Evening Mail back issues from Monday, February 20:
Olympic: Golden girl on a slippery slope WINTER OLYMPICS: Brum bobsled star's headlong dash for No.1 prize
Feb 20, 2006; ... JACKIE Davies didn't so much pour cold water on her Olympicambitions - but cold water with extra ice. The Birmingham bobsledder, World Championships silver medallistlast year, begins her campaign to go one better tonight. Along with driver and best pal Nicola Minichiello, ...
Olympic: 'My mum thought I was crazy'
Feb 20, 2006 ... JACKIE Davies's introduction to the daredevil sport came came as ayoungster sledging in the Lickey Hills. Ms Davies took up the sport properly eight years ago while in theArmy, where she is currently a corporal serving as atelecommunications technician in the Royal Signals ...
Quiz of the day
Feb 20, 2006 ... 1. Who are bidding to become this year's UK Eurovision entry? 2. People of which age group are Britain's most generous donors tocharity? 3. What proportion of British companies expect the Government tomiss its efficiency target of saving pounds 21.5 billion by 2008? ...
Anger at gangland gun shop
Feb 20, 2006; ... A WEAPONS store, bristling with hunting knives, crossbows andguns, has opened in the heart of gangland Birmingham, close to thescene of the fatal New Year shootings. The Swordfish store, at the In-shops indoor market in Perry Barr,was today condemned by the area's MP Khalid ...
Football: Fans clash in car park FOOTBALL: Blues' FA Cup tie marred by violence
Feb 20, 2006; ... A NUMBER of hooligans were arrested when violence broke outfollowing Blues' FA Cup match with Stoke. Hundreds of rival fans tried to attack each other in the southeast corner of the Britannia Stadium after Birmingham's 1-0 victoryyesterday. Police said a group of around 200 ...
Architect hits out at designs
Feb 20, 2006; ... A RETIRED architect who has written a guide to Birmingham'sVictorian buildings today criticised the city's modern structuressuch as Millennium Point, The Sealife Centre and Selfridges. Birmingham-based author Roy Thornton accused architects of failingthe city with their designs ...
Incidents near to One Stop
Feb 20, 2006 ... SOME of the dozens of incidents involving weapons which haveoccurred over the last year within a mile of the One Stop shoppinginclude: January 2005 - Three men are shot in Ruthie's Cafe, Aston Lane,Perry Barr in apparent gangland fued between warring Johnson Crew andBurger Bar ...
Bourne to be champ FAMILY: Success for Matt 20 years after dad floors the opposition
Feb 20, 2006; ... CHAMPION carpet fitter Sid Bourne certainly laid the foundationsfor a successful family business - his son Matt is now aninternational competitor. Nearly 20 years after Sid floored the opposition to win the UKchampionships, Matt captained a national side which claimed thirdplace ...
UK on high alert in bird flu outbreak
Feb 20, 2006 ... BRITAIN was today on a high alert over the possible spread ofavian flu to the UK, as tests continued on a number of birds founddead in recent days. Following the confirmation that a duck which died of bird flu inFrance was infected with the lethal H5N1 strain of the virus, ...
Bug shuts another ward at hospital
Feb 20, 2006; ... ANOTHER ward at a Birmingham hospital has been closed off to newpatients due to the winter sickness bug sweeping the region. City Hospital, in Winson Green, quarantined more patients with thediarrhoea and vomiting virus over the weekend, taking the total ofisolated wards up to ...
TheWorld: Girl cop charge
Feb 20, 2006 ... A 24-year-old man will appear in court today charged with theattempted murder of probationary policewoman Rachael Bown ....
TheWorld: Historian 'guilty'
Feb 20, 2006 ... BRITISH historian David Irving was today expected to plead guiltyto a charge of denying the Holocaust happened ....
TheWorld: He's barely there
Feb 20, 2006 ... NAKED rambler Stephen Gough was hoping today to complete hissecond marathon walk across Britain. The 46-year-old former Royal Marine was barely 20 miles short ofJohn ...
TheWorld: Top traders
Feb 20, 2006 ... NORWICH has held on to its crown as the UK's top ebay town, theonline auction site said. Nearly two ...
TheWorld: Everything but gloves
Feb 20, 2006 ... ITEMS women drivers keep in their car glove compartments rangefrom knickers to four-leaf clovers. Make-up, food and drink and diaries are other things ...
TheWorld: Al Neri actor dies
Feb 20, 2006 ... RICHARD Bright, aged 68, a character actor who played mob enforcerAl Neri in the Godfather movie trilogy, was struck and killed by abus in his Manhattan ...
TheWorld: Killer 'fit for trial'
Feb 20, 2006 ... PSYCHIATRISTS have concluded that a former cult leader sentencedto die for the deadly 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo undergroundis mentally fit to stand trial if his appeal goes ahead, a courtofficial said ...
Baftas go for Broke AWARDS: British filmbigwigs hand gay cowboy movie a clutch of honours
Feb 20, 2006; ... GAY cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain was the big winner at theBaftas on a night of disappointment for British hopes. The Constant Gardener, one of the most acclaimed British films ofrecent years, had led the field with 10 nominations. But it missed out on every major prize and ...
Daniel was such a good son, we miss him so much INQUEST: Musician stepped in front of train after row with girlfriend
Feb 20, 2006; ... A HEARTBROKEN mum today paid tribute to her son who was hit by arush-hour commuter train just hours after having a bitter row withhis girlfriend. Musician Daniel Hughes, who was well known on the city'sunderground music scene and had worked with reggae star Pato Banton,died when ...
Family flee house fire
Feb 20, 2006 ... SEVEN children and two adults fled a burning house when a firebroke out in a bedroom. The children, aged from five weeks to 10-years-old, escaped withtheir parents from the property in Goscote Lodge Crescent, Goscote,Walsall. One of the ...
Shopping 8-PAGE PULLOUT TODAY
Feb 20, 2006 ... TODAY in our super Shopping section we ask whether firms should bebanned from touting for business by bombarding people with phonecalls in their own homes without permission. And we show you how tobeat the nuisance callers. The spotlight is also on garages after a ...
Thieves wreck park memorial CRIME: Rush to recover bust and plaque before great-grandson's visit
Feb 20, 2006; ... AN HISTORIC bust and its bronze plaque have been stolen from apark just days before a VIP visit. The priceless items, dating from 1875, were stolen from a memorialat West Smethwick Park which honours the Chance family, who wereinternationaly-known glass manufacturers in the area ....
Woman breaks foot in lift door leg drama
Feb 20, 2006 ... A WOMAN suffered a suspected broken foot after getting her legstuck in a lift door. Firefighters released the 21-year-old following ...
Man dies working on crane
Feb 20, 2006; ... A MAN collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack aftercarrying out maintenance work on a large mobile crane. The vehicle had stopped on the Black Country Route, in Bilston,just after lunchtime yesterday. A passer-by flagged down a passing fire engine on the ...
No secret inquests coroner REFORM: Cotter resists first change since 1275
Feb 20, 2006; ... A REFORM of inquests could leave coroners vulnerable to pressurefrom politicians or celebrities wanting to avoid public scrutiny, theBirmingham and Solihull Coroner warned today. Aidan Cotter called on the Government to scrap proposals whichwould give his office new powers to hold ...
REVIEWS: Hawkins has his knockers ... THE DARKNESS NEC Arena
Feb 20, 2006; ... JUST over a year ago The Darkness concluded their first NECheadlining date with singer Justin Hawkins being hoisted high overthe audience astride a stuffed white tiger. Last night, on their return to the venue during their second UKtour, fans were delighted to see the Spinal ...
REVIEWS: Haunting band serve up treat MAGIC NUMBERS Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
Feb 20, 2006; ... IT seemed humble of talented lead singer Romeo to admit he was"really nervous" within the first few songs. But he had nothing to worry about as the haunting melodies andabilities of the Magic Numbers blew the audience away. Fans were treated not just to a rendition of most of ...
How cute is YOUR baby? The search is on to find our Baby of the Year 2006
Feb 20, 2006 ... BABY of the Year is back again! Yes, that's right - The Birmingham Mail is lookling for the cutesttots in town! From today our photographers are in the Pallasades Shopping Centreto take professional pictures of your little treasures so they can beentered to win the ...
The perfect place to shop for little 'uns Shopping as it should be ... THE PALLASADES
Feb 20, 2006 ... The Pallasades is delighted to be involved in the search forBirmingham's Baby of the Year. Hundreds of children and their parents visit the city's favouritecommunity shopping centre every week. The Pallasades, situated above New Street Station, is the perfectplace to shop ...
Adrian Goldberg: Don't mention the war - it's time to lay the old joke to rest
Feb 20, 2006 ... DONNER und Blitzen - there's still four months to go until theWorld Cup finals and it's already open season on the host nationGermany. One national newspaper recently claimed that England fans facearrest at the tournament for goose-stepping like John Cleese inFawlty Towers ....
No kidding, Frank has a doctorate! UNIVERSITY: Mortar board and scroll for Midlands comedy legend Skinner
Feb 20, 2006; ... FRANK Skinner will be centre-stage tomorrow when he is presentedwith an honorary degree for services to comedy. The Oldbury-born star, who has hosted nine series of the self-titled talk show, The Frank Skinner Show, is to receive an honoraryDoctor of the University from UCE ...
Justice defender
Feb 20, 2006 ... A TOP investigative journalist is also returning to Birmingham,where he began his broadcasting career, to collect the honorary awardof Doctor of the University at UCE ...
Clearly guilty window pair fined pounds 800
Feb 20, 2006; ... TWO bosses of a Midland window firm have been fined a total ofpounds 800 and ordered to pay pounds 950 in compensation for floutingbuilding regulations. Palbinder Dhillon, of Handsworth, and Davinder Singh Mandeir, ofSedgley, respectively director and secretary of liquidated ...
Matt'll do nicely on FM
Feb 20, 2006; ... ONE of Birmingham's most popular radio stations has hired a newpresenter. DJ Matt Wilkinson, right, will be fronting the evening show on100.7 Heart fm from tonight. Matt, aged 23, from Barnes, west London, said: "I'm honoured to beworking for the biggest radio station in ...
Competition for Da Vinci artist
Feb 20, 2006; ... AN ARTIST who worked on the forthcoming blockbuster movie The DaVinci Code is bidding for the honour of creating the Black Country'snewest public artworks. The University of Wolverhampton is considering commissioningStephen Hicklin to make two sculptures to be placed outside the ...
Prescott squashes protests PLANNING: Giant shops given go-ahead
Feb 20, 2006; ... A SPORTS centre is to be bulldozed and replaced by a huge shoppingwarehouse scheme, despite the objections of more than 2,500Birmingham people. The deal to buy the council-owned site on Belgrave Middleway isthe key which will unlock pounds 100 million of investment that willalso ...
Telly foster mum's Brum mission
Feb 20, 2006 ... A CAMPAIGN has been launched to raise the profile of fosterparents in Birmingham. Actress Lisa Coleman who plays Cam, the TV foster mum of TraceyBeaker, launched the campaign at the city's Central Library. Foster children will be taking part in several events throughoutthe ...
Mark corrects a bit of an owl-er. PET: Flyaway Merlin's not that rare ... but owner's glad he's home
Feb 20, 2006; ... AN OWL which caused something of a flap in the city when itescaped has been reunited with its owner. Mark Moseley's pet Merlin flew away last Sunday while he wasreturning it to its aviary at his Yardley home. While Mark, aged 42, climbed rooftops searching for Merlin, he ...
Sporty kids use their feet on the street
Feb 20, 2006; ... FOOTBALL-mad city youngsters took a further step towards becomingthe next Steven Gerrard or Wayne Rooney by spending their half-termbreak playing Street Soccer. Pupils from the North-field area have been honing their footballskills while also working towards a sports-related ...
Fun scheme to tackle obesity
Feb 20, 2006; ... A PROJECT to tackle obesity in youngsters kicks off at leisurecentres around the city today. The Fit in Training or FIT scheme is aimed at getting couchpotatoes to enjoy exercise in a fun way. Younger children will usecolourful equipment and participate in team games. Older ...
Land tax alarms city chiefs
Feb 20, 2006; ... BIRMINGHAM MPs are being urged to oppose a new land tax whichcould sound the death knell for city regeneration projects. The levy on the increase in value of land given planningpermission will largely replace a system of individual legalagreements which, in just five years, has ...
Students turn it on
Feb 20, 2006; ... A LANDMARK sculpture is set to be unveiled in Smethwick. The six-metre high water feature, designed by students atShireland Language College, will form the centrepiece of the entranceto the new Windmill Retail Park, in Cape Hill. The students have been invited to the opening ...
Bobbies on way -at a price POLICE: Council tax rises in war on crime
Feb 20, 2006; ... WEST Mercia Police have pledged to take on more than 200 newofficers to fight serious and organised crime - but taxpayers will befooting the bill for the new recruits. The force, which serves Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshireand Telford, has announced it is to increase its ...
Capt Cod, chippie king! KIDDERMINSTER
Feb 20, 2006 ... A CHIP shop owner in Kidderminster has won his own weight infrozen fish fillets after scooping the top prize in a nationalcompetition. Steve Mouskos, proprietor of Captain Cod in Comberton Hillreceived the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year prize at a glitzyceremony in London ....
Tell us what's happening where you are
Feb 20, 2006 ... Harborne POPPY BRADY 0121 428 4924 poppy_brady @mrn.co.uk Bournville, Longbridge, Northfield, Rubery, Kings Heath, DruidsHeath, Maypole, Frankley, Allens Cross CATHERINE LILLINGTON 0121 2345310 catherine_lillington @mrn. co.uk Hall Green, Acocks Green, Sheldon ANNA JEYS 0121 ...
Worcestershire Dodgers
Feb 20, 2006 ... The Worcestershire dodgers caught and fined during January were: Alvechurch Adam Cooke (24) of Latimer Road, pounds 131 Droitwich Spa Ricky Farr (18) of Woodmans Green, pounds 176 Scott Goodman (26) of High Street, pounds 176 Claire Gormley ...
Man on bike questions girl EVESHAM
Feb 20, 2006 ... POLICE in Evesham have issued the description of a man they wantto interview after a schoolgirl was approached while walking thefamily dog in a field. The man, who was riding a black mountain bike, did not touch thegirl, but approached her twice in Fairfield Road, asking a number ...
Fare dodgers pay the price TRAVEL: Fines hit pounds 1/4m mark in campaign
Feb 20, 2006; ... A "GET tough" campaign to target fare dodgers on the region'strains has now smashed through the pounds 250,000 barrier in finescollected. And those convicted of trying to travel without paying have hadthe added humiliation of seeing their names displayed on posters attheir local ...
Plans for sports centre underway BROMSGROVE
Feb 20, 2006 ... PLANS have been drawn up to build a new recreation centre inBromsgrove. The ...
Athletics golden girl is honoured REDDITCH
Feb 20, 2006 ... AN Olympian from Redditch joined dignitaries and fellow sportspeople to attend a prestigious reception in Worcestershire to markher achievements. Michelle Banner, aged 22, was among a team of ten from the countythat brought back 16 medals from the Eurasia Athletics ...
Families being kept in dark NORTHFIELD: Fears over 'dim and dangerous' street lighting
Feb 20, 2006; ... A GROUP of Northfield families are "living in the dark ages"because of their street lighting, a Labour party activist hasrevealed. The lighting along Pamela Road is so dim and dangerous, thecouncil should provide residents with torches when they go out atnight, according to ...
Trainee hairdressers in hunt for models QUINTON
Feb 20, 2006 ... VOLUNTEERS are needed to have their hair styled by wannabecrimpers in Quinton. The Quinzone Centre's hairdressing salon is looking for models forstudents to train on. Students are pupils aged 14 to 16 from schools across south westBirmingham considering a career in ...
A good book just the tonic EDGBASTON
Feb 20, 2006 ... PATIENTS waiting for their medical appointments will be able toread more than the usual expired trashy magazines. From tomorrow, TheBellevue Medical Centre in Edgbaston will allow people to borrow orbrowse through books as they wait for the doctor. The collection willfocus on health ...
Solihull News: It's the cat's whiskers SHIRLEY
Feb 20, 2006 ... RADIO enthusiasts can drop into the next meeting of SolihullAmateur Radio Society on Thursday. The group will be at ShirleyCommunity Centre on Stratford Road from 7.30pm. Call 0121 684 ...
Solihull News: Star Lee joins rowing epic MONKSPATH
Feb 20, 2006 ... GYM staff are counting the cash for charity after a premiershipfootballer joined them in a sponsored row-a-thon. Everton player Lee Carsley rolled up his sleeves and joined stafffrom David Lloyd Leisure Centre for the event. Workers at the leisure centre in Monkspath ...
Solihull News: Green school is well on target EDUCATION: pounds 8m futuristic scheme is nearing completion
Feb 20, 2006; ... ONE of the first projects to be built under the Government'sBuilding Schools for the Future scheme is nearing completion inSolihull. The Solihull Centre of Inclusive Learning is an pounds 8 millionscheme that sees two special schools - Forest Oak and Mer-stone -moved onto the ...
Solihull News: Showcase for musical talent SOLIHULL
Feb 20, 2006 ... PROMISING young musicians are being given the chance to showcasetheir talents in a concert for up-and-coming stars. Solihull Symphony Orchestra is staging the Rising Stars concertthis Sunday and is handpicking talent from across the borough to taketo the stage. The ...
Solihull News: BALSALL COMMON
Feb 20, 2006 ... BARGAINS galore are promised at a jumble sale in Balsall Common onSaturday ....
Soap Watch: EASTENDERS
Feb 20, 2006 ... Yolande (Angela Wynter) struggles to deal with the previousnight's revelations - but after a visit from ...
Sam cops for new bundle of trouble LIFE ON MARS (BBC1, 9pm) TV Choice
Feb 20, 2006 ... WHETHER he's in 2006 or 1973, Sam Tyler (John Simm) is a dedicatedpolice officer who isn't afraid to stand up for what he believes isright - even if it brings him into conflict with those closest tohim. In the opening edition, he incurred the wrath of his girlfriend bytaking her ...
Soap Watch: NEIGHBOURS
Feb 20, 2006 ... Alex's family secret nearly ruins his relationship with Susan,while Paul ...
Sam cops for new bundle of trouble HELP YOUR SELF (ITV1 Central, 10pm) TV Choice
Feb 20, 2006 ... ANGUS Deayton made his television debut on Tiswas way back in1981, and since then has become one of the most recognisable faces onthe box, mainly thanks to his lengthy stint as quizmaster on Have IGot News For You. The Oxford graduate has also given some memorable performances ...
Soap Watch: CORONATION STREET
Feb 20, 2006 ... Ed finally opens up about his crimes to Eileen, David convincespolice he ...
Soap Watch: EMMERDALE
Feb 20, 2006 ... Jimmy (Nick Miles) and Matthew decide they've had enough of livingwith Edna. The ...
Soap Watch: HOME AND AWAY
Feb 20, 2006 ... Beth is appalled to find Amanda is living with ...