Latest news with #LeamingtonSpa
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
The vending machine and robots helping farm in Harbury survive
A vending machine, offering fresh milk direct to customers, has helped a farm in Warwickshire diversify and survive, the owners say. George and Heather Clarke run a herd of more than 100 cows at Chesterton House Farm in Harbury near Leamington offer non-homogenised pasteurised milk from their Milk Shed - along with a selection of coffees and have also been deployed at the site, in an effort to cut down work for the farmers. The diversification scheme was "just another revenue stream," said Mr Clarke. "Most of the milk goes to a milk buyer," he said, "but as much as we can is sold through the milk machine.""We have people come from Daventry and there's a group comes from Dudley" for their milk, added Mrs Clarke. "It's also helped bridge a gap in the village - it's not just a smelly farm - it does actually produce quite a high-value product," Mr Clarke added. Two robots, named after their children Martha and Ralph, are also being used to work more efficiently. "As the cows eat they tend to nose the food away from the feed fence and they can't reach it," explained Mr Clarke. "So this robot comes out every hour, every 45 minutes and just pushes the food back in for them so they can reach it again. "It works really well, it saves my back having to push it all in with a fork". Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Appeal to find mum and daughter missing from Pershore
Police have appealed for help in finding a mother and daughter who they said had been missing for nine Sheehan, 45, and Lydia Sheehan, 14 were last seen at about 10:30 BST on 18 July, near Sheldon Close in Pershore, Worcestershire."We, along with Hannah and Lydia's family and friends, are growing increasingly concerned for their welfare," said West Mercia Police. They may have travelled to another area, as have links to Stratford, Leamington Spa, Redditch and Wellesbourne, said the force which asked anyone with information on their whereabouts to call 999. Insp Ben Albutt said: "It has been nine days since Hannah and Lydia were last seen by their family, and as time goes on, the more concern we have for their welfare."Following our initial inquiries, we do not believe there to be any third-party involvement in their disappearance," he added."We ask that anyone with any information, no matter how small it may seem, to please contact us on 999 quoting incident 316i of 23 July."Hannah is described as white, 5ft 4in (163cm) tall, with a slim build, and shoulder-length brown hair with blonde is described as white, with brown shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Urgent hunt for missing mum, 45, and her daughter, 14, after pair vanished eight days ago & ‘travelled to another area'
AN Urgent search has been launched for a missing mum and her daughter after the pair vanished eight days ago. Hannah Sheehan, 45, and Lydia Sheehan, 14, were last seen near Sheldon Close, in Pershore, Worcestershire. The alarm was raised at around 10.30am on July 18. It is understood the pair may have travelled to another area. They have links to Stratford, Leamington Spa, Redditch and Wellesbourne. Hannah has been described at standing around 5'4' tall and has brown hair with blonde highlights. Her daughter Lydia also has shoulder-length brown hair, and brown eyes. A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "We, along with Hannah and Lydia's family and friends, are growing increasingly concerned for their welfare. "Please call 999 immediately, quoting reference 316i of 23 July, if you see Hannah and Lydia, or have any information on their whereabouts." 2 2
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Warwickshire Pride guide: What you need to know about Leamington event
Thousands of people are expected to come together to celebrate Pride next Pride returns to the Pump Room Gardens in Leamington Spa on 16 off with a parade through the town, the free festival will feature live performances, music and entertainment, as well as a "rainbow marketplace" of stalls, tents and fairground said it was a "colourful celebration of LGBT+ life and culture" and was free for all to attend. When is Warwickshire Pride? The family-friendly festival will take place on 16 will run between 11:00 and 18:00 BST. How much does it cost? Warwickshire Pride, which is run by a charity of the same name, is free to said the event costs over £25,000 to put on, with costs rising each year."We believe in Pride celebrations being free for all people to enjoy," they added. Who is on the line-up? Hiphop group Big Brovas and dance act Booty Luv will headline this year's festival, organisers have performers and speakers set to take to the stage throughout the day include event hosts, Sassi Afrika and Anita will perform between 11:30 BST and 18:00 BST, with a full schedule published in the festival event will also feature dozens of stalls and tents and also includes a fairground and a dog show, which will take place at the is also a dedicated family area, organisers added. When is the Pride March happening? This year's Pride March sets off at 11:00 BST on Beauchamp Road and is expected to last no longer than half an march will turn onto Clarendon Avenue, the Parade and then Dormer Place, before finishing at the main stage in the Pump Room who want to participate have been advised to assemble before 10:45 who wish to take part in the march must register in advance, the event organisers march would be fully accessible and stewards will also be on hand to assist anyone who needed help, they added. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
'I moved from Brazil to Leamington Spa and asked - is everything closed?'
They say moving house is the most stressful thing you can do in life. But imagine if you weren't just moving house, but moving continents. Having to learn a new culture, a new way of life. Now imagine you are balancing that with a new relationship, starting a family and having to begin a career all over again on the bottom wrung. This is what happened to Bianca Rodrigues-Perry - a Brazilian native, who met and eventually fell in love while on holiday in Spain with David from Leamington Spa. Swapping the beaches and the hustle and bustle of Rio De Janeiro 16 years ago left Bianca, or Bia as she is known, reeling. Combined with a traumatic pregnancy and having to start a successful marketing career all over again, Bia in the leafy avenues of Leamington Spa, felt like she'd left an important part of herself back home in the busy streets of Rio. Read more: Hail and thunder warning for Coventry amid heavy, humid showers But trying to remain positive, she did start to rediscover herself in her new town, thanks to the love and support of her family, husband David and their two children, as well as a passion for the food she grew up eating at home. 'I remember walking through Leamington Spa for the first time and asking if everything was closed,' she laughs. 'It was so quiet compared to Rio!' In Brazil, Bia had run a marketing and production company organising events and mixing with international artists and celebrities. Her life was busy, creative, and full of energy. 'I went from being a businesswoman in Brazil to feeling completely lost here. I had postnatal depression, and at one point, I didn't want to live anymore,' she says. 'I didn't recognise myself.' It was a dark period that Bia says she got through with support, faith, and a belief that her story wasn't finished yet. Food, always central in her life, became a lifeline. She'd been cooking since she was 12, growing up in a family with Brazilian, Italian and Portuguese roots where food was 'how we showed love.' Even when she wasn't working in the food industry, cooking was always part of her identity. "I've always loved telling stories through food,' she says. 'It's in my blood. If you visit my mother's house and you're skinny, you're not allowed to leave again until she's fattened you up!" That love found a new creative outlet in Warwickshire, when she began working on Bia's Kitchen Show, a video series supporting local food businesses. The project – part podcast, part documentary, part storytelling platform, and later a book, is her way of giving back to the community she now calls home. It's not Bia's first time in front of a camera though. In 2021, she appeared on Couples Come Dine With Me alongside hubby David, a decision made on a whim after a friend encouraged her to apply. She went on to wow her fellow participants with her charm, hosting skills and extensive and unique culinary panache, winning the show along the way. 'I didn't care about winning, it was just great experience and good for exposure. And I think the producers liked me because I was a bit bonkers and didn't speak perfect English – great for TV!' But her latest venture is different. It's less about the spotlight, and more about amplifying others. She produces, interviews, and promotes – combining her experience in events, marketing, and food. Now, she's taking the project back to her native Brazil to film a new series of episodes across different restaurants, aiming to showcase the diversity of Brazilian cuisine. 'I want to show people that Brazil isn't just barbecue and carnival. There's incredible food influenced by so many cultures – indigenous, Portuguese, African, Japanese, Italian – and every region has its own identity.' Bia's journey hasn't been easy, but it's one she's proud of. From entrepreneur to mother, from Rio to rural Warwickshire, she's built a new life, and hopes her story might help others do the same. "It's about connection. About using what I have to give back to the place that welcomed me. Moving here and becoming a mum changed everything. But so did food, therapy, and my relationship with God. I've fought hard to get where I am now and I wouldn't change that." Find out more about Bia, her shows and even her recipes, on her website.
