Citylife in Lichfield December 2020

3

Welcome to
CITYLIFE
Welcome to CITYLIFE in Lichfield, a monthly magazine
bringing you our pick of the city’s news, events and stories.
Each month CITYLIFE in Lichfield is delivered to 18,000
businesses and homes in Lichfield, Kings Bromley, Fradley,
Alrewas, Hill Ridware, Whittington, Stonnall, Shenstone,
Hammerwich, Burntwood and Longdon, completely free
of charge; bringing you the best that the city has to offer.
Each issue features heritage stories exploring the rich
history of our area, plus competitions, interviews and the
latest in fashion and style.
Got a story or charity event you want to share with our
readership? Think you’ve snapped an image that captures
the spirit of the city? We want to hear from you!
Our business is bringing you Lichfield’s city life.
CITYLIFE Contacts
Editor - Kristen Lackajis 07885 380632
kristencitylife@gmail.com
Features - Jono Oates 07785 757201 jonocitylife@gmail.com
Advertising -
Steve Brown 07740 166497 stevebrowncitylife@gmail.com
Rebecca Hill 07970 513144 rebeccahillcitylife@gmail.com
Lorraine Hudson 078860 91933 lorrainecitylife@gmail.com
Production -
Helen Smith 07967 154187 helencitylife@gmail.com
Citylife In Lichfield Ltd
PO Box 7126 LICHFIELD WS14 4JS
CITYLIFE in Lichfield and CITYLIFE in Rugeley magazines
are not connected to any other publication or publisher, and are
wholly owned by CITYLIFE in Lichfield Ltd.
Citylife In Lichfield
www.citylifeinlichfieldltd.co.uk
Citylife in Lichfield Ltd does not endorse any business or organisation
appearing in these pages, and the publication of any advertisement,
editorial, event listing or advertising editorial does not constitute an
endorsement by Citylife in Lichfield Ltd.
Your Local Magazine
Inside...
12 Lichfield's First Cinema
Jono Oates looks at the history of The
Palladium
.............................
28 Christmas Messages to Lichfield
Messages of good tidings from the Mayor
.............................
32 Be Kind to Your Mind
Jo Howell's tips for looking after
your mental health
.............................
40 Tastes of the Season
Simon Smith cooks up a festive treat
From the Editor…
Welcome to our festive issue of Citylife in Lichfield!
It’s going to be a very different Christmas for most of us this year, but
that doesn’t mean it should be without festive cheer and so we’ve filled
the pages of our December magazine with lots for you to read, see and
do!
We’d like to remind everyone that shopping locally this year is a great
way to support the community and those businesses who have been
hit the hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic. Lichfield is full of the most
wonderful retailers selling unique items and products that are often
one-of-a-kind, so it’s a chance to pick up something a little more
unusual as a gift too. Our gift guide on page 44 has a fantastic range of
ideas to get you started!
Christmas is always a time to remember those less fortunate than
ourselves and, this year, charity may not be something that is at the
forefront of our minds, but is something that is still so very important,
perhaps now more than ever. We’ve chosen to support Pathway
Project, a local domestic abuse charity, and you can read more about
this on page 16.
We’d like to offer our thanks to all of our readers and supporters for
helping the magazine to get through a very trying year. And most of all,
we’d like to wish you all a peaceful and safe Christmas.
Krissy

5

LOCAL NEWS
6
Local Company
Records Christmas
Album
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
A Lichfield music company has recorded a
brand new album of popular Christmas songs
with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Swan Music is behind the recording, entitled 'A
Royal Philharmonic Christmas’ which will
feature orchestral versions of such festive hits
as Wizzard’s ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas
Every Day’, Slade’s ‘Merry Christmas
Everybody’ and other classics including Irving
Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’.
Swan Music, which is based in Tamworth Street,
is keen to support musicians as the industry has
been particularly affected by the Covid-19
pandemic.
To enable social distancing the recording took
place at the prestigious St John’s Smith Square,
a former church in London’s Westminster
which functions as a concert hall.
.......................................................................................
Supporting Lichfield
Foodbank
Lichfield Foodbank is asking for donations as it
prepares to support the many families in the
city who are facing a challenging winter. The
volunteer run charity, which has been helping
people in need in the city for six years, has fed
up to five times more people than usual since
the start of the coronavirus crisis.
In addition to providing emergency food parcels
at three distribution centres a week, Lichfield
Foodbank also provides a festive dinner bag
every year to ensure that nobody is forgotten
on Christmas Day. Each bag contains 20 items,
all generously donated by local people, as well
as fresh veg and meat vouchers. In the first year
that the foodbank was open in 2014 the
organisation provided 100 bags and the number
rose to 420 in 2019. This year it is anticipated
that over 500 bags will be needed.
The charity is also suggesting a ‘reverse advent
calendar’ as a fun way to provide support:
simply collect a non-Christmas item every day
in December and donate at the end of the
month to help to replenish the shelves for
January.
If you are not able to get to the shops at the
moment, you can also support Lichfield
Foodbank with a donation at
www.justgiving.com/Lichfieldfoodbank.
For more information on how you can donate
and to find Christmas food lists and advent
calendars visit www.lichfield.foodbank.org.uk,
follow the foodbank on Facebook and twitter,
or contact info@lichfield.foodbank.org.uk.
.......................................................................................
Sign Up for Garden
Waste Collections
Green-fingered folk across Lichfield District are
being reminded that it’s time to re-subscribe to
the garden waste service.
Registration is now open for the garden waste
service, and Lichfield District Council is urging
local residents to sign up again to have their
brown bins emptied in 2021.
From grass cuttings and weeds to leaves and
dead plants, brown bins are a great way to
recycle your garden waste. Composting is also
good for the environment and can save time
consuming trips to your local household waste
recycling centre.
This year’s prices have been held and it will
continue to cost £36 per garden waste bin for
fortnightly collections next year. This works out
at around £1.56 per bin collection. The council
makes 23 garden waste collections from the
end of January to mid-December.
Sign up for the 2021 garden waste service at
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/mygardenbin or call the
Shared Waste Service on 0345 002 0022.
.......................................................................................
Carpet Cleaning Firm
Supports St Giles
St Giles Head of Fundraising Chloe Herbert
with Knight & Doyle partners Steve
Winkles and Richard Doyle and their
newly-branded van.
Generous staff at a Lichfield carpet cleaning
company are supporting St Giles Hospice by
helping to fund its vital care services for local
families.
Knight & Doyle Carpet and Upholstery
Cleaning has signed up as a corporate
supporter for St Giles and pledged to donate
more than £2,500 to the hospice from its
cleaning sales each year.
The business is also offering St Giles Hospice
lottery players a 10 per cent discount of their
services through the lottery’s Promise Card
scheme.
Knight & Doyle, which offers residential and
commercial carpet cleaning services across
Lichfield, Cannock, Walsall, Aldridge and
surrounding areas, has now rebranded its vans
to promote the firm’s support of St Giles and
will feature its logo on its website and in
marketing materials to further raise awareness
of the hospice.
For more information about St Giles Hospice
visit www.stgileshospice.com. For more
information about Knight & Doyle Carpet and
Upholstery Cleaning visit www.kdclean.co.uk.
Please mention
Citylife when
contacting
advertisers

7

LOCAL NEWS
8
Cathedral Opens
Doors to Vaccination
News that a vaccine programme will be
implemented before Christmas has prompted
Lichfield Cathedral to renew its invitation to
local GP practices to use the Cathedral as a
vaccination centre.
The Very Reverend Adrian Dorber, Dean of
Lichfield, said: “The roll out of this new vaccine
to immunise us against Covid-19 infection is the
best news of the year. We want to offer the
Cathedral nave as a big space that can safely and
securely house local vaccination programmes
and enable speedy delivery to those most at
risk.”
Discussions are under way with local health
providers to arrange facilities and appropriate
dates and times.
.......................................................................................
New Section of
Heritage Towpath
Opens
The newly completed section of the
Towpath Trail
Lichfield Canal Trust volunteers have celebrated
the milestone opening of a key 160-metre
section of the Heritage Towpath Trail at
Gallows Reach.
This marks the culmination of much work by
LHCRT volunteers, working in all weathers, to
expose the 200 plus year old towpath and wall
which had been buried and lost back in the
1960s.
Found in poor condition, the old brick towpath
has now been restored and rebuilt in several
places with reclaimed heritage bricks. Pending
completion of the remaining narrow canal
channel and towpath along the rear of the retail
shops over the coming weeks, the Trust created
a temporary 'causeway' across the canal
channel which gives good access from the
nature trail onto the restored Heritage
Towpath Trail.
.......................................................................................
Lichfield Litter Legend
Releases Book
Written by local man, Robert Harrison, Lennie
the Litter Legend is the story of how a roly poly
little hedgehog takes action against the rubbish
that lines the streets.
The book is aimed at pre-school to Key Stage 2
children and, it is hoped once everything is back
to normal, that the book will be the platform of
an educational pack for schools.
Lichfield Litter Legends is a local non-profit
litter action group based in Lichfield with the
main objective of keeping the beautiful city as
litter free as possible.
Books cost £10 each, with £2 from each book
going towards the Lichfield Litter Legends and
its plight to keep Lichfield a litter-free city.
Order now in time for Christmas on Facebook
by searching for LICHFIELD LITTER
LEGENDS.
.......................................................................................
Good Cause Launch
Do you help at a local charity or volunteer for
a community group? Could your group use
some extra money to buy that necessary piece
of equipment that will benefit the people you
help? Or perhaps you know a sports club that
needs more funding. Come along to the Good
Cause Launch to find out about Lichfield
Community Lottery.
Lichfield District Council is getting set to
launch a weekly lottery this spring, to raise
money for good causes across the district and
to give players a chance to win a £25,000
jackpot plus smaller prizes.
To get the ball rolling, local clubs, voluntary
organisations and charities are being invited to
a virtual ‘Good Cause Launch’ on Monday 18th
January 2021 at 5pm.
The online event will be a chance to find out
more about how good causes can benefit from
signing up to be involved in the lottery.
Good causes can register to attend the virtual
launch at
www.lichfieldddc.gov.uk/communitylottery.
.......................................................................................
Award for Young
Composer
Congratulations are
in order to Eilidh
Owen, 6th Form
Choral Scholar at
Lichfield Cathedral
School and Lichfield
Cathedral Choir, on
winning the
National Centre for
Early Music Young
Composer Award
2020 in the 18 and
under category.
Eilidh Owen
Her winning
composition based
upon the first and last verses of George
Herbert's poem The Flower, ‘As if there were
no such cold thing’ will be performed by the
Tallis Scholars at a concert at the Cadogan Hall
on 24th March next year and will be recorded
for broadcast later on BBC Radio 3’s Early
Music Show.
To see and hear all of the finalist’s pieces being
sung, visit
www.ncem.co.uk/composersaward2020.
Got a story or charity event you
want to share with our
readership? Think you’ve
snapped an image that captures
the spirit of the region? We
want to hear from you!
Contact Citylife at
kristencitylife@gmail.com

Advertising Feature
What a very strange year !
What a very strange year 2020 has been with many highs and lows for us all. We don’t really know
what 2021 will bring but lets hope there are far more highs than lows.
I would like to thank all of my clients for their continued support during the year and the trust and confidence they have placed in
me as their Financial Adviser.
During 2021 I will carry out 150 review meetings with my existing clients, advising them in a variety of areas such as pensions,
investments, protection, long term care and inheritance tax planning. Whether these meetings will be face to face, online or by phone
we don’t yet know.
I am still taking on new clients and if you feel that you need advice then please give me call so we can have a chat. The first meeting
will be at my cost and there is no obligation to proceed any further. Financial Advisers get paid in a variety of ways and I will explain
this to you when we speak. If you do
decide to be a client then you will get a
personalised service that matches your
needs, whatever they may be, as we are
all individuals with different
circumstances.
As a client I will find out enough
about you to provide you with effective
financial planning. I will carry out a full
fact find of your circumstances and
discuss with you your priorities, where
you want to be financially in the future
and how I may be able to help you get
there. I will speak in clear terms and do
my best to try and help you achieve
your goals.
Our team of Financial Advisers at
Four Oaks Financial Services are
supported by in-house research, client
liaison and administration teams. I have
spent most of 2020 working from home
using online meetings to great effect,
keeping in contact with my clients and
advising them during a very strange
year.
As an experienced Financial Adviser I
work with clients, at all stages of their
life, to help them achieve their financial
goals. My clients are mainly in the
Burntwood, Lichfield, Cannock and
greater Wolverhampton areas, although
I do have clients much further afield.
It is often said that people deal with
people so please give me a call or drop
me an email. We can have a chat and can
take it from there if you wish.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Robin Place DipFA, CeLTCI, MLIBF
Financial Adviser
0121 323 2070, 07968 504805
robin@fouroaksfs.com
9

A gold full hunter Hampden Watch Co
pocket watch which sold for £1,150.
A vintage scratchbuilt model racing car, which revved off
for £2,100 at auction.
Virtual Valuations
with The Lichfield
Auction Centre
...............................
By Richard Winterton
With the latest lockdown due to end as this edition of Citylife was
going to press, December began with the same question mark as has
hovered over most of 2020.
But we have kept positive and open-minded, evolving throughout this
year to adapt to coronavirus and put measures in place to enable us to
operate safely and securely for our clients and colleagues. From digital
estimates to online-only auctions, with both pick-ups and deliveries
working on a ‘click and collect’ basis, everything has proved so popular
and, happily, we have been able to take on more staff too.
We have held weekly online-only Antiques & Home Sales behind
closed doors on Mondays since June.
Broadcast live from The Lichfield Auction Centre, these auctions have
been joined by tens of thousands of bidders from across the globe.
Our last sales of the year are scheduled to take place on Mondays
December 7 and 14 – the latter to include specialist medals, militaria,
stamps and wines.
As I write this, our latest weekly sale of more than 680 lots closed with
just 19 lots unsold in the entire auction, equating to a selling rate of 97.2
per cent and an average of £109.70 per lot.
Lots included a Victorian diamond heart pave, which could be worn as
a pendant or on a ring mount, selling for £1,700, and a vintage
scratchbuilt model racing car, which revved off for £2,100.
An England football cap believed to be awarded to 1966 World Cup
left back Ray Wilson for a '67 friendly against Austria scored a hammer
price of £1,200 – Ray was made an MBE with his 1966 teammates Nobby
Stiles, Roger Hunt, George Cohen and Alan Ball in 2000 after a successful
media campaign.
Timepieces of all sizes
continue their appeal too,
with a George II longcase
clock making £1,800 and a
collection of five pocket
watches fetching £4,150.
And we must mention the
Omega Seamaster 300
military wristwatch from
1968, which recently sold to
a bidder in Hong Kong for a
wonderful £25,000.
A number of these items
came from our popular
valuations at The Hub at St
The Omega Seamaster 300
military wristwatch which sold
online to a bidder in Hong
Kong for £25,000.
Mary’s in Lichfield city centre – which we temporarily ceased due to
Covid-19 restrictions – but worry not! You can still access the same level
of friendly, professional, specialist help – and for free.
Our 'virtual valuations' service providing auction estimates and advice
is totally safe, secure and so easy. Simply visit our website at
bit.ly/2WQIl17 for information on how to get the ball rolling.
Demand is stronger than ever so it is a fantastic time to seek
professional advice and find out what those hidden treasures could really
be worth at auction.
We cater for anything from jewellery, watches, silver and coins to
militaria, pictures, vintage toys – even Pokemon cards, which are fast
becoming the ‘new antique’. Books, furniture, tools, motorbikes, cars…
you name it!
With more than 150 years of family experience, we are so proud of
our bespoke, sympathetic service whether it’s a watch valuation or
house clearance.
Many people will undoubtedly be looking forward to turning their back
on 2020. We close for Christmas at 5pm on Friday, December 18,
reopening at 9am on Monday, January 4.
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone all the best for the
festive season and hope 2021 will be a brighter year packed with hope
and joy.
For more information about upcoming sales, valuations and to book
appointments for collections or deliveries, telephone 01543 251081 or email
office@richardwinterton.co.uk. Visit www.richardwinterton.co.uk.
10

11

The Palladium in the 1930s. Photograph courtesy of the Hub
at St Mary’s Collection.
The David Garrick Memorial Theatre
The Wilko store on Bore Street,
site of the former Garrick Theatre
12
The Palladium
Lichfield’s First Cinema
By Jono Oates
............................
On 11th November 1929 the audience of the Palladium
Cinema on Bore Street settled down in their seats to
enjoy an entirely new kind of film… a talkie! The film
was a Broadway Melody and it was the first of many ‘talking
pictures’ that the people of Lichfield would enjoy from that point
onwards.
The Palladium had opened in December 1912 as a Picture Palace
replacing the earlier St James Hall and, as well as showing the latest
silent movies, it would also host theatrical performances, public
meetings and concerts. The owner of the Palace was John Thorburn
who had previously overseen a very successful picture palace at
Tamworth. The old Hall was completely renovated, both inside and
out, and it had been fitted with electric lighting, driven by a powerful
gas engine and dynamo. Fire-proof floors and ceilings were installed
and the fashionable tip-up seats inside were made of plush material. A
canopy at the front of the Hall was erected with the words ‘The
Palladium’ in gold lettering. All of the renovation work was carried out
in just 14 days and the opening ceremony was held on 23rd
December, just in time for Christmas and the festive season. The
Mayor of Lichfield, Mr HJC Winterton, formally opened the Palladium
and there were two performances on the opening night, with prices
ranging from 3d to 9d – with an extra 1d charged if customers wanted
to reserve a seat. Owner John Thorburn donated all of the opening
night receipt monies to the Victoria Nursing Home and Cottage
Hospital which was, at that time, on Sandford Street. Mayor Winterton
gave a tribute to Thorburn for bringing such an amazing new facility to
the people of Lichfield and also gave credit to the builders, JR Deacon
and Brothers, of St John Street. Thorburn treated all of Deacon’s
workers to a slap-up dinner at the Old Crown Hotel on Bore Street.
All of the films shown originally were silent movies and in
September 1914 audiences could watch ‘The Gypsy Child’, ‘The
Interference of Bronco Billy’ – a drama – and ‘Dupin Fixes a Lamp’ –
a comedy. As well as movies the Palladium also hosted live theatre and
performances and in October 1914 Madam Doris and her troupe of
dancing bears trod the boards, performing amazing feats on roller
skates, the trapeze and the tight rope. As if this drama wasn’t enough,
they also showed images from the opening battles of World War One.
Silent movie shows continued at the Palladium until November
1929 when the very first talkie was shown. The advert on the front
page of the Lichfield Mercury declared it as the ‘All Talking, Singing and
Dancing’ Broadway Melody which was the ‘Greatest Smash Hit in the
History of the Talking Screen’. Described as a ‘film masterpiece’
Lichfield audiences were advised to book their seats early to avoid
disappointment. A week later the audiences flocked back to the
cinema to see The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson. Released in 1927 it
was the first feature-length film with synchronised dialogue and
started the era of the ‘talkies’. The Mercury described it as a ‘novelty
talkie’ saying that the ovation it had received had been tremendous
and that Lichfield was lucky to be able to see it so soon after its
release in Britain.
In December 1936 the cinematograph and theatrical license was
due for renewal and the owner, John Dent, applied for the name of the
Palladium to be changed, becoming the Lido Cinema, in January 1937.
Dent made extensive changes to the cinema, bringing it up to date
with modern lighting and screens, and adding a café alongside it.
Among the first films to be shown at the Lido were The Country
Beyond (starring Rochelle Hudson, Robert Kent and Buck the St
Bernard dog), and Captain January (starring nine-year-old Shirley
Temple).
After the Lido closed down the building became the David Garrick
Memorial Theatre, followed by a number of department stores, and is
now the Wilko store.
In November 1929 the audience in the Palladium Theatre on Bore
Street saw a movie which, when it was first released, was thought to
be a ‘novelty’, but it signalled the beginning of the end for the silent
movies and the start of the golden era of talking pictures.
Sources: The British Newspaper Archive

Sixth Form Celebrates New
Student Applications
The Hart School in Rugeley is celebrating more
students than ever going off to university as it
invites new students to apply for its Sixth Form.
The high school’s Sixth Form is recognised for its unique
bespoke curriculum which is created around each specific
student intake’s career goals and has won high praise from
Ofsted, students and parents.
As part of significant and continued investment in the
Penkridge Bank Road School, new head, Miss Rachael
Sandham, recently unveiled newly refurbished Sixth Form
areas, including a dedicated Sixth Form entrance, as well as
a new all-weather leisure dome - the only one in the UK –
a new ICT suite and refurbished library.
As well as having more students go off to university than
before the school also guides students to other
destinations post Sixth Form, including Higher and Degree
Apprenticeships.
The Sixth Form has celebrated year-on-year successes
since the school became a part of Creative Education Trust
nine years ago.
Its 2020 successes include: Continued increase in top A*
and A grades compared to 2019, students achieving
approximately a full grade higher compared to last year;
over 40 per cent are grade B or higher; and outstanding
results in Chemistry, Fine Art and Psychology with students
achieving an average grade of A.
For an application form and more information on courses
visit www.hartschool.org.uk/sixth-form, email Mr Brennan
on ben.brennan@hartschool.org.uk, or call 01889 802440.
13

Here at Just Granite Ltd, we pride ourselves on being the experts for any worktop needs you may have.
Be it a beautiful bespoke and unique kitchen worktop, a bar, bathroom or even a barbecue area, we have
an extensive in-house range ready to be chosen by you! We stock a varied range, in a variety of materials,
such as our own competitively priced quartz, granite, marble and porcelain, as well as all the top brands
from around the world.
There really is no reason to go anywhere else!
Win a Granite Chopping Board
Just Granite takes great pride in offering its customers full
support, from the initial quotation right through to installation,
with all products being covered under a guarantee and offering
additional maintenance packages where suitable.
With the largest variety of natural stones in the Midlands, the
solid slabs are kept on-site and are available for viewing from
9am-5pm on Monday to Friday, and 9am-12.30pm on Saturday.
Located at The Stone Works, Pillaton Hall Farm, Penkridge,
ST19 5RZ.
We’ve got a bespoke Chopping Board (in the
colour of your choice) to give away! To be in
with a chance of winning this magnificent prize,
simply answer the following question correctly:
Where does the supply
of granite come from?
a) Spain
b) Italy
c) Germany
To enter, just send your name, contact details and answer to Just
Granite Competition at competitioncitylife@gmail.com or post your
entry to Citylife in Lichfield Ltd, PO Box 7126, Lichfield WS14 4JS by
the closing date of 23rd January 2021. One entry per household.
Multiple entries will be disqualified. No cash equivalent. Please note
you must be 18 or over to enter. All entrants’ information is
processed in line with GDPR Data Protection Regulations and our
Privacy Policy (available at citylifeinlichfieldltd.co.uk).
Full t&cs on page 50.
14

15

Pathway Project
.............................................................
For most of us, lockdown has been difficult. Having to work from home and not being able to leave the house
has, at times, been inconvenient. But for those living in violent and abusive situations, lockdown has been their
worst nightmare.
Pathway Project is a local charity that helps adults, young people and children that have been affected by
domestic and or sexual abuse (current or historical). It operates throughout Lichfield and Tamworth and has
been running now for over 19 years, helping more than 20,000 people over this time period. Pathway offers a
range of specialist services including women's refuges, 1-2-1 community outreach support, a 24/7 helpline and
counselling to name but a few of our services.
Domestic abuse is on the increase. During
lockdown (March to August) Pathway Project
saw a 38% increase in calls to its helpline, as
well as a 61% increase in enquiries for refuge
spaces, compared to last year’s figures.
Running at full capacity and ensuring roundthe-clock
support during a pandemic has been
a struggle for the charity, with staff shortages,
illness, and issues relating to bringing new
residents in at the height of the pandemic, but
Pathway Project has managed it all and this is
why Citylife in Lichfield has chosen to support
Pathway Project and make it our Charity of
the Year for 2021.
We reached out to the community, friends,
family and local businesses for donations of
toiletries and other essentials that those
housed in refuges require. Things such as
shower gel, toothpaste and sanitary products
are desperately needed to help the men,
women and children who have escaped
violent situations and found themselves away
from home with very little. We have been
truly overwhelmed with the amount of
support we’ve received and the kindness of
those who have donated items to us.
Thank you to Richard Winterton
Auctioneers, The Lichfield Pantry, The Bureau
Bar & Brasserie, Salon 28, Jono’s Tourism, St
Chad’s Primary School, 7th Lichfield Scout
Group, Chasewater Running Club and all
friends and family who have contributed
towards this effort.
If you wish to donate a monetary gift to help
Pathway Project, you can do so at
www.justgiving.com/pathwayproject (please
leave the word Citylife in the comment box).
If anyone needs help, support and advice,
Pathway Project runs a 24/7 domestic and
sexual abuse helpline. Call 01543 676800 or
alternatively visit www.pathway-project.co.uk.
Richard Winterton with staff from Citylife
Citylife with Wendy from Pathway Project
Got a story or
charity event you
want to share with
our readership? Think
you’ve snapped an
image that captures
the spirit of the
region? We want to
hear from you!
Contact Citylife at
kristencitylife@gmail.com
16

BSN Chartered Accountants
Launches Lichfield Team
..................
BSN chartered accountants, a well-established practice with
head offices located on Junction 2 of the M5, has launched a
new team based in Lichfield.
The move came when Pippa Hawkes, one of the directors
of the firm, relocated to Lichfield from Birmingham. As a keen
hockey player for Cannock Hockey Club, Pippa already spends
time in and around the Staffordshire area and grew up in
South Staffordshire. BSN has also historically represented a
number of clients in the region and this has recently grown.
To support this vision and growth the firm has hired two
very experienced managers:
Helen Reeves lives in Burntwood and has worked in and
around Lichfield for a number of years supporting owner
managed businesses with their accountancy and tax
requirements. She has a wealth of knowledge about challenges
that small and medium enterprises encounter and would be
happy to have an initial meeting with any small businesses
looking for a refreshed approach to their finances.
Kate Barker is based in Essington and specialises in helping
clients utilise technology to get their financial records and
accounts up to date to provide real time information about
the performance of the business. She is passionate about client
service and making sure small businesses understand their
accounts, tax position and regulatory requirements.
Overall, BSN is well-known for bringing simplicity from
financial complexity for the small business owner. For your
free first consultation please email pippa@bsnassociates.co.uk.
For more information visit www.bsnassociates.com or call
0121 552 5260.
17

Discover
Staffordshire’s
Rural Walks
..........................
Staffordshire residents are being encouraged to
stay active and take advantage of the outdoor
spaces on their doorsteps as the county enters
strict lockdown measures.
The Tier 3 restrictions came into force on 2nd
December and give a limited amount of reasons to leave
your house. Exercise in a public outdoor space is one of
the permitted activities allowed and Council health chiefs
want to remind people that staying active is important for
health and personal wellbeing. Luckily, Staffordshire has
many great rural spaces to enjoy.
Physical activity coupled with getting out in the fresh air
is a proven antidote to stress, worry and anxiety and with
acres of country parks, extensive canal towpaths and miles
of routes, Staffordshire is a perfect county for walking.
Cannock Chase, Apedale Country Park, the South Staffs
Railway Walk, Chasewater Country Park, the Roaches and
Tamworth Castle grounds are just a small selection of the
fantastic rural walking options available locally.
There is even a set of walks devoted to Staffordshire's
famous fantasy author J.R.R Tolkien. Known as the
Staffordshire Tolkien Trail, this series of three linked walks
covers more than 30 miles of Staffordshire countryside.
And Tudor Row
Visit Tudor Row, a Wonderful Place
for Christmas Shopping.
A superb variety of shops and retailers right
in the heart of Lichfield centre.
......................
Burntwood Gets Festive
Burntwood Action Group has
installed a large Christmas tree and
festive lights at Prince's Park in
Burntwood.
The tree was donated by
Strawberry Fields of Coulter Lane,
who are also supporters of
Burntwood Food Bank and Toy Bank.
Sadly, there will be no Christmas concert this year due to
current Covid-19 restrictions, however Burntwood Action
Group wishes to thank everyone for their continued support
and is looking forward to being back working to help improve
the community in the not too distant future.
18

19

Black Friday has come and gone but black greyhounds remain in our kennels. Did you know
that black animals in general are the last to be adopted in homing centres? It’s so
widespread it even has its own name – Black Dog Syndrome. No one knows why for sure
whether it’s to do with deep-rooted superstitions or stereotypes that black dogs are more
aggressive. Nothing could be further from the truth. The black dogs are just as loving as any
other colour. One thing that may be the cause is that black dogs are more difficult to
photograph well especially if their eyes are dark too.
In the greyhound world there are lots and lots of black greyhounds – it’s the most common
colour. This is because in the breeding lines there were two very successful racers who sired
thousands of puppies worldwide who were black and black is a dominant gene. So quite simply
there are just more black greyhounds than other colours – a double whammy in terms of
finding homes.
Meet some of our black beauties, who are currently looking for their forever homes,
sporting their best Christmas outfits hoping to attract your attention. With good grooming and
sardines in oil a couple of times a week, the black fur simply gleams and shines like no other
colour. If you’d like to find out more about our black boys and girls, visit our website at
www.greyhoundtrusthallgreen.org.uk, our Facebook page, or give us a ring on 0121 425 4810.
Adopting one black dog won’t change the world but the world will certainly change for that
one black dog.
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s
brand-new eco-friendly Biffa
Award Learning Hub at its
Wolseley Centre headquarters is
set to give thousands of children
the chance to become inspired by
the natural environment.
The Biffa Award Learning Hub
is a purpose-built building which
features cutting-edge
environmental design that delivers the perfect space for learning about nature in
harmony with the natural landscape in which it is located.
The hub is based at the home of the Trust’s Wolseley Centre HQ, near Rugeley,
which is surrounded by 26 beautiful acres of people and wildlife-friendly grounds. The
hub has been built using sustainable natural materials as much as possible, including
natural timber cladding to minimise the visual impact on the landscape.
It has been made possible thanks to a significant £318,000 grant from Biffa Award,
as part of the Landfill Communities Fund, to allow it to be built. The Cannock Chase
Special Area of Conservation Partnership also very kindly donated £32,000 towards
the cost of the hub.
The charity is reminding schools and community groups from across Staffordshire
that the new fully accessible learning facility is still open and accepting bookings. The
Trust has received its ‘Good to Go’ certificate from Visit England for following
government and industry Covid-19 guidelines, ensuring processes are in place to
maintain cleanliness and aid social and physical distancing.
Anyone who wishes to find out more can email getwild@staffswildlife.org.uk.
20
Black Friday
By Lauren Hirst, Greyhound Trust Hall Green
........................................
Eco-Friendly Learning
Hub Open
..................................
Italian Style in
Lichfield
.........................
L
’uomo Menswear is
situated at the bottom of
Tamworth Street, Greenhill,
at the junction of Lombard
Street and is a little piece of
Italy in Lichfield city centre.
Owner Fabio Faccini is
from the city of Milan in
northern Italy, but has lived
in the UK for 40 years and
has now made Lichfield his
home city.
L’uomo, which literally means ‘The Man’, is a haven of chic
Italian style with suits, shirts, jumpers, jackets, jeans, scarves,
gloves and shoes and more, but all with a unique sense of
elegance.
From smart casual through to everyday clothing and
outfits for that special occasion, L’uomo offers everything
for that man-about-town look. Wedding suits are a speciality
with a made-to-measure personalised service that you won’t
find anywhere else in the area.
L’uomo caters for all ages, with a customer range from 18
to 80, so whether you are looking to buy a gift for your son,
husband, brother, father or grandfather this Christmas you
are sure to find the perfect present for the man in your life!
Call Fabio on 01543 898972 for more information
about opening times during lockdown.

21

Transport for Britain Projects Update
HS2 Lichfield
By Peter Longman
As reported in the October edition of City Life, Transport for Britain
has been conducting a survey to gauge what people think about HS2
and whether there should be a station stop for HS2 in Lichfield.
The majority of residents (67%) are either very strongly / moderately
against HS2 on the grounds of environmental concerns, the large sums of
money involved and the fact that it is seen by some as an unnecessary
waste of taxpayers money. The thought that it will not provide any benefits
to the local area is also a factor in peoples reasoning. However it is
interesting to note that there are a majority (62%) in support of having a
HS2 station stop in Lichfield.
that the bulk of time saved on all but the Manchester HS2 route will be
achieved in Phase 1 (26 minutes out of a total 39 minutes saving to Crewe
and all stations north) there is a strong argument to pause – if not delay
indefinitely – the phase 2a and phase 2b sections unless or until a sufficient
demand, business case or funding becomes available to justify even the £5B
for the phase 2a section between Lichfield and Crewe.
Instead that money could be better spent funding the High Speed North
program of improvements between Manchester and Leeds which is widely
regarded as one of the most urgently needed of all rail reforms across the
UK.
TFB have already raised concerns that once HS2 is built and operational
there are no guarantees that existing (2 per day) fast Avanti trains to
London will continue. In spite of assurances given by the Rail Minister,
Andrew Stephenson, to our MP in Commons recently it is difficult to see
how such services will be maintained once the large cities are served by
HS2 (current services come from Liverpool and Manchester). The idea of
Lichfield being reduced to a slow LNWR shuttle to London is very
worrying.
Pricing and improvements to Rail Travel
It is interesting to note that in spite of 88% of respondents saying that
they would be prepared to pay the same price or more as Avanti services
if there were HS2 trains stopping at Lichfield, the most important single
thing that could be done to improve rail travel was cost / value for money
(45%). The other answers scoring the highest were reliability (25%) and
more destinations (16%). Perhaps surprisingly, the speed / journey time
were only rated by 3% of people as being the biggest issue.
This tells us is that in spite of costs that many people believe are too
high – they do still believe it is worth paying the price to have HS2
services stopping in Lichfield. With current subsidies running at almost
£100 per passenger journey during the pandemic it would be interesting
to see if reducing ticket prices substantially would bring a greater number
of passengers back to using trains again.
TFB believe that the way to address these issues is to completely
rethink the connecting points from HS2 Phase 1 to the existing Network
Rail track around Lichfield using our new “Y” model. By pivoting HS2 at a
point close to Lichfield so that North West bound services join the West
Coast Main Line at Lichfield Trent Valley and North East bound services
join the Cross Country route just before Alrewas we believe we have
found a way to enable the vast majority of HS2 benefits to accrue without
there being any need to build the line beyond Lichfield.
There has been recent press (yesterdays Sunday Telegraph) speculating
that final HS2 costs might be spiralling towards £170 billion. Such
estimates are difficult to substantiate however with a history of gross
miscalculations that have dogged this project nobody can prove they are
wrong. The pandemic has delivered an economic shock to the UK which
we have not seen since wartime and yet the Gov’t still seem intent on
spending our way out of it and largely by investing in infrastructure
projects such as HS2 and the £2.6B tunnel under Stonehenge. We believe
it is highly likely that the Chancellor may have to review his spending plans
more closely in the New Year especially if promised tax rises do not
materialise. Instead and in a way that helps both Chancellor and the
general public, we think that a much better deal for everyone can be
achieved by capping HS2 costs at £50 Billion and linking HS2 to
conventional services at Lichfield.
It would naturally follow for there to be a HS2 stop at Lichfield. Given
22
Charter train
As reported in the last edition of City Life, Transport for Britain are
negotiating to provide at least a one off service next Spring from Lichfield
to a destination passing through Alrewas and Burton either finishing at
Derby, Matlock or Nottingham. The main issue will be cost if social
distancing still applies and passenger numbers have to be reduced
significantly. This could drive up prices to as much as £100 per ticket. We
are hopeful that this will not be the case and prices may be closer to £50
return.
Full article
The full article will be distributed to anyone who has completed the
survey (there is still time to do this now)
https://transportforbritain.co.uk/surveys/#hs2lichfield and to support our
online petition for HS2 trains to stop at Lichfield
https://transportforbritain.co.uk/petitions/#HS2LichfieldPetition

23

Your Garden in
December
By Byron Lewis
We're at the end of a very unusual year, just coming out of a
lockdown with potentially more to come, but Christmas is still
happening! Here at the Garden Centre, our usual range of quality
Welsh-grown trees are now in stock, with our best seller by far
being the Nordman Fir. This is a soft-to-touch tree which is easy
to decorate. Nordmans are classed as 'low needle drop' meaning
with the correct care they will stay looking good right the way
through to New Year.
Whatever tree you choose, there are a few simple rules to
follow:
• Keep your tree watered. This is the most important part of the
process. Once a tree has been cut, it is no longer able to find
water itself – so you will need to water it regularly. There are
numerous designs of Christmas Tree Stand which incorporate a
water ‘reservoir’, so keep this full of water at all times.
• Keep your tree away from heat – if you can, turn off any
radiators or fires that are alongside the tree. Again, this prolongs
the life of the tree.
Handy hint - find your Christmas Tree Stand and bring it with
you when picking a tree, so you can be sure the trunk will fit!
If you want to grow your own tree year after year, pot grown
trees are also available (generally in smaller sizes). A good tip for
pot grown trees is to keep them outdoors as long as possible. If
you do take them indoors, acclimatise them after Christmas to
the lower outdoor temperatures to reduce stress and, as before,
water regularly and keep away from direct sources of heat.
Due to the current situation, we are urging customers to visit us
during quieter times and to shop alone wherever possible to
reduce the inevitable queues we may get. The garden centre is
open seven days a week and weekdays are quieter if you are
thinking of a visit. Please wear a face covering and use the hand
sanitiser available at the entrance. Regrettably we don't have
Santa paying us a visit this year, and Mulled Wine and Mince Pies
are also off the menu, hopefully they will return next year!
24
Byron Lewis runs Lichfield Garden Centre, located at
Curborough Countryside Centre, Lichfield. Tel: 01543
254306. Visit www.lichfieldgardencentre.co.uk or find
them on Facebook or Twitter.

25

The Big Happiness
Experiment
........................
The Big Happiness Experiment is a local company run by husband
and wife team, Lee and Jules Mitchell. They have made it their
life’s mission to equip people with the knowledge and the tools
to look after their mental and emotional wellbeing to enable them to
live more balanced, happier lives.
Lee says: “In 2017, we became a partner on the BBO Evolve
programme delivering our innovative 12-week mental health plan:
Project Happiness. This is funded through the European Social Fund
and the National Lottery Community Fund and enables us to
positively impact the lives of
participants and regain their
confidence, moving closer to the
job market or training. We have
been delivering Project Happiness
in Lichfield with incredible success,
receiving referrals weekly from
mental health teams, housing
associations, social services and
the jobcentre. Participants have a
range of barriers including anxiety,
depression, low mood, lack of
confidence, social isolation and low self-esteem.”
Jules is the facilitator of this unique group programme and uses the
expertise she has developed from her own personal experiences.
“Lots of people of all ages and backgrounds struggle with certain
barriers. Covid-19 has hit people that struggle even harder, with
increased social isolation and restrictions compounded by more job
losses.”
Prior to restrictions, participants met as a small group every
Thursday morning. As this is currently not possible, Jules delivers the
programme through a mixture of ‘Walk & Talks’ in and around
Lichfield, phone calls, WhatsApp video calls, Zoom calls and recently a
fully integrated Online Positivity Portal, which is packed with video
and audio resources to help participants.
Jules explains: “We work with most people for at least three
months as we are not here to provide a ‘short term fix’. Our aim is to
help provide a long-term solution to mental and emotional health
issues that have plagued our participants. We strongly believe that
‘knowledge dispels fear’ and so we educate people about how their
brain, mind and body work, and why they react the way that they do
to certain situations. The idea is to help them understand that it is
natural to feel anxious and low, but also understand that these are
patterns of behaviour that can be changed.”
Most of the Project Happiness Graduates have progressed into
training and jobs whilst others have become volunteers in the local
community.
For more information, or toself-refer, contact Lee or Jules:
Jules 07565958601 (jules@bighappinesscic.com)
Lee (lee@bighappinesscic.com)
Or find them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Project-
Happiness.
26

27

Christmas Message to Lichfield
.......................................................
Peace, Hope and Kindness to All this Christmas.
Mayor of Lichfield - Cllr Deb Baker
Sheriff of Lichfield - Dr Daryl Brown
Christmas Greetings from the
Twin Town of Limburg
Even more than usual, this Christmas is an opportunity to think
about our community, our friends and our families.
The challenges we have all faced have changed our everyday
lives. Local organisations, charities, many residents and businesses
have all had a difficult time but we’re so proud of the resilience
and innovation they have shown. Voluntary groups, charities and
individuals have always played a key role in addressing loneliness
and isolation and now more than ever the work that they do is
valued. We are continuing to support our nominated charities of
Lichfield Voluntary Transport for the Disabled, St Giles Hospice
and the Lichfield & Hatherton Canal Restoration Trust in
whatever way is possible.
Civic events and the unique traditions of our historic City are
also affected. Although attendance in person was often not
possible, some occasions, like the Armistice wreath-laying and the
Remembrance Day service were held, although without
spectators or a congregation. Others, like Dr Johnson’s Birthday
or our oldest tradition, the Sheriff’s Ride, were very different
from normal this year but they still took place although in a
somewhat reduced form. Where we could not attend an event in
person we had the great pleasure of joining many local groups online
celebrating their milestones, achievements and activities.
We’ve been moved by the dedication of the many key workers,
in the NHS and other services who continue to, support our
communities in our City. We truly appreciate their unstinting
efforts, which shows how Lichfield has come together to keep life
as normal as possible.
Sending Christmas greetings and well wishes to our twin towns
of Limburg, Germany and Sainte Foy-lès-Lyon, France. We will
continue to find alternative ways to continue our friendship
during this difficult time.
Throughout the rest of our year as Mayor and Sheriff we will
continue to try to meet you, in person, on-line or simply by a
friendly wave from the car park or across the street. Please keep
yourselves and others safe and well in the coming months.
Dear Citizens
of Lichfield,
This year
everything is
different. We
look back on a
unique year that
was, and still is,
overshadowed
by the Corona
pandemic. The
effects of the
pandemic are
felt in all areas of
our lives. The
lockdown in the
spring was a big
challenge for all
of us and
s i g n i f i c a n t
restrictions continue to define our daily lives.
Countless events had to be cancelled, unfortunately including
our friendship meeting in September. It was with a heavy heart
that we had to make this decision. However, I remain optimistic
that we will be able for our friendship meeting to take place next
year.
But also, many other of our twinning arrangements could not
take place, because the travel was associated with so many
restrictions. I am sure that we will continue to find ways of
friendly exchanges between our cities in the future.
At this difficult time, we also have a challenging Christmas
season ahead of us. As mayor of Limburg, I wish all the citizens of
Lichfield a happy, peaceful, and blessed Christmas, relaxing hours
with your family and all the best for the year 2021, bringing luck,
success, but above all health.
Mayor of Limburg - Dr. Marius Hahn
28

The Little Wool Shop
..........................................
From nostalgic knits, future heirloom blankets,
toys and clothes, talented crochet artist Joyce
Swainston, owner of The Little Wool Shop,
Rugeley, has wide-ranging experience and knowledge
of crochet, and yarn plus a wide variety of yarns and
wools in stock for her customers to turn into
meaningful, creative and beautiful projects.
For Joyce, a lifelong love of crochet produced a
profusion of beautifully crafted projects, from
garments to blankets, from simple teddy bears to
mermaid tails, and for decades her hobby fostered
the dream of owning her own wool shop.
Having never run a business before, there was a lot
to learn, apart from the nitty gritty of running a
business, accounts, stock control, taxes and such like,
Joyce designed best layout and fitted her tiny unit out
with pristine new shelves filled with a veritable
rainbow of colour. Joyce soon found that the unit
was just too small, and two moves later, she landed
in her current premises on Upper Brook Street, just
as the pandemic arrived.
Covid 19 has disrupted thousands of lives and
businesses. Decisions had to be made, was it wise to
move? Would people still come to shops? Would
there be a market for her products? Despite all the
uncertainty Joyce took the very brave decision to
follow her dreams. So a building that was once the
old town bakery, and then a series of shops, is to
change again, becoming Rugeley’s newest, and best
wool shop.
In addition to a new shop, Joyce is branching out
online. Having always had a presence on Facebook,
which brought in a few sales, Joyce saw the benefit of
online retail during lockdown and her very own
website is currently under construction, with ‘click
and collect’ purchases in the plans, as well as local
deliveries of her products.
Joyce still finds time to fund raise for local
charities, with raffles and prize draws amongst other
projects, and she still volunteers to help with various
charity events in the town. In the past Joyce has used
her shop as a collection point for kitted and crochet
goods that go to charities such as premature babies
that needed extra small garments.
Joyce’s dream has always been a wool shop, a place
where crafters can see and feel the quality yarns,
where beginners can find advice and support with
their first projects. A place where advice is clear and
free and the excellent value yarns are available in
every colour, texture and type imaginable. From
specialist wools for baby clothes to sparkly wools for
Christmas decorations, this shop will have the lot.
29

Christmas isn’t Cancelled
at Lichfield Cathedral
Advent & Christmas 2020 is likely to be different from any other year,
with local restrictions in place that will limit our celebrations with
friends and family. However, this time of year can still be special; we are
all in need of hope, comfort and joy – something that Lichfield Cathedral
is planning to deliver over the coming weeks.
The Very Revd Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield explains: “The whole
Cathedral team is determined to try and host a range of services that
capture the special quality of this most popular of seasons. We have to
meet people’s need to touch the beautiful mystery of Christmas. Once a
year our society turns to the manger. The Church must help take hold of
that opportunity and cherish it and enrich it.”
Lichfield Cathedral’s Advent & Christmas programme sees a host of
services and events from 29 November until 25 December, all aimed at
allowing people to celebrate this time of year whilst remaining safe.
Advent Sunday (29 November) marks the start of the season, with a
virtual Carol Service where people are encouraged to light a candle, turn
off the lights and take part in the service as the Cathedral is transformed
from darkness to light accompanied by music from Lichfield Cathedral
Choir.
Outdoor Services
There is a selection of outdoor services including the ever-popular
Lantern Service on 13 December and two special Carols Around the
Tree services on 19 December. 2020 sees a first for Lichfield Cathedral
as they host their extremely popular Christmas Eve Crib Service outside.
Families are invited to come along dressed as a nativity character as the
story of Christmas is re-enacted. All outdoor services will be managed
safely, with social distancing in place and people attending will need to
pre-book free tickets via the Cathedrals website in order to control
numbers.
“Our Advent services welcome 1000s of people, often seeing the
Cathedral packed out night after night. In these current circumstances
we cannot safely host such numbers, so after much deliberation we have
introduced a ticketing system for specific services inside and outside the
Cathedral to help maintain safe numbers,” Dorber continues. “We would
ask if you know someone who doesn’t ‘do technology’ but would like to
attend one of our services, please help them with booking their space
online.”
30
Open Evenings
The Cathedral is also hosting three special themed ‘open evenings’ like
the Cathedral at Night event held earlier in the year. The evenings will
see the Cathedral open from 19:00-21:00 with people able to drop-in
and reflect on the themes presented. Each evening will end with
Compline at 20:45. Although these ‘open evenings’ will not be ticketed,
there will be volunteers on hand to control the flow of visitors to ensure
the events are safe for everyone. 13 December will see an open evening
‘Light in the Darkness’ themed for those who find Christmas a
particularly difficult time of year. 14 December will see an Adventthemed
‘Meditation at the Manger’ evening and on 15 December ‘Out of
Bethlehem – A Cry’ will focus on the struggles of people living in
Bethlehem today.
Indoor Services
Lichfield Cathedral continues its programme for Advent & Christmas
with service help inside the Cathedral, most of which will also be
available to view online for those who cannot attend. There will be two
occasions to attend the traditional Service of Lessons & Carols on 23 &
24 December at 19:00 and an opportunity to display the generosity of
the season with the Share the Gift service, where food donations for the
Lichfield Foodbank and toy donations from the Pathways Project will be
gratefully received. The First Eucharist of Christmas will be held at 22:00
on 24 December and Christmas Day Eucharist will be at 10:30. Each of
these services will be ticketed (free) to aid with Test and Trace and
maintain safe numbers within the Cathedral.
Alongside the special services, the Cathedral will maintain its daily
pattern of worship both in the Cathedral and online during Advent &
Christmas.
“Advent anchors us in hope. As a Cathedral at the heart of our
community, we want to help deliver a sense of that hope to all who come
to us (online or in person) during this season,” concludes the Very Revd
Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield.
Find out more about Lichfield Cathedral’s Advent Programme here
www.lichfield-cathedral.org/advent or sign up for the Cathedral’s
newsletter to get the information in advance, including priority booking
for events.

31

32
Be Kind to Your Mind
By Jo Howell
............................
It’s 3am and my mind is racing with thoughts,
questions and queries. When will this end? Will
we ever go back to the routine of life we once
knew? When can I go pull on my dancing shoes
and roll in past midnight? How soon can I give my
Dad a hug?
And then somewhere in the depths of my brain, a little voice says
stop. Stop overthinking. Stop worrying about things I can’t change.
Stop wondering. Just stop. Let your mind settle down; let the internal
chatter go back to sleep and breathe. Deep breaths in and out, close
your eyes, feel the rhythm of your heart and embrace the darkness.
This isn’t an unusual occurrence for me and over the last nine
months or so finding ways of managing my mental wellbeing has
certainly been tough. Lockdown (both versions) has made us all reevaluate
our routine; our ‘norm’ and in some ways, step out of our
comfort zones just so we can stay sane.
There are obvious choices to look after our wellbeing, such as fresh
air and daily exercise, but how about some of the alternative methods
that you may not have considered before?
Meditation
These days, with the greater need to reduce stress in the midst of
our (normally) busy schedules and demanding lives, meditation is
increasing in popularity. There is no right or wrong way to meditate;
it’s more about doing what is comfortable for you. I personally
practice ‘mindfulness meditation’ where you pay attention to your
thoughts as they pass through your mind. You don’t judge the thoughts
or become involved with them - you simply observe and take note of
any patterns.
There are some amazing apps available for mediation and I highly
recommend Headspace or Calm.
Journaling
As a writer, scribbling words down isn’t anything new to me. But
taking the time to actually journal my thoughts, fears and feelings is a
whole different way of writing. I have a notebook next to my bed and
when I’m wondering if I’ll ever get back to sleep, I jot a few thoughts
down and try to empty my brain a little. And if you struggle with stress,
depression, or anxiety, keeping a journal is a great idea. It can help you
gain control of your emotions and improve your mental health.
Gratitude
I am sure we all show gratitude most days; a thank you here and a
kind word to a loved one there. But how often do you sit and think
about what you are actually grateful for? Practising gratitude – and
writing it down – is a great way to focus on the here and now and
take your mind away from the doom and gloom of 2020. It’s a wellknown
fact that gratitude rewires your brain, eliminates stress and
makes you at least 25% happier.
Remember, you will never speak to anyone more than you speak to
yourself in your head. Be kind to yourself. Always.
Read more of Jo Howell’s work on her blog at
www.justanaveragejo.blog.

Bishton Hall Fine Art Auctions Review
By Adrian Rathbone, Associate Director & Head of Fine Arts, Hansons Auctioneers
...........................................................
In turbulent and uncertain times it is a well-known fact that we often
look to the past for inspiration and assurance. Often viewed through rose
tinted spectacles, the idealised past conjures up a feeling of security,
warmth and nostalgia. With many of us spending more and more time at
home, (enforced or otherwise) we are reviewing the way we live and
wanting to improve our lives by surrounding ourselves with objects from
the past or items that give us daily inspiration and a feeling of wellbeing.
The family nest has never been more important.
Our October series of fine art and specialist auctions including the
Country House Fine & Decorative Arts auction on 8th/9th October,
Library Auction on 13th October and the Fine Picture and Whisky
Auction on 20th October were all a resounding success contributing to
a combined turnover of £348,000.
From fine silver, glass, curated ceramics and works or art to unusual
antique and later furniture, clocks and modern art - a number of key
consignments helped boost the figures. Although there is no onsite public
viewing for auctions at present for safety reasons, this in no way has
deterred bidders taking to the internet where they can view and bid in
the sales from the safety of their own homes. Prices are exceptionally
strong and bidding was seen to be fierce for key Lots.
With precious metal prices enjoying high prices, the silver, jewellery
and watches sections performed exceptionally well. Lot 13, a late 1960s
boxed gents Omega 18ct gold Chronometer flew past the estimate to
bring £3,800.
A private collection of early English glass, pottery and works of art had
been consigned by a Devon based gentleman
with the whole collection totalling £18,200.
Highlights included Lot 211, a late 19th
Century Mauchline ware snuff box relating to
Dr George Matheson, the famous blind
Glasgow University academic.
More traditional artworks were offered
alongside fine whisky on 20th October. Oil on
canvas highlight included Lot 17, early 18th
Century French School pf Sarah arriving at the
House of Tobit at £2,400. In the whisky section, a comprehensive
collection of miniature whiskies belonging to a deceased local gentleman
totalled £6,000.
We are now inviting entries of jewellery, watches, silver, fine ceramics,
glass, works of art, paintings, books, furniture and clocks for our three day
Spring Country House Fine Art & Library Auction in March.
Find out if you are sitting on a fortune with our safe and free home visit
services. Our Lichfield valuation days at the Hedgehog Inn are scheduled
to resume in the New Year. Alternatively, clients are invited to email us
with images of item(s) they would like valuing.
For further information, please contact Adrian Rathbone,
Associate Director on 01889 882397 or
arathbone@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk.
Note: all figures quoted exclude the 30% inclusive buyer's
premium or any additional online bidding fees that may apply
33

Something for the Kids!
Have a go at colouring in this picture of Lichfield at Christmastime. It’s just for fun, but feel free to send us
a photo of your finished picture on Facebook and we’ll feature our favourites!
34
Sponsored by: www.jonotourism.co.uk Chris Day Design

Leisure is Back in
Burntwood
.........................
Burntwood Leisure Centre, operated by Freedom Leisure, has
reopened to the public following lockdown.
The gym and pool are accessible however Tier 3 restrictions mean
that there will be no group exercise classes.
Until 16th December you can join for just £10 and pay nothing
more until January 2021.
With school holidays just around the corner your local leisure
centre has some great options for families to do some fun activities
together.
There will be some changes to programmes and opening hours over
the Christmas and New Year period and full details will be on social
media and on www.freedom-leisure.co.uk.
35

A Time for Giving
By Jono Oates
............................
As we approach one of the most unusual Christmases in
Lichfield’s history, our thoughts turn towards charity to help
others that are less fortunate than ourselves. Many of the
City’s charities would often distribute their financial contributions on
Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day, as that was seen as the most
appropriate, and most beneficial, time of the year for the poor and
the needy.
By the middle of the 19th century there were almost 60 charities in Lichfield,
many of them named after the benefactor that provided the financial support
and several of which had been providing that support for hundreds of years,
through to the current day.
In 1593 Michael Lowe, a lawyer, of Timmor near Whittington, left £100 of
money and income from rented lands in his will to provide 12 poor men of
Lichfield with a coat, a cap, a supply of coal and 12 shillings every year. Over the
years increased income meant that more beneficiaries would receive the
charitable funding and, in 1884, the charity also provided £30 per annum to
support the selection of one pupil to attend Lichfield Grammar School on St
John Street for free. On December 21st 1965, 12 men were presented with the
traditional items at the Lichfield Guildhall. Instead of the coat and cap however
the men were allowed to choose their own clothing, some opting for a jacket
but others chose to go for warm winter underwear! All of them were still
awarded with their ton of coal as well as some silver coins.
The Michael Lowe charity was amalgamated with 12 other charities in 1980
to form the Michael Lowe and Associated Charities group which is still in
existence today and, although the recipients no longer receive clothing, the
charity helps to support people over the age of 70 with winter fuel grants, as
well as making grants to organisations providing support for those in need.
Father and son benefactors, both named Simon Biddulph, granted £5 every
year to be distributed amongst the poor of the city on Good Friday and on
Christmas Eve. In 1908 the Biddulph’s Charity was merged with the Lichfield
Municipals Charity, which also exists today and mainly supports the William
Lunn Homes on Stowe Street.
In the 1640s Ann Matthews, wife of Humphrey Matthews, a Lichfield leather
tanner, provided six poor widows with a waistcoat each and after 1645 her
husband provided six acres of land in Lichfield to endow the charity. After they
died the land passed to the city’s corporation to administer and they allocated
20 shillings from the land rent income to spend on sermons at St
Mary’s and St Chad’s churches, as well as two shillings to spend on
administrating the charity, and the rest on providing waistcoats on St
Thomas’s Day, 21st December. By 1745 the income had increased
enough to allow the charity to provide gowns, as well as waistcoats
and money, to the poor women of the city. The charity was
amalgamated into the Municipal Charity in 1835.
Margaret Haworth, widow of John Haworth, a Registrar of
Lichfield Cathedral who lived in the cathedral close, left £2,000 in
her will when she died in 1867. The monies were allocated to the
Dean of Lichfield to help support the poor of the city and in
particular those suffering from consumptive diseases such as
tuberculosis. The charity, the John Forster Haworth and Blanche
Susan Haworth Charity, operated until 1989 when it became part of
the Michael Lowe’s and Associated Charities group.
In 1770 Richard Edge, a Lichfield mercer or trader, allocated £30 a
year for the poor and elderly of the city, and his trustee, James
Wickins, used the interest from the investment to buy loaves of
bread which were distributed by the churchwardens of St Mary’s
church on the market square on 23rd and 24th December. In 1820,
Wickins transferred the funds to the Vicar of St Mary’s who used the
interest to pay the churchwardens to distribute the bread on
Christmas Day morning. The charity was discontinued at some point
after that.
Although many of the individual charities that were operating in
the 18th and 19th centuries in Lichfield have died out, or have
amalgamated, there are still several charitable organisations helping
to support the elderly or those in need today. As we approach one
of the most unusual, and stressful, Christmas’s in the country’s
history it is heartening to know that the spirit of festive charity is still
very much alive in Lichfield.
Merry Christmas One and All!
Sources:
The British Newspaper Archive; www.lichfieldmunicipal.org.uk
36

Local Farm Shop
Wins Award
Bradbury's Farm Shop at the Curborough Countryside
Centre was recently awarded 'Farm Shop of the Year
2020/21' in the Central England Prestige Awards.
The Farm Shop sells locally sourced, fresh produce
including vegetables, fruit, honey, jams, chutneys, pickles,
sauces and much, much more, and the in-store butchery
provides home-reared and locally sourced meat, which is
cut on the day of purchase.
The Prestige Awards, held in October, recognise small
and medium-sized businesses that have proven to be the
best in their industry over the previous 12-month period.
Bradbury’s Farm Shop is a must-visit when at
Curborough Countryside Centre! Please check the
website for more information and for opening days and
times at www.bradburysfarmshop.com.
Lisa, Peter and the team at Bradbury's
37

Tradesmen of
Lichfield
............................
The Chamber of Trade and
Commerce is one of the longest
standing business organisations in
Lichfield, it was formed in 1896 towards
the end of Queen Victoria’s reign, and is
still operating today, despite the current
Covid-19 restrictions.
In January 1896 a meeting was held at the
Magistrates’ Room on Wade Street to
challenge the recent ruling by Lichfield Police
that tradesmen would ‘not be permitted to
expose goods for sale on the pavements’. The
meeting was chaired by Joseph Bamford, an ironmonger, and a host of
Lichfield businessmen attended. At the end of the meeting Joseph
Bamford suggested that to protect the interests of the businessmen and
to promote trade across Lichfield they should form an association of
tradesmen. In May 1896 the Lichfield United Tradesmen Association was
officially launched at the Guildhall on Bore Street, with Joseph Bamford
as its first president.
The 1911 Annual Meeting of the Association was held on 2 May at the
Swan Hotel on Bird Street. The outgoing President, Joseph R Deacon, of
the well-known building firm, provided a report on the progress made in
the last year and announced that the rules of the Association, formed in
1896, were now outdated and had
now been brought up to date. In
light of this the Association had
also been renamed as the Lichfield
Chamber of Trade.
The Chamber of Trade was very
keen to promote trade across
Lichfield but in October 1914, just
after the outbreak of World War
One, they supported a recent
Government Bill that imposed
strict penalties on any trader that provided financial profits to an alien
territory. Some traders pointed out however that they did hold stock of
goods that had been manufactured in Germany and that any customer
who ‘refused to buy these goods were doing great harm to the trader
and imposing considerable hardships upon him’.
At the 1952 Annual Meeting the out-going president, Mr J Maycock,
announced that the words ‘and Commerce’ would be added to the
group’s title, therefore becoming the Lichfield Chamber of Trade and
Commerce, as it still is today. The amended title was intended to attract
industrialists to the Chamber and to make it a more powerful
organisation.
The Chamber celebrated its centenary in October 1996, hosting a
trade fair at the Guildhall and a banquet in the evening. Many independent
businesses attended including several that are still trading today: Dame
Oliver’s; Truly Scrumptious; Ivison the Lichfield Florist; City Jewellers of
Lichfield; the Tudor of Lichfield and the Kitchen Shop.
Today the Chamber of Trade and Commerce has 50 members
representing many businesses across the city, and district, including
Citylife in Lichfield magazine and our feature writer, Jono’s Tourism.
Sources:
The British Newspaper Archive
38

River Island
Restoration
By Louise Morris
.........................
A
section of the River Trent at Catton has been restored to a
dual channel formation as part of the Transforming the Trent
Valley Landscape Partnership Scheme (TTTV), creating a river island
known as Cherry Holme.
The work to excavate a palaeo-channel marks the culmination of
many years' work first started by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust in 2013.
Historically, the Trent meandered over a wide area of the floodplain
with many split channels and river islands. Modern engineering has
created the single, straight, deep river channel we see today, to move
water quickly through the landscape. These engineered rivers offer
less habitat for wildlife and can result in flash flooding downstream.
The TTTV Living Floodplains project has re-instated this channel
creating the seven hectare island. Within the channel we have created
features you would expect to find in a naturally behaving river,
including riffles (shallower areas on the river bed that offer good fish
habitat), gravel bars and a gravel island. This is the largest (that we
know of) river island to be restored in Europe!
This habitat along this section of the Trent provides a valuable
home for wildlife that thrive in these dynamic, shallow waters, in
particular, breeding brown trout, stone loach, bullheads and European
eels, as well as numerous gravel-loving insects. Wet woodland habitat,
which is of principal importance in the UK, will establish along the
channel and island edge providing living and fallen wood - crucial for
insects and spiders as well as cover for otters, and perches for
kingfishers and dragonflies.
Living Floodplains has worked with the landowners at The Catton
Hall Estate and Hanson UK at Barton Quarry to restore the channel.
We are also thankful for the support of our funders ERDF, Tarmac,
Siemens Mobility, Network Rail, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and The
National Lottery Heritage Fund.
39

Tastes of the Season
By Simon Smith
Christmas is Coming and the
Goose is Getting Fat!
At the time of writing it’s very hard to know
what is going to happen this year. I suspect that
large gatherings will not happen and therefore
there won’t be as many large whole turkeys.
The shops are already filling up with Christmas
food and I notice there are many variations on
smaller turkey joints which are a great
alternative.
If you’ve not attempted a seasonal feast before
and get stressed at the thought - don’t panic!
Just think of it as cooking a Sunday roast with
a large chicken and any work done before the
big day will take the pressure off and allow you
more time to relax, so start planning your
meal now.
Cook your sprouts a day or two before and
put them straight into cold water to stop
them cooking and retain a nice green colour.
Drain them off and keep them in the fridge.
You can do this with any green veg. When you
want to serve them simply tip them into a pan
of boiling water for a minute, drain them off,
add a knob of butter and a little salt and
pepper.
You can also cook your carrots a day or two
before. I would recommend just covering them
with water, a knob of butter, fresh bay leaf, a
tablespoon of honey and some salt. Simmer
them gently until just cooked. Turn them off
and let them cool. Leave in the pan and put
into the fridge ready to reheat in the same
beautiful scented liquid.
Your roast potatoes can be blanched the day
before, just cover with cold water and bring to
the boil. Drain in a colander and shake to
rough up the outside. On Christmas day, dust
them with a little plain flour and some
40
chopped fresh rosemary and sprinkle with
some sea salt flakes. Cook in hot oil. I always
use Maris Piper for this as you get a lovely
crispy and fluffy potato.
The biggest issue of the day is always the
turkey. “Will it fit in my oven?’ is the most
common question. If you think it may not you
can always ask your butcher to take the legs
off and bone them. This will give you a great
cavity to put your stuffing in. It also gives you
some bones to make turkey gravy with.
If you want to add a bit of extra flavour to
your bird you can make a beautiful citrus
butter to put between the breast skin and the
meat, which will stop it drying out.
Citrus Butter
8ozs salted butter
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
2 sage leaves finely chopped
Ground black pepper
Method
Soften the butter and add the citrus zest, sage
leaf and black pepper. Work together until
completely mixed and then spread between
the skin and meat. Whilst the turkey is cooking
the flavours will infuse into the meat and the
breast meat will stay beautifully moist.
Instead of turkey you may want to try a little
something different. In this case I would plump
for a goose. It’s a beautifully moist meat but
some worry that it is very fatty. To overcome
this I always prick the breast skin and start to
cook it upside down on a cooling rack. This
way the fat drains out into the bottom of the
pan and we can use it to cook our roast
potatoes in… double whammy! Turn it breast
side up after half an hour to brown off.
You may want to make a honey and five spice
rub for this with the addition of a little lemon
juice to take the sweetness away.
Honey & Five Spice Rub
Pot of ‘runny honey’
1 tbsp English mustard
1 tsp of Five Spice powder
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Method
Mix together into a paste and use this to baste
the goose with 15 minutes before you have
finished cooking it.
Goose Roasting Times
Cook for 10 mins at 240C/fan 220C/gas 9,
then reduce to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and cook
for 20 mins per kg for medium-rare, 32 mins
per kg for more well-done, plus 30 mins
resting time.
How to Carve Goose
Goose breasts are shallow, so take a sharp,
long thin-bladed knife and angle it at about 90
degrees to the breastbone, carving from the
neck end. Detach the legs, then slice off the
thigh meat.
This is a good time of year to be using game as
it is plentiful. Bear in mind that all game meat
is very lean as it spends it’s time foraging
rather than sitting on a perch! When cooking
game be careful and do not overcook it.
Venison, partridge and pigeon are best cooked
pink. If roasting, I always cover with streaky
bacon to protect the meat and introduce
some moisture.
I wish you all a wonderful and very happy
Christmas and lots of stress-free cooking!
Simon Smith runs a catering business from his
production kitchen in Lichfield, providing bespoke private
dinners plus wedding, corporate and event catering.
Simon also undertakes cookery demonstrations around
the country and with local businesses such as Arthur
Price and Tippers. During the summer months Simon
works for private clients both on superyachts and in
villas in St Tropez and Europe. If you are looking for
catering or a day of cookery skills go to
www.simonsmith-chef.com
*Please take extra care when preparing and handling
hot foodstuffs. Go to www.food.gov.uk for further details.

J HOWELL &
DAUGHTERS
FUNERAL DIRECTORS LICHFIELD
LICHFIELD’S LONGEST ESTABLISHED INDEPENDENT,
FAMILY RUN FUNERAL DIRECTORS.
SECOND GENERATION BUSINESS HERE TO ASSIST YOU
AND YOUR FAMILY.
24 hours a day
We are proud to be Lichfield's longest established family run funeral directors offering a wide range of
choices to suit all requirements. Horse drawn hearse, non religious ceremonies, floral tributes and
memorials are but a few of the services we offer.
Pre-paid funeral plans are also available.
For a truly personal service please call
01543 255776
Private Chapel of Rest 116 Netherstowe,
Lichfield, Staffs. WS13 6TS
41

Tidings of Comfort and Joy
.............................................
Jono Oates takes us on a festive trip down Memory Lane with these wonderful reminders of past Lichfield Christmases.
This late 19th century card with a drawing of Lichfield Cathedral
was sent from Eileen to Emma and wishes her ‘Peace and Joy Upon
Thy Christmas.’
The Victoria Hospital dressed for Christmas in the 1930s. The
hospital was located just beyond The Friary roundabout, it was built
in 1933 and demolished in 2007.*
F. Meacham’s shop window dressed for Christmas, 1930s. Meacham’s
was a family owned business, and was a printers and stationers at
number 34 Market Street, it is now the Bureau Bar and Brasserie.*’
This 1906 postcard offers to pay the recipient the sum of
£10,000 in good wishes at Christmas.
The postcard was sent from Lichfield on 30th November 1906
from Floss to Ada Barker at Clayway Farm, near Ely in
Cambridgeshire.
42
A group of children enjoying Christmas at the Wissage Children’s
Home in 1936. The Home was on Wissage Lane (now Road) off
Trent Valley Road and later became the Wissage Remand Home.*
*Photographs by courtesy of the Hub at St Mary’s Photographic Collection

43

Christmas Gifts
for Ladies
From stocking-fillers to special items, we've got your Christmas shopping all wrapped up with our
selection of gifts from local retailers.
Hearts Distillery will build a bespoke hamper of
your choice, or value, and will even send you a
picture of your order! Hampers are delivered
locally or posted out (additional cost).
Visit www.heartsdistillery.com or contact Rob on
07970 065829 to place an order. Find Heart
Distillery on Facebook and Instagram.
This stunning silver necklace with diamante
pendant drop is priced at £62.50. Available from
Needwood Living, Main Street, Alrewas.
www.needwoodliving.co.uk
Keep toasty and warm with a woollen tartan
scarf. Priced at £20. Available from Needwood
Living, Main Street, Alrewas.
www.needwoodliving.co.uk
Buy the perfect wellness gift this Christmas with
a gift certificate for either 5 or 10 online yoga
classes with Flow Yoga,Yoga Foundations or Yin
Yoga classes to choose from. Certificates will be
posted within three working days of purchase.
Prices are £20 for 5 classes and £35 for 10 classes.
Available from www.wellbeingandwellness.as.me
44
These Pick Me Up puzzles represent the simple
pleasures in life and make a great hobby too. If you
know someone who enjoys yoga, or a gin lover, why
not pick one up as a Christmas gift? Puzzles
encourage wellness and are sure to help you relax.
The finished item can even be hung on your wall as
art! Priced at £15 each and available from The
Handcrafted Party, The Plant Plot Garden Centre,
Stafford Road, Lichfield.
www.thehandcraftedparty.com
Polished silver multi-stone pendant set with blue
topaz, amethyst, peridot and crystal. Priced at
£80.00 and available from Allen Brown Jewellery
located at Heart of the Country Shopping Village,
Swinfen.
www.allenbrownjewellery.co.uk

Say it with food! Hampers can be made to order
in pink or black boxes, containing essential beauty
products for the lady in your life. Small box shown
with hair bobbles/wipes (made in Lichfield) plus any
soap of £15. Small hampers start from £20 and
large hampers are £50.
Available from The Lichfield Pantry, The Plant Plot
Garden Centre, Stafford Road, Lichfield.
www.thelichfieldpantry.co.uk
Silver sparkler tiara from the new Fei Liu
Carpe Diem Collection. Priced at £580. Available
from City Jewellers, Bore Street, Lichfield.
www.cityjewellers.co.uk
Silver bangle from the new Fei Liu Carpe
Diem collection. Priced at £360. Available from
City Jewellers, Bore Street, Lichfield.
www.cityjewellers.co.uk
This 9ct red and white gold earrings set with
a total of 0.08ct of diamonds is priced at £440
and available from Allen Brown Jewellery located
at Heart of the Country Shopping Village,
Swinfen. www.allenbrownjewellery.co.uk
Get that special someone feeling more ‘zen’ by
floating her cares and worries away! Flotation
therapy is said to relieve stress and aid mental
health. Gift vouchers for different treatments and
prices available. Find out more at Time to Float,
Marston Road, Stafford.
www.timetofloat.co.uk
Whether your loved one is vegan or not, she’ll
love the goodies on offer from The Vegan Baker.
These homemade plant-based cake creations are
the perfect gift to give this Christmas!
Find The Vegan Baker on Instagram at
@the_vegan_baker1 of on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/theveganbaker.co.uk.
Give the gift of music this Christmas with a
piano from the superb range of upright and baby
grand pianos available at Lichfield Piano Centre,
Curborough Hall Farm, Watery Lane.
www.lichfieldpianocentre.co.uk
Treat your foodie friend or family member this
Christmas with a Dubberley Delicious gift card!
Gift cards are available to buy directly or online
and are priced from £25-£100. They are
redeemable in both the restaurant and on the
cookery school classes.
Visit
www.dubberleydelicious.co.uk/cookeryclasses/p/giftcard
or find them on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/DubberleyDelicious.
Check out the range of fantastic Prosecco hampers
from Simply Prosecco, such as this one! Priced at
£39.99 and featuring 1 x 75cl Bottle of Prosecco, Joe
and Seph’s Gourmet Milk Chocolate Popcorn, Joe and
Seph’s Gourmet Prosecco infused Popcorn, hot
chocolate bomb, The Fudge Company Best of British
Selection 9 pieces of indulgent fudge and chocolate
truffles. Order online at www.simplyprosecco.co.uk
or call 07908124993 or 07500167411.
45

These gorgeous local mugs by artist Mandy
Billington incorporate the beautiful buildings of the
city, including Lichfield Cathedral, Dr Johnson’s
Birthplace and the old clock. Priced at £12 each and
available from MB Designs at
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MBDesignsEngland. Tel: 07841
108207, Email: m.b.designs@hotmail.com.
Pure wool bed runner (£50) matching
Cushion (£35) and a selection of British
sheepskins. All available from Little Flock, located
in the grounds of The Plant Plot, Stafford Rd,
Lichfield. Fb:LittleFlockStaffs
Insta:LittleflockLichfield www.Littleflock.co.uk
This Festive Friends Crochet Kit contains
everything you need to create your very own
piece of artwork. Priced at £24.99 and available
from The Little Wool Shop, Upper Brook Street,
Rugeley. Tel: 07583 239041.
Beautiful Shaun Leane silver and gold vermeil
tusk earrings. Available in three sizes from £195.
Available from City Jewellers, Bore Street,
Lichfield.
www.cityjewellers.co.uk
A great gift for the budding chef is this
KitchenAid Mixer Tilthead 4.3L. Available in various
colours, it is priced at £289 inc VAT and available
from Tippers, Europa Way, Lichfield.
www.tippers.com
This KitchenAid Food Processor 2.1L priced
at £155.99 inc VAT will brighten up any kitchen!
Available in various colours from Tippers, Europa
Way, Lichfield.
www.tippers.com
46
Tide Jewellery makes the perfect gift. Holly
Pendant, Bee Pendant and Robin Earrings all
priced at £9.50. Mistletoe Brooch priced at
£13.50. Available from Dame Oliver's,19 Dam
Street, Lichfield.
www.dameolivers.co.uk
Handmade children’s clothing and accessories,
using high quality fabrics that are organic where
possible. Age ranges from 0-12 years, but can also
make adults’ sizes upon request.
Available from Rosemary Cottage Crafts on
Facebook at
www.facebook.com/rosemarycottagecrafts or by
emailing rosemarycottagecrafts@yahoo.com.
Handmade children’s clothing and accessories,
using high quality fabrics that are organic where
possible. Age ranges from 0-12 years, but can also
make adults’ sizes upon request.
Available from Rosemary Cottage Crafts on
Facebook at
www.facebook.com/rosemarycottagecrafts or by
emailing rosemarycottagecrafts@yahoo.com.

DPD Delivers on Canal Funding
...........................................................
Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust (LHCRT) has
received a special delivery – a £2,000 award from DPD's Eco Fund.
The Trust is restoring the seven-mile long Lichfield Canal and is
currently creating a new channel alongside Falkland Road to replace the
part of the route lost to new housing built after the canal was
abandoned.
As well as restoring the canal, the Trust's aim is to extend the Heritage
Towpath Trail, which is proving increasingly popular with users enjoying
safe country walks and creating a wildlife corridor.
The work to create the new channel involves installing sheet piling, a
well-proven long-term solution to water-containment.
While many sources of revenue have dried up because of Covid-19
restrictions, the Trust launched an appeal seeking donations in return for
a rare opportunity for supporters to be publicly recognised by means of
a brief inscription embossed onto a metal tag permanently attached to
the sponsored pile eg a personal name, a pet or a club group.
Having successfully applied for a share of DPD's Fund, the Trust will
attach tags bearing the words DPD Eco Fund to piling on the Falkland
Road section.
DPD, industry leaders in pursuing carbon neutral parcel delivery, have
donated £142,685 to environmental projects since January, up to a
maximum of £2,000 per project.
The money is generated from the company's circular economy
initiative to protect the environment.
The plastic shrink wrap they use in their operation is broken down
then recycled to create new shrink wrap, and they also re-use and
Leanne McCain at LHCRT's Falkland Road site
recycle wooden pallets used in their depots.
Leanne McCain, senior finance manager, infrastructure and
sustainability, DPD Group UK, said the judges loved LHCRT's
application, which was a clear winner when it came to deciding who
should receive a donation.
Leanne, who lives on Falkland Road and brought the Eco Fund to the
Trust's attention, also bought a personal tag embossed with her and
husband Steve's names.
To find out more about LHCRT's 2020 Piling Appeal, please visit the
website page at 2020 Piling Appeal.
47

Next year’s on us – step into 2021 with a
new home and your mortgage paid
.....................................................
Bovis Homes offers a range of stylish and spacious homes to suit both
first time buyers and those looking to move up the ladder and purchase a
second home. With plenty of options to choose from including bungalows,
townhouses, terraced and larger detached homes there’s something for
couples and families alike; at affordable prices and with the option for taking
some of the stress out of buying a new home.
Designs favour open-plan kitchen and dining rooms and selected homes
offer a downstairs utility room and optional study or snug spaces; ideal for
the new trends of working from home. The larger properties, such as the
five-bedroom Birch, offer features like bi-fold doors out to the garden,
kitchen islands and double en-suites.
If you want something smaller then there are three-bedroom detached
homes in the range, like the Spruce, that also offer downstairs WC and
utility area as well as en-suite features. The Spruce makes a great small family
home with modern designs, spacious entrance hall and large bedrooms.
Selected homes in the range include appliances such as integrated fridge
freezers, Bosch double ovens and integrated dishwashers. There are many
other features included in the new range such as turfed lawns as standard,
front porch lighting, built-in-wardrobes and two years customer care
warranty in addition to the NHBC Buildmark cover.
Outside the home you’ll find we’ve included plenty of shared open spaces
for you to enjoy, play areas and walkways to enjoy nature and most homes
will be overlooking these areas or be just a short walk away. Some of our
new developments also include a Hedgehog Highway in your fence as part
of the new plans to help these declining creatures and encouraging them
back into to the local habitat.
All the homes across the Mercia region now include the option to have
the first year’s mortgage paid with our regional offer. That means we’ll pay
you £600 a month towards your mortgage for 12 months if you reserve a
home in November, December and into January 2021. This means that you
can rest assured that for 2021 buying a new home isn’t as far out of reach
as you think.
Discover your new home from just £199,995 at a development in
Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire or the West Midlands or seach Bovis
Homes Mercia to find out more.
You can also book an appointment to look around our showhomes and
speak to a member of the sales team from 10am to 5pm by visiting our
website at Bovishomes.co.uk.
48
Advertorial

49

CLASSIFIED
To Advertise please
contact our classified
team on
07970 513144
This ad...
£40 plus VAT
Competition and Prize Draw Terms and Conditions
1.Entrants’ details will be held and processed in line with Citylife in Lichfield Ltd’s
Privacy Policy, which in turn adheres to GDPR Data Protection legislation. For a
copy of our Privacy Policy please email kristencitylife@gmail.com
2.By entering the prize draw/competition, you agree to the terms and conditions
stated.
3.The closing date is stated on each individual prize draw or competition.
4.Entrants’ details will be securely held by Citylife in Lichfield Ltd in accordance
with our Privacy Policy. Details will be held only until the closing date of the
competition. After this date entrants’ details will be securely destroyed/deleted.
Winners’ contact details will be securely stored only until the winner has been
informed of their win/prize. After this details will be securely deleted/destroyed.
5.Entrants’ details will never be shared with any third party. The only exception to
this is the name (and if the prize is to be posted) address of Competition/Prize
Draw winners that will be communicated to the competition partner to allow
winners to securely claim their prize, after which all details will be securely
destroyed. The initial and surname of winners will be printed in our magazines –
no other details will be published.
6.By entering the competition/prize draw, entrants agree to Citylife in Lichfield Ltd
using or publishing materials provided by the entrants (but not address or contact
details apart from initial and surname) in any of their publications and online.
7.Citylife in Lichfield Ltd accepts no responsibility for any breach of copyright or
breach of any other legislation entailed by entrants in their creation or submission
of materials.
8.Only one entry per prize draw/competition, per reader.
9.Except in the case of cash prizes, no cash equivalent will be offered and the
prize is non-transferable.
10.All prizes are subject to availability and the prize suppliers' terms and
conditions.
11.No purchase necessary.
12.Prize draws and competitions are only open to UK residents aged 18 years or
over (unless otherwise stated).
13.Competitions and prize draws may not be entered by any employee of
individual associated with any employee, agent or third party of Citylife in Lichfield
Ltd.
14.Winners will be selected at random in the case of applicable prize draws and
competitions, or by an independent judge in the case of photographic/art
competitions from all entries received.
15.Winners will be notified by Citylife in Lichfield up to 28 days after the closing
date of the competition/prize draw by the contact details provided by the entrant.
16.A list of the surnames and county of residence of the winners will be available
by writing to Citylife in Lichfield Ltd no earlier than six weeks after the competition
closing date.
17.When the prize draw/competition winner has been selected, this decision is
final and no correspondence will be entered into.
18.Citylife in Lichfield Ltd accepts no responsibility for the prize being lost,
damaged or delayed in transit. When the prize is provided by a third party, Citylife
in Lichfield Ltd accepts no responsibility for any change to the prize, or for the
quality of the prize provided.
19.Competitions may be amended or withdrawn at any time.
20.By entering the competition or prize draw, you agree to having your name,
(photograph, where stated) and city or county of residence published in any of
Citylife in Lichfield’s publications and online.
21.Unless otherwise stated, the promoter is Citylife in Lichfield Ltd, PO Box 7126,
Lichfield, WS14 4JS.
22. Citylife in Lichfield Ltd do not express any warranty or endorsement of any
competition prize, information, service or product provided in connection with a
competition by printing or otherwise publicising any competition.
23.To the full extent of the law, Citylife in Lichfield Ltd shall not be liable for any
loss, claim, punitive, indirect, incidental or consequential damages of any kind
incurred as a result of entering this prize draw or competition.
24.By submitting photos, text or artworks as part of competition/prize draw entries
you agree that you own these photos text or artworks, that it is your original work
to which you own all rights to distribute, and that your entry is accurate, moral and
legal.
50

51