Please read this from the bottom up. 31st January The 4th Upton Triathlon takes place on July 10th, and is now open for entries. Visit the website at www.uptontriathlon.com I added several newsletters yesterday. 30th January The area under the bridge has been cleaned. Everywhere else is frozen, so obviously couldn't be cleaned. 29th January The latest newsletter from Upton Primary School can be seen from the above link. The New Year's Eve party at the White Lion Hotel included 24 carat gold plated salmon! Some pictures from the above link. The latest newsletter from Longdon Primary School can be seen from the above link. A new creative writing course will be starting in Upton after Easter. For details check the Memorial Hall, or contact Lindsay on 01386 800 001. The riverfront is due to be washed down tomorrow or Sunday to remove the mud left behind after the flood. The last few signs that say "Hanley Road Closed" in outlying areas, that are still showing are due to be sorted out today - the road re-opened on the 19th January. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. Every year the cry of 'Where are the ducks?' is heard before Folk & Water Festivals, referring to the plastic ducks used in duck races. However, the real ducks seem to have disappeared! They were there when we had the snow & ice, 'mugging' everyone who came by for food, but seemed to disappear when the river started flooding. The swans are still around, as are the pigeons, but no ducks. Does anybody know where they've gone? 28th January The agenda for next week's Planning and Hall & Finance Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. Upton upon Severn Parish Church Choir will sing Choral Evensong in the Parish Church at 5.00pm on Sunday 7th February. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis will be sung to the Ralph Vaughan Williams setting. The Choir will also sing 'If ye love me' by Thomas Tallis and Samuel Wesley's magnificent anthem 'Blessed be the God and Father'. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available after the service and all are welcome to attend. The Folk Festival website has been updated with the current list of artists who will be attending the 21st Upton Folk Festival. 27th January The White Lion Hotel is introducing a new monthly event 'Dining with Friends'. More details on their website from the above link. 26th January The agenda for the Town Partnership AGM can be seen from the link at the top of the page. The unapproved minutes from the above link. New Street lane is virtually clear of water. The rest of the barriers have been removed. Upton Library provides a range of services. I've added a list of them, including opening hours, to the above link. 25th January 12.00pm The end sets of barriers have been removed. The central section, from Bridge House to The Swan will be removed tomorrow. The water is still on the Old Bridge Abutment, and part way up the ramp. The back of Hanley Road car park is now accessible. 24th January 3.30pm Another slight fall. 9.30am The river has risen very slightly since the last time I looked yesterday. 23rd January The latest newsletter from Pepperpot Players can be seen from the above link. 9.30am The river has come back up overnight. The water in New Street lane is back to the 30mph signs. Under the bridge, which was clear yesterday afternoon, is now covered again. 22nd January 3pm I've added a picture of the gauge to the link above. I did take a picture this morning, but the level hasn't moved since then. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 1pm New Street lane is passable to the back of Hanley Road car park. The river level has dropped overnight. The latest newsletter from Upton Primary School can be seen from the above link. 21st January At the request of the Chairman of the Folk Festival, Richard Hannah, I've put a poster above for a Ceilidh to be held in Randwick, near Stroud, which is in aid of the Haiti Earthquake appeal. Richard also said 'Please support us by coming to dance, join the band, call some dances, or just for the good company and music. It would be nice to have an interval dance display so if you are part of a Morris, Rapper, Appalachian, Sword or any other traditional dance club, please come forward and show off for a good cause - advance knowledge would be useful' 3pm The river level is still dropping. Croome Park has a starring role in an episode of the BBC's 'Survivors'. There is more information in the Malvern Gazette and a link can be found above. 11.30am The river is still dropping. It is now back to the 30mph signs in New Street. Most of the footpath between the Kings Head patio and The Plough is free of water. I've added the current gauge level to the above link. 20th January Upton in Bloom are having a working party on Saturday 23rd. They are meeting outside Collinghurst House in New Street at 2pm. All volunteers are welcome! 5pm Latest weather and flood situation from MHDC: "The precipitation today has been generally less than expected (with some localised exceptions) and tomorrow's rainfall forecast has been downgraded somewhat. The upshot is that river levels are likely to drop slightly overnight before picking up again as the rain/snowmelt comes down the system - but peak levels are going to be lower than expected and there is little risk of any serious flooding. Nonetheless, please remain alert." It is recommended that you keep an eye on local conditions. 3pm The river level is dropping. The water in New Street has dropped back nearly to the 30mph signs. I've added a couple of pictures, from yesterday and today to the flood level page. 19th January From the Town Clerk: "xxx told me that his dept do deal with the opening and closing of the Hanley Road, but as it is part of the operations he doesn't necessarily know about it, so we can't ask him. He referred me to xxx but didn't know her phone no. or department. So I phoned the hub who hadn't heard of her but they did contact Highways to ask the question about the Hanley Road. Apparently, they can't inform us about whether or not they have opened or closed the Hanley Road and shouldn't need to anyway as they have an 'Alerts' section on front page of the WCC website. I had a look at this 'alerts' section which, of course, didn't mention the Hanley Road but did mention the M25 and the M6! among other places. Not sure where to go from here, I'm afraid, apart from maybe talking to Bob Bullock to see if he could rattle some cages on our behalf." 2pm Hanley Road is now open. 11.30am The road is still closed. Someone has moved the fencing on each side of the road and some vehicles are zig-zagging through. 10am I've asked the Town Clerk to contact Highways with a view to them considering opening Hanley Road. 7.15am Hanley Road is still closed. However, the water is only covering about a half of the road. The fencing is still in place and will probably remain until the road is clear and cleaned. 18th January 6pm Another very slight drop in the river level. A report from the Environment Agency on the costs of the Summer 2007 floods can be seen from the above link. 3pm About an hour ago, the HR gauge was showing a mm or so drop in the river level. 12noon There is now fencing across Hanley Road, by the cottages. Countrywide is open. According to the gauge, there has been no rise since about 10am. 10.00am Hanley Road is closed. 8.30am Traffic is moving very slowly through the town and along the Hanley Road. Hopefully this will improve after the morning 'rush hour'. The entrance to HR car park is covered with water. I saw several cars turning round to go back through the town. The water is across the front of Shipps Garage in New Street. The membrane is on the barriers between the Kings Head and The Plough. The barriers end at The Swan. An EA spokesman said they are expecting the river to peak in an hour or so. I've added a picture of the level gauge to the above link. 7.20am There is water up to the kerb on Hanley Road. Flood warning signs are in place. I've been advised the road is passable with care. 17th January Upton Arts Music Group's concert on 23rd January has sold out. 3pm The river is still rising. It is nearly level with the bank opposite the cottages on Hanley Road. The rest of the barriers have been put up, although no membrane on them yet. 9am The water has reached the 30mph signs in New Street. Under the bridge is covered. The Recycling Centre is flooded. The river is against the barriers from Bridge House to The Swan. Sand bags have been laid about halfway along the footpath from the Kings Head patio towards the bridge, so perhaps the river isn't expected to rise much more. I've added a picture of the gauge from this morning. 16th January 8pm The barriers from Bridge House to The Swan are being put up now. From pictures I've taken of the gauge opposite Hanley Road car park during the day, the river has risen about 80cm. 4pm The barriers are going up. The river is over the OBA now. New Street lane will be closed shortly. 1.30pm I had a call from the Mayor, Cllr Paul Thomas, to say he has been advised by MHDC that the barriers could be going up. The river has risen quite a bit since this morning. There is some water in New Street lane. The snow has virtually gone. The river has come up overnight - the gangplank to the MV Conway Castle is level. There is still quite a way to go for the river to reach the steps from the Old Bridge Abutment. 15th January The Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Malvern Hills District Council is keen to encourage public participation in their meetings and have invited residents to attend their next meeting on 19th January. More details from the link above. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 14th January A newsletter from Longdon St Mary's Primary School has been added to the above link. The agenda for next week's Town Council and Planning Committee meetings is available. 13th January The latest newsletter from Upton Police Station can be seen from the above link. Following Mary Wilkinson's retirement from the Town Council, a vacancy has arisen. Details on applying can be seen from the above link. The Town Council would like to hear from anyone within Upton who needs help. If they ring 592273 and explain the help they need, the Clerk will try to obtain help. 12th January I was sent a 'news' report yesterday. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Upton upon Severn, but I think it is so funny, I've added it to the above link. I've been told that local resident Mike Morgan, is on 'The Weakest Link' tomorrow at 5.30pm Information on the The National Flood Forum National Conference can be seen from the above link. Following the snow, some people have asked about grit bins. If you think one should be sited near you, try contacting WCC. The relevant page on WCC website is http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cms/transport-and-streets/streets/gritting.aspx Rowan Thomas of Pepperpot Pyrotechnics is also a partner in CAS Systems which specialise in TV Aerial & Satellite Systems and are Engineers and Consultants. They set up the electrical systems for various festivals, including the Jazz Festival. CAS Systems telephone number can be found above. 11th January We had some snow overnight so the roads are slushy, but the main road appears to be OK. 10th January Hanley Castle School will be open tomorrow. Rob Johnston, Acting Headteacher has opened a blog to keep parents and pupils up to date. A link to the blog above. 9th January The main road and pavements in the Town are in a reasonable state. There is a water leak from the top of the bakers which has created some wonderful icicles, but made the dropped kerb extremely dangerous. The Town Council's Caretaker has put a couple of barriers to block the slippy area. Ice is forming against the river bank by the Village Green & Picnic Area, and thin sheets of ice are floating down the river. I've added a few pictures I've taken over the last few days. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 8th January 3pm It looks as if Old Street & High Street footpaths, and Court Street to the back of the Co-op have been gritted. Church Street footpath doesn't look as if it has been gritted. The main road looks reasonable now. We're still in the grip of the cold weather. Last night wasn't as cold as the one before, which was -8.3C here. The footpaths are very slippy in Town. The road from Court Street past the back of the Co-op is solid ice, as are many of the side streets. Lower High Street and the riverfront from the Kings Head to the end of the road has been gritted - it looks as if it's been done by a man on the back of a lorry. I'm not sure whether the main road through the Town has been gritted or the passage of vehicles has cleared most of the remaining snow. 7th January The Agenda for next week's Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. 11am The road through the Town has not been treated since it was snow ploughed yesterday, so it is not in a very good condition. The corner by Tourist Information looks particularly bad. Please take care if you come into Town. Someone told me they saw a gritter coming over the bridge and going up Hanley Road earlier this morning. 6th January The Mayor, Paul Thomas, has asked me to publish a document regarding the application for a Dog Control Order for the Sports Field. A link to it above. 2pm Old Street, one side of New Street & High Street pavements have been gritted by Highways. The Town Council would like to hear from anyone within Upton who needs help. If they ring 592273 and explain the help they need, the Clerk will try to obtain help. Notes from last night's Hall & Finance Committee, which have to be approved at Full Council on January 19th: "The plans for a barn conversion at Bury End Farm were approved by the Planning Committee. The Hall and Finance Committee have recommended an increase on the precept of 1.5% and this will be put before the main Council meeting on Tuesday January 19th for confirmation. The heating system in the Hall has been out of action since 23rd December. Due to the holiday, it has been impossible to obtain the necessary spare parts, however, they are expected to arrive today and the Council hope that the heating system will be back to normal within a few days. The Baptist Church, very kindly at short notice, hosted the luncheon club on Wednesday 23rd." The luncheon club and yoga have been cancelled this week. Cllr Mrs Mary Wilkinson has resigned as a councillor and the procedure for appointing a replacement will take place over the next few weeks. Upton in Bloom have cancelled Saturday's Table Top Sale. 10.30am. We've had quite a lot of snow overnight. The main roads have been ploughed, but not gritted, so there are areas of packed snow and areas of slush. The side roads are covered in snow, with tracks where vehicles have gone through. The pavements are covered in snow. 5th January Worcester County Council 'Community Outreach' are investigating starting some courses in the Memorial Hall. These include: Flower Arranging, Digital Photography for Beginners and Improvers, Computing for Beginners and Improvers. If you are interested in any of these, there are leaflets in the Memorial Hall, you can ring 01905 728775 or use the above link for more details on the WCC website. It started snowing this morning, stopped briefly at lunch time, and is snowing again. The main road through the town was clear at about 3pm, but the side roads aren't. 4th January Tina Hill, proprietor of The Writing Box was the winning Trader in the UTTA Christmas 'Shop Local' promotion. Tina can be seen receiving her £200 from Peter Webb from the above link. I've found a contact telephone number for the Upton and Chase Badminton Club which I've added to the Badminton page under 'Things to do'. 2nd January Hanley Art Group are holding an exhibition in the Library. More information and a picture of the pictures from the above link. The 500th Anniversary Party at the White Lion Hotel went very well. All the champagne was drunk, plus more! There will be a Graffiti Workshop for teenagers aged 14-16 years, at the Library on 9th January. More details on the poster from the above link. Spaces are limited. I've added some pictures of ice in Upton Marina to the above link. 1st January 2010 Whilst many people may have been getting over a late night after welcoming in the New Year, a very special game of Cricket was being played on New Years Day at The Glebe, home to Hanley Castle & Upton On Severn Cricket Club, to celebrate 100 years of cricket. A report from the above link. New Street Lane is flooded from beyond the entrance to the back of Hanley Road car park. A Happy New Year to all the visitors to Upton upon Severn! 31st December The agenda for next week's Hall & Finance and Planning Committees can be seen from the above link. A burglary took place at Puccini's in Church Street on Boxing Day. The Police are asking the public if they can help. More details can be seen on the Malvern Gazette website. The address is above. 29th December 2010 is a special year for the White Lion Hotel - it's 500th Anniversary. Jon and Chris have got a supply of Champagne; a Nebuchadnezzar and a Salmanazzar, over 24 litres in total! Also on offer is a special ale brew either on tap, or 500 bottles. Some pictures on the White Lion website from the link at the top of the page. Rowan Thomas sent me a video (which he says isn't very good and is hoping to get a better one), of fireworks celebrations before the friendly match between Kazma Sporting Club and FC Barcelona in Kuwait. Rowan's Pepperpot Pyrotechnics got a call a couple of days before the match and flew to Kuwait to set up the display. A link above. 24th December The Malvern Gazette have published a list of chemists times & dates of opening over Christmas & New Year. I've added a link to the MG above. I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Thank you all for visiting the website over the years and I hope to continue to keep your interest in our lovely town of Upton upon Severn. 23rd December The Library will be closed on the following days: Friday 25th, Saturday 26th, Monday 28th and Friday 1st January. 21st December A letter to the Mayor, Cllr Paul Thomas, from Cllr. David Wallbank, Strensham on behalf of Strensham Windfarm Action Group, which contains extracts from planning application documents referring to Upton upon Severn, can be seen from the above link. The SWAG website address is www.strenshamwindaction.com I've added a review of Christmas in Upton by Peter Webb to the Christmas Event link above. Some pictures of Upton in Bloom's Memorial Tree can be found from the link above. 20th December A review of yesterday's Christmas in Upton can be seen from the above link. This week's Memorial is to William Ewart Brick. 18th December The opening hours for the Town Council over the holiday season can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. MHDC have also produced a list of Christmas Church services in the area. About 30 civic leaders will be coming to Upton tomorrow, at the invitation of the Mayor, Cllr Paul Thomas, to join in our Christmas event, which starts at 3pm. 17th December The minutes from Town Council, Hall & Finance Committee and Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee have been added to the Town Council's website. 16th December Grahame Bunn was sent a rather battered book of photos taken round about 1910 by W H Mizen of High Street, Upton upon Severn. Grahame has loaned the book to me, and it can be seen from the above link. The list of Town Council meeting dates for 2010 can be seen from the above link. Upton Youth Club needs volunteers. For more information, come along to the Sports Club at 6pm. 15th December MHDC Planning has been updated with a new format for searching planning applications. I've updated the above link. I don't like the new format... One of our new shops, Sammy's Roses at 27 Old Street, now has a page on the website. A link above. The Plough Inn has re-opened. It will be open mainly in the evening for the next week whilst work is carried out during the day. Some newsletters and business names from 1926 have been added to links above. The Upton Jazz Festival website has been updated with a list of bands booked for the 25th Festival in 2010. Online ticket sales are also available. A link to the website under Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net I've added photos of windows in Town decorated for Christmas from the 'Christmas in Upton' link above. Please support our local shops! 'Parishroots Historical Information for Family and Local Historians' website includes information on the Town from Slater's Directory of 1850 and Billings Directory of 1855. A link to the site above, and on the History menu. I've added a list of Christmas Church services, with a link at the top of the page. 14th December Information on the UTTA Christmas Window competition and shoppers draw can be seen under Recent Additions. 13th December This week's Memorial is to George Bridges. 11th December The aerial photo I added yesterday shows a window in the Kings Head. Grahame, the Landlord said "We knew that there was a fire in the Kings Head that destroyed the roof over our restaurant but never knew when it happened. This 1979 photo shows the old roof with the window that used to be there, so obviously the fire is after this year. Can anyone date the fire? The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. Don't forget a lot of shops are giving entry forms for the Tourism & Trade's Christmas promotion. The winner will be drawn at the Christmas Event on 19th December. Both shopper and shop win £200! 10th December I was sent some links showing the design and applications of glass walls to protect from flooding. I've compiled them to a page from the above link - 'A wall for all?' The agenda for next week's Full Council and Planning meetings is available from the above link. 9am The Environment Agency are removing the barriers from between Bridge House and The Swan, so Lower High Street and Waterside should be opened later today. The water has all gone from New Street lane, and someone has moved one of the plastic barriers to provide access to the road. However, the 'Road Closed' signs are still in place. 9th December I found a rather nice aerial photo of part of the town taken in 1979 today. A link to it above. It's over 1MB, so please give it time to download. From the BBC "Tree O'Clock" 'Take a bough! We wanted to say a huge WELL DONE for planting with us on Saturday as part of Tree O'Clock. If you've not heard already - we managed a Guinness World Record for the most number of trees planted at a single location on Saturday. An amazing achievement and a wonderful legacy for generations to come.' Upton in Bloom's six trees went towards this record! The Audit Commission website 'One Place' contains '...reports about Malvern Hills District Council, as well as all national studies, methodologies, case studies, newsletters etc relevant to Malvern Hills District Council'. A link above. The National Flood Forum National Conference 'Building Resilience through Partnership' is taking place on February 25th in Birmingham. More details from the above link. 8th December 1.30pm New Street lane is officially closed from beyond the HR car park entrance - signs are up now. I've added some information about the river level gauge I use when the river rises. 7.30am New Street lane is covered with water from a few yards beyond the entrance to HR car park. No road closed signs yet. The river has risen very little overnight. 7th December 6pm The river hasn't come up much today. The Old Bridge Abutment is covered and the water is a small way up the road. New Street lane I couldn't see as it is dark beyond the HR car park entrance. The barriers are covered as far as the Star courtyard. 2pm The barriers between Bridge House & The Swan are being installed. There is water covering New Street lane, but I could still see bare road beyond the water. The latest Citizen's Advice Bureau newsletter has been added. The agenda for tomorrow's Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee can be seen from the above link. 9.30am I went to the riverside to replace the flower tubs. The barriers between Bridge House and The Swan are being put up this morning. Lower High Street & Waterside are closed. 6th December This week's Memorial is to Percy James Biddle. 5th December The agenda for next week's Hall & Finance Committee is available. A busy day for the Mayor, Cllr Paul Thomas today. At 9.30am he opened a new shop in Old Street, "Sammy's Roses" and at 11am he joined Upton in Bloom who were planting six native trees as part of the BBC's "Tree O'Clock" record attempt on the most trees planted within one hour. Some pictures from the above link. WCC Highways have cleaned the road along Waterside, and the Old Bridge Abutment and are moving on to do under the bridge. The 'Road closed' signs have been moved from New Street lane, although from the back of the car park is still covered with debris. Adriana Keast is holding a fundraising Christmas Quiz at the Kings Head next Thursday. Adriana is joining an expedition organised by Raleigh International (www.raleighinternational.org) and travelling to Nicaragua and Costa Rica. She will be working on community and environmental projects. Details on the quiz above. 4th December 3pm New Street lane is still closed. The water has gone from beyond HR car park entrance, but the road surface is covered with leaves, and probably mud. Hopefully it will be cleaned soon. Waterside, from Bridge House to The Swan is still closed, awaiting cleaning. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. In addition a document showing events in the area has been compiled by MHDC. 12noon The rest of the barriers have been removed. Over the last few months Upton has seen new shops opening and existing ones expanding their range. In Old Street there is No 24 gift and coffee shop; a joint venture between PS Presents and Clives Fruit Farm open from now until Christmas for Christmas items; and Sammy's Roses selling gifts & wooden and crystal roses. In New Street a new unisex hairdresser, Diorr Hair. Julie-Ann is now selling a range of haberdashery. In High Street R & L Myers Butchers opened the next door shop selling fruit & vegetables, chutneys & jams and pet & wild bird feed; and Sean's News . We have a very good range of shops in Upton, please buy locally whenever you can - the more people who use our shops the more chance we have of keeping them. I've said for a long time, you can live in Upton without having a car - I did it over the Summer! 3rd December The Association of Independent Women held their last event today with a Christmas meal in the Church Room. After 11 years and 6 months the club is finally closing. A farewell & pictures from the above link. The barriers from the Swan towards the Ham have been removed. Also the ones from the Kings Head to the Plough. The ones between Bridge House and the Swan are remaining at least until tomorrow as heavy rain has apparently been forecast in Wales. 7.30am The river level has dropped a lot over the last 24 hours. The footpath to the back of HR car park is clear. There isn't much water on the road as far as the vehicle entrance, but it is covered with leaves and probably mud. The gauge picture for today will be the last one for this flood. 2nd December 2.30pm The river level is dropping quickly. Most of the water against the barriers on the riverfront has gone. 40 ladies sat down for a superb Christmas meal last night at the White Lion Hotel. 'Ladies that Lunch' moved to the evening for this event. Some pictures at www.whitelionhotel.biz/2010/ladies/0ladies.html 7am The river has gone down quite a bit since I last looked yesterday. The water in New Street has gone back to beyond the 30mph signs. 1st December I've added some pictures with a link from the flood level page. Thrishna Bangladeshi & Restaurant's new menus can be seen from the pictorial link above. The file size is about 1.4mb. A memorial to Reginald Charles Baker who died in WW1 can be seen from the above link. A new application form for volunteer stewards is available on the Folk Festival website. 30th November 2009 8.30pm Still rising, although very slowly. The water in New Street is over the kerb on the right hand side but most of the footpath to the cottages is still clear. I've been added pictures of the level over the last few days, even though I haven't mentioned it here. I've added some newsletters, and events to the calendar today. 7am Another slight increase overnight. 29th November 7pm A slight increase in the height of the river today. An appeal for toys for Acorns Children's Hospice can be seen from the above link. 7.30am The river has dropped very little since yesterday afternoon. However, the water in New Street and on the riverfront has retreated. 28th November The Mayor, Paul Thomas, switched on the town's Christmas lights this afternoon. 7.30am The river level has dropped overnight. 27th November 8pm It looks as if the river has almost stopped rising, given the difference in the gauge between 2.30 & 8pm today. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. Following the decision by the Town Council to accept the EA's planning application for the New Street flood defences on Tuesday evening, the Malvern Gazette has published an article about the meeting. 11am The river is still rising very slowly. It is just onto part of the riverside pavement alongside the railings between the steps. A bit more in New Street. Upton is still very much open! The latest concerts arranged by the Friends of Upton Jazz Festival from December 2009 to May 2010 have been added to the Upton Jazz website The Mayor, Paul Thomas, will be switching on the Town lights tomorrow at 4.30pm. It is hoped to have Hanley Castle School Band and Star Radio to help launch The Christmas Shopping Promotion. 7am Another small rise overnight. Apparently the large marks on the level are 4" apart. 26th November 7.15pm A slight rise. The water has just come beyond the 30mph signs in New Street. It is a bit higher opposite the Plough, and is against the Waterside to the Swan barriers. No membrane on the rest of the barriers yet. 2.30pm Again, a slight rise since the last time I looked. MHDC will be carrying out thorough road cleaning along School Lane, Severn Drive and Gardens Walk on Thursday 3rd December. It is hoped that the work will finish at midday. Police 'No parking' cones will be put out, and residents should have received letters. 10.30am A slight rise since 7.30am. No coverings on the barriers. I've added a few pictures to the link above. 7am The water has reached the 30MPH signs in New Street. The bottom end of HR car park is covered. Water is on the road opposite Bridge House. Under the bridge is covered. The barriers from the Kings Head to the Plough are up but haven't had membrane put on them yet. 25th November Upton in Bloom's Memorial Tree will be lit on 19th December during the Tourism & Trade Association's Christmas event. Information and a sponsor form can be found from the above link. 7.15am The river has dropped again. The footpath to HR car park is now clear, as is the riverside path and under the bridge. 24th November 2.30pm The river is still dropping. The water has gone from opposite the Swan, and there is less under the bridge. New Street lane doesn't appear to have gone back much. 7.15am The river level appears to have dropped slightly since I last looked. 23rd November I've added a link to the latest newsletter from the National Flood Forum. 3.30pm I've put another water level picture on the above link. I've also added some small pictures of Waterside. Don't forget - Upton is open for business. There are no barriers from the Disabled Area to the bridge. The only water is a puddle outside the Swan, some under the bridge & in New Street. Please don't let a bit of water put you off coming to Upton! 12 noon A very small rise since 7am. Virtually no increase in the water opposite the Swan. 7am Another slight rise overnight. The only noticeable difference is that the river is just coming under the railings opposite The Swan patio. A bit more under the bridge as well, but still a dry area. A new level indicator added to the above link. 22nd November 8pm The river is still coming up. I've added another picture of the level indicator to the link above. The entrance to the footpath at the back of HR car park is now under water. There is what looks like a bit of seepage on the road outside the Swan. About two thirds of under the bridge is now covered. 3pm The barriers have been erected from The Swan to the disabled area. They have been partially covered with the waterproof membrane. The water has reached the footpath into the back of HR car park, so the car entrance is effectively closed. Water has started to pool at the back of the car park. All the skips have been removed from the Recycling Centre. The river continues to rise. 10.30am The barriers are here and being unloaded from the lorries. The middle section, from the Swan to the disabled area are being put up first. The river is still rising. 7.30am The barriers aren't here, although Police no parking cones are along Lower High Street (which is full of cars), and the riverfront from The Plough to The Swan. Highways were at the top of LHS and said they were closing the road. The river has come up overnight, but the only flooding is on the Old Bridge Abutment - the three bench seats are covered to within 3-4". The rear entrance to HR car park is still open. 21st November 8pm New Street lane is closed from the entrance at the back of Hanley Road car park onwards. The river is still rising. 7.30pm Apparently the barriers will be going up before 8am tomorrow morning in anticipation of the river rising. 2.30pm The river has come up again, a bit more on the Old Bridge Abutment than the other day. I've added a link above to the Environment Agency flood warning page for 'River Severn in Worcestershire', but as yet there are no warnings. 20th November The Mayor's report has been updated from 23rd/24th October. A link above. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. The Mayor, Paul Thomas, met Derek Prodger and Richard Attwood at the bridge this morning as the cleaning operation got under way. Some pictures from the above link. Manual traffic controls are in place. Work on cleaning the bridge should be starting today. Traffic controls will be in operation during off-peak hours for as long as the job takes. 19th November The agenda for next week's Town Council & Planning meetings can be seen from the above link. I've added weekly live music on Friday nights at the Kings Head to the Events Calendar. I might even be sent some posters... 18th November It's nice to see that the river has gone down since yesterday. 17th November The river is just covering the Old Bridge Abutment this morning. 16th November The latest MHDC 'View from the Hills' can be seen from the above link. 14th November The agenda for next week's Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. 13th November The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. The latest news from the Pepperpot Players can be seen from the above link. 12th November WCC are going to pressure clean the Bridge on Friday 20th November on both sides and including the pavement and road sides. There will be single lane traffic whilst they are cleaning from the road. They hope to start at around 10am. 11th November Another interesting website from the link above. I've compiled information on all the servicemen remembered on the WW1 Rolls of Honour plaques outside the Memorial Hall & the Parish Church. A page with information on each casualty will be displayed in one of the noticeboards outside the Memorial Hall, changing every Monday morning. More information from the above link, which includes acknowledgments of help from various people. 10th November A friend sent me a useful link to fixmystree.com - Report, view, or discuss local problems (like graffiti, fly tipping, broken paving slabs, or street lighting). I've added a link above, and a permanent link under 'Useful links' I saw the Upton ducks having a snooze a couple of days ago. A link above. 8th November The Remembrance Service was held in the Parish Church this morning. Due to the pouring rain, the march to the War Memorial in the Old Churchyard was cancelled, and wreaths were laid in the Church. The British Legion will take the wreaths to the War Memorial in due course. 6th November The Kings Head Christmas menus have been added to the 'Christmas Menus' page which can be accessed from the above link. I forgot to upload the new page yesterday, sorry Grahame! The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 5th November The Mayor, Paul Thomas and Town Clerk, Andrea Oliver, took Derek Prodger, WCC cabinet member for transport and safe environment, on a walk around Upton on Tuesday. Mr Prodger was shown the work carried out on cleaning the bridge by a group of volunteers, and said he would arrange for the rest of the footpaths and the road side of the bridge to be cleaned by a high pressure hose. It's nice to see another empty shop reopening. A hairdresser has taken over the shop at the top of New Street. Good luck to them! The latest Citizens Advice Bureau newsletter can be seen from the link above. 3rd November 30 ladies enjoyed another lovely lunch at the White Lion today. Next month's event will be 'Ladies that Dine', on 1st December. Booking early is advisable! An updated Contact List for the Town Council is available from the Town Council menu. If you are interested in model railways, collectable toys, railwayana, militaria, sporting memorabilia & ephemera then you can have a look at the catalogue for H J Pugh's sale in Ledbury, on 7th November, from the Links menu. Online bidding will be available. 2nd November Yet more bridge! However, this time it is about playing Bridge. If you are interested the above link takes you to Malvern Hills Bridge Club which normally meets at Hanley Swan Memorial (Village) Hall. Upton in Bloom will be planting winter displays on Saturday 7th November, starting at 10am. If you can help, please contact Jackie on 592336. 1st November An interesting article in the Worcester News - http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/4712524.Bridge_looks_great_after_revamp/ - especially in view of Upton's residents trying to make our bridge look better! In spite of the early rain, quite a few people joined Paul Thomas in starting the bridge cleaning. Some pictures from the link above. 31st October Paul Thomas cut the ribbon to open 'No 24' shop in Old Street today. Pictures from the link above. Chris Eaton's latest Hurdy Gurdy travelled to New Zealand earlier this month. Some pictures from the above link. 'One of the best placed offices in Upton', overlooking the river, is available to rent at Bridge House. Contact Bill Hawkes at Bridge House for details. The latest newsletter from Community Care, and the Parish Church music list added to the above links. 30th October The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. A list of Bonfire Night events can also be seen. Paul Thomas's interview for BBC Hereford & Worcester radio will be on Dave Bradleys show between 7am & 9am tomorrow morning. 29th October The agenda for next week's Town Council Hall & Finance Committee can be seen from the above link. Minutes approved and adopted at Tuesday's Town Council meeting are available from the Town Council website. At the meeting, Peter & Diane Bellamy very kindly donated a projector to the Town Council for use in the Memorial Hall. Upton in Bloom are meeting outside the Kings Head on Saturday at 2pm to share out 2000 mini-daffodils which they will be planting in display boats and tubs. Volunteers will be very welcome! 28th October The Mayor, Paul Thomas, is meeting a BBC Hereford & Worcester reporter at 8.30am tomorrow at the bridge to talk about the bridge cleaning exercise he has organised. I'm sure other comments would be welcomed by the reporter! The results of a walkabout with the County Highways Liaison Engineer can be seen from the above link. I've added a link above to the Royal British Legion. 27th October The Pink Fun charity run and party night at the Railway Inn Ripple organisers are still counting but it looks like the people of Uckinghall and Ripple (and some from further afield...) have raised around £4,000 for cancer research. 24th October A press release from Upton Tourism and Trade Association, on behalf of the Mayor, Paul Thomas, can be seen from the above link. 23rd October The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 22nd October The agenda for next week's Town Council meeting can be seen from the above link. 10 Morris sides have already booked their attendance at next year's Folk Festival, including a side from Normandy & and one from Alsace. The link to the Folk Festival website is under Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net I've added Val's diary of her cycle ride to the link above. It sounds like a lot of hard cycling, but obviously enjoyable and well worth while. Well done Val!! 21st October Val Simcock has sent some pictures taken during her cycle ride through Jordan. A link above. 20th October The October report from Upton Youth Band can be seen from the above link. Paul's latest reports have been added to the above link. 19th October Mayor Paul Thomas has arranged a bridge-cleaning exercise on 1st November, starting at 10am, to which all are invited to take part. Volunteers will tackle the footways, not the road side of the bridge. Come and help and bring wheelbarrows, brushes, shovels, buckets, cleaning materials and enthusiasm! 17th October Information on the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy for Upton upon Severn can be seen from the above link. A questionnaire, leaflet and map are available and an exhibition and workshop will be held on 23rd & 24th October in the Memorial Hall. It is rather a shame that a large photo of High Street is identified as 'Old Street' in the leaflet! A 2 page poster with information on the exhibition and workshop is available from the link at the top of the page. 16th October The agenda for next week's Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 14th October The plans for the New Street flood alleviation scheme are now on the MHDC website. A link above. 13th October Val Simcock is back at work after her cycle ride through Jordan in aid of Professor Robert Winston's campaigne to raise funds to improve the health of women and babies. A picture of Val proudly displaying her medal can be seen from the link above. She will be sending some pictures of her ride shortly. 12th October The latest newsletter from Upton Police Team can be seen from the above link. I've taken some pictures of the plans, which are available from the above link. The planning application plans and reports for the New Street flood alleviation scheme are available in the Committee Room in the Memorial Hall. They are still not available on the MHDC Planning pages (11am). 10th October Upton in Bloom's working party will be meeting at the Old Churchyard tomorrow at 2pm for maintenance work on the 'Severn Trow' bed. The White Lion Hotel has introduced new menus. A link to their site from Links / White Lion Hotel. 9th October A car got into a bit of trouble this morning leaving the disabled area on the riverfront. Some pictures from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. Val Simcock has successfully completed the Cycle Jordan challenge yesterday afternoon. She has survived the 42 degree heat when many others couldn't and even managed to get some sleep in the Bedouin tent, despite how hot it got inside! Val is back at work on Wednesday and I'm sure there will be some photos of her journey. Well done to Val! Some information on newly opened National Trust property Croome Court can be seen from the above link. 8th October Upton Surgery has been named Practice of the Year 2009 at the Management in Practice Awards in Birmingham, for excellent patient services. Well done! A link to the article above. Upton in Bloom will be preparing the bed on the Old Churchyard, starting at 2pm on Monday. If anyone would like to come and help, please feel free. UiB are also looking for donations of well-rotted horse manure! 7th October Ardath House has re-opened, ending weeks of speculation about what the shop would be! It looks very smart in its new decor. Described as a newsagent/ice cream parlour, on sale are cards, newspapers and magazines, soft drinks and room to sit & eat one of the large selection of ice creams. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 4pm today. Tiltridge Lane to Hyde Lane will be closed today for Severn Trent to carry out water works. 6th October The Heritage Centre has been emptied this morning in preparation for refurbishments and new displays & an audio/visual presentation. This is funded by the Better Welcome award. The latest edition of the Citizens Advice Bureau can be seen from the above link. 4th October A press release from Sir Michael Spicer MP can be seen from the above link. Upton Town Council's Civic Service took place today, with representatives from many Councils. Some pictures from the above link. 3rd October Lots of things for children, and adults, are going on at the Library this month. These have been added to the Events Calendar. 2nd October Upton Town Council are looking for a voluntary Tree Warden. Malcolm Brown, who was Tree Warden for several years and provided sterling service has left the post. Details from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. Anyone interested in joining a local start up walking group for Ryall and Holly Green might like to find more information from the above link. Old Street will be closed twice on Sunday afternoon. Details from the link at the top of the page. Newsletters from the Citizens Advice Bureau & Community Care can be seen from the above links. Upton Town Council's Civic Service takes place on Sunday at 3pm. Councillors & guests will be assembling in the Memorial Hall at 2.30pm before marching to the Parish Church. Everybody is welcome to attend the service. An article in the Malvern Gazette about the handing over of a petition by Upton Flood Forum can be seen from 'Flood Defences' above. 1st October Val Simcock is off on her cycle ride through Jordan on Saturday. Her itinerary can be seen from the link above, and more information from the link 'Help Val Cycle Jordan for Professor Winston'. Good luck, and have a great time Val! Three dates for flu vaccinations at Upton Surgery can be seen from the above link. The latest Customer Service newsletter has been added, as has Rev Jeff Radcliffe's monthly letter from the Bridge Magazine. 30th September The agenda for next week's Hall & Finance meeting can be seen from the above link. In addition, minutes approved and adopted at last night's Town Council meeting are available from the Town Council website. A 'thank you' notice from the Upton Flood Forum is available from the link above. Some 'before & after' pictures of the Memorial Hall can be seen from the above link. 27th September The scaffolding has been removed from the front of the Memorial Hall, revealing the new paintwork, which I think looks really nice. 26th September An amended copy of the UTTA/UFF press release can be seen from the above link. 25th September I have had a request to remove the UTTA/UFF press release as part of it is inaccurately reported. This I have done. I have requested that the inaccuracy be rectified so that the release can again be made available. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. A press release from Upton Tourism & Trade Association regarding the petition organised by The Upton upon Severn Flood Forum to be presented to Sir Michael Spicer can be seen from the above link. 24th September The agenda for next week's Town Council meeting is available from the above link. The September issue of the Upton Tourism & Trade Association newsletter can be seen from the above link. Ripple and Uckinghall Pink Fun run (a link at the top of the page). Late last night thieves smashed their way into the Railway Inn and stole all the entry money, donations, raffle prizes and auction items that we've been gathering for the event. Many individuals had donated cash and lots of local companies had donated prizes. Every penny raised was to go to Cancer Research UK as part of National Breast Cancer awareness month. Nevertheless, the event will still go ahead as planned. 23rd September Due to holidays, the opening hours for the Town Council have been amended until 4th October. The opening hours can be seen from the above link. 21st September The Water Festival Committee have announced that the Water Festival AGM will be held on Monday 19th October in the Kings Head Marquee at 7:30pm. A copy of the Constitution & Rules can be seen from the above link. 18th September Information on the White Lion's 499th Christmas and The Boathouse festivities can be seen from the above link. I've added a link to an article in today's Malvern Gazette to the Flood Defence Meeting link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 16th September The menu for the White Lion's 'Ladies that Lunch', and information on their '500 Club' are now on their website - the address is on the Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net menu. 15th September The latest newsletters from our CSOs and Town Mayor can be seen from the above links. 14th September I've added a link to an article in the Worcester News to the Flood Defence Meeting link. 13th September http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=United_Kingdom®ion=England&city=Worcester is a link to NASA, which gives the times of the Space Station passing over our area in September. New content here might be a bit sparse for the next few days, whilst I wait for a new computer to arrive and then set up. 11th September The Agenda for next week's Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 10th September I've added an article from the Malvern Gazette online to the Flood Defence Meeting link. A new flagpole on the Memorial Hall was installed yesterday. Uckinghall and Ripple are getting a fun run and walk organised - all proceeds to Cancer Research as part of their 'Pink" breast cancer fund raising activities in October. More information from the link at the top of the page. The Co-op re-opened this morning and looks very clean and spacious. A picture from the link above. I was at a meeting in The Swan last night, when we suddenly noticed a hot air balloon coming over the river to land on The Ham. A couple of pictures from the above link. Tickets for the Pepperpot Players next production 'Our Day Out', written by Willy Russell, are on sale now. More details from their latest news from the above link. 9th September I've added the presentation delivered by the Environment Agency at the meeting on 3rd September to the 'Flood Defence Meeting' link above. Oops! The Co-op doesn't re-open until tomorrow. Sorry! 8th September The Co-op will be re-opening at 8am tomorrow. In 1974 the Malvern Urban District Council and Upton Rural District Councils, along with other areas, were incorporated in the Malvern Hills District Council. More information and a map showing the extent of the Upton Rural District Council can be seen from the link above. 7th September I've added a page about the Flood Defence Meeting, including several links. This can be seen from the above link. Upton Arts Music Group is celebrating its 40th year in 2010. The programme of events for 2009-2010 can be seen from the above link. 5th September I've added a picture of Upton in Bloom's Awards in the Tourist Information Centre window to the awards link above. A very interesting history of The Ham, by Simon Wilkinson, can be seen from the above link. 4th September Some pictures from yesterday's Heart of England in Bloom Award Ceremony added to the above link. The latest Youth Band newsletter is available from the above link. The agenda for next week's Planning & Hall and Finance Committees can be seen from the above link. There is a report in the Malvern Gazette online about last night's flood defence meeting. A link above. Scaffolding will be going up on the front of the Memorial Hall on Sunday in preparation for repainting. The main hall & and walls up to the top of the first set of stairs will also be painted. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. The Public Meeting regarding the Environment Agency's proposals for flood defences along the riverfront last night was very well attended, with standing room only in the Memorial Hall. The EA gave a presentation showing artist impressions of what the riverfront could look like, and timings for the delivery of the New Street bund & the riverfront. A lot of discussion took place after the presentation, including the alternative option to the wall - the Self Closing Flood Barriers. The Chairman, County Councillor Bob Bullock asked the audience if they wanted another meeting which would include more information about the SCFBs, which resulted in an overwhelming 'Yes'. This will be arranged. I've added the Judges comments to the Upton in Bloom link above. Upton upon Severn won a Gold Award, and won the Large Village Category in the Heart of England in Bloom. Well done to everyone who helped in any way! Members of Upton in Bloom are going to Pershore today, with Mayor Cllr Paul Thomas, to receive the results of this year's Heart of England in Bloom campaign. 1st September Only the stage remains as evidence of the Water Festival taking place over last weekend, and that will be gone tomorrow. I think the Festival went very well, especially as it was all organised in less than five weeks! 30th August Yet again a tremendous fireworks display by Rowan Thomas & Pepperpot Pyrotechnics! And to Grahame at the Kings Head, from Upton in Bloom many, many thanks. I've added pictures from today to the Water Festival link above. 29th August The Environment Agency were coming to present their proposals to the Town Council on Tuesday 1st September, with the Public Meeting taking place on 3rd September. They have now said they are not prepared to bring the proposals with them on the 1st. They have offered to show them to the Town Council just before the Public Meeting. I feel it shows just how little respect they have for the Town Council who are, after all, the elected representatives of the Town. I've added some more pictures to Saturday from the Water Festival Pictures link. 28th August A traction engine is on show in Lower High Street for the Water Festival. A picture from the above link under Recent Additions. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 27th August Gerald Savine has an exhibition and sale of paintings by those that attend his art classes in Bridge House from Saturday to Monday 10.00-5.00 in Bridge House. Entrance is free. The stage for the Water Festival is nearly complete. The Festival get underway tomorrow evening with music from Quill, sponsored by the Kings Head, and Hogg's Eye performing at The Swan. 26th August The Co-op will be closed from 31st August until 10th September for refurbishment. The Water Festival website has been updated with the programme and a list of sponsors & supporters. 25th August A public meeting will be held on Thursday 3rd September at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall. The Environment Agency will present their latest proposals for flood defences. The meeting will be chaired by County Councillor Bob Bullock. Although a poster posted around the town by the EA says 'People who live and work in Upton...', I think it is relevant to everyone who comes to Upton, especially to spend time by the river. 23rd August If you're interested in keeping bees, you could have a look at the Malvern & Upton Beekeepers website at http://www.keepingbees.co.uk. I've added their forthcoming events to the Calendar. 21st August Information on a new Friendship group for the Bereaved - Cruse Bereavement Care - can be seen from the above link. The MV Conway Castle's pontoon was refloated and returned to its moorings today. Some pictures from the link above. The draft minutes from the Town Partnership Open Meeting on 5th August can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 20th August A note for your diaries, Saturday 19th September is the first Mercia Upton Station Open Day from 10 am to 4 pm. Please come down and review the equipment station and meet the team, the kettle will be on all day for teas, coffees etc. The station is where Revs Hogg used to be, beside the road to East Waterside. 19th August The minutes from the last Full Council & Planning Committee, approved at last night's Full Council meeting, can be seen on the Town Council's website. On the 17th August, Town Councillors visited UK Flood Barriers in Droitwich to view their Self Closing Flood Barriers. A video of the SCFB in action from the above link. 18th August I saw some rare visitors to this part of the country - a pair of Cranes. Some pictures from the above links. A provisional timetable for the Water Festival has been added to the website, a link at the top of the page. 16th August Ross & Brenda Thomas are celebrating their 57th Wedding Anniversary today. Many congratulations! 15th August The agenda for next week's Town Council & Committee meetings can be seen from the above link. 14th August The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link under 'Newsletters & Reports. 12th August Next month's White Lion 'Ladies that Lunch' menu can be seen on the White Lion's website, www.whitelionhotel.biz 11th August A lovely picture of the Moon reflected in the river was sent to me by Sian Woolley, and can be seen from the above link. 10th August The rear entrance to Hanley Road car park is closed whilst the Alligator teeth are repaired. The Old Police House B&B in Welland can be seen from Recent Additions and has been added to the Accommodation / Bed & Breakfast menu. 9th August The contact details for stalls at the Water Festival have been added to www.uptonwaterfestival.co.uk There's a lot going on at the White Lion - Darts, Golf & ladies lunching! You can read about some of the in their 'Events Review' from the above link. 6th August Mayor Paul Thomas is keeping a diary of his appointments. The July diary can be seen under 'Reports' on the Town Council website. Following a meeting in July between members of Upton Town Council, MHDC & WCC, a report was produced indicating the projected cost of partially painting the bridge. The report can be seen from the above link. I've started a topic about this on the Bulletin Board. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link under 'Newsletters & Reports. The latest newsletter from the Citizens Advice Bureau can be seen from the above link. The Upton Youth Club have organised a fun day on The Playing Fields on Sunday 9th August. More details from the poster and in the Tourism & Trade Newsletter, both of which have links above. 5th August The Town Council are planning to visit UK Flood Barriers in Droitwich to find out more about the Self Closing Flood Barrier as an alternative to a wall along the riverfront. A DVD of UK Flood Barriers 'Self Closing Flood Barrier' can be viewed from the above link. 4th August The minutes from Town Council and Committee meetings for the last two months can be seen on the Council website. A link from the menu. I went to 'Ladies that Lunch' at the White Lion today, and had a lovely lunch. This is the 2nd lunch that Jon & Chris have held and it is proving very popular. So, ladies, on the first Tuesday in the month I can recommend joining the other 'Ladies that Lunch! 31st July 2009 Upton Town Council will be applying for a Faculty from the Diocese of Worcester, in accordance with the Local Authorities' Cemeteries Order 1977, to construct a new Garden of Rest for the Burial of Ashes in the cemetery at Rectory Road, Upton upon Severn. The location of the proposed Garden of Rest is marked as a hatched area on a map, on the site of the graves of the persons listed who were interred no later than 1915. The document can be seen from the above link. I've added several newsletters, MHDC 'What's on' and the August Parish Church music list to links above. The list of Church services for August and September has been added to the top of the Events Calendar. Morning Services now take place at 10.00am for a trial period until the end of the year. A website has been set up for the Water Festival. A link at the top of the page. 30th July About 40 Morgan cars were parked in Lower High Street & along the river front this evening. Some pictures from the above link. The agenda for next week's Town Council meeting can be seen from the above link. Its nice to see that the 'Pharmaceutical Chemists' in gold lettering has been applied to the left hand window in Boots. 27th July There weren't as many Morgan cars as expected on the riverfront, but the ones that did come were well worth looking at! Some pictures from the above link. The agenda for the next open Town Partnership meeting is available from the above link. I've created a new bulletin board, which I think is more appropriate for discussions than the Blogs. I've copied the comments on the flood defences, and a new topic about the continental market to the bulletin board. 25th July Upton in Bloom's 2009 Portfolio can be seen from the above link. 24th July The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link under 'Newsletters & Reports. 7am. The Continental Market stallholders are busy setting up in Lower High Street and along the riverfront towards the Plough. 23rd July Warmer Worcestershire has information on insulating your home. It has a thermal image of the county and you can see how well insulated your home is by clicking on the 'Find your home now' link. A link above. 22nd July Vandals struck at the Tunnel Hill boat again. Pictures from the above link. A Road Closure notice has been issued by MHDC stating that Riverside and Waterside shall be closed to all vehicular traffic, including pedal cycles between the hours of 6am - 11.59pm from 24th July 2009 to 30th July 2009. 20th July I found an article in the Worcester News about 'Two years after the floods' with a link to an Environment Agency fact sheet, which was updated in June 2009. I've added the link above. Yet another instance of the Town Council not receiving information relating to our town and finding out by accident. We didn't know about the demonstration of flood defences which was mentioned in a BBC news item last week. Derek Prodger, Worcestershire County Council cabinet member for environment, Mary Dhonau, National Flood Forum chief executive, representatives of Wychavon District Council, Droitwich Spa Town Council, the Environment Agency, and a member of Kempsey Flood Action Group were there, but no-one from Upton. 18th July The Blues Festival is going well with lots of people visiting all the venues. The weather has been good, apart from a couple of showers around 5pm. 17th July Browsers Collectibles, in Lower High Street are now selling guitars. Mark Woolley, who used to run Upton Music, has now got a good range of guitars in the shop. I've added a link to the Welland Steam Rally website at the top of the page. The stage is set for the start of the Blues Festival today. At 8am several trade stands were in place and the stage is built. This year's camping is on Fishmeadow. Parking is also available on Fishmeadow, and is free for campers. Updates regularly on the Blues Festival website, a link above. 15th July Thelatest National Flood Forum newsletter is available from the above link. The agenda for the next Town Council Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee is available from the above link. A newsletter from Malvern Community Hospital can be seen from the above link. They have a live webcam feed from their website at http://www.malverncommunityhospital.org.uk/ - the webcam is limited to 20 viewers at one time. A couple of news items on the BBC yesterday about flood defences - two videos are available on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/8147542.stm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8149158.stm 14th July The stage for the Blues Festival is being erected. Work had to stop for safety reasons when we had a downpour of rain. Pictures from the above link. The latest news from the Pepperpot Players can be seen from the above link. Lots of Morgan cars will be parked along the riverfront whilst their owners go for a cruise on the MV Conway Castle on the evenings of the 27th & 30th July. The evenings are part of the Morgan Centenery celebrations. 13th July Hanley Castle High School are offering Evening Classes in Modern Languages from September 2009. More information from the above link, and also from their languages blog at http://www.hanleymfl.typepad.com/ 11th July I've updated the report on the Heart of England in Bloom judging with the 'Grow a Wellie Garden' competition results. Pictures from the Severn Vale Marching Band Championships can be seen from the above link. I'm uploading a couple of videos which will be available later. Some pictures of the site & swimmers taking part in the Upton Triathlon from the above link. The Heart of England in Bloom judging took place yesterday. Pictures from the above links. Upton Triathlon is taking place today, based on Fishmeadow. 10th July The latest newsletter from the Upton Hub is available from the Customer Service link above. The Severn Vale Marching Band Championships are being held tomorrow. The poster can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. (The date of the Hanley Swan Local Market under Farmers Markets should be 25th July.) 8th July The latest newsletter from the Upton Policing Team can be read from the above link. A memorial seat has been placed near the bridge in memory of Richard Tippin, originator of the Blues Festival. Pictures from the above link. 7th July The list of callouts by Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue has been updated. A link under Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net. The new gravel for the Cemetery paths will be arriving late morning tomorrow, so the Town Council would warmly welcome any volunteers to move it! You will need to bring your own spades and wheelbarrows though. Heart of England in Bloom judging is on Friday morning! If you can help by picking any litter you see, including cigarette ends, or pulling up a few weeds, please do - it will be a big help. The judge's route can be seen from the above link. The latest newsletter from the Citizens Advice Bureau can be seen from the above link. 6th July Amended plans have been received regarding the Boots sign above the chemist's shop. They are online at the above link, or in hard copy at the Memorial Hall. 4th July Yesterday, students from Hanley Castle High School painted a mural under the bridge. Pictures from the link above. Upton in Bloom's 'Local in Bloom' competition was judged today by Duncan Coombes. Pictures of some of the 37 entries can be seen from the above link. Richard's Saints pushed the car for 221 laps and covered 110 miles! I've added a video of the finish to the above link. 3rd July 5pm The pink car is being pushed around the Sports Field. I don't envy the teams in this heat! If you can, do go to the field and give them some encouragement. Or send me an email, and I'll take it to them! The 24 hour car push by Richard's Saints gets underway at 5pm today. A picture and more information from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. Boat owners - if you would like to take part in a boat cavalcade to celebrate 'River Trade' in Upton upon Severn's judging in the Heart of England in Bloom, please be upriver of Panes Garage at about 11.25am on Friday 10th July The agenda for next Tuesday's Planning and Hall ∓ Finance meetings are available from the above link. 1st July I've added a few events and the list of July Church services to the Calendar, and some new newsletters to the links above. Upton Youth Club has been going for 6 months and has 80 members. The club runs Wednesday evenings 7pm - 9pm (term time only) at Upton Sports Club, and costs £1. The members take part in football, rounders, cricket and circus skills. They need more volunteers, so if you are interested please go and meet them. Their aim is to keep enough young people engaged / interested in coming to the club. 30th June 2009 The Agenda for tonight's Town Council meeting can be seen from the above link. 27th June A lovely, hot day for the Jazz Festival. Road closures around the riverfront, and a variety of stalls, helped keep more people in the town, hopefully to the benefit of the shops and other businesses. I've added some more pictures to the above link. 26th June I've added a video of Hanley School Band playing in the Jazz Festival 'Best of Young Jazz' marquee to the Jazz Pictures link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 25th June Fishmeadow is almost ready to welcome visitors to the Upton Jazz Festival. 24th June The White Lion Hotel is 500 years old next year! Jon & Chris have introduced some special offers in the run-up to 2010. A link above. A small office looking over the river is available to rent in Bridge House. Ask for Bill Hawkes in the tea rooms. 23rd June At the next Town Council meeting on 30th June Sara Goodman South Worcestershire CDRP Programme Manager will be talking to the Council at the next meeting about the Anti-Social Behaviour Detached Team – part of the South Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership. Sara will be answering any questions after her talk. More information from the above link. The latest Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue newsletter has been added. 22nd June Several events at The Boathouse have been added to the Events Calendar. The first one is 'Dinner & Jazz' on Saturday. Sandy Barker, Tiltridge Farm Bed & Breakfast, has been awarded Highly Commended in the 2009 'Worcestershire Welcome Awards' in the category 'Best Worcestershire Breakfast'. A picture from the above link. 21st June It seems as if the MV Conway Castle's pontoon was lifted & moved yesterday. I had to leave at about 2pm, so missed it. 'Elver', one of the gravel barges was filled with water to lower her. Cables were then attached to the pontoon, which was completely under the water, and then the water was pumped out of Elver to raise her in the water and bring the pontoon up with her. Whether it worked that way, I'm not sure. 20th June The Heart of England in Bloom judges route can be seen from the Upton in Bloom link above. Attempts are going to be made to lift the pontoon today. 19th June I've added some videos of yesterday's operation to raise the MV Conway Castle's pontoon, from the link above. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 18th June The Kings Head staff underwent training in the use of a defibrillator today. A defibrillator is now available in the Kings Head. Some pictures from the above link. Work commenced at 8am this morning to refloat the Conway Castle's pontoon. Pictures from the above links. 17th June A fire in a flat in Collinghurst House resulted in four fire engines and numerous Police vehicles attending. Some pictures (from after the fire was out!) from the link above. 16th June British Waterways are replaced the surface of the public pontoon. Some pictures from the links above. 15th June One of the pontoons alongside the MV Conway Castle has sunk! Severn Leisure Cruises are expecting a crane to come and lift it so they can fix the leak. Sadly, two of Veronica's flower tubs are now at the bottom of the river, having fallen off the pontoon as it sank. 14th June Upton Youth Band's latest newsletter is available from the above link. I really admire the band members - they work so hard and have achieved a lot over the 25+ years since they were formed. It is good to see young people with some aim in life, with discipline and enthusiasm. If you can get there, please go along to the Severn Vale Marching Band Championships on 11th July at Hanley Castle High School and see hundreds of young people from all over the country taking part. Our band travel the country taking part in other events, and are great ambassadors for Upton upon Severn. 13th June The latest newsletter from Tourism & Trade can be seen from the above link. A car boot sale tomorrow, June 14th, on the Sports Field. Gates open for Booters at 9.30 and buyers at 11.00. There will be refreshments available from The U.T.T.A. Caravan from 11.00. All the proceeds will be shared between Tourism and Trade and Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue. 12th June The Classic Buskers tomorrow night is now concert only as teas have sold out. An updated poster from the above link. The agenda for next week's Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee meeting is available from the above link. The latest newsletter from Pepperpot Players can be seen from the above link. Did you know? I was asked where the Pig Market was. Simon Wilkinson said 'The Court Street area before the arrival of the County Court. A comparison of 1842 and 1850 Trade Directories shows tradesmen who were in the Pig Market in 1842 were in Court Street in 1850. The (Royal) Oak was in the Pig Market in both!'. Thanks Simon. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 11th June 10.30pm It appears that BT have sorted out the problem - at last. 10th June Quite a lot of internet connections in Upton aren't working. Trying to get BT to understand that it is a variety of ISPs that are having the same problem was virtually impossible. "I'm only interested in this connection" was what they said. And insisted on going through the checking router etc script. I met a couple of people going off to get new routers as they thought it must be their equipment. Anyway, after a lot of hair tearing, and the third person I spoke to said he would have someone check at the exchange. 9th June The latest newsletter from the Upton Local Police Team can be seen from the link above. 8th June The Blues Festival website has been updated. A link from the Links menu. 7th June The White Lion Hotel have issued new menus - they can be seen from the link to the White Lion above. Entry forms for Upton in Bloom's 'Local in Bloom' competition can be found from the above link. 6th June In spite of constant rain, Upton in Bloom, along with volunteers, planted all the display boats and riverside tubs. The whole operation took about an hour thanks to preparation work by Brian Williams from Earls Croome Garden Centre. Some pictures from the Upton in Bloom linka above. Stocks Veterinary Practice will be opening in their new premises in the old Doctors Surgery in School Lane on Monday 8th June. 5th June Bob Bullock has been re-elected as County Councillor for the Croome ward, which includes Upton upon Severn. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. Upton in Bloom's hanging baskets have been put up today by Earls Croome Garden Centre. Tomorrow the boats & riverside tubs will be planted up. If you would like to help, please go to one of the boats at about 10am, where you will be most welcome! On July 4th, Richards Saints will again be pushing a pink VW around the Sports Field for 24 hours. Following a very successful push last year, they are doing it again. More details, and a link to the website on the Events calendar. 4th June Boots the Chemist have put in a planning application to change the sign above the chemist's shop. If you would like to see the application, and comment on it, the address is http://public.malvernhills.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=KK1SPWKL00500 2nd June MHDC's commissioned report on 'Land Drainage and Flooding' has been rubber-stamped by the Executive Committee. The report follows one published earlier this year on 'Flood Risk Assessment'. Both reports can be seen on MHDC's website from the above link. 1st June MHDC's latest 'View from the Hills' magazine can be found from the above link. The agenda for tomorrow's Town Council's Hall & Finance and Planning Committee meetings can be seen from the above link. 31st May The agenda from the 'Policing Matters Group' can be seen from the above link. If you are concerned anything, please go to the meeting. 29th May If you really want to hear me, http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0035z0g/Andrew_Easton_29_05_2009/ and move the slider to 18:15. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. Max Thomas, from BBC Hereford & Worcester, interviewed some local people a couple of weeks ago. Today, at 12.20 it's me, followed by Jon at the White Lion 'After 12.40'. On Monday, Penny of Community Care at 12.20 and Max the mobile Fish man at 12.45. Tuesday, John of the Map Shop at 12.20 and 'Butchers' at 12.45. You can listen online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/ The Heart of England in Bloom judges will be coming to judge Upton upon Severn at 10am on 10th July. The latest Community Care newsletter can be seen from the above link. The newsletter from the Readers Group has been added. I've added quite a few new events to the calendar. 28th May Appointments of Paul Thomas, Mayor of Upton upon Severn are in the Events Calendar. The calendar is also on the Council website, with only the Town Council and Mayor's dates. I've updated the page for the Heritage Centre. A link under 'Things to Do'. 26th May Inspector Griffiths will be attending tonight's Town Council meeting, and the next Malvern Hills "Policing Matters Group" public meeting will take place on Wednesday 3rd June 2009 at the Baptist Church Hall. A chance to air grievances about weekend evenings in town perhaps... 24th May Some black and yellow hazard tape (to protect some wet paint) has a rather gruesome drawing within it... 22nd May The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. Last night a concert of Words and Music by Meadowsweet with Alan Johnston and The Cambrian Ensemble proved a very successful fundraising evening for Upton in Bloom. Some pictures from the above link. 21st May The agenda for Tuesday's Town Council meeting can be seen from the above link. A report by Rupert Chambers about Hanley Castle & Upton On Severn Under 14's 'Hanley Huskies'v Barnards Green under 14's cricket match can be seen from the above link. St Joseph's Church in School Lane, Upton is holding a Bank Holiday Garden Fete from noon-4pm on Bank Holiday Monday. 20th May I've added some pictures of what I think are a Brimstone butterfly and a Grey Wagtail to the above link. 16th May I've added some videos I took at the Folk Festival. The programme for Meadowsweet with Alan Johnston & and The Cambrian Ensemble 'Words and Music' evening can be seen from the above link. 15th May The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 14th May A Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings by Pat Unwin has been organised in Queenhill WI Hall from 16th to 23rd May. More details on the Events Calendar. The Town Council website has a welcome message from the new Mayor, Paul Thomas. A link from the Town Council menu. Court Street appears to be open! The latest newsletter from the Police can be seen from the above link. 13th May Court Street will now be closed for six days in total. The closure, which started today, does not restrict access to the back of the Co-op. The Agenda for next Tuesday's Town Council Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee can be seen from the above link. A list of candidates for the West Midlands European Parliament is available from the above link. New signs have gone up at entrances to the Town. One more will be put in Hanley Road. Pictures from the above link. The latest Customer Service Centre newsletter can be seen from the above link. The list of candidates for the County Council, Croome Ward, was released on Monday. A link to the document above. 12th May At the Annual Town Council Meeting, Cllr Paul Thomas was elected Mayor and Cllr Simon Yates Deputy Mayor. Malvern Hills District Council are conducting a survey on '...what you think about the future of Waste Collections'. I've added a link to it above. 9th May I've been watching live pictures of nesting Peregrine Falcons in Worcester and Derby and I've added links to the sites. 8th May The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. Worcester County Council's Environmental Services Information Bulletin can be seen from the above link. If you are part of a smaller community or a few individuals just starting to sow the seeds for a cleaner, greener local environment, then the Britain in Bloom Neighbourhood Awards are for you. You don't even need to know anything about gardening! More information and entry forms from the Upton in Bloom link above. Entries so far include The Anchor Inn Welland, the bottom end of Rectory Road and Upton Surgery. The May Newsletter from Tourism & Trade can be seen from the above link. 7th May The Agenda for the Annual Town Council Meeting can be seen from the above link. The Will of William Blantine/Blanton in the County of Suffolk, Mass., dated 1662, has been added to the Genealogy / Wills menu. 6th May An interesting article about ''Proposals to tackle flooding welcomed' is in the Worcester News online: http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/4344216.Proposals_to_tackle_flooding_welcomed/ The Draft Bill it refers to can be found on the DEFRA website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/flooding/flow/index.htm Upton in Bloom's next working party on 11th May will be meeting at the Swan. 5th May A copy of the presentation given to the Town Council by the Environment Agency and the Spring newsletter from the National Flood Forum can be seen from the above links. 4th May Upton in Bloom's Duck Race took place yesterday. Pictures from the UiB link above. Many thanks to Mercia Rescue for collecting the ducks! Yet more Folk pictures from yesterday added. 3rd May I've added pictures from yesterday afternoon at the Folk Festival and also some from today. 2nd May Good weather for the first day of the Upton Folk Festival. Some pictures from the above link. The lists of May services can be seen from the Events Calendar, and music at Upton Parish Church is available from the above link. Community Care's latest newsletter is available from the above link. 1st May The agenda for Wednesday's Town Partnership can be seen from the above link. The Parish Church services for May can be seen from the Events Calendar. 6.30pm. There are lots of campers on the Sports Field now, and they are still arriving. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 30th April Several campers have arrived already on the Sports Field for this year's Folk Festival. The agenda for the Council's Hall & Finance Committee can be seen from the above link. The BBC1 Countryfile show has been filming on the Malvern Hills this week. The show will be transmitted this Sunday, May 3rd at 7.30pm A report on the Hanley Castle & Upton U14's Cricket Club v Evesham can be seen from the link under Newsletters & Reports. 29th April The Environment Agency made a presentation to the Town Council last night, bringing them up to date with progress on flood defences. A link above. The office in Bridge House is no longer available. Court Street to Severn Drive will be closed for three days from 13th May for work to take place on a gas main. Minutes from the last Full Council, and Open Spaces, Hall and Finance and Planning Committees can be seen on the Town Council website link on the menu. 28th April A large office is available in Bridge House, Lower High Street for anyone wanting one of the best locations in the town! 24th April The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. A new website for the Malvern Hills Area Neighbourhood Watch Association can be accessed from the above link. 23rd April I saw a pair of ducks taking great interest in 'Connie Lee'. The duck was much braver than the drake! 19th April News from Upton Rowing Club can be seen from the above link. 18th April 'Best of Young Jazz' has been organised by Upton Jazz Association and is offering auditions for young musicians aged 11 and over. Information on the 'Best of Young Jazz' can be seen from the above links. 17th April The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. Malvern TIC also sent a copy of a letter from the Editor of the Worcester News about a campaign they will be running - 'Buy Local: Buy Here'. The letter can be seen from the above link. My bicycle has been found - a link above. 16th April I've added the reports that were presented to the Annual Town Meeting. A link above. If you fancy a thrill, take part in a Zip Slide and Abseil at Eastnor Castle on 28th June. Run the gauntlet with The Stroke Association. More details & an entry form on the Events Calendar. Volunteers are desperately needed for the Heritage Centre. If you can spare a few hours every week, please contact Tourist Information on 594200, or call in and have a chat. Without volunteers, the Centre can't open for visitors. 15th April The agenda for the Town Council Open Spaces Committee can be seen from the above link. Information boards about The Ham SSSI have been installed at the three entrances to The Ham. The boards all give the same information, of which the most important, in my opinion, is the request that dogs should be kept under control on the pathways so that nesting birds aren't disturbed. The sign can be seen from the above link. I heard last night that my bicycle was seen on Sunday morning being ridden along Gardens Walk, heading towards Minge Lane. A group of youths were with someone of slim build, wearing a grey hoodie, who was riding the bike. The Police were informed. I've added the list of winners of the various Easter Monday competitions to the link above. 14th April Some more information on the Pepperpot Players October production has been added to their latest newsletter from the above link. 13th April The events organised by Upton Tourism & Trade Association for Easter Monday afternoon proved a great success. Pictures can be seen from the above link. I've taken some photos of a row of Black Poplars not too far out of Upton. Apparently they are Britain's rarest tree. A link above. 12th April My bicycle has gone walkabout. If anyone sees it please give me a ring. It is old and rusty, has a St George flag on it - or had, a battered basket at the front, and an orange box at the back. It also has a faded orange cycle lock wrapped below the saddle. 10th April The Scarecrow entries in the Upton Tourism and Trade Association's competition were judged this morning. Pictures from the above link. The May newsletter from CSO Sally McPherson can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 8th April On 25th April a Masquerade Ball is being held on the MV Conway Castle in aid of Upton Youth Band. More details from the poster which is on the Events Calendar. The Blues Festival website has been updated with new information. A link from 'Events'. The draft minutes from last year's Annual Town Meeting can be seen from the above link. The meeting is your chance to come and hear reports from the Town Council & local organisations, and ask questions about things that concern you. 6th April The agenda for the Annual Town Meeting is available from the above link. The Boathouse, Waterside are now offering afternoon cream teas. More details from the link on their page under Eating Out. The latest newsletter from the Citizens Advice Bureau can be seen from the above link. A competition for all ages - Grow a Wellie Garden! More details from the above link. 3rd April The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. MHDC TIC have also produced a list of Easter events in the area. 2nd April The minutes from the last Council & Committee meetings can be seen on the Town Council website. www.council.upton.uk.net. LocalSafari is a website which aims to encourage people to get out and about and enjoy their local area. Based in Tewkesbury. A link from the 'Links' menu. The shops in Upton are participating in a 'Win your Shopping' promotion. More details from the above links. Upton Tourism & Trade Association have organised an afternoon of fun on Easter Monday: "At midday on Monday there will be an Easter Bonnet Competition which is open to all ages with prizes appropriate to the age group. The Bonnets will be paraded by their makers outside the Star Hotel, where a road closure will be in force. On Good Friday the judges will visit the gardens with the Scarecrows and judge the winning entries. The entry forms are available from local schools and the Tourist Information Office. The winning scarecrows, made by the children of the town, will be displayed in The Old Churchyard (The Pepperpot). There will be an array of charity stalls and a storyteller and face painter will be in attendance. There will be music and Morris Dancing. During the afternoon, free Hot Cross Buns will be distributed. During the week before Easter mini Easter Eggs will be amongst some of your window displays and the children will be asked to spot them. The winner with the most correct answers will be rewarded with a prize. All the eggs they find!!!!" 31st March The picnic benches on the Village Green appear to be sinking into the ground! Some pictures from the above link. The planting on East Waterside was finished last Saturday. Pictures from the above link. Three Giant African Land Snails have been found on The Ham. If anyone knows who they belong to, or can help, please contact me in the first instance. A picture from the link above. 30th March The floor & stage in the Memorial Hall have been rejuvenated. Some pictures from the above link. The latest news from Community Care can be seen from the above link. They would like more volunteer drivers, so if you can spare a few hours a week, please contact them. I've added quite a lot of events to the calendar over the last week or so! 27th March The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 26th March The Blues Festival is going ahead. A notice about this can be seen from the above link. 24th March St.Richard's Hospice Malvern fundraising group are holding a Walking Treasure Hunt on Sunday 29th. More details on the Events Calendar. Planting continues on East Waterside on Saturday morning. If you can spare some time, please help with this community project. More details at the top of the page. 21st March Some dramatic pictures of a rescue following a glider landing in a tree from the link above(!) A Barn Owl has escaped from his owners in the Old Street / Backfields area. If anyone sees it, could they ring 0777 093 1109, or the Kings Head - 592621. There are more details in the Blogs section of the website. Pictures from the planting on East Waterside can be seen from the above link. 20th March The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. The latest newsletter from Tourism & Trade can be seen from the above link. 18th March Information about the Rowing Club's 'Learn-to-Row' (L2R) course for beginners and 'Return-to-Row' (R2R) courses can be seen from the above link. I've added a link to an online copy of 'Records and Traditions of Upton on Severn', a book by Emily M Lawson, who also wrote 'The Nation in the Parish'. Some of the scanning hasn't translated very well, but this is mainly on the front page. 17th March Details on the planting taking place at East Waterside on Friday can be found from the above link. If you can spare an hour or so, please come along and help! 15th March Mercia Rescue have a new boat. More details from the above link. 13th March Information about the nexe Pepperpot Players production in May from the above link. The latest newsletter from Upton Hub can be seen from the above link. The agenda for next week's Planning and Open Spaces & Cemetery Committees can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 12th March Dave Semple has very kindly made six bird boxes for Upton in Bloom. Would anyone be prepared to help us fix the boxes in some trees please? 11th March I've added three new pictures to the 'Wildlife in Upton' menu under Views. A link above. The annual VM Easter Egg & Toy Run for bikers & pillion passengers takes place on 4th April. More details from the Events Calendar. 10th March 2.15pm - WCC Highways have replaced the stone mentioned below. Good service from them. A lorry delivering to the Plough Inn mounted the pavement outside the Kings Head and demolished the large stone there. A picture from the above link. Information on a planting scheme at East Waterside, lead by the Tree Warden Malcolm Brown, can be seen from the Upton in Bloom link above. 9th March News about the Town Partnership shopping promotion can be seen from the above link. The promotion is to be featured on Radio Star 107.5. Upton Tourism & Trade Association have announced both a Scarecrow & an Easter Bonnet competition. More details from the above link. 7th March The latest newsletter from Upton Police can be seen from the above link. 6th March Hanley Castle High School's Ofsted report can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. Upton Citizens Advice Bureau is now available on Wednesday as well as Friday mornings. A press release from the above link. The minutes of the last Town Partnership meeting, and the agenda for the next meeting, can be seen from the above link. RHS Head of Gardens Creative Development, Matthew Wilson, came to Upton yesterday to advise on the riverside beds, and gave a talk in the evening. More details from the Upton in Bloom link above. 4th March Upton Rowing Club are looking for volunteers to assist with long distance head on Saturday 12 September. More information from the above link. Get your car washed at Upton's Fire Station, between 10am & 2pm on Saturday 7th March! 3rd March The agenda for tonight's Hall and Finance Committee is available from the above link. The minutes from 4th February and next agenda for Upton Town Partnership can be seen from the above link. 2nd March The Blues Festival regular sponsors Worcester Bosch, have reluctantly had to pull out of supporting the festival this year. There is more information on the Festival website - a link from the Events menu. The latest newsletter from Upton Community Care can be seen from the above link. 28th February Hanley Castle High School students were litter picking yesterday. A picture from the above link. On Monday, at 7.30pm, the Pepperpot Players will be auditioning for their next production. 27th February The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 26th February Hedge laying between the Old Road and Sports Field will be taking place on Saturday & Sunday, from about 10am. The work is being undertaken by people doing Community Service. 25th February The minutes from the last Full Council and Committee meetings can be seen on the Town Council website. 24th February Upton in Bloom's monthly working party are meeting at the corner of Severn Drive / Gardens Walk on Saturday 28th at 2pm. Volunteers welcome! 23rd February A new group, Upton Flood Forum, have issued a news release, which can be viewed from the above link. 22nd February Some good news - the Blues Festival will be going ahead. I've been promised a statement about it. 20th February I would like to borrow photographs of servicemen commemorated on the WW1 Rolls of Honour at the Memorial Hall and the Parish Church. If anyone knows of someone who has any photos, please let me know. I would only need them for a brief time, and would return them very quickly. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 19th February The agenda for the next full Town Council & Planning Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. 18th February Pepperpot Players production 'The Snow Queen' started its run last night. It is well worth going to see. I could only stay for the first half unfortunately. Tickets are on sale at PS Presents in Old Street. Some pictures from the link above. 17th February Did anyone travelling to or from the Tunnel Hill direction see people pulling plants out of the boats at either end of the Old Road? If so, could you advise the Police, quoting incident number 126S170209 please. Some pictures from the above link. 16th February The Play Rangers are coming back to the play area in Upton (by the old fire station). They will be there on Tuesday 17th Feb, from 1pm-3pm. The latest newsletter from the Upton Hub can be seen from the above link. 15th February A report from Upton Youth Band can be seen from the above link. I've added some more information on the 'Women for Women Cycle Jordan' fundraising event in which Val Simcock is taking part later this year. A link above. 14th February Upton in Bloom's Table Top Sale was very well attended. Some pictures from the above link. The next event is a talk by Matthew Wilson of the RHS, BBC2's Gardeners World and several other TV programmes. I heard Matthew speak at a seminar last year, and the talk he gave was both informative & entertaining. More information from the link at the top of the page. 13th February The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. A document showing activities during half term is also available. I was appalled at an item on BBC Midlands Today last night. I've put a link to the item, and my comments about it, above. 12th February The agenda for the next Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. 11th February From what I can see the EA haven't left the tape on the Sports Field. In Case of Emergency. Store an ICE number on your mobile. Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialling the number you have stored as 'ICE'. A link above for more information. The latest newsletter from Upton Police Station can be seen from the above link. Good luck Lucy! An interesting walk around the Sports Field, which the Environment Agency had marked out with tape & stakes to give an idea of the footprint and height of the proposed bund. They are also planning to hold another walk on the riverfront to show the proposed wall defences. I asked if this could take place on a weekend so that more people would be able to come and see. Hopefully the EA will do this. I think the EA are leaving the tape in place for a day or two. Pictures from the above link. The Upton Youth Band needs a storage facility within the Upton area, or just outside, to store its equipment and uniforms. They also need a new van to help transport it all to competitions across the country. They would like a dry building about the size of three double garages, which could be over two stories or two rooms to store the band equipment, ideally with 24-hour access. A 3.5 ton box-type van would be ideal for their requirements. The band would pay rent for the storage facility and a sensible sum for the van. If you can help, please email probertlesley@hotmail.co.uk 8th February 6pm We've had more snow fall this afternoon. High Street & Old Street are slushy, and New Street is slushy with snow lying. 8th February Upton in Bloom's Table Top Sale on Saturday 14th looks like being a good place to find bargains! It is expected that about 14 tables will be in the Memorial Hall selling on behalf of local charities and individuals. More information above. 6th February Nominations for St Richard's Hospice Women of the Year are being invited. More information from the above link. On Sunday 15th February at Earls Croome Parish Church there will be a Benefice Service of thanksgiving for marriage & renewal of marriage vows. More details on the Events Calendar. The 351 bus service is changing slightly from 2nd March, providing a service to Tunnel Hill Surgery. A link above. The final article about Soley's Orchard, by Simon Wilkinson, can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 11am I've just come back from a short ride in the town. The main road is a bit slushy in places but seems OK apart from that. The pavements are snowy/slushy and I saw a couple of Highways personnel going around with a hand operated gritter on the pavement in Old Street 5th February 2pm The roads seem to be OK now. No slush, but very wet so if it freezes, they could be slippy. The Environment Agency will be leading a site walkover on Wednesday 11th February meeting at The Sports Pavilion Car Park at 12 noon. The footprint of the proposed defences along the playing fields will be marked out. 9am The main roads are slushy especially at the roundabout, so please take care. I expect they will improve as more traffic goes through. Its been snowing overnight. There is just over an inch on my bird table. I've no idea what the roads are like, but I expect the A4104 and B4211 will be clear. I'll report back later. 3rd February I've added the timetables for buses serving Upton. A link above. The Upton Blues Festival needs help! A notice on the Festival website is asking for new members for the committee to help plan and organise this great free festival. You can visit the Festival website from the Events menu. 2nd February Both the Jazz & Folk Festival websites have been updated with bands, artists & Morris sides recently. We don't appear to have nearly as much snow as other parts of the country. 30th January The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 29th January Pictures & documents from the Environment Agency Flood Alleviation Drop-in Session can be seen from the above links. The website address in the article about the cricket has been amended. Hanley Castle & Upton Cricket Club is looking for quality cricketers to join its ranks this summer. More information from the above link. Don't forget the Environment Agency drop-in session this afternoon and evening! 28th January The Town Council now have their own website, which can be seen from the above link. The minutes from the latest meetings can be seen on the site. 26th January I've put a link to some short videos I've taken lately. A link above. The barriers were taken down this afternoon. With any luck, the barriers will be removed today! 25th January An amended agenda for Tuesday’s Town Council meeting can be seen from the above link. 9am The water on New Street lane has gone for as far as I can see from the entrance to HR car park. 24th January The Upton Social Club now has a page on the site. A link above. The minutes and next agenda for Upton Town Partnership can be seen from the above link. 8am New Street lane is flooded from the back of Hanley Road car park entrance onwards. 23rd January The copy deadline for advertisement sales in the Upton Folk Festival printed programme has been extended. A link above. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 22nd January The agenda for next week's full Council meeting can be seen from the above link. Upton Arts Music Group concert on Saturday is fully subscribed, so no more tickets are available. 21st January The Upton Jazz Festival new website is now online. A link above. Tickets can be purchased online, as well as by telephone & personal callers to Upton Tourist Information Centre. The leaflet giving details of the Festival is also available from the above link. 9am The river is still going down. The water on New Street lane has gone for as far as I can see from the entrance to HR car park. The road is covered with debris, and mud. 20th January 9am The river has gone down. The barriers are remaining as weather forecasts for later in the week aren't very good. 19th January 2.30pm The river level hasn't risen on the Hanley Road gauge since the picture I took this morning. The barriers have gone up overnight, between Bridge House & The Swan, although the plastic membrane hasn't been used yet. As usual, no-one has let me know about it. 18th January The river has risen quite a bit today. At 3.30pm it had just started to come onto the Old Bridge Abutment. 16th January The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. 15th January I've taken some new pictures of the Anchor Inn at Welland. The restaurant and bar areas were flooded in July 2007, and have been refurbished. A link above. 12th January The latest newsletter from Upton Police can be seen from the above link. 9th January The UTTA Newsletter (from the above link) contains information on 'The Upton upon Severn Town Partnership'. This should be of interest to all organisations, and members of the public, so please come to the meeting. Upton Firestation will be open on Wednesday 11th February, from 6pm to 8pm. The Firefighters are looking for more Retained Firemen to join them, so if you are interested, please go along to have a chat with them. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below. The latest Newsletter from Upton Hub can be seen from the above link. 7th January The Agenda for next week's Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. The Upton Youth Band AGM will be held at the Upton Social Club on Saturday 17th January, 7pm for 7.30 start. All welcome. West Mercia Police have made available a website showing Local Crime Mapping. I've set a link to statistics for Upton upon Severn above. 5th January The White Lion Hotel have issued their new menus for 2009. They are also offering a 10%-off voucher for meals. Check out their website under Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net 4th January I've installed a calendar for forthcoming events. It is available from the link at the top of the page. If you have a one-off, or a regular event please use the email link at the top of the calendar page. 3rd January The third article about the history of Soley's Orchard, by Simon Wilkinson, can be seen from the above link. The previous articles are available from the History menu. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' and After Christmas Events are available from the links below Forthcoming Events. 1st January 2009 The cold weather continues. Ice is forming over the Marina, and a Swan posed for a photograph! Pictures from the above links. 2008 31st December A Happy New Year to all visitors to the Upton Website! Olympian, Zac Purchase, Vice President of Upton Rowing Club, is honoured with an MBE in the New Year's Honours List. Alistair McCleod, Chairman of Upton Rowing Club said 'I am delighted that the whirlwind of change for Zac since winning his Gold in Beijing now extends to an MBE. The Club may think itself again privileged to be so closely associated with Zac and we wish him well in 2009. He is a great role model for our junior squad.' The agenda for the next Planning and Hall & Finance Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. Planning applications can be viewed online by going to http://public.malvernhills.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_searchform.aspx and selecting 'Upton and Hanley' as the Ward, and 'Upton upon Severn' as the Parish. 24th December Next year's Town Council and Committee meeting dates can be seen from the Town Council menu. 22nd December The Friends of Upton Jazz have released details of their concerts from January to June 2009. 20th December I've added a video of the Morris dancers to the page mentioned below. A group of Morris Dancers were outside the Kings Head this afternoon. Some pictures from the Christmas link above. The winner of the UTTA 'Spot the Santa' Competition received her prize, donated by Poundsavers Travel, today. A picture from the above link. The draw for Upton in Bloom's 'All you need for Christmas including the turkey' also took place. Some pictures from the Upton in Bloom link. 19th December The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' and After Christmas Events are available from the links below Forthcoming Events. 18th December New Street lane is clear. The barriers have been taken down. Back to normal! 17th December Santa Claus needs to borrow a pair of size 12 black wellies for an hour on Saturday 20th December so he can perform one of his many duties. If anyone can help, please let me know! I've added pictures of Christmas windows to the Christmas link at the top of the page. 11.30 New Street lane is clearing slowly. Some of the road is visible after a long patch of water. The barriers are still here. 16th December The minutes from the last Town Council and Committee meetings can be seen from the Town Council menu. 12.30 The back entrance to Hanley Road car park is now clear. 8.00am The footpath in New Street is clear to the path into Hanley Road car park. I think the water on the road would clear a lot faster if the ditches and gullies weren't full of year's of accumulated dead vegetation! There is standing water in the ditch alongside the hedge edging the car park, at a level higher than the water on the road. The river has gone down a lot overnight. 15th December 3.30pm The water levels are going down. 7.00 The river has risen slightly overnight. The sandbags along the riverfront which I mentioned yesterday haven't been deployed. 14th December The Lanterns for Upton were processed from the Parish Church to the Memorial Hall yesterday evening. Some pictures from the above link. 3.15 The river is still rising. The Environment Agency have put pallets of sandbags along by the Plough, so hopefully they aren't expecting it to rise too much more. The river has risen a lot overnight. New Street Lane is flooded nearly to the 30mph signs. The water is only just on to the plastic membrane at The Swan. Upton is still open for business! 13th December 4.30pm The river has been rising slowly all day. The level has just reached the bottom of the gauge on Hanley Road. The barriers are being put in place from the Swan to Bridge House. I understand it will be the lower ones. The Christmas festivies planned for the riverside area are being moved to the Memorial Hall as the barriers may be being brought from their storage area. The charity stalls will be in the Hall from about 2pm. 7.45 I've been told there is a meeting later today regarding bringing the flood barriers. 11th December The Temporary Closure of Upton 529 & Ripple 516 footpaths is at an end. Both footpaths are now open. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' and Christmas Events are available from the link below Forthcoming Events. The agenda for the Town Council meeting can be seen from the above link. It includes 'To Discuss the Future of The Tourist Information Centre' Please take care on the roads and footpaths today. I heard of a lorry skidding on the Minge Lane/Gardens Walk corner. Out and about on my cycle, I noticed it was very slippy. Hedge laying is taking place today along the Old Road. Volunteers are welcome from about 10am. 9th December A slight change to the Town Council office hours has been made. A link above. 5th December A special meeting to discuss the 2007 summer floods takes place in Malvern on Monday evening (December 8), at 6pm. More details from an article in the Malvern Gazette from the link above. The latest National Flood Forum Newsletter is available from the above link. The office hours for the Town Council in December can be seen from the above link. 4th December The agenda for the Town Council Hall, Finance & General Purposes Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. £250, £100 and £50 are up for grabs, along with vouchers and free meals at restaurants in Upton when you shop in the town. As a result of the VAT cut, MHDC are offering free parking over the weekend on the 13th and 14th of December in their car parks. This is in addition to the following weekend. 2nd December At MHDC's executive committee last week, the decision was made to move the TIC into the Heritage Centre. More details from the above link. 1st December Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue's website has been updated with some callout information. They also hosted the Launch of the Inland Flood Rescue Association (IFRA) on 29th/30th November. IFRA's press release can be seen from the above link, and also MISAR's website. The December newsletter from Tourism and Trade can be seen from the above link. Entry forms are being sent to local schools for the T&T 'Spot the Santa' competition. More details in the Newsletter. An entry form from the above link. 27th November The Church Family Service on 14th December includes a collection of new toys which will be distributed to Worcester Royal's Childrens Ward and Acorns Hospice. The request is for no toy guns or soft toys as they are not allowed. I've added the list of Church services for December and January to Forthcoming Events. The Parish Magazine, from which I scanned them, got soaked in the rain yesterday, so I apologise for the quality! The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 26th November Upton in Bloom's fourth Pudding Evening was a great success. Lots of delicious puddings were donated by local public houses, hotels and individuals and looked & tasted wonderful! If you didn't get to the evening, see what you missed - some pictures from the above links. Minutes from the last Town Council and Committee meetings can be seen from the Town Council menu. 25th November Mike & Sue Evans, who run Ryall House B&B, now have a holiday home to let in Devon. Their website showing both businesses can be seen from the above links. 22nd November The Worcestershire Joint County and District Councils Scrutiny Report on the Summer 2007 floods can be seen from the above link. Thrisna Bangladeshi and Indian Cuisine restaurant in Old Street now have a page on the site. The above links lead to the page. 21st November The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 20th November The agendas for next week's Town Council & Planning Committee meetings is available from the above link. Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue are involved in the Inland Flood Rescue Teams. Some background information on their website, from the above link. Sheilah Daughtree has retired after 12 years in the Tourist Information Centre. Some pictures from the above link. Rather sadly, due to the antics of some youths, the public conveniences in Lower High Street will be closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. More information from the above link. 15th November 2.30pm Most of the water has gone from New Street lane although there is a patch of water visible from the car park entrance. The 'Road Closed' sign has gone, and I saw a couple of cars coming through from Hook Bank. The road is extremely muddy with a large amount of leaves on it. 14th November The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 11am The barriers will all be removed today. The water in New Street is half way between the pavement & the entrance to the car park. However, there is a car parked across the entrance which looks as if it has been partially submerged. The road is also very muddy. Lanterns for Upton join the Christmas Carol Procession timetable. More details from the Christmas 2008 link. Hereford & Worcester Fire Brigade have vacancies for Retained Firefighters. If you're interested, call in at Upton Fire Station at 6pm tonight. More details from the link at the top of the page. 13th November 9.00am The river is dropping slowly. The water in New Street has gone back nearly to the 30mph signs; on the riverfront it is no longer on the pavements between the Kings Head & the Plough. The Sports Field still has a lot of standing water on it. Malvern Gazette reporter Tarik Al Rasheed has secured a top journalism prize. The 27-year-old was this week named Reporter of the Year by the National Council for the Training of Journalists. Tarik reports regularly on Upton news stories. Our congratulations to him! Full details can be seen on the Malvern Gazette online by following the above link. 12th November 2pm Hanley Road has been opened. The agenda for the next Planning Committee and Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee meetings is available from the above link. 8.00am The river has dropped, and there is a lot less water on Hanley Road, so hopefully it won't be long before it is opened. 11th November I've added some pictures I took during today to the page of flood levels. 4.45pm The Sports Field is virtually covered with water. Countrywide Stores, in Hanley Road, are still open. 2.30pm The river is still rising. Metal barriers have been put across Hanley Road. I understand the Police booked someone who tried to get through them. I was only in HR for a few minutes and saw at least six cars drive past the Road Closed sign, and then turn round in Panes Garage forecourt! 10.45am The B4211 Hanley Road has been closed from the junction with the A4104 at the roundabout. The water in New Street has reached the front of Shipps Garage. Two pallets of sandbags have been delivered to New Street. 9.30am Hanley Road is going to be closed. The water is still as far as the kerb, but it stretches further along the road. The way some of the drivers are driving makes it dangerous for others. 7.00am There is water on Hanley Road, as far as the kerb on the cottages side. The road is open - so far. One media satellite van has arrived. The water is creeping up New Street. The EA issued a Flood Warning yesterday at 17:53. 10th November 8.15pm The river is still rising. I've added some pictures taken throughout the day of the riverfront to the 'River level' link at the top of the page. 17.53 I have just received an email from the EA saying 'A Flood Warning has been issued for the River Severn between Worcester and Tewkesbury.' A telephone call was made at the same time. At 17.45 their website said 'No warning in force'. Between 15.45 & 18.00 their website changed to 'Flood watch' - not 'Flood warning'... The two end sections of the barriers were being erected at 4pm today. The newsletter from the Hub (link above) has details of Christmas Refuse Collections in the MHDC area. 3.00pm The EA have kindly moved the riverside flower tubs to safety in anticipation of more barriers being erected. 1.30pm The water has reached the 30mph signs in New Street. 10.30am The rear entrance to HR car park is flooded. 7.00am The river has risen a lot overnight. New Street lane onwards from the rear road entrance to Hanley Road car park is flooded. The barriers so far erected don't have the membrane covering yet. The Old Bridge Abutment is covered. No Flood Watch on the Environment Agency website yet. 9th November 8.30pm The middle section of barriers have been erected - from The Swan to Bridge House. The proposed route for Santa and timetable of events on 13th December, and Christmas menus for various establishments, can be seen from the Christmas index above. 3.30pm The Environment Agency are in town and expecting the barriers to arrive later. Grahame Bunn, Landlord of the Kings Head loaned me his collection of old postcards of Upton. They can be viewed from the above link. 8th November A friend of mine is looking for a full time job, preferably within Upton, or in easy reach. She's prepared to try anything! Please contact me in the first instance. 7th November The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. Upton in Bloom are planting the rest of the display boats tomorrow. Meeting at 10am, Hanley Road car park. Volunteers will be very welcome! 5th November The November opening hours for Upton Town Council can be seen from the above link. These have changed slightly due to staff holidays. The second in a series of articles by Simon Wilkinson about Soley's Orchard, can be read from the above link. 3rd November The latest Newsletter from CSO Lucy Rowbotham can be seen from the above link. 2nd November Yesterday, Sports Partnership Hereford & Worcester visited Upton Rowing Club to present t-shirts and commemorate eleven bursaries awarded to members in order to support and sustain coaching in the Club. A full account and picture from the link above. 1st November Upton Arts Music Group demonstrated their new staging, purchased through a National Lottery 'Awards for All' grant. More details and pictures from the above link. 31st October The agenda for the next Town Council Hall and Finance Committee meeting is available from the link above. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. They have also produced a list of Firework and Bonfire events. 30th October A list of services at local churches in November is available from the above link. Information on road closures on 9th and 11th November, for Remembrance Day, can be seen from the above links. I've added a link to a very interesting history of Upton, published in 1924, at British History Online. 29th October Minutes from the last Town Council and Committee meetings are available from the Town Council menu link. 27th October Mike Morgan, one of our District Councillors, has written several Blogs. A good chance to ask questions of him. 26th October I've added the programme to the Pepperpot Players 'Sweet Charity' page. 25th October I've got the weather online again. Except for the rain, hopefully soon to be back! 24th October Apparently MHDC will not be offering free weekend car parking in their car parks during December, as they usually do. It will only be free on the last weekend before Christmas. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 23rd October Pepperpot Players 'Sweet Charity' is yet another excellent production. Some pictures from the above link. The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from the link above. 21st October In a conversation on Monday, I discovered that 'Destination Worcestershire' are sending a film crew to Upton on Friday as they are producing a 15 minute film about Worcestershire. They are planning to film the 'Pepperpot', the Conway Castle (going out empty) and the town in general. This is without consulting the Tourism & Trade Association. "Tourism & Trade are not on our database." What gives them the right to come to our town and presume to know what the people in the town concerned with tourism would want to promote? And why nearly at the end of October and not mid-summer? Yet another example of organisations coming to our town without informing or asking anybody. 20th October The White Lion Hotel November/December newsletter is available from the above link. There are details of the White Lion Golf Club - the trophies can be seen at the Hotel, and from November 3rd they are holding open days so you can go and have a look inside. The Boathouse, Waterside, offers a wonderful setting for a function. Full details, and pictures, from the above link. 18th October At last night's Upton in Bloom AGM, Jackie Surtees was elected Chairman. Peter Bellamy takes over as Vice-Chairman in addition to his role as Treasurer. Diane Bellamy remains in her position as Secretary. More information from the 'Upton in Bloom' link above. 17th October The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. Val Simcock, Crew member of Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue is undertaking a gruelling cycle ride through Jordan in October 2009. More information can be seen from the above link. An interesting article on 'The Baylis Family, Buryend and The Mount', by Simon Wilkinson can be seen from the above link. Upton Town Council are looking for a temporary Caretaker to cover sick leave. More details from the above link. 16th October Community Action in Malvern have a new telephone number - 01684 892381. The offices are now open from 9am to 3.30pm from Monday to Friday and from 9am to 12.30pm on Fridays. 15th October The agenda for the next Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee meeting is available from the above link. Upton Arts Music Group have been awarded substantial National Lottery funding to purchase portable staging for the Memorial Hall. More information from the above link. 14th October The Customer Service Centre, based in Upton Library, are producing a monthly newsletter. The first one can be seen from the Reports/Newsletters menu option. Upton Library hold regular activities for adults & children. What they are, and times at which they are held can be seen under Forthcoming Events. 13th October Some advice from West Mercia Police on keeping children safe at Halloween, plus a poster to print and display, can be seen from the above links. 10th October The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 9th October The barriers are all down now. The EA are clearing up Waterside & Lower High Street, so both should be open this afternoon. 8th October 3pm The end sections of barriers are down. The middle section will be removed tomorrow. The river has risen slightly today. There is a bit of water in New Street lane, but it doesn't look like much. 9am The barriers are being taken down. 7th October 3pm It looks as if the river level is dropping. I was told that the two outer sections of barriers could be removed tomorrow. The agenda for tonight's Planning and Hall, Finance & General Purposes meetings is available from the above link. A small rise overnight - looking at the level indicator, about 1 mark. The Old Bridge Abutment is now covered, but the water is shallow. 6th October 4pm The river is still rising, slowly. The Old Bridge Abutment has some water on it. However, the river is still well below its banks and people are wondering why the barriers are all in place, with the middle section having the membrane on it. The rates for advertisements in the 2009 Upton upon Severn Folk Festival can be seen from the above link. Information on several callouts handled by Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue have been added to their website - a link from the Links menu. 7.30am The river has risen overnight, although still a long way from overflowing along the riverside. A lot of debris is coming down. The barriers are up between the Kings Head & the Plough, although not yet covered with membrane. 5th October 5pm More barriers have gone up in Dunns Lane. The waterproof membrane is being put onto the barriers between the Swan & Bridge House. The barriers are going to be erected from the Kings Head to the Plough. Apparently there is flood water coming from other rivers. The level indicator on Hanley Road isn't registering yet as the river is too low. 8am The barrier supports have been put up from The Swan to Bridge House, without the covering membrane. The river doesn't appear to have risen much overnight. The weather forecast for the West Midlands says 'Be prepared' - from the 'Local weather' link above. A picture of the riverfront at 8am from the above link. 4th October 4.30pm Preparations are under way to prepare Lower High Street for the arrival of the barriers, which are on the way from the depot. The EA are ringing around to say the barriers will be deployed within the next 12 hours. 3rd October A link to the MHDC Annual Report can be seen from the above link. More documents are available from the front page of malvernhills.gov.uk The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 2nd October The latest minutes from Committee and Full Council meetings have been added to the Town Council menu. Upton in Bloom are planting pansies in the bed on the Old Churchyard tomorrow afternoon at about 2pm and would welcome volunteers to help! 1st October The Environment Agency have issued their first 'Upton Flood News' newsletter. A link above. 28th September A large tree trunk and a lot of other debris was removed from around the pontoon yesterday. British Waterways had to bring a crane to move the tree. 26th September The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 25th September Upton upon Severn were awarded a Silver Gilt Award in the Large Village Category. Well done to everyone who took part! 24th September Members of the Upton in Bloom Committee, together with the Town Mayor, Cllr Tim Perry, are travelling to Chester today for the RHS Britain in Bloom Awards Ceremony. 'Spade & sponge' working parties - at 2pm on Monday 29th. Upton in Bloom will be digging around the floral boat on the 'Pepperpot' in preparation for Winter pansies, and washing down the seats, railings & litter bins on the riverfront. The latter were left in a mess following the clean up after the flood earlier this month. Anybody who would like to help with either job will be very welcome. We will meet near the Kings Head. 23rd September Zac Purchase has been appointed to a Vice-Presidency of Upton Rowing Club. More details from the above link. 21st September In view of Upton in Bloom's outstanding achievement in the Heart of England in Bloom, the Three Counties Agricultural Society have very kindly offered them a stand at the Malvern Autumn Show next weekend. If you're at the Show, come and see us on stand 396. 19th September The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 18th September The Heritage Centre has had to close earlier than normal this year. It usually stays open until the end of September, but a recurring problem of water coming up through the floor has meant it has been closed. 13th September 8.00. New Street lane is open. MHDC have cleaned the road. WCC Highways are busy cleaning the riverfront from the Kings Head towards and beyond the bridge. The EA are dismantling the barriers from Bridge House to Fishermans Alley. 12th September I've replaced the picture of the Awards on the Heart of England results page with one of the Tourist Information Centre's window. The water in New Street is nearly back to the car park entrance. However, the road is thick with mud! The barriers are down from the Kings Head to the Plough. The rest will probably come down tomorrow. Upton in Bloom would like to announce that the Heart of England in Bloom Autumn Seminar will be held in the Memorial Hall, courtesy of Upton Town Council, with catering by the White Lion Hotel, on 16th October. Delegates will attend from all over the Heart of England. Another chance for Upton upon Severn to showcase itself! 11th September The water in New Street has retreated as far as the 30mph signs. Upton upon Severn was awarded a Gold Award in the Large Village category of the Heart of England in Bloom campaign. Upton also won the Large Village Category. It was also Overall Winner in the Heart of England. Well done to Upton in Bloom and everyone involved in whatever way! The trophies and awards will be on show in the Tourist Information Centre. 6.45am Hanley Road is clear - the barriers have gone from the flooded part, but the Road Closed sign is still by the roundabout. I'm not going to be able to update until late afternoon but I suspect the signs will be removed shortly. 10th September The agenda for the next Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee is available from the above link. 12.30pm The water is creeping along Hanley Road again. I've just watched a BBC Midlands Today item about flood defences in Hereford. They look, to me, much like the ones proposed for Upton. I've put a link to the item above. 7.00am. Hanley Road is still closed, and I think the river has risen slightly overnight. 9th September At about 10.30 this morning, I came out of the Co-op and noticed a County Building Supplies lorry at The Cross. It stopped briefly, then came down Old Street causing oncoming cars & a large van to use the pavement along by the bakers and other shops. I crossed the road and was walking towards The Cross when a bus came into Old Street, straight onto the pavement until oncoming cars had cleared. If you notice any similar selfishness & stupidity, please let me know. 7.30pm Hanley road is still closed. There will be a meeting on Thursday 11th September 2008 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber to meet the new Environment Agency Project Officer for Upton upon Severn and hopefully find out some more information on flood defences for Upton. 1.00pm Hanley Road is still closed, although the barriers have been moved back to the cottages. 7.00am Hanley Road is still closed. The pavement is clear of water so hopefully it will be open later today. 8th September 11.00am The level is still dropping very slowly. I have a lot of visitors coming to the site during floods, many of them looking for information on the roads and, in particular, Hanley Road. However, all the information I supply is purely from my own observations - ie I go out to look and come back and report. So Hanley Road could have been open for a couple of hours before I see it is open. Who makes the decision to close & then open the roads? Somebody must instruct someone to do this. I have made a couple of enquiries to the Police & WCC, but as yet have had no reply. Does anyone know? 7.00am. A very slight drop according to the the gauge on Hanley Road. There is a tide mark in New Street showing the water has receded slightly. 7th September The river rose quite a lot overnight, but seems to have slowed during today. The barriers are holding back over 3' of water opposite the Swan, and more or less in various places along the riverfront. 7.30am. Hanley Road is closed. 6th September 8am: The barriers are up from The Swan to Bridge House. Lower High Street & the riverfront are closed and there is some water on the road. New Street lane is flooded - the footpath & road entrances to the back of the car park are flooded. 5th September "22:44: A Flood Warning has been issued for the River Severn between Worcester and Tewkesbury. Flooding of homes and businesses is expected. Act now! The River Severn is expected to flood low-lying property at Upton and Kempsey, together with Malvern Road (B4211). River levels are expected to be between 4.5 and 5.0 metres at the Saxons Lode river gauge" - from the EA by email. Still nothing on the website though. The flood barriers are being erected along Waterside from the Swan to Bridge House. There has been talk all day about them going to be brought to Upton, yet the Environment Agency hasn't mentioned the Severn all day - this afternoon Shrewsbury appeared as 'Flood Watch'. When I went out at about 7.30pm there was no change; now the site says 'River Severn in Worcestershire, Status: Flood Watch, Received at: 19:58'. Upton in Bloom's thanks to the guys from the EA who moved the barrier baskets to safety from the Old Bridge Abutment. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 2nd September At 12 noon on Saturday 6th September Zac Purchase, Olympic Gold Medal winner, will be in Upton to raise the new Olympic Flag at the disabled area, Lower High Street. 30th August Would you be interested in a local radio station for Upton? Have a look at the Blog about it. 29th August The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. A document 'Heritage Open Days' can also be found there. 28th August The agenda for the next Council Hall and Finance Committee meeting is available from the above link. Upton Arts Music Group Programme of Events is available from the Things to Do menu Brenda's cat finally came home a couple of days ago! 27th August I've added a link to The Kings Head website from the Links menu option. 26th August If you would like to fill in the Upton upon Severn Water Festival Survey, visit www.morethansport.com/waterfestival 25th August The Olympic Flag Handover Ceremony yesterday was a great success. A lot of people came and watched, enjoyed, and took part. However, someone stole the flag overnight. The Police have been informed. 24th August I added some more pictures today. The fireworks were brilliant! Well done to Pepperpot Pyrotechnics yet again. There were thousands of people watching the fireworks, yet the number of people leaving afterwards who studiously ignored the bucket collectors is astounding. 23rd August Water Festival is going well. I've added some pictures from the link above. 22nd August The 'Sing Upton' choir met on the river front this evening to practice their songs which will be sung on Sunday afternoon at about 2.30pm, in concert with other choirs around the nation in 'Sing Nation'. This follows the Olympic Flag handover. Details of the Water Festival and Olympic Handover from the above link, or buy a programme which is on sale all over the town. More details on 'Sing the Nation' can be seen at http://www.singlondon.org/singthenation/events_Upton.html A cat has gone missing in New Street. Tommy is a big ginger & white Manx cat. He has been missing since late Monday evening. If anyone has seen Tommy, please ring Brenda on 01684 592208. Local residents could check sheds and garages to see if Tommy has been shut in by mistake. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 21st August Minutes from the Full Council & Planning meetings of 29th July can be seen from the Town Council menu option. Photos of Town, District & County Councillors, and the Council staff can be seen from the above link. A picture of the barge 'Perch' carrying spoil from the new basin at the Marina to Hylton Road in Worcester can be seen from the above link. I've been advised that the leaflet about the Upton Hub has been corrected, although I haven't seen it yet. 20th August A picture of Zac Purchase, Olympic Gold Medal winner, with Upton Rowing Club where he first started rowing (as he states in his blog), can be seen from the above link. He later rowed at Kings School and then Marlow (Sir Steve Redgrave's Club). Zac is on the left of the picture. 17th August Some information for parents of Upton Primary School pupils regarding the parade of lanterns at Water Festival can be seen from the above link. 15th August The agenda for the next Town Council meeting, which covers Full Council, Planning, Open Spaces & Hall and Finance Committees is available from the above link. The portfolio produced by Upton in Bloom to give to the Heart of England and Britain in Bloom judges can be seen from the Upton in Bloom links above. Some fundraising diary dates have also been added. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 14th August Dates for several fundraising events have been added to the Upton in Bloom diary. 8th August The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 4th August I've put the link to Chris Lusty's website under Forthcoming Events. Apologies for taking it off! Britain in Bloom judging day! If you can join us on the grounds of the 'Pepperpot' from about 3pm, we'd love to see you. 1st August Some friends sharing the birth sign of Leo get together once a year, buy clothes from charity shops and spend the day in town! A link above. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. The first newsletter regarding the new Malvern Community Hospital is available from the above link. 31st July The minutes from the last Town Council and Committee meetings can be seen from the Town Council menu. 30th July Peppercorns Youth Group have decided to put on one last show in September after which the group will fold unless they can find a new committee that wishes to take the group over. They are presenting 'Bugsy Malone' and the poster can be seen under Forthcoming Events. It will be a great shame if the group has to fold as the members are really professional and put on some very good productions. 28th July The agenda for tommorrow's full Council & Planning Committee meetings is available from the above link. 25th July The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. The Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue Association has been updated with information on recent callouts. A link from Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net It sounds as if this year's Water Festival is going to be better than ever! Information on what is planned can be seen from the above link. 23rd July The judging went extremely well. The judges were very impressed with all they were shown and commented on the general cleanliness of the town. Pictures and comment from the above link. Upton is being judged this morning in the Heart of England in Bloom campaign. The floral displays are all looking good, so we hope that all the other criteria that the judges assess will be to their satisfaction! The judging will finish on the Pepperpot, so if you can make it, please join us at 11-15am. 19th July 'Sing the Nation' - Upton upon Severn accepted the invitation to be part of the Olympic Handover and this involves a National Choir Link on the Sunday afternoon of the Water Festival. If you would like to join in, the dates of choir practices can be seen from the links under Forthcoming Events. More information can be found on the 'Sing the Nation' website from the link at the top of the page. 18th July Lower High Street and the riverfront from The Swan to the roundabout, are closed for the duration of the Blues Festival. Part of the Severn Way, along the edge of the Marina, is subject to a temporary closure whilst spoil is removed from the Marina. A copy of the notice, and a map, are available from the links above. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 17th July If you are interested in Genealogy, you may be interested in signing a petition asking the government to release the 1911, 1921 and 1931 Censuses earlier than the 100 year rule now in force. A link above. A press release regarding collaborative working between MHDC & Worcester City Council can be seen from the above link. Yesterday I added correspondence from the Environment Agency regarding a flood protection scheme for Upton. 14th July Mike Hankin has been a professional artist and photographer since 1975. His work can be seen in Frames & Blinds in Old Street. A link to Mike's site is available from the link above. 11th July The agenda for next week's Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee is available from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 7th July 18 year old Chris Lusty is cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats starting on 21st July and, through sponsorship, raising money for Air Ambulance. A link to Chris's website under Forthcoming Events - 21st July. A conference is being held in Worcester on 12th July entitled 'Water, Water …… Everywhere?'. More details from the press release under Forthcoming Events. 6th July Judging took place yesterday in the 'Local in Bloom' competition for residents and businesses. Pictures of some of the entries can be seen from the Upton in Bloom link to their diary above. A route has been prepared and is available from the same link. 4th July The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 1st July Only a few days left to enter the 'Local in Bloom' competition. A copy of the entry form is available above. We have entries from Earls Croome, Baughton and Ryall as well as from Upton. 28th June The 24 hour car push ended at 6pm. I've added a couple of pictures to the ones from yesterday. I'm hoping to get some statistics tomorrow and will add them to the page. The people involved did a great job. A really large picture of the Jazz Festival site on Fishmeadow available from the above link. Over 100 laps of the field had been achieved by the car pushers at just after 7am this morning. Some pictures of shop windows in Upton that have been decorated for the Jazz Festival. Pepperpot Flowers was judged the best, and the Map Shop was second. A link to pictures above. 27th June The 24 Hour Car Push in aid of St Richards Hospice is under way. If you can, please go along and support the pushers, or volunteer to push! Some pictures from the link above. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 26th June The agenda for the next Planning and Hall & Finance meetings is available from the above link. I've added another link, with even more information, to the page about the 24 hour Car Push. A 24 hour Car Push in aid of St Richards Hospice is taking place on the Sports Field, starting at 6pm tomorrow. More details, and a link to donate online from the link above. 25th June Art students from Hanley Castle High School painted a mural on one of the bridge supports today. Much better than the graffiti that was there before. A link above. I've added a link above to the Pitt Report 'Learning lessons from the 2007 floods' which has been released today. Minutes from the last Town Council and Committee meetings are available from the Town Council menu. Not much time left for buying tickets for the Jazz Festival at advance prices, which are valid until the ticket office closes at about 9.30 on Thursday evening. 23rd June A message from the Practice Manager at the Surgery: 'Dear Friends, Thank you so much to you and your volunteers for the wonderful banner entry to the town for the Royal visit - as ever they looked spectacular and I am so grateful for the loaned ones at the surgery. Prince Charles did comment on the bridge display. With best wishes, Philippa'. The Jazz Festival still have spaces available for stalls other than catering, jewellery or clothes. Contact the Festival Office on 01684 593254. The agenda for the next full Town Council & Planning meetings is available from the above link. 22nd June If you haven't signed the petition 'We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ask HMRC to raise the rate at which they permit charities to reimburse volunteer drivers from 40p per mile to 50p per mile for their fuel costs', please consider doing so. Community Care in Upton relies on its volunteers to take vulnerable people to hospital and the surgery. But it isn't just an Upton problem, it must be nationwide. A link to the petition above. 20th June The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 19th June Update: Nick and Sue Hannah have taken over the management of Ardath House. Nick Hannah stated 'Ardath House is under new management and will continue to be an asset to Upton upon Severn. The staff, who will be staying on, have saved the shop'. On behalf of everyone who cares, thank you Nick. I've been told that a local businessman has bought Ardath House, and the business will be continuing. It will close officially tomorrow tonight, and reopen at 4am Saturday morning. I'll confirm as soon as I can. 18th June The list of Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue callouts has been updated on their website. A link from Links / Sites hosted... 16th June The Worcestershire Life Food and Drinks Awards brought an unexpected win for an Upton retailer. A link above. 13th June The Environment Agency asked the Town Council to respond to their proposals by the 16th June - the accompanying letter was dated 6th June! The Town Council has requested that the date be put back so that discussions and answers can be debated at the next Town Council meeting on 24th June. I wonder why the EA expected a response on such an important matter in such a short time? The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. Simon Wilkinson sent me an advertisement from the Upton News 1910 for Paradise Sweet Peas, which I've added to the document above. Thanks Simon! 12th June A very interesting article by Simon Wilkinson & Judith Taylor regarding the breeding of Sweet Peas in the area during the early years of the 20th Century, can be seen from the Upton in Bloom link above. The agenda for the next Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee meeting is available from the above link. The Blues Festival website has been updated with details of this year's event. A link from the Events menu. 11th June I've heard that Ardath House newsagents is to be closed on 20th June, which will be a huge loss to the town. The solicitors who are closing it are Pinkerton Leeke & Co, Cheltenham if you want to write or ring them to ask if they could reconsider their decision and at least give the shop time to be sold as a going concern. 10th June I've added some pictures of the Royal Visit taken by Tim Dance - thanks Tim! There is a link to them from the page I added earlier. Upton Primary School Summer Proms will be held on 5th July, 3.00-7.00pm. More details can be seen from the poster in Forthcoming Events. The Royal Visit to Upton Surgery went very well. Their Royal Highnesses were extremely interested in all the aspects of the Surgery, and met local dignitaries, staff (some of whom had been flooded last year) & patients. More from the link above. The community flags were put up on the bridge last night, in honour of HRH Prince Charles and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. Some moron cut some of them down overnight. Thanks to Peter & Rosemary Webb for recovering most of them. 9th June The Heritage Centre needs some volunteers desperately. If you could spare some time, please call in at Tourist Information. Proposals for flood defences from the Environment Agency are in the Committee Room at the Memorial Hall. Barrier baskets have been installed around the riverfront this morning. Planted up by Earls Croome Garden Centre, they look superb! A link from the Upton in Bloom link. The 'visitors' to the Sports Field left this morning. Upton Rowing Club's Pubs, Clubs & Firms Regatta yesterday proved very successful. Six teams took part and were encouraged by a large crowd of spectators. Some pictures from the above links. 8th June Gypsies have forced entry onto the Sports Field and are camping there without permission. The Police know about it and are hopefully going to move them. 7th June The Youth Band Championships went very well and all the bands are to be congratulated on their displays and turnout. Upton Youth Band did extremely well, winning 8 categories. Some pictures from the link above. The Community Flags will be going up on the bridge on Monday evening for the Royal visit on Tuesday. If you can help, please meet at the Memorial Hall at 6pm. 6th June The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 5th June An Electronic Press Release by Chris Walker with his choice of music by the Antique Six Jazzband can be heard from the above link, or from the Jazz website. Many elderly and vulnerable people rely on local charities with volunteer drivers to take them to hospital appointments. At the moment, charities can reimburse volunteers up to 40p per mile. With fuel prices rising almost daily it can cost the drivers more than 40p per mile. You can sign a petition asking the government to increase this to 50p from the above link. 3rd June Sean Jackson, owner of Ardath House newsagents, was very sadly killed in a car crash on Saturday. My condolences to his family. 2nd June The date for the Heart of England in Bloom judging is 23rd July at 10am. The RHS Britain in Bloom judging is on 4th August, but as yet no time is available. Reports from Community Care, Citizens Advice & PC Mark Taylor's last report are available from the above links. Good luck Mark! I've added a few events to Forthcoming Events below. An updated agenda for the Planning meeting tomorrow evening is available from the link above. 1st June Concerts organised by the Friends of Upton Jazz have been added to Forthcoming Events. Details are available on the Jazz website, under the 'Friends' menu option. 31st May Trevor Harrison, who plays the character of Eddie Grundy in the BBC Radio 4 programme The Archers, joined members of Upton in Bloom for a photo while they were planting display boats today. 30th May The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 28th May The agenda for the next Planning and Hall, Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting is available from the above link. The official opening of Upton Surgery by HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall commences at 10.30am on June 10th. 27th May Dr George Wilson was co-opted to the vacant seat on the Town Council at the meeting last night. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are visiting Upton on June 10th. I've added a link to more information on the Malvern Gazette website. The minutes from the last Town Council, Hall & Finance, Open Spaces & Cemetery and Planning meetings can be seen from the Town Council menu. 25th May The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from the above link. 24th May The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 21st May Some new pictures of R & L Myers Butchers can be seen from the link above. The clock on the Old Church tower (the 'Pepperpot') is working after several months of only showing the right time twice a day! 18th May Do you have any ideas for a business that we need in Upton? A request under the 'Visitors' topic in Blogs for ideas. 16th May The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 15th May Three large boats were all moored in Upton upon Severn today, the MV Conway Castle, the Oliver Cromwell & the Edward Elgar. Pictures from the above link. An announcement Upton in Bloom about a talk by RHS Garden Harlow Carr Curator Matthew Wilson can be seen from the link above. 14th May The Agenda for the Town Council Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee meeting on 20th May is available from the above link. At the Annual Town Council meeting last night, Cllr Tim Perry was asked if he would serve as Town Mayor for another year, and agreed. Cllr Paul Thomas also agreed to remain as Deputy Town Mayor. The Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue list of callouts has been updated. A link from Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net 13th May Roisin Hanks, from The Duckworth Worcestershire Trust, will talk about 'Helping Your Environment' at Community Pride's AGM on 4th June. There is a quiz night tonight in Welland Village Hall, 7pm in aid of the Blue Cross & Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary in Borneo. £10 per team of four. I only found out yesterday, so no poster or entry in Forthcoming Events. 10th May The Civic Society AGM & talk on 14th May has changed venue to the Memorial Hall. 7th May Lucy Rowbotham, CSO is organising two activity days during the school holidays. Lucy is hoping to encourage the town to be involved, as well as the District and Town Council. There will be a huge 56ft inflatable obstacle course and a smaller bouncy castle, Upton Young Farmers, local police, youth services and a BBQ hopefully supplied by a local business. The Hill Centre are going to provide sports equipment to promote healthy play as well as support from Play Rangers and a new Sports Ranger. It's a free event for kids but adults are welcome to come as well. Ripple Parish Council now have their own website. There is a link from the Links menu. 6th May Sales of the 'Summer of 2007' DVD reached over £2000 at Folk Festival. A picture from the links above. 5th May Lots of pictures of the Folk Festival from the above links. Pictures of the Duck Race from the Upton in Bloom link. 4th May The winners of Upton in Bloom's Duck Race were: 1st Prize Duck No 245, Mr Cox; 2nd Prize Duck No 84, Mark Wooley; 3rd Prize Duck No 107, Mr Walters. Mark kindly donated £10 to Upton in Bloom from his winnings. 2nd May The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 1st May A New Community Hospital for Malvern. Pre-Planning Application Public Engagement 16 April to 9 May 2008. If you can't get to the Memorial Hall today, the document which is available there can be found from the above link. The Agenda for the Planning and Hall, Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting on 6th May is available from the above link. 30th April The final line-up of Artists & Sides is available on the Folk Festival website programme. A link to the site above. The latest Town Council and Committee minutes can be seen from the Town Council menu. 29th April Several events being held at the Library have been added to Forthcoming Events. Upton Town Council meet tonight for their monthly meeting. As always, there is an opportunity for public participation. 28th April Some news about the Blues Festival in Upton Blogs. 27th April Mark & Sian, who used to run The Swan, have opened a new shop in Bridge House. Lots of collectibles, from old woodworking tools to a large dresser are on show. A link above. 26th April Pupils from Hanley Castle High School did some litter picking during their lunch break yesterday. Not as part of a school project, but because they want to help the environment. Pictures from the link to Upton in Bloom. 25th April Oops! I discovered today that one of the settings on the Blogs area was wrong. If you've registered but couldn't start a new topic, you should be able to now. Apologies... The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 24th April The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from the link above. As usual, there is an opportunity for public participation during the meeting. The proposals for the new Malvern hospital will be on view in the Memorial Hall on 1st May, 2-8pm. The results from the 'Stop and Search' operation can be seen from the link above. 23rd April MHDC Street Scene & the Police have been busy today. An area of Hanley Road car park was coned off, and a fairly constant stream of vehicles were escorted in to be checked. Most of them had been caught by Automatic Vehicle Recognition systems and those caught had no tax, no insurance, bald tyres, and various other offences. Including a quantity of heroin! I saw two confiscated cars being taken away, and they weren't the first from what I was told. More details from the link above. Some ducks wandered into Bridge House yard this afternoon, and mingled with ornaments for sale - including a duck! A link above. 20th April Peter Ainsworth, Shadow Minister of the Environment is visiting the town for a walkabout on Monday 28th April. Starting 3.15pm at New Street car park. 19th April The revised Conservation Area Appraisal and other documents are available from the MHDC website, from the above link. Where in the world are you? A bit of fun with a world map where you can mark your location from the link at the top of the page. 18th April Conference facilities are available at Upton Surgery. A link above to see the range of facilities. Pictures from the Upton Showcase can be seen from the above link. The event is open tomorrow as well. The Agenda for the next Town Council Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee meeting can be seen from the link above. 16th April Upton Town Mayor, Tim Perry will be opening Upton Showcase at 10.30am on Friday 18th April 2008. Do drop in and find out about "Vision 21", new projects and services provided by Upton Groups, Worcestershire County Council, and MHDC. The Showcase will open at 10am and close at 3pm on Friday and Saturday. More details from the poster at the top of the page. At the ATM last night, Inspector Clive Griffiths announced that PC Mark Taylor will shortly be moving from Upton, and a replacement will be appointed soon. 15th April The Annual Town Meeting went very well. The minutes from 2007 were agreed and adopted. A lot of people attended and lively discussions took place. One of the main messages to come out of the meeting was 'shop local'. A press release about the Lantern Project can be seen from the link above. Following the success of the Flags Project last year, this promises to be another great community effort. 14th April Work has finished at the back of Hanley Road car park, and the entrance now has a fine set of new 'dentures'. A picture from the above link. 11th April The latest news from Pepperpot Players can be seen from the above link. Quite a few sides have been added to the programme page of the Folk Festival - www.uptonfolk.org The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 7th April I've added a link to Upton Rugby Club from the Links menu. Work has started on installing the 'alligator teeth' in the rear of Hanley Road car park. The Civic Society list of outings for 2008 can be seen from the above link. It includes booking forms for each outing. The Agenda for the Annual Town Meeting can be seen from the link above. 4th April The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. Worcestershire County Council Emergency Planning have a display in the Memorial Hall today. Nothing outside to say its there. They have advertised in local papers and radio, but no posters in the town. I only saw it because I went into the Hall on another matter. The display is open until 3pm today. 3rd April The 'Alligator teeth' will be reinstalled at the rear entrance to Hanley Road car park next week commencing Monday. This entrance will be shut for about 5 days depending on the weather. 1st April Members of Upton in Bloom visited the Materials Reclamation Facility at Severn Waste Services yesterday. Some pictures from the above link. 29th March I've compiled a page of pictures showing some of the structures that can be made using Willow in anticipation of Upton in Bloom's 'Willow in the garden' talk on Thursday 4th April. Links above. The file is just over 1MB so perhaps not suitable for downloading with a modem! 28th March The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. You can now buy Jazz Festival tickets online from the Jazz Festival website. The website address is www.uptonjazz.co.uk 26th March Minutes from Town Council and committee meetings are available from the Town Council menu. The Swan is finally open for business following refurbishment after the July floods. 22nd March Upton in Bloom Committee members braved the cold and wind (and snow flurries!), selling tickets for their Easter Draw. The Giant Easter Egg, donated by Anemone/Cromwells, was won by Heidi from Pepperpot Flowers. Pictures from the Upton in Bloom link above. The barriers were finally taken away, Highways cleaned the mud from the roads, and the flags went up yesterday. 21st March The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 20th March The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from the above link. Flood barriers are being removed from Bridge House to The Swan. Highways will be coming to clean the roads before they are reopened, I think! New Street lane is open from Backfields, but there is still a bit of water beyond the car park entrance so please take care. 18th March 1.00pm Hanley Road has been reopened. There is still some water on half of the road. The river level is dropping, as you can see from the level indicator at the top of the page. 7.30am Hanley Road is closed. 17th March Peter Webb, Chairman of Upton Tourism and Trade Association, presented the cups for the Best Christmas Windows today. The presentation was delayed as Geoff Stocker, who kindly engraved them, is still recovering from last year's flood. Pictures from the above link. The river has risen a little. No extra barriers have been erected. The road from the Kings Head to the Plough has had sandbags laid along it. The barriers are in place from Bridge House downriver. New Street lane from the 30mph signs, Lower High Street and the riverfront are closed. 16th March Stop junk mail. I've added a link in 'Useful Bits and Pieces' below, to a site which advises how to stamp it out. Upton in Bloom's Spring Litter Pick took place yesterday. A link above. 13th March The consultation period is over regarding the Conservation Area Appraisal. A link to the response to feedback can be seen from the above link. A follow up meeting is being held at 6pm in the Council Chamber at the Memorial Hall. 12th March The agenda for the Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee is available from the above link. Earlier this week the large Willow tree by the bridge lost a branch due to the high winds. Today, the larger part of the branch has broken off. 11th March "The problem we have, is that the Council (District) have to produce a 3yr Financial Plan. The O/S Scrutiny Committee picked up the figure of £80,000 efficiency saving in 2009 - 2010. This will always cause conjecture to where these savings will be made. T.I.C are an important part of Tourism for the District. We need to be more efficient on how we deliver T.I.C services, and that is what we are looking at over the next 6 months. There are no plans at this time to do anything with Upton T.I.C." 9th March People who work with wood may be interested with a newly felled large Walnut trunk. A picture from the above link. Contact me for more details. The latest news from the Pepperpot Players can be seen from the above link. 7th March The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. A 'What's on at Easter' has also been produced. 5th March The Easter Services programme has been updated - a couple of mistakes corrected. 4th March The Churches of Upton and the surrounding area have issued their Easter Services programme. It can be seen from the link above. True, or rumour? MHDC are proposing or planning to close Tourist Information Centres in Upton, Malvern and Tenbury Wells. If you know which is correct, please let me know. 29th February The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 27th February If you regard the future of Upton as important please take time to look at the Housing Needs Survey from the above link. The minutes from the last Committee and Full Council meetings can be seen from the Town Council menu option. 26th February Because of irresponsible dog owners who can't be bothered to clear up after their dogs, Upton Town Council tonight agreed to have all dogs be kept on a lead on the Sports Field. If this doesn't stop the fouling, dogs will be banned totally from the field. There are also owners who allow their dogs to foul the streets. 24th February Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue refloated the sunken narrowboat today. Pictures from the link above. Anyone interested in a scrabble club or chess club? Click on 'Latest comments' in Upton Blogs. 22nd February The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. Recycle your old inkjet cartridges and help plant a tree! Upton in Bloom are collecting them on behalf of the Woodland Trust. £1 per recyclable cartridge is donated to the Woodland Trust. Epson cartridges can't be recycled. You can drop them through the letterbox at 20 Backfields. A splendid Easter Egg has been donated by Anemone/Cromwells for Upton in Bloom's Easter Draw. The egg is on show in the shop, and a photo can be seen from the link on 22nd March in Forthcoming Events. 21st February I've added a new feature - Blogs. Please have a look, and have your say! Visitors can add feedback or comments on posted articles. If you register as a blogger, you can add your own articles or views. Simon Wilkinson sent a very interesting history of Upton's Parish Churches. A link above. The Heart of England in Bloom Children's Art Competition, for individuals and schools, has the subject of 'Trees'. More information and the entry form from the link above. 19th February The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from the above link. I've added the 'Beauty and the Beast' programme to the page of pictures of the Pepperpot Players' pantomime. 16th February The Folk Festival website has been updated with details of tickets and booking plus the list of artists so far confirmed as coming. Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net 15th February The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 13th February I had a ride up over the top of the Old Church Tower today - pictures from the link above. A report on flooding by MHDC Overview & Scrutiny Committee, to be discussed at a meeting on 19th February, can be seen from the above link. 12th February If you can, do go and see Pepperpot Players 'Beauty and the Beast'! Pictures from the above link. Some more pictures of the balloon, this time from Peter Booth. The agenda for the Town Council Open Spaces and Cemetery Committee is available from the above link. Adrian Lasseter sent me some great photos of a balloon that came over the town on Sunday afternoon. A link above. 8th February If anyone has lost a set of keys, let me know please. New Street lane is open but still wet and muddy. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. A list of half term activities has also been produced. What an utter and complete waste of time & taxpayers' money by the Environment Agency! Upton is struggling enough without disruption like this for no reason. 7th February 16.30pm The river level is still dropping. Personally, I can't see any reason why any barriers should have been erected. The river didn't even come onto the area under the bridge! It wasn't near the top of the bank by the Swan. 11.30am New Street lane has a 'Road closed' sign just after the entrance to the rear of HR car park. The water level appears to be dropping. 7.45am Not much change overnight. New Street lane has a bit more water along it. The Hanley Road indicator has risen to the '4' mark. 6th February 9.00pm The river has risen a bit more, but still a long way to go before it affects anything. The Severn is still on 'Flood Watch' on the EA website. The barriers are up on Waterside, but Dunns Lane is open again. 4.00pm The river has risen a bit. The barriers are going up on Waterside. New Street lane still has some road showing, but I did see a car turning round rather than tackling it. David Chapman has sent me a link to some photos and a video taken from his Amphicar in New Street lane during January. I've added it to the January 2008 flood menu. 11.30am The barriers are on their way. Dunns Lane, Lower High Street and the riverside are closed. Part of New Street lane is flooded, but the road is still visible beyond the flooded area. The Town Council have advised me that they have had 2 Environment Agency recorded messages come through. The first one said that the 'barriers would be deployed in the next 12 hours', the second message said that a flood watch was in place (but didn’t mention barriers). 5th February Good news for Festival lovers today! The Jazz Festival website (www.uptonjazz.co.uk) has been updated with information on this year's Festival, and the leaflet can be seen from the above link. The Blues Festival is going ahead with the programme planned for last year - as much as possible. Dates are 18, 19 and 20th July. 3rd February Upton Rowing Club's Pubs, Clubs, Firms Regatta 2008 is taking place on 8th June. The leaflet & entry form can be found under Forthcoming Events. A very interesting article about Upton's Police Stations, by Simon Wilkinson, can be seen from the above link. I've also added the War Memorials which are on the front of the Memorial Hall. 1st February I've added some pictures of examples of demountable defences and an earth bund which were on display at the Flood workshop. 31st January The EA Flood Defence Workshop was interesting. They showed their alternative proposals for the riverfront, and Church Street to Old Street. A rather gaping hole in the latter proposals was the omission of Hanley Road! The RHS said (about Britain in Bloom) 'There were 1,076 communities that participated in the Campaign in 2007 and 69 of those have been nominated to this year's UK Finals'. 30th January I visited the Malvern Hub at the Library in Malvern last week. Both sets of entrance doors were wide open when I went into the building, and when I left it about 20 minutes later. MHDC say: "We take very seriously the issue of achieving and maintaining an appropriate temperature in the Library, both to create a comfortable environment for visitors and staff and to ensure that we are environmentally responsible. The heating in Malvern library, and some of the windows, are controlled centrally by WCC and whilst we are in regular contact with the Council's heating engineers, there can be a delay before changes made at County Hall take effect locally. We are committed to improving the monitoring and control of heating and air flow in Malvern Library and continue to work closely with the County Council to achieve this." As a taxpayer I am amazed that nobody appears to have thought of using a thermostat in the building to control the temperature. I'd be interested in hearing if anyone else has experienced similar wastefulness at other local authority buildings. Alternatively, you could write to your District or County Councillors. New gates have been made and installed at the Cemetery in Rectory Road. A picture from the link above. Minutes from the Town Council, Hall & Finance, Open Spaces and Planning meetings have been added to the Town Council menu. 29th January The appeal against the refusal of planning permission for Tingdene Marinas development of Upton Marina has been set for 26th, 27th & 28th March, starting at 10.00am at Hanley Castle School. 28th January 4.00pm The barriers have all gone! Thanks to the Environment Agency who put them up and manned them since the evening of January 12th. If cars don't park along Waterside it will give Highways a chance to clean the mud from the pavement and road. New Street lane is clean to the car park entrance. I couldn't see any water along the lane, but it is still very muddy. 10.00am New Street lane is being cleaned off now. There is an area of water on the road visible from the car park entrance, but I saw a van coming through. The rest of the barriers are being dismantled, so hopefully we will be back to normal later today! Just the cleanup to be completed. 27th January 9.00am The footpath to the back of Hanley Road car park is clear of water, but there is debris & mud on it. There is a large amount of debris on the road, as well as water. The ditches alongside the road have not been cleared for years to my knowledge. The footpath from the road to the car park is covered with mud and will be very slippy. The rest of the barriers are going to be removed tomorrow. The plastic membrane has to be cleaned of mud. There is a lot of mud on the ramp to the Old Bridge Abutment, and under the bridge. Yesterday the flood barriers from Lower High Street to The Plough were taken down. All the EA flood warnings from upstream of Tewkesbury have been removed. 26th January 7.45am Hanley Road is open. New Street is clear to the 30mph signs. 25th January 9.00pm I've just been advised that Hanley Road won't be opened until tomorrow morning - some time after 6am. There is still water on the road and Highways will be cleaning the mud off before opening it. Apparently going through a Road Closure can mean a £60 fine and 3 points on the licence. Several car numbers have been given to the Police, and I hope they prosecute the owners. 4.00pm The river is still going down. Hanley Road is still closed. I think that if drivers who drive through when there is water on the road were more considerate of the dwellings, then the road could be opened sooner. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 11.15am The pavements are clear on Hanley Road now - picture above. ITV Central News were in town yesterday talking to Peter Webb from UTTA, and several traders. They presented a good report on the town, stressing that this flood is a normal Winter event and that the town is open for business. Thank you to them. 7.45am The river has gone down a lot overnight. Hanley Road is still covered, but the entrance to Backfields is almost clear. 24th January Last night two yobs entered the Memorial Hall and attempted to vandalise the new stage curtains. They were disturbed before too much damage was done. Scenery for Pepperpot Players' pantomime next month was undamaged. CCTV pictures of the yobs were obtained and the Police informed. When their names are published, I hope their parents are proud of them. A picture from the link above. 3.00pm Still going down. I've put a picture of the Hanley Road level marker at the top of the page. At about 12pm yesterday the height was just on the '8' The Rotary Club of Malvern have issued an invitation for people interested in re-forming Upton Rotary Club. More details above. 10.15am The river level is finally dropping! 7.45am I can't see much difference in the levels since last night. 23rd January 4.45pm The river has still been rising slowly. 12.00pm I've added pictures taken today to the above link. 7.45am The river is still rising. I've just seen a 4WD going into Countrywide. More water in Backfields - if I have to go out in my car today, I won't be going out that way. 22nd January 4pm As at 1.00. The fencing closing off Hanley Road is still allowing access to Countrywide. I've added a picture of Backfields/New Street at 4pm to the links at the top of the page. 1.00pm Still rising slowly... But Upton is still open! 8.00am The river has risen overnight. The water has reached the entrance to Panes Garage, by the Pelican crossing. Backfields entrance is covered, but still passable to reach the car park. 21st January 10.00pm Following telephone calls & emails to and from BBC H&W, there are now two entries on their traffic report page, one for New Street, and one for the B4211 Hanley Road. 3.45pm The water has covered the entrance to Hanley Road car park and is creeping along the road. Please remember that Upton is open for business as usual. We have a fantastic range of shops, hotels & restaurants. If you can, please support them and shop in Upton. Two EA severe flood warnings on the Severn today: Shrewsbury, and from Upper Arley to Bevere including Bewdley and Stourport 1.45pm Although the water is creeping back up New Street, it doesn't appear to have covered much more of Hanley Road from when it was closed earlier. A workshop and consultation exercise at the end of the month could pave the way for an ambitious new flood defence scheme for parts of Upton upon Severn. More information from the above link. 11.15am Hanley Road has just been closed. The fences have been put further back for the moment, so that the first entrance to Countrywide remains open. 8.45am The river has come up overnight and water is again covering Hanley Road. The pavement is not yet covered. Highways are being informed, so I expect the road will be closed. 20th January 3.00pm Not sure when it happened, but Hanley Road is open! The river and water in the surrounding areas, including New Street, is dropping very slowly. 11am Still no movement to open Hanley Road. 8.15am There is very little water left on Hanley Road. Although someone has partially moved the fencing at both ends and I've seen traffic going through, until the fencing is removed by either Highways or the Police, the road is still officially closed and anyone going through is I suppose, committing an offence. 19th January 11.30pm Hanley Road is still closed. 1.45 Hanley Road hasn't changed much. Another picture above. During the building works at the Library, the Citizens Advice Bureau has relocated to the Tourist Information Centre. Opening hours are 10-12 on Fridays. 9.20am I've added a new picture to the link at the top of the page showing the state of Hanley Road at 9.00am. 7.20am I've been advised that Hanley Road is still closed. Part of the pavement by the cottages has cleared. Britain's pensioner population has increased by one today! 18th January At a presentation about the proposals for the Upton upon Severn Conservation Area Appraisal conducted by MHDC, quite a few people had questions for the presenters. One of the main points brought out was that the first anyone (including the Town Council) knew about the Appraisal was when letters were received by owners of listed buildings. Apparently the Appraisal has been underway for a few months before the draft document (which is very interesting) was produced, without any input from people living in Upton. A final document, perhaps taking into consideration the comments received, is scheduled to be published in April, without any further consultation. The audience felt that Upton should be consulted again, and that the April date should be reconsidered rather than such an important issue being rushed. Apart from one person who gave the presentation, nobody from MHDC attended. A link to the document is above - it is quite a large file and the link goes directly to the document on the MHDC website. 6.30pm A bit less water on Hanley Road. 2.30pm I've put a comparison picture to the earlier one I took of Hanley Road above - not a lot of change, but it has gone down a bit. The water on the riverfront has gone back to beyond the entrance to the Kings Head patio. The agenda for the Town Council Opens Spaces Committee meeting is available from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 11.15am The level is still dropping. A picture of Hanley Road from the link at the top. 7.30am The water level has dropped overnight. There is a lot less in Backfields. Very little difference on Hanley Road yet. 17th January 4.15pm I think the water level has dropped slightly. 3pm Carl from the Old Fire Station has a webcam looking out on New Street. It is updated every 10 seconds. A link above. Many thanks Carl! 1.00pm I really can't see any difference in the river level. The water from Hanley Road which is going into the car park hasn't met up with the water coming in from the back yet. The Old Street car park has very few spaces left dry. The Old Road, earlier this morning, was partially flooded (the entrance opposite the Fire Station). 10.00am The river is rising very slowly. A new warning from the EA this morning - 'River Severn at Gloucester'. 7.30am I can't see any change in the flood levels since last night. There is a bit more water on the disabled parking area. Hanley Road is still closed & New Street to the entrance with Backfields is closed. 16th January 9.00pm I'm not sure if the river is still rising, or has stopped! Hopefully the latter. At 4.30 the water was creeping along the edge of the barriers on the disabled parking area and there could be a bit more now. I've realised that I only sent a Road Watch email to say that the Police were stopping motorists going into Hanley Road and didn't follow that up with a message to say it was fenced off - apologies! The EA have issued two new warnings today - 'River Severn at Shrewsbury' and 'River Severn from Buildwas to Coalport including Ironbridge'. 4.30pm The river is still rising slowly. A bit more on Hanley Road, and into Backfields. I've added some pictures from the weekend & today, from the link above. Looking at pictures from January last year, the level looks about the same as then. 1.15pm The river hasn't progressed much on Hanley Road since this morning. Backfields entrance from New Street is covered now. The media flood is rising though - they can't seem to grasp that for Upton this is a normal flood. 10.00am The fences are up in Hanley Road now. The water has reached the Pelican crossing, about the same as on Saturday. There is more water in New Street. The EA issued a Flood Warning 'River Teme from Bransford Bridge to Powick' early this morning. 7.50am The Police are turning traffic from Hanley Road. The water has just come around the corner into Backfields (about the same level as Saturday). Don't forget, you can subscribe to our Road Watch mailing list (from home and work) and get emails advising of changes to the roads. See below. 7.25am I've been told that Hanley Road is covered with water and Highways should be putting the fences up. 15th January 8.45pm The river is rising again. There is water on Hanley Road, but whether from the heavy rain or seepage I couldn't tell (it was dark!). 2.30pm I've just heard from a restaurant owner that he has had cancellations today, as did a cafe owner - because people had heard media reports about Upton being flooded. Are the media who have put out the false impressions going to compensate those businesses? Hah! If they can't report accurate information, they should keep away. How much does it cost us, the licence payers? 12.30pm A new Flood Warning on the EA site issued at 10:37 today - River Severn from Bevere to Powick including Worcester 10.15am I've just come back from a look around the town. New Street is still closed - the water has retreated to near the 30mph signs. The water is nearly back in the river opposite the Plough. There is still some along Waterside against the barriers. The river may rise again due to the amount of rain falling up river. 7.30am(ish) Having seen a BBC News reporter on 'Breakfast' dramatically explaining about the barriers going up in Upton, I went to tell her that she is giving out old news and showed her a printout from here from 11th January. She pointed out the barriers holding the water back along Waterside & I told her it is old flood and going down. I'm not impressed with them. 14th January If you're a smoker (or even if not!) you may like to look at this petition - http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/smokinglicenses/ 1.45pm Hanley Road is open. 11.30am Even less water on Hanley Road, yet the fences are still up. I've written to Highways about it. More information on the next Garden Club & Upton Arts Music Group events can be seen from the links below. 8.15am Hanley Road is still closed. However, the water has retreated so much that only a small amount remains, covering about half the road near the cottages. 13th January 3pm The river looks as if it has stopped rising. 9.00am Hanley Road is closed from the Pelican Crossing to Pool House. The water has just turned the corner into Backfields from New Street. The other roads seem fine. According to the EA's 'Current Flooding Situation' page, the flood does seem to be local - Worcester to Tewkesbury, Tewkesbury to upstream of Gloucester and 'Tidal River Severn at Gloucester' are the only areas with flood warnings on them. 12th January Upton in Bloom's Exhibition of alternatives to plastic bags & packaging was very successful with nearly 300 visitors coming to see what was on display. A link above. The river has risen a lot overnight. The barriers are all in place. New Street is closed - the water is past the 30mph signs. The Recycling Centre is flooded. Hanley Road is clear. The river has just topped the bank opposite the Plough. 11th January The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. The barriers are going up tonight. It has been raining heavily most of the day. The Environment Agency website says 'Flood watch' for the Severn in Worcestershire. 4th January The Editor of the Malvern Gazette has apologised for the error. Tarik, our local reporter wrote the article to go in next week's edition as he was going away. The article has been replaced with last week's article in the online edition of the paper. The Editor has suggested that supporters of the plastic bag free project might like to make comments below the article, and he will add them to an article next week. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. MHDC are holding a Conservation Area Appraisal and Review of Upton upon Severn. More details from the above links. The Malvern Gazette has said that the Upton in Bloom exhibition of alternatives to plastic bags is this weekend. It isn't, it is next weekend. 3rd January The latest Town Council agenda is available from the above link. 1st January 2008 May I take this opportunity to offer my best wishes for a Happy New Year to all visitors to the Upton website, and indeed to Upton upon Severn. 31st December An office/studio is to let in Bridge House, Waterside. Call in to speak to Bill Hawkes, or ring 01684 591580. 28th December Following a wave of national projects to make villages, towns & cities plastic bag free, Upton in Bloom have announced that they would like Upton to follow suit. A lot of research was carried out, and UiB thought that an exhibition showing the reasons behind the proposal, and samples of alternatives to plastic products (not just bags) would help to show that plastic consumption can be reduced. More information from the above link. 25th December Merry Christmas! 24th December Five new boats were named at a ceremony at Upton Rowing Club yesterday. Pictures from the above link, or from 'Things to do' / Rowing. 22nd December A busy day in town! The lights have been lit on the Memorial Tree to remember loved ones. Santa drew the winning ticket in Upton in Bloom's Christmas draw - the winner came from Kinnersley. The winners of the UTTA Christmas Window Competition have been announced. All these can be seen from the links above. 20th December The Friends of Upton Jazz have released their programme for January to June 2008. Dates, with links to more information can be found in Forthcoming Events. 19th December Upton Arts Music Group updated 2007-2008 programme is available from the link above. 15th December 'The Pitt Review - Learning Lessons from the 2007 floods' has been released. A link under Recent Additions. 15th December Some pictures from the Christmas evening in town from the above link. 15th December 'All you need for Christmas including the Turkey' draw tickets on on sale in the town. You can find them at Pepperpot Flowers, Haywards, Anemone/Cromwells, The Launderette, Julie-Ann, Haywards, Earls Croome Garden Centre and Clive's Hairdresser. All proceeds go towards Upton in Bloom's 2008 entry in Heart of England in Bloom and the RHS Britain in Bloom. 14th December The date for the Marina Appeal hearing has been set as 26/27/28 March ’08, although the venue has yet to be announced. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 13th December The New Street to Hook Back road has no water on it as far as I can see from the entrance to the car park. There is a lot of mud & leaves on the road. The agenda for the Opens Spaces & Cemetery Committee meeting is available from the link above. 12th December A special treat today for members of the Wednesday Luncheon Club - Christmas Dinner prepared by Bishop's Catering. A link above. Minutes from the last Full Council, Open Spaces and Hall & Finance meetings added to Reports/Newsletters Town Council. The rear entrance to Hanley Road car park is now clear of water. There is quite a lot of mud & leaves on the road. 11th December The footpath to the rear of HR car park is now clear, although there is still water on the road. The barriers have been removed. Water levels are dropping. The bottom of New Street is still blocked. The barriers should be removed today. 10th December 9.00am The river has risen overnight. It has almost reached the 30mph signs at the bottom of New Street. There is some water on the road by the Swan. 9th December 3pm The plastic membrane is on the barriers now - although only to half height. The level still hasn't reached the road by the Swan. The entrance to the rear of HR car park is now blocked, and the water is now reaching the footpath. 8.30am The barriers are up, but the plastic membrane hasn't been put on yet. The water by the Swan is still below the top. The road from just past Hanley Road car park entrance to Hook Bank is covered with water, and I can't see any road between the two low points. 8th December 4pm The barriers are going up from Dunns Lane to Bridge House. 3pm The barriers are here & being unloaded. They may put them up near the Swan straight away, but there is still a long way to go before the water overflows there. 1pm. The barriers are being brought to Upton now. Police, EA, MHDC & Mercia Rescue personnel are all down by the riverside. 10am. The river has just started to creep onto the Old Bridge Abutment. Apparently the barriers are being moved to Upton tonight. On the EA website, Shrewsbury is on Flood Warning. Worcestershire is still on Flood Watch. 7th December I've added a link above to the Environment Agency's 'Review of the 2007 summer floods' page on their website. 4pm. I think the river is still rising. There are several flood warnings on the Severn, these can be seen on the Environment Agency website - http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk You can listen to 'Turning the Tide' live on BBC Hereford & Worcester by going to http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/ and clicking on 'Listen Live'. Brian from Earls Croome Garden Centre is delivering a large Christmas tree to the Fire Station tomorrow at 10.30am. If you would like to help put the lights on, please feel free to come! Another one is going outside the toilets at Hanley Road car park, but I'm not sure about the arrangements for that - probably being done after the Fire Station one. The next agenda for the full Council meeting is available from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 6th December I've been advised that the flood barriers could be going up tomorrow or Saturday. [Later: the EA apparently say the barriers won't be erected as the water will be high but not high enough to need them.] 5th December The Churches of Upton upon Severn & the surrounding area have distributed a list of Christmas services. A link above. I've added some pictures of the cleaner streets and new litterbins, from the above link. 4th December The street cleaning has finished. Worthy of note are the footpaths on the Old Churchyard! Some of the new litterbins have been installed. 3rd December Various areas of the town are having roads and/or pavements cleaned. Police 'No waiting' bollards are in place to stop cars from being parked and possibly being damaged by the steam cleaners. In New Street it would appear that quite a few drivers think that the bollards don't apply to them, and they are manoeuvring their cars between them. Or are they blind? 2nd December Pepperpot Pyrotechnics are in Kuwait at the moment. They are presenting two firework displays whilst they are there. 1st December Yesterday the first task in the list of repairs and improvements made possible by a grant from Advantage West Midlands following the July floods, was carried out. The old concrete ramp to the Old Bridge Abutment was removed and replaced with paviers - and it looks much better! 30th November BBC Hereford & Worcester are broadcasting from 12 noon on 7th December from the Kings Head. The BBC would welcome anyone who would like to come along with their flood stories. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. A 'Christmas Events' is also available. 29th November The next agenda for the Council Hall & Finance Committee, and a new list of 2007/8 meeting dates can be seen from Reports/Newsletters Town Council menu option. Richard Allchurch, electrician, an NICEIC Approved Contractor, due to deferred contracts and awaiting insurance confirmations has some time available before Christmas should anyone require work doing or emergency call outs etc. If you write to me in the first instance, I can put you in touch with Richard. MHDC have distributed a letter in New Street asking people not to park there on Tuesday 5th December. Cars displaying the letter will be allowed free parking for the day in Hanley Road car park. This is to enable cleaning of the pavements, which is being paid for by a grant from Advantage West Midlands. Steve Arber has been appointed Operations Director of Tingdene Marinas Ltd. A press release from the link above. New chairs and stage curtains have been purchased for the Memorial Hall by the Town Council. Pictures from the above link. 28th November In spite of a huge amount of opposition, Bransford and Shrewsbury Ambulance Control Centres are to close. The 'powers that be' thought so much of what the public had to say, that two large petitions against the closures were each counted as one objection! Parishioners are invited to purchase a tree to be planted in the Upton upon Severn Cemetery in memory of a loved one. More details from the above link. 27th November Tarik al Rasheed, Upton's reporter on the Malvern Gazette, has won an award in this year's professional journalism examinations. A link to the article in the Gazette above. Well done Tarik! The 'Summer of 2007' Audio Visual DVD is now available to order for DVD Region 1 (North America & Australasia). 25th November Community Pride have released a condensed version of their 2006 - 2007 minutes, available from the above link. 24th November The narrowboat is completely in the river now. A couple more pictures added. 23rd November The agenda for the next Open Spaces & Cemetary Committee meeting is available from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. A 'Christmas Events' is also available. I've added two pictures of the narrowboat taken this morning. 22nd November A narrowboat has half sunk on the moorings opposite The Plough. Pictures from the above link. Minutes approved at the Council meeting on Tuesday have been added to the Reports/Newsletters Upton Town Council menu option. 21st November Upton in Bloom's third Pudding Evening, held in the Tudor House Museum, was a great success. Pictures from the above link. 19th November The agenda for the next Town Council is available from the above link. 18th November Information on 7114. Private John Sidley. 1859-1905, 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards can be seen from the link above, and the Genealogy menu option. PC Mark Taylor's latest Police report is available from the above link. 16th November The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. A 'Christmas Events' is also available. I received an email purportedly from PayPal yesterday. I checked with PayPal and it was a spoof. If you get one, please do not respond. PayPal said: "If you have surrendered any personal or financial information to this fraudulent website, you should immediately log into your PayPal account and change your password and secret question and answer information. Any compromised financial information should be reported to the appropriate parties." 10th November I was given the address of a site which can save money by giving 'proper' telephone numbers to ring instead of 0870 numbers. The link is below. 9th November Some work is being carried out clearing a culvert which runs by the Picnic Area. Pictures from the link above. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. Mercia Rescue's website has been updated with an account of a boat rescue. A link from Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net 8th November H J Pugh & Co Auctioneers are holding a sale of Railwayana & Military Memorabilia, toys, literature & collectables. The catalogue is online at their website - address from Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net 3rd November Work on the Upton Hub is due to commence on 12th November. The Library will be open throughout the time work is being carried out. 2nd November The Audio Visual presentation which was shown at the FeelGood Festival has been updated, and is now available on DVD. A link to more information above. It is available from Tourist Information and PS Presents. Having just heard an article on Radio 4 about email scams - this one about a Yorkshire Terrier in Nigeria needing a new home - I've put a link to a list of scams to look out for under 'Useful Bits & Pieces' below. Please don't ever respond to any email asking for help and money. A 'Google' search for 'email scams 419' results in a wealth of information on scams. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. Preliminary information on a Flood Fair to be held in Malvern on 23rd November can be seen from the above link. An updated list of Town Council contacts is available from the above link. 1st November Upton Community Pride have released the Town Plan. A link above to their website. 31st October The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from the link above. Upton Community Care would like some volunteer drivers, living in the town, who would be willing to take patients to the new surgery. They can be reached on 01684 593633 if you would like to help. 30th October Issues and Options Consultation - residents of south Worcestershire can have their say on how many homes will be built across the region and where. A local public event where staff will be on hand to discuss all of the Issues and Options on 22nd November in the Memorial Hall. More details in Forthcoming Events. 26th October The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. In addition, they have produced a list of bonfire night activities. 24th October Upton in Bloom are meeting at 2pm on Saturday 27th in the Old Road, opposite the Fire Station for replanting displays. All volunteers welcome! I've added a link under 'Useful bits and pieces' below, to the Government's e-petition site. 23rd October The latest minutes from Full Council, Open Spaces and Hall & Finance meetings are available from Reports/Newsletters /Council. 19th October The latest Rugby Club newsletter is available from Reports/Newsletters /Rugby. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. Volunteers to help with clearing the floral displays in boats & tubs are requested to meet at Hanley Road car park tomorrow at 2pm. 18th October Upton in Bloom are again having their Memorial Tree in the Old Churchyard where lights are lit in memory of loved ones. A link from Upton in Bloom 2008 at the top of the page. 17th October Earls Croome Garden Centre are holding a 20% off everything this weekend. 16th October Some additions to the Mercia Rescue website Callouts page, from Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net. 14th October Longdon St. Mary’s Church of England (V.A.) Primary School are holding their Open Day on 15th November. More information from the link under Forthcoming Events. 12th October Pepperpot Players' 'The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Operatic Society's Production of the Mikado' was a laugh from start to finish. If you didn't see it, you missed a treat! The last performance is Saturday evening, tickets from PS Presents. 11th October The agenda for the next Town Council & Planning meeting is available from the link above. Someone was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for £50 today for not picking up after their dog had left mess behind on the Sports Field. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 10th October I've added pictures of the inside of the new Upton Surgery, from the above link. PC Mark Taylor's latest report can be seen from the above link. Details of the Doctors' move to the new Upton Surgery can be found from the link above. 5th October The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 4th October I've added minutes to the Town Council committees & full Council pages from the Reports/Newsletters Town Council menu. 30th September Countrywide has re-opened for fuel sales. 29th September Peter Booth alerted me to a very good article about Upton upon Severn in the Birmingham Post yesterday. A few minor inaccuracies, but well worth reading. A link above. 28th September The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. Tourist Information have a display in their window with the Upton in Bloom awards from Heart of England in Bloom and Britain in Bloom. 27th September I've added information on the Britain in Bloom awards and how they are broken down to the bottom of the page about the awards. The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from the above link. 00.10am Upton upon Severn won a Silver Gilt award in the RHS Britain in Bloom 2007 campaign. Judge Susan Smith said "Replanting of the displays along the riverside had already taken place by judging time, and the many displays in other parts of Upton that had been unscathed by torrents of water were a splendid reminder of how the rest would have looked. If ever there was a community that has pulled together so much for Britain in Bloom it has to be Upton upon Severn." 24th September The White Lion Hotel has published its Christmas menus. Visit the website via Links / sites hosted at upton.uk.net and click on the Specials menu option. The Lombard Rally 2007 is coming to Upton - details in Forthcoming Events. The Britain in Bloom Award Ceremony gets underway at 8pm on Wednesday 26th, so the results will be on here late at night! "I would like to thank all the organisations, Publicans and traders and citizens of Upton for their support and hard work to give a real FeelGood atmosphere over the last three days. Thanks are also due to the artists, performers, technicians and "gophers" for giving their time and talents so generously. Richard Hannah - Organiser - 24 September 2007" 23rd September A dry, grey day but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Thanks to all the groups & individuals who gave their time freely to make the festival a great success! 22nd September The first day of the FeelGood Festival has gone very well so far (6.00pm). If you can get into town, if for nothing else, go and see the Audio/Visual presentation of the floods by Peter Booth - it is excellent. It runs every 20 minutes, and will start at 12.00 noon tomorrow. 21st September The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 19th September Vehicles for the FeelGood Festival Vehicle Cavalcade, please assemble in the Old Road (use the bottom of Tunnel Hill entrance) at 11.15 - 11.30 on Saturday 22nd September. 18th September There were quite a few additions to the FeelGood Festival News page yesterday. 17th September On Friday 14th September, The Map Shop was presented with the Water Festival Upton Glass & Glazing Best Window Display Cup. A picture from the link above. The line-up for the Victorian Music Hall on Sunday evening has been added to the FeelGood Festival website. Please feel free to come in costume! If you know anyone with an 'interesting vehicle' who would like to show it off in the FeelGood Festival Vehicle Cavalcade on Saturday, please let me know. 15th September There appears to be a misconception about camping on the Sports Field. This is only allowed for organised groups with permission from the Town Council. The only festivals that do use it for camping are Folk & Blues, the organisers of which put a great deal of time & effort into planning it. The Tourist Information Centre can only recommend existing sites and should not be given grief about no camping on the field! 14th September Malvern Community Action's latest newsletter, which contains information on grants, is available from Reports/Newsletters. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. The location for Upton Arts Music Group's concert on 22nd September is incorrect - it should be the Baptist Church Hall. 13th September The Agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from the menu option Reports/Newsletters Town Council. 12th September The Folk programme for the FeelGood Festival has been added to the website. The Festival is starting on Friday 21st September, in the evening with a Ceilidh with Aardvark, caller Pete Grassby. Pepperpot Players are holding auditions for their pantomime, 'Beauty and the Beast' next month. More details from the October News above. 9th September The Environment Agency have sent me a copy of a film they were showing at the 'Flood Drop In' sessions, showing the weather patterns observed before the June and July floods. I've added it to the July floods index. 8th September I've added the judges comments to the photographs from the Heart of England in Bloom link above. 7th September Upton upon Severn has been awarded a Gold Award in the regional Heart of England in Bloom campaign. We are also the Large Village Category winner. And, we have been nominated for Britain in Bloom next year, so long as we don't win the Large Village Category this year. We'll find out how Upton in Bloom has done in the Heart of England in Bloom today! 6th September I've added a link on the July flood index to the Cabinet Office who are holding a 'Flooding Lessons Learned Review' and looking for comments, ideas and suggestions from all sections of the community. 5th September I asked WCC website team to include a link to this site from their Upton page. Their reply: 'The tourism team looks at your website on a regular basis and we do agree that the website is very informative however we follow the VisitBritain (National Tourist Board) policy which promotes inspected only accommodation. As a result of this we cannot have links to other sites that promote non-inspected accommodation.' So much for helping promote tourism! 4th September The Peppercorns Youth Group production of 'Alice the Musical' starts on Thursday evening. Tickets are available at the Post Office. Please support the group if you can, I'm sure it will be a great show! 2nd September 8.30am I've just had a call to say that the plants in the troughs on the downriver side of the bridge have all gone, probably tipped into the river. The plants and troughs were all donated, and looked after, by Father Dominic Round. 1st September The Garden Club Annual Show took place today. Pictures from the above link. I've added two new links to the July floods index; David Chapman carried out heroic journeys with his Amphicar, and Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue callouts includes all their actions during the floods. 31st August The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. If you need some equipment for a baby, some adverts have just been posted in the Classified Ads. 30th August I've added some pictures (a bit belatedly!) of repairs to the mooring steps on Waterside, & the bank at Pool House to the July flood index. 29th August The agenda for the next Town Council meeting can be found under Reports/Newsletters / Town Council 28th August I've added some pictures from the Dog Show to the link above. 27th August Yet another beautiful day for the Water Festival. The change in format seems to have worked well giving two full days of music, street entertainment and holding the fireworks on Sunday. The town was full of people during both days and not just on the riverfront. I've added pictures from the link at the top of the page. These are my own opinions and not attributable to the Committee. I was appalled at the meanness of people who walked past the bucket collectors after the fireworks, determined not to contribute. The Committee work so hard to raise money and plan what is a free festival. The acts, displays and fireworks have to be paid for, and these people aren't prepared to put even £1 towards it. My impression was that about one in ten put money in the buckets. And then other people empty their pockets of change, or put notes in. To those who did contribute, my thanks; to those who walked past the collectors, remember if there is no festival or fireworks next year it's your fault for not contributing. 26th August Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue's callouts & activities page has been updated on their website. This includes all the work they carried out during the floods. A link from the Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net menu option. The first day of the Water Festival was hot & sunny. Quite a few people contrasted it with 4-5 weeks ago! Pictures from the above links. 24th August The leaflet for the Severn Vale Marching Band Championships on 15th September can be seen from the link in Forthcoming Events. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 22nd August Peppercorns Youth Group failed to run many of their planned Car Boots (only one out of five attempts) and have decided to run a Christmas Fair on Sat 15th December in the Memorial Hall, more details and a poster nearer the time. This may help them to boost their depleted funds following their recent loss of some equipment and costumes. 'Alice the Musical' starts on 6th September. The poster can be seen from Forthcoming Events. 20th August The outline programme for the Water Festival is available from the above link. 1st Galaxy, the fireworks company who are putting on the display on Sunday, came second in the British Fireworks Championships held in Plymouth on 15th/16th August. 19th August Rumours... The latest one is that the Water Festival fireworks will be held on the town side of the river. UNTRUE!! They will be set off from where they usually are, the Village Green on the other side of the river. Quite a few updates have been made to the Upton FeelGood Festival website over the last few days. 17th August Jo Kitchin of Rose's Corner, which was badly affected by the floods, has decided not to re-open the shop. A great shame, but understandable in the circumstances. A new section has been added to the FeelGood Festival website, News, which will be updated as and when new items are added. If you missed the EA drop in, there is a list of places where the sessions are being held in the notice board at the Memorial Hall and at Tourist Information. 14th August The 'Flood Drop In' starts at 12 noon and runs until 8pm. A shame it wasn't more widely advertised! A bus service will run from the Memorial Hall to the Hill Centre. A lot of photos from this website are on show, all say 'Source Jackie Surtees'. However, some of them were sent to me by other people, so I'm acknowledging them here. It would appear that the EA 'Flood Drop In' is being held at the Hill Centre today. 13th August Visits over the FeelGood weekend will be made by vehicles from the Welland Steam Rally. Upton Arts & Music Group have released information about the concert they are giving on 22nd September for the FeelGood Festival. Details below, and on the FeelGood website - www.uptonfeelgoodfestival.org.uk 11th August Quite a few performers who have offered to perform at the FeelGood Festival have been added to the website. Many groups in Upton are co-operating to hold Upton FeelGood Festival in September. A link to the website above. Upton Arts & Music Group have issued their 2007-2008 information and concert programme. A link from above. 10th August The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 9th August The Water Festival poster has been issued. If you know anyone who is coming, please remind them that fireworks are on the Sunday evening this year! 10.15am I've just been informed by the Town Clerk that the Sports Field has been confirmed as being contaminated following the floods. Notices will be put up to advise all users that they should not go on the field until decontamination and further tests have been carried out. An interesting letter appeared in the Worcester News on 6th August. I've added it to the floods index page. Charities are offered a stall at the Charity Fair 2007, in Malvern on 29th September. More details from the above link. 500 bikers arrived in town last night. Pictures from the above link. 8th August A link to the BBC Panorama programme, shown on 6th August, which makes a couple of disturbing comments about Upton has been added to the July floods page. Following the flood damage to the Sports Pavillion which has made it unusable for a few months, Upton Youth Band have managed to relocate the Severn Vale Marching Band Championships to Hanley Castle High School. They will still be appealing for help for equipment etc after they have done a proper site inspection. The band will need a rehersal site through the winter months. The Environment Agency are holding a series of Flood Drop In sessions over the next 3 weeks, where members of the public can find out information about how their area was affected by the flooding and what measures are going to be taken. There is a session scheuled on Tuesday 14th August for Upton Upon Severn where members of the public can find out information about how there area was effected by the flooding and what measures are going to be taken. I've asked for more details and will post them when I get them. 7th August I've added quite a few events to the list below. Information on Upton Town Council's office hours can be seen from the above link. Town Mayor, Cllr Tim Perry has opened the Mayor's Charity fund to go to the town for flood relief. Please contact the Town Clerk regarding donations from the link above and on the July floods index. 6th August Focus DIY in Spring Lane Malvern have offered all residents who have suffered flood damage a 20% discount on cleaning items or similar to be used for clearing homes and it will last until 31st January 2008. Focus will need to see evidence of addresses. 3rd August Britain in Bloom judging day went very well. The weather was lovely and lots of people came to support Upton in Bloom. Pictures from the last few days before judging and judging day from the link at the top of the page. I've added some pictures that I've taken over the last few days to the flood index. A notice from MHDC: From 6th August the dustcarts will revert back to their normal rounds, should anyone still have flood damaged goods that need collecting they should phone 01684 862151 and let Customer Services know if it is white goods or other household rubbish and they will then pass the details on to have it collected asap. Also free parking in the car parks will continue until midnight on 19th August 2007. 2nd August Posters for two Garden Club events have been added to the above link and under Forthcoming Events. 1st August Upton in Bloom have today been filmed for the BBC Gardeners World programme. They are recording what we have been doing to recover from the flooding in preparation for judging for Britain in Bloom on Friday. They will also be filming the judging, and the award ceremony. I had to ride my bicycle over the bridge and back about five times, as well as in Dunns Lane, New Street & High Street! 30th July The date for Welland Steam Rally has been changed again. See under Forthcoming events. The Friends of Upton Jazz concert dates have been added below (belatedly I'm afraid!). Some more pictures of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, taken by Richard Barley, have been added to the flood index. 29th July The Folk Festival website has been updated with details of the 2008 Festival. A link from Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net Upton in Bloom, in anticipation of the Britain in Bloom judging on Friday, are holding a litter pick on Thursday 2nd August, starting at about 6pm at the Kings Head. We're after litter and weeds! 9.00 Several pallets of sandbags have been put in New Street. WCC Highways are busy cleaning the riverside from the Kings Head towards the bridge. MHDC are continuing to clean the roads and rubbish & debris are being collected regularly. Full marks to Highways & MHDC! 28th July Some more pictures added, clearing up, what has to be cleared up and a few other. A load of new sandbags has just been delivered to the Police Station. They are on the grass at the rear of the station. 27th July Added to the flood index, a press release regarding the Severn Project, a series of street arts events led by Shropshire County Council and Desperate Men, taking place in areas affected by the recent flooding in Gloucestershire and Shropshire. Also a statement issued by Shropshire County Council regarding the flooding and The Severn Project. Peter Booth sent in a very moody picture of the Sports Field in flood. The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. I've added some pictures of the aftermath of the floods. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall came to Upton today to meet residents, business owners and volunteers. Pictures from the flood index. 3.30 Although there is still water on Hanley Road, the footpath is clear and vehicles are coming through. If you decide to come that way, please remember the cottages on the roadside and drive slowly. Advice from WCC & the NHS Primary Care Trust can be seen from the flooding index. Upton Youth Band's fete will be held at the Primary school 12 noon. Lots of stalls inc local charities, bbq, drinks, grand draw, bric a brac, etc. 26th July 7.00 David Cameron, Conservative Party Leader, was in Upton this evening to discuss concerns following the floods. Some pictures added. 3.00 MHDC have issued a newsletter giving information about refuse collection, skip permits, etc. This can be seen from the flood index. It also includes 'FREE PARKING in Upton upon Severn (Hanley road and New Street car parks) from now until MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY 5TH AUGUST'. David Cameron, Conservative Party Leader, is visiting Upton this afternoon at about 4pm. 1.00 I've just added a few pictures taken yesterday and today. MHDC Customer Services are in the Memorial Hall offering help & advice for a few days. The Anchor Inn is open tonight, in the restaurant, with live music. 9.30 I've just been told that the Marina road is now open. 7.30am The Marina road is still closed. It is hoped that the road condition can be checked later this morning. 25th July 4.45 Metal barriers have been put up across the road on the Holly Green side of the Marina. A Police car is parked at the town end of the bridge. I was told earlier that 'they' want to check the condition of the road before allowing traffic through. 2.00 The Police are still stopping traffic from using the Marina road. 12.30 Some more pictures from the early morning BBC Hereford & Worcester live radio broadcast from New Street. 8.00 The water on the Marina road is a good bit lower than last night. I saw a cyclist coming through from Holly Green about 15 minutes ago. The road is still officially shut, with barriers at both ends. The water has steadied on Fishmeadow, not flowing either way and areas of the bund are reappearing. Some pictures added. 24th July 10.30 I've added a link to some pictures, including a panorama, from Holly Green sent by Darren Beale. 5.30 Announcement from Peter Webb, Chairman of Upton Tourism & Trade Association: LET THE WORLD KNOW UPTON IS STILL IN BUSINESS!! Tomorrow morning between about 6 am and 9am Upton upon Severn is holding a breakfast celebration to tell the world that we are still alive and open for business. BBC Hereford and Worcester are going to broadcast their Breakfast Show from New Street, provided the street is still closed. If not, it will be by The Pepperpot. Everybody is welcome to join us for breakfast. For more information call 01684 594552 Some information on disposal of household waste from flooded houses has been made available by WCC. This can be seen from the flood index. 4.45 The water is still flowing off Fishmeadow into the river. I don't think the level over at the Marina has dropped much between about 12.30 and 4.30. 2.45 If you would like to volunteer your services to help in any way, please ring the Town Council on 01684 592273. I've added some more pictures. If you need help or advice, you can contact Malvern Hub on 01684 862151, or Upton Town Council on 01684 592273. Further help & advice is available via a leaflet 'Getting back to normal' which I've added to the list of pages. 11.45 MHDC will be collecting rubbish in the town tomorrow. We don't have a time though. All bin bags put outside will be collected. If the person who contacted me with no name or reply address wishes to write again with contact details, I will respond. 9.00 Another comment from a visitor to the site which ends '...your service is spot on not like the radio or tv stations.' 7.30 The road from Tunnel Hill is clear, but there is no way out at the other end. I've put some new pictures on, mainly showing current road situations. I've also added some pictures from Longdon Marsh. 23rd July 11.00 I've had some very nice comments about my coverage of the floods. Thank you to everyone who has written to me. I've added the comments to the flood pages. 7.00 Old Street is still closed. The chief Fireman at the station said it wouldn't be opened tonight. I've asked him to ring me when it is open, but I'll try & get out in the morning to check. The other three roads, New Street, Marina road & Hanley Road will be days before opening I think. The BBC have an aerial picture on their website. I've added a link to it on the floods page. I understand that a day or two ago the owners of one of the riverside hotels were interviewed on television, telling the reporter that they took over 'a run down pub...'. A lot of people who know the previous owners are very angry about the comment, because they know what what a great job Mark and Sian did in restoring it - sympathetically and in keeping with the building's character. 4.00 I've added a few more pictures. The river is still falling I think. Welland Steam Rally and Auction has been postponed until 14th, 15th & 16th September 2007 2.15 Its the Spar got the milk, the Co-op has some bread! 2.00 I've been told that a lorry has delivered milk to the Co-op. 1.00 Some more pictures added, including from Simon Wilkinson, Roly Alcock & Rupert Chambers. 12.30 The water level is still dropping slowly, I think. 8.30 Some pictures from yesterday evening & this morning added. Simon Yates is baking bread in Cooks Bakery! 8.00 The water levels have dropped overnight. The viaduct to Tunnel Hill is only partly covered with water now, but Minge Lane & Old Street are still covered. 22nd July 10.00 I've compiled some of the pictures I've taken showing Upton in Bloom's display tubs and boats, and their gradual submerging. 19.15 Rupert Chambers kindly sent some pictures, mainly of a couple of helicopters, but one he snook in of someone! The street parties are still going strong. I can't take any more pictures tonight as I forgot to switch on the charger for my spare set of batteries. Durrr... The flood seems to have stopped rising. Here's hoping. 18.00 No doom & gloom in Upton. People who haven't seen each other for years are meeting up whilst viewing the floods, people are smiling at each other and now street parties are taking place! Upton is used to floods, and whilst we do our best to avoid damage, we cope. Are the media capable of reporting floods without standing in the water? More pictures added. 3.15pm Three evacuations this afternoon, by Mercia Rescue, Hereford and Worcestershire Fire Brigade and Cheshire Fire Brigade. A Sea King helicopter did appear briefly, but flew off when it was decided to evacuate Harry Gaunt and his wife by boat. More pictures added. 12.37pm I've just heard on the BBC News 24 that Upton upon Severn has moved into Gloucestershire. You'd think they could at least get the location right! 12.15pm An offer of help from Richard Hannah, "If a pair of hands are needed on the Severn Stoke side of the river, please ring my home number and leave a message. I am available from 10 am on Monday, then any time from Wednesday Morning (sadly I have to work on Tuesday)" 11.30am Not a lot to report, except the water is still rising. Mercia Rescue evacuated some people from New Street earlier. A report from David Chapman at Tunnel Hill: "Police/Mercia are now at the top of Tunnel Hill turning around traffic. There is water across the road between the new surgery and the fire station. Co-op are running out of food but there are plans to re-supply using a tractor and trailer via Tunnel Hill - that is being organised at the moment. Uckinghall and Ripple are very wet." Thank you to everyone who has written to me, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Some more pictures added. 9.00am I've added some pictures taken early this morning. 8.00am We are effectively cut off. Minge Lane is flooded in the dip by the Fire Station, and water is running into it from Old Street, which is flooded nearly to the Muggery. The road from the Fire Station to the viaduct on the Tunnel Hill road has water all the way across. There is a way to walk past the Fire Station, along the side of the building. Water from alongside the bridge is coming out into Church Street & Hanley Road is flooded nearly to the roundabout. The Co-op is open, not sure about Spar. But I know the Co-op has no bread or milk. 21st July 10pm The road from the A38 to Upton is closed. The water is starting to come out of the car park opposite the church in Old Street. Dunns Lane is starting to flood from Lower High Street. The river has risen extremely quickly this evening, we were watching it from the Marina end of the new viaduct. East Waterside is flooded, ditto Revs Hogg. The water is now flowing from Fishmeadow into the river, whereas this afternoon it was flowing from the river. More pictures from this evening until almost dark added. 7.00pm I've taken yet more pictures! 4.30pm I've heard another reason for why the barriers weren't erected - the Environment Agency didn't have enough manpower to do the job. It would be nice to know whether this is true, or were the barriers in fact stuck on the motorway? An interesting comment from UTTA Chairman Peter Webb, "Why, when the Mayor Tim Perry had received a warning of flooding and notice that the barriers were to be erected, which he passed on Thursday evening, was the town left to flood. Four pubs, at least ten businesses and the same number of private homes." 1.00pm The river is still rising. I've added a lot more pictures. As usual, selfish drivers are parking on the yellow lines and bus stop along the High Street, and causing chaos. 9.30am Due to the unforeseen adverse weather conditions, the police are advising emergency travel only. Upton Blues festival will attempt to reschedule any artists who are here. Updates will be available at the festival office now sited in the Memorial Hall. 8.00am Hanley Road is completely flooded. The water is well into New Street car park. There are no barriers, apparently they couldn't get here even with a Police escort. The Blues Festival committee are meeting about now to decide what to do as not only are 3 venues closed on the riverside, but bands can't get here because of flooding on other roads & motorways. 20th July 7.30pm 3 steps left opposite the Plough. New Street is flooded from above the 30mph signs. Both car parks are starting to flood - HR is flooded from the back to in front of the Recycling Centre. The Old Bridge Abutment is completely flooded. It is still tipping down with rain and I'm not going out again tonight! 6.30pm The flood barriers are going up at 8pm. The river has come up a lot in the last hour and a half. Only 5 steps clear opposite the Plough. The Blues Festival is still on! 5pm New Street lane is flooded from HR car park entrance. There is a car stuck part way along. The river is rising quickly now. If you're travelling from New Street to Hanley Road car park, beware of water covering the road just around the corner. The Blues Festival camping has been moved to the Hill Centre, Tunnel Hill. The main venue has been moved to the Memorial Hall. The Trust Board of the West Midlands Ambulance Service met 25th June 2007 to consult on the proposed reconfiguration of Emergency Operations Centres in the West Midlands. Part of the proposal is to close Hereford and Worcester EOC which takes 999 calls from members of the public, doctors’ surgeries and hospitals. For more details, and how to complain, visit the 'Save your EOC' website from the link at the top of the page. The flags painted last month were put up on the bridge and Pepperpot grounds this morning, in spite of the rain! Pictures from the link above. The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 18th July Last night the Peppercorns were presented with a cheque from representatives of the disbanded Castaways Cruising Club. A picture from the link above. 16th July Two events added to Forthcoming Events - Its a Knockout and the Severn Vale Marching Band Championships. 13th July The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. They have also produced a list of Summer activities for children. WCC Highways have cleaned the accumulation of mud from the sides of the road on the bridge. Upton in Bloom are holding a litter pick on Monday evening. Meeting at the Kings Head at 7pm. All volunteers welcome. 9th July Pictures from yesterday's judging of the Upton in Bloom 'Local in Bloom' competition can be seen from the above link. 6th July The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 4th July The dates for next year's Jazz Festival are 27th, 28th, 29th June 2008 The river seems to be about at the same level as yesterday. All the barriers have been removed, so the Lower High Street and river front can get back to normal! Sir Michael Spicer has issued a press release about the barriers, this can be seen from the 'June flooding' link at the top of the page. 3rd July The list of Jazz concerts organised by the Friends of Upton Jazz from July 20th to December 15th can be seen from the menu item Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net Only the barriers from the Kings Head to The Plough were removed. The footpaths & under the bridge have been cleaned, but not the road. The river is rising again - New Street lane was nearly clear yesterday but the water is back to the car park entrance. 2nd July The barriers are being removed today. I usually prune this area at the beginning of a new month. Since July 2004 I've been keeping the 'old news'. This can now be seen under the 'Local News ∧ Information'. It starts on 1st July 2004, when the new viaduct was getting under way. I've added a link to the Upton Local Policing Team under 'Useful Bits and Pieces'. 29th June 12noon Hanley Road is open - and clean! Thank you to the Highways Department & MHDC for cleaning off the mud. The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters Town Council. 9am Hanley Road should be open within the next hour - after Highways have cleaned the mud off the road. They were going to open it & clean it later, but residents threatened to park their cars across the road! Previous openings without road cleaning resulted in mud covering the houses up to the first floor windows. Another triumph for people power I think. 7.15am Hanley Road is still closed, although the water has retreated and the pavement is clear. I hope that the road will be cleaned before it is opened! Shipps Garage in New Street is clear of water. 28th June 4.30pm Not much change in the levels. The water has stopped flowing through HR car park, and the disabled area on the riverfront is clear. 2pm The river is another 5-6" lower than earlier this morning. I've seen misinformation in newspapers, and have been told there has been some on the radio and television. I don't understand why, every time Upton is flooded, some of the media say that 'Upton is closed' - perhaps it makes more sensational news? This time it has included 'Upton bridge may have to be closed'. Rubbish! Perhaps if they checked with the people who can give them definitive information before printing or broadcasting false information then Upton would be better off. 10am I've added some pictures from yesterday evening & this morning. 7am The river level has dropped more than an inch going by my 'bench in the Kings Head patio' indicator. I've just spoken to a representative from Highways who says there is no truth in the rumour that the bridge will be closed. 27th June 10pm I think the river has risen about an inch since my last photos - going by the level on a bench in the Kings Head patio. The area behind the barriers by Bridge House is now moreorless dry following several large pumps draining the sump outside the Star patio. I've added some photos of The Ham sent to me by Rupert Chambers. 3pm Sandbags have been made available outside Collinghurst House in New Street, the back of the Memorial Hall and at the Police Station. More pumps have been brought in to pump the water from behind the barriers at Bridge House. The Old Street car park is virtually covered in water & New Street car park is filling up. The Police have put a lot of no waiting cones throughout the town to try & keep the traffic flowing. They've even had to put them on double yellow lines to stop parking! Some more pictures added. 11am The river is still rising. The traffic has been horrendous as the road at Powick was closed - I'm not sure if it is open yet. Some new pictures from the above link. 7.30am Hanley Road is closed. The water is well in to the car park. Backfields entrance from New Street is flooded. There is a lot of water behind the barriers between Lower High Street & Severn Leisure. 26th June 8pm Half way over Hanley Road 5pm The river has started to creep on to Hanley Road. 7.00 New Street entrance to Hanley Road car park is closed, the water has reached the 30mph signs. The river has come over the top of the steps opposite the Plough. Barriers are in place from The Swan to Lower High Street. No other problems. 25th June 20.30 The river has risen about six inches in an hour. Only three steps visible opposite the Plough. The barriers are being erected from the Swan to Lower High Street. If you are concerned about the roads, join our 'Road Watch' mailing list with which I do try to alert people to the road situation. A link under "Useful bits and pieces" below. 18.30 I've just been advised that the Police have closed off Lower High Street and the riverfront - the barriers are coming? The river is rising rapidly, the Old Bridge Abutment is covered. New Street Lane has water in it, but at 5pm I could see a gap where the road rises slightly. The Environment Agency are meeting regarding the flood barriers. 22nd June The Lower High Street public conveniences were reopened this morning. Pictures from the above links. The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 21st June New Street lane looks clear now. 20th June Just after I took the picture mentioned below, I went on to Fishmeadow and, apart from some puddles, it looks OK for the weekend. At 4pm the river level has dropped an inch or two from earlier today. It is a lovely shade of reddish-brown! A picture from the above link. I didn't expect to be writing this in June! New Street lane is flooded. The HR car park entrance is clear. 19th June The National Veterans rowing championships proved successful for Upton Rowing Club. More information from the above link. 18th June The Lower High Street toilets are officially opening at 10am on Friday 22nd June. All welcome. Preparations on Fish Meadow for the Jazz Festival are progressing well. The marquees are all up, electrics in place and all's set for a good weekend! 15th June The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 13th June Community Service workers spent Monday & Tuesday painting the railings, seats & litterbins on the riverfront. They are to be congratulated on a great job. They will be back next week to finish off. 11th June Pepperpot Players' latest update, and some updated information about them can be seen from the links above. 9th June Between about 7.30pm last night and 9am this morning, a thief removed about plants from the Upton in Bloom trough which is beneath the 'Upton upon Severn' sign at the bottom of Tunnel Hill. Coincidentally, one of the baskets sitting on top of Bill Hawkes' wall at Bridge House was also stolen. These baskets are cemented to the wall, so it must have taken some force to remove it - the plants and soil were on the ground. Are the two connected? The basket probably has cement remnants on it. If anyone can help, please contact PC Mark Taylor at Upton Police Station. 8th June Local businesses engaged in Tourism may like to enter the Excellence in Tourism Awards, and photographers can enter in the 'Destination Worcestershire' photo competition. Links to both above. 5th June The National Flood Forum have launched their 'Blue pages directory', which is a directory of flood protection products and services. It gives details of what a product does, where it can be obtained and contact/web site details. A link above. 4th June Peppercorns are moving to a new home for their rehearsals from 5th June. They will now be using the function rooms at the Baptist Church. The Scout hut served them well, but they desperately needed somewhere with two rooms. The new venue provides them with that, and will allow them to separate the group into different aspects of rehearsals. At long last it appears that work has started on refurbishing and opening the public conveniences. A link above. 1st June Malvern & District Community Action is 35 years old! Their newsletter can be seen from the above link, or from Reports / Newsletters. The White Lion Hotel has new menus on offer. These can be seen from their website, under Links / Sites hosted... 31st May The first Upton Blues Festival Flag design workshops took place today in the Memorial Hall. We had a good time painting hot wax onto silk and then putting various colours of dye onto our designs. More workshops are to be held and kids will love them! 30th May The agenda for the Hall, Finance and General Purposes Committee is available from Reports/Newsletters. The latest Rowing Club newsletter is available from Reports/Newsletters. 26th May An article from the Malvern Gazette has been added to the Public Conveniences index. I think the statement from Serena Croad, Leader of the Conservatives, is very telling - "We had the funding identified and we asked our officers to move quickly". A shame the Liberal Democrats couldn't have identified the funding and used it, rather than close the toilets. A bigger shame, in my humble opinion, is that politics should be involved in local government. We elect our District Councillors to represent our views, not the views of a political party. Upton Town Council works very well without politics being involved. 25th May Tempus Computers made a very generous donation to the Hill Centre today. A picture from the above link. 24th May I've added some notes on the 'new' Church, sent by Simon Wilkinson. 23rd May The minutes of MHDC Executive Committee meeting last night are now available from the Public Conveniences page. At a meeting of MHDC Executive Committee on Public Conveniences last night, it was officially voted to re-open the toilets. They will be open within four weeks, with priority given to Upton because of the festivals. A copy of the agenda can be seen from the Public Conveniences page, link above. A picture of the architect's drawing of St Peter & St Paul Parish Church can be seen from the links above. 22nd May A very interesting meeting 'Have your say on tourism' was held last night. More information from the above link. 18th May The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 15th May The Water Festival Musical Talent Competition entry date has been extended to 1st July. Entry form from the link above. 14th May The agenda for tomorrow's Town Council meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters Town Council. 12th May Some pre-production pictures from Pepperpot Players' next production, 'The Darling Buds of May', by Simon Lusty, can be seen from the link above. The players are holding auditions for their October production 'The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Operatic Society's Production of the Mikado' on June 18th. 11th May The Local Policing Report from PC Mark Taylor is available from Reports/Newsletters Peppercorns have cancelled their car boot sale on the 12th May due to weather forecasts. 10th May Upton Doctors have their own website. A link from the Links menu. 9th May The Town Council have requested that people write to them suggesting (sensible!) the colour(s) for the bridge to be painted. At the Annual Town Council meeting last night, Cllr Tim Perry was elected as Town Mayor and Cllr Paul Thomas was elected as Deputy Mayor. 5th May Lots of pictures from the Folk Festival from the above link. The streets were full of Morris sides and visitors, and the weather, which started dull and cold, improved by midday when sunshine and blue sky brought out even more people. 4th May The Sports Field is rapidly filling with campers here for the Folk Festival. Results for the District Council Election, Upton & Hanley ward are available from the link above. The Conservatives have taken control of MHDC and a quote in today's Malvern Gazette says "A delighted Conservative group leader Serena Croad spoke of exciting times ahead, and said the result exceeded even her wildest dreams. She said one of the party's first acts would be to re-open public conveniences in Malvern and Upton that were controversially closed in narrow votes under the Lib Dem / Green alliance." We look forward to this! 3rd May The agenda for the Town Council's Annual General Meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters Town Council. 1st May An idea realised - three Information boards erected. Mayor John Thompson unveiled the new information board on the Old Churchyard. Three boards, one on the Old Churchyard, one at Hanley Road car park, and one opposite Bridge House, will inform visitors and residents about Upton's heritage & wildlife. A link from Recent Additions. 27 Artists and 49 sides make for a full weekend for the Folk Festival. A full list can be found on the Festival website from Links / Sites hosted... Upton in Bloom now have the facility for online donations. Duck Race tickets are also available, so if you can't get to it, you could still win up to £75! A link above. 30th April On 28th April a cheque from the disbanded Upton Licensed Victuallers Association was presented to Upton in Bloom. More information from the link above. 29th April The festival season is almost upon us with the 2007 Folk Festival next weekend. Their poster can be seen from their website - the address is under Links / Sites hosted... Tourism & Trade members, with help from MISAR, put the flags up this morning. Two new websites are being hosted at upton.uk.net; Hands Off! Security courses for women & girls, and the Professional Bodyguard Association. Both can be reached from Links / Sites hosted... 26th April At the Southern Area Development Committee Meeting last night, District Councillors refused planning permission for the two applications for the Marina. 23rd April The 'Blues Cruise' on 28th April is now fully booked. I bet they have a great evening! The agenda for tomorrow's Open Spaces Committee is available from Reports/Newsletters Town Council 18th April The agenda for the planning meeting concerning the Marina development can be seen from the link above. Welcome back to PC Mark Taylor who has returned after a period of sick leave. His latest report is available from Reports/Newsletters, Police. 17th April Upton Community Pride have organised another two sessions clearing ponds & the Railway Embankment. These are on the 22nd & 29th April. More information in Forthcoming Events. Another eight car boot sale dates added to Forthcoming Events. 15th April In the forthcoming local elections, there are 14 valid nominations for Upton Town Council. As full Council is 15 members, no election will be necessary. A list of the nominations from the above link. Pepperpot Players presented 'Pepperpots in Bloom' last night. A musical revue, held in aid of Upton in Bloom, it was a great evening and a huge success. Pictures from the links above. 13th April The Water Festival Committee are holding a Musical Talent Competition - 'The Upton Factor'. The entry form is at the top of the page. If sufficient entries are forthcoming, heats will be held. The finalists will be on stage at the Water Festival. The winners will be offered a session at a London recording studio. 12th April A couple of new posters in Forthcoming Events - Upton Arts & Music Group and Pepperpot Players next productions. 10th April Water Festival Car Boot Sale dates have been added to Forthcoming Events. Several Upton in Bloom events (including a car boot sale) have also been added. The entry form for Upton in Bloom's 'Local in Bloom' competition is available from the website, or under July below. UiB are also planning a 'Garden Walk' and are asking for residents to open their gardens on the weekend 14/15 July. The agenda for the Annual Town Meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters Town Council, click Next agenda. Upton Primary School now have their own website. This can be visited from the Links menu option. 5th April Orchard Flowers, in Old Street, is under new management and I've put new pictures of the range of flowers & plants available. A link above, from Recent Additions or via the quick links. 4th April Members of Upton in Bloom & volunteers moved 4 tons of soil conditioner donated by Severn Waste Services on Sunday. Pictures from the above link. 2nd April The next agenda for Planning Committee & Finance and General Purposes Committee is available from Reports/Newsletters Town Council. 26th March The agenda for the next Town Council Open Spaces & Cemetery meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters Town Council. 24th March The barriers to prevent vehicles exiting from Hanley Road car park into New Street lane were installed on Thursday. A couple of pictures from the above link. 23rd March The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. In addition, they have produced 'What's on at Easter' information. 22nd March Last month I had an article about living in Upton published in the 'Worcestershire Life' magazine. A (badly!) scanned copy of the page from the above link. 21st March The local elections take place on Thursday 3rd May. The timetable of proceedings can be seen from the above link. Nomination papers for candidates for election can be obtained from the Memorial Hall. Town Council Committee Minutes have been added to Reports/Newsletters/Town Council 19th March Don't forget that Walt Disney's Fantasia is being shown at the Memorial Hall on Saturday. Tickets from Rose's Corner at Bridge House, Lower High Street. The entrance to Hanley Road car park from New Street lane will be closed on Thursday 22nd March. The traffic barriers are being replaced to stop traffic using the car park as a short cut from Hanley Road. 16th March The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters Town Council. Lindsay from Tourist Information Centre is leaving at the end of the month. Good luck in Cornwall! 14th March The Blues Festival organisers are holding a cruise in April. More details below. 13th March Volunteers are again being asked to help in the Sports Field. More details under Forthcoming Events. 12th March The barriers are coming down. The list of Upton Town Council meetings has been updated. 11th March About ten people responded to Malcolm Brown's request for volunteers to help clear rubbish from the pond on the Sports Field. Pictures from the above link. 9th March 8.00am - Hanley Road is open 8th March 10.00am - The river has gone down overnight. Looking at one of the seats outside Bridge House I'd guess its 5 to 6 inches lower. Backfields is clear of water. 7th March The Yorkshire Grey now has a page on the site. A link above. 11.30am - The river is still rising. Backfields entrance from New Street is covered and the water creeping towards the car park. Traffic is a nightmare, mostly caused by people just parking anywhere they fancy, in my humble opinion... Good news! District Councillor Mary Wilkinson attended a meeting of MHDC last night where the subject of public conveniences was discussed. The results from the above link. 6th March Community Pride are asking for volunteers to clean out the ponds at the edge of the Sports Field. More information above. 7.30am - Hanley Road is closed. Apparently a local radio station is saying Church Street is closed - wrong! 5th March 10.30am - water is seeping through on to Hanley Road and I suspect it won't be long before it is flowing on to the road. The rest of the flood barriers are going up this morning. The river is still rising and apparently there is a lot more water to come down... 4th March New Street Lane and Waterside are closed due to flooding. The barriers are being erected from the Swan to Bridge House. Dunns Lane is closed whilst the barriers are being erected. Tickets for Walt Disney's 'Fantasia', to be shown by Upton Arts Music Group for Upton in Bloom, are now on sale in Rose's Corner, Bridge House, Lower High Street. 27th February The Water Festival committee are in urgent need of a donation of a reasonable caravan, so if you've got one you want rid of, please let me know! The Scout group in Upton is threatened with folding unless some new assistants for the Scout Leader, Mervyn Howells, can be found. The Cubs & Beavers groups had to close several years ago due to lack of assistants. If you can help, or know anyone who can, let me know and I'll put you in touch with Mervyn. 26th February The list of callouts & activities undertaken by Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue has been updated on their website. A link from the Links/Sites hosted at Upton menu option Walton Marine are holding a Sea Otter narrowboat demonstration weekend. More details from the link above. 25th February Today Upton in Bloom raised the Riverside tubs up to allow the Environment Agency to move them easily should the flood barriers need to be deployed. Upton in Bloom's fundraising Musical Soirée in aid of their Britain in Bloom entry last night went very well. The audience who came to listen to Ray Mytton, Jonathan Penley & their friends all agreed that the music, venue & food were exceptional. A picture on the Upton in Bloom site from the above link. 23rd February The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. A list of half-term activities is also available. The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters / Town Council. 22nd February Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, has called a Protest Demonstration on March 3rd at 2pm outside The Kings Head regarding the proposed sale of the public conveniences. More information from the Public Conveniences page. 21st February Kay Elston, well known singer with 'Heartbeat', is an accomplished artist. She works with paints, acrylics & ceramics. Examples of Kay's work can be seen from the above link. For an original gift, give Kay a call! 19th February There are a few tickets left for Upton in Bloom's Musical Soiree from The Launderette in New Street, or from members of the Committee. 17th February An update to the Public Conveniences page, and some pictures of a Heron and some Swans are available from the links above. 14th February Several shops have decorated their windows for Valentine's Day. Some of them can be seen from the above link. 13th February I went to the first night of Pepperpot Players 'Sinbad the Sailor'. I can recommend it for a really good evening's entertainment! New Street & Bridge House to The Swan roads are closed due to flooding. The Environment Agency are not putting the flood barriers up as they don't think the river will come up much more. The Swan is closing for about a month for refurbishments. Mark & Sian are leaving, which is sad. Good luck to them in their next venture! 9th February Rupert Chambers sent me some snow pictures from yesterday - available from the above link. 8th February Some snow fell overnight and at 10am is still falling. I took a few pictures (link above), but there isn't a lot of difference between the views in the snow today and that in March 2004 when I took a lot of pictures - which can be seen from the Views menu. 6th February Upton Blues Festival are looking for help! I've replaced the poster uploaded yesterday with a new version - the text can be read now! 5th February Upton Town Council have appointed a temporary Clerk to cover the absence through illness of the Town Clerk. The office will be open from 9.15 - 12.15 Monday, Wednesday & Friday. 4th February Severn Leisure Cruises are in the process of updating their website with new ideas for cruises on the Severn. A link above, and from Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net Pictures of the new community notice board can be seen from the above link. 1st February http://www.enterpriseinns.com/netscape/contact_us/contact_index.asp?pg=1 is the address for contacting Enterprise Inns, successor to Flowers Brewery who provided the land where the public conveniences were built. I've written via that page asking them about the covenant (more details on this in the Public Meeting notes mentioned below). I've added the notes from the Public Meeting held on 9th January to the Public Conveniences page. In today's Worcester News an article states that MHDC are going to put our public conveniences up for sale. I think the liberal democrats on MHDC are trying to do as much damage as possible by selling some & demolishing others in the district, before the elections in May. So much for the 'listening party' as they used to call themselves! On Saturday morning, members of Upton in Bloom will be 'planting' a new notice board just outside Hanley Road car park. This will be available for all members of the community to use. 31st January Upton Community Pride website has been updated with a newsletter from Malcolm Brown, Tree Warden. Malcolm is looking for volunteers to help with the ponds & ditches by the Old Road. The newsletter can be seen from the Community Pride website, under the 'Community Pride' menu option, or from the link above. 30th January The Water Festival committee decided last night that this year the fireworks show will take place on the Sunday night instead of Saturday. New dates from the Garden Club have been added to Forthcoming Events. Tickets for Upton in Bloom's Musical Soiree are now on sale at The Launderette in New Street. Only 40 places are available. The poster can be seen from the above link. A copy of an aerial photo taken whilst the flood barriers were in place can be seen from the above link. 26th January Last night, Tim Perry was presented with a grant of £700 from MHDC for Upton in Bloom. A link to the page on the Upton in Bloom site above. 25th January The final length of flood barriers have been removed. Some final pictures from the above link. Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue helped provide power to the last residence cut off during the recent storms. More information from the link above. 24th January There have been several additions to the Folk Festival website detailing more Morris Sides booked. 23rd January The river level has dropped overnight and is still dropping. 22nd January 8.00am - Hanley Road is still open. 21st January At about 9.15am the water had seeped out on to Hanley Road. A radical suggestion for the fireworks at the Water Festival has been made. More details and an email address for comments from the above link. 20th January The plans for the new Upton Hub are on show in the Library. A link above. Upton in Bloom has moved their display from the Library to the empty Gifted shop in High Street. The shop is available to be rented. 19th January The river is rising again. It is already up against the barriers which were left in place between Bridge House and The Swan. The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters - Upton Town Council 17th January Some of the barriers are being removed today. 16th January 4pm. I think someone must have pulled the plug in the river - it has gone down a huge amount! 7.50am. Hanley Road is open! 15th January 9.30pm. Hanley Road is still closed. Water levels have fallen overnight. Hanley Road and New Street are still closed. 13th January The river is still rising. The water has now come into Backfields from New Street. Whatever you hear elsewhere, Upton is still open! 12th January 4.30: Hanley Road is closed. There are metal barriers across the road near Countrywide. 1.00: About an hour ago there was talk of HR being closed, but I will have a look later and confirm. I'm hoping to put a page of pictures online showing the inconsiderate drives coming through the water. 9.30: I've added some pictures, from the link above. 8.15: The HR footpath is now covered. Cars are going through at high speed - perhaps a bit of thought for the welfare of the cottages might be in order... 7.30: The river is over Hanley Road, although the road is still open. The level isn't above the kerb on the other side of the road yet. 11th January 4.15: The river is still rising, but not very quickly. Hanley Road is still clear, and I've asked a friend to let me know how it is early tomorrow morning. All the barriers are now in place. The river has risen overnight, but not to the extent that any other barriers have gone up yet. Hanley Road still has a foot or more to go before it starts coming over the road. 10th January Dunns Lane is open again now that the barriers are up. The bottom end of Lower High Street is closed, as is the riverfront although, as the latter is a pedestrian & permit holders only area, that won't affect motorists! The Swan Hotel has had to close again. Planning, Open Spaces, HFGP & full Council minutes from November meetings have been added to Reports/Newsletters - Upton Town Council. 12.00: The barriers are being erected from Bridge House to The Swan. The New Street entrance to HR car park is blocked with flood water. The barriers have arrived and Lower High Street is now closed. The river hasn't come up much overnight. 9th January At the Public Meeting tonight a proposal was made that the Town Council should not include £14,000 in the precept to pay for maintenance & cleaning of the Lower High Street public conveniences. The proposal was seconded and the vote was in favour of it. It will now be discussed at next week's Town Council meeting. The river is apparently due to rise very quickly. Environment Agency plans to erect the barriers on Thursday have been brought forward to tomorrow morning - if not before. 8th January The Upton Jazz website has been updated with the programme for this year's Festival - the 22nd. A link from 'Links / sites hosted at upton.uk.net' The list of callouts and other activities carried out by Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue has been updated to the end of 2006. This can be seen from the MISAR website, another link from the 'Links / sites hosted at upton.uk.net'. The Christmas trees were taken down yesterday. About a dozen willing volunteers helped by going up ladders, removing the lights, cutting off the branches and loading the van to take them away. A picture from the Upton in Bloom link 5th January The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 2nd January The flood barriers are not being put up this time. The Environment Agency have confirmed this. The river won't come up much higher than it is at present. 1st January Happy New Year to everyone! The New Street lane entrance to HR car park is now flooded. There is water on the road outside Bridge House & outside The Swan is completely covered. 29th December Details of the Garden Club's January talk can be seen from the link under Forthcoming Events. The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. There are also a list of after Christmas activities & Church services in the area. 28th December A Public Consultation meeting regarding the Lower High Street Public Conveniences, open to all Upton Domestic Council Taxpayers, will be held on Tuesday 9th January 2007 at 7:30 pm in the Memorial Hall. A link to the meeting notice above. 26th December I hope you all had a good Christmas! If anyone was driving past the Fire Station and noticed the Christmas tree being vandalised either last night or Christmas Eve, please contact me. The Police have been informed. 20th December The winning windows were judged on Saturday by Tarik Alrashid, Upton reporter for the Malvern Gazette. Tarik was extremely impressed with all the windows and I know he went back about four times to look before he made his decisions! The winner of the 'Spot the Santa' competition, run by Upton Tourism & Trade Association, can be seen from the Christmas link above. 17th December The temporary flood barriers have all been removed now. It's nice to see the river again! New Street lane is still closed - the water is still on the town side of the Hanley Road car park entrance. It was a busy day yesterday! A report on the day from the Christmas index link at the top of the page. 15th December It will be a busy day in town tomorrow! At 12 noon Santa Claus is drawing the winning Upton in Bloom Christmas Hamper ticket. Later in the afternoon he sets off on his tour around the town with his elves & MISAR sleigh. He will meet up the the Carol singers processing from the Parish Church who, in turn, are meeting with singers from the Baptist & Roman Catholic Church. All will arrive in Lower High Street at about 7pm. Nibbles & mulled wine will be on offer, provided by local hostelries. It will be snowing! Jess Barnett, pupil at Hanley Castle High School, won 2nd prize in the Heart of England in Bloom Art Competition. Today she presented her picture to Upton in Bloom to use in their publicity. Pictures from the Upton in Bloom link top right. 14th December The temporary flood barriers have been removed from the roundabout to the Kings Head & from The Swan to Fishermans Alley. 13th December The river has gone down considerably over last night & today. 12th December 8am. I've been told that Hanley Road is still clear. 11th December 9am. The river is still rising. The water is well into New Street & creeping towards Shipps Garage. It looks as if Hanley Road is starting to flood. I'll keep going out to check if I can & update here accordingly. Don't forget the Roads Watch mailing list - under 'Useful bits and pieces' if you're local and could do with information. I've added some pictures from this morning. 10th December Some more pictures of the flooding added to the index from the above link. 9th December The river has risen slightly overnight. The barriers are holding back the water. 4.30pm. The flood barriers are in place from The Swan to Bridge House, and holding back the river with just a small amount of expected seepage. The Environment Agency, MISAR & MHDC are continuing to put up the rest of the barriers from Church Street and Fisherman's Alley, to join those already in place. Hanley Road is nowhere near flooding. 8.30am. New Street Lane is flooded and the back entrance to Hanley Road car park is blocked. Lower High Street & the riverfront are closed as the flood barriers are being erected. 7th December The flood barriers are being erected at the Swan end of the riverfront, starting at 8am tomorrow morning. New Street Lane, from the back entrance to Hanley Road Car Park is closed due to flooding. A further signatory to the Three Councils' Charter is the Chairman of MHDC, George Price who signed the Charter at Bridge House yesterday during the Tourist Information Centre's 'Thank you' party for the volunteers who man the Heritage Centre. A link above. Upton Tourism & Trade Association have erected a Christmas Tree outside the Fire Station. This should be lit later today. The Christmas Trees are gradually being lit as the electricians wire them in. 5th December Upton in Bloom's Memorial Tree is proving a huge success, and the lights went up today. Thanks to Gil & Nigel from The Star Hotel, who put them up. Thanks also to Rowan Thomas for the lights, and the Kings Head for the electricity. The lights can be seen on the Upton in Bloom website, link top right. 4th December Pictures from the 'Archaeology of Aggregate Sites in Worcestershire' exhibition in the Memorial Hall yesterday are available from the above links. The Christmas trees were put up yesterday and are now waiting for the electrician to wire them in. It is sad that so few people are prepared to help in the preparation work - sizing the trunks to fit in the brackets & tying the lights on. Last Sunday about 8 people worked a good part of the day getting them ready, but still only about half the lights were put on. On Saturday there were three of us to do the latter. We gave up after six trees and the rest of lights were put on while MISAR were putting the trees up. The trees may look good, but the amount of work involved means it may be the last time they are put up unless a lot more help is forthcoming next Christmas. Organisations represented were the Tourism & Trade Association, Upton Town Council and Upton in Bloom. Several volunteers who don't belong to any organisation also helped. Thank you to all. 1st December The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 29th November The Upton Folk Festival website has been updated with information on some of the Artists invited to next year's Festival. The Upton in Bloom website has also been updated. Both this and the Folk Festival can be reached from Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net. 28th November A new photo of the outside of The Jockey Inn at Baughton is on show on their page - Public Houses / The Jockey 26th November The Friends of Upton upon Severn Primary School held a very successful Railway Exhibition at the Primary School yesterday. Pictures from the above link. 24th November The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 23rd November The latest Council agenda is available. 21st November The Friends of Beechwood poster for their forthcoming Sherry & Mince Pie morning can be seen from Forthcoming Events. 18th November As you may know, a few years ago Upton Cricket Club folded and amalgamated with Hanley Castle C.C. Sadly, even between them they are struggling for senior players and have decided to go on a recruitment drive. Thankfully, due especially to the efforts of Grant Mathews and Rupert Chambers they have a thriving Colts section, but, what a shame if the Senior sides let them down by not providing them with cricket as they get into their late teens and beyond? A link above for more information. 17th November PC Mark Taylor's latest report can be seen from the link above, or from the Reports/Newsletters/PC Mark Taylor menu option. The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. A list of Christmas Fayres & special events is also available. 16th November Timothy Lea & Griffiths, Estate Agents, now have a page on the site. A link above, or from the Services menu. The latest Council agenda and minutes from the last meetings are available. 14th November The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 13th November The agenda for the next Council meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters/Upton Town Council. 12th November Pictures from yesterday outside the Memorial Hall, and today's Remembrance parade can be seen from the above link. 9th November Upton in Bloom's Pudding Evening was a great success. There were lots of puddings to try with wine & soft drinks to wash them down. 6th November As part of their fundraising for Britain in Bloom, Upton in Bloom are again inviting people to remember their loved ones by subscribing to their Memorial Tree. A link above, and the Sponsor Form is available from the page. 4th November A new website, Vintage & Modern Motor Cycle Sales is now hosted on the upton.uk.net server. A link above, and from the Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net menu option. 3rd November The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. There is also a list of Bonfire Night events. 2nd November The 'Faces of Upton' 2007 calendar in aid of Air Ambulance is now on sale throughout the town. Produced by Simon Lusty the calendar features 365 photos of the people of Upton. A link above. 27th October The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. 26th October I went to see Pepperpot Players production of Sandy Wilson's 'The Boy Friend' tonight. It was exceptional! 25th October A busy day on the site! A picture of a presentation cheque to Air Ambulance from The Jockey Inn. Pictures from Upton Marina showing the height of the highest proposed chalet and some chairs for sale. 23rd October Yet again ratepayers and small children have been made to suffer by mindless vandals who have damaged the safety surface in the New Street playground. The ratepayers will have to pay for repairs and the playground is locked for safety reasons. 22nd October Christmas menus from The White Lion and The Swan can be seen from the link above. 21st October The agenda for the next Council meeting is available. Also the list of 2007 Council meeting dates. Both from the Reports/Newsletters/Upton Town Council menu option. 20th October The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. There is also a document with ideas for half term activities. 14th October Notes from the Upton in Bloom public meeting are available from the above link. Christmas menus for the holiday season at the White Lion Hotel can be seen from the Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net menu option. 12th October Some new pictures of the progress of the new Medical Centre from the above link. A tour of the site was organised by Chase Norton for the prospective occupants of the Centre and I was also invited. The Upton in Bloom Public Meeting to discuss the nomination for next year's Britain in Bloom went very well. Representatives from several organisations, Town Councillors, the Chairman of WCC, Gordon Morris (MHDC Street Scene Manager) and members of the public among others attended. The positive outcome of the meeting will be discussed at the next UiB Committee meeting when the decision to accept the nomination will be made. The UiB Committee were very encouraged by the positive discussions and are having a meeting next Wednesday, 7pm at the Swan Hotel and will make the decision then to accept the nomination for Britain in Bloom. 11th October Minutes from the last full Council and Committee meetings are available. 10th October The agenda for the next Council meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters Upton Town Council menu option. The Friends of Upton Primary School are holding a Railway Exhibition on November 25th during their Autumn Fair. Details of the Railway Exhibition can be seen from the link above, or under Forthcoming Events. 5th October Yesterday evening the Brownies were planting daffodil bulbs in the tubs on the Riverside. A picture from the links above. The poster for the next Garden Club talk can be seen from the link in Forthcoming Events. 4th October The latest Town Council agenda is available from the Reports/Newsletters Town Council menu. Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue list of callouts has been updated. A link from the 'Links' menu. 29th September Upton in Bloom is holding a public meeting in the Memorial Hall at 7.30pm on 11th October to discuss Upton upon Severn's nomination for next year's Britain in Bloom. Everyone is invited to come and find out what it could mean for the town becoming a nationally known place to come and visit. 28th September Trials took place today erecting the proposed temporary flood barriers along the riverfront. Pictures from the link above. 26th September Luke Stallard of Upton Glass & Glazing presented the trophy for Water Festival Best Shop Window to Upton Opticians yesterday. More information from the above link. 25th September I spotted some ducks using one of the MV Conway Castle's mooring lines as a perch - a picture from the above link. 23rd September Britain in Bloom - a couple of quotes I have picked up on the Internet (there are many more): "And if past years are anything to go by, winning communities can expect a bumper rise in business and tourism." "Britain in Bloom is the biggest marketing tool any town can have. The way in which it brings together people is of enormous benefit to residents and visitors and its impact should not be underestimated." 19th September The Environment Agency is holding trials of the Flood Defence barriers on Thursday 28th September. More information from the above links - the poster is over 1MB in size so may take some time to download if you are using a modem connection. 18th September I've just realised I neglected to put last month's pictures of the New Medical Centre online... 17th September The Severn Vale Marching Band Championships were held in Upton yesterday. 20 Bands from across the country came to compete. In spite of a rather grey day, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and all the Bands excelled in their performances. 14th September 2007 Calendars showing Upton in Bloom are available from the Classified Ads section. 13th September Minutes from full Town Council meetings, planning, Open Spaces and Hall & Finance Committees can be seen from Reports & Newsletters. Upton in Bloom's 'Munches & Bunches' evening was attended by about 100 people. Everyone enjoyed seeing retired Britain in Bloom judge Bob Harris creating lovely flower arrangements and cooking a three course meal. 11th September The latest Council agenda is available from Reports/Newsletters. 8th September An update on Pepperpot Players production of 'The Boyfried' is available from the above link, and the poster can be seen from the link to the right. 5th September Don't forget the Community Pride website - a link under Recent Additions. The Bulletin Board is there to discuss aspects of the Town and make your views and concerns known. 3rd September Five 'neighbourhoods' were entered in the Heart of England Small Neighbourhood campaign. The results can be seen from the Upton in Bloom link at the top of the page. Well done to all the entrants. Peppercorns Youth Group are performing the 'Wizard of Oz' later this week. The poster with details can be seen from Forthcoming Events. Upton Arts Music Group 2006-2007 programme of events have been added to Forthcoming Events, the complete programme and membership details can be seen from Things to Do menu option. Classified Ads are available from the menu on the left, on the front page only at this time. A small charge of 50p for most categories has been introduced. Payment is by PayPal secure server, but you don't need a PayPal account to make payments. 2nd September Pictures of entries in the Garden Club Show can be seen from the link above. The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters. 1st September Upton in Bloom won a Gold Award in the Large Village Category of the Heart of England in Bloom Campaign today. Additionally, we were entered into the 2007 Britain in Bloom Campaign. Whilst taking pictures of the Local in Bloom competition I took a few of Mr & Mrs Little's garden. I've added these to the menu under Views. There are also pictures I took of the garden in 2000. 31st August The list of callouts made by Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue (MISAR) has been updated on their website. A link from 'Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net'. 30th August Two events coming up for Upton in Bloom's 2007 effort in the Heart of England in Bloom: on 12th September, Munches & Bunches which promises to be a fun evening and in November another Pudding Evening. If you can, please do support us. More details on Munches & Bunches from the above link. 28th August The last day of Water Festival. A lot of very tired Committee & helpers. We finished today with the Car Boot Sale & Fun Dog Show, both of which were great successes. Several Committee members were new this year and did a fantastic job in their various areas. 27th August Yesterday at the Water Festival went very well. Thousands of people arrived in the evening for the fireworks display. Pepperpot Pyrotechnics International created yet another fantastic display. I've added more pictures this morning, but not of the fireworks. 26th August Lots of pictures from today at the Water Festival. 25th August The Environment Agency held a demonstration of the temporary flood defences they are going to be testing during the next flood in Upton. I've copied their leaflet which can be seen from the above link. 23rd August Paul & Bev Thomas asked their wedding guests for donations to Cancer Research. A picture of Bev's daughters with the resultant cheque from the link above. There are only a few tickets left for viewing the fireworks at Water Festival from Cafe Severn's Balcony, so don't delay if you want one of the best views! A link at the top of the page. 22nd August If you're planning to travel by train I've now got a link to The Trainline where you can book tickets for the UK & International journies online. I looked at a couple of train companies to get prices, and both defaulted to this link. The Trainline link is above. 20th August Last night I attended a 'This is Your Life' surprise party for Ross & Brenda Thomas 19th August The results of the local 'in Bloom' competition were announced last night. We had a good attendance from entrants. The results can be seen from the above link. We are holding a Balloon Race at Water Festival, and a really good evening is promised at 'Munches & Bunches' on 12th September, more details from the poster under Forthcoming Events. 17th August Upton Youth Crew took part in 'Young Colours Worcester Flag Installation' at Worcester Festival. More information can be found from the Community Pride website, link above. Last night an anticipated 600 bikers came to Upton on a charity ride. A picture from the link above. 13th August The poster & updated information on the Pepperpot Players' production of 'The Boyfriend' can be seen from the links above, and under 'Forthcoming Events'. 11th August The programme for Water Festival is available from the links above & below this. The White Lion Hotel are holding one of their famous Beer Festivals over the Bank Holiday. Yet more to do in Upton during Water Festival Weekend! 9th August Water Festival weekend has lots of events and entertainment planned. Opening by Philip Serrell, television programme valuer, who will also be valuing antiques. Childrens entertainers, static displays, music and, of course, fireworks on Saturday. More on Sunday and then the Fun Dog Show & Car Boot Sale on the Sports Field on Bank Holiday Monday. Car parking with security is offered on Hanley Road - follow the signs. Please note - there is NO unauthorised camping on the Sports Field at any time. Tourist Information may be able to help finding somewhere to camp. 8th August An interesting evening on 12th September is promised when the Upton in Bloom Committee host ex-Britain in Bloom judge, Bob Harris presenting 'Munches and Bunches' at the Memorial Hall as one of their fundraising efforts for next year's Heart of England in Bloom competition. More information in Forthcoming Events 5th August Puccini's Italian Restaurant has opened in Church Street. Links above. 3rd August I've scanned all the copies I have of Betty Williams' Upton News and compiled the archive news items supplied by Enid Loynes. A link above and from the History menu. 2nd August Flaps International Ltd, private aviation brokers and consultants now have a page on the website. Links above. 1st August Congratulations to Betty Williams on publishing the 100th Edition of the Upton News. Betty puts a lot of work into the magazine which is non-profit making. Thanks from all of us! 30th June Gemma Thomas has high quality prints of the photographs on here and on www.uptonjazz.co.uk. I've added her contact address to the aerial photo pages. The Co-op have awarded the Blues Festival a small grant to support the Gospel Choir Service that they are holding under the bridge in conjunction with Upton Churches Together. A newsletter from the Town Council can be seen from the link above. 29th June Some news about the Blues Festival and some great aerial pictures from Gemma Thomas have been added from the above links. 28th June The County Council may partially close High Street for repairs to the culvert outside the White Lion on 3rd/10th/16th September 06. 31st July I've added some more news items from the Upton News, 1906. From the History/Upton News menu option. 30th July Upton Rowing Club's Pubs, Clubs & Firms Regatta took place today. A very enjoyable event with lots of competition between the teams. Pictures from the above link. 29th July Judging of the local 'in Bloom' competition took place today. A lot of pictures from the above link. 28th July Enjoy the Water Festival fireworks from the balcony at Cafe Severn - more information above. Paul Thomas and Bev Richardson were married this morning. A helicopter picked Bev up from the Sports Field to take her to Puckrup Hall for the ceremony. Another wild bird - well, a Dove, has been added to the Wildlife in Upton above. The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. A list of Children's Activities can also be seen. 27th July Quite a few new events added below. Every month in the Upton News and the Bridge Magazine excerpts from much earlier editions of the Upton News are produced by Enid Loynes. Enid has kindly give me permission to include these on the site. The first one can be found from the History / Upton News menu option. The Rowing Club Regatta on Saturday has been cancelled. 26th July A couple of posters for the Fun Dog Show & Grand Prize Draw added to the Water Festival entry in Forthcoming Events. I've updated the page about 'phishing' and associated scams, and also included a link to 'Bank Safe Online'. Over the last year or two I've taken some pictures of local wildlife - birds, a butterfly and a couple of days ago I found a slowworm on my path. A link to the pictures above. 20th July The Upton in Bloom committee realise there is confusion about Britain in Bloom, Heart of England in Bloom, Upton in Bloom, and the local competition. Above is the link to a document which, hopefully, will clarify these different competitions. The latest Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue newsletter is available from the link above. The next Town Council agenda is available. 19th July A review of the Blues Festival can be seen from the link above. The Blues Festival website has photos from the event - http://www.uptonbluesfestival.org.uk 18th July Information on the Severn Vale Marching Band Championship on 16th September can be seen from Forthcoming events. The Friends of Upton Jazz have released their programme up to the end of the year. Dates under Forthcoming Events and full details on the Upton Jazz website. 17th July What a lovely weekend it was for the Blues Festival! Everything seemed to go off well with pubs & open air concerts all attracting large audiences. This Festival gets better & better. The new Medical Centre building works have begun. A link above. 14th July The results of the Heart of England in Bloom Childrens Art Competition, and also pictures of sponsored displays and a list of those businesses & individuals who have supported us can be seen from the above links, or via the Upton in Bloom link at the top of the page. Upton children have done really well in the Art Competition. 12th July It's judging day for Upton in Bloom's entry in the Heart of England in Bloom competition. The town looks good thanks to the efforts of the Upton in Bloom Committee and members of the public. Thanks to Colin, Upton Town Council's Caretaker, MHDC's road cleaning team, Tim Perry, Betty Williams, MHDC for putting the clock right on the Old Church Tower, and everyone else who has helped in getting the town ready. 10th July There are some sad people around. On Thursday last week a corkscrew Bay tree was stolen from the Upton in Bloom Sensory Garden, opposite Panes Garage. The Police have been notified. It really makes you wonder why we put in all the effort to make the town look good, and try to provide something for disabled people to enjoy, when people can be so mean as to steal a plant, which has been purchased using donations from relatives wishing to remember their loved ones. Thieves in Bushley stole a scarecrow! More details on the latter above. 7th July Minutes from Open Spaces, full Council & the Hall Committee, and the next agenda are available. 1st July Information on the Upton Rowing Club Regatta, and the Upton Pubs, Clubs & Firms Regatta can be seen from the links in Forthcoming Events. Joy Farrell, one of the Blues Festival organisers, has made a lovely job of decorating a couple of shop windows. A link above. 26th June Gifted, in High Street, have a new range of goods - new & nearly new baby clothes at very good prices. Rose's Corner Crafts & Gifts are now selling kites and spinners. These can be seen at Bridge House, Lower High Street. The 21st Jazz Festival seemed to go very well, with lots of people on Fishmeadow and in the town. Pictures of shop windows, the Parade on Saturday, and a few pictures I took over the weekend can be seen from the link above. 23rd June Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue is now an RYA Power Boat Training School with Coastal Endorsement. It is also open for RYA II training courses. A link to their website from 'Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net' 21st June I've added another picture of Fishmeadow although there isn't much different from yesterday's. The agenda for the next Town Council meeting is available. Documents have also been added to minutes of Full Council, Hall & Finance and Open Spaces Committees, Annual Town Meeting and Annual General Meeting. 19th June Bluebell Farm has a double ensuite room available for the Jazz Festival due to a cancellation. Details from Accommodation / Bed & Breakfast or Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net / Upton Jazz Festival. 18th June Rupert Chambers sent me some great aerial photographs of the town. A link above. 17th June Tourism & Trade held a Queen's Birthday Party for the Primary School children. Pictures from the above links. The Garden Club has an interesting display in the Library. I've added a picture of it from the above link. I've also added dates of talks at forthcoming club meetings. 15th June June reports from Sir Michael Spicer & PC Mark Taylor have been added to Reports/Newsletters. 11th June The Pepperpot Players are auditioning on Monday 12th and Wednesday 14th June in the Memorial Hall for their next production 'The Boy Friend' - aim to arrive at any time between 7.30 and 9.00 p.m. 9th June Yet another excellent production by the Pepperpot Players. Agatha Christie's 'And then there were none'. Well worth seeing. If there are any tickets left, you can get them from PS Presents in Old Street. Pictures from the above link. 5th June Some accommodation for Jazz Festival is available from the Accommodation menu on the Jazz website. A link from Links / Sites hosted at upton.uk.net Upton Youth Band came first in Division 3 at the Ouse Valley Sounds competition near Bedford yesterday. Congratulations. The Band are running a boot sale on this Sunday 11th June, to fundraise for their competition in September. 2nd June Bushley Flower Festival & Open Gardens is taking place over the weekend 9th to 11th June. Times from Forthcoming Events. 26th May The poster for the Blues Festival can be seen from Forthcoming Events. The car boot due to be held on 29th May has been cancelled due to the weather - the Sports Field is very wet. The first step in building the new surgery was taken today when Dr Wilson dug the first sod. Pictures from the above link. 25th May A new addition to the Public Conveniences menu - a letter to all festival organisers saying the loos will not be opened for festivals. Displayed side by side with a letter from District Councillor Adeney which says they will! I understand the 'listening party', the Liberal Democrats, are canvassing in the area and that several lifelong supporters have told them exactly what they think about their members at MHDC and will not be voting for them in any future elections. 24th May New Street Lane has 'Road Closed' from the Hanley Road Car Park entrance, but the water has dropped a lot and I expect the road will be open later today - but don't quote me on that! 23rd May Upton Rugby Club's latest newsletter can be seen from the above link or Reports/Newsletters menu option. New street Lane is flooded from just after the entrance to Hanley Road Car park. No signs in place when I was there at about 9.20am. 19th May A press release from Hanley Castle & Upton Colts can be seen from Reports/Newletters / Cricket. The date on the next agenda for the Town Council was incorrect. It has been amended from 25th to 23rd May. 17th May At the Annual Town Council meeting last night, Cllr Sheena Walsh stood down as Deputy Mayor due to time constraints. Cllr Tim Perry was elected to the post. An updated contact list is available from Reports/Newsletters/Town Council 15th May Upton Rugby Club's latest newsletter can be seen from the above link or Reports/Newsletters menu option. 14th May Some updates from the Pepperpot Players about their next production 'And then there were none' from the link above. The poster can be seen from the link under Forthcoming Events. 12th May Meadowsweet & Cambrian Ensemble held a very enjoyable concert of choral and instrumental music in aid of Upton in Bloom. Pictures from the above links. 11th May The Friends of Upton Primary School are holding a fund raising evening on Thursday 18th May - belly dancing!, which is a girls only evening. More details below. 5th May The Jockey Inn at Baughton now has a page on the website. Offering traditional country food, real ales and a non-smoking environment. They also offer accommodation in 'The Stables'. More information from the above links. 4th May On 10th May there is to be a guided walk around historical Upton. More details in Forthcoming Events. Last night I visited the Brownies who were learning how to plant seeds, take cuttings, pot on plants & plant hanging baskets. Pictures from the above link. I've also added some photos taken of Upton in Bloom selling tickets for the Duck Race. 3rd May Some Folk Festival pictures from Richard Hannah and Jo Bowmer have been added to the list. 2nd May I've updated the pictures of the Tudor House Museum, available from the 'Things to do' menu. The Folk Festival is over for another year. I thought it went very well. I spoke to a few people for whom it was their first visit and they all said they will be back next year. I've added a few more pictures from yesterday. Well done to the organisers! 30th April I've added pictures from the Folk Festival Parade today. Thanks to the Folk Festival Committee for their help with the Upton in Bloom Duck Race, which went very well. A yellow duck won! 29th April Lots of pictures from the Folk Festival from the above link. 28th April At about 5.30pm it was discovered that the 3 portaloos had been spotted in the tunnel to Fishmeadow. The original instruction had been for them to be placed 'under the bridge', ie near the Plough Inn. Still, technically they are 'under the bridge', just the wrong one... MHDC could not open the loos for the Festival 'as the water was turned off'. So, they instructed the Street Scene Manager (who was the only one in the office at the time) at about 9.30 this morning, to get 3 portaloos. He rang several companies, none of whom had any available at such short notice. So, another company are sending a vehicle to Badminton to pick up three and bring them here. They are arriving at about 4.30pm and will be placed on the road facing the closed loos. How much is this going to cost the ratepayer?! 26th April Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue is now a fully approved facility to West Mercia Police, Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue and H&W Ambulance Trust. MISAR have achieved this approval after setting up in April last year. The hard work and dedication of MISAR volunteers is to be commended. They have a new website (link from Links/Sites hosted at upton.uk.net/Mercia Rescue), which is nearing completion. The agenda for the next Council meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters Community Action are looking for new members at their AGM on 18th May; nominations should be received by 28th April 25th April The Youth Showcase Event, held on 22nd April, seemed to go very well. Some pictures from the links above. 21st April A new newsletter from Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue is available from Reports/Newsletters/MISAR. This month MISAR went to London! The minutes from the Annual Town Meeting are available from Reports/Newsletters/Upton Town Council meetings. News about MHDC's decision to close public toilets has reached the Birmingham Post. A link from the Public Conveniences index above. 19th April The Environment Agency are holding a public meeting on 28th April to discuss the proposed temporary flood defence scheme. More details and a map of the area where the defences are to be placed can be seen from the above link. 18th April The Town Council has published a new Town Guide which is on sale in various premises within the town and by post. Details from the link above. 17th April Mary Wilkinson, of Square One Publications, has two books by Kenneth James on special offer to visitors to this site. A link above and from the Services menu option. 16th April Pictures from Upton in Bloom's Launch Event and a vote for the poem to be translated into Braille for the Sensory Garden have been added from the links above. One man's answer to the closure of the public toilets can be seen from 'Problem solved?' above. 14th April The latest 'What's On' from Malvern Tourist Information Centre is available from the link below Forthcoming Events. MTIC have also produced a list of Easter events. 12th April If you're looking for an office in Upton, consider Bridge House on the Riverside. Some pictures from the link above. 9th April Some shops and private residents windows have been decorated with an Easter theme. I've added some pictures from the above link. I've belatedly updated the Upton in Bloom 2006 diary with Winter planting and the Sensory Garden. 7th April The agenda for the Annual Town Meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters/Town Council 6th April Upton in Bloom are holding a small Launch Event in Bridge House Courtyard, 10-12noon on 15th April. 4th April Brian Lawrence, who has kept the clock in the Old Churchtower in order since 1997 on an unpaid basis, today handed in his keys in protest at last night's decision to keep the public conveniences closed. He did say during the public participation last night that he would do so if the vote was to keep the loos closed. Someone with principles. 3rd April MHDC tonight refused to rescind the decision taken at their last meeting to close public conveniences in Upton, Tenbury & Malvern Town. The vote was 19-17. Our esteemed district councillor Sue Adeney (Lib Dem) again voted against the wishes of her electorate. 31st March The agenda for the Planning and Hall & Finance Committee meetings has been added. 30th March A link to the agenda for the Special Council Meeting on 3rd April has been added to the menu on the Public Conveniences. Upton in Bloom's Launch Event has had to be postponed due to the height of the river. There are now 40 sides coming to the Folk Festival. 29th March An update on Pepperpot Players is available under Recent Additions. 23rd March The Folk Festival now have thirty sides confirmed for the Festival. Frames & Blinds now have a page on the site. A link above. The agenda for Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee is available from the Reports/Newletters Town Council menu. If you have had occasion to use the public conveniences in Lower High Street, or feel that they ought to be kept open, please write to MHDC and your District Councillor before the meeting to be held on April 3rd. District Councillor information can be found on the MHDC website - http://www.malvernhills.gov Minutes from Full Council, Open Spaces & Hall and General Finance committees have been added. A poster has been created for Folk Festival. A picture and details of how to purchase this can be seen from the link above. 17th March Two dates for Upton Blues Festival fundraising events have been added to the Forthcoming Events list. 15th March An interesting calendar is planned in aid of Air Ambulance. Called 'Faces of Upton', Simon Lusty hopes to feature one face (or small group of up to 4 or 5) for each day of the year, of someone who lives or works in the Upton. More details from the link above. 14th March The Agenda for next week's full Council meeting is available from Reports/Newsletters. 12th March 'Looking at Upton', a community project hosted by the Civic Society, has some good news to share from the link above. 11th March The Royal Horticultural Society issued a press release last year titled 'Blooming communities lead to booming house prices'. I've added a link above. Upton in Bloom narrowly missed being put forward to the 'Britain in Bloom' competition after winning the Large Village Category in the 'Heart of England in Bloom' competition last year. This year we hope to do even better and be entered in 'Britain in Bloom'. 10th March Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue are holding a Table Top sale in the Church Room tomorrow, from 10-12noon. 9th March Hopefully the menus are OK now... Last night's Upton in Bloom Pudding Evening went very well. The puddings were lovely! 7th March Sorry the menu is rather large at the moment. I've been 'messing around' and while everything else seems OK, that is behaving rather oddly on the front page. 6th March A very interesting transcript from 'Records & Traditions of Upton-on-Severn by Emily Lawson from 'Miscellaneous' - the final chapter in the book - can be seen from the above link. 4th March I've added a new section to the site to cover news and events relating to the closure of the Lower High Street Public Conveniences. All the 'news' that was in here is now on that page. A link above. 2nd March Minutes from February have been added to the Planning and Hall & Finance Committees menus. 28th February We now have the latest agenda for the Town Council online. In this instance it is for the Planning and Hall, Finance & General Purposes Committees. This is under Reports/Newsletters / Upton Town Council Meetings. 27th February The Folk Festival Committee are looking for volunteers to help with stewarding at the Festival. If you can spare any time, please have a look at the form which has been made available from the above link. 25th February An update to Upton Arts Music Group evening on March 25th where the film AMADEUS, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, is being shown. More details in Forthcoming Events. 24th February The Folk Festival website has been updated with information & sides coming. A link above from Forthcoming Events. Barry Kitchin and his daughter Jo are running Rose's Corner in Bridge House. Whether for a gift or just to indulge yourself, it is well worth a visit! 16th February A poster about the Severn Community Flood Forum which is being held on 11th March in Tewkesbury can be seen from the above link. The Car Boot Team are planning a busy season with 9 car boots! Five for the Water Festival, two each for Upton Youth Band and Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue. The dates have been added below. 15th February Minutes from the Town Council and Planning meetings of 17th January have been added under Reports/Newsletters / Town Council. I've added several Civic Society talks to Forthcoming Events. The Pepperpot Players 'Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood' pantomime got underway last night. It was excellent! Well worth seeing if you can. 14th February 4pm: I'm advised that the bridge should re-open at about 5pm. I take no responsibility for this statement! Some additions to the Folk Festival programme have been made. A link above from Forthcoming Events. Work on the bridge has commenced. The hope is that it should finish this afternoon. 13th February The Upton upon Severn Civic Society has applied for a grant to the Local Heritage Initiative. An outline of the project, in which as many of the local community as possible will be involved, can be seen from the link above, and via the Civic Society page from the 'Social' menu option. Don't forget the Pepperpot Players' pantomime which is playing this week from tomorrow. 10th February An update on the bridge closure: "The closure is due at 7.30am on Tuesday 14th and an announcement will be made on local radio concerning reopening. It may be possible to reopen on Tuesday but it may be Wednesday depending on how the work progresses and the weather." Meeting dates and the contact list for the Town Council have been added to the Reports/Newsletters, Town Council menu. 9th February I have reorganised minutes & other documents relating to the Town Council, menu option Reports/Newsletters, Town Council. 8th February I've added some dates for Upton in Bloom events, I'll add more information as soon as it is available. Don't forget the Prize Bingo tomorrow night! A sensory garden is planned on the Riverside, near the pedestrial lights. If anyone would like to donate a sweet smelling plant or donate £5 we would love to hear from you. This will be a permanent planting. Some news from the Upton Blues Festival - "Mississippi meets the Severn", from the Events/Blues menu. 7th February Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue are recruiting new volunteers. If you would like to find out how you can help, please come along to Upton Marina and visit us in the Cruisers Bar & Restaurant on Sunday 12th February in the morning. Volunteers provide many different services to the organisation apart from crewing boats. Full training for boat crew is provided. 5th February Some good news today - the Folk Festival is going ahead this year, with a different format. Preliminary details from the Festival website, a link at the top of the page, and from Forthcoming events. 4th February This page now has the new menu system and I am still updating the site. The latest reports from Sir Michael Spicer and Upton Town Mayor have been added. 29th January I'm in the process of updating the menu system so some pages may have the new menu on them and others won't. If it is confusing, I'm sorry. I need to upload some and test them, then sort out the problems! And there are a lot of pages... 25th January I'm pleased to say the Upton weather is back online. 24th January Work to repair the roof of the Cemetery Chapel will commence during the first week of February. 19th January Signs will be in place in good time regarding the bridge closure and the footways will not be closed. 17th January The Town Council have been advised that Upton bridge will be closed for 2 days within a two-week period commencing 13th February for works on the bridge. This involves the A4104 from the junction with the B4211 to the junction with UC61239 East Waterside. I undersand that the closure will be between 'rush hour' in the mornings and 'rush hour' in the evening, but I am expecting some more information and will confirm it as soon as I can. Information from Simon Wilkinson on Burials in Upton from 1866 has been added to the Genealogy index. The information is reproduced in the Genealogy Bulletin Board. Thanks Simon! 16th January For Jazz fans, the Jazz Festival website has been updated with preliminary information about this year's event. Details from the link on the left. 5th January The Upton Community Pride Bulletin Board is back online. Unfortunately it has had to start from scratch and users & posts have been lost, for which apologies to those who had registered and posted messages. 1st January A Happy New Year to all visitors! I've retrieved some pictures painted by Bill Hawkes of Bridge House. These can be seen from the above link. 24th December I hope all visitors to Upton have a very good Christmas and my best wishes for a Happy New Year. 23rd December The Community Pride & Genealogy Bulletin Boards will not be available from about 10pm 26th December to 9.30am 27th December. If the times or dates change I will update this. PC Mark Taylor's December report can be seen from the link above. 21st December Last night the awards for the Tourism & Trade Window Competitions were presented by Mayor Cllr John Thompson. Cllr Tim Perry accepted the award for Best Illuminated Window for Andrew Burney of The Bell House, and presented it to him today. Pictures from the Christmas Index. 18th December I've added a page showing the Upton in Bloom Memorial Tree in the Old Churchyard and the list of remembered names. The Christmas Window competitions were judged yesterday evening by Town Mayor Cllr John Thompson and his wife Deirdre. Pictures of the windows from the Christmas Index above. There are also some pictures of Santa's tour of the town. 17th December At the start of a busy day for Santa Claus, he drew the winning ticket in the Upton in Bloom Christmas Hamper Draw. Pictures from the above link. 11th December Following on from the the questionnaire circulated earlier this year, a group was set up to follow through on the results. The group has been named 'Community Pride'. A separate area has been set up on this site for Community Pride. It includes a bulletin board with forums reflecting the sections within the questionnaire. We hope that this will be used for ideas to improve the town and discussions on these ideas. A link above in Recent Additions. 9th December Warning tape and signs have been placed around the chapel in the cemetary saying: "Pedestrians are warned from using the path around the chapel (RTR Act 1984 s72) due to a falling roof." 6th December There is a wonderful display of Nativity scenes from all over the world, along with lots of Christmas trees on display in St Peter & St Paul's Church from today until 30th December (closed Christmas Day & Boxing Day). For £3, which includes a cup of tea & biscuits, this is well worth visiting. A link from the Christmas Index at the top of the page. The Friends of Upton Jazz website has been updated with details of their concerts up until June 2006. A link on the left or from Forthcoming Events. 2nd December In the History section, under 'Upton's Castle' I've added a couple of observations by ex-residents, including one from Australia. Gifted, in High Street, are holding a stock clearance sale to make way for new stock. Rose's Corner, in Bridge House, is holding a 30% off re-opening sale on 10th December - see the poster from the above link. 1st December The latest reports from Sir Michael Spicer MP & PC Mark Taylor are available from the above links, or from the Reports/Newsletters menu option. 30th November The Friends of Upton Primary School are holding a 'Seasonal Fayre' on 3rd December at 10am at the school. 27th November Barry Kitchin became a Grandad today! Jodie Rose joined the family at a healthy 7lb 5oz. Congratulations to Mum & Dad and Barry. Upton upon Severn Tourism & Trade Association with the help of MISAR dressed the Christmas Trees today. Pictures from the Christmas Index link. 22nd November Rose's Corner re-opened yesterday. Jo, Rosie's daughter, who worked with Rosie over the last few months, is taking over the running of the shop. Selling gifts, crafts, wool and much more, the shop is well worth a visit at Bridge House, Lower High Street. Good luck Jo! 20th November On a very cold and very foggy morning, members of Pepperpot Players presnted a cheque to Mrs Betty Williams for the Royal British Legion. The money was raised during the production of 'What did you do in the War, Dad?'. A link above. 18th November Four different Christmas menus from the Anchor, Welland, have been added to the list of Christmas Menus. The link is above. 17th November Orchard Flowers in Old Street now have a page on the site. A link above. 16th November An Information Evening for Upton Youth Forum is to be held on 21st November at 5pm in the Memorial Hall. For more information, please see the link in Forthcoming Events. Adriana Keast has put a lot of work into the concept of a Youth Forum with an overall aim of giving young people in Upton and surrounding areas a chance to voice their needs and opinions. More information on Upton in Bloom's Memorial Tree for Christmas, and a sponsor form are available from the above link. 15th November Gifted are having a stock clearance sale - an ideal chance to buy gifts for Christmas! A link from the Services menu. My friend Rosie died last week. Our thoughts are with Barry and family. An update on Pepperpot Players pantomime available from the link above. New Street is clear of water although muddy. 13th November Upton upon Severn held their Remembrance Day parade and service today. I always find the most poignant part is when the names of all those killed in action during the First & Second World Wars are read out in the Church. So many young men from so small a town... Upton in Bloom are holding two fundraisers for our entry in the Heart of England in Bloom 2006. A £100 Christmas draw - 'Everything you need for Christmas, including the turkey', and a 'Memorial Tree'. Tickets for the former (at £1 each) can be bought from several shops within the town - look for the poster in the window. More information on the hamper from the above link. Information on the Memorial Tree will follow shortly. 11th November 8.00am No change in the river level overnight. 10th November 4.00pm Although the river doesn't seem to have risen much, it has spread out more during the day. I understand that it is expected to rise more... Regency House Beauty Clinic, in Old Street, now has a page on the site. A link above. Dates for the Friends of Upton Jazz 2006 concerts have been added to Forthcoming Events. 8.00am The water at the bottom of New Street is now at the 30mph signs. The paved area under the bridge is completely covered. Riverside, from Bridge House to The Swan is closed. 9th November 6.00pm The river is quite high today. New Street/Hook Bank is closed from the bottom of New Street, from the 30mph signs. Upton TIC held a small reception at Bridge House today, to thank the volunteers who keep the Heritage Centre open throughout the Summer. They need more volunteers, so if you would like to help out, please call in at the TIC. A bit belatedly, I found out this morning that the New Street/Hook Bank road is flooded from just after the entrance to Hanley Road Car park. I will try to be more diligent in reporting progress! The Garden Club are holding several talks over the next few months. Dates can be found in Forthcoming Events. 1st November The latest reports from John Thompson, Upton Mayor, and Sir Michael Spicer MP are available from the links above. Last week several local TV and radio stations had programmes about the five-year anniversary of the 2000 floods. The Swan Hotel featured on BBC Midlands Today - some pictures of their part in the programme from the link above. 28th October Malvern Hills District Council are proposing to close public conveniences in several towns, including the one in Lower High Street in Upton. There is much concern over this from the Town Council, District Councillors, Upton Tourism & Trade Association, and over 700 people who signed a petition asking to keep them open. Many of the businesses rely on tourists throughout the year. If the loos are closed word will get around to coach companies who organise trips to Upton and other potential visitors. They will go to towns with easily accessible loos. Businesses will close. MHDC & residents will lose out. An interesting letter was published in the Malvern Gazette today - a link to it above. 27th October Highways Manager Jon Fraser has sent me a photograph of the award mentioned below. I've added it to the same link. 25th October Another award has been made to WCC Highways department for the new viaduct. Details from the link above. 20th October The keys for a Landrover Defender vehicle were handed over to Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue by Mr Gerald Pollard of Severn Trent. A picture from the link above. Another Christmas menu has been added to the link above. 18th October Sylvia Dawson of The Flower Ring is retiring at the end of the month. I'm sure we all wish her and Peter a happy retirement. Pepperpot Players are gearing up for their February Pantomime - Robin Hood. More details above. 14th October I saw Pepperpot Players 'What did you do in the War, Dad?' last night. Yet again, another exceedingly good production and well worth seeing. 13th October If you can spare a few hours a week, the Tourist Information Centre would like to hear from you. They are looking for more volunteers to man the Heritage Centre. 12th October The Youth Bands went to finals at Coventry last Sunday. The A corps came second in their division. The Cadet band won again and is now the top cadet band in the UK. Well done to you all! 11th October I know it is early but several establishments have published their Christmas menus - available from the above link. 10th October Upton Marina has successfully been awarded Four Gold Anchors by The Yacht Harbours Association. More information from the link above. 8th October Pepperpot Players new production 'What did you do in the War, Dad?' commences on 13th October. Some photographs from the link above. 2nd October I've added some pictures of local events which took place in the town centre yesterday. Links above. 1st October Shipps Garage in New Street provide MOT, service & repairs to a wide range of vehicles. For more information please see the above link, or via the Services menu. PC Mark Taylor writes regularly in the Upton News. His latest report is available via the Reports/Newsletters menu. 30th September Upton in Bloom held its AGM last night. Apart from the Committee, the turn out was disappointing. However, we all enjoyed 'nibbles' and a glass (or two) of wine. We watched a video of the judging and saw Eric White receiving the trophies at the Awards Ceremony. The trophies and certificates for the local 'Upton in Bloom' were presented (the results can be seen from the link above, or via the Upton in Bloom link at the top of the page. Thank you to all who attended and congratulations to the local winners. 27th September Upton Marina are holding the "Severn Used Boat Show" next month. More details from the link above or under Forthcoming Events. 25th September I've reinstated the Genealogy Bulletin Board. If you experience any problems, please let me know. 21st September Hill View Lakes Cabins & Fishing have just released their 2006 price list. These can be seen from the link on the left. Orchard Flowers, in New Street, are holding an opening day on 1st October. Reg Moule, Hereford and Worcester Radio's Gardening Expert, will perform the official opening at 12 noon. All existing customers, as well as new, are invited for a glass of wine and to discuss any floral requirements they may have. 17th September The Youth Band Marching Championships took place on the Sports Field today. Superb organisation and spectacular displays by over 1000 youths from 28 bands made it a day to remember. Lots of pictures from the link above. 11th September Don't forget next Saturday Upton Youth Band is hosting the Marching Bands competition on the Sports Field. If you are in the area, it should be a good day - come and give the band your support! There is a link to the Band's website in Forthcoming Events, and a permanent one from the Links menu. 10th September The Bluebell Inn at Ryall Grove now has a page on the site. A link above. The flowers outside are superb and it's well worth a visit to see them! 8th September I saw the first half of the Peppercorn Youth Group's production of 'Oliver' tonight. Pictures from the above links. The Launderette, in New Street, now has a page on the site. A link above. 7th September Ivydene House Bed & Breakfast's website has been updated with some new pictures, some of which are reproduced on their page on this website. 4th September Sir Michael's August report and pictures from the Kid's Picnic can be seen from the above links. 3rd September The Friends of Beechwood are holding an Autumn Plant Sale & Coffee Morning on the 17th. More information from Forthcoming Events. 2nd September Upton in Bloom won a Gold Award in the Large Village category in the Heart of England in Bloom competition. We also won the Large Village category. Other awards were won by entrants in the Small Neighbourhood category and Doug & Sue Fletcher won a Judges Personal Award. Pictures from the link above. 1st September Tomorrow we will find out how well we have done in the Heart of England in Bloom competition. We have had one label back from our Upton in Bloom Balloon Race - from Lancaster! 30th August Old Street B&B has new owners - Sheila & Steve. I've taken some new pictures which can be seen from the link above. Good luck to you both! Two new diary dates in September have been added to Forthcoming Events below. Last night we celebrated the end of Water Festival 2005. I think everyone who was on the boat had a great time. Some photos from the Water Festival index above. 29th August Today we had our Giant Car Boot Sale which attracted over 150 boots! The weather was perfect. The dog show also went very well. Our small band of volunteers are going to chill out tonight with a cruise on the MV Conway Castle. I do hope more people will attend the AGM on 12th September at Bridge House and volunteer to help us. 27th August A long day yesterday but it seemed to go well in spite of selfish people who try to cash in on our efforts without offering any support in the way of donations. 26th August I've added some pictures of shop windows and preparations for the Water Festival to the index from the link above. 24th August The new stage for Water Festival is under construction. Instead of being located on the other side of the river as in previous years, this year it is on the old bridge abutment, below the disabled car parking area on the riverside. A picture of it can be seen from the Water Festival index at the top of this page. 21st August Tingdene Marinas Ltd has acquired the Walton Marine Group (which includes Upton Marina), which operates the marinas and boat sales operation at four locations. A link to the press release above. Upton Arts Music Group have published their 2005-2006 programme of musical events. A link above. 20th August I've taken the Genealogy bulletin board offline temporarily to update it. 19th August The date for the Upton in Bloom AGM has been changed from September 28th to September 29th, 7.30pm in the Church Rooms. The Street Scene Warden who patrols the town now has the power to issue £50 fines for offences including dropping litter, dog fouling, fly-posting and graffiti, cycling on the pavement and disorder. Great!! Hill View Lakes & Holidays are now offering cycle hire for anyone. A link to their website on the left. 15th August Another amendment to the Water Festival programme - Wyvern FM are unable to attend on Sunday. Henry Sandon (Antiques Roadshow) will be opening the Festival on Saturday and will then be valuing antiques from 12 noon until 1.30pm (2 items per person). 14th August I've added a panorama view of the town centre. I will try it again using a tripod next time. The link is above. Please note, the Water Festival programme has been amended. Unfortunately the Archery display has been cancelled due to ill health and on Sunday the Hand Bell Ringers are unable to attend. 10th August Tiltridge Vineyard's latest tasting notes and price list can be seen from the above link. 8th August The Water Festival programme is now available. I've added information and the entry form for the Fun Dog Show which is held on Monday 29th August on the final day of the Water Festival. More information from the above link, or below under Forthcoming Events. 1st August Worcestershire CCC under 10's v Oxfordshire Young Cricketers under 10's match report from Sunday 31st July 2005 can be seen from the above link. 27th July A bit belatedly I've put a copy of the leaflet produced by the Highways department for the official opening ceremony. A link from the Viaduct Index above. The judging of the town for the Heart of England in Bloom seemed to go very well. We started on time and finished the route within 2 minutes of our allocated two & a half hours. A very satisfying number of people congregated on and around the Old Churchyard to welcome the judges. These included veterans from the Evacuation of Dunkirk, Admiral Sir William Tennant's niece, Upton Youth Band, members of the British Legion and the public. 26th July 7.30am: Upton is being judged today for the Heart of England in Bloom. The Committee have worked very hard planning displays, planting, cleaning, painting, removing fly-posters, weeding and many other little jobs that go un-noticed but can make the difference in the judging. I'm sure everyone who lives in, or visits the town will appreciate how good it looks. 24th July Apologies for lack of new pages lately. I've been helping get the town ready for the Heart of England in Bloom judging on Tuesday. I've also been involved in preparing the portfolio for the judges. 21st July Mercial Inshore Search and Rescue (MISAR) were very busy on the river yesterday. Firstly to rescue a bullock; then to rescue the Oliver Cromwell which had ran aground on a sandbank (the river is extremely low at the moment). They then had to find somewhere for the Oliver Cromwell to moor as she was not allowed into Upton during the incident. Finally, they helped the boat to drop anchor and moored her to trees on either side of the river. The MV Conway Castle had to moor up until being allowed back into town. MISAR then co-operated with the Police by preventing any boats coming up and down river until the incident was over. Yesterday's incident ended in the evening without anyone getting hurt. I was in Bridge House overlooking the Kings Head and did take a lot of photographs. However, I don't think it is appropriate to publish photographs of someone who was obviously extremely distressed and will not do so. 20th July The centre of town was sealed off early this afternoon. A man with a shotgun had gone into the Kings Head. One policeman arrived but it took a long time for any more to arrive and members of the public were warning passers-by to go via another route. At 6.30pm the town is still sealed off whilst a police negotiator is trying to pursuade the man to put his gun down and come out of the hotel. 18th July The official opening of the new viaduct took place today. The first shower of rain for what seems like weeks fell during the ceremony. I've added pictures from the Viaduct link above. The Blues Festival appeared to be a big success. There were a lot of people in town over the weekend, enjoying the music and soaking up the sun on what was a very hot weekend. 14th July News of the next Pepperpot Players production can be seen from the above link. 11th July Ryall House Farm has a single room vacant for the Jazz Festival 2006. A link from Accommodation/Bed & Breakfast 10th July The Upton in Bloom committee were offered a large boat by Upton Rowing Club. Unable to transport it themselves, the Committee asked Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue for help. MISAR transported the boat from the Marina to the Old Churchyard where it has been filled with flowers as part of the display on the Churchyard. Yet another example of how groups in the town are prepared to help each other. 8th July A large number of gypsies have camped on Fishmeadow... I've added one old picture and a current one of the Old Church Tower to the page giving its history. The refurbishment of the caravan park & public land is going well. The public land has been turfed and looks good. I've added some pictures and on one of the pages I've put a 'before' picture to show what it looked like last year before it was incorporated into the temporary road. 6th July Full information on the Castaways Cruiser Club's Water Festival Dance can be found from the link on 28th August in Forthcoming Events. 5th July I've added some pictures taken during the 1947 floods - not by me! A link above or from History/River/Floods. The Friends of Upton Jazz Festival have announced their programme of concerts for July to December. The dates are below and details on the Jazz Festival website. 4th July The School Barbecue & Fete seemed to go very well on Saturday night. Did Mike Morgan's wellies steal the show?! Some pictures from the above link. I've also added some more pictures of Upton in Bloom. 2nd July I've added a photo of The Star in 1886 to the page of pictures of the Star. A link above. 28th June I've added some pictures of shop windows that were dressed for the Jazz Festival. A link above. 27th June Morton House B&B located in Birtsmorton (about 5 miles from Upton) now has a page on the site. A link above. 25th June In spite of the weather (some heavy rain yesterday and early this morning), the Jazz Festival is going well. Hundreds of people took part in the parade and I've put quite a few pictures onto the Jazz website. The link can be found at the top of the page. Not many shops dressed their windows this year. The Flower Ring won Best Window with newcomer Frames & Blinds in second place. This is the first time the Flower Ring has won - and it will be their last Jazz window as Sylvia & Peter are selling the business. Well done to them, and Heidi! 23rd June During a walk around the town I took quite a few garden pictures which I've added to the Upton in Bloom picture gallery. 22nd June Most of the hanging baskets are in place in the town centre. The tubs and boats are being planted. I've added some pictures from the above link, and plan to do many more! 21st June Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue are fully equipped, insured and ready to effect search and rescue operations. A narrowboat was rescued after going aground near Gloucester on Sunday. With help from the pleasure boat 'King Arthur', the narrowboat was successfully refloated. The 24-hour telephone number is 01684 592293. After 27 years the Rotary Club is closing at the end of the month. A sad day. More information from the above link. If you are still looking for accommodation for the Jazz Festival, there are a few new names on the site - a link on the left. 20th June Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue have introduced an exciting new initiative - 'Watch'. Details can be seen from the above link or MISAR's website - a link on the left. 18th June The Castaways have released a new poster for their Water Festival Dance in August. This can be seen from the above link, or from Forthcoming Events. 17th June Preparations are under way on Fish Meadow for the Jazz Festival. 13th June Some news from the Pepperpot Players from the above link. 10th June Worcestershire County Council has won two awards for the Viaduct project. More information from the viaduct index link above. 8th June The Friends of Upton Primary School annual barbeque and auction will take place on 2nd July. The programme and list of auction items can be seen from the above link. 6th June A very interesting history of the planning & design of the current bridge by Simon Wilkinson can be seen from the link above - this goes to the page about the various bridges that have spanned the river over the centuries and the article can be reached from about half way down the page. The article first appeared in the Upton News, June 2005. 4th June Pictures from the Staff Awards presentation at Upton Marina can be seen from the link above, or the Marina page from the 'Things to do' menu option. 3rd June Information regarding the road closures on 5th/6th and 7th/8th June: The road closure in Old St. will be in place on Sunday 5th June, the works will start at The Cross and finish at the entrance to the car park (opposite the Church). The Contractor RCS will have a traffic management operative at The Cross and the junction with Minge Lane, access to the car park will be maintained. The works will continue on Monday 6th June under stop / go traffic control. The diversion route for through traffic on Sunday will be via Welland and Hanley Swan. The road closure in New St. will be in place on Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th June, the closure is between the 30 mph speed limit to the west of the Town to the junction with New Street Lane (Clives Fruit Farm). A diversion route will be signed via Hook Bank. Please note that Backfields Lane is a private road and will be closed for through traffic on those days. 2nd June Bridge House at Welland Stone now has a page on the site. A link above or via Accommodation/Bed & Breakfast. The latest reports from Sir Michael Spicer and John Thompson with a final report from outgoing Town Mayor Mark Kerrigan can be seen from the link above. 30th May Another very successful Water Festival Car Boot Sale today, raising over £800 towards the event. Note for Barry - the pictures are there! 27th May The White Lion Beer Festival gets underway tonight. A large selection of beers are on sale - a list of them can be seen from the above link. 23rd May Two members of staff at Upton Marina are to be presented with Marina Operatives training awards by Town Mayor John Thompson on 4th June. More information from the link above. If you are looking for accommodation for the Austin A30/A35 Owners Club Annual Rally at Ryall next weekend, Bluebell Farm have vacancies due to a cancellation. See their page from Accommodation/Bed & Breakfast. 21st May Some new self-catering accommodation has been added - a link to the page above. Available for holiday lets, if you need accommodation for the Jazz Festival apply quickly! I've added some more pictures to the Viaduct/temporary road for May. There doesn't seem to have been a great deal done on clearing the road this week - lack of staff I think. 18th May Upton Youth Band are hosting a Severn Vale Marching Band Competition in September. More information can be seen from the above link. 16th May Longdon & Eldersfield Marsh Conservation Trust was formed today. They have a range of objectives and much hard work has gone into forming the trust. A link to their website can be found above and from the Links menu. 14th May Information on Upton in Bloom 2005 plus suggestions for sponsorship can be seen from the link above. 13th May The Lower Severn Community Flood Information Network are asking people to come to Upton Library on 20th May with a view to 'Remembering Floods'. More information under Forthcoming Events. The Garden Club have several events this Summer. I've added them to Forthcoming Events below. 11th May Traffic lights have been in operation on the viaduct today and will apparently be there tomorrow as well. This is to facilitate finishing off expansion joints and other bits and pieces. 10th May 5.00pm - the temporary road is disappearing at high speed! I've just added some more pictures. Finishing off the viaduct is ongoing and work has started on removing the temporary road. Some pictures from the Viaduct index. 9th May 15th May is a busy day - Upton in Bloom's Launch Event on the MV Conway Castle and the first Water Festival Car Boot Sale on the Sports Field. Tickets for the Launch Event are on sale in the town, or just come to the boat at 10.30am. 7th May Upton in Bloom are looking for relatives of Admiral Sir William Tennant to meet the judges on judging day. This will take place in the Old Churchyard where the bust of Sir William is. 5th May Would Dr Holmes please get in touch again with Pat & Ralph regarding the name Holmes as they have lost your email address. 3rd May Councillor Kerrigan tonight stood down as Mayor of Upton upon Severn due to pressure of work. Cllr John Thompson was elected Mayor and Cllr Mrs Sheena Walsh elected Deputy Mayor. 2nd May The Mayor's monthly report for March/April has been added to the Reports/Newsletters menu. I've added pictures from Sunday, mainly of the parade, to the Folk Festival site. 30th April The Folk Festival is in full swing. Pictures from the above link to the Folk Festival site. 29th April Lots of people are arriving for the Folk Festival, quite a lot of campers on the field. 11am - the viaduct is open! My personal congratulations to Norwest Holst for doing such a great job. I've been advised that the viaduct will be opened at about midday today. 28th April The results of the 'Chair & Vice Chairs Tube Challenge' 19, 20 & 21 April 2005, to raise funds for the Friends of Upton Primary School's www.classroom project, can be seen from the link above. Very well done!! 27th April Old Street & High Street will be closed on Sunday from 12.00 - 12.45 for the Folk Festival parade. The viaduct is nearly finished. Traffic is again using the temporary road whilst the expansion joints and white lining take place today & tomorrow. The opening is planned for Friday. The minutes from the Annual Town Meeting and results of the Town Plan Questionnaire can be seen from the links above 25th April The updated MHDC 'What's on' is available below Forthcoming Events. Two members of Hanley Castle Cricket Club have been selected for county squads this summer. More information from Recent Additions and the top of the page. A press release from Hanley Castle Cricket Club can be seen from the Recent Additions above. 22nd April Information on an Upton in Bloom fundraising concert and the Castaways Club Water Festival Dance can be seen from the links above and in Forthcoming Events. The tie-in road for the viaduct will soon be finished! 19th April Details of the Beer Festival being held by The White Lion Hotel can be seen from the link above, or under Forthcoming Events. There will be over 25 different real ales - until they run out! 18th April The viaduct is half-open. Instead of using the temporary road, traffic is being directed across the viaduct under the control of traffic lights. 15th April The WCC Highways Department have issued their 4th leaflet about progress on the new viaduct. The lamp-posts are in place now and the final layer of tarmac is being laid. 13th April The Bell House Tea Rooms and B&B have recently started a new enterprise - La Belle Chocolat. Some pictures can be seen from the link above, and from the Accommodation/B&B menu. 4 new sides have been confirmed for the Folk Festival. The total is now 41 sides. The final layer of tarmac on the viaduct will be laid on Friday. 12th April Tarmac is now being laid on the viaduct. I've added more pictures. 11th April The traffic lights controlling the temporary road were extended today and now start at the end of the bridge on the way out of town. There were some long tail-backs this evening and it might well be the same in the morning. The tie-in road is being surfaced on one side. The viaduct will soon be surfaced. Once this is done, traffic will be directed over the viaduct to enable the other side of the tie-in road to be surfaced. Not long now! The Annual Town Meeting takes place on Tuesday 26th April at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall. Local Organisations are invited to send in their written reports in advance of the meeting and attend to give brief sound bites from their reports. The public are invited to attend to debate the subject of vandalism and to discuss the merits of CCTV. 8th April Pepperpot Players 'Popcorn' production will run a week earlier than previously advertised, and is now on for three nights on Thursday 19th, Friday 20th and Saturday 21st May. 7th April The work on the viaduct to tie it in to the road is progressing well. Once the side opposite the Marina is complete, traffic will be directed over one side of the viaduct to allow work on the other side of the road. Three new pictures of the progress from the viaduct index. 4th April I've added a few more pictures of progress on the new viaduct. 3rd April New Street - Hook Bank road is clear now. 2nd April The MV Conway Castle has been painted in her new livery and is looking very smart. The Severn Leisure page has been updated with a picture of the boat at her moorings. Hanley Road car park is accessible via New Street. I wouldn't like to attempt driving through the remaining water to get to Hook Bank yet though. 1st April I've updated the pictures of the new viaduct. The water has reached the bottom of New Street but, looking at the line of debris, would appear to have retreated. The Riverside road is blocked at the Swan end and the water is about halfway across outside Bridge House. I understand the Teme & Avon levels have dropped. 31st March 8.15am. New Street to Hook Bank: although there are no notices yet, this is blocked from just past the entrance to Hanley Road car park - as one driver found out to his cost when he attempted to get through. Although the river is up, there is still quite a long way to go before it reaches Hanley Road. 30th March We've had nearly two days of rain now, about 40mm according to my rain gauge. The river is rising but there is still a long way to go before flooding. I'll try and go out early tomorrow morning to give a report. 28th March Kevin Main, from Dallas, Texas, arrived in the UK today to pick up his brand new Hurdy Gurdy from maker Chris Eaton. Kevin has waited three years for the instrument, such is the demand for Chris's Hurdy Gurdies. A picture from the links above. 25th March Work is progressing well on the viaduct. The kerbstones on the opposite side of the road to the Marina have been laid which gives some idea of the slope that the road will take. The Severn Used Narrowboat Show will be held at Upton Marina at the end of May. More details above. 23rd March Quite a few windows in the centre of town have been decorated with an Easter theme. I've added some pictures of them from the link at the top of the page. 22nd March I've added quite a few Water Festival fundraising events to the list of Forthcoming Events - car boot sales and bingo evenings. Castaways local events have also been added and a list of other events can be seen below Forthcoming Events. 21st March The Worcester Gilbert & Sullivan Society's concert on St Georges Day promises to be a feast for both eyes and ears, as it includes a one hour version of The Pirates of Penzance in full costume and fully staged. 23rd April, 7.30pm at the Memorial Hall. The poster can be seen from the link above. 17th March Churches Together at Upton on Good Friday, 25th March, are holding an Open Air Service at the Old Church Yard at 10.30am followed by Hot Cross Buns at the Baptist Church Hall. Also, On Easter Sunday, another Open Air Service at the Old Church Yard at 3.00pm. 16th March Apparently a man was arrested last night. Following on from yesterday's attempted robbery, it would appear that the gunman escaped through an alley into Backfields and then took refuge in a flat. I was outside my house at about 10pm when about half a dozen armed policemen and a police dog suddenly appeared from another alley. I removed myself back into the house at that stage. 15th March An attempted armed robbery at the Post Office was foiled today. Thankfully nobody was hurt. 13thMarch The Pepperpot Players are now rehearsing their next production, 'Popcorn', a play by Ben Elton. More information from the links above or in Forthcoming events. 11th March Some new pictures of Tiltridge Farm B&B under Accommodation, Bed & Breakfast. 10th March A new sign appeared by the viaduct yesterday. A bit late perhaps... Jean Whittle has a new website. If you aren't feeling too well, or want to stop smoking, Jean has various methods that will help you. The site can be accessed from the link on the left. 8th March Please beware - a card-cloning device has been discovered at a cash machine outside a Worcester city centre bank. A previous warning and more information an be found under 'Useful bits & pieces' 'Cash machine security alert'. The temporary traffic lights are in place from near the end of the temporary road to past the Marina entrance. There are none of the hold-ups that occurred last year as there are no barriers to negotiate between this time. I've added some more pictures of the waterproofed viaduct. 3 Shires Estate Agency are now based in Malvern and some new pictures are on their page. A link above. 7th March Two new pictures have been added to Ivydene House's page under Accommodation, Bed & Breakfast. Sir Michael Spicer's latest report has been added to the Newsletters section. Upton Folk Festival site has another two additions to the programme for this year. I added some new photographs of the Viaduct yesterday. 4th March An update to yesterday's note about traffic lights - they will now start on Tuesday next week. 3rd March The waterproofing of the concrete on the viaduct began today when the undercoat was sprayed on. From next Monday there will be temporary traffic lights on the A4104 whilst the new viaduct is connected to the road. More disruption unfortunately, but it does represent the final phase of the works. 2nd March A fundraising event for the 4th Blues Festival is being held on 12th March. More details above. 1st March The Lower Severn Flood Fair held at Tewkesbury School on February 27th was very interesting and there were quite a lot of companies selling very interesting flood defence ideas. The University of Gloucester has set up the Lower Severn Community Flood Information Network. They have a website where more information can be found. I've added a link to their site under 'Useful bits and pieces'. Reports from Tom Wells and Mark Kerrigan added to the Newsletters today. 28th February The Lower Severn Flood Forum Fair was held in Tewkesbury School yesterday. During the time I was there it was very well attended. 26th February Daisy Sousa, who has raised thousands of pounds for local charities, has decided the time has come to let others take over the fundraising. More information from the links above. 25th February The latest minutes from the Town Council & Committee meetings are available from the above link. 24th February The Chair & Vice Chair of the Friends of Upton upon Severn Primary School Association are taking up a challenge to travel the London Underground in the shortest time. The link above leads to the Friends newsletters index where I've made available the whole document as a PDF file (which is rather large) or four separate images of the pages which are considerably smaller. 23rd February A link from the Genealogy bulletin board leads to a Sotheby's catalogue with information on a Chippendale desk thought to be commissioned by John Martin of Ham Court. Thanks to Wendy & Simon for the link. 18th February The Town Council is trying to trace relatives of several people buried in the Cemetery. A list of the relevant memorial stones is available from the link above. The Jazz Festival website has been updated with this year's programme. I went to see the Pepperpot Players rumplestiltskin.com pantomime last night. Another excellent performance! Photographs from the above link. 16th February Work on the viaduct is progressing well. Some more pictures from the link above. Over 30 sides have now confirmed they are coming to the Folk Festival. The list of sides is on the Fesitval website, a link on the left. 15th February The long-awaited refurbishments to the Hanley Road public conveniences are finally finished. They were unlocked today. Some pictures from the link above. Simon Wilkinson very kindly sent me information and a photo of the restored Milestone on the Welland Road. A link above. The results of the SARA 100 Club January draw can be seen from the link above. 13th February The Pepperpot Players had their dress rehearsal for 'rumplestiltskin.com' today. The pantomime starts on Tuesday and judging from previous years it will be a huge success. A picture of the cast from the link at the top of the page and Recent Additions. 11th February The Genealogy bulletin board is back online. 10th February A weekly playgroup for babies and toddlers is available at the Baptist Church Hall. More details from the link above, or Amenities. 6th February I've been very busy with setting up a new server for upton.uk.net hence the lack of 'news'! RMC Materials are building new facilities to enable aggregates to be moved between their Ripple quarry and the handling facility at Ryall using barges with 200 ton capacity. This will save 34,000 road trips per year. Some photographs from the link above. 1st February The latest reports from Sir Michael Spicer MP, Upton Town Mayor, Tom Wells & the Town Clerk are available from the 'Reports/Newsletters' menu option. The Friends of Upton Primary School have a full programme of events this year, all to help their www.classroom project. 31st January Pre-cast parapets for the new viaduct arrived today. Some new pictures on the Viaduct Index above. 30th January A new carvery has opened at The Swan. A couple of mouthwatering pictures from the link at the top of the page. They are also holding a Valentine's Day meal - the menu can be seen from Forthcoming Events. 27th January The National Flood Forum is helping to organise a flood fair for the Lower Severn which will take place at Tewkesbury School on Sunday, 27th February. More details available from Forthcoming Events below. 26th January The Genealogy bulletin board is growing with quite a few new names added recently. Many thanks to Wendy for all the help she is giving to researchers. Minutes from Upton Town Council October & November meetings can be seen from the Reports/Newletters menu option, or a link above. 24th January Upton Upon Severn Folk Dance and Song Society are holding a Ceilidh on 11th March in aid of a Boat-Replacement Project Proposal for Sri Lanka following the Tsunami Disaster. More details from Forthcoming Events below. 22nd January Upton Youth Band are holding what is hoped to be the first of a series of Indoor Car Boot sales on 30th January. More details below. 20th January A site visit by representatives from County, District, Upton & Ripple Councillors and Highways was made to the viaduct site this morning. Pictures of the visit & of the viaduct from the Viaduct index. The temporary road had traffic controls during the day whilst some resurfacing was carried out. Had I known, I would have put a warning here! 18th January I've added a list of callouts attended by Severn Area Rescue Association Upton Station in 2004. A link above. 15th January A new shoe shop is opening on 18th March at the corner of Old Street & Court Street. 14th January The new opening times for the Town Clerk at the Memorial Hall are: Monday 9.15 - 4pm/Wednesday 9.15 - 4pm/Friday 9.15 - 3pm. 13th January Hill View Lakes Cabins and Fishing at Twyning on the A38 (opposite the turning for Puckrup) now have a page on the site. Links from Accommodation / Self catering and above. 11th January As reported earlier, The Swan Hotel has undergone a complete refurbishment. I've added new pictures from inside. Good luck to Sian & Mark! 9th January The Friends of Upton Jazz are holding a concert in aid of the Tsunami Disaster Appeal. Details above or below. The 2005 programme of events being held by the Friends is on their website. Dates and a link from the list of Forthcoming Events below. The Christmas trees were taken down today. Members of the Tourism & Trade Association, Severn Area Rescue Association and Upton in Bloom all helped and the job was completed by 11am. Thanks to all who helped. 8th January I've added a picture of the first bay of concrete on the new viaduct to the Viaduct Index. The preliminary programme and early booking form for this year's Jazz Festival is available on the Jazz website - address on the left. Kenny Ball & Acker Bilk are two names that I know! For the third year running Upton Rowing Club's Heads of the River races had to be called off. The previous two year's were cancelled due to heavy fog and, last year the river was high and considered too dangerous. Gale force winds caused today's cancellation. A great shame as so much effort is put into the organisation of the event. 7th January I've added two sets of pictures to the Viaduct pages today. The second set, 7th January, show the first concrete being poured on the top of the viaduct. 5th January Another 2 sides have been added to the list of confirmed artistes coming to the Folk Festival. Links below and on the left. 4th January The Austin A30/A35 Owners Club Annual Rally is being held at Ryall in May. More details below. 1st January A Happy New Year to you! 2328 emails containing viruses were prevented from reaching users mailboxes by antivirus software on the upton.uk.net server during December. 30th December The SARA 100 Club winners from August to December can be seen from the link above. I see there is a car for sale in the Classified Ads! 29th December Home 2000 Broadband for £29.78 a month (plus VAT). Contact me for details. 23rd December I would like to wish all visitors to Upton upon Severn and to this website a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 22nd December Yet another change to the Genealogy area. The previous area for entering information was rather inflexible. The Genealogy bulletin board will, I think, be far superior and allow discussions and sharing of information to be visible to all. A link from the Genealogy menu on the left. 20th December Upton Folk Festival site (link on the left) has two acts added to the programme for next year. I've added pictures of the final ticket sales for the Christmas hamper, the draw and Annie with the hamper. 19th December The winner of the Upton in Bloom £100 'All you need for Christmas' hamper, drawn by Santa on the 18th, was Annie Linden. Well done! I've added information and pictures of the winning windows to the Christmas menu. A busy day in town yesterday - Santa Claus, his Grotto and elves, carol singers, Upton Youth Band and Morris dancers on the riverside! A shame there weren't many people around to appreciate it all. 17th December There are a few tickets left for Upton in Bloom's draw for a £100 Christmas Hamper. These will be available outside Santa's Grotto in the Talbot Hotel tomorrow morning. Santa himself has agreed to make the draw. I've added some more pictures of windows. They are being judged as I write! County Councillor Bob Bullock kindly agreed to do the judging. Tomorrow we will announce the winners. There are two categories, Best Illuminated and Best Dressed windows. MHDC have also producted a list of Activities after Christmas, available below. 15th December I've added more Christmas windows and also some houses to the Christmas menu. A lot of work has gone into all the windows and houses! 13th December The new viaduct is taking shape. The metal beams now go from the West to East abutments and work has started on the reinforcements between them. Some pictures covering work this month have been added to the viaduct index above. 12th December I've added quite a few pictures to the Christmas menu page (link above) of windows and views of the shopping centre at night. 10th December Updated MHDC 'What's on' is available below Forthcoming Events 9th December The Rotary Tree of Light is now shining out at night in the Old Churchyard. Some pictures from the links above. 8th December I received an email regarding a scam involving Santa and telephone calls. More details above. 7th December The Tourism & Trade Association had a talk last night on using hand held radios in a 'Shopwatch' scheme. Today, Bill Dovey & I conducted tests with two types of licence-free radios. In the New Year we will be testing licenced radios which have much better range than the others. Pepperpot Players have sent me their newsletter 'sneeze...'. This is available for viewing from the Reports/Newsletters menu. 6th December The Castaways Christmas Dinner is at the Swan on 18th December. Tickets are still available at £18 per head. 4th December Antivirus software on the upton.uk.net server stopped 1550 emails containing viruses from reaching our users in November. Antispam software also contributes to a safer Internet for them. A CD, 'Upton upon Severn Festivals 2004', has been produced by Graham Mealand & Tony Parsons. More details in 'Bits and pieces' below. 3rd December Another addition to the Reports/Newsletters menu is the latest edition of the Upton News. My thanks to Betty Williams for allowing me to publish it here. The latest reports from Sir Michael Spicer MP, Upton Town Mayor and Tom Wells are available from the 'Reports/Newsletters' menu option Updated MHDC Christmas Music & Carols is available below Forthcoming Events. 2nd December The Star Inn & Hotel, under new ownership & management since August, is undergoing gradual refurbishment. Some new photos available from the link(s) above. The Water Festival Christmas Dance, due to take place on 4th December, has unfortunately had to be cancelled. The names TAINTON and BAYLISS have been added to the Genealogy page. 1st December The Swan is reopening this Friday. It won't be the big opening that was planned as the builders are still finishing the internal refurbishments. Sian & Mark will be having an opening night as soon as the work is totally finished. They will be starting to serve food including a Christmas menu from the 8th December - the menu can be seen from the Christmas Menus link above. Good Luck to Sian & Mark! Information on the Rotary Club's 'Tree of Light' can be found from the link above. 28th November The flags came down and Christmas trees went up today. 27th November The ladies who run the Gardeners Retreat cafe at Earls Croome Garden Centre organised a raffle in aid of Severn Area Rescue Association. This was drawn today - 50 prizes were won by people from as far apart as Birmingham & Cheltenham. A big thanks to the organisers who put a lot of hard work into the raffle. Leaflets regarding the opening hours of the GP surgery have been issued. From Saturday 1st January 2005 the surgery will no longer be opening on Saturday mornings. The out of hours emergency number is 0845 609 0669. 26th November I've revamped the 'Newsletters' section and renamed it 'Reports'. Sir Michael Spicer MP, Tom Wells (Leader of MHDC) and Mark Kerrigan (Town Mayor) have all agreed to send me a copy of the report they produce for the Upton News. These will appear on the website when the relevant edition of the Upton News is published. Several previous reports are available now. The Friends of Upton Primary School also feature in this area. Any other organisations are welcome to have their reports published. An updated MHDC 'What's on' is available below Forthcoming Events. 24th November I've added a more comprehensive map of the town with (I hope) most of the services on offer. It is a first issue and will be updated and amended as soon as I get more information. If you spot any mistakes/missing services, please let me know! 22nd November Yesterday the first load of steel beams arrived on the viaduct site. These are being placed between the concrete cross beams and will eventually provide the base of the new road. 21st November The Christmas trees were dressed today ready for next weekend. In past years many people have commented on how lovely the trees look in the town, especially noting the white lights. 19th November An updated MHDC 'What's on' is available below Forthcoming Events. Two other documents, Christmas Fayres & Specials and Christmas Music are also available. 17th November Want to make sure your watch or clock are correct?, or need to know the time in the UK? A link to Greenwich Mean Time has been added above, and under the weather forecast icon. 16th November A loud bang and crashing noise on the bridge turned out to be a tractor tyre puncturing. A couple of pictures from the link above. 15th November Up until now entries on the Genealogy page have been added following emails from researchers. A new page has been added whereby researchers can enter their information directly. The previous page is still available but will not have any more additions made to it. Links via Genealogy on the main menu or the link above. I've added a new section - Classified Ads. A link from the main menu or Recent Additions. The ads are free. If you want to place an advertisement but there isn't a category for it, please let me know and I will add one. The Rotary Club are again having their 'Tree of Light' in the Old Churchyard. Donations can be made at The Flower Ring or Anenome Studio and proceeds will go to St Richards Hospice. 14th November A large number of people attended the Remembrance Day parade and church service. Representatives from the Royal British Legion, District & Town Councillors, Army Cadets, Fire Service, Severn Area Rescue Association, Upton Tourism & Trade Association, Upton Rowing Club, Upton Rugby Club, Guides, Brownies and Rainbows, Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, and children from Upton Primary School were led by Upton Youth Band from New Street to the church and, following the service, to the War Memorial in the Old Churchyard where wreaths were laid. SARA are holding a Christmas Fayre / tabletop sale at Forthampton village hall on 11th December. Any organisation that would like to have a table for £5 will be welcome. Telephone number below. 13th November Upton in Bloom are holding a prize draw for a £100 Christmas Hamper. 'All you need for Christmas'! Tickets, at £1, are on sale around the town. Pepperpot Players pantomime in February is to be rumplestiltskin.com. I've put details and a copy of the poster from the links above. 12th November All the cross piece beams are in place for the new viaduct. I've added security information on cash machines to the link above and also a permanent link below. 11th November Pictures from the Act of Remembrance outside the Memorial Hall this morning from the above link. I've also put a link to the Royal British Legion website at the top of the page. 10th November We're on the map! New road signs have been erected on the A38/A4104 junction directing traffic to Upton as a tourist town. A picture from the link above. 9th November The first two cross piece beams for the new viaduct were put into place today. I've added quite a lot of pictures - see the Viaduct Index above. A 'Law & Order Audit' meeting is to be held in the Memorial Hall at 7.30pm on 18th November. Jenny Lawrence will be asking 'What would you like to see in the next 12 months?" The Act of Remembrance will take place at the Memorial Hall at 11am on 11th November. On Sunday 14th November the Parade will assemble in New Street at 10.15am preparatory to marching to the Church of the service. Following the service the Parade will march to the War Memorial where wreaths will be laid. 8th November Tickets for the UTTA Events Committee Christmas Dance on 3rd December are now available from Rose's Corner and other outlets within the town. If you saw Barry & Gary at the Water Festival you'll know the quality of the live music that will be played at the dance! 4th November I've added some pages of pictures to the viaduct index. I did prepare some last week but appear to have neglected to upload them! 2nd November The names CROWE and RAPER have been added to the list of names being researched. 12th October Upton in Bloom's AGM will be held in the Church Rooms at 7.30pm Wednesday 27th October. The poster for the AGM can be seen from the above link. Everyone is welcome to attend to share ideas and offer suggestions to help with "Updating our own environment for the benefit of our own people" I am in the process of setting up a website for Upton in Bloom, a link is on the left. 11th October Several more Water Festival fundraising and other dates added to Forthcoming Events below. The Friends of Upton Primary School are holding their Christmas Fayre on Saturday 20th November 2004, 10.00- 12.00. More information can be found from the above link. 10th October Waugh Haines Rigby Chartered Accountants of Tewkesbury now have a page on the site. A link above. The page includes a link to their own website which has a wealth of help and advice. 9th October Internet scammers casting about for people's financial information have a new way to lure unsuspecting victims: They go 'phishing'. Information on this from the link above or below. 8th October Malvern Hills Tourist Information Centre produce a list of what's on in the area every week. I've added a link to this below 'Forthcoming Events'. This will be a permanent feature on the site. Artists booked for next year's Folk Festival are being added to the programme page on their website as soon as they are confirmed - a link on the left. I've added a link to the new Environment Agency flood map. Until I can get a link to an Upton postcode you will need to put WR8 0JH into the box on the right of the page when it opens in your browser. 7th October Mrs Olive Latham and Mrs Jane Vernon-Harcourt have totted up almost 100 years of helping the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal! Pictures from the above link. 3rd October Upton Arts Music Group have released their programme for 2004-2005. I've added them to the Forthcoming Events and each item has a link to the Music Group page where the complete programme can be found. 1st October The dates for next year's Folk Festival have been added below with a link to their website for more details. The Sealed Knot are re-enacting the Battle of Ripple on 10th October at Ripple in aid of the hall refurbishment. Lots of other things going on so it sounds like a good afternoon. Entrance is £3 per person with under-14s free. Starts at 2pm. 30th September Another researcher of the name PITT has been added to the Genealogy page. 29th September Very early, I know, but I've started a Christmas menu area (link above) and will update it when I receive more menus. 28th September The Cruisers Bar & Restaurant recently opened at East Waterside, in the grounds of Upton Marina. Jane and Colin serve lunch and evening meals from Wednesday to Sunday. A link above. I've added a feed to the BBC news service. Work has commenced on the refurbishment of The Swan. The building has looked rather sad over the last few years and, when finished, it should look as good as new. 26th September Winners of the Tourism & Trade Association's competition which featured in several newspapers & local magazines are announced in the above link. 25th September The name WILSHIRE (or WILTSHIRE) is being researched by one of our visitors. A link above. 23rd September Upton Tourist Information Centre were one of the finalists in the Midlands competition for best TIC. They were up against Stoke on Trent, Birmingham, Ross on Wye and Ironbridge so, although they didn't win, I think they did extremely well to get so far. Last night the Upton in Bloom committee had a dinner to celebrate our winning another Gold Award plus the other awards. We are having our first AGM on 27th October at 7.30pm in the Church Rooms. Anyone interested in joining us or giving us the occasional help is very welcome to attend. Trophies for the local competitions will be presented at the meeting. Invitations to all who entered and all our sponsors will be sent out in due course. Work is continuing on the viaduct replacement and the link above is updated as and when I add more pictures or information. 15th September A message from the new landlords of The Swan can be seen on their page from the above link. 11th September Ironing Direct provide a range of services apart from ironing. Kym & Alan Teale have recently taken over the business and would be pleased to discuss your needs. Details from the link above and the Services menu. 10th September Upton won three awards at the Heart of England in Bloom presentation today. A Gold Award for Upton in Bloom, a Special Award from Severn Trent for Water Conservation for the town centre watering system, and the Small Neighbourhoods award went to Berrow Court. Certificates & the Severn Trent trophy can be seen in the Tourist Information Centre. Pictures later. 4th September The Garden Club's Annual Show was held today. Some lovely vegetables, plants, flower arrangements, cakes and crafts were on show. Pictures from the link above. Fed up with unsolicited telephone calls? Visit the Telephone Preference Service website (link below) and register your number to stop them. The Upton Shuttle Bus could do with a few more volunteer drivers - please contact me if you would like more details. 2nd September Hillbillies Pre-school has just received its Ofsted report and are delighted to report that they have received the top grade for their Nursery Education Inspection which they had in April. Extracts from the report can be seen from the link above and also from Hillbillies' page on the Services menu. 29th October 2.00: The New Street / Hook Bank road still has a 'Road Closed' sign. The water is well beyond the entrance to Hanley Road Car Park so I would have thought the sign could be moved back. It's a shame a sign saying 'Road ahead closed' wasn't stationed near the Old Fire Station as this would probably have stopped many people going down further and having to turn round. Note: The opinions/observations here are my own and any actions taken as a result of reading this are the responsibility of the reader. 27th October The river has dropped more but there is still a lot of standing water in the fields. The 2000 floods started in late October! The floods index can be seen from Views / Upton under Severn on the left. 26th October 8.00: The river has dropped slightly overnight. 25th October 16.30: I think the water has retreated a bit this afternoon. 7.30am: Although the river has risen a bit overnight it is not rising as quickly as it did yesterday. The bottom half of Hanley Road car park is covered. All main roads apart from New Street / Hook Bank are clear. 24th October 18.00 The Landlords of The Swan are preparing to put sandbags in place. The water at both ends of the road has just about met in the middle. I've added some pictures I took earlier. 15.30: There is more water New Street / Hook Bank and 'Road Closed' signs are in place. The road from the Old Bridge Abutment to the Swan is partially flooded - completely at the Swan end. It would appear that the Environment Agency has decided to lump us in with the 'Worcester to Tewkesbury' flood warning. Given that we are the only river crossing between them I would have thought we deserve our own warning. 10.00: The river has come up a lot overnight. The New Street / Hook Bank road is flooded. The footpath to the Hanley Road car park is just about open. 23rd October I've added a 2nd set of pictures from Nunsense 2 that I took last night. 21st October I went to see Nunsense 2 tonight - another excellent show from the Pepperpot Players! I've added quite a few pictures to the link at the top of the page, but only from the first half of the show, the camera had battery trouble... More tomorrow. The last pile for the new viaduct is almost complete with the concrete being poured tomorrow morning. The next stage, creating the bases for the cross pieces is under way. 19th October I've added a link to 'Nunsense 2' at the top of the page and added another picture to the page I uploaded on Sunday. 17th October This week sees the long-awaited production by Pepperpot Players of 'Nunsense 2'. I've added an updated poster plus a couple of pictures of the stunning scenery. A link above. 16th October After 3 weeks continuous work the crew working on the viaduct replacement are having a weekend off. The work over the last week or so has been extremely noisy - large steel piles were being driven into the ground. The concrete piles are nearly complete so work should 31st August Plum - left home to join the Circus, Sunday 29th August. His family at Manor Farm, Longdon, would love to hear any information as to where he is now. Dreadlocked, 10 years old, mostly dirty white coloured Jack Russell type terrier dog. His contact details are on his collar tag. Ring 01684 833564 if you can help find Plum. A reward is offered for information leading to his return home. The Water Festival car boot sale drew over 100 sellers and was a big success. The Dog Show was also very successful. Last night 117 of us had a wind-down trip on the Conway Castle, entertained by several artistes. 6.30pm - pictures added to the link above. 29th August The Water Festival has gone extremely well. Yesterday was a bit overcast at times but stayed dry all day. All the acts were well appreciated by the visitors and the fireworks, light, laser & water display were, as we have come to expect from Pepperpot Pyrotechnics, superb. I've finally managed to find time to start adding pictures. I've started an index from the link above. 27th August New information on the name FINCH plus the name GREENING has been added to the Genealogy page. If you have asked for help on any name and have changed your email address since so doing, please let me know. There are several disappointed people with information that cannot pass it on as addresses are no longer in use. 26th August Boats have started arriving for the Water Festival. The stage has been built ready for Saturday's entertainment. The weather forecast for the area is quite good. Following the demolition of the viaduct a very large concrete crusher is busy reducing the large rubble to very small pieces. 25th August I've added a list of the beers which will be available at The White Lion Hotel this weekend. 23rd August Following the success of its first Beer Festival in May, The White Lion Hotel is holding another on 27-29th August. The viaduct is almost gone now! 20th August Royston Embling, Site Inspector for Halcrow sent me some pictures showing the damage to the reinforcing rods on the viaduct. I have added these to some I've taken over time to create a page of pictures showing the state of the viaduct. 17th August Sian Murch & Mark Woolley have taken over the tenancy of the Swan Hotel. As a first gesture towards the town they are offering 60 tickets for seats for the fireworks and laser show at the Water Festival. The tickets are £10 each and include a buffet. All proceeds will go towards the Water Festival. Telephone 01684 592299 for further information. Today, at the invitation of Norwest Holst, I had a site induction and was presented with a hard hat & high-visibility jacket. Under supervision, I can now go onto the site to take pictures of the viaduct demolition & reconstruction. (Note to John's daughter - I will take a picture of him!) 16th August Work has started on demolishing the viaduct. Pictures from the Viaduct link above. 15th August I've added a list of the Dog Show classes - a link below. It sounds as if it is going to be a lot of fun! 14th August The programme for the Water Festival can be seen from the links above & below. Plenty of free fun & entertainment by the riverside. The dog show with lots of fun classes, on Bank Holiday Monday, is being organised by Jayne Gilbert from Stocks Veterinary Centre. Registrations for the dog show can be made at the Festival Office during the Festival. Lots of raffles, tombolas, and a prize draw (the winners go to EuroDisney!) are being held. 12th August Pepperpot Players' next production is to be 'Nunsense II'. Preliminary details from the link above. 11th August A new addition to the rental accommodation - 'The Parlour' - a newly converted single story building with disabled access. Located in Upper Strensham, about 4 miles from the town. Details from the link above. The Castaways Cruising Club are holding an Eve of Water Festival dance on the 27th August. More details below. 8th August Work commenced on preparing the viaduct for demolition & rebuilding this week. 6th August The Friends of Upton Jazz forthcoming events have been added below. More details can be found from the Friends page on the Upton Jazz website - a link to the site from each of the events. 3rd August In appreciation of the temporary road being open, Upton Tourism & Trade Association are holding a competition within the town. Details and entry forms will be in various newspapers. Pictures of hampers are being placed in several shops and the winner will have identified them all. A meal for two at The White Lion Hotel is the first among several prizes. A 10% off day is being held on Saturday 14th August in quite a few shops as a further encouragement to visit Upton. 31st July At approximately 8.00 this morning the temporary road was opened to traffic without fuss or fanfare. A Highways car with its yellow light flashing led the first vehicles along the road from the A38 end. Congratulations to the Highways Department and Laser Civil Engineering! I was advised that the work on the viaduct begins on Monday. 29th July Most of the tarmac appears to have been laid, white lines painted, fencing constructed, lamp posts in place, speed limit signs erected. Not long now! 28th July An amended time for the road opening - 6.30am Saturday. 27th July I've added today's pictures to the Viaduct Index above. I rode my bicycle along the road tonight! I have been advised that 6.30pm on Saturday is the time the road will be opened... 26th July Laser started laying the tarmac on the temporary road today - and lamp posts are in place. 23rd July I've added another set of pictures showing the progress of the temporary road. Kerbstones have been laid, the tarmac is due soon and then the white lines and hopefully by next weekend all will be done. 21st July The temporary road is really taking shape now. Apparently the tarmac is being laid early next week, then the white lines and some concrete barriers where the road passes over the culvert. Laser are on target for the beginning of August. A sad event yesterday. A caravan got stuck at the entrance onto the bridge and the owner died whilst trying to move it. Mrs Priscilla Beattie, Town Clerk for 20 years, is retiring at the end of August. Ex-Chairmen and Town Mayors attended a presentation to Mrs Beattie following the Town Council meeting last night. Pictures from the links above. 19th July The Blues Festival appeared to be a great success. The town was full of enthusiasts and the sounds of Blues music could be heard all over the town! An update from the Friends of Upton Primary School regarding their Summer Barbecue and forthcoming plans can be seen from the link above. 15th July Tiltridge Vineyard has won several awards for their 2003 wines. A link above. 12th July The bus timetable for Welland Steam Rally can be seen from the link above. 11th July Laser Civil Engineering have made considerable progress over the few days I was away from home. The culvert has been bridged and much more hardcore laid. 6th July Yesterday's judging of Upton in Bloom seemed to go well - we won't know how well we have done until September though. Laser Civil Engineering have started laying the hardcore for the temporary road. 2nd July The meeting held tonight updating us about the viaduct was not as well attended as the previous one. I've added the updated leaflet to the viaduct index - a link above. Given that the problems were only discovered in March I think the various departments involved have done extremely well to get where they are today - work has begun on the temporary road, the contract for the viaduct has been awarded to Norwest Holst and works will commence next month. If you've looked at the Blues Festival press release, there has been a correction - Fabulous Boogie Boys, not Fabulous Baker Boys. 1st July 2004 I've added quite a few photographs taken during June showing various operations in preparation for the new temporary road - mostly quite boring really but perhaps useful as a record for posterity, or something!