Latest news with #Droitwich
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Friends of comedy giant Rik Mayall enjoy festival in his memory
A comedy festival in memory of Rik Mayall has been proclaimed a huge success with friends of the actor and writer saying he would have loved died 11 years ago and more than 200 performances have been taking place this week across 30 different venues in his hometown of Droitwich, in Worcestershire as part of a celebration of the Davies, Helen Lederer and Shaparak Khorsandi have taken part with Mayall's friend and collaborator Ben Elton the festival's patron."Of course he would love it what's not to love?" said friend Lederer. "He would say bring it on." "I know he would have loved it, because he got some stinky reviews - he carried on, it's a very competitive world and he believed in what he was doing and he's no different to anyone else."Earlier this week, Lederer took part in an intimate and no-holds-barred evening at a sold-out Norbury Theatre, where Mayall first performed as a child. She said the festival was "eight days of amazing comedy events, a mix and match of free events".Speaking afterwards, she described her favourite memories of Mayall, who she said was always encouraging and "accepting of everyone"."He loved what he did and he loved what other people did, and apart from being the most charismatic performer ever," she have said they would like to make it an annual event and local traders said the town had been extremely Fellows, landlady of the Old Cock Inn which sits opposite the theatre, has been hosting events. "It's been amazing. Absolutely fantastic, " she said."You just couldn't imagine I don't think the impact on Droitwich that's it's had."She said so much had been going on and that she had enjoyed hosting acts."We've just been rammed all day - Saturday was just a stupidly insane day busy-wise and I think the whole town was just buzzing with it and even for a Monday night we had two nearly sell-out shows here and we've got sell out shows all week which is great."It's not just for local people, there's people down from Scotland, from Dorset staying all week or the weekend." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
30-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Droitwich butcher, 82, still loves job after nearly 70 years
A butcher who started learning his craft when he was 13 years old still loves the job at the age of 82 - nearly 70 years Lymer runs Lymers in Droitwich High Street, in Worcestershire, which has just celebrated its 50th butcher, who runs the business with his wife Sandy, said he still got a buzz from being behind the counter. "I just love talking to the people who come in. I'd miss my lovely customers if I ever stopped," he said. Mr Lymer said he got the idea of becoming a butcher when he was still at school and worked his way up to managing another butcher's in Droitwich High Street before his current unit became available in 1975. "Mr Hale, my old school teacher, said, 'Does anybody want a little job after school?' I was 13 at the time and put my hand up. "He said, 'Go down and see Mr Boston' [who owned a now-closed butcher's in the street] and tell him Mr Hale sent you'. "That was down the road from here. I really started learning the trade properly at 15 and was a manager at 19."It was the mid-70s when I heard this shop unit was available, so I went for it." Mrs Lymer used to work in banking, and after her retirement five years ago, she started to work alongside her husband in the shop. "He's got quite a reputation, has Tom; he's a legend - we've looked at him retiring, but I don't think that's ever going to happen; he just likes it so much," she said. "He loves his customers, and they love him - he's serving the grandchildren of the grandmothers and grandfathers that he first served, which is lovely." 'We love meeting people' The couple said it was an "honour" to have been running Lymers for 50 years - especially with stiff competition from supermarkets. "It's the customer service that people come in for - that and the quality of the food," said Mrs Lymer. "As well as the locals, we get people coming in who might have moved away from Droitwich - like Cornwall, for example, and when they come back here, they pop in because they know us and like us. It's lovely." Mr Lymer added: "Our stuff is all locally sourced - I've never followed what the supermarkets do; we do our own thing. "And it's meeting the people that we love - we do have some very loyal customers; we'll keep going as long as we can." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Plans for dozens of homes next to drive-thru on already 'cramped' estate
PLANS for dozens of homes next to a Worcestershire drive-thru has raised concerns over an "already cramped" section of road. Residents on the Copcut Rise estate have expressed fears over plans to build up to 40 new homes next to the Costa Coffee Drive Thru and Sainsbury's Local in Droitwich. The plans submitted by William Davis Homes initially detailed building two industrial units on the land next to Copcut Boulevard. However, residents' concerns led the developers to scrap the plans and submit a planning application before Wychavon for 40 homes instead. RECOMMENDED READING: Residents like Kerri Moore voiced concerns on the planning application over issues with traffic on the A38 and within the estate. "There is pressure on the traffic at the roundabout, and the awful light system is already at capacity. "The estate is cramped, together with small narrow roads and no large parks or open spaces." Steven Dunnell, another resident added: "Especially as the Copcut Lights and main roundabout cannot hold more traffic without significant improvement." The entrance to the Copcut Rise estate. (Image: Newsquest) William Davis Homes plans to create access onto the new estate from Tolley Way and Mitchell Road. The Copcut Rise estate first came into fruition in 2013 after Wychavon District Council green-lit plans for approximately 740 new homes. Another planning application followed this in 2015 for more homes. However, other residents like Luke Deeprose and Matt Kimberley do not object to the application but would rather see changes to the access via Mitchell Road. Plans will see the new homes built by Costa Coffee. (Image: Dan Birch) Resident Steve Cotton explained: "The road is narrow and quite often children are playing in the road. "At the moment, very little traffic uses the road as it goes nowhere, the addition of the extra houses will change this." The new builds will feature nine three-bed, fifteen four-bed, and four five-bed homes. Around 30 percent of the homes built will be affordable housing. On the application, a spokesperson for William Davis Homes said: "The proposed development would be delivered instead of previously approved commercial buildings which were objected to by the local community, providing much needed homes including affordable homes. "The site is located within a larger site allocated in the SWDP as a sustainable urban extension. "It has been concluded that the influence of development on the existing road network would be imperceptible and would not create additional congestion or extended journey times as a result, especially when considering the previously approved B2 and B8 land use at the site." The consultation period for the plans ends on June 13 and can be accessed by using the application number W/25/00991/FUL.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- BBC News
Droitwich Spa Lido summer season starts as pool marks 90th year
A restored art deco lido built in 1935 has opened for its summer season as it marks it 90th pool was closed for a deep clean and heating before its reopening on Saturday for the official start of the summer Spa Lido manager Seb Parker said the pool took saltwater from a well in the spa town and had water features including mushrooms, canons and pineapple said brine pumped into the pool directly from the well was "100% stronger" than sea water, adding: "We put enough in the pool, not so it's going to make you float, but you'll taste it when you're in there." The water gets heated during the summer and is currently up to 20C (68F), but in the winter, when people visit for cold swimming, it can go down to 3C (37F)."We're open all year round. We're actually really popular in the winter – wild swimming and cold water swimming is a big thing now," he said in good weather visiting the lido was "just like going to the seaside", adding: "You don't realise you're in the middle of a park, in the middle of a town."Its history over nine decades has included a grand opening by a film star, closures during World War Two - and then the pool shut in 1999 before restoration was planned, he the buildings in the restored pool are the same as they were before, he District Council and the Friends of Droitwich Spa Lido group have put a book together, containing memories of the pool, with pictures and stories gathered from over the years."Everyone can remember growing up here," he said. "It was a thing you did in the summer, like 'what shall we do today?', 'oh, we'll go to the lido'."You'd just come down with your mates, leave your bikes outside, go swimming, pop out for some chips and then come back in again for the afternoon." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Police officer recognised for helping to save man's life in Droitwich
A police officer has been recognised for their life saving actions in performing CPR on a Prendiville was playing hockey at Droitwich Leisure Centre on 30 November 2024 when he suffered a cardiac arrest. PC Maria Francolini gave him CPR compressions at the the officer, along with other trained members of the public and staff at the centre, has been recognised with a Royal Humane Society resuscitation award for their life saving Prendiville, who has been recovering, said: "My family and I are so grateful to all those people who saved my life without hesitation." "I am recovering well and feel extremely lucky to be alive," he Pete Frankish praised PC Francolini's actions, saying: "Maria continued with CPR for 20 minutes while shocks were delivered from the defibrillator."He added: "Peter regained consciousness and was treated by ambulance staff en route to Worcester Royal Hospital where he was rushed to theatre and treated."Mr Prendiville and PC Francolini reunited at Christmas last year. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
