives to public transport when they need to travel, making healthier habits easier and helping make sure the road, bus and rail networks are ready to respond to future increases in demand.

The government will fund and work with local authorities across the country to help make it easier for people to use bikes to get around - including Greater Manchester, which wants to create 150 miles of protected cycle track, and Transport for London, which plans a “bike Tube” network above Underground lines.

Fast-tracked statutory guidance, published today and effective immediately, will tell councils to reallocate roadspace for significantly-increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians. In towns and cities, some streets could become bike and bus-only while others remain available for motorists. More side streets could be closed to through traffic, to create low-traffic neighbourhoods and reduce rat-running while maintaining access for vehicles.

Vouchers will be issued for cycle repairs, to encourage people to get their old bikes out of the shed, and plans are being developed for greater provision of bike fixing facilities. Many more will take up the Cycle to Work scheme, which gives employees a discount on a new bike.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

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During this crisis, millions of people have discovered cycling - whether for exercise or as a means of safe, socially-distanced transport. While there is no change to the ‘stay at home’ message today, when the country does get back to work we need those people to stay on their bikes and be joined by many more.

Otherwise, with public transport’s capacity severely restricted at this time, our trains and buses could become overcrowded and our roads gridlocked – holding up emergency services, critical workers and vital supplies.

We know cars will continue to remain vital for many, but as we look to the future we must build a better country with greener travel habits, cleaner air and healthier communities.

 

An updated Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy will be launched by the Prime Minister in the summer, with further measures to transform cycling and walking to deliver the government’s aims to double cycling and increase walking by 2025 – including:

• the creation of a national cycling and walking commissioner and inspectorate
• higher standards for permanent infrastructure across England
• getting GPs to prescribe cycling and exercise
• creating a long-term budget for cycling and walking similar to what happens for roads

The government will also be launching a campaign to encourage more people to look at alternative ways to travel, to walk or get on a bike for their commute instead of public transport. Today, riders from Team Ineos, including Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas, will be telling people to #GetPedalling.

Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Principal of Team INEOS, said:

If ever there was a good time to get on your bike, it’s now. You will be helping take pressure off public transport. You will be looking after your health. You will be looking after the health of others and you will be helping the environment. Let’s all get pedalling and help Britain on the road to recovery.

E-scooter trials will also be brought forward from next year to next month to help encourage more people off public transport and onto greener alternatives. Originally set to take place in 4 Future Transport Zones, the trials of rental e-scooters – which will now be offered to all local areas across the country – will allow government to assess the benefits of e-scooters as well as their impact on public space, with the potential to see rental vehicles on UK roads as early as June.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands said:

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The West Midlands is proud to be leading the way on future transport development, and I am pleased the government has put its faith in us again with this new and innovative trial of e-scooters.

This trial will help bring more flexibility, choice, and greener travel solutions for the region, at a time when we are facing a climate emergency and urging people to leave the car at home.

We will also use the trial to look at the current transport challenges the coronavirus pandemic has presented us with and explore how e-scooters could be used to help tackle them.

No region is better equipped than the West Midlands to test, review, and implement trials such as these at pace and scale, and that is testament to the hard work and innovation of those working in our future transport sector.

 

As the government aims to encourage people to choose greener forms of travel when the coronavirus restrictions are lifted, a further push is being made to encourage drivers to purchase an electric vehicle. An extra £10 million - double the current funding amount - is being committed to the on street residential chargepoint scheme which will allow local authorities to install up to 7,200 devices, making it more convenient to charge and own an electric vehicle.