Outdoor carol service in Chelmsley Wood

A TRADITIONAL carol service will be taking place at Chelmund's Cross tomorrow evening (Tuesday).
The 'Carols on the Green' event is to be held outside the Three Trees Centre, Hedingham Grove.
The event is free and will run from 6.30-7.00pm. Don't forget to bring a lantern if you have one!

Review: Jack and the Beanstalk

PANTO'S PEOPLE: Malcolm Stent with Rebecca Ross (left) as Jack Trot
and Lorren Winwood as Tilly Trump

Jack and the Beanstalk, The Core Theatre, Solihull

AFTER 30 different productions, local funnyman Malcolm Stent is about to put his pantomime career...behind him.

Yes, having performed at The Core (formerly Solihull Arts Complex, formerly the Library Theatre) in an unbroken run stretching back to the early nineties, the comedian has decided that this year's run of Jack and the Beanstalk will be his last.

On this evidence it's a fitting finale, taking all the ingredients which have made previous productions so popular and mixing in topical references to a certain Mr Trump and Prince Harry's upcoming wedding celebrations.

Perhaps given the fact that this is Stent's swansong, the show seems to place a more obvious dividing line between the story of magic beans and the song and stand-up interludes that the comedian has made his own.

Fortunately neither half suffers. The panto itself continues to punch well-above its weight, with a dizzying array of scene and costume changes. We have an actual Giant - rather than just a disembodied voice from the back of the theatre - and a slapstick scene involving Flossie the cow is milked for all its worth (pun completely intended).

Rebecca Ross makes for a gung-ho Jack, while Marcus Fernando - who has become the theatre's go-to bad guy - has real fun as Fleshcreep; even if several weeks of stage smoke has wreaked havoc with his vocal cords.

As for his repartee with the audience, Stent continues to make good-natured fun of his adopted hometown (he grew up, of course, in Saltley.) He claims that the people of Dorridge have discovered a rather curious way of pronouncing the name of the village to avoid it rhyming with a popular breakfast choice, and jokes that Knowle residents are so posh that they make trips to the bin with a briefcase.

In many ways, the festive show has done more to bind the different communities of Solihull together than any number of slightly muddled council initiatives. With this in mind, I think all of the borough will be rather sad to see the end of an era. Oh yes it will!

Jack and the Beanstalk runs until January 2.

Traffic plans to go on show at parish hall

A ROADSHOW taking place in Marston Green will give residents the chance to discuss a congestion-busting scheme aimed at easing traffic at a major bottleneck.
Around £282million is to be spent on a project to improve the flow of vehicles at the junction of the M42 and the A45 Coventry Road.
Highways England will be presenting the plans to the public at a series of events taking place around the borough next month.
The proposals will be on show at Marston Green Parish Hall, Elmdon Road, on Wednesday, January 17. The event will run from 12noon-8pm.
Views expressed by the public will inform the planning application, which Highways England expects will be lodged late next year.
Subject to approval being granted in 2019, construction work is calculated to be completed in 2023.

MP welcomes tougher line on animal cruelty

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman has spoken in favour of proposals to usher in tougher punishments for animal cruelty offences.
A draft bill unveiled by the Environment Secretary Michael Gove would increase the maximum prison sentence for those who mistreat animals to five years (it is just six months at present).
Dame Caroline said: "Animals are sentient beings who feel pain and suffering, which is why I will support the Government's proposals to ensure that this principle is effectively written into law in order to protect their welfare."

Police appeal after Castle Brom break-in

DO you recognise these men?
Police would like to speak to them in connection with a burglary in Clayton Drive, Castle Bromwich earlier this month.
The break-in happened overnight on the weekend of December 2-3.
A rear window was smashed at the victims' home, with the burglars stealing items including car keys and two laptops.
If you can identify the men in these images, please contact officers on 101 (giving reference 20SH/262561T/17).

Weather Update: School closures, gritting runs, buses...

WHITE WATER: Babbs Mill earlier today
Picture by Jayne Robinson

ALL Solihull Council-run schools will be closed tomorrow (Monday) in response to heavy snowfall.
The blanket closure, affecting all schools which are part of the local authority, was confirmed this afternoon.
Academies, which are independent of the borough council, have been left to make their own decision - although the advice of officers has been for them to follow suit.
By 6pm this evening, Park Hall, CTC Kingshurst Academy, Grace Academy, Smith's Wood Academy and John Henry Newman Catholic College had all posted notices on their respective websites to confirm they would not be opening.
Solihull Council has announced that its gritting teams will be out at 7pm and again at 4am in an effort to keep the roads clear.
While current forecasts suggest that snow will stop falling before dawn, there are concerns that the freezing temperatures will make for treacherous conditions - particularly on the side streets which are untreated by gritting lorries.
National Express West Midlands - which suspended all bus services earlier today - has said it will be providing an update as to which routes will be operating tomorrow at around 5am.

Wintry weather grips the borough

NORTH Solihull woke to a thick blanket of snow this morning.
An Amber weather warning is in place across the West Midlands, with forecasters suggesting that up to 10cm of the white stuff would be reported in large parts of the region.
The snowfall has caused widespread disruption, with National Express West Midlands confirming that all services had been suspended until further notice.
The rail network has also been hit by delays in what could be a difficult first day for London Northwestern - which has just taken over the West Midlands franchise from London Midland.
The adverse conditions have also forced local people to cancel a number of Christmas events, with the winter woodland walk at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens (due to take place today) having been called off.
The snow is expected to continue until the early hours of tomorrow morning and although Monday is currently forecast to be bright and sunny, daytime temperatures are unlikely to get above zero. In fact, the Met Office is currently suggesting that the mercury could fall to as low as -6 celsius early on Tuesday.