The end of an era for RBS Bank as they will be closing their doors to customers tomorrow (Wednesday 8th) for the last time in Hereford. 

We would like to wish all of the staff good luck for the future.

May be a silly question but have noticed a large influx of Orthodox Jews are staying at Hereford Blind College accommodation blocks (The Point) . Just wondered is there a big event in the area ? 

Tweet from Nichola Geeson - a wet Sunday morning read -

Hereford Area Site Plans

Typical August surprise! Public consultation on new housing etc. plans for Hereford in Hereford Area Plan, to complement July choice of Red Route for bypass http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=5282 … @HereforHereford @CPREHfdshire @greenhereford @wyeruinit

http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents/s50059187/Hereford Area Plan Site Options Consultation main report.pdf

http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents/s50059190/Appendix 3 HAP Site Summaries 1 of 6.pdf

Shell store development to create a business incubation and innovation centre.

Former munitions site to be transformed into a flagship business incubation and innovation centre

Work is to begin on a £7.3m redevelopment of Hereford’s Shell Store in January, transforming the historic building into a flagship business incubation and innovation centre.

The redevelopment of the derelict building on Skylon Park, at Rotherwas, will create more than 2,000 sq metres of employment space, with room for new and growing businesses to set up and expand alongside facilities for development and innovation, presently earmarked for the new NMiTE University.

This week saw the final funding agreements put into place to support the project at the former munitions site on the Hereford Enterprise Zone. The project is being funded via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Herefordshire Council and a loan from the Marches LEP’s Marches Investment Fund.

The Shell Store, which is not a listed building, was built in the First World War and used again as an ordnance site during the Second World War. The project will see commercial space created within the existing building footprint, retaining much of the original factory including its steel roof structure. 

The incubation centre will provide high quality accommodation and support services to new or young enterprises as well as an application and development centre for the new Herefordshires university, NMiTE. This will create an interface between the new university and businesses as well as providing space for students to develop their practical projects.

Chairman of the Hereford Enterprise Zone, Andrew Manning Cox, said the redevelopment is a major milestone for Skylon Park.

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“The project will provide employment space for approximately 25 businesses when the centre is fully occupied. The intention is that as businesses in the centre grow, they will take larger units as their needs for space and employment requirements increase. Eventually businesses will be of a size where they need to move out of the centre, releasing space for the next generation of businesses and creating a ready source of demand for employment units within the Zone.

“And by 2023, it is anticipated that at least 28 businesses will either be located in the incubator or have “graduated” from the centre and have generated around 128 new jobs.

“That figure is expected to rise to approximately 466 by 2031.There is a proven demand for high quality start up or grow on business space to rent in the area and Skylon Park is the perfect place for it.”

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership is providing a £2.498m interest free loan for the work with £2m being contributed by the ERDF and Herefordshire Council is investing the balance.

Graham Wynn, chairman of the Marches LEP, said the project demonstrated the LEP’s commitment to delivering modern, sustainable jobs to the region and helping build a thriving economy.

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“The Marches Investment Fund is specifically designed to inject funding into schemes which can help bring economic growth and prosperity to the region, and the Shell Store project will do just that. If we are to maintain our proven track record of growth it is vital we encourage and nurture enterprising young businesses.”

Councillor Harry Bramer, Herefordshire Council Cabinet Member for Contracts and Assets, said:

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"This is a tremendously exciting and important scheme to breathe new life back into the Shell Store, which has played such a significant role in the history of Hereford.

"The new incubation and research centre will provide a home for dynamic and innovative enterprises, driving economic growth in the county through the delivery of more jobs."

The centre is due to be completed in early 2020 and initial preparatory work has already begun and will continue over the coming weeks.

On Twitter:

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As a result of the glorious summer we have enjoyed, the rate of grass growth across the county has slowed to such that the decision has been taken to monitor growth as we postpone the next scheduled amenity cut, redeploying resource to other grounds maintenance tasks . . .

Maybe they can sweep the kerbs and unblock a few drains in the meantime.

Two found guilty of the murder of Robert Eacock in Hereford

Today at Worcester Crown Court, 23-year-old Anthony Boyd, of Circuit Close, Willenhall, and 31-year-old Artaf Hussain of Slater Street, Tipton have been found guilty of the murder of Robert Eacock.

On the afternoon of 29 January 2018, Robert was stabbed in broad daylight as he waited to cross the road in Hereford City Centre. 

The 33-year-old tried to pursue his attacker but collapsed on Commercial Street, where he was treated by paramedics and then taken to Hereford County Hospital. Despite the best efforts of members of the public, police officers and medical professionals, Robert sadly died.

CCTV from that day showed an interaction between Robert and Anthony Boyd outside a shop in the city. Following the conversation, Boyd went in and purchased a kitchen knife, which he concealed as he walked through the city centre.

Anthony Boyd

Footage revealed a further encounter between Boyd and Robert in Commercial Street at Blue School Street.  There, in full view of members of the public, Boyd rushed towards the victim from behind and stabbed him once in the back.  Boyd then ran from the scene and was initially pursued by the victim before he collapsed.

The police investigation revealed that in the hours after the stabbing, Boyd left Hereford and travelled to the Tipton area of the West Midlands where he met up with Hussain, at the flat of an associate, Luke Mansell. Knowing the crime Boyd had committed, 21-year-old Mansell, of High Street, Tipton, proceeded to provide him with a change of clothing.

Artaf Hussain

Mansell was charged with assisting an offender and entered a guilty plea at an earlier court hearing. He is yet to be sentenced.

An operation coordinated by West Mercia Police on 31 January led to Boyd's arrest in the Willenhall area of West Midlands. He was found in possession of a quantity of cocaine, but the murder weapon was never recovered.

Witness evidence suggested Robert may have been stabbed by a drug dealer who was operating a supply line into Hereford, in partnership with a man who was later identified as Artaf Hussain. He was subsequently arrested by officers from West Mercia Police at an address in Dudley, West Midlands on 15 February.

In court, Hussain claimed he did not have any contact with Anthony Boyd around the time of the murder, and did not take part in any discussion or agreement to harm the victim.

Boyd had entered a guilty plea for manslaughter which was not accepted by the prosecution. He claimed that he did not buy the knife with the intention of killing Robert Eacock or causing serious harm to him.

DCI Leighton Harding, Senior Investigating Officer said: "Robert Eacock was murdered by Boyd, a drug dealer, in a deliberate act of violence. At the time of the murder, Boyd had been operating as a county lines drug dealer for Hussain. 

"The victim's initial encounter with Boyd on the morning of 29 January started a chain of events that involved two-way mobile phone communication between Boyd and Hussain, and an agreement between them or encouragement for Boyd to harm the victim.

"This resulted in Robert being brutally murdered in broad daylight, and in the most public of locations. 

"Their actions were premeditated and demonstrated a total disregard for human life and public safety.  Whilst no length of sentence will ever ease the pain felt by Robert's loss, I hope that today's verdict will provide a sense of closure for his family."        

He continued: "I would like to pay testament to the members of the public, police officers and medical professionals for their best efforts to save Robert's life, both at the scene and in hospital."

"I would also like to thank the witnesses who came forward with their valuable contributions, and the local community for their support. 

"Finally, I would like to thank all police officers and staff who worked on this case for their professionalism and commitment to bring the offenders to justice."

Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion said: "Like the rest of our communities, I was shocked and saddened to hear about this incident. I'd like to thank the officers who acted professionally to arrest the offenders and bring them before the courts, as well as the communities who came together, and supported the police. It is reassuring to know that incidents like this are extremely rare, and I am confident in West Mercia Police's continual approach to keeping the public safe from harm. "

Step-In-Time Line Dancing Herefordshire has launched.

Learn to line dance with a qualified UKDC Instructor.

New modern line dance classes have started in Hereford and Leominster. The venues are Fridays - Saxon Hall Hereford and Mondays - Lion Ballroom Leominster.

All classes run from 8pm-10pm and cost £5. Beginner level dances are taught in the first hour with improver / intermediate levels from 9pm-10pm.

We dance to all types of music from Country to Pop, Latin to Irish and anything in between. 

All levels and abilities are accommodated. No previous dance experience is necessary. 

If you have not danced for a few years (or more) why not come back, refresh the steps and learn some new dances. 

Open to all ages but children have to be accompanied by an adult at all times.

No booking required, just turn up and have fun.

See attached poster for more details.

Step-In-Time Line Dancing Advertisement.pdf

He's blocked me on Twitter. The President of the European Commision has bloody blocked me from insulting him ever again.

Its a disgrace! That's what it is and worse, it's a bloody personal attack on my inalienable right to tell him what I think of him and his ungodly force for bad, the bloody European Union.

Who does he think he is? Doesn't he know who I am? I'll be damned if I take this lying down. I'll be damned if I take it standing up. In fact, I'll be damned if I take it at all in any position I choose to position myself in. He's bitten off more than he can chew because I ain't having it. 

I know what I'll have, what I won't have and what I'll be made to have if I'm beaten senseless and told, 'have this', and I'll be damned if I have it. It's not as if I deserve his bloody Twitter response that reads, 'you are blocked'. After repeatedly telling him that I despised the European Union, him, Verhofstadt and bloody Tusk and getting no response from him, I bloody found an Internet Search Engine that translated me bloody insults into French and I pressed the 'Send' button.

Course, after translating me insults back into English I found that bloody French is a complicated language that's full of bloody unhelpful masculine and feminine words that can quite easily make my heartfelt insults worse in translation. Besides telling him, ' I hope your Marigolds wilt in the broad Strasburg mid day sun, I accused him of being drunk, hating British people and their domestic pets and having a close allegiance to the Germans who bombed my local chip shop.

In only 140 characters, I've managed to get myself blocked by Juncker, probably got myself into someone's intray at GCHQ and it's all because of the bloody French and their bloody unreliable language. It's to complicated. French should be banned. It's a menace to the Free World.

Well I ain't for stopping. Never! I've got that wild eyed gap toothed crazed federalist Verhofstadt in my sights and this time I'm not using that bloody French Translation Tool to send him me EU insults. I'm sticking with English. English is a good and fair language that doesn't distort your words and their intended meanings.

And I won't stop! Juncker can get the remaining 27 Member States together and get them all to agree that I should be banned from entering their air space, travelling by land or sea to Calaise and starved from eating any French Brie, Wine, Ale or smoking their tobacco that I purchase twice yearly from Adinkerke, it won't stop me. Never!

This blocking that I've been given is going to create an escalation between me and this dreadful Union that's intent upon destroying my Country. It's inevitable. By the time I'm finished I fully expect NATO forces to get dragged into this dispute and begin a bombing campaign on my three bedroom Semi Detached that's now located South of the Wye. This is what happens nowadays. You get bombed! To stop it, end this conflict and compel me to moderate my insults  they'll have to get Jean Claude Juncker to unblock me on Twitter.

i must be the only person in bloody Europe that's been blocked by Juncker and I say it's wrong, unfair and bloody niggling to someone like me who likes to excercise their inalienable rights and question why the EU would ever wish to destroy a nation of people who freed them all from German occupation.

HEREFORDSHIRE’S MPs and county councillors are among the lucky few who do not have to pay to park at county council car parks, a freedom of information request has revealed according to this article in the Hereford Times

Access to information officers also revealed that Herefordshire Council has allocated a total of 547 staff business passes for the last financial year.

County MPs Bill Wiggin and Jesse Norman have been given permits for use while on business along with the Countess of Darnley, Susan Bligh, who is the Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire.

All 53 county councillors are issued with free parking permits which the council says can only be used while on council business but one member admitted it could be open to abuse.A councillor, who did not wish to be named, said:

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“Personally, I wouldn’t particularly mind if we had these passes removed.

“I expect some councillors stretch it to some extent as the allowance is very low for councillors in Herefordshire, the parking permit is one of the few perks of the role.

“You could attend a meeting that is three hours long and use a car park for five and go about doing other things.”

An information access officer said the 547 staff business passes had been allocated can only use them when on council business. 

She said:

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“It should be noted that some of these are issued to council fleet vehicles and some of these passes have been returned by staff who have left and a replacement issued to the new staff member.”

The officer explained that the parking permits were issued to remove the necessity of claiming back car parking charges while on business.She added:

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“A parking permit pass may only be issued where there is an expectation that an employee needs to have continual access to their own vehicle on each day they are contracted to work, in order to deliver off site planned or reactive council services to clients, residents and businesses.

“This definition is very specific and there must be no deviation from the intention.

“When deciding if staff have a need for a parking permit in each case, the service manager must expect this particular member of staff to have their own car with them at work every day and that if they did not have their own car, then services could not be delivered as there is no other way to do so, for example by using a pool vehicle, without significant inefficiencies.

"They must also be able to explain the rationale.”

I meant to post this last night, but forgot!

I see that Freedom Church is making headlines once again, for all the wrong reasons. Over at HT an article states that they have been asked to leave Swansea University Campus, after blitzing it with leaflets, and holding religious services on site.

Not the first time their recruitment methods have been questioned. Anyone else remember the campaign which saw lollipops handed out to children outside the school gates? Tactics which at best could be described as showing a complete lack of judgement, at worst, rather sinister.

I also seem to recall being told that at one point in the not too distant past, a company whose staff consisted of  several leading lights within this church, had been given a contract to deliver sex education to pupils in some Herefordshire Schools. 

I have real concerns about this pay to pray organisation. 

How do others feel?

In 2020 central government are stopping funding to local authorities…so how are this LA's going to fund service? Where will the money come from? How many of them will go bang? & if that happens what then?…after Theresa May's pathetic attempt at Brexit?…you have to wonder at the governments thinking,behind cutting the local LA's funding too?!…will this be the straw that breaks the camels back?

It is probably fair to say that over the next eight days of the Three Choirs Festival, more people will admire the front elevation of Hereford’s 144-year-old City Library on Broad Street than at any other time of the year. This handsome Grade II-listed building, overlooking Cathedral Close, has just undergone a second emergency building operation. Two years ago it was dreaded asbestos removal. This time it is the steeply-pitched slate roof that needed fixing (‘joined-up-writing’ has never been practised at Plough Lane).

But when the huge and costly (probably no change out of 30K) scaffolding structure was removed just four days before the festival opened, keen-eyed conservationists noted that the 10 stone gargoyles which line the roof’s parapet had been left uncleaned and are seriously stained with grime and algae. The decorative friezes which run across the four-storey building’s main façade are also intricate and unusual. And filthy.

Using the existing scaffold platform, an extra two days expert water washing could have restored these unique carvings in time for the City Library’s 150th anniversary celebrations. That’s if Harry Bramer hasn’t sold it off as multi-storey car park.

As a frequent walker to town, I have noticed that, probably due to a wet spring and a magnificent summer, the hedgerows are more prolific than ever. Thus reducing a 5ft pavement to a little over 2 ft wide in places. This is extremely hazardous when meeting other pedestrians with pushchairs and children. Someone usually has to step into the road. I believe there is a local bye-law against allowing hedges to project beyond your boundary. I am afraid that this does not seem to be enforced.

Open Day - Herefordshire Light Infantry Museum

The Three Choirs Festival has begun in Hereford and is a week-long programme of choral and orchestral concerts, cathedral services, solo and chamber music recitals, masterclasses, talks, theatre, exhibitions and walks, rotating each summer between the beautiful English cathedral cities of Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester. It is the oldest non-competitive classical music festival in the world, which celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2015.

At the heart of the modern festival are the large-scale evening concerts featuring the Three Choirs Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia Orchestra, which has been resident at the festival since 2012. The main festival’s packed schedule of daytime events is augmented by a community programme which varies slightly in style in each city.

The Three Choirs Festival is run by dedicated voluntary committees in Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester, supported by a small professional management team based at the Three Choirs Festival Association’s office in Gloucester.

The Three Choirs Festival, which was first held in 1715, is probably the oldest music festival in the world. The Festival is held in turn in one of the three cathedral cities of Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester. This year the Festival takes place between 28 July and 4 August and, by rotation, it will be hosted by the cathedral and city of Hereford.

Click HERE for tickets and more details.

This is how High Town Hereford looks and this is the scene that visitors and tourists will remember about our city...

'Stop The Drop' they say, how about we start our own campaign called 'Rid The Trash' to encourage the council to start emptying the bins more often throughout the day, particularly at the weekends.  

Where has the pride in our beautiful city gone? 

ENFORCEMENT

We have wonderful community groups all volunteering their own time to clean up our city, but rather than cleaning up AFTER people have dropped the litter maybe we should concentrate efforts more towards encouraging the council to start issuing fines and using the CCTV facilities in order to catch these people. We are also in favour of 'Naming and Shaming' people who drop rubbish and litter.