Latest news with #Shropshire
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
I went on a UK adventure holiday with my entire family for adrenaline pumping activities and Elizabethan manor stays
'WILL the ropes manage my 20-stone bulk?', I laughed nervously, directing my question towards the instructor who would be guiding me down the sheer drop. I had attempted to pass it off as a joke, but even the kids sensed my anxiety as we prepared to walk ourselves over the edge of the tall tower. 5 5 5 The abseiling wall was just one of many adrenaline-fuelled activities the children and I had attempted on an action-packed break in Shropshire. And best of all, it was cheaper than any theme park day out. School-trip provider JCA Adventure shows energy-exerting fun isn't just for the kids. And my mini break in peak holiday season, with all meals included, cost me less than the price of a train ticket up north. On top of school getaways, the UK holiday company offers short trips for families, where you can try out all manner of spine-tingling activities without spending thousands. In fact, holidays here start from just £149. We were staying at Condover Hall in Shrewsbury, an Elizabethan manor house once used as a World War Two hospital and a school for blind children, before being converted into a hub for thrill-seeking youngsters. The accommodation and food is fairly basic — think bunk beds, plastic mattresses and school dinner-style food. But given the time spent outdoors, we all slept soundly at night. Sundown Aventureland is a family-friendly staycation Myself, my daughter Lily, 12, and my nine-year-old son Clark got stuck into the action straight away on arrival at the rural escape. No sooner had we dropped our bags than we were strapping a harness around our midriffs and heading up a wooden tower to tackle the aerial trek adventure. My son was the only one of us who had done something similar before. He struggled with nerves at the time, navigating wobbly obstacles while dangling 50ft in the air, but this seemed to be a breeze for him. And soon my daughter was whizzing alongside him at lightning speed, tackling the obstacles as if no distance lay between them and the forest floor. It was one of many magical moments on the trip, watching as they grew in confidence. If your little ones can tackle that, they'll be keen to get on the climbing wall. It was here my daughter proved she's made of stronger stuff than me by making her way to the top with ease. 5 5 My son and I preferred to stay closer to solid ground. Luckily, there's plenty of adrenaline-pumping fun for those who are less comfortable with heights. In the sports hall, we darted around an inflatable maze virtually-shooting each other in laser battles, while outside, among the trees, we whooshed along a zipwire. There's also den building, canoeing, circus skills and fencing. But it wasn't until axe throwing, a new activity at Condover Hall this year, that I was restored any dignity with a knockout performance. By dinner time each day, we were ready to gobble big portions of pasta bolognese, sweet and sticky chicken drumsticks, burgers and stir-fry. The morning meals were just as hearty — giant fry-ups to fuel us for an adventurous day ahead. Evenings are a more mellow affair. Guests can relax with a dip in the swimming pool or head to the sports hall to play more wacky games. There's even a bar for adults to knock back a few pints after a hectic day. Our final day saw us tackle the activity we'd been waiting for — the Gladiator Wall, which can only be described as a climbing wall on steroids, with obstacles to navigate as you make your way to the top. Seeing Lily eventually reach the peak on her last go and beam down at us from 70ft above ground was enough to make my chest swell. And the best part is, the kids didn't look at their devices once.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cause of death revealed after man who murdered 'cheerful and kind' wife dies
A WIFE-murderer who hid her body in a septic tank and got away with it for almost four decades died of pneumonia, an inquest heard. David Venables, a former pig farmer in Kempsey, was convicted of the murder of 48-year-old Brenda in May 1982 after he hid her body in an underground septic tank on their 440-acre farm. An inquest at Shropshire Coroner's Court in Shrewsbury yesterday (Thursday) found the killer had died of pneumonia after battling urothelial cancer. The 92-year-old was jailed in July 2022, nearly 40 years since Brenda's murder, after her body was found during routine maintenance of the septic tank in 2019. David Venables hid his wife's body in a septic tank. (Image: West Mercia Police) Venables was arrested three weeks later for the murder, which he denied in court, instead blaming serial killer Fred West for her death. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison, but he only spent less than three years behind bars before his death at The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on December 16, 2024. RECOMMENDED READING: A spokesperson for Shropshire Coroner's Court said: "David John Venables died on December 16, 2024, at The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. "He died as the result of pneumonia. "Contributing to his death was the natural progression of urothelial cancer, obstructive uropathy and diabetes mellitus." The murderer had been imprisoned at HMP Stoke Heath, near Telford. CHEERFUL: Brenda outside her home in Kempsey. (Image: West Mercia Police) An investigation into Venables death by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman is currently in progress. In 2019, a murder investigation was launched and, through DNA testing, the remains found in the tank were identified as Brenda's. The condition of the remains meant her cause of death could not be established. MISSED: Brenda was described as a cheerful and kind-natured person. (Image: West Mercia Police) During the trial, the court heard that the couple were in an unhappy marriage and outlined the 14-year affair he had with another woman. In a 2022 statement, the family of Brenda said: "If Brenda had never met her murderer, we can imagine her cheerful and kind nature would have led her to much joy and happiness as an adult. "She would have continued her many friendships, from Young Farmers and beyond. "Her parents would have been spared the unending wait for her return, and been comforted by her continued care of them. "We continue to miss Brenda and we will never forget her. "Her characteristics live on in our family."
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Conservative leader disappointed in bypass pause
A decision to suspend work on a planned bypass has been met with disappointment by those who wanted to see it North West Relief Road was proposed by Shropshire Council's previous Conservative administration, but the authority is now run by the Liberal Democrats who believe the £215m scheme is unaffordable and want to scrap Thomas, the leader of the seven Conservative councillors to survive the elections in May, said it would have been a "vital infrastructure project".He said the Lib Dems should "go back to the government with the business case" for the road was crucial to tackling congestion in Shrewsbury and surrounding villages. Thomas described the project as a "once in a lifetime improvement to Shropshire". On Thursday, the council took the decision to pause work, so talks could take place with the government about scrapping the Kidd, leader of the authority, said the scheme was "simply unaffordable", and she also wanted to secure guarantees the council would not have to return the £39m from the government that has already been said his party had been confident in getting the funding needed because a "real business case" had been also said the Tories' dramatic defeat had not been because the relief road was unpopular."It wasn't just a referendum on the North West Relief Road," Thomas added. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Times
a day ago
- Business
- Times
Industrial and trade strategies get cautious welcome from BCC
The leaders of regional chambers of commerce have given the government's industrial and trade strategies a tentative thumbs up. 'We'd be foolish not to feel more confident, but we have to step in with caution,' said Dawn Whitemore, chief executive of East Midlands Chamber, speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce's annual conference in London on Thursday. Sir Keir Starmer used the event as a platform to announce the government's trade strategy, which leverages the three trade deals struck so far with India, the United States and Europe. It followed the release of the government's long-awaited industrial strategy on Monday. Whitemore said the three deals 'are a start … But when you look at some of the details, it's not so great for our country. With all due respect, it's the start of something, but we haven't actually secured what I would hope for as a business.' During his speech, Starmer said the trade strategy would expand the capacity of the government's export credit agency, UK Export Finance, by £20 billion, and assured the audience of business leaders that the government would reduce the frictions that have made trading overseas more difficult. Ruth Ross, chief executive of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, said the publication of the trade strategy meant she and her members knew what they're 'playing with' now. However, 'it doesn't mean there's any less red tape', she added. Ross said: 'Businesses are struggling. You can't keep throwing costs at people and expect them to make money from it. We've got some of our members looking at all their costs and wondering if it's actually cheaper to make their products in another country, to then bring them back. That can't be right, can it?' Other regional chambers were more positive about the impact of the government's plans. Colin Marr, chief executive of the Inverness Chamber of Commerce, said both strategies were 'going in the right direction' and that the government had produced something 'sensible, relatively accountable and set relatively good targets'. Marr said that there was not enough information yet about how businesses would navigate the trade strategy, but that chambers of commerce would be there to help when they did. 'I can be very complimentary about the industrial strategy and the trade strategy, but the national insurance burden is enormous. What we're seeing now is people beginning to slow down employment — and that's not good for anyone,' Marr said. The prime minister acknowledged the burdens that have been placed on businesses following the last budget's increase in taxes and costs. • 'Freeze taxes' says business lobby after national insurance hit In her speech, Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, warned the government that taxing businesses further could endanger its 'growth mission', after research conducted by the lobby group showed businesses have made or plan to make redundancies due to national insurance increases. Lucy Druesne, deputy chief executive of Kent Invicta Chambers of Commerce, picked up on this point, saying that despite some 'good signs' it was vital that 'businesses don't pay the bill again'.
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Shropshire RAF veteran urges people to seek early help for PTSD
An RAF veteran is urging people to seek help for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as early as White served in Afghanistan in 2011 as a communications engineer, and part of his role involved monitoring video and images of dead soldiers and 38-year-old said he was "effectively watching people lose their lives in horrific ways", and left the armed forces in 2017 after a diagnosis of PTSD and White, who lives in Newport in Shropshire, said it was "quite common" for people not to get help for the mental health condition until "decades" after. Originally from Billingham in Teesside, Mr White joined the RAF in returning to the UK following service in Afghanistan, he said he "was feeling incredibly low, I was angry, I was losing sleep, I was having horrific memories of what had happened"."It kind of ruined a lot of different aspects of my life." Mr White said when he became a father in 2021, he found it "really difficult.""When my son cried and screamed as kids will do, that would cause me to have flashbacks and see things from my past that were really troubling and upsetting," he said."There were times where I came quite close to not being here anymore." According to charity Combat Stress, which provides treatment and support for UK veterans, on average it takes people 13 years between leaving the armed forces and seeking their help for mental health issues. The mental health organisation said the majority of those they helped were veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Mr White is also keen to emphasise that it is not just an issue facing veterans, describing PTSD as "quite insidious.""When I talk about my symptoms, they sound obvious that something is wrong," he said."But actually, they're so sneaky and manage to weave themselves into the fabric of your life that by the time you get to the level of where I was, to you, it seems very normal." Now, he is urging people to get help and support - either from charities like Combat Stress and Samaritans, or by going to their GP."The sooner we can say 'hang on a second, I went through this, I don't know if it's causing issues, but I should talk to someone about this,' that would be great," he said."As brutal and as impossible as it can feel sometimes, please don't give up."If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for support. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
