Latest news with #Shropshire
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Reopening date set for Shropshire community cinema
A reopening date has been set for a town's community charity Maona Arts plans to start showing films at the former Kinokulture cinema in Oswestry, Shropshire, from 5 July, with an 'official opening' the day cinema closed in April 2024 when the people who had run it for 14 years, Ian Garland and Ruth Carter, then, Maona Arts has raised more than £28,000 to pay for the restoration of the building and signed a lease for it on Saturday. James Bond, the chair of the Oswestry Film Society, said volunteers would spend the next month getting the cinema ready to said it needed a "good clean" inside and out after lying empty for so society has been hosting live cinema nights at the Hermon Chapel arts centre on Wednesdays since Kinokulture money raised would meet the costs of the lease for 12 months, plus seating, and a refurbished box office and bar. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
More buses and drivers as Shrewsbury park and ride extended
Shrewsbury's park and ride service is being extended to have buses run more Saturday 28 June, buses into the town centre will set off every 12 minutes at peak times, rather than every 20 changes will be made at all three sites - Harlescott, Meole Brace and Oxon - in an effort to reduce Rob Wilson said it will mean people in Shrewsbury will have a "more reliable service." Between 08:00 and 17:00, Monday to Friday, and between 10:00 and 16:00 on Saturdays, the buses will run every 12 Sundays, and outside those times, they will be setting off every 20 minutes. To make this happen, the council is bringing in four extra buses and drivers to operate all three routes. The change is being funded from Shropshire Council's allocation of bus improvement funding from the Government. The local authority said the money "will also be spent on improvements to the three park and ride sites", as well as changes to other bus services around the county. Rob Wilson, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for transport and economic growth, said it will result in "a better, more reliable service"."People using park and ride won't have the worry of finding or paying for a parking space," he said, adding that it "will help to keep the town centre free of congestion and unnecessary traffic". Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Peter Pan actor 'honoured' by award nomination
An actor who found fame portraying a witch on Britain's Got Talent has said he is "blown away" to be nominated in the Best Actor category at the National Film Portlock from Shropshire was shortlisted alongside actors including Gary Oldman, David Tennant and Martin Freeman for his role in the horror movie, Peter Pan's Neverland said it was a "huge thing for an up-and-coming actor"."I don't think I'm going to stand much of a chance" he added, "but it is all through a public vote, so you never know". The award ceremony is due to take place on 2 July and Mr Portlock said even if he did not win, "there may be career opportunities that come from it".His creepy portrayal of a witch on Britain's Got Talent in 2022 was watched on Youtube more than nine million times and helped land him the role in the Peter Pan said he had been working on another movie, Gallowmere, when a make-up artist mentioned his performance on the show to the director of Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare, Scott Portlock got the role and he said the horror industry seemed to be taking an interest in him."One day I hope to do something different, but for now its a good path," he Portlock said he really enjoyed fantasy or science fiction roles, but joked: "For some reason I get typecast, maybe it's because I look so pretty." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
14 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Oswestry's town centre post office to remain open as a franchise
A town's Post Office will remain open and offer the same services, at least until the end of the current financial year.A campaign to save the Willow Street branch in Oswestry, Shropshire, was launched when the Post Office announced last year it was one of 115 at risk of was led by the MP for North Shropshire, Helen Morgan, who said common sense had Post Office said it is transferring all of its remaining directly managed "Crown Post Offices" to franchisees, and the Oswestry branch will be one of five run by RF Retail. More than 3,000 people signed a petition organised by Ms Morgan who said: "I have no doubt that this pressure has helped to keep the Post Office open."The Lib Dem MP also said she would be "monitoring the situation closely to ensure that no services or hours are lost from Oswestry town centre".A decision has yet to be made about the long-term location of the branch, which may move to a different site in the town centre from April next Post Office, which announced in April it wanted to move to a "fully franchised network", said it it was still seeking partners to run more than 100 other Crown Post Offices around the country. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
West Mercia Police run VR sessions to keep older drivers safe
Drivers aged 65 and over have been invited to watch a virtual reality film to learn about how ageing can affect and the fire service have teamed up to run 10 sessions for mature drivers over the next five months across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, with dates for Shropshire still to be Stuart Bill of West Mercia Police said: "We've got a lot of rural country roads in West Mercia. We want to ensure our older drivers are as safe as possible."Police said the group discussions might also appeal to family members who had concerns for an older relative. At the first session in Redditch on Tuesday, a 78-year-old man called Gerald said he had begun to find driving more challenging, "avoiding these youngsters whizzing round who are quicker and faster than me".He said he now took longer to react to situations and found motorways more of a challenge. Sandra and Hazel said they signed up to feel more secure and their issues included boy racers, a lack of respect for slower drivers, impatient motorists and people who did not 65, said her concern was whether people's reactions were as good as they thought, while Pádraig, 66, said attitudes changed with age and older drivers tended to look out for things that those aged 17 or 18 did not. Supt Bill said older drivers were not unsafe and often had years of driving experience behind said, though health concerns needed to be considered, the force wanted "to keep people mobile".Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said there were 34 deaths and 259 serious injuries across West Mercia between 2020 and 2024 involving drivers over said the virtual reality sessions used the latest technology to equip drivers with "the knowledge they need to stay safe". Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
