Chelmsley Wood store makes special delivery.

POORLY children received an egg-stra special treat when over 200 Easter eggs were delivered to a local hospital by the Chelmsley Wood branch of ASDA.
Denise Danks, the supermarket's community life champion, visited young patients at Heartlands Hospital with the chocolate treats - the entire lot had been donated by staff and customers.
“I was very grateful to be given the opportunity to meet patients... and bring a smile to their faces,” said Denise.
“All three of my children have been treated on the children’s unit at Heartlands so it was a poignant moment for me going back to the hospital.”

Chelmsley Wood man sentenced after harassing woman from inside prison

A CHELMSLEY Wood man who terrorised a young woman he hadn't even met from INSIDE prison has received a five year jail sentence.
Carlos Boente, 33, was already serving time for harassment at HMP Birmingham when he began to phone and text the 19-year-old, whose number he had got from a cellmate.
Boente (pictured right) originally asked the victim to change his Facebook password on his behalf and while the teenager did not know who was contacting her, she agreed to do so as a favour.
From this point on, Boente sent thousands of texts to the woman and called her constantly, telling her he had no family and nobody visited him in prison.
Feeling sorry for him, the woman continued to correspond with him but his communications soon took a sinister turn when he began to ask where she was and if she did not reply, he would leave abusive and threatening messages.
Left exhausted by the endless texts and calls, the victim finally contacted police when he told her he had friends on the outside watching her, sending her a picture of her front door.
Det Con Vanessa Lewis said: “Even when the victim was giving a statement to us about Boente’s behaviour, we witnessed him constantly calling her, shouting down the phone and being abusive.
“Despite knowing we were investigating him, Boente showed no signs of stopping his disturbing conduct. On March 24 [last year], shortly after we blocked his letters and landline contact from the prison, three men entered the home of the woman’s aunt and uncle looking for a safe.”
Boente’s Facebook status two days later – boasting that he sent his “soldiers” to the property – indicated he was behind the burglary.
On June 4, Boente was charged with two counts of threats to kill, one count of harassment, one count of conspiracy to burgle and three counts of possessing a mobile phone while in prison.
He denied all the charges against him, apart from two counts of possessing a mobile phone.
Earlier this year he was cleared of the threats to kill charges but found guilty of the other offences, and sentenced to a total of five years in prison.
Det Con Lewis said: “It is clear that Boente – who operated four Facebook accounts through five different phones from behind bars – thinks he is above the law and unfortunately, does not see prison as a barrier to his bizarre behaviour.
“The woman concerned in this case and her family lived in fear for months. The stress caused by Boente’s actions resulted in family members giving up their jobs and selling their homes, while the victim felt she had lost all control of her life.”

Local Elections: Candidates confirmed for North Solihull

COUNTDOWN: There will be some closely-fought battles for council seats
in North Solihull

AN ATTEMPT by the Tories and Labour to stop the march of the "smaller" parties in North Solihull will be at the centre of next month's local election campaign.

With the Greens and UKIP holding seven out of nine seats between them in the three regeneration wards and the Conservative vote being squeezed in the previous stronghold of Castle Bromwich, the traditional parties of government have had a dismal time at the ballot box in recent years.

With less than a month to go before Solihull goes to the polls, candidates have now been confirmed for the council election, providing further detail about the closely-fought local battles that residents can expect.

In contrast to 12 months ago, the Greens will this year have to defend seats in wards where they now hold a monopoly.

In Chelmsley Wood, the group's leader Karl Macnaughton will be standing for re-election, while Mark Wilson has been selected by the party in Smith's Wood (Alison Walters, who swept to victory in 2011, will not seek a second term.)

For Labour, snatching back either seat would be sweet revenge for a number of humiliating defeats.

In Smith's Wood, the party has pinned its hopes on David Cole, chairman of Kingshurst Parish Council, while in Chelmsley they have selected local mum Emma Chidler as their candidate.

It will not be an all out offensive for the party however, with work to be done to defend long-standing councillor Alan Nash.

AS IT STANDS: The current make-up of Solihull Council

If he is defeated in Kingshurst & Fordbridge, his wife Flo will be left as the solitary Labour member on Solihull Council.

In this ward, the keenest challenge is likely to come not from the Greens, but UKIP - who caused a major upset 12 months ago. Debbie Evans' success over Labour's then leader David Jamieson handed the eurosceptic party their first seat in Solihull. They will hope that candidate Rob Hall will be able to score a similar victory.

The Conservatives are also under pressure from UKIP in a number of wards. While Marston Green man Bob Sleigh looks unlikely to face a serious challenge in Bickenhill, his wife Gail may face a tougher fight in Castle Brom. Last year the Tories held on, but their comfortable majority was dramatically reduced by the UKIP challenger.

The Liberal Democrats this year contest just nine of Solihull's 17 wards and are not fielding any candidates in the north of the borough.

The BNP, who once had a councillor in Chelmsley Wood, will not contest a single seat.

• This year's election takes place on Thursday, May 7. Residents have until April 20 to register to vote.

Candidates:

Bickenhill:  Gerry Blake (UKIP), Michael Longfield (Lab), Gary Macnaughton (Green), Bob Sleigh (Con).

Castle Bromwich: Alan Jacques (Lab), Glen Lawrence (UKIP), Eleanor Perfect (Green), Gail Sleigh (Con).

Chelmsley Wood: Sally Bell (Con), Emma Chidler (Lab), Karl Macnaughton (Green).

Kingshurst & Fordbridge: David Davies (Green), Rob Hall (UKIP), Alan Nash (Lab), Paul Thomas (Con)

Smith's Wood: David Cole (Lab), Graham Juniper (Con), Mark Wilson (Green)

Marston Green head retiring after 20 years

FOND FAREWELL: Headteacher Mary
Parfitt with the parish council's Frank Bunce

MARY Parfitt, headteacher of Marston Green Infant Academy, is retiring after 20 years at the school.
Last month, Bickenhill and Marston Green Parish Council visited to make a special presentation to Ms Parfitt, in recognition of her service to the local community.
Frank Bunce, the parish council's chairman, said: "Over the last 20 years more than 2000 local children have started their school life at the infant school.
"Mary has made the infant academy a very special place for local children to start their academic career and she will be leaving a legacy for many years to come."
A number of villagers, including several former pupils, have paid tribute to the popular headteacher on social media.
Donna Ward-Reynolds wrote: "She will be missed by many and the next head has a lot to live up to."

The Day of the Griffins has come

LANDMARK: One of the six griffins, photographed in 2011

AN EVENT is taking place this week to celebrate the restoration of a group of historic statues.

Six stone griffins have, for decades, stood guard over a walkway that once led to Yorks Wood Scouts Camp.

In the time since, a housing estate has grown up around them, but the imposing figures have remained a well-known local landmark.

Last year the Yorks Wood Residents' Association received a £10,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to return the statues to their former glory (there had been concerns that the wind and rain had started to damage the stonework.)
To celebrate the successful restoration, the 'Day of the Griffins' event will be taking place tomorrow (Wednesday) from 11am-2pm. Visitors can enjoy games and refreshments.

Griffin History: Local legend has it that the griffins were originally a gift to Britain from the Tsar of Russia. While this has never been confirmed, it's a fact that the creatures once looked out over Birmingham from the roof of Lewis. When the department store was renovated, the statues were shifted from the city centre to Yorks Wood, a stone's throw from Kingshurst. They were originally positioned at the entrance to the Scouts Camp, which finally closed in 1972. A lot of the area was used for council houses, although some of the original wood survived and was later designated a nature reserve by Solihull Council. As for the griffins, they continue to fascinate passers-by in nearby Kendrick Avenue and Horne Way.

First events confirmed for this year's IMAGE Fest

A CULTURAL festival encompassing North Solihull - which was staged for the first time last year - is set to return.
Details have now been published online about some of the events which will be taking place when the second IMAGE Fest gets underway next month.
Among the activities confirmed so far include a community dinner to commemorate 70 years since the end of the Second World War. The VE Day-themed evening will be held at St Barnabas Church, Kingshurst on May 8.
Meanwhile, the Funbridge Games will once again be staged at Fordbridge Community Primary, on May 2.
There will also be a return for the Castle Bromwich Heritage Festival, in many ways the lynchpin of last year's programme.
Although this time the event - which celebrates the suburb's rich history -  will be shifted from the spring to September.
For more about this year's IMAGE Fest, visit the website.

• Pictured left, a re-enactment in Castle Bromwich last year.

Walk-in centre available in Chelmsley Wood over Easter.

A TEMPORARY walk-in centre will be opening in Chelmsley Wood to relieve the pressure on local hospitals over the Easter break.
With doctors' surgeries closed over the Bank Holiday period, people will be able to seek non-emergency medical advice at the Primary Care Centre, in Crabtree Drive (pictured above).
The service will be available from Good Friday through to Easter Monday, 9am-6pm.
Dr Sue Harrower, a member of the Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "The temporary walk-in centre will give our patients greater choice over Easter and help reduce the demand on urgent care services, especially A&E."
Patients are reminded that people should only visit the casualty department with serious injuries and illnesses. Otherwise they are invited to use the walk-in centre, go to a pharmacy or call the NHS 111 helpline.