Castle Bromwich Community Website

Solihull Rangers will be leading a walk through Yorkswood Kingshurst on Sunday; why not join them, examine the trees more closely and learn more about this local gem on our doorstep?

Yorkswood was designated a Nature Reserve in 1991 and is now home to a large variety of trees. Some are invasive species and have to be controlled to protect the local wild life. Join the Rangers and learn more. Walk starts at 2pm and will take approximately 2 hours.

Castle Bromwich Theatre Group will be presenting "Uproar in the House" at Arden Hall on 20th, 21st & 22nd May. Curtain up at 7.30pm. Tickets £7. Children & Concessions £5.

Box Office: 0121 247 0989 or 0776 5962667

www.castlebromwichtheatregroup.co.uk

With a resounding barrage of garrulous and loquacious avidity, the Master of Ceremonies heralded an evening awash with nostalgia starring some of the most outstanding Castle Bromwich talent as they recreated the magic of Edwardian Music Hall to packed audiences. Funny, touching and shamelessly enjoyable; my review of Starz! by Gaslight could easily be summed up in five words, “You should have seen it!”  But, then I wouldn’t get to mention the magnificent cast, spectacular special effects, nostalgic songs, deft dance routines and script full of witty allusions to the old hit tv show, “The Good Old Days.”

From the moment the half starved work house children opened the show, through the Chairman’s polysyllabic, hyperbolic introductions of the Evening’s entertainment of colourful song and dance routines, spectacular opera, dramatic moments and comic interludes the grin of pleasure never left my face. This was absolutely fantastic showbiz! Starz! by Gaslight was a revival of the 1970s Theatre of Varieties, originally chaired by Leonard Sachs, and now resurrected with assured panache by Starz! own theatrical Maestro, Kenneth Simpson. The show followed the original television show format opening with a popular chorus with audience participation, following which the Chairman took his place at his desk to the side of the stage from where he introduced a variety of acts including some clever interaction between on stage drama and a magic lattern show with strobe lighting. The performance concluded with an exuberant exultation to the Audience to join in the chorus from the “Old Bull & Bush” performed by the whole company and following a roof raising stand up ovation, an encore performance of Starz! signature song “Show Business.”

There were so many highlights to the evening that it’s difficult to pick out just a few, but Miss Horsfall’s phrenetic performance of “Why Am I Always the Bridesmaid” cannot go unmentioned and will surely never be forgotten by the Audience Members who were showered with the tattered remnants of the Bouquet she agitatedly ripped to pieces. The two major dance routines Le Can Can & Sand Dance were expertly choreographed and flawlessly performed and Gavin Prime’s female impersonation was, as usual, hilarious. There were moments of drama full of pathos reminding us that the Good Old Days were sometimes not so good, interspersed with comedy sketches which had the audience laughing aloud.

But, for me, the highlight of the evening was not any individual performance, but the abundance of well cast, polished professional talent that graced the whole show. I was fortunate to see this production twice and on both occasions the whole audience was spell bound throughout. There was plenty of opportunity for audience participation, but there were also moments when the audience were quiet, completely captivated and engrossed by the performances on stage. I had been promised that it would be a rare night of quality entertainment, and it certainly was with the audiences leaving knowing that they had been truly entertained.

Further photos of the performance can be seen HERE

The 116th Annual Parish Meeting of Castle Bromwich Parish Council will be held in the Spencer Hall at Arden Hall, Water Orton Road, Castle Bromwich on Tuesday 4th May 2010 commencing at 8pm.

The Meeting will be preceded by the Annual Presentation of the Chairman's Charity Fund Donations which will take place at 7.45pm.

The Meeting is open to all Members of the Public, but voting and speaking is restricted to electors for the Parish only. There will be an opportunity for Parishioners to ask questions.

England is home to 50% of the world's Bluebell population, but the delicate English Bluebell is under threat from the stronger Spanish Bluebell which is grown in our gardens but increasing escaping and colonising in woods and hedgerows where it hybridises with the orginal English variety changing its characteristics. This is just one of the bits of knowledge gained during a walk with the Ranger in Yorkswood today.

It's all too easy to overlook the Natural Environment we have on our very doorstep. How many of us travel hundreds of miles to see what is only a few steps away from our homes? The Kingfisher Country Park is worth a visit and my walk through Yorkswood this morning showed me that there was far more to enjoy than just Bluebells. The habitat is diverse and as is the range of birds and vegetation seen on the walk.

For anybody who missed today's Bluebell Walk, Solihull Rangers are organising a a Bluebell Trail in Coldlands Wood from 10.30 am on Sunday May 9th.

Over many years I have held old photographic exhibitions in Water Orton, depicting how our small corner of Warwickshire appeared in the past. Amongst the hundreds of old pictures were one or two that had been taken by Water Orton's own Victorian photographer, Edwin Howard JAques. Many I am sure will know the story behind the rescued glass plate negatives and the family home in Vicarage Lane.

Now with the help from The Village Carnival Committee, Palm aboratory, Rea Street, Birmingham, 3S Stationery and Craft Supplies of Coleshill and 21st Century Technology I have been able to have over 300 of Edwin's plates turned into almost A3 sized pictures with easy to read captions. Thanks to Water Orton Methodist Church a special and unique exhibition will be held on the weekend of the 24th and 25th April 2010, 10am to 5pm in the Church opposite Tesco Express on the Birmingham Road, Water Orton.

There will be an entrance fee of £1, which will include a cup of tea and biscuit. Parking can be found on the Railway car park and thanks to Peter and Sharon at the Digby Hotel, Coleshill Road, both only a short walk to the exhibition.

The photos depict Victorian scenes and life in many of our Midland counties and visits to far-flung countries of the world, including a gem from the American Civil War of 1864/5. A fragile glass slide that has survived for over 140 years! Help is required to pinpoint many of the locations and to know if some of the buildings are still standing in our homeland, England.

Influence - over policing priorities

The next Community Beat Surgery will be held on Tuesday 16th March from 4pm - 5pm at Castle Bromwich Library Hurst Lane North. If you have any concerns that relate to policing. Further details can be found HERE