Hereford Voice

Some drivers certainly need re-educating

Raising the road.

Hereford Voice understands this morning that temporary black tape will be placed along the low kerbs in Widemarsh Street within the next 24hours, marking the infamous kerbs that many of us (or folks we know) have taken a tumble over. Hereford Voice have been advised that works will begin at the end of March next year, for approximately 8 weeks (keeping road open for access as much as possible). This work is long overdue, over a decade after the road was redesigned and this hazard has been allowed to continue for too long. Hereford Voice would like to thank campaigners like Barb Tilling and Anna Gardiner from local group Widemarsh Street Trips and Falls for their hard work over the years to raise awareness on this issue and also want to thank the coalition administration who have took the decision and secured the funding for the levelling of the kerbs after nothing was done by the previous administration. We appreciate things take time but are very pleased that common sense has prevailed here.

Our friend Dave Throup (Environmental Agency manager) has announced his retirement at the end of this year afer 22 years service with the Environment Agency. Dave is a flood expert and has kept us all up to date with the weather and dramatic photographs over the years.He made the announcement on his official Twitter account. Hereford Voice would like to thank Dave personally for keeping us up to date over the years with up to the minute accurate information and wish him a long and happy retirement, more time for them bike rides!

Latest News | Driver Arrested Suspicion of Driving While Under the Influence of Drugs and Dangerous Driving Following Collision with Person on Mobility Scooter Causing Serious Injuries. West Mercia Police have issued the following statement; Officers were called to a road traffic collision on the A49 near the Asda store in Hereford at 7.05am (Wednesday 15 December). The incident involved a white VW Polo and a mobility scooter. The man on the mobility scooter has been taken to hospital with serious injuries. The two men in the Polo stopped at the scene. The driver was initially arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs, and was further arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He is currently in custody. The A49 northbound at the pedestrian crossing from Asda fuel station/Drybridge Walk was closed but one lane has since reopened. The A49 southbound has also been reduced to one lane. There is considerable congestion and motorists are advised to avoid the area. Anyone who has any information or dash-cam footage is urged to call 101 or visit our website, quoting incident 059i of 15 December, 2021 or report it online via our website www.westmerciapolice.uk/tua/tell-us-about/ Alternatively, if you have information but don’t feel comfortable speaking to police, you can speak to the independent charity Crimestoppers. It is 100% anonymous, they never ask your name and they cannot trace your call or IP address. You can contact them online or by calling 0800 555 111.

Historic builders’ merchants, Robert Price, has welcomed Hereford-based building supplier, Tudors, into its group. The acquisition of Tudors Building Supplies, and its two specialist branches (Roofing and Kitchens, Bathrooms & Landscaping), will see the Robert Price network expand to 27 branches across South East Wales, and now Hereford too. As the largest independent builders’ merchants in the South East Wales region, Robert Price run multiple traditional merchants branches, as well as a selection of specialist divisions for roofing, timber, insulation and agricultural supplies. Although Tudors are integrating into the Robert Price Group, the newly acquired building suppliers will continue to trade under the Tudors name. Customers will also experience some additional benefits, which include access to other branches in the Robert Price network, their additional specialisms, an increased range of stock availability, and the Robert Price group expertise. “We are delighted to welcome such a trusted and respected local merchant, and its team, into the group” Marketing Director at Robert Price, Molly Pike, explains. “Both businesses share many of the same service priorities: a commitment to our loyal customer base, reliability, and integrity within our communities. “Tudors have an excellent reputation for service, and Robert Price is looking forward to expanding our business on the other side of the border.” Suppliers or customers with any queries relating to the acquisition are encouraged to cont

We are so pleased with these incredible numbers in such a short space of time this evening our 'HEREFORD LIVE' High Town HD Cam reached over 100,000 visitors. LIVE FEED ➡️ https://hfd.news/q7a Sponsored by Hereford Voice and hosted live 24/7 by our good friends at WorkHere: Community Workspace, Hereford. Hereford Voice is part of the Skyline network of high definition panoramic webcams scattered around the world with the sole goal of promoting tourism, art and culture! Web | www.herefordlive.uk Host | https://www.workhereford.co.uk More exciting news coming soon!

Two crews from Hereford, two from Ross and one each from Fownhope and Ewyas Harold were called at 03:18 to a house in the village where a fire in the roof space had spread to an adjoining property. All residents were able to leave the properties safely. "This incident was attended by many of crews and officers who have been at Kidderminster in last few days," said Chief Fire Officer Jon Pryce. "Superb efforts and commitment, thank you." 📸 Fownhope Fire Station

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.”