Townsend Avenue parking charges cause fury among residents and traders

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The sign at the High Street entrance of Townsend Avenue car park

For more than 40 years, this large car park has been well used by shoppers in Sedgley and has been an invaluable asset to traders in the village.

But all that changed at the end of November last year, when free parking in Townsend Avenue, behind Monty’s Wine Bar, was abolished almost overnight and replaced with what many residents and traders see as extortionate parking charges.

A recent meeting of Sedgley Traders’ Association was attended by members of the public and traders, who were furious about the unexpected charges and deeply concerned about the impact they say this will have upon trading.

Many residents also brought along demands for payment of parking fines from Chorley-based car park management company, Parking Eye, which some say are extortionate and unexpected.

“Why should every business in Sedgley suffer as a result of this company’s greed?” asked local resident John Spragg, who regularly used to park his car in Townsend Avenue while he visited the village.

His views were echoed by Lee and Helen Seabridge, owners of Beacon Crafts, who say they have already seen a decline in trade as a result of the 60p per hour parking charge.

“Several of our customers are elderly,” said Helen, “and they don’t want to park too far away. This parking charge means they are less likely to come into Sedgley and visit our store, which is obviously bad news for us and many other local traders.”

Inconvenient

The surface of this pay and display car park is littered with pot-holes

As well as damaging trade, many local businesses say the new charges have also made coming to work inconvenient for them. Each premise is now only allocated one parking space, yet many of the businesses nearby employ more than one person.

“It’s made life difficult for all traders in Sedgley,” added Laura-Jayne Porter, a stylist at High Street hairdressers Verve 62, formerly known as Christopher’s. “To my knowledge, nobody was ever consulted about the charges – it all came as a complete surprise.”

Lease

So, which company is behind these charges and why have they suddenly come in effect?

David Caunt, who has been a councillor for Sedgley since 1970, explains: “It all dates back to 1967, when Dudley council was originally offered the lease for half the car park by the developers behind the shops on High Street.

“When the lease came up for renewal last year, the owners of the land (a joint venture between KUC Properties Limited and Birmingham-based Ciel Properties Limited), decided not to lease it again to the council, meaning it is now completely privately owned. Now, Dudley Council only owns the accesses into the car park – one on High Street and the other on Ettymore Road.”

As a result, Dudley Council says there is little that can be done about the situation, although Sedgley residents and traders have already stopped using the once full car park in favour of much cheaper, but less convenient, alternatives elsewhere in the village. Another point raised at the Traders’ Association meeting was that although people now have to pay to park there, the surface of Townsend Avenue car park is still littered with potentially damaging pot-holes.

What do you think about the parking charges in Townsend Avenue?

Have you found yourself having to pay a large parking fine as a result?

Get in touch with us – we’d love to hear your views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kick off a year of sporting memories with Sedgley Local History Society

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Dudley-born football legend Duncan Edwards

Local residents will get the opportunity to share their sporting memories this Thursday, January 12, when Sedgley Local History Society kicks off this Olympic year with a series of informative meetings.

Members and visitors are invited to come along to the event at St. Andrew’s Church, Bilston Street, Sedgley and share their memories of sporting events and personalities connected with the Black Country and further afield. The meeting starts at 7.30pm and everyone is invited to bring along artefacts, photographs, posters and memorabilia or just tell stories about the world of sport.

Colourful

George Blackham, PR officer for the society, says: “These open evenings usually turn up rarely seen items from family collections as well as providing a chance to hear colourful tales with a Black Country flavour. Start the New Year by sharing your memories and ‘treasures’ at this friendly gathering. Take the chance to relive local rivalries and recall names and venues – the field is wide open.”

The Dudley borough has produced many sporting heroes, including Dudley’s football legend Duncan Edwards, Netherton’s champion jumper Joe Darby and Kidderminster-born tennis star Dorothy Round. There are also many other sporting legends associated with the rest of the Black Country.

In addition to tales of sporting prowess on the night, there will be notes on London’s three Olympic Games and an opportunity to test your knowledge of obscure local sporting links.

Visitors are invited to come along – the cost of admission is just £1.

George adds: “On behalf of Sedgley Local History Society, we’d live to extend our best wishes to everyone in the borough for 2012 – an exceptional year for sport.

“Pop along to the meeting on Thursday. You can be a ‘spectator’ and watch or take part as a ‘player’.”

Visit the society’s website for more information.

Teenager assaulted in mobile phone theft on Sedgley street

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Sedgley police are urging people using their phones to be extra vigilant after this nasty incident

It may be the season of goodwill, but police are urging Sedgley residents to be extra vigilant after a 19-year-old man was attacked with a metal bar and threatened with a knife on a busy road last week.

Dudley CID is investigating the robbery, which took place on Wednesday, December 14 at  8:10pm, where the teenager was robbed of his mobile phone.

Detective Constable Louise Porter of Dudley CID says: “This was a particularly nasty robbery, whereby the victim was approached by an unknown offender who demanded he hand over his phone. He was then threatened with a knife. A second offender then struck the victim over the head with a metal bar, which caused left him with a head injury.”

The first offender is described as being a white man with a slim build and approximately 5’10” tall, he was aged between 19 and 21 years of age and had blonde hair. He was wearing a light grey hoodie with the hood up and dark coloured tracksuit bottoms and black trainers.

The second offender is described as also being a white man with a slim build and 6′ tall, he is between the ages of 16 and 20 years of age and was wearing a dark coat with a hoodie underneath, dark tracksuit bottoms and black woollen gloves.

DC Porter adds: “I am asking for people to come forward if they witnessed this nasty robbery take place.

“Dudley Road is a busy through road and at that time of night, I am sure there would have been passers-by that could have seen the incident happen or who saw two men running away from the scene”.

If you can help Dudley police with their enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact Dudley CID on 0345 113 5000. If you would prefer to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Sedgley pupil leads countdown to Christmas at Dudley Zoo

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Cotwall End Primary School pupil Eliza Lewis counts down to Christmas at Dudley Zoo

Staff at Dudley Zoological Gardens are coping with a busy festive season this year at the 40-acre site, helped along the way by Eliza Lewis, a pupil at Cotwall End Primary School, Sedgley.

Eliza, from Castle Hill, Dudley, was one of many young visitors to the zoo this festive season, who have all enjoyed a fun-packed day out full of Christmas cheer.
Santa’s Grotto, hosted in the grounds of the 11th century Dudley Castle, started on December 5 and runs through to Christmas Eve.
DZG’s Magical Winter Wonderland package includes zoo admission, a magical train ride, a visit to Santa in his grotto, a surprise gift and a fun-filled Christmas show.

Reindeer

Head of media and communications, Jill Hitchman, says: “We’ve got lots of festive fun planned across the site and Santa’s reindeer have been training in the courtyard for weeks in readiness for their busiest night of the year.”
She adds: “We’ve also taken on seasonal staff to cope with the usual festive rush to buy animal adoptions and Keeper For a Day packages which make fantastic gifts for all ages, and sales of our calendar are going well, too.”
The theme for 2012’s calendar is Baby Love, complete with images of a wide range of rare and endangered species born at DZG in the past 12 months – a bumper year for new arrivals.
Jill adds: “We’re all looking forward to a great Christmas time and exciting 2012. Next year is DZG’s 75th anniversary and we’ve lots of exciting new projects planned to mark our big birthday.”
For full details or to book Santa’s Grotto or a zoo experience visit www.dudleyzoo.or.uk or call 01384 215313.

High Arcal School head girl Jenny gets the answer on Any Questions

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Jonathan Dimbleby took questions from Sedgley residents at High Arcal School

Despite chilly temperatures outside, High Arcal School was the venue for heated debate this Friday, December 9, as head girl Jenny Bullas was among members of the audience selected to ask questions on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions.

A capacity crowd consisting of people from all over the Black Country listened eagerly during the broadcast as host, Jonathan Dimbleby, chaired topics of debate  including David Cameron’s recent veto of the EU treaty to rescue the euro, controversial proposals for means testing of bus passes and TV licences for pensioners, current attitudes to the ever-rising number of unemployed people in the UK and Jenny’s question regarding the mandatory life sentence and its fairness.

The panel was made up of Secretary of State for Defence, Philip Hammond, Shadow Home Office Minister, Gloria De Piero, Sir Charles Pollard, former Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police and Daily Telegraph columnist, Mary Riddell. A strong police presence both inside and outside the school signified the importance of tonight’s guests, although happily, the evening passed without incident.

Hilarious

Any Questions got off to a hilarious start when the panel was asked who they would most like to send to newly discovered planet, Kepler 22b. Philip Hammond suggested Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, while Sir Charles Hammond declared he would be happy to launch controversial Top Gear host, Jeremy Clarkson, into space.

There were emotive debates between Philip Hammond and Gloria De Piero as they challenged each other’s policies on getting the UK deficit down and helping more people into work. Sir Charles Hammond received a huge round of applause when he stated that, rather than being a nation of shopkeepers as Napoleon famously said, we are now a nation of London-centric agents and middlemen eating into the pension funds of working people and causing a pension growth rate of just 1.5 per cent.

Unjust

High Arcal’s head girl, Jenny Bullas, posed the last question of the night, asking whether the panel thought the mandatory life sentence was unjust. This led Sir Charles Hammond to reel off some fascinating statistics regarding restorative justice (where offenders meet their victims) and a reduction in the amount of people re-offending. Most of the panel agreed some form of change was needed to differentiate between premeditated murders and so-called ‘mercy killings’, but concurred that change is unlikely to happen in the near future.

The event was a major success for High Arcal School, which, as well as recently becoming an Academy, is also celebrating its 50th anniversary. Visit the school’s website for more information.

 

 

The Lines tread a different path at hometown gig

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Alex Ohm, lead singer with Sedgley's The Lines, at the Wulfrun Hall on Saturday

The Lines led a role call of local talent onstage at Wolverhampton’s Wulfrun Hall on Saturday (December 3), with their new songs demonstrating a fascinating new direction for the Sedgley-based four-piece.

After Dudley’s Dakota Beats and Wednesfield outfit The Limelight warmed the near-capacity crowd up and helped them forget the chilly temperatures outside, lead singer Alex Ohm, guitarist Dean Bate, drummer Dave ‘Paddy’ O’Connor and bassist Danny Pease took to the stage for what would turn out to be a triumphant homecoming gig.

Older songs such as Tracey, Circles and Domino Effect were received like well-loved classics, with the crowd singing along to every word. But, it’s the new material showcased by Alex and Co that hints at an exciting new sound that should set them apart from their peers.

Brooding

Take new song Fever, for example – a pulsing, brooding, atmospheric beast that combines elements of Doves or The Verve at their most spaced-out, with the warmth of a string section and a relentless beat.

Having spent this year touring with Ocean Colour Scene and Pete Doherty, it’s clear The Lines are now keener than ever to explore sonic possibilities and gradually leave behind the anthemic, punch-the-air rock of their early material.

Dance music has always played a part in tracks such as El Matador, but it was on final song, Caught in the Crossfire, that Alex and the boys really let go with some four-to-the-floor action, helped along by a group of percussionists. As with Fever, this new tune – which sounds a little like Friendly Fires might sound if they were ever to drink Ruby Mild – points towards an exciting future.

Next year promises to be an exciting one for The Lines as they build upon the success of their exhausting tour schedule and branch out in new musical directions. The fact that one of their tunes now features on the soundtrack to a popular computer game should introduce their music to lots of new fans worldwide and result in the widespread acclaim the band deserves. Here’s to 2012 – let’s make it the year of  The Lines.

Saint Chad’s Primary School pupils unwrap the meaning of Christmas

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Year 5 pupils, with Olivia, centre, were raising funds for CLIC Sargent

Pupils at Saint Chad’s Primary School, Sedgley, showed that Christmas is also about helping others when they took part in the school’s hugely successful festive fayre last Friday, December 2.

But, what made this event even more special, is the fact that many of the kindhearted youngsters who were selling a wide range of home-made gifts to raise money for charities, have already overcome huge hurdles in their own lives.

“We choose different charities to raise money for each year,” explains headteacher, Sharon Mason, “but we always select those which have made such a huge difference to the lives of our pupils and their families.”

A good example of this is Year 6 pupil and keen walker, Jack, who, along with his friend, Bryn, is organising a sponsored walk just after Christmas in memory of their friend Calum’s dad, who passed away in The Mary Stevens Hospice, Oldswinford, recently.

“We’re going to walk nine miles of the Dudley Trail around Baggeridge,” explains Jack, “and we hope to raise as much money as possible for the hospice. There are already at least 10 people joining us, including our families, so we hope to make this a really special occasion.”

Amazing Olivia

Another amazing pupil at this historic school is Year 5 pupil, Olivia, who, at the age of 14 months, had to undergo a gruelling year of extensive treatment for retinoblastoma – eye cancer – at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, which included freezing the tumours with cryotherapy, radiation and chemotherapy injections directly into her eyes.

In order to stop the disease spreading and, ultimately, save her life, surgeons had no option but to remove her left eye. Now, however, Olivia is a cancer-free, outgoing, bubbly nine-year-old, with a love of dancing and Harry Potter and a keen desire to get involved and help others. Along with fellow Year 5 pupils, she was kept busy at the Christmas Fayre raising money for children’s cancer charity, CLIC Sargent.
Other organisations to benefit from the hard work and kind hearts of the youngsters at Saint Chad’s include the Wishing Well appeal at Russells Hall Hospital, Guide Dogs, Cherry Trees Special School in Wombourne, Compton Hospice and Age UK.
Year 3 pupils were also raising money for another cause close to their hearts – Ward 11 (the children’s ward) at Birmingham Orthopaedic Hospital, where Kieran, another Saint Chad’s student, recently had his second limb lengthening operation. Kieran has achondroplasia  – a disorder of bone growth that causes the most common type of dwarfism.
Also getting into the spirit of Christmas at the event was Year 2 teacher Dedra Montoya, who has swapped Colorado Springs in the States for Sedgley as part of the Fulbright teacher exchange programme – a scheme where teachers quite literally swap lives with each other, including living in each other’s homes.
“Teaching these kids and living in the Black Country has been such a great adventure,” says Dedra, who will return home on December 22 and has been keeping everyone informed of her experiences via her blog page.
The Christmas Fayre event, which is now in its third year, was declared a great success by staff, students and parents. Next year, Saint Chad’s will celebrate its 175th anniversary with a series of events involving the local community.

Questions welcome at High Arcal School

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Jonathan Dimbleby will be taking questions from Sedgley residents at High Arcal School

Sedgley residents concerned about current affairs will get the chance to put their questions to politicians, a top ex-policeman and a national newspaper columnist ,when popular show, Any Questions, is broadcast from a Sedgley school.

High Arcal School will be hosting the BBC Radio 4 show, presented by Jonathan Dimbleby, on Friday December 9.

The well-known news and political discussion show, which sees a panel of personalities quizzed by the audience, will feature secretary of state for defence, Philip Hammond MP, shadow home office minister, Gloria De Piero MP, former chief constable of Thames Valley Police, Sir Charles Pollard and Mary Riddell, Daily Telegraph columnist.

Headmaster, Sukhjot Dhami, says: “We’re delighted to be hosting the show here, especially in our 50th anniversary year and after having received, once again, an ‘outstanding’ Oftsed report. Two former pupils of the school are now members of parliament, so it seems appropriate that High Arcal should be chosen as the venue for such a high profile event.”

Questions

Questions can be submitted on the day, with around 10 picked for use in the programme – although the panellists never see them in advance.

The show goes out live at 8pm and is repeated the following Saturday at 1.15pm, followed by a 2pm phone-in, giving listeners chance to join in the debate.

Tickets for the event are free and are available by emailing bbcradio4@high-arcal.dudley.sch.uk or calling 0845 1550411.

Alternatively, visit the school’s website to download an application form.

Rookie the Reindeer invites runners and strollers to Baggeridge Country Park

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RNLI mascot, Rookie the Reindeer, will be helping everyone get into the festive fun run spirit

Baggeridge Country Park near Sedgley is the venue for this year’s reindeer run – a fun event for all the family in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Runners and strollers are invited to take part in the charity’s first ever Reindeer Run fun run event, which takes place this Saturday, November 26. People of all levels – from beginners to experts – are invited to join in the festive fun and help raise vital funds for the charity that saves lives at sea.

Mascot Rookie the Reindeer and the RNLI team will be visiting Baggeridge for the first time and enjoying the breathtaking surroundings of this popular area of natural beauty. Baggeridge Country Park, which is run by South Staffordshire Council, has received the prestigious Green Flag Award for 13 consecutive years and welcomes more than 145,000 visitors a year. Rookie has already visited the course this week to ensure that all runners and supporters have the best family day out possible while supporting the RNLI.

Santa Saunter

The RNLI Reindeer Run is a 5k and 10k fun run suitable for all ages and abilities. There’s also a chance for the volunteer lifeboat crew’s younger supporters to join in the festive fun by taking part in the charity’s unique Santa Saunter– a walk or jog around Baggeridge Pool.

Charlotte Bird, RNLI events manager says: “Registration is now open for the RNLI Reindeer Run at Baggeridge Country Park. There’s a warm welcome for runners, walkers and strollers of all ages and abilities to join in the festive fun at the country park this November. Join the RNLI in this unique Christmas event and help save lives at sea across the UK and Irish coast.

‘There will be plenty of festive entertainment for family and friends to enjoy within the grounds as they support their loved ones across the course. Entry fees for the Reindeer Run are £18 for the 10K, £16 for the 5km and £7.50 for the Santa Saunter, with under fives entering for free. All participants will receive a T-shirt and a free pair of reindeer antlers and flashing red nose to speed them on their way and a mince-pie and hot drink at the finish line.”

To find out more about the RNLI Reindeer Run or future RNLI events contact Hannah Carling, RNLI events co-ordinator on 0121 780 6960 or e-mail events_west@rnli.org.uk.

Alternatively, visit the Baggeridge Country Park Facebook page or the RNLI website for further information.

Supermarket sweep for mysterious Mario Lanza artist

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Following on from a visit to Sedgley’s Beacon Hotel earlier this year, it seems local legend AJW, renowned for leaving beermats in pubs featuring a drawing of 1950’s star Mario Lanza, has been getting hungry for more exposure.

Anthony Arnold, a regular reader of Sedgleyscene, was amazed to discover the mysterious artist’s latest calling card drawn on an empty box of chicken pies in the somewhat unglamorous surroundings of a local Morrison’s supermarket toilet.

He says: “On Monday, November 21, I found a drawing of Mari Lanza . It had been drawn on the back of one of those frozen chicken packages. It’s got the usual picture and signature AJW and the Facebook.com under the picture and a Yahoo address down the side. No message except ‘Super Mario!’ written on it. I found it on top of the thingy machine in the gents toilet at Morrison’s, Wednesbury. I thought he only did them on beer mats – don’t know if it’s the real thing or what.”

Could this be the latest calling card from the mysterious AJW?

Impressed by his discovery, Anthony took a picture, which is posted here. All the trademark signs are there – the line drawing of Mario Lanza, together with this anonymous artist’s Facebook page and email addresses. However, Tony is unsure as to whether this latest offering is the real deal and is appealing to Sedgleyscene readers to help.

The mysterious drawings, which have been appearing on beermats in pubs since the 1970s, have continued to baffle local residents.

No-one seems to know why each inscription by this phantom artist – who simply calls his or herself AJW – bears a dedication to Mario Lanza, a famous American tenor singer and actor who died in 1959.

This enduring mystery has led to a Facebook page being set up in this mysterious character’s honour which now has 172 members. It seems AJW also likes to get around, leaving calling cards in pubs and other public buildings across the Black Country and Birmingham – often with personal dedications to members of staff.

Some avid followers of AJW also believe there could be several artists at work – especially as the original phantom would now be more than 80 years old – but no-one has been able to confirm this.

Can you help Sedgleyscene and Anthony confirm this latest discovery? Get in touch with us at sedgleyscene@gmail.com We’d love to hear from you.