Citylife in Lichfield January 2021

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Welcome to
CITYLIFE
Welcome to CITYLIFE in Lichfield, a monthly magazine
bringing you our pick of the city’s news, events and stories.
Each month CITYLIFE in Lichfield is delivered to
businesses and homes in Lichfield, Kings Bromley, Fradley,
Alrewas, Hill Ridware, Whittington, Stonnall, Shenstone,
Hammerwich, Burntwood and Longdon, completely free
of charge; bringing you the best that the city has to offer.
Each issue features heritage stories exploring the rich
history of our area, plus competitions, interviews and the
latest in fashion and style.
Got a story or charity event you want to share with our
readership? Think you’ve snapped an image that captures
the spirit of the city? We want to hear from you!
Our business is bringing you Lichfield’s city life.
CITYLIFE Contacts
Editor - Kristen Lackajis 07885 380632
kristencitylife@gmail.com
Features - Jono Oates 07785 757201 jonocitylife@gmail.com
Advertising -
Steve Brown 07740 166497 stevebrowncitylife@gmail.com
Rebecca Hill 07970 513144 rebeccahillcitylife@gmail.com
Lorraine Hudson 078860 91933 lorrainecitylife@gmail.com
Production -
Helen Smith 07967 154187 helencitylife@gmail.com
Citylife In Lichfield Ltd
PO Box 7126 LICHFIELD WS14 4JS
CITYLIFE in Lichfield and CITYLIFE in Rugeley magazines
are not connected to any other publication or publisher, and are
wholly owned by CITYLIFE in Lichfield Ltd.
Citylife In Lichfield
@citylifelichfield
@lichfieldcity
www.citylifeinlichfieldltd.co.uk
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appearing in these pages, and the publication of any advertisement,
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endorsement by Citylife in Lichfield Ltd.
Your Local Magazine
Inside...
12 Into The Roaring Twenties
Jono Oates looks at life 100 years ago
.............................
22 Manley Hall
A look back at another of the area's
lost stately homes
.............................
28 Tastes of the Season
Simon Smith helps us celebrate Veganuary
.............................
36 Interior Motive!
Our guide to the best local interior retailers
From the Editor…
It’s safe to say that 2020 was a completely crazy year, for so
many reasons, culminating in many of us having to cancel our
well-thought-out Christmas plans at the last minute as new
Government restrictions came into play.
It is not looking like we will return to ‘normality’ anytime
soon, and making New Year’s Resolutions does not seem
appropriate. Therefore, we’re embracing a new normal in
2021 and being thankful for the things that we do have. This
may be your friends, your family, your health, a roof over your
head, or a job… but in these dark times, it is possible to find
some light.
This issue, we kick the year off with a fantastic interior feature
as we’re aware that many of you will be planning home
renovations in the coming months. We’ve got some great
history features to keep you entertained and also a round-up
of the latest local news.
So grab a hot drink, take a seat, and have a read!
Krissy

5

LOCAL NEWS
6
Michael’s Menswear
Winners Announced!
Krissy draws the names with Michael Mullarkey
of Michael's Menswear
Christmas came early for several local residents
in December as prestigious gentlemen’s
boutique, Michaels’ Menswear on Lichfield’s
Market Street, announced the 25 lucky winners
of the annual sock competition!
Drawn by our very own editor, Krissy, the first
name out of the hat was a Mr Turley who
receives a pair of Viyella socks, plus a bottle of
Prosecco. A further 24 names drawn each
receive a pair of Viyella socks.
Well done to everyone!
.......................................................................................
Rotary Supports ‘We
Love Lichfield’ Fund
President David Stainsby and Simon Price,
Chairman of the ‘We Love Lichfield’ fund
Lichfield St. Chad Rotary Club has made a
donation of £2,000 to the ‘We Love Lichfield’
fund.
President David Stainsby, of Lichfield St. Chad
Rotary, mentioned that 2020 had been a
particularly difficult year, with two flagship
fundraising events, namely Rotary Cars in the
Park, and the Cathedral to Tamworth Castle
charity run, being cancelled due to the Covid-19
pandemic.
‘We Love Lichfield’ is a local fund that provides
small grants to a wide range of projects based
in the Lichfield District.
Lichfield St. Chad Rotary is currently seeking
new members with flair and imagination to
contribute to its fundraising work and enjoy a
great social life when conditions allow. For
further information, visit
www.rotarylichfieldstchad.uk.
.......................................................................................
Mercia Juniors are
Champs for St Giles
Harry Crooks (left) and Lucas Thompson with
St Giles Hospice Regional Fundraiser, Bethany
Richardson.
A Lichfield football club has kicked off its new
community partnership with St Giles Hospice
by adopting the charity’s colours for its new kit
and raising more than £1,000 at the annual St
Giles Rudolph Run.
Players and parents from Mercia Juniors
Football Club signed up to December’s festive
event in the first of a series of planned
fundraising activities to thank St Giles for its
care of team members’ families in the past.
Mercia Juniors is also championing the hospice
by appearing in its eye-catching orange branding
whenever they lace up their boots from now
on, with the St Giles logo emblazoned on their
shirts instead of a sponsor.
Mercia Juniors runs teams for under 10s up to
under 15s and is based at Lichfield’s Friary
School. The club plays in the Midland Juniors
Premier, Burton, Tamworth and Derby City
Leagues.
For more information about St Giles Hospice
visit www.stgileshospice.com.
.......................................................................................
Cadets Celebrate
£5,000 Boost
(l-r) Emily Thompson, David Stainsby,
Jamie Gotheridge, Sue Arnold and
Sarah Cass.
The Rotary Club of Lichfield St Chad has
become the latest to step up to support
Staffordshire’s Police Cadet Service by
becoming a patron for the fourth year in a row.
President David Stainsby has committed £5,000
to the cadets each year, which will help to
expand the scheme so that every young person
across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent has the
chance to become a cadet.
There are now 10 successful units across
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, with demand
for more in the future.
The Staffordshire Police Cadets – a uniformed
and disciplined service for Staffordshire
youngsters aged between 13 and 17 – aims to
strengthen links between the police and young
people, and promote good citizenship. They’re
not training to be police officers, but are
learning the skills they need for the future.
For more details on cadets and the patronage
scheme, visit www.staffordshire-pfcc.gov.uk/getinvolved/police-cadets.
.......................................................................................
Lichfield Locals Fed
Hungry Half Termers
A local
c o n v e n i e n c e
store teamed up
with a Lichfield
resident in
order to help
feed children
over the
October half
term.
Kerry Holland,
manager of The
Shop @Chapel
Lane, and Phil Tye, a Lichfield local, joined forces
following the Government’s decision not to
extend free school meals over half term.
Appealing to the wider community, the pair saw
donations flooding in from people wanting to
help, as well as businesses offering their
services.
With cash donations and supplies from
companies in the area, Kerry and Phil were able
to put together more than 80 lunchboxes for
distribution, which contained food to feed
eligible children. They also set up a Just Giving
fundraising page and raised more than £100 for
Lichfield Foodbank.
Please mention
Citylife when
contacting
advertisers

7

LOCAL NEWS
Local Boy’s Acts of
Kindness Commended
A 17-year-old
Whittington boy’s
remarkable 100 acts of
kindness fundraising
achievements were
commended by Her
Majesty’s Lord-
Lieutenant for
Staffordshire.
Sebbie Hall, who has
learning and physical
difficulties, has
performed a random
act of kindness every single day since March,
raising nearly £10,000 for charity in the
process. These series of extraordinary acts
merited a special thank you presentation
outside Lichfield Cathedral.
Lord-Lieutenant, Ian Dudson, heard about
Sebbie’s outstanding achievements and was
happy to help organise a special presentation
attended also by The Very Revd Dean of
Lichfield, Adrian Dorber.
Since the onset of lockdown in March, Sebbie
has performed daily random acts of kindness to
raise money for other disabled children who
have communication difficulties.
His acts of kindness throughout the year have
included leaving change at his local laundrette;
giving out biscuits to local police officers;
helping neighbours with dog walks and
gardening; collecting waste leftovers for
foodbanks; and collecting and distributing warm
coats for the homeless.
.......................................................................................
Festive Bin Collections
Households across the district have been sent
new 2021 bin calendars, which also include
information about festive bin collections.
Local households that have their bins emptied
on a Friday will have some changes to their
waste collections over the festive period.
As set out in the calendars, bins will not be
emptied on New Year’s Day as this falls on a
Friday.
All replacement collections for blue and black
8
bins that would have been emptied on New
Year’s Day will be on Saturday 2nd January.
The garden waste service will be paused from
mid-December to the end of January. Residents
should check their calendars for their first
brown bin collection date in 2021.
Calendars can also be downloaded by visiting
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/bincalendar and
entering your postcode. For a guide to what
can go in which colour bins, visit
www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/bins.
.......................................................................................
Lichfield Firm is
Expanding
Four Oaks Legal Services
(FOLS) has increased its
workforce by taking on
another solicitor and a legal
assistant after enjoying a
steady year-on-year
business growth since it
launched in 2016.
As part of its expansion
programme, it also plans to
recruit yet more new
Adam joins the
team at FOLS
employees in the coming months and is also
poised to reveal a newly revamped website.
Tracey Edridge, of Lichfield, has joined as legal
assistant, and Adam Penn, of Cannock, is a new
private client solicitor.
While both are a welcome addition to the
team, Adam also extends FOLS’ niche offer into
contested wills and probate.
FOLS also has a sister company Four Oaks
Financial Services at Shenstone, regulated by
the Financial Conduct Authority, for clients who
need any financial advice alongside legal advice.
For more visit www.fouroakslegalservices.com
or find them on Facebook
@fouroakslegalservices.
.......................................................................................
New Community
Space Created
The Nurture Nest community space, which
will showcase community art installations, is
now open at Three Spires Lichfield in the
former Marks and Spencer Food unit.
The unit will be a space to connect, support
and develop with the community and will be
in place until March 2021. The Nurture Nest is
open to everyone, from 10am to 4pm daily,
and it is free to walk in and take a look
around.
The displays in the unit have been setup and
installed by the Nurture Community team, a
Lichfield community interest company.
Community and voluntary organisations are
able to book the space at no charge.
.......................................................................................
Law Practice Director
Achieves Distinction
Frances Di Pierri,
Practice Director at
Adcocks Solicitors,
has completed a
career progression
milestone - and
with flying colours.
Frances, who is the
fourth generation
of the Adcock
family to work for
the 110-year-old
firm, took a two
year sabbatical to complete her Graduate
Diploma in Law, or GDL, and not only passed,
but achieved an impressive distinction as well.
The 36-year-old, who is the daughter of senior
director Mark Adcock, decided to make the
leap to become a semi-mature student
following 10 years of working at the Lichfield
practice.
She is now enjoying being back as part of the
Lichfield team again on a daily basis and is
planning to pursue her fee earning work further
and to train alongside the practice solicitors.
Got a story or charity
event you want to share
with our readership? Think
you’ve snapped an image
that captures the spirit of
the region? We want to
hear from you!
Contact Citylife at
kristencitylife@gmail.com

Advertising Feature
Looking forward to 2021?
Are you looking forward to 2021? We don’t really know what the new year will bring but lets hope
there are far more highs than lows.
Many of us will be booking holidays, putting our homes up for sale and doing many of those things we’ve missed during most
of 2020.
I would suggest that looking at your life assurance, savings, investments and pensions should be on your list during 2021. I am
still taking on new clients and if you feel that you need advice then please give me call so we can have a chat.
The first meeting will be at my cost and there is no obligation to proceed any further. Financial Advisers get paid in a variety
of ways and I will explain this to you when we speak. If you do decide to be a client then you will get a personalised service
that matches your needs, whatever
they may be, as we are all individuals
with different circumstances.
As a client I will find out enough
about you to provide you with
effective financial planning. I will carry
out a full fact find of your
circumstances and discuss with you
your priorities, where you want to be
financially in the future and how I may
be able to help you get there. I will
speak in clear terms and do my best
to try and help you achieve your
goals.
Our team of Financial Advisers at
Four Oaks Financial Services are
supported by in-house research,
client liaison and administration
teams. I have spent most of 2020
working from home using online
meetings to great effect, keeping in
contact with my clients and advising
them during a very strange year.
As an experienced Financial Adviser
I work with clients, at all stages of
their life, to help them achieve their
financial goals. My clients are mainly
in the Burntwood, Lichfield, Cannock
and greater Wolverhampton areas,
although I do have clients much
further afield.
It is often said that people deal with
people so please give me a call or
drop me an email. We can have a chat
and can take it from there if you wish.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Robin Place DipFA, CeLTCI, MLIBF
Financial Adviser
0121 323 2070, 07968 504805
robin@fouroaksfs.com
9

A Very Different
Santa Tour
By Mícheál O’Mahony, Chairman of
Lichfield Round Table
................................
During Christmas of 2020, as we have done for over 50
years, the members of Lichfield Round Table had taken
Santa on tour around Lichfield and the surrounding
villages of Whittington, Shenstone, Alrewas, Fradley, Stonnel,
Longdon and Kings Bromley. We were out every night for the
first 23 nights in December.
Traditionally we have 22 groups (Lichfield Round Table being the
23rd group) with us during December to knock on doors and collect
money, however this time unfortunately with the Covid-19 pandemic
we have been unable to bring our elves out to collect money. We still
supported 22 groups and had over 30 applications for support in total.
The groups helped us by doing leaflet drops around the routes to
advertise when Santa was coming and all of our fundraising was done
either online or by text to donate. All donations will be split evenly
between the groups in January.
got stuck in Lichfield while on holidays during the first lockdown and
teamed up with Lichfield Round Table to do a food collection, where
we collected almost eight tonnes of food which was delivered to
Helping Lichfield & Surrounding Areas as well as Lichfield Foodbank.
Last year was a strange year for everyone and Lichfield Round Table
has been no exception, we are normally a very social group, meeting
every other Wednesday, and we continued that throughout the year
although most of our meetings were done on Zoom. We did get out
for a couple of evenings in the summer when the lockdown was eased
and had a great night go-carting in Tamworth. Usually our meetings
are an activity such as carting followed by a beer and a curry and we
are looking forward to returning to normality in the near future.
Round Table is an international organisation with around 35,000
members globally, 3,000 of those members are in the UK with 21
current members in Lichfield. Round Table is an organisation for men
between the ages of 18-45 who want to get involved in the local
community but also build lasting friendships by meeting regularly,
socialising and volunteering. Aside from Santa’s Sleigh you will see our
members helping out at local events including the Bower parade and
Cars in the Park. In 2020 Lichfield Round Table celebrated its 70th
Anniversary.
If you would like to know more about joining please email us on
lichfield@roundtable.org.uk , we also have a sister organisation for
women, Lichfield Ladies Circle.
We get great support from local business every year and we would
particularly like to thank Arbury Group Peugeot in Lichfield for
providing us with a tow vehicle for the third successive year and
SureStore Lichfield for providing us with a secure unit to use as a base
of operations.
Tableau, as we call it, is much loved by members past and present
and every year we all sign up to do at least five nights on the sleigh,
either as Team Leader, Driver, Santa or Banksman. It is something
special to continue a tradition that was started in the 1960s and
continues to grow and get better. In a year that has been very difficult
for many it has been great to be able to bring smiles to the faces of
the young and old.
10
Unusually this was Santa’s second outing in Lichfield in 2020, Santa

11

12
George Hotel
Into the Roaring
Twenties
By Jono Oates
............................
One hundred years ago, Lichfield, like many towns and
cities across the world, was recovering from the
devastation of World War One and the aftermath of one
of the world’s most destructive pandemics, the ‘Spanish’
influenza of 1919. In January 1921 Lichfield started the new year
with some trepidation, hoping for a brighter beginning to the
1920s.
At a meeting of Lichfield City Council held at the Guildhall on January
10th 1921, a committee of councillors, led by Mayor Joseph Deacon,
considered a plan put forward by Smethwick architect George Randle to
build a proposed Picture House on Tamworth Street. Although the plans
for a cinema, or Picture Palace, were debated by the council in 1921, it
wasn’t until July 1932 that the Regal Cinema became Lichfield’s first
cinema. It later became a Bingo Hall, then Kwik-Save supermarket, before
lying empty for many years. It has now been developed into apartments,
The Old Picture House, with the Grade II listed façade being retained.
The annual Lichfield Farmers' Ball was held at the George Hotel, on
Bird Street, on January 12th, and was considered to be a ‘great success’.
Over 100 guests were present, and the company included Captain Roger
Manley, president of the group, Sir Francis Villiers Forster, and Major
George Anson (joint masters of the South Stafford Hounds). Frederick
Winterton, of the Lichfield Smithfield market and auction, was the
secretary of the group.
On the other side of town, at the Old Crown Hotel on Bore Street,
the tenth annual meeting of the Lichfield Shire Horse Society also took
place on 12th January. Mr J Eadie was the president of this group and the
ubiquitous Frederick Winterton was the Honorary Secretary. In the
annual report, Winterton stated that there were now 200 ordinary
members and 10 honorary members in the society and that during the
year 25 new members had joined the society. In 1921 there were nearly
two million shire horses in the UK, however today the breed is close to
extinction.
At the end of January 1921, the Staffordshire Advertiser reported that
the Staffordshire County Council Education Department was looking to
lease various properties to house the increasing numbers of pupils at the
Lichfield Girl’s High School. The
options were to extend the lease
on their current location, Yeomanry
House, which was opposite St
John’s Hospital on St John Street.
They also looked to extend the
existing lease at Nether Beacon, for
a term of five years at an annual
rent of £120 and to introduce a
five-year lease for the Friary
building, which was part of the
original 13th century Franciscan
Friary, at an annual rent of £85.
Eventually the lease at Yeomanry
House was terminated and the
majority of the students moved to
the Friary building. A new, extended,
school building was officially
opened at the Friary in 1928 and it
remained until 1987, before the
Friary school, now co-educational,
moved to its new premises at
Friary Grange.
The Lichfield Chamber of Trade
held its annual dinner on January
10th at the Swan Hotel on Bird
Street where 60 tradesmen
attended. The Chamber’s president
was William Morrison, a
photographer on Bore Street.
Morrison pointed out that Lichfield,
Regal Cinema
South Staffordshire Regiment
memorial, Whittington DMS
Swan hotel
like other places, had ‘seasons of trade depression, and seasons of trade
revival, but he ventured to say that no place could find men more willing
to take the rough along with the smooth than the gentlemen of the
Lichfield Chamber of Trade’.
On 7th January 1921 Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Tucker, Colonel of
the South Staffordshire Regiment, wrote to the Letters page of the
Lichfield Mercury from his base at Chalet St. Pierre, Biarritz, France,
supporting a proposal to erect a monument at Whittington Barracks in
honour of the soldiers who had lost their lives in World War One, and
asking for public donations. The twin monuments for the North, and
South, Staffordshire Regiments were officially unveiled in September
1922.
*Vintage photographs copyright of the St Mary’s Photographic
Collection
Sources:
The British Newspaper Archive; www.staffspasttrack.org.uk

13

Auctioneer Richard Winterton with a Black
Forest mantel clock carved from a single huge
piece of walnut. Dating back to the 1880s, the
clock sold for £1,300 at auction.
This two-tone Rolex
Submariner Date made
£6,000.
Heather Callaway was
recently named vice-chair of
the National Association of
Jewellers.
A large single stone diamond ring
made £4,600.
A Year Full of
Promise
...............................
By Richard Winterton
As we put last year behind us and embrace 2021, the world looks
incredibly different from 12 months ago.
Our auction world is no exception – although the market for all
manner of antiques and collectables is continuing a steady upwards
trajectory.
This month, we have plenty of safe options to help clients take
advantage of the booming market.
One of the country’s leading jewellery valuers will be offering free
appointments in conjunction with Richard Winterton Auctioneers on
Thursdays.
Certified gemmologist and Fellow of the Institute of Registered
Valuers, Heather Callaway FIRV FGA DGA AMEA was named vice-chair
of the National Association of Jewellers at the end of last year.
Depending on the latest Government advice, we are pleased to offer
a safe, Covid-secure free valuation service at The Lichfield Auction
Centre for jewellery, watches and silver.
Strictly by appointment only between 9.30am-4pm on Thursdays, you
can book by calling 01543 251081 or emailing
office@richardwinterton.co.uk.
Of course, virtual valuations via email and other digital methods
continue to be available too – just give us a call or visit our website to
get the ball rolling.
It is a great time to consign items to auction, whether you’ve had a
clear-out over Christmas or stumbled upon some curiosities during
lockdown.
Last year ended on a record-breaking note for The Lichfield Auction
Centre, with our biggest-ever one day sale and average price per lot in a
single day smashed.
Handling a massive 1,042 lots, the auction achieved a 93.7 per cent
selling rate bringing in an average price per lot of £158.68 with 1,480
people bidding online from all over the world.
The sale included an “Aladdin’s cave” of clocks discovered during a
routine house clearance, from bracket and mantel to wall, longcase and
the incredibly intricate Black Forest, there was just every type of clock
you could hope to see from the past 200 years and the memory still
takes my breath away.
The clocks in that auction alone made £53,000. Other highlights
included a Rolex Submariner Date – which was uncovered during a presecond
lockdown valuation at The Hub at St Mary’s – selling for £6,000,
a large single stone diamond ring fetching £4,600 and an antique oil
painting by American Civil War colonel Saint Clair Augustin Mullholland
depicting merchants' boats on Venice's Grand Canal realising £2,700.
A Rolex Datejust on its original jubilee bracelet made £3,200 and a
hand built 7 1/4 inch scale live steam locomotive departed for a £4,600
hammer price.
Other results included a collection of camera equipment for £1,750, a
late 19th century musical box at £1,050, an array of postcards ranging
from political to comic realised £1,225 and a Belleek Parian figure made
£1,000.
The market is also buoyant for household ceramics - three lots of
Royal Albert Old Country Roses services made £1,000 and a Rosenthal
Versace 'Russian Dream' pattern tea set fetched £400.
Furniture sales from all eras have also mirrored this pattern, with a
Victorian burr walnut breakfast table making £1,500 and a superb
collection of G Plan illustrating the renaissance of mid-20th century
design with a £2,110 hammer price.
In terms of more recent collectables, once again Lichfield also proved
the place to be for Pokemon cards with five lots selling for £3,650.
It just underlines that crucial point – whether it’s a valuation request
or a house clearance, we do not cherry pick or farm out items to others
– we handle the entire job.
From a free home visit to explain all costs for a clearance or a
jewellery valuation, we’re here to help.
We’ll give you an honest opinion, a quotation up front and we never
forget that we’re dealing with someone else’s property.
It’s wonderful that all our measures and adapted ways of working are
working so well for our clients and this year we will keep building on that
remarkable month-on-month pattern.
Our weekly online-only Antiques & Home Sales – joined by thousands
of bidders from all over the world – will continue most weeks and we
start as we mean to go on with the first Lichfield auction of 2021 starting
at 9.30am on Monday January 4th our first day back after the Christmas
break.
The office will reopen for 9am – in the meantime, visit
www.richardwinterton.co.uk for links to the digital catalogue.
Happy new year one and all!
For more information about upcoming sales, valuations and to book
appointments for house clearance quotations, collections or deliveries,
telephone 01543 251081 or email office@richardwinterton.co.uk.
14

15

Local Actors
Produce Christmas
Film
........................
Local actors Stuart Goodwin and Al Rowe of
Goodrow Productions set themselves the near
impossible task of producing a short film of Charles
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in less than a month. The
duo are no strangers to the story having staged several
performances in recent years at Samuel Johnson’s
Birthplace and other venues. Due to lockdown and the
pandemic, finding opportunities to be creative has been
tough and so the team have turned to the green screen
to create a short film of Stave 1.
Both actors have busy full time jobs and so this has
been produced by working some very late nights. They
hope to complete the remaining staves if time allows
but Part 1 shows just what can be achieved with no
budget and the desire to create and perform against all
the odds.
Both Stuart and Al have worked a lot with Ken
Knowles, the city’s former town crier, therefore the
film is dedicated to Ken’s memory.
Please support local artists and watch the film at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9D4vwS5coc&feature=
youtu.be.
Got a story or
charity event you
want to share with
our readership? Think
you’ve snapped an
image that captures
the spirit of the
region? We want to
hear from you!
Contact Citylife at
kristencitylife@gmail.com
16

17

New Opening for
The Window Centre
................................
Established over 37 years ago in Solihull, The Window Centre
has achieved a loyal customer base and carried out
thousands of double glazing, replacement door,
conservatory, porch and wood replacement installations in both a
local and wider area. It prides itself on quality and service whilst
also offering best value - something that sets it apart from the big
double glazing brands that so often disappoint customers having
been tempted by flashy television advertising that over-promises
and under-delivers.
Why the Window Centre?
With an experienced and technically savvy sales team on hand, the
advantage The Window Centre has is that it can specify your
replacement windows or doors depending on your budget, design or
product requirements. This, coupled with quality craftsmen carrying out
your installation and an unrivalled service department, ensures it has all
bases covers for a top-quality all-round service.
With a portfolio of leading brands, (many exclusive to The Window
Centre in the area) including Internorm, Evolution, Residence, Solidor,
Ultraframe, Rehau and Reynaers along with Origin, it offers a ‘whole of
market’ product range rather than a limited offer like the
multinationals.
18
Advertorial
Other Services
In addition, ask The Window Centre about Garden Rooms,
something it is seeing a lot of interest in from those working from
home or looking to replace their gym membership with their own
home studio or office.
Is your conservatory somewhere you only venture into a few weeks
a year? Talk to The Window Centre about conservatory roof
replacement which turns the extra space into a usable room 365 days
a year by reducing heat in summer and retaining warmth in winter.
Porches and replacement wood is another area that it can help.
UPVC porches can dramatically reduce heat loss from your front door
whilst UPVC replacement cladding and soffits will eliminate exterior
decoration costs forever.
Open for Business
With a brand-new showroom fully open for business in Sutton
Coldfield, The Window Centre looks forward to welcoming you and
offering the same great products, knowledge, service and value for
money it is renowned for.
Currently the firm is offering 24 months interest payments across all
products and services allowing you to make valuable home
improvements to make your property more energy efficient and
increase its value at the same time.
Call The Window Centre today for a free consultation or call into the
showroom and take a look at the huge range on display.
Opening times: 9am-5pm Monday - Saturday
The Window Centre, 60 Thornhill Road, Streetly, Sutton
Coldfield B74 3EN. Telephone 0121 411 9676.
Visit www.windowcentre.co.uk.
Email showroom@windowcentre.co.uk.
Key Worker Records
Christmas Single
........................
Alocal
key
worker is on a
mission to spread
some festive cheer
this holiday season
by releasing his own
Christmas single to
raise money for the
NSPCC.
Jordan Adams, a
Senior Residential
Care Worker for
Horizon Care, is hoping the determination and dedication he
has for his day job will prepare him for a different kind of
challenge.
The ‘Disneyesque’ musical theatre single How This Story
Ends has been released with all proceeds going to the
NSPCC, which has recently launched its Christmas single as
it prepares for an influx of calls to Childline over the festive
period and beyond.
When Jordan isn’t on shift at the children’s home, working
with vulnerable people, he is a semi-professional classical
crossover and musical theatre singer, and has sold out
regional theatres and previously reached the grand finals of
national singing competition, Open Mic UK.
To download the single, visit http://smarturl.it/jordanadams.

19

20
Pounds for Hounds
By Lauren Hirst
................................
Not everyone can home a greyhound but there are still
ways to help the greyhounds in our care. While in
lockdown, Greyhound Trust Hall Green has not been
able to get out to our normal awareness roadshows to raise
much needed funds and this situation looks set to continue for
many more months. As a registered charity staffed by volunteers,
we are funded entirely from your kind donations. No matter how
small, every donation is gratefully received. There are several
easy ways you can help.
You can simply make a donation via our website by card or Paypal
at www.greyhoundtrusthallgreen.org.uk/donate-online/.
We’ve also teamed up with easyfundraising.org which provides
online shopping with more than 2,700 retailers, energy providers and
hotels and you can raise money for us each time you shop. It’s really
simple and it doesn’t cost you anything! It’s win-win; you buy the item
you were going to buy anyway and we get a donation! Visit our
website to find out how to register
www.greyhoundtrusthallgreen.org.uk/easy-fundraising/.
Remember, when you want to make a purchase you go to your easy
fundraising account first and then click on your desired retailer.
We also have our very own Amazon Wishlist. We always need
specific products for our greyhounds. If you wish to purchase items
from Amazon for Hall Green, you can either have them delivered to
yourself and bring it in yourself, or you can have the item(s) delivered
to our Hagley or Shenstone kennels (addresses on website). Visit
Amazon here www.greyhoundtrusthallgreen.org.uk/amazon-wishlist/.
If you ARE in a position to home a hound, then have a look at our
homeless hounds www.greyhoundtrusthallgreen.org.uk/greyhoundslooking-for-homes/
and give us ring on 0121 426 4810 or email
hallgreen@greyhoundtrust.org.uk to make an appointment.
The Red Carpet
Receives Funding
........................
The Red Carpet
Cinema at
Barton Marina has
been awarded over
£208,000 from the
Government’s £1.57
billion Culture
Recovery Fund.
The Culture Recovery Fund is an unprecedented package
worth £1.57 billion to protect Britain’s world-class cultural,
arts and heritage institutions through the coronavirus
pandemic. Many of our much-loved institutions – from
theatres, museums and pantomimes – have been able to apply
for funding to help weather the impacts of coronavirus.
Recognising that cinemas need content, the Government’s
£500 million Film and TV Production Restart Scheme has
helped keep the cameras rolling. The scheme opened for
applications in October – and has assured nearly 100
productions that they will be supported if future losses are
incurred due to coronavirus and provided the confidence
they need to restart filming.
From today, the scope of the Restart Scheme has been
extended so that cast and crew over the age of 70 can be
included in the cover provided by the scheme – giving them
confidence to start or restart production, increasing
employment opportunities for this group.

Here at Just Granite Ltd, we pride ourselves on being the experts for any worktop needs you may have.
Be it a beautiful bespoke and unique kitchen worktop, a bar, bathroom or even a barbecue area, we have
an extensive in-house range ready to be chosen by you! We stock a varied range, in a variety of materials,
such as our own competitively priced quartz, granite, marble and porcelain, as well as all the top brands
from around the world.
There really is no reason to go anywhere else!
Win a Granite Chopping Board
Just Granite takes great pride in offering its customers full
support, from the initial quotation right through to installation,
with all products being covered under a guarantee and offering
additional maintenance packages where suitable.
With the largest variety of natural stones in the Midlands, the
solid slabs are kept on-site and are available for viewing from
9am-5pm on Monday to Friday, and 9am-12.30pm on Saturday.
Located at The Stone Works, Pillaton Hall Farm, Penkridge,
ST19 5RZ.
We’ve got a bespoke Chopping Board (in the
colour of your choice) to give away! To be in
with a chance of winning this magnificent prize,
simply answer the following question correctly:
Where does the supply
of granite come from?
a) Spain
b) Italy
c) Germany
To enter, just send your name, contact details and answer to Just
Granite Competition at competitioncitylife@gmail.com or post your
entry to Citylife in Lichfield Ltd, PO Box 7126, Lichfield WS14 4JS by
the closing date of 23rd January 2021. One entry per household.
Multiple entries will be disqualified. No cash equivalent. Please note
you must be 18 or over to enter. All entrants’ information is
processed in line with GDPR Data Protection Regulations and our
Privacy Policy (available at citylifeinlichfieldltd.co.uk).
Full t&cs on page 42.
21

22
The Lost Stately
Home of
Manley Hall
By Jono Oates
................................
Manley Hall was one of the most elaborate, and ornate,
stately homes in the country and was part of a large
estate close to Weeford, between Lichfield and Sutton
Coldfield. It was built for the Manley family at the start of the 19th
century but by the 1950s it had been demolished, becoming one
of Lichfield’s lost stately homes.
In 1821 John Shawe Manley married Catherine Clayton, the daughter
of Sir William Clayton, 4th Baronet of Harleyford and Marden of
Buckinghamshire, and inherited the estate from his father, Admiral Isaac
Manley. Isaac Manley had joined Captain James Cook on his travels
around the world on his ship Endeavour, starting as a 13-year-old cabin
boy and rising through the naval ranks to become an Admiral. John and
Catherine originally lived in Thickbroom Cottage, on Little Hay Lane,
part of the 1,200-acre Thickbroom Estate but in 1831 John Manley
commissioned work on a stately home, originally called Thickbroom
Hall but, after it was unveiled in 1836, became known as Manley Hall.
The hall was designed by architect Thomas Trubshaw of Colwich,
close to Rugeley, and the first stone of the new building was laid by
John’s eldest son, John Clayton Manley, with the second being laid by his
six-year-old second son, Augustus East Manley.
Augustus Manley later became the High Sheriff of Staffordshire in
1879 and for many years served as the chairman of the Shenstone Petty
Sessional Division of the county, which later became the Lichfield and
Brownhills Division. When Augustus died in 1904 the estate passed to
his son, Colonel Francis Capel Manley. Born in 1850 Francis Manley had
joined the Coldstream Guards in 1870 and served in the Army for 26
years, taking part in the Egyptian War of 1882 and the Sudan Campaign
in 1881-1889. He rose to the rank of full Colonel in 1890 before
retiring from the service in 1896.
Manley Hall Manley Hall (photo copyright St Mary's
Photographic Collection
Colonel Manley also owned
Shenstone Park, on Park Lane,
between Shenstone Village and
Little Hay, as well as Manley Hall
Farm in Denbeigh,
Monmouthshire. He died in
January 1915 leaving a widow,
Edith, when the estate and hall
passed to his son, Roger Shawe
Manley. Roger also served in the
Army, joining the Queen’s Own
Royal Regiment of Staffordshire
Yeomanry in July 1913, he served
throughout World War One,
taking part in the Egyptian
campaign and the capture of
Jerusalem in 1917 under General Augustus Manley
Allenby. Captain Manley returned
to England in December 1919 and
in January 1920 he was welcomed back by the tenants at the Manley
Estate at a dinner held at the Bull’s Head public house at Shenstone.
They presented him with a massive three-handled silver cup to
commemorate his safe return from the war.
In March 1925 the hall became home to a Preparatory School for
Boys, when Headmaster the Reverend W Canner moved the school
from Hints Hall at Tamworth to Manley Hall. In September 1939 the
school was advertised in the Birmingham Post as being a school for
boys aged 6 to 14 that had, for the last 20 years, sent many boys to the
chief Public Schools and was ‘safe, quiet and ideal for children, away
from the risks and dangers of towns’.
Following the death of the Headmaster in October 1958 the school
closed and much of the contents were sold off at Winterton and Sons
Lichfield Auction in November 1958. The building lay empty and
derelict until 1961, when, following a building analysis showing it had
suffered from severe dry rot, the main hall was demolished leaving only
the stable blocks and service wing from the original building.
Although the building has been demolished, the photographs of the
hall show that is was a very impressive and ornate building and is one
of the many grand stately homes across Lichfield that is now, sadly,
consigned to history.
Sources:
The British Newspaper Archive; Sutton Coldfield Local History Research
Group website; St Mary’s Church Weeford website

23

Burntwood Christmas
Shop Window
Competition
.............................
Burntwood Town Council has announced the winners of last year’s
inaugural Christmas Shop Window competition. The displays put
on by the shops brought a little sparkle back to an otherwise gloomy
year.
All shops were invited to provide Christmas displays and the
overall winner was declared as Jackdaws, located in the Morley Road
Shopping area.
Body Beautique was judged to be the best display for Ryecroft,
Kean Styles for Sankeys Corner and Hathaways for Chasetown High
Street. Bev’s display was judged to be the best local shop.
The judging of the windows took place on Thursday 10th
December by a judging panel comprising of Cllr. Di Evans, Cllr. Sue
Woodward and Cllr. Robin Place.
Cllr. Darren Ellis, who instigated and co-ordinated the competition,
said he was particularly pleased to see so many local shops taking
part in the first year of the competition.
“It has been a very difficult time for retailers because of the Covid
19 lock down and Burntwood is lucky to have so many shops willing
to spend time on their shop front window displays which have really
brightened up our town.”
The presentation of the trophies was carried out on Thursday
17th December.
24

25

26
A Year of Intentions
By Jo Howell
............................
Now is a great time to reflect on an interesting past 12 months and find the positives –
there may be many or there may only be only one, but the fact you are reading this is
a fantastic starting point! You’re here, you’ve lived through a pandemic and now you get
chance to mix it all up and do it again for the shiny new year ahead. Surely, that alone is
worth getting a little bit excited for?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not undermining how blooming hard 2020 has been and the
heartache it has bought to so many of us, for all sorts of different reasons. There has been
a lot to contend with and we’re certainly not out of the stormy seas just yet. But there is
light on that horizon and if we all keep pulling in the same direction, 2021 will be a huge
improvement on the last year.
So, what are your intentions for this year? I avoid ‘resolutions’ as there’s a lot of pressure
if life throws a curve ball and you can’t commit to them. But if you set an ‘intention’ you are
already giving yourself permission to be flexible – and we all need that in our life.
In 2021, I intend to….
• Find a new exercise to wake up those endorphins
• Clear out the clutter – literally and mentally
• Try a new recipe each week
• Stick a pin in the map and find somewhere new to visit
• Talk more, text less
• Find joy every day
The important point to remember with setting intentions is to make them work for YOU.
Don’t do things to make others happy or things you think you should be doing; just sit with
a blank sheet of paper and open your mind to all ideas that pop into it.
You’ve got 365 days ahead and a blank page. INTEND on writing an amazing story.
Read more of Jo’s work at www.justanaveragejo.blog.
Hypnobirthing
By Heather
By Heather offers 1-1 bespoke Hypnobirthing
courses as well as group courses.
I created By Heather after my first child, Freddy, was born in
2018. Having worked with hundreds of women as a Wellbeing
Coach,it wasn’t until I became a parent that I realised just how
much support was missing for pregnant women and new
Mothers. Many friends and clients I spoke to were struggling as
a result of a traumatic birth and had never heard of
Hypnobirthing and the transformational impact it can have on
your birth experience.
What is Hypnobirthing?
Don’t worry - I won’t be inviting you onto a stage and
swinging a pocket watch in front of you! What I can do is give
you the tools to significantly reduce the chance of surgical
intervention during labour and birth. My course isn’t just for
birth. It's for the last few days of your pregnancy to give you the
techniques to calm that inner restlessness. It's immediately after
birth when you're having the ‘golden hour’ of skin to skin
contact with your new baby in a serene environment. It’s
reducing the chances of post traumatic stress and giving your
mental health the best start in this new role.
During my Hypnobirthing course I cover how to release any
fears or anxieties about labour, birth or becoming a parent. We
delve into how to navigate the maternity system, learning about
our choices during birth, what happens to the body and how
what we do can either help or hinder labour. We also have a
bonus session talking about all things post birth and the crucial
fourth trimester!
I am here to support the birthing Mother and birth partner
to bring birth right back to basics.Listening to the Mother,
empowering her and the birth partner with the knowledge to
make calm and informed decisions instead of feeling fear and self
doubt. Tuning into our gut instincts and working with our
body,not against it, to help welcome a new arrival into the world
in the most serene way no matter what route birth may take for
you.
I combine all I have learnt from my time as a Coach, Mentor
and Mother, having been through a tough pregnancy, and apply
these with the practical and spiritual parts of birth.
My next group course starts February 11th and I’d love you
to join me.
*EXCLUSIVE READER OFFER* 20% off for Citylife in
Lichfield readers.

27

Tastes of the Season
By Simon Smith
Vegan Flavours!
Eating habits changed a lot last year with a lot
more people having time to spend in the
kitchen and baking more or watching cook
along videos from their favourite chefs. Some
piling on the pounds as a result and others
exercising more than they ever thought
possible to retain their sanity!
As ever, January brings us the tradition of
reflecting on lifestyle, promising to give up this,
that and the other, join a gym (and go for at
least a couple of months) and take on the
challenge of Veganuary. This is one thing that
has been made easier this year with many
supermarkets and artisan suppliers increasing
their ranges as this trend gains momentum.
Certainly at this time of year people are aware
of what they have been putting in their bodies
over Christmas and fancy a bit of a healthier
start to the new season.
There is always a choice between organic and
mass produced with a price variant that can
make people think twice. I often wonder how
much difference organic can make to health if
it’s only taken for a month rather than a
complete shift in policy. Every little step helps,
I’m sure, but at least it’s a start to a new you.
This week I bought potatoes direct from Alice
Ryman at the farm after seeing a post on
Facebook. They have had a terrible year after
the closure of the hospitality industry. It’s
always nice to buy locally from the producer
to help them where possible. Obviously as a
result of that I’m going to do potato recipes
this month.
Potato, Cashew and Cabbage Pie
800gms white potatoes
1 x whole green cabbage
200gms cashew nuts
1 x roll vegan puff pastry
200ml soya milk
1tsp cornflour
25gms Olivio spread
Nutmeg
Bay leaf
Method
28
Peel the potatoes and chop into 1cm cubes,
put into cold water and bring to the boil until
they are cooked. Take the outer green leaves
off the cabbage, take the stalk out of the
middle and blanche in boiling water for 30
seconds, put straight into cold water to stop
them cooking and keep them green. Pop them
on some kitchen roll and dab them dry. Cut
the rest of the cabbage into wedges and then
finely slice. Cook for 1 minute in a little water
with Olivio spread and then drain. Bring the
soya milk to a simmer with the bay leaf and a
touch of grated nutmeg. Thicken with the
cornflour mixed with some cold water to
make a paste. Fry the cashew nuts in a little
olive oil to brown them off and enhance the
flavour. Roll out the puff pastry sheet and place
the blanched cabbage leaves on top. Mix the
cooked cabbage with the thickened soya milk,
cooked potato and cashew nuts. Season with
salt, pepper and nutmeg. Place on top of the
cabbage leaves and roll up into a sausage. If
you are feeling artistic you can plait some
pastry and put on the top. Cook for 25
minutes in an oven preheated to 200 degrees.
Potato, Dill and Caper Terrine
800gms white potatoes
125gms melted butter (or Olivio for vegan)
1 x bunch of fresh dill
1 x small jar of baby capers
Cornflour
Method
Peel and finely slice the potatoes. Butter a
small bread tin and put one layer of potatoes
on the bottom, sprinkle with chopped dill,
capers salt, pepper and finely sprinkled
cornflour. Repeat this process until the tin is
full. Cook in a preheated oven at 100 degrees
for one and a half hours or until the potatoes
are soft all the way through. This will vary
depending on which potato you use. Once
cooked take out of the oven and place weights
on top to squeeze the potato down. Put in the
fridge and chill overnight. Take out of the tin,
slice and fry in a pan to brown off. Serve as a
side dish or with smoked salmon and sour
cream as a starter.
Simon Smith runs a catering business from his
production kitchen in Lichfield, providing bespoke private
dinners plus wedding, corporate and event catering.
Simon also undertakes cookery demonstrations around
the country and with local businesses such as Arthur
Price and Tippers. During the summer months Simon
works for private clients both on superyachts and in
villas in St Tropez and Europe. If you are looking for
catering or a day of cookery skills go to
www.simonsmith-chef.com
*Please take extra care when preparing and handling
hot foodstuffs. Go to www.food.gov.uk for further details.

Vegan Treats!
The Vegan Treat Box contains vegan sweets, vegan fudge and Tony's
chocolate – the only slave-free chocolate around! Priced at £5, individual
items can also be purchased separately (sweets £1 per 100g; fudge £1.20
per 100g; Tony’s bars £2 each).
A selection of natural deodorants which are all handmade in the UK,
contain no aluminium or nasty chemicals, and are all cruelty-free
and vegan!
Available from The Lichfield Pantry, The Plant Plot Garden Centre,
Stafford Road, Lichfield. www.thelichfieldpantry.co.uk
Whether your loved one is vegan or not, they will love the goodies on
offer from The Vegan Baker. These homemade plant-based cake creations
are the perfect to enjoy with your loved ones.
Find The Vegan Baker on Instagram at @the_vegan_baker1 or on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/theveganbaker.co.uk.
29

For the Love
of Art
..........................
Lichfield resident, Tina Morgan, had always loved art
whilst at school however her hobby took a back seat
once she entered the real world as a young adult in
search of a career. Being naturally imaginative, Tina
was drawn to the more creative professions and
became a hairdresser where she could enjoy being
able to express herself through her work.
Being diagnosed with a long-term illness meant that
Tina began to slow down from her fast-paced lifestyle
and work from home more, and the 2020 Covid-19
pandemic saw her having to fully shield to protect
herself as she was classed as extremely vulnerable.
Now Tina had plenty of free time on her hands and
she reinvigorated her passion for drawing and
painting. After posting her first painting on Facebook
she was both surprised and delighted to receive her
first ever commissioned piece, as well as many
compliments and requests for more pieces!
Self-taught combines her love for animals and her
connection to human life into her art and has now
sold more than 20 commissioned pieces of artwork.
She has also started a new business selling limited
edition giclée prints of her work.
Now totally obsessed with painting, Tina has
dropped a day at her hair salon to concentrate more
on her new business and loves her new balance of
both of her creative loves – art and hair!
You can find more examples of Tina’s
work on her Facebook and Instagram
page @Tinamorganpaints, or email
info@tinamorganpaints.co.uk.
We're looking for businesses to feature in future
issues of Citylife in Lichfield! If you'd like to see your
business in the spotlight, email
kristencitylife@gmail.com for more information.
30

Rare Prints Sell for £26,000 in Staffordshire Auction
By Adrian Rathbone, Associate Director & Head of Fine Arts,
An exceptionally rare set of prints from the 1950's have recently sold
for a record £26,000 (plus 30% BP) at an auction near Lichfield.
The set of five monochrome prints were produced in a limited run of
just twelve sets by the celebrated German-British painter Frank Helmut
Auerbach (b.1931). Born in Berlin, Auerbach was sent to Britain in 1939
via the Kindertransport scheme in order to escape Nazi persecution.
After the War, he began studying at St Martin's School of Art in London
from the late 1940s. From the mid 1950's he began a career as art
teacher but his status in the art world took off when he had a major solo
exhibition at The Hayward Gallery and then the Yale Centre for British
Art in 1981 alongside heavyweight names such as Lucien Freud and
Francis Bacon. Further successful exhibitions and even a film followed.
Pop mega star David Bowie owned sculpture titled 'Head of Gerda
Boehm' which was sold for £3.8 million after his death in 2016.
Auerbach is first and foremost a figurative artist and this set of five,
(originally six) epitomise his talent for representing the human form in all
manner of interesting postures. They were consigned as part of the
collection of works belonging to the late Liverpool artist model June
Furlong which were offered in Hansons Christmas Country House Fine
Art Auction held at Bishton Hall on 11th December. As expected, there
Hansons Auctioneers
...........................................................
was much pre-sale interest
and after an intense bidding
battle, the set was won by a
delighted UK private buyer
who bid £26,000. The
anonymous buyer intends
to keep them in a private
collection.
Find out if you are
sitting on a fortune by
taking advantage of
Hanson's free and
professional virtual
valuation services in and
around Lichfield. Please
email images of your items with details to
arathbone@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk or phone us on 01889
882397 for a free home visit, (available for large/multiple items or
for clients who are downsizing or administrators of an estate). The
Monday valuation days at The Hedgehog will be resume when
government guidelines allow.
31

Go Green with Treecycle!
..............................
Lichfield, Burntwood and Rugeley
residents can give St Giles Hospice a
‘tree-mendous’ Christmas gift this year
by supporting the charity’s annual
TreeCycle campaign.
St Giles is inviting families and
businesses who don’t want to face the
mess and inconvenience of disposing of
their real Christmas trees to sign up to
TreeCycle and have their tree collected
in return for a small donation – and the
hospice is calling for an army of
volunteers to step forward in January to
help collect the trees.
The TreeCycle team recycled 3,200
Christmas trees in January 2020 and
raised more than £35,000 for the
hospice, a record-breaking figure which
more than doubled the 2019 total.
Rachel Brown and Chloe Ingham
from the Wincanton for Screwfix
team collecting trees
Now, following a year when the COVID-19 pandemic has forced St
Giles to shut its shops during two lockdowns and cancel its organised
fundraising events, the hospice has announced that TreeCycle will be
going ahead and collecting from more locations than ever before.
All collections will be socially-distanced and managed in line with the
Keeping the Christmas
Spirit Alive!
............................
most up-to-date
COVID-19 guidelines,
with appropriate
equipment for both
hospice staff and
volunteers to ensure
everyone’s safety. Tree
donors do not have to
be present when the
tree is collected.
This will be the sixth
year that St Giles has
been running TreeCycle
to raise funds for the
TreeCycle volunteers get ready
for a day of tree collecting.
hospice, and teams will collect trees from around Lichfield, Walsall, Sutton
Coldfield, Tamworth, Burton, Rugeley, Burntwood, Uttoxeter, Swadlincote,
Stafford and surrounding areas.
TreeCycle will be collecting trees from Wednesday 6th until
Wednesday 13th January 2021. The minimum donation for trees up to 8ft
is £10 and the donation for trees up to 10ft is £12. For trees over 10ft,
please call 01543 432538. Collections must be booked by 5pm on
Wednesday 6th January 2021 and trees should be left out overnight on
Tuesday 5th January as collections will start early the following morning.
Lichfield Tree Works and Greener Composting in Wall, Lichfield, will be
recycling the trees for agricultural uses and as a result artificial trees
cannot be accepted.
To find out more about volunteering for TreeCycle email
fundraising@stgileshospice.com or call 01543 432538. To book a
collection visit www.stgileshospice.com/treecycle or check St Giles
Hospice social media pages.
Christmas was very different this year in Lichfield, with
no official Christmas Lights Switch-On event due to
Covid-19, however the city streets still looked very
pretty at night and many of the city’s shops decorated and lit
their shop windows, keeping the true spirt, and colour, of
Christmas alive in Lichfield in 2020.
Photos by Jono Oates
32

33

City of Lichfield
Townswomen’s
Guild
................................
In the spirit of giving and spreading festive cheer, the ladies of
the City of Lichfield Townswomen’s Guild (TG) has donated
over £100 to KIPBAGS, an organisation for the homeless. TG
was presented with seven sleeping bag kit bags from Founder Mr
Chris Haycock, containing warm socks, hat, gloves, toiletries,
sleeping bag and first aid items. These have now all been
distributed to several homeless people in the Lichfield area.
The TG Committee decided to use the funds that were raised (over
the past year), and donate 10 bags bursting with Christmas food items
(with a value of £25 per bag) to the Lichfield Foodbank. Chairman
Jane and her husband Robert shopped till they dropped, and took all
the goodies to Mr David Clarke (Foodbank) to be distributed to local
families over the festive season. Mr Clarke joined the ladies of TG on
Zoom at their monthly meeting and thanked the ladies for all their
fundraising hard work and for their support. It was very much
appreciated at this time of year.
Another donation of £250 was made to the Christmas Toy Appeal,
(organised by Mrs Elaine Hutchings of Helping Hands), and Vice
Chairman Mrs Chris Davies had managed to purchase £500 worth of
John Lewis toys at a 50% discounted rate! These were festively
wrapped for all ages of children and distributed during Christmas
week. Elaine was absolutely delighted with the donation and also
joined the TG members on Zoom to thank them for their support for
local children and told us about all the other work that Helping Hands
does out in the community.
Organisations such as WI, Soroptomists and TG are vital
communication links for women of our City. The ladies meet in
friendship and during Lockdown and months of isolation has been an
excellent way of staying in touch with news and ideas, even recipes. To
be able to help and support other organisations over this very
challenging and difficult time, has given everyone the festive spirit, and
has helped those less fortunate. The Guild was established in 1958, has
a membership of over 50 ladies, and is always looking for new
members to join.
The next TG monthly meeting is on Zoom on Monday 11th January
at 7.30pm and will be a fun quiz! You are very welcome to join us,
please contact Jane for details on janedh@hotmail.co.uk.
Chairman Jane Dayus-Hinch with KIPBAG
founder Chris Haycock
Lichfield
Camera Club
Triumphs
Lichfield Camera Club had an outstanding win in the recent local derby
competition with neighbouring club Cannock, winning the competition
by 405 points to Cannock’s 394.
In the online competition, judge Graham Walton awarded five Lichfield
members the top three marks, with Lichfield Chairman, Darron
Matthews, scoring a perfect 20/20 with his superbly detailed image
entitled Female Small Red Damselfly.
Other Lichfield members who scored with the top three marks were
Anne Anderson with her wonderfully detailed natural history
composition Fast Food; Joe Anderson with his moody monochrome
image Private Eye; Debra Dingley with her beautiful, appealing canine
Jane Dayus-Hinch. Chairman of the City of
Lichfield Townswomen’s Guild.
image Look into My Eyes and Give Me Treats;
and Darron Matthews again, showing superb
technical skill, with Common Wasp in Flight.
In the Advanced Section of the club’s latest
merit competition a wonderfully creative
image called Skeleton Leaves by Anne
Anderson won first place. Richard Moore
captured the concentration of a musician,
caught in beautiful lighting, with Tuning My
Violin which came second. And third place
went to Darron Matthews, who captured a stunning Cornwall sunset,
with Trebarwith Strand.
In the Beginners/ Intermediate section, Annette Keatley came first with
her lovely monochrome portrait of The Egyptian; second place went to
Debra Dingley with her simple, but highly effective still-life composition,
Shadow Play; and Ivan Shaw captured the lovely muted colours and
textures in his image White Crab - Dominica to land third place.
Lichfield Camera Club welcomes new members of all abilities. To see
more inspiring images and to find out more about the club’s activities go
to www.lichfieldcameraclub.org.
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35

Interior Motive!
By Jo Raybould, Needwood Interiors
....................................
Whilst designing your home is no doubt exciting, the process can also be
somewhat overwhelming for people who simply don’t know where to
start. Questions over fabrics, focal points, textures, lighting and statement
pieces may be at the forefront of your mind, and of course does your vision and
dream makeover really fit within your budget?
Now more than ever, many people are working and staying at home, therefore it’s only right
to create the perfect space to truly enjoy. At Needwood Living, we are masters of
thoughtfully incorporating and creating schemes that are sympathetic to the current
property style and understanding the type of lifestyle our clients lead in their homes.
So, whether you are looking for help with an ambitious renovation, or would simply like
some new curtains or cushions – come and speak to us at Needwood Living!
Tel: 01283 711272 www.needwoodliving.co.uk
Blue Velvet Cushion. Priced
at £65 and available from
Needwood Living, 136 Main
St, Alrewas.
www.needwoodliving.co.uk
The Linear kitchen in cashmere and
Nebraska oak wood effect with
granite work surface and vented hob.
Price from £4,406. Available at
Optiplan Kitchens, Eastern Avenue,
Lichfield. www.optiplankitchens.co.uk
The Dorchester in smooth painted
nightfall blue, with brass accessories and
granite work surface and full height
splash back. Price from £5,708. Available
at Optiplan Kitchens, Eastern Avenue,
Lichfield. www.optiplankitchens.co.uk
Metallic Brushed Lamp.
Priced at £165 and available
from Needwood Living, 136
Main St, Alrewas.
www.needwoodliving.co.uk
Galleria Rugs (size 1.60m x 2.30m). Priced at £250 and available from Tatlow
Carpets, Unit 4 Eurpoa Way, Britannia Enterprise Park, Lichfield.
www.tatlowcarpets.co.uk
Hundreds of rolls of carpets to view,
with access to hundreds more, at
Devlin Wholesale, Unit 13, Prospect
Drive, Britannia Enterprise Park,
Lichfield. www.devlincarpets.com
The versatility of tiles, such as this
Amtico Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring,
makes it an increasingly popular
choice. Visit the showroom at Devlin
Wholesale, Unit 13, Prospect Drive,
Britannia Enterprise Park, Lichfield.
www.devlincarpets.com
A superb selection of floor lamps and
specialists in light bulbs. Luminare Lighting
Home, Tamworth Street, Lichfield.
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Plisse bi-fold door blinds in a
huge selection of colours, by
Luxaflex. Prices vary. Available
from Interior Choice.
www.interiorchoice.net
Iliv in Charnwood Flint
available from Interior Choice.
www.interiorchoice.net

Residence Collection with flush finish
outside and decorative square finish inside.
Available from Leamore Windows. Tel: 01922
473737. www.leamorewindows.com
Princeton Kitchen Our showroom is open by appointment only.The
appointments can be booked at appointments.tippers.com
or call 01543 440020.
Upholstered in a luxurious velvet, the
Chester Velvet Bar Stool will bring
contemporary elegance to your space.
Available in five colours and two heights to
suit your table. Priced at £120 from
Peppermill Interiors, Burntwood.
www.peppermillinteriors.com.
Stovax Stockton 5. Available
as wood burner (£895), multifuel
(£985), gas (£1379) or LED
electric as shown (£919).
Available from Rugeley
Fireplaces, Forge Road, Rugeley.
www.RugeleyFireplaces.com
Esse 100 Vista Multifuel Stove priced at
£1149. Available from Rugeley Fireplaces,
Forge Road, Rugeley.
www.RugeleyFireplaces.com
Individually designed pure woollen
throws, blankets, and accessories.
Cushion (£30), throws (£35), Britich
sheepskins (Various prices). Available
from Little Flock, The Plant Plot
Garden Centre, Stafford Road,
Lichfield. www.littleflock.co.uk
Root Hall Table. Priced at £399. Available from
Paul Martyn Furniture, Heart of the Country
Shopping Village. www.paulmartynfurniture.co.uk
Upright piano from the range le at
Lichfield Piano Centre, Curborough
Hall Farm, Watery Lane.
Hansgrohe Croma Select
www.lichfieldpianocentre.co.uk
shower priced at £499 (inc
VAT). Available from Tippers.
www.tippers.com
Helker two seater sofa inn
Gamekeeper Thorn. Priced at
£1,450. Available from Paul
Martyn Furniture, Heart of the
Country Shopping Village.
www.paulmartynfurniture.co.uk
From the contemporary
Solidor range featuring a
stainless steel pull bar. Available
from Leamore Windows. Tel:
01922 473737.
www.leamorewindows.com
New Farrah Lux Pillow Top
Quilted Mattress (12" thick),
now only £349.99 with free
divan base. Available from
Bamfo, Unit 19E, Chasewater
Heath Business Park, Cobbetts
Road, Burntwood.
Searching for the perfect desk chair while you
work from home? The Exeter Leather Vintage
Style Office Chair would be the perfect
addition to your study. Available in two
colours. Priced at £325 from Peppermill
Interiors, Burntwood.
www.peppermillinteriors.com.
Made from real buffalo leather, the Rio Leather Dining Chair combines straight lines and curved
edges, representing modern dining at its finest. Available in four colours. Priced at £265 from
Peppermill Interiors, Burntwood. www.peppermillinteriors.com.
37

Peppermill’s showroom, based in Burntwood, has had a
huge makeover, with a wonderful new layout and
different themed zones for you to sink your teeth into.
Settled in the heart of the Midlands, the showroom has been
transformed into an interior dream world, from rustic, traditional
British farmhouse tables to plenty of textures, from sultry velvets
to French linen. This past year has been a time of change for many
homes and businesses, and Peppermill wanted to create a
showroom space that will inspire and encourage others in their
own choices.
Two of their very own Peppermill representatives, Elizma Smith
and Laura Page, used the second lockdown as an opportunity to
transform their workplace into an interior heaven. They have
installed a plant wall, a lightbox, and have tailored each section of
the showroom to showcase Peppermill’s industrial spirit, with
plenty of vintage gems sprinkled here and there. You will find
beautiful dining room setups and cosy leather chairs that would
feel right at home next to a roaring, open fire.
Laura is part of Peppermill’s sales department and helps with
the day-to-day running of the showroom. She wanted to create a
spacious shopping environment where customers can feel relaxed
and at home. “Peppermill has such a diverse style, and we wanted
to project that through the showroom’s vision,” she explained.
Upstairs, you will find an authentic bar area with lots of cocktail
chairs and industrial bar tables, a great place for business owners
to explore and get inspired. Elizma, a member of the marketing
team, said: “It was a delight to be responsible for Peppermill’s
showroom redesign. Paramount to the design was taking care of
every last detail to provide the perfect showroom, with surprises
around every corner. I believe Peppermill is a place where you can
38
Unlock a World of Wonder at Peppermill
..................................................................
truly reinvent and bring joy to any interior.”
Take a trip to the new showroom in 2021 and find out how you
can make Peppermill the beating heart of your home!

39

40

J HOWELL &
DAUGHTERS
FUNERAL DIRECTORS LICHFIELD
LICHFIELD’S LONGEST ESTABLISHED INDEPENDENT,
FAMILY RUN FUNERAL DIRECTORS.
SECOND GENERATION BUSINESS HERE TO ASSIST YOU
AND YOUR FAMILY.
24 hours a day
We are proud to be Lichfield's longest established family run funeral directors offering a wide range of
choices to suit all requirements. Horse drawn hearse, non religious ceremonies, floral tributes and
memorials are but a few of the services we offer.
Pre-paid funeral plans are also available.
For a truly personal service please call
01543 255776
Private Chapel of Rest 116 Netherstowe,
Lichfield, Staffs. WS13 6TS
41

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