Sunday Mercury (Birmingham, England) back issues from November 2008:
3 DEAD IN MIDLAND AIR CRASH.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY ADAM ASPINALL A TWISTED pile of metal is all that is left of a helicopter which plunged into a field yesterday, killing three Midland friends. Two men and a woman, believed to be from Tamworth, Staffordshire, died instantly as the chopper crashed and turned ...
Farmer's wife found wreckage in her field; Mystery of Midland flight that ended in tragedy.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY ADAM ASPINALL TWO men and a woman from the Midlands have been killed after their helicopter plunged into a field and burst into flames. The victims have not been identified, but at least one is believed to be from Tamworth, Staffordshire. All ...
BONKERS! Job seeker is quizzed about his sex life.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY JONNY GREATREX JOB seeker Jason Lightwood was red-faced when government back-to-work bosses asked him what he was like ... on the job. The 37-year-old dadwas quizzed about his SEX LIFE in a questionnaire to see if he had what it took to return to employment ....
Firework sales hit by crunch.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... FIREWORK retailers in the Midlands are facing their worst year in living memory - after sales were hit by the credit crunch and arctic conditions. A large number of organised bonfires are set to go ahead on November 5, yet ...
Dog owner lost control.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... A MIDLAND man pleaded guilty to losing control of two terriers who mauled a three-year-old boy. John MacKay, 50, of Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, admitted two counts of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place and causing injury, ...
crazy world.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... TIMISOARA, Romania - A monk staged a hoax bomb warning at a hospital as a practical joke on a priest being treated there. Adrian Radolescu, 20, called the clinic saying an explosive had been ...
Carjackers.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... WEST Midlands Police are to issue a new alert to warn drivers about the threat of carjackers. Officers will be carrying out foot patrols at key congestion points in Birmingham over the ...
GUARD'S SECRET AFFAIR WITH HER GANGSTER PRISONER; WOMAN SMUGGLED DRUGS INTO PRISON.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY BEN GOLDBY A FEMALE prison guard has been caged for smuggling mobile phones and drugs into jail for a Midland gangster with whom she was having an affair. Yvonne Taylor, who worked as a warder at HMP Whitemoor maximum security prison in Cambridgeshire, was ...
Depressed tycoon did not kill himself.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... A DISGRACED tycoon who sacked 130 Midland workers by text message suffered depression after his company folded with debts of pounds 100 million, an inquest heard. Mark Langford, former managing director of ill-fated Accident Group died in a mystery car crash on the Costa del Sol ...
What a load of coconuts! COWS TO GET SPECIAL DIETS... TO STOP THEM BURPING.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY FIONNUALA BOURKE MIDLAND cows may soon be fed coconuts to help stop them BURPING - because they are slowly helping destroy the planet. The grass-munching moochers hit the 'moos' headlines recentlywhen boffins discovered a herd of cattle produces more ...
Fresh clue to murder.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... DETECTIVES investigating the 25-year-old murder of a teenager believe her killer may have been from the Midlands. The naked body of Colette Aram was found near her home in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, after she was abducted in October 1983. She had been raped, strangled ...
Images on used laptop.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... A MIDLAND dad was left stunned when a laptop he bought for his two young daughters contained hardcore pornography. Tam Dallas, 37, of Pershore, Worcestershire, bought the pounds 300 second-hand laptop for his daughters, aged 12 and six, so they could keep in touch with their ...
crazy world.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... BUCHAREST, ROMANIA: A husband has put his 25-year-old wife up for sale on a website specialising in used cars. Alex Cretu, 20, hoped to get pounds 4 million but has lowered his price to pounds 3,000 for a ...
Trapped in the freeze.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... A MAN was trapped in the wreckage of his car for almost two hours in near freezing temperatures after it crashed into a remote Midland farm building. The crash happened on the B4355 road near Hereford just before 7pm on Friday. Paramedics had to work quickly to save ...
Ross gets Royal axe.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... SHAMED TV presenter Jonathan Ross has been axed as host of this year's Royal Variety Show. The 47 year-old star has been told his services will no longer be required at the December 11 spectacular. He will be replaced by veteran funnyman Jimmy Tarbuck. It ...
Minister's train blunder.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... A CABINET minister apologised last night after leaving confidential ministerial correspondence on a train. Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell was working on papers from his ministerial "red box" as his train passed through Birmingham on its way from Macclesfield to ...
POLICE ARREST RAMBO; STUDENT FINED FOR PLASTIC KNIFE.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY ROY BAYLISS POLICE charged a Midland student dressed as Rambo with causing public alarm because his costume featured a toy plastic knife. Inspired by the Sylvester Stalone's film character Anthony Radley was dressed in a red bandana, face paint, black ...
Family convinced Goa gangsters killed Stephen.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... A NEW inquest into the murder of a Midlands holidaymaker killed in Goa could disprove the official account of how he died. Stephen Bennett, 40 and from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was tortured and killed in December 2006 before being hanged in the middle of dense jungle with a ...
Dad killed by burger.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... A MIDLAND father collapsed and died after suffering an allergic reaction to a takeaway beefburger. Mark Nicholson, 28, from Leicester Forest East, called 999 from his hotel room begging for help after his ...
Jail for jog attacker.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... A VIOLENT sex attacker who assaulted a jogger in a Midland street while high on drugs has been jailed. Alex Ormston, 20, from Oakwood, Derby, bundled his victim into bushes near an underpass. He ...
crazy world.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... ATLANTA, USA: A baggage handler got a Halloween fright when she opened a jetliner's cargo door and found a cheetah ...
Rooney spit row caution.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... FOOTBALL star Wayne Rooney has been cautioned by police after spitting at a photographer. The Manchester United striker has also been forced to write a letter of apology to victim Lee Simmons. ...
Alert for pensioner.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... FEARS were growing last night for the safety of an elderly woman who disappeared near her Midland home. Margaret Farndon, 82, went missing on Friday afternoon after leaving her house in Bushberry ...
Last survivor recalls The Great Escape; EXCLUSIVE WE TRACK DOWN TO AUSTRALIA FORMER MIDLANDS MAN WHO CRAWLED OUT OF STALAG LUFT III.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY JONNY GREATREX It was the prisoner of war breakout made famous by Hollywood film The Great Escape. Reports recently claimed the last survivor of Stalag Luft III had died, yet the Sunday Mercury tracked down a former Midlands man, now living in Perth, Australia, who ...
And the most important issue of the day is...(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: LORNE JACKSON I'M sure you'll be relieved to discover that in today's column I won't be snarling about the juvenile japery of Jonathan Ross. Or the slimy sexual swagger of Russell Brand. References to an elderly actor who once played a confused ...
Handy choice.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: LORNE JACKSON Who would have believed it? Maradona has taken over as the manager of the Argentinian national ...
jackson 5.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: LORNE JACKSON IT SEEMS that David Tennant isn't content slaying his stepdaddy every night in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he is currently starring as Hamlet. He has also decided to kill off Doctor Who. Well, his portrayal of him, at any rate. ...
Perverts go AWOL; SEX OFFENDERS BREACHING COURT ORDERS.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY FIONNUALA BOURKE TWO sex offenders a week are breaching vital court restrictions aimed at protecting Midlands families while they live in the community. West Midlands Police cautioned or convicted 121 perverts who failed to comply with the orders last year ....
Poppy pounds 32m fund target.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... THEY are the iconic images which have been brought together to boost this year's Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. The Poppy Man was photographed outside Birmingham's famous Selfridges store in a bid to attract a new generation of collector sbefore Remembrance Sunday next ...
From Brum with love; QUANTION OF SOLACE 7 TIME FOR 007 TO SWAP BETTING AT CASINO ROYALE FOR SHOPPING AT THE BULLRING.(Features)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY ADAM ASPINALL Bond star Daniel Craig has joked that the credit crunch might lead to new Bond movies being filmed in Birmingham. Speaking before the premier of the new 007 film Quantum of Solace, the star said glamorous foreign locations could become a thing ...
Olympic heroes a fearsome four-ce.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: SCOTT DOUGAL in Manchester TEAM pursuit stalwarts Ed Clancy and Geraint Thomas proved they can achieve peerless performances even after two months of "larging it up" post-Olympics. Clancy and Thomas did not miss Bradley Wiggins and Paul Manning, ...
Binge-drinking could lead to dementia.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... BRITAIN may be heading for a dementia epidemic caused by binge-drinking, experts have warned. Research has shown that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to the loss of brain tissue, and bingedrinking is associated with an increased risk of dementia. While ...
David cycling's new golden boy.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: SCOTT DOUGAL in Manchester A TEENAGER from Middlesbrough was being hailed as the new Chris Hoy after emerging as one of the brightest of a new generation of talented British cyclists this weekend. David Daniell, still just 18, earned his first senior gold ...
bob's brain teasers...(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: Compiled by BOB BROWN WITH Lewis Hamilton going for glory today, we test your knowledge of British Formula One champions ... 1) Give the surname of the father and son who both became champions. 2) How many seasons did James Hunt career last? ...
Seb's pain turns into pleasure!(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY BOB DOWNING Seb Sanders has not watched much racing on television lately, only the St Leger at Doncaster and "a bit of the Champions meeting at Newmarket" - but he was glued to the set last Saturday evening. However, the pain of watching Muhannak win the ...
TOON'S A REAL TEST FOR VILLA.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY CHRIS HUTCHEON By Martin O'Neill's own admission his Villa side were below par against black burn in midweek - but they still managed to win and move into the top four. Not many pundits expect them to stay there but they are, nevertheless, favourites at a ...
Band set to tackle Tsong.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... HOME favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and reigning champion David Nalbandian will square off for the Paris Masters title after winning their respective semi-final clashes in contrasting ways. Hours after seeing Argentina's Nalbandian battle hard to defeat Nikolay Davydenko 6-1 5-7 ...
HEAT IS ON YOUNG ACE - FELIPE; FORMULA ONE: RIVAL MASSA IS ON POLE FOR SAO PAULO SHOWDOWN.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... FELIPE Massa feels the pressure has intensified on Lewis Hamilton in the wake of his stunning qualifying performance for tomorrow's showdown in Sao Paulo. Massa gave himself the perfect launchpad to snatch the Formula One title from Hamilton's grasp by claiming pole for the ...
GO FOUR IT LEWIS! FORMULA ONE: RIVAL MASSA IS ON POLE FOR SAO PAULO SHOWDOWN Hamilton faces Alonso tussle in title decider.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: Ian Parkes in sao Paulo LEWIS HAMILTON and Ron Dennis firmly believe Fernando Alonso will keep it clean today despite his simmering animosity towards McLaren. Hamilton's bid to become the youngest world champion in Formula One history is likely to rest on the ...
Lyons is roaring to go again.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY NIGEL PEARSON CAPTAIN Marvel Jason Lyons was last night unveiled as Birmingham's first signing for the 2009 season. Lyons has put pen to paper on a new deal, which will see him as the only Brummies man to have raced for the club in three successive seasons ...
THOMPSON: BLAZE DIDN'T BUY TITLES.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY MATT BOZEAT CASSIDY Coventry Blaze head coach Paul Thompson is sick of being told he's a big spender. Thompson's team tonight entertain Nottingham Panthers at the Skydome (6pm) having gone top of the bmibaby Elite League for the first time this season with ...
HICK IN LIONS DEN; COUNTY RETURN GOT AMBROSE ALL SET FOR ENGLAND BATTLE.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... WORCESTERSHIRE legend Graeme Hick has agreed to join the Indian Cricket League for the remainder of the competition. The 42-year-old former England batsman has signed for Chandigarh Lions after they lost Chris Cairns and Dinesh Mongia to suspension. The Lions ...
PLAY IT AGAIN, SYLVAN; HITMAN'S MOLINEUX MEGAMIX Ebanks-Blake pumps up the volume in the Wolves dressing room EXCLUSIVE.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY MAT KENDRICK MOLINEUX music man Sylvan Ebanks-Blake plans to keep Wolves at the top of the Championship charts by cranking up the volume in the dressing room. Ebanks-Blake is proving a smash-hit on and off the field for Mick McCarthy's promotion-chasers ...
Wenger to ring changes.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger expects to have to make full use of his squad over the coming week. Last week's draining derby with Tottenham and yesterday's defeat at Stoke are followed by home clashes against Fenerbahce and Manchester United on Wednesday and Saturday respectively. ...
Unhappy Hen ready to fly.(News)
Nov 02, 2008 ... WAYNE Hennessey will seek a move away from Molineux in January - if he fails to force his way back into Mick McCarthy's table-topping team. Hennessey spent his sixth successive Championship match on the bench at Cardiff yesterday after being dropped for Carl Ikeme. ...
Joker Harewood's being driven out of Villa; THE FINAL WORD.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: MAT KENDRICK IT was an act of speed, cunning, and perfect execution not normally associated with Marlon Harewood. If only Martin O'Neill, rather than Final Word, had witnessed The Hare's moment of magic at Aston Villa's Bodymoor Heath training ground on ...
Can Marcus score on pitch as well? THE FINAL WORD.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: ANDY WALKER MARCUS Bent may not have been fortunate on the field in recent weeks but it appears that he is lucky in love. The Blues striker, who has struggled to nail down a place in Alex McLeish's side since arriving in the summer, has popped the question to ...
Maradona made the wrong call; THE FINAL WORD.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: ANDY WALKER RUSSELL Brand is not the only straggly-haired bloke with a history of narcoticabuse who will this week regret making a phone-call. So too will Diego Maradona. By accepting the offer to coach Argentina, the scourge of ...
STANFORD STUNT JUST INDECENT; THE FINAL WORD.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: MAT KENDRICK THERE'S already talk of releasing a DVD of highlights from the Stanford Super Series. But surely the organisers of cricket's most controversial competition would be better off turning it into a feature film and calling it Indecent Proposal 2. ...
FALSE START FOR BRUM'S BIG RACE; THE FINAL WORD.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: ANDY WALKER THE finishing tape has been swept up and the medals have been handed out but was the Birmingham Half Marathon a success? Well if you're happy with a glamorised fun run then the answer would be yes, but as a serious athletics event, it failed to ...
SKY BLUES SKIRMISH VEXES ECK.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY ANDY WALKER BLUES boss Alex McLeish sees tomorrow night's clash with Coventry as a local skirmish rather than a full-blown derby. West Midland neighbours Blues and Coventry meet at St Andrew's where the hosts will be looking to continue an unbeaten run ...
Euro glory floored Roo.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... WAYNE Rooney has revealed he celebrated Manchester United's Champions League final win over Chelsea by sleeping on the floor. Rooney was sharing a room with then fiancee Coleen in Moscow but on the night of the final had agreed to let his future brother-in-lawand his girlfriend ...
Martins: I know the score.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... STRIKER Obafemi Martins has pledged to keep Newcastle's fine scoring record going when they take on Villa at St James' Park tomorrow night. Newcastle cannot stop leaking at the back but Villa manager Martin O'Neill will be fully aware of the goal threat to his side - whether ...
I never sought to make Joey a Villan; EXCLUSIVE O'NEILL ADMITS HE'S GLAD TO SEE TOON BAD BOY BACK, BUT INSISTS..(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY MAT KENDRICK MARTIN O'Neill has applauded Newcastle's forgive-and-forget approach to Joey Barton - but denied that he ever wanted to sign the Toon bad boy for Villa. O'Neill's Champions League chasers travel to Tyneside tomorrow to take on a rejuvenated ...
RANDY'S AGONY AS THROWER HUNT GOES ON.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY MAT KENDRICK MARTIN O'Neill insists the search for Villa Park's controversial coin thrower must go on - after revealing the extent of Randy Lerner's upset over the incident. O'Neill insists the American chairman is so concerned with cranking up the ...
Megson: I'll beat boos.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... BOLTON manager Gary Megson believes his abuse at the hands of the club's supporters has galvanised his team behind him. Megson has come in for some fierce criticism from Trotters fans in recent weeks, most notably after last Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Tottenham and Wednesday's 1-0 ...
Sparky: Stay on the ball.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... MANCHESTER City boss Mark Hughes has cautioned against his side dismissing Bolton as long-ball merchants. After successfully dispatching Stoke on home soil last weekend, City now face another side who prefer the aerial approach. But Hughes thinks there is a ...
ISH NOT ENOUGH! Mowbray agony as Albion are denied.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY ANDY WALKER BEWILDERED Tony Mowbray was left cursing his luck yesterday as Albion sit perilously close to the Premier League's relegation zone. The Baggies are still looking over their shoulders at Newcastle despite the 2-2 draw at home to tenman Blackburn ...
GAB'S GOWEN PLACES; Milner: Villa ace Ag can match Michael EXCLUSIVE.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY MAT KENDRICK VILLA winger James Milner believes Gabby Agbonlahor can become the new Michael Owen by emulating the Newcastle goalscoring star's reinvention. Milner has played alongside both strikers and will be able to compare them at close quarters when ...
We're still to hit top gear.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY ANDY WALKER ALEX McLeish has fired a warning to his derby rival Chris Coleman by insisting that his below-par Blues are yet to hit top form. West Midlands neighbours Coventry City head to St Andrew's tomorrow looking to be the latest side to claim the ...
It's a Red letter day for Camp.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: BY ALISTAIR GRANT NOTTINGHAM Forest goalkeeper Lee Camp returns to Derby today admitting: I never thought I'd be a Red. Lifelong County fan Camp, 24, spent five years with Derby but left for QPR last year and joined the Rams' sworn rivals Forest on loan 12 ...
TIMES ARE HARD FOR PARDS; ROUND-UP Coca Cola CHAMPIONSHIP.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... UNDER-PRESSURE Charlton boss Alan Pardew saw his team drop into the bottom three of the Coca-Cola Championship as they lost 3-1 to Barnsley. The Addicks fell behind after just three minutes at The Valley as Jon Macken struck before adding a second 14 minutes later. ...
WOLVES' DOUBLE DELIGHT! Duo strike to put Mac's men clear.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... Byline: MAT KENDRICK at Ninian Park CARDIFF CITY 1 McCormack 19 mins, WOLVES 2 Iwelumo 4 mins, Ebanks-Blake 8 WORKMANLIKE Wolves went four points clear at the top of the Championship - after their deadly double act won the battle of ...
Robins sunk by Becchio.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... CHELTENHAM 0 LEEDS 1 CHELTENHAM'S struggles continue after they sank to a fourth successive defeat at the hands of Leeds. Martin Allen's side fell behind early on following some sloppy defending and despite a spirited fightback in the second half emerged ...
Mac attack stuns Bulls.(Sport)
Nov 02, 2008 ... PETERBOROUGH 2 HEREFORD 0 TWO goals from Craig Mackail-Smith saw off the brave Bulls in a game where Hereford dominated but failed to find a way past Posh goalkeeper Joe Lewis. Peterborough should have scored after four minutes when Chris Whelpdale ...