Litter pickin’

One of the issues that is frequently raised in Bearwood is dealing with ‘grot spots’. Often small areas that have been full of rubbish for so long that people almost take for granted when they go past. The Council can take action against landowners and landlords, but it can be a lengthy process, when what is really needed is half-an-hour litter picking.

Well, Robin Hanny, Chair of the St Mary’s Area Residents and Tenants (S.M.A.R.T.) has got together with Greggs the bakers, the Traders Association, and the 1st Warley Woods Scouts to arrange a litter picking morning to try to deal with some of these ‘grot spot’ areas.

So, this is the opportunity for Bearwood Residents to join in as Team Bearwood and do something about our tidying up our own area.

If you want to nominate an area that needs attention you can do so by using the comments box below, and if, when the date is set you want to join in too, let us know and we can get back to you via your e-mail details.  For those on Facebook, there is a section on The Bearwood Page if you join that group which also allows you to make suggestions.

Lightwoods Park – What a year!

Cherie O’Sullivan, the Lightwoods Park Project Manager, looks back on an eventful year on the Lightwoods Park blog

Don’t leave valuables in your car!

Theft from cars is rising in Abbey Ward.

Last week there were five reported thefts from cars including one in Lightwoods Road where the front passenger window was smashed and a sat nav was stolen, another in Hamilton Road where the front passenger window was smashed and a satellite navigation system and wallet was stolen, one in Rutland Road  where the front passenger window was smashed and £65 in cash was stolen, and one behind Derek Spires where the front passenger window was smashed and a digital camera and Dictaphone was stolen.

The police say that in all of these instances the motive is likely to have been the fact that the goods were visible, and they are advising people that wherever possible take valuables inside with you, and if you must leave them in the car, put them in the boot and lock them away.

Murky tap water

 There have been complaints from some Bearwood residents that the water coming out of their taps is discoloured. I am indebted to Richard Marshall who has spoken to the area manager from South Staffs Water and who confirms that this is due to a burst water main in Oldbury yesterday.

It should be sorted out in the next 48 hours, and apparently there is no risk to health.

Tree down

In the high winds this lunchtime a giant tree came crashing out of Warley Woods, partially blocking Barclay Road. Fortunately there were no cars or passers-by in the area at the time.

Well done to staff at Warley Woods Trust who were there within 10 minutes starting work removing the debris whilst local people braved the rain to redirect traffic.

A Happy New Year

Can we wish a happy new year to all our readers.

During 2011 the Bearwood Blog has has just over 36,000 unique visitors In December 2010 we had 594 visitors… last month we had 4,370.

Particular thanks to all those who have added comments and contributed feedback.

Final call for feedback

Sometime in the next couple of weeks we will be sitting down to review the Bearwood on Ice event, and considering whether to put on a similar event next year or not. If we do decide it is worth doing, we really do need to learn from the experience of those who went this year.

We have already received some feedback, but we could do with more. What did you think of the stalls, the atmosphere, the ice rink itself or the other attractions during the week? We have some anecdotal evidence from the people who spoke to volunteers during the week, but if we are going to go back to the Council we would be better received if we had some hard evidence.

If you haven’t already done so, please take a few moments to fill out the feedback form via this link.

Thanks.

Police appeal for assistance

The police are requesting assistance from the public in relation to a robbery on Bearwood Road. More information here

The Hangover Run

You don’t have to wait long for the first Bearwood event of 2012.

The Warley Woods Pacers welcome people of all abilities to join them in shaking out the cobwebs and taking a gentle 5k (just over 3 miles in old money) jog around Warley Woods on New Year’s Day. It’s not a race, but the ideal start to your New Year’s resolution to get just that little bit fitter.

Meet at 10.am at the Pavilion.

Reflections on Ice

So, that’s it then. From all indications Bearwood on Ice 2011 was a rip-roaring success. I know that three days in a number of us were beginning to think we had got it really badly wrong. A bitter cold weekend, and a drenching on Monday morning left many a bit down in the mouth. Some of the stall holders were thinking they had made an expensive mistake, the chap who had bought the inflatables was getting cold feet in more ways than one, and Central TV were on their way to film in a downpour.

But then, the weather turned, Central News gave everyone a big boost, and Bearwood on Ice was booming. For the rest of the week we had queues for the rink (I know it wasn’t ice, and the snow machine didn’t pump out real snow either) and the traders started to do the sort of business they had been hoping for.

Roll Call
Obviously we are deeply grateful to the Council for putting the money up front to underwrite the event in difficult economic times. And Sandwell Leisure Trust helped us so much in so many ways, and were always ready to go the extra mile. David Brown, Cherie, and the Sandwell Parks Department also put in a magnificent shift, they are helping to turn Lightwoods Park into the sort of place we always knew it could be. Gem Media did fantastically well to sell the advertising in such a short time, and Rutland Sheds did Bearwood proud with the stalls. The stall holders remained remarkably cheerful, even during the early part of the week when the weather was against us, and I hope they found it a worthwhile experience. Special thanks also to the small committee of volunteers who met every week with ideas and suggestions, and the larger army of volunteers (with a special mention for the 1st Warley Scout troop) Team Bearwood who gave so much during the week.  There are too many of you to mention here, and it would be invidious to mention individuals, but you  know who you are… and so do we. It was the volunteers’ contribution which made this a real community event, rather than just an event done for the community.

Thanks are also due to the good people of Bearwood in particular, and Sandwell in general who came out in their thousands, sometimes in pretty bad weather… without you there could not have been a successful event. Scott, who ran the kiddies fair and runs events across the country, said he had never seen a better behaved crowd at an event, anywhere. You did Bearwood proud.

But finally, all of us owe a giant thanks to two people in particular, Richard and Marie Marshall, and the rest of what Richard refers to as Team Marshall.  Richard has lived in Bearwood all his life, he is a local builder, the Chair of the Traders Association, the Chair of the Friends of Lightwoods Park, and the man who had the dream, the vision and the drive to bring this big Winter event to our park. He gave up countless hours of his time, free of charge and at great personal cost. He has made thousands of phone calls (several hundred to me), badgered council officers, traders, and anyone else who stood in the way of this being a successful event, and for the last two weeks has virtually lived in the park. Marie has not only stood alongside him all the way, she has worked like a Trojan for countless hours  for the duration of the event, (on Tuesday this week they realised they hadn’t even thought about buying a turkey for the weekend) maintained her sense of humour throughout, and like the rest of the family, she decided the only way they would see anything of Richard was if they came down and helped to run the event too. They knew what the ‘Big Society’ was without being told by politicians in Westminster who think they have just discovered it.

So, on behalf of everyone who came to Lightwoods Park for Bearwood on Ice 2011 and enjoyed it, I would like to say a massive thank you to Richard and Marie for everything. You should be rightly proud. Put your feet up for a few days, enjoy your Christmas, and get ready for our next great event in Lightwoods Park.

Bob Piper