Latest news with #Lichfield
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Sutton Coldfield WW2 RAF veteran reunited with cadet 50 years on
When Neil Newman turned on the television on VE Day, he was shocked to see his former Air Training Cadet (ATC) warrant officer giving permission for the parade to start in and other members of the 495 (Sutton Coldfield) Squadron had no idea that the man, Alan Kennett, who inspired many of them to go into the military as a career, was still Thursday, the men, both from Sutton Coldfield, were reunited for RAF veteran Mr Kennett's 101st birthday at his daughter's house in Lichfield, alongside an RAF cadets band who performed to mark the occasion."We didn't know you were still alive… we wanted to get in touch with you, that's how much of an impact you had on us," Mr Newman told Mr Kennett. "As soon as he was on the TV, the phone didn't stop, it was a WhatsApp group that we were all in," he told the BBC."We just couldn't believe that Alan was starting this parade, it's been 45 years since we last saw him." The men were aged between 12 and 14 when Mr Kennett oversaw them."We had total respect for Alan because as long as we walked the straight path it was okay… I think that's why we're all still in touch now, because he gelled us as a team," said Mr Newman."He came on the camps with us, took us flying, took us shooting."Looking back, Mr Kennett said: "I think the lads all knew that as long as they behaved themselves they were all right, but if they didn't, they were in trouble.""I must have done something right." Mr Kennett was in the RAF during WW2 and worked as a mechanic on on his own contribution, he told the BBC earlier this month that it was a "job" he was doing, whereas those who died deserved the most formally started the military procession of 1,300 members of the armed forces in London as part of events marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Man reunited with wedding ring after Lichfield railway drop
A man has spoke of his relief after being reunited with his wedding ring after losing it on the railway, a week before his first wedding Harris was walking through Lichfield over the late May bank holiday with his wife, Daisy, their 11-month old son George, and getting covered in greenfly from nearby bushes, Mr Harris said he was taking off his jumper as he walked over the Sturgeons Hill footbridge near Lichfield City station when the wedding ring came said he watched in horror as it dropped "in slow motion" on to the railway below. The ring disappeared into the vegetation at the side of the tracks and Mr Harris was convinced the ring, given to him by his wife Daisy on their wedding day just under a year ago, was lost forever.A Network Rail team came to the rescue and after searching through the undergrowth they found the ring and returned it to Mr Harris less than 24 hours was spotted Mark Samson, who was himself just days away from celebrating his 32nd wedding anniversary. Mr Harris said: "I could not believe what happened, it was as if the ring was dropping in slow motion into the nettles below. "I thought it was lost forever and I was absolutely gutted - especially as it was so close to our first wedding anniversary."My wife would have killed me if it had been lost forever so Mark has saved my life! I definitely owe him a beer or two." Mr Samson, a Walsall-based mobile operations manager with Network Rail's Central route, said it was "like looking for a needle in a haystack" and did not expect it to be found. He added that Mr Harris had done the right thing in not trying to recover it himself, but reporting it to Network is the second lost wedding ring that has been found on the railway in the West Midlands area after Eileen Lawrence lost hers at Bloxwich North station in 2018 as she moisturised her hands while waiting for a train. It was found by an eagle-eyed track worker after a search of the tracks the following day. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Rare diamond brooch found hiding in jewelry box delivers 'special moment'
A pricey diamond brooch was found hiding in plain sight within an innocuous box of jewelry when the box was brought in for a routine valuation. Most of the items were worth little more than about $270. The brooch, however, turned out to be an Art Deco treasure — which later sold at auction for about $3,100, news agency SWNS reported. Lisa Spence, head of jewelry at Richard Winterton Auctioneers, in Lichfield, Staffordshire, in the United Kingdom, spotted the valuable item as she sifted through the large collection. "We always check everything as a matter of course," said Spence, as SWNS reported. "It's especially important," she added, "to look through larger jewelry collections with care and attention, as you never know what might be lurking in there." Spence had barely begun examining the trove when something caught her trained eye, said SWNS. With a quick glance through her magnifying glass, she realized this wasn't just another trinket tucked among the costume pieces. "You never know what might be lurking in there." She said, "It became clear we were dealing with a gorgeous rectangular diamond-set brooch with a central oval-cut diamond at around 1.20ct." "This bright diamond was surrounded by about 1.80 ct of equally lovely old-cut and single-cut diamonds," she added. Not only were the diamonds exceptional, but the brooch's pin and safety clasp were still intact and in remarkably good condition, making the find even more valuable, said SWNS. "It's always a special moment when you can make someone's day with a happy surprise valuation," said Spence, "and this was no exception." When the brooch eventually went under the hammer at the Lichfield Auction Center, it fetched more than $3,100, a sale that marked more than just a lucky discovery. "It's always a special moment when you can make someone's day … This was no exception." Auctioneers revealed that the successful bid contributed to a record-breaking quarter, per SWNS. Managing director and auctioneer Richard Winterton said, "It was wonderful to see our jewelry, gold, silver and coins department break all records." He said hammer prices totaled over $676,000 in the first quarter of 2025. "It's a massive achievement and a huge testament to the hard work, dedication and attention to detail which the team put in," said Winterton. He continued, "An interesting example of attention to detail was down to our eagle-eyed head of jewelry."
BBC News
7 days ago
- BBC News
Swinfen Hall prison lockdowns harming rehabilitation
Criminals at a prison where some cells have been locked down during the day due to serious violence could pose an even higher risk to the public when released, their families have members and inmates at HMP Swinfen Hall, in Lichfield, have been hurt in attacks, including a prison officer who was stabbed in the BBC has spoken to families who fear the disorder means their loved ones are not being rehabilitated and could come out more dangerous than they went Ministry of Justice said it did not recognise claims made by relatives, but was working to protect staff and improve prisoner access to education. About 600 men aged between 18 to 28 are housed in the jail, including 130 serving life sentences. The prison is designed to help inmates get training, with bosses promising a "safe, decent and respectful environment for personal growth".But six families have told the BBC they are worried about violence, drug use, prison officer behaviour, mental health support and access to mothers agreed to speak on camera but asked to remain anonymous. They believe their sons could be targeted by fellow inmates or staff at the prison for speaking each insisted it was right their children were being punished for serious offences, but said change was needed to stop them coming out and potentially reoffending. One mother said she used to be "judgemental" and shared online stories about sex offenders before her own son became is currently serving an eight-year sentence for offences including rape, which he committed when he was woman doesn't expect any sympathy, but warns any young person can take a wrong turn."My son deserves to be where he is, no doubt," she said. "But what is the point in locking him up if he's not going to come out a better man?" Unlike other prisons, sex offenders are not housed on a separate wing in Swinfen Hall, meaning they are easily singled out by gang members. The mother explained her son had spent long periods self-isolating in his cell eating noodles, because he was too scared to visit the canteen or one incident, she alleged fellow inmates urinated over her son's freshly-washed clothes while guards stood and also claimed he was threatened with a weapon for attempting to enrol on to classes, and told by fellow inmates there was a "rule" sex offenders did not do education. A report published by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) in November said staff-prisoner relationships were "problematic" and also highlighted the amount of time inmates spent in locked cells during the working day.A report by Ofsted rated the effectiveness of education, work and skills at the site as "requires improvement". Previous inspections by HMIP have also criticised "high rates of violence" and "significant use of force" at Swinfen Hall, although the most recent report said violence was reducing. Multiple parents said their sons had been targeted further by staff and fellow inmates after complaining. The mother added: "I'll write to the governor and then the guard will say really degrading things to him like 'are you going to keep writing to your mummy?'" Another parent, originally from the Black Country but based in South Wales, said she was in a "living nightmare" of battling for her son to get support for his mental health conditions. The 21-year-old has been at Swinfen Hall since October, after being jailed for more than seven years for sexual offences. The mother insisted the jail was not suited to deal with his personality disorder, because there was no wing for vulnerable prisoners."I worry about what he's going to be if he ever comes out," she said. "These are still human beings. "The way they're being treated in prisons is why they are reoffending. The system is not working." A third mother, from Warwickshire, said her inmate son had changed for the worse, explaining crimes he once found "horrendous" now amused him."It's like he's got no heart," she 26-year-old was sentenced to seven a half years for wounding with mother said it was his first significant offence, but he was now fighting most days - she believes because of the lack of structure and training. "He can't get on any courses," she claimed. "I just want him to have some rehabilitation. "You can't [put someone] in a little cell and say see you in five years and expect them to come out and be a model prisoner." The Prison Officers' Association (POA) has demanded a "reset" at Swinfen Hall, saying: "It is clear senior leaders have lost control." Geoff Willetts, the union's Midlands representative, said he did not recognise concerns raised by parents about staff, but more vetting and investment was needed to get the best officers. "No one should go to work to feel they are going to be hurt or hospitalised," he said."The welfare and wellbeing of our members should be paramount." Last week, the Justice Secretary announced "landmark" sentencing reforms and said they would help cut crime, boost rehabilitation and reduce want to create 14,000 new prison places by 2031, with £2.3bn committed to build new jails. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the government had inherited a prisons crisis. "We do not recognise many of these claims," a statement read, responding to the families' comments. "All prisoners have daily access to showers and open air, and welfare checks are carried out in response to family concerns reported through the safety hotline."We recognise that more needs to be done across the prison estate to protect staff and improve prisoner access to education and training." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Lost Alan Turing papers, rediscovered in loft, to go under the hammer
Lost scientific papers of World War II codebreaker Alan Turing, rescued from a loft and then nearly destroyed, are set to go under the hammer in June. The archive, expected to fetch thousands of pounds, offers a glimpse into the mind of the brilliant mathematician. Among the rediscovered treasures is a signed personal copy of Mr Turing's 1939 PhD dissertation, Systems Of Logic Based On Ordinals, a work exploring the foundations of mathematical logic. The archive also contains On Computable Numbers from 1937, a paper considered by many to be the first programming manual of the computer age. Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield, Staffordshire, which is managing the sale, revealed the provenance of the papers. Originally gifted to Mr Turing's friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge by Mr Turing's mother, Ethel, the collection became a hidden gem, tucked away for decades. These 'offprints', as they are known, were academic papers produced in limited numbers for circulation within scholarly circles. Mr Turing's PhD dissertation alone carries a pre-auction estimate of £40,000 to £60,000. The collection also includes correspondence from renowned novelist E.M. Forster. Following Mr Routledge's death, the papers were moved to a relative's loft after his Bermondsey home was cleared, narrowly escaping destruction. One of Mr Routledge's nieces said: 'When he died in 2013, two of his sisters had the unenviable task of sorting through and emptying the contents. 'There were lots of personal papers which one sister carted away and stored in her loft. The papers lay dormant until she moved into a care home almost a decade later. 'Her daughters came across the papers and considered shredding everything. Fortunately, they checked with Norman's nieces and nephews because he'd always been a presence in our lives. 'Norman was an amazing man who showed genuine interest in everyone he came into contact with. His family were very important to him. He kept in regular contact and was interested in what each one was doing. 'We finally had an opportunity to see Norman's papers when the family hosted a 'Routledge Reunion' weekend in November 2024.' The papers were brought along in a carrier bag, the woman said. 'One cousin felt the Turing and Forster papers might be of interest to collectors.' Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, described the collection as 'the most important archive I've ever handled', adding: 'Nothing could've prepared me for what I was about to find in that carrier bag.' He said: 'These seemingly plain papers – perfectly preserved in the muted colours of their unadorned, academic wrappers – represent the foundations of computer science and modern digital computing. 'Literature has always been my forte, not mathematics, so the past few months of intensively researching and cataloguing these papers has left me feeling that Alan Turing was superhuman.' It was like 'studying the language of another planet, something composed by an ultra-intelligent civilisation', Mr Spencer said. 'It's at least comforting to know that he lives on through his work. He survives through his legacy.' The collection also includes The Chemical Basis Of Morphogenesis. Dating from 1952, it is Mr Turing's lesser-known masterpiece of mathematical biology, and his last major published work. A single piece of paper which was Mr Turing's first published paper in 1935, Equivalence Of Left And Right Almost Periodicity, also forms part of the archive. It was gifted to Mr Routledge by Mr Turing's mother Ethel and her handwritten letter dated 16 May 1956 is also included. The letter reads: 'I have to-day sent by registered post 13 of Alan's off-prints…I have had some requests to write a biography of Alan…I have masses of material because from the time he was about 6 I spotted a winner – despite many detractors at school – and kept many papers about him.' Mr Spencer added: 'This fascinating letter is a golden thread that neatly ties up and seals the authenticity of everything being offered.' The Alan Turing Papers: The Collection Of Norman Routledge (1928-2013) will be held on 17 June by Rare Book Auctions, Lichfield. Bidding will be available worldwide.
