Black Country Talking News
Black Country Talking News 27th November 2024
Hello, I'm Angela and welcome to this week's edition of the Black Country Talking News for the 27th November 2024. Hello and welcome to the Black Country Talking News, brought to you by the Site Loss Charity, Beacon. We're pleased to confirm that the Talking News is now available via Alexa. Once you've enabled the Talking News Papers skill, all you need to do is play Talking News Papers and ask for the Black Country Talking News. Our Talking News service is also available via the free Wireless for the Blind app. It can be found on the Beacon Centre website www.bconvision.org/talking-news. As a podcast, via services such as Apple or Spotify or as a free CD, simply contact Beacon Centre on 01902 880 111. We hope you enjoy this week's edition. Meaning for you this week, we have me, Angela, Christine, Ian, Mohamed, Simon and of course not forgetting Flashback Roger. In this week's edition, we have the latest Beacon update with Mohamed. From the NHS and awareness events to our army of gritters and our local sense, we have some fascinating news from the Black Country. This week's Did You Know section with Roger and Quiz with Mina is all about the month of December. It definitely started to feel and look like December out there last week, but then it got mild again over the weekend. What will our weather wheel land on next? We'll hear from Mina who has a forecast for the week ahead. And with a lot of fun, interesting and entertaining events scheduled at Beacon over the forthcoming months, we bring you up to date with a bump tradition of the lifestyle newsletter for both December and January. Local news to start though with Christine, Ian and me, Angela. The NHS in collaboration with local authorities and voluntary community faith and social enterprise sector organisations is committed to improving the quality of patient care and health outcomes and building a health service fit for the future. To achieve this, the NHS is embarking on the largest public engagement exercise in its history to develop a new 10-year health plan set to launch in 2025. As part of this initiative, the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board is hosting a series of face-to-face and online workshops throughout December, providing patients, their families and the wider public an opportunity to share their experiences, ideas and hopes for the NHS. These panels aim to capture your diverse perspective to inform immediate improvements and long-term changes in the health care delivery. Workshops are being housed as follows. Dudley, Tuesday 10th December 1030am to 1pm, Priory Community Centre, Priory Road Dudley, Dy1 for DS. Sandwell, Thursday 12th December 1030am to 1pm, West Medic Park Pavilion, Smélic, B67, 7JJ. Warsaw, Monday 9th December 1030am to 1pm, St John's Methodist Church, Victoria Avenue, Warsaw, WS3, 3HS. Overhampton, Wednesday 11th December 1030am to 1pm, Changemakers Hub, Unit 5, Railway Drive, Overhampton, WV11LE. Online, system-wide, Thursday 12th December 6pm to 730pm via Microsoft Teams. Mark Axel, Chief Executive Officer for the NHS Black Country ICB said, "It is your experiences, good, bad and sometimes frustrating. That will help shape this once in a generation opportunity to make the NHS fit for the future. This is your chance to be part of shaping a modern, effective and resilient NHS, so please take part in one of the workshops and have your say in building a health service that works for everyone. For more information and to register for a workshop, visit the NHS Black Country ICB website." And a host of events will also be taking place over the next 16 days as Wolverhampton says "no" to interpersonal violence. The annual Orange Wolverhampton campaign, which began on Monday, aims to raise awareness of the city's continuing drive to end domestic abuse, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, so-called 'honour-based violence', sexual violence, and stalking and harassment. At the same time, it highlights the advice and support that is available to victims from local and national organisations, such as the Haven Wolverhampton, St George's Hub, Karma Nirvana, and the City of Wolverhampton Council. Residents, businesses, schools, faith groups, charities and other organisations are once again being encouraged to Orange Wolverhampton and are invited to join one of the many online and face-to-face events taking place across the city between now and 10th of December. The events were marked with a flag-raising ceremony outside the Civic Centre on Monday, and there will be an Orange Wolverhampton information point at the Mounder Centre, next Monday and Tuesday, 2nd and 3rd of December, between 10.30am and 4.30pm. Raising awareness and giving out orange ribbons are people to wear in support of the campaign. There are also craft workshops with Changing Lives, a series of virtual lunch-and-learn sessions with the Haven Wolverhampton, Roshni, Black Country Women's Aid, Dorkus and Changing Lives, virtual spotlight sessions on domestic violence with Sikh Women's Aid, and drop-in sessions with Wolverhampton Homes, Dorkus and Roshni. A round table event for male survivors and professionals will be hosted by St George's Hub, which is also holding a workshop to help identify the hidden male victims of honour-based violence. Wolverhampton's domestic abuse champions will be at Winter's Field Library this Friday, 29th of November, to talk to people about any concerns they may have in confidence, and Orange Wolverhampton Runners will be taking part in the park runs at West Park and East Park during the 16 days of activism. The program ends with an orange walk led by Roshni on Tuesday 10th of December through the city. Four details of the events are available on the Orange Wolverhampton website. Councillor Obeda Armaid, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Digital and Community added, "There are loads of ways that people can get involved in the campaign, from holding where Orange dies, wearing orange pin badges, turning your social media channels orange and sharing key messages about the campaign. But the easiest way is to join one of the many events that are being held over the next few weeks, or visiting the Orange Wolverhampton Information Stand in the Mander Centre on 2nd and 3rd of December." The Orange Wolverhampton campaign is coordinated by Wolverhampton Safeguarding Together, the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership and the Council, and runs from 25th of November the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women until 10th of December UN Human Rights Day. It supports the UN Orange the World campaign to end violence against women and girls, but in Wolverhampton there is a strong focus on ending interpersonal violence against all individuals, whether they are female or male. Anyone suffering from domestic violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, so-called honour-based violence, or sexual violence, or know someone who is, should call the relevant helpline, as follows. The Haven Wolverhampton 24 Helpline for Women 08 00 01 9 400 St George's Hub Support for Male Victims 01 902 421 904 Karma Nirvana helped for victims of so-called honour-based violence and forced marriage, 0800 5999 247 Wolverhampton Adult Social Care 01 902 5511 99 Wolverhampton Children Social Care 01 902 555 392 West Midlands Forced Marriage and Honor-based Violence Helpline, 0800 953 9777 National Domestic Violence Helpline for Women, 0808 2000 247 National Domestic Violence Helpline for Men, 0808 801 0327 NSPCC Female Genital Mutilation Helpline, 0800 028 3550 In an emergency, always call the police on 999. For more information about the work, visit Wolverhampton's safeguarding together. And in line with the Orange Wolverhampton campaign, the news support group for men has also been launched by Adult Education, Wolverhampton's Exams Officer, Danny Rice. The newest branch of Andy's Man Club, met for the first time at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park on Monday, where all were welcome. Andy's Man Club aims to end the stigma surrounding men's mental health, help men through the power of conversation, and let everyone know that it's okay to talk. Danny said, "Last year, I found myself feeling completely overwhelmed, waiting for an operation and dealing with a lot of other life challenges that were weighing me down." That's when I took a step to go to Andy's Man Club. From the moment I walked in, I felt welcomed, safe and supported. Talking openly with others who understood made a huge difference, giving me the space to process things and to start seeing a way forward. Through the weekly sessions and the genuine connections, I began to sort things out, regain my confidence, and feel more like myself. I was travelling to Stafford as this was the nearest club. After becoming a facilitator, I wanted to establish an Andy's Man Club in Wolverhampton, and I'm proud to say that many people have supported me and Andy's Man Club in making it happen. There are no fees, no registration, and no pressure to talk. You'll be welcomed with a brew and a biscuit, and you'll be able to talk and open up about anything that's bothering you in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Andy's Man Club will meet at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park every Monday, excluding Bank holidays, from 7pm, and is being launched as part of Project 50 and Andy's Man Club's commitment to open 50 new clubs in the West Midlands by the end of 2025, ensuring there is a club within 30 minutes of every man. For more information about Andy's Man Club, please visit Andy's Man Club. Up next we have the big an update, brought to us by Muhammad. Hey everyone, and welcome to the beacon update. My name is Muhammad and I'm bringing you the latest news from across the charity. National Self Care Week. Last week was National Self Care Week, a week dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of self-care for both physical and mental well-being. This year's theme, Mind and Body, encourages us to take a broad approach to our health. Organized by Self Care Forum, Self Care Week is a perfect opportunity to reflect on how we can better care for ourselves and for our loved ones. Forget Me Not Service. Join us for our Forget Me Not Service 2024. Take a heartfelt moment of reflection with us as we come together to honor our loved ones who are no longer with us. We're delighted to announce that Matthew Richards, an incredibly talented pianist who has recently featured our channel for The Piano, will be performing live. His music will lend a touching and special tribute to this evening of remembrance. On Thursday the 12th of December, doors open at 6 p.m. and the service begins at 6.30 p.m. At the lighthouse restaurant, be consentor for the blind, Wolverhampton Road East, WV46AZ, to book your spot, call 019 02880111. Our 1990s party is almost here. We're counting down to our big Billston's 30th birthday celebration on Friday the 29th of November and we can't be more excited. A massive shout out to Darren and Christian from Rainbow Safety Science for creating and donating this amazing giant poster. It's the perfect touch to help us rewind to the raddest decade. Don't miss 1990s prices for one day only, Tombola and market stalls, fancy dress fun, free cake and refreshments. You can find our Billston shop at 28 High Street, be there to party like it's 1990 something and make this milestone unforgettable. That's it for this week's beacon update. Join us again next time for more. Thanks for that update, Muhammad. Next up we have another block of local news and up first we're here from Christine. Now then, did you know I once banged my head on a low bridge? Would have been all right if fire ducks? Okay, fair enough. Jokes good enough for a Christmas cracker aside and a booty in the black country has been revealed as one of three most bashed in the West Mibbons. Figures released by Network Rail show there were 65 bridge bashes across the region between April 1st, 2023 and March 31st, 2024 contributing to 8,838 minutes of delays for rail passengers over a 12 month period, more than six days in total. Bridges in Cragley Road in Cragley Heath, Station Road near Birkswell Station, and Birmingham Road in Morick have been revealed as the top three bridge strike locations in the West Mibbons, racking up a total of 10 incidents between them. Martin Colmay Network Rail's central route operations director said, "Every time a vehicle hits a bridge, not only can it cause delays to tens of thousands of passengers, but it can also cause serious safety issues for road and rail users." Working with partners, we've made some really positive improvements across the West Midlands, but there's still more work to do to decrease the number of incidents further. I'd urge drivers to properly plan their routes, know the height of their vehicles, never rely on sat-nav or apps to be up to date, and always look out for road signs showing the height restrictions for bridges. To try to reduce the number of incidents and delays caused, Network Rail is targeting haulage companies and drivers and urges them to take better care on the roads through its "Wise Up, Size Up" campaign. The ongoing campaign reminds drivers to check the height of their vehicles and plan their route in advance to avoid low bridges. Network Rail has also a team of bridge strike champions, which raise awareness across the rail network. Network Rail's central route has also set up a bridge strike working group, comprising representatives from Network Rail and key partners, which has helped to cut the number of incidents and disruption caused. It was formed in June 2020 in response to a spike in bridge strike incidents, which saw 107 recorded incidents causing more than 11 days, 16,355 minutes of delays for passengers in 2019-2020. One of the Black Country's most iconic bridges, the Hanson's Ailes Bridge, sits over the A4123 Birmingham new road, and residents and businesses in the region are being asked to take part in a new Black Country consultation regarding proposed travel schemes. Black Country Transport has secured funding to improve travel along the A4123, incorporating Birmingham new road and Wolverhampton road. Being delivered in connection with West Midlands combined authority, the work covers areas of Dudley, Sandwell and Wolverhampton councils, and is being funded by the government's city region sustainable transport settlement. It's hoped the scheme will provide more options for everyone who travels in the area, regardless of how they travel. Work could include tree planting, new segregated cycle lanes, safer pedestrian footways, and new pedestrian and cyclist crossings, CCTV and real-time passenger information at new bus stops, and improved junctions and traffic signals. The proposals aim to provide the public with a greater choice of healthy and affordable travelling. The consultation also looks at ways of improving public safety in the area, and it will explore potential local travel point, which could include bike hire, bicycle parking, electric vehicle charging and a sheltered seating area. People can find out more and take part in the consultation online where they can provide their feedback and sign up for the latest updates. Councillor Damien Corfield, cabinet member for highways and environment said, "These suggested improvements tie into other projects across the Black country, and I am sure people who live and work in the area will welcome the proposals. We want to hear from anyone who is directly or indirectly impacted by the scheme, including residents and businesses, and we are sending out leaflets to addresses in the area to let them know more. We will also be holding several events throughout the project areas where people can discuss proposals in more detail and share any thoughts or feedback. Residents and businesses who live in the immediate area of the scheme will receive a leaflet through their door, further detailing the proposed scheme. Consultation events will be held as follows. Monday 2nd of December, 1-7pm at Tesco Extra at Castlegate in Dudley. To use their 10th of December, 2-8pm at Brand Hall Library in Oldbury. Thursday 12th of December, 1-730pm at Hilton Hall Community Centre in Wolverhampton. Wednesday 18th of December, 1-8pm at Port Way Lifestyle Centre in Oldbury. Now, with snow blanketing most of the Black country last week, many Councillors in the area have deployed their army of gritters to help ensure that the roads in our region remain safe to use. Dudley Council and Birmingham City Council all confirmed their gritters had been out on major routes to grit roads and to combat the ice. Whilst Wolverhampton Sandwell and Warsaw Councils also said their gritters had been out and about, putting a smile on residents' faces whilst melting the ice. Why the smiles? Well, that's because a resident in Sandwell may have seen a Dame-Dulie Salters making the rounds, possibly spotting the greatest snow van as well. Melton John, Spread Zeppelin and Royal Grittania had also been put to work across the borough, spreading salt rather than musical melodies. Let's hope Control Salt Delete didn't have any technical difficulties during its runs. Warsaw Council also confirmed that their iconic fleet of gritters were out serving its residents with Selena Snowmares putting on a stellar performance across the borough's roads. The snow and ice stood no chance against Thor's hammer or the magical powers of grit and door either. Noddy Colder may have been spotted on the streets of Wolverhampton as well as, "Out of the darkness cometh no ice, a wintry play on the city's motto." There's also arguably nothing more black country than seeing a gritter called "Turra Gritt making its way down the road." Whilst we may have a chuckle at their humorous names, gritters do serve an important purpose, making sure roads remain open and safe to use. As we head into the winter months to check the routes in your area that have been gritted, or for a chance to see the likes of Warsaw's gritzilla in the flesh, please do check your local council's website. And if you have any fun gritter names to suggest of your own, please do send them into the black country talking news by sending a message or leaving a voice note on 07849 802 703. And you never know, the local authorities may just like them enough. And, Dame Julie Salters, Selena Snowmets, Spread Zeppelin and the team did a fabulous job gritting the roads as visited attended in their droves at the Red House glass cone official reopening events last week. It was a day to forget about the weather and take a trip to see a unique and evocative black country attraction after the completion of a major restoration project. The Red House glass cone in Wardsley was a hive of activity, with families, couples and glass enthusiasts coming to see the Dudley Council on site after it reopened its doors to the public. The site had undergone a £1.5 million restoration over the last 12 months, with partial closures while essential but sensitive work has been carried out. And the Christmas craft fair and official reopening event were put on to celebrate the reopening. The inside of the glass cone proved a popular place to stand and take in the sheer scale of the attraction, which towers over the nearby canal and a 4-1-1 road, while there was also plenty of takers for tours of the underground tunnels. The Mayor of Dudley officially reopened the site as part of an event funded by Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund, while people were able to enjoy refreshments on site from Onsite Cafe to you. A Christmas choir performed and Mrs. Claus and Santa were also present for seasonal photo opportunities throughout the day. The Christmas craft fair, which has been taking place across the weekend, provided the seasonal gifts to take home, while a Christmas trail was also part of the event, with the first 150 children who completed the trail receiving a keepsake glass token made on site by resident artist Bethany Wood. Site manager Kate Jones said that everyone involved with the cone was very excited about its reopening and spoke about what people could expect from the centre. She said, "We're really excited because today marks the end of the restoration works that we've done here on the site, with £1.5 million having been spent on the building and site as a whole. And it's been one of the hardest but also one of the most enjoyable and rewarding projects we've ever worked on. It's been part of the local skyline for more than 300 years and we want people to come and enjoy it and we want to retell the stories of their ancestors and families who've worked here in the past and share it with us. It's a celebration of storage and its history of glass and we're really proud that we've got a lot of local visitors and people who are repeat visitors and it's a really important part of our local heritage." Councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader of Dudley Council, said, "We are thrilled to be fully reopening after an incredible program of works that has been undertaken to protect and conserve this precious site for future generations. During the restoration, the cone's visitor centre, shop and studios have remained open and were recently assessed by visiting England. For the third year running, the site has secured gold status from the National Tourism Agency." Now it's time to test your knowledge. Here come the quiz questions for this edition and they're brought to us by Mina. Hello and welcome to this week's Flashback quiz. All the answers you need can be found later in Flashback Rogers did you no feature. But for now, these are your questions. Here we go. Question 1. How long ago was the last eyes age? Question 2. Why is December so called? Question 3. What is the run-up to Christmas called? Question 4. Why is mince meat in our mince pies so called? Question 5. Where did the idea of advent calendars originate? And finally question 6. Who was the nor's goddess of love and beauty? I will be back with you later in the show to give you all your answers. But for now, best of luck! Thanks for those, Mina. I'll get my mind working on them right now. But next however, let's have another block of local news. Now then, if you're taking part in any try not to listen or sing Christmas song challenges, then you may want to skip your way through these next few minutes as a festive big hit becomes the center of a new competition. It's been more than 50 years but local musician Roy Wood still loves to talk about the song which is a highlight of any Christmas event and which has taken on a new form as part of "Sparaoke". It's a song which is synonymous with Christmas, one which gets people dancing and singing along from which is still loved by the writer and singer more than 50 years after it first hit the charts. West Midlands music legend Roy Wood has been a recording and performing entertainer since 1967, being part of bands such as the move, electric light orchestra and most notably as the frontman of Wizard with which the now 78 year old wrote the song which he is probably best remembered for. I wish it could be Christmas every day reached number four in the UK Singles charts in 1973 and is a single which the singer says he still loves to play and is still proud of. He said "I am very proud of it and I'm not one of those people who plays my own stuff at home, not unless I'm recording something new and need to listen to something I've done before". However with the Christmas one if it comes on the radio it just brings back good memories and you can tell from listening to it that we enjoyed recording it. I never imagined back then that 50 years later it would still be as popular as it was in those days. You don't imagine it's going to last but after a few years it was still around and it's great that it still is. The song alongside Merry Christmas everybody by Slade from the same year and lonely this Christmas by mud in 1974, dark songs which have stood the test of time full of character and still memorable to fans of music and lovers of Christmas. Roy said he had had ideas about a festive single saying that he wanted to have a rock and roll song as a lot of Christmas songs were novelty hits but hadn't realised that Slade had had the same idea. He said when I wrote it I was carrying around some ideas in a folder and in the May of 1973 I thought it was about time we had a new rock and roll Christmas record as they were all very novelty and comedy records in that time. The only one I could think of at the time was Brenda Lee's rocking around the Christmas tree but there was nothing else around that time but I didn't have a clue about Slade doing one as well. We knew them quite well and I hadn't got a clue and I don't think they knew about me either as we kept all our cards very close to our chests. The recording process for the song took place in London in August 1973 and Roy said the studio engineer and road crew worked to make the studio feel festive by putting up decorations and turning the air conditioning down to the lowest level. He said the experience, particularly with the contribution of the choir of Stockholm to Green School had been a fun one for everyone. He said they made the studio very Christmasy and I called the band and told them to turn up in overcoats and bobble hats and scarves which they all did and we got into the right mood and it was great although we once hoped for a break opened the doors and remembered it was blazing hot outside. The choir then came down from Birmingham on the coach and it was treated as a school project so I explained to them how a record was made, how it got from the microphone to the disc and they wrote down everything so when it came to them performing their part they'd lost on their inhibitions and we did it on the second take. After that we took them to the Hard Rock Cafe in Leicester Square and they interviewed us with three or four tables and a member of the band so that it was marvellous then we all got the coach back with pop and crisps for the kids, a beer for the band and a bit of a sing-song so it was all great! Whilst it's been a staple of Roy Wood's live shows and he has recorded a number of different versions it's the latest way of experiencing the song which is excited Roy Wood. AF Blakemore, one of the UK's largest privately owned family businesses and wholesaler for spa stores, has announced the launch of the "Sparaoke Christmas Edition". The competition invites customers to take part in an in-store karaoke competition where they can win their shopping for free 500 milliliters of Coca-Cola and go into a prize draw for a grand prize. Roy Wood has provided "I wish it could be Christmas every day" as the song for the spa single-long event and said it was nice to be able to be part of a fun competition. He said it might also be nice to see the song cover resurgence and maybe chart again and spoke about how it seemed to have stood the test of time. He said it would be great if I could get a few plays on the radio which it usually does and it gets into the top 50 most years and does all right. I think the reason it does well still is because there haven't been a lot of Christmas songs written for a long time apart from the Mariah Carey song and I can hear my influence all over it. I think record companies sometimes think about how much mileage they can get out of a song if it's about Christmas and stops getting played after Christmas. What I would say to people about "Sparaoke" is that there's a microphone in the corner of the shop, they can have a go and if they do well enough with it they get their shopping free and have a good day out and that's what I love about that song is how it makes people happy. Now then, as well as songs such as "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day" by Wizard, there are also certain smells that are shoe-in festive fragrances from the scent of a fresh pine tree and dusty ornaments pulled down from the attic to a rich creamy eggnog and mold wine, albeit some cinnamon-spiced cookies or chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Maybe it's none of these at all and the distinct smells you recall are unique to your area. Well, here's a little something to wax lyrical about. A couple from the Black Country have created candles designed to smell like places in the West Midlands. Firm, dark, foundry number eight is run by Paul Breeds and Dicky Smith from Will & Hall. Among others, their candles pay tribute to Dickbeth's custard factory, Wall Saw's traditional saddle-making industry and the scent of canic chase. However, Mr Breeds admitted that not every aroma of the West Midlands deserved to be wafted around your bedroom. He said his personal favourite candle was one dedicated to two Birmingham City FC but added the "masculine scent" captured the essence of St Andrews rather than the average merch day. "We didn't really want to make one of our candles smell like pucker pies on a cup of bovril," Mr Breeds said. One was called the Sadler, after Wall Saw's massive leather industry, Mr Breeds said. Other candles sensed the cup will say are more in keeping with their origins. One, Ms Smith said, captured the essence of Staffordshire beauty spot, Canic Chase. "We always take our dog there. It's not just trees. It's like even in the summer it smells wet, damp, salty, but clean," she said. Another was named after Dickbeth in Birmingham, famous for the custard factory. Mr Breeds said, "The vanilla scent candle is to do with the old bird's custard factory. We wanted to keep the candle named classy, and when creating it I first called it Dickbeth Bird." My partner Vicki was like, "That's not classy. Why not call it Lady Dickbeth?" He said. Wall Saw fan, Mr Breeds, added another of the firm's candles named the Sadler, reflected the area's saddle-making heritage with a smoky leather scent. The couple are also open to new ideas and warn people in the region to come up with their own suggestions. If you have any sensational and delightful suggestions, drop a message or a voice note to the Black Country talking news on 07849 802 703 and we shall forward them on. You never know you may become famous or created scandal. Up next it's trivia time brought to us by Flashback Roger and his "Did you know?" feature. It's all yours Roger, take it away. Hello again everyone. I hope that you're all safe and well and ticking off the remaining days to Christmas, as is December on Sunday and time to start your admin calendars. I'm like a big kid over mine and mine has Cadbury's Chocton offer this year. Anyway, let's get on with it and see what little gems in behind this week's "Did you know?" door. So now then, did you know that? On the 1st of December 1990, our island became joined to mainland Europe for the first time since the Ice Age 25,000 years ago, when workers from the UK made those from France 40 metres below the English Channel to form the Channel Tunnel. It was open to rail traffic in May 1994 and December got its name from the Latin word "decem" meaning "ten" because it was originally the 10th month of the year in the calendar of the 8th century Roman calendar, which began in March. The winter days following December were not included as part of any month. Later the months of January and February were created out of the monthly period and added to the beginning of the calendar, but December retained its name. An advent, a traditional run-up to Christmas, was originally a period of fasting before the Feast of Christmas. Unlike Lent, the run-up to Easter, which continued to be observed, the fasting in advent fell into disuse. And the reason that mince meat that we use in mince pies is called meat is because that's exactly what it used to be, often what an also beef, rabbit or corgame. Mince pies were first served in the early mid-lages and the pies were quite sizeable, filled with a mixture of finely mince meat chopped up fruit and preserving fluid. Mince meat originally came about as a good way of preserving meat without sorting, curing, smoking or drying it. And the origin of advent calendars harks back to Germany when a little candle was lit each day on the run-up to Christmas. They became popularized in the late 1900s, with the introduction of printed cards and calendars with little doors to open. Nowadays of course, behind each door there are little gifts of chocolate or trinkets to surprise each day. A mistletoe was a plant of peace in antiquity. According to Norse legend, it was connected to Freya, the goddess of love and beauty. A man had to kiss any young girl who, without realising it, found herself accidentally under a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Well then, I do hope that this week's items of kick-started the Christmas spirit in you. It certainly has done for me, with the promise of chocolate, mince pies and all the other Christmas goodies that are on offer in the coming weeks. I've also discovered that Christmas food should offer 13 ingredients that represents the participants of the Last Supper. In road up in that case, I'm off to check the label on me foods that I bought from the Aldi. And I want to be sure it changed till next week then I'll sign off for now. Ta-ra, a bit. Ta-ra. Oh now we have to hear what the weather has in store for us. Brought to us, come rain or shine by our own sunny Mina. Hi everyone, it's Mina here. I hope you're all keeping well. Hasn't it been a world week of weather? We've had snow, gusts of wind, sun shining showers, mild temperatures and even frost. So what will this week's forecast bring? Well, it does look as though we shall be having a much calmer and more settled spell of weather as a band of relatively dry weather descends upon the region. At the moment, it's looking like there should be a mix of sunshine and showers throughout the week with low UV levels. The sunrise and sunset times 8am for the sunrise and 3.55pm for the sunset for Friday 29th of November. It's looking rather quiet with a chance of some mist early on. But this should all clear relatively quickly leading to a clear, cloudy but dry day for us all. With gentle breeze coming up from the south, temperatures will actually not be too bad at around 8 degrees. Moving on into the weekend and it's looking very much like the opposite of last weekend's washout with sunshine forecast for most of the day on both Saturday 30th and Sunday 1st December. With a gentle breeze continuing to sweep up from the southeast, temperatures will continue to hold up well and may even climb up to double-digit 10 degrees. Which isn't too bad at all for the start of December into next week and we shall see more unsettled patterns setting in from Monday 2nd of December and continuing right through to Thursday with a risk of short, short showers alongside the sunny intervals breaking through. With a breeze continuing to push in some mild air from the south, temperatures will continue to hover around 10 degrees. Well there we have it. It sure sounds like it will be a lot more friendly out there this week. Do take care, have a wonderful week and enjoy the weather. Cheers for that weather update, Mina. Now it's time to find out how our local football teams have been getting on. Hi this is Jamie Olde's son, we're talking to you after full on one, we'll have some water support. I have been happy all weekend after that was all because hopefully we can see the rules now really are not in contention for relegation but having said that we are still in a sticky situation where one of these and I couldn't go back. But the outstanding performance of this weekend was Mateus Konya. Yeah I'm really happy with that performance extremely pleased. Hopefully we can get to another few things that we'll see as safe in this league for another season and hopefully we can just move on for the next. But having said that Gary O'Neill is still pretty vulnerable to being a sack because if we do fall back you know we've got seven defeats in the first 12 games and it seems really that rules were looking at possible replacements. Hopefully you saved this job, hopefully we can move on much a little touchdown. But yeah it's all very good anyway, thank you very much, bye! Now here come the quiz answers and they're brought to us by Mina. Hello and here are your answers for this week's Flashback quiz, feeling confident? How will you score? Let's see. Question one, how long ago was the last ice age? And the answer here is 25,000 years. Question two, why is December so called? And the answer in ancient Roman calendars, it was the 10th month. Question three, what is the run up to Christmas called? And the answer, advent. Question four, why is mince meat in our mince pie so called? And the answer, because in the middle ages it was actually minced meat. Question five, where did the idea of advent calendars originate? And the answer here is Germany. And finally question six, who was the Norse goddess of love and beauty? And the answer is Freya. Did you get them all right? If not, not to worry, as I will be back next week to test you all once again. Bye for now! Oh now is another beacon of doubt. Welcome to December 2024/January 2025. We are ready for Christmas and the start of 2025. How quickly has this year gone? It is time to get your advent calendars ready and to start making your wish list for 2025. Have a read through the newsletter and see what we are up to for the next two months. Remember to book onto your activities during our booking session. Let's get the festive period started. VIP sessions. Book in advance with Kay de Janz, Kay de Janz at beaconvision.org or Daniel Clark, B. Clark at beaconvision.org or call 01902 880 1111. Our groups are the people who live independently with sight loss and meet once a month for a social gathering. They are all a friendly bunch that likes to try new activities, build friendships and encourage others to live live to the fullest. Each meeting costs £3.50. VIP beacon. This group is at the Beacon Centre, Wolverhampton Road East, Wolverhampton, WV46AZ. On 18th December we will be having a Christmas quiz between 6pm and 8pm. On 27th January we will be having a day disco between 2pm and 4pm. Come and have a dance with us, food will be available for purchase. VIP Queens Cross. This group is based at the Queens Cross network, Wellington Road, DY-1, 1RB in the cafe plaza. You can purchase refreshments at the venue. On 6th December we will be having a Christmas craft session along with discussing what activities you'd like Beacon to put on for 2025. On 10th January we will be having a session with Beacon sight loss advisors. This is between 1 and 3. VIP Brett Young. This group meets at Brett Young Gateway, Old Horn Lane, Hillslow Inn, B63, 3ST. You can purchase tea and coffee at the venue. The first meeting is on 9th December. We will be having a session with Beacon sight loss advisors. They will demonstrate equipment and answer any questions you have about the support they can offer. On 13th January we will be talking with the Dudley Rehabilitation team. They will explain what they can do to help you with your visual impairment. December sessions to book, contact Kaylee Jons, Kayjons@beekemission.org or Daniel Clark, B Clark at the Beekemission.org, or call 01 or 02, 8 or 8 or 01 or 1. The booking form is on the back of this newsletter. And Tuesday the 3rd of December booking session in the residence lounge between 10 and 12pm. Come book your activities for December in the afternoon from 1 to 3.30 pm. Kaylee and Dan will be available to take bookings and payments over the phone. For anyone who can't attend the drop-in. And Tuesday the 3rd of December, they will have a meeting for 2025 in the residence lounge between 10 and 12pm. To discuss what you'd like to do for activities, create 2025. Thursday the 5th of December, book club in the residence lounge. 10.30 am to 12pm. Price is £2.50. Thursday the 10th of December, Hollybush Garden Centre trip, departing from Beekem get 10.30 am. There is a cafe at the Garden Centre where we will be having lunch. The mini bus costs £9.90 and activity costs £2.50. Thursday the 12th of December, Himmley Walk will even be at 10.30 am. The mini bus costs £5.50. And activity costs £2.50. Friday the 13th of December, 10pm bolding, 2 gain for £6.50 which we pay at the activity. Activity costs £2.50 and mini bus costs £5.50. We'll be leaving the Beekem at 10.30 am. Monday the 16th of December, new British Christmas meal. Everyone has already given their deposit to the meal. We will be leaving Beekem at 11.15 am. The activity costs £2.50 and mini bus costs £5.50. Thursday the 19th of December, pop up the cinema in the residence lounge at 10.30 am. We are watching Last Christmas and activity costs £5. Friday the 20th of December and Mary Hill trip. We'll be going to Mary Hill retail park for a bit of shopping along with a meal at the Stone House pub afterwards. The activity costs £2.50 and mini bus costs £7.70. Leaving at 10.30 am the Beekem. January activities. Tuesday 7th of January, dropping session in the residence lounge. 10 am, 12pm. Come and walk on to the activities for January. In the afternoon 1pm till 3.30 pm, Katie and Dan will be available to set looking good payments over the phone for anyone who can't attend the drop. Thursday the 9th of January, book club in the residence lounge. 10.30 am to 12pm. The activity costs £2.50. Thursday the 16th of January, pop up the cinema in the residence lounge. Start at 10.30 am. We are watching One Love, the Bob Marley film, Naptivity costs £5. Friday the 17th of January, Bhagarish walk. Leaving Beekem at 10.30 am, activity costs £2.50 and mini bus costs £5.50. Friday the 24th of January, 10 pin bowling. Two games for £6.60. You can pay it the activity for that. The activity costs £2.50 and mini bus costs £5.50. Leaving Beekem at 10.30 am. Wednesday the 29th of January, trip to Ruskin Glass Centre in Stairbridge. We will be having a tour of the centre and there is a cafe on site where we will be having lunch. The activity costs £2.50, mini bus costs £9.90. We will be leaving Beekem at 10.30 am. Beekem Gin. I want to exercise with phone and support of atmosphere. Once the joint class is or exercise independently, I'll use someone who works here regularly or wants to start up. Contact Katie Johns, Cajons@beekemvision.org or Daniel Clark, Dclav@beekemvision.org or call 0190288011 to book in. The gym is open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm. It costs £5 per session or you can have a membership with you £22 per month. You must complete a health questionnaire and the induction before you start your exercise journey. Please let reception now when you are going into the gym. Wednesday the 11th of December, 10.30 am to 11.45 am. We're doing a surfing class which involves a combination of exercises in a set amount of time. Wednesday the 15th of January, 1 pm till 2.15 pm. There'll be a cardio, heat class, just high intensity interval training. This involves slightly higher intensity, looking at movements and getting the blood popping for a set amount of time with recipes. Tuesday the 21st of January, 10.30 am to 11.45 am. We're having a gym competition. So in the gym we have a reaction more where you hit the lights that I want and create a score. We want to go head to head with other members and see we get to the best score when we get to the pros. Walls Foundation to book on concept kdjons, kjons@beekenvision.org or Daniel Clark D. Clark@beekenvision.org or call R1902-8801-11. The booking form is on the back of this newsletter. On Tuesday the 3rd and Tuesday the 17th of December, and also Tuesday the 14th of January, Tuesday the 28th of January, we'll be going to the Walls Foundation in Aldersley. This is a multi-sport session and is free to attend. We will leave in Beeken at 10.15 am. On Thursday the 12th of December and the 9th and the 23rd of January the Walls Foundation will be in our day center on 10.30 am, 12 pm. These sessions are also free. There's a picture below of the walls longer. The site of sound to book concept kdjons, kjons@beekenvision.org or Daniel Clark D. Clark@beekenvision.org or call 01902-8801-11. These are on Wednesday the 4th and the 18th of December and also the 8th and the 22nd of January at 1 pm till 2.30 pm in the day center and these are free sessions. And enjoying engaging drumming workshops that ignite creativity, no pro experience is required. The workshops will be held in December 2024 in January, February and March 2025. Led by professional drumming expert Mende Singh, doing everyday objects such as tins, bowls, pots or mugs and getting involved. Site loss 2025 large print calendars and diaries. Contact enquiries@beekenvision.org or call 01902-8801-11 to book an appointment with our low vision team. We are now taking orders for 2025. Contact our low vision team to order any of the following. A6 pocket diary, 7 pounds 50. A5 midi diary, 9 pounds 50. A4 desk diary, 11 pounds 50. A4 jumbo diary, 22 pounds. A3 portrait calendar, 9 pounds. A3 landscape calendar, 9 pounds. Important dates reminder, 7 pounds 50. Picture to the right is of a yellow front cover for an A5 midi diary with the black text A5 large print midi diary 2025 across the top and VIP diaries written in black text at the bottom of the page. Picture below is of the inside of the A5 midi diary showing two white pages with a black border margin on the left of the page with white text detailing the day and date. The left hand page detailing three days, Monday to Wednesday and the right hand page detailing four days, Thursday to Sunday, each day separated by a horizontal black line. Santa Run Announcement Ho Ho Ho, it's official. We're thrilled to announce that the Wolverhampton Mayor will be kicking off our Santa Run at West Park on Sunday the 8th of December. Get ready for a festive 5k that's fun for all ages. Bring your family, friends and Christmas spirit. Every adult ticket gets a free Santa suit included in their ticket, young runners get a Santa hat and our four-legged friends get a festive bandana. Whether you're sprinting, jogging or strolling, this event is all about festive fun and laughter. Don't miss out on the Marius Run of the Year. The Santa Run will be held at West Park Wolverhampton on Sunday the 8th of December with registration from 9.30am. Ticket prices for the event are 12 pounds for adults, 7 pounds for children, 5 pounds for our four-legged friends and 3 for children under the age of 3. Sign up now at www.bconvision.org/center-run-2. Thank you. Black Country Food Bank We are pleased to announce that we have recently partnered with Black Country Food Bank and are now a voucher distributor helping to support those in need. Food banks play a crucial role in helping families through challenging times, but they rely on donations to continue their work. Without community support, their efforts wouldn't be possible. With this in mind, we are organizing a collection over the coming week just in time for Christmas to support families in need. Every donation, big or small, can make a real difference. Please feel free to leave any contribution for the learning team to collect at the reception desk in the Beacon Centre. Picture below is of a pair of hands holding a brown box of food for the Food Bank. Forget Me Not Tree Service 2024. Join us for a heartfelt moment of reflection as we come together to honour our loved ones who are no longer with us. We are privileged to welcome special guest pianist Matthew Richards. Matthew recently featured on Channel 4's The Piano and his music will add a touching tribute to this special occasion of remembrance. The service will be held in the Lighthouse restaurant at the Beacon Centre Wolverhampton Road East, WV46Z. On Thursday the 12th of December, with doors opening at 6pm and the service commencing at 613, please confirm your attendance by contacting Reception on 01902 880 111. Wolverhampton Visual Impairment Support Group We are a friendly group of people who all have a visual impairment. We meet every Tuesday morning at the arena theatre while thrown the street Wolverhampton, WV1 1SA for a cup bath, a chat to share things that help learn easy Braille or to help get the grips with technology like Malba Founds. If you are interested or would like to come along, you can just turn up at 10.30am or call 07805 1LL484. I'm Andrew and I started volunteering here at the Beacon Centre in April in the lifestyle centre two days a week. After completing 100 hours of voluntary work, I was taken on as a lifestyle coordinator in September. Working with others who have faced disadvantages in life, but who still have a lot to offer, there's always been a passion of mine. It's a busy and interesting role and the day flies by so quickly. I really do look forward to coming in every day and spending time talking and interacting with our members who will always make my day. It's a role I thoroughly enjoy. It's varied and no two days are the same, just like our service users who are also different with their own distinct and unique personalities. I previously worked for several years in administration, processing mortgages and loans for GE Purple Loans and then as an operations administrator for a Caterpillar rental company where I provided admin support for the entire depot. After being made redundant in 2009, I retrained to become a special educational needs teaching assistant and worked for two years in a large SCN school supporting children age 5 to 16 with autism and complex learning needs. Challenging role, but also a very rewarding experience which convinced me that helping others was where my heart really was. I still like being creative and artistic wherever I can in my spare time. I've always been interested in doing some watercolor landscapes and maybe 2025 will be the year I finally start. I enjoyed following the snooker being an avid viewer since the very early 80s and I especially like watching and learning about real crime stories and documentaries and anything historical always interesting. A lot of what interests me in general tends to fall into the category of either retro, vintage, nostalgia or just plain old. As a child of the 70s and 80s, I do have an affinity with anything 1970s. So instead of watching what passes for entertainment these days, I'd sooner watch something from the past that brings about happier memories or just reminds me of better days. Much in the same way, the music I listen to is for the most part firmly rooted in the past as well, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. I tend to listen to a lot of country music these days and acoustic music probably because I'm getting old. Anything really as long as it's not in the charts and it has a really good tune. I also enjoy taking part in pub quizzes. I love acquiring knowledge and learning new things and I do find that having a broad range of general knowledge enables me to engage with all sorts of different people on different levels. After being isolated for so many years due to personal circumstances, the beacon centre has been somewhat of a lifeline for me and honestly one of the best things to happen to me. It's a good feeling knowing that you have purpose and you can make a difference to someone else's life and I'm grateful to have been given this opportunity to work here. Day centre crafts. This month one of our members have created some amazing crafts. This will be up on our wall in the day centre if you'd like to come and have a look well done Andy. The art piece is a tactile piece of an owl made out of metal bottle caps. Sedgley lifestyle centre. We are open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am to 3pm in our base in Sedgley. We run several activities each day including cookery, crafting, pottery, computer work, gym sessions, listening to music, quizzes and reminiscing. We keep well hydrated with tea, coffee and water and we have the restaurant to attend to for a hot meal if we don't bring our sandwiches with us. We are lively, fun and love to have a laugh. Why not come and join us for a trial day? Contact Beacons reception and ask for more information. You can call us on 0192 8800 111 or email inquiries@beconvision.org. Now how would you like to help combat loneliness? Well if you have 30 minutes free during the week then as a befriending volunteer you could do just that. Beacons befriending service is here to offer friendship, support and help to anyone who may be feeling isolated and or lonely. As a volunteer you will be paired with someone based on common interests and all volunteering is flexible to suit your needs so it could be arranged for support to be provided over the phone. If you're interested contact our team by calling 0192 8800 111 or emailing inquiries@beconvision.org. Accommodation at Beacon Court. Each apartment at Beacon Court has its own front door, individual card access, two bedrooms, store, wet/shower room, kitchen with appliances, gas central heating and double glaze windows. Beacon provides 24/7 care team on site to deal with any emergencies 365 days of the year. There's a pool court in each apartment that can raise an emergency. You will also get 30 minutes a week of a well-being time call to go through anything you would like help with such as posts or paying bills. If you want any further information on accommodation at Beacon Court please contact Sophie Jones on 0192 882 170 or email Sophie.Jones@bromford.co.uk So that's it for another edition of the Black Country Talking News. A reminder to our CD listeners who have received CDs in padded envelopes that you don't need to send anything back to us. If you have a sightless tip or someone you would like to wish a happy birthday to, just say hello to, maybe even a poem or talking book you would like reviewed, then please get in touch with us at the Beacon Centre call 11902 880 1. Email bctn@beaconvision.org or write to us at the Black Country Talking News, Beacon, Wolverhampton, WV-4, 6-A-Z. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for listening and thank you to all our supporters, downators and volunteers who without their support will be unable to run this free service. Please note the information and views expressed in this recording does not necessarily represent the views of Beacon or Talking News and were accurate at the time of recording. Mentions of goods and services does not imply endorsement and whilst every care is taken to supply accurate information, Beacon and Talking News do not undertake liability for any errors. So it's goodbye from one of us, stay safe, have a good week and we look forward to bringing you next week's edition of the Black Country Talking News. Ta-ra! [Music]