The death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has been announced, the Union Flag in front of the Village Hall has been lowered to half-mast. Many residents have expressed deep sorrow at this news, and wish the Queen and the Royal Family strength at this very sad time.
• Keep calm & collect evidence
• Block & stop communication
• Report to the police and the platform where threats are made
• Find more advice here: Sextortion and webcam blackmail advice | Revenge Porn Helpline
Don’t accept bullying, watch Danny’s story:
For 70 years the Countryside Code has been guiding us on how to protect our outdoor spaces, and it’s still as important as ever.
Read the updated Countryside Code: CLICK HERE
| The school PTFA have created an Easter Trail around the village that will run throughout the Easter holidays. Along the trail, attached to benches, there will be some clues that children can use to find a winning word. If you see these clues, please do not remove. The PTFA have asked that people participating in the Easter Trail follow clear rules: 1) Adhere to social distancing and all of the current government COVID guidelines, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do 2) Dogs are kept on leads and any dog mess to be picked up. 3) All litter is taken home and/or disposed of correctly. 4) Vehicles parked with consideration to village residents. If you have any questions please contact the PTFA at the following email address fairfieldfirstschool@gmail.com |
A Fire & Rescue crew from Bromsgrove attended a fire in the open involving 25m of hedgerow today (Tuesday 30th March), Middle Road, Wildmoor.
| If your property is connected to the Mount Road OpenReach junction box, you can now upgrade your internet connection to FULL FIBRE. |
| Contact your internet service provider to upgrade your package – see what deals they are offering. |
| Your Internet Service Provider will arrange for an engineer to visit your property to install the fibre connection. |
Philip Shipway, Appeals Manager at the Woodland Trust, has provide FVCA with a Pepper Wood appeal update.
In his email, Philip said how pleased the Woodland Trust are to have the support of residents and Fairfield Village Community Association and that it is wonderful that local residents have been contributing to the appeal.
Public support for the appeal has been phenomenal, and with money from other funding sources the Woodland Trust are confident they will raise the money needed to acquire the extension which will allow them to double the size of the wonderful Pepper Wood. However, they do still need donations to take them over the line, so please keep spreading the word.
For further information about the appeal and to make a donation CLICK HERE
Frequently Asked Questions
Philip has provided some answers to some frequently asked questions, plus an aerial photograph from which you will be able to see the area of land we are hoping to purchase to extend the existing Pepper Wood.
“We aim to establish a lot of the new trees on the extension via natural regeneration but there will still be a need to prepare the ground, and protect areas from deer etc so any young trees can flourish. We will carry out some tree planting and this will give us the opportunity to run several low-key tree planting events with, for example, local schools. This is very much a conservation-driven project. We are not necessarily aiming to attract lots of new visitors to the site and put extra pressure on the already limited parking facilities at Pepper Wood. There will be a footpath network across the new land linking to Pepper Wood but on the whole facilities and any public events will be relatively low-key.“
In the last few days, more attempts to defraud people have been reported to the police, with some victims handing over thousands of pounds. West Mercia Police are aware that criminals, pretending to be police officers are targeting people in Shropshire and North Worcestershire in a scam known as ‘Courier Fraud’. Again, the victims are elderly and vulnerable people.
Detective Inspector Emma Wright said: “Sadly, these predators are again targeting vulnerable people who may not have seen the news recently or aware of media and police reports about this scam.
“I urge everyone who has elderly or vulnerable relatives to please give them call, call over the fence to their neighbour or remind them if they pop into your shop that the police will never, ever, call you and instruct you to withdraw your cash. No officer will ever ask for you to travel to a bank and hand over your money as part of an investigation, if a loved one is in custody or if your account has been compromised. These are all lies.
“These criminals are significant members of organised crime gangs with the confidence and the experience to be very convincing and ‘Courier Fraud’ is just one element of their criminal activities. But we can defeat them in one simple act: hanging up the phone. No police officer will telephone your granny, your dad or you and ask for your money. They are lying, they are criminals and you can beat them by ending the call.
“So please, tell anyone you think needs to know, that no police officer from any force or department will ever ask you to hand over money or transfer funds, regardless of their name or unit. If you work in a bank, you can help us by using the Banking Protocol and preventing vulnerable people who potential victims of fraud from withdrawing large amounts of cash to hand over to couriers in these scams. Please alert us if you suspect a vulnerable person is withdrawing cash for this purpose, so we can check they are not a victim. I would like to reassure people in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Worcestershire that we are investigating these crimes and these gangs and want to hear from anyone who has been contacted in this way”
“If the crime is still in progress, because for example, you have recently provided bank details or handed over cards or cash or are going to visit your bank or the caller has arranged for someone to visit your address to collect items, you should call the police to report this on 101. In an emergency dial 999.”
“Please remember the police will never contact you asking for your bank card, details, cash or ask you to go to a bank to withdraw cash. If someone does, it’s a scam – provide no details and hand nothing over, hang up, wait ten minutes then call 101.”
Livestock thefts occur throughout the year, and there are times when it it more prevalent.
Last year there were several occasions in and around our community where livestock were stolen or butchered on site.
Please help stop livestock thefts. If you see suspicious activity – REPORT IT, tel. 101.
We have received the following from Angelique Cremer in the Netherlands:
“For the English War Cemetery in Brunssum the Netherlands I am (still) looking for relatives of Reginald Farmer. Mr Farmer died during WW2 and is buried in the Cemetery. He was with the Worcestershire Regiment, 1st bn. His date of birth should be around 1915.
The only thing we know about him is that he mentioned his ‘Auntie Ada Hancox’ in his soldier’s Will. I realise she doesn’t have to be his actual aunt. Ada Hancox was living at 1 Woodlane Fairfield Bromsgrove in the 1940’s.”
Angelique would like to inform Reginald’s family that his grave is well looked after and that he will never be forgotten by the Dutch people.
To help trace the family of Reginald Farmer, we are trying to trace the family of Ada Hancox to see if Reginald was a family member.
The Community Association have been doing some research and have found the below leads. Do you know anyone who is mentioned, perhaps they or any memories that you may have may shed some light on our enquiries.
According to the 1911 census, a family by the name of George Ernest Hancox (28, born about 1883), Ada Selina Hancox (24, born about 1887) and Lizzie Hancox (48, born about 1863) lived in Fairfield. George Hancox is recorded as a Glassworker and Ada as Charwoman, but this has been crossed out.
In the first quarter of 1910, George Ernest Hancox married Ada Selina Evans, in the Bromsgrove registration District.
Ada Evans, according to the 1901 census, lived with parents and siblings, at Bournheath Glassworks, which would have been on Parish Hill. The family at the time consisted of: Thomas R Evans (40), Mary Evans (35), Ada Evans (14), Lilly Evans (11), Esther Evans (7), Albert Evans (5) and Ralph Evans (6 months).
It could be that after her husband’s death in 1940 (see below), Ada moved back to Fairfield to be nearer to her family, possibly living in one of the Wood Lane Alms Houses.
Unfortunately census records for 1921 are not yet online.
In the 1891 census, a family by the name Hancocks is recorded living in Belbroughton: Abratha Hancocks (68), Rose Hancocks (68), Elizabeth Hancocks (28) – Who we are assuming is Lizzie – John Hancocks (26), Earnest Hancocks (8) – we are assuming is George Ernest – Ellen Hancocks (4) and John Hancocks (2). It is quite possible that the enumerator spelt the family name incorrectly.
A further search (1939 War Register), we have found that a George E Hancox (56) and Ada S Hancox (53) – date of birth being about correct – lived in Brierly Hill, Staffordshire, George Hancox was an Agricultural Heavy Worker. The 1941 Probate Register records that a George Ernest Hancox (17 Queen Street, Wordsley, Staffordshire) died 20th December 1940, leaving £421 5s to his widow, Ada Selina Hancox.