This is not just a coffee shop...

After months and months of hard work and a lot of investment, locally owned Eden Coffee House Hereford officially open their doors this Wednesday.

Herefordian’s, Phil and Karen decided they wanted to create a very cool space in the middle of our fabulous city and what better location than right opposite Hereford's most famous Black and White House museum landmark.

As an advertising partner, Hereford Voice were given exclusive access before the soft opening earlier this afternoon to be able to capture some photographs of this fabulous completely renovated property.

Over the past few months we have been talking with the new owners to find out how this coffee shop differs from some others.

Karen and Phil told us that their mantra is to have an independent coffee shop, sourcing quality local produce where possible as well as offering something a little different and creating at least 10 new jobs!

There will be a big focus on being a friendly and relaxing environment, where everyone will enjoy the warmth and personality from the staff. Eden Coffee House is going to be full of plants too, many of which will be for sale.

This lovely old building has been sat empty for a long time and has now been transformed into a relaxing space where people will be able to enjoy this beautiful building once again.

Phil and Karen have financed this project at great expense to themselves and they wanted to bring this building back to its former glory and in doing so have exposed some beautiful old hidden beams, wonderful brickwork and during the renovation work their builders have unearthed lots of historic features, such as the original butchers bricks from back when the butchers shop ceased trading in 1930 and predates back into the 1800s.

The building now showcases, much of the original features, and includes some modern twists, such as the new amazing steel staircase.

We already got a great vibe during our visit today and the coffee is lush! All the produce and cakes are daily fresh and not frozen and they also have the wonderful award winning Peter Cooks Bread available.

Best of all Eden Coffee House is DOG FRIENDLY

Hereford Voice will be keeping you up to date with the progress and any special offers over the coming months, so keep an eye open, in the meantime, please support our local independents and pop in and check out this fabulous new business which officially opens this Wednesday.

We would like to wish Phil and Karen all the very best of luck with their new venture

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service have deployed 20 fire engines which are on scene at a massive fire currently at Hoo Farm Industrial Estate in Kidderminster.

Firefighters togther with other crews and partners will be on-site for next few days.

Residents as far as Worcester and parts of Herefordshire are being advised to keep their windows and doors shut due to the large amounts of smoke being produced by the blaze.

📸 HWFRS 

Festive News | Santa and his Sleigh will be in High Town Hereford on Wednesday 15th December 10.30am - 4.30pm

Hereford Lions Club have also confirmed that from Saturday 11th December, Santa will be touring the city.

Santa like last year will not be stopping, but will be escorted by members of the Club on his journey. Please keep an ear out as they will have vehicle ahead of the sleigh letting everyone know that Santa is on his way, ho ho ho

Catastrophic to see this 360 year old oak tree fallen due to #StormArwen strong winds during the night.

This is located at Belmont Haywood Country Park the tree fell down around 4.45am this morning, such sad news.

Thank you to our good friend Piotr Biurkowski for sending us these photographs today.

A man from Malvern has been jailed for sexual offences involving children.

Richard Webb, 34, of Moat Crescent, was sentenced to nine years in prison at Worcester Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 2 December).

He will be placed on the sexual offenders register for life and will have a three-year extended licence period.

His offences took place in the Hereford area between 2006 and 2019 and involved incidents where the victims were between the ages of 8 and 14 at the time of the offences.

He also met with a child and committed sexual offences following a period of grooming and possessed extreme pornography.

Detective Constable Leah Lowe said: “This investigation was highly emotional and I’d like to recognise the courage of the victims who came forward.

“This man groomed and abused his victims and this sentence is reflective of the suffering and misery he caused.

" West Mercia Police take all complaints of sexual abuse very seriously and I hope this case gives the public confidence to come forward and report any incidents of concern whether recently or in the past"

“We act on all reports we received an offer victims our full support.”

If you have been affected by crime and need support, you can contacted the Victim Advice Line:

The Victim Advice Line is a free and confidential service for victims and anyone who has been affected by crime and needs support.

Freephone: 0800 952 3000

Email: info@victimadviceline.org.uk

Web (including Live Chat): www.victimadviceline.org.uk

You can also call the West Mercia sexual abuse support centre on 03456 461188.

Hereford Voice have been kindly invited by owners Karen and Phil to the soft opening on Monday between 3pm - 7pm and everyone is welcome to join us with the official opening on Wednesday 8th December.

There is still a lot of work to be completed and its all hands on deck to be ready for Monday.

Eden Coffee House created by two Herefordian’s, who have decided they want to create a very cool space in the middle of our fabulous city and what better location than right opposite Hereford's most famous Black and White House museum landmark.

Hereford Voice was given some exclusive access recently and we have been talking with the new owners over the last few weeks to find out how this coffee shop differs from some others.

Karen and Phil told us that their mantra is to have an independent coffee shop, sourcing quality local produce where possible as well as offering something a little different and creating at least 10 new jobs!

There will be a big focus on being a friendly and relaxing environment, where everyone will enjoy the warmth and personality from the staff. Eden Coffee House is going to be full of plants too, many of which will be for sale.

This lovely old building has been sat empty for a long time and is now being transformed into a relaxing space where people will be able to enjoy this beautiful building once again.

Phil and Karen have financed this project at great expense to themselves but they wanted to bring this building back to its former glory and in doing so have exposed some beautiful old hidden beams, wonderful brickwork and during the renovation work their builders have unearthed lots of historic features, such as the original butchers bricks from back when the butchers shop ceased trading in 1930 and predates back into the 1800s.

So the building will showcase, much of the original features, but will include some modern twists such as new amazing steel staircase.

Please support our local independents and pop in and check out this fabulous new business when they open next week!

Hereford Voice asked Herefordshire Council for a breakdown on what car parking charges are used to pay for and got this helpful infographic sent to us.

They told us that car parking charges are primarily used to control limited space in the City and towns to keep the churn rate high in the City and town centres, making sure there is availability for those that want to drive in to the centre – quick stop in Broad Street to go to the bank or quick stop in King Street to pick up from the King Street Kitchen - and that they use lower tariffs to encourage longer stay/commuters to use car parks on the edges of the City or the market town centres.

They also use the valuable income from car parking (quite a lot from penalty notices too) to subsidise transport related Council services, particularly those, like school transport, that has suffered as a result of severe government cuts to local authorities like Herefordshire (one grant alone, the Revenue Support Grant has been cut from over £62 million in 2010 to £600k in 2021 – and yes, both our MPs voted for many cuts over the last decade.

Jesse Norman - https://hfd.news/bzn

Bill Wiggin - https://hfd.news/k69

🔹Do you object to paying a premium to park in the City or town centres?

🔹Do you prefer to park further out and spend longer in town?

🔹How does a Council manage limited spaces in the centres?

Some commentators think free parking is the panacea that will revitalise High Street trading – do you think so too or is that too simplistic (and perhaps a deliberately provocative view)?

Cwmbran is often cited as an example of a town that offers free parking. Aside from the fact that the parking is free because of a very large private shopping centre that allows unrestricted parking on its 3000-space carpark, is Cwmbran more attractive and prosperous than our very own local retail and historic cores?

The parking team in Herefordshire Council have confirmed Christmas late night shopping and free Saturdays are still offered in the run up to Christmas and the City and Town Councils choose which days or half days suit them best.

An emotive subject and one that presses many of our buttons.

So is it time to stop complaining about paying less than many people spend on coffee in a day, or should we have free parking in Hereford and the surrounding market towns and the inevitable reduced public services that would follow?

📣 £1000 Reward 

Worcestershire antiques business Holloways is offering a substantial reward for information leading to the recovery of a £9,500 life-size bronze lion stolen from its courtyards.

Aslan has been guarding Holloways Garden Antiques courtyards in Suckley for the past five years.

Overnight on Thursday, a gang broke into the family business and lifted the 300kg bronze sculpture over a 6ft spiked metal fence before escaping across the fields.

It is thought it would have taken at least six people to lift the hefty cat, which measures 2.3m long and 1.2m high and weighs as much as a pony.

Bought from a private house sale in Leicestershire, Aslan has one paw half raised and dates back to the mid-20th century.

Since 2016, the £9,500 bronze has cut a striking figure in Holloways courtyards and was much-loved by staff and customers alike.

Now Edward Holloway, who has run furniture and antiques business Holloways with his wife Diana for the past 30 years, is offering £1,000 for information leading to the distinctive lion’s recovery.

“We’re incredibly upset that Holloways has been targeted and that Aslan has been taken,” said Edward;

“We’ve always struggled to move him around our premises and we’re absolutely astonished they managed to lift him over the fence.

“Thursday night was cold, dark and wet, and both Aslan and the ground would have been slippy.

“It would have taken six, maybe more, people to lift him and it’s highly likely they had a 4x4 to get back out across the fields without getting stuck.

“Someone must have seen something. Someone must know something.”

Edward fears the much-loved bronze was either stolen to order, or may already have been sent to be melted down – for a fraction of its value.

“We’re offering £1,000 for information which leads to Aslan's recovery,” Edward added.

“Please do get in touch with the police on the numbers below.

“This was a pretty audactious theft. Rural crime is escalating and the perpetrators need to be caught.”

The NFU Rural Crime Report 2021 shows theft in the countryside cost the UK an estimated £43.3m last year.

The insurer blames “skilled and highly-organised criminals” for the continuing plague on farms and other rural businesses.

West Mercia Police is investigating.

A spokesman said: “Anyone with any information or who may have seen the statue for sale is asked to visit https://www.westmercia.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/ quoting reference 300 of 29 November.”

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

Twinkling lights, mulled wine, a festive atmosphere and fabulous gifts – Christmas markets are one of England's fondest traditions.

Many cities enjoy wonderful Christmas Markets throughout the festive period, with their classic wooden chalets often showcasing local produce, wines, crafts, food and gifts.

Which is your favourite market and would you support bringing this tradition to Hereford ? Ho ho ho 🎅

Let us see if we can influence Herefordshire Council and Hereford City Council to get behind our idea to bring a tradtional Christmas Market to Hereford in the next few years.

Heartbreaking to see the devastation caused by the storm and we are sending our love to all the fabulous exhibitors who have been affected.

In a statement the organisers wrote;

IMPORTANT UPDATE | MEDIEVAL FAYRE 2021

It is with a heavy heart that we must announce that this year’s Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fayre is cancelled.

There has been too much damage on site for us to be able to make the event safe for visitors, exhibitors, performers and staff. We need today to manage the situation here at the Castle and to support our exhibitors who have been affected by the storm damage.

On Monday we will email all ticket holders with an update. If you can please bear with us on that. We are a small, family businesses and need to be here on site to recover what we can.

Thank you for all your well wishes and words of support. It means so much to us.

Abi and Prue x

Firefighters from Kington Fire Station were called out to attended RTC involving one car on the A44 at Floodgates near Kington just after 10pm.

Fire Appliance from Ross On Wye

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews from Ross on Wye Fire Station attended an RTC on the A4137 St Owen's Cross at 12.39am involving one overturned vehicle and two casualties.

The A49 to St Owen's Cross was closed for several hours by Police while emergency services were at the scene of the accident.

This was the scene at Watsons Garage in Leominster this morning. Signage ripped off caused by the very strong #StormArwen winds.

Photo courtesy of Joe Warrington 

Council agrees ambitious new recycling and waste plans

Changes made for a greener future

Residents and business owners across Herefordshire will be provided with new rubbish and recycling collection arrangements from late 2023. The news follows a decision made by our cabinet members today (Thursday 25 November 2021).

The changes include a new weekly food waste collection service and a fortnightly, seasonal garden waste collection service. Currently, 40 per cent of the contents of residual waste (black bins) could be recycled. We are planning to meet stringent environmental targets identified in our waste strategy and we are introducing the service after residents told us in a consultation on collection options that more needs to be done to help increase recycling.

♻️ New rubbish and recycling collections being introduced from late 2023

The enhanced service, providing much more recycling capacity, comprises the following collection “streams”, which will improve both the quantity and quality of recycling:

♻️ New bin. Paper and cardboard will be collected separately in new 240-litre wheelie bins

♻️ Existing green bin. Metals (tins and cans), most plastics (pots, tubs, trays and bottles) and glass

♻️ Existing black bin. Anything that cannot be recycled or put into food waste

♻️ Food waste. We will provide all households with a new, 23-litre food caddy and liners 

♻️ Garden waste bin. Residents can opt for a seasonal garden waste collection

Herefordshire Council wrote, we will work with managing agents, residents associations and people who live in flats to ensure they have a service that reflects their needs and provides maximum opportunities for them to recycle. 

As is currently the case, larger families, families using disposable nappies and those with medical needs will still receive additional capacity. These are considered on a case by case basis.

The cabinet also agreed changes to our waste disposal contract that will see a 95 per cent reduction in waste being sent to landfill to just one per cent from April 2022.

Welcome news

News of the new waste arrangements was welcomed by Cllr Gemma Davies:

“We have listened to our residents who told us they wanted more opportunities to recycle. Our new system provides more capacity to recycle from 2024. We know that for people living in flats or for larger families this will not be easy. We also will be looking for ways to help people in those circumstances and will say more about that in the future.

“This is just one part of our ambitious plans for helping people to reuse more, recycle more and waste less. I am also very pleased to have secured savings on our waste disposal contract and greater protection for when recyclers want to send materials outside of Europe. I am delighted that we will be achieving a 95 per cent reduction in waste going to landfill from next April to just one per cent.”

During Lockdown, like many of you bewildered poor souls bereft of any hope for a normal life, my fragile mind became addled and it began to drift into areas that perhaps I should have avoided. One particular morning I woke up with an unusual determination to build my own Hadron Collider. I thought that if I could capture The God Particle by building my own devilish machine in my backyard shed, I’d become a wealthy man and become Herefords greatest ever living citizen.

With zeal and unbridled determination I began to diligently acquire materials and explosives that would enable me to build the Collider and capture this monumental scientific discovery, the legendary God Particle. After banging away relentlessly in the shed nailing wooden pallets together and welding a trigger mechanism that I could belt with my sledgehammer, creating a combustible explosion, it suddenly dawned on me that I didn’t know what the bloody hell i was doing and belting something with a sledgehammer was unlikely to yield anything of any importance.

And so, fully cognisant that I hadn’t got a clue about what I was doing, I went onto Google and typed in ‘How Do I Build A Hadron Collider’. Frankly, the search didn’t reveal much. Most responses were either, ‘We Don’t Know’ or Clear Off You Mad Barstard’. Anyways the point is that when you go on the internet and type in I Want To Build A Hadron Collider, this electronic transmission circulates across the globe and the great beyond.that you might be either off your head or you’re seriously thinking about creating a death machine that may bring about the end of days for all of humanity.

Happily, the security services in the United Kingdom didn’t pick up on my need to build the Hadron Collider. Chances are they concluded the idiot was no threat to humanity and the whole project was doomed to fail. Sadly, beings from beyond our own Galaxy did pick up on my message and for one reason or another they decided to journey many light years, find me, abduct me and work out whether or not I was a menace to mankind or indeed to them.

Anyways, my first abduction, one of twenty six other alien abductions, involved me laid in bed minding me own bloody business dreaming that thirty six gorgeous woman had secreted themselves in my attic.Then, at the stroke of midnight they all came tumbling out from my loft space, burst into my bedroom and over a period of several hours they violated me because they and many other women couldn’t keep their hands off me.

Twas after I told one of their number, Anne Widicombe, the celebrated former parliamentarian to clear off, be gone and return to the attic because she wasn’t having any of my manly love, that my first alien abduction began. All of a sudden, still minding me own business, I was surrounded by a bright glow of searing white light. Unable to resist and despite me screaming, ‘Call the Constable I’m Being Abducted By Aliens’ I was levitated out of the house and upwards into what I believed was their means of galactic space travel.

'Harpers Law' which introduces a mandatory life sentence to anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker whilst committing a crime.

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police told Hereford Voice

We are delighted to say that the Government has confirmed that Harper’s Law will be introduced in memory of our late colleague PC Andrew Harper.

The law will introduce mandatory life sentences for anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker whilst committing a crime.

This move follows an unwavering campaign by his widow Lissie - supported by Sgt Andy Fiddler and the Harper's Law Team - and comes after a number of meetings with the Justice Secretary and Home Secretary.

Henry Long, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers each received custodial sentences of between 13 and 19 years in prison for PC Harper’s manslaughter. An appeal by the Attorney General to increase their time behind bars was rejected.

Ministers are determined to make sure that punishments fit the severity of the crime and are determined to introduce the law as soon as possible.

The move extends mandatory life sentences to anyone who commits the manslaughter of an emergency worker on duty – including police, prison officers, firefighters and paramedics – while carrying out another crime unless there are truly exceptional circumstances. Courts must already impose life sentences for murder, with a whole-life order being the starting point if the victim is a police officer.

Lissie Harper said: “Emergency services workers require extra protection. I know all too well how they are put at risk and into the depths of danger on a regular basis on behalf of society. That protection is what Harper’s Law will provide and I am delighted that it will soon become a reality.

“It’s been a long journey and a lot of hard work. I know Andrew would be proud to see Harper’s Law reach this important milestone.

“I’d like to thank the teams at the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office and Dominic Raab, Priti Patel and Robert Buckland for working with me to achieve this.

“I would also like to thank my incredible Harper’s Law team as well as the public for their unstinting support for such an important campaign. Those who believed that the right thing is worth doing despite the hurdles and challenges that we needed to be overcome.

“And for the families of those that this Law will provide justice for, we’re almost there. Your continued support has kept me pushing forward.”

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab said: “We are going to pass into law mandatory life sentences for those who unlawfully kill an emergency worker in the course of their duty. I pay tribute to Lissie Harper’s remarkable campaign.

“This government is on the side of victims and their families and we want our emergency services to know that we’ll always have their back.”

Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said: “PC Andrew Harper’s killing was shocking. As well as a committed police officer, he was a husband and a son. It is with thanks to the dedication of Lissie and his family that I am proud to be able to honour Andrew's life by introducing Harper's Law.

"Those who seek to harm our emergency service workers represent the very worst of humanity and it is right that future killers be stripped of the freedom to walk our streets with a life sentence.”

The move follows recent government action to protect police, prison officers, firefighters and paramedics and ensure those who seek to harm them feel the full force of the law. This includes plans to double the maximum penalty for assaulting them to two years’ imprisonment

Weapons and firearms surrendered for destruction to officers at Hereford police station following the current national knife amnesty.

'Operation Sceptre' knife amnesty is currently running nationally, where people can drop any knives into the drop boxes located at various police stations across the country with 'No Questions Asked'

Operation Sceptre is a national initiative which takes place twice a year, and aims to reduce knife crime by targeting those carrying weapons, disrupting the supply of knives, raising awareness of the dangers of knife crime, and providing young people with alternatives to crime.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews are currently at the scene in Eign Street. 

The street is currently closed from Steels Garage to Sainsbury's due to the on going fire at the building adjacent to the Old Eye Hospital location.

Firefighters bravely entered the burning building initially to get the fire under control.

The are 8 fire appliances currently on the scene as firefighters continue to deal with the blaze.

St Mary's C of E Primary School in Credenhill, Herefordshire forced to close due to increase in Covid-19 cases.

The school will close from tomorrow (Tuesday 23rd Nov) until Monday (29th Nov).