A Side To You I Didn’t Know As You Set Fire To The Rain

My hands, they’re strong
But my knees were far too weak
To stand in your arms
Without falling to your feet

But there’s a side to you that I never knew, never knew
All the things you’d say, they were never true, never true
And the games you play, you would always win, always win

But I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Let it burn while I cry
‘Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name

When laying with you
I could stay there, close my eyes
Feel you here, forever
You and me together, nothing is better

Melton Police In Charity Football Match Against Leicester City Legends

On Sunday 30th June 2013, the police in Melton have organised a second charity football match against the Leicester City Legends to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

PC 352 Ian McGrath and PC 644 Chris Perry organised the first game last year after a friend and colleague, Sergeant 111 Stewart Sparling was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in September 2011.

MND is a rapidly progressive and fatal disease, which can affect any adult at any time and attacks the motor neurones that send messages from the brain to the muscles, leaving people unable to walk, talk or feed themselves.

The cause of the disease is unknown and there is no known cure. Around 5,000 people in the UK have MND at any one time, with half of people with the disease dying within 14 months of diagnosis. It kills five people every day in the UK.

The Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) is the only national organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland dedicated to the support of people with MND and those who care for them. The Association funds research to understand what causes MND, how to diagnose it and, most importantly, how to effectively treat it so that it no longer devastates lives. Last year Sgt Sparling’s 18 year old son came up with the idea of a charity football match and asked PC McGrath and PC Chris Perry to organise a game against the Leicester City Legends to raise money for research. It is being played on Sunday 30th of June 2013 at the grounds of Asfordby Amateurs on Hoby Road. Kick off is at 3pm. Entrance is £2 on the gate and there will be various activities laid on including a barbeque, bouncy castle and a bar. Everyone is welcome to come along and support the charity and see some ex-city players such as Muzzy Izzet, Gerry Taggart, Matt Elliot, Steff and Scott Oakes, Julian Joachim and Steve Walsh put the police team through their paces.

PC McGrath said;

“It was a really good game last year with amazing weather and a fantastic turn out. We’re really thankful that the Leicester City Legends have agreed to come over again this year and support Stewart’s cause.”

Sgt Sparling, who is 42 and married with two children, said;

“I don’t know how quickly my illness will progress so I am trying to do what I can to raise money so that a cure can be found – hopefully in my lifetime. I cannot blame anyone or anything for my illness and I am not going to let it beat me. I have worked out ways of doing things differently to compensate for the strength that I have already lost. There are so many unknowns with MND that I want to raise as much money and awareness as I can to help them find out more about what causes the disease and how it can be beaten.”

The Legends have kindly offered to let one person play with them for 20 minutes of the game. They are looking for the person willing to donate the most money to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, minimum donation is £50. If you’d like to play with some of your heroes, please go to Melton Police Station which is open from 9am to 9pm each day, and register your donation.

Sgt Sparling has also organised a Dinner Dance on Saturday 27th July at the Marriott Hotel in Leicester with an incredible range of raffle prizes and one of the countries top DJs. He hopes to raise between £5,000 to £10,000 from both events. For further details please contact Stewart on 07989141156 or email him at;

motorneuronecharity@gmail.com

The police team will also include members of Melton Borough Council and members of Stewart’s family.

Update On Blaze At Kidderminster Recycling Plant

WMAS ‏@OFFICIALWMAS
Fire at Recycling Plant

The incident team dealing with the fire at Lawrence Recycling and Waste Management in Kidderminster has not received any reports of any people experiencing significant health effects from this incident.

The Fire and Rescue Service is on-site dealing with the fire and the other agencies involved will continue to monitor the situation and issue advice to the public, businesses and organisations affected as necessary. The Environment Agency is undertaking air quality monitoring close to the site and this information is also being used by Public Health England to carry out a risk assessment.

Smoke from any source may contain substances that can irritate the lining of the air passages, eyes and the skin. Respiratory symptoms can include coughing and wheezing, breathlessness, sputum (phlegm) production and chest pain.

People with asthma and other respiratory conditions may be particularly susceptible to the smoke and should carry and use their medication (such as their inhalers) as usual. If symptoms occur, people should seek medical advice or call NHS Direct 0845 4647.

Dr David Kirrage, a consultant with the Public Health England’s West Midlands West Health Protection Team, said:

“It’s important that local residents understand that the risks to their health are low, however smoke is an irritant so it can make people’s eyes and throat sore. It may also worsen any breathing or heart conditions they have.

“The general advice remains that people should do all they can to stay out of the smoke. If concerned, staying indoors with the doors and windows closed should provide some additional protection.”

If residents are affected by smoke they should stay indoors, keep their doors and windows closed, and tune in to the local radio station for advice and information. Motorists who have to travel through the smoke should keep windows closed, turn off air conditioning and keep their air vents closed.

No schools have been closed due to this fire and the advice given is that they should operate as normal unless drifting smoke reaches levels that cause irritation.

Relates Storys:

PICTURE’S – Large Fire at Lawrence Recycling in Kidderminster

Is This The World We Created – Poverty War and No Respect For Others!

Extreme poverty is one of the most pressing issues of our age. It is the source of much of the world’s suffering and makes mere survival into a struggle. If every man took only what was sufficient for his needs, leaving the rest to those in want, there would be no rich and no poor.

The level of inequality between members of the world’s poorest and richest nations is startling. Many are often surprised to find out how rich they are compared to the rest of the world’s population.

CLICK – Use our calculator to find out how rich you really are.

Riches, power and fame last only for a few years! Why do people cling so desperately to these transitory things? Why can’t people who have more than they need for themselves give that surplus to their fellow citizens? Why should some people have such a hard time during their few years on this earth?

There are significant reasons in favor of giving to charity now rather than in the long-distance future. Giving communities a helping hand today allows them to continue to be better off in the future, increasing the social rate of return. It is also important to make a public stand, and encourage others to give.

To give away money is an easy matter in any man’s power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man’s power nor an easy matter.

What is the use of living, if it not be to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?

Choosing to donate your money to charity is a laudable decision, but it is important to give to charities that do the most good with their money … Who do you donate to?

PICTURE’S – Large Fire at Lawrence Recycling in Kidderminster

WMAS ‏@OFFICIALWMAS
Fire at Recycling Plant

Almost 100 firefighters were called to battle the blaze at Lawrence Recycling in Stourport Road, which began at 5.20pm Sunday night.  It comes just six months after another big blaze at the site, the gulf of smoke could be seen for miles, as updates come through fast on media sites.  At its height, up to 70 firefighters tackled the blaze, which lit up the night sky.

No-one was at the recycling plant when the fire started apart from the site’s security team, which called the fire service and firm managing director David Lawrence.

Following the outbreak of the fire last night, the landlord of the Loom and Shuttle pub, Stourport Road, was told to close his venue at 8pm by police, which meant customers there for Father’s Day had to leave early.

Nearby residents have raised calls for the plant to close. The plant suffered a similar-sized blaze in December which shut it down for a month.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service were at the scene tackling the blaze and West Mercia Police were assisting with road closures and any evacuation of homes and buildings which needed to take place as Police went door to door asking local residents to keep windows closed and remain inside

Monday morning, the site was cordoned off as Hereford and Worcester Fire Service began an investigation into how the fire was started.

Grant Wills District Commander for Fire and Rescue for Hereford and Worcester said:

Monday morning the night after the fire, we had a meeting on site with Commanders to plan the way forward for the fire at Lawrence’s Recycling We still have 6 pumps at the scene we will be here some time yet. We are using our high volume pump at Lawrence’s which can deliver around 7000 litres per minute if required.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Sponsor Pilot Jonathan Nixon Running 18km for The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and Win XV(R)Squadron Print

Tornado flyers Jon Nixon and Robbie Low
in Afghanistan

Everybody who sponsors Jonathan will be entered in to a FREE DRAW and the winner will receive a new XV(R)Squadron print which he will sign and send to you.

The print is worth about £10 but any donation (larger or smaller) will qualify you to be entered in to the draw. The print will go to the person who is closest to guessing how long the run will take.

Jonathan hasn’t run more than 5km in the last 5 years, but yesterday ran 5km in 27 minutes. The run will be approximately 18 km, almost half a marathon to take place June 16th 2013

Please remember to put in your guess for the time in your donation ‘words of encouragement’ if you want to enter the free draw. CLICK TO DONATE

The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is the RAF’s leading welfare charity, providing financial, practical and emotional support to all members of the RAF family. We are here to help serving and former members of the RAF, as well as their partners and dependants, whenever they need us.

Google Doodle Celebrates Fathers Day

The doodle on the Google home page features a button in the second ‘o’ which when pressed changes a slot machine type selection of images of father’s in different roles as part of story.

Father’s Day is held on the third Sunday of June in the United Kingdom. It is a day to honor fathers and father figures, such as grandfathers and fathers-in-law. Many people make a special effort to visit their fathers or to send them a card or gifts.

On Father’s Day, many people make a special effort to visit their father. They often take or send cards and gifts. Common Father’s Day gifts are ties, socks, underwear, sweaters, slippers and other items of clothing. Other people give tools for household maintenance or garden work, luxury food items or drinks.

Many Father’s Day gifts have slogans such as “The World’s Best Dad”, “For My Father” or just a simple “Dad” on them. The increase in print-on-demand services offered by photo processing companies has made personalized gifts even more popular for Father’s Day. Photographs of children can be printed on desk calendars, mugs, T-shirts, mouse mats, bags and even ties. Many fathers are expected to take these to the office to remind them of their families while they are working.

In the days and weeks before Father’s Day, many schools, Sunday schools and children’s organizations help their pupils to prepare a handmade card or gift for their father. Mothers and other family members may help children to make personalized gifts, such as calendars with drawings made by the children.

Patrick ”Happy Fathers Day” From Paulette Sedgwick xxx

Some families celebrate Father’s Day by planning an outing or weekend trip, perhaps just for the male members of the family. This may be a simple walk in the countryside or a whole planned “experience”. Popular Father’s Day experiences include driving a fire engine, rally car, tank or even airplane or taking a golf, football or cricket lesson with a celebrity coach. Other families organize a special meal at home or in a pub or restaurant. A common Father’s Day meal is a traditional roast dinner with meat, stuffing, potatoes and vegetables, which can be eaten in a pub and accompanied by pints of ale or lager.

Father’s Day is not a bank holiday. In terms of public life, it is a normal Sunday. Public transport systems run to their normal timetables. Pubs and restaurants may be busy, as people take their fathers out for a meal to celebrate.

There are some suggestions that the idea of Father’s Day may originate in pagan sun worship. Some branches of paganism see the sun as the father of the universe. Since the summer solstice occurs around the same time of year as Father’s Day, some people see a link between the two.

The idea of a special day to honor fathers and celebrate fatherhood was introduced from the United States. There, a woman called Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired by the American Mother’s Day celebrations to plan a day to honor fathers. Father’s Day has been celebrated in June since 1910 in the USA. The celebrations in the United Kingdom are thought to have been inspired by the American custom of Father’s Day. This is in contrast to Mother’s Day, which has a very different history in the United States and the United Kingdom.

War makes thieves and peace hangs them

Crimes were committed to punish crimes, and crimes were committed to prevent crimes. The world has been filled with prisons and dungeons, with chains and whips, with crosses and gibbets, with thumbscrews and racks, with hangmen and heads-men – and yet these frightful means and instrumentalities have committed far more crimes than they have prevented…. Ignorance, filth, and poverty are the missionaries of crime. As long as dishonorable success outranks honest effort – as long as society bows and cringes before the great thieves, there will be little ones enough to fill the jails.

very crime is born of necessity. If you want less crime, you must change the conditions. Poverty makes crime. Want, rags, crusts, misfortune – all these awake the wild beast in man, and finally he takes, and takes contrary to law, and becomes a criminal. And what do you do with him? You punish him. Why not punish a man for having consumption? The time will come when you will see that that is just as logical. What do you do with the criminal? You send him to the penitentiary. Is he made better? Worse. The first thing you do is to try to trample out his manhood, by putting an indignity upon him. You mark him. You put him in stripes. At night you put him in darkness. His feeling for revenge grows. You make a wild beast of him, and he comes out of that place branded in body and soul, and then you won’t let him reform if he wants to

Laws: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider webs for the rich and mighty, steel chains for the poor and weak, fishing nets in the hands of the government.

War makes thieves and peace hangs them.

Navy Girl To Cycle from Kabul, Afghanistan to Tamworth For Sharon Fox Cancer Centre

In August last year a very dear friend of Sallys was diagnosed with Grade 3 Breast Cancer and throughout the process of being diagnosed and undergoing treatment the Sharon Fox Cancer Centre were there to support her.  In fact, even now after the treatment has finished they are still supporting her while she rebuilds her life.

The Centre is run entirely by volunteers, and funded by donations.  The women who attend the support groups, provide a support network for each other.  This Charity does some amazing work, and it all started with the generosity and vision of Sharon Fox, who herself had been diagnosed and undergone treatment for Breast Cancer.

As Sally’s way of saying thank you to the Centre, and in the hope that money raised will help them to continue their work she is cycling 4804 miles, covering the distance from Kabul, Afghanistan to the Centre in Tamworth, UK.  Sally will be doing this whilst serving in Afghanistan, during my last 6 months in the Royal Navy.

Sally said:

I will have to cycle, on average, a total of 32 miles a day on an exercise bike.  I will be finishing the distance when I return home in late September, on my road bike, cycling from my home in Yeovil, Somerset to Tamworth.  This will be a total on 171 miles over 2 days.

Please help me to help those who are affected by this terrible disease and help Sharon Fox achieve her vision of being able to provide support to these women, men and children. Fear it, Feel it, Fight it

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. CLICK to donate

Join The 2013 Solstice Walk – and Become a World Record Breaker!

In a year when St Giles Hospice is proud to be celebrating its 30th anniversary, the 2013 Solstice Walk promises to be the most special we’ve ever held.

On Saturday 22nd June in Lichfield, we’ll be attempting to break the world record for the largest gathering of fairies in one place – and we need you to help us do it!

The current world record stands at 786, and we’re hoping to smash this with 1,000 or more ladies looking fabulous in magical fancy dress. So grab your fairy wings and magic wand and come and join us for this unforgettable women-only fundraising event!

Held every year on the closest Saturday to the Summer Solstice –
the longest day of the year – the Solstice Walk is St Giles Hospice’s biggest single fundraising event and has raised more than £500,000 for hospice care since it was established in 2007.

The 2013 Solstice Walk is sponsored by Florette and will see women from across the region gather together to complete either one or two 4.5-mile laps of Lichfield’s streets from 10pm. Registration on the night will open at 7pm and will close at 8.45pm.

Entry is £15 per walker, and participants are also encouraged to raise extra funds for St Giles Hospice through sponsorship. Although the event is open only to women aged 16 and over, men are welcome to join in the fun by volunteering as stewards.

If you want to take part in the 2013 Solstice Walk – and help us set a new world record – click here to sign up online.

To order a special St Giles Solstice Walk T-Shirt for the event,
please click here to download an order form

Click here to view images from the last Solstice Walk or click here to view a video!

Alternatively, you can call Linda Bridges on 01543 432538
to find out more or click here to send us an email.