The tunnelling machine working underground as part of the £8 million Ross flood alleviation scheme has broken through to the surface. The 53-tonne machine has been used to burrow out a 400m long tunnel as part of the engineering works designed to national standards and aimed at preventing flooding from the Rudhall and Chatterley brooks.

The 2.1 metre diameter tunnel runs between the Kings Acre and Homs Road car parks. Structures known as a falling shaft and a rising shaft connect the tunnel to the watercourses. The falling shaft in Kings Acre car park built to a depth of more than 12 metres has a 6m diameter circular weir within a 10.3m diameter outer chamber linked to the Chatterley Brook.

When excess water flows in the Chatterley Brook build up to the level of the top of the weir, the water entering the outer chamber will start to flow over the weir, enter the falling shaft and flow along the tunnel below. Once full, water will pass through the tunnel and up through the rising shaft to emerge over a weir to be constructed beside the Rudhall Brook by the Rope Walk.

With the tunnelling machine now lifted out, both shafts will be capped and the car parks above reinstated. The scheme, funded by the Environment Agency, is scheduled for completion at the end of the year.
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Ken Henderson, project manager with tunnel contractors Morgan Est, said, 'The tunnel has been more difficult than we first thought because the rock was very hard in places but we are delighted to have now broken through at the other end'.

Will Frecknell, site supervisor for Amey Consulting, said, 'Once the scheme is complete, the car park will be returned to its original state and no-one will know the tunnel is there but it will be working when high rains come to prevent a repeat of the devastating floods in 2000.'

Councillor Phil Cutter, Herefordshire Council member for Ross East, who watched the giant boring machine being lifted in the Kings Acre car park, said, 'This is a momentous day for Ross-on-Wye and we are pleased the scheme is nearing fruition and will safeguard the homes and businesses in the area.'

Due to the size of the available area, all news media had to stand very close together, so our voices have crossed somewhat on the film. I have edited this out as much as possible but it was impossible to remove it completely - there is some BBC H&W and BBC Midlands Today commentry on my film (I expect my voice was on theirs too). My mobile phone also went off, playing the theme to both 2001 and the Apollo Moon Landings whist Tina was interviewing Councillor Cutter. Apologies for the sound quality, it could not be helped.

Wyenot has had a peach coloured background for over eight years - right from the very beginning - and I have disliked it for as long. I don't really know what on earth possessed me to choose that colour in the first place. It was just to be different, I guess. Everybody was using black or white at the time and I didn't want the design of Wyenot to look like all of the others. I quickly made the first page using the peach and brown, thought, 'I'll change that later' and continued working on the other content, using my original page as a template. Somehow, I never did get around to changing it. Until this week.

What you see now is not necessarily the end product. It is a design I knocked up in 20 seconds flat, in Photoshop, on Thursday, so it may well change again. I don't know whether I like it or not. Please let me know - I do still have the peach if everybody hates the new background.

As can be ascertained from my dress sense, I have about as much colour co-ordination as our dog, Eric. This is a genetic trait passed on by my father. Tina is always telling me, 'You're not going out with me wearing one red sock one blue one, sandals, shorts, a white shirt with a tea stain and a woolly hat!' (When this happens, I swap the sandals for wellies - thus hiding the socks.)

If you cannot see the new background, by the way - hit 'refresh' a few times. I changed it using a graphic which has the same file name as the old background, so you may still have the old background stored in your temporary internet files.

Herefordshire Council said that the local rural way of life is under attack after learning that the county faces the closure of 20 post offices These were confirmed in an announcement by Post Office Limited on Tuesday of this week. Of these, nine will be replaced by a limited 'outreach' service.

Herefordshire is the most sparsely populated county in the West Midlands and has been hit harder than any other part of the region by the closure programme. The Council has organized a seminar on Wednesday, 3rd September to discuss the county's response, bringing together county councillors, parish councillors, local MPs, Post Office Limited, the independent watchdog Postwatch and the Rural Shops Alliance.

Councillor Adrian Blackshaw, cabinet member for economic development and community services, said, 'Herefordshire's rural way of life has been dealt a hammer blow with Post Office Limited intent on axing more outlets here than anywhere else in the West Midlands. Everyone is deeply cynical about the process and although there are assurances that the plans are subject to a six-week consultation, Post Office Limited will have to work hard to convince local people that this isn't a 'done deal".

The 20 post offices earmarked for closure are: Bishops Wood and Langrove, Ross on Wye * Brockhampton, near Fownhope * Almeley * Bishops Frome * Brampton Bryan * Brampton Road, Hereford * Cradley * Dorstone * Edwin Ralph * Lower Eggleton * Lyonshall * Pembridge * Redhill, Hereford * Rushall and Sutton St Nicholas.

NICK KISS & SON
PLASTERERS AND GENERAL BUILDERS

All types of plastering work undertaken
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Telephone: 01989 763441
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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

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If you have a local news item or story you can submit it here
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