A 'JAMSTAND' SPECIAL
More Jamstand coverage on pages 2, 3, 4 and 5!

CAN I HAVE A COPY OF MY BAND'S FOOTAGE ON DVD?

This question has been asked of me four times already - and I have not even had time to view all of the footage myself yet.

The answer is: Yes - it is possible. HOWEVER there are some matters which must be understood first. I am afraid that you cannot have it for free:

I filmed the gig for two reasons:

(1) I needed proof that the event took place. In order for Jamstand to receive a grant from Herefordshire Council, they needed a main sponsor. 'Wyenot News' was that main sponsor and I have to prove that the event took place successfully or there will be no chance of money from Herefordshire Council for future Jamstand events.

(2) To take out the short extracts from the day for this week's WNTV NEWS programme.

• In order to support Jamstand and get that footage I spent 13 hours, standing in one place, on a scorching hot day, with my head pounding. (Great as the gig was, I am 40 years older than most of the people there and my body is therefore 40 years more worn out. It nearly killed me - no kidding!) It was my longest filming, working day of the year so far - for no pay.
• This means that I have 12 hours worth (approximately) of film, divided by however many bands there were playing.
• Sorting each band out for an individual DVD will take at least twice the amount of the real time again that it took me to actually film it. (Approximately a further 24 solid hours of time, if I do everybody I filmed, during which neither I, nor my computers can do anything else.)
• My schedule for running 'Wyenot News' and 'WNTV NEWS' already uses most of my life for very little fiscal reward and I am not intending to add another 24 hours of solid work to that schedule, free of charge.

The answer to the question is: Yes, but it will cost your band £20 for each DVD I make and the 'WNTV NEWS' credit must remain intact if rebroadcast on another web site or TV channel.

Please note: I have not run this article because I want to make money selling DVDs. Quite the reverse, in fact. I am totally worn out, and would much rather just use extracts from the footage for their intended purpose and then archive it for some other bugger to find when I am long dead. I am just pointing out that I am willing to supply if absolutely necessary but I cannot supply free of charge. I feel that I have already played my part.

You are very welcome to extract your band's performance from the above film, as long as you leave the 'WNTV NEWS' credit in tact and you upload the footage to your own server, rather than pull my expensive bandwidth.

Lots of young people had lots of fun at Ross Rowing Club this week during a Summer Camp that was held there. There were many fun activities for the kids to enjoy. You can hear about some of what went on in this week's WNTV News programme.

Popular local duo, Little Sister provided a great evening of entertainment at The White Lion Inn on Friday. Husband and wife team, John and Chrissie play a brilliant range of popular covers music and they soon had everybody up and dancing.

On Saturday, 9th August, the fabulous Jiveoholics will be performing at the White Lion. This Monmouth based band play some great Jump 'n' Jive music, so put on your dancing shoes and join in the fun.

The third annual Summer Garden Party took place at The Old Court Hotel at Whitchurch on Sunday. It was another hot sunny day and the event attracted a large audience.

Proprietors of the Old Court, Victoria and Jonno put this event on each year to raise money for Whitchurch Primary School, where in a few years time their son Teddy will be attending school.

Due to the enormous task of editing the Jamstand event we are unable to include the garden party in this week's WNTV News programme but will try to include it next week - the week after if the Carnival footage is too long.

The Ross Shop Mobility Service has recently moved location. It is now easier to find and more accessible! The new location is the Ross Book Swap Shop near to Ross library where both the Book Shop and Shop mobility will be running together.

Shop mobility was previously operating from the Scout and Guide HQ, alongside Ross Swimming Pool. Martin Neicho, a Manager of EnviroAbility said, 'The feedback we got from people using the service told us that the Scout Hut was a bit out of the way and people from out of town found it especially hard to locate. Having a more central location will make the service easier to access for everybody.' It is hoped that access to the service will now be easier and as the bus station is situated opposite, people who do not drive will also find it easier to access a scooter or wheelchair.

The volunteers who run the Book Swap Shop were happy to invite the Shop Mobility service into the Shop and make use of a brilliant location in order to make the service more accessible. Jim Baker (pictured to the left) has been a volunteer at the shop for many years and is excited to see the new changes. Everyone has been very accommodating and have worked really hard to integrate shop mobility.

The changes are welcomed by manager of the shop Alison Fletcher who said, 'The changes will encourage more independence in the running of The Book Swap Shop by volunteers. The new drop off point for processing of books is now in Henry Street and this gives more capacity for the service, for example storage of books and new opportunities for volunteers.'

For people in and around Ross, the WRVS offer to either bring people into town to access the equipment or take the equipment out to them. If you or someone you know wants to get into Ross to access Shop Mobility Scooters please call 567175 and Debbie will pleased to organize for you to be collected and dropped off. Alternatively, if you would like the use of a scooter in your own village Debbie will organize for one to be dropped off at your house and collected later.

Ross Shopmobility can be contacted by telephone on 01989 763388 or by e mail at shopmobility@btconnect.com. Victoria, Robyn or Dennis will pleased to answer your call. The new address is The Book Swap Shop, 4 Cantilupe Road, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7QD.

Herefordshire's would-be next MP Jesse Norman had an opportunity to go behind the scenes and join the Police for an evening on duty last Friday night

Donning a stab-proof vest and police jacket, Jesse joined Inspector Bob Barnett of the West Mercia Police on patrol in Hereford, Ross-on-Wye and in the county on a very busy and incident packed evening. Amongst other things, they investigated reports of threatening behaviour and assault, trailed a truck suspected of theft all the way from Hereford to Ledbury, and were called to help break up a disturbance at a local pub.

Afterwards, Jesse commented, 'What an eye opener! I've visited our local Police several times, but this was a fascinating insight into how they actually work. It's not until you go out on patrol that you really see both the careful routine and the blue-light excitement of the job. It's hard enough just to stay back and watch!

We are very lucky in Herefordshire to have such an effective police force. The police are not always well served by politicians, and I am extremely grateful to Inspector Barnett and his colleagues for giving me the chance to understand better what they do.'

It was a beautiful day and everyone in Ross seemed in a buoyant mood when the Heart of England in Bloom Judges, Les Goodman and David Wassall MBE paid their annual visit to Ross-on-Wye last week and they were far from disappointed in welcome they received.

After being met at the Royal Hotel by Lyn Tomlinson and Mary Sinclair Powell, the judges and the rest of the group set off in the WRVS minibus to the riverside where they were greeted by many of the people of Ross including the Mayor, the Mayoress, the Deputy Mayor, Joyce Thomas MBE DL, District Councillors, members of Herefordshire Council Departments who have helped to get the town ready, Girl Guides and major sponsors to name but a few.

The charming young Carnival Princess, Darcie Victor-Trott joined other townsfolk and was able to present the judges with a portfolio outlining a years work by Ross-in-Bloom in preparation of their visit and the press were out in full force. The judges commented on how well Ross always does in getting the press to attend this event as well as the magnificent number of other people that were waiting next to the boat. Alan Wood of Wyenot.com was the official photographer for Ross-in-Bloom this year, and he was able to record the visit every step of the way, from start to finish. This will be seen on his website over the next few weeks.

During their visit the judges were able to talk to Jessica Blake of the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust on the plans afoot for the regeneration of the riverside walk and turning it eventually into a circuit of the town.

After being met at St. Mary's church gates by two Roman Centurion Soldiers, the judges were escorted to the site of the Roman Dig at the Prospect, where Dr. Keith Ray, the County archaeologist was on hand to give them a full history of what has been uncovered so far, and how the team hope to be able to leave the dig open for years to come. This will be a most popular tourist attraction in the town if this can be achieved.

As they were driven around the town, many people waved the minibus on, and there were plenty of people who greeted the judges in the streets during their walkabout. The charities market had attracted at least fourteen stall holders, and the judges regretted they were unable to visit every stall.

The visit to the Heritage Centre to see displays from all age ranges of young people in the town was also one of the highlights. They marvelled at the young talent we have in this town including the art work by the students of John Kyrle School and the planted gardens from children up to the age of eleven years of age.

This year the Royal Hotel had sponsored banners advertising the in bloom organizations of the county, including Herefordshire in Bloom and these were displayed throughout the streets and in strategic points along the route. The judges remarked on the sculpture near the swimming pool, where Shopmobility had their scooters out for the day. David decided he wanted to have a go on one much to the delight of everyone there.

Nursery Road had a wonderful splash of colour once again on one of the main entrances to the town, and the judges were able to renew their friendship with Rita who was on hand to welcome them to the street. They congratulated Rita on her success at winning First Prize in Herefordshire Housings Competition this year. The townspeople of Ross had made a huge effort in making sure the visit went well. Where there was a lack of floral colour there were plenty of balloons and bunting in the town colours - even the refuse bags were orange for the visit!

Following refreshment very kindly laid on by the Royal Hotel, Les and David left Ross to go home and work out the marks for the campaign. Margaret Lucas and her team will have to wait until 11th September in Burton on Trent to find out how they got on, but it is hoped the major community spirit that was abounding in Ross on that day will have gone a long way to get an excellent result for the town and local tourism alike.

Mary Sinclair Powell of Ross-in-Bloom is also Joint Chairman of Herefordshire in Bloom. She said, 'The visit to Ross is very important to both the town and the county. All of Herefordshire has worked very hard this year towards in Blooming, and I hope that we all, that is towns, villages and neighbourhoods across Herefordshire, have done well towards boosting the local economy as well as showing that we can all work together and show pride in our local environment. As well as the town, Ross has five neighbourhoods being judged this year, and with luck we will all have succeeded well with the other Herefordshire entries to ensure that the county comes out top on awards as it has done in the past few years.'

The results of the judging will be released to the press as soon as possible after the presentation day. Local judging is still taking place and all of these results will be released to the local press during August.

Bus Stop Lane in Cantilupe Road

Sir,

We are writing to protest at the council's decision to lengthen the bus stop lane in Cantilupe Road. This decision has been made without any consultation with the residents, Mike Prince's men's hairdressers or the Cantilupe Cafe and has been put through at amazing speed. We received letters last Thursday and the work will be done by Wednesday of this week.

Hairdresser, Mike Prince has a lot of elderly male clients who value having a place where they can be dropped off and picked up from without having to walk a long way.

Much of the Cantilupe Cafe's trade is takeaway and as they can't provide a delivery service, they rely on customers picking up their orders, which are timed as the customers have only a short break in which to eat their purchases. A bus stop outside of the cafe would block the daylight to the cafe and would prevent visitors from seeing that the cafe is there. The door would also have to be kept shut on hot days because of diesel fumes.

The residents of Cantilupe Road pay the council £25 per year to be able to park in the street. This doesn't guarantee them a space, but four spaces will be lost to buses or left empty. It would be difficult for them to sell a property with no parking facility.

The existing bus lanes are only full once an hour, as most services leave at the same times. The Express is in and out, as is the Ross Runabout.

At the bottom of the letter informing us of the plans it says,'Putting people first, providing for our heritage.' Sorry but it's more like 'Putting another nail in the coffin for people who live and work in the town.'

Sheila Hatherall, Mike Prince and the residents of Cantilupe Road.

Heart of England in Bloom Judging Day

I am writing to thank everyone who supported Ross last week, for the all-important Heart of England in Bloom Judging Day. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the visit at the last minute, however, I understand the day went extremely well and this would not have been possible without a lot of help and support from town and county members.

The judges thoroughly enjoyed their visit, as always. In particular they were delighted to see so many press and supporters on the Riverside and were fascinated by the talks about the plans for the Roman Dig and the new Riverside improvements.

We were delighted that the Mayor was able to greet the judges on the riverside, with his Mayoress and the Deputy Mayor. The Carnival Princess, Darcie Victor-Trott also did sterling work and is a great ambassador for the town. There are too many people to mention and I do apologize if I have missed anyone, but I am very grateful for the support of everyone for this prestigious event in the town. In particular I would like to mention the Royal Hotel, the Garden Store and Alan Wood for all their hard work both towards and on the day.

Herefordshire Council as always have excelled themselves. The WRVS minibus was a great help with moving the judges from site to site - thanks go to Debbie and Jeff who arranged all of this. The two plucky gentlemen who played the part of Roman Soldiers in costumes supplied by Iris Price were a great hit at the Roman Dig. Again I apologize for omissions. Everyone I hope will accept my thanks through the press, although I will be getting around to thanking them all personally as soon as I am fit.

However, at this stage I would like to make very special mention of my trusty team who worked so hard, especially when I was taken ill so suddenly on the judging morning. They are Lyn Tomlinson, Mary Sinclair Powell, Sue Parker, Sue Holland and Peggy Luker. Jessica Blake of Herefordshire Nature Trust and Dr Keith Ray the County Archaeologist also deserve my special thanks. What wonderful support they all gave to the town of Ross and to put it high on the map for tourism. They all worked their socks off, especially on the day, and I hope everyone in the town who supported Ross-in-Bloom had a wonderful time.

The local judging continues into August and Mary hopes to be able to start putting results together during the next couple of weeks. There is a lot of work involved with this and I understand she and her teams are on the third leg of five with the judging.

Whilst they were in Ross, the judges mentioned that there is a nasty disease going around which is affecting Busy Lizzies. It is Heart of England wide - not just in Ross - and is affecting the root system. They advise all those who have these plants to keep an eye on them. If they die off dig them up and burn them or dispose of them elsewhere. Do not put them in the compost. Do not replant the same bed with or use the same compost etc. for Busy Lizzies again for the coming year, as there could still be residual parasites in the soil. It is a fungal disease, which does not seem to be affecting other plants. Mary is taking all of this into consideration with her judges. Thanks to everyone again.

Margaret Lucas, Chairman, Ross-in-Bloom

NICK KISS & SON
PLASTERERS AND GENERAL BUILDERS

All types of plastering work undertaken
Clean and Tidy - Free Quotes

Telephone: 01989 763441
Mobile: 07810 174670

PAUL AND STEVE RANDELL
GENERAL BUILDERS

Extensions - Renovations - Brickwork
Stonework - Floor Laying - Roofing

Telephone Paul on 01989 564112
Mobile 07812 564112
Steve on 07971 535064

Dave and Jacqui Newman would like to welcome you to the White Lion 16th Century Riverside Inn. Situated right on the banks of the River Wye at Ross, the White Lion is a picturesque local inn with an interesting history and is noted for its spectacular river views. The White Lion has long been a favourite place to relax by both local people and tourists alike.

The White Lion's extensive and picturesque gardens reach right down to the river's edge and are a wonderful place to enjoy views of the river. It is a great spot to watch the local otters, nesting swans and other wildlife.

Accommodation

Log Fire

Old Gaol Restaurant

Meals served every lunch time
and evening in the bar and restaurant

CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2008

The absolute deadline for Wyenot News stories and other items is 12:00, midday on Tuesday, for inclusion in the following day's edition.

PLEASE NOTE HOWEVER: This is an absolute deadline and not the time I am asking for articles to be sent in. Mondays and Tuesdays here at 'Wyenot News' are Hell with by far, the most events I cover occurring at the weekend. The photography that the public sees happening is only one tiny part of the whole picture (please excuse the pun) of running this weekly news publication and the bits of prep that people do not see, are actually the most time consuming part of getting the story out.

If at all possible, please send your story in as early as you can, rather than wait until the very last minute, so that I can have at least a fighting chance of getting to bed before 3:00 am every Tuesday and Wednesday morning after what has lately become two 18 hour working days on the trot.

Thank you very much for your understanding and help.

Alan

DO YOU HAVE A STORY FOR WYENOT NEWS?

If you have a local news item or story you can submit it here
or call Alan or Tina on 01989 763217

There is no charge for publishing NEWS items - a small discretionary charge may be made to cover travel expenses for photographic coverage of events

What's On Events - see page for details

Wyenot News, 1, Hillview Road, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. HR9 7EY

If you would like to order prints from Wyenot News photographs, please click here.

Prints are only available for photographs taken by Wyenot News (Not of those which have been sent in by readers).

Prints of 'people' photographs are only available to those directly involved in the news event covered. i.e. I do not sell prints of people to the general public.