Hereford Voice

Contractor agreed for major expansion to Herefordshire primary school Image credit: Quattro Design Architects A £6million expansion of a popular Herefordshire school has taken a major step forward after a contractor was appointed to carry out the work. Herefordshire Council has signed a contract with builder Morgan Sindall Construction for the work to provide six new classrooms, a new hall and a special hygiene and physio room at Marlbrook Primary School at Green Croft. The school – rated Outstanding by Ofsted and which has experienced a significant rise in numbers in recent years – will also benefit from new netball courts and improvements to the car parking area. Councillor Felicity Norman, Herefordshire Council Cabinet member for Children and Families, and Councillor Gemma Davies, Cabinet member for Commissioning, Procurement and Assets, said they were delighted that the scheme was progressing. Head teacher Tracey Kneale said the announcement was much-needed good news in the midst of the coronavirus situation. Robert Williams, area director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: Work will start in compliance with all Government coronavirus regulations and the council has pledged to help keep disruption from construction traffic to a minimum for residents. Construction of the project – the capital funding for which was approved in November – is expected to take around a year.

Fire crews from Eardisley Fire Station with support from Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service tackled a 25 acre bracken fire Fire well alight on Bredwardine Hill last night. Backpacks and beaters used to control and extinguish the blaze.

Man dies and two others injured after being attacked by water buffalo in Monmouthshire. It is believed that the animal went on the rampage on a farm near Usk, Gwent. A statement from Gwent Police said: According to a report in the Guardian; The richness of water buffalo milk makes it a popular ingredient in products ranging from mozzarella to ice-cream. Water buffalo are sometimes also introduced as part of conservation projects and have grazed since 2002 on the Teifi Marshes in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales said that usually they posed no risk to humans.

On This Day: 40 years ago today saw the Iranian Embassy Siege brought to a dramatic end with 'Operation Nimrod' successfully executed by the Special Air Service (SAS). Also discussed HERE 'The Back Door' depicted in this painting by John Tidewell "Who Dares Wins"

Herefordshire Council invests in additional care facility to assist former NHS patients with their recovery A Herefordshire hotel has reopened to support Herefordshire Council provide additional care and rehabilitation capacity for former NHS patients and members of the community, as part of the county’s response to the Covid-19 emergency. The council has leased the Three Counties Hotel at Belmont Road, Hereford, as a temporary accommodation to support the NHS and social care sector. Agincare UK Ltd are providing the care and support service on the site, which can offer accommodation for up to 46 people during the Covid-19 outbreak. The service will provide short term care and a rehabilitation service to help people to live independently when they return to their place of residence. Protective measures have been put in place, including the use of PPE, to ensure the safety of the residents and the staff. Councillor Pauline Crockett, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Wellbeing said: Luke Holmes, Agincare Operations Director, added: Michelle Standell, Manager of The Three Counties Hotel, said:

Thank you to all Key-Workers and the NHS in the fight against the Coronavirus, we thought this illustration was just perfect for today. May the 4th be with you! Illustration courtesy of mjhiblenart

On International Firefighters Day Hereford Voice take this opportunity to salute Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service and every other firefighter around the world, these are the brave, courageous and fearless heroes who save millions of lives every year. These people go head-on into situations that everyone else is running from. Thank you for your service and 'May the 4th be with you'

We are absolutely thrilled and excited to announce today that we have joined teams and created a new partnership with our brilliant friends over at Old Hereford Pics. The original Old Hereford Pics was established by local Herefordian, Chris Adcocks way back in 2008. The aim of their websites was to give a different look at Old Hereford with new and old pictures of its people, its buildings, its businesses and events from over the years and in Chris's words to offer After much deliberation Chris announced that due to family commitments and not having the hours to keep up with the continuous work involved in running Hereford's busiest old picture websites, he reluctantly said that they would have to close however, that was two years ago and after some discussions, we are delighted to have partnered both of our long established websites and we look forward to encouraging people to continue sending us their contributions, which will enable us to go from strength to strength. To help kick-start our new partnership, can we please kindly ask you to spread the word - LIKE and SHARE our new partners at Old Hereford Pics

The Hereford Mayfair has taken place for over 900 years! The first weekend of May is when we usually see all the showman's vehicles pulling up into Hereford. Hereford’s Mayfair has been with us since the 12th Century and it was originally known as St Ethelbert’s Fair and started back in 1121 and a street fair has been held in the city ever since. Every year the streets are closed off in the city centre and the thrilling rides and stalls with all their lights, music, food and prizes open for this three day annual street extravaganza. Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus pandemic both The Hereford and Leominster May Fair events for 2020 have been cancelled. Will you miss this Hereford tradition? Here are some fabulous historic photographs of our Mayfair together with some Pathe film circa 1920-1929 Billy Stevens Glamour Parade 1955 photograph courtesy of Derek Evans Studio Hereford King Street photograph courtesy of P Watts and Old Hereford Pics Photograph courtesy of Walter Pritcard and Old Hereford Pics

Have you stopped smoking since the Coronavirus pandemic? We are all aware that this dreadful virus killing thousands of people around the world attacks the human respiratory system and if you’re a smoker and worried about COVID-19 then now would be a good time to think about quitting for good. Research into previous coronaviruses show that smoking makes the impact of the virus worse. Smokers are more likely to develop severe disease from the COVID-19 virus, than non-smokers. Britain's chief medical advisor, Professor Chris Whitty, urged smokers to ditch the habit immediately to lower their risk of Covid-19. He told MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee: Chancellor Rishi Sunak also increased the tobacco tax in the recent Budget, with the cost of cigarettes to go up to £12.73 a pack. With this in mind, here are just a few websites to help advise you on how to quit smoking for good. Wish (Herefordshire Council) NHS Quit Smoking - NHS Smokefree Follow the hashtag #QuidforCovid campaign on Social Media for more advise and support

A stunning sunset across Herefordshire tonight, thank you Ella for capturing this so well.

Do you think this will be the end of cash? During this Coronavirus pandemic many businesses as part of their social distancing procedures no longer accept cash and will only take card and contactless payment methods. Nowadays, there are new digital ways to pay and there is a greater choice than ever. Then there are services allowing contactless payments to be made using a PC or smartphone (like Paypal and Apple Pay). Other services link your mobile phone number to your bank account so you can pay someone by sending a text. You can even pay using your watch or smart phone. Most of these innovations are about making it easier to pay for things. We believe that cash will always be used but maybe less and less... What do you think?

The Iranian Embassy Siege 40th Anniversary The Iranian Embassy siege took place from 30 April to 5 May 1980, after a group of six armed men stormed the Iranian embassy on Prince's Gate in South Kensington, London. Operation 'Nimrod' began. The gunmen, members of Arabs of KSA group campaigning for Arab national sovereignty in the southern Iranian region of Khuzestan Province, took 26 people hostage, mostly embassy staff, but also several visitors, as well as a police officer who had been guarding the embassy. On the sixth day the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered the Elite Special Air Service (SAS) to take over and they stormed the embassy and ended the siege by eliminating the terrorists and releasing the hostages. Go Go Go - The operation took just 17 minutes

Once again it's Thursday and at 8pm tonight, we will express our solidarity and full support for our front line workers from our doorsteps. Please join us in a 'round of applause' and saucepan tapping for ALL our NHS heroes, carers and key workers #HerefordVoice #Herefordshire #ClapForOurCarers

Happy 100th Birthday Colonel Tom Moore. The veteran's big day will also be marked with a flypast by a Spitfire and a Hurricane over his Bedfordshire home. He has also received thousands of cards including that special one from Her Majesty The Queen. The war hero has been appointed as the first Honorary Colonel of the Army Foundation College Harrogate for his birthday. This incredible man has raised over £30m by walking laps of his garden and has also broken two Guinness World Records along the way. He is the oldest person ever to have a No.1 single in the UK charts and the veteran has raised the most money ever as an individual with his charity walk, which has captured the nations hearts. Well done Sir!

New 'Super Green' Clinic opens in Herefordshire A new ‘Super Green’ Clinic has recently opened at Sarum House Surgery, Hereford for people across the county who have been identified as at increased risk of hospitalisation, should they contract Coronavirus. These people are known as ‘Shielded patients’ and will have received letters advising them to stay at home and avoid face-to-face contact with others for at least 12 weeks. The new Super Green Clinic is a nurse-led service, staffed by practice nurses and healthcare assistants from across the county. It is being led by Sister Deborah Suer, an experienced practice nurse from St Katherine’s Surgery Ledbury. As well as a physical clinic, a Super Green service will also be made available in their homes for housebound shielded patients, in collaboration with the district nursing team. The Super Green service offers a safe environment for shielded patients to receive non-COVID related interventions, such as medication, blood tests and essential injections. It complements other GP-led services available throughout the county during the pandemic and forms part of a carefully planned strategy coordinated by all 20 Herefordshire GP surgeries and Taurus Healthcare. Sister Suer says: The first patients to have used the Super Green Clinic have so far given positive feedback. One lady commented: Shielded patients who need nursing interventions such as a blood test or injection should telephone their GP Surgery, who will then refer them to the Super Green service.

Hereford & District Angling Association have submitted a planning application for the proposed construction of 28 fishing platforms along the banks of the River Wye, west of New Bridge in Hereford. Above is a map detailing the proposed locations for the fishing platforms. Above is a photograph of an existing fishing platform already in situ along the riverbank. Ecological Appraisal The proposed work at Belmont will involve installing 28 new timber fishing platforms on the banks of the River Wye (SAC). Minimal vegetation management will be required to create an access route to the pegs. No trees will be removed as part of the works. The ecological appraisal was undertaken on behalf of the Hereford & District Angling Association to give an outline of the ecological receptors on site and identify and protect species or habitat constraints. Full appraisal attached. BiodivRpt_2.pdf

A stunning photo of the nights sky taken from Belmont football pitch over the weekend. Photo courtesy of our moderator @DILLIGAF

Covid-19 Testing Now Available for Key Workers and Their Families Pre-booked drive-through testing is available at Merton Meadow car park in Hereford. If you're an essential worker who is self-isolating, you can now apply for you and your household to get tested in Herefordshire for Covid-19 coronavirus. The drive-through testing is available at Merton Meadow car park in Hereford and tests can be booked on the government website. The test is only for people who have symptoms of coronavirus – whether that’s you, or someone you live with. It involves taking a swab sample from your nose and throat. The test will tell whether you currently have coronavirus. After the test, while you wait for your results, you (and anyone you live with) must continue to self-isolate. Read NHS advice about how long to self-isolate. If your test result turns out to be negative, you can safely return to work, as long as: you are well enough you have not had a high temperature for 48 hours anyone you live with also tests negative If you test positive, or someone you live with tests positive, you cannot return to work. You will need to continue to self-isolate. If your condition gets worse, or you do not get better after 7 days, use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service. Only call 111 if you cannot get help online. For a medical emergency dial 999. Herefordshire emergency response lead, Superintendent Sue Thomas said: An Army spokesperson said:

Roll and Scroll Steel Fabrication Grantham, Lincs.

Steel Fabricators 'Roll and Scroll' based in Grantham, Lincs have honoured Captain Tom Moore by manufacturing this stunning bench, which they have kindly gifted to him for his 100th Birthday. Captain Tom's daughter Hannah is pictured here accepting the bench on her fathers behalf, he was resting at the time when the bench was delivered to his home by Managing Director Chris Kennedy. The bench features beautifully crafted images of Captain Tom Moore together with his name and with the words 'You'll Never Walk Alone" at the base. This is such an unselfish and kind gesture from the firm who have manufactured over 100 memorial benches so far. Thank you to Chris for these lovely photographs, which we have pleasure in sharing and we're sure that Captain Tom Moore will be absolutely delighted with his birthday present.

Boris Johnson is back today! The PM returns to lead the government as the country enters its fifth week in lockdown. After more than three weeks out of action this will be a "boost for the country", his deputy has said.

It's good to see that the UK government have started human clinical trials to find a vaccine for Coronavirus.

Since the World is in virtual lockdown it doesn't take long for Mother Nature to reset itself... Enjoy this video with scenes worthy of a Disney film showing Kangaroos hoping through major cities in Australia to Lions relaxing on a Golf Course in South Africa. We loved watching this so much, we just had to share it with our lovely followers in Herefordshire and beyond.