Evening Mail back issues from Saturday, April 22:
For those in peril on sea Lifeboats pounds 1 MILLION APPEAL MERCY MISSION: Lifeboatmen praise generosity of kind-hearted Midlanders as pounds 1m appeal launched to pay for hi-tech new vessel
Apr 22, 2006; ... Question: What do a tractor driver, demolition expert, publandlord and farmer have in common? Answer: They all volunteer to put their lives at risk to saveothers at any time of the day of night - and they all need your help. The Angle lifeboat crew come from all walks of life, ...
Chaos as crash drama shuts M6 Traffic alert for FA Cup clash
Apr 22, 2006; ... A LORRY driver smashed through a central reservation on the M6 inthe Midlands today and plunged down a 40ft embankment - stopping justfeet from an electricity sub station. The HGV driver, who has not been named, is believed to havesuffered only a cut hand following the smash near ...
Bigley claim
Apr 22, 2006 ... BRITISH officials today said they were following up a claim thatthe decapitated body of murdered hostage Ken Bigley is buried nearFallujah in Iraq. Osman ...
12 held
Apr 22, 2006 ... POLICE are questioning 12 people today after an Iranian asylumseeker was seriously injured in an unprovoked attack ....
Fat England
Apr 22, 2006 ... ENGLAND is "a nation of overweight, alcopop-swilling, sex-and-celebrity obsessed TV addicts", according to a new travel guide. A "tiny, land-owning ...
Nepal warning
Apr 22, 2006 ... BRITONS are being advised not to travel to Nepal unless it isessential, as the country descends further into bloody chaos. The Foreign and ...
Zone lifted
Apr 22, 2006 ... A QUARANTINE zone imposed after the discovery of a dead swan whichtested positive for bird flu has been lifted today. Restrictions on the ...
Driver cut free from car wreck
Apr 22, 2006 ... A DRIVER had to be cut free from the wreckage of her car after itcrashed into a lamppost today. The woman, who has not been named, was driving her Mitsubishialong Bristol Road South, Northfield, when she crashed into thelamppost near the Kalamazoo building shortly before 11am ....
Golf: Casey closes in on leader GOLF
Apr 22, 2006 ... PAUL Casey continued his love affair with China as he mastered thegreens to put himself within two shots of leader Henrik Stenson atthe end of the third round of the BMW Asian Open today. Casey, a two-time winner in China, fired himself into titlecontention yet again as he shot a ...
Tennis: Gabriel shines TENNIS
Apr 22, 2006 ... GABRIEL Heinze showed no obvious signs of rustiness as he playedover an hour for Manchester United's reserves against Villa at theLamb in Tamworth today. The 28-year-old Argentinian suffered ruptured cruciate ligamentsin the Champions League match at Villarreal in September ...
Train horror
Apr 22, 2006 ... A WOMAN died today when she apparently went on to a railway lineafter her dog and was hit by a train. The victim, in her forties, had been ...
Cricket: Duo dig in to thwart Bears CHAMPIONSHIP: Warwickshire facing Sussex rearguard action CRICKET
Apr 22, 2006; ... WARWICKSHIRE faced an early test of their killer instinct todayafter Sussex fought back hard to try to deny them the victory thathas looked likely for much of this championship-opener. Sussex closed last night on 106 for two in their second innings,still 41 behind. Michael ...
Snooker: Stop the moaning SNOOKER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Title holder defends championship tables after easing home
Apr 22, 2006; ... SHAUN Murphy told his fellow players to stop moaning about thetables after reaching the quarterfinals of the World Championshipwith a 13-7 victory over Steve Davis today. The title-holder, aiming to end the jinx on first-time championsdefending the crown, admitted conditions were ...
Cricket: Liverpool Victoria County Championship
Apr 22, 2006 ... DURHAM began their Liverpool Victoria County Championship campaignwith a win by an innings and 56 runs over Kent at Canterbury. It did ...
Chaos as crash drama shuts M6 Traffic alert for FA Cup clash
Apr 22, 2006; ... A LORRY driver smashed through a central reservation on the M6 inthe Midlands today and plunged 40ft down an embankment, stopping justfeet from an electricity sub station. The HGV driver, who has not been named, is believed to havesuffered only a cut hand following the horrific ...
Rescue me!
Apr 22, 2006 ... THE Birmingham Mailis backing the RNLI's latest bid to raisepounds 1 million for a new lifeboat. But our ...
Dad's agony at gun death COURTS: Killer gets eight years after 'accident' during riots
Apr 22, 2006; ... A TEENAGER who shot and killed one of his best friends in a freakaccident during the Lozells riots in Birmingham was today starting aneight-year jail term. Dowaine Maye, aged 19, tripped and unloaded a pistol into 18-year-old Aaron James as the group were running away from police ...
Weapon still out there to do more harm
Apr 22, 2006 ... AARON'S father Gordon James said: "We still miss Aarondesperately. "His life was taken away from him in such tragic circumstances. "I am pleased that Dowaine came forward and admitted what he did,but I am still disappointed that he has never told the police wherethe gun ...
City set for shake-up
Apr 22, 2006 ... A NEW Birmingham city region moved a step closer today after itemerged Chancellor Gordon Brown had ordered the Government office inthe West Midlands to axe a third of its staff. The office, based in Birmingham, ...
Birmingham salutes you. Your Majesty! ROYALTY: City flies the flag to celebrate Queen's 80th birthday in style
Apr 22, 2006; ... BRUMMIES have been flying the flag for the Queen and England as aweekend of patriotic celebrations kicked off in style. The streets of Birmingham were awash with Union Jacks last nightto mark the Queen's 80th birthday and get the city ready for aweekend of all things English ....
Cars and fireworks mark monarch's big day
Apr 22, 2006 ... CELEBRATIONS to mark the Queen's 80th birthday were continuingtoday with a special display at Buckingham Palace of historic British-built cars including a Longbridge-built Mini Cooper. The monarch enjoyed both public and private events to commemoratethe milestone yesterday, ...
Cash 'error'
Apr 22, 2006 ... LABOUR'S treasurer has said he believed people around the PrimeMinister consciously sought to exploit loopholes in the law byraising cash for the party through loans rather ...
Raid charge
Apr 22, 2006 ... A 25-YEAR-OLD woman was appearing in court today charged inconnection with Britain's biggest cash robbery. Raluca Millen, a warehouse worker, of Dudley Road, ...
Actor order
Apr 22, 2006 ... A LOS Angeles judge has ordered Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen tostay away from his estranged wife, Denise Richards. Sheen was ordered ...
Parent plight
Apr 22, 2006 ... A COUPLE have a 130-mile round trip each day to visit their babytwins because there is not enough room at their local hospital. Theresa and ...
Cruel craze
Apr 22, 2006 ... YOBS are attempting to lure pigeons into the path of buses in acruel new craze, a bird welfare group claimed. The Pigeon ...
Fishy flavours
Apr 22, 2006 ... WHEN the new Coromoto ice-cream parlour opens in Portugal nextmonth in the southern ...
We're currying on regardless! BALTI BELT: New mini-guide to promote rebuilt restaurant area
Apr 22, 2006; ... NO PART of Birmingham was more devastated in last July's freaktornado than the Balti Triangle. Restaurants had to close and curry-lovers were scared away fearingthe place had become a no-go zone. But now, alongside the launch of a new visitor guide to theculinary hotspot, ...
Tourist breaks prove popular
Apr 22, 2006 ... BALTI Breaks - the hottest tourist trip in the city - has provedso popular that three more dates have been added to cater for buddingBalti chefs. The Balti Breaks provide food lovers with the chance to enjoy anafternoon in the Balti Triangle. The first ...
'Exemplary' head leads way
Apr 22, 2006 ... A WOLVERHAMPTON school has received a glowing report from aninspector and the head teacher has been praised for his leadership.Wood End Primary, in Wood End Road, Wednesfield, which caters for 247pupils aged three to 11, was said to have some exemplary features byOfsted inspector, Andrew ...
Marathon for rowing champion
Apr 22, 2006 ... FIVE times Olympic rowing champion Sir Steve Redgrave has anotherrecord in his sights - beating the world fundraising record at theLondon Marathon. Britain's greatest Olympian faces a hard slog through the 26.2mile course to pass the pounds 1,252,466 target, the most raised in ...
Guide to real ale
Apr 22, 2006 ... A NEW guide telling real ale enthusiasts where they can sup theirfavourite pints has been launched. The Campaign For Real Ale has put together The Black Country BeerGuide, giving details of almost 200 recommended pubs in the region. The labour of love by members of Camra's ...
Ready, get set, go in race for Bob CHARITY: Cancer-fight mum sets off runners in fundraising tribute to World Cup hero
Apr 22, 2006; ... CANCER survivor Nicky Small is 'over the moon' after being chosento kick off the first ever Run For Moore event in tribute toEngland's 1966 World Cup winning captain. Mother-of-two Nicky, from Sutton Coldfield, recently survivedbowel cancer - the disease which claimed the life of ...
Cancer threat of 9/11 attack at Sellafield plant
Apr 22, 2006 ... A SUCCESSFUL terrorist plot to crash a hijacked airliner intoSellafield could lead to hundreds of thousands of cancer deathsacross the British Isles, experts have warned. Nuclear physicist from the Oxford Research Group think-tank, DrFrank Barnaby, said a September 11-style ...
Plea over Alisha fire tragedy
Apr 22, 2006; ... AN APPEAL has been made for information on the death of a six-year-old Birmingham girl in a house fire. Two men have been charged with the murder of Alisha Begum, whodied in hospital after a blaze swept through her home in BayswaterRoad, Perry Barr, late on March 10 ....
Caution over drugs
Apr 22, 2006 ... A MAN was arrested on suspicion of growing cannabis after policeswooped on a Midland house in a raid. Officers from Wednesbury executed a drugs warrant on Thursday atan address in Keir Road, in the Friar Park area of the town. A 29-year-old local man was arrested on suspicion ...
'Too thin' to be an Aussie EMIGRATION: Woman judged too skinny to be citizen
Apr 22, 2006; ... A MIDLAND woman faces deportation after being told she was toothin to become an Australian citizen. Helen Evans, who weighs 6st 11lb and is 5ft 3ins tall, was toldher low weight meant she failed a health check. But a tribunal overturned the ruling and she has now been told ...
Elderly to get rebate on gas bill
Apr 22, 2006 ... AGE Concern Energy Services announced it was paying back a recordpounds 1.7 million to gas customers following the cold winter. Under the initiative, a joint venture between charity Age Concernand energy firm Powergen, each customer will receive a cold weatherrebate of at least ...
Cash taken during raid
Apr 22, 2006 ... ROBBERS burst into a Midlands restaurant and threatened staff. Detectives are appealing for information following the robbery atChiquitos in Bentley Mill Way, Walsall, on Thursday. Two men went into the restaurant prior to opening ...
Quiz of the day
Apr 22, 2006 ... 1. Whose silk Oscars dress is to be auctioned off on eBay? 2. Where did the Queen's family gather to celebrate her 80thbirthday? 3. Which former model and charity campaigner is set to return tothe catwalk? ...
'Schools should be encouraging this' VOX POP: Parents and teens give their backing to text for condoms scheme
Apr 22, 2006; ... BIRMINGHAM parents and teenagers have given their full backing toa safe-sex-text scheme that allows schoolchildren to get condomsthrough the post. The Birmingham Mail revealed yesterday how sexually activeyoungsters were being encouraged to use the condom texting service tocut ...
Wild life of Great War veteran, 109
Apr 22, 2006 ... BRITAIN'S oldest known First World War veteran thanked"cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women" for his longevity as he wasbestowed the freedom of his home town. Henry Allingham, aged 109, said yesterday he was profoundlyhonoured to receive the freedom of Eastbourne, East Sussex, ...
Debate for wannabe DJs
Apr 22, 2006 ... ASPIRING city DJs are being offered the chance to tune in to thetips and skills of some of the country's top disc spinners duringspecial debate. Music fans will get the chance to shape the future ofradio and concerts in the Live Music Forum with Minister for MusicJames Purnell, DJ Steve ...
The curtains go up at historic Palace HERITAGE: Re-opened theatre back to its former glory after pounds 4.1m facelift
Apr 22, 2006; ... AN Edwardian theatre considered a national treasure re-opened itsdoors today after undergoing a pounds 4.1million facelift to restoreit to its former glory. Residents and actors are celebrating the end of the yearlongmakeover of the Palace Theatre in Redditch, work which it is ...
Brum lads are customising kings
Apr 22, 2006; ... ESSEX lads have lost their reputation for being top dog when itcomes to car customising, beaten by boy racers from Birmingham. A new survey out today shows that men who modify their cars spendan average of pounds 7,000 a year on their vehicles but only pounds500 on their ...
Festival kicks off in style REVIEW ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA RSC, Stratford
Apr 22, 2006; ... AS one of the first plays in the Royal Shakespeare Company'sComplete Works Festival, it was essential that this tale of thedoomed love affair between Antony and Cleopatra be a success. So director Gregory Doran must be feeling satisfied at bringingthis overlong story of death and ...
Patients' MRSA fear
Apr 22, 2006 ... THREE times as many patients worry about catching MRSA than aboutdelays in treatment, a survey showed today. Two-thirds of patients who had a recent stay in an NHS hospitalalso said it ...
Football: Baggies I have top fan tales - Steve
Apr 22, 2006 ... STEVE Watson can reflect on plenty of memorable moments during aprofessional career spanning 16 years. Now Albion's own Mr Versatile has joined the club's communityprogramme in calling on Baggies supporters to recall their ownspecial footballing memories for a new book ....
Football: Ooh ah on the beach SPORT: Legend Eric Cantona coming to city
Apr 22, 2006; ... OOH ah! Birmingham was celebrating today after French footballlegend Eric Cantona confirmed he is to kick off the city's programmeof World Cup events this summer. The former Manchester United star will bring his Gallic beachvolleyball side to play in an international tournament ...
For once it's home, James
Apr 22, 2006 ... AUTOGRAPH hunting motorcycle fans from all over the Midlands werequeuing up in Birmingham today to get the signature of racer JamesEllison. Britain's only MOTOGP rider now lives in his motorhome in Francenear the Yamaha team HQ, and can ...
Contest has pecs appeal
Apr 22, 2006 ... BODY-builders from all over the region are flexing their musclesfor tonight's Midland qualifier for the Mr Universe contest. Budding Arnold Schwarzeneggers are gathering at Brierley HillCivic Hall in Bank Street. The winners will go through to the Mr Britain finals taking ...
Home sale pack bid
Apr 22, 2006 ... TV Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer have thrown their weightbehind a campaign calling for the introduction of Home InformationPacks to be scrapped. The hosts of Channel 4 ...
OurSay
Apr 22, 2006 ... IT IS understandable that Geordies - whose sole contribution tothe culinary world seems to be an indigestible and drably colouredspeciality known as pease pudding -should seek to claim the balti astheir own. Forget it. The balti belongs to Brum. This was where it firstemerged ...
Letter: YourSay - Ordinary fan not a criminal
Apr 22, 2006; ... UNDER the guidance of our wonderful West Midlands Police force,together with certain stewards at Birmingham City Football Club, arewe now in danger of becoming a fascist police state? You may think that this is a harsh statement to make but I ask youto look at the photo. It shows ...
Letter: YourSay - Too much alcohol
Apr 22, 2006; ... PEOPLE drinking too much alcohol? Cheap and simple ...
Letter: YourSay - Honest hoodie
Apr 22, 2006; ... WITH so much negative press regarding "hoodies", my 12 year-old-son does wear a hoody and cap etc. He recently visited Sainsbury's in Selly Oak where he found awallet. He handed it into the nearest sales assistant, who thankedhim for being honest. At this time, the man who ...
Letter: YourSay - Helping hand
Apr 22, 2006; ... I HAD a very bad fall on Thursday afternoon near Argos on PrioryQueensway. I would like to thank ...
Letter: YourSay - Theatre let-down
Apr 22, 2006; ... LAST month I went to the Alexandra Theatre to see a play Smallerstarring Dawn French, one of my favourites. We didn't have good ...
Letter: YourSay - Clear-up needed
Apr 22, 2006; ... DAVE Holsey is quite right when he states that the River Cole isfull of debris, rubbish and fallen trees. Our Conservative-led council has placed more resources into eachward for precisely the type of clear-up which Mr Holsey is lookingfor. Unfortunately the Labour led ...
Letter: YourSay - Park's in a state
Apr 22, 2006; ... I HAVE walked daily in Sutton Park for the last 44 years and Ihave never seen it in such a deplorable state. The present management of the park seems to consist of choppingdown vast acres of trees and gorse without bothering to clear up thedebris ....
Letter: YourSay - Park's in a state
Apr 22, 2006; ... SUTTON Park is the best park around here. We go two or three ...
Letter: YourSay - Lord preserve us!
Apr 22, 2006; ... READING Ed Doolan's piece about meanings of words betweendifferent countries reminds me of when my mother, father, brother andI decided to go on a weekend break in Paris. My mother has to be very careful when going out for a meal as sheis allergic to ...
Write to us and win a digital camera
Apr 22, 2006 ... WE KNOW our readers love airing their views on the BirminghamMail's famous letters page - and now we're giving them the chance towin a fabulous camera, too! Once a week we'll choose a Star Letter which, thanks to the memoryexperts at Crucial Technology, will win a 7.2 megapixel ...
The perils of shopping This week's star letter winner ...
Apr 22, 2006 ... CONGRATULATIONS to Ken Harley, winner of a digital camera in thelatest letter of the week competition. Semi-retired engineer Ken said he was delighted to win a digitalcamera supplied by our friends at Crucial Technology. The 64-year-old, of St Bernards Road, Solihull, had ...
TheBigQuestion
Apr 22, 2006 ... 4% YES 96% NO Today: Should the Queen abdicate? YES: 09015 607 845 NO: 09015 607 846 (Calls from ...